Travel Tips! |
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| Pilot Paul's Luggage Buying Checklist by Pilot Paul As an airline pilot, I "live" out of my suitcase quite a bit. Crewmembers are very hard on their luggage and won't tolerate junky luggage that won't perform well over a long period of time. The best value in luggage is good quality, well-built, highly functional luggage that is backed up with a strong waranty. You'll achieve the best value if something serves you well for a long period of time. That way your cost per use will be low.This eliminates most of the cheaper discount store luggage. Surprisingly, it also eliminates many of the fancy, high priced "designer" bags also.I've carefully inspected many designer bags offered in the boutique designer logo shops. Often these bags have the quality and features of the cheap ones in the discount stores. Their only value is the "perceived value" of the designer logo.I've been shocked to find the prices of these bags well over $1000 while they are inferior in quality, duraility, and features of many suitcases costing around $200-$300.There are only a few brands that I specifically recommend. More on that in a moment.The following "checklist" for choosing your luggage should help you make a good purchase decision.Pilot Paul's Luggage Buying Checklist:Wheels. These are essential. Think about how much walking with your bags is involved in any trip. It is best to have at least one bag in your ensemble with wheels. The ideal situation is to arrange things so with one wheeled bag acting as a cart, you can be completely mobile with your entire luggage. This will save you lots of time waiting for porters and bellmen, plus tip money.I highly recommend larger, rubberized wheels with ball bearings- similar to the ones on inline skates. These make a noticeable difference when pulling a loaded bag. They give the best performance and longevity.Recessed wheels are less likely to be damaged. Often, while doing aircraft exterior inspections, I'll find suitcase wheels that have been broken off in the loading/unloading process.Handle. Make sure that it is long enough. If it's too short, you'll be leaning sideways while walking. Make sure that the handle locks down so it won't be damaged if you check your bag.One thing that leads to handle failures on many bags is lifting a loaded bag by the pull handle. Your bag will last longer if you lift it by the smaller grip handles.For larger bags, two grip handles make it much easier to hoist, lift, and carry your bag. Think of getting the bag out of a trunk of up into an overhead bin.Outer Shell. There are three different types: soft-sided, hard-sided, and in-between, semi-soft sided. Consider your needs.Soft-sided are the most lightweight and expandable. They make the best carry-ons, but your bag's contents are most vulnerable to damage. Think about what you'll pack in one, especially if you plan to check your bag.Hard-sided bags are the best for protecting your stuff, but these bags tend to be heavier. They also don't give or compress if you're trying to stuff them in a tight place, like the trunk of a car or an overhead bin.Semi-soft combines the benefits of the other two. These are what I like best. They are partially framed and have expandable tops and bottoms. They weigh less than hard-sided ones, but still protect well.Material. For soft and semi-soft luggage, nylon or ballistic nylon is stronger than polyester. Look for a tight and dense weave. If denier is mentioned, it refers to the thickness of the fiber. High denier means thick fiber.Zippers. Metal ones aren't good. The newer, synthetic zippers made of coils can actually self-repair when the slide is moved over the teeth.Self-repairing zippers is one thing that separates the well-made luggage from the rest.Since people tend to over-stuff their suitcases (especially if they did some extra shopping), the zipper takes the strain of trying to close and hold the suitcase together.These self-repairing zippers will do that job better than any others will. A standard zipper can fail under that strain. If your suitcase zipper breaks as you are finishing packing and hurrying to catch a plane, you suddenly have a big problem.There you are, it's time to go and your suitcase zipper is broken. Everything is falling out and you don't have the time or capability to fix or replace it.Whatever you buy, make sure that it has a large, self-repairing zipper.Hooks. Many rolling bags have a hook to carry an additional bag. These are wonderful. With these, you can often easily carry two extra bags - one on the hook and one over the extended handle. The bag on the hook tends to counter-balance everything making the downward load on the handle lighter.Tip - some hooks are stronger than others are. The most strain on your luggage hook comes when you have a heavy bag attached and you are on an escalator. The hooked bag is unsupported. If this is an issue, look for the elevator.Other Nice Features. Many pockets inside and out are useful. Many bags have some plastic lined pockets. These are great for wet items like swimsuits or workout clothes. If you are getting a bag that will be outside like a backpack, rain flaps over the zippers help keep the contents dry when it's raining.Warranty. If you buy a good suitcase and use it for a long time, a good warranty is very important.A long warranty period is a good indication that the manufacturer believes in their product.Many higher-end bags have lifetime warranties. While these suitcases may cost a bit more, if a free warranty repair is the difference between more years of service and the garbage, it's worth it.The smart choice is to buy well-constructed, long-lasting quality luggage. That will be the best value, last the longest, and be the wisest choice. There are four specific brand of luggage that I personally recommend. To learn which ones those are and why, please visit my complete luggage ratings web page at: http://www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/luggage-ratings.htmlIf you go there, you'll also learn the best places to find these suitcases at the best prices.Copyright 2005 by Ph.Developments USA, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Pilot Paul is a captain at a major U.S. airline. He also hosts http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com where an airline captain helps you with your travel needs. If you would like to learn more travel tips, see travel accessory reviews and recommendations, learn insider's secrets, find travel discounts, or receive our FREE newsletter, please visit us at http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com |
| 10 Tips for Hassle-Free Business Travel by June Campbell If you're a road warrior, these travel tips will help reduce the stress ofyour journeys.1. Choose your Travel Modality WiselyPlanes, trains or automobiles: what's the choice to be? While airtravel is clearly the only way to go for long journeys, shorter trips ofa couple of hundred miles might be faster via train, bus or auto.When making your decision, consider time spent traveling to andfrom airports, plus time spent lining up for check in, security anddeparture. Also consider the effects inclement weather can have onyour travel choice. It's no fun hearing the announcement that yourplane can't land due to poor visibility and you'll be returning to yourdeparture airport.2. Consider Alternative AirportsIf you're flying, consider alternative airports that are outside the cityyou're going to visit. As a rule, these airports have fewer flights, lessoverbooking and less delays than their larger counterparts.3. Obtain an International Drivers LicenseIf traveling outside your own country, an international driver'slicense will be more readily recognized than your locally issueddriver's license. The cost is not prohibitive and in most regions, thelicenses are easily obtained by showing your local driver's license.Inquire at your local Automobile Association.4. Get Your Maps Before You Leave HomeTravel is less stressful if you know how to get around. Beforeleaving home, obtain maps of your destination city. One approach isto visit web sites such as City Search (http://www.citysearch.com/)and print out maps. Place your printed maps in plastic folders forprotection against the elements. Trying to read a road map whilestanding on a rainy street corner has its obvious disadvantages.5. Carry Electronic Documents Rather than Hard CopyRather than carry heavy stacks of brochures or sales letters, takeelectronic documents on diskettes and have them printed at a localprinting service. Similarly, if you are working a booth in a tradeshow, it's a good idea to carry electronic documents in case you runout of the stack you shipped from the office.6. Find Hotels that Cater to Business TravelersHotels that cater to business travelers will have Internet capabilitiesand offer access to business machines such as faxes andphotocopiers.7. Remember Adaptors and ConvertersIf you're traveling to a foreign country, remember that you mightneed special voltage adaptors for electricity. You might also needplug adapters to accommodate both electrical plugs and telephonejacks. A good travel store will be able to help you decide what'sneeded.8. Use Calling CardsWhen you're staying at a hotel, the phone bill can be a majorexpense. The cost of calling your family, checking your voice mailand checking your email is best handled by using a telephone callingcard or a corporate credit card.9. Check your Cellular ServiceCellular phone companies regularly offer new rates. Check to be sureyou're getting the best deal -- some now include long distancecharges in the monthly fee. If your business travel will take you tosmall, out-of-the way towns, your digital phone might not work. Youwill need an analog or dual digital/anlog phone for such trips.10. Protect Yourself Against TheftBefore leaving home, make copies of your travel documents(passport, airline tickets, travel insurance, credit cards and itinerary).Take copies with you and leave a copy with a contact at home. Takespecial precautions for your electronics. See what your local travelstore has to offer in terms of protective luggage. You can purchaselaptop cases that disguise the fact that they're used for laptops, orlaptop cases that look old and battered. And of course, you alreadyknow how fast and savvy a pickpocket can be. Avoid carryingimportant documents in your purse or hip pocket. About the Author June CampbellHow to Write Business Plans, Business Proposals, JV Contracts,Human Resource Package, More!No-cost ebook "Beginners Guide to Ecommerce".Business Writing by Nightcats Multimedia Productionshttp://www.nightcats.com |
| Exploring Uncharted Territory: Your Family Vacation by News Canada Exploring Uncharted Territory: Your Family Vacation News Canada NC—Picture it – your minivan is stopped at a rest area. Your partner sits at the wheel while you are buried under a mess of unfolded maps. You feel tense as you debate over directions while your jumpy kids in the back seat are spreading chocolate over each other. Aah, the joys of a family vacation. Dont despair, not every trip has to be like that. By making plans in advance, you can help ease tensions on the trip and turn it into a family adventure filled with wonderful memories for everyone. Before getting started, consider these quick travel tips. Where are we Try to map out your trip in advance or at least be prepared with a road atlas in the car. Michelins 2003 North America Road Atlas is spiral bound and compact, which means it lies flat for easier navigating and folds over easily so it can be tucked away in the glove compartment. A great innovation is that maps are organized by geographic region, not by the alphabet … according to the way you actually drive. Are we there yet Let your children also have their own map so they can follow along with you. Use a road atlas to teach your children how to use maps and help them learn to answer that gnawing question, "Are we there yet" Make a game out of it and try to see who can calculate the distance the fastest. I have to go! Plan exciting pit stops along the way to give everyone a chance to stretch their legs and use a restroom. Choose interesting locations and tourist attractions such as the worlds largest coffee pot in Saskatchewan, magnetic hill in New Brunswick or a haunted lighthouse in Ontario. Make these stops part of the fond memories of your family trip. Im bored! Entertaining car-based activities for the kids will help make the journey more pleasant for everyone. There are a variety of great board games available in compact sizes, which use magnets to ensure pieces stay on the board. Other options include reading out loud, singing or listening to audio books. Consider the classic games of "I Spy", a scavenger hunt or even counting cows, horses and other unique items you identify. Im hungry! To avoid grumbling stomachs keep some snacks handy such as fruit, granola bars or juice boxes to keep everyone satisfied while you search for the next rest stop. Spending time together on a road trip is a great way to have quality time with your family. Dont let it ruin your trip. Instead make it part of the adventure and the wonderful memories. Not only will some advance planning make your trip a lot more pleasant, it may keep everyone talking to one another! - News Canada
About The Author News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services. |
| AC Adapters - Know Where You Are Going! by Tara Pearce So you’ve got the plane tickets, packed all the things that you need, but did you know that if you are going to another continent - or even just another country - you may need ac adapters to plug in any electrical items you may have packed. Without these foreign plug adapters your electrical appliances are only going to be as good as doorstops. In North America (and South America, Japan and some parts of the Caribbean) we use an ungrounded electrical plug that has two flat prongs (See Fig.1 Power Adapter examples below) or a grounded plug that has an additional third prong. In most of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and other parts of the Caribbean they use a plug with rounded prongs. If you want to be able to plug a device from another country into an outlet you’ll need an ac adapter. I’ll outline the other kinds of power adapters you may need. Most electrical adapters come in a both grounded and ungrounded versions but some counties only use three pronged plugs so the only travel adapter listed will be a grounded adapter. Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and China use a slanted two prong adapter.Great Britain, Ireland, Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore use a three prong plug, with two flat prongs in line and one perpendicular.Some places in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Central America and the Caribbean use a grounded adapter.Italy uses electrical outlet with 3 rounded in-line prongs. About the Author Tara Pearce is the publisher and webmaster of http://www.a1-travel-accessories.com Visit us for great information on all manner of travel tips and accessories resources. |
| AC Power Adapters - Do I Really Need Them? by Tara Pearce By now you have decided where you want to go and if you have read my ac adapter article you know whether or not you need to bring along some ac power adapters. Unfortunately, like many things in life, there are no exact rules governing travel adapters. I recommend bringing power adapters even if you know your destination uses the same kind of ac plug. Many tropical vacation destinations only have power outlets without a ground. Therefore if you have a grounded plug (like on your laptop) you will need an ac power adapter to convert it for a non-grounded outlet. North Americans please remember that many of your appliances with non-grounded plugs are polarized. (ie. They can only fit in one way). You may need an ac wall adapter in many countries as their outlets will not accept polarized plugs. If you are traveling to Great Britain you should be extra careful about which ac adapters you bring. Britain doesn’t have a standardized system for ac adaptors and actually have several different kinds of wall outlets, so you may need to purchase a travel adapter once you reach your hotel. If you do, you can find foreign plug adapters at the local hardware store. These ac wall adapters are relatively cheap and I recommend bringing several with you. Power adapters are easy to lose and fellow travelers will want to borrow an adapter from you. Always carry at least one ac adapter with you at all times – maybe in your backpack - because you don’t want to be caught without a power adapter when you need it. And please don’t forget these electrical adapter plugs do NOT convert electricity. Please take a look at my Power Converter page for more information. About the Author Tara Pearce is the publisher and webmaster of http://www.a1-travel-accessories.com Visit us for great information on all manner of travel tips and accessories resources. |
| A White Noise Machine- Your Solution To Sleeping In Noisy Places by Pilot Paul As an airline pilot, I have a responsibility to always arrive at the plane well rested. That means being able to sleep well in almost any hotel room. Few are quiet. My secret to sleeping well in noisy places (which can be yours also)- I never go on a trip without my white noise machine.I spent $80 for mine about 12 years ago and have slept better thousands of nights because of it. That's made it a pretty good investment."What Is A White Noise Machine?"It is a small electronic device that makes background "white noise". It masks and covers other sounds that could potentially disturb your sleep.The concept of having one noise mask another so you can sleep might be difficult to imagine.I'm actually a very light sleeper and noises easily awaken me. The white noise is a constant background noise that your brain gets used to so it doesn't noticeably register. Your mind blocks it out, so you can sleep without noticing it. The constant white noise in the background covers or blocks other noises.It's an interesting phenomenon that if someone is sleeping while using a white noise machine and it is suddenly turned off, the absence of the white noise can actually awaken them.White noise machines are most effective when placed between you and the noise source. If there is traffic or an airport out the window, then put it between the window and you.I always use mine when traveling, even if it seems like the hotel is nice and quiet. You never can predict when other guests will be loud in the hallways of adjacent rooms. If there is no outside noise, I put mine between the door and my bed.You might be worried that using a white noise machine will make you miss your alarm of worse yet, a fire alarm. I've been in many hotels when the fire alarms went off at night while I was using my white noise machine at full volume. Don't worry; you can still hear a fire alarm.As an airline pilot, I often have to get up very early. I can't afford to be late for work.My white noise machine has never prevented me from hearing my alarm or wake up call. Your mind still detects these.White noise machines are also great for your home or for creating privacy in your office.My wife used to work as a Family Therapist. Their offices were not soundproof, but privacy and confidentiality were extremely important. They used white noise machines to create this privacy.I have a friend who could not sleep through her husband's snoring. It was becoming a stressful issue for them. They learned about white noise machines and got one. It did the trick. Now she can sleep and their marriage is much better because of it.We have an additional white noise sound machine at home. My travel one is so important to me that I never unpack it or use it at home. I would hate to leave it home and lose the sleep protection it provides during my trips.When you first get a white noise machine, you have to train yourself to use it. That basically entails gradually increasing its volume each night. It takes about a week to get used to sleeping at the maximum volume. You'll be surprised how you won't even notice it then.Some white noise machines make "nature sounds" like frogs, birds, or whales. You can even buy recordings of nature sounds to play to help you fall asleep.While listening to Shamu, the killer whale, may be relaxing for some people, I don't think they make very effective white noise.The problem is that nature sounds are irregular. To be most effective, white noise should be steady and constant. Tatt's what your brain is best at adjusting to and tuning out. Irregular sounds, although nice to listen to just don't work as well.The other weakness of this type is that they often can't be turned up loud enough to mask sleep disturbing sounds. I guess that's because at greater volume Shamu, the killer whale, sounds frightening rather than relaxing.I'm familiar with several white noise machines. There is one that I think is superior to the rest.To learn which one it is and why, please visit: http://www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/white-noise-machine.htmlCopyright 2005 by Ph.Developments USA, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Pilot Paul is a captain at a major U.S. airline. He also hosts http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com where an airline captain helps you with your travel needs. If you would like to learn more travel tips, see travel accessory reviews and recommendations, learn insider's secrets, find travel discounts, or receive our FREE newsletter, please visit us at http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com |
