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What if You Get Bumped From Your Flight?

What does getting bumped mean?

– “Getting bumped” is the common term most people use when they are denied boarding on a flight because there is no room for them on the plane even though they have a reservation. The Airlines often “overbook” and sell more than 100% of a particular flight’s seats because they know that some of the people with reservations won’t show up for the flight. Sometimes everyone does show up and this means that there won’t be enough seats to go around and someone must be left behind. Those left behind have been “bumped” from the flight and will have to take a later flight.

What is the difference between voluntary and involuntary bumping?

– You may think this is too obvious, but with voluntary bumping you choose to give up your seat on your flight for some form of compensation (usually travel vouchers or cash) and with involuntary bumping you are forced to give up your seat. However, there is another very important difference between these two types of bumping. Those that are involuntarily bumped are protected under specific Federal Aviation Administration guidelines that spell out the minimum amount of compensation and other protection for passengers that are involuntarily bumped. If you volunteer to be bumped, you are simply agreeing to take a deal from the Airline. This “deal” is not regulated and will depend on upon the Airline’s gate attendants and your negotiation skills.

What happens to my checked luggage if I get bumped?

– It may fly ahead on the plane you were supposed to take. Even though they’ll probably promise to keep it for you at your destination airport until you catch up, you might want to consider keeping your luggage with you, especially if you are unsure on when you will be making it to that destination. You will at least want to confirm that they are making arrangements to protect your luggage at your destination. If it’s already loaded on the plane, but the plane hasn’t left, see if the luggage can be taken off the plane and returned to you. Although, you might not want to get stuck watching your luggage while you wait for another flight, allowing your luggage to travel ahead can increase the chance it will disappear. You may also need the items in your luggage if you can’t make it on another flight and you get stuck with an unexpected overnight stay.

How can I avoid being bumped?

– Avoid using an Airline that oversells too much and ends up bumping many of its passengers.
– Keep up with the news and see if your Airline is facing any upcoming labor negotiations. If they are in negotiation near the time you are planning your trip, you might want to use another Airline in case yours has a work stoppage or slowdown.
– Check the weather conditions that are common along your route to see if you can plan your trip to avoid periods when foul weather causes delayed and cancelled flights. Delayed and especially cancelled flights will fill up other flights and that can cause the need for an Airline to bump passengers.
– Avoid peak travel times.
– Fly nonstop or with the least amount of connections possible. Each time you land and take off, you increase your chances to get bumped. If you do have to include connecting flights, try to make them at the least congested airports. Limiting your stops will also help you to avoid the possibility of a misconnection.
– Consider flying earlier in the day so you’ll have more options remaining through out the day to complete your trip if you do get bumped.
– Avoid booking the last flight of the day. This is especially important on peak flight days when many flights end up being overbooked. Often, fewer people are willing to volunteer to be bumped from the last flight of the day since they will have to end up waiting until the next morning to leave. Since this increases your chances of being involuntarily bumped, plan on arriving to the last flight of the day even earlier than you would for other flights. Also, note that many Airlines have a policy against paying for a hotel stay at your flight’s origin if you are delayed overnight.
– Don’t buy standby or open tickets to travel during peak travel times.
– If you fear you may get bumped, consider using a paper ticket over an electronic ticket. If you need to transfer to another Airline to continue your trip, a paper ticket can save you time. Most Airlines are not yet able to transfer passengers flying on e-tickets without first taking the time to switch them to a paper ticket.
– Try to get a seat assignment when you book your flight.
– Confirm your reservation and verify that the Airline has all the correct information.
– It’s not the cheapest way to go, but flying first class, full fare or business class will get you a better shot at seats, especially among the last to arrive.
– Join an Airline’s elite member club or frequent flyer programs.
– Arrive early and confirm your seat assignment since the latest to get there will be the most likely to be left out.
– Ask about the flight when you check your luggage. If the flight is overbooked, go directly to the gate. Just having checked in, won’t always guarantee you a seat.
– Board when your row is called. If you delay, they might think your seat is open and board a standby passenger in your place.

What should I know before I volunteer to be bumped?

– If you do volunteer, you will be stuck with whatever deal you accept. If something is not part of the deal, don’t expect to get it even if it turns out you need it later. You’ll want to know all the details of the Airline’s offer before you agree to accept their deal.
– Is a seat on their next flight guaranteed and confirmed and when is that flight scheduled? Remember, if you agree to fly on standby you could end up getting stranded.
– What will happen if it turns out you won’t be able to find me a seat on the next flight or that flight is delayed or cancelled?
– What will happen to my checked luggage?
– What type of consideration is available if I volunteer to be bumped?
– What limitations are there on the free ticket or travel voucher? When will they expire, are there blackout dates, can they be used for international travel and can I make a regular reservation for their use? Are there minimum or maximum stay requirements? Are the vouchers good for only a certain class of tickets?
– What happens if you can’t get me on a flight today and I have to spend the night? Will you pay for a hotel stay and transportation to that hotel?
– Is a meal voucher, long distance phone credit or hotel voucher available for my delay? What are the restrictions on those items?
– Are there any other premiums available such as entrance into their airport club lounge while I wait or headset vouchers?

What should I do if I am involuntarily bumped?

– If you are involuntarily bumped, work with the Airline’s counter personnel to book you on another flight. Being nice and working with the agent will often bring much better results than losing your temper. You can let them know you are upset without turning your anger toward them. Know that there are written guidelines, some of which are required by the Federal Aviation Administration, that protect passengers who have been involuntarily denied boarding.
– Ask to be protected under the Airline’s own written rules in the ticket’s conditions or contract of carriage for dealing with bumped passengers so you are given all the consideration you are legally due. This section of the contract is often called “Rule 245″, but no matter what it is called, they will have a section that specifically spells out what action they must take to help you continue your trip and what compensation you are due, if any. The U.S. Department of Transportation mandates that a copy of this contract be available to passengers at the Airline’s ticket counter. Many Airlines also provide this information on their web sites so you might print it off and take it with you in case you need it.
– Make sure the Airline has first asked for volunteers to be bumped. They are required to at least ask for volunteers. Although, there are no specific guidelines for the offers they make, they should offer compensation of some form to encourage volunteers before they deny you a seat.
– See if others in your party belong to any premium clubs that will help to get you special consideration.
– If you checked luggage to go on the flight from which you were bumped, take measures to protect that luggage.
– See if they can guarantee you a seat on another flight.
– See if your Airline is willing to find you a seat on another Airline. Although, their contract may allow them some time to first find you a flight on their own Airline, most state that when they fail to do so, they will try to find you a seat with another Airline. Know that many Airlines limit your potential choices of other Airlines only to certain Airlines that have existing agreements with your Airline. Your option probably won’t be to find any other flight at the airport that works. It will be to find another flight from a list of specific Airlines.
– The Airline’s contract of carriage may state that, if you so choose, you are entitled to an involuntary refund for any unused portion of your ticket, even if you purchased a nonrefundable ticket.
– This contract also specifies what, if any, other compensation you are due because you were involuntarily denied boarding of the flight. Some of this compensation is regulated under Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. The compensation due will usually vary depending on the reason you were denied boarding and how time much you were delayed. The compensation guidelines for U.S. domestic flights also vary from flights with an international portion. You may be entitled to vouchers for meals, overnight stays, long distance phone calls, and/or ground transportation in addition to travel vouchers or monetary rewards.
– Keep all receipts for expenses caused by being involuntarily bumped. No matter what their rules say, you can always make an appeal to the Airline’s customer service department and you’ll want the receipts to back you up. Send your Airline copies of the receipts and keep the original receipts.
– If it looks like lots of people are going to be stuck for a long time, consider booking a hotel room and/or a rental car before everyone else grabs them all. Under certain situations, some Airlines provide vouchers for hotel rooms and ground transportation so you should check with them before making your own arrangements. You may also be entitled to meal vouchers and other perks.
– Update any future reservations with Airlines, hotels or rental cars that will be effected by your delay.

