Archive for the ‘ Mediterranean Cruise ’ Category

Are you looking for a holiday destination but aren’t sure where to go? If so, then read on to find out about some of Portugal’s best holiday destinations, all of which are definitely worth visiting. For example, while they aren’t part of the Portuguese mainland, the Azores are a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean that are definitely worth a visit. They are largely volcanic and there are some stunning lagoons and other scenery. The climate is good all year round, which helps to make them popular with tourists.

One of the most popular places for tourists to visit is the Algarve, which boasts over 150km of gorgeous coastline and a hot, dry microclimate that’s created by the region being separated from the rest of the country by a group of mountains. The Algarve is in the south of Portugal and is popular with tourists, particularly from Germany and the UK. Tourists have lots of choice in locations such as Lagos and Albufeira as there are plenty of hotels in the region.

You could also visit Lisbon, which is the westernmost city in Europe as well as the capital city of Portugal. It features brilliant inns, nightlife, mosaics and museums and is a great place for sitting on a terrace – of which there are many – with coffee and some good food. The city has both old and new quarters, which make for a great city experience. Cable cars are popular for transport as the streets are so steep, particularly in the older parts of the city.

If islands are your thing, then head away from the Portuguese mainland to the Madeira Islands, which are home to the fantastic Madeira wine as well as a varied agriculture industry. This is definitely worth exploring on your visit, as are the fantastic facilities. The mild year-round climate is loved by tourists and there are is stunning scenery including gorgeous mountains. The Madeira Islands are an archipelago 700 miles southwest of Portugal and make for a truly great holiday destination.

Finally, if you are looking for a great alternative holiday destination in Portugal, then you should definitely consider Porto. It’s in the north of the country, is the second largest city and is known as the Granite City due to the fact a lot of its buildings – including the historic churches – are made from granite and iron. Some of the best Portuguese wine is made in the region and the city combines old, winding streets with new roads to create a cosmopolitan experience. It’s also a European Capital of Culture.

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Cheap cruise deals are commomplace these days with many holidaymakers taking advantage of the excellent facilities on board today’s cruise liners for little out of pocket expense.

What constitutes a cheap cruise deal ? Well, I recently returned from a Royal Caribbean holiday through Key West and Cancun, Mexico, enjoying five days and four nights of total luxury for four hundred bucks. To me, that was a cheap cruise deal well worth the effort.

There is so much competition among cruise lines today that finding a cheap cruise deal is easy. Magnificent ships built to carry thousands of passengers are luring a lot of first time cruisers off the land and onto the water. Cruise line competitiveness is only intensifying with the major companies getting involved in recent years in a “let’s see who can build the biggest ship” type of battle. These ships obviously need to be filled with passengers and cheap cruise deals are there to be enjoyed.

Don’t get a cheap cruise deal confused with a cheap holiday. Sure if you want to stay in one of the prime state rooms you’re going to be paying for the privilege but my experience tells me that a cruise should be enjoyed from the ships decks and wonderful amenities and not from your state room. If that’s what you’re after then you might want to consider another type of holiday.

So which cruise line do you select for a cheap cruise deal? Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Disney, Royal Caribbean… it depends on where you want to go in the world. Today, cruise lines are offering more of everything; more choices and simply more service. It’s all aimed at ensuring you just have more fun. Let’s face it, they want your repeat business.

There are many areas online for you to locate the best cheap cruise deals. I know of people who are total cruise junkies ( up to nine cruises a year ) who are always monitoring the latest cheap cruise deals. Cruise lines often advertise limited deals; you’ll want to be quick for these. Many people prefer to travel in groups which can reduce the overall cost of the cruise even further but for group deals, you’ll want to speak with your cruise line agent.

If you are a first timer and don’t know the process in first, locating, and then booking a cheap cruise deal then the best advice is to speak with someone who has done it before. Even better, your local travel agent will be able to answer most of your questions and if they can’t, then the alarm bells should be sounding!

Cheap cruise deals but not cheap cruise holidays. More like cheap cruise deals and luxury fun-filled holidays. That is the nature of cruising on the world’s oceans today. And your hip pocket won’t be unduly ravaged.
Many cruise lines, travel agents, guidebook writers, and “cruise tip” websites will try to convince you that booking a cruise as early as possible will result in the best discount cruise deal. Not true — you’ll often save more money when you book a last minute cruise.

