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By admin, December 16, 2009 7:35 am

For every person that has bought a flight on the internet and wondered why it is so cheap – this article will explore and hopefully dispel the myths that surround budget airlines. Like everything in life and as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. But is it worth saving that extra cash for your trip or splashing out on this small part of your holiday.?
So, you buy the ticket at a great rate, albeit with some hidden taxes, charges and fee and prepare for a great holiday. As the day of departure approaches, you eagerly anticipate the holiday or trip itself, but you are probably a little apprehensive about the flight. For those who haven’t used budget airlines before, it is hard to know what to expect from the flight.
Travelling by aeroplane can be awkward, irritating and tiresome so you expect a budget airline could be worse. All the worst things about flying will be emphasised by the ‘budget’ part of the flight company. Will you regret this decision that seemed such a good one when you made the booking?
Leading up to the flight, you may get e-mails regarding information that you need to provide to assist a smooth check-in. You can opt for an online check-in, allowing you priority boarding on to the plane. This is a great idea as some flights will not have seat numbers, forcing groups to be separated as the plane fills up.
Providing the information via e-mail enables a quick check-in at the airport with queues reduced to a few people at a time. The whole process is reasonably easy and makes your experience even better as you seem to be able to take more advantage of the duty-free and airport shopping.
Boarding the plane is as difficult as normal airlines, if not more difficult due to the lack of numbered tickets. As you make your way up the stairs, the delays are noticeable as people hunt for enough seats together to keep their families and friends close by. This is mildly irritating, especially in the cold and wind, but also can be a common problem on the more expensive airlines.
Finding a seat is a race and for people travelling in groups is a dog-eat-dog situation. Regular budget fliers are clearly aware of how to take advantage and will punish hesitation in the newer budget travellers. Go in focussed and make sure you grab that seat before someone else does. You will regret it if you delay for only a few seconds as a budget airline is a dangerous place for consideration and politeness.
Once seated, those travellers over a metre tall will notice the considerably small amount of leg-room allocated. As a flier that struggles with my knees on any aeroplane, I was quick to realise that leg-room is at a premium on budget flights. Again, early boarding can rectify this problem before it starts, be quick to grab the emergency exit seats as there is ample room for six footers and up.
As the flight commences, don’t expect a meal. Free food is one of the sacrifices that budget airlines will force upon you. Not the biggest loss, especially as it usually adds a substantial amount to the overall cost of the flight. If you get hungry while flying, take some cash and take advantage of the various snacks available. They may cost a small fortune but what do you expect when you are flying a thousand miles for five pounds.
Don’t expect a peaceful journey. You may feel bombarded with sales pitches and various products will be presented for your perusal. Again, they are looking to boost profits and who can blame them when they get me so far for so little money? If you manage to resist the hot croissant, glass of wine or scratch-cards (for charity, of course) then the flight will still be cheap.
When you land in your chosen destination you may face the next problem with budget flights. It would appear that a lot of the cost of flying could be in the location that you land. The flight may tell you that you are landing in Barcelona or Rome, but you could be a hundred miles from the city. Again, this can be sorted out pretty easily with a train or bus ride – not pushing the cost of travel to anywhere near that of a non-budget airline.
Overall, the cost of flying with a budget airline is certainly the key benefit. Regular fliers with premium airlines will find the flights a little uncomfortable and not as pleasurable but the price certainly makes up for any inconvenience.
As long as you know what to expect, budget airlines tick all the right boxes and sacrifice the luxuries that you won’t miss at all. The flights are cheap and still get you there so what’s so bad about no in-flight meal and restricted leg-room? Budget airlines may be cheap but that’s not a bad thing when they offer such a competitive service to those of us that can’t afford to fly in a winged five-star hotel.

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By admin, December 14, 2009 7:33 pm

If you’ve decided to travel abroad, why not make your first international trip one to a country with the widest possible range of attractions?  And if you do, you won’t find any country in the world which has more to offer a first-time visitor then India.  India, in fact, is so blessed with natural and cultural wonders that your first trip is sure to be only the first of many.  You simply will not be able to see everything you want to see in one vacation.

The sheer breadth of India will leave you both amazed and intimidated.  India is a country in which you will find some of the Earth’s most magnificent architectural accomplishment (like the Taj Mahal), as well as some of its largest and poorest urban slums.  India is a country in which sacred cows wander freely on the same streets were low-caste beggars plead for pennies.  India is a country immersed in spirituality, yet beginning to emerge as one of the world’s great economic powers.

