Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
A street stall
Center
Públicos
Right
Local souvenirs
Budget Tips
!
Low-Season Travel
*
All-Inclusives
buying souvenirs at crafts
markets. General items,
such as toiletries, will be
cheaper at neighborhood
colmados (see p112)
.
%
Public Transport
You can save a good
deal of money by visiting
between June and mid-
December. This is the
hurricane season, so
prices are lower for
hotels and car rental, and
sometimes for airfares.
@
Street Food
If you plan to spend
most of your time at the
beach and are not inter-
ested in dining around or
exploring far and wide,
consider checking into an
all-inclusive resort hotel.
These properties charge
a single rate that includes
your accommodation,
meals, entertainment,
and use of the hotel's
facilities. Exactly what is
included can vary from
hotel to hotel, so check
the fine print before
making your choice.
Públicos
and
gua-
guas
(see p105)
are a
fraction of the price of
hiring a car or using
taxis, and offer visitors
the advantage of getting
to mingle with locals.
Although not as
comfortable as taking
your own transport, they
are usually reliable and
will get you to your desti-
nation very inexpensively.
Food prepared at
street stalls and beach
grills, or in
colmados
(see p112)
, is usually an
excellent bargain. Often
a plate of barbecued
chicken or pork served
with rice, black beans,
and
plátanos
will cost
less than $5. Some of
the best street fare is at
Playa Piñones
(see p49)
.
Make sure your meal has
been freshly cooked and
hasn't been sitting out in
the sun for too long.
£
Haggling
(
Happy Hours
Many bars and
restaurants offer an early-
evening happy hour,
usually between 6pm
and 8pm, when cocktails
and other drinks are sold
at half price, sometimes
accompanied by compli-
mentary snacks. Also
look for other specials,
such as “Ladies Night,”
when women receive
half-price drinks, two-for-
ones, and even free
admission to nightclubs.
)
Special Discounts
^
Package Tours
Package tours can
offer tremendous value
and are usually far less
expensive than booking
airfares, hotels, and
perhaps car rental
separately yourself. Unlike
on escorted group tours,
you travel independently
on a package tour and
can often choose from
several all-inclusive
options at different prices
to suit your budget.
Most street stalls and
souvenir stores mark up
prices beyond what may
be reasonable for crafts,
necklaces, and other
souvenirs. Haggling over
a fair price is an accepted
way of doing business,
and essential to getting a
good bargain. Expect to
negotiate a reduction of
10-20 percent of the
asking price.
&
Phone Cards
Surf the Internet
for travel discounts.
Many airlines and tour
companies offer last-
minute price reductions,
but this may mean you
have to leave at short
notice. Some museums
offer free or discounted
entry on certain days.
And look for promotional
specials, frequently offered
by newly opened shops,
bars, and restaurants.
Most hotels charge
exorbitant rates for calls
made from guest rooms.
You can save a consider-
able amount of money by
buying a prepaid phone
card in various denomi-
nations for use in public
phones and sometimes
even in hotel rooms.
These are available in
shops, supermarkets,
and drugstores.
$
Avoid Tourist
Stores
Shops and souvenir
stores in hotels and
tourist-oriented malls are
often overpriced. Unless
the quality is exceptional,
you're much better off
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