Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 2 . PLANNING AN AFFORDABLE TRIP TO AUSTRALIA
Saving on Your Hotel Room
The rack rate is the maximum rate that a hotel charges for a room. Hardly
anybody pays this price, however. To lower the cost of your room:
• Ask about special rates or other discounts. Always ask whether a
room less expensive than the first one quoted is available, or whether
any special rates apply to you. You may qualify for corporate, student,
military, senior, or other discounts. Mention membership in
AAA, AARP, frequent-flier programs, or trade unions, which may
entitle you to special deals as well. Find out the hotel policy on children—do
kids stay free in the room or is there a special rate?
• Dial direct. When booking a room in a chain hotel, you’ll often get a
better deal by calling the individual hotel’s reservation desk than at
the chain’s main number.
• Book online. Many hotels offer Internet-only discounts, or supply
rooms to Priceline, Hotwire, or Expedia at rates much lower than the
ones you can get through the hotel itself.
• Remember the law of supply and demand. Resort hotels are most
crowded and therefore most expensive on weekends, so discounts are
usually available for midweek stays. Business hotels in downtown locations
are busiest during the week, so you can expect big discounts over
the weekend. Many hotels have high-season and low-season prices,
and booking the day after high season ends can mean big discounts.
• Look into group or long-stay discounts. If you come as part of a large
group, you should be able to negotiate a bargain rate, since the
associated campgrounds. Camping in
national parks does entail some restrictions:
You can camp only at designated
campsites; sometimes bookings may be
required 24 hours in advance. Open
fires are often banned, so you will need
to rely on a gas barbecue or, if none is
19 Tips on Dining
One of the richest gifts that Australia’s
multicultural society has brought is
the cuisine. In the last couple of
decades, both restaurants and home
tables have undergone massive change
as traditional English-style fare of
meat-and-three-veggies has given way
to a blend of flavors and styles known
as “Mod Oz.” Asian, European, and
Middle Eastern flavors are here to stay,
and in some places you’ll find a touch
supplied, your own camping stove.
Expect to pay about A$5 to A$8
(US$3.25–US$5.20) per adult in a
tent, around A$10 (US$6.50) for a
powered campsite, and about half price
for kids. Definitely book ahead during
school vacations and peak season.
of “bush tucker,” based on traditional
Aboriginal foods.
Moreover, you can’t dismiss Australia’s
great wines. The first grape vines
arrived with the First Fleet in 1788,
and today more than 550 major companies
and small winemakers produce
wine commercially. Australian vintages
consistently beat competitors from
around the world in major international
shows.