Four tips for smart trips

What do some people know that enables them to travel so well? Here's some smart things our clients do - we call them four tips for smart trips.

Book on board

One of the best ways to save money is by booking on board. With AmaWaterways for example, you'll receive 5% discount off the cruise fare. It's also combinable with all other promotions and past guest discounts. And they give you a break in terms of how much you need to deposit - only $200 per person. And even that is fully refundable within 30 days of your return. Plus you have 2 years to decide which cruise you want to go on. While each supplier has their own deal, one of the smartest moves is book while still on board.

Flexing for smart trips

If you're flexible with your dates, destination and/or itinerary you can typically save a lot of money. You might find that there's better rooms or cabins available, pricing may be more advantageous or you might just discover something new to explore. Said another way, the fastest way to paying full fare is to lock yourself in on very specific dates.

Early to bed....early to rise

If you're traveling to Europe, leaving a few days earlier is usually a smart idea. Why? It usually takes a few days to get used to the time change. By arriving before your vacation starts, you can ease into the new time zone without missing anything. For example, if your river cruise starts on a Saturday from Amsterdam, arrive a few days sooner and explore the city for yourself. If you travel to Asia, especially from the East Coast, giving yourself some extra time is especially recommended.

Pack it in

Don't try to pack as much into every vacation as possible. This is a common mistake....and understandable. You think you'll only get to a certain destination once and you want to make sure you see everything you need to see. The problem with this approach is two fold. First, you'll end up needing a vacation from the vacation. . Second, you probably won't get the full experience. It's one thing to spend 10 minutes seeing Michelangelo's David statue in Florence, but quite another to spend hours in the Galleria Dell'Accademia putting the statue in context, learning about the artist and the time period he lived in. Take your time, enjoy and savor the experience. It's the experience that matters, not how many boxes you've checked off.

Tips and tricks

So, book on board, be flexible, arrive early and don't over plan your vacation. These are all great tips for smart trips. But there's plenty of others that a great travel agent or advisor can share with you.

Here's some other tips:

• Currency tips
• Tips to make flying more comfortable
• How to pick a great travel agent