When organising a holiday, more often than not what can go wrong will go wrong. There is a wealth of horror stories telling of bankrupt tour operators and roach infested hotels. Car hire is not immune as the subject of these sorts of tales, however with this expert checklist you can make sure you have all the bases covered before you leave your house.

1. If you are a frequent flier with a specific airline then you may well be eligible for fantastic discounts on car hire from your service provider. Check with your airline to see if you are eligible and find out what car hire companies they affiliate with.

2. Save extra money and book online. The resources that are used to provide an online booking service are far less than over the phone, hence the savings are passed on to you. A car hire company should have an E-commerce website and if they don’t then you might want to rethink your selection. If you are a technophobe then get your 12 year old child to do it for you.

3. Check the contract carefully. There is a minefield of potential contractual nightmares regarding insurance, liability clauses, excess limits, who can drive and so on. Large car hire companies will have a relatively standard contract and infrastructure to provide support for any questions you might have. Double check and ask questions because it is easier to do it before you travel.

4. Get a confirmation number. It might seem rather obvious, but your car hire provider should give you a confirmation number to confirm your reservation. This will allow them to access your details instantly and it is also worth providing your car hire company with the details of your flight. This will protect you if your flight runs into delays, as some car hire companies might rehire the car in the event of you not turning up within a certain time.

5. Is bigger better? Some car hire companies might offer you a free upgrade on the spec of your hire car. This might seem like a blessing however double check that there are no additional contractual obligations with the upgrade. Obviously the fuel bill will be higher and for those of us concerned with the environment, the fuel consumption therefore emissions will be higher.

6. On the subject of fuel, fill it up yourself. You have to return the hire car with a full tank of gas and it is seriously worth doing that at a gas station before you return the car. The fuel surcharge by companies can severely sting your wallet, so be organised and not in a mad rush. Leave yourself enough time to fill the car up.

7. Check the vehicle before you accept the hire car. Easier said than done with screaming children but it is seriously worth it. Challenge any marks or inconsistencies with the report because if you miss them, the car hire company will not and you will pay for the pleasure of repairing their car.

8. Do not drink and drive. There are so many more important reasons why, however in this context you will be void of insurance and liable for everything that happens in an accident. The same is true if you are under the influence of drugs, so just don’t do it.

9. Check the time when the vehicle has to be returned. Another charge, similar to the fuel charge, that is a great source of revenue for car hire companies. There are no excuses for late return and you will be charged through the nose. If you are definitely going to run over then inform them in advance and they might be able to accommodate an extension at a pre-arranged rate.

10. Be organised. All these pointers will only work if you are organised about your car hire. People end up paying extortionate rates when they incur all these surcharges and they are in abundance; if you plan your car hire properly and use this list and you will not pay over the odds.

About The Author:

Tobias Bowman is a senior consultant working with a global car hire company and a veteran of nightmare holidays. Visit: http://www.budget.co.uk/

Read more articles written by: Tobias Bowman

Wrightsville Beach, one of the east coast’s most picturesque beaches, is celebrating its 110th anniversary by announcing “110 Nights In Wrightsville,” a contest in which 55 winners will receive a two-night trip to the North Carolina resort town.

Contestants can register at www.110NightsInWrightsville.com beginning on Feb. 1 and through March 31. Winners will be able to redeem the trip at participating hotels and vacation rentals through Dec. 31, 2009. Blackout dates run June 15 through Aug. 15.

Incorporated in 1899, Wrightsville Beach has served as a popular destination for couples, friends and families, for active and rejuvenating vacationers.

Winners will be assigned randomly to participating lodging properties and must contact those properties to confirm available dates. Some of the participating properties include Bryant Real Estate, Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, Shell Island Oceanfront Suites, Summer Sands Suites and Silver Gull Motel.

Entries are limited to one per person and entrants must be at least 21 years of age. For complete terms and conditions, visit www.110NightsInWrightsville.com on Feb. 1.

As the recession sets in, commercial enterprise begins the struggle of staying afloat during an economic downtown. The days of profit taking are now in the rear-view mirror as businesses strive to stay economically viable, while the economy works to right itself. Even the most profitable, most stable companies of yesteryear are finding these times tough. We have all heard the struggles of companies such as Ford, Chevrolet and Chrysler, but other known companies such as Disney, Marriott, and United Airlines are working hard to weather this economic storm.

As a consumer, you and I will begin to see special offers thrown at us, in an effort to attract our dollars to these major travel industry providers. To date, one of the more aggressive companies in the travel discount offers has been the Walt Disney corporation. Whether you are seeking to travel to Disney Land in California or Walt Disney World in Florida, you will find a large variety of discount specials designed to attract your vacation dollars to Disney properties.

Disney World Specials

One such special currently being offered by Walt Disney World is a Buy 4 Get 3 For Free special. We originally mentioned this special in December of 2008, and the special was originally slated to end in December, but now in February of 2009, that special is still ongoing. With this package, if you buy four nights at Disney World, you will get three more nights for free. That is a wonderful special offer.

If you live near an AirTran Airways hub airport, you can get significant air travel discounts for your seven days at Walt Disney World Resorts, when you order your air travel with your Disney vacation. AirTran serves has routes into and out of airports mostly on the East Coast, but also in the Midwest and Plain states, as well as a few western airports. Visit the AirTran website to learn more specific information about the routes that they serve.

If you are planning for a Spring Break getaway, select Walt Disney Resorts are also offering a $74 per night special.

Now, my kids are too young for those dream Disney vacation deals, so I have to look elsewhere for my travel specials. My kids love visiting zoos and animal parks, so that is what we usually do on vacation.

San Diego Zoo Specials

To find the kinds of travel deals I look for, visit any of the zoo websites and you could be very impressed by the travel specials that they offer. For example, the San Diego Zoo is offering wonderful family travel packages. You can get three days and two nights for a family of four, complete with hotel rooms and zoo tickets, for only $144. This package is regularly priced at $534.

For the San Diego Wild Animal Park Safari, you can get the same three days and two nights in a hotel with tickets to the Safari, for only $164. This package also normally retails for $534.

Given that the San Diego Zoo is offering their packages for two-thirds off the regular rate, it is clear that the Zoo is willing to throw away a lot of profits, just to keep the cash registers ringing.

Don’t Be Afraid To Shop Around

Many of the travel destinations that you and I would like to visit, have an online presence in the form of a website dedicated to share information about a given destination.

If you have a travel destination that you would like to visit this summer, don’t be shy about seeing if they have a website. If you do, you might just find that the destination is offering some pretty handsome travel deals this spring and summer.

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Anson Werner spends his spare time shopping travel offers and learning tricks to help him save money and get more enjoyment from his limited travel dollars. Recent finds include a 3-day/2-night vacation for two to Las Vegas for $49, and a trick for getting a free cruise for his family. Anson’s friends had always asked him about the travel specials he finds, so he decided to share his knowledge and discoveries in his travel blog at: http://www.shoppingtraveldeals.com/blog/