Month: November 2024

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Ideas to Make Your Last Minute Travel Affordable

When you discover that circumstances have arisen and you are in need of making last minute travel reservations, you don’t need to panic. Even though there are plenty of tales of people being gouged when they purchased air tickets at the last minute, there are just as many instances of people purchasing the cheapest airfares ever, even for same-day travel. Because the airlines want to fill up their seats on every flight, you might end up finding last minute tickets discounted by as much as 75%.

You might have noticed that there is intense competition in the travel industry and fierce battles between travel websites to capture your attention. That factor is actually good news for travelers who now have many more options than ever before in finding discounted tickets for traveling last minute. With a little time and research to compare the airfare deals on the different travel sites, you can walk away with cheap deals on airfares, hotel reservations and even car reservations.

Last minute travel can be risky and it can be quite a challenge, but if you are up for it you can usually get amazing rates that could even be considered a steal. There are a few travel tips for trying to find those last minute deals that will swing the odds in your favor of securing discount airfare. Following are the top ten tips to help you find incredible airfare deals on last minute flights.

Be Flexible: While not always the most convenient for you, if you are able to take a flight a day earlier or later than your original plan, then you can often get very cheap airfare deals. Airlines depend on those travelers who have very little flexibility and they soak them with full-priced plane tickets. Taking an early morning or late night flight can also help you enjoy cheap airfares.

Shop Around: Many times people are in a panic when trying to arrange for last minute flights. Spending an extra 20 minutes on a couple of other travel websites might yield discounts that can save you a bundle. Don’t just grab the first deal you see available.

Check with the Airlines: Some airlines don’t post their best fares for last minute flights on the travel websites, or even on their own site, while other airlines only post last minute flight rates on their own website. Checking directly with the airlines could uncover those last two seats on the flight you want, but didn’t show up anywhere else.

Get Travel Alerts: Prices for last minute seats can even vary on the same flight! The airlines want every seat occupied and many of them use email travel alerts to accomplish this end.

Subscribe to Travel Newsletters: Many travel related sites offer regular newsletters and some have options that will inform you of special last minute deals. These sites regularly search the internet for the best deals on last minute flights and will send an email when they have found one that meets your criteria.

Check with Travel Agents: Internet booking has hurt many travel agents and has cut into their income. Many times, they can use their connections and pass the savings on to you to help you out with your last minute flying situation. If you find one who goes out of their way for you, then consider using them for future travel bookings.

Package Deals: Sometimes, you will find a package deal for air tickets and hotel reservations that will fit the bill for your last minute plans. Most packages are priced for double occupancy, so check the fine print. If traveling alone, then this tip won’t help much in most instances.

Saturday Updates: Be sure to check all of the airline websites on Saturday mornings. Airfare deals are often updated and occasionally special deals are posted at the end of the week. Many special rates are for a limited number of seats, so Saturday morning is a good time to be able to jump on a deal.

Mid-week Flying: If your last minute situation allows for it, then try to book your flight for Tuesday or Wednesday. These are routinely the slowest travel days and the days when there will be more empty seats for the airlines to fill. Often you can save at least 25% on your air tickets just by shifting your departure day to the middle of the week.

Look Around: When your last minute travel is taking you into a major metropolitan airport, check out the cost of flying into nearby, smaller airports. Often a different landing field will be closer to your final destination and can save you some time, as well as money on last minute flights.

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Fifth Wheel Toy Haulers For Your Next Big Adventure

Fifth wheel toy haulers are the perfect combination of RV and cargo trailer.  They can have all the comforts of a motor home or camper trailer with an attached garage for your “big toys” – ATVs, motorcycles, classic cars, etc.  5th wheel toy haulers allow you to utilize your big toys away from home while maintaining all of the comforts of home. 

