Friday, July 31, 2009

Travel on a Budget, Visit National Parks

Low on cash this summer? Why not visit your county parks or some of the magnificent National Parks.

Photo by Paul Rezendes

There are national parks in every state of the United States like Maine's Acadia National Park in the Northeast with 40 miles of spectacular coastline.



In the Northwest, get awed by the magnificent beauty of Mount Rainier National Park.


For More information on our National Parks go to the National Park Service web site.

The National Park Service provides information on everything from climate to road conditions, wildlife, camping and much more.


Justin Bailie/Aurora Photos


In the Southeast, visit our nation's oldest city, St. Augustine, FL.

Monday, July 27, 2009

China Vacations: Luxury travel to Beijing and Beyond

China vacations involve more than just travel to Beijing; the country has opened up over the past few years, and many of China's secrets are now open to the west, even those on a Chinese vacation.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Travel Coupons


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A new budget travel search site has launched. The name is TripFit.com and their unique selling proposition is that they feature travel coupons. The coupons are provided through a partnership with CouponCabin.com.

European Travel and World Travel Awards

Who Is On The Roll Of Honor of the World travel Awards?

Nearly 1500 European travel companies, destinations, hotels, resorts, and airlines have been nominated in the prestigious World travel Awards 2009.
This is a great place to get information on these travel related companies who are nominated by the travel industries for providing top service worldtravelawards.com/

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Solar Powered travel Bag



Doing plenty of traveling this summer? Then the Solar Powered travel Bag ought to be under your shopping radar - after all, it comes with a small solar panel which ought to store some much needed juice when you need to recharge your cell phone.


Although you probably won't be able to juice up any device to make a significant impact. This is where the adage "you get what you pay for" comes in, at around $20.00 can only get you so far.


According to the manufacturer, the Solar Powered Travel Bag will be able to juice up the average cellphone within 5 hours, although we think smartphones these days require a much longer time than that .

European Travel on a Budget

When it comes to traveling across Europe, many people assume that such an adventure is beyond their modest means. However, the legions of college students and others on shoestring budgets that descend on Europe every summer undermine this assumption. If these budget travelers can make Europe affordable, there is no reason you cannot get budget travel to Europe as well.


Europe is actually quite a travel bargain in many ways, and if you choose your lodging, meals and transportation carefully a vacation in Europe can actually cost much less than a week in some of the most expensive cities in the United States.


One of the primary considerations of enjoying Europe on a budget is how to get around. When it comes to getting around, there are basically three choices – the bus, the train and air travel. Renting a car is often impractical in Europe, with the different types of roads, different laws and road signs in a myriad of unfamiliar languages.


Europe’s intercity bus lines offer passes, similar to rail passes, that can be purchased for various lengths of time and which provide for unlimited travel during those times. Single city to city bus tickets are often quite reasonable as well.


The main disadvantage of the bus system in Europe is that it is slow compared to rail travel and air travel. In addition, there is limited legroom on most buses, few opportunities to stand up and stretch, and some buses lack on board toilet facilities.


For many people, the extra convenience of the train more than justifies the difference in price, and train passes are still quite affordable for students and others on a budget. In addition to being faster, trains provide such amenities as toilets, and also sleeping quarters on overnight trains. Be aware, however, that there is often an extra charge for sleeping cars and other first class accommodations, even for rail pass holders.


One option that is overlooked by many budget travelers is that of city to city air travel. In Europe, however, air travel is actually quite a cost effective alternative to train and even bus travel. There are a number of excellent low cost air carriers all around Europe, and the fares they charge are often comparable to, and in some cases even lower than, train tickets between the same cities.


No matter how you get around, you will need a clean and safe place to stay once you reach your destination. There are a number of excellent low cost lodging options in Europe, ranging from hostels to hotels to bed and breakfasts. In most cases, hostels will be the least expensive option, but for groups of two, three or more it may be just as cheap, or even cheaper, to rent a small room at a budget hotel instead.


For those who arrive at their destination without reservations, there are hotel booking services available at most major train stations and airports. These booking services can usually find you a place to stay, even if the city is very crowded. For this service, they usually charge a small fee, either a set fee or a percentage of the room charge.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Did You Know the Airlines Have a Penalty Box?

I was reading an article on CNN this morning about how to avoid time delays at the airport. The article talked about early plane arrivals being penalized.

How bizarre. From what I read, if a plane is early 20 minutes or more, the gate it is scheduled to pull up to is not ready. Therefore, the plane must taxi to an area known as the penalty box where it must wait until its scheduled time to unload passengers. Again, I think this is bizarre.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Wall Street Journal Article on Top Travel Deals

The Wall Street Journal has information on some great travel deals you can only get today!

Hurray, Business and Pleasure Travelers check out the article and see if it is something you can take advantage of.

http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/2009/07/14/eye-popping-travel-sales-free-international-tickets-18-rooms-at-a-luxury-hotel/

When you are finished reading the article, check out the deals available in St. Augustine, Florida at the St. Augustine Hostel, Casa Yallaha.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

What to Know Before You Travel

If you want to start your vacation with less hassle and more fun, it is best to educate yourself on what is and is not acceptable before you go to the airport.

The Transportation Security Administration has an informative website to answer all your questions, before you go.
Plus you will find information for people with special needs. Know Before You Go!

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/index.shtm

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Hostels, A New Way to Think of Business Travel


We opened our Hostel in St. Augustine less than a year ago and have been very surprised at some of the people and situations we have encountered.

One such situation occurred last February when we got a call from a business owner who had an office in St. Augustine, run by a local lady, one of his employees. Evidently she was about to go on maternity leave and he was looking for a place to stay Monday through Thursday night for the following eight weeks.

