Sunday, April 30, 2006

Budget Travel - Get Free Flights

Get Yourself Bumped & Get Free Flights On Your Next Budget Travel

One great way to begin your budget travel is to get free flights (without collecting frequent flier miles) is to get yourself bumped off of the flight that you are booked on. Yes, that means that you won't get your current flight for free, but you can get a free travel ticket to use for a later date.

You may not be the only person on your flight hoping to get bumped. So try to follow these guidelines to increase your chances of a free flights or cheap travels.

- Book your flight with the intention of getting bumped. Select one of the first or earlier flights. So if you are successful in getting bumped, you will still be able to get on a later flight and still get to your travel destination.

- Always ask if the flight is overbooked. Call your travel agent the night before to ask. On the day of the flight, ask the gate agent if the flight is overbooked and tell him/her that you volunteer to be bumped.

- Always get a schedule that includes all airlines, not just the one on which you are booked.- Arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes prior to scheduled departure. Being the first in line will increase your chances, especially if you are the first few (or better yet, the first) on the list of volunteers to be bumped.

- Before you agree to be bumped, ensure that the airline will offer a free ticket or other significant compensation. Before accepting your free ticket or travel voucher, make sure you are holding a confirmed/guaranteed reservation and boarding pass for a later flight.

- If there are no guaranteed seats on the next flight of your choice, inform the agent that you want a guaranteed seat on another airline. Use the flight schedule and select an alternative flight and airline.

- If you have to wait more than two hours for the next flight, ask the gate agent for meal vouchers. Most airlines have these vouchers, but they may not offer them without being asked.- If you get bumped from your next free flight, you may just get another free ticket. Well, it may be a little inconvenient but if you want free or budget travel, you will need to be more flexible with your timing.

- There are some regulations, but each airline has its own bumping and compensation policy. Bumping policies may also be different for international flights. Make sure you ask before volunteering to be bumped.

Check out the various ways you can save during your budget travel. Save thousands and stretch that dollar and you may just be taking more great vacations in a year!

Good luck in trying to get bumped, and get free flights.

All the best,
Budget Travel

Friday, April 28, 2006

Budget Travel - 12 Tips For Europe Travel

12 Great Tips For A Great Budget Travel In Europe

Here are some of the favorite tips for cheap travels in Europe. Actually, these budget travel tips apply to any country that you want to visit!

Budget Travel Tip # 1
Eating with the locals instead of the tourists. This way, you will save some money and enjoy the local food at the same time. Restaurants or eateries that are popular with local residents tend to be the ones with the best meals at a low or reasonable price.

Budget Travel Tip # 2
For a quick and economical breakfast, pick up a roll, some fresh cold cuts and a piece of fruit from the local market. Then enjoy a delicious sandwich and a cup of coffee in the local park. Take in the view and local life around you. You may end up with some great photos while at it.

Budget Travel Tip # 3
When eating out, choose the fixed price menu and the house wine for the best value. These dishes are often a good way to sample the local cuisine.

Budget Travel Tip # 4
Overnight trains are a great way to get from place-to-place and rest or sleep. During your budget travel in Europe, be sure to bring a meal, bottle of water and snack along. That way, you can save money and enjoy your packed meal.

Budget Travel Tip # 5
Snap away! Take loads of pictures of the people you meet during your budget travel in Europe. If you are using film camera, develop them when you get back home as developing at tourist locations can be expensive. Of course, if you are using a digital camera, you can take as many shots and print only your favorite ones.

Budget Travel Tip # 6
Find a website that offers some photographs of local attractions or upload your own from your digital camera. Personalize these shots with an epostcard and email them back to family and friends at home.

Budget Travel Tip # 7
Learn a few basic words of the local language. It will be easier and cheaper to buy things.

Budget Travel Tip # 8
When making large purchases, it is always best to use a credit card. That way you cash lasts longer.

Budget Travel Tip # 9
Like credit cards, ATM cash transactions provide the best exchange rates. You will avoid the sometimes costly fees charged by hotels and currency services when you need cash.

Budget Travel Tip # 10
Many travel locations provide student discounts, senior discounts, etc. If you are not sure a, always ask.

Budget Travel Tip # 11
Plan your budget travel wisely. There are some inexpensive souvenirs that you can get from your budget travel in Europe. For example, stickers, fridge magnets or postcards. For more expensive purchases, remember that the further you go from the tourist attraction, the less expensive the souvenirs will be.

Budget Travel Tip # 12
Go on a tour of the city. A bus pass or subway token is a great avenue for meeting the local people and sightseeing. The public transportation service of most European cites is efficient, clean, safe and easy to navigate.

Europe offer lots of things to see and experience. During your European travels, there are definitely lots of stories that you can share. Learn how to be a successful travel writer and get paid to travel the world! Click here for details.


Cheerio,
The Budget Traveler

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Budget Travel - The Travel Basics

The Basics of Budget Travel

Travelling can be awfully expensive if you book at the wrong timing or just failed to look at alternative budget travel options that are equally as good. It doesn't matter if you are travelling alone or with your whole family. Keeping costs low will allow you to spend more on souvenir shopping or even fit more budget travels in a year.

The first step in budget travel is to list what you will not compromise on and what you can cut back. Are you willing to cut back on accomodation by opting for budget accomodation? Do you prefer to spend more on sightseeing, meals or shopping? You have to find the right balance of which is important to you before you can plan your budget travel.

Secondly, you will need to create your travel budget. List down how much you are willing to spend on your budget travel for - airfare, transportation/rental, sightseeing, hotel, food, shopping and others. When you know which part of the travel should cost, you can now begin planning your cheap travels. To get a rough estimate on the costs involved, you should obtain information from various websites and travel books. Travel books from Lonely Planet, DK Publishing, Discovery, are amongst the more popular books with travellers.

If you will be visiting a location with many theme parks or museums, be on the lookout for the best admission/package deals. There should be plenty of packaged admission deals that cater to many tourists. Picking the right packages is important to make your budget travel a success. To begin this part of your budget travel, be sure to get onto the Internet to locate the attraction's website. The attraction's website will feature specials such as special discounts on particular days, 2-for-1 deals, free admission for children below 6 years old, senior citizen discounts, and many more.

The main thing to remember in planning a budget travel is to look for DISCOUNTS, DISCOUNTS & DISCOUNTS! After all, why pay the full price when you can get it at a discounted rate. All you need to do is do a little research and you will be on your way to enjoying the budget travel that you planned.

You can discover more secrets to booking hotels and airfare at 50% or more off what the normal traveler pays. You can learn how to travel smart, avoid getting scammed, and what to do when things go wrong. Here is one of the best books that I have come across on budget travel. The secrets in this book will teach you, in simple terms, how to be a very savvy traveler. Click here for more details.

Here's wishing you success in your budget travel.

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."
- Robert Louis Stevenson: Travels with a donkey (1879)

Cheers to good travels,
Budget Travel

Budget Travel - Welcome!

Hello everyone!

Welcome to my blog on budget travel. I will be posting tips and information on how to enjoy cheap travels and discount travel occasionally. Budget travels can be fun, exciting and enjoyable.

I hope you will benefit from all the postings here.