Travel Trends for 2011

December 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Looking to take a vacation in the New Year? Consider these locations and travel trends, which are predicted to be popular in 2011:

1. Cruises – In 2011, cruises are expected to take off, with Hawaii and Alaska being among the top domestic destinations for prospective cruisers. Internationally, cruises to the Caribbean and Mediterranean are expected to be popular.

2. Las Vegas and Orlando remain top destinations for domestic vacations. Tourists are drawn to Vegas nightlife and casinos, and Orlando is a perennial favorite for families with its array of theme parks and proximity to Florida’s beautiful beaches.

3. Internationally, cities such as Tangier, in Northern Africa, Valencia, Spain and Tel Aviv, Israel are emerging as travel hotspots. This is due to a burgeoning art scene and new shops and restaurants in these three locations.

4. U.S. travelers planning European vacations continue to cite Paris, London and Rome as must-see cities.

5. Vacation rental homes are gaining in popularity; tourists can save money when renting a home for a week as opposed to staying in a hotel. Also, staying in a rental home permits travelers to get more of an authentic experience, especially when visiting destinations abroad.

6. Green travel is also becoming a factor that people take into consideration when planning a vacation. Travelers are seeking eco-friendly hotels or vacations that are more nature based as a way to connect more with the environment.

7. There will be less last-minute leisure travel in 2011, as more tourists say that they plan to book trips at least eight weeks in advance.

8. Tourists will seek out activities such as visiting historic sites, hiking and enjoying water activities in 2011.

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Time to Vacation

November 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Everyone looks forward to their Vacation each year. In some countries, many of the companies are in tune to their employees and offer wonderful vacation packages. In fact, in many it is not unusual to have at least one month of as a paid holiday while the entire business closes down for the month. This practice doesn’t happen much in the United States. The only time it does is for teachers when the schools close for the summer holidays and many of then have now gone to year round schools.

This requires most people to become some what more creative as they plan for time away from work. They take many more Vacations that last for only a few days but enough to be a change of pace and take the edge off of the stress filled environment. With the great deal on prices for flights, many spots are now options for a limited stay than ever before. If you live in the United States, of course the best advise is to see as much as possible of the states first.

The next most popular vacation spot is Europe. It is not unheard of to take a long weekend Vacation celebration to Europe if the price is right. Many businessmen accumulate the sky travel miles and save then up just for special small little getaways like this one. It is a great idea to look on the Internet form time to time since they always offer some great prices, especially if you can be somewhat flexible on the departure dates and times. Many teachers have been doing this for years as they escort groups of students there. It is the best combination of work and holiday.

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Cruises for Travel This Year

November 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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This seems to be the perfect time for a cruise Travel vacation. The prices are very reasonable if you can manage the fee time away from work. Some of the best cruise spots are in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Cruises are used to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and even weddings. People usually start off with a short day or weekend one and then move on up from there. One thing is sure, once they star, they want to go every year. As long as no one gets sea sick. It becomes a tradition for the family each year.

Those who love to Travel and cruise say that they love to be able to see many places and not have to pack and repack each time. They love shopping and seeing all of the sites at the different spots. Many say that they have discovered places that they would have never thought to visit on their own. One of those places is Gibraltar. This is the place at the south of Spain in the Iberian peninsula. This is a great spot for shopping as it is a British overseas territory. It is conveniently located near many of the most popular tourist cities of Spain such as Malaga, Cadiz, and Seville.

A cruise can be a very cost effective way to see many places in one trip. If you decide to Travel this way be sure you read all of the fine print and make a note of all the extra fees involved. You will have some for sure. One fee will be the port few for all of the different countries you will visit. Be sure to ask if there are any others. Many different groups are able to arrange for special group rates, don’t forget to ask what is required for something similar. It could be something easy as the number of people in your group.

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Traveling During Hurricane Season

August 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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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.

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