Exchanging Vacation Homes

Spring is here. Temperature is rising and summer is not that far away. Perhaps, it is time to think about your summer vacation -- especially if you are interested in spending the summer in a home away from home.

In recent years, swapping or exchanging homes located throughout the world is gaining more and more popularity as an attractive part of taking vacation. For an annual membership of around $50, you may enlist your home on an exchange site. If someone is interested in your home, they will email you and when you come across anything that you like, you email them. Finally you decide to cut a deal depending on mutual preferences and options. Some people even go beyond to exchange their cars too. You can even agree to take care of each other's pets.

Three leading (and Big too!) house-swap sites are: HomeExchange.com, Intervac.com, Homelink.org . Besides these there is SinglesHomeExchange.com for swapping apartments and also some quite interesting ones like TeacherHomeSwap.com which provides the specialized service of finding other teacher swappers who are very likely to search for houses for similar vacation dates.

Many Americans exchange homes outside of USA and such exchangers can often find the best choice of exchange possibilities on home exchange sites based in their country of choice. For example, a large number of american vacationers are particularly interested in home swaps in the UK and 'Home Base Holidays' or homebase-hols.com is a helpful site for that. You may also visit their blog for regular posts on all aspects of arranging home exchanges: homeexchangetravel.blogs.com .

Even with so many websites available, it might not be very easy to find an exchange home of your choice. Vacation is precious and you may not afford to spoil it by your hurriedly-made choice. So, start early, plan properly, have a talk with the exchangers and take sufficient time to decide how your summer home should be. Many people who did that say that they want to do it again. It's worth the trouble and time.

Hotel Secrets You Must Know

It is estimated that nearly 100 million Americans travel each year and most stay in a hotel. Here are some valuable hotel travel tips that hotels would rather you didn't know:

1. Call the hotel's local number for the best rate. The 800 number will link you to an off-site, centralized call center. Ask to speak with the Manager on duty. They have the authority to negotiate room rates.

2. Rooms are more expensive in the morning. The best time of the day to make a reservation by phone is right after 6pm. This is when hotels wipe out all the no-show reservations that were unsecured by a credit card. They then offer these rooms at bargain rates.

3. Everything is negotiable. If the parking lot looks half empty, offer less than the daily rate. Planning to make a lot of phone calls? Ask for a per-day flat fee.

4. Rooms are available even when a hotel has no vacancies. In any large hotel, there will be rooms listed as "out of order". The problems are usually something simple. Tell the manager you are willing to take an out-of-order room that has only a minor problem.

5. Hotel rooms are infested with germs. Many items in hotel rooms never get cleaned. The biggest trouble spots include the TV remote control, telephone, and clock radio. Travel with a package of antibacterial wipes, and clean these items when you arrive.

6. A thief takes one credit card, not your entire wallet. Smart hotel thieves now take just one credit card when they find an unguarded wallet in a room. Often, the victim doesn't notice the card is missing until the credit line is maxed out.

7. It pays to tip the housekeeper every day. Housekeepers are the most overworked, underpaid and under appreciated people in the hotel. Leave a $2 or $3 tip for them each day. You'll get better service and knowing the housekeeper also reduces the chances that your room will be burglarized.

8. Your bags aren't safe with the bellhop. Luggage can get stolen right off the luggage carts in the lobby. Even though these bags are in possession of the bellhop, the hotel assumes no legal responsibility for the loss. If your bag is going to sit for more than a few minutes, ask that it be placed in a secure room.

9. The lost and found is a great resource for cell phone users. If you use a cell phone, odds are that someday you'll forget to bring your recharging cord or lose it in transit. Recharging cords are the No. 1 item left behind in hotel rooms. Most hotels are willing to lend cords from their lost and found.

10. Never pay for the minibar. Minibar charges are, without question, the most disputed charges on any bill. That's because the process for applying those charges is horribly inexact. Keystroke errors, delays in restocking, double stocking, and hundreds of other missteps make minibar charges the most voided item. Just say "I never had those items" and they will most often be removed from your bill.

