Travel Free: By Leading and Promoting Tours

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 as well.

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 15-20. Cruises usually average 16.
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 finances.

(Couttest EzineArticles.com author Jacqueline Corbett)

Using Credit Cards While Traveling

Using credit cards while traveling is a good idea for a number of reasons:

• You have a record of your expenditures for record-keeping and tax purposes (especially important if you travel for business)
• You may get a better exchange rate when obtaining foreign currency when using your credit card.
• Credit card companies can refund disputed charges and may offer extra guarantees, special deals or warranties.
• Your liability in the case of a stolen credit card is limited to $50

But, traveling these days is often a juggling act of luggage, boarding passes, identification cards, passports and a gauntlet of security measures. These identification acrobatics can leave you distracted and even a little bit addled, perhaps putting you more at risk of being targeted by an enterprising pickpocket or purse snatcher.
And, even though your liability is limited, costs can quickly add up if multiple cards are involved. Factor in the hassle and increased risk of identity theft, and it is apparent a few preemptive measures can save you from a boatload of heartache.
Consider the following tips as guidelines to traveling safely and affordably with your credit cards:
Plan Ahead:

Anytime you travel you should make photo copies of all of your credit cards airline tickets and documents, both front and back. You should leave these photocopies with a friend or family member.
Be aware that if you make copies of your cards and documents to take with you, you may be giving thieves another opportunity to rip off your personal information. Consider blacking out details such as expiration dates, verification codes and social security numbers.
If you decide not to carry photocopies of your credit cards, be sure to have the card cancellation numbers from the backs of the cards written down and stashed in your luggage.
Leave a Paper Trail:
Save receipts and keep track of the places you used your card. Make sure receipts are stored in a safe place so they can be checked against your credit card statement to ensure unauthorized charges have not been made and/or gone unnoticed.
His & Hers:
When traveling with other family members, even spouses, bring different credit cards that are on separate accounts. When a card is lost or stolen and must be cancelled, all cards on the account are cancelled as well. Having at least two cards from separate accounts will prevent the situation from leaving you stranded.
Lighten Up:
Carry only the personal information absolutely necessary for vacation, such as a passport or driver's license. The less personal information you have, the better off you will be if your purse or wallet is stolen.

When traveling by air, always keep copies of important documents in a separate part of your luggage, such as a carry-on bag.
Keep cards on your person. Most travel stores carry small bags that you can keep cards, cash, and other items you will need to access while out and about. Consider a money belt or security wallet.
Look out for fees:
When traveling abroad and using a credit card, watch out for the conversion fee that many banks levy to convert charges in foreign currencies to dollars, generally 1% of the purchase amount. Some banks charge a fee and some don't so, if you have several cards, it's worth checking with the issuers to see which one has the best deal. Even with the conversion charge, many times ATM machines will have the best possible exchange rates and the lowest fees.
With proper planning, credit cards are a convenient, secure and cost-effective means of payment when traveling. Just keep these tips in mind, and the next time you're balancing on one foot at the security gate, you'll be glad you did.

(Courtesy EzineArticles.com, author Gail Corwin)