Passengers who book a last minute cruise may save hundreds — or even thousands of dollars — more than passengers who book their cruise many months in advance.

That’s because the hottest deals and deepest discounts in cruising are usually available within two to three months of sailing, or less. That’s when cruise lines offer a discount cruise deal on the cabins they’re afraid will go empty unless they cut their rates drastically.

It’s not uncommon to see a “last minute” discount cruise deal as high as 60 percent, 70 percent, or even 80 percent off the brochure rate.

Choosing to book a last minute cruise is not for everyone. You need a fair amount of flexibility in your travel plans to take advantage of this tactic.

If you have to sail on specific dates, or over a busy holiday or vacation period, or if you have to have a certain type of cabin or are traveling with a large group, then booking your cruise early will better assure you of getting your top choices.

But if your main goal is to snag a bargain and you aren’t too particular about where and when you sail, or on which ship, then patience can not only be a virtue but can help you land a great discount cruise deal.

The best last minute cruise deals are usually offered by big travel agencies — especially Internet mega-discounters — that have special relationships with the cruise lines.

The cruise lines make their best deals available to the mega-discounters, and the agencies pass much of those savings on to you. Sometimes the big mega-discounters will buy up large blocks of cabins from the cruise lines and then re-sell them to their clients at big discounts, making their profits from bulk sales.

Passengers may really benefit if these cabins don’t completely sell out. Rather than risk getting nothing for their investment, the agencies are likely to offer them for sale at bargain-basement rates.

The result for you is the same — you’re likely to pick up a great deal when you choose to book a last minute cruise!

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Everybody loves to go on a cruise, especially on cruises from Southampton. It’s one surefire approach to relax and basically get away from all of the issues at work and likely at residence too. Some folks prefer preferences for the cruise lines.If you re in the UK, you don’t even have to fly. Just use the Southampton cruise parking and you can be on that cruise ship in no time. Nonetheless, it has been a major contention that some cruise are better than the other. So which of them are the very best cruise lines?

Changing the air makes individuals happy and smile. This cruise tour to Mexican Riviera is the one, which makes you smile. This American favorite leisure trip isn’t so preferred for Japanese. Some of them think it should be high priced. The other thinks it is for retired individuals. Folks could not be able to take a lengthy sufficient vacation to take cruise trips, which are at least a week. Many of them take two weeks or one to two months.

A cruise ship is like a floating city and like any city; you can find often employment opportunities. If you’re interested, go on the net or call the cruise line you are thinking about and see what opportunities are offered.
Hawaii as well as the Caribbean are well-liked alternatives for a honeymoon cruise vacation, in particular for winter weddings. The primary benefit of booking a honeymoon cruise to Hawaii or the Caribbean for your luxury honeymoon vacation is that with a cruise you get to see numerous of these fabulous islands, rather than just 1.

It sounds extra like a fighter plane than a cruise ship, but Norwegian Cruise Line’s in-the-works F3 is slated to take the cruise business by storm. In a radical move, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) CEO Colin Veitch told Travel Trade magazine, “We have thrown away the rule book of ship style and started with staterooms.”

Maintain your medications, a 1st aid kit, and sea sickness meds in your carry on. Take only 1 credit card with you. Leave the rest at residence. Life on-board a cruise ship is extremely relaxed. So pack with comfort in mind. Your ship will also supply 1 or two formal nights so include 1 or two outfits for evening wear.

Do you might have a passion for traveling? Then bartending job in cruise can give you unlimited exposure to the unseen parts of the world. As a cruise bartender you truly get paid to travel around the globe. Haven’t you ever dreamt of visiting the exotic islands of Hawaii, Bahamas or Tahiti? Haven’t the pretty pictures of Mediterranean seas ever seduced you with their virgin beauty? Hasn’t the colorful culture of Caribbean or Mexico ever invited you to sway with the fun and excitements available? Nicely, having a cruise bartending job you’ll be able to go to all of the excellent places within the diverse corners of the world.

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Lisbon is the biggest City and the capital of Portugal, also considered a renowned city for over twenty centuries. Having springtime temperatures in the winter, and the summers are cool yet warm enough to be comfortable. The beauty of this age-old city gives enough reasons to visit Lisbon for the first time. If the weather does not grab your attention, then the history of this stunning city and the sights will. The first thing you want to do is find your accommodations that you will be staying. Just type holiday apartments Lisbon in a search engine and you’ll find something that will suits your needs. This is not going to be difficult to find the right apartment to meet your needs, as there are several available to rent out.

