Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ask Before You Go
Before you invest in a package deal:
W
Always ask about the
cancellation pol-
icy.
Can you get your money back? Is
there a deposit required?
W
Ask about the
accommodations
choices and prices
for each. Then look
up the hotels' reviews in this guide
and check their rates online for your
specific dates of travel. Also find out
what types of rooms are offered.
W
Finally, look for
hidden expenses.
Ask
whether airport departure fees and
taxes, for example, are included in the
total cost—they rarely are.
2
PACKAGE TOURS
Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other ele-
ments of your trip (such as airport transfers and some activities) at the same time and
often at discounted prices.
One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines
offer air/land packages, including
American Airlines Vacations
(
&
800/321-2121;
www.aavacations.com),
Delta Vacations
(
&
800/654-6559; www.deltavacations.
com),
Continental Airlines Vacations
(
&
800/829-7777; www.covacations.com),
and
United Vacations
(
&
888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com). Several big
online travel agencies
—Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, and Lastminute.com—also
do a brisk business in packages.
Travel packages are also listed in the travel section of your local Sunday newspaper.
Or check ads in the national travel magazines such as
Budget Travel Magazine, Travel
+ Leisure, National Geographic Traveler,
and
Condé Nast Traveler.
