Jan and Tom book their holiday

Jan and Tom's booking mix

As we saw in the Jan and Tom research their trip activity, the couple is using an agent to book flights as well as accommodation for several of the nights of their trip.

Jan is going to book the other nights herself, using TripAdvisor, in a mix of B&Bs and historic cottages.

Jan's cottage booking

Jan and Tom are travelling to WA in October, and have booked a Mandoon Estate Bush Tucker Tour for the 9th. Jan has found a cute cottage nearby that she can book for the night of the 8th.

She found the cottage using TripAdvisor, which is a popular comparison site.

Jan looks at photos of the cottage

To make sure the cottage is what she’s looking for, Jan uses the cottage’s page on TripAdvisor to look through photos of the property.

She sees the main bedroom is generously sized, there’s a neat little kitchen, and a comfortable-looking main room where she and Tom can relax.

Jan reads reviews of the cottage

Jan’s was first drawn to the cottage because it scored an average of 4 stars out of 5 from over 100 reviews on TripAdvisor.

She now browses the reviews to see what people like about the cottage and if there are any issues she should be aware of. Most are very positive, but some note that the hot water doesn’t seem to last very long. Jan thinks this will be okay since it’s only Tom and her.

Jan checks the cancellation policy and other fees

Now Jan has decided on this cottage, she looks for extra details on the TripAdvisor page. There’s a link to the local real estate agent that looks after the cottage.

On the agent’s site is lots of information about additional fees. Jan notes that even though they are only staying one night, they still have to pay a $500 security deposit to cover any potential damage.

This deposit will be returned to them within 10 days of departure.

Jan calls the real estate agent

Just before she makes the booking, Jan calls the real estate agent in WA to ask a few extra questions. She remembers that WA is three hours behind Victoria.

She asks the rental team about check-in and check-out times and what to do if she and Tom arrive after business hours. She also asks if the cottage has its own Wi-Fi.

Jan's questions are answered

The real estate agent explains they can pick up the key from a local service station if they arrive outside of business hours and apologises that the cottage does not come with Wi-Fi. He does however let them know that mobile data reception in the area is very good.

Jan makes the booking

Reassured by all of this, Jan goes back to TripAdvisor and clicks on it to make a booking.

TripAdvisor connects Jan to www.booking.com, which is the site that allows her to choose dates, and packages, to make her final booking using her credit card.

Jan makes the booking and receives a confirmation to her email account, including all the details of their stay. She also receives a booking number she can quote later if she needs to ask any further questions.

eSafety tip

You should always check the terms and conditions of any booking before you finalise and pay for it. Some companies offer reasonable conditions when it comes to changing details such as dates. Others don't allow you to change your booking details once you've paid in full.

Well done!

You’ve completed the Jan and Tom book their holiday activity.

Jan and Tom are off on their adventure, so let’s catch up and see some Highlights from Jan and Tom’s trip in the next activity.