How to Book a Great Vacation

One of my favorite things about traveling is planning for it.  I know that sounds kind of nerdy, but I love the thrill of getting the most bang for my buck.  I also like to be pretty informed about where I'm going before we take off.  When I was younger and single, it didn't really bother me to not do much planning.  The older I get, though, the more I like to know what to expect.  

I spend a lot of time browsing different hotel sites and looking through reviews on TripAdvisor.  If you aren't active on TripAdvisor, you should be.  Giving reviews of the places you go is helpful to other travelers and it also helps you remember key points about your trip.  (Like, "Hey, Martha!  What's the name of that place with the owls and wings and pretty girls?"   "It was Hooters, Jim.")

This was a day that we spent driving through the different
 covered bridges in Parke County, Indiana.

Several friends and family members have asked my advice about booking their vacation.  My best advice is to just do your research.  You really need to figure out what exactly you want out of your vacation.  Total relaxation?  Thrills and adventures?  A thriving nightlife?  Access to scuba diving?  You need to get this figured out before you really start looking because it can be very overwhelming.

 One of our preferences is adults-only all-inclusive resorts.  These tend to be more expensive than resorts that allow children, so you need to figure out whether a few splashing kids in the pool annoys you enough to fork over extra moolah.  (Hint:   It's worth it.)

My preferred site to book our vacations on is Expedia.  If you use your account every time, you gain rewards and discounts on hotel stays, so that comes in handy.  I like it because it displays the total price per person, not the "price" that doesn't include taxes, resort fees, etc.  I want to browse through and know exactly what the price would be if I booked right then.

Words of the Wise(ish):
*Plan to fly out on a Tuesday.  That seems to be the least expensive day.

*Book your flight roughly 54 days in advance.  Too soon or too late can be detrimental to your wallet.  

*Always book your flight and hotel together, you will definitely save money this way.

*If you are somewhat close to more than one airport, make sure you check what the prices and flight times are from each one.  We live pretty close to Indianapolis, but sometimes it's a whole lot cheaper to fly out of Cincinnati so we do that.

*Book your airport transfers at the time of booking your flight.  That way you know it's taken care of and your whole itinerary is able to be accessed together.

*I do not recommend pre-booking excursions when going to places like Cancun or the Dominican Republic.  You can get these at really good prices at the hotel or outside of the resorts.  You can even barter the price!