Installment 01.
Summary of blog:
1. Check online weather forecasts to avoid storms if possible.
2. Book rooms with cancellation privileges.
3. Book rooms the night before occupancy.
4. Use VPN (virtual private network) if possible.
5. Use comments on Trip Advisor, Trivago and Kayak in choosing a hotel.
Today, I see many more older travelers on the road. Particularly on weekdays. Being of a certain age myself and having just finished a six-day road trip from sunny Arizona to sunny (surprisingly) BC, I thought I might pass on some tips to make your journeys more pleasant.
Depending on the time of year weather can play havoc with your travel plans be they by road or air. There have been many late spring snow and wind storms which have made traveling difficult this year. Fortunately, weather forecasts particularly short-term are quite accurate. By delaying my trip by one day I avoided a snow event in Utah that would’ve increased my stress levels significantly had I driven into it unaware.
This brings me to booking hotels or motels in advance. I would drive and search for rooms locally when I arrived and hope for the best. This worked when many places used vacancy signs. But not so much anymore and definitely not on weekends. By booking a room in advance I often get a lower rate, can take advantage of my senior status and don’t need to search for accommodations after a tiring days drive. If I’m late arriving at the hotel my room is waiting. But what if the weather or some other unforeseen event delays you? There’s the rub. Try to book with cancellation privileges. This way you can reschedule if necessary.
The other tactic is to book the evening before. Using your hotel’s Wi-Fi it is quite easy to do by computer or smart phone. However, your rate may increase over that had you booked several weeks in advance. Still you are assured of a room for the night and usually at a better place. If possible use a VPN [virtual private network] to protect your credit card information. This is easy to do but install the VPN before you leave home, so you’re used to it. Personally, I use Cyber Ghost.
Using other travelers comments is quite a help in choosing a hotel/motel. Trip Advisor is very good as are some of the others including Google maps. I also like using Kayak.com and Tivago.com to start my search for accommodations in new city.