Travel Disappointments

My favorite type of travel blogger is an honest travel blogger. As great as it is to read about 101 ways in which a particular city, country, attraction or adventure blew your mind, it is so refreshing to hear from fellow bloggers about why a travel experience fell short. I think too often travelers shy away from criticism, even constructive criticism of their travels because they either are trying to avoid offending a local who may be reading, or they don’t want to admit to themselves that the trip they planned meticulously for many months was anything but perfect.

The reason I cancelled my subscription to a popular travel magazine was due to this “everything is always A+” mentality. The final straw with said magazine was when they featured an article praising a new Paris hotel as the epitome of chic luxury and a ‘game changer in the city’… only to discover that reviews on TripAdvisor (i.e. the closest you are going to get to impartialism) said the hotel was overpriced and underwhelming.

With that in mind, I would like to present my ‘Top 5 Travel Disappointments’ (in no particular order):

Disclaimer: These are mostly locations that I have visited only once. It’s quite possible that any number of variables such as time of year, weather, travel mates, my own mental state at the time of the visit or just poor luck could have cast a negative light on my experience. Thus it should be considered that if I visited these locations again the result may very well be different.

Olympiapark in Munich, Germany

I will preface by saying I loved Munich, the beautiful architecture, the Bavarian culture and of course the world famous beer. The Olympiapark, however, was a letdown. What may have been a world class facility built for the 1972 Summer Olympics now just looks dull and dated over 40 years later. I’m sure there would have been more activities going on if we had visited during the warmer months (we were there in February) but even so, we found it offered little to justify the train trip to get there. It was a lot of walking around uninspiring buildings and average landscaping. Walking time that would have been much better allocated to the city’s beautiful old streets. The only thing we found moderately interesting were the views of the city and the distant German Alps from the top of the Olympic Tower, but when you factor in the cost of this it is still a part of Munich worth skipping.

The Alpine view was the highlight of this day trip

Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic

This was a somewhat expensive day tour offered through our vacation provider while we were staying in the Samana region of DR. While the boat ride through Samana Bay to the park was enjoyable and there were some impressive views of islands and cliffs upon entering the park, the caves they took us to were not overly exciting. The history here is interesting and we were told the area was used as a filming location for some major Hollywood productions, but we didn’t really see what the big deal was. The caves were littered with graffiti from past visitors which pulls you right out of the natural environment the guide is trying to convey. The caves were also relatively small and packed way too tightly with several tour groups at once. Maybe if you arrived via private boat and cruised around the islands and cliffs while enjoying a rum cocktail this would be a fun experience, but I wouldn’t recommend booking the group tour offered through your vacation provider.

Impressive islands, caves not so much

The Food of Venice, Italy

Venice is a magical and unique city and something every traveler needs to experience at least once. The food however, I cannot recommend. Like many major European cities (especially in Italy) it is overrun with expensive, low-quality tourist trap restaurants that prey on travelers that just don’t know any better. After finding this out the hard way the first night, we did some serious TripAdvisor research and looked for dinner spots a little off the beaten track that were well reviewed. While these places were definitely much better quality, the Venetian cuisine was just not to our tastes. Instead of the classic Italian we all know and love, it was something different with influences of its trading partners over the centuries like Turkey. Sounds exotic and exciting I know, but I’ll take a classic Napoletana pizza any day while in Italy. Even the quick-service food was disappointing. Sandwiches that looked like they had been sitting under a heat lamp all day were selling for 12 Euro, go figure! Our best culinary experience in Venice came from the great selection of meats and cheeses we bought from a local deli and ate in our hotel room.  

If only we had a kitchen to cook our own meals in Venice, then we would be set!

