FAQs

Hotel booking tips and tools

1. Early Booking: "The early bird gets the worm,” in this case, the expression stands true for hotel bookings. We suggest you get into the habit of booking your room as soon as you've finalized your travel plans. This would give you more room options and the best hotel rates possible.
2. Special Offers: A lot of offers and travel websites carry promotions and offer special deals for hotel bookings. Make sure to check these out.
   
   Special offers could be in terms of add-ons like:
1. Free Breakfast
2. Free Parking
3. Promotional Discounts
4. Free Upgrades
5. Make sure to check out available deals.
   
   Freebies: When it comes to booking a hotel, the lowest price isn’t necessarily the best deal. A good deal is one which includes a lot of extras. The type of room and price should include amenities, like free continental breakfast, in-room coffee, shuttle service and an on-site pool and workout centre, which can add up to big vacation savings. Make sure you check these out before you proceed with the booking. Booking Period: We suggest you be flexible about your travel plans. Always do research to find out about off season travel discounts for the destination you intend to travel to. You can always plan your trip in and around that time. This would be a major contributor in saving your hard earned money. The additional benefit while placing a booking during off-season is fewer crowds means shorter lines for attractions and cheaper tickets to shows and events you might want to see.

1. Hidden charges: Watch out for any kind of hidden charges. Some hotels charge extra, such as city taxes and credit card fees after they’ve quoted you the hotel price. Always ensure that you have enquired about all the charges before proceeding with the booking.
2. Booking a Package: Package deals are great for travellers intending to holiday in popular destinations. Try looking for a package that would include air fare, attraction tickets, hotel accommodations, etc. Chances are that this is going to save you more money instead of buying/booking each item separately. Since you are booking a package, you may be delighted to find a few extras thrown in.
3. Stay Mid-Week: Weekends are generally the busiest times for hotels – and the most expensive time as well. If you can be flexible with the dates, we advise that you plan your trip mid-week, when the vacancy rate is the highest. You could book the lowest rate.
4. Sign up for newsletters: Most travel websites offer promotions and other discounts with regards to various items, such as hotels and airlines via their newsletters. Signing up for the newsletter is a guarantee that you won’t miss any travel deals.
5. Lowest price guarantee: There are many sites which compare prices. You’ll see plenty of different prices advertised for your hotel stay. To make this work in your favour, check many sources; and then go with whichever one offers the best deal.
6. Location: Hotel prices tend to drop as you move further away from the center of the city, or beachfront. If you’re happy to take some public transport, taxi, or walk, you might be able to save a bit extra. Also, chances are there that you might be rewarded with lower room rates and perhaps even nicer accommodations for the same amount of money.
   
   In short, a bit of planning when you are preparing for your holiday can help you save a lot of money on hotel rooms.  We advise that you do the groundwork first, so you can enjoy yourself on vacation.

Know what the airline extras are

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Deep in the underground...

When you're traveling around the world, it's good to know that there are public transit systems available to help you get where you want to go. Underground subway systems offer the convenience of getting where you want when you want without the hassle of having to flag down a taxi or rent a car. In just about all cases, it's the most cost effective option.

There are some beautiful, modern, and vast rapid transit systems throughout the world. The most popular and diverse international underground transit systems are listed below, but are merely a sample of the quite eye-catching transit systems that exist throughout the world.
1. London, England
The London Underground is Europe's largest metro subway system and is the world's oldest underground system (it was inaugurated in 1863). It covers 253 miles of track and transports 976 million people yearly. The Underground is also connected to a variety of rail services to London's surrounding areas (including the Eurostar to Paris). Among these services is the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), a popular driverless light rail extension, which offers many scenic views of the Thames river and surrounding areas.

Highlights: Cushioned seats. LED time displays hanging from the ceiling in stations indicate the number of minutes you need to wait before the next train. Eclectic station artwork. Oyster cards allow you to touch against a subway turnstile and go -- and you can pay as you ride.
2. Paris, France
The Paris subway system is the second oldest in the world (the initial system was completed in 1900) and aids roughly 1.365 billion people with their daily commutes. Running over 133.7 miles of track and stopping at 380 stations, it has a great amount of coverage throughout the city.

Highlights: Excellent coverage: every building in the city is within 500 meters (1600 feet) of a subway station. Many stations were designed with the distinctive unique art noveau style. Modest fares.
3. Moscow, Russia
The Moscow subway system has the biggest ridership of all metro systems throughout the world, with 3.2 billion riders annually traveling on 12 subway lines to 172 stations. In total, the Moscow Metro covers approximately 178 miles. On an average weekday, the subway itself carries about 8.2 million passengers. While most of the Moscow trains run underground, some lines cross bridges and provide scenic views of the Moskva River and the Yauza River.

