Where to stay in Anaheim, California

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Anaheim, California is a major destination for families around the world, with Disney World as the main attraction, and it can prove costly to go there unless you plan your trip well in advance. Even if you are on a budget, you don't have to settle for a room far away from the main event. There are often various price categories around a touristy area and Anaheim is no exception. As it is a very family friendly destination, they know and understand that many of you are on a budget. Decide what you require of the hotel, whether it has to be within walking distance of Disney World, what facilities, car parking etc. and start looking up a few places on the Internet.

A way of keeping the costs down during a holiday is to use the same chain all the time and so collect points which you can later trade in for a free night’s accommodation. There are for example numerous hotels within the Choice hotel group in Anaheim, and they are fairly cheap. If you are staying in hotels a few nights a year, then this might be a way to decrease the overall cost of accommodation.

Here are a few of the budget hotels that I would recommend in Anaheim:

1. Quality Inn and Suites Anaheim resort ~ this 2 star hotel is within walking distance to Disneyland and has all the amenities that you would require. With a price a good bit below $100 it is a great option if you are looking for something simple. Hotel amenities include outdoor pools, guest laundry, free continental breakfast, discounted attraction tickets, tour packages, gift shops, coffee shops, parking, and free local calls. The rooms have air-conditioning, direct-dial telephones, and TVs with cable.

2. Americas Best Value Inn and Suites ~ another 2 star hotel within a block from Disneyland. Hotel amenities include hairdryers, microwaves, mini-fridges, coffeemakers, workstation desks, and internet access. There are complimentary continental breakfast, guest laundry facility, fax/copy services and an outdoor swimming pool. Their prices range from $53-$90.

3. Best Western Anaheim Inn ~ this 3 star hotel is located just across the entrance to Disneyland which makes it a perfect place to stay if you are going to Disneyland. You might even be able to see the fireworks from the hotel. Amenities include coffee maker in the room, pool, fitness centre and spa, television with cable and ample parking. Prices are around $100.

4. Ramada Inn Maingate ~ another hotel chain which is located close to the entrance to Disneyland. It hasbeautiful rooms and a nice pool. Their amenities include complimentary continental breakfast with a local daily newspaper. The hotel also has ice/vending machines, 24-hour front desk, express checkout, free parking, gift shop and laundry/valet services. Each room has a microwave, refrigerator, air-conditioning, AM/FM clock radio, coffeemaker, iron/ironing board, hairdryer, High Speed Internet, and cable television. Prices are around $100.

There are plenty more budget hotels around Disneyland and the above was only a few of them. If you join a chain, then you might get even greater value and get to know a hotel better. In a popular place like this, a hotel that didn't live up to standards wouldn't be able to compete with the other accommodations so they all have similar facilities, rooms and extras.

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• Where to find a good car rental.

Cheap car rental; car hire with Autoeurope is a great bargain!

Renting a car is a daunting task in many ways. Not only do you need to find a cheap bargain but also one that provides you with a good car and great insurance. Different car rental companies have different policies and it can sometimes be hard to know what is what. There are many different options as to how you want to make your car rental purchase. You can rent the car directly from the car rental company or you can go through a car rental broker. At particular times, one might suit you better than the other.

Autoeurope is a cheap car rental broker that also brokers for cheap flights, hotels, transfer services and similar. They have a wide network of car rental services around the world and brokers for car rental companies like AVIS and Dollar. They have many different car options, add-ons and insurances.

The following applies if you are renting your car from Europe, different policies applies if you are living elsewhere in the world.

Standard rate:

Take your pick from various sized cars, ranging from mini / economy to SUVs and convertibles. Chose a pick-up location that is convenient to you. Their pick-up locations are mainly in airports and downtown. Then chose the car that suits you. Do check what insurances are included but often you have the insurance you need for the car but personal injury covers are excluded. The rate also incorporates taxes and unlimited mileage.

Refundable excess:

There is an option to rent a car with a slightly higher price and then get a refundable excess policy. You will then be reimbursed for any excess paid to the supplier in the event of accidental damage. This means that you can then decline to sign-up for the supplier's additional excess reduction insurance when you collect your car rental. As with most insurances, there are exclusions as to what is included in this policy. For example, broken windscreens and damage done to the roof of the vehicle is not included. It is advisable to always double-check with the company as to the exact policies.

Gold rate:

The same applies for the gold rate as for the standard rate with the additional extras of 3 additional drivers and a tank of petrol included. This option is mainly open to Europeans renting a car in the US.

Guaranteed best rates:

Autoeurope provides great rates for car rentals but sometimes other providers are just that bit cheaper. Autoeurope then operates a guaranteed best rate policy. If you find a cheaper rate for exactly the same car hire as the one you have with Autoeurope, you can fill in a form and you will be reimbursed the difference. They might even beat the other price somewhat.

Voucher:

If you decide to rent the car with Autoeurope, you will receive a car rental voucher after you have paid the fee. It will include all the information needed and tell you with what car rental company you will be hiring the car. You have paid the rental in full, so all you have to do on the day is to go to the car company and hand over the voucher. Do keep your own copy so that you have it if needed when you return the car. This can provide useful if you already paid for a tank of petrol and they didn’t take note of that when you got the car.

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Amazing road trips; Las Vegas to Gran Canyon

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One of the best road trips in America has to be the drive from Las Vegasto the Grand Canyon. This is the ultimate drive for any road tripper. The drive in itself is rather straightforward and not too long. It is feasible to do it in a day, but you will be missing a lot of sights along the way. As you are driving in the desert area and with very little settlements, this is freedom at is best. Both Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon are in itself amazing destinations and it is well worth the time to stop over for a day or two, but more on this in a later post.

Heading away from Las Vegas

Start you trip from Las Vegas and take highway 93 south. The Grand Canyon is approximately 250 miles from Las Vegas. The drive takes about 4-5 hours if you don’t stop anywhere. As you drive away from Vegas you will see the odd casinos along the road until you are near theArizona border.

Hoover Dam

After Vegas, your first major stop will probably be at the fascinating Hoover Dam. It was completed in 1936 and stands in the Colorado River on the border between Nevada and Arizona. It is an impressive construction so do take the time to walk down for a closer look. There are also possibilities of going on helicopter trips that fly over the famous dam, check in Vegas for details.

Kingman

The first town you will come across after Las Vegas is Kingman, known to many road trippers as it lies on the historic Route 66. If you don’t want to overdo it with the driving, this is a good opportunity for a stop-over. There are plenty of chain-motels along the highway. Once you passed Kingman, the US 93 will change name to Interstate 40 East.

Flagstaff

To many Flagstaff is a perfect place to stay the night before venturing in to the Grand Canyon National Park. If you stopped over in Kingman, take Highway 64 to the Grand Canyon. If you are looking for a place for the night, stop in Kingman and take Route 66 out of town and Rout 66 will then become Highway 89. After a few miles you will need to turn left onto Highway 64 to get to Grand canyon. Kingman is a small enough town with plenty of motels that cater for all budgets.

Grand Canyon National Park

The national park offers a wide variety of activities and you can spend anything from a couple of hours here to days. If you want to stay in the park itself, it is recommended that you book your accommodation in advance.

Sedona

Before heading back to Las Vegas, if you are doing a loop drive, consider taking a small detour and visit Sedona. It is a beautiful place in the middle of the desert, with red rocks and rivers to swim in. They have a lovely museum giving information about movies filmed in the area.

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