Tampa, Florida

I have been to Tampa a couple of times, either to see a Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game or as a base to explore the nearby gulf coast beaches. Lightning games are a blast, but if you are going for the beach do yourself a favor and stay on the beach. Driving from Tampa to Clearwater Beach or St. Pete’s Beach is not as close as you might think, and if you encounter any traffic along the way you are in for a frustrating drive/parking search. I found the city itself lacked offerings for the intrepid traveler. The historic Ybor City area with its cigar-making past is kinda cool, but other than the highly recommended Tampa Bay Brewing Company, we were hard pressed to find anything in the area that interested us. After the Lightning game we wandered around downtown looking for a good bar, but everything was closing up. I love the state of Florida, mostly because of it's world class beaches. If you are looking for a city trip with sightseeing, dining options, bars etc. there are many more better suited cities in America.

Good old fashioned traffic trying to get from Tampa to Clearwater Beach

Valletta, Malta

First and foremost, Malta is one of my favorite European countries that I have had the chance to visit. We stayed on the rugged northwestern coast which was absolutely beautiful. The problem was we were only there for 3 days and thus could allot one of those days to exploring another part of the island. We chose the capital Valletta, instead of the more recommended ancient city of Mdina. Our entrance to Valletta was grand. It had a very North African feel like we were entering Casablanca or something. From there we found it offered quite little, just a lot of shopping and crowds. The views of the sea were nice, but we didn’t need to travel from the coast we were staying at for that. There did not seem to be many major sites of interest, and the one we did try and visit (Shipwreck of St. Paul) was closed without any info on when it would be open. We found we were quickly bored and wanting to head back to Golden Bay. We were also quite upset we had missed out on our chance to see Mdina. Oh well, next time! 

The entrance to Valletta was sadly the highlight of the day trip to the Maltese capital

Mike @ Palms & Pints

@palmsandpints

How to Plan an Effective ‘Guys Road Trip’

I have done a lot of trip-planning in my day for all sorts of adventures, but none of them more frequently than buddies road trips. There is just something about hitting the open road with anywhere from a couple to a dozen of your good friends that can almost guarantee a great time! 
  
My exquisite planning has seen us through successful automobile journeys to great cities like Pittsburgh, Columbus, Nashville, Montreal and Philadelphia. While I’m not saying that any of these trips were without their road bumps (pun intended), they all stayed on track thanks to careful research and focused execution. 
  
The challenge with being the group’s “planner” is that you are faced with the responsibility and pressure of planning something that meets or exceeds your friends’ expectations. The plus to this is that you have full control over all of the details like dates, budget & itinerary. While this role isn’t for everyone, it can be quite rewarding if you go into it prepared. Here are some of my best tips: 
  
Note – these tips are based around a 2 to 4 night, single-destination trip where travel is done by car/van. 
  

Good old open interstate

1)      Set Trip and Payment Dates
  
Everyone will say they are “interested” in a trip without a set time-frame for both the trip itself and payment. Plan ahead and pick a date that works for you, then give a reasonable deadline for your party to provide the cash. Don’t get caught waiting for stragglers and be firm with your deadline. Book hotel room(s) and car rental (if needed) for only the people who have committed with cold hard cash. If you’re a nice guy you can assist any late-comers with booking their own accommodations themselves (or in another small group). 
  
2)      Over-charge, don’t Under-charge 
  
Ensure you collect enough money from everyone to cover the full hotel, car rental (if necessary) and gas costs. When doing your math, err on the side of caution and inflate the price slightly. Keep in mind there are things like road tolls, hotel parking, in-room phone use or other small charges that may arise during the trip. By collecting a little extra at the start, you don’t have to nickel and dime your friends at every turn.   
  
3)      Know Your Group and Plan Accordingly
  
Is the bulk of your travel party big spenders who like to live large and have cash to burn? If so, by all means go all-out. But if you party is like mine and wants to cram the most fun into the tightest of budget, keep that in mind while planning. You can force them to spend a little out of their comfort zone to ensure you secure quality accommodations (see #4 below), but don’t force them to break the bank just because you want to. Secondly, if you are travelling with married guys they will likely have different tastes and expectations than those of the 'single and looking' demographic. The focus on day-time sight-seeing vs. nightlife should be weighted based on the group. 
  
