May, 2009

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Secret vacation spots?

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
tigarlilly1 asked:


Your favorite place and why?

What is a nice place to take the gf to for a secret weekend getaway near NKY? Within 100mi plz?

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009
Ishmael asked:


Looking to do something very entertaining. She enjoys festivals, conventions and the like. Just looking do take her on a secret weekend vacation to celebrate her new job. I wish to stay within 100mi of Northern KY/Cincinnati, OH.

I just got a new job and I have a month vacation I forgot to mention! please help?

Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Zoie asked:


I have been working at Victoria’s Secret for a month now and I planned a month and a half vacation to Brazil three months ago. My trip is from Dec.11 -Jan.18. I have everything booked. How do I tell my manager? Should I say its for school or should I say it is for family? please help!!

Any Tips for Disneyland in California? Secrets or Tips?

Friday, May 22nd, 2009
princess leia asked:


Im going on vacation for the first time ever to CA Disneyland. I am so excited. I’ve beent o WDW in Florida over 5 times and had a absolute blast there. Are there any secrets or tips anyone has to offer me that could enhance my vacation?

Top 35 Free Sites for Europe Travel Tips Everybody Ought to Know About

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Aurora Brown asked:


When planning a trip to Europe, there are a ton of available resources for travelers. With this is mind, it is often time-consuming to wade through all of the websites to find really valuable information.

Here is a list of some of the top travel resources for planning a trip to Europe.

1) Wikitravel

This is one of the best sites for travel available. It is open source, so it is constantly updated; further, it is usually locals or people who have direct, experience with an area who contribute information. Thus you get localized information you might not have gotten elsewhere.

2) World Travel Tips

This is a huge, comprehensive resource for world travel. It includes forums, articles, links, free membership and much more for every continent. Their European section covers every European Country and offer in-depth information about each one.

3) About.com: Europe for Visitors

This is a great site dedicated to travel in Europe from About.com. Geared towards everyone from first time to experienced travelers, it is a goldmine of European travel and planning information.

4) Virtual Tourist

This is a great travel guide. Their motto is ‘real travelers - real info.” This seems consistent with the site, which has everything from transportation reviews to the best travel deal and trip planners. The site also includes forums where you can read about other people’s adventures in Europe.

5) Travel Europe

This is an swicki (cross between a search engine and wikipedia) where community users can add, remove and improve the results. This particular swicki is geared towards travel in Europe and is a great resource fro planning a trip to or in Europe.

6) Visiteurope.com

This is the European travel commission’s guide to Europe and is packed with tons of useful information, articles, advice and much much more.

7) Europe for Visitors

This is a site that offer European news, general advice, specific country advice, hotels, links to city guides, tourist offices and much, much more.

8.) Europecities.com

This is a comprehensive portal site that offers European city reviews and guides to hundreds of European cities and over 40 European countries.

9) Travel Library

Travel Library is an impartial resource for travelers and offers a plethora of resources that offer in-depth travel information, from hotel and hostel ideas to travelogues and most popular locations.

10) Europa: Traveling in Europe

A huge site that offers tools and information for over 30 European Countries. Each country has their own site dedicated to travel resources, information news and more from that country. Categories for visitors include: documents you will need, choosing a time to travel, getting there, staying healthy, money, shopping, communicating, pets, and if things go wrong.

11) Europa: Your Europe

While this site is geared towards European citizens, it still offers tons of great information for visitors outside of Europe. Information categories include: working in Europe, education and study, living in Europe, traveling in Europe, consumer protection, European citizenship and diplomatic protection.

12) European Union Website

This is the official website of the European Union. It offers news, educational resources and tons of links to information about what’s going on in Europe and well as youth travel portals, travel guides, transportation information and much, much more.

13) Yahoo Answers

This is a great place to ask questions and get answers about anything Europe related. You ask the question and get a number of answers, then choose the answer that fits your question best. This site is great because it gives you several points of view to read and learn from and is focused on sharing knowledge.