| 3 Ways To Get The Lowest Airfare Possible by Richard Wong The easiest way to break the traveling budget is with your flight. It’s hard to find the lowest airfare out there these days, especially with the myriad of companies trying to tell you that THEY have the lowest airfare prices, or know where to find them. Lucky for you, there are several ways to take a bite out of the cost of flying. Here are some tips and techniques to make sure you are getting the lowest possible airfare. Please note that the advice given here is just that: advice. Companies mentioned are not better, or worse, than any other organization out there that claims to offer the lowest airfare possible. Lowest Airfare Technique #1: Courier It Without a courier, many important packages that are working their way through the flight system would be stuck in customs an awfully long time. Therefore, courier companies “hire” people to transport their packages for them in a set. All that you have to do is forfeit your baggage space, and you can receive some of the lowest airfare prices available. There isn’t actually a “payment” that is exchanged here; you are providing a service, but in return you are only getting the lowest airfare that the company can afford. Also, scheduling can be a bit of a pain in the butt – you may have a quick stopover in one place you wanted to visit, and days in another that really doesn’t interest you. Plus, can you imagine flying to Paris with only your overnighter bag? Those with light luggage and really flexible schedules may love this option, though. Lowest Airfare Technique #2: Bid Online services like Priceline can be risky. However, if you are willing the tradeoff of ‘maybe’ getting a ticket with some amazing deals, it’s a great route to go. The idea behind these types of companies is that you post a bid on their web site for the lowest price you are willing to pay for airfare. Then, you wait. Once you’ve bid, its set in stone; if someone accepts the bid, you are required to follow through. If no one does, then you’re off the hook (although also without your lowest airfare!). I would recommend this option only to people who have highly flexible itineraries. Lowest Airfare Technique #3: Special Offer Pages Every airline has a ‘special offers’ page on their web site. Do you check them out regularly for the lowest airfare deals before booking a flight? If you bookmark all of the airlines catering to your geographic area, and any areas that you plan on traveling to, many of these ‘special fares’ will be better (in most cases, much better) than any search engine lowest airfare peek-a-boo that you do. There are several finer points to watch with these lowest advertised airfares, though; look for hidden charges, read the fine print, make note of any restrictions, and take action quickly (because most of these special offers are a limited time only). About the Author: For more air travel tips, visit my website: http://www.airtravelhelp.info Source: www.isnare.com |
| A Visit To Shanghai, China. Part One. by Salihu Ibrahim It looks like all roads leads to China these days. If you are into business, attending one training course,or taking a vacation , your most likely destination could be one Chinese city or the other. China is fast becoming an ecomnomic powerhouse and with it comes properity and modernization. China is also one of the few places not affected by modern terrorism. So how about taking a visit to china on your next vacation. One of the most beautiful cities in china is shanghai. One thing that strikes one immediately about the city of shanghai is that there are a lot of highrise (skyscraper) buildings. The density of highrise buildings is comparable to that of Newyork city. Shanghai is also one of the most prosperous cities in China. There are interesting places to visit in shanghai. In part one of this article on shanghai I will be writing on the places you can visit while vacationing or doing business in shanghai.One of the most interesting places to visit in Shanghai, china is the the Bund. It is located in the Huangpu district, in the central part of Shanghai. It is a place you can go and relax with your spouse or girlfriend or even by yourself. It is an open place that overlooks the Huangpu River. This river runs right across the city of Shanghai. On the other side of the Bund is the Oriental Pearl Tower. The tower is about 396 ft high and can be seen clearly from the Bund.At the Bund, there are relaxation spots where you can sit, take pictures and generally feel the cool breeze from the river. You are sure to find the usual hawkers of various kinds of souvenirs and fake wrist watches of all kinds. If you want you could pay a small amount of yuan (chinese currency)and take a ride on one of the numerous boats that ply the river so that you can have a good view of the Oriental Pearl Tower from the river. One of the interesting things you can do on the Bund is take pictures with your back to the tower. The background is fantastic. You could even use the picture for a postcard.The oriental pearl tower is another very interesting tourist spot to visit. The tower, when you get close to it, is an achitectural masterpirce and a beauty to behold. It is just like the Eiffel tower in paris. You pay a small amount to enter through the base of the tower where the lift that will take you up is situated. There are three stages of the tower corresponding to three differrent hieghts. The higher you go the more money you pay. I highly recommend going all the way to the top. That is where the best view is. The lifts are high speed lifts that will take you to the top in seconds. This is also a good spot for taking pictures. Two most interesting things about the tower is the view, which is fantastic from the top most spot on the tower. Another is the sourvenirs you can find. This a place to buy gift items of various kinds that depict the city of shanghai. There are restaurants and spots where you can relax to catch your breath,and take pictures.Another interesting place in Shanghai is the Peoples Square. This is an historic place. It used to be where people go to gather to make speeches. The place is made up of beautiful flowers and scenery.Very close to the peoples square is one of the most famous shopping street in the whole of china. That is the Nanjin street. It is a street with modern shopping malls comparable to malls like printemp or galarylaffayete in paris. Here you will find all you could ever dream of having. That is if you have the money to pay for it. The prices of items here are government controlled. That is you may not find great differences in prices of items amongst the various shops. But you are free to bargain. Usually with a calculator.There are many peculairities of life in China. Especially for a foreigner. These are things anyone should know before visiting China. Some of these i will be writing about in part two of a "trip to Shanghai China". About the Author The Author, Salihu Ibrahim, is widely travelled. He has written some fasinating articles based on his experiences for would be travellers. To read part two and more of his articles and other writers' on travel tips visit http://www.tips-for-travellers.com |
| ALASKA - BRIEF TRAVEL GUIDE by TravelMake.com Explore the true North, the land of spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife and friendly hospitality. WHAT TO SEE, TO DO AND WHERE: Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in North America (6,194 m or 20,306 feet), 150 miles from Fairbanks. Mountain climbing season is very short because of cold weather, strong winds and avalanche hazards. Nearly 1,000 people each season attempt the mountain, the best climbing conditions are in June.The peak is located in Denali National Park that offers superb mountain scenery and incomparable wildlife viewing, from 400-kg (900 lbs) grizzlies to Alaska state birds, willow ptarmigans, from Dall sheep to porcupines. Many visitors come to Alaska in winter to see Aurora Borealis when Northern Lights glow in all its glory. Birdwatching is also very popular among Alaska visitors, over 250 bird species inhabit the area, especially the southwest region. You can find all Grizzly fishingAlaska nature watch viewing sites including detail maps here. Whale watching boat trips allow the visitors an opportunity to observe and photograph Beluga, Orca, Humpback and Gray whales, along with many other marine mammals, in their natural environment. Available Alaska whale watching tours are listed by geographic region here. There many miles of trails for backpackers- from the pristine glaciers and fjords of remote Wrangell-St Elias National Park to the famous Chilkoot Trail where you follow the footsteps of the Klondike gold prospectors on this demanding 33-mile route near Skagway. It is a difficult hike and usually takes three to five days. The Alaska Trail system has over 40 both land and water-based trails with recognized recreational, scenic, and historic value. If you travel by RV or motorcoach, you need to know where to camp. Alaska RV parks index comes in handy. Do not also forget to visit Talkeetna - every Alaska visitor's favorite small town is the base for superb flightseeing trips around Mount McKinley. Alaska's capital Juneau is worth seeing. Founded as a roughneck mining town in 1880, Juneau is very much urbane these days. The city is also close to breathtaking glacier lookouts. If you enjoyAnchorage city driving, challenge the lonely Dalton Highway , a 500-mile road leading from Fairbanks to the Arctic Ocean. On the way you can try recreational gold panning on any Federal stream segments along the Dalton highway south of Atigun Pass. For those looking for downhill skiing opportunities, Alyeska Ski Resort, located 40 miles south of Anchorage, offers 3 double chairs, 2 fixed quads, 1 high-speed detachable quad and a 60-passenger tram to move you 840 m (2,800 feet) above scenic landscapes. For cross-country skiing fans Alaska's many trails are available to trek through mountain valleys or to ski beside the ocean. Annual sled dog races (dog mushing) is Alaska's official sport that attract participants and spectators from all over the world. The most famous race, Iditarod, runs for 1680 km (1,049 miles) from Anchorage to Nom and lasts 9 days starting on the first Saturday in March. Throughout the year many Alaska's communities host festivals and carnivals, there are interesting events for everyone. One of them is World Ice Art Championships held at Fairbanks in February-March where competitors carve magnificent sculptures from blocks of ice. Among other outdoor activities we would like to mention are boating on Alaska waterways, snowmachining and ATV-ing. We also devoted three separate web pages to Alaska sport fishing , hunting and sightseeing cruises. WHEN TO GO: Alaskan summers are cool, the average temperature is +14 deg.C (58 F) in summer and -12 deg.C (11 F) in winter. It receives midnight sunshine in May- July and goes into 24-hour darkness during the part of winter. May to September are the best months to visit for warm time activities. You can check next week weather forecast for Anchorage here. GETTING THERE: There are many direct or one-stop flights from major US cities. The largest Alaska's city, Anchorage, is under 4 hours from Seattle by air. Anchorage is 2,463 road miles from Seattle, 3,608 miles from Los Angeles. It is more convenient to fly to Anchorage and rent a car or RV on the spot. To travel by water you can take a cruise to Alaska or use the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry . TRAVEL TIPS: Northern weather can be unpredictable. Consider taking with you and wearing multiple layers of clothes in response to a wide variety of temperatures and weather conditions. Alaska is more expensive than most other states: apart from two dozen hostels there's little budget accommodation, and eating and drinking will set you back at least twenty percent more than in the Lower states. Still, experiencing Alaska on a low budget is possible, though it requires planning and off-peak travel. From June to August room prices are very high. May and September, when tariffs are relaxed and the weather only slightly chillier, are just as good times to go, and in April or October you'll have the place to yourself, together with a smaller range of places to stay and eat. Winter months are becoming increasingly popular, particularly for the spectacular aurora borealis . At this time of year hotel rates drop by as much as half.For many useful links on travel to Alaska visit us at www.travelmake.comWe wish you a nice and safe trip! About the Author TravelMake.com - one of leading online discount travel agencies, a source of useful travel information. Visit us at www.travelmake.com |
| 11 Proven Sleep Tips To Help You Rest Well In Any Strange Or Noisy Hotel by Pilot Paul As an airline pilot, I've developed a list of sleep tips.That's because I must spend many nights in hotel rooms and I must always be well rested when flying.Many of these travel rest tips can also improve your sleep at home.In addition to these great travel rest tips, there are some key travel accessories that I use to assure a great night sleep. They help while recovering from jet lag or sleeping at unusual hours, even in the noisiest locations. The main reasons people have trouble sleeping well in hotel rooms are: * Noise * Light * Temperature and humidity * Uncomfortable pillows * Uncomfortable bed * Recovering from jet lag * Being in a strange place * Hunger * Not employing sleep strategies#1- Dealing with NoiseNoise can be the greatest hindrance to travel rest. The good news is there is quite a bit you can do about noise to get some good hotel rest.Getting a good night's sleep in your hotel room begins as you drive up to your hotel.Pay attention to potential noise sources near the hotel.When you check in, before they give you your room assignment, specifically ask for a "quite room". If the highway or airport is on one side of the hotel, mention that and ask for a room on the other side of the building.When I arrive outside my room, I pause and survey the area for potential noise sources.If my room is in a bad location, I don't even enter the room. I just head back down to the desk and politely ask for a room in a more quiet location.The only way to guarantee good travel rest in a noisy place is with a white noise machine.If I were to give you only one sleep tip, it would be to get a white noise machine. It is a must-have travel accessory.A white noise machine allows you to sleep in noisy places by producing background noise. This background noise doesn't register to your mind, and masks the noises that disturb sleep.To read more about these incredible devices and learn which one I recommend, go to http://www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/white-noise-machine.html #2- Dealing with LightHotel room curtains rarely close completely. Use some clothespins to clip the curtains together.The other thing that will help you sleep in a room that has light is a good sleep mask. I review several different ones at http://www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/sleep-mask.html#3- Dealing with Temperature ChangesIt's wise to get the temperature adjusted as soon as you get to your room. That's because if you wait until you go to bed, it's likely that you'll awaken because you're either too hot or too cold.Sometimes hotel air conditioners make noisy clunking sounds when they cycle on and off. If you have a white noise machine, that's usually not a problem. If you don't, you might try to get a quieter room.#4- Dealing with Uncomfortable PillowsOne of the hardest parts of adjusting to a different bed is not really the bed itself. It's the pillows. The pillows at the hotel are rarely like what you are used to at home.There is a fantastic solution to this that's made a huge difference to me. You can get a small, memory foam travel pillow that gives you a consistent pillow wherever you sleep. You can read reviews and recommendations of these at http://www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/contour-travel-pillow.html#5- Dealing with Uncomfortable BedsThis is also something that you want to figure out as soon as you get to your room. Not when it's late, you're tired, all ready for bed and when there are no more rooms available.As soon as I get into my room, I sit and lie down on the bed to make sure that it is comfortable. If it's not, I head back sown to the front desk and ask if they have any rooms with newer beds. #6- If You're Recovering From Jet Lag. This is a major factor after long east/west flights. It is an extensive subject that I have written quite a bit about. To learn tips and strategies for dealing with jet lag, go to: http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com/jet-lag.html#7- Make sure that you're satisfied with the Room cleanliness. Whether it's perceived of a reality, if you think that the room or bed you are sleeping in isn't clean, it will affect your sleep. This is especially true if you think the bedding isn't clean.You can easily bring your own bedding by using a contour travel pillow and dreamsack. I have detailed information about them on my web site at www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/sleep-tips.html#8- Make things just like at home.Create a routine and environment as close to what you are accustomed to as possible.Make sure that your room reflects your smoking preferences.Develop and practice a regular pre-sleep routine. Studies have shown that you can teach your body and mind that it's time to relax and prepare for sleep. If you do this at home as well as while traveling, you'll likely fall asleep more easily.Keep your sleep time sacred and minimize other responsibilities before trying to go to bed. You should avoid worrying or working in your bedroom.#9- Manage your Hunger. If you're hungry before bed, eat a light snack. Otherwise, your hunger can delay your falling asleep.Having some snacks available in your hotel room requires some advanced planning, unless the mini-bar prices don't bother you.Don't eat a heavy meal before bed. This will disrupt your sleep because your stomach will be busy digesting your food.Here are some snacks that travel well: dried fruit, nuts, power or granola bars.If you're thirsty before bedtime, drink a small quantity of water.Avoid alcohol and caffeine for several hours before bed.#10- Don't watch the clock. Turn the clock around so you can't see it. If you're having trouble sleeping, your awareness of the time and your thoughts of how late it is or how soon you have to get up will only make it harder to sleep.Make sure that you have multiple alarms set, and then don't worry about over-sleeping. I usually get a wake-up call, set the room clock and also my travel clock.If you can't fall asleep within about 30 minutes, don't keep lying in bed trying to fall asleep. Instead, get up and do an activity that will help you relax. #11- GeneralStudies have shown that there are two main lifestyle habits that can promote good sleep: Exercise Regularly. This will help you sleep better, but it is important not to exercise too close to bedtime. Otherwise you body won't cool down and relax in time for you to fall asleep. Eat a balanced diet. This will help your overall health as well as improve your sleep. That's just a brief overview. I highly recommend that you read my complete sleep tips article before you go on your next trip. Print it and take it with you. You can find it at:http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com/sleep-tips.htmlCopyright 2005 by Ph.Developments USA, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Pilot Paul is a captain at a major U.S. airline. He also hosts http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com where an airline captain helps you with your travel needs. If you would like to learn more travel tips, see travel accessory reviews and recommendations, learn insider's secrets, find travel discounts, or receive our FREE newsletter, please visit us at http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com |
| Avoid Information Overload When Searching For Airline Tickets by Auckland Alvin Semper Jr Avoid Information Overload When Searching For Airline Tickets Auckland Alvin Semper Jr No more information overload on travel! The importance of avoiding information overload when searching for the cheapest airline tickets online cannot be stressed enough theses days. This article will explain how you should take your time and do your research to be able to cherry pick your way through. What we Internet surfers dont seem to understand is that there are millions of travel sites out there claiming they have access to the lowest airfares. When its time to book your travel plans the first thing we think about is our budget for those of us who have a budget. Most travelers dont want to pay more than they have to because they still need money when they get to where ever the destination is and the more the better..right! We all want the cheap flights that are enjoyable, not too many stops, with food and entertainment, frequent flyer miles, plenty of leg and elbow room...all for the lowest and cheapest price you can afford....now that would be perfect dude! Well dream on, unless youre rich. To avoid information overload and your bottom sticking to the chair, you start with online sites that not only give their prices but also let you compare with others. Narrow these sites down to sites that dont waste your time by having access to just a few special airfares only when the airlines say they have deals. Everybody has a search engine for available published airfares, but the best sites consistently offer specially worked out deals available only to their customers....now thats what I am talking about maan..... You have to find a small group of sites that can be searched on a regular basis...be persistent and start checking for deals at least a month in advance to be able to take advantage of 7-21 day advanced purchase requirements. How about sites that have done the research for you and also provide all the information you need for traveling....I call these sites "travel portals" and boy do they save you time, not to mention stress. Some travel portals list too many sites and its like your starting all over again. They list any site that would pay commissions instead of researching and listing those that actually have low airfares consistently, so try and avoid these kinds of cluttered travel portals at all costs...they are still wasting your time. Searching for cheap airfares does not have to be an adventure. Finding and using travel portals should get you what you need without the sales pitch. Most of us have a budget and dont want to feel like we could have paid much less...if an airfare is out there, travel portals will help you find it......Happy Traveling!
