Planning a trip? Essential tips to smartly plan your travel and accommodation this festive season

The festive season 2022 has begun with splendid celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri after two years of restricted festivities. With Diwali round the corner, the festive cheer has also boosted the travel sentiments of Indians, who are looking forward for a trip during the period. Several reports and trends by online travel platforms suggest that people are encouraged to travel with friends and family to indulge in the season's cheer and revelry.

According to Frans Westraadt, General Manager, Six Senses Fort Barwara, people are increasingly seeking to spend quality time with family and friends, which is why there is an uptick in ‘extended stays'. "People are realising the importance of slow travel and seek experiences that acquaint them with the place, its people and culture on a deeper level. The recent years have also seen people desire for more authentic, personalised and sustainable experiences that help them connect with nature and each other," Westraadt adds.

Traveling with family requires an enormous amount of planning, of which deciding the mode of travel is where the discussion begins. Lifestyle and travel blogger Smriti Saxena suggests the following points to remember while booking your tickets.

When travelling by air:

1. Keep the dates flexible in order to grab the tickets for a cheaper flight.

2. Check out the discounts, bank offers and the eligible days to redeem those offers and book on the best fare days.

3. When travelling long distances, a layover is a good option that enables you to cover more in the same price that you pay for the destination. Also, check for airport shuttle timings, those are usually either free or at a nominal cost

When travelling by train:

You need to book train tickets much in advance so plan ahead of time.

By road:

Plan a route keeping in mind the tolls you will have to cross, the conditions of the road and traffic hours for cost effectiveness.

What kind of accommodations to look at?

Contrary to popular perception of staying away from the prime locations can get one a cheaper deal, Saxena suggests booking a stay in the centre of the city can help one save on the transport fares and also choose from multiple eateries to satiate your appetite in tune with your budget. Moreover, the tourist and other areas of attraction are in proximity. It is always beneficial to book your stay right before the peak season begins or is about to end to catch a pre or spill-over of the season at a cheaper price. Booking in a group, if traveling with family, is always a cost effective option to weigh on.

According to Westraadt, families should seek destinations that offer something for everyone in the family. While people can focus on exploring the outdoors of their destination, there is always an option for wellness travel by indulging in exclusive experiences of a hotel and its surroundings.

Here are some pro tips:

1. Identify a location for staying that is closer to a metro, a train or a bus station so that you can easily access public transport

2. When travelling with children or elderly, one could consider a hospital that is well within the proximity. Stay actions and homestays have always been an option. Solo travellers must make sure they have their relevant medication and emergency contact should be your bag, so pack wisely.

3. At some locations an all-inclusive meal may come out as a reasonable option only if your holiday type is such, else you can go by the price. Solo travellers must take note of places where locals eat and not tourists, you will get close to home-cooked or at least authentic food.

4. When travelling with children research for local blogs to scout some fun and free things to do. For solo travellers, making a list of local celebrations and participating in them with the locals will be a memorable experience.

5. Before you travel, reach out to tourism websites of those destinations and find out the all-access passes and skip-the-line passes etc. Pre-booking is not only efficient but can help save a lot of money.

6. Walking tours are another fun thing that you can opt for. There are a lot of free walking tours that companies offer to attract tourists and you can learn more about the place by learning about its history and present. The information on these tours is available either at your hotel or you can even look them up online.

7. Always carry a water bottle with you. Buying water every-time can actually dent your budget.

8. Check for the price comparison websites and even the cancellation policies.

Also read: World Tourism Day 2022: More Indians want to travel in second half of 2022: Survey