4)      Get a Hotel that Works 
  
The Four Seasons is not required, but find a hotel that will suit your needs. Use TripAdvisor and find something that is a fair price but still decently reviewed. Four grown men in a tiny room doesn’t work (I’ve tried it). Try keeping it to three per room maximum. It is a known fact that hotels away from the downtown core are cheaper than those in it, however do some research and look at all of the factors. Is a $20 cab ride or time consuming public transit to the heart of the city worth saving a few bucks on hotel costs? Note: This is a guy’s trip (see: boozing), the vehicle that brought you into the city won’t be (and with some exceptions, shouldn’t be) moved until you are heading home. 
  
5)      Enjoy The Journey as much as the Destination 
  
My typical road trips are anywhere from 2 to 4 nights long. A rule of thumb I like to go by is no more than 4 hours of driving per night spent away. Any longer and the time on the road just simply won’t be worth it. Since these trips are short, it’s best to make the journey as much a part of the fun as the destination. For us this begins with ‘Duty Free’ shopping when crossing the border. Nothing gets our group more psyched for the trip than a rock bottom price for 24 cans of Coors Light or a 40oz bottle of Crown Royal. In addition to this it’s fun to keep an eye out for interesting road-side restaurants and of course have some crowd-pleasing music on hand. 
  
6)      Set Rules and Expectations 
  
Not to be everyone’s ‘Dad’, but as the planner of the trip you and your credit card are responsible for any negligence on your group’s part.  Ensure they know and respect the 'No Smoking' rule in the hotel room and rental car. If you have a group that might get a little rowdy, let them know that it is a quality hotel, not a house party and you don’t want to be kicked out or charged for damages. If you’ve chosen your group wisely they will respect your planning and happily oblige. If there is a 9am wake-up call to hit the road, make it clear that you don’t want to be waiting around for certain people because they chose to party a little too hard on the last night. 
  
7)      Have a Food Plan 
  
Nothing kills the vibe of a vacation more than everyone sitting around in a hotel room for an hour trying to figure out where to eat. Have a list of some interesting restaurants at the ready. It’s a guy’s trip so leave fine (or even semi-fine) dining out of it. Focus on famous local cuisine like cheesesteak in Philly, poutine in Montreal or Pizza in NYC. Research good street food and late-night eats as road-trips are usually short and busy so you’ll often look to grab something on the go. 
  
8)      Set Meeting Places 
  
If you are a Canadian travelling in the US or vice-versa chances are you will not be able to readily call or text your buddies if you split-up. Have a set time and place to meet up for dinner or night plans. Don’t feel like you have to always “keep the group together”, remember this isn’t just your trip, and everyone wants to get something a little different out of it.   
 
Have any of your own tips or questions about road trip planning? I would love to hear from you in the comments! 
  
Mike @ Palms & Pints 
@palmsandpints 
  

The Part-Time Traveler

I started my travel blog (and related twitter account) back in January, as travel planning has been a huge passion of mine for quite some time. I was looking for a way to pass on some of my knowledge on the subject, but more so to connect with and learn from other like-minded bloggers. In just a few months in the community I have been exposed to so many whose lives revolve around travelling the globe. My first reaction was a bit of jealously. I typically go on two major trips per year. “Major” being defined as a trip of a week or longer. On top of that I may squeeze in another 2 or 3 long-weekend type getaways. The jealousy lies in the fact that many of these bloggers are spending more time on foreign soil in a month than I do in a year!  It’s seems the sentiment from many of these full-time globe-trotters is that “anyone can do it, but it’s not for everyone”, and this couldn’t be more accurate.

Venice - sadly one of only two major trips I will take this year

I love to travel, and maybe just as much, I love to plan travel. For my February ten-day Europe trip I must have spent 30+ hours over 3 months planning it, ensuring we were getting the best possible value and the most out of our brief time in each location. Same could be said for my Florida “guys trip” in April. I find myself reverting back into travel-plan mode mere days after returning from a previous trip. If holding down a full-time job means that I can only travel a few times a year, so be it, but it’s sure not going to stop me from the research!

