Friday, September 14, 2007

Get The Best Out Of Your Trip To Los Angeles. Take A Sightseeing Tour Of Hollywood

When you think of America you think of California, when you think of California you think of Los Angeles, when someone says Los Angeles you think of Hollywood. The City Of Angels is also the city of movie stars. So how do you get the best out of your visit to LA. You take a tour of Hollywood of course.

90% of all visitors to LA go on sightseeing tours in Hollywood. Everyone wants to walk to down Hollywood boulevard and bump into a movie star. Or drive up to Beverly Hills to check out the mansions of the rich an famous. How about shopping at the designer stores on Rodeo Drive.

Its a once in a lifetime experience for most of us, but for the rich and famous is just everyday life. The magic of Hollywood is like no other place on earth. Its where dreams come true and hearts are broken. You can go with nothing and leave with the world.

If a sightseeing tour in Hollywood is not on your list of things to do before you die, then it should be. There really is nothing like it.

What Does Stockholm Have To Offer?

Stockholm is built across 14 islands and is often called the Venice of the North. With more foreign visitors than any other city in Scandinavia it is also considered to be the Capital of Scandinavia.

When you visit Stockholm the first thing you notice is how clean it is. The water in Stockholm is so clean that you can drink it. You can even fish for Salmon in the middle of the city. How many cities in the world can you say that about?

How about the food? There are some great restaurants in Stockholm In recent years, Stockholm's restaurant life has blossomed. There are lots of new, fashionable restaurants with enticing menus. The quality of the food can rival any major city like London or Paris.

Its it expensive? Yes it is. There is no hiding the fact that Stockholm is an expensive city, especially for tourists. If you want to try and save a little money, try to get off the beaten track a little, try to find the restaurants where the locals eat. It will be a easier on your pocket.

The public transport is expensive but good. But at least the tickets are transferable between the bus and subway systems for one hour from the time of purchase, so that's good.

All in all I would say that Stockholm is a beautiful clean city and well worth a visit.

All Inclusive Holidays In Las Vegas

It is no secret that more travelers are opting for all inclusive holidays. Falling into this category of holidays are cruises, and resorts in the Caribbean such as Sandals, where everything is included. Las Vegas hotels are now falling into this new category of all inclusive holidays.

In the “gambling capital of the world,” there are many establishments that have always featured accommodations and casino entertainment under one roof. Frequently, the casino occupies the ground floor of the building and the upper stories are reserved for guest rooms. This format has been around for a while, but it recently has become more and more desirable for tourists.

A lot of tourists are looking for the total price for their holiday. Everyone knows that all the daily expenses while on holiday, almost always end up adding up to more than you had initially calculated. Las Vegas hotels are not the cheapest in the U.S., and if you add the amount of money you spend on gambling while there, and the cost of food each day, you have already got yourself quite a pricey holiday.

The benefit of the all-inclusive holiday is that you know exactly what the total cost will be before beginning the actual holiday. The total price of an all-inclusive holiday may seem expensive at first. But when you add up all the costs of a traditional type holiday, then you quite often end up spending more.

The allure of the all inclusive holiday has not escaped the best Las Vegas hotels, and a lot of casino resorts are now offering packages that include lodging costs, the costs of meals that are eaten within the resort complex, and, in some cases, gambling activities.

For travelers traveling with their spouses or with their families, the all-inclusive holiday is a great way to make sure that all the costs are covered, and, perhaps even more important, a great way to avoid fighting over money during your holiday. So in future when you visit Las Vegas all as you need to worry about is how much you are going to win on the tables.

City Vacations Are More Affordable These Days

How many holidays do you take per year? Most people only take one main holiday and then maybe a weekend break somewhere. The main holiday is usually a package deal taken in June July or August and quite often its to a beach resort, maybe in Spain, Portugal, Greek Islands, Florida, or the Caribbean.

Have you ever considered the possibility that you could take as many as six holidays per year? This is easily possible by taking city breaks as apposed to package holidays. For example, you could visit Barcelona in Spain for a few days. Great architecture great food, nice people. With the budget airlines doing some really great deals, visiting Barcelona for a city break, would not cost you much more than a good meal in a top restaurant.

If you don't fancy Spain how about France? Hotels in Paris are much more affordable these days, with the larger chains competing for your business, you can pick up some real bargains at some of the best hotels in France.

So forget about taking just one holiday per year and take six instead. City Vacations are the way to go.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

5 Tips To Get The Best Deal On Car Hire Rates

Contrary to popular belief, car rental rates are not set in stone. Discounts can be found by doing your research, or simply by asking for them. Car Rental companies are more than happy to rent out cars they are not using. Vehicles that are just sitting around are not making any money.

I have used the following tips to get good rates for Car Hire UK.

1. Do some research. Researching car hire prices can be done online, on the phone, or by reading newspapers or magazines. It is important to compare the rates from various car-hire companies. Most companies web sites will show you their rates for various locations. Also check the travel comparison web sites to compare companies against each other.

2. Book early. If you are planning your trip several months in advance, check car-rental prices available at that time. If you find what you consider fair, go ahead and reserve it. You can change it later, if you find a better rate. Many times, car-hire companies give big discounts to early renters.

3. Book late. As the time for your trip approaches, car rental discounts may be found as car-rental companies try to unload their excess inventory. Like I said, cars that are just sitting around aren't doing anyone any good.

