1.) Flexibility 2.) Research 3.) Patience

I know, I know, that is not what you were waiting for, but it is the truth. I am going to break down planning a trip including airfare, hotel accommodations, and attractions in three articles. If one part does not apply to your vacation, you have my permission to skip an article, however, you might want to read them all for future reference, save a copy to your computer’s hard drive, print and laminate a copy, and send a link to all of your friends and family because this information is going to be priceless people!

So let’s get started in this article with airfare. If I have an inkling of where I want to go in my mind (and the list is long my friends, very long) I take the approximate dates and do a little research on airfare first if I am planning to fly. Why you ask? Because my airfare will be a large portion of the expense and will be my determining factor on dates of travel. If you are like me and you have more than one destination in mind for your vacation, research all of them and see which one has better airfare.

There are many times when I’m not picky on where I go, I just want to go! Keep a running list of destinations that interest you so that when vacation planning time rolls around, you can keep your options open! If I’m thinking, this time I want a beach vacation, I may research airfare to Jamaica, Cancun, and the Florida Keys. They are all wonderful destinations and it may be cheaper for me to go to Jamaica in November than to Florida! By being flexible and keeping my options open, I can save enough money to be able to take a second vacation in a few months instead of blowing all of my money on one!

If it all possible, be flexible with your dates of travel! It amazes me how many people tell me they want to go on vacation and give me a specific set of dates that they are unwilling to defer from. I always ask, “Are your dates flexible at all?” and the response 9 times out of 10 is “no, these are the only days we can travel.” I take this as a personal challenge and now I’m on a mission to get them the best deal possible NEAR their “set” dates.

Now when I start researching their airfare I will search 3 days before and after their “set” dates and guess what? SOMETIMES it is cheaper if they leave a day earlier or later and when I say cheaper I mean saving around $500.00 for a family of four! So I call the clients and tell them the rate for their “set” dates and then tell them the savings if they move their dates a little. Funny how saving hundreds of dollars makes people become flexible with their travel dates!

Remember with airfare, rates fluctuate weekly, sometimes daily so if you find a great deal, book it! If you wait a week to think about it, the great deal may disappear while you are thinking. If airfare seems to be holding steady, and you are willing to take a gamble, you can play the “cross your fingers and wait” game. This is where you hope the airfare will go down even more than it already has.

Don’t wait too long though because the closer you get to your travel dates, the higher your airfare will be. Never wait until 14 days or less prior to travel or your airfare will skyrocket! In some cases, if you find great airfare and still want to research, you can put a hold on your airfare for 24 hours. If you can, do it. That will lock you in while you move on to your next step, hotel accommodations, which I will cover in my next article. Happy hunting!

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Visitors to Frankfurt am Main, not to be confused with Frankfurt (Oder) a small city in northeastern Germany, will find its location ideal. Situated on both sides of the Main River, this hilly region is totally surrounded by rich forest; settlement in the area goes back to 1st Century Roman times.

Significantly, Charles I held a royal court in Frankfurt in the 800’s. During the Middle Ages, kings of the Holy Roman Empire were elected here, and, later on, emperors were crowned in Frankfurt. In the mid-1800’s, Germany’s new parliament first met here. Consequently, Frankfurt has been at the forefront of German and European change.

Currently, Frankfurt is at the heart of economic growth for the region. The European Central Bank, a number of major German banks, and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange together have made this city a major financial center of the European Union. Many international companies call Frankfurt their home away from home.

Frankfurt has traditionally been known as a marketplace for meeting and exchanging goods. More than fifty trade fairs and exhibitions are still held in Frankfurt yearly. Most notably, the Frankfurt Book Fair in mid-October and the International Automobile Exhibition in September.

Frankfurt offers travelers varying means of transportation in, out of, and around the city. The Autobahn converges at the city. The Frankfurt Airport is considered one of Europe’s busiest. A train station is located at the airport as well, making intercity travel quite convenient. Within the city, public transportation includes buses, above ground trams and the S-Bahn and U-Bahn underground train lines. Additionally, bridges in Frankfurt connect the banks of the Main River. Most notably, the Eiserner Steg (Iron Bridge) has been open to walking traffic since 1869.

