The holiday season is almost upon us. Like everyone, you are probably scouting this very minute for the best airline and hotel deals online. One of the best ways to holiday, for next to nothing, is to wisely use your travel rewards card points to book all your travel and stay arrangements. All of the best travel rewards credit cards offer fabulous deals and brownie points this holiday season and it is time to get yourself a big slice of the pie. Following are tips on how you can smartly use travel rewards for your next trip. Apply for the right card It all begins with knowing what card suits your needs the best. Any leading travel credit card reward will most likely come with an annual fee. However, there will also be many accompanying perks such as free baggage allowance, free hotel stays, and access to priority lounges at airports. Just make sure you choose the card that helps you get the most value. If you travel a lot, look for a credit card that has no foreign transaction fees. Maximize your points Find out what purchase earns the most points on your card and then use the card for those purchases.

Everybody likes to travel comfortably, and business class seats are the best when it comes to comfort. However, no one wants to drain their bank accounts while booking a business class ticket. Therefore, we bring you some of the best tricks for booking cheap business-class flights at the last minute. Book flexible business flights While booking a business flight to the UK, ensure that you check out all options. Check out cheap business class flights by carriers like Air India. You can also look for cheap fares on business class flights to Europe. After traveling to Europe, you can take the rail route to get to the UK. One of the best ways to ensure that you do not pay a high amount for business class fares is to get a flexible ticket. Thus, you can schedule and reschedule according to your convenience. Opt for budget carriers While a business class ticket from Etihad Airways or Air Canada might not fit your budget, you can choose budget carriers to get cheap business class flights. Not a lot of people opt for business class travel through such budget airlines. Thus, you can get affordable business class fares on such airlines. This tip is useful while booking long-haul business class flights to destinations like India or even Australia.

While vacations are fun and a great way to take a break from routine life, they do not come cheap. Whether you are looking at a small trip on a tight budget or a luxurious vacation, you would want to get the most out of your money. Therefore, planning all aspects of a vacation is important. If you plan carefully, you will find that there are multiple ways to save money. Following are a few things to consider when you are planning a trip on a limited budget. Finalizing the location Finalize on a location first. Your holiday destination and duration will decide the cost of your vacation to a large extent. Once you have finalized the destination, scout the Internet to check the best travel packages to this destination at a low cost. Online travel sites like Expedia and Kayak can give you a rough idea on the packages and rates available. If possible, plan your trip away from the peak season. Rates are sure to go up during peak seasons. If you are ready for some company, opt for a group tour instead of a separate holiday package, as they are much more pocket-friendly. Finalizing the accommodation The next thing to do is fix on the accommodation.

An upgrade is always exciting as it signifies something bigger and better. Few things could be more amazing than ending up with a hotel upgrade on your next vacation. Yet, the chances of landing one are slim. No hotel simply gives you a costlier room for the price of a lesser one. However, if you play it smart, you can end up with an amazing deal in the form of an unexpected hotel room upgrade or even extended stay in hotel rooms. Following are some of the tried and tested tips for upgrading your hotel on your next vacation. Always vocalize complaints If there is something wrong with your hotel room, such as a leaky tap or a strained bedspread, do make sure to report it to the front desk. The hotel will do its best to avoid a negative review and, in most cases, will upgrade you to compensate for their oversight. However, never make a fake complaint as this can backfire and is inappropriate. Never book the cheapest room As any smart traveler will tell you that if you book the cheapest room available, your chances of landing an upgrade are next to zero. Book a slightly costlier room so you automatically fall in a favorable light for an upgrade.

Europe is everybody’s dream destination. While backpacking through the continent is on every travel enthusiast’s bucket list, very few know about the charm of European river cruises. Imagine seeing the beauty of Seine or floating through the Danube to witness the beauty of all the cities that you always wanted to visit. To get the best of both worlds, we bring to you the best river cruises curated by the highest-rated European river cruise companies. These choices are sure to give you new travel goals. Portugal’s River of Gold by Viking River Cruises Viking River Cruises is one of the highest-rated European river cruise companies, and this particular tour steals the cake. Imagine spending ten days between eight different guided tours and cruising through two countries. In this tour, you can start by exploring Lisbon and then witness two of the continent’s most ancient towns, which are Coimbra in Portugal and Salamanca in Spain. If you’re still unsure, then you should know that Porto’s warehouses are a part of this tour. Enchanting Danube by Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection Want to feel like royalty while enjoying a river cruise through Europe? Then this tour’s royal suite is for you! The prices vary according to the type of accommodation, and we strongly recommend the Category 1 Suite and the Royal Suite.

