Travel Articles

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 12:34 PM

There are a number of groups of people who need, like the rest of us, to book hotels for their holidays, and yet have conditions or disabilities which can easily be overlooked or ignored, and in some cases, not even be recognized as existing, but which can cause challenges and problems for both the individual and the hotel staff. One of the most common is that of deafness. People who are either partially or entirely deaf don't, of course, usually show any outward sign that this is ob... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 12:33 PM

There are two categories of young people to mention here. The first is those who travel on school trips or college trips either for an extra curricular activity or as part of an educational visit. The second group are those in late teens or early twenties who have left school or college and are simply traveling for their own enjoyment. As far as the first category is concerned, young people or children who are staying in hotels will most usually be using either dormitories or shared rooms... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 12:32 PM

When you book your hotel, what is the main thing that you consider? Initially it is likely to be the general location. Then perhaps you will narrow it down by the major facilities that you require such as a pool, and then by price. Thinking about location is important, but very often people can become a little obsessive about the specific vicinity or proximity to key amenities, and this can have a detrimental effect on the price that they end up paying. It is obvious that a hotel situated... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 12:29 PM

It is easy to assume that hotel cleaners will do more or less the same things one would expect of a cleaner who comes to visit your own home. And yet the reality is that hotel cleaners are guided by strict regulations which actually prevent them from doing some things which could cause inconvenience. For example, cleaners are expected to make your bed. However, if you leave a number of items on your bed, this can prove very difficult, as they are not really supposed to touch or move your own ite... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 12:28 PM

If you have children who are of school age you will almost certainly have experienced the frustration that comes with trying to book a family holiday. You look eagerly through the brochures that the travel agent gave you, and find locations and hotels that seem to offer a good price. You then find out when the school holidays are, and check the prices for those holidays. You then are astonished to discover that these hotels can charge almost double the amount during the school holidays th... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Rita Borges @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 12:26 PM

The Champs Elysees the name refers to the Elysian Fields and it is the most prestigious and broadest avenue in Paris. It runs for 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) through the 8th arrondissement in north-western Paris, from the Place de la Concorde in the east,to the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, location of the Arc de Triomphe. Its full name is "Avenue des Champs Elysees". The Champs Elysees is known in France as La plus belle avenue du monde ("The most beautiful ave... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 12:23 PM

For most travelers, luggage is a necessity which can be both a blessing, and a curse. No matter how hard you might try, there's no getting away from the fact that when we venture outside our homes to explore the wider world, we are forced to carry with us at least the essentials for comfortable living. Unless we are professional jugglers, we are destined to require some form of luggage to cart our wares about with us. But one of the biggest problems with luggage isn't actually a... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 7:55 AM

Whether you are the sort of person who enjoys long and exotic cruises around the world, or perhaps exploring the cultures of far away lands, or maybe just a weekend away in the country, you will share at least one common experience with all other travelers, and that is the problem of luggage. Luggage comes in all sizes and shapes, with materials today which sound more like the types of material used to build spaceships, rather than a case to transport your underwear to a hotel for the wee... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 3:43 AM

No one who has kept even half an eye on the news in the last couple of years could fail to be aware of the increasing need for airports and airlines to be ever more vigilant regarding security. Luggage remains one of the most scrutinized aspects of this security, and information is widely publicised regarding general advice and ways in which the public can help airports to maintain this level of risk reduction. One of the most obvious requirements which people are now aware of are the lim... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 1:51 AM

It used to be the case that the idea of going on a cruise was something that only very rich people would do, and even then, only occasionally as a luxury. Today it is a different story. For some time now it has been the case that cruises are available to the ordinary traveler, and costs have dropped tremendously so that nearly everyone can experience a holiday on the seas, and many people go on cruises as a regular annual holiday. What is it that has enabled this significant drop in price... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 1:49 AM

Very often when people select a hotel for their holiday, the first thing they do is either reach for a brochure with the catchy title on the front including the city name they're looking to stay in, or alternatively carry out an online search which will also invariably include the city name of the destination. The problem with doing this is that these brochures or searches will prioritise the hotels as far as their proximity to the city, or other local attraction such as a beach, is ... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 1:17 AM