About The Author Auckland Semper is a syndicated travel expert and former travel agent. Visit his travel portal at http://www.thelowestpricelist.com/cheap-airfares.html --Free travel tips, advise and information on cheap airline tickets and vacations. |
| Is Your Last Minute Travel Always More Expensive Than A Well-Planned One by Jonathan Tan Is Your Last Minute Travel Always More Expensive Than A Well-Planned One Jonathan Tan Last Minute Travel doesnt have to lead to expense. Let us show you how to get the best deals and bargains without the stress. For any last minute vacations, it pays to know when the most expensive travel periods are. The high demand for travel during certain periods drives the prices up for most essentials like airline tickets, cruises, hotel rooms and rental cars. Fortunately, there are a few free tools, tricks and sites that you can use to make your last minute travel cheaper, faster, easier and more fun! The other alternative is to buy last minute vacation packages. They are generally good but only if you cannot locate a cheap airfare. And an understanding of how the airlines operate will help you get that cheap last minute airline tickets. As for hotel reservations, its true that most often you do get a better rate by simply picking the phone either from a phone booth nearby to book rather walking to the reservation counter. Another way you can save on your car rental is to consider the parking charges instead, again this can be easily verify via the phone by simply asking the hotel staff for local advice. Airlines, hotels, cruise ships and rental car companies lose money for every seat, hotel room, cabin or rental car they dont fill. Typically, they would rely on travel agents, or consolidators to help them clear their inventories. By buying such items in bulk and repackaging them together into last minute vacation deals, its unlikely you can buy these items separately on your own at a cheaper price. For more tips and ideas on how to have fun, save more for your last minute travel, head on over to the Last Minute Vacations and Travel Guide.
About The Author As a business traveler, Jonathan does a lot of last minute travel and he is always on the lookout for cheap, quick and practical last minute vacations and travel tips. last-minute-vacation-guide.com |
| Alaska Hunting Guide by TravelMake.com WHAT TO HUNT AND WHERE: Alaska is a hunter's paradise. Hunting here can provide the full scope of experiences- from caribou to deer and moose, from grizzly and brown bears to wolves, from Dall sheep and mountain goats to muskox, from waterfowl to ptarmigan and several grouse species. Diverse Alaska geographic areas offer adventure for everyone, give us various choices:Interior Alaska. From mountains and rolling hills, river valleys covered with forests to the vast spaces of treeless tundra at higher altitudes and in the far north. Temperaure varies greatly throughout the year, from -50 Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit) in the winter months to +30 Celsius (+86 Fahrenheit) during summers. There are just a few highways in the interior part of Alaska. Most of the area can only be reached by plane, boat or by foot. Summer is warm but short. Climate and landscape conditions provide variety of big game: moose and cariboo, Dall sheep in the mountains, some wild bison, muskox in the arctic Alaska, wolves, black and grizzly bears, waterfowl, some grouse and ptarmigan .Southeast (the narrow and long part between the Pacific ocean and Canada). Consists of mainland and many treed mountainous islands along the coast. The main hunting trophies here are brown and black bears, moose and mountain goats, black-tailed deer and wolves . Guided hunting is done mostly by boat, the most popular hunting spots are on the islands in the central part of the area. South and Southwest (to the south and west of the Yukon river). Mountainous inland with many rivers and lakes, ragged coastal line dotted with numerous islands. The region offers a wide variety of game: deer, Dall sheep, caribou, moose, wolves, wolverine, brown and black bear, waterfowl, grouse species. ALASKA GENERAL HUNTING REGULATIONS:If you hunt in a general season, which is open to an unlimited number of hunters, you will need a harvest ticket. Harvest tickets are available at no cost where hunting licenses are sold. Non-residents are required to have a big game tag for the species they are hunting. Some remote rural areas may not have licenses available or the vendor may run out of harvest tickets. Be sure to purchase your license, game tags, and pick up harvest tickets before you leave home or a population center. When a population of animals is too small and/or the potential number of hunters too large to allow a general season or a registration hunt, the Department may offer drawing permits. A Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement is published every May. The drawing for permit hunts is held in early summer, and everyone who applies will be notified of the results by mail or can locate the results on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's website. The Supplement contains all of the drawing hunts by number for all big game species. Most of the drawing permit hunts are open to both resident and nonresident hunters. A hunter may apply for three drawing permit hunts for each species. A fee is charged for each separate hunt. You can pick up a Supplement at any Fish and Game office, on the website, or at license vendors. Hunting permit applications and forms can be downloaded off the Internet and printed out. You can also purchase hunting licences, duck stamps, big game tags online, print them at home and you may go hunting or trapping right away. Complete Alaska Hunting Regulations Guide can be found here. The basic non-resident hunting licence costs $85 plus some extra fees for big game tags.HUNTING GUIDES:Nonresidents may hunt moose, caribou, deer, and black bear without a guide. Hunters who are not Alaska residents must beaccompanied by a registered Alaskan guide or they must hunt with close relatives within the second-degree of kindred who are Alaska residents when hunting brown or grizzly bears, Dall sheep or mountain goats. You can search online for licenced big game guides in your area. The best guides deliver 80-100 percent for most big game species. In addition, guides are familiar with their areas and possess equipment that the average hunter might not care to purchase for one time use. However, a guide's knowledge, experience and equipment do not come cheaply. Although figures vary from guide to guide, expect to spend $8,000-$12,000 for a brown/grizzly bear hunt, $4,000-$6,000 for a sheep hunt and $1,500-$3,000 for a goat hunt. Moose and caribou are often part of a mixed-bag hunt and prices vary considerably. The best way to find a reliable guide is by references.AIRCRAFT CHARTERS: Many hunters choose an air charter service to fly in to prime hunting areas to hunt these species. The air charter operator is licensed by the state to charge for flying hunters and their game meat. The drop-off hunt is less expensive than a guided or outfitted hunt because the air charter takes care of transportation and may throw in some planning tips. The hunter provides all of the camp gear and performs all other functions on his own. Before you contract with an air charter operator, you should have a clear understanding of the costs of services and know exactly which services to expect. Prices and services vary considerably. Air charter operators may charge a flat rate or by the hour for flight time. When calculating costs on an hourly rate, you have to take into account “dead-head” time, the time a pilot spends flying back to base after dropping you off and the time spent flying out to pick you up. Again, be sure to ask whether the package includes flying out the meat and antlers. Some package deals also include being checked on at least once during the hunt to bring out game or move you if you haven’t been successful. The cost of air charters also depends on the size of the plane and the number of hunters sharing the cost. Make sure you explain the number of hunters in your group and the amount of gear you will have. There are two ways to go — you can pick a specific site and ask the pilot to take you there, or you can choose a general area and ask the pilot for a good hunting spot within that area. When planning your trip, keep the weather condition in mind. Besides making your hunting miserable, poor weather may disrupt your flying plans. Allow time on both ends of your schedule for weather disruptions — how much time depends on the normal frequency of bad weather for the area at that time of year. Ask the air charter operator for references. You can search online for licenced transporters in your area. Check also this extensive list of Alaska Aircraft Charters, Bush Pilots, Air Taxis.FIREARMS: State law prohibits the following:Fully automatic firearms Rifles with a barrel less than 16" Shotguns with a barrel less than 18", Rifles or shotguns less than 26" in total length Rifles, shotguns and handguns are legal for hunting in Alaska. Rimfire cartridges generally maybe used only for small game. You can read this informative article on how to choose a Firearm, Cartridge and Bullet. WEATHER: Alaskan summers are cool, the average temperature is +14 deg.C (58 F) in summer and -12 deg.C (11 F) in winter but it can vary greatly between different regions of the state. Winters are cold and dark. Early spring can be cold, but often days warm to above freezing with a lot of sunshine. It receives midnight sunshine during the part of summer and goes into 24-hour darkness during the part of winter. Summers are the wettest time of the year, south regions are well known for their dampness. You can check next week weather forecast for Anchorage here. GETTING THERE: You can fly to Anchorage direct or one-stop from most major US cities. From there Alaska Aircraft Charters, Bush Pilots, Air Taxis will help you to explore America's greatest playground. Many small villages and towns have all weather airports and served daily by small air carriers. LODGING: Depending on your preferences it can be a small camping tent or a luxurious hunting lodge with all modern conveniences and comfort. There are also some primitive cabins for private use maintained by government. These can accomodate 4 to 8 people, cost from $20 to $50 (USD) per night and have to be reserved in advance, ususally- a month. You need to contact the proper agency directly to book a cabin.TRAVEL TIPS: Northern weather can be unpredictable. Consider taking with you and wearing multiple layers of clothes in response to a wide variety of temperatures and weather conditions. Obtain detailed maps of the area beforehand. Do not forget to pack first-aid and survival kits as well as bear repellents. Be sure you check available information, understand all the guidelines for hunting in Alaska before you leave home. We wish you a successful and safe trip!Visit us at www.travelmake.com for more information and useful links. About the Author TravelMake.com - one of leading online discount travel agencies, a source of useful travel information. Visit us: www.travelmake.com |
| ALASKA SPORT FISHING GUIDE by TravelMake.com WHAT TO FISH AND WHERE: Alaska offers some of the most diverse and incredible fishingopportunities in the world. You can drop a line into a roadside river and catch a nice size rainbow trout. Or charter a boat and reel in one of Alaska's giant Pacific halibut. You also can treat yourself with a freshly caught shellfish- shrimp, crab, clam. There are almost 400 fish species in Alaska's fresh and salt waters including all five species of Pacific Salmon: King (chinook), Silver (coho), Red (sockeye), Chum (dog, keta), Pink (humpy).It is not uncommon to catch a 50-pound King salmon, the Alaska record was set by a fish weighing 97 pounds. Arctic greyling, sheefish and northern pike are easy to find in many inland streams. Diverse Alaska geographic areas offer adventure for everyone, give us various choices:Interior Alaska. From mountains and rolling hills , river valleys covered with forests to the vast spaces of treeless tundra at higher altitudes and in the far north. Temperaure varies greatly throughout the year, from -50 Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit) in the winter months to +30 Celsius (+86 Fahrenheit) during summers. There are just a few highways in the interior part of Alaska. Most of the area can only be reached by plane, boat or by foot. Almost every settlement has a good all weather airport served daily by small commercial air carriers. Summer is warm but short, it is the best time for fishing in the land of the midnight sun. Pacific salmon enter the Yukon River in early June and move almost 2,400 km (1,500miles) up the river. They spawn along the way, provide best fishing in June and July for king salmon, and in August and September for silver salmon. Chum salmon can be caught throughout summer and fall. Catch sheefish in July and August, especially in the Kobuk River. Best fishing season for lake trout and arctic char is May and early June. Ice fishing fans can take pleasure in good fishing for trout and burbot. Southeast (the narrow and long part between the Pacific ocean and Canada). Consists of mainland and many treed mountainous islands along the coast. Inland waterways are well sheltered from the Pacific ocean. The main fishing trophies are all the five species of Pacific salmon and the Pacific halibut. Rainbow, cutthroat, brook and steelhead trout are easy to catch in some inland streams. We can add arctic grayling and Dolly Varden to the list. On the coast crab and lingcod are available. South and Southwest (to the south and west of the Yukon river). Mountainous inland with many rivers and lakes, ragged coastal line dotted with numerous islands. The region offers the widest variety of saltwater fishing and inland fishing in the state. The Bristol Bay area is well known for outstanding rainbow trout fishing. Lake trout and northern pike are abundant in some lakes in the area. Arctic grayling, burbot, arctic char and Dolly Varden can be found in some waters. June and July yield the best fishing results for Pacific salmon. You can catch Pacific halibut in Gulf of Alaska and some inlets. Razor clams are best to dig from April to September, especially on the Kenai Peninsula. FISHING LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: - An Alaska sport fishing license is required for all nonresidents 16 and over, and most residents from 16 to 59 (see below), to fish in all Alaskan fresh and salt waters. It is valid for a calendar year. - Sport fishing licenses and king salmon stamps may be purchased from a license vendor (most sporting goods stores), by mail from the ADF&G Licensing Section, P.O. Box 25525, Juneau, AK 99802-5525, (907) 465-2376, or online. Licenses, stamps, and tags are non-refundable. - A sport fishing license permits you to take or attempt to take any finfish or shellfish in fresh or salt waters, except anadromous (sea-run) king salmon, for which you must also have a current year's king salmon stamp. In order for the stamp to be valid, anglers must sign their name, in ink, across the face of the king salmon stamp and stick the stamp onto the back of their current year's sport fishing license.WEATHER: On the whole Alaskan summers are cool, the average temperature is +14 deg.C (58 F) in summer and -12 deg.C (11 F) in winter but it can vary greatly between different regions of the state. Winters are cold and dark. Early spring can be cold, but often days warm to above freezing with a lot of sunshine. It receives midnight sunshine during the part of summer and goes into 24-hour darkness during the part of winter. Summers are the wettest time of the year, south regions are well known for their dampness. You can check next week weather forecast for Anchorage here. GETTING THERE: There are direct or one-stop flights to Anchorage from many major US cities. Most of the Alaskan interior and coast are accessible by Alaska Aircraft Charters, Bush Pilots, Air Taxis. Many small villages and towns have all weather airports served daily.ACCOMODATION AND GETTING AROUND: You can rent a hotel in Anchorage . Remote areas have a vast number of Fishing Lodges and Camps with fishing guides and necesary equipment. For those who prefer to fish offshore there are Alaska Saltwater Fishing Charters .TRAVEL TIPS: Northern weather can be unpredictable. Consider taking with you and wearing multiple layers of clothes in response to a wide variety of temperatures and weather conditions. Marine weather conditions can change in minutes and a once calm sea can become a nightmare of an ordeal. Coastal waters this far north are also very cold and there is little hope for survival if your boat goes down in rough seas and you don't have the proper survival suits. It is always wise to consult the current conditions and predicted forecast for the area you will be boating in. Obtain detailed maps of the area beforehand. Do not forget to pack first-aid and survival kits as well as bear repellents.For many useful links on Alaska sport fishing visit us at www.travelmake.comEnjoy your trip! About the Author TravelMake.com - one of leading online discount travel agencies, a source of useful travel information. Visit us: www.travelmake.com |
| Beautiful BARCELONA - Easy Travel Guide by Travel Make.com Beautiful city of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia (a Spain's province), is situated on on the shore of the Mediterranean sea and bordered at either end by 2 river deltas. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after its capital city Madrid. Barcelona has a population of 1.5 million, over 4 million including suburbs. The varied, eventful history of the city dates back 4,000 years to the first settlements by ancient farmers. Later it became a Roman colony, the Visigoth's capital city, then it came under Moorish rule. It went through sieges, destructions and occupations, finally to become an autonomous democracy 1975. The city has always played an important role in political and cultural life of Spain and it is well reflected in the variety and quality of historical buildings, museums, many other tourist attractions. Today Barcelona is one of the most diverse european cities with unique culture and rich traditions. You can find here a formidable balance of the traditional things and the avant-garde. A cosmopolitan metropolis, Barcelona affords visitors a warm and sincere welcome, being aknowledged worldwide as one of the best tourist-friendly cities in Europe.Barcelona's organisation of the 1992 Olympics provided regeneration of this dynamic city, gave a fresh start to its infrastructure development.WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE: POINTS OF INTEREST - La Rambla is a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard packed with buskers, living statues, mimes and itinerant salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to jewellery. Pavement cafes and stands selling craftwork, street performers surrounded by curious onlookers, a noisy bird market, Palau de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century rococo mansion, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the famous 19th-century opera house- these are all colourful parts of La Rambla's mosaic. La Rambla ends at the lofty Monument a Colom (Monument to Columbus) and the harbour.Barri Gotic - also known as Gothic Quarter, it is the old part of the city. Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic from 1895 to 1904 and Joan Miro was born and lived here during his youth. Gothic Quarter is situated on the right hand side of the La Rambla, it contains a concentration of medieval tall Gothic buildings (14-15th century) on narrow cobbled streets and now is home to much of the city's nightlife. La Sagrada Familia - La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous and magnificent among Barcelona's landmarks. The life's work of Barcelona's famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. Above each facade there are four towers, 12 in total, which are dedicated to the Apostles. The tower in the center, the tallest of all at 170 m., is dedicated to Jesus Christ. Around these there are the towers of the four Evangelists, and the tower over the apse is dedicated to the Virgin. They are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaudi died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed, and since then, controversy has continually dogged the building program. