08.31.10
Everyone loves a vacation but no one loves to air travel. It seems that with all the fees that are coming up and the long lines and waits in airports that flying anywhere seems to have little appeal to the common traveler. However, since flying is a necessity for so many vacationers there is this constant struggle to make flying less stressful and more enjoyable than it already is. So how do you do that? How do you make flying fun again? Well, while there is no concrete answer, these are some helpful tips to making air travel better for everyone involved.
You must be ready to do it right from the start. Getting to the airport with 2 and ½ hours to spare is a good rule of thumb. It won’t take you nearly that long to get to your gate and so being early with not give you the feeling of being rushed and will actually give time to settle in and be ready for travel.
Another idea is to bring as little onto the plane as possible. Sure they charge you a fee to check your bags at most airlines but it might be better than lugging all those bags around with you. The other argument against checking your bags is that there is always the potential they will get lost but if you ask the people you know that have traveled they will tell you that it’s unlikely and infrequent that they would get lost. So do yourself a favor and just check your bags and bring either your purse, multi-media bag or nothing at all and have a relaxing and freeing experience waiting for your flight.
Once you are on the plane there isn’t much you can do for extra comfort expect making sure you have some relaxing music to listen to and maybe something to read. Take with you a neck pillow so it will be easier for you to sleep. Then just enjoy the flight as much as you can and think ahead to the wonderful vacation you are about to take.
08.27.10
How do you take a vacation you have always wanted and do it for less? How do you enjoy everything a town has to offer without breaking the bank? These are questions everyone asks when planning their next trip. No one wants to go into debt for a good relaxing time in the destination of your choice but the vacation you really want can sometimes set you back more than you bargained for. So how do you do your vacation for less? Luckily there are ways to do it for less and ways to do it with the same quality you had before.
The first thing is to think about when you take your vacation. Going to a destination in an off season can save you a ton of money. Warm wheather places in the fall can be much cheaper because people fear that there won’t be the sun they have been clamoring for, but taking a vacation off season doesn’t mean cold weather it just might be a little more inconsistent weather.
Buying flights on Tuesday or Wednesday nights are also good too. Before you go to a travel site to buy the whole trip all at once check the airline sights at these times because it is well known that those are times when they run deals for flights. If you can find a cheaper flight than on those travel sights you could save 100 dollars and over on the right flight.
If you are saving money on the flight then you could give some serious thought to giving doing a hotel that is a little off the beaten path. Instead of staying right on the resort you could take a hotel a little off the main tourist area and save yourself some money. A lot of times these hotels are within walking distance of the stuff you want or there are shuttles that will take you to wherever you want to go and it could be a great way to save considerable money on the vacation you have always wanted.
08.25.10
Taking a vacation is one of the most fun experiences you can have in your life but sometimes there are obstacles that make taking a vacation a little harder. Kids is one of the biggest obstacles that you can face when it comes to travel and vacationing. It is often the main reason parents shy away from taking vacations altogether. But taking a vacation with kids doesn’t have to be as stressful as it could be. You can bring your kids along on vacation and still have a great time if you are smart enough to do it the right way.
First, if you are not planning on visiting the Magic Kingdom and would rather go somewhere a little cheaper than a simple search of the outlying area you are going to should help decide if it is kid friendly. Search that area and kids attractions and it should get you to a website where all that information is available. If you can’t find enough information then you may want to shy away taking your kids there.
What you are looking for are good local parks, good kid friendly restaurants, and an attraction or two that is specifically designed for kids. If you are staying at a hotel then you should ask the front desk for a television with a DVD hookup so you can bring your kids favorite movies. Usually the front desk will make the exception because you are dealing with children. You should also inquire about hotels in the area that have child care services. This could be a great way for you and your spouse to get a break for a few hours while you get a bite to eat or hang out at the pool.
If you are looking for something a little different you might want to make a choice to go with a hotel that has efficiencies or even go so far as to rent a condo so you have all the comforts of home including a full working kitchen. Taking kids on vacation does not have to be a pain.
08.24.10
Imagine strolling the streets where Jack the Ripper once lurked, or riding the subway to Baker Street and seeing the stomping grounds of Sherlock Holmes. In London, you can walk down the streets and see history. While some buildings are new, it’s also possible to see buildings built in previous centuries. At times, you can feel like you’ve stepped back in time. You can see Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. You can pose for a quick snapshot on the famous crosswalk where the Beatles took one of their most popular photos.
In London, you’ll find a little bit of everything. Enjoy shopping at local markets, try fish and chips in the traditional manner, or grab a pint in one of the pubs. If you want to try dining at its best, visit one of Jamie Oliver’s establishments and enjoy sustainable cooking. From riding a double-decker bus to taking in a play, you can experience all the traditional elements of London.
