Booking a vacation online - Anyone have coupons? Tips?

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-- Booking a vacation online - Anyone have coupons? Tips?

Posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* on Oct-21-2009 00:22:

Booking a vacation online - Anyone have coupons? Tips?

I'm going to book a vacation to Cuba in the next couple of weeks and I have a few questions.

What are the top sites you recommend?

Does anyone have any coupon codes for any sites?

Where should I get travel insurance? (If the website offers it should I just get it there, or will I get ripped off?)

If I book online, how soon after so I need to get travel insurance? i.e. Can I wait a couple weeks, or does it have to be purchased immediately?

My super paranoid dad put the idea in my head that I shouldn't book online b/c the website may go under and then I'd be screwed. But I don't want to book through an agent if I can do it cheaper on my own. Thoughts?

What's the procedure to get a Visa for Cuba?

Posted by Jayx1 on Oct-21-2009 00:27:

Visa is given to you for free at Cuban customs. You must pay 25 CUC (about $30 canadian) upon exiting the country.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PROOF OF CUBAN HOTEL BOOKING. HAVE THE NAME OF THE HOTEL AND ADDRESS OR THEY WILL GIVE YOU A HARD TIME

If you charge your trip to a credit card you are usually safe if the business goes under. Also look for TICO if its an ontario agent as they are a regulatory travel fund.

Sunwing is always the cheapest ive found. Also try selloffvacations.com and Westjet recently started flying there.

You wont find anything on expedia, travelocity etc since they are american and are under the cuban embargo.

You should get travel insurance immediately (cancellation)... Medical insurance can usually wait and can be bought seperate.

Also dont go to cuba if you have the flu because they will quarantine you for 6 days over swine flu shenanigans. Happened to a friend of mine last month. Surprise surprise... he was fine!

Remember its a socialist/communist country so do not talk politics at all or risk going to jail. Also its prohibited to bring in any sort of GPS device including one built into your cell phone.

Posted by VERTiG0 on Oct-21-2009 00:29:

Cuba is awesome, go to Varadero Beach.

Posted by Jayx1 on Oct-21-2009 00:34:

quote:
Originally posted by VERTiG0
Cuba is awesome, go to Varadero Beach.

Veradero is great..

If you want a real adventure, dont book a hotel (except the first night for customs purposes). Rent a car and travel the country. You can stay at "particular" houses that are licensed by the government for tourists. Here you will meet real cubans and eat real cuban food.

This is the sign for "casa particular" They should charge you NO MORE THAN 30 CUC Per person per night BY LAW.

The only thing about renting a car is it gets a little expensive. About $100 a day. But well well worth it. I did this type of vacation twice this year and made a lot of cuban friends.

Posted by legendary_waz on Oct-21-2009 00:37:

I am currently planning a trip to Varadero for early January. From my research so far I have found selloffvacations and West Jet vacations to be the best source for prices. Tripadvisor (in particular the forums) is a great source of getting reviews about the different resorts. I havent booked my tickets yet, but I should be within the next 3-4 weeks. Although its not predictable, in past years the prices did drop a bit in November as tour companies try to get the high season started, which starts in late November/early December.

Posted by dgame on Oct-21-2009 00:40:

www.exitnow.ca

Posted by Atho on Oct-21-2009 07:10:

I always book with www.wholesaletravel.com it's always been the cheapest. The website is part of the umbrella of companies including selloffvacations, belair travel, and itravel2000 (there may be more that i'm forgetting)

Posted by Abercrombie on Oct-21-2009 19:16:

How about you bump the thread you opened on this same topic a few months ago?

Posted by Stilez on Oct-21-2009 19:27:

quote:
Originally posted by Jayx1
Veradero is great..

If you want a real adventure, dont book a hotel (except the first night for customs purposes). Rent a car and travel the country. You can stay at "particular" houses that are licensed by the government for tourists. Here you will meet real cubans and eat real cuban food.

This is the sign for "casa particular" They should charge you NO MORE THAN 30 CUC Per person per night BY LAW.

The only thing about renting a car is it gets a little expensive. About $100 a day. But well well worth it. I did this type of vacation twice this year and made a lot of cuban friends.

+1
Varadero is so played out. srsly. u might as well be in Miami.

Posted by VDub on Oct-21-2009 20:44:

I am a BIG fan of itravel 2000...

We've used them twice and they were the best price/quality both times...

I'm pretty sure that they're big enough to not go under while you're away...

We even almost won our vacation cost back the last time with the let it snow promo...

Of course it snowed 4" instead of the 5" required on new years day '07 so tough luck...

Posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* on Oct-21-2009 23:11:

quote:
Originally posted by Abercrombie
How about you bump the thread you opened on this same topic a few months ago?

Did a search...couldn't find it. Honestly, some days that search function works and other times it doesn't. lol

Posted by FunkyCrew on Oct-22-2009 01:26:

you can buy travel insurance from your bank (I think it's like $25 or something)
it's the cheapest travel insurance, me thinks

Posted by DeleteFromUsers on Oct-22-2009 01:47:

If anyone wants to bring back a small pack of Cohibas for me as they fly back home, I'll pay a small finder's fee (pm me if interested)

Posted by Abercrombie on Oct-22-2009 03:17:

I saw a commercial on TV for Expedia, and they're saying they're including travel insurance in their prices now... check, and let us know if it's for real!

