My Travel Blog

While countries like Switzerland and Spain are well known for their architecture, and Venice and Paris draw tourists for their amazing streets and canals, travel experts warn travellers to steer away from underground subways.  Europe is typically a favourite destination for American travellers who go there for the culture and aesthetics of the old architecture but the beauty of this traditional favourite is lost as the subway takes them from the scenic beauty that brought them there to begin with.  Certainly a quick and economical way to get around whilst there, you will benefit from paying a little more to ride public buses.  Luxury travel is not exactly luxury if you are the victim of a crime.

Guidebook author and travel show host Rick Steves recommends trams, buses and ferries as a better way to experience the sounds of Europe and the sights of the cosmopolitan cities. Steves offers the idea of “it’s more about the journey than the destination, so staying above ground is not quicker.”  Unfortunately, tourists riding the trams and buses are prime target for pickpockets, so be aware of your surroundings and you will find the expense is worth the risk. He goes on to recommend the 69 bus route when in Paris and number 100 for Berlin as the best of public transit.

Stag nights are for unmarried males – albeit lively and exciting, they plan to end their bachelor’s life after a final weekend of elated bliss. Things range from wild adventures to bustling, sensuous fun, all mixed and stuffed in a few memorable days. A time of merriment and fun awaits while you pack your bags and arrangements are made for an all-dance-all-singing evening.

Stag nights are an ideal time to celebrate friendship as well as your bachelorhood and so often only include those friends of the future bridegroom who have stood by him and been a part of his best memories. From staid games like poker to risqué activities such as striptease acts, they can run the gamut of fun and pleasure.

Music is an integral part of the enjoyment whatever the form it takes and varies from spiced up rock (classic rockers are already married – well, almost all of them) to salsa with TT (techno and trance) numbers in between taking on yer nerves. The right music coupled with high spirits can literally steer the party to the zeniths of intense and exciting fun. It forms the essence of the last night of hedonistic freedom, defined by various activities; the mayhem and the magic of a few splendid ideas that are otherwise not tolerated too well in the society.

Unless it’s brave and bold, a stag night is not the breathless party it’s supposed to be. To the imaginative and fun-loving though, there are several exciting options including racy games – think gears and the racing-quads and the ultimate action and navigating thrills. Water, mud, land and dirt give the rider enough high; the rest is left for the laughter, the booze, the dog racing, trigger pulling (on set targets) and partying at the hot spots, to accomplish. Stags’ nights, after all, have always been noted for vibrant and sizzling parties.

For party ideas on designing stag nights to set things buzzing once more, the most rocking nightclubs provide great ideas. That is, if you are planning it in the basement. With a little effort, the cold hole can be turned into an all-night, vibrant night den. It’s fine so long as it’s limited to intoxication and indoor activities; for unusual and different stuff, there are the flashy bus-parties and lap and pole-dancing clubs. Have some personal fun on the run as well when you are in one of these.

A self catering holiday lets you select the exact accommodation that you want based on whether you want lots of rooms, lots of open area, are looking for luxury, or are only looking for a low price.

In a self catering holiday, you mostly need to provide for your on meals.  This means you can eat what you want and when you want.  You do not have to be bound by meal times. Since you will provide your own meals, you can choose the foods that you want and also what your budget allows.  And if you don’t feel like cooking, you can always eat at a restaurant of our choice.

Most accommodation that is available for self catering holidays provides many more equipment and facilities than most hotels provide. These facilities will mostly include a fully equipped and fully functional kitchen with a refrigerator and a sink.  The rooms in most self catering holiday accommodations are much larger than hotel rooms and there is non of that lack of freedom that one can feel in a hotel.  Self catering holiday accommodations also provide a home-like atmosphere which is usually missing form a hotel room.

No wonder, with their unlimited flexibility, freedom, and convenience, self catering holidays have gained favored with families and budget holiday makers.

If you have a family, one of the best times that you can have is to go for family holidays. Given these times, going for family holidays assumes special significance as we are in the midst of a worldwide recession. There are so many people who are working so hard and yet the economic uncertainty does not seem to let up or vanish. This is forcing people to take up multiple jobs and really slog no end as people struggle to make ends meet and keep body and soul together. It is quite natural that all the stress and the negativity is getting to people and leading to a lot of unwarranted health problems and situations.