One of Frankfurt’s cultural attractions, the Museumsufer (Museum Embankment) contains a varying array of museums, located along the Main, with themes ranging from history, to art and architecture. An end of the summer cultural festival, Museumsuferfest, attracts over three million visitors every year to this area.

Numerous historical attractions entice visitors. The Romerberg area of old downtown was a series of houses that were acquired in the 14th Century from a wealthy merchant. The main house is the site of the city’s first town hall. The area was rebuilt to original specifications after the Second World War.

Saint Bartholomeus’ Cathedral is a gothic structure built during the 14th and 15th Centuries. It’s known as the main church of Frankfurt. In 1867, the cathedral was destroyed by fire, but was subsequently rebuilt.

Saint Paul’s Church was established in 1789. Germany’s first parliament met here in 1848. The interior of the church was partially destroyed during the war, but was built up again with modern fixtures.

Visitors can also experience the Frankfurt Opera, site-see at the Saalburg, an old Roman fort, and become enlightened by activity at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. Named after the celebrated writer and poet born in Frankfurt in 1749.

Frankfurt’s extensive history is preserved, but the city has been renewed in order to meet present-day needs. The ancient city’s marketplaces where trade and commerce took place have been updated. Frankfurt now promotes economic stability for the entire region. The city’s many skyscrapers reflect this while postulating the direction of Frankfurt’s further growth.

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Travel Gift Ideas

Whether for work or fun, people that travel a lot are easy to buy for. There are simply a ton of gadgets and travel accessories that can satisfy your need for travel gift ideas.

1. Dreamsacks – Okay, here’s a nasty little secret about traveling. Hotels don’t always wash sheets and definitely don’t wash comforters. Yes, it creeps me out to think about it as well. Dreamsacks are designed to keep the creepy crawly bacteria, funguses and bugs off of you. Dreamsacks are essentially sleeping bags made from sheets, to wit, they are thin. Most even come with a built in pillow because if the sheets are sketchy, one doesn’t really want to even contemplate the pillows. Dreamsacks will set you back between $40 and $60.

2. Relief Bands – Relief bands are the latest, greatest way to stop motion sickness. If you’ve ever flown on Air Turbulence Airlines, you’ll know the immediate benefit of these bands. Worn like a watch, relief bands send a small electronic shock into the bottom of your wrist which counters the nausea impulse to your brain. No, it doesn’t hurt and it is a lot better than getting intimate with those popcorn bags in airline seat backs. Expect to pay between $60 and a couple hundred bucks depending on how fashionable you want to look while bouncing around in your seat. Good for boats and cars as well.

3. Japanese Paper Soap – Perhaps one of the greatest travel accessories ever made. For any traveler, bars of soap are a disaster. They never stay in their cases or wrapping resulting in soap suds and gunk everywhere. Japanese paper soap solves this problem nicely. The paper is, well, paper, but has built in soap. You simply get your hands wet and rub a piece of the paper between them. Instant suds! When done, toss the paper out. Pretty cool, eh? This incredible invention will set you back a whopping $10 for 50 sheets. Heck, I use them at home.

4. Nomad Travel Journals – A little self-promotion here. Nomad Travel Journals are compact writing journals that let travelers keep notes about their trips. Really great for creating a record of who was on the trip, things seen, people met, contact information such as email address, phone numbers and so on. As the years pass, you can read back through your travel journal to relive trips and laugh yourself silly over funny events you might otherwise forget. A tremendous gift for student travelers and backpackers. You can click the link at the bottom of this article to see the travel journals which cost $25 with case.

Shopping for the holidays can be stressful. If you’re buying for a traveler, any of the above gifts will be a hit.

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The modern concept of the timeshare is for companies that offer timeshares in luxury resorts with all of the amenities to make your stay comfortable and relaxing. These types of timeshare are often scattered across the globe or in several different resorts, allowing the owners to choose where they wish to send his portion of the timeshare package that year.

Time share deals are being widely offered by big companies like:
• Marriott,
• Disney,
• Hilton,
• Hyatt,
• Four Seasons
• Starwood.
• Fairfield Resort
• Westgate

In addition there are timeshare exchange programs such as:

1. RCI is a subsidiary of Cedant Corporation which excels in exchange vacations. It is an organization whose concept allows members to discover new vacation spots and enjoy holidaying around the world. The membership of the organization continues to enhance the quality of timeshare vacation ownership. It has more than 3 million members around the world who are given RCI time shares to enjoy dream vacations at 3,700 affiliated timeshare resorts.

