Let’s merely commence with the obvious: you will not be given a free holiday. Given, there are exceptional tours available from trustworthy travel outfits that might be free, but be cautious.

The most common travel and vacation scams consist of the following.

The ‘Free’ Vacation Scam

Among the biggest and longest running frauds till today is the ‘Free’ Travel Fraud, where you or a loved one is informed that they have been given a free vacation trip or an alluring cruise getaway. If not completely “free”, these “agents” inform you that they can get you that amazing vacation for a negligible cost. In this situation, you, not unlike many other respectable individuals commence considering “what might likely go bad?” A great deal, as it seems.

The unknown Travel Agency Fraud

You receive a call and are notified that you are receiving a free vacation trip but you have to pay “a certain amount” to keep this opportunity. Then once you give these charges, the “travel agency” can no longer be found. Their contact line appears disconnected and there is not a single method for you to obtain your money.

A similar version of this scam is telling you that you’ve been given reservation on a deluxe vacation tour for a negligible price, but this is only for a “short time”. You are subsequently requested to pay a “booking fee” straight away and this is usually a big amount to assure your place. It’s only following payment that the “travel agent” notifies you that your travel dates are not obtainable or, in a matter of time, will inform you that the trip has already “terminated”. Then the “Agent” also vanishes, taking with him your money.

The “Get a Free Vacation” myth

You fly all the way to Hawaii or Mexico, ready to start your vacation, but you discover that you are put up in a minor and filthy hostel with unpalatable meals. If you go away, they notify you that you void your return ticket. So, either you decide to remain in your terrible hotel or pay a horribly overstated fee to vacate it so you can put up in a decent hotel.

The Timeshare nightmare

You receive a free travel, but before you take advantage of it, you are made to sit through a presentation from a timeshare sales person. Sometimes, you’re not even notified about the necessary timeshare lecture before you arrive at your vacation spot. In several cases, to acquire food fares and hotel rooms, vacationers have been obligated to endure lengthy sessions and result in being pressurized into signing documents that are also fraudulent. Sometimes, when people try to leave, they have been subjected to intimidation and other unscrupulous means from these salespeople.

“Start a travel agency business”

Someone informs you that you are better off to be a travel agent since it helps you save a lot of money in a longer duration. As a travel agent, they inform you, you get a large amount of discounts and freebies while you’re on a trip. The catch is, you are required to give them a “payment” to become an immediate travel agent and as soon as you become one, you come to know that you can’t obtain the concessions since your credentials are not recognized by even a single travel authority.

Fake vacation Discount Coupons

You pay for a vacation card considering it will make your holiday a little cheaper, but then you realize that the card has so many restrictions that you can’t get the discounts you’re permitted. Or if you do receive a discount, it’s simply reduced off a “special price” and in any case results in the same cost as everyone else is paying.

Report and fight back

If you’re victim of a fraudulent travel club or free vacation scam, please report it to the right authorities.

In the past, people took photos and wrote journals about their experiences and shared them with family and friends when they got home.

Now, the photos can be uploaded and a journal can be written to allow those at home to experience a traveler’s journey while the adventure is going on.

There are even travel blog sites specifically for this purpose. Others can not only read the traveler’s blog but can make comments and discuss the travel site back and forth with the traveler.

See also

• How to Travel Blog
• What to Blog when on the road?

Technically, it doesn’t have to be a blogging site specifically for blogging but it is more exciting to join fellow travelers at a site like travelblog.com. Another site is called travelpod.com. Registration is free and you’ll sign up for your own blogging site.

You can blog from practically any hotel computer in their business center or from a laptop if your hotel offers wi-fi. Many internet cafes exist throughout the world that will give you an opportunity to connect to the web and blog on your amazing adventures.

Picture uploading is more difficult but depending on the computer and your camera, you should be able to upload photos. If not, add them in when you get home.

Write down the names of the restaurants you eat at, the hotels you stay at and the various sites you go to so the reader has an opportunity to read firsthand accounts of the various places you’ve gone to. Be as specific as you can so that another person can use your information to book their own vacation. State what you liked and what you didn’t like-again so that others can use that information to have a fabulous trip of their own.