Booking a cruise and counting the days down until you depart is a tremendously exciting experience, but there are common, every day issues that still need to be sorted out well in advance of your leaving. So here are a few tips on things to consider before you leave your familiar surroundings. It is always a good idea to start your packing at least a week or two in advance of your departure date. This gives you plenty of time to not only reduce the initial pile of essentials to a more rea... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 1:12 AM

The issue of tipping can cause a lot of problems, usually as a direct result of a lack of understanding or clear communication. This is not helped by the fact that policies and expectations on tipping vary widely depending on which cruise line company you are travelling with and even, in some cases, which ship you are going on. Often it used to be the case that passengers would tip each waiter, waitress or steward a small amount each time they did some kind of service, but then found out ... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 1:10 AM

If you have booked your very first cruise - congratulations! You can look forward to an incredible experience, and one that will be quite unlike anything you have done before. However, it isn't like any other holiday you've had, and for that reason there can be a little anxiety in advance about what you can expect. Here's a quick rundown on what your initial experience is likely to be. First of all, once you arrive at the port, your luggage will be taken from you by a porte... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Victor Epand @ Thursday, 29th May 2008 @ 12:20 AM

These days there certainly does seem to be a bewildering array of cruise ships and cruise destinations that can make selecting one that's right for you a real challenge. For the first time cruiser, how do you know which is the right cruise for you? It's easy to fall into the trap of believing the common assumption, that a Caribbean cruise is the best one for everyone, because in truth it only suits certain types of people. What you need to think about carefully is what sort of h... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Greg Shuey @ Tuesday, 27th May 2008 @ 8:56 AM

Have you ever wanted to visit Holden Beach for your vacation? Believe it or not, most individuals living in the United States have not ever heard or visited Holden Beach. It is one of the prettiest, largest, and most visited beaches in the States. It is a vacation destination that is truly enjoyed by all who visit the area. So what is there to do on vacation at Holden Beach? Located on the coast of North Carolina, there aren't many attractions like in Southern California. You ar... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Greg Shuey @ Tuesday, 27th May 2008 @ 8:52 AM

I have been to Disneyland nearly twenty times over my life. During each trip, I have picked up a few pointers to help make your vacation even more magical. These pointers should be your guide to your next Disneyland vacation. The number one piece of advice that I can give you is to invest in a multi-day park hopper pass. Now that there are two parks on the Disneyland Resort, there is so much more to see and do. I would suggest that you get a 3 day pass at the very minimum. If you are... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Roger Munns @ Tuesday, 27th May 2008 @ 8:37 AM

Research in the ski industry shows a surprise rise in the typical price of a skiing holiday this year. The surprise report shows that the price of a typical ski holiday for the 2008 ski season rose everywhere in both Europe and Noth America - except for Germany and the United States - with Canadian ski holidays rising in price fastest as a direct result of the strong Canadian dollar against the Euro and British sterling. Pushing prices up for the 2008 skiing season were not just hi... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Gaizka Pujana @ Tuesday, 27th May 2008 @ 1:18 AM

Roman history is rich and fascinating. As such, Rome as a city has a plethora of attractions for visitors to see. The grandeur of Rome sets it above many other destinations and tourists to the city will not be disappointed by the shear volume of sights to see and places to experience. There are so many sights to see in Rome that it is difficult to know where to start, however there are a few attractions that should not be missed. The ancient Coliseum is one of those sights. It too... more...

Recreation and Leisure » Travel | By Gaizka Pujana @ Tuesday, 27th May 2008 @ 1:00 AM

Amsterdam has a wealth of culture that has been revealed this year with its 2008 "Amsterdam Hidden Treasures" theme. It has proven itself to be an interesting and entertaining city with its wealth of arts, performance, history and fashion and it is well the most visited city in the Netherlands. Amsterdam will keep any visitor entertained with their dam, semi-circular rings of canals crisscrossed by around 400 bridges and its many churches. These sights are highly worthwhile to spe... more...