Do You Need Travel Insurance?

By Robert Firpo-Cappiello
June 16, 2013
View of Parliament from the Danube River in Budapest
Courtesy <a href="http://mybt.budgettravel.com/_Parliament-in-Budapest-Hungary/photo/2029957/21864.html" target="_blank"> cspaid/myBudgetTravel</a>

As heavy spring rains caused major European rivers like the Elbe and the Danube to overflow their banks, serious flooding has hit parts of Germany, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. With more than 20 deaths and extensive damage to structures, the floods also caused the cancellation of several river cruises, including cruises from Budapest, Hungary, and those that call on the popular German port Passau.

While European vacation plans aren't on the top of anyone's list of concerns at a time like this, we've found that the question of travel insurance often arises in the wake of natural disasters. It's a good time to remind readers of Budget Travel's recommendations where insurance is concerned.

In general, Budget Travel does not recommend travel insurance. The cost of rebooking a flight will be less than an insurance premium, and hotels and rental car agencies rarely have strict cancellation policies. However, if you've booked a package tour or cruise, travel insurance may be a good idea. Familiarize yourself with the company's cancellation policy so you know what your risks are. In the case of Viking River Cruises, for instance, cancellations in the 29 days preceding your cruise will result in your losing your entire cruise fee. But the company offers a Travel Protection Plan that costs approximately 10 percent of the cruise fee (a Travel Protection Plan for a $3,000 cruise will run you $299) and protects you from sudden emergencies or medical problems, including pre-existing conditions.

That being said, it's important to remember that many travel companies will respond to natural disasters and other major disruptive events with courteous and thoughtful waiving of re-booking or cancellation policies. But as we've noted here before, we can't guarantee that your cruise line or tour operator will follow suit!

TALK TO US! Tell us about your experiences with travel insurance—including any last-minute cancellations or natural disasters that have rocked your travel plans—and we may quote you in an upcoming Budget Travel story!

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Travel Tips

3 Easy Ways To Give Back When You Travel

Trying to make a difference in the world? Whether you're booking hotels that contribute to those who are less fortunate or want to try a hands-on conservation vacation at one of your favorite national parks, we've got three easy ways you can help others and make the world a better place while you travel. Affinia Hotels in New York City and Washington D.C.When you book a room at any Affinia Hotel by July 31st, your room rate (from $149 a night in D.C. and from $199 in New York City) will include a $10 donation to Operation Smile, a non-profit organization helping to provide surgeries for young children around the world who were born with facial deformities. As a special thank you for participating in this summer promotion, you'll receive complimentary WiFi at the hotel—a value of $14.95 per day—as well as a list of popular area attractions and a promotional Smile Kit that includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, mints, and floss to take care of your own pearly whites. Guests at the Affinia Shelburne, Affinia Dumont, Affinia 50, and Affinia Manhattan will also receive complimentary wine while attending Evening Libations, Affinia's signature wine hour. Click here for more information and to book your room or call 866/246-2203 and mention promo code SMILE. Aqua Hospitality Hotels in HawaiiBook a room at any of Aqua Hospitality's 21 properties on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and the Big Island of Hawaii and you'll pay from $99 per night and receive a copy of the controversial New York Times Bestseller, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg, one of Fortune's 50 Most Powerful Women and CEO of Facebook. You'll get to learn a little more about LeanIn.org and 10 percent of every reservation will benefit the Patsy Mink Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Hawaii that provides educational opportunities for low-income women and mothers. Click here to book this package online and travel by Dec. 31, 2013 to receive the special rate of $99 per night or call 866/940-2782 and mention the Lean In Promotion. Conservation Volunteer Vacations in U.S. National ParksIf you're interested in helping to preserve America's great national parks, volunteer with the American Conservation Experience this summer and gain access to volunteer vacations normally reserved for AmeriCorps members and long-term volunteers. After a wildly successful program in California's Catalina Island last year, the organization has expanded this year's program to include Bryce Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon National Park as well, with 11-day volunteer vacation packages priced at $600 including your accommodations, supplies, and meals. You'll spend time preserving the parks during the day on weekdays and have nights and weekends to explore these natural wonders. Dates for Catalina Island are Jun. 17, Jul. 22, Aug. 5, 19, and Sept. 2, 2013. Dates for Grand Canyon National Park are Jul. 15 and Aug. 26, 2013. Dates for Bryce Canyon National Park are Jun. 17, Jul. 15, 29, and Aug. 12, 2013.

