Other than airline tickets, hotels are the most expensive part of most people’s vacation. You obviously need a place to stay, though, so there’s no getting around the need for a hotel. Simply accepting hotel rates at face value is foolhardy, though; savvy travelers and bargain hunters know many little tricks that make finding – and booking – hotels much easier. Read on to learn a few tricks of the trade, and book yourself the cheap hotel stay possible on your next holiday.

Be Flexible About Location

This may seem a bit obvious, but the precise location of the hotels that you’re looking at plays a huge part in how much they are going to cost. If your hotel is right downtown and only steps away from major tourist attractions, you’re naturally going to pay a pretty penny for your stay. By being flexible and willing to find your way around from more out-of-the-way spots, you can save a bundle on your hotel – airport hotels are often good places to look.

Visit During Off-Peak Season

For some places, season matters a great deal when it comes to booking a trip. It makes no sense to visit an area renowned for its splendid beaches during freezing cold weather, for example. However, other places’ so-called “off seasons” aren’t that much different than their peak tourist seasons; it doesn’t really matter if you visit those places during the summer or the winter. By visiting during off-peak season, you not only avoid the crowds, but you can get phenomenal rates for cheap hotels, too. If it’s reasonable to do so, try to plan your vacations for the off season to save a lot of cash.

Do You Really Need That?

On paper – or on the computer screen – many hotel amenities seem attractive. Things like exercise rooms, turn down service, complimentary full breakfasts and having the local newspaper delivered to your room every morning may sound nice, but will you actually use or need them? If you can do without some of the more extensive amenities, you can easily slash the price of the hotel you end up booking. Make a list of all of the things that you absolutely can’t live without – but be reasonable about them. You’ll be surprised at how much extra money you can end up paying for things that you don’t even need.

Ask The Front Desk Staff

If you’ve narrowed down your search to just one or two reasonable hotels, you could always pick up the phone and give the front desk staff a call. Ask them candidly what the best way to go about getting a phenomenal rate at their hotel is. You’d be surprised at how forthcoming many front desk personnel can be about helping you secure amazingly cheap hotel rooms. Either way, it’s certainly worth a shot – the worst thing they can say is “no,” after all, or that they have no ideas for you. In the best case scenario, they’ll be a wealth of information and can help you get a great rate.

Sign Up For Special Alerts

The Internet is, of course, a treasure trove of valuable information as far as finding cheap hotels goes – the trouble lies in knowing where to look. If there’s a particular chain of hotels that you prefer, most of the major ones offer alerts that you can sign up for to keep up on any specials they may be offering. Usually, these alerts are sent to your email address; if you’re flexible enough, this may be a really good option and you can easily save some good money.

Compare And Contrast On Travel Websites

Planning ahead is a great way to save money on hotels. By booking your trip early enough, you can go online and use an online service to quickly compare and contrast the various prices, amenities, locations and ratings of a ton of different hotels. It’s the fastest way to get a real feel for what the going rate for hotels in any given area is. With the information you learned through these websites, you will be better able to recognize a good deal when you see one – and you can be a savvier shopper, too.

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For more information on travel hotel reviews, he recommends Gawwk.com.

Whether you’ve traveled a lot in your life – or have hardly really ventured out much at all – it never hurts to brush up on a few top travel tips. Although different advice may apply depending on where you’ll be going, there is a core set of tips that make sense no matter where you’re heading. These tips will help keep you safe, save you money – and have the absolute best time possible. Learn more by reading on below.

1. Don’t Over-Pack

One of the most common mistakes that people make when traveling is bringing too many things. You don’t really need to bring a fresh change of clothes for each day – there should be laundromats, for example. Contending with a massive, bulging suitcase at each stop is never any fun. Pare your belongings down to as few as possible to have the easiest time.

2. Notify Your Embassy

If you’ll be traveling out of the country, it never hurts to notify your embassy. Give them your basic travel itinerary and contact information. That way, if an emergency arises back home they’ll be able to get a hold of you easily. It’s just one more way to gain peace of mind when overseas.

3. Obey All Local Laws

Different countries have different laws. Research what the laws of the country you’ll be going to are, and make sure to follow them. Nothing ruins travel plans more quickly than getting in trouble with the local authorities. Be conscientious about obeying their rules and you will have no trouble whatsoever during your holiday.

4. Check Travel Sites For Advice

Once you’ve decided on a particular destination, sign up with a travel website and keep an eye on the tips and advice being posted there. Things can change in the blink of an eye, so monitoring those discussion boards and other websites is a smart move. You’ll keep abreast of how things are in the place you’ll be going, keeping ahead of current events and other issues.

5. Buy Travel Insurance

Travel insurance isn’t always necessary, but in some cases it makes sense. If you’re not in top notch health, rely on prescription medications or will be traveling to a tumultuous part of the world, consider investing in a bit of travel insurance for protection.

6. Invest In A Decent Backpack

Being at the mercy of tourist traps selling overpriced drinks and snacks can cost you a lot of money. Invest in a high quality backpack and bring along your own snacks and drinks to tide you over throughout the day. You’ll save a bundle of cash, and you’ll keep body and soul together as you tour the area.

7. Learn The Local Lingo

Another great thing about the Internet is that it allows you to learn a bit of the local lingo of wherever you’ll be visiting. Find out a few key phrases if a different language is spoken, or find out a few popular slang terms so you’re not surprised on arrival. Learning new words is fun!

