Italy Travel Tours : Traveling To Rome

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 28-08-2009

Tags: , ,

The Ciampino and the Fiumicino, or Leonardo da Vinci are the two available airports for traveling to Rome. The Clampino is smaller than the Fiumicino, and offers less expensive and budget airlines, as well as charter lines, whereas the Falminco is the main airport that provides international flights all over the world.

Once you arrive in Rome, you’ll have plenty of choices for transportation such as the subway, local taxis, buses, or trams. If taking a taxi you should always insist on the metered fare rather than a negotiated fare. If you can find the right taxi driver, you can pay him or her to be your tour guide through the city and take you to all of the places that you shouldn’t miss.

The myriad of lodging options within Rome allow you find one within your desired price range. Even though Rome is a huge place, you can still get to most of the important sites on foot if your hotel is in a central location. Cheaper hotels may be further from the center of the city, but there are still transportation options that will get you to its major sites.

The history of Rome is awe inspiring and many tourists come for the historical sites, if you’re one of them you definitely want to take in St. Peter’s Basilica as well as the Vatican. Roman culture’s famous architectural style is on display at sites such as the Roman Forum, Coliseum, and Palantine Hill.

You can buy a Roma Archeologia Card, that is perfect if you want to visit several places, since you get admission to many various sites within Rome by using this card.

If you are interested in shopping during your stay in Rome then you cannot miss the Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps. This area of Rome is full of boutiques, antique shops, restaurants, bars, and more. You can get to anything and everything you need all on your own two feet. You won’t want to miss the exciting markets at the heart of Rome, either.

Brought To You By : Italian Phrases

Get the Best Travel Insurance You Can Afford

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 28-08-2009

Tags: , , ,

Everybody eagerly looks forward to their annual vacations. As our vacation time draws closer we’ll start to count the days until we pack our holiday clothes and head off for a week or two in the sun.

Unfortunately many people head for their holiday destinations without giving hardly a thought to the need for insurance. This is particularly true for those who don’t arrange their holidays through a travel agent. Travel agencies will generally remind people of the need for holiday insurance but even when they do many people take out the cheapest policy possible which can often be inadequate for many circumstances.

Many people don’t take out adequate insurance cover because they don’t expect they will need. Nobody expects to enounter the nightmare of needing serious medical attention or being the victim of crime while on holiday. Its an unfortunate fact of life that emergencies do arise and when they occur abroad they can be incredibly expensive. For example, if the worst was to happen and you needed to be flown home to the UK it could set you back many thousands of pounds. The cost of being flown home from the United States in an air ambulance is between £35K and £45K and from the Canary Islands the cost could be between £12K and £16K.

Nobody plans for disaster or being flown home in an air ambulance but imagine that the worst did happen and you had to pay these costs out of your own pocket?

I’ve been very lucky while away on holiday, never having had need for medical attention, but I have, on two occasions, needed to claim for lost or stolen items. On one occasion, while travelling in India, I had my camera stolen from my bag on a train. And on another occasion my suitcase was completely lost by the airline when I flew to Italy.

These losses should reinforce my message that holiday insurance is really an essential. Having your personal possessions stolen while on holiday is bad enough but it can be a lot worse if you don’t have adequate insurance cover.

Always be sure to read the details of your holiday insurance policy as there are always exclusions that you really need to be aware of. For example, did you know that most holiday insurance policies will not cover drink or drug related incidents?

It is worth remembering that cheaper policies will tend to offer less cover than the more expensive ones. Before committing to the cheaper option consider whether you are being tempted by the initial saving and be certain that the policy covers you for all those hefty expenses that can occur, particularly when medical assistance is required.

You can often save money by looking at annual multi-trip insurance or by looking at group insurance policies for your whole family. If there is one travel expense that should be absolutely essential it is the need for adequate holiday insurance cover.

************************

Compare travel insurance, international car hire, UK airport parking, hotels and lounges at Gosimply.com. Book in advance for some almost unbelievable savings.

Related Blogs

  • Related Blogs on travel

Compare and Save Your Car Hire Charges

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 28-08-2009

Tags: , ,

Many people are completely unaware of how much they can save on their car hire charges by booking in advance. These days there are some excellent online services for travelers that make the process of comparing prices and reserving your hire car an absolute breeze.

There are, of course, certain times of years when the demand for car hire increases. The summer school holidays and Christmas are notoriously busy. If you really need to hire a car during these high demand periods be certain to compare prices and bookk well in advance.