Posted by Jayx1 on Oct-22-2009 03:18:

Posted by *~LiSa-LoO~* on Oct-22-2009 03:24:

quote:
Originally posted by Abercrombie
I saw a commercial on TV for Expedia, and they're saying they're including travel insurance in their prices now... check, and let us know if it's for real!

Ya I saw that too and was hoping to book with them, but then found out they don't go to Cuba.

Does anyone have (recent) experience with any of the resorts in Varadero? These were our top choices:

1. Villas Jibacoa (Cameleon)

2. Gran Caribe Club Punterena (Cameleon)

3. Sunbeach (Hotetur)

Posted by Jem_hadar on Oct-22-2009 04:47:

I went back in 07. We booked ours through SellOffVacations.com (http://www.selloffvacations.com/).

Lots of deals. My ex was the one doing all the online research and scouring the vacation sell-off sites though; thats the one she settled on using.

Absolutely no complaints. Fan-fucking-tastic price and a really great resort.

We stayed at the Barcel� Solymar in Varadero (http://www.barcelo.com/BarceloHotel...ro/Solymar/Home). Absolutely loved this place. Another a couple we befriended down there (still friends too! ), this was their 4th time in Cuba in 2-3 years, and they said this resort had (easily) the best food they've had in Cuba. (The food is the one iffy thing about Cuba usually versus other tropical getaways countries.)

Message me on Facebook Lise if you have any questions.

We went at the beg of Dec. Booked it middle of Nov.

Nov and Dec are great months to go, these vacations are so cheap this time of the year!

Posted by Jem_hadar on Oct-22-2009 04:53:

Re: Booking a vacation online - Anyone have coupons? Tips?

quote:
Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~*
My super paranoid dad put the idea in my head that I shouldn't book online b/c the website may go under and then I'd be screwed. But I don't want to book through an agent if I can do it cheaper on my own. Thoughts?

What's the procedure to get a Visa for Cuba?

SellOffVacations has been around for years... I'd not worry about booking through them, girl, you're safe.

And re: the 2nd question, what Jayx1 said.

If you have your passport then you're all set habibi!

Posted by malek on Oct-22-2009 05:15:

quote:
Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~*
Ya I saw that too and was hoping to book with them, but then found out they don't go to Cuba.

Does anyone have (recent) experience with any of the resorts in Varadero? These were our top choices:

1. Villas Jibacoa (Cameleon)

2. Gran Caribe Club Punterena (Cameleon)

3. Sunbeach (Hotetur)

been once to Varadero, to Blau Varadero, very good resort. But doesn't touch the Riu's in particular, and Varadero is way too over rated in general.

Posted by Jem_hadar on Oct-22-2009 05:29:

quote:
Originally posted by malek
and Varadero is way too over rated in general.

But, but... they have a club in a cave, Malek!

(The Pirate Cave, I think it was called, actually.)

Varadero's still a great time though... beautiful beaches, and lots of tourist and local clubbing options too at night!

We went out almost every night into Varadero. It was great fun. 3 of those times were to "local" clubs, not the "tourist" ones.

A little more raw, but so much fun. And partying in a cave is just a cool vacation experience

Posted by malek on Oct-22-2009 05:38:

Cueva del pirata: http://www.malek-jewel.com/main.php..._serialNumber=1

http://www.malek-jewel.com/main.php..._serialNumber=1

Posted by Jem_hadar on Oct-22-2009 05:46:

quote:
Originally posted by malek
Cueva del pirata: http://www.malek-jewel.com/main.php..._serialNumber=1

http://www.malek-jewel.com/main.php..._serialNumber=1

That's it!

(God, what a shit show it was trying to PUSH your way through line to get in there, lol! seeing those photos brought back those memories... actual LINES dont exist in Cuba for clubs/bars... you just have a MOB of ppl that push and shove and fight to get up to the front, lol.

Pretty much like the Tiesto 2004 coat check line at the Docks that night... but even worse! hahaha

All worth it once you're in though

Cuuuuuuuuuuba!

Posted by Nobbie Q on Oct-22-2009 07:25:

I went to Sol Sirenis Coral in Varadero in like Feb '08. The service at the resort was okay but could have been better. The people were basically all from Toronto, so it was like Toronto Special Edition Gone was the attitude and more freeloving people at the resorts and clubs etc. The food on the resorts I've heard isn't the greatest (mine included) but I had some amazing food off the resort. Off the resorts in Varadero you can find enough wicked restaurants if you get tired of the food.

I'm actually thinking of a solo mission in December as I have a week off. It's so tempting to go back. The beach is so amazing in Varadero...I love it how at all these all-inclusive places everyone leaves the beach area at evening time. I usually just chill there with some ambient/chillout songs playing as the sun goes down.