With that said I will be the first to admit that “full time travel” might not be for me, even if the work schedule provided more flexibility. Part of what makes travel so special for me is the rarity and exclusivity of it. Little things like being at an airport, checking into a hotel or grocery shopping in another city are exciting events. I work downtown Toronto and my office is in a hotel building in the city’s tourist-filled entertainment district. Everyday going to and from work I see those arriving in the city with their luggage, grabbing breakfast in the hotel or strolling Canada’s Walk of Fame along King Street West. On one hand I’m jealous of their current travel excitement juxtaposed against my dull work-day grind, but at the same time it prompts me to think about my next adventure abroad. A friend of mine who travels more than regularly on business told me that he looks at airports like a stop-and-go highway during rush hour. Nothing but a hassle. I can’t imagine experiencing an airport like this. Airports represent your gateway to amazing new places and memories. There is just something about being on the road at 5AM en-route to a 7AM flight that screams VACATION!

Made a 3-day trek to DC last summer

From my reading, long-term travel is typically done on a modest budget, thus one would have to have the lifestyle to match. I don’t fancy myself much of a budget traveler like many of the aforementioned “digital nomads”. I enjoy certain comforts when I travel and this is twice-fold for my main travel companion, my wife. This doesn’t mean that we stay at the Four Seasons, but it means that backpacking between hostels is not necessarily our cup of tea.

Does the idea of travelling the world full-time appeal to me? Absolutely! But I don’t think it’s something I will ever do. I love my house and take great pride in its ownership. We have a pool in the backyard and settling back there on a hot and sunny day with a drink in hand is something not even a five-star hotel room overseas would ever replace. I love my car, my MacBook and my gadgets. I couldn’t sell off all of these things to fund full-time travel. I am a self-proclaimed “Trip Research Aficionado”, and this is a passion I can maintain from the homestead. There are so many destinations to learn about and hotel reviews to read through, so travel will always be a huge and on-going part of my life... and when it does eventually come time for my next adventure, I’ll be wide-eyed and well-prepared.

Nothing beats home in the summer time!

Mike @ Palms & Pints
@palmsndpints

You can't beat a Homewood Suites

Note: The views expressed in this post are based solely on my own authentic experiences. I have never received nor been offered any benefit, perk or discount from a hotel chain in exchange for a positive review.

I'm not the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of traveler. Any hotel that I have booked in the last five years, whether it be for a one-night stopover or a week-long stay has been the product of significant research and planning. I can think of only one instance where this has steered me wrong. It was for a one night stay in Geneva, New York a couple of years ago. According to TripAdvisor the hotel I booked was ranked #1 of 9 properties in the town, so how could I go wrong, right? It ended up being one of the worst accommodations I had ever paid for. Since my stay the hotel has dropped to #6 of 9 in Geneva. I think I'll give myself and TripAdvisor a mulligan on that one. Maybe there was a change in ownership, or maybe the competition in the small Finger Lakes town just wasn't up to snuff at the time.

There are few constants in the world of successful trip planning. TripAdvisor's review aggregate is (almost always) one of them. Another is that you will be hard pressed to go wrong with a Hilton brand hotel. While the classic "Hilton" line of hotels are usually on the higher end of the price spectrum, there is a new entry in the brand lineup that simply cannot be beat for quality and value. Homewood Suites.

In order to truly appreciate what a Homewood Suites can offer you, you must first make one (and only one) simple concession. These hotels are not located downtown. They are found around airports and more suburban surroundings. In fact, there is one two minutes from my house in Mississauga. If you are comfortable with not being on the corner of Main Street and 2nd Avenue, the rest is money in the bank:

1. Free Breakfast

Sort of an American/continental hybrid, but always fresh and delicious.

2. Happy Hour!

Free "light dinner" and beer/wine from 5-7pm Monday to Thursday. This requires no further explanation.

