Entries Tagged 'Travel – Local and World' ↓

… by traveling too fast. If you are traveling on a budget or are trying to travel for free then doing so hurriedly or trying to follow a tight schedule puts you in a poor position where there remains little time to discover advantageous opportunities amongst which you can choose from (not to mention that it’s the perfect way to take the fun out of any trip). This way of traveling is almost always due to wanting to see too many places and effectively prevents you from developing meaningful connections with the people you meet along the way. Experienced free travel aficionados will tell you that the best opportunities nearly always come by the way of the people you meet and make friends with. A slower pace will reward you both financially and in quality of experience.

photo credit: Josedeluna

As a holiday destination, in my own personal opinion, Italy is practically unbeatable. I first visited Rome a few years back and on arriving in the city, I knew I was somewhere special. We arrived in the evening at the main railway station and the place was frenetic with activity.

We attempted to queue for a taxi to our hotel, and as is to be expected in the Italian capital, nobody else was very sure how to do this. Our first night there was drab and rainy and we made our way to the Pantheon and had a McDonalds.

Rome really revelealed it’s beauties to us over the coming week. The Roman Forum, St Peter’s Square, The Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain. It’s all so rich in history and so stunning to witness at first hand.

It’s a country you must visit at least once in your life. A holiday to Italy truly takes the breath away.

If you, or someone you know, are planning a relaxing vacation to Honolulu, you may want to make sure they double-check the total cost of the flight.  Because of the down economy many airlines are now finding ways to add extra charges onto the total ticket price.  Often these surcharges are not part of the quoted ticket price at the time of reservation, and may surprise you when you find them on your credit card receipt.  For example, the folks at Delta Airlines have decided to charge an extra $120 for some flights from Los Angeles to Honolulu, calling this a “fuel surcharge”.  In addition, on some Continental Airline flights you will be charged for checking your bags, and there isn’t a free one first, just a $50 charge per bag.  For more information we recommend checking prices on several travel websites before making a purchase.  This way you can be sure your found one of the cheapest Honolulu flights.

There are many fantastic places to visit on your vacations in Spain. It is an absolute enormous country whose diversity is as huge as some of its mountains. The culture is different in the north as tapas are in the south.  There is such a pleasant feeling for me every time I step off the plate in Alicante, or Madrid, or Barcelona.

I always go on walking holidays in Spain. I generally walk everywhere that I go, but Spain has such a variety of tastes and smells and sights and sounds that caress your senses with such curious warm hands, that I can’t abide missing out on a single moment by being trapped inside a car or a bus or a train.

From walking through the mountains, to walking along the sandy beaches, strolling through the city streets walking holidays in Spain by the best by far.

photo credit: SimonDoggett

I was traveling with my kids across the country last summer. The great American road trip at its finest. I think we put almost 4,000 miles on the car and we saw some amazing sites. One of the many things that impressed me is that we enjoyed the unexpected stops as much or maybe even more than the destination sites that put us on the road trip to begin with. A simple stop at a road side park with a picnic lunch and 20 minutes of playing ball was as much fun as seeing Mount Rushmore for example. We even played fun games in the car like “In the duffel bag” which is an adaptation of the old memory game about what you find in grandmother’s chest. As much fun as the trip was, I am not sure we will be doing another road trip this summer.

photo credit: vemiya

One of my first holidays abroad with my wife was to the Languedoc Roussillon France and by far the most romantic moments were spent in the very pretty town of Collioure. Situated far down in the south of the region, close to the border with Spain, this historic old fishing village really ticks all the boxes. Make sure you plan a visit outside of July and August because during the high season the place becomes a tourist hot spot and it just gets too crowded. May and September would be the best months in my opinion.

The beautiful multi-coloured buildings and winding alleys filled with art galleries and shops are a joy and the fresh seafood served at the many quay side restaurants are to die for. The town has a long and proud history of art. Famous artists from Picasso to Matisse have painted the beautiful scenery here and as you sip a glass of wine at sunset you will know why.

