Archive for the ‘Places’ Category

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.

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.

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.

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.

You are probably sitting at your computer right now daydreaming about the next time you can leave the shackles of your office and take a long overdue vacation. You are searching websites as you read this and the time can’t come soon enough. But let’s face it, when the time comes you are going to be poised to take the same run of the mill vacation you always do. Some boring plan ride into a boring, albeit beautiful setting. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can take a vacation that is a bit off the beaten path and have the time of your life doing it. So here are a few vacations that might be worth exploring.

Road Trip – This is the way people used to see America. Not from a plane ride but through the eyes of the car and an amazing time. They used to experience the wonder that the country holds. So now is the time for you to do it too. Get yourself a road map and a chunk of time and plan on seeing the sights of the countryside. This is a great alternative and it will cost you less than what you are paying for a traditional vacation.

Staycation – This might seem like a boring way to spend your vacation but if you live in a city like Chicago or New York then a staycation would be the perfect opportunity to enjoy your own city. Living and working in you home city doesn’t give you a lot of time for you to enjoy the things that makes your city the wonderful place it is. So save yourself some money and some travel time and explore your own hometown.

Camping Vacation – Instead of spending your time in doors, spend that time outdoors. Camping in a great place like Yellowstone or Yosemite could be a great way to get in touch with nature and have some of the best memories of your life. Rough it and find yourself talking about the experience for years. Either way it beats the traditional.

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visually spectacular cities in the world. When looking at Rio from above it looks almost like a fake city created for a Sci-Fi movie. It is no surprise that Rio de Janeiro will be the first city in South America to host the Olympic Games. It is a developed first-world city with amazing beaches, great nightlife, tremendous cultural offerings, spectacular sights, and beautiful people.

Sugar Loaf

Sugar Loaf is one of the many must see tourist attractions in Rio de Janeiro. Despite what part of the world you are from and natural beauty you enjoy close to home Sugar Loaf will “wow” you. It is essentially two enormous rocks jutting out of the earth the size of cargo ships. An enormous gondola takes you from the posh neighborhood of Urca to the first level of Sugar Loaf and another gondola takes you all the way to the top. Each round-trip gondola jaunt costs 12.50 USD, but you can save money by hiking to the first level and only paying for the second gondola. It is only about a 10-15 minute climb and engaging small monkeys along the way in common. Once at the top you can see tremendous views of Rio de Janeiro and the city of Niteroi.

Christ the Redeemer – Corcovado

This may be Rio de Janeiro’s quintessential tourist attraction. One of the highest points that can be reached in Rio atop Corcovado Mountain, Christ the Redeemer provides 360 degree views of Rio de Janeiro. The gigantic Christ statue is also amazing to see up close. You can reach the top on foot (which make take 2 hours), by train (20 minutes, or van (10-15 minutes). The best option is the train; however, it has limited capacity and only departs twice per hour. When purchasing the entrance fee and the train ride together it is a few bucks cheaper than taking a van and paying the entrance separately. The train is the most sought after option hence you must be prepared to get there early or endure a line.

Hurricane season is from June 1 – November 30 each year although storms can form earlier or later than the designated dates. This can mean that travel to Atlantic areas during this time can be disrupted. If you plan to vacation or travel to the southern states of America or the Caribbean area during this time of year you should keep a few things in mind.

Travel insurance is an excellent resource to have in case your vacation plans are disrupted due to a hurricane or tropical storm. Most will offer reimbursement so that you do not lose your money. Cruise ships, for example, will have to make detours or go to different ports in case of a hurricane and offer travel insurance as well. Although it can be pricey at times, it’s in your best interest to be covered since a hurricane can pop up unexpectedly. Also, if you have travel plans booked months in advance, there is no way to tell if a storm may hit during that time period so again, you are covered in case of bad weather that would otherwise ruin your plans.

You can keep up with weather in the tropics by visiting the National Hurricane Center website. Not only can you view storm activity but you can look weeks in advance leading up to your trip to monitor any storm activity. Storms can still form without warning but most of them are usually known about in advance. Keep in mind that during a major storm air flights can be canceled, hotels can be evacuated and cruises can be detoured, canceled or have itinerary changes.