3. Free Parking

Those hoighty downtown hotels wish they offered easy, free, valet-less, on-site parking.

4. Kitchenette

Save some money and make your own meals with a kitchenette and separate living quarters in every room.

5. Free Wifi

This seems like it should be standard everywhere, but sadly it's not.

6. Shuttle

Bus service to transit hubs often included.

7. New! 

Many Homewood Suites have been newly constructed. A little touch of modern to your stay.

8. Two-bedroom suites

Going with a big group and want more beds and washrooms, but are good with a single communal kitchen and living area? Two-bedroom suites are an incredibly cost-efficient option.

9. Free Newspaper

A fresh copy of USA Today waiting outside your door.

10. Great hotel bars

Don't expect a party, but solid selection, reasonable prices and daily specials will be found.

Trust the duck.

Check out some of my Homewood Suites reviews on TripAdvisor:

Springfield Virginia (DC Area)

Tampa Airport Westshore

Miami Airport West 

Have any questions about Homewood Suites? Have your own personal favorite chain? Love to hear from you in the comments.

Mike @Palms & Pints
@palmsandpints 
 

Planes, Trains & Funiculars

A few years back a co-worker had returned from Europe and was telling me about all of the different cities in which he had the chance to visit. I asked him if he took the train… a logical question I assumed, Europe = cheap & efficient train travel, right? Apparently not always. He went on to explain how the train was (expletive) expensive.

On my recently completed European adventure I had the privilege of taking all sorts of transportation in my short 10 days there. I will tell you that all are not created equal, granted location, company and a slew of other variables do exist. With that said, here are some musings about my experiences:

-As mentioned in a previous blog, if at all possible, fly direct on your trans-Atlantic journey. Create your itinerary around a direct-flight access point (something like Paris, London, Rome, Frankfurt, depending on your origin). It will save worlds of time and hassle. 

-We had a fantastic experience with bus travel between Munich and Prague with DB Bahn. The bus was spacious and barely half-full and the ride was extremely comfortable. Price was more affordable than the train option and also faster! 

-Our travel between Bergamo and Venice with TrenItalia was less than stellar. Our assigned seats were taken and we were forced to wander the train looking for a spot while hauling luggage through tiny corridors.

-Unless your Venice hotel is way out in left field, don't bother with the overpriced Vaporetto (water bus) pass or taking a water taxi. This gem of a city is much better explored on foot. It's not particularly large and it's fun to get lost! 

-When considering travel between two distant locations in Europe, check out regional low-fare airlines like WizzAir or Ryanair, their prices might surprise you. 

-If a city has a funicular (cable car) chances are it's worth checking out. Bergamo was no exception. 

-Subway access at the Prague central train and bus station is extremely confusing and they only accept Czech koruna. If your hotel is near Old Town Square you are better off walking, just watch out for luggage wheels on that cobble! 

-The Munich S-Bahn rail system is a marvel of efficiency. Never has transportation between a city's airport, main train station and downtown been so painless. 

-What's the deal with segways? 

Mike @ Palms & Pints 

5 Classic Travel Mistakes

As I get ready for my latest adventure to Europe this week, I took some time to think of a few travel lessons I’ve been forced to learn, through experience, over the years. Whether it was wasting a precious day away at an airport connection, or grabbing a subpar meal at a cleverly disguised tourist trap, it’s never easy to admit you made a bad call or just simply weren’t prepared. Going into this trip I’m sure I’ll make a few more mistakes, but here are five that I think I got a handle on moving forward:

1. Over-packing

A classic rookie travel blunder. Unless your trip is entirely filled with trade shows and cocktail parties, you don’t need a new outfit each and every day. If you are touring Europe, bring comfortable (yet presentable) clothes that you can wear multiple times throughout the trip. Might hit up a fancy restaurant once or twice? Bring a nice dress shirt and a decent pair of pants. Over-packing is even more of a waste down south where you will probably be wearing the same two to three swim trunks all week and the same pair of khakis at dinner. Those three pairs of jeans and four sweaters you brought “in case it gets cold at night” are gonna stay folded up at the bottom of your suitcase.