14) Travels Wise

This site offers tons of information about travel in Europe and countries including Belarus, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the Ukraine.

15) Rick Steves’ Travel Tips

This site is a large portal site that offers tips and advice for exploring Europe safely, effectively and confidently. From packing tips and safety to accommodations and communications, you will find what you’re looking for.

16) Travel Punk

This site offers travel tips and advice targeted at backpackers, budget travelers and tourists. Offers tons of great information as well as travel tools and resources for finding cheap flights and accommodations.

17) TERC Europe Travel Tips

Offers tips on traveling in Europe and categories run the gamut from packing tips and staying healthy and safe to money matters, budget planning, food and accommodations and much more. It is a huge site that is well worth visiting for any Europe travel-related needs.

18) Accessible Journeys

This is an awesome travel site that offers a wealth of information, tips and travel advice about accessibility and traveling in a wheelchair. With information on everything from traveling with your wheelchair or scooter to equipment rentals, handicapped parking permits in Europe and accessible ways to travel, it is a great resource.

19) Europe Travel Tips

A large portal with tons of travel tools, articles and information about travel in 40 European countries, from Austria to the United Kingdom.

20) Independent Traveler

Great site offering lots of travel tips and advice to independent travelers.

21) Travel-and-transport.com

This is a highly useful portal that offers basic and necessary transportation information for Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden. New to the site is a route planner that is especially handy.

22) Travel Notes: Europe

Comprehensive travel notes and advice for traveling throughout Europe. Lots of links, resources and tools for travelers.

23) Open Travel Info

Great travel site with a large amount of travel and Europe related information. The forums and articles are especially useful.

24) Discover Europe

Another excellent portal site that offers a wealth of tools, resources and links for travelers to learn about different European countries and plan their trips effectively and efficiently.

25) World 66: Europe

This is a great wiki site that allows members (free) to change and information. It has a great travel guide, maps, and resources for getting to Europe and getting around it. Members can also post photos and there is a cool photo gallery of different places in Europe. Well worth checking out.

26) Backpacker.net

Geared towards backpackers, this is one of the better sites for information, advice and travel planning for backpackers. Users can submit and read recommendations for hostels, tours, bars, beers and much more.

27) WorldWideBackpackers.com

This site is another excellent resource for backpackers and other travelers. While it is geared towards backpackers, there is a wealth of rich information for all travelers, so you should definitely pay them a visit.

28) Gate 1 Travel

This is a travel site for Central Europe. there is a wealth of information that is super handy; they offer info from climate and clothing advice to packing, required travel documents, travel insurance, transportation, communication and much more.

29) Backpackeurope.com

This is another site that is geared towards backpackers in Europe but is highly useful for all travelers. Has Europe travel tips, advice on packing, hostels and hotels, transportation and links to other travel resources.

30) Gemut.com

This is a great travel site that offers visitors advice on everything from car rental and rail travel to hotel reservations, money matters and much more.

31) Travels With Friends: Travel Tips for Europe

Travel tips and advice from planning your trip to executing it. The site’s creators travel Europe and research sites, accommodations, destinations and much more, so there is great, first-hand information available on all aspects of travel in Europe.

32) Suite 101: Eastern Europe & Russia Travel

Travel, culture and trip planning and advice. This is an excellent resource for finding out more about Eastern Europe and its cultures.

33) Traveler’s Point

Europe advice, tips and travel help for all European countries.

34) Budget Travel Online

Great site offering ideas, how-tos, advice and tips for travelers.

35) Yahoo Travel

Yahoo’s comprehensive travel site offers a wealth of information on all European Countries and many of its countries. Another great resource to check out.



