My Road Less Traveled By

As a user of Twitter, I often see people reaching out and asking one another who they should use for cheap flights, cars, airfare, etc.  I know I am always looking for the best deal out there for my family.  With four of us, it can get quite pricey.  I recently came across a cheap discount holidays site that if you are looking for vacation in the UK and want to save a few bucks, you should check out.  They have several links to sites that will give you quotes on everything you will need for the perfect vacation.  They have some links for places here in the United States like Las Vegas and Orlando too.  I think I even saw a link for Mexican vacations (we almost went to Mexico instead of Arizona this last Feb. but Arizona was cheaper).  They make it super easy for you to compare and for you to get the best deal since you are cutting out the middleman.  The site is super easy navigate and find what you are looking for so check it when researching your next vacation.

As a user of Twitter, I often see people reaching out and asking one another who they should use for cheap flights, cars, airfare, etc.  I know I am always looking for the best deal out there for my family.  With four of us, it can get quite pricey.  I recently came across a cheap discount holidays site that if you are looking for vacation in the UK and want to save a few bucks, you should check out.  They have several links to sites that will give you quotes on everything you will need for the perfect vacation.  They have some links for places here in the United States like Las Vegas and Orlando too.  I think I even saw a link for Mexican vacations (we almost went to Mexico instead of Arizona this last Feb. but Arizona was cheaper).  They make it super easy for you to compare and for you to get the best deal since you are cutting out the middleman.  The site is super easy navigate and find what you are looking for so check it when researching your next vacation.

Well, first of all you will want a great view of the ocean (or sea - depending on what country you are visiting). A great view will help you feel relaxed and happy when you’re having your morning coffee - feeling the ocean breeze and seeing the beautiful waves in the distance. If you decide to order room service instead of going to a restaurant for dinner, you can enjoy a glass of wine and the beautiful view as well.

Other things you can expect from a premium vacation resort are a fitness and a SPA center. You don’t have to work out if you don’t want to - you can play tennis or golf instead, but it is good to have a fitness that you can visit if for some reason you feel up to it. The SPA center is an absolute must. There is nothing that says “I’m on vacation!” better than a nice and relaxing SPA procedure.

Staying at a luxury resort can be very expensive and most people prefer to book budget hotels for their vacation. This is why so many people join special travel clubs that help them get great discount to thousands of destination and top vacation resorts.

A good travel club is the Global Resorts Network. You can get great discounts and spend a week at some of the top resorts for as low as $298. With these travel clubs you can also bring guests, which means that your friends can spend a week at the luxury resort with you for $298 as well. This is a great way to get premium vacations at wholesale prices.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cathy_Cottrell

Source: travel clubs

Well, first of all you will want a great view of the ocean (or sea - depending on what country you are visiting). A great view will help you feel relaxed and happy when you’re having your morning coffee - feeling the ocean breeze and seeing the beautiful waves in the distance. If you decide to order room service instead of going to a restaurant for dinner, you can enjoy a glass of wine and the beautiful view as well.

Other things you can expect from a premium vacation resort are a fitness and a SPA center. You don’t have to work out if you don’t want to - you can play tennis or golf instead, but it is good to have a fitness that you can visit if for some reason you feel up to it. The SPA center is an absolute must. There is nothing that says “I’m on vacation!” better than a nice and relaxing SPA procedure.

Staying at a luxury resort can be very expensive and most people prefer to book budget hotels for their vacation. This is why so many people join special travel clubs that help them get great discount to thousands of destination and top vacation resorts.

