If you are a first time traveler, it is a good idea to make your accommodation reservations at least a week before you travel.  This not only offers you peace of mind, but also helps keep your bank balance in good shape, as many companies offer cheaper prices the further in advance you book.  In this golden age of technology, you can easily find a hostel or a house for rent by searching online.  The internet offers a wide range of sites through which you can compare the quality and prices of different hostels and hotels in order to find one which best fits your needs.

To ensure maximum safety and comfort, travelers are advised to double check the place details using comparison websites. Reading reviews is one of the best ways to help you judge the quality of a hotel or hostel- although you should keep in mind that not everyone has the same taste, so what one guest rated as a poor hotel may be your idea of heaven!

Reading reviews could be what stops a lover of high temperatures booking in to an ice hotel!

There are several factors to consider before booking accommodation at a hostel and a hotel. Choosing the best online merchant services plays a great role in getting good accommodation place. Some online services won’t take any fee even for their booking options. Travelers just have to enter the name of city and their budget. Top motel merchant services will then provide you with a perfect place to suit your budget. You can also book an accommodation option abroad via phone.

Before committing to a short term accommodation option abroad, people are advised to make sure the price includes everything that you expect it to!  Make sure that any taxes are included, and that you are clear as to which facilities you will have to pay extra for (such as use of a gym or sauna). Nothing spoils a holiday faster than being slapped in the face with an unexpected bill!

Bills are never a pleasant surprise- especially on holiday!

Those who are searching for a cheaper deals can choose to go for a hostel instead of a hotel. If you need more privacy, private rooms are available in most hostels. Most first time travellers, especially young people, choose to stay in hostel dorms, because these tend to be great places to meet people from all over the globe.
If you wish to save money by cutting out the need to pay a middle man, it is recommended to contact the hotel or hostel directly rather than through another website. However,  you must remember that any mon

ey you save by directly contacting them can be outweighed by the bill you will accrue by phoning them from a different country!  Alternatively, seek out the plethora of top motel merchant services available to you for your own comfort.

How to choose your destination? Is there a way to choose just the right destination? There is! How? Let’s count the ways.

KNOW YOURSELF

In order to decide how to choose your destination, you must know yourself. There’s a saying “to thine own self be true.” Knowing what makes you happy — lying on a beach soaking in the sun or walking around exploring exotic places — will enable you to choose just the right destination. What else?

TIME

Are you planning a day or weekend trip? Are you planning a week or more-than-a-week trip? Before you choose your destination, you have to know how much time you will spend away. Why is this important?Depending upon how much time you have will determine how far away you can travel.

Day trips enable you to learn more about the place you live in. By traveling to areas close to your own neighborhood, you will discover unknown food places and browse interesting-looking stores filled with all kinds of treasures. It’s amazing how different neighboring places can be!

Weekend trips allow you to travel short distances from home. These trips enable you to visit neighboring cities or states. Here you can explore how your life could be lived in a place closer to where you currently live, but far enough away to be a real change. Or, you have no intention of moving; you simply want to investigate what’s there or perhaps just rejuvenate yourself.

Ah, week-long, or more than week-long, trips are the best. Why? Now you have enough time to relax and unwind. But, how to choose your destination when you have this much time? That’s the question. Let’s continue counting the ways.

LAND OR WATER?

Any trip can involve land or water. It can also involve land and water! Seriously, though, most of the time your choice involves more of one and less of the other. Like the water? Visit a nearby beach (day trip) or a distance beach (weekend trip). A cruise is just the right destination for a week-long, or more than a week-long, trip. There are also one day and two-day cruises.

Land destinations can include traveling within North or South America as well as in Europe, Asia and Australia. In fact, you can combine your trip with a cruise that visits different places where you can leave your ship in order to explore new places and then return to your ship after a day exploring. Now that’s the best of both worlds!

MONEY

Ah, cash! In order to choose your designation, you not only need to know how much time you have, and if you want to spend that time on land or on water, or on both, but you also need to take into account how much money you have to spend. Money is a necessary evil! Without money, you won’t be able to travel anywhere. You usually can find cheap flights which helps.

And, alas, the amount of money you have to spend will be the most important factor in deciding how to choose your destination. If there’s not much money, take heart. Those day trips can be quite affordable and fun. Even weekend trips, can be an answer to your limited finances. Besides, you can always save your money for that week-long or more than week-long trip and treat yourself to a stay in a beautiful Wimdu bed and breakfast for your next holiday.

So, know yourself, decide on how much time and money you have. Think of a land or sea adventure — or a land and sea adventure! – and make your choice.

