Planning Your Visit to Bermuda Online

There are bargains to be found online; it’s just a matter of knowing where to look. I do have one major reservation, though. When going it alone, not only do you often get precisely what you pay for; you might just find you get a lot less. For instance, whom do you appeal to when things go wrong? And they may. A good travel agent will often have first-hand knowledge of many of the popular resorts and will be able to recommend good hotels and restaurants. Better yet, the same travel agent may be able to steer you away from the traps. He/she will be able to provide trip insurance, day trips and itineraries. In short, a good travel agent will ensure you get value for money and real back-up when you need it.

But, if you’re determined to go it alone, I recommend you use only well-established companies, such as Expedia.com, Orbitz.com and Travelocity.com. These sites cater to the true “independent” traveler. Here you can book airline tickets hotels and rental cars – often at a discount. If you’ve not used a direct booking service before, make sure you understand exactly what you’re buying.

First, are there restrictions on your airline tickets? Can you cancel or are they nonrefundable? What penalties would apply if you needed to cancel close to the departure date? You should understand that a cheap airline ticket almost always means there are restrictions.

Second, be sure to shop around; there’s always a better deal no more than a couple of clicks away.

Third, don’t forget such websites as hotels.com, hotelclub.com and hoteldiscounts.com. Combine an inexpensive airline ticket with a discounted hotel stay and you should have a total cost you can live with. In addition, most of the major airlines, and some of the larger package operators, have websites. Many, if not all, of the advantages of using an online booking agent are available at these sites. Delta Airlines, American Airlines, USAir, and many more, all offer extensive package options that include airfare, car rental, hotel rooms, trip insurance, and airport/hotels transfers, often at big discounts (depending upon when you want to go). These companies are very good at what they do. They have inspectors visiting resorts on a regular basis to make sure that things are just as they should be. They own the airline, which means if a flight is cancelled you are their first priority for the next available flight.

True, you might run into a small hitch here and there but, on the whole, you can rest assured that what you pay for is exactly what you get. And it’s true one-stop-shopping. A few clicks and you’re done. If you want to book online yourself, I think this is the way to go.

Additional Travel Websites

Most independent package tour operators, such as Vacation Express and Travel Impressions, prefer that you book your vacation through a travel agent. The theory is that they have less trouble dealing with an agent, with whom they will already have built a long-term relationship, than they do when dealing directly with the general public. Even so, many will deal with you directly, but only online. For that reason, most operators, including the airline vacation companies, prefer not to publish phone numbers.

 

Know Before You Go!