traveltips

Don’t just travel – travel wisely.

To help you save money, time and trouble, we’ve compiled some travel tips to get you started down the right path.

Travel Tips:
Saving money | Saving time | Other helpful travel tips

Saving money

Book at Radisson.com to get the best online rate – guaranteed. On Radisson.com, you will get the best rate online – we guarantee it. When you book your reservation on Radisson.com, you can be confident you've gotten the best rate for your next visit. If you find a rate on another Web site that is lower than the best rate on Radisson.com – and the rate is for the same date(s), same room type, same number of guests, at the same hotel and same rate terms or restrictions – let us know, and we will honor the lower rate AND discount that rate by 25 percent. More details, and terms and conditions here.
Choose a high-value destination. Some cities have seen air fares and hotel rates decline during the past year. These include New York City; Shanghai, China; or Quito, Ecuador. Look for destinations with bargain attractions, too. Frommer's named Washington D.C. its top destination for 2009 – from the Smithsonian museums to national monuments, almost every major attraction is free.
Consider city passes. Larger cities and major tourist destinations often sell passes that get you into multiple attractions. These can save you some money over the cost of purchasing individual attraction tickets and can also save time by letting you skip long entrance lines. The Go San Diego Card, for example, gets you into 40 attractions, including The San Diego Zoo, Legoland, the Birch Aquarium and 18 museums. A London Pass will get you free entry to more than 55 attractions – including the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle, the HMS Belfast – a free guidebook, and more opportunities for great savings and access.
Make the most of your hotel stay. Booking with the hotel directly lets you ask about package deals and other discounts they might have, or review value added services and features different brands offer.
Shuttle services. Look for hotels with free shuttle service to your other destinations, including the airport. This can save you money on car rentals and taxi fares.

Saving Time

Fly direct. Weigh your needs and determine which is more important, saving time or saving money. If time is more precious, fly direct to save a substantial amount of airport and runway time.
Use regional airports. These smaller terminals often are less busy, can have shorter lines for check-in and security, might offer easier parking, and can be generally less stressful.
Travel at off-peak times. Depart on Monday or Tuesday rather than Friday, Saturday or Sunday to spend more time relaxing and less time waiting in line. You will often avoid some of the crowd and minimize your time in lines by flying between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., when most business travelers aren’t in the picture.
Lean on your loyalty programs. Airline and rental-car company loyalty programs can offer benefits to members, including access to (shorter) VIP waiting lines or quicker check-in and -out processes. Radisson’s goldpoints plus^SMprogram lets guest earn points toward future stays, including 500 points for booking online. More details here.
Use the Web. Check-in online before your flights to skip that process at the airport. Research and purchase tickets and passes to destinations, events and attractions in advance. Not only will you save precious time on your vacation, you’ll also likely save some money with these advance purchases.

Other helpful tips

Get a good night’s sleep. According to the 2005 Travel Sleep Habits survey, more than one in three adults said they rarely get a good night’s sleep when traveling. A comfortable bed can be an important part of staying well rested. All Radisson Hotels & Resorts in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean feature custom Sleep Number® beds, which let you adjust the firmness of the mattress to what you feel is comfortable.
Consider insurance. At many points in the travel process, you might have insurance options. Just about anything – from missed flights to lost baggage to accidental death – can be insured against.
Visit the Seat Guru. SeatGuru.com is a site dedicated to helping you determine, in advance, the best places to sit on all sorts of planes the various airlines fly. You can identify seats on exit rows, close to on-board TV screens, beside lavatories or even those with in-seat power plugs.

Travel Tips Disclaimer

These travel tips are provided for informational purposes only, without any guaranty, should not be considered recommendations, and should be independently verified. By providing these travel tips, Radisson Hotels & Resorts is not directly or indirectly implying any approval, association, sponsorship, endorsement or affiliation with any of the services, products, or concepts referenced herein.