A good travel club is the Global Resorts Network. You can get great discounts and spend a week at some of the top resorts for as low as $298. With these travel clubs you can also bring guests, which means that your friends can spend a week at the luxury resort with you for $298 as well. This is a great way to get premium vacations at wholesale prices.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cathy_Cottrell

Source: travel clubs

Even though its still summer here in Chicago, I like to think about how I would love to spend our winter vacation. While its below zero here, I would love to go to a place like the French Polynesian islands. Tahiti sounds absolutely wonderful. Did you know that there are 2 volcanoes there (which I would love to go see) and that by car it takes about 6 hours to go from one end of the island to the other (and this is without stopping)?  You could easily spread out traveling the island over a week or more. There are several places to stop like their colorful market, art and history museums, botanical and flower gardens, animated nightlife, and cultural exhibitions. The picture to the left is one of the three waterfalls that can be found here too.  The resorts are spectacular.  I was not sure what I was expecting when I was checking out some of the amenities, but a lot of their resorts have high speed internet, babysitting, currency exchange, etc.  Pretty much, they have every kind of hotel that will fit your needs.  If you want fancy, they have it.  If you want one that just has a bed for you to sleep in at night, they have that too.  I can definitely see my family and me spending a few Tahiti Holidays here.  How about you?

Even though its still summer here in Chicago, I like to think about how I would love to spend our winter vacation. While its below zero here, I would love to go to a place like the French Polynesian islands. Tahiti sounds absolutely wonderful. Did you know that there are 2 volcanoes there (which I would love to go see) and that by car it takes about 6 hours to go from one end of the island to the other (and this is without stopping)?  You could easily spread out traveling the island over a week or more. There are several places to stop like their colorful market, art and history museums, botanical and flower gardens, animated nightlife, and cultural exhibitions. The picture to the left is one of the three waterfalls that can be found here too.  The resorts are spectacular.  I was not sure what I was expecting when I was checking out some of the amenities, but a lot of their resorts have high speed internet, babysitting, currency exchange, etc.  Pretty much, they have every kind of hotel that will fit your needs.  If you want fancy, they have it.  If you want one that just has a bed for you to sleep in at night, they have that too.  I can definitely see my family and me spending a few Tahiti Holidays here.  How about you?

Did you know that if you are traveling abroad, Visa and MasterCard charge issuing banks a standard fee of 1% percent of the total price for items purchased outside the country. This “currency conversion charge” is then passed onto you the customers.  For ATM cards, there is the same currency conversion fee.  However, they also charge you a transaction fee of up to $5 per withdrawal.  Some countries have have low withdrawal limits, so you will be having that charge on multiple transactions to get the amount of money out that you want.  There are ways to minimize foreign transaction fees or eliminate them altogether. It all depends on where you bank, which ATM you use, and where you are when you use it.

Citibank customers traveling in 46 countries can use Citibank ATMs and pay a 2% conversion charge but no transaction fee.  At other places in the world, customers still pay the 2% conversion charge, but the transaction free is $1.50.

Bank of America belongs to the Global ATM Alliance. Their customers can withdraw local currency from ATMs in eight foreign countries and pay absolutely no transaction fees. The alliance includes Barclays Bank (United Kingdom), BNP Paribas (France), China Construction Bank (China), Deutsche Bank (Germany), Santander Serfin (Mexico), Scotiabank (Canada) and Westpac (Australia and New Zealand).  At banks not listed, their customers pay a $5 ATM withdrawal fee and 1% currency conversion charge.

Now, if you have a Capital One card, you are in luck.  They don’t charge you the currency conversion fee.  You still however have to pay $1.50 per transaction fee.

American Express is another alternative. Cardholders can walk into any of 2,200 American Express Travel Services locations worldwide. They can then write a personal check for as much as $1,000 per card. This service is free.

Before you travel abroad, make sure you contact your ATM and credit card company. You don’t want to be surprised on vacation after you have run out of cash.

Did you know that if you are traveling abroad, Visa and MasterCard charge issuing banks a standard fee of 1% percent of the total price for items purchased outside the country. This “currency conversion charge” is then passed onto you the customers.  For ATM cards, there is the same currency conversion fee.  However, they also charge you a transaction fee of up to $5 per withdrawal.  Some countries have have low withdrawal limits, so you will be having that charge on multiple transactions to get the amount of money out that you want.  There are ways to minimize foreign transaction fees or eliminate them altogether. It all depends on where you bank, which ATM you use, and where you are when you use it.

Citibank customers traveling in 46 countries can use Citibank ATMs and pay a 2% conversion charge but no transaction fee.  At other places in the world, customers still pay the 2% conversion charge, but the transaction free is $1.50.