Top 9 Argentina Travel Tips

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Barney Garcia asked:


Argentina is a popular destination, but it’s important to note on any vacation that there can be cultural, geological and meteoroligical differences when travelling abroad that could potentially ruin your entire trip. While in some places the differences can be minor, in others you could deeply offend a person by doing something you thought to be kosher. Don’t let this happen to you, below are what I believe to be the top 7 Argentina travel tips. Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to leave an impression of courtesy and enjoy more hospitality from the locals.

1. The most common form of greeting in Argentina betwen friends is kissing one anothers cheeks, so don’t be caught off guard when someone makes a lunge toward your cheek. And return the favour out of courtesy if they have.

2. Once in Argentina, one of main methods of transportation is underground shuttle, or by bus/trolley bus, or taxi. Their are 5 main public ral lines, labelled A to E and services operate from early mornng to late at night on a fixed-fare basis. Buses are generally very crowded but are often the quickest means from one place to another.

3. Spanish is the offical language of Argentina, while English is widely spoken - don’t rely on everyone to speak English, you should at least get some basic Spanish down before travelling to Argentina.

4. More then 90 per cent of Argentina’s religious faith lies in the Roman Catholic church. Remember this as it does have an effect on what is kosher and what is not.

5. Argentina has 5 major airlines in an effort to make the big country smaller when travelling. Oddly enough, sometimes a flight will be faster and cheaper then say a bus or a taxi, so look into flying as a possible means of transportation for those slightly longer endevours.

6. You can get answers to most of your questions about Argentina tourism from the Argentina Tourist Information Center:

Secretariat of Tourism, Tourist Information Centers: Av. Santa Fe 883, (C1059ABC) Buenos Aires, Tel. 4312-2232 or 0800-555-0016; Ezeiza International Airport and Jorge Newbery Airport; info@turismo.gov.ar.

7. The official currency of Argentina is the peso, ills come in 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos. One pesos equals one hundred cents. 2 pesos are blue, 5 pesos are green, 10 pesos are brown, 20 pesos are red, 50 peseos are grey, and 100 pesos are purple/violet.

8. Tips are somewhat outlawed in Argentina, though people still expect a tip in most situations - if that’s the case 10 percent of the bill as your tip will suffice for the most part.

9. The Argentina time zone is Argentina Standard Time, which is GMT -3 hours, and GMT -4 hours in the summer. So set your watches correctly!

And the best tip of all is to plan ahead, use caution and common sense, and most of all - have fun!



Important Adventure Travel Tips

Monday, May 11th, 2009
Sam Smith asked:


It seems like everyone enjoys a good adventure. However, proper preparation can certainly make the difference between a great trip and a great disaster. Knowing what to expect, what to pack, and covering your basis will make your trip go smoothly and therefore be a lot more enjoyable then being unprepared. Below you will find a collection of some of the most important adventure travel tips from experienced travelers.

Things To Do Before You Go:

It is important to do some research on the country that you will be traveling to. Are there things that you should be aware of before going to the country? For example knowing a little bit about the history, culture and political climate of the country you will be traveling in can not only help you stay safe it can also improve your enjoyment and knowledge of the trip. Also before going you will want to clearly find out what important documents you will need to take to travel. Will you need a passport for example? It can also be a good idea to find out the number and location of your countries consulate or embassy before going. This can again be a good extra safety measure.

Are You Covered?

One of the most important things to research before going on a trip is medical information. You will want to know if your medical insurance will cover you and if so what the procedures are if you are to get ill. Sometimes you will need to contact you medical insurance provider to get clearance before seeking any medical care in a foreign country. Otherwise you might get stuck with the bill yourself. Find out what the procedure for payment with your medical insurance company is and how it works. Do they reimburse you for any medical expense and if so what documentation will you need to get the reimbursement. It is also a good idea to make sure you have fund that are easily accessible in a medical emergency.

