Not so long ago you would rarely have encountered the words ‘cheap’ and ‘travel’ used together. But we are now living in an age of low cost travel with budget airlines constantly cutting their prices, each trying to attract business away from the other.
Another factor that must be considered is, of course, the internet. This allows anyone to find the very best deals in air fares and accommodation almost anywhere in the world. This has forced travel agents to rethink the way they make their money. At the end of the day why would anyone go to a travel agent if they can find and book everything they need for their holiday using their computer?
Another effect of increased competition is the massive improvement in the quality of service that you will get from travel services providers and travel agencies. Travel agents will bend over backwards to fulfill your every desire, just to get your valuable business.
If you are hoping to save some money on a budget vacation and hope to plan and book it all from your computer its always a good idea to compare what you find with what might be available from your local travel agents. You could find yourself pleasantly surprised.
For example, I recently took a 10 day skiing trip which I initially had researched online. I gathered the prices for my hotel, flights, travel insurance etc. and then dropped into a nearby travel agency during my lunch break.
I let them have all the details I’d gathered in my research and they were able to offer me a package holiday staying at a great hotel for an even lower price. What’s more, it included specialist ski insurance in the price. Also, since I was planning to do a little mountaineering while on vacation I needed some additional adventure travel insurance that would cover this. They identified the exact policy I needed at a rock bottom price.
So its worth remembering that not all cheap travel deals are exclusively available online. So make sure you check out the deals that are available from your high street travel agent, often with some very appealing fringe benefits.
