The (Electric) Sun Never Sets In Las Vegas

This sparkly mirage sprouting from the middle of Nevada’s massive Mojave Desert will draw any willing soul into its decadent embrace, thirst or no thirst. Las Vegas’ adult-sized playground of gargantuan casinos, shops and amusement parks, linked to one another by moving walkways and trams, will keep you guessing what time of day it is – until you finally realize that it just doesn’t matter. Over 40 luxury hotel-casinos line the Strip, the heart of Las Vegas Boulevard, each with their own set of swanky nightclubs, world-famous restaurants, 24-hour buffets and award-wining shows.
The Entertainment Capital of the World
Las Vegas did not earn this accolade by chance. It is the home of the internationally acclaimed Cirque du Soleil, the funky Blue Man Group, an abundance of unparalleled theater performances, and, of course, the world famous Las Vegas showgirls. At the southern end of the Strip, Mandalay Bay Hotel

Budget Travel Tips for Those Who Plan

How to Save Money When Booking a Vacation Through Your Travel Agency

With an uncertain economy and, for many, an uncertain future, some people are opting to put off vacations. Despite the potential problems on the horizon, that does not have to be the case. When you work with a travel agency, you can save a lot of money. Almost anyone can afford to travel if they follow these six tips when booking a vacation through a travel agency:

Tip #1: Be clear that you’re on a very tight budget.

If you want to save money when you vacation, your best bet is to tell your travel agent that from the start. There is little to be gained by hiding the fact that you want to travel on a shoestring budget. Furthermore, be really clear about what that budget is, since “inexpensive” to one person is not cheap to another. The clearer you are about your price range, the better. That way, your travel agent can put together a vacation package that you can afford, not work for a long time on something that doesn’t even come close to your budget.

Tip #2: Have flexible travel dates and times.

The more options you give your travel agent when it comes to your vacation dates, the better. Flights tend to change prices drastically over the weekend, so moving your vacation just two or three days could save you hundreds of dollars. Avoiding holidays is also good. When you’re flexible, your travel agent can also barter for hotel rooms, show tickets, and so forth with other companies in the travel industry. For example, if your travel agent knows that another agent is trying to fill rooms he or she bought in a chunk for a discounted price, you can get a better deal on one of those rooms. Give your travel agent a bit of wiggle room to negotiate. Likewise, if you are willing to travel at undesirable times, like in the early morning hours or overnight, you may be able to get a cheaper deal, at least on the transportation costs.

Tip #3: Ask for a cheaper version of your dream vacation.

During your initial meeting with your travel agent, have an open mind when it comes to destination. Talk about your dream vacation spot, but then hear out your agent on places that are similar but not as expensive. For example, say you want to visit Aspen for a gorgeous ski vacation. It might be less expensive (but just as fun) to go skiing at one of the resorts in Vermont. You might feel like your compromising too much, but think about your destination choices long and hard. If it is just the name holding you back, you might want to just let go and take a risk on the less expensive location. You might have just as much fun if you stay open-minded

Tip #4: Stay in the United States.

Work with a travel agent who books domestic trips so that you can stay in the United States. In most cases, you should save money on transportation since you will not have to travel as far. You may also be able to travel without documentation, as long as you have a picture ID. When you travel out of the country, you need a passport at the very least, and you may need a visa, certain vaccinations, or other travel documents as well. When you stay in the United States, you should also not have to worry about added cell phone expenses to make calls, losing money on the exchange rate, or paying top dollar to take your luggage with you.

Tip #5: Be willing to do some of the planning yourself.

The whole reason you use a travel agent is to avoid having to do the planning work yourself, but if you compromise on that a bit, you may be able to save money. Instead of working with a travel agent who plans every last detail, get someone that is a little less expensive and just book your flight and hotel through the agent. When it comes to the other stuff, like getting tickets to an event or making restaurant reservations, you can do the work yourself.