When You Go

It is important to get an information update on the current security measures necessary for air travel. These are changing frequently right now and it is therefore very important to check on the internet or with someone who has recently traveled. Don’t have anything on your person or in your carry-on that could be confiscated at the airport. When you are on the plane, pay attention to instructions about filling out the visa forms for the country you are entering. If you do not fill out the document on the plane, you could be charged a fee for completing one when you arrive at the airport. It is also a good idea to have some American one-dollar bills on hand for tiping when you go through the airport.

When you get there: adventure travel tips from veteran travelers urge other tourists to use common sense. Remember, you are in another country. People do many things differently from what you are accustomed to. You have a right as a guest to be treated well, but you also have a responsibility as a guest to behave well. Remember, if you are tempted to buy or use illegal drugs, that the laws in the country you are visiting are not necessarily the same as those of your own country. Foreign jails can be extremely unpleasant, and your family might have to spend a lot of money to get you home.

Just a few more adventure travel tips: stolen passports are worth a lot of money on the black market. Make sure yours is in a safe place when you are not actually carrying it. If the tap water of your host country is not safe to drink, do not use it to make ice-cubes. Freezing does not kill bacteria. Nor should the water be used to rinse lettuce or other vegetables or fruits. In some Third World countries it is best to know whom you are dealing with if you rent a vehicle. Disreputable rental operators have been known to steal rented motorcycles and cars, and then bill the renter for the cost of the vehicle. At night, keep away from dark, unfamiliar places. Being safe means being smart.



Travel Tips

Monday, May 11th, 2009
Ivar Rudi asked:


We all have a very routined life, every day we attend to the same old chores both in office and at home. This kind of rigorous and monotonous life slowly starts to take a toll on our emotional set up. We start getting into fowl and bad temper and even the sweetest of all things, seems to be bitter. This is when the need arises, to take a vacation and plan a lovely and quiet holiday.

Scheduling a trip is a necessity and you cannot just pack your bags and leave. Not that sudden trips are not successful, but a planned trip is always more enjoyable. The cool sea breeze hitting your face or the or the sun rising in between blue mountains, the water fall from a hill, or the cool sand of the deserts, the wildlife of a jungle, no matter which kind of holiday you like, its best to plan for it in advance and here are some travel tips which are handy and will be extremely constructive to you.

· Always pre plan your trip. This can be done keeping in mind your and your families leaves. Planning a trip in advance gives you an opportunity to take the advantage of apex fares and also good accommodations at the best hotels.

· The luggage that you should carry should be minimum. Remember you should always travel light. Carry all the things that are an absolute necessary, but do not carry unnecessary weight. This way you will enjoy more rather than pay attention to your luggage all the time.

· The first thing that you should keep organized is the tickets of your travel and the receipt of the hotel, if you have booked your room in advance.

· Leave your home much before the scheduled time of the departure of your flight, so that you reach before time rather than late or in the nook of time. · It is advisable to carry plastic money, instead of carrying a lot of cash. Plastic money is convenient to use and a lot safer to carry. If you are going abroad, make sure your credit cards are internationally acceptable.

· Carry a guide book of the place that you visit or a map for the directions, in case you lose way especially when you are unaware of the local language.

· You should definitely carry a first aid kit with all the necessary medicines that may be required for common ailments.

· If you have your trip planned through a travel agent or a travel company , do check on all the details such as name of the hotel, number of the flight, whether you have pick and drop facility, the meals , the sightseeing , to avoid any hassles later on. Also specifically check if they have any hidden costs.

· Do not carry any valuables especially expensive jewellary or accessories, chances are that it may get lost or stolen.

These tips will help you to have a safe and enjoyable journey. A vacation, which you will cherish, and remember in all times, during the year. Taking a few precautions is always helpful rather than facing trouble while you travel, after all safety is better than cure.



Airline and Vacation Travel Tips - Ultimate Travel Checklist

Saturday, May 9th, 2009
Terrie Bryan asked:


Do you use a travel checklist? If not, then this scenario probably sounds familiar. You’re halfway to the airport and realize you forgot something you need for your trip. Sometimes it’s nothing important, or just something you can pick up in the airport or hotel gift shop, but sometimes it’s a very important item like your driver’s license or passport. Ugh! Now you have to turn around and go back home to get the needed item. Let’s hope you don’t miss your plane!