The car hire industry is incredibly competitive with a whole host of companies trying to beat each other on price and service. The internet has made it simple to compare the prices and vehicle availability from all of the reputable car hire firms.

One such service is provided by Gosimply.com the travel services comparison site, noted for their exceptionally cheap airport parking, airport hotels and lounges services. The simple to use comparison facility makes it really easy to get a up to date, accurate price comparison. The Gosimply car hire services is not restricted to the UK but it also provides car hire from all popular international destinations. All you have to provide are the dates when you want to hire the car and the places where you want to pick up and return the vehicle, then hit the ‘compare prices’ button.

Gosimply.com will then search and identify a number of vehicles that meet your requirements. The available cars are immediately presented with the cheapest at the top of the list but you can choose to re-sort the page by various criteria including the vehicle size and type. You can also choose from a number of additional options that may be important such as an automatic gearbox, air conditioning and GPS.

The Gosimply.com comparison facility is one of those exceptional comparison tools that make me wonder how I managed without. Almost unbelievably quickly you will be provided with a list fo cars that meet your requirements that would have taken hours to research if you had been forced to manually visit each of the car hire websites independently.

Related Blogs

  • Related Blogs on travel

Save Yourself With Discount Car Rental Insurance

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 28-08-2009

Tags: , , , ,

No matter how affordable your cheap car rental deals are, they are more likely than not going to come with insurance that you need to add to your costs incurred. However, don’t hate having to buy cheap car rental insurance. It is a lifesaver should anything happen.

Insurance is there for a reason, to safeguard the rental company from huge losses and to safeguard you from the same. There are different types of cheap car rental insurance that you can choose from. Picking the right insurance is just as important as actually taking out rental insurance.

Making The Right Insurance Choice

One of the most common and most affordable rental insurance options is collision damage or loss damage insurance. This really is cheap car rental insurance at its best. This option covers you for anything, including the excess, in case of a collision accident. You can also look into personal accident insurance. This is a cheap car rental insurance option that can cost you big time if you don’t have it. Before you discard this type of insurance, thank carefully about what can happen during an accident. This insurance offers you cover for accidental death as well as medical treatment for yourself and your passengers if there is an accident or a collision.

If you are going to be travelling with valuables in your car you will want property insurance on those items in your self drive rental car. This cheap car rental insurance offers you cover from damage, loss and theft of those items in your rental. What happens if you cause an accident? You need liability insurance. This will cover you in the case of any accidents that lead to claims against you. These can be claims for property damage, injury and more.

Rental insurance does not have to be expensive in order to save you from all the unsavory things that can happen. Cheap car rental insurance can cost you a minimal amount. However, what it can save you is astronomical. Looking into car rental services, find out about the different rental insurance options that the specific rental dealer offers.

See if they are reasonably priced as well as if they offer you the type of rental insurance that you want. Do some comparative shopping so that you can find value cheap car rental insurance as well as rental deals. And always remember to read the fine print carefully so that you know exactly where you stand at all times.

Your Guide To Spain : Madrid’s Famous Parque del Buen Retiro

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 28-08-2009

Tags: , ,

Touted as one of the foremost attractions of Madrid is Retiro Park (in Spanish it is Parque del Buen Retiro). Beautiful promenades and pathways wind through it, there is a quiet lake, stunning memorials and sculptures as well as numerous festivities and fun happenings.

Following its opening in the year 1868 it has housed royalty in gorgeous palaces as well as been the site for various important buildings throughout history. Due to the Napoleonic wars many structures were lost or are barely discernible however today there are numerous sites still worth seeing.

Popular sites within the park include the Palacio de Cristal, a glass structure originally used to house exotic plants, and the Palacio de Velzquez, a former industrial exhibition house now mainly used to display art. Other amazing sites are Ejercito, a preeminent museum for military artifacts and Casn where you will find world renowned paintings from the 18 and 19 hundreds.

There are many fantastic places to explore, but the heart of the park lies within Estanque del Retiro, the large lake at the northern entrance. Not surprisingly summer is one of the more popular times for the park when entire families can be found taking in the beautiful surroundings along the perimeter of the lake. For those wishing for a little activity, you can rent a boat from one of the local vendors there and row around it.

Another beautiful feature of the park is the Rosaleda rose garden, enjoyed by both tourists and natives, as well as the nearby Cecilia Rodriguez gardens and Serrano Street’s outstanding restaurants.

There are many outdoor cafes in and around the park for you to sample a range of Spanish cuisine. It is also home to various entertainment forms such as dancers, street musicians, fortune tellers, and jugglers all alongside the local citizens that are out and about for a simple walk.

