Tripwrite – Travel Articles

Visiting London on a budget may seem impossible but it can be done if you choose traveling options off the beaten path. High tourist season is typically early April through late September. If you can opt to vacation there from early October through late March, you are likely to find less expensive airline tickets to and from London.

Once you’re in the Square Mile, you’ll have unlimited options for having fun, sleeping cheap and eating well without spending a wallet full of Euros. Typically, the second most expensive aspect of traveling abroad is the hotel stay, second only to the airfare to get there. Depending on the time of year you travel and your comfort level, your options are wide open.

Consider a home exchange. There are many home exchange facilitators, you can run a web search to find one you like. Members will pay an annual fee, usually $50 to $100. Most house swaps are offered in 1 week increments with a minimum of 2 weeks and you don’t necessarily swap your house with the same family whose house you will stay in. You might stay in a London flat while the family of Londoners stays in a home in Thailand while the Thai family stays in your home. Other than the annual fee and possibly a small swap fee, typically under $100, this is a free stay. Of course, you have to be comfortable with a group of strangers in your home while you’re away.

Summer holidays in London, while airfare will be at its peak, can still be cost efficient if you don’t mind staying in a university dormitory. Many universities throughout Europe, including in London, rent out their empty rooms for about $100 per night during summer and other school breaks. You won’t find perks like room service or even a private bath, but the price is right if you just need a place to lay your head.

Religious or not, you can rent a basic, clean room at one of the many convents and monasteries in the London area. You aren’t required to participate in any religious activities and nearly all convents and monasteries will rent to ye of little faith, no faith or a different faith.

As for fun and sightseeing, avoid the rental car and driving around town; strap on some comfy shoes or rent a bike instead. No need to search for a tiny parking spot or learning to drive on the opposite side of the street and you can stop to smell the roses whenever you like. Start each day in a different direction and go wherever the wind takes you.

Public transportation is an adventure on its own and can take you all over the city and even into the countryside. Take the London Underground rail system or a double decker bus for a few pounds. London is also working on an above ground rail system to help facilitate transportation.me great eating deals include take out (called “takeaway”) meals. The Value Added Tax (VAT) can be 10% or more on dine in meals. VAT isn’t charged on takeaway. The added bonus is you get to choose the view or find a great place to eat and people watch.

Eat un American. Try picking up a late afternoon lunch at an ethnic or vegetarian restaurant. You’ll not only find some great deals but you’ll enjoy a wonderful new dining experience.

Follow or ask the locals. Employees at petrol stations (gas stations), grocery stores and your hotel front desk will likely know some out of the way dining establishments that offer great food for the budget minded.

Understand that budgeted travelers should be flexible and consider their trip an adventure. You might find a hotel, with reliable quality, to be worth the extra money. Dining at a pub might be great for the locals but you may not have the tolerance for fish and chips. Get out there and have fun.



By: Plr Travel Articles

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With two Bank Holiday Mondays, and therefore two long weekends, May is the perfect chance for people to take a mini-break away to quench their holiday thirst until summer arrives. Thus, popular European countries are preparing for an influx of British tourists wishing to make the most of their extra long weekends.

Unsurprisingly, travel prices reflect this, and holidays over these three-day weekends are often more expensive than normal, as holiday companies cash in on what would perhaps otherwise be a lull in holiday sales. Although when you consider the limited amount of three-day weekends you get in a year, a slight increase in cost perhaps seems more tolerable.

Travelbite.co.uk have compiled a list their top destinations for the bank holiday weekend breaks. Their selections add a bit of variety to holiday, as they suggest more unusual places than holiday makers’ usual, more predictable choices. They reveal Croatian city Split as their top May bank holiday break destination, followed by Tunis in Tunisia and Manama, Bahrain. Berlin and (surprisingly) Washington DC make up the top 5.