Travel Tips

7 Great Tips for Visiting Paris in Springtime

The famous song "April in Paris," written by the Tin Pan Alley composer Vernon Duke and recorded by Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and a host of other jazz singers, would have you believe that the city's prime visiting time has passed this year. Not true. April in Paris is, in reality, rainy. You'll find better weather—without the summer crowds and high prices—in June. Here, Budget Travel's best tips for enjoying the world's most gorgeous city during the most gorgeous time of year. TAKE A TOUR OF PARIS! HAVE A PLAN, BUT BE FLEXIBLE John Baxter, author of The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris, recommends that you pick one must-see for each day in Paris, but improvise the rest of the day. This combination of planning and spontaneity is ideal for Paris, a city that offers not only super-famous sights like the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Arc de Triomphe, but also super-secret spots that are all the more special for being off the beaten path. "Paris can't be done with just a map or a guidebook. You have to get lost, frustrated, overwhelmed. Only then will you find that perfect café, that market that seems like a local secret, or that hidden garden. You have to discover Paris for yourself and then it will be yours," says Rebecca Geoffroy-Schwinden, a Ph.D. candidate in musicology recently returned from a year in Paris. GET THE PERFECT VIEW Dubbed "this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower" by the city's most prominent artists when it was proposed by engineer Gustave Eiffel, Paris's ultra-iconic observation tower debuted as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair and quickly became so popular that it was never taken down. These days, the only "monstrous" thing about the tower is the line to buy tickets—the Eiffel Tower attracts more than 7 million visitors each year. It may no longer be the tallest man-made structure in the world (it held that title until the 1930 completion of New York City's Chrysler Building), but the view of the City of Light from the top—including the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur, the Seine and its many bridges, and the surrounding countryside up to 40+ miles—has no earthly match. The elevator to the top: 14.50 euros (buy tickets online to sidestep the line). You can toast the view with a glass of Champagne (from 10 euros), and beat the crowds by visiting later in the evening—the floodlit tower is open until 11 p.m. through mid-June, then to midnight in summer. Insiders suggest that you take the No. 6 Metro line to the Bir-Hakeim station—you'll get an unforgettable view of the tower as your above-ground train approaches the station. Looking for a less-crowded view? The top of Notre Dame cathedral can't be beat, and the view from the Arc De Triomphe is spectacular as well. Or try this insider tip: "Head to the top of Tour Montparnasse around 4:30 p.m. for a Champagne overlooking the Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower," suggests Geoffroy-Schwinden. SEE THE GARDENS Sure, museums like the Louvre and D'Orsay insist on keeping world-famous paintings like the Mona Lisa indoors and that's where you've got to go to see them. But if you visit Paris in springtime, don't stay cooped up inside. The Louvre's collection includes not only paintings, drawings, and sculptures, but also the Carrousel gardens and Tuileries, which offer explosions of spring color, fragrant paths, and inviting landscaping. And for a real dose of spring flowers, don't miss the Luxembourg Gardens and a day trip to Versailles! DO LUNCH A lot of sit-down restaurants in Paris will set you back hundreds of bucks at dinner time. Save them for a (really) special occasion. But Baxter reminds us that prices at some of the top joints can be 50 percent lower at lunch time. He also suggests you can't go wrong at lunch time picking up a spot where the diners stuff napkins into their collars and mop up their plates with pieces of baguette—if picky Parisians are happy with the place, you'll likely find a $40 lunch that includes a good wine. Don't be a wine snob: House wines in Paris are among the best in the world. And don't forget that tips are always included in the bill, so don't tack on an extra 20 percent. KEEP IT SIMPLE As great as Paris's restaurants and museums are, Baxter insists that the city's vibrant street culture and grab-and-go options may be its most alluring. Munching on a fresh baguette with world-class French cheese and jambon (ham) while strolling along the boulevard or sharing a park bench costs just a fraction of the price of a sit-down lunch, and may very well end up being the meal you never forget. EMBRACE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION The Paris Metro trains and buses are clean, safe, reliable, and affordable. In fact, some visitors insist that booking a hotel near a Metro station is the most convenient way to see the city. Opt for a carte orange, a weekly pass. DON'T GET LOST IN THE STARS Paris hotels are rated by the French government with a star system. Some one-star hotels are charming and reliable while others are not well kept and have rooms without private bathrooms. Baxter suggests staying in a three-star hotel. They are typically under $200 per night, including a private bath and complimentary coffee and croissant each morning. Budget Travel can help you select a hotel with our recent Secret Hotels of Paris.