If I get involuntarily bumped, will I be compensated no matter what?

– No, you may think that being bumped will automatically get you money, complimentary meals and a free hotel stay, but that’s not always true. There are several situations where Airlines are not required to compensate you in any manner if you are bumped, even if you are involuntarily bumped. In some situations, you might even be forfeiting your right to a refund of your unused ticket. However, in many situations, if you did everything right, the Federal Aviation Administration does require that the Airline provide some compensation to passengers that have been involuntarily denied boarding.

What are some of the reasons I might be denied compensation if I am involuntarily bumped?

There are several situations where Airlines are not required to compensate you in any manner if you are bumped, even if you are involuntarily bumped. In some situations, you might even be forfeiting your right to a refund of your unused ticket. You may be denied compensation if:

– You acquired the ticket in violation of the Airline’s rules, regulations or any tariffs or applicable law.
– You failed to fully comply with the Airline’s ticketing requirements. There are many requirements that can apply, such as, completing the purchase within a specified time after making your reservation.
– You failed to fully comply with the Airline’s reconfirmation requirements.
– You don’t have a confirmed reservation. You should check for an “OK” in the status box of your ticket so even if the Airline can’t find your reservation in the computer you’ll still be o.k.
– You cancelled your reservation or changed your itinerary along the way and failed to notify the Airline, which resulted in automatic cancellation of your entire itinerary.
– Most Airlines’ conditions of carriage state that with many of their tickets, failure to arrive at the check-in counter, the flight’s departure gate or your assigned seat a prescribed amount of time before the flight’s scheduled departure time may cause you to forfeit any refund or other compensation due for the unused ticket, even if you have an advance seat assignment and advance boarding pass.
– You are refused boarding because you are unable to present proper government issued photo I.D., are unruly, drunk, fail to cooperate with security or exhibit any other behavior or take any action covered under the Airline’s “right to refuse carriage” policy.
– The flight was canceled. Guidelines for cancelled flights are handled under a separate section of the Airlines’ contract of carriage.
– A smaller aircraft was substituted for safety or operation reasons.
– The Airline finds you a seat on another flight that is scheduled to arrive at your final destination (including later connections) within one hour of your originally scheduled arrival time.
– You are put in another section of the aircraft for no additional charge.
– The flight involves an airplane with 60 or fewer seats.
– The flight is on a chartered aircraft.
– The flight from which you are bumped is an inbound international flight to the United States or the whole flight takes place outside the United States. Flights outside the United States are not required to meet F.A.A. requirements. You should check with your Airline for its guidelines concerning involuntary bumping on non-U.S. flights.

What types of compensation will I receive if I did everything right and still get involuntarily bumped?

The Federal Aviation Administration does have minimum requirements for compensation if you are involuntarily bumped, but these minimums may not cover all of the costs of your delay. Many other items, such as, hotel stays, meals, and ground transportation may be left up to the Airline’s condition of carriage and your negotiation skills. Many Airlines provide this information on their web sites so you might consider printing it off and taking it with you. The U.S. Department of Transportation also mandates that a copy of this contract must be made available to passengers at the Airline’s ticket counter. Know that compensation for delay will vary depending on the amount of time you were delayed, the type of flight you take and possibly even the class of ticket you hold.

– If the Airline finds you a seat on another flight that is scheduled to arrive at your final destination (including later connections) within one hour of your originally scheduled arrival time, you are not entitled to any compensation.

– If the Airline finds you a seat on another flight that is scheduled to arrive at your final destination (including later connections) between one and two hours after your originally scheduled arrival time on domestic flights or between one and four hours on international flights, you are entitled to an amount equal to the fare you paid, (for that portion of the trip) with a maximum amount of $200.

– If the Airline finds you a seat on another flight that is scheduled to arrive at your final destination (including later connections) more than two hours late domestically or four hours late internationally, you are entitled to twice the amount of the fare you paid, (for that portion of the trip) with a maximum amount of $400.

– If the Airline fails to make any substitute travel arrangements for you, you are entitled to twice the amount of the fare you paid, (for that portion of the trip) with a maximum amount of $400.

– Most Airlines will try, and they are allowed, to first offer you a travel voucher for future flights in at least the amount required. However, you do have the right to insist on a check for that amount of money if you do not want a travel voucher. You might be able to negotiate a higher amount if you are willing to accept a travel voucher over a check. However, be sure to review the terms of use of the travel voucher before you accept their offer, just as you would if you were volunteering to be bumped.

– In addition to the above compensation, you are always entitled to keep your original ticket and use it on another flight to continue your trip or request an “involuntary refund” for the portion of the ticket from which you were involuntarily denied boarding. The denied boarding compensation is in addition to the value of the ticket and is a payment for your inconvenience. The denied boarding compensation is not a refund for the ticket.

– It’s always a good idea to pay for your plane ticket with a credit card. It usually makes it easier and quicker for you to get your refund and, if the Airline gives you hard time about refunding your unused ticket, you can ask your credit card company about the possibility of a charge back.

– The Federal Aviation Administration requires Airlines to issue you a check or paid travel vouchers immediately.

Can I get more compensation than the minimum amount required by the Federal Aviation Administration?

– Maybe. Depending on your particular circumstances, you may be entitled to additional compensation. Some Airlines do provide other types of compensation to cover some of your costs for being delayed. The Airline’s own written rules in the ticket’s conditions or contract of carriage specifically spell out what action they must take to help you continue your trip and what minimum compensation you are due, if any. Items, such as, hotel stays, meals, long distance phone calls, ground transportation and any other perks are left up to the Airline’s condition of carriage and your negotiation skills. Also, remember that it never hurts to ask for more than the minimum amounts listed in their written rules. Even though, your Airline may not be required to give you all the compensation you feel you are due, they still may provide you with something extra to keep you a happy customer.

