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Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 4

Continued from Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 3

Easy Come, Easy Go

Because we often know little about the places that we are visiting we may feel more secure booking everything in advance. By doing this we can lose out on many great opportunities. Once you’re on the road, so much information can be collected firsthand from other travelers, or from locals in the area. Accommodation doesn’t need to be booked weeks in advance, so if you’re in one place and you hear some fellow travelers raving about where they’ve just been, you can chose that as your next destination. There are plenty of websites that can provide you with accommodation options and help with last minute booking. Often, you can grab yourself some bargains doing it this way.

Travel arrangements are often easier to make once you’re in a location also. It may have seemed, from the internet that getting a plane was your easiest option, but when you’re actually in another country you begin to realize that the buses are astronomically efficient, or a train journey is an unmissable experience, or your new found friends have hired a car. Do some necessary planning but don’t be afraid to leave some spaces. Things are often much easier overseas than we are led to believe and we don’t want to limit ourselves with over precautions.

Enjoy yourself

These ideas will help you make the most of what will undoubtedly be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have. Having some good back-up advice on-board means less needless worry and more time to focus on what really matters: having fun, meeting new people, absorbing new cultures, embracing exhilarating experiences, really ‘living’ your trip and having the time of your life.


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Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 2

Continued from Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 2

Don’t Take Stuff You Can’t Bear To Lose

You’re going to be living a transitory lifestyle and safe-guarding belongings can be more difficult under those circumstances. Many hostels have security boxes but if you’re constantly trying to navigate the security of your possessions, it will be a burden. Things that are very, very valuable to you are best left at home. Things that are pretty valuable to you, keep on your person or locked somewhere secure. Even if you think you can trust everyone sharing your dormitory you can really never know.

On the street, keep valuables as close to your person as possible (either out of sight altogether or in a bag that is durable in crowds). There is no need for paranoia, but some scam artists operate by causing distractions whilst your bag is slashed and your belongings taken. Buy a bag that’s resilient or wear your rucksack forwards facing. Be careful not to be too flash with your belongings. You never know who may be watching you whilst you Skype on your IPad or counting the money you’ve just taken from the bank. Practice caution and modesty. Often it’s much more cost-effective to buy a cheap mobile phone in the countries that you visit, than to use your state-of-the-art one from home.


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Top Travelers Backpack with Brains – Part 1

Top Travelers Backpack with Brains

In all the excitement of receiving those round the world tickets, (or planning your route around Europe, Asia, or wherever), whilst attending the numerous fair well soirees often we forget the fact that this trip is real. You are actually going. With this in mind, we would like to share some easy fundamentals that will help you make the ultimate of ultimate experiences. We don’t want to be too militant. In fact going with the flow is to be advocated, but laying some foundations that will help along the way is a good idea. Being a bit brainy will help your backpacking experience be so much easier and easier is good. Huffing and puffing your way around the world wishing you were at home is not the way to go.  Backpacking is the experience of a lifetime (especially when done well). For the most enjoyable of trips, here’s some of the best advice from those in the know:

Be a Smooth Operator: Packing Less is Best

Seriously, you may know already if you’ve ever hiked your way into a music festival with your saucepans swinging from the arms of your rucksack, packing too much just makes you feel tired, frustrated and a bit silly. As a backpacker, you’re going to be on the move. There will be times when you’re up at 4am in the morning when everyone in the dorm is sleeping and you want to be able to make an exit that is quiet and nicely done. Don’t become an infamous carrier bag rustler – the world already has too many. Make an art form of what you pack and pack light. You will feel so much more confident with a lighter bag – and yes, on occasion, maybe a even a little smug.

By packing as little as possible you will infinitely benefit yourself. You won’t want to burst into tears every time you have to dash for a bus, or train, or somehow do a 12 hour bus journey with your backpack on your lap. You won’t have to pay additional charges to get it on the plane. You won’t find it so laborious every time you have to pack and unpack your bag to find something (that is always, without fail, right at the bottom). You won’t have to do so much washing and you will have space if you need it for lovely new things you pick up along the way.


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HostelTraveler.com’s Answer to HostelWorld’s contract revisions

HostelTraveler.com …

  • Still Free to join
  • Booking Engines for your website, guaranteed to beat any competitor price
  • PMS starting at $22
  • Channel Manager, with lowest cost in the industry (updates HW and the rest)

Get listed to get started: http://www.hosteltraveler.com/listings/add_property.php

 

Read about HostelWorld’s new contract in plain English:

http://www.hostelmanagement.com/forums/new-hw-contract-plain-english.html#comment-1026491


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Killer App for Channel Management

Manage your calendar just once, yet update dozens of booking sites at once. Save hours and even days each month managing calendars on multiple booking sites.

