Making the most of your International Holiday

Making the most of your International Holiday

We tend to spend a lot on our International holiday and then are left at the mercy of our itineraries to give us a feel good factor about it. Well, there are small little things which can give you ‘much more’ out of your holiday if you pay attention to the fine print. Take a closer look:

1.      Global Refund / VAT Refund: Most of the countries give a privilege to International travelers that they need not pay full VAT / tax on their purchases. The way it works is as below:

a.  The tourist does some extensive shopping (which amounts to more than the minimum amount required for VAT refund eligibility). He asks for a VAT refund form at the shop / store.

b.  The shop helps the tourist fill in his/her VAT refund form (which requires his passport details as well) and puts in the calculated refund amount on this form.     
c.   During his stay abroad, the tourist collects all such VAT refund forms from different stores he/she shops in. Remember, not all stores provide VAT refund.

d.   While at the airport to catch the return flight, the tourist visits the Customs Area and gets his VAT refund forms stamped after showing the goods he/she purchased.

e.   Then he/she visits Global Refund office at the airport and shows the stamped VAT refund forms and gives his/her choice about receiving cash / credit in card. If cash is opted, the same is provided to the tourist in the currency of his/her choice.

f.    The airport maps where Global refund offices can be located can be found at the Global blue / global refund website.

g.   Depending on the country, you normally get approximately 10% (or even more) of your purchase price back. Hey, what more do you want ??? J

2.  Register for Airline Miles: Whichever airline you fly with gives you the option to register with it to earn some miles. You can redeem these miles for either some gifts / souvenirs or domestic tickets with the same or partner airlines. Also, if you keep on accumulating these miles, you get upgraded to the next tier of the membership and then you have access to other facilities like Premier Lounges at airports, excess baggage allowance and so on.

3. Credit Card membership reward points: If you are using a credit card for your finances abroad, it is a good idea to register for its reward point scheme as well.  Since you shall be spending a lot (even if you spend less, in Indian currency it shall be quite a lot, still), you will accumulate a lot of reward points which you can again redeem for gifts.

4. Get Rail Passes or book online and look for Combo offers: You can save a lot of money by planning in advance and booking tickets online. Many official websites offer discounts / combo offers which you can avail and also avoid that queue at the ticket window.

5. Register for Hotel Membership: Most of the good hotels abroad generally belong to one or the other hotel chain. It’s a good idea to register for their membership as well. This can give you approximately 10% off in the hotels of the same chain or you may be lucky to avail some free stays as well.

     6. Be alert about the many offers and discounts that are ongoing in local markets. Things can be pretty inexpensive when bought during sales or ongoing offers. Look out for the word ‘korting’ which means ‘discount’ when in Netherlands. Many shops provide their membership card which can offer additional discounts on your subsequent purchases.

      7. There are exclusive shopping destinations like ‘Designer Outlet’ which have almost all brands’ factory outlets and offer a range of discounts. Do check them out.

      8. Do try local souvenirs, local food especially French breads / pastries, Dutch and swiss cheese, winter woolen accessories, jackets, swiss watches, swiss army knives, chocolates, perfumes, local French fries with mayonese…. The list is endless.. J

As a general tip, when shopping, search for things that you cannot find or buy in India. I am sure you will find many such things to shop for. Then, when you return to your homeland, these souvenirs can be a source of delight and a sweet memory about the exotic destination you have been to. Also, the feeling that you could get some freebies and irresistible offers will make you smile even more.

Buon Viaggio!!!!

Travelling to Europe

Travelling to Europe

Travelling to different parts of the world may excite many of us. The mere thought of vacationing in Europe brings a wide smile on our faces. After all, Europe has some of the most beautiful countries in the world. Let’s take a look at the geography of Europe –

The geography of Europe can be understood in different parts:

1.      Scandinavian countries – comprising of Northern European countries like Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Finland lies in Fenno-Scandinavian region. Iceland is also a part of European Continent.

2.      Central Europe – comprises of  the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Austria

3.      Western Europe – Ireland. UK is not a part of European Union although it is counted in the European Continent.

4.      Eastern Europe – Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

5.      Southern Europe – Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece

The most beautiful parts of Europe are Central and Southern European countries. Northern Europe is characterized by extremely cold climate followed by Central Europe. The South is on a relatively warmer side, although it can also snow in Southern Europe on some occasions.

Central European countries have the richest economies along with UK in the west. The Eastern and Southern countries in Europe are still struggling to keep up with their Northern counterparts.

Being surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on many sides, Spain, Italy and Greece offer some of the most beautiful locales for tourists. However, the Queen of all in terms of beauty is Switzerland, which in spite of not being surrounded by any sea, is still able to charm the travelers from all over the world who seem to be smitten by the sheer beauty and tranquility of this country.

The best time to visit Europe is from June – September. The other parts of the year are relatively colder and only advised for the adventurous travel freaks who would like to enjoy skiing, snow-boarding and other snow activities.

If you are single and with a bunch of friends looking to explore Europe in the minimum possible time and with the least possible budget, the best way to travel across Europe is as a backpacker. Just pack in your back packs, plan your itinerary in advance, book your tickets/passes and you are ready for a trip of a lifetime.

Some tips for travelling in Europe:

1.      Take a back pack along and be prepared to walk a lot since most of local sight- seeing in Europe is covered on foot

2.      Plan your itinerary in advance. Since almost everything (from tickets, to tourist information etc) is available on the internet, you can plan your itinerary pretty extensively. This planning will save you many hours of your precious time from being wasted in looking around for information / standing in queues to buy tickets.

3.      City maps and guides are freely available at every major railway station and are a must to have if you are travelling without a guide.

4.      Pack only essential stuff. You don’t want to restrict your movement because of a heavy back pack.

5.      If you are travelling a lot, getting a rail pass is a good idea. Eurail Passes are a very popular and convenient way of travelling in Europe.

6.      Always keep your passport, insurance and flight tickets handy while travelling in Europe. You may be asked to present them by the local police authorities.

7.      If you are a vegetarian and can’t do without Indian food, you have the following options:

a.       Look out for Indian restaurants at your destination in advance and make a reservation there. There are many Indian restaurants in all major European cities, however, smaller cities may not have any.

b.      Prepare your food yourself and take it along

c.       Alternatives are McDonalds, Subway, Dommino’s and other local fast food joints

d.      If you chose to stay in an apartment / hostel at your destination, you may cook your food there itself

e.       Try some European delicacies like Cheese Fondue etc. Try to get a break from Indian food as well for some time. Remember you are in Europe exploring some new culture and food ???

8.      Always keep an eye on your finances. Europe is really expensive and your purse can get empty pretty fast if you don’t manage your finances well.

A Euro Trip can be a trip of a lifetime provided you plan well and are open to a culture much different from India. Surely, you shall be back with memories to cherish for life.

Bon Voyage…!!!!!