The thought of going to a warm vacation spot in the winter or visiting a foreign country is exciting. But what seems like a great deal may turn out to be a bad trip.<\/p>\n
Be skeptical of offers for \u201cfree\u201d trips.\u00a0<\/strong>Airlines and other well-known companies sometimes operate contests for travel prizes. However, there are also companies that offer \u201cfree\u201d trips to try to lure people into buying their products or services. It\u2019s never \u201cfree\u201d if you have to pay something.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Know exactly what\u2019s included.<\/strong>\u00a0A \u201cfree\u201d or incredibly cheap trip may have hidden costs. For instance, the cruise may be free, but you have to pay to fly to the departure point and stay in a hotel at your own expense. Or you may have to endure a long, high-pressure sales pitch for a timeshare or travel club membership as part of the trip.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Realize that the deal may not be as good as you think.\u00a0<\/strong>You may find that a travel offer requires you to make reservations through a specific company and that the costs are higher than they would be if you used your own travel agent or made the arrangements yourself. Or the offer may be valid only if you bring a companion along at full fare.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Be aware of restrictions.<\/strong>\u00a0Often the best travel deals are only available for off-peak times, not during school vacations, holidays or other popular travel dates. You may find it hard to get the promised price for the dates that you want to travel, or there may be no space available on those dates at all.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Confirm the arrangements.\u00a0<\/strong>If transportation and hotel are included in the travel package, ask how to contact those companies and confirm with them directly that the reservations have been made.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Do your own travel research.\u00a0<\/strong>It\u2019s easy to get information from a local travel agent and other sources such as trusted Websites and the Internet. You may be able to get the trip you want for far less than the \u201cbargain\u201d price a company is offering.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Pay with a credit card.\u00a0<\/strong>Fraudulent travel operators take the money and run, and even legitimate companies can suddenly go out of business. Protect yourself by paying with a credit card so you can dispute the charges if the promises aren\u2019t kept.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n