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Whether you’re 16 or 60, you CAN travel just about anywhere in the world for free — and even with a nice stash of cash in your pocket — by telling like-minded people about a trip and convincing them to go with you. Get 5 to 20 to book the same trip, and your trip is free.

If you have a burning desire to see the Pyramids… or go on an African Safari… or snorkel the Great Barrier Reef of the South Pacific… and don’t have the cash, don’t worry.

There’s a good chance that you can travel for free to just about anywhere in the world your heart desires just by locating a group of like-minded folks and convincing them to go with you.

And if you are really good at convincing a lot of fellow travelers to join you — and have chosen the right travel company — you could also earn up to $10,000 a trip for your efforts.

Not bad for doing something you passionately enjoy doing, and meeting a whole bunch of people who enjoy the same kind of traveling you do.

There are dozens upon dozens of travel companies who are actively seeking individuals to help them organize tours — or promote existing ones.

Age is no consideration. Whether you are 16 or 70, there is a tour or tour group that is bound to suit your travel interests.

Teachers are actively courted to promote tours to their students… and even given handsome cash stipends to boot.

High school and college students are sought to promote grad trips and spring break trips to their friends and classmates. Besides free trips and “rock star” treatment, successful promoters can often earn as much as $10,000 per spring break.

Ministers and church members are rewarded for telling church members about pilgrimages and trips to the holy land. With as much as $10,000 to be made per trip, booking and leading tours is a wonderful way to raise cash for a church building fund… or augmenting a minister’s meager salary.

Scuba divers can get a free trip by organizing a scuba dive trip and promoting it to their fellow divers.

Lovers of the oriental culture can get free trips to Japan or China, while connecting with a whole new group of friends and earning enough cash to dine well and bring back lovely souvenirs.

Travel companies will often pay cash when you produce more reservations than the minimum required to earn a free trip.

The number of paid trips it takes to get a free one varies from travel company to travel company.

Some require as few as 5. Others as many as 15 or 20.

Many companies will reward you with multiple trips.

Most will also offer a commission which gets bigger the more trips you sell.

It doesn’t take any experience to get started — and most travel companies supply you with lots of marketing materials and support.

The degree of involvement in planning and promoting a trip varies considerably.

For example, promoting a trip for a spring break can often be done quite casually. Some spring break travel companies will even send a representative to your campus to put on a meeting. A few phone calls to friends. Some posters placed around the campus. An ad in the school newspaper. And voila, you could easily have 15 or 20 people signed in no time. Some companies don’t even require that you collect the deposits. And most will do the follow through in collecting the balance of the trip fee.

The more aggressively you promote, the more trips and money you’ll earn.

According to some travel companies, it is not uncommon for a very aggressive promoter to walk away with a free trip AND a very sizeable amount of cash.

Some travel firms say their top producers earn as much as $10,000 a trip.

There is no limit to where or how you can advertise a trip to the general public. The more widely you advertise your tour or pilgrimage, the more trips you’ll book and the more cash you’ll make.

To maximize your chances for success, it is advisable to announce and begin promoting your trip at least a year in advance of your departure date, so that you have plenty of time to reach enough people — and to enable your prospects sufficient time to raise fund and schedule the trip.

If you are already affiliated with a particular group such as a school, a church, or a club, it makes promoting a trip all the easier as you already have easy channels of communication in place. Writing letters or emails, making phone calls, announcements at meetings or services, announcements in bulletins, etc.

If you are interested in making as much money as possible in addition to a free trip — either for yourself or as a fundraiser, you might want to look at other ways of reaching a wider audience.

• Press releases to newspapers and other media.

• Posters and flyers posted on community and church bulletin boards.

• Small ads taken out in newspapers and appropriate magazines.

• Posting in special interest forums on the Internet

• Holding public meetings and seminars.

Organizing a trip gives you rewards way beyond the trip and the money. In the process of organizing a trip, you will also come into contact with many like-minded people you might never meet otherwise … resulting in friendships that last a lifetime.

For many, the best part of actively organizing and promoting a trip is meeting new people who have at least some common interests.

Because you are the group leader, you are in a unique position to have already “broken the ice”… so that when it comes time to embark on your cruise or tour, you will often be on a first name basis with everyone. This feeling of camaraderie with a large number of fellow tourists can contribute immeasurably to the success of the trip — and can often lead to lifelong friendships.

So don’t put off traveling just because you don’t have the cash.

Look through the resources below for a travel company that suits you. Then get in touch with them, set a date and a destination. And start making plans to take the trip of your lifetime… by helping others do the same.

Bon voyage!

More to come…

About The Author

Jacqueline Corbett has been researching & writing content on the internet since 1997.

Previously, she could be found marketing for an offline magazine.