Fifth wheel toy haulers come in a variety of styles and levels of comfort, all depending on your needs.  Some toy haulers are garages with convertible living space. They include beds that pull down, fold out, or hook up to the ceiling, and a small kitchenette.  Other toy haulers have separate living quarters with attached garages.  Depending on your priorities, you can have more space dedicated to the garage or more space dedicated to the living area.  In either case, your living amenities are generally in the front of the trailer and your cargo space in the back.  In the living area, you will generally find a sleeping area, a kitchen, a bathroom and plenty of storage space.  There is also usually some kind of table and eating area as well as air conditioning and a furnace.  More luxurious units have a generator, satellite TV, a stereo system, DVD player, and even satellite internet. 

The cargo space is usually between 10-14 feet and has a ramp door that folds down to allow easy loading and unloading of your toys. You can customize your cargo space with shelves, cabinets and racks, and even a portable gas pump so that you are always ready for your next adventure.   

Toy haulers come in both drivable and towable units.  Towable units give you the flexibility to have an around-town vehicle that can detach from your trailer, while, drivable units provide the ease of only maneuvering one vehicle.  Another advantage to the towable models is that they are easier to maintain.  If you choose a drivable model, you have the option of either a Class C or a Class A.  Class C models are built on a van frame, generally use gasoline, have higher fuel efficiency and include a bunk above the driver’s cab.  Class A models are built on a bus frame, generally use diesel fuel and tend to seat more but sleep fewer than the Class C. 

Before purchasing your used or new toy hauler, do some research to figure out what you want.  If possible, you may even want to consider renting one to make sure it fits your needs.  When you are ready to make a purchase, check out your local classifieds, as you can often find a good deal on a used RV from a private seller.

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Top Places to Visit Around Bangalore – Weekend Getaway and Day-trip Holiday Spots

If you are in Bangalore and have gone on weekend trips from here, you would know that finding good destinations and planning a trip is not an easy job.

Check out 4 weekend getaway and day-trip spots from Bangalore in the article below. These destinations are for all kinds of travelers – for the adventure seeker, family vacations, fun outing with friends, bike and car trips….you choose.

1. Innovative Film City

Innovative Film City is an amusement park located in Bidadi, about 50 Kilometers outside Bangalore. It is one of the new theme parks that arrived in Bangalore in 2008. Don’t be fooled by the name though.

This theme park has attractions such as a wax museum, dinosaur museum, a special section called ‘Cartoon city’ for kids, a mirror maze, 4D movies and more. Tickets are a bit pricey though. You’ll have to shell out between Rs 300 – Rs 1000 per person depending on what attraction you want to see inside. There are decent food courts where you can have your lunch or grab a bite.

If you want to spend a fun weekend with your friends or family, Innovative film city is definitely worth a visit. Leave early and you can spend a whole day here.

Duration: 1 day Approximate Budget / person: Rs 500 – Rs 1000 Distance : 50 Kms Which route is it on: Bangalore – Mysore highway How to reach : by bus, car, bike Road condition: good

2. Yelagiri Hills – Getaway from the city madness

This less popular hill-station is located near Krishnagiri town on the Bangalore-Chennai national highway. It is about 150 kilometers from Bangalore and around 250 Kilometers from Chennai.

Yelagiri Hills is not your typical touristy destination; this place is meant for those who wish to getaway from the regular monotony of the cities to just relax for a couple of days. The hill station is at a height of about 900 meters (around 3000 feet) and the weather is pleasant all year round.

The main attractions are a lake where you can go boating, Swamimalai – a trek of 3 Kms uphill takes you to a small temple and panoramic views of the mountains. There are plenty of hotels (many which call themselves as resorts) in Yelagiri. Tariffs start from about Rs 400 and goes upto Rs 4000 for cottages. Book at least a week in advance. The hotels get crowded during weekend and holidays.

