Aug 31, 2007
In any forum on travel, ten questions are constantly asked, to which I propose the following ten answers
On a weekly radio program that I conduct every Sunday from Noon-2pm EST (you can hear it live via streaming video or later via podcast, on www.wor710.com), I've been asked hundreds of varied and exotic questions about vacations. (One woman recently stumped me by asking my favorite among geological tours.) But ten almost-identical questions are asked over and over, every week, indicating a widespread concern. Here are three of them, along with my answers, and I'll be posting four more tomorrow and three more on the day after that.
1) Should I book my trip now or later? Now. The days of the last-minute discount are fast diminishing, and fewer and fewer tour operators, airlines and hotels offer reductions to persons booking late. The best travel deals are those offered long in advance.
2) How can I, as a single person, avoid the single room supplement? You can't -- it is an inescapable fact of hotel life, and if you refuse to share with another (an option offered by more and more tour operators), you'll have to pay the entire cost of the room you occupy. About the only way to avoid the single room supplement is to book those institutional lodgings (hostels, university residences and the like) that simply charge per person (often for dorm-like accommodations) and not by room.
3) How much foreign currency should I take on my trip abroad? Only a tiny, tiny amount -- the sum needed to get you from the arrival airport to your hotel. In a world of pickpockets, the last thing international travelers should do is walk around with large amounts of currency on their person. Carry your money in the form of ATM cards, credit cards and travelers' checks, and cash only a bit at a time. And obtain cash either at an ATM machine (be sure to have a four-digit PIN number) or at a big bank -- the source of the best exchange rates.
Tuesday: four more frequently-asked travel questions, and my answers to them.
Write and read comments about this post.
1) Should I book my trip now or later? Now. The days of the last-minute discount are fast diminishing, and fewer and fewer tour operators, airlines and hotels offer reductions to persons booking late. The best travel deals are those offered long in advance.
2) How can I, as a single person, avoid the single room supplement? You can't -- it is an inescapable fact of hotel life, and if you refuse to share with another (an option offered by more and more tour operators), you'll have to pay the entire cost of the room you occupy. About the only way to avoid the single room supplement is to book those institutional lodgings (hostels, university residences and the like) that simply charge per person (often for dorm-like accommodations) and not by room.
3) How much foreign currency should I take on my trip abroad? Only a tiny, tiny amount -- the sum needed to get you from the arrival airport to your hotel. In a world of pickpockets, the last thing international travelers should do is walk around with large amounts of currency on their person. Carry your money in the form of ATM cards, credit cards and travelers' checks, and cash only a bit at a time. And obtain cash either at an ATM machine (be sure to have a four-digit PIN number) or at a big bank -- the source of the best exchange rates.
Tuesday: four more frequently-asked travel questions, and my answers to them.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: tips
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