Click Here : Spanish Phrases

Going To Spain : Puerta Del Sol

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 27-08-2009

Tags: , ,

The Spanish called it the “Gate of the Sun” and for visitors to Spain’s Puerta del Sol, they’ll know exactly what the Spaniards were talking about.

The gates used to be the entrance to the city of Madrid. In the 15th century, like numerous medieval towns, Madrid was surrounded by a wall to protect it, and people could only go in through the gates. The name of the gate became well known through out the trading world because Spain at one time was the center of the known world. Even after the fall of Madrid’s walls, the gates remained a place for tradesmen and dignitaries alike to meet. As a matter of fact, it remains the major meeting point in Madrid even today.

Breathtaking examples of architecture are found throughout the area, as well as numerous statues and monuments, including a famous sculpture of a bear eating some fruit from a madrone tree, which is what the name “Madrid” is derived from; the bear is also a very powerful symbol for the people of Madrid.

The House of the Post Office, is one of Madrid’s most important buildings, and it is the main point for the celebrations of the New Year. There is also a slab of paving that marks the area that the six major highways come from, that go around Spain. That means it’s not just a good place to start exploring the city, but the whole country.

Just a short distance away from Puerta del Sol you can visit other tourist attractions, like the Plaza Mayor or the Palacio Real; the Royal Palace. The city’s governmental body, Parliament, is also a short distance away. You can board a train at the Metro station and visit this location.

Dozens of side streets house shops, restaurants and other attractions, so at least half a day should be set aside for a visit. But Madrid and Puerta del Sol are not just places to visit during the daylight hours. At night is when the real fun begins; as bars and cantinas and cafes become packed with tourists and residents, the street performers come out and entertain all.

Sponsored By : Spanish Phrases

Don’t Be Duped By Cheap Car Rentals

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 27-08-2009

Tags: , , , ,

Recently a group of colleagues went on a road trip. Needless to say the first bickering was over whose car will be used for the trip. The most bothersome of all the questions was the service, wear and tear of the car to be used. Needless to say, nobody really wanted to use their car for obvious reasons. After much squabbling and debate it was decided that they will hire a car from a so-called reputable agent.

As it was off peak season, there were many offers on cheap car rentals on the market. There were many cheap car rental agents to choose from, and frankly that suited everybody’s pocket. But the drama was not over, as our good friends had not really done much research on the cheap car rentals in terms of where the real cost was.

As much as we are coastally bombarded by the sweet promises of excellent deals and savings on cheap car rentals, promising cheap and affordable hassle free deals; he fine print in the contract will always remain a real mystery to us all.

Is Cheap Really Cheap?

One needs to understand that agents generally advertise cheap car rental deals when they have excess vehicles in their fleet. Off peak season also generally promotes and lure people towards the option of a cheap car rental. Competition may also be a factor towards agents lowering their prices.

Although the real cost saving on the cheap car rental deals in time; in terms of time saved should one decide to fly to you destination and then rent a car to be mobile where you going. In this view I would support the idea of cheap car rental being the way to go. However, in lieu of the fact that there are unscrupulous dealers and agents making cheap car rentals and a money monger of a cheap one way car rental.

So, for all the people who wish to make a vacation a good time to relax without the worry and stress of the hidden cost in cheap car rental deals, here is the word of advice to you:

  • Do your homework
  • Do your research
  • Don’t be afraid to shop around for a quotation
  • Do your math
  • Check the real cost of the insurance cover – preferably take the maximum insurance cover
  • Read the fine print
  • Don’t be afraid to ask the questions on the cheap car rental deal being offered.
  • Explore alternative options

Don’t be taken for a ride on cheap self drive car rental deals albeit the affordable and easy way to go the responsibility is yours to ensure that you know exactly what you are getting yourself into.

Going To Spain : El Palacio Real

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 26-08-2009

Tags: , ,

The Palacio Real (Royal Palace) located in Madrid is known for its astounding classical architecture, and for the wondrous statues, monuments, and lavish gardens that adorn the area. Up until 1931 a series of Spanish rulers occupied Palacio Real, which was under construction for 25 years, and was at one time the mecca of power for a dynasty that reigned half the known world in the 1700s.

Even with 90 percent of the palace being closed off from public viewing, the remaining portion is still far larger than anyone could see in one day. In its splendor, the palace is made up of nearly 3,000 rooms with 240 balconies and over forty staircases, and one can behold its grand furniture, extravagant decorations, and grandiose ornaments all throughout.