Tip #6: Organize a group tour.

A great way to save money on your vacation is to organize a tour through your travel agency. Group rates will apply, but more importantly, the person who organized the vacation typically gets to travel for free. The down side of that is that you have to commit to finding a certain number of people who will go on vacation with you, which can be hard. You are also responsible for them if they do not pay, and you have to, essentially, share you vacation. However, this is a great way to save money and make sure that you can still travel, even if you are on a budget.

Tips for Finding Cheap Flights from an Online Travel Agency

If you need to book a flight, working with an online travel agency might be the best way to find the lowest price. Agents often get better deals as a professional courtesy from airlines, and they may get even cheaper prices for booking a certain number of flights in a single month. As an added bonus, an online travel agent knows the industry secrets to finding inexpensive flights, so if you mention that you are on a tight budget, he or she can try to bring down the price as far as possible. Here are some great tips for finding the cheapest flights possible through your online travel agent:

Tip #1: Keep your dates and times of travel flexible.

Flight prices change from day to day, not just from season to season. If you want to find the cheapest flight possible, give your online travel agency options. In general, you will be able to find the least expensive flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with the most expensive flights on Saturdays and Sundays. Time also makes a difference. People generally want to fly during normal business hours. If you are willing to take and early morning flight, you could save money. Even better, if you fill a seat on a red eye flight (an overnight flight), you’ll save even more money. The more flexible you can be with your dates and times, the better.

Tip #2: Be willing to have layovers.

Layovers add hours onto your travel, but if you are willing to deal with them, you could save a lot of money. If you would be willing to fly out of a smaller airport, such as Newark on the East coast and Orange County on the West coast, you would likely have to have at least one layover, since each airline will only fly a very limited number of places.

Even if you are leaving from and going to major airports, if you are OK with layovers instead of a straight flight to your destination, you can find cheaper prices. Be carefully to plan at least an hour for each layover in case your flight is late or you need to navigate your way through a very large airport to another gate. Remember, most airports today have Internet access, and in many cases, it is free, so you can take your laptop and log online to pass the time between flights.

Tip #3: Stay open-minded about your destination.

One of the biggest ways to save money on your flight is to let your travel agent know that you and your family would consider alternative destinations. Sometimes, utilizing alternative destinations can be as simple and as easy as flying to a nearby airport and taking public transportation to your hotel.

You may want to consider changing your destination altogether. For example, if you are interested in a warm-weather retreat, why not fly to Florida instead of a Caribbean island? Or, if you want to vacation in the mountains, Aspen might be a less expensive choice than the French Alps. In general, keep your mind open about exactly where you would like to go. This might not always be an option, especially if you are flying for business reasons, but your online travel agent may be able to make recommendations for places that are just as beautiful but not as expensive.

Tip #4: Purchase an entire package from your agent.

Travel agents are not in business to book flights. They plan entire vacations, and by purchasing a complete package from them, you might be able to save money. If price is your main concern, do your homework first by researching hotel prices, flight costs, and other fees you’ll be paying to travel if you book the whole thing yourself. Then, ask an online travel agency to review your vacation needs and quote you a price for a package deal. Sometimes you are better off booking the vacation yourself, while other times, you could save money by going through the agent.

Tip #5: Start with a clear budget in mind.

Some common mistakes that you should avoid when working with an online travel agent is not giving him or her the dollar amount of what you hope to spend on the trip. You need to be honest from the start with your travel agent about what you can and cannot afford. Your travel agent may not look for the cheapest price for long because they think you’ll simply be happy with whatever price they find the quickest. If you do not have an unlimited amount of money to work with, make it very clear that you need to stick to a specific budget range. This way you and your travel agent can work together to find you a great vacation at a price you can afford.

