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Choose the Right Trip
Here are some things to consider when you are planning your trip:
What’s More Important: Saving Money or Visiting During A Specific Time?
If you are headed to the Olympics or World Cup, or if you absolutely must be in Paris in the springtime, then your travel dates will dictate the price you pay. If however, your financial resources are limited while your sense of adventure knows no bounds, you should consider traveling during the off peak season. Just keep in mind that traveling off peak is cheaper for a reason: the weather can be inconsistent or downright unpleasant, which can adversely affect your plans for sunbathing on a beautiful beach or carving fresh powder on the slopes.
The most important thing you can do is to be honest about your budgetary limitations when you plan your adventure with us.
Budgetary items to consider, above and beyond the cost of the trip and accommodations, include:
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•Do you have a specific event in mind? Can you afford that event, side trip, or shopping spree? Are you attending a high profile event that will have higher costs associated with visiting during that time?
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•Have you factored in “hidden costs” such as boarding of pets and transportation to and from your local airport?
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•If you are purchasing a budget package, have you considered the all of the “add-ons” you will have to purchase during your trip (sightseeing tours, shows, meals and local ground transfers)?
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•Remember that you will have to cover tips and taxes at your destinations!
How Much Time Do You Have?
Be sure to consider transit time when planning your adventure. For example, trying to hike the Inca Trail in Peru in a six-day, door-to-door trip would be more exhausting than enjoyable. If your vacation time is quite limited you may need to reconsider the destination (travel closer to home) or plan a less aggressive agenda. Save the further destinations our more complex itineraries for when you have more time… you will be better suited to enjoy the scenery, history, and culture that occur along the way!
Scheduling concerns to consider include:
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•International flight times. If scheduling your own flights make sure that you account for the extra day you’ll lose on trips that will take you over the date line!
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•For domestic travel, realize that you are at the mercy of weather, airport security and other travel glitches. Even someplace that is relatively close will require time sitting around airports.
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•Be aware of ground transfers. The distance may appear short on a map, but reality may dictate hours on a winding, mountainous road. The season may affect your timing here, too. Fogged in airports, and washed out or snow covered roads will have an obvious impact on your timing. Finally, if you’ll need to access public transportation, be prepared for their scheduling quirks! Outside of the Japanese, very few overseas transportation entities are overly concerned with keeping to accurate schedules!
How Many People Are In Your Group?
Group size will dictate discounts, but this may not appeal to everyone. Additionally, if you intend to travel alone and you don’t want to pay a single supplement you should search for trips that do not include an additional fee for solo travelers.
Whether solo or with a companion, you may find deeper discounts on trips that offer open group departures.
You can have us build a trip around your itinerary and then allow us to open it up to others. There is no guarantee, of course, that anyone else will join you but if they do, it’s a bonus for you, as your trip cost will be discounted.
Finally, you can form a group of your own. Yes, you can do it and it will pay off for you! Be realistic about your budget and the budgetary concerns of your group members. Also, be realistic about the timing involved in planning a trip of any significance. Don’t attempt to throw together a cheap trip with a departure date less than two months away… it’s too hard to get seats for a group with short notice.
If I’m Healthy, Do I Really Need Travel Insurance?
Regardless of your destination, your itinerary or your physical health, it is advisable to purchase some form of travel insurance. We’ve had clients prepare for months to touch the sky on their climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro, only to have them cancel their trip due to an illness of someone else their family or their traveling companion. Imagine the heartbreak – losing out on the vacation on all the monies spent with no recourse – because you skimped out on insurance!
If you purchase your insurance through ATS (No sales pitch here; merely information passing!), we will go to bat for you should circumstances require a pre-departure cancellation, medical evacuation, repatriation, or any other unforeseen problem which is stated as covered.
If you purchase insurance, make certain that you have a clear understanding of the policy limitations and demands. Don’t pay for something you don’t need, either.
Also, be advised that airlines are particularly restrictive about their tickets. Typically, once you purchase airline tickets, you are locked in to some level of financial commitment with that carrier. If you do not include your airline ticket purchase with your travel insurance coverage they are not covered… it will be up to you to decide the limitations on your airline ticket and whether covering them on insurance is necessary.
