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“Travel & Vacation Savings Advice & Tips On How To Save Money On All Your Travel Needs”
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL -
Renting a car in a foreign country may or may not be a good idea, depending on the nature of the country, driving conditions and safety considerations. However, if you are comfortable driving in your country or countries of destination (such as Canada, Western Europe, Japan, etc.) renting a car is generally easy , particularly if rented at the airport. Many of the tips to get your best rental deal are included in the “Rental Cars” Section. However, insurance considerations for driving in a foreign country bear repeating, since insurance coverage in foreign countries can be somewhat “tricky.”
When you plan on renting or driving a rental car outside the United States (even if the vehicle was rented within the United States), make sure you check to see what coverage for losses applies. Often, your own coverage from your auto policy or health policy may have many exceptions for international coverage. Coverage available from credit cards may also have significant exceptions. Make sure you check. And even if you purchase coverage from the rental car company, make sure it will still be good if you drive in another country (even if they allow you to drive the car in another country). For instance, coverage purchased from a rental company on a car rented in Arizona, may not be in effect if the car is driven in Mexico. Or coverage purchased on a car rented in Germany may not be any good if the car is driven in Poland. Make sure you check so you do not have any surprises.
Compared to most countries, the number and convenience of affordable hotel rooms is much greater in the United States. It seems that all types of rooms (both chain and independent) at all different price levels are available everywhere in the United States, particularly along interstate highways. This is not the case in most foreign countries, including Europe. Internationally, rooms are generally concentrated more downtown (whether in large or small towns) and often are not connected to a chain. You just do not see a Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn on every corner and, therefore, rooms can be harder to locate, particularly on a moments notice, and quality can be difficult to judge in advance.
1. When traveling abroad, it is generally better to have more of a fixed itinerary
than you might consider in the United States. This allows you to arrange rooms ahead
of time. This can be done easily using the Internet travel web sites like Orbitz.com,
etc. and other sites that offer hotel rooms like Hotels.com, or by using standard
travel agencies. Sites like TravelZoo.com and EuroCheapo.com may also be helpful
for finding lower-
2. If you are a bit more adventuresome, and/or you do not know where you will be staying on a particular night, you can arrange for accommodations “on the fly.” The biggest challenge will probably be locating a room when you need one. If you use the Internet prior to your trip to do some research, you can print out information on many hotels in the various metropolitan areas you will be traveling through and have this information available for use when you arrive. Also available are good travel books (like Fodor’s), which will list many of the hotels available in various towns, and will include ratings. These books are a great resource for finding reasonably priced accommodations that are nice. Because rooms generally are not visible on the highway and are hard to locate, many towns will have a “hotel location center” on the road into town. At these centers they will provide information on many hotels, as well as arrange for bookings. However, often the quality of these rooms seems to be more varied than rooms presented in travel books.
3. Hotels are not the only option for accommodations, particularly if you are planning on staying at one location for a period of time. Just like in the United States, apartments, condos, etc. may be for rent, and offer the same types of advantages as described earlier in the “Lodging” and “Vacation Packages” Sections. These types of accommodations can be found on Internet travel sites, as well as at your local travel agent.
Eating, when traveling internationally, can also be an adventure. Depending on the country, quality can vary significantly, as can pricing. Many of the tips set forth in the “Dining” and “Attractions” Sections can also be used when you travel internationally to save money. Some additional tips include:
1. If you choose to eat in a restaurant, foreign restaurants often offer two or three “fixed” dinners that generally include a house special and “all the trimmings.” These meals are usually decently priced, compared to ordering ala carte, and usually are quite good. Order the house wine and you should have a nice meal.
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