Portugali taitaa olla vähemmän tunnettu matkakohde suomen matkailijoille. Kuitenkin muutamat lomakohteet nousevat heti mieleen, kun niitä ajattelee. Ehkä aina ensimmäisenä ei tule edes ajateltua että Azorit ovat todellakin Portugalin matkakohteena ja sinne matkustetaan vielä suoraan Suomesta. Tänne eksoottiseen ja atlannin puutarhaksi sanottuun paikkaan pääsee suorilla lennoillakin ja matkoja myy ainakin hispania. Taitaa olla tällä hetkellä ainoa matkatoimisto joka muuten edes myy Arozit matkat Suomesta suoraan. Olisi kyllä hyvä jos muutkin ottaisivat tämän kohteen listoillensa, jotta saataisiin vähän vaihtelua ja varsinkin hintojen laskua kilpailun myötä. Ei ole paras mahdollinen tilanne, että ainoastaan yksi tekee matkoja yhteen kohteeseen, koska silloin he voivat määrittää hinnan vähän turhankin vapaasti ilman vaihtoehtoja. No en kuitenkaan usko että kovinkaan kalliita nämä matkat ovat, koska myös lennot ja hotellit voi yleensä varata niin kätevästi netin kautta, jolloin ihmiset kyllä tekisivät itse omat varauksensa, jos hinta olis liikaa Azoreille.

photo credit: thomaswanhoff

I’ve recently noticed a welcome addition to the style and standard of hotels in the Languedoc Roussillon. My experience of staying in hotels until recently was divided into two typical types. Staying in a very grand and formal Chateau or other grand building, where I would feel some what overwhelmed, or staying in some flea pit of a two or three star “Hotel du Commerce”.

Well all that has changed with the arrival of the new modern style business hotels that are springing up. Inexpensive at around 65 to 85 euros per night, but done up to a very high and contemporary standard. Very in vogue decor if you know what I mean. Strictly speaking I doubt very much, in fact I’m almost positive, if this is a trend specific to this region of the South of France. I sure this new way of doing things has been going on for sometime across the globe it’s just that, after all this is the sleepy South of France where things tend to get a bit behind the times.

Vive la difference!

Aina ei tarvitse lähteä koko viikoksi lomamatkalle. Monet kohteet ovat sen verran pieniä tai oma loma ei riitä aina koko viikon lomaksi asti, joten viikonloput ovat hyviä rakoja lähipaikkojen lomailua varten. Kun valitsee nopeat lennot ja etsii kaikki halvat matkat, niin löytää varmasti hyviä matkakohteita joihin voi mennä viikonlopuksi käymään. Jos haluaa kohteesta vähän enemmän irti tai on ensimmäistä kertaa uudessa matkakohteessa, niin myös pidennetty viikonloppu voi olla hyvä vaihtoehto. Tässä ongelmaksi muodostuu vain se että tällöin matkan hinta saattaa nousta korkeammaksi ja yleensäkin viikonloppu lähdöt ovat suosituimpia ja siten kalliimpia. Jos haluaa säästää matkassa, niin voi tehdä juuri päin vastoin ja matkustaa pelkästään arkena lomalle, jolloin lentolippujen hinnat ja hotellit ovat halvempia kuin viikonloppuisin. Yksi hyvä tapa tutustua johonkin tiettyyn matkakohteeseen, on tehdä sinne aina joka vuosi lyhyt viikonloppumatka uuteen hotelliin. Näin näkee paikasta uusia puolia ja samalla oppii paremmin tuntemaan koko matkakohteen eri puolet.

While there are people who would want to spend their vacation lazing around or shopping until they drop or trying culinary treats, there are also people who thirst adventure. Puerto Aventuras Playa Del Carmen resort would be the ideal place for people who want to be closer to nature. It is an ideal destination for birdwatching so guests should be ready with their cameras and their binoculars. They also hold different kinds of ecological tours.

The beautiful beaches can be enjoyed simply by swimming but the crystal clear waters would be perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. Deep-sea fishing is another popular activity in the area. There are also other water sports activities that range from simple boat rides to more exciting ones. Puerto Aventuras is indeed all about living an adventure.