2. Interval International is a Quality Timeshare Vacation Exchange Network. It is one of the leading timeshare exchange companies in the world and has over 2,000 timeshare resorts and over 1.5 million member families worldwide.

Benefits of the right time share deal

• If you purchase a time share deal and become an owner, you will be treated like one. Compared to a renter of a resort unit, you can enjoy the privileges of being its owner. Condominiums, the most common type of unit in timesharing, have bedrooms, appliances like refrigerators, iron, wash and dry, colour TV, kitchens, CD and DVD players, just to name a few of the amenities.

• Time share deals are one-time deals but they can be exchanged or sold to other investors. You can freely choose when you want to sell your time share ownership. Take note that the time share resort does not give any of your money back. That is why, the best option is to exchange or sell it for a new one.

So whether you want to enjoy the warm sands in the sunny beaches of the Caribbean or ski a powder packed slope in the mountains of Switzerland, time share deals bring you the advantages of your dream vacation. Don’t wait any longer. As soon as you choose what and where you want, you can find the perfect time share deal that suits your holiday needs.

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First thing, you need to find out the specialty of the company. Some are good at tailor made safaris, camping, overland, luxury. Lodge safaris or mountaineering. Right-Travel.com is the best in Kenya tour. There are many Tour operators in Kenya specializing in provision of tour services in Kenya. The services range from Tour to flights and hotel booking. Planning for your safari is what you have to do well.
A trip to Kenya is both fascinating and thrilling, created by the fascinating balance between the wildlife, the landscapes, good tour operator and its people.

Although your Kenya safari holiday is sure to be one of the most memorable and satisfying travel experiences you’ll ever enjoy, there are more wonders to behold. A different kind of holiday adventure awaits those of you who decide to extend their stay and visit the mystical, beautiful island of Mombasa, Malindi, Lamu and Zanzibar. We offer different packages at the coast, in luxury hotels, Game Safari tour, Africa tour, family tour, adventure tour.

With a long history of musical and artistic expression, Kenya enjoys a rich tradition of oral and written literature, including many fables that speak to the virtues of determination and perseverance, important and widely shared values, given the country’s experience during the struggle for independence.

You will always discover something different with Right Travel as a long time tour operator in all our tours, safaris, study tour, honey moon holiday, beach holiday, mountain climbing, water rafting and more!

So ask us! We want your trip to Kenya to be the travel memory of a lifetime. Office Hours: Monday – Friday 09:00 AM – 06:00 PM; T: (973) 636-6660; F: (973) 636-6668

More information read: http://www.right-travel.com

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You will find a fantastic selection of stylishly furnished apartments for anything from a weekend away to a longer-term stay. Besides the variety in sizes of apartments available, there is also a great variety in the type of accommodations, from the simple low budget option to an apartment that has all the amenities of a four star hotel. Of course, the more luxurious the apartment, the more expensive it will be. Whether you want luxury at any cost, or you want to keep your vacation expenses low, you can find the right apartment.

Different locations are also available, and you can stay right in the center of town, near all the tourist sites, or by the port where you can enjoy the view, or perhaps you prefer a quiet neighborhood the outskirts of town. If you rented a car, you could choose any one of these kinds of locales to stay in. Renting apartments using the Internet is an easy way to find accommodation in some specified days or months. When you find an apartment you only have to pay via credit card or papal if the website allows it.

A Barcelona rental apartment group offers you a large range of holiday apartments in Barcelona to suit all budgets whether you are looking for a Barcelona vacation rental or an alternative to a luxury hotel in Barcelona. These luxury apartment rentals are located in the heart of Barcelona, often for less than the price of a three star hotel. As an added benefit, you will have the luxury of more space to relax at the end of a day of sightseeing or long business meetings, with more privacy than a typical Barcelona hotel.