How can you ensure that your first visit to India will let you take in its aspects which you find most appealing?  You should begin by consulting with a travel agent and requesting to have a tour package customized specifically for you.  Doing so is the best way to have a vacation which includes a properly-planned itinerary at the most affordable price.

The Internet is the best place for you to find a travel agent familiar enough with India’s attractions to create the best tour for you.  Deal only with a travel agency known for its high standards of honesty and customer service.  You can check on any travel agency are considering by looking for positive customer reviews at travel websites.

One of the ways to get the most out of your first visit to India is to hire the services of a professional Indian tourist guide.  Your tourist guide will make it his or her responsibility to see that your vacation time is spent in the way you imagined, regardless of whether your interests are in relaxing at the beach, participating in a pilgrimage, or hiking in the foothills of the Himalayas.  Your tourist guide will ensure that you have the opportunity to view some of India’s most spectacular scenery, enjoy her remarkably abundant wildlife, participate in a religious festival, or do whatever else will make your vacation complete.

Your Indian tourist guide will make sure that each moment of your vacation in India is different from what came before.  Perhaps he or she will arrange a trip to Indians “Golden Triangle,” by traveling between her three most vibrant cities: Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur.  At Agra, you‘ll be humbled by simple yet staggeringly beautiful Taj Mahal, perhaps the world’s greatest monument to romance. 

If you want your India vacation to leave you rested and relaxed, spend a few days at the peaceful beaches of Goa.  One of the best aspects of vacation in India is that traveling within the country is reasonably simple, because of the excellent bus and train service.  Your travel agency will be able to make your travel arrangements well in advance, even if you need to move about the country by air.  So why not start thinking about India as your next vacation destination, and be sure to include the services of an India travel guide to make sure that you don’t miss a thing!

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By admin, November 9, 2009 10:24 am

India’s railway network connects its greatest cities with its remotest villages, and traveling across India by train will give you a great opportunity to see sites not accessible any other way.  Traveling by train during your stay in India can be one of the high points of your journey, but only if you plan carefully and know what to expect.

 

Booking passage on second-class non–air-conditioned trains will let you view the passing scenery through open windows, free of the film which covers the windows in air-conditioned cars.  Purchasing a seat in air-conditioned car, on the other hand, will keep you comfortable even in the peak of India’s hot season.  India’s trains, especially those which travel to the smaller villages, have a reputation for being late, so you will have to get used to delays.

 

If you find yourself waiting to get a connecting train, however, take time to observe your surroundings and immerse yourself in the chaos around you.  You will see food vendors offering snacks like deep thought pride whole wheat bread and hard-boiled eggs as borders with massive piles of luggage balanced on their heads guard in and around the crowds.  You should always stay close to your own luggage when traveling by train in India, to the point of chaining it to the rack in your sleeping compartment.  Chains are available for sale on the platforms at urban railway stations.

 

While larger railway lines include meals in the cost of a ticket, if you are traveling a smaller line to be much better off by bringing along your own package snacks, bottled water, sandwiches, and juice.  You will also be very glad you bring sanitary hand wipes are and your own toilet paper. 

 

India, of course, has some world class luxury train service in addition to its ordinary commuter trains.  These luxury trains include some of the most famous names in the world:  Palace on Wheels; the Fairy Queen; the Royal Orient; Kalka Shimla; and Deccan Odyssey.  Each of these magnificent trains follows a different route, but all of them offer exceptional service, dining, and luxurious accommodations.  The most famous of them, Palace on Wheels, has 14 opulent sleeping compartments with baths along with two full-service restaurants and a bar.

 

The Palace on Wheel’s “Week in Wonderland” trip, starting at $4900 per person double occupancy, makes a round-trip beginning in Delhi and progressing through (among other cities) Jaipur, Udaipur, Bharatpur, and Agra before returning to Delhi.  The fare includes meals, accommodations, and all sightseeing.  The Fairy Queen, which began operating in 1855, is the world’s oldest steam locomotive.

 

The most legendary of all Indian train journeys, however, is the the 15 day trip taken by the private train the Viceroy of India, which runs between Mumbai to Calcutta four times each year.  Tickets on the Viceroy of India run $9995 for Viceroy Class, or $14,995 for the Maharaja Suite.

 

The Deccan Odyssey is a 21-power luxury train which follows a seven day route along Maharashtra’s coast in western India, leaving from Mumbai and passing along the beach after unspoiled beach until arriving at the Goa.  The trip includes a visit to Pune and the opportunity to explore the Ajanta and Ellore caverns.  The Deccan Odyssey travels by night and stops for sightseeing during the day.  The price of the journey includes five-star meals, an on-board Ayurvedic spa, a gym, and much, much more.