What options do I have if I feel the Airline’s counter personnel are not offering me enough compensation for being involuntarily bumped?

– First, look at their conditions of carriage to make sure they are at least giving you all the compensation you are due under their own rules and don’t forget it never hurts to ask for more.

– If you feel the amount of compensation the Airline is offering doesn’t fully cover your losses for being bumpe, you can try to negotiate a higher settlement directly with their customer service department. However, first make sure you are clear on the Airline’s procedures for negotiating additional compensation. Often, you have at most 30 days from the date on the check to decide if you want to accept the amount of the check. Once the deadline expires, you cash the check or use their travel voucher; you will probably lose the right to later demand any further compensation from the Airline.

– You always have the right to decline the Airline’s offer and take them to court and sue for more compensation. However, unless you have verifiable, definite costs that could be fully documented and were solely, directly and unavoidably caused by being involuntarily bumped, you probably won’t have much of a chance in court. Courts have traditionally upheld the amount of compensation required under Federal Aviation Administration guidelines and any additional compensation stated in the Airline’s contract of carriage so suing can be risky and costly, particularly if your only complaint is inconvenience or lost time. If you do have a special situation where you could show that being involuntarily bumped will cause you a financial loss far above their offer and you think this would make a good court case you should notify the Airline of your situation when you are denied boarding. Your situation might encourage them to increase their offer to other passengers so someone else will volunteer to be bumped in your place.

Savor every bit of your outing and get pampered with Manly accommodation

Your Sydney escapade will take you to Manly, which has grown to be an ultimate beach spot. Manly ensures that its guests find everything to have a wonderful stay out here. This trendy beach destination endows its travelers a wide range of luxury beach accommodation amid some exciting and adventurous seaside activities.

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Travelers from across the globe throng to avail the exciting array of Manly accommodation that has turned the place into a hot spot. Accommodation in Manly beach gets further charming with stretched and miles long beaches and fair weather round the year. They have the best of beachfront hotel accommodations and services, so planning got to be chalked-out well before heading, to get the maximum out of here.

Manly beach accommodation and luxury holiday accommodation here simply cannot be expected to be secured by the last minutes toiling, as accommodation in manly beach gets enormous crowd. But then, a proper planning can fetch you the craved budget accommodation with loads of apartments at discount rates. Besides the budget accommodation, the Manly beach accommodation comprise of luxurious hotels, motels, amazing villas and resorts to make your stay a lifelong memorable experience.

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Why Do Car Rental Agencies Ask For Credit Card?

Houston, the largest city in the Texas and the fourth largest city in the United States witnessed its growth through the transportation at growing port, and railroad industry and discovery of the oil in the region. With the span of time during mid twentieth century, Houston became the center of medical world after establishment of Texas Medical Center-that is known for the largest concentration of medial health care and research centers and NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Mission Control Center is located here in Houston.

The city is habituated by multicultural population as many of them are from different countries across the globe. The city has a good number of centers for culture and exhibitions. The Houston Museum District attracts more than 7 million visitors every year. The climate of Houston is humid subtropical.

As for traveling within the city of Boston and adjoining areas you can select from a good number of available mediums. Personal car rental in Houston is one of those best modes of transport that provides all the luxuries of traveling through the city of Boston. By a personal car rental you can travel all the important centers of the cities without pondering much about traffic jams and isolation of your destination from public mode of transport. Hiring a private taxi is an expensive deal and you cannot keep changing your taxi all the time when you are visiting a new place.

Finally, as, you have set your mind on buying a car rental in Houston, the first question you will face from the counter clerk would be demand for your major credit card despite whatever is your mode of payment. It is a general practice among car rental companies that they demand for a credit card. Car rental agency does so to get security deposit against the loss or damage to the car while it is in your possession. Credit Card Company gets a credit card authorization to cover any expenses in case of damage to the rented while under your driving belt.

So in order to save your hard earned money it is best advised to return car to the renting agency in intact condition. As the car returned by you is found with any damage an appropriate fee is get deducted from your credit card on conditions as signed with you while delivering the car to you by renting agency.

As there is basic difference between a debit card, credit cars and check card, most of the car rental agencies do not accept debit card and check cards as security deposit. As there is no provision of advance approval for debit and check cards, therefore, companies refrain from accepting them as security against car rental.

While negotiating through the credit card, a car rental company just doesn’t take anyone’s credit card as for the sake of presenting it to the company. It should be your major credit card. And the name of the major credit care holder should also be on driving license as well on rental agreement and be presented physically at the time when car is rented. You can not use any other person’s credit card for renting the car.

Use Hostel Accommodation If Travelling On A Budget

You might think of hostelling as something that college students do while traveling through Europe for the summer. However, hostelling is not just for the college crowd anymore, and now includes people of all ages and backgrounds. If you are a traveler on a budget, staying at a hostel can be an adventure that will add to your travel experience.

Staying in a hostel will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and many travelers would prefer to spend the money on a traditional hotel. Hostel traveling is best suited to those traveling alone, or to young people traveling in groups. Hostels are not really recommended for families traveling with young children. In fact, many hostels do not accept children under a certain age.

Most hostels are set up like dormitory rooms, with several bunk beds arranged in the room, with anywhere from four to ten bunks per room. Each traveler is assigned a specific bed upon check-in.

Nearly all of the hostels in the United States group their accommodations according to gender, with the female guests in one section of rooms and the male guests in another. In multi-level hostels, males and females are often separated by floor.

It is not uncommon, however for European hostels (and those elsewhere around the world) to allow mixed genders to share a room. Make sure to ask about the policy of the hostel before you check in. I, as a woman traveling solo, have never encountered a problem with these arrangements, and I have stayed in hostels throughout Europe, including Rome, London and Amsterdam. Some visitors might be surprised or offended by these sleeping arrangements.

The bathroom accommodations at hostels differ also, with some rooms containing a shared bathroom and shower, while other hostels will have shower and bathroom facilities located in the hallway. If you would prefer not to share a bathroom with strangers, make sure you ask about the hostel’s policy ahead of time.

More often now, reservations are becoming increasingly vital at hostels, especially during the summer months in popular cities. It is now not at all unusual for hostels in popular tourist cities to be booked solid for months, where once it was common for travelers to be able drop by the hostel and expect to get a bed.

Price is by far the biggest appeal of staying at hostels. The nightly rate for a hostel is usually no higher than $25 or $30 per night, with most costing even less. With the average hotel room costing somewhere around $100 to $150 in many cities, it is easy to see why hostels are becoming such a popular alternative.

