How to book your next vacation in 6 easy steps

Many Saudis depend on travel agent offices to book their vacation packages. Yet long queues and long waiting hours, not to mention short office hours, can hinder your choice of the best option for your vacation, whether you're planning a honeymoon, a family vacation or a new adventure with friends.
With technology and high-speed Internet nowadays, one has no excuse to not explore their options online. Many websites are available for the most picky of travelers, with a variety of plane ticket options and fares, train tickets and boat excursions, as well as hotel stays, all of which are available with the click of a mouse.
The first step is choosing your destination. Until recently, many destinations within the Kingdom were undiscovered, but thanks to the extensive campaigns launched to establish tourist locations thus far known only to locals, places such as Mada'in Saleh, located north west of the Kingdom, are finally becoming known. Mada’in Saleh is the sister of the astonishing Petra tombs in Jordan, built by ancient Arabs known as Al-Anbat (the Nabataeans).
The second step would be to choose the best travel website. There are a number of trustworthy websites that provide extensive details on common trip itineraries. Expedia, Travelocity, Booking, Orbitz and TripAdvisor are some of the more well-known sites. The trick to finding the best deal is to study the prices, compare between the websites and if available, revise hotel and airline websites to find the best offer that suits you.
The other golden rule is to take your time. This way, you will be able to plan it just the way you want, from the number of days spent in any given city to your seat preference for your airline of choice.
Once the location has been chosen, it is important to check if the flight is non-stop depending on your budget and your needs. Choosing the right website for you is essential since not all websites provide the services you might be looking for. Some websites provide information only on hotels. Others might not have the option of renting a car, for instance, while others go as far as recommending it.
The third step is to consider the timing of the trip. Check weather websites, monthly temperature averages and consider the timing. Many personal experience websites recommend specific times in the year where the weather is optimal. Living in the Kingdom is tricky, since being a desert climate does necessarily mean that it will be hot all year round. Indeed, winter can be very harsh in some areas.
The fourth step is choosing the hotel. Price comparison is highly recommended, as is checking the amenities through customer reviews and photos on sites such as TripAdvisor. This way, you will be able to see what you’re paying for and make sure it suits your preference.
Some locations, such as Al-Ula, aren’t used to large numbers of travelers as of yet due to its remote location but do provide a few good hotels befitting to a World Heritage Site. Some hotels even provide room preferences according to view, the number and type of pillows, shower or bathtub preferences and upgrades.
The date and time of arrival at the hotel must be in line with the airline ticket, bearing in mind that it is recommended that you inform the hotel reception in case of delay or early arrival so as to avoid waiting at check-in, ensure that the card you are using to book the hotel room is not charged or that reservation is lost.
Many hotels offer free breakfast with the room while others may not. It is up to the traveller to choose whether to have breakfast included or to try their luck in local restaurants nearby. Lunch and dinner are mainly out of the equation and could cost up to double that of restaurants outside hotel grounds.
The fifth step is to check out blogs and “what-to-do” websites to get a feel of the different experiences that travelers have had of the destination you are about to visit. Many of these blogs and websites offer a user commentary section that any outsider can benefit from. You can find tips, recommended areas to visit, restaurants and meals to try or avoid and even tour guides for help in the area. It is highly recommended embark upon such research in order to be spared from tourist traps such as overnight desert excursions that might not turn out to be what you had in mind. Many who visit these ancient locations get ripped off by agents who are only looking to profit off of tourists, so reading and doing your homework will help in the long run. These personal travel blogs serve the greater good, so get your reading glasses on and start browsing.
The sixth step would be to finalize your travel plans. This is done by adding all up all the price estimates you have acquired from different websites. Make sure that your travel expenses are covered in the credit card you are using. All these websites require a form of credit card, whether it be Master Card, Visa, American Express or other such credit or debit cards. An important point to consider is the fees required by websites. Fees vary from one website to another but all charge considerable rates. Make sure you have read and reviewed your travel plans, from plane tickets, to hotel and room preferences, to transportation.
For complimentary service, it is highly suggested that you contact your place of stay and inform them that this will be to your first visit to ensure you are taken care of. You may even get meal vouchers or complimentary transportation to and from the airport, a fruit basket, free spa visits and more. Bon voyage!

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