1. Use the internet to reserve cheap car rentals, rather than renting over-the-counter. Many internet sites offer “internet only” discounts — use them to your advantage and you will save a lot. This is what many savvy car renters will do.

2. Get the very best deal from your rental shop by being smart and getting the most out of your rental experience. Since most car rental companies require that the tank be full upon return, just before you turn in your car, fill the tank with the least expensive gas available. This eliminates the possibility that you be charged an inflated rate for gasoline by the rental company, when they have to fill the tank for you.

3. Try to always rent your cars with the same car company every time. Companies will often reward frequent car rental customers with discounts, coupons, and (if you are lucky) miles.

4. Ask about using your flyer miles as car miles. Some car rentals may actually trade your flyer’s miles in for car rental miles. If your frequent flyer’s miles are about to expire don’t let them go to waste, use them for a cheap car rental instead.

5. To get the cheapest car rental rates, reserve as far as advance as possible; rental firms frequently offer a lower price to those who book early. It is always wise to take advantage of this fact.

6. If you pick up your car early in the morning (just as the shop is opening) there will be a shortage on the cheap car rentals. This means that the company may be forced to give you a free or marked down upgrade.

7. If you need air fare, car rental, and hotel stay (or even just a car rental and hotel stay) a package deal will help you get the most for your money, with discounts on all items.

8. A rent-at-your-own-price internet site will help you find the best possible deal with the budget you give them, but make sure you review the company’s history first and make sure that you can’t find a cheaper deal before you close it. Once the reservation is made, you can’t cancel it.

9. If using a car for more than five days, it is always wise to search for weekly rates. Generally, with a weekly rate, the sixth and seventh day will be given to you at a discounted price. So, keep your eye out for these deals when shopping for a rental company.

10. To reduce or eliminate airport surcharges and thereby save money, always pick up your rental at the shop instead of at the airport.

For 100’s of tips go to http://www.marketing4u.biz/car/

Here are a few ideas for how you can plan a cheap family vacation.

You could go camping. If you have all of the gear, all you have to do is pick a campground and get back to nature. There is usually very little cost involved in camping even if you go to a private campground. This is one of the original cheap family vacations.
Win your vacation. There are a lot of different contests where you can win your own vacation. Sometimes all you do is enter your information and you are entered in a drawing. Other times you have to fill out a survey or complete some trial offers for the sponsors. These can be great because if you are willing to try a couple products or services, you can get rewarded with a free vacation or other valuable offers.
Take advantage of rewards programs. There are rewards programs for everything from credit card use to hotel stays to your local energy company. All of them work a little differently, but the basic concept is that you get rewarded with points for buying something, which in most cases you have to buy anyways. Save up the points and redeem them for vacations, gift cards, and a bunch of other things.
Look for deals on all inclusive travel packages. Just like winter sweatshirts at the end of winter, travel packages go on clearance too. If you look around you can get last minute deals on great travel packages. If you find all inclusive travel packages like cruises or resorts, you don’t even have to worry about paying for food and drinks. Many times, the cheapest vacations are all inclusive travel packages because of all the savings on food and other entertainment.

Here are a few things to remember when you are heading off for your family vacation. Don’t forget to pack your camera with lots of film and extra batteries or charger if it is a digital. Make sure you have a backup plan when you go. Sometimes things like weather will force you to change your plans so if you are prepared you will be better off. Bring emergency cash in case something goes wrong. Don’t forget a passport if you are going to be leaving the country. If you aren’t sure, it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Lastly, leave your stress at home – it has no place on vacation!

If you are ready to explore cheap family vacations, head over to Cheap-Family-Vacations.info to get ideas and register to win free vacations. Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Victor

First, what does all-inclusive actually include?

Typically, all-inclusive means that your food, entertainment and sometimes alcoholic beverages are all covered or paid for while you’re onboard the ship. For some cruise lines, “all-inclusive” also extends to shore excursions, child care, spa treatments and other extra services. Just don’t count on too many of those other already-covered “extra services.”

So, what are the benefits of all-inclusive cruises?

The greatest advantage of a cruise that includes it all, as perceived by most travelers, is the ability to fully estimate the cost of a vacation, including food and drinks, before you even begin to book it. This feature is especially helpful for families who are working under a tight budget and need to know very close to how much it’s going to cost to feed, house and entertain three kids and two adults for, say, eight days.