Going for family holidays is just what the doctor ordered for you are your loved ones. There is really no use in earning lots of money unless you can go away for family holidays to recharge yourself and come back rejuvenated. There have been instances galore of people suffering from hypertension and heart disease due to all the pressures of modern living. Family vacations help you loosen up, let your hair down and also have a gala time to forget your worries and cares that can slip in so quietly and wreck havoc on life.

If you are planning to visit Hollywood in the near future then it is advisable to plan an itinerary before you leave. There is so many things to see and do that without forward planning you are bound to miss some of the action.

Hollywood itself is world famous for being the centre of stage and screen, you cannot move in Hollywood without being reminded of this fact.

The Chinese Theatre is one of the most visited attractions in all of Hollywood. The walkway outside the theatre is famous for its footprints of movie stars. The theatre itself is famous for showing more film premiers than any other theatre in the world.

The Hollywood walk of fame is also well worth a visit. Here you can find a star that represents each of the many famous actors and singers that are tied to Tinseltown. You can see stars that represent famous people such as Cher, Clint Eastwood and Humphrey Bogart.

In more modern times, Hollywood is famed as being the place that American Idol contestants progress through to when they enter the next round.

If you visit the Hollywood Entertainment Museum you will be able to see memorabilia from films. You can stand on the deck of the Starship Enterprise or sit on one of the barstools from the comedy show ‘Cheers’.

Hollywood is well worth a visit, you may even bump into a real life star.

From vacation to family gathering to business, there are dozens of reasons why a person will go travelling every once in a while. It is not just a necessity, it is innate with most people. There is a need or even a passion burning in most people that push them to travel for some reason. If you are planning to go away on a trip, it doesn’t matter where, there are things that you should do in order to avoid any uncomfortable delays and hassles along the way.

Planning ahead of the trip is the most crucial part in trying to prevent any hassle while you are going to your destination. As they say, prevention is always better than the cure so be sure to take extra time and effort in the preplanning stages of your trip. You should always make a list of the things that you want and need to bring and pack them carefully in your bags with all the documents you may need during the trip such as passport, ticket and fare money easily accessible from your bag or hand carry. A day before your trip, it would also be advisable to confirm all bookings and reservations.

When packing your bags, be sure to pack some snacks if ever you find yourself in a situation without any food. Extra napkins, glasses, aspirin and other medication that you may need would also be very useful in case they may be needed. More importantly, remember to have fun because travelling is all about having a good time.

Simply put, travelling is going from point A to point B. Sounds very simple enough, but the fact of the matter is, a lot of things can go wrong even before you get to the destination such as delays, inconveniences and not being able to reach the destination at all. These things can happen if you are not careful when you travel. To avoid encountering these problems is to prevent them from happening in the first place. This means you would have to prepare yourself for the worst before you step a single foot out of your own home.

If you are going to travel by car, then you should remember to give the vehicle a thorough inspection a few days before your departure. Check the oil gauge, tires, lights, circuits, tools and spare tire and make sure they are all in proper working order so that there’s less chance of breaking down on the road.

If you are going to travel by airplane, you should always remember to put your passport, tickets and other valuable items in your hand carry. Your passport and ticket should be somewhere they will be easily accessible to you so that you can whip it out anytime it is needed. You should also get to the airport at least two hours before the actual flight so that you wouldn’t need to rush yourself once you get to the airport.

Lastly, you should always confirm your bookings and reservations a couple of days before you set out on your trip to insure that it won’t go to waste.

For people who love to travel, a packing crisis is something they are painfully familiar with.  Either they have forgotten something or they packed too much stuff that they get tired of hauling their luggage.  Even a well seasoned jet setter encounters this dilemma more often than you think.  Packing for travel is an art and a science.  It takes time to mater it and there is a formula to avoid any packing mishaps.

1. Pack only what you need.  Many have been used to the practice of putting all items they assume they will need at some point on the trip.  This is a very common packing blunder.  As soon as you start planning your trip, start a list of essential things that you should bring such as toiletries, weather appropriate clothes, etc.  As you finalize your travel plans, also finalize the list of things that you will need in relation to the length of time you will be gone as well as the frequency of need for those particular things.

2. Start packing days before.  This way, if you have forgotten something, you will have time to check and reorganize your luggage.  Same rule applies to those things you do not need.  Avoid cram packing (packing just before your flight) because this will surely cause you to forget things.

3. Less is more.  It is not enough that you packed all the necessary things.  It is also a must that you put as many things in as fewer luggages as you can.  Try to maximize space to minimize weight and bulk.  Think of all the cash you will save from not paying anything extra for your extra luggage.