8. Talk To Others About Their Experiences

If you know someone else who has visited the same place you’re going, talk to them and find out if they have any tips about what you should absolutely see – and what you should avoid. It can be tremendously helpful to get a good friend or family member’s take on a particular area, especially since you know them so well and can trust their opinion.

9. Make A Packing Checklist

In the weeks leading up to your departure, write up a thorough packing checklist so you know everything you absolutely must have. This should include all of the necessary documentation, as well as maps and other important travel information. You don’t want to arrive empty handed!

10. Bring Along The Essentials

Most of the time, it is far cheaper to bring along your own batteries, film and toiletries, if possible. Therefore, stock up before leaving and pack them along. Although you want to pack lightly, you don’t don’t want to spend a small fortune on these things upon arriving at your vacation destination. Plan ahead and you’ll save money and can avoid wasting time looking for these things.

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For more travel information he recommends Gawwk.com the new travel social network.

Planning a holiday can be a lot of fun. There’s a huge world out there to explore, and choosing a single destination can be daunting. Even if you’ve narrowed down your search to one particular region of the world, selecting the place where you’ll spend most of your vacation time can be difficult. Travel books are excellent ways to narrow things down, and the Internet is a treasure trove of useful information for coming up with a suitable place. One important tool that you shouldn’t overlook, though, is the travel video. Whether via the Internet, the library or your local video store, travel videos let you see – and hear – what various places are like.

Visit The World – Virtually

By watching as many travel videos as possible, you can explore the world right from the comfort of your sofa or computer desk. Not sure which continent you want to explore? Check out a selection of videos from each one. Having trouble deciding between one exotic beach locale versus another? Watch videos related to each one to help you choose. Are you unsure of what a particular city or country is like in general? Watch a travel video about one to get a good feel for the culture and atmosphere of any given place.

Enjoy Other People’s Insights

Many popular travel shows are featured on networks like The Travel Channel, so it’s helpful to look around for travel video compilations from those kinds of shows. Usually, these shows are hosted by a couple of people. Over time, you get to know the hosts of these travel shows and can get a feel for what a destination is like based on the host’s insights and general reactions. It’s a really good barometer for how you will enjoy a particular place – especially if you agree with the host’s opinions in general.

Experience The Sights And Sounds Of A Vacation Destination

One of the best things about travel videos is that they put you right in the center of the action. Unlike books, a video lets you see and hear what a location is really like. Crowded city streets come alive with the bustling, chattering crowds; gentle surf crashes pleasantly onto the sand on a secluded, exotic beach. The wind whips through the trees near the top of a lofty peak. The sounds that go along with the sights of a place can really let you in on what visiting there will be like.

Learn Interesting Tidbits

Well-produced travel videos usually highlight the big, well-known attractions – along with a few out of the way attractions. Those lesser known attractions are often the hidden gems of any given destination, and watching travel videos can let you in on those secrets so you can enjoy a more fulfilling holiday experience. As you watch travel videos about the destination of your choice, keep pen and paper handy to jot notes about the special things you absolutely don’t want to miss. Your trip will be that much better for it.

Hear Intriguing Stories

Although part of the fun of traveling is meeting the locals, travel videos give you a preview of what those local people are like. Travel videos often feature brief interviews or tours with local residents who give you an insider’s look at an area’s special sites. By hearing about these things “from the horse’s mouth,” you can gain valuable insights about what the really cool things to do are in the area. From top notch restaurants to little-known, tucked away beaches and attractions, local people give you a unique perspective on their little corner of the world.

Know What To Expect

Finally, the number of benefit of watching travel videos is that they let you know what to expect. While an element of surprise can be fun, you don’t want to experience an unpleasant one by being unprepared. Travel videos let you see another side of the place you’re thinking about visiting; usually, you can tell pretty quickly whether it’s your kind of place or not. In the end, you’ll be better informed and able to make an educated decision much more easily when you’ve watched a decent selection of travel videos.

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For more information on how to share travel videos, he recommends Gawwk.com.

In the brave new world of the so-called web 2.0, social networking websites have emerged as clear winners. Through social networking sites like Facebook, people are keeping in touch in incredibly streamlined, efficient and intuitive ways. Beyond merely keeping in touch with existing contacts, social networking sites can be used to reach out and meet new friends. For travelers, social networking is a wonderful way to learn more about the places they’re thinking about visiting – and to make contacts in far-reaching places to make traveling more entertaining and enjoyable. If you’ve never tried travel social networking before, it’s worth a look.

Read About Other People’s Experiences

One of the most obvious benefits of participating in a social network travel site is that you get to read about the first-hand experiences of fellow travelers. Thinking about staying at that five-star resort? Find out what it’s really like first by checking in with people’s reviews. Considering devoting an entire day to a particular attraction? Learn whether it’s worth it or not by hearing what others have to say about it. From major landmarks, museums and attractions to hotels, bars and restaurants, you can get a really good, up-to-date idea about the places worth seeing by perusing social networking travel sites.

Reminisce About Your Travel Experiences

Another great feature of most web 2.0-based travel social network websites is posting blogs or journals about your own travel experiences. Upon returning from a vacation, you can log in to the site of your choice and fill others in on how everything went. Your post will remain available for other people to check out in the future, so that they can get a good idea about what your experiences were like. Sharing is a lot of fun, and you can put whatever spin you want on your blog entries. Whether you choose to put a comedic slant on things or take a more serious, instructive tone