Bank of America belongs to the Global ATM Alliance. Their customers can withdraw local currency from ATMs in eight foreign countries and pay absolutely no transaction fees. The alliance includes Barclays Bank (United Kingdom), BNP Paribas (France), China Construction Bank (China), Deutsche Bank (Germany), Santander Serfin (Mexico), Scotiabank (Canada) and Westpac (Australia and New Zealand).  At banks not listed, their customers pay a $5 ATM withdrawal fee and 1% currency conversion charge.

Now, if you have a Capital One card, you are in luck.  They don’t charge you the currency conversion fee.  You still however have to pay $1.50 per transaction fee.

American Express is another alternative. Cardholders can walk into any of 2,200 American Express Travel Services locations worldwide. They can then write a personal check for as much as $1,000 per card. This service is free.

Before you travel abroad, make sure you contact your ATM and credit card company. You don’t want to be surprised on vacation after you have run out of cash.

How can you travel without luggage?  You really can’t.  Bill and I have starting looking at possibly getting some new luggage since I think we got ours when we got married (which was 7 years ago).  We have taken several trips with it, and it is starting to show its wear and tear now.  One of the suitcases doesn’t even zip up anymore!  With having 4 of us needing suitcases now, we definitely need some that close and look up to the task.

While checking out Luggage Online, it definitely looks like Travelpro Luggage is the way to go. With 851 reviews, they score 4 stars on all the important categories such as durability, design, buy again, overall, etc.  The picture you see to the left here is one of the Travelpro luggage sets that I really like.  at a sale price of $152.96, it is a great deal.  You can get it in black or blue (and honestly, I would go with blue.  Everybody has black luggage, and it makes it incredibly difficult at the airport to figure out which luggage is yours!)  I love all the extra storage pockets.  I like to be organized and this would allow me to do so.  All these suitcases also fit into one another, so they are a spacesaver once you get home.  Besides this cool luggage set, Travelpro does have several other kinds of luggage — from duffle bags to computer briefcases on wheels.  There is a little something for everyone here, so make sure you check out Travelpro Luggage the next time you need luggage.

How can you travel without luggage?  You really can’t.  Bill and I have starting looking at possibly getting some new luggage since I think we got ours when we got married (which was 7 years ago).  We have taken several trips with it, and it is starting to show its wear and tear now.  One of the suitcases doesn’t even zip up anymore!  With having 4 of us needing suitcases now, we definitely need some that close and look up to the task.

While checking out Luggage Online, it definitely looks like Travelpro Luggage is the way to go. With 851 reviews, they score 4 stars on all the important categories such as durability, design, buy again, overall, etc.  The picture you see to the left here is one of the Travelpro luggage sets that I really like.  at a sale price of $152.96, it is a great deal.  You can get it in black or blue (and honestly, I would go with blue.  Everybody has black luggage, and it makes it incredibly difficult at the airport to figure out which luggage is yours!)  I love all the extra storage pockets.  I like to be organized and this would allow me to do so.  All these suitcases also fit into one another, so they are a spacesaver once you get home.  Besides this cool luggage set, Travelpro does have several other kinds of luggage — from duffle bags to computer briefcases on wheels.  There is a little something for everyone here, so make sure you check out Travelpro Luggage the next time you need luggage.

When traveling abroad, make sure you know the customs in the area you are in.  Here are a few tips for you:

• Argentine humor can be insulting.  They poke fun at your appearance, weight, and/or attire.
• Don’t kiss the hand of an Austrian woman unless you are Austrian.
• Don’t make the “OK” sign in Brazil since it is considered a rude gesture.
• Don’t give a Chinese person a clock as gift, because it is viewed as a sinister action.  Clocks are associated with death.
• Don’t be too touchy-feely in Denmark.
• On the other hand, Italians like to hug.
• Don’t use your left hand to eat in Egypt.
• In Ghana, dont blow your nose at the dinner table.
• When in India, make sure you leave a small amount of food on your plate.  If you clean it off, they think you are still hungry.
• However, if you are in Kenya, you do need to finish everything off your plate, because it is polite.
• Don’t talk with your hands or put your hands in your pockets while talking in Thailand.