IWB Channel Manager is pure and simply a killer app.  The advantages speak for themselves.  Read more below.

Wikipedia definition: a killer app is any computer program that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology.  A killer app can substantially increase sales of the platform on which it runs.

Advantages:
– Less than $14 per month
– Dozens of booking channels included in one low price
– Over 500 premium IDS/GDS booking sites also available
– Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Priceline, and many more
– All major hostelling sites included, including HostelWorld.com
– Save time by managing your calendar only once

 Questions?

For less than $14 per month, there’s nothing to lose.

At a price this low, advanced channel management is now available to all types of accommodations.  IWB Channel Manager is excellent for hotels, hostels, and B&Bs alike, regardless of size.  Since there are no long term commitments, purchase as many months of service as you want.  Or buy just one month and try it out.  Once you experience the convenience and time-savings of IWB Channel Manager, you’ll never go back to managing separate calendars again.

Which sites can I send my calendar to?

Already included in one low price are many of the most popular distribution channels.  All of the main hostelling sites are included (yes, even sites like HostelWorld.com and Hostelbookers.com).  You might pay this much elsewhere for just 2 or 3 channels.  And, B&B’s will be happy to know that some specialty bed & breakfast sites are also included.  But don’t stop here, read below to learn how to publish your calendar to more than 500 additional channels (premium sites and GDS/IDS channels like Booking.com, Expedia.com, Hotels.com, etc.).  The following channels are already included with your membership, and we’re adding new ones all the time:

 
  • Agoda
  • ApartmentsZadar.com
  • BBPlanet.com
  • BBPlanet.it
  • BestLondonHostels.com
  • BudgetPlaces
  • Bug.co.uk
  • EasyToBook
  • Escapio
  • Gomio
  • HIHostels
  • Hostelbookers
  • HostelMania.com
  • HostelsClub
  • HostelTimes
  • HostelTraveler (IWB’s 100+ sites)
  • HostelWorld
  • Hostelz.com
  • Hotel.de
  • Hotel.info
  • HotelAdvisor
  • HotelClub.com
  • Inbed.me
  • LetMeGo.com
  • Localo.com
  • MaxBooking
  • RatesToGo.com
  • RealBedAndBreakfasts.com
  • RealVacationRentals.com
  • TheRealHostels.com
  • TheRealHotels.com

What about sites like Booking.com, Expedia.com, and Hotels.com?

Yes, optional connectivity to premium sites like Booking.com, Expedia.com, Hotels.com, etc. is available for an additional cost.  With over 500 premium IDS/GDS booking sites at your fingertips, IWB Channel Manager gives you unprecedented distribution capability.

How frequently can I update my calendar?

You can update your calendar on an unlimited, real-time basis. Channel Manager will update all your external channels instantaneously when you change your calendar on Instant World Booking.

How to get started?

Get started today.  A free Instant World Booking membership is required to access IWB Channel Manager.  Don’t have a free listing yet?   Add Your Property

If you’re already an Instant World Booking member, just log in to your profile and go to “Channel Manager”.  Join now, and start managing your calendar on multiple booking channels within 24 hours.

Questions?

Learn about other ways to work with Instant World Booking:

Work With Us

How about a new Booking Engine for your website?

We offer the lowest cost available for a full-featured Booking Engine for accommodation websites. We also offer many features that other services (like HostelWorld, BedandBreakfast.com, Rezovation, etc.) can’t offer, such as the ability to collect any deposit amount from your guests. Additionally, your Booking Engine comes with Full Cancellation and No-Show Protection. Switching to Instant World Booking now can save you a lot of money. With a free demo and no obligation, you can’t lose. Check out comparisons and more features at:

Booking Engines

How about a fully-functional demo of a new property management system?

IWBFrontDesk.com is Instant World Booking’s new property management system (PMS), designed to satisfy your front desk needs in many ways not previously available to accommodation managers. And, at savings of 30% to 75%+ versus many of the most popular PMS providers, you can’t afford not to try it. For complete details, pricing, and to get started with your free trial, please go to:

IWBFrontDesk

For information about payments services, see:

IWB Payments Services

Don’t have a free listing yet?

Add Your Property


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