RSSApr|14|2011
Use European City Cards to Make Some Huge Savings
Posted by Noemi as Backpacking & Budget, Cities, Destinations, Europe, Features, Tips
Traveling in the summer may not be that appealing to some people. In spite of the excellent weather in many places, there are just too many other tourists who pack their bags and hit the roads at this time. Still, if you do not mind the crowds, then these next couple of months is the perfect time to go visit the continent across the ocean.
Carousing around Europe is part of every traveler’s dream. However, we all know just how heavy on the pockets this could be. One critical weapon in the traveler’s arsenal is the city card. Major European cities offer these cards to visitors and locals alike, in an effort to help them make some savings. Here are some city cards that you should take a look at.
Barcelona Card
If you’re heading …
Mar|31|2011
How To Get Your Way When Traveling
Posted by Noemi as Tips
Don’t you just love it when you get your way? The problem is that it is not always possible to have things go the way you want. This is even truer when you’re traveling. We all want to have free room upgrades. We all want excellent plane seats. The list can go on forever!
If I were to tell you that there are certain things that you can do to get your way, would you be interested? I bet! Well, here are some tips that can help you do just that.
Keep calm.
Believe it or not, staying calm works wonders. Some people think that shouting and screaming does the trick, but believe me, being FIRM but CALM works even better. Try it, but don’t be surprised at how far being nice can get you.
Put yourself in the other …
Mar|24|2011
Traveling Alone
Posted by Noemi as Tips, Trends
I saw a quote the other. These may not be the exact words, but it went: “It’s better to travel alone than to travel with a bad companion.”
Traveling alone is not something that appeals to everyone. This is especially true for couples and people who are attached to their friends and family. Why should they travel alone? But what if you suddenly find yourself with idle time without anyone to spend it with? Should you stay at home and hole yourself up? I think it’s a better idea to make travel plans, even if you have to go at it alone.
Naturally, traveling alone might take a little bit more careful planning. The beauty of it, though, is that you do not have to consult anybody else with regard to what you want to …
Mar|20|2011
Have You Ever Thought Of These Travel Mysteries?
Posted by Noemi as Trivia
Many things occur in life which we take for granted. Unless you actually take the time to think about certain things, you’ll probably never get around to realizing that there is “mysterious” stuff going on. Anyhow, I found myself thinking about some travel “mysteries,” thanks to an article at Bing Travel. Titled “8 Unsolved Travel Mysteries,” it gives you a peek into these things that we might not really think of. Here are some of my favorites.
Are you below 25? Have you tried renting a car? Did you know that you have to be at least 25 years old to rent a car? The article says:
Statistically, young people have a greater propensity to drive recklessly and get into accidents. Several major companies, such as Hertz, don’t want to mess with this limited market.
…
Feb|23|2011
No Danger From Blood Clots During Long Air Travel
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Health, Health & Wellness
I remember all the hullaballoo about deep vein thrombosis, blood clots forming in your legs when you sit still for very long periods of time. Sitting behind a desk every day, sitting at home, etc – all these are “activities” that may leave you prone to blood clots. Air travel, in particular, is one of the main sources of concern. Short flights, of course, do not pose much of a threat, but extended flights just might.
Or at least that’s what we thought. New developments tell us otherwise, though. According to a report published by Reuters, researchers have not found any concrete link between immobility in long flights and the formation of blood clots:
They report in the Annals of Emergency Medicine that 545 patients were diagnosed with venous blood clots within 45 days, and 1394 had at …
Feb|16|2011
Are Budget Hotels Worth It?
Posted by Noemi as Hotels, Travelogger
My husband and I are probably the two most different people in the world. Anything one likes, the other one dislikes. Don’t ask me how we hooked up. Anyway, when it comes to traveling, I tend to look for the budget hotels. Naturally, he prefers the more luxurious ones. It’s a good thing that I always end up planning the whole trip, so I get my way.
This brings to mind a question that I hear a lot: are budget hotels worth it? On the one hand, as the name suggests, you do not have to spend an arm and a leg for your accommodations. More so, you don’t really get to stay in your room during your trip. On the other hand, you might not get the amenities that you want in a …
Feb|09|2011
Melt Your Blues Away In Japanese Gardens
Posted by Noemi as Asia, Getaways
Spring is here and perhaps the winter blues have come and gone for many of you. I do know, however, that there are still a lot of people yearning for a break from the drudgery of their daily lives. Well, if you are one of them and you want to have the ultimate relaxing experience, I have a suggestion for you: go to Japan and visit some of their gardens.
You might think it strange that I just suddenly came up with this idea. Truth be told, a friend of mine has just arrived from a trip to Japan and has been raving about the gardens. Apparently, there are countless gardens all throughout the country, and each one of them is a sight to behold.
Obviously, you might not be able to visit all of these gardens …
Feb|02|2011
Ben Thanh Night Market
Posted by Noemi as Asia, Cities, Destinations, Food and Drink, Shopping, Travelogger
There is something about night markets that attract me – and tons of other tourists, as well. Every time I visit a new city, I make it a point to find out if it has a night market, and I make sure that go there at least once. I don’t know why, but night markets are much more fun than the “day” ones.
In any case, as I was telling you in my previous post, Ben Thanh Market closes in the early evening, but its night market draws more crowds – if that’s at all possible. The night market is composed of stalls set up in the streets flanking the Ben Thanh Market. During the day, these streets serve as, well, streets. The sides are parking areas as well. When the night market opens, they still serve as streets – motorcycles galore – but your …
Dec|31|2010
Top Travel Tricks To Save Money
Posted by Noemi as Air Travel, Tips
It’s that time of the year again – when my friends at work can’t seem to stop browsing the web sites of airlines for promo fares and looking at places they can go to. It got me thinking about my next vacation (surprisingly, I do not have anything planned for August!) and how I can save money and have a great vacation at the same time. Here is the list that I came up with.
Go for alternative lodging
I think that this is the one that I struggle with the most. I love to stay in nice hotels where I get pampered. Of course, I don’t always get the nice hotels and sometimes, even the expensive ones do not provide the level of service that I yearn for. I have learned through experience, however, that alternative lodging …
Dec|27|2010
Find Travel-Friendly Clothes
Posted by Noemi as Tips
Going on a vacation is always an exciting thing. One problem that I do face is packing just the right amount of clothing. More so, I have problems choosing the right kinds of clothes to bring along. One thing I know for sure – it is always good to bring clothing that will not look like it just came out of the washer all wrinkly. While flat irons are available in most hotels, who would want to spend more than a minute getting your clothes ready when you can run out of the hotel room and explore?
The only solution is to get wrinkle free clothes that you can simply take out of the bag, hang, and wear! So what kinds of clothing pieces can you get? Where can you find them?
According to the experts (my …