Before booking Barcelona rental apartment you must see the various conditions of these apartments. These conditions are:
·

Wheel chair accessible: NO

Rental Payment Method to the contact person: CASH OR CREDIT CARD ON ARRIVAL

Check-in time: FROM 02:30PM

Check-out time: BEFORE 10:30 AM

Left-luggage office: IN BARCELONA OFFICE

Water, gas, electricity: INCLUDED

Smokers: NO

Pets accepted: NO

Age restrictions: NO

Where to pick up the keys: BEFORE 20:00 IN THE OFFICE, AFTER 20:00 IN THE APARTMENT

· Cleaning: ONLY ON DEPARTURE

So, what are you waiting for a Barcelona is waiting for you.

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When it comes to attractions, I start by researching Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitor Bureau’s websites. Just Google the city name and Chamber or CVB and you should be able to find it fairly quickly. If you have time before you leave, request any written information that they can send you. While you are e-mailing or calling them, ask them to tuck in any coupons or brochures they have on hand for the area. They don’t mind doing this if they know you are definitely visiting the area.

Many will plan out your itinerary for you if you ask as well! This is an amazing free service and will save you time trying to map out routes and admission times. They know their city better than anyone should and can offer advice as well. Keep in mind with Chambers of Commerce that they are unlikely to recommend anyone who is NOT a member of their organization.

The way I find the best restaurants in town is to ask the locals. Just because a restaurant is splashed all over every website and piece of literature you come across, does not mean they are the best, it just means they have money to advertise. Anytime you are on the phone with someone local whether it’s the hotel, or an attraction, ask them to recommend a restaurant. They live there! They know where to eat and where to avoid at all costs. Some of the best restaurants I have eaten at have never done any advertising because they DON’T NEED TO. They stay in business by reputation alone.

Keep doing the same with attractions, night clubs, beaches, parks, etc. Ask the locals! If you call to make a dinner reservation, ask the lady on the phone, “by the way, what would you consider the most happening night club in town” and you can bet she will have an opinion. Once you are armed with all of this information, plot it out on your online map, research a little and you will be surprised with all of the information available, typically posted by someone who has been there and loved it!

Search with the name of your attraction or restaurant and then add the word “discount” or “coupon” to your search. This can be a gold mine of discounts that are free for the printing! Go to the websites (if available) and you can find discounts, coupons, freebies, or find out that Thursday is Prime Rib night.

Call the restaurant or attraction directly. Ask them if there are any coupons out there that you should be aware of. Many times amusement parks will issue discount coupons with considerable savings to local fast food chains or grocery stores. They are meant to draw in locals, but hey, if they are out there go and get them!

Save yourself time by making reservations for meals when possible. You can always cancel them later, but why wait in line for 2 hours if they will let you reserve an ocean view table ahead of time! If you are celebrating a special occasion while you are there (birthday, honeymoon, anniversary, retirement, promotion), tell anyone who will listen when you are on the phone. We have received upgrades on our flights and hotels and have received free appetizers and desserts at countless restaurants. Everyone likes to help make somebody feel special or celebrated. Don’t make things up, but I bet if you think really hard you can think of something to celebrate, even if it’s your 5th honeymoon!

By doing a little research from home, you will save money when you arrive! I hope you will all put these practices to use for your next vacation, but if after you finish reading this the idea of booking your own vacation makes you feel exhausted, there is a solution. Call a Travel Agent.

We receive updates, e-mails, videos, booklets, brochures, and faxes every day! All of the steps I just described over these three articles are what you are paying your travel agent to do. We have “preferred suppliers” who we know will take care of our clients every time. We educate ourselves on the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions so that you DON’T HAVE TO! We even do site inspections to make sure they are still holding up to the standards we expect for our clients.

So for those who think the travel industry is all glitz, glamour, and fabulous free vacations, I hope you can now see what all is involved with planning a simple vacation. We definitely work hard for our money but we do it because we know that you can’t put a price on a memorable vacation. Happy travels!

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If the hotel website does not have a better deal, call them and tell them the rate you found online and they will either match the rate, beat the rate, or match and give you an upgrade or special amenities like spa passes, meal vouchers, etc. Start a list of what each property offers, DO NOT BOOK ANYTHING YET! Wait until you have all of your information (research) and then make an informed decision on your home away from home. This is an important decision and should not be made quickly or without doing your research. A good or bad hotel experience can make or break your vacation that you have waited and worked for, believe me!