You’ll see the Throne Room, from which the plans and strategies of what was once the world’s greatest superpower were formulated, and the Royal Armory, which displays a number of weapons and armor, along with a range of medieval torture implements used in the Spanish Inquisition.

In the palace you will also experience the Royal Pharmacy, where you will learn more about past medical customs; The Royal Library, where numerous first editions of critical Spanish literature are retained; and an impressive banquet hall, where many of the most legendary European rulers have feasted.

Outside of Palacio Real, you can walk through the Royal Gardens (which are the most famous in Madrid), enjoy the sight of the Manzanares River, and watch the changing of the guards.

To see all the sights and take in all the history of Palacio Real, a two-hour guided tour is the way to go. These $30 tours sell out quickly, mostly during the summer, and it is best if they are reserved ahead of time. You cannot take pictures at the Palacio Real, but you can buy postcards and books at the end of the tour as souvenirs.

If you liked this, try : Spanish Phrases

Start A Booking Agent Business

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 25-08-2009

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

 

Because of the recession that everybody is experiencing today, a lot of people are trying to find an additional endeavor just to extend their financial arm so that they can put more food on their family’s table. For some, if they have their own jobs and still can’t cope up with the today’s economic life, they would try to find other jobs and add it to their existing ones. Sometimes, there are people who can do 4 full-time jobs in one day. While others are doing this, there are others who would go to put up their own business and a few of them would like to venture into a home-based business. Talking about home-based business, if you are looking for one, how about learning how to start a booking agent business on your own and yes, you can do this right in your own home?

There was once a lady employee who just fired her boss (that’s right, she’s the one who fired her boss) and decided that she would become a booking agent. What made her decide to do just that? What did she saw in this booking agent business that others didn’t see? First and foremost, she had seen that a lot of her friends and relatives are always on the run, meaning, people go to places for a vacation or a business trip. Transportation today is getting to be the biggest industry and almost every hour, there is someone traveling across the sky, sea or land.

And the worry to some travel bug is booking for tickets. So, they would seek the help of a booking agency business so they don’t have to go from one place to another to buy tickets to get some travel insurance or to find some transportation in going to an airport or harbor. With the booking agent on standby, all they have to do is buy the ticket in one place and make some reservations and maybe even enjoy the trip with a shuttle bus service. This is what this former lady employee have seen and that’s why she decided to be a booking agent and she is actually making lots of money than what she is earning while working for somebody before.

Enjoy Puerto Rico This Year

0

Posted by Lisa | Posted in General Travel | Posted on 24-08-2009

Tags: , , , ,

Puerto Rico is a friendly place on the Eastern Caribbean, appealing to travelers for many reasons. As a USA territory so it does not require a passport or visa for US citizens. Others may arrive to the island as if they were arriving to any US Port. Puerto Rico is the most visited place in the Caribbean, and also the easiest one to get to. Flights arrive to San Juan from all over the United States, Canada, Europe, as well as from Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands. Puerto Rico resorts are a popular vacation option. These resorts in Puerto Rico offer the best value for the vacation dollar.

You will find not only white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, but also lots of shade under the coconut palm trees and all the facilities required for a great day at the beach like Showers, bathrooms, food stands, and more. The other area of beaches that have become a must for visitors is the west coast called Porta del Sol. Here the main attraction is the beaches of Rincon where the waters of the Caribbean meeting the Atlantic are rough and idyllic for Surfing. Surfers from all over the world flock to Porta del Sol for the greatest surfing in the Caribbean. These activities drive loads of visitors to choose Puerto Rico vacations each year.

Puerto Rico has a calendar of events all year long. The most popular events are held during the Patron Saint Festivals or Fiestas Patronales, in honor of the patron saint of each municipality. These include religious processions that originated as a Catholic tradition. Held in the town square, the festivals offer colorful displays of pride and joy, featuring parades, games, rides, regional food and live entertainment. The island offers a wide variety of sports that include golf, tennis and hiking. For the water sports enthusiast there's scuba diving, snorkeling and deep sea fishing off San Juan’s coast could prove to be an experience of a lifetime. 

In the towns you will experience 400 years of Spanish heritage seen in the architecture and the beautiful Town Plazas that you can find in each town without exceptions. Old San Juan, the walled city has been maintained and refurbished to look exactly as it was built by the Spanish, the British and others that left their mark on the city. San Juan is a peninsula and to get there you have to border the Atlantic Ocean, which by itself is a great experience. This is one of the most beautiful colonial cities in the Americas.