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, is almost done, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing.La Pedrera - Casa Mila (Mila House) is an apartment building, the last example of Gaudi's civil architecture.It is one of his finest and most ambitious creations, extraordinarily innovative in its functional, constructive, and ornamental aspects. Visitors can tour the building and go up to the roof, where they can see spectacular views of Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a modest museum dedicated to Gaudi's work.Montjuic - the largest open space in the city, its main attractions are the Olympic installations, the Spanish Village and the hilltop fortress. Montjuic, the hill overlooking the city centre from the southwest, is home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions, soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites. Montjuic is covered in ornamental gardens with water features and is the most popular destination in Barcelona on Sundays.Tibidabo - is the highest hill in the wooded range that forms the backdrop to Barcelona. It has amazing views of the whole of Barcelona, a stunning cathedral, and a family fun park Parc d'Atraccions with old-style rides offering breathtaking views. A glass lift at the park goes 115m (383 ft) up to a visitors' observation area at Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower.Modernisme - spectacular modernista architectural creations dotted around the city by famous Antoni Gaudi and his contemporaries.Camp Nou - home of F.C. Barcelona, one of Europe's leading soccer teams, with capacity of almost 100,000 spectators.The Seu Cathedral - Built in medieval times on the site of a Roman temple, La Seu is one of the great Gothic buildings in Spain.Parc de la Ciutadella - Barcelona's favourite park and a Sunday afternoon rendezvous for families, friends and ducksThe Sardana - traditional Catalan dance, performed outside the cathedral and at national festivals, with everyone encouraged to join in.MUSEUMS - The Barbier-Mueller Museum of Pre-Columbian Art -the only museum in Europe devoted exclusively to Pre-Columbian cultures. Housed in a gothic palace, its collection is one of the finest of its kind and gives visitors an insight into the rich world of the earliest cultures on the American continent. This tiny museum contains one hundred pieces, including wood and stone sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, jade, often found in international exhibitions and prestige publications. The exhibits represented the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Chavin, Mochica and Inca civilisations. Palau de la Musica Catalana - one of the world's most extraordinary music halls, it is a Barcelona landmark. From its polychrome ceramic ticket windows on the Carrer de Sant Pere Mes Alt side to its overhead busts of Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven, and Wagner, the Palau is the flagship of Barcelona's Moderniste architecture. Museu Picasso - is Barcelona's most visited museum. 3,500 exhibits make up the permanent collection. Picasso spent several years (1901-06) in Barcelona, and this collection, is particularly strong on his early work. Displays include childhood sketches, pictures from the beautiful Rose and Blue periods, and the famous 1950s Cubist variations on Velazquez's Las Meninas (Ladies-in-Waiting). Gaudi Casa-Museu - Gaudi lived in this pink, Alice-in-Wonderland house from 1906 to 1926, which now houses a museum of Gaudi-designed furniture, decorations, drawings, and portraits and busts of the architect. Fundacio Miro - it was a gift from the famous artist Joan Miro to his native city. The museum opened in 1975, and now it is one of Barcelona's most exciting showcases of contemporary art. BEACHES - One of Barcelona's greatest draws is undeniably its beautiful beaches. Beside world-famous Costa Brava and Costa Dorada which are within 1-hr drive time from Barcelona, there are also several nice beaches over 4 km long within the city boundaries, we will list just several of them here: Nova Icaria- Closest to the Olympic marina, always crowded, this wide swathe of rough golden sand is great for food goers. There are three perfect beach bars and two very popular restaurants on the promenade (Mango and Chiringuito de Moncho) and countless bars and restaurants are just a short stroll away. Bogatell- This beach is twice the length of adjoining Nova Icaria and fringed by a stretch of stone walkway perfect for jogging, roller blading and cycling. Three large informal restaurants on the promenade. Mar Bella (Metro Ciutadella Vila Olimpica, plus 20-minute walk)- Barcelona's only naturist beach close to a peaceful park - good for a picnic or siesta under the trees. Barceloneta- wide and long, a traditional and popular stretch with locals, crowded, noisy and very jolly.WHEN TO GO, WEATHER: The best times to visit Barcelona are late spring and early autumn, when the weather is still comfortably warm, around 21-25°C. Summers are usually hot and humid, with temperatures averaging +30 (+ 86 Fahrenheit). Especially avoid the "dead" month of August, when many shops, bars and restaurants close for the month as many local inhabitants head out of the city. Winters are cool with average daytime temperatures around +12 C (+59 Fahrenheit), occasionally rainy.GETTING THERE AND AROUND: By a direct flight to Barcelona, or through Madrid or via another large European city from almost any major airports in the world. The highest fares are from May to September, the lowest in March-April, October-November and December to February (excluding Christmas and New Year when prices are hiked up). Note also that flying on weekends may increase your ticket cost. If traveling to Barcelona from within Europe you can also chose train, bus or car, though these take much longer than a plane and often work out no cheaper. Many Mediterranean cruises include Barcelona as a port of call.ACCOMODATIONS: We can offer you a range of choices. You can choose vacation rentals in Barcelona starting from $ 125 USD for a double room in a 4-star apartment hotel. Or you can opt for hotels from $ 65 USD for a double room in a 3-star hotel. Accomodation prices do not change much throughout the year due to the steady all-season flow of visitors to this extremely popular tourist city and surrounding resorts.DINING: Besides restaurants you can eat at bars where you would have a succession of tapas (small snacks- three or four chunks of fish, meat or vegetables, or salad, which traditionally used to be served up free with a drink) or raciones (larger ones). The bar option can be a lot more interesting, allowing you to do the rounds and sample local specialities. Generally, the average cost for a meal consisting of two dishes and dessert would come to about 25 Euros. Travellers on an extremely limited budget can do well for themselves by using the excellent markets, bakeries and delis and filling up on sandwiches and snacks. Decent restaurants and cafes are easily found all over the city, though you'll probably do most of your eating where you do most of your sightseeing, in the old town, particularly around La Rambla and in the Barri Gotic. Look for the best and most authentic seafood restaurants in Barceloneta, a seaside neighbourhood. Gothic Quarter neighbourhood is home to some of the oldest and most traditional restaurants in the city. Gracia is a very popular area among young people during the weekend, it leads the way in terms of exotic restaurants (Lebanese, Egyptian, Thai etc.). TRANSPORT: Barcelona has excellent transport system comprising the metro (subway), buses, trains and a network of funiculars and cable cars. You can find a link to transport maps at the end of our guide. On all the city's public transport you can buy a single ticket every time you ride, but even over only a couple of days it's cheaper to buy a targeta - a discount ticket strip. The T-10 targeta is valid for ten separate journeys on the metro, buses and trains. These tickets can be used by more than one person at a time. The metro is the quickest way of getting around Barcelona. For black-and-yellow taxis there is a minimum charge of $ 2 euro. You'll obviously have a great deal more freedom if you rent a car . Major roads throughout the city are generally good, and traffic is generally well behaved, though Spain does have one of the highest incidences of traffic accidents in Europe. It also has some of the lowest fuel prices on the continent.SHOPPING: Barcelona, one of the most stylish cities in Europe offers great shopping, from designer clothes and accessories to household items. You will find the city to be quite cheap for a lot of items, especially if you coincide with the annual sales ( rebaixes in Spanish) lasting from mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July and August. The best shopping areas in Barcelona are the old streets off the upper part of the Ramblas. Souvenirs include ceramics, which are widely sold in the streets around the cathedral; leather goods; city's delicatessens, particularly cooked Catalan meats and sausages; a porron (the long-spouted glass drinking jar); CDs and tapes of Catalan rock and pop, sardana music, Spanish rock or flamenco. If you're looking for original gift ideas, some of the best hunting can be found in the shops of any of the city's museums, where you'll find reasonably priced and unique examples of Catalan disseny (graphic), and other original items ranging from postcards to replica works of art.We wish you a nice and safe trip!For more information on Barcelona, travel tips, useful Barcelona travel links, maps, other destination guides visit us: http://www.travelmake.com/barcelona.html ABOUT THE AUTHOR Travel Make.com - one of leading online discount travel agencies, a source of useful travel information. |
| Become A Travel Pro In One Easy Lesson by Joyce Jackson I focus a lot on helping the first time or inexperienced traveler head out prepared and confident in themselves. Starting out as a new traveler can be intimidating. How do you jump into the gigantic travel fray and survive? How can you learn to love delays and long lines? Get prepared. What exactly does that mean? It means being confident in what you are doing, where you are going and how you are getting there. Basically, it means being comfortable with yourself when you leave home. OK, so what. How do you do that? Follow these quick tips: Tip #1 Know your destination. Do some kind of reading before you go. Know how long it’s going to take to get there, and the time zone. Understand how the currency converts and get a handle on local customs. Tip #2 Be prepared before you leave home. Make sure you have the essentials you will need, especially for a safe trip. This includes a hide away money belt, copies of your passport, one credit card, debit card, ATM card and traveler’s checks. Take no more than $500 cash. Make sure someone has your itinerary in case of an emergency. Tip #3 Travel light. Pack for only five days. Carry one bag. Your bag should be a soft sided, durable carry bag of ballistic nylon. It needs to have a padded carry strap to sling it over your shoulder. Tip #4 Leave early. Wherever you are headed, no matter what type of transportation, leave early for you departure terminal. It means less stress for you . . . a lot less stress for you. Tip #5 Look like you have traveled all your life. Appearance matters. If you do the above tips you will look and feel like a veteran traveler. Veteran travel pros DO get a higher level of treatment and service from people who work within the travel industry. Tip #6 Expect things to go wrong. Most things run pretty well in the travel industry. There are inevitable delays and cancellations. After all, it’s a dynamic industry and getting the mind boggling number of pieces to work all in sync is a real juggling act. If you expect delays you are better prepared to deal with them. If things go well, and they usually do, you get a nice mental lift as you travel. The more travel experience you get the better you get at knowing where delays usually occur and can either plan for them or try to avoid them. Tip #7 Be polite. This follows Tip #5 and #6. While it is your hard earned money that is paying for your travel you are one of thousands of travelers a day moving around the globe. Almost three-fourths of these people are inexperienced travelers. Many are stressed out, tired, cranky and rude. If you are polite you will feel better and get better treatment. See you on the road! Joyce travels and writes extensively. Her travel tips from 30 years of traveling appear on her website: http://travel-packing-tips.com |
| Cappadocia, Turkey - Land Of Wonders by Stan Trof Combined forces of mankind and nature have created three wonders of Cappadocia- its "fairy chimneys" (coneshaped pillars of tuff capped with basalt) in the unique valleys that look like another planet, ancient underground cities and 1500-year old rock cut Christian churches. All of it is concentrated in the area of approximately 100x100 km in the central part of Turkey. Humans first set foot in the region about 10,000 years ago. Then, from 3,500 to 1,200 BC Cappadocia was a part of a powerful Hittite state. Phrygians took over the administration in the 8th century BC. Five hundred years later they were replaced by Persians. Alexander the Great occupied the territory in 333 BC. Cappadocia's past history includes being a Roman state, a part of the Byzantine Empire, a place where many early Christian saints including St.Paul found a shelter, where they lived and taught. Finally, Cappadocia has become a noticable region of modern Turkey with predominant importance of agriculture and tourism.WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE: Fairy Chimneys were created as a result of wind and water erosion when small harder pieces of rock remained on top of larger and softer rock columns. This out-of-this-world landscape impressed George Lucas so much that his original plan was to shoot some Star Wars' episodes in this area. Located in a spectacular valley between towns of Nevseshir and Urgup there are very different, interesting fairy chimneys. UNESCO declared the area a World Heritage Site. Some of the fairy chimneys have been inhabited for many years, with rooms, windows and staircases being laboriously curved inside creating up to 5-storey structures inside. Today some of these are also providing services to tourism as pensions. The largest of 36 underground cities in the area is at Derinkuyu. It is at a distance of 29 km from Nevsehir, the provincial center of 7,000 people. Derinkuyu underground city is located under a hill, was found by chance and opened to the public in 1965. It covers a 4 square km area and was calculated as able to shelter 2,000 households on 7 floors beneath the surface, reaching a depth of 70 to 85 meters. Archeologists tend to believe that the Hittites were the starters of the underground communities which in the 6th and 7th were expanded by early Christians into a very extensive complexes with air shafts, kitchens, living quarters, churches, water wells, horse stables and wine cellars. These elaborate subterranean systems were used by the people who had accepted Christianity against their enemies both as a shelter and as a safe place to carry out their worship. Next largest underground city is at Kaymakly, 20 km from Nevsehir. Despite of the fact that only four underground levels have been excavated, there are speculations that there can be as many as 11 in total. There is also a tunnel that connects the underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu (9 km long!) that has a width of of over 2 meters, but unfortunatley it is not opened to the public as parts of the tunnel have collapsed. Among other significant underground communities in the region we should mention the underground monastery of Ozkonak and the Tatlarin underground city with existing Christian frescoes. Rock cut Christian churches. It is estimated that over 400 Christian churches, chapels and monasteries were built in Cappadocia during the Byzantine period until the 13th century. Most of them were hollowed out in fairy chimneys, hills and in underground caves. The Tokali church is the largest one in the region, it was built in the beginning of the 10th century. Decorated with a cycle containing the life of Jesus, it is located right in the town of Goreme. The Karanlik church, also located in Goreme is among best preserved in Cappadocia with lively paintings depicting the consecration of Jesus, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the apostles. The Eskigumus rock cut monastery (close to the town of Nigde) is the only one where you can see a frescoe with smiling Virgin Mary. Recent discovery of the monastery in 1963 allowed it to escape vandalism to which many of the Cappadocian churches and monasteries were subjected. Well-preserved wall paintings decorate the spacious main church are known to be one of the best examples of the Byzantine art in all of Cappadocia. Other attractions in the area include but not limited to: - museums in Aksaray, Nevsehir, Goreme, Nigde, Kayseri; - fortress of Ortahisar, the spectacular Devrent Valley;- Seljuk history relics such as Karatay Madrasah, many mosques and caravansaries in Konya;- hot springs in Nar-Golu and Guzelyurt where also one of the oldest existing churches in the area- Kizil Kilise (Red Church) is located, a 6th century artifact;- mountain climbing and mountain skiing at the Erciyes Dagi mountain (3916m above sea level);- hot air ballooning.WHEN TO GO: Cappadocia has a steppe climate, there is a great temperature difference between day and night. The average temperature is 23 deg.C (73 F) in summer and -2 deg.C (28 F) in winter. It is cooler and drier than in the popular tourist areas of the Mediterranean and the Aegean coasts. April to middle of June and September-October are the best months to visit.GETTING THERE: Ankara, the Turkey's capital city is only 350km away. You will find all necessary local contact phone numbers, price quotes and dining recommendations by following these links: Goreme - Nevsehir. Tours to Cappadocia are offered by almost all travel agencies in Turkey, although they are all too short allowing you just enough time for brief sightseeing. Tour guides tend to spend too much of your time at local pottery and carpet shops. We recommend you to rent a car in Ankara (usually $ 75-100 USD/day, check rental prices ) and drive to Cappadocia on your own, or put together a little group and hire a minivan together with a local driver/travel guide (a car and driver would cost you $85- 135 USD/day).TRAVEL TIPS: Local travel books, information booklets are available on the spot in Cappadocia's towns. If travelling on your own, a detailed road map would definitely be a must to buy before leaving home. Modest clothes are suggested for women. The rural Turkey's culture is conservative and immodest clothing (short skirts, shorts, tight clothing) can invite unwanted attention. Do not forget a sun hat, sun protecting lotion, comfortable shoes. Plan ahead to spend at least two full days in the area. About the Author Stan Trof is the editor and owner of http://www.travelmake.com - one of leading online discount travel agencies, a source of useful travel information. |
| Carry On Luggage Size - Know The Rules! by Tara Pearce You’re going on a trip, and need luggage. Did you consider your carry on luggage size? It’s important to know what’s allowed and what isn’t. Obviously verify with your airline, but I’ll give you some generally accepted carry on luggage allowances to help you shop. As I stated in my carry on luggage article, weight is a factor. Some airlines have no restrictions when it comes to carry on luggage weight. Others are as low as 11 pounds, some as high as 40 pounds. Most airlines will allow one piece of carry on luggage and one personal item. They consider a personal item as carry on. The weight is the total of the two. Personal items include a purse, laptop bag, reading material or another small (no bigger than 36”) carry on bag. Keep those carryon luggage limits in mind when packing! The standard carry on luggage rules are 22” X 14” X 9” for a total of 45”. Again, these carry on luggage dimensions vary both by airline and shape of the bag. Even if your carry on luggage doesn’t exceed the allowed dimensions, the airline can make you prove that the bag will fit by putting it in a box, and if it won’t fit, your luggage will be checked.