Duration: 1 – 2 days Approximate budget / person: Rs 1000 – Rs 2000 How to reach: by cars, taxis, buses, train (until Jolarpettai or Tirupattur) Road condition: good

3. Hogenakkal Falls

Hogenakkal literally means smoking rocks (in Tamil). The falls comprise of a numer of smaller waterfalls that make up the beauty of the place. Hogenakkal is located in Dharmapuri district and is about 120 Kms from Bangalore. Perfect for a day-trip, you can drive to here over a Saturday and get a day’s off to unwind.

The most popular activity in Hogenakkal is the hot oil massage. For about Rs 50, local masseurs give you a 5-minute full body massage. Though it seems quick, this short duration is enough to loosen tight spots in your body. After the massage, a quick shower under the falls is considered to be therapeutic.

You can also take a ride in the famous ‘theppa’ or coracle boats which take you around the Kaveri river that forms Hogenakkal falls. You can also taste local delicacies of fried fish, paniyaram (rice cakes) or Poli (Indian sweet).

Staying options are minimal in Hogenakkal. Hotel Tamilnadu, run by the Tamilnadu tourism department, is the only decent one in town. During the tourist season (September – January) you may need to book in advance. You can also stay in Dharmapuri where staying options are better. From Dharmapuri it is a 50 Kms drive to Hogenakkal.

Duration: 1- 2 days Budget / person: Rs 1000 Which route it is on: Bangalore – Krishnagiri (Chennai highway) – Dharmapuri Road condition: Good

4. Talakadu and Shivanasamudram – Submerged in time

Shivanasamudram (sometimes called Shimsha falls) is home to a couple of lovely waterfalls while neighboring Talakadu preserves history in the form of submerged temples. Located about 150 Kms from Bangalore and about 70 Kms from Mysore, Shivanasamudram and Talakadu are both popular picnic and weekend spots. You can reach here after taking a turn after Maddur on the route that goes to Kollegal.

Shivanasamudram Falls actually consists of two separate falls called Gaganachukki and Bharachukki. Shivansamudram is also the site of Karnataka’s first hydroelectric project. Both falls carry the waters of river Kaveri from a height of about 90 meters.

Of the two falls you can enjoy Bharachukki most as it can be reached by a flight of steps near the falls while Gaganachukki falls is off-limits. You can take bath under the falls or spend some time frolicking in the pond near the falls. Both falls are located about 5 Kms between each other. During the monsoon season, the falls are in full flow and present a majestic sight.

Talakad is about 20 Kms from Shivanasamudram is famous for the submerged temples that is believed to emerge once in 12 years. Situated on the banks of the river Kaveri it is now a popular picnic spot aside from being a pilgrimage center.

The temples in Talakadu were built by the Hoysalas who were staunch devotees of Lord Shiva. Five such Shiva temples were built in honour of the god. A fair is held once every 12 years to honor the lord. The last such fair was held in 2006. There is also folklore that Talakad was cursed to turn into a mass of sand by a woman named Alamelamma, in the 16th century.

You can visit Shivanasamudram first and then come to Talakadu, see the temples and go for a swim or just chill out in the waters. Water is shallow, but there are weeds and sharp stones which some may find irritating. Catch the sunset here and head back to Bangalore.

There are no good restaurants in Talakadu. It’s better to pack your lunch and have it in Talakad. You will find a lot of monkeys around, but you can eat if people take turns to guard from the monkeys. You can fit Shivanasamudram and Talakadu in a 2 day trip – Spend one day in the nearby Ranganathittu bird sanctuary and Srirangapatna and the next day here.

On your way back you can find good number of Dhabas and restaurants outside Maddur on the highway. You can stopover here for dinner while coming back to Bangalore

Duration: 1 – 2 days Approximate budget / person: Rs 1000 – Rs 2000 How to reach: by cars, taxis, buses. Private transport is the best option Road condition: From Bangalore – Maddur, you will find excellent roads. The road from Maddur to Shivanasamudram is in a pathetic state. Leave early in the day to avoid truck traffic and leave before dusk as it can be uncomfortable driving in the dark from Shivanasamudram to Maddur where you hit the highway.