Whilst most trips abroad pass without any problems when a problem arises and you are in a foreign country it can be very stressful and quite frightening. There are a few things that you can do to minimise the odds of finding yourself in such a predicament though – and here are a few of them. Try not to stand out Tourists are often considered easy pickings by crooks, pickpockets and fraudsters. Their lack of local knowledge, customs, money … [Read more...]
Internet Access in Hotels
When I first came to Europe - Internet cafe's were plentiful - seemingly several per block in the more touristy cities. Over the past 6-8 years I've been to Europe many times and have seen the Internet cafe's disappear. Even this afternoon while traveling through the Cote d'Azur in southern France I saw several old Internet cafe's with the name of the business fading above the currently empty location. Friends who don't travel are often … [Read more...]
Top activities for a fantastic family Summer
Butlins, a historic camp in Skegness England first opened in 1936. Famous for their red coats and appealing to families they continue to attract people for family vacations. They have grown since that first camp, most recently opening up a ocean hotel and spa which oddly enough features a snow cave! Not long ago they reached out asking for me to come up with some of my favorite family activities. For short trips including spending weekend … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Reducing the Stress of Family Life
Thanks to our contributor Ragil for this piece - less stress on the home front hopefully equates to less stress on vacations! The stress of day to day family life is enough to get any of us wound up from time to time. Sticking to timetables, cleaning up the place and dealing with the inevitable family disputes can make even the most laid back of us feel a bit stressed out now and again. Sometimes all you need to do is something simple to … [Read more...]
Defining the Perfect Holiday
I was recently asked to write about my perfect holiday by the folks at Happiness Included. Their parent company focuses on a variety of International trips but Happiness Included is focusing on trips to Spain and Thailand. They are currently giving away a tree trip to Thailand - you can enter via their website; also check out some of their screen shots below. I have taken many trips over the years - some almost perfect, many not - but nearly … [Read more...]
Five of the best affordable spa breaks, Guest Post
At the start of a New Year, kick-start your resolutions and boost your self-confidence with a relaxing spa break. After the stress of Christmas, the deluge of winter illnesses and with the imminent arrival of spring and summer, January is prime-time for some well-deserved pampering. With literally hundreds of spa breaks to choose from, we’ve done the leg work for you and picked five of the best. Booking cheap holidays today is a good way to be … [Read more...]
Planning a travel abroad – Guest Post
Planning a travel abroad. Got bit by the travel bug again? Feeling a sudden craving to embark on a plane and set off for some wonderland far far away? Tired of your busy work routine and want to get away? Well, travel is the answer. No better stress-buster than meeting new people, exploring new worlds and letting oneself free! Be it alone or with family, backing those bags and landing in a totally different place is an adventure in itself. The … [Read more...]
Interesting & Unique Hotels
Some weeks we wade through hundreds of links to add to our always growing travel links directory (over 20,000 now!) - occasionally we update several thousand in a week. Every once in a while we come across some interesting sites for whatever reason - while adding additional hotels to our directory - here are a few interesting ones we came across: Boutique hotel based in Paris: Hotel Costes - this one takes the cake for creative video … [Read more...]
The Dave and Jim Show
Jim lives in London - Dave is regularly in the UK visiting friends and sightseeing. Jim has a popular International talk show where prominent and celebrated guests often make appearances. World traveler Dave has been his most common guest so we went ahead and just changed the name of the show to: "The Dave and Jim Show". We present the show to you in short webisodes. Enjoy! Essentially Dave goes on Jim's wildly popular International travel … [Read more...]
Pre-Christmas Break Vs. Post-Christmas Break: Which One Is Right For You? Guest Post
Christmas is a magical time of year. Family, friends, neighbours and strangers all gather together to share wonderful memories, delicious food and exchange thoughtful gifts. The kindness and generosity that is generated in people at this time of year is admirable. However, with our generosity towards others and our selfless giving, we often forget to make time for ourselves and treat ourselves to something special. We think there is no better … [Read more...]