How to DIY overseas trip?

[Jennifer]

When planning a DIY - book own airtickets, hotel stays, day tours, etc, is the order the following?


1, Confirm hotel reservations.
2, Book air tickets
3, Arrange day tours

[Honey]

I would say


1. Book Air Tickets
2. Confirm Hotel Reservations
3. Arrange Day Tours or don't even need to do day tours, just rent a car & go to places of interest on your own .

[mintcc]

I would usually do this :


1. Research (Make sure there are sufficient rooms around for the period u want to go)
2. Book Air Tickets
3. Confirm Hotel Reservations
4. Plan your itinerary:
- Check out available day tours/car rental rates/Public Transport for the area.
- Decide on a few places you will like to visit

(Most of the time, you can still book day tours when you are at the location, usually at a more competitive rate. Some places would not need day tour to go to. Check out alternative places to go in case of bad weather etc.)

[hquek]

My style:


1. Book airtickets (then die die got to go).
2. Do research (I like tripadvisor for hotel ratings and comments, and books like lonely planet/frommer's for what to see/do).
3. Book hotels (using tripadvisor comments as backdrop, scour different websites for good deals - booking.com not too bad really).
4. Plan where to go and how to get there.

It's really not tough even in countries that don't speak english. As usual, money is the universal currency. :celebrate:

[Jennifer]

Thank you so much for all the advices.

[CMF]

Don’t forget to take up necessary travel insurance!!

[Pen88n]

You should plan a list of places / activities you want to do when you are there and "play by ear". If happen to be bad weather, choose the indoor activities for the day. Otherwise go outdoor. Booking day trips are usually pretty easy when you are there and you are staying in some "tourist" area where these services are available within reach.


Another item you might want to look at is which website to use for hotel booking. Take for eg, for China, I find booking thru’ Chinese websites offer cheaper rates (in local currency) than thru’ English websites. I would do my checking of hotel opinions thru’ Tripadvisor, but would then use a Chinese website to book the hotel (just search hotel Chinese name in google and it will list the sites). Other possibilities is booking directly thru’ the hotel’s own website - can be cheaper too.

[verykiasu2010]

For me :


1. check calenders - kids’ holidays, spouse biz trip / ownself biz trip / conf etc : make sure no clash in dates

2. make air tickets booking, select seats

3. plan itinerary, each location how long, routing, minimise / avoid back-tracking, key activities identified first, others can fill in later

4. book hotels

5. book car rental

6. update packing list

7. one week to departure : buy nec travel insurance online, change FX, and if got hotel offers by prepayment, convert hotel bookings to prepaid and save money etc

8. online check in, go airport

[Jennifer]

verykiasu2010:

and if got hotel offers by prepayment, convert hotel bookings to prepaid and save money etc

This one I dun understand. Saw this term \"prepayment\" in some hotel websites. Can explain in simpler terms? Many thanks in advance.

[Jennifer]

Pen88n:

Another item you might want to look at is which website to use for hotel booking. ..Other possibilities is booking directly thru' the hotel's own website - can be cheaper too.

Hubby told me to use wotif.com and not direct hotel booking, says it is cheaper at Wotif. I dun understand how it can be cheaper. Any catch?

We need 2 rooms. If via Wotif, can specify need interconnecting rooms? Many thanks in advance.