5 Tips To That
Perfect Vacation
I don’t care whether you are vacationing in
Gatlinburg TN, South Beach, Hawaii or
in the Rocky Mountains, there are a few tips that everyone must follow
to make sure your vacation is memorable and not a waste of money. I
think all of us can say that we have had a bad vacation. Typically we
can look back over our reservation process of find where we made our
mistake and what we will never do again. Or better yet, where will never
book or stay again. Most of the time there are just a few things that we
can do different to fix those bad vacations.
If you follow these 5 steps, I can’t promise there won’t be an
emergency or that something small won’t go wrong, but I believe the
risks will be greatly reduced.
-
Research, Research, Research – I wish I could assume this
comes without question, however, you might be surprised how many
people just reserve the first thing they look at. Sometimes this
might work out if you stumble upon a very reputable company, but
normally you are taking a bit of a risk. With the advent of the
internet, this process has never been easier. You can look at many
sites and companies with out leaving the comfort of your house. Do
not be afraid to spend a few hours researching company policies,
rates and amenities. After all, this might be your one vacation of
the year!
-
Customer Reviews – Possibly the most useful feature in
regards to finding that perfect vacation rental or destination. With
sites like Trip Advisor and Igougo, you find just about any
information needed from past guests. I am not talking about a sales
representative for the company, but an individual who has actually
purchased a service. Nothing becomes more beneficial than this. With
that said, some people are out to just bash, so read carefully and
find legitimate concerns.
-
Price Matters – Not sure anyone wants to here this one.
Other than hotels, a lot of vacation properties around the country
are managed by a Management Company. They will manage, market and
process reservations for individual properties for individual
owners. This typically means that price fluctuation is very closely
related to what the vacation property is worth. For the most part,
the company gets to control the price in comparison to the market,
but sometimes property owners can add input. In this market, because
nightly rates are directly related to what an owner has in the
property, you get what you pay for. If the property is average,
purchasing cost might have been low for the owner, so they are
willing to settle for a lower nightly price to get a reservation. On
the flip side, if cost is high, then nightly rates will probably be
higher. Back to number one, I suggest researching and renting from a
larger company because they tend to have a better understanding of
what a property is worth. I do suggest looking through VRBO’s if you
are looking for a last minute deal. Night fillers can be heavily
discounted. Be sure to read all listed amenities and read the fine
print! I am not suggesting that you will not find a deal, but I want
you to be educated.
-
Travel Insurance – A must for vacationers. It is offered
by most large companies and is worth every penny. Especially if you
are going to the mountains or to the beach. Snow storms and
hurricanes can end a vacation extremely fast. Typically travel
insurance is a small fee and can relieve a lot of stress if your
vacation is cut short. Most management companies do not refund for
weather incidents.
-
Travel During Off Months – You can save a great deal of
money on most travel destinations during off-month travel. This
applies especially to the beach vacations. Sometimes you can save up
to 50-60%. I can’t promise, but service tends to be better because
there are less people to serve.
The above information does not guarantee a great or perfect
Gatlinburg vacation,
but it should help educated you before your trip. This information should
help avoid those miserable vacation decisions that we have all
invariably made. Sometimes there are emergencies and things break like a
hot tub or refrigerator, but if you have a plan, these minor issues can
be fixed.
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