Planning a holiday is fun, exciting, as well as expensive! One of the biggest expenses you will incur on a trip is your hotel stay. Hotels can account for over half of your entire trip’s budget. However, you don’t need to worry. You can snag an affordable deal and save lots of money in many ways. Therefore, if you are planning your next trip, check out this list of tips to help you find the best hotel deals on websites like http://www.hotels.com. Check comparison sites Comparison websites help you scout the place you are visiting for the best and cheapest hotel deals. Websites such as http://www.hotels.com or http://www.expedia.com make life easier for all travelers. You can view the hotel’s facilities online and make an informed choice based on your needs. Moreover, you get to save a lot of money and time by pre-booking your stay. This option is especially great if you are planning to travel during the peak holiday season. Be flexible with your travel dates When booking your hotel on the internet, you need to keep in mind that the dates often determine the pricing. Check the prices for multiple days on websites like http://www.hotels.com. Reserving a room several months in advance will give you the cheapest rates possible.

Traveling alone entails benefits that traveling in a group does not. You can become more open to new experiences, have the opportunity to make friends, and do not face any restrictions on your itinerary. However, traveling solo can be a risky business if you do not take certain precautions while on the road. Following are some important safety tips to keep in mind before planning your next solo trip. Study the culture Before going anywhere new, read up on the culture of the place you are visiting. This will help you blend in and avoid trouble. For instance, in certain Arab countries, crop tops and micro shorts violate the local dress code and should be avoided. Certain religious sites like St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome do not permit bare legs or arms for both men and women. Research about permissible gestures as well. Even hand gestures vary from place to place; for example, flashing the “V” sign (peace sign) with your fingers can land you in a fight in Britain. Choose safe lodgings Getting great deals on cheap airfare and cheap hotels is amazing, yet safety should always come first. When traveling solo, make sure to check the location of your hotel; it should be close to a populated area.

When it comes to booking a holiday, common sense dictates planning everything in advance. Because, what if something goes wrong? What if there are no flight tickets or hotel rooms available. However, this sense of urgency is often misplaced, since there are many benefits to last minute travel planning. Following is a look at the many advantages of being a little spontaneous at the last minute. Cheaper airfare This one might seem strange, because the closer you get to departure, the pricier the tickets get. However, you need to know how to look and what to look for. Airlines would rather sell all the tickets on last-minute flights than risk a few seats going empty. Search for early morning or red-eye flights that sell at discounted rates. Travel mid-week as opposed to traveling closer to the weekend. If you are heading out during the holiday season, consider flying on the holiday itself, such as on Christmas day, as opposed to a few days before, to get the cheapest deals. Affordable hotel stay Just like the airlines, hotels too do not want their rooms going empty. Instead of booking your stay in advance, consider booking it when you arrive, preferably a little past their check-in time, which is usually noon.

The holiday season is almost around the corner and so are plans for exciting vacations. If your year-end holiday involves heading off on a cruise, then you might want to get medical insurance too. Most people would think of this as an unnecessary expenditure. However, if you fall sick while you’re onboard a cruise ship, you might end up saving a lot of money. If you are still wondering whether to invest in medical insurance or not, here are some points that will help you make up your mind. Limitations of home health insurance Most national health policies do not extend beyond the borders of their countries. So, if you are going on a cruise overseas, then there is a high chance that your medical insurance will not be valid. Moreover, your current medical policy could have many limitations when it comes to its usage abroad. No one wants to take such a risk while setting off on their vacation. Taking medical insurance for your cruise holiday will help you save big bucks if you have to face a medical emergency and at the same time, also ensure that you have a hassle-free experience while traveling. Sickness on the cruise Seasickness and gastrointestinal diseases like diarrhea are common on cruises.

A major question that pops up in the mind of almost every traveler when booking a holiday is ‘Do I really need travel insurance?’ Doubts about whether claims will be accepted to whether travel insurance is simply a waste of money are all commonplace. Therefore, some holiday goers choose to risk it and not take insurance, while others simply cannot leave home without the same. Wondering what you should do? Following is a list of the pros and cons of travel insurance to help you make your choice. The pros Peace of mind Having travel insurance helps create a sense of ease. You can travel knowing you have all your bases covered. You may enjoy your holiday without having to worry what you will do if something does go wrong. For most travelers, this is a reason enough to shell out big bucks and pay for an expensive and all-inclusive travel package. Health coverage Even if you are a frequent traveler, you never know when things can go wrong. You may hurt yourself playing a sport, fall sick due to a change in weather, or contract a local infection. Hospital expenses abroad can run extremely high and most insurance companies in the country do not cover foreign hospitalization.