2. Your eyes can see far better than any camera lens

I noticed on a recent trip to DC that I was looking at the sights through my SLR’s digital screen more than through my own retinas. I remember standing out in front of the White House, trying to get the best possible shot to throw up on Twitter, and neglecting to just enjoy the moment. Photos make for fantastic memories, but so do actual memories. With that being said, here is a rather witty comic that totally contradicts this point.

3. Pay the extra $100 and fly direct

Now I understand this isn’t always possible. From here in Toronto, it’s difficult to get to many US destinations without a connection. But when flying eight hours to Europe do yourself a huge favor and fly direct, instead of saving 10-15% and adding on three hours and significant hassle and stress to your journey. On my last Euro trip we flew from Toronto to Vienna, then a few days later from Vienna to Rome, and finally from Rome back to Toronto. All three of these flights connected in Paris. On one of the connections we had to clear customs and our stopover was only an hour! I would not wish these types of headaches on my enemy. Pay a little more and fly direct. 

4. Research your restaurants

My favorite website TripAdvisor isn’t just for hotels! They also have an extensive collection of restaurant reviews. You won’t feel more cheated than sitting down at a nice Italian restaurant in Rome, only to discover that meal is less authentic than the Olive Garden. (I mean no disrespect to the Olive Garden, it’s a must-stop for me when I’m in Buffalo, …but not Italy.) The food in Italy is outstanding if you know where to go, and a little research goes a long way.

5. This is (probably) not your last trip, you don’t have to do everything

I’m guilty of this on every trip, and probably will be again in Europe this time around. It’s common traveler’s nature to want to see as much as possible. For the majority of us who are not full-time travelers and have a limited number of vacation days, it’s so tempting to plan jam-packed itineraries in one place, or try and ‘day trip’ to one location while staying in another. While this is good for simply checking items off of a bucket list, it will only take away from the enjoyment of your trip. The cliché “stop and smell the roses” works quite well in this scenario. Come away from the city you visited knowing that you walked the streets, explored the neighborhoods, tasted the food and appreciated the culture. That last show or monument you missed, or side trip to the countryside can wait for next time, just enjoy that hour killed at the local café, and relax knowing you're on vacation and the rush hour bustle will be waiting for you back home.

Thanks for reading. Looking forward to my last pre-trip post on Thursday before I board the plane to Munich. Bis Später!

Mike @ Palms & Pints

All-Inclusive Vacation Planning for Beginners - Volume 1

Booking the perfect all-inclusive vacation is one of the most difficult travel planning tasks to complete. Unlike a typical hotel, an all-inclusive property is responsible not only for your room but also your breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, entertainment and a large portion of your daily activities including the hours spent at the beach or by the pool.

On my first all-inclusive experience I winged it and booked on a whim. I didn't spend much time looking at reviews or searching out resources (like this one) which may have assisted me in finding the right place for the right price. The trip wasn't a disaster by any means, we had a great time and felt we got our money's worth. However it wasn't perfect, and when it came time to return to the Caribbean for our honeymoon a few years later, I was determined to not leave a single grain of beach sand unturned. What followed was literally months of intensive research, and eventually the perfect trip. While you may not be a trip-research nerd (ahem, "aficionado") like me, here are a few pointers to help you choose the right resort, get the most out of your travel dollar and reduce the chance that you make a rookie all-inclusive mistake. 

1. Know your AI (all-inclusive) options.

 The "big three" AI destinations for Canadians are Cuba, Dominican Republic and Mexico. These offer by far the largest selection of AI resorts and thus the most competitive prices. Cuba is the most affordable of the bunch, with week-long AI's as cheap as $500. (all price estimates are for flight and AI hotel per-person in CAD, including taxes). Low-end vacations in the other two will come in slightly higher than that, and all three have high-end resorts which can exceed $2000. 