With more and more people looking for accommodations in apartments, that offers more room, and privacy. These holiday apartments are readily available, making it easy to find and they will be over and above your standards, as the city makes sure to care for their tourists, and business visitors. The holiday apartments are in the area where you can go and sight see without needing to drive. Holiday apartments exist for you and your loved ones to stay while in the heart of the historic neighborhoods in Lisbon.

If you visit in June, they celebrate and honor the popular saints. With the streets of all three-quarters of Lisbon, come as one with feasts, and celebration of the saints, throughout the whole month of June. The streets are alive and busy as they praise and show their respects to the saints. The three saints that they are celebrating are, Saint Anthony, Saint Peter, and Saint John. During this celebration, there is a great deal of wine, and aqua-pe (a watered wine) and traditional bread with sardines. You will see traditional marriages with street dancing. The fireworks and enjoyment is only an extra to this holiday.

Do not despair, if you cannot be there in June. The celebrations are all summer long, and the streets are busy with celebrations the citizens look forward too. The beaming skies brighten the city, with tile-covered structures, with the streets that are medieval. In addition, you will be able to hear from your apartment, the fado (Portuguese guitar) played with a song sung at night.

Lisbon is popular for not only their festivities, but also for their superb shopping, exhilarating nightlife, and noteworthy museums that line up the streets. Nearby Lisbon, there are the wooded heights. You can ride on the horse pulled carriage. You will see the mansions, with their farms that have been there for many centuries.

The worst thing you might confront while visiting Lisbon, is making the difficult choice of where you will go each day to take in as much sightseeing as possible in this historic Capital. The seaside is picturesque, as are the homes, streets, museums, and mansions. The beaches are so blue that you can see the floor of the beach. The beaches are untouched and natural. This is a city to visit, but beware, as you may never want to leave this Mediterranean City

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Gran Canaria has long been a popular choice for a holiday of sun, sand and sea, however, the third largest of the Canary Islands has so much more to offer than just its beaches. The area towards the north of the island provides a very different landscape to the beaches in the south. This part of Gran Canaria is mountainous, green and lush and is fast becoming a popular destination for hiking holidays. There is also plenty of culture to sample in Gran Canaria too, with an array of interesting museums and galleries for you to visit.

Holiday Resorts – The beaches and holiday resorts are the obvious reasons to visit Gran Canaria and with lots of sandy beaches to chill out on and blue seas to swim or snorkel in you can’t beat the place for a traditional fun holiday in the sun. This is also a great destination for those who like their nightlife with bars, clubs and restaurants aplenty. You can party all night in the summer months!

Water Sports – If you decide to visit the holiday resorts there are lots of opportunities for taking part in the various water sports on offer. As Gran Canaria can get quite windy it is a haven for keen windsurfers and sailors. There are also lots of opportunities for scuba diving, canoeing and kayaking, fishing excursions and surfing here. Great fun for those who love their water activities!

Camel Safaris – A camel safari is the perfect way to see the deserts of Gran Canaria. A camel safari across the Maspalomas dunes will give you the opportunity to see some stunning scenery and have a completely unique experience.

Hiking and Walking – Gran Canaria isn’t just the place to go for a beach holiday if you are a keen walker or hiker you will find lots of opportunities for walking in the north of the island. There are over 30 protected nature areas in this part of Gran Canaria and lots of trails and hikes for walkers who want to enjoy the great outdoors and admire the spectacular scenery.

Museums and Galleries – The Castillo de la Luz is a 16th Century castle that houses art exhibitions and is well worth a visit if you have time. There is also the Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno which is Las Palmas’s main modern art museum. The Museo Canario is the island’s main museum and houses the largest collection of Cro-Magnon skulls in the world! You will also find early examples of pottery and utensils from the island here as well as a few mummies. The Museo Elder de la Ciencia y la Tecnología is a technology museum that will appeal to children. There are lots of fascinating displays many of which are hands on.

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If you are willing to travel in Europe, Rome will be the best place to visit. This city offers a variety of activities to do and lots of tourist attractions
to visit.
The Eternal City of Rome offers amazing sights and lots of activities for the value conscious traveler visiting Rome .
Here are Italy top ten hit for free things to do in Rome, Italy especially designed for family with children visiting Rome eager to enjoy Rome without breaking the bank.
Rome travelers and families visiting Rome with kids should be aware that no visit to Rome would be complete without throwing 3 coins into the Trevi Fountain while making a wish to come back soon!

1) Visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel free of charge on the last Sunday of every month, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (the last admission 12:30 p.m.).
2) Churches are everywhere in Rome, perhaps more than 900 churches are accessible in Rome free of charge! Don’t miss the outstanding four Rome Papal Basilicas and visit Saint John in Lateran, Saint Paul outside the Walls, St. Peter’s Basilica and Saint Mary Major. Donations are welcome!
3) Baroque piazzas, Egyptian obelisks and beautiful fountains are the best spots in Rome to take relax, write postcards, tweet your pictures, watch the world go by and enjoy a delicious gelato ice cream!
4) Enjoy the Pantheon is… Free!
5) Watch the Roman Forum from the Capitoline Hill best during sunset!
6) Water! When in Rome fountains and water are everywhere! Enjoy fresh Roman water from every fountain! Travel Eco-friendly! On your tour of Rome don’t purchase bottled water just drink free water!
7) Parks! Stroll around the enchanting Borghese Gardens dotted with statues, trees and an even small lake to enjoy a great day out and picnic lunch with the kids!
8) Visit the Holy Area of Largo Argentina and watch the cats lounging among the ruins of four ancient temples.
9) Enjoy Rome’s finest view from the Janiculum Hill and set your watches. Since 1904 the cannon on the hill fires at noon sharp every day.
10) Check out the amazing Pyramid that houses the tomb of Caius Cestius, one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Rome and visit the nearby Non-Catholic Cemetery often referred to as the Englishmen’s Cemetery to enjoy peace of mind without forgetting the Latin saying Carpe Diem.

What else? When in Rome do not forget to check our local magazines for free events in Rome, best foodie festivals usually held in the Rome outskirts and excellent music concerts.

This city Rome has lots of hotels to stay with that offers great deal time to time. Since it is one of the top tourist destination, so it offers variety of hotels that includes from budget hotels in Rome to cheap hotels in Rome. Ranging from 50$ to 250$, anyone can get the good hotels in Rome.

If you are talking about the top hotels, you may name as Hotel Eden Rome, Hotel de Russie Rome, The St. Regis Grand Hotel Rome, Hassler Roma and Grand Hotel
Flora in Rome. These are some of the luxurious hotels in Rome which are known for their excellent customer satisfaction and high standard amenities. Rome Travel Information helps you to find all range hotels cheap to luxury in few second without giving extra effort.

They offer you a variety of food, European to Italian, American to Mexican, all kind of meals are available in their food area. You just order them and you get them with the best taste you never had in your entire life.

If you are running on a short budget or cheap range, you must not try these expensive hotels but try cheap Rome Hotels that will cut your accommodation cost a lot. On internet you can find the Rome Discount Accommodation easily.

If making extra expenses is not a trouble soothing expenditure for you then what are you waiting for? Select one hotel among the grand luxury hotels in Rome and indulge yourself in the luxury of the Eternal City. The bedrooms of such motels are having world class facilities and comforts. The best thing that lures wealthy customers or tourists by such hotels is the perfect locations. Staying in these luxury hotels will be the best idea for the tourists who are first time visitor to Rome because the hotels arrange the easiest way of conveyance to other attractive places and the places where you want to go. These grand motels can be termed as First Class Hotels In Rome.

The grand luxury motel rooms are well furnished with rich custom fabrics, and other artistic materials like wall hangings and hand decorated ceilings which reflects Renaissance and Biedermeier style. The motels like Grand Plaza Rome and International Palace are well known for its glamour and style. And also in these two hotels you can see several grand events and celebrations take place. The hospitality and the functions of the hotel stuffs are awe-inspiring. The guests have the real chance to accommodate themselves in the rooms which have air conditioning, mini bar, hair dryer, work desk, cable TV and other secure arrangements for security, etc.

There are several star hotels in Rome like 2 Star or 3 Star hotels which can be categorized as Budget Hotels In Rome. These hotels are located at the close proximity of various attractions of Rome. The rates of such hotels are less in comparison to 5 star hotels and other grand luxury motels. Aurora Garden Hotel is a comfortable 3 star.
Rome Hotels offer several features and these features put them to different categories of hotel. No wonder about the rich hotel services and beautiful architectural style which in all the ways reflect the Roman culture and civilization.

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The Bus Turístic means that you can discover and know Barcelona on board a open double decker bus, with three different routes included in one ticket and 44 stops at interesting places.

