Travelling to Colombia? On a tight budget?
Want your money to go that little bit further? Here's some travel tips
for getting your money's worth, and getting discounts, on your vacation
in Colombia.
1. Don't pay the IVA tax at any of the
hotels you visit. If you are a foreigner, you don't have to
pay this tax. The hotels will always try to charge it, but if
you pay them with a foreign credit card, many will agree to not charge
you this sales tax.
2. Get a Top
Club Card. The Top Club card is especially worth it if you're
living in Colombia, or plan to travel for an extended period of time.
The Top Club Card costs approximately 220,000 Colombian pesos (about
$100), but the travel discounts that come with it are truely brilliant.
When your purchase the Top Club Card, you're entitled to one free night
in a Intercontinental Hotel, itself almost worth the $100 fee. You can
then share the card with your friends, family, or even complete
strangers, to be entitled to large discounts (up to 30%) on a huge
range of upmarket and luxury hotels, restaurants, entrance fees, car
hire etc. etc.
3. Check out the Colombia flights tips
section. Internal flights can be remarkably cheap form of travel - you
need to know which airlines fly where, and what airpasses are available
to you. You'll also find discount travel tips on booking your
international flights to Colombia.
4. Don't travel to Colombia during the peak
domestic tourism seasons of mid December to mid January, Easter Week
and mid June to mid / late July. Hotel and flights prices rise
dramatically during these months, and everything is far more crowded.
5. Always haggle politely or ask for
discounts.
