 The importance of creating an accurate budget for your upcoming vacation cannot be stressed enough. There’s nothing worse than getting excited about a vacation or activity, only to realize that you actually can’t afford it. Read on for some helpful tips on how to plan your budget vacation:
Set a Meal Allowance Food can easily become one of the biggest expenses of your trip, especially if you eat out often. Because of this, it’s important to set a daily spending limit for food, with perhaps one or two “cheat nights” when you can treat yourself. A great way to save on food is to shop at local grocery stores and cook your meals in your suite. Similarly, a sandwich and a bag of chips is a great lunch for the beach, with no need to spend $15 on a meal at the beach-side bar. Research Off-Season Prices All vacation destinations have an “off-season,” during which they see fewer tourists and slash their prices to reflect the low demand. This is the optimum time to travel on a budget, as it allows you to do more with the money you have. For temperate climates such as the Caribbean and southern United States, this is usually spring through fall, although it varies for other destinations. Check with your travel agent to see when your dream vacation spot usually cuts its prices. Start Saving Right Away You might be surprised how quickly simple lifestyle changes can boost your vacation savings. For example, if you usually go out to eat for your lunch breaks at work, you could save big by packing a sandwich instead. Other great tips include making your own coffee in the morning, using more coupons on groceries, and driving less to save on gas. As you save, you can get a better idea of how much money you will have to work with. The travel agents at Brentwood Travel of St. Louis are experts at budget travel. We always offer a variety of great deals to help you find the perfect vacation destination at a price you can afford. Call us at (314) 439-5700 to set up a consultation today.
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Cruises are a fun alternative to traditional resort getaways, but many people are at a loss as to what to bring, besides the essentials. Given that you will likely be leaving the country and may be far from land at times, your packing list will be a bit different from usual. The travel expert in this video discusses some of the items that you will need to bring with you on a cruise. Examples include cruise documents, some form of ID, and health insurance information. If you ever have any questions about your upcoming cruise vacation, the expert travel agents at Brentwood Travel are here to help! Call us at (314) 439-5700 to speak with a member of our team.  No vacation is quite like a cruise. Thanks to surging popularity, cruises can take you almost anywhere in the world and give you access to the vacation of a lifetime. There are numerous benefits to taking a cruise, including the following:
Plenty of Activity Choices Cruises are not just about the sailing experience—they also offer countless fun activities for you to do, both onboard and at your destination ports. You can pick and schedule your favorite activities based on a master list that the cruise provides. For example, you might want to spend a morning scuba diving, the afternoon jet skiing, and the evening at a comedy show. Even if you don’t want to go ashore, many cruise ships have pools, libraries, clubs, bars, and even golf courses right on board. The choices are entirely up to you. More Affordable than Resorts There is no understating the cost advantages of a cruise and all of the features and amenities they provide. Cruise ships are essentially floating cities packed with entertainment, dining, and relaxation options for guests at a much more affordable price than a resort. To put this in perspective, you could spend $500 on a seven-day Caribbean cruise and be rewarded with fabulous dining and entertainment, easy access to various islands and beaches, a room with an ocean view, pools, spas, and other great amenities. Staying at an all-inclusive resort with the same features could easily top $1,000 per night. Family-Friendly Fun Not all luxury resorts cater to—or even welcome—children. If you have a family, cruises are the perfect chance for you spend some quality time with your kids. From mini-golf and snorkeling to going to the beach and watching movies in the pool, cruises offer activities that the whole family can enjoy. If you’re interested in booking a cruise, be sure to set up an appointment with a travel agent at Brentwood Travel of St. Louis. Our expert agents can help you find the best deals on cruises to ensure that you have the vacation of a lifetime without breaking the bank. We can be reached at (314) 439-5700  A European vacation is always an adventure. There’s so much to see in Europe that many people visit over and over again and barely scratch the surface of what it has to offer. If you’re weighing destinations with your travel agent, Europe should be on your list for the following reasons:
Safe, Easy Travel Navigating Europe is extremely safe and easy. Affordable, reliable public transportation abounds in Europe. Many tiny European villages have more available public transportation options than some major American cities. It’s simple to hop on a bus or train and zip from one destination to the next. Thanks to European Union (EU) border rules, it’s easy to travel between European countries. When going between any of the 27 EU countries and their cooperating partners, you can cross borders without going through immigration and customs at each stop. Currency Convenience In the past, traveling through Europe meant exchanging currency and trying to learn a new way of gauging prices in each country. Now, 23 countries in Europe use the Euro as their currency. That means you can exchange your money once and travel into new places all over Europe with the same currency. There are some important exceptions, however; the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Sweden are among the countries that have kept their own currency, so you will need to make exchanges in each of these locations. Variety There is truly something for every traveler in Europe. If you love sophisticated, urban settings with great shopping and restaurants, mark London, Paris, Milan, and Berlin on your map. If exploring history is your thing, take a cruise down the Danube past striking castles or tour the ancient ruins in Greece. Enjoy beach life along the Mediterranean coast, camp in the Scottish Highlands, or ski in the Swiss Alps. Europe offers a never-ending array of adventures. Are you ready to start planning your European getaway? Let Brentwood Travel devise the perfect itinerary for you. Tap into the expertise of our award-winning travel agents by calling our St. Louis office at (314) 488-2100.  If you want a truly remarkable vacation, forget trying to cobble it together yourself using a series of websites. What you need is an expert—someone who knows the locales you want to visit, the best hotels, the unique attractions, the inside scoop on local transportation, and all of the other small details that make a vacation run smoothly. To kick off your vacation planning, schedule an appointment with a travel agent, and bring along these questions:
Do You Specialize in a Particular Type of Travel? Not all travel agents book all kinds of travel, so it’s important to match the agent with the type of trip you want to book. Some travel agencies deal only in corporate travel, while others work exclusively on leisure trips. Some travel agents specialize even further and are experts at booking cruises, ski trips, or vacations to particular regions. The more in-depth knowledge your travel agent has, the better your final travel itinerary will be. What Kind of Trip Should I Take? Sometimes, when you visit a travel agent, all you really know is that you need a vacation, and need help filling in the details. A good travel agent can question you about your past trips, favorite activities, travel partners, and budget, and then come up with a list of destinations that are suited to you. Your agent’s suggestions are a great way to discover new places you might not have come up with on your own. Do I Need Any Special Planning for My Destination? Though the places you’re thinking of traveling to may be new to you, they’re very familiar to your travel agent. Be sure to ask for insider advice about your destination. This can include everything from safety tips to advice about local transportation and where to exchange currency. When is the last time you look a truly special vacation? Experience the difference of booking a trip with a qualified travel agent at your side with Brentwood Travel. Call (314) 439-5700 today and start booking your dream trip. |
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Brentwood Travel
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