Barcelona Bus Turístic – History

The Barcelona Bus Turistic service was first initiated up in 1987. It at the moment has three routes with stops close to Barcelona’s most interesting attractions of traditional, cultural and creative interest within the city of Barcelona. The Barcelona Bus Turístic service has a fleet of 65 buses, fifty eight of which are double-decker buses with no roof on the highest deck and seven are single-deckers, of the open type, allowing visitors to admire the town from a unique angle.

The bus excursions can be utilised in two different ways. You may want to use the tour bus as a means of getting around the city. You’ll be able to hop on and off at whatever location you might have chosen.

Alternatively, you could simply choose to take the complete tour in a single go, getting an overview of what Barcelona has to show and taking note of explicit locations to explore later on.

How works the Barcelona Bus Turistic?

The voyager is issued an own headphone set, which is carried from bus to bus at changing points. The headphones plug right into a system at your seat, which permits the straightforward selection of your favourite of ten languages. The English audio-guide is clear and exact, effectively-released, and completely timed to match the particular attractions along the tour.

Tricks to make more of the Barcelona city bus tour

Coaches are frequent, so there are not any prolonged waits if the visitor needs to get off and on at numerous landmarks. Nevertheless, coaches are in high season full to capacity, especially the privileged open higher deck. Therefore, if the traveller manages a great place up in the beginning of the trip, it might pay to retain it and stay there the total 2-hour circuit of the red or blue tour. This additionally has the benefit of offering a good overview of what the city has to offer. Particular pursuits might be set aside for a later visit, perhaps on the following day of a 2-day ticket.

To your comfort there are information officers with you on the Barcelona Bus Turistic who’re happy to answer any special question you might have.

When you find yourself starting your journey, additionally, you will obtain a reduction voucher book for added savings on the points of interest alongside the way.

The Barcelona hop on hop off bus should not be missed on your holidays in Barcelona.

Barcelona is a wonderful metropolis with fascinating and diversified architectural styles, relaxed and friendly inhabitants and pleasure within the air. The breezy top of an open bus is a good way to experience this enjoyable city.

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Ephesus Tours is the best choice for an historical city found in Turkey everbody must see Ephesus ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city is one of the cities found in Turkey. Temple of Artemis is one of the most visited place in Ephesus. The Greek goddess Artemis and the great Anatolian goddess Kybele were identified together as Artemis. Traditionally founded by the Carians, it was one of the 12 Ionian Cities and was involved in the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. It was taken by Alexander the Great c. 333 BC and prospered throughout the Hellenistic period. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era. In the Roman period, it was for many years the second largest city of the Roman Empire.Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 in the 1st century BC, which also made it the second largest city in the world.

The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple was destroyed in 401 by St. John Chrysostom. Emperor Constantine rebuilt much of the city and erected new public baths. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614.

Today’s archaeological site is found in Selcuk which is the province of Izmir. The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction, Ephesus has easy access from Adnan Menderes Airport via the port of Kusadasi Izmir. When you come Turkey, there are many well known places you can visit and you can have a wonderful holiday while your are visiting ancient cities. Priene, Milet, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Didyma are well know and most visited places in Turkey. Thousands of people visit these places everyday and see live the history.Beside these places, you can stay in Istanbul that straddles Europe and Asia. It sits at the threshold of two continents. It exists at the threshold of two cultures and threshold of history. you can have a wonderful sea and sun summer holiday. You can stay in Kusadasi , Marmaris , Bodrum, Antalya and visit one of these places, for example ephesus tour or select a group of tours from Turkey to visit. EphesusTravel.Net provides you best choices of tours you can choose from or you can make your own itenary tour by filling our itenary form. we are giving you the best holiday you can ever have in Turkey. If you are interested in history, sun, sea, Turkey is one of the best places to visit. EphesusTravel.Net has thousands of customers all around the world. If you want to see these historical places and want the best holiday, don’t miss our advantages and opportunities. Besides ephesus tour ,we also provide tours for the best places of Turkey like Milet, Priene, Pergamum, Didyma, Cappadocia , Pamukkale, Gallipoli,Istanbul and don’t forget you can design your own tour program and make your private tour with special tourist guides.

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    Although traveling by air is the fastest way to move from places to place while traveling by car is convenient and comfortable and traveling by bus is the cheapest, not one of them can be compared to the unique experience trail travel could give.