Another benefit of staying in a hostel is that the staff is extremely accommodating and knowledgeable about the local area. Unlike many staff members of some luxury hotels, who travel in from the outlying areas and rarely see the city in which they work, hostel staff tend to live in the city, and have an personal knowledge of the local sites, including which attractions are can’t miss and which ones aren’t worth the trip.

Hostels also usually have access to discounts and coupons for local area attractions and restaurants, and they can provide information on the best restaurants and hangouts around.

While not everyone will find a hostel appealing, and the accommodation of a local hostel are simple at best, they can be wonderful options for lodging for the budget minded traveler. After all, the goal of travel is to get out and see the world, and hostel travel lets you save money on lodging so that you can do just that.

Finding a Cheap Flight

When looking for a cheap flight you should always shop around and try and get as many prices as possible. Although one company might look cheap you not only might be able to find cheaper, but even for a little more you might get more benefits and flexibility in the flight that you are looking for.

And talking of flexibility, try and be prepared to be flexible in your plans in order to find the cheapest flight. Travelling mid-week is cheaper than at the beginning, end or weekend. Also flying late at night or early in the morning will be cheaper than during the daytime.

You will generally find a cheaper price by booking as far as in advance as possible. As soon as you know when you want to fly then start looking for flights. Flights tend to be more expensive the closer you get to the date that you want to fly. Also by booking in advance you can ensure you get the flights you want as flights will get busy and fill up as you get closer to the flight date.

If you use a travel agent then do not settle for their “lowest” fare offered. They will only search a limited number of flights with companies that they work with. By doing some of the work yourself you will not only find a cheaper flight but may find that another company is willing to beat or match it in order to get you to fly with them.

When choosing the airport you are flying from and to, look for any other airports that are nearby. By using a different airport (even if it is a lot smaller) to what you planned to originally use may turn out to be cheaper.

When booking a flight look out for extras that may be incorporated into the flight. You will not always need an in-flight meal especially on short flights or those late at night/early in the morning. Also look for taxes, surcharges and fees that are added on later as these may turn your “cheap” flight into a more expensive one.

Taking the time to find a cheap flight can seem pointless where a reasonably priced flight is readily available but the extra money you could save can go towards your actual trip away giving you more spending money for the things that you really want to enjoy.

Worldwide Hotels Guide

Worldwide hotels offers

Making a distinction regarding big geographical areas, the current situation of hotel offers and receptive structures it can be schematically distributed as follows.

In countries with a tourism largely promoted by big tour-operator, like the Mediterranean coast and the islands of Spain, the largest Greek islands, the Tunisia and Morocco costs, the countries of the Center and South America, they have been developed, frequently in a disordered fashion, hotel offers and tourist centers characterized by the presence of large hotels, located in very attractive areas, endowed with numerous services, destined to be shown as beautiful as they appear in the catalogues of tour-operators in charge of filling them, but frequently poorly finished, with ordinary furniture and inadequate maintenance. There are hotel offers at particularly advantageous prices on behalf of big travel promoters which propose lodging places for trips to lower price; prices applied only to the occasional client, are on the other hand far greater

These same geographical areas have seen the surfacing of several hotels belonging to big chains, with hotel offers and diversified clientele (not just of tourists sent by tour operators) and with controlled standards of more comfort.

The prevalence of large receptive complex regarding those of small dimensions is the most typical characteristic in these geographical areas, marked, by the hotel offers, for the logic of big travel promoters.

They are few the pensions and hostels; the small receptive exercises are almost always administered as small residences or, they are simply arranged by houses in which rooms or apartments are rented.

Diversified hotel offers

In more industrialized countries which are those where the diffusion of tourism is older and consolidated, the receptive structure is very varied as well as the hotel offers. There’s a consistent sector of receptivity called complementary called or extra-hotel next to the hotel structures, constituted by residences, camping sites, tourist villages, inns, holidays houses, private lodgings.

Everywhere the appropriate equipment, comfort, cleaning in offers hotel reaches acceptable levels. Particularly, in Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, mainly if the urban areas are avoided, the lodgings, of any sort are pleasant and welcoming.

Contrary to the countries included in the area marked with number 1), the richest European countries have hotel offers traditionally based on the small individual initiative.

Today no receptive structure can live waiting for the client, customer or occasional. The client is looked for, cheered up with the hotel offers, the hotel reservation should be simplified, standards of service should be guaranteed admitting growing costs: most people request rooms with bathroom, telephone and television, with the whole comfort that doesn’t make them miss their own houses.

Thus have been developed the associations among hotel owners, for the qualification of services, the reservation in common, for the distribution of costs, the administration of hotel offers.

Hotel chains have spread guaranteeing in all countries similar services that allow the quick reservation, through free telephone calls, the twenty-four hours.

Born in the United States, country where the most famous hotel chains are found, today widely diffused in Europe as well, like the Hilton, the Marriot, the Ramada, the Holiday Inn, in a beginning chains brought together only the hotels of higher category, the most luxurious, and also most expensive from the viewpoint of hotel offers.

Nowadays is no longer this way; next to the most important chains, endowed with expensive hotels, like the Hilton, the Sheraton, and the Holiday Inn, Americans like the CIGA and the Italian Jolly Hotel, like the French Sofitel, the Swiss Hotelplan, the British Forte, there are chains with more modest category hotels and more affordable prices, hence diversifying the hotel offers.

Hotels offers and facilities>

France and Italy, countries of the oldest tourist tradition, present a fractional receptive structure, aimed at receiving individual tourism.

Like Giorgio Castoldi writes in the “Manual of tourist technique”, Hoepli, in Italy, on one hand is favored by the continuous appearance, in big cities, of offers of big hotels, of higher category, provided with the most modern services (congress rooms with its complementary equipment, fax, internal television circuits, etc.) easily reservables from any place in the worldhosting mainly people who travel for business matters; and on the other hand when maintaining the offer of small hotels, most of the time with family administration, of lower category, those who prefer not to grow for not modifying their administration, based on the work of people motivated by the good operation of the company and willing to sacrifices that could not be requested to clerks in regular hotels. Their work is often not quantified: the entire family collaborates, from children to old men, frequently in partial way, or in very busy moments, without the need of some retribution. Therefore these hotels are able to apply affordable rates for the average tourist, for the family in vacations. They are usually able to obtain enough earnings for the entire family with hotels offers for only four or five months a year. Once the season is finished old men rest, children return to their school, the rest is in charge of maintenance, repairing, and the hotels offers to clients for the following season.