4. This is a good tip. Get the smallest car available. Determine the number of passengers traveling with you, and the amount of their luggage, then get the smallest car that you will all comfortably fit in. Ideally, the car-rental company will be out of this car, and will upgrade you for free to the next higher class. You can also ask about complementary upgrades.

5. Fill the car with fuel before returning it. Car Hire companies always charge you way more than it would cost you to replace the fuel you have used. This will not work in some European countries though, as you run empty to empty. I remember this from using Car Hire France.

By following these tips, you can get a better rate on car hire just about anywhere in the world. Have a great trip!

10 Easy Ways to Travel Light

Most people pack far too much when they travel and are the first to admit it, as they struggle through airports or on multiple city tours. Each vacation they vow never to do it again, yet somehow the urge to throw in just a few extra things takes a hold and they find themselves over packing again and again. Want to find out how to pack light and still have plenty to wear? Below are some common sense tips on what to include, what to leave out, and how to manage the urge to throw in those extra things you never use anyway.

1. Think “Outside the Bag” Strategize your wardrobe on the bed at home before you put things in the suitcase. It will help you to visually pick things that mix and match, pare down anything you really can live without, and itemize what goes into the suitcase to make sure you’ve remembered everything.

2. Carry On is King…If it is a short trip or a trip to a warm climate it is very likely you can fit everything you need in one carry on bag (this is one time you want to go with the largest allowable size bag). You can enjoy a later check-in at the airport and get to you vacation destination sooner by bypassing the long wait at the luggage carrousel. More reasons travel with only a carry on bag? More reasons to travel with just one bag are security, economy and mobility.

3. Leave Room for Gifts and Souvenirs. If you pack your suitcase to the brim you will not have room for the coveted things you want to treat yourself to. That is motivation to leave those “just in case” items at home.

4. Two Pairs of Shoes Will Do! Wear the heaviest pair on the plane and pack the other pair.

5. Eliminate Things that are Provided at your Destination. Call ahead to verify what is provided in your vacation rental. In most cases, bath and beach towels, hair dryers, irons, laundry facilities and sand toys are all provided.

6. Pack Colors that Mix and Match. Black, beige, brown and white are great. And you can take fewer accessories too, because everything is conveniently interchangeable.

7. Place Items in Plastic Baggies. Zip cloths into plastic bags, making sure to remove excess air to vacuum seal them shut. The two-gallon size works wonderfully. This is great for overseas travel because it keeps clean and dirty cloths separate, and the vacuum seal makes things lay flatter so you can fit more into the suitcase and still have room to spare.

8. Downsize It. You really don’t need full size toiletries. Yes, travel sizes do cost a bit more, but it is worth it if you have less to tote around. Not sure of what you can sized toiletries you can bring on board. In addition, airport security rules state that travel-sized tubes and liquids must be 3 oz. or less.

9. Do Your homework. Check the Weather Channel to verify temperatures and weather patterns at your destination to avoid bringing the wrong weight of clothing.

10. Plan to wash socks, underwear or drip dry blouses. You’d be surprised at how bulky they are. One great perk of staying in a vacation home is that almost all vacation rentals include laundry facilities. By planning to wash and wear undergarments, you can accommodate a larger wardrobe and never feel inconvenienced.

Best Bet: Pack one pair of pants for every two days of travel, one shirt per day, two evening wear items and pack 50% fewer undergarment items, so you will only have to do laundry once during your trip. Packing light is easy with a packing list.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Book A Holiday To Spain

People these days usually make their flight reservations online, which means it is imperative to have the knowledge of a travel agent in order to obtain the top deals and best prices to Spain, or even the rest of the world. When researching flight reservations or simply looking for information regarding flights to Spain, here are some useful tips to take into consideration.

1. Reserve flights far in advance, or at the last minute.

2. Have an adaptable plan.

3. Be knowledgeable about which airlines are present in the regions pertaining to you.

If you posses any experience in booking a flight, you know that the cheap flights are hard to come by if you search too late, especially for exotic locations and if you don’t expect to find seasonal deals. The key to success here is reserving flights two weeks or more in advance. The reason for this is that airlines set aside only a certain amount of tickets that can be sold for a lower price. You could be next to someone on your flight getting exactly the same treatment, and you might have paid more than $500 less! As we all know, the early bird gets the worm.

On the other hand, if you do decide to wait until the last minute you can also get a good deal. Although some people cannot do this because it is crucial to plain ahead of time, others with flexibility can. For example, if February is fairly open, and you aren’t very particular about where you go, you can browse different sites and destinations to find the best, last minute deals.

Another advantage of not being rigid in plans is that you can travel even cheaper depending on how you travel to your destination. Many online vendors require you to input airport codes for places as far as 100 miles from your actual destination. If you don’t mind the extra travel period, you could save hundreds of dollars. Furthermore, direct flights usually cost more. So if you are willing, making several extra stopovers could reduce your travel costs significantly. The downside is the extra time it takes to travel, but this method will save you a pretty penny, but only if you are willing to be flexible, and forego the non-stop flight.

Changing planes multiple times may cause other problems to arise. Therefore, if you are worried about lost luggage, pack smart. Find out what the baggage requirements are and if you can, pack all your belongings in your carry-on.

Another way to make a dent in your costs is to once again, be flexible in the days you plan to travel. For instance, if you travel mid-week, like Tuesday through Thursday, flights will likely be cheaper. The reason for this is that most business people travel from Monday through Friday, and vacationers use the weekends, so the demand increases greatly. Once again, online services usually require you enter dates in your search within a range of your ideal travel day in order to find better deals.