Before setting off on your trip, consult this travel checklist complete with airline and vacation travel tips.

Reservations: Confirm your reservations for flight, hotel, and rental car. Most of the time you will not encounter any problems, but on the rare occasion you do, it’s much easier to fix prior to your vacation rather than after you’re already on your way.

Passport: Make sure you have your passport and also check to see that it has not expired. For certain countries your passport must be valid for six months after the date you travel so verify this before you leave. Also make sure you fill in the emergency contact details in your passport.

Airline Tickets or E-Ticket: If you don’t have a physical ticket, confirm your E-ticket with the airline before you leave.

Visa: If required.

Travel Insurance: Consider whether you want to purchase travel insurance and make sure you have these documents.

Driver License: Don’t leave this at home and make sure it is not expired. Be aware of the driving laws where you plan to visit.

Auto Insurance Card: If you are renting a car you will need this.

Copies of Important Documents: Keep copies of important documents in a separate location than the originals.

Local Currency: If you are traveling out of the country, be sure to have some local currency on hand.

Credit Cards: I recommend keeping at least one emergency credit card with you at all times. Call the credit card company if you are going out of the country and let them know.

Adaptor/Plug: If leaving the country, check to see what type of adaptor you may need and take this with you.

Language Phrase Book: If you are headed to another country, bring along a phrase book to help with communication.

Medication: Be sure to pack your medications especially if they are prescription. Keep them in your carry-on for safekeeping.

Glasses or Contact Lenses and Cleaner: Don’t forget these.

Tell a Friend or Relative Where you will Be: Give someone the details of your trip and an idea of where you will be in case of emergency.

Travel Guide: Pick up a good travel guide to wherever you are going.

Vaccinations: Check with your physician to see if you or your kids need any vaccinations if you are traveling abroad.

Cell Phone: Keep a mobile phone with you and make sure you know what you’ll be charged as far as roaming fees. Nothing worse than arriving back home to a huge cell phone bill. If you are traveling internationally, make sure your phone will work. Don’t forget your charger.

Prepaid Phone Card: Good to have just in case.

Contact Numbers to Report Lost Credit Cards or Traveler’s Checks: If you lose your wallet you’ll want to have the phone numbers readily available. Keep the numbers in a separate place.

Guide Maps: If you are going somewhere unfamiliar, get an up-to-date map to take along.

Reading Material or Audio Books: Bring along a book or magazine for the plane trip. Or if you have a music player, try an audio book.

Journal: A journal or notebook for your trip is fun, and is a great way to remember the details.

Addresses of Friends and Relatives: You might want to send a postcard.

Camera: Don’t forget your cameras and take along your manual too. Also of course batteries, film, memory cards, chargers, etc.

Binoculars: Depending on where you are going, you might find these useful.

Travel Alarm Clock: Most hotels these days provide an alarm clock but it’s good to take a small one along with you just in case.

Plastic Bags for Dirty Laundry: Keep your dirty clothes separate, just stuff them into a plastic bag. You’ll find they take up less space in your suitcase this way too.

Travel Pillow: These are great for the plane. Buy them beforehand or you will pay extra at the airport.

Extra Suitcase: For carrying home all of your souvenirs.



Five Travel Tips for Florence

Saturday, May 9th, 2009
Stewart Palmer asked:


1 The Uffizi Gallery Tip

The Uffizi Gallery contains some of the most important and greatest art collections in the world. It is also the world’s oldest museum. Most tour guide books and online travel sites will urge you to ensure that a visit to the Uffiizi is included as part of any Florence vacation, no matter how short. What most of them fail to tell you, or at least stress with sufficient emphasis, is that without a pre-booked ticket, you may not be able to visit the Uffizi at all!