These small formats hotels, with generally seasonal operation, represent most hotels in Italy and they are the backbone of a receptive structure that doesn’t adapt to the demands of big tour operators that need hotels offers of large facilities, internally reservables. For this reason Italy is not goal of lodging for big tour operators in Northern Europe, contrary to countries like Greece, and Spain. The negative aspect of this approach, for Italy, lies on the fact that, by doing so, it´s given up to a wide range of potential clients who would assure the constant floow of tourists for differentiated hotels offers, besides the traditional periods of high season. The positive aspect rests on the fact that individual clients represent greater profits to the hotels, while the tour operator client represents sure arrivals for many months in the year, satisfying the offers, but paying little and with delay. It´s not just that, big tour operators seek offers of far more hotels that usually alter the landscape and atmosphere, transforming the coasts, like it has happened in a large part of Spain, Greece, and Tunisia, in urban centers dominated by the imposing profiles of big hotels.

Changes in the hotels offers in Italy

Substantial changes in hotels offers are being witnessed in Italy. Small pensions have decreased in number because the client-type of these hotels, fundamentally families in vacations, always uses the self-catering type structures (trailer houses, rooms for rent, etc.).

Besides the growing in the offers of higher category hotels that satisfy a tourism different from the recreational one, the offers of three-star hotels that have, in Italy, an average of 39 rooms. Divorcing from the family administration, but keeping their opening for seasons. These hotels are fundamentally located in regions goal of recreational tourism: the region that more hotel offers present is the Trentino Alto Adige, the Emilia Romagna, and the Tuscan.

Why? Probably because these hotels represent the Italian answer to the demand of tour operators. These hotels are in conditions of lodging groups, allows work in longer seasons in relation to small hotels therefore coping with higher costs than what their administration implies.

Also with the demand of tour operators, these hotels are able to enlarge the traditional seasons of recreational tourism thanks to the hotels offers for congresses, manifestations, and agreements with extralaboral associations or entities of public attendance that fill facilities during low season.

In a nutshell, the situation of hotels offers in Italy can be schematized as follows:

Higher category hotels, of large facilities, mainly dedicated to business tourism, increase in number thanks to the growth of this sort of demand they satisfy with their hotels offers;

Low category hotels, of small facilities, temporaries, of family administration, are still in some regions the center of hotel offers; they have the family in vacations as client-type; which decreases in number in relation to the modification of the families´demand, with strong tendency towards self-catering;

Mediumcategory hotels grow to satisfy mainly the demand of group tourism of tour operators, of congresses organizers, of assistance entities; they are often exercises of inferior category which, growing, transform their administration, they make it more professional and less family-like, to satisfy this new demand with their hotels offers.

Classification and hotels reservation

Regarding Italy, law differentiates the hotel services in:

– hotels: receptive services open to the public, with unitary administration providing lodging, possibly food and other accessory services, thanks to the reservation of rooms in hotels;

– motel: hotels particularly equipped for the stop and services of vehicles or crafts assuring them repair services and fuel supply;

– villages hotel: hotels that, in a single area, give centralized services to users of residence units located in more establishments.

This distinction, besides substituting the traditional structure among hotels, pensions, and inns, cancels the distribution in the traditional categories (from first to fourth), and hold the same rules regarding reservation of rooms in hotels.

The law stipulates that hotels be marked, in descending order, from 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 star. The enclosed denomination “luxury” is also stipulated, for five-stars hotels classified according to typical standards of international class.

Local authorities must fix the criteria for the classification of the receptive structures keeping in mind the dimensions, the structural requirements, the services offered and the qualification of specialists, the criteria and modalities in the reservation of rooms. The law limited itself to set down the minimum requirements that should have the receptive services to be classified as hotels. They are:

– receptive capacity not lower than seven rooms;

– presence of at least a hygienic service for every ten beds;

– a bathroom with hot and cold current water for each room;

– a room for common use;

– technological facilities and an appropriate amount of qualified specialists for the running of the installation.

To determine the categories of hotels, that is, to assign the adequate number of stars, it’s used a punctuation expressing the quality of the best offerings of the facilities, the services the hotels are able to guarantee, the location, etc. Also in this case, as explained before for travel agencies, local laws are quite uniform and use very similar features, as well as for the reservation of rooms. They dispose, for one-star hotels to have characteristic for which at least thirty points must have been assigned, for two-stars at least eighty points, until the 340 points of five-stars luxury hotels.

The private bathroom in all the rooms vouches 30 points, if 90% of the rooms is endowed with bathroom 25 points must be assigned, if the rooms with bathroom are the 70% the points must be 20, etc.

The night porter vouches 10 points, as well as the 24-hours room services; direct line telephone in each room gives 8 points, the same thing for the telex; color television in each room accounts 5 points, black and white television 4; for the covered pool 10 points, the uncovered one 5; and so forth.

The classification of hotels is made on the request of the hotel itself, which should indicate, in its application, the punctuation reached, result of the sum of parameters they offer.

The entity to which the request is made varies from Region to Region. In certain cases it is the Province, in others the Region itself. The assignment of the category is done after a confirmation made by the competent organization.

The request is renewed every five years.

Therefore it could be considered that an objective classification as indicated always allows equal evaluations and that hotel classifications are assigned in uniformly. In reality it doesn’t work that way: hotels with the same number of stars present, frequently, different qualitative standards.

The reasons are many. The hotel classification must be renovated every five years, it has been said. Many people considered this a very long period of time, during which the initially available equipment can decrease. If televisions sets in the rooms break and are not repaired, if the minibars are moved, if elevators stop, if the garage closes, if the reservation of rooms is inaccurate and causes discontentment, these facts can be increased over the following years.

In many Regions the controls that must be done, either when the category should be assigned or when must be verified that the conditions have not been changed, are not sufficiently rigorous.

And the quality of hotel service consists of so many elements that cannot be measured precisely: a hotel can have televisions, telephones, and minibar in the room, can have elevators, pools, garage, and restaurant that make it classify for a superior category, but if its cleaning is to be questioned, if the reservation of rooms works poorly, if bathrooms faucets leak, if windows don’t close, if the rooms walls are dirty, if beds crack, if personnel is not competent, to the high punctuation the hotel gets in reality deserves a modest service.

It could be said that this point must be given a market control: the unsatisfied client doesn’t return to the hotels where they have been treated unsatisfactorily. The word gets around, few new clients will request a room reservation. However, the particular role of the hotel, for which new clients continually go through who often make the reservation of rooms in hotels through CRS, without knowing the hotel where they will be destined, without making their election and reservation under somebody’s advised who has previously been in the hotel, all this leads to a reduced control.

The possible solutions follow three approaches:

a strict and continuous public control (as it’s done in Austria and Switzerland);

a control on behalf of consumers’ associations (particularly diffused in countries like Germany, and Great Britain);

an associative control: incorporate hotels to consortia, associations, groups, chains receive the control from the associations to which they belong, so the client who makes the reservation of rooms in hotels belonging to a certain group, knows that the hotel has the qualitative standard guaranteed by the group.

