How to travel in 2021: about flexible bookings, early bird offers and insurances.

Can I go on holiday?

This is an easy one: of course, if you follow the rules imposed by your country and the ones being imposed on the country or region you would be visiting. Although this is true, traveling in your own country or neighboring countries is advisable. When you travel within your own borders or just a “border away” you have the option of using your own car, this way staying in your “bubble” and minimizing contact with outside factors. Also, by going about it this way, whatever might happen during your trip, you can easily get home in no time.

What about flexible re-booking?

Flexibility is one of the most important aspects of traveling these days and this goes two ways: guests and hosts both have to go with the flow so to say. For example, Bungalow.Net offers flexible re-booking: you can change your arrival dates up to 1 day before arrival in case of closed borders, only for selected properties.

Can I change my booking for free?

It is advisable to find booking options which offer this. With Bungalow.Net, you can change the accommodation, the period of stay and the name of the guest up to 28 days prior to your arrival date, only for selected properties.

How about free cancellation?

Free cancellation is the holy grail of bookings! Obviously, you are not going into this thinking: yes, I will want to cancel this, but it gives you a peace of mind and flexibility. This is one of the most important aspects you should be looking at this year when searching for your next destination, only for selected properties. Bungalow.Net offers the option of canceling for free withing 24h of your booking, if your reservation has been made 28 days or more prior to your arrival date. Free cancellation is not possible for reservations made 28 days or less before the start of your stay. This applies for our holiday parks Vallée Les Etoiles and Grafschaft Bentheim, for more information regarding other holiday homes please consult the Terms and Conditions of the given property.

Are there possibilities for free re-booking?

Again, sometimes your travel plans fall trough for certain periods, and it’s always nice to know: you are not losing your vacation period, you are simply changing the dates! With Bungalow.Net, you can change your arrival dates up to 1 day before arrival in case of closed borders. This applies for our holiday parks Vallée Les Etoiles and Grafschaft Bentheim, for more information regarding other holiday homes please consult the Terms and Conditions of the given property.

What are the current safety measures in your holiday parks?

Safety measures in the most sought-after parks are based on the following: enhanced cleaning, contactless check-in, social distancing, and other guest safety measures depending on the country and type of accommodation. Great efforts are being put into the safety of guests and personnel. Parks under the Bungalow.Net label all adhere to the highest safety standards and the rules imposed by the country. They also go beyond this by helping guests stay in their bubble: some parks have food delivery options to minimize contact in areas such as supermarkets or restaurants, all houses have their own separate verandas for fresh air and are located at a safe distance from each-other.

General traveling tips for 2021:

Last year was hard on everyone let’s be honest – a brand new situation hit us out of the blue and nobody really knew how to adapt to the situation. Fortunately, humans are masters in adapting and overcoming, and whatever may await us in 2021, we will be ready! Regarding traveling, you have to weigh your option, the risks and most importantly: follow the rules. If you do all of these, things should be fine.

• Choose your destination wisely

As you are trying to find your next holiday spot, you could start by looking up the areas you are interested in and learning about the current restrictions in the country. It might seem hard to plan months ahead but think about it this way: if things are turning for the worst in some places, you have to assume some form of lock down is coming, so choose places where the restrictions, if any, are keeping things afloat and have been for the last few months. International travel is a lot of fun but might not be the best option during a these times. There are so many things that can go awry while in a country with very different views of the world. Traveling domestically or to your friendly neighboring countries gives you and your family a sense of safety and whatever may come, you will be vacationing peacefully: you can always go home early if you went there by car!

• Aim for insurance options

First of all, what have you been doing if you never ever added extra insurances to your bookings? This is nothing new, considering that you truly never know what might happen in the next few hours, so how would anyone know what can happen during a vacation? Now, these insurances and extra services are more important than ever, to keep you safe and help you out if unforeseen situations happen. For example, Bungalow.Net currently offers the following:

• Extra Post Service: receive all the important travel information like route descriptions, house rules, booking details and conditions – by post.
• Damage Fund: while booking a holiday, obviously your first thought shouldn’t be that something will happen to the vacation home. Yet an accident might be just around the corner and in many of these cases the damage won’t be covered by your liability insurance. Knowing this, Bungalow.Net offers the option of registering for a damage fund with every booking. This way, the owner of the house can report any damages directly to Bungalow.Net and will handle this damage directly with the landlord.
• Cancellation fund: in some cases, you might have to interrupt your vacation and you may encounter financial risks. If and when this happens, Bungalow.Net offers the possibility to cover your risks through the cancellation fund. This option covers any costs which may arise in case of cancellation or re-booking (outside the dates specified in your booking). You will get the option of booking a new trip or in case of unforeseen events, you will be entitled to a refund.
• Travel insurance: a standard health insurance policy doesn’t always cover medical expenses abroad, so travel insurances really come in handy.

• Find those awesome Early Bird Offers!

Early Bird Offers are just that: you book your stay early in the game, months ahead and you will be rewarded for it. These are great, because first of all, you mostly know when your next holiday will take place way ahead of time, so why not use this knowledge for your own gain? Secondly, booking early has no risks, and with free cancellation options and flexible dates, these options are even more attractive.

• Stay longer, or even work from your travel destination

The world has changed but not only for the worst, not really. The silver lining is very clear: guests and bookings have become more flexible, but employers and workplaces as well. Many people now have the option to pack their workstations and work from home or…from a holiday home. It is safer in some cases to book a place away from big cities and large groups of people, so many people have become digital nomads in order to safeguard their own health alongside their families. If you are not the working from a holiday home type, there are still many benefits to a long stay and booking longer vacations: letting go of stress, living like a local, accommodating to your surroundings and staying safe in a new bubble, not moving around too much thus minimizing contact with outside factors etc. All in all, this year will be an interesting one with its very specific challenges but we also think we might be looking into a new future, where holidays and vacations are even easier to book and navigate!