About The Author Tara Pearce is the publisher and webmaster of http://www.a1-travel-accessories.com Visit us for great information on all manner of travel tips and accessories resources. support@a1-travel-accessories.com |
| Cheap International Travel Secrets by Steve Gillman What is the real secret to cheap international travel? It is the same as the secret to doing anything for less. Learn to be an opportunist. Opportunistic travelers get to travel more, see more and do more. Of course, you can ignore this advice if you have unlimited funds. I went to Ecuador because it was cheap. Honestly, aren't there many interesting places in this world? Why not choose one you can travel to inexpensively? The other places will be there in the future, and you may have an opportunity to go to those places cheaply at some point. Cheap Countries Ecuador is my favorite international destination. You can still get a decent meal for two dollars. U.S. dollars, by the way, since that's conveniently the official currency of Ecuador now. From the beautiful snow-capped Andes mountains, to the Galapagos Islands, you'll never run out of places to explore in Ecuador. Travel there is safe and inexpensive. South America in general is inexpensive, and the most affordable countries are, in my opinion, the most beautiful. These are the countries along the Andes mountains; Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Argentina, thanks to it's recent economic troubles, is once again a cheap place for travelers as well. In Central America, it costs very little to travel and vacation in both Nicaragua and Guatemala. Nicaragua, in particular, has become more stable and safe for travelers in recent years. Costa Rica is a wonderful too, and though it is one of more expensive counties of Central America, that probably still leaves it cheaper than Europe. In Asia, India is still low-cost, especially if you stay in the numerous hostels and boarding houses. Thailand and Indonesia are also very cheap. With all international destinations, the plane tickets will be your single biggest travel expense. This is especially true with the asian countries. Being there is cheap, but getting there may not be. Cheap International Travel Tips Wherever you go, there are things you can do to keep it cheap. Eat where locals eat, for example, instead of at the tourist restaurants. To keep it really cheap, eat fruit from street markets (wash it well) and packaged snacks from grocery stores. Visit the free and cheap attractions first. It's possible you'll have so much fun that you'll never get around to doing the expensive things. A higher price means better quality with travel bags, but not with travel experiences. Busses are cheaper than taxis in any country, but be careful of crowded city busses, where pickpockets hang out. Walking is even cheaper, and it's a great way to learn about a city. Just ask the locals where the dangerous parts are before you wander too far. For cheap accommodations find out where local visitors from within the country stay. Negotiating room charges is common in some areas. In Banos, Ecuador, we negotiated our room rate down from $12 to $6 per night, by paying for several nights in advance. Consider hostels, if you don't mind sharing a room. They're much more common overseas. Cheap international travel is often only as cheap as your plane tickets. Use the techniques outlined on our site to save big on tickets, or search the fares to several interesting countries. If one is $500 less than the others, consider going there. $500 can buy a few extra days, or an extra mini-vacation some other time.
About The Author Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. To read their stories, tips and travel information, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com. |
| China Travel Tips by John Mckenna Survival China Travel Tips and TricksThese China Travel Tips, Survival Techniques, will help you get around and make your trip to China easier, so you will be able to experience the real China with a little less stress. China is an odd beast that needs to be respected; the major cities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Xian, all have their own personalities.Some complex situations that you think would be an organizational disaster turn out to be great and you wonder afterward what all the fuss and worry was about. Then the simplest of tasks can turn out to be a major calamity.This is when you have what we call here a “China day”.These days come and go and are part of the experience of everyday travel in China. One needs to have an open mind when travelling China. It is a place with thousands of years of history and culture that is trying overnight to adapt to Western ways of living.You need to have a very open mind when you Travel in China.I have listed below a few China Travel Tips that will make life that wee bit more bearable on your Travel China experience.China Travel Tips – Be Toilet Wise• Never expect a clean toilet 100% of the time.• Be prepared; Carry some tissue.• You may have to use a squat toilet, again if you know this before hand it is not a shock. If you don’t know how to use a squat toilet, try the following experiment at home.While holding onto something for support with both hands, lower your body down into a low squat position, so that the cheeks of your bottom is almost touching your heels or the back of your calf. Now, let go with your hands. See if you stay in this position for at least 1 minute. If you fall backwards or you cannot get up, then a squat toilet could be a problem for you! Practice, you will be happy you did.• If you see a clean toilet, Go… it may not come again for a while.• There are many public toilets around the cities, usually the ones you pay for are OK, (RMB .5), the others best to stay away from if you can. You will soon notice them as you walk around the cities.• Be warned that public areas like bus and train stations are usually what I class as “tough toilets”, however if gotta go you gotta go.• Outside of the major cities, the toilet systems are old or have very narrow plumbing /pipes and get blocked easily. In these cases a small basket is usually beside the toilet, this is for your used toilet paper. One of the best China Travel toilet Tips I can give you, is use hotel lobby toilets; these are everywhere and are always clean. Still they may not always have toilet paper. It depends on the class of hotel that you are using.I do not wish to scare you. However, of all the China Travel Tips in all the other web sites I have read, this is a topic not often mentioned, but it is very important to us all.So outside of the major cities conditions can be tough. But most of the time everything will be fine, especially if you book a tour; everything will have been checked out before hand. However even the best laid plans can go wrong, so be prepared, the toilets in the smaller cities, towns and villages can be scary.China Travel Tips – The Food• The food is great and the variety is overwhelming. Most of the time you get to choose what you eat, or you can recognize what you’re eating, however sometimes you do not get a choice. Carry a chocolate bar or something; this will keep you going until some food that you can recognize turns up. Drink bottled or boiled water, as the tap water is NOT safe to drink, this is for the whole of China. Even boiled water, while sterilised can contain a lot of minerals and iron deposits that you probably do not want in your system. The safest bet is to drink bottle water. Tap water in most big cities is OK for brushing teeth.• Eating habits - Most Chinese people have a great habit of being very noisy when they eat and lunch and dinner times can be a wonderfully noisy celebration, food tends to go in all directions, its just part of being in China.• People also smoke at the table while everyone is eating, so some restaurants get very loud and smoky.• If you get stuck what to order as most of the menu’s are in Chinese just look at the table next to you and point to the dish you fancy and ask how much it is, this system works really well and know seems to mind.• I have a basic menu that will help you order safe food, (no Cats or Dog) this will enable you to visit a larger selection of restaurants, not just the tourist ones with high prices. You can carry it with you and use it in the local restaurants where most will be able to serve what is on it. This way you will know what you are eating.These local places are very cheap and the food it great. Contact me if you would like me to send it to you.China Travel Tips – Taxis • China Travel Tips- Taxis - Taxis are an experience that can have you griping the seat and gasping for breath; however you soon get used to it, after the first few rides, you’re an old hand.• The taxis in Shanghai are, overall, quite good. Try to get the Blue, Blue’ish Turquoise, Gold and White taxis, these are the best… these are the four major taxi companies and are generally recognised by their single colour paintwork. The others are OK, just older and a rougher ride (the others also may have faulty metres). No drivers will speak English.• Carry your hotel or accommodation business card with you, written in Chinese, this helps if you get lost walking around town.• In all the taxis around the country you will see the drivers name and taxi registration number in plain sight. If you have any problem, or if you think you have been over charged etc, just take this number down, make a big fuss about it, and the driver then should wake up and fix whatever problem you have. Even better is to take the receipt. This has all the trip details on it and you can ring the taxi company if you want to take things further or if you’ve left something in the taxi. • The government takes rip-off drivers in all cities, Beijing and Xian especially, very seriously and if you complain they will lose their license. This is their livelihood. So far I have had not one driver in 3 years that has not backed down and we have then agreed a price for the trip or solved our problem.• In Shanghai, it is common practice for taxi fare increases after 11pm. However, one can usually bargain for a 20% discount, which will get the fare back to the pre-11pm rate.Be strong with the taxi drivers, never-the-less, keep your cool, smile and negotiate.China Travel Tips – Shopping • China Travel Tips - Shopping - China is a shopper’s paradise, Markets, Bargains; Top labels… anything and everything if you have the time. With clothes, the larger (Western) sizes can be quite hard to find, however in the major cities where you get a lot of tourist traffic, you can find them.• Electrical gear, DVD’s, Cameras, stuff like this is not worth buying in China, Hong Kong is still the best place for this.• Store hours in the major cities are from 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week.• Visa card is still the best card to carry, with ATM’s in good supply all with PLUS access etc.There is usually a surcharge for use of VISA, MasterCard or other forms of credit card.• Wait on purchasing if you can, look around to get a feel for the prices. The Chinese are VERY experienced at selling and know that we halve the opening price when bargaining.In the markets go for 25% of what they first ask; go so low that they let you walk away. This will give you an idea of the bottom price. The resulting end-price will probably be around 40% to 50% of where they started.Whatever the market people say, they are used to pushing and haggling for best prices. Do not worry about being too hard, they are used to it and will not sell you an item unless they make a profit. Don’t be concerned with the apparently hurt body language when you go low – it is all part of the game. As soon as they have wrapped up your first purchase, they will try to sell you something more. Remember to keep smiling and having fun while bargaining. China Travel Tips – Medical Treatment and Records • Most hotels will have a doctor that you can see. In the major hotels English will be spoken.• Always take a small first aid kit, cold remedy, headache tablets at the very least. WATSONS is a very large chain chemist. Most of the remedies, tablets etc, that you may require should be in these shops. These shops are all over China.• There is a great network of pharmacy type shops; these are indicated by a Green Cross. There will always be a 24 hr Green Cross pharmacy in the city you are in. It is handy to carry a Phase book, as no one will speak English, however you will end up with something that will help.• INPORTANT POINT – for most of the mass produced packet type medicines, the packaging will be written in Chinese on one side, English on the other. However in the shops you only see the Chinese side. Have a good look, turn the packs over, it gives you a lot more confidence knowing you can read the package.• If you have a specific medical issue, take records, most of the Doctors will have OK written / reading English, even though their oral English will be poor.China Travel Tips – Telephone • Using the phone is as easy as at home. However the person picking it up will not speak English or have very broken English… the Major 4- or 5-Star Hotels will all be OK.• What is worth doing is buying a Chinese Telecom SIM card, they are about RMB100 and with this you get RMB50 in calls, the other 50 is for the price of the SIM card; this SIM card will go into all major brand phones and work OK.By doing this, people can reach you within and out of China if there is an emergency. If you have a couple of phones, you can short (txt) message each other (SMS). Also you are able to call your tourist guide, hotel etc if you have any major problems. It is a cheap way to keep in touch.NB.Before you buy a Chinese SIM card, check that it will work in your Cell / Mobile phone. There are plenty of China Telecom shops that can help. China Travel Tips on when NOT to move around China. • Spring Festival, this would be the Chinese New Year time, around the end of January / Early February• Early May; Labour day Holidays• Early October; National Day HolidaysOf all the China Travel Tips National Day is the biggest one. Millions of Chinese travel at these holiday times of the year. Most are travelling back to home towns or visiting family. Hotels, trains, planes, cars, buses, and roads are all crowded to the maximum. Major congestion, everywhere.Also travel fares are at their full price. No discounts are offered!Stay in one place and enjoy where you are. It’s best and causes fewer hassles.China Travel Tips – TV • If you want to watch TV, most of the major hotels will have cable and if you are in the smaller places, the national channel, CCTV9 is in English. Over the last couple of years it has got a lot better, with some great China Travel Tips programs, news and views on people and places around China.China Travel Tips – Airport Tax • There is a “construction fee” at almost all airports.Domestic flights RMB 50International flights RMB 90 – which is to be paid in local currency. Just recently, tickets are being tissued with the Construction Tax included; however make sure you have the Tax money with you just to make sure. I hope some of these China Travel Tips will come in handy and will make your trip to China that little bit easier.If you have been to China and wish to share your China Travel Tips, please feel free to contact me anytime.John Mckennahttp://www.Travel-the-Real-China.com About the Author Hi I'm John Mckenna, I am from New Zealand and have lived in Shanghia China now for 3 years.I own and operate http://www.Travel-the-Real-China .com my site provides experienced based Travel and Tour information on the wonders of Travel in China, the Real China, Ancient China, China at its very best |
| Discount Lodging in Orlando Florida by Art McCarty Discount LodgingDiscount lodging can be obtained through many sources. Recently, the internet has become the major tool used for family vacation discounts research. Chances are you are already eligible for discounts and simply need to know where they can be found. Some easily attainable sources for Discount Lodging for your family vacation are:AARP: AARP is a membership organization dedicated to enhancing the experience of aging through advocacy, information, and services. This service geared towards the senior citizens has many benefits which include travel. AAA: This automotive assistance website can help you while on trips with any accidents and breakdowns that occur with rentals or your own vehicle. They also offer free and accurate travel maps and discounts towards discount lodging and rentals.Employee Discounts – Many companies make discounts for travel and discount lodging available to its employees, check with your workplace to find out if this is available to you. BJ’s Wholesale club – This discount retailer makes discount, coupons, and specials available to its members and employees. Credit Unions – Many credit unions and banks offer discount lodging to their members and at times have specials for travel and booking reservations as well. As with all discounts check your local areas near you to see what is available that you may already be eligible for or enrolled in. Discount Lodging MembershipsIf you are like many others out there you may travel often. Perhaps work keeps you on airplanes and in hotels on a regular basis. If this is the case you may have a great way to go on your next trip for free or very cheaply. Call the airlines you use regularly or all of the ones you use and register as a frequent flyer. You will earn miles as you fly which you can redeem for reduced low cost fares or free flights after accruing a certain number of miles. This can help offset many travel and vacation related costs. Next you will want to call the hotel chains you regularly use and register with them as an often returning guest. This membership or club will earn you reward points which are redeemable in the same was as frequent flyer miles for discount and free lodging for a certain period of time. This can qualify you for free or reduced cost discount lodging.Hotel chains which regularly offer discount lodging:Econo Lodges – 800-424-6423 www.hotelchoice.comHilton Hotels – 800-445-8667 www.hilton.comHoliday Inn – 800-462-4329 www.holiday-inn.comHoward Johnson's – 800-446-4656 www.hojo.comHyatt Hotels – 800-233-1234 www.hyatt.comLa Quinta Motor Inns – 800-257-5473Marriott Hotels – 800-228-9290 www.marriott.comQuality Inns – 800-424-6423 www.hotelchoice.comRadisson Hotels – 800-333-3333 www.radisson.comRamada Inns – 800-228-2828 www.ramada.comSheraton Hotels – 800-325-3535 www.sheraton.comWestin Hotels – 800-228-3000 www.westin.com Hilton Honors- www.hilton.co.ukIsland Hideaway-877-257-2582 www.islandhideaway.netDiscount Lodging OnlineLodging discounts can be found online through a number of very good reliable sites that offer printable coupons and can even redeem reward points earned with different hotels and other memberships. Several sites that offer discount lodging and information on low cost rates include:Travel.org – This site contains a wealth of information related to travel and costs. It includes a worldwide listing of hotels and discount lodging including their websites and contact information. Travel.com – Another excellent site that also includes the ability to book reservations with villas, resorts, and attractions. You may also find special rates and discounts using this site. Hotel Discounts.com – Vacation packages, family discount, group rates, and a browsing by city are all features of this site. Select your preferences and go. Bid on Travel.com – One of the most informative sites online with information about how to obtain the cheapest rates and discount lodging available. Bid on Travel includes detailed information on hotels, rental cars, and airfare as well as sections dedicated to many other topics. There is a tutorial on last minute planning, as well as basics. This is a don’t miss site for your information needs.Cheap Lodging OnlineOne of the best resources in your quest for cheap lodging is access to the internet. There are hundreds of thousands of internet sites with information available about travel and cost savings. In addition to each of the websites of the hotel chains with areas focused upon their low cost accommodations there are also dedicated sites to travel savings. Some of these include:Orlando Hotels Cheap – This site lists area hotels near all of your favorite attractions. The lodging accommodations are ordered by star rating. Additionally the site lists hotel phone and address information, provides maps, and daily/weekly rate information on more than 70 hotels in the Orlando area. Travelocity – A very popular internet site that will give you access to lodging, flight, and rental information in addition to sections dedicated to travel tips and a list of items commonly needed when planning a vacation. Cheap LodgingCheap lodging doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort to find. Getting low cost and discount lodging can be as simple as speaking to a travel agency, the hotel, or your AAA membership to find out what cheap lodging they offer.To find cheap lodging you will need information about how to save costs. Sources for information are all over and range from your local library to online websites. A good suggestion is to take a trip to your local library where you will have access to a lot of magazine and paper based information as well as a computer with internet access. Most libraries have computers with access, if yours does not then simply use a friend’s computer or take a trip to the local internet café and spend some time surfing the web for information. Some common sources for low cost or special hotel lodging may be found right in your own home. First you might want to take a look inside your wallet or records and see what memberships you already belong to and which might offer discount or cheap lodging. As with all other plans waiting till the last minute will cost you so be sure to plan ahead and start your inquiries well before your vacation.Your local news paper, Sunday paper, or magazines in your home may have advertisements for holiday lodging accommodations or booking deals on reservations.Search through and cut out advertisements, coupons, or information that can help you find the best prices. There are many more means of finding cheap lodging for your vacation. Cheap LodgingSo you want to take a vacation but you are short on time and are worried that your last minute planning will cost you. In order to minimize costs in this scenario you may have to invest some extra effort to locate and arrange cheap lodging for yourself and family. This does not have to be a losing proposition however; you can still manage to obtain discount lodging near or close to your main attractions during your vacation.Check out what Travelocity, kayak.com or priceline.com has done for those with last minute needs in mind. There are even sites dedicated to vacation plans with minimal time. Of course planning in advance will help you find the best prices, but when time is short you will need to prioritize costs and find the best ways to locate low cost discount lodging. http://www.islandhideaway.net About the Author None |