Wherever the destination, travel insurance is just as important as ever, and May holiday makers booking last minute short breaks shouldn’t let it slip their minds. Unfortunately, unexpected things can go wrong on short breaks too, and having adequate travel insurance should be considered essential. Getting cover shouldn’t cost much either, as the price for single trip travel insurance is calculated depending on how long you are travelling for (as well as taking into account your destination, travel party size and ages). So, essentially, the shorter the trip, the cheaper the cover. For example, popular travel insurance provider Direct Travel Insurance’s comprehensive policies start from £5.50 for 5 days in Europe.

With the current weakness of the Euro against the British pound, trips abroad could, arguably, not be as good value as they have been, and UK trips may become more common for weekend breaks, especially in May. Seaside resorts such as Brighton and Blackpool are all expected to grow in popularity, as people from inner cities seek sun and sand without leaving the country. Even for weekend breaks within the UK, travel insurance could still be worthwhile. For example, cover for cancellation, money and personal belongings would be covered by most policies, and, with cover starting from £3.50 (based on a Direct Travel Insurance policy for one adult), getting covered for your Bank Holiday break won’t exactly break the bank.

Article Author – Rob James



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We had only been back a few days from our trip to 8. Europe when Louise said she thought we might go to New Zealand next Christmas. It was then I knew the travel bug had bitten. All we needed was a golden egg-laying goose and we’d be right. Fortunately for us one came along and I know it’s like finding a needle in a haystack for people with disabilities to be tripping over such a windfall, however we were lucky. But enough of multiple metaphors; New Zealand was great! Before we went, we asked people who had been where we should go. Nearly all replied, “Everywhere’s good”. Not much help, we thought. Now we know they were right!

There are many reasons why an Australian disabled tourist should go to New Zealand. For a start, they speak English (well sort of. I had almost perfected my Kiwi accent, but the rest of the family forbade me ‘prectising’ in the car). This makes communication and understanding of our needs so much easier.

New Zealand is so close to Australia, only 3 hours on the plane, and so much cheaper than Europe. Even in their High Season car hire, accommodation and tourist attractions were much cheaper than Europe in the middle of Winter. Although food and petrol were dearer than Australia, they were still quite a bit cheaper than Europe too.

Like Tasmania here there’s lots to see and do in a small area. Unlike the rest of Australia, you don’t have to drive for hundreds of kilometers between big ‘tourist spots’ (in New Zealand everywhere’s a tourist spot!) And it really is true that most New Zealanders are tremendously friendly and helpful.

Things for me seemed a bit harder than Europe in some ways; but that was because with chronic progressive MS things get worse and it was a year later. Louise was right though; it’s a good idea to try these things while you still can.

Before You Go It’s important for anyone to get organized for a trip overseas, but when you’ve got a disability it’s essential!

Here’s some tips:

1. Make sure you take plenty of any medication you may need. Never try to buy it overseas. It will be enormously expensive, or may not be available. Get a covering letter from your doctor and make sure the airline is aware. Needles are OK in the hold, but if you need to take them as cabin luggage, you’ll need to make special arrangements.

2. If you suffer from incontinence, for men I’d strongly recommend wearing a leg bag as it takes away a lot of the pressure of trying to find a toilet in time.

3. You also need to choose a good airline and inform them of your special needs. We’ve tried some cut-price airlines and a few wobbly luggage hoists and tarmac steps later I can tell you it ain’t worth it! Contact the airline well ahead to arrange seating. We found the best place was up the very back, right near the toilets.

4. Almost all airlines will take your wheelchair for free (that includes electric ones). You’ll need to arrive at check-in a bit earlier to book it in and to get a wheelchair for use at the airport. Ask for a staff member to help you through to the plane. This has the added advantage of giving you quick checking through customs. You’ll be put in an “aisle chair”, which is a wheelchair narrow enough to get you down to your seat on the plane and you’ll get taken to your seat first.

Unfortunately this also means that you’ll be last to get off, but don’t worry; with the VIP service through customs you’ll be first at the luggage carousel! And ask for staff help all the way through as it will make things much easier and quicker.

5. When traveling if you are disabled, it’s very important to book ahead. Unfortunately your days of just dropping into a town and grabbing somewhere to stay on the spur of the moment are over. We started booking accommodation almost a year prior and the internet is a wonderful (and cheap) tool for this. Don’t rely on those ‘wheelchair friendly’ symbols because sometimes they’ve been put there for no apparent reason.