'Museums On Us' from Bank of America

If you are a Bank of America customer, you can get free admission to more than 150 museums or cultural institutions nationwide (94 cities in 31 states) in first full weekend of every month.

For example, in May, you can avail of this opportunity on 4th and 5th.

You need to produce your Bank of America ATM, check or credit card and photo ID.

You may get the entire list of museums in your local area at: www.bankofamerica.com/museums

Vacation & Home security

The winter holiday season is the peak period for U.S travel and also for break-ins, with about 400,000 burglaries each year. But there are simple steps you can take to boost your defenses.

Delete old voice mails and call home while you're away to collect messages. If your voice mail gets full, that's a sign you're traveling.

Advertise your alarm system. Yard signs are far more effective than window decals. Burglars can't see decals from the street, and once they approach your house, they're far more likely to attempt a break-in.

Never put your home address on luggage tags. You're announcing the location of yur empty home to everyone in the airport. Use a business address or P.O. Box number instead.

Don't stop deliveries. Information left with the post office may fall into the wrong hands. Instead, enlist neighbors or friends to collect the mail -- and to take out the trash. You may not beieve it but would-be intruders really look for garbage cans that aren't by the curb on collection day.

Last but not the least, count your children before boarding an aircraft. Make sure you are not leaving one of them in 'home alone'!

Cruise in Fall

Oil prices and the travel boom have driven cruise prices up from last year, but there's a little -known way to get a steal. Here is the
secret!

Fall is "repositioning" season, when cruise lines move their fleets from summer ports, like Alaska and New England, to the Caribbean
for the winter. Hitch a ride and pay up to 75% off regular rates.

The drawback? These cruises tend to be longer than usual, have fewer port visits and can have fewer amenities. Sometimes cruise lines use the time to do maintenance on the ships. They're not heavily marketed, But you can find them on sites like Cruise.com or CruiseCompete.com, or
CelebrityCruises.com or through travel agents, who tend to get the early words on these sails.

Vacation With RV

Have you ever dreamt of taking a vacation driving an RV in countryside for a few weeks? We thought we should help you by giving some tips for RV rental today.

RV Types: The first question that comes to every RV-dreamer's mind is: What type of RV should I rent? The size you rent depends on how many people will be traveling. The vehicles most commonly available for rent are Type A motorhomes (sometimes called "bus" style, 27-36 feet long) or Type C mini-motor-homes (sometimes called "cabover" style, 17-27 feet long). Type A vehicles have a bedroom, a dinette that can be converted into a bed, and sometimes a sofa bed. Type C mini-moter-homes are smaller, with an additional sleeping area over the driver's cab, which is great for kids but can be a bit claustrophobic for adults. Both types have bathrooms with a shower.

Driving RV: Many rental companies allow you to try driving an RV before you rent. You should be aware of the vehicle's greater height, length and width. Don't take turns too tightly; You could run over the curb on right turns or graze oncoming traffic on left turns. Be sure to take sufficient care when backing up. Keep to the left in your lane to avoid drifting into the next lane to the right. And be aware of warning signs about low bridges or tunnels ahead.

Rental Cost: Rental costs vary depending on the season: higher in summer, lower in winter. Typically, a Type A motorhome will cost at least $130 a day plus mileage; a Type C will cost between $80 and $120 a day plus mileage. Bringing your own pots, pans, sheets, and towels will save you money.

Additional Costs: The main cost will be fuel. RVs usually get 7 to 12 miles per gallon, so the total will vary depending on whether you plan to travel every day or drive to a destination and vacation in one spot. Ask about fuel rebates. Other than fuel, campground fees can range from $10 to $50 a night, depending on the campground. You can save money by opting for only a water and electronic hookup instead of the full hookup which includes sewer.