The latter control is, so far, what in Italy seems to be more effective.

The stars classification applied in Italy is, in the base, similar to the one applied in most European countries. Therefore, the tourist who travels through Europe should not have problems in determining the quality of the hotel service.

More difficult could be the election when he travels outside Europe: there are many countries where hotel classifications don’t exist.

Prices and hotel reservations

Hotels establish freely the prices of their services and they should you at the moment of the client’s reservations, either for knowledge to the Regions that entrust the control to the same organizations appointed to confer the categories.

The price lists of hotels are renovated at least once a year, and they can foresee different prices according to the seasons (high, low, and middle) and according to the hotel reservations. Diverse rates are generally indicated by:

– single room with and without bathroom,

– double rooms with and without bathroom,

– complete pension in room with and without bathroom,

– half pension in room with and without bathroom,

– supplements for enclosed beds,

– prices of foods.

All these prices can be assorted between a minimum and a maximum. This is justified with the position and structure of the different rooms: the widest, more comfortable rooms, with view, the quieter etc., are more expensive than the smaller, darker, and noisier of the hotels. Therefore prices varied from a minimum to a maximum for the single rooms without bathroom, for the single ones with bathroom, for the double with and without bathroom and, consequently, for the treatment of half pension and complete pension. Besides the price also depends on who makes the reservations in the hotels if it’s the client, the agency or the tour operator.

The prices of the rooms, with included IVA, must be shown in all rooms. The prices of the other hotel services should be exposed in rooms commonly used. Of course, hotel clients cannot be asked amounts higher than the ones requested in the lists, or agreed during the reservations.

The prices of Italian hotels are the target of criticism for many parts.

Statistically they are among the highest in the world, because hotel owners have a tendency to declare extremely high maximum prices. In fact, the most diverse rates are paid, according to the season, the client, the development of the hotel market, the type of reservation. The result is that few the clients pay the published rates. And the minimum rate is sometimes a tenth of the maximum price.

Except for particular cases, the license of hotel exercise foresees the obligation of opening of local throughout the year, excluding a period of vacations that should be agreed with the municipal authorities and stated to Public Security authorities.

Only in towns that are temporary tourist destinations can be given licenses that foresee the opening for certain periods in the year. Opening schedules during the day are set by the Public Security authority, in accordance with the Mayor.

The exercise license can be suspended to a hotel that has closes for more than eight days without giving word to the Public Security authority.

>Hotel contract and hotel reservation

The hotel contract following the hotel reservation, is the one specified between the hotel owner and the client. The obligations the hotel assumes with this contract are:

– the lodging supply and food to the client and the benefit of all services foreseen by the structure of the hotel (bar, television, telephone, alarm clock, laundry etc.),

– the responsibility towards people:

– a doctor should be called if they get sick

– should verify they don’t have infectious illnesses

– should make the obligatory authentication in the event of death

– it’s responsible with the parents and midwife for the accusations of birth

– should reimburse those who suffer damages for their responsibility (for example anyone who falls on the stairways that haven’t had an appropriate maintenance);

– the responsibility with things on behalf of the clients, according to what’s foreseen by the articles of the civil code.

The client’s obligations (booked)

– the payment of the preset price or foreseen in the lists and arranged at the moment of the hotel reservation;

– the respect of the times of arrival and departure foreseen by the contract and of the reservation of the hotel; with this purpose it’s stressed that, except other agreements, the room that has been booked, is occupied between 18.00 in the day of arrival and vacant before 14.00 in the day of departure;

– the care of the local in which the client is lodged, keep their integrity;

– the prohibition of developing in the hotel room any activity, particularly those dangerous or annoying, like ironing, cooking in the hotel, to make noise, etc..

The hotel contract is not a contract-type, in other words it’s not expressly regulated by the civil code. This fact sometimes leaves space to differentiated interpretations, especially those that have to do with the reservation of the hotel.

Among the most common unfulfilments on behalf of clients are the following:

– the client’s non arrival who had already made the reservation of the hotel. The hotel owner protects himself making advance payment as guarantee, if the client regularly uses the services, it also works as an advance payment of the final bill, if the client doesn’t use the reserved services, it’s then retained as compensation by the hotel;

– the client’s delayed arrival or premature departure which forces the hotel owner to lose the possibility to dedicate the rooms to other clients that had been reserved;

– the not payment of the bill on behalf of the client. In this case the hotel owner is entitled to have the client’s baggage levy for an official, as a guarantee of his credit.

The hotel owner’s most common unfulfilment is given when the client who has made the reservation of the hotel, doesn’t find it free as agreed. In this case the client who has given a guarantee is entitled to a compensation that comes up to double this guarantee.

Hotel booking and types of hotel contracts

To illustrate this topic we refer, as an example, to an “International Hotel Convention regarding contracts among hotel owners and travel agents”, convention carried out between the A.I.H. and the F.U.A.A.V. some years ago.

a) Each hotel contract should be preceded of applications of hotel booking on behalf of the travel agent and directed to the hotel owner.

b) Each unwritten hotel reservations application will be confirmed by means of a written document (letter, telegram, telex, electronic, etc.).

c) Each application hotel booking should specify the benefits offered. The cost of these may be mentioned in the same document. In this case the payment will be guaranteed only by the travel agent until he gets knowledge of the amount mentioned.

Acceptance of hotel reservations applications on behalf of the hotel owner

a) The hotel contract won’t be definitive until the acceptance of the hotel booking on behalf of the hotel owner, made according to dispositions of art. 11 a).

b) Such an acceptance of the hotel reservations will consist on a written document (letter, telegram, telex, electronic, etc.) specifically referring to the application and mentioning the price of the ordered services.

c) This confirmation of the hotel booking should take place immediately or, at least, three days after receiving the application on behalf of the hotel owner.

d) Where the travel agent demands a telegraphic reply, he should use the form of “paid reply”.

Advance payments of hotel reservations

a) The hotel owner will be able to subordinate the acceptance of the order of hotel booking, to the imposition of an advance amount (guarantee or cause deposit).

This advance amount will always have the character of guarantee deposit, except for the case in which the hotel owner has specified that it’s a guarantee. If the hotel owner has requested an advance payment, the conclusion of the hotel contract won’t be definitive until the imposition of the amount is not made or demonstrated the evidence of the payment.

b) The hotel owner will make acknowledgement of receipt of the advance payment of the hotel booking no later than 24 hours after receiving it.

c) the amount o be paid of the advance payment of hotel reservations is usually the price of the ordered services (room, foods, etc.) for a one-night lodging in low season and three nights in high season.