Contact the owners directly by e-mail and check on steps, space inside rooms, doorway width, safety rails, bathroom configuration and accessibility generally. (In fact, I could write a book on motel rooms-I have quite a list of practical suggestions for improving them for disabled travellers!) In general, I found it’s better to exaggerate rather than downplay your level of disability. That way you’re less likely to end up somewhere unsuitable.

6. You’ll want travel insurance; if only to cover any medical emergencies. We had to pay a little more to cover my “pre-existing condition”, but it wasn’t at all hard to get. Most insurance companies will be happy to cover for everything apart from your illness!

7. I bought a lightweight partially collapsible electric wheelchair especially for the trip. Luckily I bought it early enough ahead to iron out a few teething problems and to get used to using it (at the expense of our house, which has been gradually destroyed by my earlier miscalculations).

8. Louise began cursing the wheelchair early in our trip as its rather small battery began running out of charge and I had to keep finding power points and wait for a re-charge. In future we’ve decided to just take the manual wheelchair overseas. It’s a lot less bulky and if you’ve got someone to push, they’ll appreciate the exercise!

9. Don’t forget your disabled parking pass, if you’ve got one. We tried to organise an NZ pass before we left, through CCS, but it didn’t eventuate. So we just used our Australian sticker and had no problems at all. In fact in New Zealand you’re very unlikely to encounter parking problems even in the peak tourist season.

10. And don’t be afraid to say you could do with help. It’s taken me a while to work this out, but most places are set up to cater for disabled people and are only too happy to help if given notice. You might be pleasantly surprised and even find yourself at the front of the queue for once!



By: Plr Travel Articles

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TheSimpleThings asked:


I want to visit Texas but don’t know which city. What is the best city and what is there to do or must-do’s in that city?
Maybe 3-5 days. Budget isn’t a huge issuse.

But I was thinking Dallas because it’s closer Would Dallas be a good choice?

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ica is a wonderful county where tourists can enjoy activities galore. It is among the oldest countries of Africa and here one can find fossil remains in the caves of Makapansgat, Sterkfontein, and Kromdraai. These remains suggest that australopithecines or ape-men lived in this country some three million years back. Sightseeing in South Africa is one of the best activities that tourists will love as the country offers a number of safari tours in the natural reserves and parks. 

Do not miss Addo Elephant National Park, which is located close to the Zuurberg Range, in the popular Sundays River Valley. Here you can spot large herd of elephants, which are remainders of the herds that wandered in the Eastern Cape. You should note that the park remains closed in case of heavy rains as the road get too muddy.

Another hot sightseeing attraction is the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. It is among the best scenic highlights in South Africa and has excellent viewpoints like God’s Window and Wonder View. If you want to carry some mementoes for your family and friends, then you will find the souvenir sellers to be useful.

If you are visiting Cape Town then you can book any of the wonderful tours such as day tours, day safaris, cultural tours, diving tours, extended tours, wine tours, wildlife tours, and other sightseeing tours. Durban is a city, where you should visit the famous Ushaka Marine World to have a look at seals, penguins and dolphins. Johannesburg or eGoli is a largely populated city in the country. Here you can find various large-scale diamond and gold mines.

The other sightseeing spots of South Africa that you should include in your itenary are Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Cango Caves, Kruger National Park, Port Elizabeth, and Hoedspruit.

By booking car rental South Africa, you will find it easy to move from one location to another.



By: Positivecontent

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ray asked:


I will be visiting Mexico city and want to know of a good place to visit outside the city. I have been to D.F. before and have been to Puebla, Vera Cruz, and Acapulco. I want to know of another good place to visit besides these places and why?? Please nothing over a 6 hour bus ride. Please help me out thank you =)

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Summer is probably the busiest season for London when most of the tourists flood the city. A lot depends on the weather but if it turns out nice, summer is probably the best time to visit London.

