Travel Tips (Monday)

Category Archives for Travel Tips (Monday).

Medical Tourism in Hungary

I have joined the world of medical tourism, getting some major dental work done this week in Hungary.  There are few accurate figures estimates on how many people are travelling to countries other than their own for health care procedures but it is thought to be in the millions. The most common procedures are dentistry and cosmetic surgery but eye care is also popular and some people opt to travel overseas for major surgical procedures because of pricing. The top countries for medical tourists are: Brazil, Costa Rica, Hungary, India, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey. It is estimated that in 2011, between 70 and 80 thousand people travelled to Hungary for dental treatment generating revenues…

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Travel Tip: Mystery Rooms

Hotels with spare capacity will offer their rooms up to companies that sell them as a mystery deal. The companies that i most deal with are Wotif.com, Lastminute.com and Hotwire.  Expedia also has Secret saver hotels but I have not used them. As a customer, you are advised of the location, the Star rating, some of the amenities and price for the selected nights. Once you accept the mystery deal, it is generally not refundable or changeable in any way. Is it worth it? Yes! I have got some great rooms at a great deal. I…

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Travel Tip #16: Priceline

Priceline is one of the riskiest ways of booking a hotel room (you can also use them to book cars and flights). Risky because,  the actual hotel name and excess location are revealed after you have paid. Both sites rely on hotels and suppliers who have excess capacity of rooms. As a consumer, it has meant getting rooms at amazing prices. I have stayed at the Westin St Francis, in Cardiff, Wales, on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, in Seattle’s heart  and off Times Square,New York  in four star hotels and on Orchard Rd, Singapore in a five star hotel, all for around $100 a night.…

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Travel Tip #15 Wimdu and AirBnB

On my last New York City trip I checked into a room one block from Times Square. The queen size bed was comfortable. There was a full kitchen, a very clean bathroom and small living/dining room. A balcony gave a view of the Manhattan skyline. Downstairs we had a concierge in duty with dry cleaning services if we needed it. All this for $100 a night! Through AirBnB, “a social website that connects people who have space to spare with those who are looking for a place to stay” we got a place that was…

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Don’t Overlook Youth Hostel Stays!

When I was a teen I used to stay in Youth Hostels with ten people in the same room. Before we left for the day, members had to present themselves to the manager to do a chore before checking out! Youth hostels have changed (as have I!). My post last week prompted on youth hostels prompted me to reflect that hostels still remain an amazing way to travel – and not necessarily just for teenager backpackers. For example, in Sydney, Australia during a really busy peak time in that city, the chepaest decent hotel room…

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Travel Tip #13 Save through Youth Hostels!

I have been a member of the Youth Hostels Association on and off since 1977. Over the last few years I have faithfully renewed my membership without hesitation. Yet, my days of staying in backpacker rooms with 12 or more backpackers are very rare. My major motivation frankly for staying connected as as member are the discounts that many establishments offer youth hostel members. These discounts far outweigh the cost of my mmbership. The YHA discounts, I think, are the best of any discount scheme I have encountered travelling. Travelex gives commission free cash at…

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Nervous Flyers Relax (Travel Tip #11)

When Ansett Australia was flying, their in flight magazine had a section for nervous and new flyers explaining the bangs and noises of a flight. Last week British British Airways is installing an instructional video  on its in-flight entertainment system based on its one-day Flying with Confidence course. The video guides passengers through the operations of an aircraft, including explaining the  technical side of flying including turbulence. The course is run by Captain Allright (that is his real name apparently!) Also included in the video are relaxation techniques from clinical psychologists to help reduce any feelings of panic. A clip…

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Terrific Tripit

If you travel regularly or are planning an extended trip, get TripIt. Tripit works like this:Whenever I get an itinerary from an airline, rail company, hotel (pictured below) I forward the confirmation to  Tripit. Users can currently forward confirmation emails from over 1,000 different booking sites. Thirty seconds after Tripit has got my email, they send one back: Its like magic!  Every now and then one doesn’t work (Interislander ferries in NZ didnt work yesterday!). Tripit creates an itinerary from the confirmation. You can see my upcoming trips below on my Tripit homepage:  Each of these Trips will include…

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What the H*ll is this Code Sharing? (Travel Tip #9)

I was at a party recently and a guy I was talking to, was reflecting on his recent holiday. He had been shocked to find despite being booked on what he thought was a Qantas flight, it was in fact operated by British Airways. “What the hell is this Code Sharing?” was his comment. This experience can be a bonus. For example, being booked on an American Airlines flight but the carrier is Qantas. The service will be better and the food better! I have also found it can save you money. When I booked…

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