Most likely a storm will not interfere with your travel plans but it is a good idea to be proactive in having travel insurance and keeping up with any storm activity during hurricane season. Some seasons are more active than others but you never know when one can hit and wreak havoc on your vacation.

Road trips can be an exciting way to experience your vacation and there are more ways than one to explore this type of vacation.

One exciting road trip is to revisit a childhood journey. Perhaps your family drove to upstate New York one summer and you can recall some of the places you stopped at. Reliving that journey can be self fulfilling as well as fun for the entire family. Map out where you and your family would like to visit, eat and stay and try to have an end result in mind such as visiting the grandparents or stopping at a theme park once you arrive.

Speaking of theme parks, how about a theme park trip? Take the number of days you are traveling and try to visit a theme park or attraction every day or every other day. A good place to take this type of trip is in Central Florida where you can find Disney World, Busch Gardens, Sea World, Universal Studios and a host of other attractions that can only be found in that area.

Plan a staycation near to home. If you’re on a budget or don’t have enough days off from work to take a long trip, you can plan things to do near home. Find attractions, places to eat and places to visit within a 100-200 mile radius. Not only will you save on money by being able to come home each night but you can invest your money into your own local economy and enjoy adventures you may not have considered before. You can always rent a motel or hotel room if you want but have the option of driving home as well.

No matter what type of road trip you want to take, treat it just like you would a four star vacation. It doesn’t have to be complicated to have one of the best trips of your life.

It’s no fun at all to go on a wonderful trip only to realize you are missing something. Whether it’s a piece of jewelry or electronic equipment, sometimes you have already traveled hundreds of miles before you realize it. No matter where you may have lost your item there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure the chances of a safe return.

If you lost your item at a motel or hotel call them and tell them as soon as you realize your item is missing. Most motels and hotels have a policy that they are not responsible for lost items but every one of them will have a lost and found area so talk to someone in charge who can ask housekeeping if the item was found. You may have to pay shipping costs if they have indeed found your missing item but the sooner you call, the better chance you’ll have of getting it back and always remember to use the motel safe if possible if it is available. That way you’ll have a much easier time remembering to check it before you leave.

If your item was lost on a cruise ship call the customer service number to the company you used and be ready to give out your name, cabin number and the date of your sailing. Cabins are cleaned immediately after each disembarkation so chances are you item has been moved to the lost and found area. It’s best to call as soon as you realize it so that there is a possibility the ship has not sailed again and can be double checked if lost and found has no record of your item.

No matter what type of trip you took or where you stayed, each will have different policies and different chances of you getting your item back safe and sound. However, if you start the process as soon as possible the chances are greater of a safe return of your belongings.

If you are lucky enough to be able to take a vacation any time of year then there are a few things to consider on when it is the best time to take your trip. A lot of different factors can depend on when it’s the best time to go on vacation.

If you have children in school you may want to plan your vacation around the summer holiday or Christmas break. If you are going to a warm climate such as the Caribbean or a place that is particularly hot, you may want to go during the winter months. Areas in the Caribbean can have temperatures close to 100 degrees during the summer with very high humidity. If you visit in the winter months not only will there be less crowds on average but the temperatures can range in the 70′s and 80′s Fahrenheit for a much more pleasant vacation.

If you plan to enjoy winter adventures such as skiing or snowboarding then a call ahead to your destination can let you know when they are the least busy and when the best weeks are for that perfect snowfall.

When planning a trip to a theme park keep in mind that summer months and holidays are the busiest times of year. The same can be said for cruises. Even a trip to Las Vegas can be more crowded during these times. While none of the above mentioned trips have off times for business, there are certain times of the year where you can find it less crowded than usual. Just before the holidays, fall and winter can be best for certain theme parks and October and the day of major holidays is your best bet for Las Vegas.

Make sure to check with the venue you plan to visit for off-season rates. You may save more money but be sure to ask about specific closing times on theme parks since many have winter hours that differ from the rest of the year.