Use a Travel Agency to Book Your Spring Break Vacation

Instead of deal directly with the airlines, has it ever occurred to you to use a good travel agency to book your spring break vacation? Airlines will quote you fares and book your flights, but that’s as far as they go. A travel agency can offer discounted fares, advice on spring break destinations, and may have a great deal or two for you and your friends. Spring break is barely two months away, so now is the ideal time to start looking for a travel agency.

If airlines are offering huge discounts to lure money-weary individuals into traveling, imagine the larger discounts that a travel agency can offer. Since travel agents purchase blocks of seats, they can pass on the savings to their customers.

There are numerous travel agencies, but there is only a fraction of those agencies that cater to the special needs of the student travel industry. Although you can use any travel agency to book your spring break vacation, why not choose a travel agency that specializes in student tours and spring break vacations?

Looking for the Right Travel Agency: Tips

Before you book your next spring break vacation, the travel agency must satisfy certain requirements. You may want to look into the following criteria:

· Full Description of Services – Does the travel agency introduce itself adequately to potential customers? Do they have contact numbers, student packages, discount programs, and do they explain the procedures for their spring break packages as well as clearly state their refund policy?

· Variety – Does the travel agency have a wide range of destination choices and do they have hotel categories that meet all budgets? Some travel agencies like to specialize in a certain number of destinations – USA, Canada, or Mexico; some cover the world! When travel agencies can book spring break vacations almost anywhere in the world, that means that they’ve been in the student travel industry long enough and are confident that they can offer far away and exotic destinations without any problems because they belong to a large network of travel professionals;

· Discounts and Deals – Does the travel agency extend discounts for group travel or do they have frequent hot deals to offer? The capability to offer great deals can mean any number of things: they have good relationships with major airlines, hotels and tourist organizations, they receive discounted rates from suppliers and they in turn offer these to student travelers, or they are booking so many flights and vacation packages that they earn free points or free miles. You could be offered a deal to the Bahamas, your destination of choice, because the travel agency happened to receive a deal from a Bahamas tour operator at the time you booked!

· Photographs – Wouldn’t it be nice to see what you are getting into? If you are going to a spring break destination for the first time, you would want to know what kind of hotel you’re staying at, wouldn’t you? It isn’t enough for the travel agency to say, “You’re booked at a 4-star hotel”. You’ll want to know the name and location of that hotel so you can look it up on the Internet or ask people about it, plus you’ll want to see the rooms, dining facilities, and recreational facilities. Some travelers have been dismayed to find out that the hotel had only one treadmill, as opposed to what the travel agency described as a “full operating gym”. Or that the travel agency said 12 tennis courts, when in fact the hotel did not have any, referring travelers instead to a sports center a mile away!

· Interactive web site –Instead of spending precious minutes on the phone asking the travel agent about destinations, packages and vacation amenities, it would be simpler to do the search yourself on their web site by giving you the option to select a city and a package. When you’ve found what you’re looking for, that is when you call and ask for details that weren’t covered on their web site.

· Flexibility – some travel agents require you to pay for their packaged vacations to be able to receive discounts, but some travel agents are flexible in that they allow you to choose only air, or only hotel, or both.

A good travel agency is well organized. This important trait is evident in the way they present travel information. For example, there are websites that are designed to specifically cater to students. They list the cities they serve with a brief article about popular attractions and then you click on a link and the screen displays what their package covers plus costs for the city you selected.

So if you’re using a travel agency to book your spring break vacation, look for an agency that’s efficient, organized and capable of offing some fantastic deals.

Top 5 Reasons an Online Travel Agency can Save You Money

There are more than five reasons an online travel agency can save you money but the top five is a great start. Global statistics are pointing to the trend that online shopping for travel deals is way ahead of online shopping for books, electronics and clothing. For example, in Canada, about 45% of Canadians in 2007 looked for an online travel agency to book their travel, that’s a 9% increase from 2005 reports.