Happy traveling!

When traveling abroad, make sure you know the customs in the area you are in.  Here are a few tips for you:

• Argentine humor can be insulting.  They poke fun at your appearance, weight, and/or attire.
• Don’t kiss the hand of an Austrian woman unless you are Austrian.
• Don’t make the “OK” sign in Brazil since it is considered a rude gesture.
• Don’t give a Chinese person a clock as gift, because it is viewed as a sinister action.  Clocks are associated with death.
• Don’t be too touchy-feely in Denmark.
• On the other hand, Italians like to hug.
• Don’t use your left hand to eat in Egypt.
• In Ghana, dont blow your nose at the dinner table.
• When in India, make sure you leave a small amount of food on your plate.  If you clean it off, they think you are still hungry.
• However, if you are in Kenya, you do need to finish everything off your plate, because it is polite.
• Don’t talk with your hands or put your hands in your pockets while talking in Thailand.

Happy traveling!

Bill and I are trying to decide where to take the kids this summer for vacation. With money being tight due to our basement remodeling project, it is really hard to decide where to go. We also have the other disadvantage that Will is only going to be one. There is not a lot of things that are going to hold both Madison (who is 4 years old) and his attention. He hates to be in the stroller too. One of the places that we were thinking about taking the kids is Wisconsin Dells. I know, its a tad pricey there. However, I think both kids would enjoy the water parks. Instead of going to all the travel sites like Orbitz or Expedia, I have been using Hotels Combined. They have the largest database available. Nothing is more annoying than having to look at 10 different travel sites just to find the best deal. As a mom with little ones, I don’t have time for that.

There are a couple of different things I am looking for in a hotel room. Now, if it is only Bill and myself, I don’t normally care. However, when the kids are with us, we need a lot more room. They need room to play and walk around. I also really like having wifi. I also do not like having to pay extra for it. I also like not having to look at the fine print of the hotels to make sure they have wifi. I like a site that allows me to search according to my parameters not theirs.

Now, I am checking out hotels that Hotels Combined gave me, and there is a ton of information to comb though. One of the hotels I was actually able to check out and get a way better price is the Great Wolf Lodge. This is one of the hotels we are seriously looking at. I was happily surprised to find out that the prices offered here are way less than go through their site. They list all the different prices that all the travel sites are offering, so you can pick which one you want to use. One you pick which place you want to go through, Hotels Combined directs you to their site so you can book. They definitely make it much easier and less time consuming to book your trip.

Bill and I are trying to decide where to take the kids this summer for vacation. With money being tight due to our basement remodeling project, it is really hard to decide where to go. We also have the other disadvantage that Will is only going to be one. There is not a lot of things that are going to hold both Madison (who is 4 years old) and his attention. He hates to be in the stroller too. One of the places that we were thinking about taking the kids is Wisconsin Dells. I know, its a tad pricey there. However, I think both kids would enjoy the water parks. Instead of going to all the travel sites like Orbitz or Expedia, I have been using Hotels Combined. They have the largest database available. Nothing is more annoying than having to look at 10 different travel sites just to find the best deal. As a mom with little ones, I don’t have time for that.

There are a couple of different things I am looking for in a hotel room. Now, if it is only Bill and myself, I don’t normally care. However, when the kids are with us, we need a lot more room. They need room to play and walk around. I also really like having wifi. I also do not like having to pay extra for it. I also like not having to look at the fine print of the hotels to make sure they have wifi. I like a site that allows me to search according to my parameters not theirs.

Now, I am checking out hotels that Hotels Combined gave me, and there is a ton of information to comb though. One of the hotels I was actually able to check out and get a way better price is the Great Wolf Lodge. This is one of the hotels we are seriously looking at. I was happily surprised to find out that the prices offered here are way less than go through their site. They list all the different prices that all the travel sites are offering, so you can pick which one you want to use. One you pick which place you want to go through, Hotels Combined directs you to their site so you can book. They definitely make it much easier and less time consuming to book your trip.