Another bit of research you can do before booking is to check out review of hotels online and see what people are saying about the property. I am hesitant to give this bit of advice because some of these reviews can be a bit skewed and you must keep this in mind when reading them. My idea of a moderate or superior property may be totally different than someone else’s. If you normally stay at the Lah Tee Dah Hotel and book something where the housekeeping staff does not come in every evening to lay out your slippers and fluff your pillow before bed, you might give a very nice property a bad review because it is not what you expected.

However, if you normally stay at the Roach Motel and stayed at this very same property, you would think it was the nicest, most upscale property in the world! I am exaggerating here, but hopefully you understand the point I am making. When you are reading reviews, take them with a grain of salt. If there are 80% good reviews, chances are, this is a decent property. If 20 different people are talking about bed bugs and dirty sheets, keep looking!

Another step I take in my researching process is to input the address of the hotel’s I am looking at into one of the internet map tools. Look to see where exactly you are going to be sleeping. Near the beach and on the beach are two different things. Downtown Seattle is totally different than an airport property in Seattle. Las Vegas downtown, Las Vegas strip and Las Vegas off strip properties are three totally different animals. Make sure you know what you are getting yourself into.

Once you have finished your research and have found a property that you are happy with, book your airfare first (to make sure the deal you found is still available), then book your hotel. Make sure you understand your hotel’s cancellation, check-in, and check-out policies. If you are flying, go ahead and leave a credit card number to guarantee late check-in. You don’t want to have a delayed flight and go to check in to your hotel and find out that you lost your room because you didn’t arrive before 6:00 pm.

If you are not planning to rent a car, find out about hotel shuttle from the airport. I will pay a little extra for a property that offers a shuttle if it saves me $100.00 in cab fare when I arrive and depart. Know how the hotel works their shuttle system. Do you call from a courtesy phone upon arrival or are they waiting outside? Do they want you to take a cab that they will reimburse your for? Once again, do your research!

If you are planning for an early morning flight, ask the hotel if they are able to hold your luggage until check in. You don’t want to have to drag your luggage around for 6 hours while you wait for 3:00 check-in. This is research you do before you ever leave home, not when you arrive. If you leave your luggage with bell staff, remember to tip them $1-$2 per bag. These guys work hard for peanuts most of the time and rely heavily on tips. The peace of mind and convenience it gives you while you are free to explore your destination without luggage in tow is certainly worth the extra cash.

With airfare booked and hotel reserved you are now free to start on researching the “fun stuff” you will do on your vacation, meals and attractions, which I will cover in my next article. Start packing!

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Seeing all the typical New York City sights but by limo adds extra elements to your New York City experience. It adds class, sophistication, and comfort. But what shall you see? Here are just some of the sights you can visit and explore while you get around the city via limousine.

The Empire State Building is the ultimate New York City destination. Once the tallest building in the world, the building’s construction was completed in 1931. The building was the tallest until 1970. This building is 102 stories high and is designed in the style of art deco. Named one of the seven wonders of the modern world by the American Society of Civil Engineers, many of the spaces in the building were originally not rented out. Now, the building is filled to the brim with business offices and has observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors.

When sightseeing in a limo, it is absolutely necessary to see the sights along Broadway Avenue. More commonly known as simply Broadway, the most famous attractions along this route are the Broadway theatres. Some of the world’s best plays and musicals originate in the theatres that reside in this theatre district.

Macy’s Department store, Times Square (named for the New York Times’ former offices that were headquartered there), Greenwich Village, and Central Park can all be found along the path of Broadway, as well.

Central Park, open since 1859, is a beautiful place to explore while visiting in a limo. You can explore the park by either walking some trails or taking a carriage ride, or exploring it in the limo. But just make sure to do this before seven in the evening because automobile traffic is not allowed on the six miles of drives circling the park after that time.

Greenwich Village was once the center of bohemians, artists and their lifestyles. The rent there is now too expensive for the same crowd to currently reside. The Village is now inhabited by many celebrities and many artists that have already been established. A drive through this area will expose you to beautiful old houses, buildings, off-Broadway theatre troupes, many cute designer shops, smaller parks, and a sprinkling of some of the best universities in New York City.

The major intersection in New York City, Times Square, is second only Tokyo for its lighted advertising. Site of the now famous New Year’s Eve ball drop, Times Square is a sight to be seen if only for the visual stimulation it provides.

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