| Discover The Biggest Travel Secret In The World Today - And Book A Free Flight! by Tukshad Engineer It sounds like a dream doesn't it? Hopping onto a plane and taking a flight to the destination of your choice. Imagine collecting your flight tickets to New York, London, Goa - or wherever takes your fancy - and not having to pay a cent for them.For a few people, this dream is actually a reality. How? Simply put they have discovered a little travel secret - namely that a lot of companies will actually pay the travel expenses for you to oversee their package or document from one country to another. Now this may bring to mind images of having to smuggle a microfilm past some dodgy russian customs ala James Bond, but the reality is nowhere near as exciting or dangerous - which is great news for the budget traveller. The even better news is that with a little know how, any adult can act as a courier and score free and deeply discounted flight tickets to the destination of their choice. It's completely legal and can save you thousands in saved airfare every year. Courier companies are continually on the lookout for willing travellers to carry their items overseas. There is nothing sinister about it and nothing is hidden from the authorities - the traveller is paid with a deeply discounted (and sometimes free) air ticket. According to a survey by the Air Courier Association the standard saving that travellers get when they act as a courier is 85% on the normal flight price. There isn't a travel agent in the world that will match such a discount.So what are your responsibilities as a courier? Well it's as simple as turning up to the airport on time and meeting the courier companys representative at the destination airport. As soon as you walk through the customs area at your destination, your job is over. What are the drawbacks of this deeply discounted travel? Well for a start you're probably only going to be allowed one carry on bag as your luggage - so learning how to travel light & pack efficiently is essential. It's also important to have some degree of flexibility in terms of when you're able to fly, though usually you can get many flights comfortably in advance. You also need to be at least 18 and obviously have a valid passport.Assuming you're ok with these drawbacks, you can really fly to just about any destination at incredibly low costs. You can learn more about how to be a courier at http://www.global-ebooks.com/TravelFree.htm or if you are looking for more budget travel tips check out http://www.my-online-powerpack.com raveldiscount.htm Ready to go? The whole world awaits you! About the Author Discover how to travel at great discounts & even for free at:http://www.global-ebooks.com/TravelFree.htmFor the best travel newsletter in the world today including destination reviews & regular deep discounts send me a mail to tukshad@global-ebooks.com |
| Eating Well on a Travel Budget by Jed Clark When you're traveling it can be difficult to find good food at reasonable prices especially if you happen to be staying in a big city that has an established food and restaurant culture. When you're faced with a budget, you want to try and maximize your enjoyment per buck. If you want to eat well and sample the local cuisine for a budget price, you'll need to do a little research to find that perfect restaurant that offers a balance between quality and price. First, check with your hotel or hostel and inquire whether breakfast is included in your stay. In Europe many hotels provide breakfast. If you're hotel does provide breakfast, don't skip it in favor for paying for food elsewhere. Some of my most memorable meals were hostel breakfasts that were nothing more that a roll, butter, jam and some coffee with milk. Hotel and hostel breakfasts are also a great way to get to know other guests. One option for budget eating is to eat at a chain restaurant that you a familiar with, such as McDonald's, Burger King or Kentucky Fried Chicken. You can find a McDonald's about anywhere world-wide. I made my way through Rome using a free McDonald's map that in addition to indicating all the tourist attractions had a mark for every McDonald's in Rome. However, if you want to become familiar with the culture of the country you are visiting, eating at a fast food restaurant is not a good option. Another option is to buy groceries and make your own food. If you don't have a fridge or hot plate in your hotel room, this option may not be very feasible. Still, you can buy items that don't need to be heated and make a meal out of those. When I was in Florence, a loaf of bread, parma ham and cheese coupled with a Chianti made a very nice picnic that I enjoyed thoroughly. Make sure you try to sample items from the local cuisine. Eating one or two meals a day from a street vendor or take-out restaurant may also be a good way to still eat great, but save some money. In Paris, I got great ham and cheese sandwiches from a street vendor for lunch. They were delicious, kept me going and didn't break the budget. When I was at a conference in Washington D.C., I discovered a little convenience store that made fresh egg and cheese sandwiches on toast to order. They sold them for only $2.00 and I ate there every morning. In Rome, I discovered a little take-out pizza shop around the corner from the Pantheon. The restaurant made pizzas on huge rectangular sheet pans and put them in a deli case with a clear glass window. You could order by pointing to the kind you wanted, motioning for how big you wanted your piece (they charge by weight), and asking for it to be heated. Then you happily take your piece of pizza over to the square, sit on the steps and enjoy. Being friendly with other guests in the hotel, the concierge and the locals, is another great way to discover good food that won't break the budget. Ask a local if they know any good restaurants that aren't too expensive. They should be able to come up with a few good options for you. Make sure you indicate that you want to sample some local cooking. I've even known friends that have gotten themselves invited over to dinner (not that this should be your objective). Another good way to find inexpensive restaurants is to always be looking for a good place to eat. If you're out visiting a tourist site, stop by a few restaurants and read their menus (usually posted in the window). Even if you are not hungry, you may decide to come back later. I've had better luck with this technique when I'm in an area of the city that is not your standard tourist destination. Eating in a sit-down full service restaurant is the most expensive dining option, so if you are really on a budget, you may want to limit the number of full service meals you eat. Also, in some countries eating at the counter is less expensive that sitting at a table. By listening to recommendations and doing a little research, you can avoid the expensive restaurants that cater to tourists. If you're on a budget, you can still eat great during your travels, you just need to be aware of all your food options. Ask around with locals for recommendations. Make sure you know the price before you eat. Most important of all, try new things. Stretch your boundaries and try something that you would never eat at home. After all isn't the reason you travel is to discover something different. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jed Clark is a travel writer, photographer and long-time San Francisco resident. For more travel tips and information about San Francisco destinations, attractions and neighborhoods, visit Zurdo Go - a destination guide to San Francisco. |
| GOLDEN RING of Russia - Travel Guide, Part 2 by TravelMake.com Sergiev Posad (founded in 1345, population 115,000) - the spiritual center of Russia, residence of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, where the remains of the first national saint, Sergei Radonezh, rests. In the heart of Sergiev Posad is a well-preserved splendid architectural ensemble of over 50 historical buildings, as well as magnificent art collections including old Russian painting and the treasures in the vaults of the former Trinity Monastery.Suzdal (founded in 1024, population 12,000) - this little quiet town is a real gem, one of the most beautiful in the Golden Ring collection of citeis and towns. In the 11th century Suzdal became the very first forepost of Christianity in the North-Eastern Russia and significantly affected the religious life in Russia until the end of 19 century. The town was destroyed by Mongols in 1238. Later Suzdal became the capital city of Russian prince Yury Dolgoruky who is considered to be the founder of Moscow. The second destruction of the town came with the Polish invasion in the 17th century. Here you can find over 100 church and secular buildings dating from the mid-12th to the mid-19th century crowded into a area of 9 square km.Tutaev (founded in 1283, population 45,000) - is an old little town sprawling on both banks of the Volga river. Tutaev (formerly known as Romanovo-Borisoglebsk) is divided by the Volga river into two parts. The former town Romanov is located on the left high bank of the river, the former town Borisoglebsk is on the right sloping one. Romanov was called after the Russian prince Roman of Uglich who was the founder of this town, Borisoglebsk got its name in connection with the Church of St. Boris and St. Gleb erected there in the 15th century. The towns were united under the new name Romanovo-Borisoglebsk in 1822. In 1918 the town's name was changed to Tutaev in honour of the Red Army hero who was killed during the Civil war .Uglich (founded in 937, population 38,000) - the town was built on a major trade route. In its history Uglich has survived destruction by the Mongols and lived through the devastation of fires and plagues. Uglich is famous for Russia's darkest secret - the death of young Prince Dimitri, son of Ivan the Terrible who is often called Tsarevich (a heir to the throne) Dmitry. The Tsarevich, a sickly boy, was the last of the Rurik dynasty. While playing with a knife in the yard he stabbed himself by accident or was stabbed by an assassin allegedly sent by Boris Godunov, his competitor for the throne. The center of the town also is a historical and architectural landmark. The streets are wide, with various churches standing side by side along the road. These churches vary in size and have domes and belfries of different shapes and designs, all of which add to the charm of this small town. Uglich is known in Russia for simple-designed and reliable watches. The local factory, which makes beautiful women's watches decorated with special "Finift" paintings on porcelain which are incorporated into the bands of the watches.Vladimir (founded in 1108, population 400,000) - one of the oldest Russian cities, was founded by the Russian Prince Vladimir Monomakh on the banks of the Kliazma river. The city really blossomed in the 12th century during the reign of Prince Andrey Bogolubsky, who strengthened its defences, welcomed architects, icon-painters, jewellers from other countries, built new palaces and churches so magnificent that travelers compaired them with the ones in the "mother of all Russian cities"- Kiev. Until the middle of 14th century the city had been an administrative, cultural and religious center for North-Eastern Russia. During the Mongol invasion in the 13th century Vladimir was beseiged, looted and almost totally destroyed. Presently the city is a capital of the Vladimir province.Yaroslavl (founded in 1010, population 600,000 ) - as the legend goes it was founded by the famous Russian prince Yaroslav the Wise as a fortified settlement on the Volga river. After a huge fire of 1658 that turned most of the city into ruins, Jaroslavl was rebuilt in stone and reached the peak of its architectural development with palaces and churches richly decorated with beautiful frescoes and ornaments thus earning the title "Florence of Russia". The first Russian professional theater was established here by Volkov in 1750. Since the 18th century Jaroslavl has been an important industrial center. Today it is a quiet metropolitan city, one of Russia's largest regional centres, a capital of the Jaroslav province and one of the most beautiful cities of old Russia.Yuriev-Polsky (founded in 1152, population 20,000) - was founded by the Prince Yury Dolgoruky (who also founded Moscow in 1147) and named after himself. The second word "Polsky" means "among the fields" as it is situated in the heart of fertile and flat Suzdal land. These beautiful landscapes inspired the great painters and writers such as Repin, Tyutchev, Odoevsky, Soloukhin. Local textile centre since the 18th century.HOW TO GET THERE: By plane to Moscow. From Moscow you can travel the cities and towns of the Golden Ring either by a tour bus or by a river cruise ship. The last option limits the number of towns that you can visit as they have to be situated close to the Volga river. We recommend you to take a bus tour for 3 to 10 days depending on your stamina and level of interest in Russian history. A typical 3-4-day tour from Moscow covers up to 7 cities and towns of the Golden Ring. You travel during the day time in a comfortable bus with a well-trained English-speaking guide and spend nights at hotels with Western-class service (usually- 3 star). The Golden Ring tour can be perfectly combined with 2-3 day program in Moscow. Almost every major travel agency in Moscow sells Golden Ring tours and it is much cheaper to buy them on the spot in Russia then to purchase a tour included into a vacation package from Europe or overseas. Communication is not a problem, these days all personnel in respectable agencies in Russia speak English.WHEN TO GO: The best season to travel to Russia is summer, from June to August, the warmest time of the year there. Rains are usual during summers, do not forget to pack your umbrella. Weather can be unpredictably cold, even in the European part of Russia, so take some warm clothing. You can check next week weather forecast for Moscow here.TRAVEL TIPS: A passport and a Russian visa are required to travel in or transit through Russia. To learn more about how to obtain Russian visa please visit Russian Embassy website. Without a visa, travelers cannot register at hotels and may be required to leave the country immediately via the route by which they entered, at the cost of the traveler. Russian customs officers strictly follow document regulations so travelers are advised to have all papers in order. It is also recommended that additional copies of passport and visa be kept in a safe place in case of loss or theft. Elderly travelers and those with existing health problems may be at risk due to inadequate medical facilities. Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash/dollar payment for health services at Western rates so supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas coverage is very useful. Travelers should be certain that all immunizations are up-to-date, especially for diphtheria and typhoid. Quality of tap water varies from city to city but normally is quite poor. Only boiled or bottled water should be drunk throughout Russia. Crime against foreigners in Russia continues to be a problem, especially in major cities. Pick pocketing, assaults, and robberies occur. Foreigners who have been drinking alcohol are especially vulnerable to assault and robbery in or around night clubs or bars, or on their way home. Robberies may occur in taxis shared with strangers. Be aware that public washrooms are difficult to find, and usually you have to pay there. To use a public phone you will need a token or local card. International calls can not be made from street phones. Your mobile phone will work in Moscow and Saint Petersburg but seldom in regional cities. Taxi fee must be discussed with a driver before a journey. In the major cities you can rent a car if you do not mind fairly rugged road conditions, a few hassles finding petrol, getting lost now and then and paying high rent price. Public transport in Russia is quite good, cheap and easy to use though sometimes overcrowded. Restaurants seldom have a menu in English. Tipping is expected but not mandatory. Signs in English are common on the streets of Moscow and other big cities. In large cities it is not hard to find a passerby who can answer your questions in Engish. Electricity throughout Russia is 220 volt/50 hz. The plug is the two-pin thin European standard.We wish you a safe and nice trip!For more information, descriptions of main points of interest in every town of the Golden Ring, some photographs and useful links about Russian history please visit us: TravelMake.com About the Author TravelMake.com - one of leading online discount travel agencies, a source of useful travel information. |
| Hotel Lodging in Orlando Florida by Art McCarty Booking Hotel LodgingFinding hotel lodging doesn’t have to be the most difficult part of planning your vacation. With convenient lodging near every major attraction you can easily find excellent several at a good price. Consider making your reservations online and in advance to get the best reservation booking deals possible, this is especially important for holiday hotel lodging accommodations due to the increase in tourism during these periods. Making your reservations last minute can be costly in the end. Hotel Lodging OnlineSome online resources for general hotel lodging bookings that can help make your planning easier include:www.hotels.com – An excellent site for locating hotel lodging near attractions you want to visit.www.tripreservations.com – TripReservations.com, offers great rates that are also guaranteed, making your vacation plans secure and easy.www.orbitz.com – Use Orbitz to make your hotel lodging, car rental, and airline flight reservations all in one spot.For example Orbitz offers daily rates from $29 that are not only in three to four star hotel lodging, but also in locations that are right next to your attraction spots here in Orlando. If you prefer a small establishment that offers a taste of Orlando hospitality you might be interested in a Bed and Breakfast like: Magnolia Inn Bed and BreakfastHiggins House Meadow Marsh Victorian Bed & BreakfastPerri House Those who are interested in a bit more privacy and some personal space in their accommodations may be interested in renting a villa. A villa is usually a small house or part of a larger property that offers the chance to experience unique luxuries, outdoor woodland settings, or any number of options. The choices are nearly unlimited as are the locations. Take a look at Villa Vacations for more information. Another type of hotel lodging similar to Villa’s are Time Share in which you actually are partial owner of a property or apartment. There are limitations to this kind of lodging as well as added benefits. Those who are interested can find out more about Time Share Resorts and rental properties by looking at some available in the Orlando Area:Time Share Resorts in OrlandoTime Share ResortsLodging in Orlando FL OnlineSearching online is the best way to locate a lot of lodging in Orlando FL and attractions in a short period of time. Online searches will come in handy trying to find holiday lodging accommodations. Most sites will list rates as well as hotel lodging in Orlando FL features and a map of the area. Collecting as much information as you can and then sorting through your selections is the best method to find a good hotel lodging with the least amount of effort. Before you begin to mount your online search for lodging in Orlando FL, you need to make a few decisions.1. What area do I want to stay in?2. Do I want low cost, moderate, or luxury accommodations?3. Do I want to visit Theme Parks or stay at a Resort?4. Stay duration and dates of travel.5. What are my preferences for lodging in Orlando FL?These are only a few suggestions and you will want to make your own list that may be sorted by priorities such as best or lowest price. Something to remember is that prices for lodging in Orlando FL tend to climb the closer you get to the attractions and major cities like Kissimmee, Orlando, and the Disney Area in Florida. Some prime examples of online search engines that can help you locate Lodging in the U.S. are:www.discounthotels.cc – With up to 65% discount off regular rates with contracted lodging in Orlando FL , your trip can be fun and cheap. This site lists hotel lodging, suites, villa’s, resorts, and ranches that they have special contracts with to arrange for the cheapest possible accommodations for your family. Select from over 20 locations for lodging in Orlando FL starting as low as $25 with some hotels offering the first night free! Group discounts, vacation packages, free tickets, and timeshare promotions are also given. Discount Hotels will beat any internet advertised price for the same hotel by $2.00 per night to assure you of the lowest cost for your lodging in Orlando FL.www.Ase.net – In addition to hotel lodging this site helps you explore locations for lodging in the U.S. as well as cities around the world. It is also one of the few sites that not only allows you to select the Language you wish to view the site in, but also the currency in which amounts are displayed. You can use their handy trip planner to fill out the preferences of your trip, accommodations for yourself or family. There is also a preference for spending allowing you to get reservations for the lowest cost. www.lodgingdepot.com– With trip planning for many locations of lodging in Orlando FL. this site gives you easy access to all the reservations, accommodations and transportation you will need. Groups and Deals are two special sections that can help save you money and make your trip affordable when visiting attractions and theme parks and lodging in Orlando FL.Planning a Vacation including Hotel LodgingLet’s plan a trip to visit the sunny state of Florida. Most people will visit a bookstore, or travel agency to get information on a city or location they already have in mind. In this case we have decided to use an online search to gather information about our locations. Armed with one of your favorite sites for travel information we begin by simply selecting a Florida city you wish to stay in or typing in a selection like Orlando, Kissimmee, or Davenport. The search engine may gather from a preselected list of partner hotel lodging or organizations so it is always a good idea to use more than one site when conducting a search. The website will return with results of hotel lodging, attractions and events, and often additional