Taking off Travel blog

I’ve compiled a few tips for those last minute Thanksgiving Flights and Airport Parking searches.  Time’s ticking and if you are a procrastinator, you have just a few weeks left to get your flight booked.  In an article from USA Today, airlines are expecting to have their planes at near capacity for each flight.  The expected passenger volume is projected to be about 23 million passengers over the 12 day period of normal Thanksgiving travel.

Here are a few tips to check through as you search for any last minute deals:

1. Stop what you are doing and start searching NOW.  There are going to be few deals through the end of the year.  Airlines have been raising their prices all  year, and the chances of getting a last minute deal at the height of the travel season is pretty slim.
2. Most travel analysts say that airlines already have blacked out Thanksgiving and the week of December 15, so if you see seats available on a flight you better just book it now.
3. You may be able to get a better rate if you book a flight and hotel at once. Package deals may save you a couple hundred bucks.
4. Try to travel light, but don’t over pack your carry on. Airlines are cracking down on checked bags and carry on.  In fact, Spirit Airlines is now charging up to $100 for a carry on if you wait until you register the bag and check-in.  If you register the carry on when you make your reservation, it is $35 (according to the Spirit website).

One thing to remember is authorities are advising travelers that during peak travel times, travelers should arrive two hours before their scheduled airline departure time.  Add at least another hour on to that to find a parking space at one of the airport’s parking lots.  Travel up and down the rows until you find a spot you may be able to squeeze into, drag your spouse, kids, and luggage to the nearest shuttle station and wait.  And wait some more because it just left.

Instead prebook your parking space too at ParkRideFlyUSA.com.  Some great reasons to prebook your parking space.

• We have off-airport parking vendors at all the major airports
• Guaranteed parking space
• great rates
• transportation to and from the airport terminal
• luggage assistance

Since you will have a reserved parking space, there’s no need to drive around the airport searching.  Save time, money, and frustration and plan everything ahead.  You will certainly be glad you did.

You’re probably thinking, seriously, there’s no shocking truth about something as boring as parking.  Well, unless you had the experience of arriving at the Airport Economy Parking Lot and the LOT FULL sign is flashing through your windshield, you are late for your flight, and you just saw the airport shuttle whiz by, you don’t know how shocking airport parking can be!

Outside of living under a rock most of your life, you probably already realize that the holiday period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is the busiest time of year for airline travel.  All this leads us to the point that unless you take some preliminary precautions, someone is going to park their car in your spot, even though you yelled DIBS on it with your super powers.

Let’s say that you had researched the parking costs for your Thanksgiving flight back in August, when you made your plane reservations.  But, you arrived at the lot and instead of  the reasonable $5 per day rate, the “holiday rate” is now $10.00+ per day.  WHAT?  Arguing with the attendant won’t work, she’s just charging what the computer told her.  If you want your car out of Airport Parking hock, then you will need fork over whatever the Airport says.

Now, let’s get back to reality.  Airport parking doesn’t need to become difficult, nor do you need super powers to get a great parking space.  You can reserve your spot ahead of time for an off-airport parking lot and save not only some of your hard earned cash, but time and frustration as well.  You receive luggage assistance, a ride to and from the terminal, and peace of mind from having a parking space.

Check out the rates for your departure airport at ParkRideFlyUSA. We have the best parking lots listed for your airport.  Just a few clicks, and you will have a guaranteed parking space for your holiday trip.  Book early so you can lock in your rate and avoid any last minute blackouts.  With your paid receipt, you will have access to your reserved parking spot at the off airport parking lot you chose, guaranteed locked in rate, and peace of mind before you start your trip home to Mom’s house.

And, since Mom is making your favorite holiday dessert, wouldn’t you rather spend your extra money on a nice gift instead of airport parking?

The holiday season is in full swing, especially in those towns that look like they were built for Christmas (some of them were!).  Here are the top five picks for the best Christmas towns in America based on their look, feel, and, most of all, festive holiday spirit.

1. Solvang, CA
Located less than an hour away from Santa Barbara, the city of Solvang is not your typical California coastal town.  The architecture is modeled after traditional Danish buildings, giving tourists the feeling of Old World charm and quaintness.  During December, Solvang hosts a number of holiday traditions including the Olsen’s Gingerbread House, Danish Silver Gift-Giving, and caroling in Solvang Park.

All the winter festivities come after Julfest, the beginning of the holiday season.  Visitors from across the nation travel to Solvang to celebrate the holidays surrounded by Dutch-inspired architecture like half-timber buildings and windmills.

2. Leavenworth, WA
Modeled after a Bavarian village, Leavenworth’s city center is composed of Germanic half-timbers that house everything from quaint shops to modern Starbucks.  As snow starts to fall in central Washington State east of the Cascades, Leavenworth becomes a winter wonderland.  The city looks like something out of an Old World snow globe: horse-drawn carriages, sleigh rides, carolers, and lighting festivals are just some of the local highlights that visitors can enjoy.  Every part of Leavenworth is infused with holiday spirit: from the hotel accommodations to the restaurants in the town, guests can enjoy a thoroughly festive Christmas town.

