Travel Planning Online

It never ceases to amaze me when people ask me how I plan all my 'exotic' vacations and I tell them that I do it all on-line. Jaws drop and eyes pop - 'how do you do it'; 'is it safe'; 'is it reliable' are the usual questions. Yes, using Internet to manage your travel research, correspondence and bookings is not just safe, it is very rewarding and a lot of fun, provided you take the basic safeguards and remain within a prudent framework of operation on the net.

I use the net extensively for researching destinations, air and hotel options and deals, sightseeing packages, dining options, city maps and more. And, I have everything down to a 'T' before I travel, hassle-free and ready to enjoy my vacation.

Researching your destination on-line:

This works in two ways. If you know where you want to go, you just zero in on the destination and get to know the place (step 2). On the other hand, many a time, I play an interesting 'game'. I 'google' a continent or country map and then scroll over the places there till I hit one that looks interesting. Step 2 for me means getting to know the place in a whole lot of aspects - the 'touristy' highlights, the topography, the transport, accommodations, food, currency, et al. Sites that I use here and would strongly recommend are Fodor's; Frommers and the travel sites of the concerned destination/country, very often the local tourist boards. As I go through these, I draw almost a mental picture of the place and decide whether it is for me or not. Personally, a key aspect of any place is the 'family quotient', i.e. enough for my child to do by way of theme parks, children's museums and so on (London scores BIG!) as also ease of local transport, availability of apartment-style accommodation and so on.

Organizing boarding, lodging and basics:

In my book, finding and booking the 'right' accommodation is critical. Location is a key factor in this - proximity to the sights, ease of access; local shopping and availability of public transport are critical for 'stay-ability'. Hotel booking sites with maps are great for this, because at a glance you can see how the hotel is located with respect to other hotels, the transport lines/routes and stations and shopping and sightseeing landmarks. Of course, you might have other criteria and may actually prefer to be away from the hubbub; in any case, this is a great way to see where you'll be located. Key 'search' tactics are to 'google' 'XXXX hotels' ('XXXX' being the name of the place) and you will get a plethora of information on categories, rates, location, specials and what-have-you. A site that I use very often to get a sense of how a hotel is rated by users is Tripadvisor - very often this verifies if the hotel I am opting for has good reviews.I like to invest time in this, as it can be a 'make or break' for your vacation. Once you have shortlisted 3-4 hotels you like, it's worth going directly to the hotel sites and looking for deals. Sometimes, you'll find better deals here than the hotel/travel booking sites. Another way to 'get personal' is to write directly to the hotel asking for their best rates and - more often than not - you may strike gold. The advantage this approach has over the booking sites is that early on you can establish a relationship and make special requests (early check-in; bed type; proximity to the elevator etc); a lot of the booking sites do not entertain this. However, good booking sites that I have used very satisfactorily are Expedia, Travelhero and Travelocity. Most booking sites are security verified (look out for the 'verisign' logo or the lock on your browser's bottom bar) and therefore safe to use your credit card. If you are corresponding on e-mail, it is better to break up your card details into 2-3 mails, as most hotels will require a guarantee. Tip: since travel plans can change, I avoid using sites or dealing with places that take a non-refundable deposit. I don't mind giving the card for guaranteeing the room as long as there is a cancellation policy/time frame - this gives me comfort that even if things have to change, I will not lose money if I cancel as per policy (normally up to 48 hours before check-in). Rate inclusions such as breakfast and transfers are always great when keeping an eye on the budget, so look (or ask) for those.

Get as much organized as you can before you arrive:

Of course, there is the school of thought that it is more fun to discover and explore a place as one goes along. And, I understand this viewpoint, but for me it works better to have sightseeing options, trips, journeys etc. researched and booked as far as possible. This keeps the stress off once we are there and we can literally 'cruise' through our vacation. Again, I do an Internet research on sightseeing tours, operators, amusement parks, shows and the like and reach out by e-mail to explore options with operators and make bookings. Again, I apply my 'refundable bookings within a time limit' principle. While it may not be feasible (or even necessary) to buy tickets for the local transport or shows or parks in advance, it does make sense to acquaint yourself with the lay of the land, so to speak. So, before going to London I familiarized myself completely with how the Underground works, before going to Seoul I was clued into the various amusement parks, before going to Vancouver I had my sightseeing trips booked. Tip: if you are a family of 4 or more, it often makes sense to book private tours, which are more cost effective for the group as well as customized and relaxed to your needs.

Airline bookings:

Today there is a surfeit of sites where you can book your international as well as domestic travel. Airlines have their own sites as well, but a number of them do not do e-ticketing out of India (and possibly other select countries), and you have to get a ticketing agent to do the actual booking. So, for international travel, I research the best fares, routes and times, make a choice and call my travel agent to make my bookings on-line. Very often, I've got better fares than those advertised! Of course, since we invariably travel Business Class, rarely does one get the great deals that airline sites offer for Economy Class. But, more often than not, the earlier you book, the better are the rates. This season, of course, turned travel economics on its head, with the best deals (even for Business Class) coming by as late as May/June, normally peak travel months out of India.For travel within Europe or America or Australia, I find it best to book tickets on-line. Domestics deals very often go for a song!

Visas:

Again, do your research on documents needed, processing time-frames, rules and regulations on-line. Most countries have dedicated visa sites which give you all level of detail. This saves one a lot of to-and -fro and filing for a visa can become quite painless if you are well informed and well armed!

Create your itinerary:

Once you have all your bookings in place, take a print-out of each i.e. your e-tickets, your hotel bookings, your sightseeing packages, your domestic bookings and create a 'dossier' of these. Throw in photocopies of your passports, travel insurance, contact numbers of your various vendors and people you will visit, addresses of places you will be staying at visiting and you are all set. Tip: It is useful to take an extra set or two of this dossier, keeping one in your handbag, one in a checked bag and one with another member of the party. This way, you will never be at a loss, and even when bags get misplaced, there is a full itinerary for airlines to reach you.

Very often there is more fun in this armchair planning than you can imagine. It is great to reach your vacation destination without a hiccup and just soak in the pleasure of a new place and experience. Try going on-line!