Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
17:00), let them know. On the small chance that a hotel loses track of your
reservation, bring along a hard copy of their confirmation.
Reserving Rooms as You Travel:
You can make reservations as you
travel, calling hotels a few days to a week before your arrival. If
everything's full, don't despair. Call a day or two in advance and fill in
a cancellation. If you prefer the flexibility of traveling without any reser-
vations at all, you'll have greater success snaring rooms if you arrive at
your destination early in the day. When you anticipate crowds (weekends
are worst), call hotels at about 9:00 or 10:00 on the day you plan to arrive,
when the receptionist knows who'll be checking out and just which rooms
will be available.
Phoning:
To make international calls to Scandinavia to line up hotel
reservations, you'll need to know the country codes. For detailed instruc-
Ifyou'rearrivingearlyinthemorning,yourroomprobablywon'tbeready.
You can safely drop your bag at the hotel and dive right into sightseeing.
Hoteliers can be a great help and source of advice. Most know their city
well, and can assist you with everything from public transit and airport con-
nections to finding a good restaurant, the nearest launderette, or an Internet
café.
Even at the best places, mechanical breakdowns occur: Air-conditioning
malfunctions, sinks leak, hot water turns cold, and toilets gurgle and smell.
Report your concerns clearly and calmly at the front desk. For more complic-
ated problems, don't expect instant results.
If you suspect night noise will be a problem (if, for instance, your room
is over a nightclub), ask for a quieter room in the back or on an upper floor.
To guard against theft in your room, keep valuables out of sight. Some rooms
come with a safe, and other hotels have safes at the front desk. I've never
bothered using one.
Checkout can pose problems if surprise charges pop up on your bill. If you
settle up your bill the afternoon before you leave, you'll have time to discuss