As an added advantage, you can enjoy online sports betting while you’re abroad. While you can do some online gambling in the United States, some states prohibit it, and you may not be able to access legitimate sites like Harrah’s. But when you use a computer in the UK, the online gambling institution will recognize the foreign IP address and allow you to enter the site. Of course, with all the things to do in London, you might not find the time to log on to the computer at all.
If you want to brush up on history, London offers many museums hosting priceless artifacts. Spend the day in the Ashmolean looking at artifacts from all over the world. You can enjoy paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Angelo. View examples of some of the earliest papyrus made in Egypt. When you plan a trip to London, you won’t be disappointed.
08.22.10
When planning your vacation you usually run into the usual suspects. There are three vacations that everyone looks forward to booking.
1. The Tropical Paradise – This is a wonderful vacation somewhere just outside the country with words like “all inclusive” and “resort” it’s a way to drop a big amount of money on a relaxing week of drinks and beautiful ocean views.
2. The Out of Country Vacation – This is just to see how a different culture lives. It’s generally over a couple of weeks and involves probably 20 hours or so of being stuck in an airplane and another 10 being stuck in an airport going through customs and worrying about your luggage.
3. The Tourist Attraction – This vacation is usually stateside and involves the big places the rest of the world goes and at the same time that everyone goes. It involves very little privacy and nothing new and genuine and nothing you can experience any ole time you’d like.
If these sound on target to you then maybe you should do something different, like take a cross country road trip. There used to be a time when people would pile into their cars with the radio and a good friend and go explore America, but those days seem to be long gone. Today there is too much emphasis on a gallon of gas and getting somewhere quickly instead of enjoying the journey.
But a road trip is a perfect way for you to experience America in a way you’ve never seen it. To be captivated by the beautiful interior of the Rocky Mountains or to enjoy the expansiveness of the Grand Canyon. You can see them from a plan but until you’ve made the journey there you can never really know what promise and wonder they hold. It’s why taking your car across country is a time honored tradition that is fading away. That why this is a call for your to not just take a vacation but create an experience that will last a lifetime.
08.20.10
Perhaps you have made the smart move to do something different with your vacation this year. Maybe you have decided to go against the usual place and ideas and have decided to get back to the time honored tradition of the cross country road trip. If you have then good for you. You should be excited about making the choice to enjoy the journey. There are more than a lot of places you can go by car but for you it’s about doing the trip right and enjoying every minute of the experience. If you are dedicated to doing the trip the right way and having the best memories of a vacation you have ever had then you need to follow a few road trip rules.
1. Stay off the highway – This is obviously just a title but it’s true to a lesser degree. Anytime you can take a back road you should. America is about more than the interstates, it’s the long roads that run alongside the interstate that have that personal flavor and flare that stretch through the mountains and down into the valleys and across the great planes of a great nation. Taking these really takes you through the heart of America. Use them when you can.
2. Stay Away From Chains – Every city has the usual big name places to eat. Avoid these places. This trip is about getting to know the flavor of your country and each part of the country and each city is uniquely different so take the time to enjoy the cuisine of each city. If the place has a specialty and it is something you think you would like, try it. But make sure to enjoy the food that is different than what you can get anywhere.
3. Stop When You Want – Don’t make the trip about a place to be but rather the things to see. Stop when you can and check out anything that suits your fancy. Road trips are made up of little moments and small memories that can last a lifetime.
Perhaps you have made the smart move to do something different with your vacation this year. Maybe you have decided to go against the usual place and ideas and have decided to get back to the time honored tradition of the cross country road trip. If you have then good for you. You should be excited about making the choice to enjoy the journey. There are more than a lot of places you can go by car but for you it’s about doing the trip right and enjoying every minute of the experience. If you are dedicated to doing the trip the right way and having the best memories of a vacation you have ever had then you need to follow a few road trip rules.
1. Stay off the highway – This is obviously just a title but it’s true to a lesser degree. Anytime you can take a back road you should. America is about more than the interstates, it’s the long roads that run alongside the interstate that have that personal flavor and flare that stretch through the mountains and down into the valleys and across the great planes of a great nation. Taking these really takes you through the heart of America. Use them when you can.
2. Stay Away From Chains – Every city has the usual big name places to eat. Avoid these places. This trip is about getting to know the flavor of your country and each part of the country and each city is uniquely different so take the time to enjoy the cuisine of each city. If the place has a specialty and it is something you think you would like, try it. But make sure to enjoy the food that is different than what you can get anywhere.
3. Stop When You Want – Don’t make the trip about a place to be but rather the things to see. Stop when you can and check out anything that suits your fancy. Road trips are made up of little moments and small memories that can last a lifetime.