Travel TipsTheme Parks

The Right Way to Cut in Line at Disney World and Other Theme Parks

We here at Budget Travel were pretty disgusted by the recent New York Post's story about wealthy Manhattanites hiring disabled "black market tour guides" to pose as family members at Disney World. The benefit? For $130 per hour—or more than $1,000 per day—up to six of the disabled guide's "family members" can cut in line at popular rides such as It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean, while the less fortunate wait, sometimes more than two hours, for their turn. The practice is, of course, not endorsed by Disney, and takes advantage of the park's sensitive policy toward disabled guests. While we share the revulsion just about everyone else feels about this illicit scheme, we're also a little puzzled. For one thing, major theme parks handle long lines really well, and increasingly keep them moving along briskly or keep folks entertained while they wait. Some of my friends have even told me that the whole line-wait experience is, for them, part of the fun. Not sold on that idea? Well, theme parks like Disney, Universal, Six Flags, and Busch Gardens offer express pass programs that can get you to the head of the line for free, or for a (relatively) modest fee. Here, details about the pass programs at some of the most popular parks. Think of this as your theme park cheat sheet (or, make that your NOT-cheat-sheet): Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom. FastPass is free, but distributed only on a first come, first served basis at machines around the park. You get to skip the line within specified times printed on the pass. Six Flags Great Adventure. Flash Pass starts at $43. A beeper alerts you when it's your turn to board select rides. Universal Studios Florida. Express Plus Pass starts at $20 but is free if you stay at an on-site hotel. It lets you skip lines at select rides. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Quick Queue starts at $20 and lets you skip lines at select rides. TALK TO US! Do you have favorite strategies for beating the lines at theme parks? We'd love to hear them, and might share them in an upcoming Budget Travel story!

Travel Tips

5 Easy Ways To Save Money On Meals

Looking to save more money on your next family vacation? I recently chatted with Anne Taylor Hartzell, founder of the family travel website, HipTravelMama.com, to find out about the best ways families can get the biggest bang for their buck—especially when it comes to meals. Here are her five top tips for saving money on your next big trip. Create a list of favorite restaurants for your destination.Everyone thinks about the price of airfares, hotels, car rentals, and how much they should spend on activities and attractions, but people sometimes forget to set aside enough money in their vacation budgets for meals. Anne says a good idea is to research the place you're traveling to and create a list of favorite restaurants. That way you can estimate how much you'll really be spending, and you won't be tempted to blow your budget on an impulsive dinner at that fancy restaurant you know is way out of your price range. Stick to hotels that have in-room kitchens or resort credits you can use towards meals. Instead of eating at restaurants for every breakfast, lunch, and dinner during your trip, consider booking a hotel room with a kitchenette, visiting the local farmers market or grocery store to make sandwiches for lunch or even cook your own special family dinner. Alternatively, you can scope out hotel deals and packages that include daily breakfast to help cut spending on one meal a day, or look for places that offer resort credits towards meals at the hotel restaurant to offset the cost of dining out every night. Eat where the locals eat.Instead of being herded into one of the more touristy restaurants in the town you're visiting, talk to some of the locals and find out where they like to eat. Ask the hotel staff, your tour guide, or even your taxi driver, about their favorite places to eat—not only are you more likely to end up with an affordable meal, but you'll also get to try local specialties and have a more authentic dining experience. It's okay to splurge...sometimes. You may be on a budget, but you're also on vacation. Make enough room in your plans for a special splurge—eat at that amazing Italian restaurant everyone's been raving about or treat yourself to a sunset dinner on the beach in Tahiti because, honestly, how often do you get a chance to something like that? It's okay to splurge once in a while, just don't make it a habit or you won't be able to afford your next vacation. Look up deals and coupons online before you go.Scour the internet for coupons and meal deals—look for dining vouchers, discounts for activities and attractions on sites like Groupon, LivingSocial, and Travelzoo Local Deals, or seek out coupons for popular restaurants in the place you'll be visiting.