Planning for travel to avoid hassles

If you're travelling overseas, experts will always tell you to "cover all the bases" or at least prepare well in advance.

You need to get your transportation and accommodation arranged weeks before the intended travel, if you want to bag the best deals and ensure a smooth holiday.

You need to equip yourself with the essentials like credit card, debit card, cash and travellers' cheques, aside from a piece of swimsuit or a jacket, or perhaps an insect repellent — depending on where your wanderlust takes you to.

However, the impulsive in me recently ignored these basic "tenets" of travelling.

Late last month, I had the nerve to book a hotel and plane tickets two days before my departure to — of all places — New York.

Of course, there was hardly enough time to pack properly. Yes, most of the flights were booked and even low-star hotels at popular spots had no more to offer but sky-high prices ranging from $200 (Dh734.38) to $300 per night.

Whether you're doing last-minute travel arrangements or planning ahead, there are several things you can do to at least minimise the cost and hassles of travel.

Think online deals. Check out airline websites and third-party booking sites such as Travelocity, Expedia and Makemytrip.ae, and compare prices. Orbitz offers deals on flights originating in the UAE. They're supposed to list the cream of the crop and offer the best prices. Even tickets sold directly by the airline cost cheaper online than over the counter.

If you need a place to stay, it may be less costly to book a hotel and flight package through booking sites. However, expect longer travel times and be prepared to fly on different airlines on your outbound and return journeys if these sites are your last resort.

Also, watch out for extra charges. Many websites don't reflect the taxes, surcharges and other numerous fees that will be added later, so you may end up paying more than what you expected.

Bear in mind that it may not be possible to buy tickets online if you don't have your own credit or debit card, so you'll miss out on the opportunity to grab internet special rates.

Some airlines don't allow third-party transactions using cards issued by any bank in the UAE. One way to get around this is to borrow a friend's card issued outside the country.

It is easy to book hotels using someone else's card, but check first if you will not be required to produce a physical card upon check-in. Some hotels are ridiculously strict with their policy: no credit/debit card, no room.

To save more on travel costs, consider hostels and holiday apartments. If you prefer a hotel, try to pick the one that offers free WiFi connection. Internet should be a privilege to travelling guests, not a luxury. Many hotels in New York, however, are making a killing out of charging as much as $14 per day for WiFi, although you only get to use it for an hour or two each day.

Before you hop on the plane, confirm with your bank that your card will work in the country you're visiting and inform them that you will be making withdrawals and purchases. Otherwise, there's a chance that your card will be rendered useless: the bank might block it if it detects unusual transactions.

If you're carrying cash, make sure you convert your money to the local currency while still at home. You'll be surprised to discover that on the streets of Manhattan, for instance, it will be easier to exchange Indian rupees than UAE dirhams.

Buy a local SIM card. It's a cheaper alternative to spending about Dh50 on every short incoming call from the UAE. You might even get a free handset to boot.