Documents of the hotel booking

1) Principle of voucher acceptance: The hotel owner is entitled to either request the prepayment or a partial advance payment. If he refuses to such power, he agrees to accept the voucher. The travel agent recognizes the voucher as a payment guarantee that must be paid according to conventional norms and terms.

2) The simple voucher. The benefits that should appear in detail, especially the arrival and departure dates, they can comprise only the normal services (room and foods).

3) Voucher “full credit”. The emission of this voucher can convey an extension of the normal hotel services, should be subordinated to a specific agreement between the hotel owner and the travel agent.

Payment due to the hotel owner

The prices fixed by the hotel owner to the travel agent for the services making object of the hotel contract, will not be, in any case, higher to those of the hotel rate applied to direct clients, when the invoice is paid by the agent or liquidated directly by the traveler. When the hotel owner has agreed the special prices in the phases of the hotel reservations, he won’t be able to demand greater retribution than the agreed rate.

The hotel owner agrees to respect the prices suited in the contract. In the event of any modification of prices, a 30-day adjustment term is foreseen for the application of new prices. This price modification won’t be applied to the hotel reservations already confirmed.

The benefits the travel agent will pay are those that appear in the reservation document directed to the hotel owner.

a) Except in case it’s been agreed that the invoice be paid directly by the traveler, is the travel agent who has concluded the hotel contract the one who should debit the invoice.

b) The payment of the invoice will be made by the agreed terms or, in absence of a contractual stipulation, within a 30-day frame after receiving the invoice. After the 30 days, the due sums will be increased with an interest fixed to the percentages for every month of delay. The opening amount of the debit will be increased with the 5% for recovery expenses.

c) For long duration lodgings, the hotel one will be able to request the travel agent, to pay in the course of lodging, the parts of services already given.

d) In the event of hotel booking made by the travel agent for services whose payment will be executed directly by the client, the hotel owner agrees to guarantee the agent’s commission. For such reason the hotel owner can refuse to accept the payment by means of a credit card.

Glossary of terms used in hotels booking

Travel Agent: Each person or qualified society according to legal dispositions of the same country or for the national associations or for the interested International Federation and which particularly has as an specific activity to make the hotel reservation of rooms and other services in hotels to settle travelers.

Hotel: Are considered all those facilities that offer vacancies and are affiliated to the AIH, either directly through a national Association and those that classify according to the legal orders of the country where they are located.

Advance: according to the will of the parts, the amount of the advance payment requested by the hotel can be worth as guarantee deposit to the act of hotels booking.

Low season: defined according to local customs, subject to particular contracts according to the conditions of the local market.

Hotel contract: Contract with which a hotel agrees with a travel agent to give hotel services – followed by a hotel reservation – to a costumer of the aforementioned agent.

Guarantee deposit: advance imposition of the travel agent to the hotel owner, at the moment of the hotel reservation, a part of the price that will be presumed from the total amount of the invoice or should be refunded in the event of the hotels booking.

Hotel tariffs: lists of the prices on the different services given by the hotel, separately or together, officially published for travelers’ use.

Individual travelers: clients who are not benefited by special rates of group.

Group Travelers: amount of people traveling together, considered by the travel agent and the hotel owner as an unique entity which obtains from the hotel owner during the hotel reservation, special conditions and rates fixed contractually.

Voucher: a voucher is a document issued by a travel agent with which he agrees to pay the hotel owner for the benefits to the agency’s costumer. These benefits or their top value will be mentioned in the voucher. In the event of non-use of all the hotel benefits mentioned in the voucher, the agent’s agreement is limited according to the conditions mentioned in item 42 of the convention. The copy of a voucher can also work as confirmation.

Travel in the United States since the terrorist attacks of 9-11. How have things changed

Long gone are the days when an airline passenger is able to go straight to the gate and catch their flight. As you all know, the way we think about travel has been profoundly changed by the events of Sept. 11 and their aftermath. These shifts have had a practical and psychological impact on all of us. Most of these changes have taken place in the airline industry although other parts of the travel industry and the nation as a whole have been forced to adjust also. Immediately after Sept. 11, as you know, travel was drastically reduced virtually across the planet. In the past year, it has been steadily picking up. However, in most cases, it has not reached pre-September 11 levels. Domestic travel In the United States has recovered much more quickly than international travel. In fact, domestic travel has been very strong this summer, with some destinations such as the national parks are reporting record breaking numbers of visitors. International travel has been picking up too, but more slowly. Recently, more people are beginning to plan international trips again.

How has Sept. 11 affected the traveler? Well, many of you are no doubt familiar with the practical changes that have come about after 9-11. These have especially impacted air travelers. Airport security is much tighter. Access is much more rigorously restricted. Long lines are visible inside terminals and sometimes along the sidewalks outside the airport buildings. In short, you have to wait longer and in more lines than you used to. As a result, whether you are flying domestically or internationally, it is necessary to arrive at airports earlier than before, and make sure that all your documents are in order. One of the more drastic changes is that all security screeners at United States airports have been professionally trained. Passenger’s carry on items are passed through an X-ray machine where they are checked for what in today’s terms are considered dangerous items such as knives, corkscrews, etc. Until just recently, scissors were considered a threatening item. They are now allowed in carry-on bags as long as they are no more than 4″ at blade length. Screeners are now more frequently performing random searches of baggage and performing passenger pat downs. 100% of all checked baggage is checked for explosives and other dangerous items. Now all passengers are required to go to the ticket counter before check in. Passengers must have some form of government issued ID such as a state drivers’ license or passport. If you do not have ID, you are not getting on an airplane. Most airports allow only ticketed passengers to go to the departing gate, and you now have to walk quite a stretch before your loved ones can greet you upon arrival.

Even the airplanes themselves are more secure. After 9/11, when the Department of Homeland Security was put into place, they were given the task of performing vulnerability assessments on over 75 of the United States’ major airports and actual airline security systems. As a result, every US larger passenger aircraft has now been equipped with hardened cockpit doors. Thousands of federal air marshals were assigned to flights in order to help ensure the safety of passengers, and to guard against terrorist acts. We have just recently witnessed an unfortunate event where a person on an aircraft claiming to have a bomb was shot by an air marshal. Make no mistake about it; these security measures are very serious.

Psychologically, the changes have been profound. Americans are skittish travelers, and they tend to somewhat indiscriminately lump together vast portions of the world. After Sept. 11, they have tended to avoid travel to any country in the Middle East and much of Asia, as well as India and Pakistan. For the traveler, one of the results of travel in a post-9/11 world is that you need to be better informed about your destination. It is a good idea to read up on the places you are planning to visit, to understand their history, laws, cultures, customs and current conditions. The more you know about your destination, the better prepared you will be to anticipate problems that could have been avoided.