travel arrangements depending on the information it gathered from you before the search. Some sites will allow you to choose the arrival and departure dates as well as preferences for hotel lodging such as hotels, villas and resorts. In the end you will be able to browse through the results to seek out the best rates for hotel lodging in your selected area and timeframe.Finding Hotel Lodging in Orlando FLSo you have decided to take a vacation and use lodging in Orlando FL. You may have already selected a city or you may be considering a few areas. Some of the best information can be found at travel agencies, book stores, and online. Some hotels will send you packages of travel and local information if requested. Some common hotel lodging to be found all over the U.S. are listed below. You can contact them to request maps, travel information, attractions that are near by and more. These chains are hoping that by providing this information you will choose to stay at one of their locations so it is a good idea to also request lodging and seasonal rates from each location you are interested in. Best Western International – 800-528-1234 www.bestwestern.comDoral Hotels – 800-223-6725 Econo Lodges – 800-424-6423 www.hotelchoice.comHilton Hotels – 800-445-8667 www.hilton.comHoliday Inn – 800-462-4329 www.holiday-inn.comHoward Johnson's – 800-446-4656 www.hojo.comHyatt Hotels – 800-233-1234 www.hyatt.comInter-Continental – 800-327-0200 www.interconti.comLa Quinta Motor Inns – 800-257-5473Marriott Hotels – 800-228-9290 www.marriott.comOmni International Hotels – 800-241-5500 Quality Inns – 800-424-6423 www.hotelchoice.comRadisson Hotels – 800-333-3333 www.radisson.comRamada Inns – 800-228-2828 www.ramada.comRed Carpet Inns International – 800-251-1962 Red Roof Inns – 800-843-7663 www.redroof.comRodeway Inns – 800-424-6423 www.hotelchoice.comSheraton Hotels – 800-325-3535 www.sheraton.comStouffer Hotels – 800-872-6338 Super 8 Motels – 800-843-1991 www.super8motels.comTravelodge International – 800-255-3050 www.travelodge.comWestin Hotels – 800-228-3000 www.westin.comOnce you have determined your location you will want to find out more about that city. Every city has unique offerings and spots that you will want to visit and experience. Much information can be found online about particular cities and about lodging in the U.S. , however, it is a good idea to call in advance to hotel lodging, and travel agencies in the area and ask about attractions that are very good or small spots that may have slipped past online resources. Some online travel engines are listed below that you can use to find more information on thousands of cities within the U.S.www.citiesunlimited.comwww.resortsandlodges.comwww.suite101.comTips for Hotel Lodging in U.S.AThe following tips can be helpful in planning a trip for yourself and family to a destination in the U.S. Remember that not only can information be found online but once you arrive in the U.S. most airports provide local hotel lodging locations and information Additionally it is common for hotels to provide local attraction and event information as well as maps. Simply ask for maps and information in the lobby and you will be directed to or be given them. Use the Orlando Travel TIPS below to assist you in your Orlando FL vacation.Orlando Travel Tip 1: Using search engines and several different tools online can save you hours of telephone calls to travel agencies, money for the calls, and the cost of the travel agent. Orlando Travel Tip 2: A currency converter is also featured on this site to help keep costs low and understandable when you are traveling from overseas to the U.S.and exchanging foreign currency. This is an important tool when planning a vacation to a foreign country.Orlando Travel Tip 3: If you have access to a printer, it is very smart to print out all reservations and hotel lodging as well as any tickets or rentals made online. These reservation numbers and the proof of purchase can often come in very handy once you arrive at your accommodation, villa, or resort.Orlando Travel Tip 4: If you are searching for low cost, inexpensive hotel lodging that is also clean and comfortable, you might try looking for one of the larger national budget hotel chains. Motel Six, Comfort Inns, Econolodge, Red Roof Inns, Best Western and Days Inn all offer clean comfortable and inexpensive accommodations at cheap prices. Of course the prices may vary by location and season but can be approximately $40 to $75 per night. Double occupancy usually costs about $5 per night more. In large metropolitan areas and near attractions, the locations are usually priced higher than the just slightly further away. The search engine allows you to sort your results by price, value, quality (in terms of Stars for hotels), or alphabetically. We will sort by price and then check mark all the selections we are most interested in to compare and print out. Whatever you choose you are sure to enjoy and remember your Orlando FL vacation. Let Island Hideaway help you make the arrangements for your stay and great family vacation. We are listed in The Travel website today About the Author None |
| How To Breeze Through The Security Checkpoint At Airports by Jamie Madison Permission is freely granted to use this article so long as our resource box remains at the end of this article with all links live.Air travel is such a common method of transportation today, we sometimes forget the practical tips to help us enjoy a flight. The following tips will help you reduce your wait time at the security checkpoint.What to do before you arrive at the airport.1. Do not pack or bring prohibited Items to the airport. Prohibited items are weapons, explosives, incendiaries, and include items that are seemingly harmless but may be used as weapons - the so-called "dual use" items. You may not bring these items to security checkpoints without authorization.2. Place valuables such as jewelry, cash and laptop computers in carry-on baggage only. Tape your business card to the bottom of your laptop. 3. Avoid wearing clothing, jewelry and accessories that contain metal. Metal items may set off the alarm on the metal detector. 4. Avoid wearing shoes that contain metal or have thick soles or heels. Many types of footwear will require additional screening even if the metal detector does not alarm. 5. Put all undeveloped film and cameras with film in your carry-on baggage. Checked baggage screening equipment will damage undeveloped film. 6. Declare firearms & ammunition to your airline and place them in your checked baggage. 7. If you wish to lock your baggage, use a TSA-recognized lock. 8. Do not bring lighters or prohibited matches to the airport. 9. Do not pack wrapped gifts and do not bring wrapped gifts to the checkpoint. Wrap on arrival or ship your gifts prior to your departure. TSA may have to unwrap packages for security reasons. At the Airport Keep in mind that every adult traveler 18 years and older will need to keep available his/her airline boarding pass and government-issued photo ID until exiting the security checkpoint. Because of the differences in airport configurations at many airports, you may be required to display these documents more than once. Place the following items IN your carry-on baggage or in a plastic bag prior to entering the screening checkpoint: * Mobile phones * Keys * Loose change * Money clips * PDA's (personal data assistants) * Large amounts of jewelry * Metal hair decorations * Large belt buckles Take your laptop and video cameras with cassettes OUT of their cases and place them in a bin which will be provided at the checkpoint. Take OFF all outer coats, suit coats, jackets and blazers. By following the suggested tips, you will breeze through the security checkpoint, which will help you to enjoy your flight.Copyright 2005. GetCheapAirlineTickets.com All Rights Reserved. About the Author Jamie Madison is a flight attendant with a low-cost airline based in JFK. She enjoys consulting in the travel business and has provided a FREE website to offer consumers a stress-free way to make travel plans. Download your FREE “Travel Tips” Report by visiting visiting http://www.getcheapairlinetickets.com |
| Jet Lag - You can Suffer From It...Or You Can Do What This International Airline Captain Does by Pilot Paul Whatever the reason for your travel, you have made a considerable investment. It costs you time and money. If you're stuck in a hotel room suffering from jet lag symptoms, you're missing out.Obviously, you'd like to make the most of your trip. You will get the greatest return on your investment if you're out of your hotel room enjoying your destination. I can help you achieve this. "What Is Jet Lag?"In simple terms, jet lag is the disruption of your body's internal clock, or circadian rhythm. This clock sets your sleeping and waking times. It is complex and sensitive. Flying east or west messes it up. That's because you cross time zones much faster than your body can adjust.What are common jet lag symptoms? They include: * Headache * Disorientation * Anxiety * Exhaustion * Indigestion * Dehydration * Impaired Coordination Obviously, these things could ruin your trip. Following these guidelines will reduce your jet lag symptoms and let you enjoy your trip even more.I'll break this discussion into three sections: * Before Your Trip * During Your Flight * At Your Destination A. Help Prevent Jet Lag Before You Leave Home1. Get Plenty Of Sleep. NASA found that getting as much sleep as possible beginning two days before your trip is significant in minimizing jet lag symptoms.2. Reduce Your Stress. All that running around can make you more stressed.3. Exercise. If you exercise regularly, make it a priority to keep that routine just before you travel. Also, continue it at your destination.B. Things You Can Do During Your Flight To Reduce Jet Lag1. Arrive Early At The Airport. Not rushing to make your flight will help reduce stress and make you more relaxed. That way you'll rest better on the plane.2. Begin Adjusting To The New Time Zone And Schedule. When you get on the plane, set your watch to your destination's time. Then think about when you'll eat and sleep there. Try to begin eating and sleeping at those times.3. Sleep As Much As You Can On the Plane. This is a key factor in reducing jet lag.4. Wear Comfortable clothing. Comfortable clothes, warm socks and a sweater will enable you to sleep better.5. Drink Plenty of Water. Not soda, not alcohol, not caffeine, but water. 6. Get Up and Stretch Frequently.7. Use a Footrest. The first and business class seats have these, but even in coach, you can benefit from using a footrest. Use a carry-on bag or travel foot rest.8. Loosen Your Shoes.9. Pills and Supplements. In a word...Don't. My complete jet lag article at http://www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/jet-lag.html has a detailed discussion about the dangers of pills and supplements for jet lag.C. Adjusting At Your Destination1. Try To Eat On The New Schedule. This helps your body clock adjust to minimize your jet lag symptoms. 2. Try To Sleep On The New Schedule. This is often easier said than done. There is a full discussion about sleep adjustment and napping at www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/jet-lag.html I have also written extensively about how to sleep better in any hotel room.You can learn all those sleep tips by visiting: www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/sleep-tips.html3.Exercise. This is also among the important jet lag remedies. If you have a regular exercise routine, you'll want to continue it now.4. Get out in the Sunlight. This is simple to accomplish as long as you have a sunny day.Studies have shown that exposure to bright light helps shift the circadian rhythms (body clock), and therefore reduce the jet lag symptoms.That's just a brief overview. I highly recommend that you read my complete jet lag article before you go on your next long trip. You can find it at:http://www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/jet-lag.htmlCopyright 2005 by Ph.Developments USA, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Pilot Paul is a captain at a major U.S. airline. He also hosts http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com where an airline captain helps you with your travel needs. If you would like to learn more travel tips, see travel accessory reviews and recommendations, learn insider's secrets, find travel discounts, or receive our FREE newsletter, please visit us at http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com |
| Key Travel Tips: Reducing Waiting Tips by Marisol Boatwright Key Travel Tips Following these tips will help you reduce your wait time at the security checkpoint. Before you go to the Airport • Do not pack or bring Prohibited Items to the airport. • Place valuables such as jewelry, cash and laptop computers in carry-on baggage only. • Tape your business card to the bottom of your laptop. • Avoid wearing clothing, jewelry and accessories that contain metal. Metal items may set off the alarm on the metal detector. • Avoid wearing shoes that contain metal or have thick soles or heels. Many types of footwear will require additional screening even if the metal detector does not alarm. • Put all undeveloped film and cameras with film in your carry-on baggage. Checked baggage screening equipment will damage undeveloped film. • Declare firearms & ammunition to your airline and place them in your checked baggage. • If you wish to lock your baggage, use a TSA-recognized lock. • Do not bring lighters or prohibited matches to the airport. • Do not pack wrapped gifts and do not bring wrapped gifts to the checkpoint. Wrap on arrival or ship your gifts prior to your departure. TSA may have to unwrap packages for security reasons. While at the Airport Each adult traveler needs to keep available his/her airline boarding pass and government-issued photo ID until exiting the security checkpoint. Due to different airport configurations, at many airports you will be required to display these documents more than once. • Place the following items IN your carry-on baggage or in a plastic bag prior to entering the screening checkpoint: o Mobile phones o Keys o Loose change o Money clips o PDA's (personal data assistants) o Large amounts of jewelry o Metal hair decorations o Large belt buckles • Take your laptop and video cameras with cassettes OUT of their cases and place them in a bin provided at the checkpoint. • Take OFF all outer coats, suit coats, jackets and blazers. About the Author: Marisol Boatwright is an Independent Travel Agent with Global Travel International. She has years of experience in the travel agency business and wants to help people with their travel needs. http://boatrighttravels.globaltravel.com, email: boatwrim@bellsouth.net Source: www.isnare.com |
| Money Saving Travel Tips by Ali Moazami Have you seen the T.V. commercial where they show that one passenger paid only a few hundred for his plane ticket while the person sitting next to him paid over a thousand?This is only one example of a truth that becomes all toapparent every summer.You can SERIOUSLY over-pay for travel if you aren't careful.If you are wanting to travel this summer, or anytime, use these four money saving tips to your advantage. You might just save 50% or more on your next trip. 1. Plan AheadThe reason airlines love business travellers is that they travel on short notice. A cursory look at airline fares shows you that you will pay more, often twice as much, if you travel on short notice or don't include a weekend in your travel plans.Even if you can't plan many weeks in advance, take fulladvantage of the time you can plan ahead. Check withairlines, hotels, car rental agencies and more to find out when the optimum time is to book their services. It's amazing how much you can learn with just a few phone calls ahead of time. 2. Use The WebIf the Internet has one great feature it's that you can find a lot of information fast. The Web allows us to do what is perhaps the most money-saving activity of all .... comparison shopping. Take full advantage of the Internet using sites like Google or Yahoo as well as travel-specific sites. Companies like AAA (the folks who rescue you on the side of the road) give away tons of useful information just to interest you in their memberships. Make a simple spreadsheet sorted by category as you shop online. When you find a great price on a car rental, hide-away cabin in the woods or direct flight, add that information to your spreadsheet. Soon you will have compiled a powerful database of savings.When you surf don't forget sites like eBay and Priceline. The 'bidding' model has become a very popular way to shop. As always, do your homework to ensure you have chosen a reputable vendor. 3. Join The ClubIn the last few years some very interesting specialty clubs have formed for the sole purpose of helping you save money when you travel. Sponsored by hotels, car rental companies and more who understand how competitive the market is, these niche clubs can save you a boatload of money.Membership in these clubs often consists of buying a coupon book of savings. These clubs are often the salvation for the traveller who can't plan ahead since their deep discounts don't rely on advanced bookings. Don't overlook the savings these small 'discount clubs' can bring. You will often save 50% or more on brand-name accommodations. 4. Ask AroundHere's the oldest savings trick in the book. Ask anexperienced traveller what they do when they travel. People who travel often love to share 'insider secrets' with their friends who travel less often. It makes them feel good to help a friend and might just open up a deep discount you might have otherwise overlooked. The bottom line when you travel is this. With a small amount of effort, and a little education, you can chop up to half off your travel expenses. These savings can go straight to your pocket or you might use them to upgrade from a 2 star hotel to a four-star hotel. Either way, you will find the effort more than worthwhile. *******************************************************Ali Moazami is an experienced traveller who helps people save huge amounts on their travel. To get first-class car rentals, airline tickets, hotels and more at economy prices just visit Ali at http://www.secretwealth.net ravel.html No pressure or hyped up claims ... just real savings that go in YOUR pocket. About the Author Ali Moazami is an experienced traveller who helps people save huge amounts on their travel. To get first-class car rentals, airline tickets, hotels and more at economy prices just visit Ali at http://www.secretwealth.net/travel.html No pressure or hyped up claims ... just real savings that go in YOUR pocket. |
| Must Read Tips For Shopping & Booking Your Travels Online by Joe Collinsworth Booking & shopping online has proven to revolutionize the travel industry. There are many pros to utilizing online booking sites to plan your trip. Bottom line is, it saves you time and money, both important factors when planning your trip. Before you go booking your trip online, read our tips on doing so to ensure you find the best deals and are protected in the process… 1. Shop around: This has been our motto from the start. We are finding that prices change all the time, so it is important to look around for the best travel deal. Besides searching our site, we have provided our favorite sites (with reviews) for finding the best deals. Don’t get paralysis on analysis though. We recommend you pick a price (be reasonable though) and search until you find it- once you find it- take it!! 2. The more flexible you are the better: Hey, I know when you travel with kids or a group of people, being flexible isn't an option. If you can be flexible, it will help, that's all. Things like flying on certain days (like Saturday or mid-week), or specific times (10pm-6am for example) could be a benefit. 3. Join Frequent Flyer Programs: This is a travel tip. You don't have to fly every other month to benefit from these programs. If you use credit cards, you might as well get something back. Heck, we pay them enough in charges that you deserve something in return. Just pick your favorite airline(s) and sign up for an airline mile card! 4. Read: Sign up for e-zines. You can set up a free email account if you don't want these piling up in your in-box. Many of them have an opt-out section that allows you to quit receiving emails once you are done. They usually provide up-to-date alerts on what deals are out there. Also, you might want to look into a few information products about traveling on a budget or getting great deals!! There are experts out there who have been there and done that and know how to take advantage of great opportunities. 5. Know all the terms and conditions: This is a very important cheap deal travel reminder. For example, you will want to know if your quotes are locked in immediately or how long you have til you must decide, what their refund policy is, cancellation policy, if their site is safe when you enter your information (if you see a golden key or padlock at the bottom in the toolbar, then you will be fine), changes you might need to make, and so forth. You don't want to get trapped into something that you can't get out of. 6. Get Coupons: Getting your hands on coupons can save you tons of money off various travel necessities. You can find valuable money savers with coupon books. Other cheap deal travel tips to consider... 7. Check a few sites & once you find your price, go bid at an auction site like Priceline, at a lower price. 8. Book all in one. Sometimes if you book your airfare, car, & hotel or a combo of the three, you can get a better cheap deal. Don't be afraid to ask!! 9. For flights, you can also do things like get bumped/stay over, fly out of another airport in your region (consider gas & driving and if that's worth it), & consider 1-2 or more connections (no-stop flights can be expensive). Bonus tips when shopping online in general… · Do online shopping with companies you know. We provide some places that give you a good start. You can also compare offline or with major retail chain's websites. · Keep your passwords private and choose them wisely. · Keep good records. This protects you if something arises. · Check out the company’s security policy and privacy policy. These are typically located at the bottom of the page. Or, look under site map or company information. · Read the legal terms. These policies let you know what they do with any information you provide. · Get their contact information. Try it out if need be. Make sure you know how to get a hold of someone. · Make sure before you purchase, you read their return/refund policies. · Review all descriptions of products, shipping & handling terms, and any other pertinent information you want to know. This should all be outlined for you.