    Trail travel might not be the most popular way people move. This could be because of the length a trip could take compared to air traveling. Another reason could be the monotony of sights that might bring boredom to passengers. Another could be the price one single train travel could cost compared when taking a bus. All these contribute to the decreasing popularity of train travel but it does not mean that train travel is not good at all. In fact, with a little wit and personal creativity from a cheap travel deal, one could enjoy train travel.

    1. Expect to travel for long hours. In this way, you don’t have to look at your timepiece regularly or ask a crew with the most annoying question you also would not want to hear: Are we there yet? Keep in mind that if you are crossing state boarders, train travel could take more hours than driving your own car at your own phase. And sometimes, train schedules are not met so you don’t have to nag every crew with the train schedule.

    2. Relax and enjoy the scenery. If you are traveling during daytime through air travel deal, you could see sights that might not be possible to see if you are traveling by plane, bus or car. Try to enjoy the scenery. You can even bring binoculars to help you see more views closer.

    3. If you are a reader, this is the best time to read. Trains are more stable than bus. So if you would like to read without controlling the motion of your hand with the book, the train could provide you with stability. Bring a book of your favorite author. You can also consider finalizing your report if you are going to present it on meetings.

    4. If you are not into sightseeing and reading, you can bring your portable CD player or iPod. Bring your most favorite albums you could bring. Or, if you have an iPod, you can store all your songs to your library. Make sure you have spare batteries.

    5. Be friendly and polite. If a person asks favors from you, be more than willing to do it. Train travel would offer you new acquaintances and friends.

    6. Do not intrude other people’s business in the best way you could. Respect other people’s privacy.

    7. Talk to the crew nicely. Although they would not throw you off the train if you shout to them, doing such is not proper. They are well trained and very friendly, be nice to the crew.

    8. Take time to meet other people. Since you expect to be on the train for several hours especially if you are crossing state borders, you won’t be doing so much. You can roam around the train and meet other people. This is the best time to have someone to talk to.

    9. If in case you are traveling with your children through a best travel deal, make sure you provide them with lots of activities. Bring along activity books, quiet toys, color pens, crayons, papers, reading material, coloring books, and video games. In this way, you keep them entertained.

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    I lived in Germany for five years, many years ago, and as a result had the opportunity to travel around Europe quite a bit, visit lots of places, learn a little of three languages and have lots of fond memories. But since those golden days I have been back twice with my fiance for a three week trip and one 18-day.

    The first was completely planned with reservations for each night and was high intensity, high stress covering six countries and nearly 1800 miles. How else can you cover all the bases? Actually you can’t and do it any justice at all.

    And my friends that is lesson number one. For any music travel tours to Europe lasting less than 3-4 months decide ahead of time and agree that you cannot see it all. There is so much not just the enormous cities but the countryside and small towns. That is where the heart of the country lies. You have to set priorities on what you want to see and stick to it. This requires quite a bit of advance planning on your part-or if you trust someone else a Travel Agent?

    And that is lesson number two. Find a travel agent for European travel tours who you can trust-one who’s been there many times. Unless you have been to the country before you cannot possibly aware all the nuances of foreign travel. Depending on your personality consider doing a tour first. Self guided trips to a foreign country can be very stressful and will perhaps ruin the trip

    Lesson number three -Make an attempt to speak the local language. Even in France (with one exception) the locals appreciate you trying to speak their language. Depending on where you go for your European bus tours, for instance, most Beneulux countries, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and even northern Italy you can get by with German-and truth be told English if all else fails. But the locals really appreciate the effort and you will be rewarded for your efforts.

    Lesson number four-Contrary to an international myth there are speed limits in Europe so watch the signs.

    Lesson number five-Room sizes like bathrooms and bedrooms are without exception considerably smaller than what you are used to. So if you tend to be claustrophobic-beware. Also mealtimes are generally different from ours especially in Italy and France. The normal safety precautions should be taken for your room with a alarm door stop or a keep it for added security. Thieves live in Europe too.

    Lesson number six-For the really adventurous forget all of the above and just wing it. There is no better thrill in traveling, to my way of thinking, than being able to turn left off the autostrada to go to Venice just because you feel like it.

    Traveling to Europe requires much planning and careful preparation. Having a good travel agent that has been to Europe many times is almost an absolute necessity for a self guided tour. If you are with a group you needn’t worry so much. But the most fun of all is doing it on your own without an itinerary.

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