Get a group together and lower your rate – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

When you’re planning your next cruise, don’t just bring your family — bring your golfing buddies, church group or the whole neighborhood. Most cruise lines offer discounts for groups of eight cabins or more.

In addition to saving money, group cruises are sometimes offered special events, such as a private cocktail reception aboard the ship. And on some cruise lines, the group leader (i.e. you!) gets to sail for free.

Bonus: Your kids will have friends they already know to pal around with in the children’s programs.

Clear your browser’s cookies before booking flights online – Airline tip

by Gadling Staff on

Many airlines and travel web sites (such as Expedia, Kayak, etc.) track how many times you’ve visited their websites. In so doing, they provide different offers and deals depending on the user.

To make sure you’re getting the best prices when you book air travel online, be sure to clear your web browser’s cookies and cache. This will make it appear as if it’s your first time visiting these sites, and you’re likely to see much better prices for your next flight!

Pack well in advance – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Maybe you’re not the traveler that overpacks. Maybe you’re the one who leaves the most important items at home. To avoid this, pack at least five to seven days in advance. Don’t wait until the day before.

Why? When you pack in advance, you allow yourself time to notice the items you’ve forgotten. Packing in advance can save you the stress of worrying and rid you of that “I feel like I forgot something but I don’t know what” feeling.

Bonus: taking several days to pack also increases excitement for your adventure!

Geocache for your souvenirs – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

Our best souvenirs when vacationing have been the ones we’ve collected through geocaching. Geocaching is high-tech treasure hunt using GPS devices and satellites. Currently there are nearly 1 million locations throughout the world to visit.

The objective is to find hidden containers, or geocaches, in outdoor locations and then collect a treasure from those containers. Frequently, we get to explore part of a city we’d never ordinarily think to visit.

The treasure found in these caches may only be dollar trinkets, but the true souvenir is the adventure of trekking through the outdoors with my family.

Prepare an in-flight “necessities pouch” – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

Blocking the aisle during boarding while you dig for gum, a book, a hand-held computer game, disinfecting wipes, or earphones will annoy your fellow passengers — and can delay the departure of your plane.

To avoid this, pack these small must-haves in a resealable gallon-size bag (or any small, easily grabbed “day bag”) and place it near the top of your carry-on bag. This will make the bag and its contents easy to retrieve as you take your seat.

Bonus: you’ll have a convenient place to stow these necessities during flight and reduce your chances of leaving something behind.