Everyone needs a vacation from time to time. Traveling provides a much needed break from every day life and a way of adding fun and adventure to an otherwise boring routine.  Travelling alone can be a bit intimidating to a first-timer, but it doesn’t have to be! In fact, travelling solo allows you much more freedom than sticking with a travel buddy which can open up all sorts of unexpected doors for you! Below are some tips on how to meet friends when traveling alone.

Consider staying in a hostel

If you will be traveling alone consider staying in a hostel. A hostel is similar to a hotel. However, guests share rooms, lounges, and kitchen space. It is more like an open house setting. People from all walks of life share the same space. The social atmosphere encourages interaction. This is a wonderful way to meet new people and make friends.  And unlike sharing a room with a lifelong buddy, if you don’t like the company after one night you can up sticks and move on to somewhere new ;).  Hostels are often much cheaper than hotels as well, so it’s a win-win situation!

Prepare when you pack

When you pack include items that will encourage conversation or interaction. Packing a deck of cards is a good idea. These will come in handy when you encounter travel delays and such. If you are bored others most likely are as well. Invite them to a game. As the game unfolds you and other players will engage in conversation. Before you know it friendships will develop.  Some people choose to take a musical instrument or craft materials to act as conversation starters, but this of course depends on your hobbies and your willingness to carry the extra weight!

Also, pack things like gum, breath mints, and snacks. Offering to share will give you the to opportunity to talk to those around you by. You might be surprised how a simple gesture such as offering a piece of gum can spark conversation among strangers.

Join group activities

Just because you are traveling solo doesn’t mean you have to stay alone! Joining group activities is the perfect way to meet the people around you. Once the activity is over ask if anyone would like to go for coffee or lunch (unless the activity WAS coffee or lunch, then you’d just look weird…) I would especially recommend doing this at Christmas, or on other special occasions when being away from home may be especially difficult.

Smile and have fun

If people see you smiling and enjoying yourself they will feel encouraged to talk to you. People like being around those who are positive and upbeat. Grump bunnies do not draw friends!

Ask to join others at meal time

If you see an empty seat in a dining room, ask if you may sit down. Most people will be more than happy to allow you to join the table. This will provide you with the opportunity to meet people.  Don’t let a fear of rejection hold you back, you don’t know these people (yet!) so if they are rude you can feel free to walk away and find people who aren’t!

Take group tours

Group site seeing tours are the perfect way to see the area with others. It is often more fun to be part of a group than to go alone, and often the people you are with will point out details that you would missed if you were alone.

Ask questions

Ask locals and other tourists questions. Ask about the best places to dine, the most entertaining tours, and the best areas to visit. This will prompt conversation.  Who knows, you may even be headed to the same area and have just found yourself a companion for the journey!

Travelling alone does not mean that you have to spend all your time solo. If you follow the tips above are sure to make a barrage of new friends whilst having the time of your life on your trip!

Making a round the world trip is a dream that most people have, though few people actually do it. This is because they think that such a trip would be too expensive for them. While it is true you do need money to travel round the world, you can minimize these costs if you plan ahead. Indeed, the planning aspect of such a trip is critical, since it determines how well you manage the financial resources you have. This requires you to have a budget, which should have a breakdown of the expenses anticipated during the trip. With a budget, you are able to allocate sufficient funds for your trip without going overboard. It also ensures that you will have enough money for your needs after the trip. You certainly do not want to take your dream trip, only to regret later because you have used up all you money. To help you out, this article will give you tips on how to budget before your round the world trip.

Factors to consider

The first step in budgeting for your round the world trip is to determine the countries you wish to visit during the trip and the time you will spend in each of them. You can then make an itinerary of these visits, which will make budgeting easier for you. As you budget for the trip expenses, you will do it based the countries you are visiting. This is because the expenses incurred differ from one country to another, a factor you should take into account. Some of the main expenses that need to be considered are transport, accommodation and food expenses. You also need to set aside some money for any unforeseen events, given that your plans may change in the course of your trip. At the same time, currency fluctuations may affect your budget either positively or negatively, so you need to be prepared for such eventualities.

You also need to budget for any other requirements for your trip, in addition the most obvious ones. If for instance you are travelling to countries that have different weather conditions, you may need to budget for the appropriate clothing. Further, depending on the activities you need to undertake during the trip, you may need to have special clothing or equipment, which you should also budget for. In both cases, you will need to determine if it is easier to travel with such items or to buy them in the intended destinations. Other additional requirements for your trip may include things such as international travel insurance, extra medication or vaccinations. Be sure to budget for all possible expenses, so that you do not get stranded in the middle of your trip.

Budgeting for a round the world trip is essential, as it determines the success of your trip. As such, the above information will prove helpful, as it shows you how to budget before your round the world trip. In so doing, you can compare the trip expenses with your budget, making adjustments where necessary.