Here are the top five reasons why an online travel agency can save you money:

1. No overhead – many online travel agencies don’t have a physical location where they have to purchase furniture, supplies, and hire staff. In fact, many online travel agents operate from the comfort of their homes. All they need is a high speed Internet connection and access to global reservations systems. So the money they save on rent, utilities, personnel and other logistics constitute savings they can pass on to their customers. By booking online, you also save on trips to and from a travel agency in your area. You not only save money, you save precious time and gas.

2. Comparison shopping – by searching for travel deals online, you have the luxury of comparing prices provided by various online travel agencies. The idea is to read the fine print. You can compare them on the basis of:

· Actual fares and discounts

· Package deals

· Coupons and freebies

· Travel insurance

· Group discounts

· Last minute bookings

· Variety of travel deals (do they specialize in a particular country or to a particular age group?)

· Senior citizens’ deals

· Hotels and meals and transportation

· Tour guides

· Penalties for cancellations

That’s the beauty of online shopping. You’re not scampering from one travel office to another just to get an idea on prices. You can compare online deals and then narrow down your choices to three, ten or fifteen. If you have time on your hands, you can really save yourself some money by doing diligent research.

3. Ticket consolidation – many online travel agencies have access to a database of discounted tickets. Sometimes when they have excess inventory, they are forced to get rid of as many tickets to make way for the next travel season where they can purchase in bulk. Travel agents usually share information on discount tickets that are still available for sale, and prices are reduced on these tickets for “selloff.”

Air travel consolidators allow customers to compare airfares from as many airlines as possible for a specific route and for a specific time period. Not only can you save money on your ticket, but you can also find the best flight that suits your schedule best.

4. Wide network of travel-related services – online travel agents, through frequent bookings and constant research have a wealth of information that some travel agents with no online presence don’t have. Because of their ability to network rapidly with various people who work in hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, railway and restaurants, online travel agents are able to find the best deals for you.

The name of the game is called “relationship building.” Through frequent contact, online travel agents can squeeze out more discounts and free coupons from tour operators and hospitality establishments like hotels and restaurants. Instead of spending $10.00 for your lunch while travelling, your agent can offer you a meal ticket in exchange for your business, not to mention the fare discounts they are also able to offer.

5. One-stop shopping – travel writers know about the “clout” of travel agents. When it comes to flight arrangements, rental cars, tour excursions, cruise information and accommodation, and hotels, travel agents have a lot of clout. They can provide a complete travel package, including shuttle service to and from the airport and even the services of a personal tour guide if requested. By doing all your travel and travel-related shopping with a reputable online travel agency, there is no telling how much you can get done within a short amount of time.

Note that your online travel agent has more buying power than individual passengers when it comes to airline seats, hotel accommodation or cabin space in the yacht.

So You Get the Cheap Travel to Mexico, What’s Next…

You finally received your tickets to Mexico at the cheapest price. You did it by researching and taking your time comparing and eliminating online and offline travel companies and agent one by one. You also got your desired hotel accommodation and itineraries that did not cost so much. Now, while you are packing your things and make your way to the airport, here are some of the things and necessary advises you should know before entry, upon entry, and while at the Mexico:

Before you leave, you should have with you a photo I.D. such as passport and driver’s license, your tourist card, and your proof of citizenship. Bringing a photo I.D. would save you a lot of trouble when you check in on the airport. It would make sure that your ticket and your identity match.

The tourist card is your gate pass to Mexico. It is given free of charge but should be surrendered when you leave the country. You can get it from your airline when you check-in or in the Mexican Immigration when you arrive the country. You must not lose it and must be included at your travel document. Loosing this card is not pretty good thing to happen but if it does, make sure you have copied the number. This would make the trouble a lot easier to deal with.

Proof of citizenship should be your birth certificate. If you are a married woman and posses a driver’s license of your maiden name, be sure to bring your birth certificate to match the license.

Upon arrival, go directly to the Mexican Immigration. Here, your tourist card is validated and proof of citizenship is inspected. You must sign and accomplish the customs declaration form. You should know what to declare and what are allowable to bring in the country. If you failed to declare any item that are not allowed you will be penalized.