Changes within the travel insurance industry as well have taken place as a result of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Currently some travel insurance companies provide coverage for terrorist attacks committed in the United States of America such as CSA Travel Protection (http://www.csatravelprotection.com). Prior to 9/11, travel insurance only covered terrorist attacks committed overseas. Along with the travel insurance industry the methods Americans use to plan their trips have changed because of 9/11. More than 60% of US vacationers are now using the Internet to plan their vacations either alone or with assistance of a professional travel agent. Americans had already known about travel information and travel business on the Internet prior to September 11th, but many more began to utilize it after the attacks. A lot of online travel deals became available from airline companies and hotels desperate to regain business directly after 9/11. It soon became widely known that great travel deals were available online. Many comprehensive or all-inclusive packages have become popular due to value-added offers that have enticed many Americans to re-evaluate and re-adjust their take on travel. With the proper planning and contextual awareness, traveling can be enjoyable again

Although the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 are in no way seen as something positive, these same horrific events have lead to many improvements to the safety and security of travel within the United States. Some of these new security practices may seem like an inconvenience but they have been set up to ensure the safety and continuity of American and friendly foreign travelers traumatized by the events of September 11th.

Overcoming an eating disorder

Binge Eating

“You are describing to me, all the characteristics of a binge eating disorder, which is common among men.”

A what? A disorder? Seriously-a disorder? Wait!-what kind of disorder? Did I hear her right? Eating disorder? What was it she said? Binge eating? Is that it? Binge eating disorder? Wait!-this can’t be right, at all. First off I eat and I don’t purge and I don’t think of myself as fat. But this did all start with my wieght didn’t it? That’s why we are sitting here discussing my eating habits. She thinks I am underweight. I don’t. Sure I am slender, and maybe a little less than muscular, but certainly not underweight. Realizing my mind was racing all over the place and I wasn’t reacting, I finally said, “I’m sorry. Did you… Did I hear you correctly? Did you say…binge-eating…disorder? ”

That was how I remember the exact moment that I first learned of binge eating disorders in men. I was not so closed-minded as to think that men were exempt for eating disorders, but I guess I did sort of perceive it was more of a female problem. I suppose it is just more common to hear stories of young girls who have anorexia or bullemia, than to hear of men with eating disorders. However, that is exactly what my doctor was telling me, that afternoon.

I use the term “binge eating disorder”, because we never got around to diagnosing a specific disorder. In fact she said I was standing on a line between poor dietary habits and binge eating. For arguments sake, it could be said that I had fully developed the binge eating habits, but was not yet suffering the physical ramifications of that behavior. I almost feel guilty even talking about it, because I was not suffering from it to the degree that many do. Ironically though, it was the fact that my own condition was so mild, that I grew to have a great appreciation for those who suffer from severe eating disorders. After all the difficulty I had inovercoming a mild condition, I could not begin to imagine what it takes to come back from a severe one.

Bing eating by men is much more common than people would probably realize. I never thought of mens’ eating habits bordering on binge eating in everyday life, throughout all parts of society. Think of a father, a boyfriend, a roommate, a brother,…any guy you know, who seldom eats breakfast or lunch, but consumes large dinners when he gets home from work. He could be possibly be binging and not even realize it. That is how I was doing it, but never saw it that way. Not until I started to lose weight and get ill repeatedly one fall. Upon visitng the doctor for treatment of a head and chest cold, she started to ask about my nutrition. I hadn’t realized until that moment that I had really bad eating habits. It just never occured to me.

Travel On A Budget – Stay At Hostels

You might think of hosteling as something that college students do while traveling through Europe for the summer. However, hosteling is not just for the college crowd anymore, and now includes people of all ages and backgrounds. If you are a traveler on a budget, staying at a hostel can be an adventure that will add to your travel experience.

Staying in a hostel will not be everyones cup of tea, and many travelers would prefer to spend the money on a traditional hotel. Hostel traveling is best suited to those traveling alone, or to young people traveling in groups. Hostels are not really recommended for families traveling with young children. In fact, many hostels do not accept children under a certain age.

Most hostels are set up like dormitory rooms, with several bunk beds arranged in the room, with anywhere from four to ten bunks per room. Each traveler is assigned a specific bed upon check-in.

Price is by far the biggest appeal of staying at hostels. The nightly rate for a hostel is usually no higher than $25 or $30 per night, with most costing even less. With the average hotel room cost somewhere around $100 to $150 in many cities, it is easy to see why hostels are becoming such a popular alternative.

Hostels also usually have access to discounts and coupons for local area attractions and restaurants, and they can provide information on the best restaurants and hangouts around.

Car rental a comfortable mode of transport to visit Italy

Italy situated on the Italian Peninsula and Islands of Sicily and Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea harbored many ancient cultures like Etruscans and the Romans. The modern education system and Renaissance also began from here and soon spread to entire Europe. Rome, the capital of Italy was center of activities for western civilization for many decades. Presently, Italy is a developed country placing on the 8th place in terms of standard of living in the world is wonderful place for traveling and sightseeing.

While visiting Italy as for land transport you can start selecting car rental in Italy of your choice from a number of car renting agencies that provide their services on very affordable and competitive rates. But million dollar question is that where you would search for a car on affordable rates and price with appropriate type of insurance adeptly fitting to your requirement. Some wise decisions and smarter thinking helps you to choose right type of car renting agency.

You can start search for selecting an appropriate type of car renting agency from big car rental agencies that have better advantage over smaller companies. A big agency provides a wide variety of car classes and models and has offices and picking facilities at the airport. The other advantage of big car renting agency is that they offer more discounts and have partnership with other travel related companies and are more flexible in terms of locations as it help when you wish to change car at many locations.

After selecting car rental agency of your choice, you can go for discounts and promotional offers as offered by car renting agency. You can have approval for any of the offer scheme at car renting agency. In case you are falling under category of senior citizen, military personnel or any such category you can avail discount from a car renting agency. In order to obtain a discount you should have a discount code as to make sure when you are getting to have a discount.

Other important issue while renting a car on rent in Italy is insurance required during renting a car. You can avoid car rental insurance from agency, if your personal car insurance covers rental cars too. Also check out the possibility of having a car rental on any of your credit cards. But before signing the car rental insurance paper verify the cost for insurance from the market as different agencies offer different rates. And most important insurance, taxes and fees are normally not covered into the quoted rates.

As for searching the rates for car rental in Italy, there are a number of travel websites which offers excellent rates for car renting. At a website you can have an easy availability of car rental rates and models for a specific period you wish to hire a car on rent. There are many individual car rental websites that provide special rate for clients that buy directly from them. The other convenient and cheaper mode for car rental is special vacation packages that include air, hotel and car rental. These packages are comparatively cheaper than buying each of the services separately. Thus following the given instruction you can make journey of Italy enjoyable hiring car renal services.