The travel agent business  is in decline.  Not as many people are using them.  Travel Agents used to plan trips and tell you what to do, where to stay, and, most importantly, where NOT to go. Today, people aren’t using that  useful  service. Consequently, most travelers make major mistakes that result in decreasing the value of their  visit  experience. Here are the four worst:

1. Choosing the Wrong Hotel

Don’t make the mistake of spending a lot  of money on the wrong hotel. There are many ways you can miss the mark on this one. If you rely on the hotel’s website (or worse Expedia or Travelocity or Hotels.com) to tell you about the room, you are making a mistake.  Many times, the room will be absurdly small,  the beds and bedding will be low quality,   and/or there won’t be a  desk  in the room. The other matter is location.   Don’t make price your only consideration here.   Picking a less-expensive hotel in a suburb won’t always save you money. You are likely to be tired after a day of touring, and be tempted to take a taxi rather than public transit, eating up your savings.  Or, you end up spending more time commuting than you do enjoying the city. Most of the time, finding a mid-priced hotel in the middle of the action will be a better choice.

2. Choosing the Wrong Restaurants

Many people eat at chain restaurants they  already know  when they travel because they don’t know where else to eat. Don’t make this mistake. Find someone to recommend  restaurants you can’t eat at when you are at home.  NEVER eat in a high traffic tourist area. That spells bad food at high prices. Look for a small restaurant off the beaten path. Ask your hotel concierge, or OnBoard Tours can help with New York City restaurant suggestions.  Another great ideas is to look for restaurant reviews on Yelp.com or Zagat.com.

3. Wasting Hours of Your Vacation in Long Lines for No Reason

You could spend up to  two hours waiting in line at the Empire State Building. 
  Waiting for the next motorcoach bus to come by with an empty seat can eat up lots of your precious vacation time. Is that why you are going on vacation?  Think about doing those things in 100 degree heat, or in the rain, or in the cold. Go to the top of Rockefeller Center with a prepurchased, time specific ticket. Take a ride on New York Water Taxi or Circle Line Downtown’s Zephyr and get up close and personal with the Statue of Liberty with no wait — and you’ll get to see the Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State Building and Chrysler Building and Lower Manhattan from the boat! Again, ask your hotel concierge or call an OnBoard Tours to figure out how to evade the lines.

4. Failing to “Get the Lay of the Land”

If you avoid this mistake, you will lick the first three as well. The best idea is to let a professional show you around. If you take the appropriate tour on your first day, you end up getting the lay of the land and you can ask your tour guide about what else you should see. They can give you tips for shopping (like where there is no sales tax), nightlife, amusement, restaurants, and how to avoid long lines and tourist traps.  Bus tours never sound “cool,” but they are the best and most efficient way to get your bearings and see the city.   Make sure the company you are using has accredited tour guides. Many companies do not, and some don’t even have live tour guides on the bus, they use recordings.  The best place to go for New York City sightseeing tours is OnBoard New York Tours.  They are the NYC Tour experts.