Ozetour.com - Global Travel Directory

What Every Tightwad Traveler Needs

• A good agent. You may locate bargains on your own, but it will not hurt to check out what a travel agent can offer. If you are buying tickets from a consolidator or as part of a package deal, it pays to consult a pro. Best bet: a big agency (these typically offer better buys) near a college or university.
• Plastic. Paying with a credit card helps protect you from getting gypped if you do not receive what you bought or the company you paid goes under. Some cards also provide collision-damage insurance on rental cars. Overseas, paying with a credit card often gets you a better exchange rate than paying cash.
• The Right Guidebook. A Let’s Go guide, written by young, penniless Harvard students, or one of The Berkeley Guides, complied by budget-conscious students from the University of California at Berkeley, is a must.  So is Rick Steven’s Europe Through the Back Door (John Muir Publications) it you are crossing the Atlantic, or the National Directory of Free Tourist Attractions if you are seeing America.
• Picnic Gear. Stevens recommends carrying Ziploc bags, a pocketknife with a built-in can opener, a dish towel (it doubles as a tablecloth), a plastic coffee-can lid (miniature plate/cutting board) and a plastic coffee cup, spoon and fork (save he ones you get on the plane).
• An AAA Card. If you are driving long distances in the US, an American Automobile Association membership provides free maps, tour books, customize itineraries and emergency road service, as well as discounts on hotels, car rentals and attractions.
• Labels. In order to identify your suitcase or settle disputes as to whose suitcase it is, attach labels with your name on the outside and inside. It is not a good idea to include the address, as it could tell the wrong people where you live. In any case, if your suitcase is lost, you will be giving your address to the airline.

Have a pleasant trip!