© 2004 by Jacqueline Corbett

xenith@freebiz.net

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So you’ve decided to shun the neon-flashing motel chains and marble-foyered monsters and venture into the world of cozy, intimate bed and breakfasts? After all, you’ve heard how much more personal and romantic the b&b experience is, right? Well….usually that’s the gospel truth. However, there are certain things to keep in mind and questions to ask yourself (and prospective innkeepers) before you make your final decision and turn over your credit card number.

The first thing to consider is the area of the country you will be visiting. Many towns across America offer the b&b experience but only have a handful of options for you to consider. On the other hand, if you visit our hometown of Fredericksburg, Texas (population 9,000) there are literally hundreds of b&b’s, reportedly the largest number of b&b’s per capita in the nation. Unfortunately for the unwary traveller, not all are created equal! When visiting such a popular bed and breakfast town, the research you do beforehand will greatly impact the quality of your stay.

These days it seems almost everyone makes their travel decisions and arrangements through the internet. In fact you are probably one of those individuals or you wouldn’t be reading this article. You can always begin your search by typing in your destination city or town and “bed and breakfast” into your search engine to get an idea of the options you’ll have. As you begin to view the properties, you should consider whether the b&b has the following amenities (assuming these are important to you): private bath, temperature control, full or continental breakfast, off-street parking, daily housekeeping and the ever-important factor….location.

Let’s begin with location. Proximity to the “center of action” is often a plus for many travelers; however, it sometimes comes with a drawback…noise. In our town, many visitors want to be “on Main Street,” and to be sure it is a boon at the end of the day when carrying heavy shopping bags back to your room. However, guests are sometimes surprised at the street noise which lasts throughout the night (Main Street is, after all, Highway 290)! Some visitors prefer to be a few blocks off Main with a bit more privacy yet good access to Main Street. Still others prefer a place in the country.

Making this first decision will cut the number of properties you consider by as much as 2/3. A note of caution however; if location is a prime concern of yours be very detailed in your quest. For example, many Fredericksburg bed and breakfasts advertise “Located on Main Street,” but what they don’t tell you is they are a mile and a half from the shopping district on the west end of town. In our town, the 100-300 blocks of East Main are considered the true shopping district. So if proximity to shopping is your goal, you would be better off with a cottage 3 blocks off of Main but within the 100-300 blocks than at the property a mile and a half from shopping that sounds so convenient. Remember the old addage, “Buyer Beware.”

Question number two could be whether to stay at an Inn or an individual cottage. Fredericksburg is unique in offering literally hundreds of one-couple, individual Sunday Houses or cottages in addition to numberous true multi-unit inns. One big distinction here other than the obvious over-all privacy issue is usually breakfast. In a private cottage you almost always receive a continental breakfast, left before you arrive. At a traditional “Inn” or bed and breakfast, you are often served a full gourmet breakfast at a pre-arranged time…along with other guests. So for many guests the choice comes down to continental with privacy or full-breakast served in a dining room. Either option offers lots of possibilities. But with so many different properties, there are no set rules; so check their website or ask!

One more common pitfall is something that sounds so basic but can really impact your experience: decor. Word on the street in b&b circles is that guests are increasingly looking for a “magazine spread” when they walk in the door. Nothing pleases me more than to open our guestbook and read, “When we opened the door the beautiful room just took my breath away!” Few people go to a bed and breakfast looking for the type decor they have at home…or worse, their granny’s decor! However, many b&b owners are under the false impression that they can take an empty rent-house and hang out their shingle. They may stumble upon a few unsuspecting guests…but you don’t want it to be you. Be sure and check the pictures on the website. I would never book a room that didn’t at least show photos of the exterior of the cottage or inn and the bed. Webmasters tell me that these are the two photo’s potential guests are most interested in. I would be very wary of a facility that wasn’t proud to show its exterior and at least one photo of the inside of each room. Jacuzzi tubs, hot tubs, gas fireplaces, it’s all out there for the taking…for those who do their homework. Spend a little extra time asking the right questions and you can have the most wonderful, relaxing getaway experience yet.

About The Author

Tammy Jordan Sikes is a former trial attorney-turned bed and breakfast owner with several b&b’s in Fredericksburg, Texas in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. See www.absolutecharm.com and www.inn-on-the-creek.com

tammy@tearosequilts.com

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Travel, Holiday & Flight Discounts - Getting The Best Travel Deals Online

Love to travel? The international traveller has never had it so good in terms of being able to afford to see the world at discounted prices. Sometimes there is a huge over-supply in holidays and this leads to a slash in holiday prices. Below you’re going to learn just how to spot cheap holidays as well as the best places to find them, particularly if you’re based in the UK.

Companies That Offer Regular Travel Bargains

Let’s start off with some online companies that have been known to offer good travel discounts. It’s best to keep checking these sites regularly as good offers will get snapped up almost immediately.

http://www.travel-travel.co.uk/latedl.htm - If you can travel within 30 days it’s possible to find some incredibly cheap last minute fares including flights and accommodation. I’ve seen 7 nights including flights and hotel to Ibiza at prices of just

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