3. North Pole, AK
Ever heard of Davis, Alaska?  Unless you lived in the Last Frontier State before 1953, your answer is probably no.  That’s because, nearly 60 years ago, Davis changed its name to North Pole, becoming a national sensation and holiday pilgrimage site.  The most iconic landmark in town is the 42-foot tall Santa statue that stands outside the town’s gift shop, Santa Claus House.  The store lies just minutes away from the Post Office; out of towners send their Christmas cards there to receive the local postmark so that their letters come from The North Pole.

4. Woodstock, VT
Modeled after the Oxfordshire, UK village of the same name, Woodstock has been lauded numerous times for its quaintness and picturesque design.  The village loves to kick off the holiday season in style with the Wassail Weekend, a festival steeped in the winter traditions of old England and the Norse countries.  Today’s festivities are somewhat more up to date, with a parade that features 19th Century period costume as well as Victorian holiday decor on display at local museums.  Plays, musicals, and poetry recitals round out the evening entertainment between late night shopping and enjoying the general splendor of the whole holiday affair.

5. Branson, MO
In a cozy corner of southern Missouri, the town of Branson stands ready to entertain and delight all comers.  From country music spectaculars to family-style jubilees, the city offers so much in the way of Midwest charm and spirit.  The highlight of Branson’s holiday season is their theme park, Silver Dollar City, all decked out for winter.  Lights and snow (sometimes real) edge every building; after picking up a roll filled with molasses, visitors can enjoy a staged shootout between the Hatfields and the McCoys.  Included with the cost of admission is a ticket to view the Marvel Cave, a cavernous subterranean expanse that digs 300 feet down into the limestone beneath the park.  (Image: Kathy McGraw)

Analise Marcus loves seeing how cities and towns across the country celebrate Christmas, whether the festivities last just the season or all year around. She enjoys using a promo code for Travelocity to save on all her holiday travels.

This year, why not try something different for the Christmas season? Whether you have kids or you’re just a big kid yourself a visit to Disney World can add something special to the holiday season. It’s no secret that I’m a big Disney fan – not so much the company itself but the vacation experience they provide ‑ so for me it wouldn’t be a hard sell to spend part of the holidays there.

Okay, so it won’t be warm but on the other hand it may be far less crowded. Although you can’t completely count on that now that many people have woken up to the magic of the Magic Kingdom at Christmas you can still experience much of the joy by going just before or just after the peak Christmas Eve the New Year’s Eve period when you will still get to experience much the festivities. There’s definitely something special about Disney at this time of year.

An extra ticket will get you entrance to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party with the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade where Santa himself appears.  Everywhere you look there are fabulous Christmas decorations. Being Disney, this is done on a large scale. There are thousands of lights on the huge Christmas tree on Main Street and  Cinderella’s Castle has 200,000 white lights. The Small World ride has special decorations for Christmas as well as a seasonal version of the well-known song. There’s also a Haunted Mansion with seasonal replacements for the usual attractions. The parade which takes place several times daily is transformed into a Christmas Fantasy Parade and there’s a huge firework show just for this holiday season.

Check out this Christmas lights at Disney World video to see what it’s like.

With snow, hot chocolate cookies as well as the standard Disney magic there’s no better place to be for the holiday season.

Here are some of the items that made the travel news recently.

Thanksgiving and Holiday Travel

In the travel news this week, it seems that travelers making plans for Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season can expect full planes despite the expected drop in holiday passenger numbers. The Air Transport Association is predicting a 2% (approximately 400,000 people) reduction in the number of air travelers during the period. Don’t think that means more capacity, though. It means less. Airlines have cut seats to ensure full planes, a revenue boosting move to address tight margins. Best tip: book now or miss out altogether. FareCompare CEO Rick Seaney also warns that instead of looking for a good deal, holiday travelers will simply get a ‘better bad deal’.  See also: Four Ways to Travel Lighter for the Holidays.

Medical Travel

The Economist has released a report on the world’s top destinations with potential for medical travel. Although it doesn’t promote this kind of tourism,, France tops the list, followed by Mexico, which is actively developing this area and the US which, like others lower in the rankings, has a good level of specialist care and the right business environment for expansion.  Many developing nations have also made it into the top 20 because of low costs and good medical expertise. The figures are part of a report titled Traveling for Health: The Potential for Medical Tourism which assesses healthcare costs, economic factors and healthcare system strength.

Travel to Cuba

Following the easing of Cuba travel restrictions, CNN reports that Marazul Travel, working with Delta Airlines, is providing direct charter flights to Havana from some US airports. Flights from Miami started last month, flights from JFK will start next week and there will be flights from Atlanta in December.