Moving beyond that you have the next group containing the likes of Jamaica, Costa Rica, Aruba, Bahamas and Barbados. These locations offer a great selection of AI options, but tend to lean towards the higher-end of the price and luxury spectrum. Finally there are several "premium" islands that have very limited (and very pricy) AI's, which cater to honeymooners or other splurge vacations. These include Antigua, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, St. Lucia, St. Kitts etc.  

If you aren't looking to score originality points, and don't mind mega-resorts with thousands of people, you can do very well with a vacation in one of the 'big three". Your money goes a long way in these countries and for as little as $1000-$1200 with the right research you could land a 4-star, well-reviewed resort. This can surely not be said for the other locations. 

2. TripAdvisor is your best friend and will not steer you wrong.

I swear I'm not getting paid by TripAdvisor (however it would be really cool if i was!), but you simply cannot book any hotel, especially an all-inclusive resort without them. Their collection of reviews is the only benchmark that matters when it comes to assessing the quality of a property. Even the most rundown roach-filled resort will have a nice website that says it is the perfect spot for your vacation. You need REAL reviews from actual travellers to tell you it is worthwhile. Basically if a resort isn't in the top 25% of resorts in a specific location on TripAdvisor, it likely has some clear flaws. For example, Punta Cana, a hugely popular AI destination in Dominican Republic has 101 hotels listed. Anything out of the top 25 probably isn't worth you time. I'm not saying that the 26th ranked hotel is bad, but simply noting that you will likely find several options in the top 25 that fit your budget. 

Seeing a pristine beach photo like this one uploaded by an actual traveller
says so much more than the same photograph on a resort website.

3. Flexibility is key.

I know it's not always feasible, but when planning an AI, try to make your dates as flexible as possible. I get it, it's nice to leave and come home on a Saturday, but if you can save $200 per person to switch that to a Wednesday, wouldn't it be worth it? Due largely to flight demand, prices for the identical AI vacation fluctuate greatly by changing your departure by as little as one or two days. The more flexible you are, the more power you have to bring down the price to the absolute lowest amount possible. TripCentral is a fantastic site for seeing how prices vary based on date, as they utilize a super-convenient "pricing grid" tool. 

4. Contact your resort ahead of time.

This is by no means a guarantee, but emailing your resort a couple weeks before your arrival can't hurt. Tell them about your honeymoon or 25th wedding anniversary. Let them know that you loved reading about how great their resort was and are hoping they can make your vacation a memorable one. If the hotel isn't full they may consider upgrading your room or at least giving you an ideal room/view in the category you booked. It can't hurt to try, as there is so much competition for tourist dollars at these locations, they know that a small gesture will go a long way in turning you into a repeat visitor. The TripAdvisor forums are a great resource for finding the email contacts for resorts. Guests that have had luck will provide you with the exact email addresses they contacted so you may do the same. 

I informed the resort it was my honeymoon, and was rewarded with this fantastic view!

5. It's the little things in life (and in AI's).

So you've glanced at the reviews for a resort your interested in. They seem to have great food, an awesome beach and modern clean rooms. All set right? Well almost. How about you read a dozen or more reviews from top to bottom and get some more useful information for your big decision. Does the resort suffer from the (sadly) common "not enough beach loungers after 8AM" issue? Is it a major "family" destination, which translates to "probably not the best honeymoon destination"? Are there annoying vendors and/or time share sharks prowling the beach every day? All of these questions can be answered by previous reviews on TA. If you have a specific question try a Google search with the resort name, chances are someone else has asked it already or included the answer in a review. 

Stay tuned for volume two on this topic when I cover even more AI booking tips, including choosing the perfect beach, avoiding potential hazards, advanced TripAdvisor techniques and more! 

For now I'll leave you with a review of my own honeymoon trip from this past April.

Cayo Levantado 

Any AI related questions, comments or tips? I would love to hear from you in the comments! 

Mike @ Palms & Pints