My wife and I had a three day holiday in Florence at the beginning of April 2005. We had planned on visiting the Uffizi Gallery and as soon as we checked in at our hotel we telephoned the gallery to purchase tickets. After several attempts without our calls being answered, we asked the hotel reception to do the booking for us. They explained that it was nearly always difficult to get through on the booking line and that our three day stay might not provide sufficient notice to make a booking possible. Despite this, the hotel staff were most happy to keep trying whilst we enjoyed the other wonders of Florence. We decided to check out the situation for ourselves the next day but discovered queues that hardly seemed to move, stretching for an enormous distance around the area of the Uffizi. Queuing all day was certainly not the way we wanted to spend our time in Florence, so we decided to leave things in the capable hands of the reception staff whilst we enjoyed the other attractions that we had come to see. The following evening, we were informed that after many fruitless attempts at getting through on the booking line, success had finally been achieved but only to receive information that all tickets were sold for the following day. We consequently missed out on seeing many of Florence’s greatest art treasures and our top travel tip for anyone visiting Florence on a short stay vacation is to book tickets for the Uffizi Gallery online some time before their holiday.

2 The Inside Tip for the Duomo

Another of the wonders of Florence not to be missed is the Duomo. Actually, it is impossible to miss this magnificent building because it dominates the city and can be seen from virtually everywhere. Savour the views of it whilst enjoying a coffee at one of the cafes in the surrounding piazza. Walk around it, pausing every now and then to appreciate it from every aspect. View it from more distant, elevated, positions around the city. This was once the largest cathedral in the world and even now, nearly six hundred years after it was built, it is the fourth largest. Florence always insisted on everything being the biggest and the best but what really makes the Duomo unique is its dome or “Cupola”. When Fillipo Brunelleschi undertook this masterpiece of renaissance architecture, no one believed that such a dome was possible. The secret had been lost for over a thousand years but Brunelleschi travelled to Rome to unravel it by examining the dome of the ancient Pantheon.

My tip for the Duomo is to ascend this incredible feat of engineering. You can do so by entering a stairway that leads up inside the dome, between its inner and outer shells. When you reach the top, you can step outside onto an external gallery that provides magnificent views of the city and the surrounding Tuscan countryside. This gallery was never finished however, so your views are restricted to northerly and westerly directions.

3 Palazzo Vecchio - David’s Copy Tip

Perhaps the next most famous landmark of Florence is the Palazzo Vecchio. Once again, it is a building worth enjoying from every aspect on the outside before entering to explore its fascinating, art filled, interior.

My tip for the Palazzo Vecchio is to spare a few minutes looking at the pollution-streaked COPY of the world’s most famous statue, realizing that although the original Michelangelo’s David is safely inside the Accademia, the copy is standing just where the original once stood.

4 River Arno Cross Over Tip

This tip is to retreat from the busiest tourist attractions of the city centre and to cross the Arno river via the Ponte Vecchio. The crowds on this wonderful, historic bridge will probably be even more tightly packed than in the central Piazzas you have just left but within a hundred metres of the other side, they will have thinned out and you can explore the delights of the Boboli gardens and the Palazzo Pitti before walking up the meandering paths to the Piazzo Michelangelo which stands on a beautiful hill overlooking Florence and its surrounds.

5 A final Florence travel tip - Avoiding “Stendhal Sydrome”

Florence has so much beauty that every year, there are a few tourists who have to be treated at local hospitals for a condition known as “Stendhal Syndrome”. Symptoms range from feeling faint to complete exhaustion. Stendhal was a French tourist whose nineteenth century tour of Florence overloaded his senses so much that he collapsed with these symptoms.

My final travel tip for a short vacation in Florence is not to try to pack too much in. Even if Florence’s wealth of art treasures, beauty, and architectural achievements don’t actually send you running for medical help, they can easily overwhelm a tourist who fails to heed this advice.