Travel and accomodation

& 1. Read the information about booking travel and holidays. Here are some choices you may make.

Booking travel and holidays

A scheduled flight is a normal, regular flight; a charter flight is a special flight taking a group of people, usually to the same holiday destination. Apex fares normally have to be booked a fixed number of days in advance and they offer value for money. Budget fares are usually cheaper but may have restrictions (e.g. you can only travel on certain days) and are usually non-refundable (you can’t have your money back) or if you cancel, you may have to pay cancellation fee. Some tickets allow a stopover (you may stay somewhere overnight before continuing to your destination). All-in-packages normally include accommodation and transfers ( e.g. a bus or a coach to your hotel).

Sea travel is normally on a ferry, and the journey is called a crossing, but you can have a holiday on the sea if you go on a cruise. For some people a luxury cruise is the holiday of a life time (one you will always remember). You may decide to book a berth in a shared cabin (a bed in a cabin with other people), or to have a single or double cabin. For more money, you can often get a deluxe cabin, perhaps on the upper deck (the higher part of the ship which is often bigger and more comfortable). Cruises often go to exotic (unusual or exciting) islands where you can get away from it all (escape your daily life and routines). Car hire is another way of getting around (informal: traveling to different places).When you book it, you normally choose whether you want unlimited mileage (you can travel as many miles as you like for the same price). There may also be extras to pay such as accident insurance. If you hire a car it gives you the freedom to go as you please (go where you want when you want).

Accommodation

Some people prefer hotels. Others prefer self-catering (where you do your own cooking) accommodation, such as a holiday apartment or chalet (a small cottage or cabin specially built for holiday-makers). In Britain and Ireland, guest houses (private homes offering high standard accommodation) and inns (similar to pubs, but also offering accommodation; usually old beautiful buildings) offer good accommodation which is often cheaper than hotels, and there are many private homes offering bed-and-breakfast (often called B and B). Some types of accommodation offer half-board (usually breakfast and one other meal) or full-board (all meals).

& 2. Tourism