Here are some of the allowable items you can bring; toiletries, footwear, and clothing that is in relation to your trip duration, reading material (magazine and books), used sports equipment, one VCR, one camera, one movie camera, films (up to 12 rolls), 3L of wine or alcohol (18 years up and up), 50 cigars or 400 cigarettes (18 years old and up), musical instrument, portable TV, and medicines with prescription.

While at Mexico you should obey the rules. If you plan to rent a car, there are lots of car rental companies in the country. It you are on a tight budget, rent a car before you arrive. Rental companies offer cheap rate if you reserve early. When you get involved in an accident, do not leave the place nor make any arrangements to other people. Contact your rental company for assistance. Do not argue.

Bring the right amount of money for the day. Although Mexico uses their Peso, most business establishments accept US dollars. But peso would still give you better price. Wear comfortable clothes, Mexico is typically warm during summer and a bit cold during winter. But it still depends of your location that depends on the altitude.

When dining, make sure you drink only bottled water. Wash the fruits first before eating. Peel if necessary.

When traveling by bus, take the first class rather than the second class. First class is air-conditioned with slight price difference with the second.

These are some of the things you need to know when you travel to Mexico. And to enjoy more your whole visit in the country: stay safe!

Cheap Las Vegas Travel – Easier, Faster, and Cheaper

The worlds gambling capital has been the center for adult entertainment for more than half a century, and more recently Las Vegas has also become a centre of tourism and family orientated attractions. Las Vegas is known worldwide as a must see travel destination. There is no other place where you can have a drink and sample of different cuisine and play a slot machine or video poker game 24 hours a day. It also possesses an overload of bars, bed and breakfasts, clothing and gift shops that are also prime spots for cruising. In Las Vegas, it is impossible for you to get bored since in this city, something new is always coming up. That is why this city is special.

Meanwhile, the ultimate obstruction to most people to take their dream Vegas travel is the price. Even domestic trips are not affordable for the majority. And since traveling also includes hotels, foods, and entertainment and not only limited to plane tickets, the price would surely sum up. So more often than not, traveling remains a dream.

But if the price is only reason why you hinder yourself from traveling, then there is already a solution. Cheap travel companies offer relatively low travel cost compared to regular travel agency. An in the effort to bring you closer to your Las Vegas travel, these companies would help and guide while making important decisions regarding the trip. And when you make deals, you are assured the have a decent yet cheap trip to Las Vegas.

How to get cheap Las Vegas travel?
Looking for a cheap Las Vegas travel has never been so easy. Not too long ago, traveling to Las Vegas only means to contact your travel agent and have your trip arranged for you. When the agent is done then you are ready to go. But now, there is another option.

With the availability of the Internet, all you have to do is log on. The Internet is a rich source of travel sites that offer cheap travel to Vegas. Google your keywords and choose from several cheap travel Las Vegas travel company. When you have selected your site, you can get an instant quote. And if you want, you can already pay for the cost it suggests. Sign up and the next thing you know, you are in Las Vegas.

Also, for first time Las Vegas vacationers, it is always advised to book your trip ahead as much as possible. Ask for the cheapest rate and decide what you think is the best for you. Although online sites offer step-by-step procedure when you schedule your trip, it is always wise to have a planned vacation at the back of your mind.

What is good about cheap Las Vegas travel is that it gives you all the options of traveling like the regular Las Vegas travel. You can choose the schedule of your trip, your preferred itineraries, and price of your ticket. You can even get travel insurance with cheap Las Vegas travel. Now you don’t have to worry about the unforeseen expenses while enjoying the lights and sounds of the city.

Travel cheap to Las Vegas. Not only you will see the extravagance of the city but also you can experience the real Vegas- larger than life.

Cheap travel to Las Vegas – its’ easy, it’s fast, and it’s cheap