He admitted he never stayed at a hostel before and was curious how the hostel worked. I explained to him, "You have a choice of a private room or a bed in one of the dorms, there is a large guest kitchen, recreation room, big living room, house computer, free Wi-Fi in all rooms, front and back porches, all open for your use." He was hesitant and decided he would stay in the private room for one night to see if this hostel idea was going to suit his needs.

He told me, "Business is down and I need to save on costs as much as possible. I looked at hotels that cater to business travelers and the prices are outrageous. I knew I had to find a better alternative."

After his first night with us, he booked the entire eight weeks in advance. All he had to pay was one nights deposit for each of the eight weeks with the balance for the week due each Monday when he arrived. He stayed in our Clover room which is a private room for one person, cost is just $35 plus tax per night.

"This is a fabulous concept" he told me, "the hostel provides the comforts of home and is so much better than a hotel at a terrific price, more business travelers should look into it."

We couldn't agree more. Take a look at what hostels are all about, you may just decide to change the way you think about business travel. http://www.casayallaha.com/

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Ways to Save When Traveling in Europe

There are lots of deals on flights and hotels in Europe this summer but, if you really want to save money while traveling, consider staying at a hostel.

Several thousand hostels provide beds and rooms throughout Europe — in cities, towns, and the countryside for $20 to $40+ per night.

Hostels come in all shapes and sizes, and some are sightseeing destinations in themselves. There are castles in Bacharach, Germany, moored ships in Stockholm, alpine chalets in Gimmelwald, Switzerland, huge modern buildings in Frankfurt, lakefront villas in Lugano, Italy, former prisons in Ljubljana, Slovenia, medieval manor houses in Wilderhope Manor, England, former choirboys’ dorms in St. Paul’s, London, country estates in Loch Lomond, Scotland, and former royal residences in Holland Park, London, just to name a few.

Hosteling is different from staying in a lonely hotel. It is very much like going to visit and stay with friends. You give up privacy for a chance to meet travelers from all over the world. Some make friends for life, gain travel buddies and love hosteling so much they chose hostels over hotels. If you're not one who enjoys meeting and sharing with others, hosteling may not be for you.

Monday, July 6, 2009

travel



Dave Barry's Blog: URGENT travel ADVISORY
URGENT travel ADVISORY. There has been a devastating wine spill in the duty-free shop at Heathrow airport. We will have more on this story after we finish licking the floor. 07062009033.jpg. Posted by Dave Barry on July 06, ...

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Travel is Going High Tech

All this technology will finally really be worth something as the Airlines and Airports really start to put it to good use.

Travelers are discovering they can save time by using online check-in before arriving at the airport.

Most airlines now allow you to print your own boarding pass, pre-pay for checked bags if required, and bypass the traditional check-in line by dropping any checked bags at a "Web Bag Drop."

In addition, several airports, including New York, Atlanta, Houston, Las Vegas, and Boston, are now testing paperless boarding passes which can be scanned from the screen of your mobile phone or PDA.

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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Should You Take a European Tour?

European Travel is up recently because of all the discounts available, but should you go alone or take a tour?

The fact is escorted tours can save you up to 40% off the price of traveling the same itinerary on your own. That's because tour operators negotiate low group rates on everything from hotels to sightseeing, and pass the savings on.

And that's not all. Escorted tours are worry-free and hassle-free, as all the details are handled for you. It's easy to budget for escorted tours, as tour operators include so much in one price. And escorted tours include the services of a tour director with years of experience to help you discover more sights than you could possibly find on your own.

European travel



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Thursday, July 2, 2009

Is Travel Insurance A Good Idea?

Many health insurance companies have reciprocal agreements with other countries, but usually the policy just covers you in case of an emergency. Of course coverage for emergencies are what most people think is all they need when travelling. Not true.

Travel insurance is not just about medical expenses. Travel insurance can also cover loss of luggage or other personal belongings such as passports and money, repatriation costs and cancelled or delayed flights. Also, damage that you may cause to third parties is also covered in many cases. With all these potential expenses, it's easy to see why a comprehensive travel insurance policy is highly recommended.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Vancouver to Whistler a Fabulous Inexpensive Trip

Reality shows have caught America's and no doubt the world's eye. Seeing people in strange situations is interesting to a lot of us.

I find the Bachelor and Bachelorette shows particularly interesting because they put a group of same sex people in a house all battling to win the affections and grand prize - the one opposite sex person. My love of sociology finds this mix very entertaining.

If you are like me and you watched the Bachelorette this week you saw them take a train ride from Vancouver to Whistler in Canada's Britsh Columbia. The scenery was stunning and it looked like a trip I would love to take.

I saw how the train hugs the oceanfront, winds through mountain canyons and climbs the steep grades of the British Columbia Coast Mountains for an endless array of breathtaking views.

So I did some research and found the trip is relatively inexpensive. For $199 you can take a day trip from Vancouver to Whistler and back. The train leaves Vancouver before 8 am and you are in Whistler before noon. Spend some time in Whistler then back on the train and back to Vancouver, or you can spend more time in Whistler and stay at a hotel for a few days before heading back to Vancouver.

Whistler has a wide variety of summer activities, from a sightseeing gondola ride to a mountaintop restaurant to an alpine hike with 360 degree views; from a bear viewing tour to a glacier walk; from a day in a mountain bike park to an afternoon of mini golf, there is an activity with just the right amount of adventure to suit just about anyone.

This sounds like a great trip. I am not affiliated with any travel agencies, so if you are interested, just google "Vancouver to Whistler" for information and tickets.

If like me you find yourself on the other side of this continent, why not stop in at the St. Augustine Hostel, Casa Yallaha, and enjoy our nations oldest city.