Book Accommodations in Advance – A Simple Travel Tip That Saves Time, Money, and Stress
Making plans for a trip is always an exciting experience. A great trip, whether with family, on business or alone, depends largely on where you stay.
Because of this, you should reserve your place to stay as far in advance as you can. I’ve made this mistake before, so I’m offering my help to prevent you from facing those sudden problems.
I will explain it in a simple and easy way.
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Why You Should Book Your Hotel Rooms in Advance
You have reached your destination, where you plan to relax in the hot shower and rest in the cozy bed you’ve been imagining. Then you figure out – there are no rooms left. The rooms are either packed or the only ones available are priced too high. Frustrating, right?
One time, this happened when I made a sudden trip to Ooty at the weekend. I planned to look for a place to live once I was in the country. Big mistake! Tourists were everywhere, so I found myself in a dirty room with no hot water, for twice the normal cost.
At this moment, I knew I would never take that chance again. Therefore, I now make my reservations well ahead of time. Honestly, it has made every trip I take much better and less stressful.
1. Lowers the Cost
You usually get the best deals on flights if you book in advance. If you book in advance, many hotels and homestays have discounts in place for you. Prices tend to rise when check-in is soon and during festivals, holidays and when many people are traveling in India.
If you are planning a New Year’s trip to Goa, you could save thousands by making your reservation a month ahead compared to only a week ahead.
Pro Tip:
Find places where you can cancel without penalty – just in case you need to change your plans.
2. With more choices, you get better rooms.
If you book early, you have more choices when you go traveling. You could select a room with a good view, serving free breakfast, closer to the market or by the sea – depends on your preferences.
When you wait to the finish line, don’t be surprised if all the good apartments are gone, leaving you with just the poor-quality options.
3. Helps to Avoid Rushing and Footing Last-Minute Costs
You can expect disruption during travel in India due to traffic jams, delays on trains and sudden showers. Adding pressure by not deciding on your sleeping place isn’t the most brilliant idea.
Once you have a place to stay, you travel with confidence. You won’t have to worry about where to stay, as there are plenty of hotels to choose from.
4. More Planning for Families and Groups
If traveling as a group or with family, you should pay extra attention to this. It is challenging to locate more than one room in the same building when the place is very busy.
One thing I still recall is planning a cousins’ visit to Jaipur. We secured our villa well in advance and paid less than we expected. If we’d delayed any longer, we’d have each stayed in a separate hotel – that wouldn’t have been enjoyable for us as a couple.
5. Useful for people who want to arrive earlier than the check-in time.
Making your booking ahead of time allows you to request early or late check-in, check-out or ask for a suitable room near the entrance.
If you request special treatment or services when making an early hotel reservation, chances are it will be approved.
Learning how to Book in Advance Made Easy
Here are the steps to ensure your stay is booked quickly and simply.
- Always pick reputable websites when making a hotel reservation.
- Indians often choose MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Booking.com and Agoda for travel.
Consult reviews, see how others rated the restaurant and compare its prices with similar places.
- Contact the place you plan to rent by phone.
- Five minutes after booking online, you should give the hotel a call to ensure that they received your reservation. It provides an additional sense of confidence.
Try to Reserve Your Rental at Least 2 or 3 Weeks Early
- If your time is tight or it’s a holiday, you should book your reservations as far ahead as you can manage. For places that are easier to visit, a week might suffice, but why take that risk?
Ensure that you have checked for Free Cancellation.
- Every plan can change and that’s perfectly normal. If you book with flexible cancellation, you are free to change your plans.
Things You Should Not Do
Never book accommodation before going through recent reviews and pictures.
- Missing the confirmation – Sometimes there are issues with the online booking. It helps to make a quick call.
- Delaying your check-in or check-out – Read the hotel’s guidelines for not missing any details.
This is a strategy I personally use.
As soon as the travel dates are set, I book my stay, even before reserving my train or air tickets. I always prefer the “free cancellation” option. With this, I’ll have a plan and can switch to a more suitable one down the road.
conclusion
Not everyone who plans their trip early is fancy or likes everything to be organized. It suits people looking for an easy and carefree journey.
This approach can be simple, won’t cost any more and actually helps you save time and money.
If you’re arranging a holiday, try to reserve your accommodation in advance. Later on, you will appreciate all your hard work.