About The Author Joe Collinsworth Discount Florida Vacations is a total Florida vacation guide offering fun, sun, tips, ideas, checklists, help, recommendations, resources, and experiences for anyone traveling to Florida. You can find excellent information or plan your trip with us at… www.discount-florida-vacations.com midwestentrepreneur@yahoo.com |
| Noise Cancelling Headphones Are Not Just A Travel Accessory...They're A Travel Necessity by Pilot Paul There is unwanted noise all around us. Without Noise cancelling headphones, there is no escaping it.There's engine and air noise on planes, blaring sounds of city streets, noisy air conditioners, unwanted noise in the office and endless lawn equipment noise at home.These constant sounds can cause fatigue and sap your energy.If you've ever enjoyed the effects of a good noise cancelling headphone, you know that it's possible to "slip on some quiet" and have a reprieve form all that unwanted noise.Once you use a quality noise cancelling headphone, you'll wonder how you've ever gotten by without any. The first time I ever tied noise canceling headphones, I was astonished by how well they worked.Hi, I'm Pilot Paul, Captain at a major airline. I've been using noise cancelling headphones for over a decade.At my airline, we bring along an additional pilot on long flights. This allows us to take turns and have a rest break. That way we always have fresh, alert pilots at the controls. We have use of a first class seat for this extremely important rest.My airline provides a noise cancelling headphone for each first class passenger to use. They love them, and don't want to give them back at the end of the flight.One of the main reasons that I'm able to rest and sleep during my important rest breaks is the noise cancelling headphones.If you are interested in my complete article which gives you many tips on sleeping well on planes, please visit: www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/travel-comfort.html What's Special About Noise Cancelling Headphones?Unlike regular headphones, noise cancelling headphones do double-duty. They reduce noise in two ways: * Passively- They have comfortable, insulated ear cups that block a lot of outside noise. * Actively- They electronically cancel out sound waves. They do this by picking up a sound, processing it, and then creating a new sound that effectively cancels the original sound. They work best on loud, monotonous sounds like the rushing air in airplane cabins or engine noise.These two methods combine to reduce unwanted noise.When you use these, you'll experience a noticeable quiet. This is very relaxing and once you've used these, you'll wonder how you ever survived without them.What You Can Expect From A Good Noise Cancelling HeadphoneWhile lessening all sounds, noise cancelling headphones best reduce persistent, droning background noises. They're best at reducing sounds like engine and air noise, traffic, the background noise at your office, your neighbor's lawnmower.If you wear these at home (as I often do), and your child screams, you'll still hear that. This can be either good or bad, depending on your perspective.When you first put on noise canceling headphones, you'll initially notice the passive effect- all noises are reduced by the comfortable, padded, insulated ear cups.Then switch on the active cancellation to eliminate the droning sounds. You might not immediately think it's a huge improvement- but wait about ten minutes.You brain has the capability to disregard many background noises. They still are present and cause fatigue, but you become unaware of them. During the ten minutes, your brain will discontinue blocking these sounds from your consciousness.If you take them off after the ten minutes, you'll be amazed by the amount of noise they had been cancelling. These headphones can be used as regular headphones for listening to the plane's audio system, movies, or any other sound device. With these, everything will sound even better because much of the background noise is cut out. This will create new levels of listening enjoyment for you.With a good noise canceling headphone, you'll also be able to listen to recordings or movies at a much lower volume. There's no competition with the background noise. That's good for your hearing.I frequently use noise canceling headphones with a portable CD or cassette player. I'll leave the volume set and later use regular headphones. The volume setting I used with my noise cancelling headphones was so low that when I switched to regular headphones, I couldn't hear anything.You can also use noise canceling headphones by themselves without external audio to make your world much quieter.Noise canceling headphones are helpful for resting and solitude. That's because wearing them signals the people around you that you want to be left alone. If you're worried about that over-talkative person in the seat next to you, putting these on can be a great way to discourage them from initiating conversation.Noise canceling headphones are so effective at reducing noise fatigue that many pilots use them in-flight. Headphones with this technology are great for in-flight radio communications in noisy, propeller-driven airplanes.Warning! Once you've tried these there's no turning back. You'll be hooked on them and will want to use them regularly.What Makes One Noise Cancelling Headphone Different From The Rest and Why Do The Prices Vary So Much?If you've ever seem ads or displays for noise cancelling headphones, you've likely wondered why the prices vary so much.I've used two different noise cancelling headphones extensively, and had the chance to try several others for extended periods.With that experience, I've found two different noise cancelling headphones best suited for all-around use.There are many on the market, but these two stand out. One is expensive but worth it, and the other is surprisingly less expensive than many others.I've also found the best places to get each of these.For a complete review of these as well as more information about noise cancelling headphones, please go to: http://www.pilot-pauls-travel-accessories.com/noise-cancelling-headphones.htmlCopyright 2005 by Ph.Developments USA, Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Pilot Paul is a captain at a major U.S. airline. He also hosts http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com where an airline captain helps you with your travel needs. If you would like to learn more travel tips, see travel accessory reviews and recommendations, learn insider's secrets, find travel discounts, or receive our FREE newsletter, please visit us at http://www.Pilot-Pauls-Travel-Accessories.com |
| Pack List for a Cruise--and other Travel Tips by Joan Dann What you bring on a cruise depends a great deal of the kind of ship itis.........casual or elegant.........and your plans for "fine dining".If you are sailing a ship with all the elegant evenings, this takes specialforethought on your part. Even though they say that its two formal evenings,three informal and two casual........you are sitting in such elegantsurroundings and eating a wonderful 5 course meal...........you may want tolook your best ! Consider that this will be like a fabulous dinner partyevery evening ! When I pack for cruises my husband asks me if I had leftanything in my closet.............well.............I wear absolutelyeverything I pack.Here are some of my thoughts...........some ships provide robes, beachtowels (both on deck and if you are going ashore to the beach) and hairdryers...all depending on your level of accomodation. Check on this for yourparticular accomodations............and if they are provided then leavethese items at home.....that's half a suitcase right there !Ladies----If you are planning on "fine dining"-----Think thru 7 wonderfulevenings of dinners and cocktails beforehand. Think Black !! Black or creamflowy pants or skirts topped with several different jackets, dressy dinnerjackets, big satiny tops..........if you pack separates you will have somuch more milage. Bring several evenings handbags......a nice selection ofjewelry........several different pair of dressy shoes..........severalbright colored Pashmina-type shawls are PERFECT.....lots of color over yourbasics.......different little accessories to mix and match. These littlethings that do not take up much room but will make all the difference.Remember...........half the beauty of cruising is that you have theseelegant evenings. Basically..........if you think you want it.........bringit. O a recent cruise, I brought 4 jackets with me of different colors andfabrics..........and really did not feel it was enough. In addition todinner, we had lunch in the nice dining room three times, breakfast theretwice and High Tea one afternoon. All worked over basic bottoms. For casualclothes, you will want fun things............some wrapskirts..........bathing suit and coverup, flip-flops...........fitnessworkout clothes...............Kids------Remember no shorts or jeans in the nice dining rooms ! I havefound that kids really love these nice evenings. Where else can they have 5courses of anything they want ?? Shrimp cocktails and lobster always a hit.Teenage boy still hungry ?? What else would he like ? Another lobster tail ?(Take lots of pictures-this can be great family time !)Men---Quite Easy ! (Of course !) Tuxedo -optional...........but very nicefor the formal evenings. (Certain ships it is not optional) You may considerbringing two tuxedo shirts. Navy or basic blazer and dress pants...dressshirts...neckties....dress shoes.....khaki pants....knit shirts.....basicshorts....workout clothes...casual shoes..sneakers...bathing suit. Hawaiiantype shirt for fun ! Discuss with your agent. So much depends on the kind ofcruise ship you are sailing ..and your personal dining plans. Overall-planon dressing for "Country club elegance".You can check two bags with the airlines and carryon one more..........mycarryon was a garment bag and a very full large purse. Bring some sort ofgranola bars with you on the plane.....airport and runway delays are all toocommon and food is no longer served onboard as it once was.Other Good Basic tips.....**Pack a pad of Post-It notes to leave messages for your cabin steward (youget to know him !),family, and shipboard friends.**Have plenty of one-dollar bills handy for tipping airport skycaps andporters at the pier.**Don't pack photo film in checked luggage as new airport screeningequipment could ruin it. Put it in your carry-on instead. Even if you don'tthink you'll need them, bring along extra camera batteries and change thembefore you think the old ones are "dead." Don't forget film !**Put a rubber band aroundwallets in your back pocket will inhibit pickpockets. Some "ports of call"have large pick-pocket communities....unfortunately.**Toss a few empty plastic bags into your suitcase. You may need them laterto pack dirty or damp clothes.Tap water on your ship is perfectly safe to drink; purchasing bottledwater is only necessary if you prefer the taste.**Tuck fabric softener sheets between garments as you pack to keep clothingfresh during travels.**Bring your own travel alarm clock; most staterooms do not have them.**If you live in a colder climate are traveling to a warm weathercruise...When you put your summer wardrobe away for the winter, set asidethe casual outfits, sandals, swimwear, and sleepwearyou want to wear on your cruise and store them in the suitcase you plan touse. You'll be at least half packed and won't be hunting down an outfit or apair of shoes later. You will also free up some drawer and/or closet spaceat the same time. Hang your evening clothes in a separate area of yourcloset and pack them when you're ready to leave for your trip**Pre-address stick-on labels for postcards to the folks back home & youwon't have to carry along a bulky address book.**Make two copies of your passport, driver's license, and credit cardsbefore leaving home-in addition to your Cruise Documents, and Trip TravelInsurance. Leave one set of copies in a safe place on your ship.If the ship's purser holds your passport (which is often the case, toexpedite clearing the ship in foreign ports), carry the passport copy ashorewith you. Leave the other copies with a friend or family member at home.**Binoculars ---lightweight, small ones..........particularly for Alaska,Hawaii, Europe !**Print cards with your name, address, phone number, & email address toshare with new friends. Having your cards handy sure beats huntingfor pens & scribbling on scraps of paper to swap addresses. Fun,inexpensive, colorful cards can be ordered online from a company calledwww.vistaprint.com. (Allow plenty of time to order and receive these !)** Leave any paperback novels you've finished for the crew library. You'llhave more room in your suitcase and crewmembers will have fresh readingmaterial--they will really appreciate this !**Don't forget to pack and USE your sunscreen. Why take the chance of anasty sunburn ruining a great cruise vacation? Protect your skin from injuryand aging. Throw in something for Sunburn too. People have a way ofoverdoing on vacation.**Check the balance of your on-board account before the end of your cruise.Straighten out any discrepancies immediately and avoid a long line at thePurser's Desk that last morning after your final bill arrives (try to do thefinal the last night...try to beat the rush !)**You are all dressed for dinner and you look fabulous !! Have a familyportraittaken to preserve the memory. There's no obligation to purchase any photosyou don't care for.**and my all time favorite..........depending on what type of trip, ship,elegance level etc etc...........bring t-shirts you might want to work outin.......sleep in..........tour in..that you will wear and leave behind asthey are dirty.......this will give you room in your suitcase for purchaseswhile traveling. About the Author Joan Dann can be reached via her website at www.Dann-Online.com and emailher at dann@dann-online.comShe is President of Great Explorations ! Travel and a Cruise Expert. She isalso Co-Owner of Dann Mens Clothing (www.Dann-Online.com ) with husbandDennis and has spent many years in the Men's and Womens Clothing Industriesas well as the Luggage and Leathergoods Industry. |
| Personal Protection When Traveling - It's a Must! by Tara Pearce One Christmas when I was in high school, I received what I thought at the time was an odd gift – a personal safety alarm. I thanked my parents, but wondered why they thought I needed personal protection. As it turns out I never used the alarm but I sure FELT safer when I was walking home in the dark. To protect your person when traveling, there are a variety personal safety options. Actual weapons of course, which I don’t recommend - studies have proven you’re more likely to get hurt carrying your own weapon. Pepper spray or mace, which you would spray in an attacker’s face, or a personal alarm which usually includes a pull string or a button to push and makes a very loud and distinct noise. If you are going to purchase a personal safety product for your travels, here are a few things to think about. Check if personal defense products like pepper spray and mace are illegal where you’re visiting. Make sure that you have extra batteries for your personal alarm and check them every so often. The last thing you need is to activate the personal alarm and nothing happens. Another thing to consider if you’re going to carry mace or pepper spray as personal safety product – they inflict real pain. So protect yourself with a personal defense product but make sure it’s for a GOOD reason.
About The Author Tara Pearce is the publisher and webmaster of http://www.a1-travel-accessories.com Visit us for great information on all manner of travel tips and accessories resources. support@a1-travel-accessories.com |