A second benefit is the ability to enjoy your vacation without hauling your wallet around, worrying about handling or losing traveler’s checks, or wondering if your MasterCard will be accepted on the ship. All-inclusive trips, including cruises, will either include most items for which you would ordinarily need to pay or allow you to set up an account for any incurred extra charges.

Sounds great, but what are the disadvantages of all-inclusive cruising?

Typically, the most frequent complaint from all-inclusive cruise travelers is the feeling of being “locked in” to a pre-defined and fairly inflexible schedule of events. Often, a cruise ship will have set dining times, specific buffet menus, or limited and highly organized entertainment options. Some travelers prefer to have a choice of restaurants, no set meal times, free and casual entertainment options and the ability to indulge in as many or as little shore excursions as they want.

Another disadvantage to all-inclusive cruising are the hidden costs. Little items like tips, alcoholic beverages (if they’re not included), extra shore trips, small snacks, room service, casino play, or spa treatments can all add up quickly – taking your “all-inclusive” and affordable vacation way over budget. Remember, it’s easier to sign up for a bunch of little bills when you’re thinking that the whole trip is already paid for. Budget travelers need to be especially careful of this common “all-inclusive” pitfall.

So, which type of cruise vacation should I choose?

There are benefits and disadvantages to all-inclusive cruising. The type of vacation you select depends on you – your style of vacationing, your budget and what you want to experience from your upcoming vacation.
For info on cruise ideas, please visit www.travel-cruise-adventures.com, a popular site providing great insights concerning cruise recommendations, such as Holland America Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruises and many more!


Cruise travel is one of the best vacations you can take. During your cruise vacation you will visit several different ports of call. Your cruise ship will dock at exotic islands or new countries almost on a daily basis. Check out the cruise reviews on line for cruise tips before you visit your destinations to find out what fantastic experience each port has to offer.

During your cruise vacation you will visit ports to shop, explore, beach, sightsee or hike. There are a wide variety of activities in each cruise destination. Or you could just depart the ship for a chance to walk around for a change of pace. Although this is a great cruise adventure, you should realize that you will only get a small sample of what each port of call has to offer. And be forewarned, as you step of your majestic cruise ship there will be hordes of natives trying to sell you a trinket or a tour around the city.

If you take the advice above and search the cruise reviews, you should have a pretty good idea what each destination has to offer. Choose the one that has the most encompassing tour of your port. In exotic ports they have full day tours, including lunch, that will take you to the highlights of the place you are visiting. This is an ideal way to sample the city or island getting ideas for what you may want to come back for at a later date. On island tours you may want to take an organized tour in the morning, go back to the ship for lunch, then light out on your own to explore more fully, shop or just go to the beach.

If you are more adventuresome, skip the lunch on board and dine in the city. You get to experience the local cuisine and soak up the native culture. This is your vacation, learn new and different things. If you chose to do this check with the cruise director for the best places to dine and make sure you know the exchange rate. On of the cruise tips is to put your meal on a charge card so you will be charged the exchange rate on the day the bill hits the credit card company.

A cruise tip that is very useful is to use the brochure that the ship gives you for their organized tour and follow it on your own. Only do this if you are comfortable with the country you are visiting. If it is your first time overseas to a port of call, it is best to stick with the organized tour for safety and convenience. Other cruise tips can be found online about some of the wonderful things to see and do in various ports of call. Be conscious of one thing, if you chose to explore on your own, know what time the ship leaves and how long it will take you to get back on board. If you are not on an organized tour it is your responsibility to get back on time or the ship will leave without you. You then have to meet the ship at the next port of call at your own expense.

If you opt for an organized tour sponsored by the cruise ship, it should cost you anywhere from $20.00 to over $200.00 depending on what you choose to do. It could be just a simple bus ride around town for two hours or a two day trip from St. Petersburg, Russia to Moscow. The options are endless.

Most cruise lines will let you book in advance on their websites. This is very convenient and helpful with tours that sell out quickly. For instances, in the Cayman Islands the Stingray City tour is very popular and will sell out. If you book it in advance you guarantee your spot. The more inexpensive tours also tend to sell out because of some cruisers watching their budgets. So, don’t miss out, check out the cruise lines website to see if you can book your ticket in advance.