July is usually sunny and the city is getting ready for the City of London Festival of Music and Theatre, Covent Garden Festival, Wimbledon tennis championships and Hyde Park summer concerts. Eric Clapton is coming in June to perform with Sheryl Crow and John Mayer at Hyde Park. August is probably the most active month of the summer – Notting Hill Carnival, which attracts millions of people from all around the world takes place as well as the Hyde Park Proms – both of these events make hotel prices soar. Central London hotels are perfect as you can either walk to venues like The Proms at Hyde Park or travel shortly.

Autumn is a good time to visit London as well. It is still warm and dry. Theatres present a range of new shows and there are many events taking place. September is probably the best option, because October and November are often glum, dark and generally unpleasant for sightseeing. However, it is good to visit for a few days to attend an event.

Winter season is not bad in London. There is no snow and it’s not that cold as in many other countries. The mood is cheerful as Christmas is approaching and the city looks nice if it doesn’t rain. It is good to travel after December as most hotels drop prices, but the atmosphere changes drastically – people have post-Christmas blues.

It is good to stay at central London hotels at any time of the year to avoid travelling long distances and wasting time in tubes or undergrounds. Any season of the year in London might be subject to change – English weather doesn’t conform to the forecast so it is worth considering few options to visit London, once you choose your travel dates – one if it rains, the other – if it doesn’t.



By: Madhukar Shah

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The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes ’sight-seeing’. – Daniel J. Boorstin

Practical information

If you want to get inspiration for what to see go to a place that sells postcards an check out the things which seem interesting.

Take some snacks (e.g. an apple) with you while sightseeing to keep your energy level going.

You can sometimes pay entrance fee only once and then return on consecutive days without having to pay again. In order to be able to do this you may have to get a special stamp with the date or write your name on the back of the ticket. In some destinations such as Cancun, Mexico there are time share agents. They can offer you free food, discount tickets or even cash if you go and listen to a presentation (and to the endless argumentation from sales guys afterwards). If you can handle this it can be a good way to save money, but you have to look reasonably rich in order for them to give you the offer.

Personal Experience – The Punjab Plague Ploy

In Dehli a very nice gentlemen approached me as I was trying to find a place to buy train tickets. He kindly informed me that he came from the “Official Tourist Office” – something the metal badge strapped around his arm ensured. Perplexed by his badge and a being a newcomer in India I nicely took a stroll to the “Official Tourist Office”, which turned out to be nothing more than a regular travel agency. I said I wanted a train ticket to Punjab. People in the office were shaking their heads. “No, no, you can’t go to Punjab. People are dying there!” They were referring to a plague of some kind. And quickly offered a 10-day sightseeing tour to Rajastan instead. Well, I realized in time this was a bunch of crooks and found my way down to the official ticket office. Not surprisingly situated at the railway station, a few steps away from where he hooked me up.

In general, showing up at times when there are few people there is usually rewarding. Going to Taj Mahal in India in the early morning can offer great photo opportunities, while going there in the afternoon will give you a tourist invasion to cope with.

Tours

If you plan to visit sites which are visited on day tours (e.g. Petra in Jordan) but would like to avoid the crowds you can consider taking the tour day 1, stay overnight in a local hotel, go to the site early before the tour buses arrive day 2 and go back with the tour company on day 2. If you want to take tours the advice from fellow travellers is worth a lot more than that of the tour operators (who will try to sell you the tour where they get the highest commission).

If you travel alone going on a tour is a great way to meet people and to get advice on other things to do.

Personal Experience – The Balaton Blunder

I was staying in a private home near lake Balaton in Hungary. The house consisted of two floors with a common entrance door. The owner of the house showed me around the place and left me the key before he left. I was preparing for a nice afternoon sightseeing trek but when I tried to open the front door I found it locked. I tried to unlock it but the key did not work, the owner had left me the wrong key! The windows did not open and here was no back door. I gave up trying to pick the lock (I am an honest guy after all) and proceeded to yell out the window and wave. There were several people passing by but they all just smiled at me and waved back. After one hour the neighbour started to wonder what all the noise was about and finally got hold of the owner who came back and unlocked the door.



By: Peter Siljerud

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