Highlights: Ornate architecture (at least 44 of these stations are rated as architectural sights). The system has many trains that stop frequently (trains stop at stations approximately every 90 seconds during peak hours). Fastest worldwide system (120km/h or 75mph).
4. Madrid, Spain
The Madrid Metro is the second largest underground system in Europe and the sixth largest system in the world. It has 141.7 miles of track and an additional 27.5 miles are expected to be completed by the end of this year. The Madrid Metro is the densest metro network in the world.

Highlights: Very clean and is implementing an ecologic cleaning system. Fast rides. Affordable fares. Great progress in system expansion (47 miles of new subway lines were built between 1999 and 2003). Modern stations.
5. Tokyo, Japan
The Tokyo subway system carries approximately 2.8 billion people per year to 282 subway stations. In addition to underground subways, the Tokyo transit system consists of the Toden Arakawa light rail line and the Ueno Zoo Monorail.

Highlights: Extremely clean. Trains are on time. The seats are heated. Trains always stop in the same place alongside markers. Subway stops are announced in both Japanese and English. Modern system. The system has underground malls and customer amenities.
6. Seoul, Korea
The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is one of the most heavily used subway systems in the world with more than 8 million daily trips. It is also one of the biggest subway stations worldwide, running 179.4 miles in length. The trains mostly run underground, but 30% of the system is above ground.

Highlights: Beautiful architecture. Growth of the system has been incredible over the past few years. Utilizes T-money, a prepaid transportation card for transport throughout the city.
7. New York City, USA
The New York City rapid transit system is one of the most extensive public transit systems worldwide. It has grown from 28 stations when it was founded in October of 1904 to 462 stations presently. The subway carries 4.9 million people daily.

Highlights: Offers express services that run on separate tracks from local trains. The MTA is currently testing out LED displays in subway stations to let commuters know when the next train is expected to arrive. 24 hour service. Unique and distinct artwork (mosaics) throughout the system.
8. Montreal, Canada
The Montreal Metro is a modern system that was inaugurated in 1966. It is a small (37.8 miles reaching 65 stations on four lines) yet unique and modern system that was inspired by the Paris Metro.

Highlights: Diverse, beautiful architecture and unique station art (each station is designed by a different architect). Pleasant riding experience (smooth rides: the trains run on a rubber surface to reduce the screech of train cars). Trains are frequent and fairly comfortable.
9. Beijing, China
The Beijing Subway is a relatively new subway system that opened in 1969 and serves Beijing and the surrounding suburbs. It is currently being expanded upon in a 7.69 billion USD (63.8 billion yuan) project to prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games. The expansion project is expected to bring the current length of the subway station from approximately 71 miles to nearly 300 miles.

Highlights: Fairly easy subway to navigate (especially if you're a foreigner). Cheap fare (3 yen for most trips). Interesting architecture on the newer subway lines. A very ambitious expansion project is in the works.
10. Hong Kong
The Hong Kong subway, also known as the Mass Transit Railway (which translates to "underground railway" in English), was established in 1979. Despite its relatively small size compared (56 miles) to other transit systems, the MTR transports an average of 2.46 million rides per day. The Hong Kong system is based on a British design.

Highlights: Efficient. Frequent service, High-capacity cars. Extremely affordable. Clean and modern system with air-conditioned cars. Uses the Octopus contactless smart card for subway currency, allowing travelers to swipe their card near the turnstile for easy access to train platforms.
11. Sao Paulo, Brazil
The Sao Paulo Metro is the first underground transit system in Brazil. It works alongside a larger company called the Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) and together they cover 187 miles of track and transport approximately 3.7 million people daily.

Highlights: Known as one of the cleanest and safest systems in the world. Affordable fare.

Car Hire! What you will need

What kind of insurance is included with hire vehicles?
Most prices quoted include all compulsory insurance: CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) concerns damage to the rental vehicle, TW (Theft Waiver) concerns Theft or Loss of the rental vehicle.
Can I book an additional driver and what is the cost?
You don't need to specify an additional driver at booking time. Just ask the agent when you go to the rental station to pick up your vehicle. You can have as many additional drivers as you like, but at an additional cost, depending on the country you're renting in, and the number of days you'll be renting.
You can usually pick up and return the vehicle to two different destinations, but ask at time of booking.
 What documents do I need to bring with me to pick up my vehicle?
You will need to present a driving license in your name, issued by your country of residence (both parts for a 2 part UK driving licence). The driving licence must be valid in the country of rental (driving licences in characters not readable in the country of rental must be accompanied by an International Driving License) and held for a minimum period of time depending on local legislation or conditions. In the UK the paper part of the license is also required. You will also need to present a valid credit card, identification document, such as a passport, may also be required. And at certain locations for luxury models a second credit card and / or utility bill dated within the last 3 months from the same address may also be required. Additional drivers will also be required to present their drivers licence and ID card / passport.
 What is the minimum/maximum age required to rent a car?
The minimum age is 23 in the UK. Drivers under 25 are required to pay a young driver surcharge. Maximum age for rental is 74.