It is good to know the game plan that the tour offers. Things you should be aware of is how much the guide will be with you and do they speak English clearly. Mostly the cruise lines have very competent tour guides, but better safe than sorry. Will have any time on your like for shopping or stopping in a café? It is very important to find out how much physical activity is required before you sign on for any tour. If you have limited mobility you don’t want to go on a tour that climbs the Acropolis in Athens or Dunns River Falls in Jamaica. Find out if a snack or lunch is provided, so if it isn’t you can bring along adequate funds to get your own.

There are private touring companies that you can contact on your own if you wish to tour in a more private fashion. Another alternative is to buddy up with some fellow cruisers and share taxi tours to cut your expense in half. Many times you will meet people on a cruise that have similar interests and you will spend a lot of time together on the cruise ship, why not touring also? It’s a way to save money and enjoy other passengers company.

Only hire licensed taxi drivers. Their credentials should be prominently displayed in the front of the cab. With a licensed driver you are ensured a safe trip and a guide who is knowledgeable about the islands or cities background, where to shop, eat or gamble. And of course they will know the best beaches available. Negotiate the price of your tour up front. If you chose to go to a destination where you will be dropped off for a couple of hours, negotiate with the driver to come back and pick you up. Settle on a price and pay half up front and half on the way back. If the driver has been helpful and friendly, please tip him or her.

Some cruisers like to rent cars in their ports of call. It is recommended that you only do this in destinations that you are familiar with and have a good knowledge of where you are going. Be careful when renting a car. Be sure to check out the entire car for any damages that may already be there and note them on your rental contract. If you fail to do this you may be charged for damage that was already done.

Lastly, use common sense when touring. Don’t travel in dark tight alleys, put your money under your clothes, don’t wear expensive jewelry and don’t let yourself be surrounded, especially by children. Always carry identification and the name of the cruise lines agents in the port of call in case you get in trouble.

You are on a cruise vacation make the best of it. Get off the ship at all of your ports of call whether you are touring or are just poking around. Be sure to take lots of pictures so you will have years of beautiful cruise travel memories.

Happy Cruising!
Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: http://www.CruiseGold.comhttp://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.CruisingTips.com

As you are choosing car rental as an alternative of public transport for an easy and uninterrupted travel, therefore, it at the same time also charges more on rental for the services provided by renting agencies. So in order to make car rental a convenient deal apart in terms of price a renter needs to follow a number of tips and practices. You can start your car rental spree from planning a car rental trip that you wish to undertake during your journey.

The planned approach can start from selecting preferred car rental agency online after evaluating a number of car agencies online. When attempting to hire a car on rent don’t decide upon luxury car, instead, evaluate all your options well before signing the final deal. Estimate your budget and number of people traveling along you. You can opt for small economy car if traveling alone or in company of one person otherwise you are traveling with family you can choose Sedan.

Next step after estimating your budget in respect of number of travelers as well as car now you should assess about car models, services, as well as rates. For ranging rate you should enquire about highest as well as lowest rates from any car renting agency, special discounts and offers. Also enquire about rates of fuel, insurance, taxes, service charges and costs of baby seats too. This way you should choose a moderate budget for renting a car.

Apart from budget, there are many other important points where you should hang on to select a car on rent. Never buy from a renting agency about which you are listening for the first time as you may be overcharged on credit card for buying from a new company. Always buy from a renting agency that mention on website its prices along with taxes, add on so you can bargain for the price

The other smarter way to ascertain price is car rental discount codes offered online by car renting agencies under various schemes and programs. You can have discount codes if you lie anyways in category of America Medical Association, armed forces, students and senior citizens. You can also have the lower price for car rental if you book car rental as weekend package in place of booking it for a working day.

Apart from the rate and charges, the other important factor that decides upon car rental prices is car rental insurance. Whenever you sign a deal with car rental agency, it is necessary to read all the papers for car renting, carefully; otherwise you may get involved into trouble as car renting agency generally put responsibility over renter in case of damage in accident or theft. So in order to avoid any loss it is better to verify all the information related to car rental as to arrest lowest price on car rental.

Mansi Gupta Highly Recommends that you visit www.lowestpricecarrental.com for more information on lowest price car rental.