Archive for the ‘Travel Ideas’ Category
Do you have a hobby? Why not use your hobbies for travel ideas?
If there is something you’re passionate about or something you love doing, that’s a great focus for a trip that will be special for you. Forget the standard tour idea. Sure, if you’re traveling to new places, you want to see all the major sights that those tours have on their itineraries, but use your hobbies for trip ideas, and you’ll go to places you might overlook otherwise.
OK… maybe if you’re a stamp collector, you’ll end up in museums that house collections or haunting post offices, but there are lots of hobbies that make a great basis for a trip.
Do you love golf? I’m not really a golfer, but my brother is. We went to the practice rounds of the Masters Golf Tournament a couple of years ago and had a great time. We had time to explore Atlanta, the area around Augusta, and we made it up to the Biltmore Estate before we came home. There are plenty of great areas for golfing vacations around the U.S. Scotland, England and Ireland are naturals for visiting and playing at world famous golf courses. I bet you can even find interesting golf courses in countries that don’t make you think of golf at all. I remember a funny little course in Bamako, Mali… but…. another time.
Do you love trains? You could splurge on one of the Orient Express type trains that are popping up all over the world. Use trains in Europe to get from city to city. Those high speed trains are amazing. If you prefer old steam trains, there are lots of small historic rail lines to ride. One time we went to Wales just to learn to “drive” a train for a day. (In the U.S. you would be the engineer.)
We’ve also been known to look for air shows and air museums around the world. In Budapest one trip, that got us out to Varosliget (the city park) where we were looking for the Transport Museum. There was some sort of a festival going on that day.
We would never have known about the festival if we hadn’t been looking for that air museum…. and that local festival was lots of fun. The bonus was, the museum was free because of the festival!
Do you love gardening? There are lots of garden tours all over the world. And you don’t even need to join a tour…. there are many stately homes that are famous for their gardens that are open to tourists.
Bird watching can take you all over the world, either with organized tours, or just going on your own. Some fanatic birders plan whole trips just to see one rare bird.
How about cars? If you love cars, you can go see where they are manufactured in Europe… see museums with old Porches, Fiats and Ferraris. There are rallies for great old cars in the U.S. and Europe. Visit Italy when they are running the Mille Miglia and see old Maseratis, Bugattis, Cisitalias and Lamborghinis racing through the streets of cities and countryside starting in Brescia. We watched them zoom past the Duomo in Florence one time… Great fun.
Those hobbies that get you outside and get you excited will keep you loving your trip and keep you fresh for that next museum, so use your hobbies for travel ideas and enjoy your traveling even more.
Do you have a hobby? Why not use your hobbies for travel ideas?
If there is something you’re passionate about or something you love doing, that’s a great focus for a trip that will be special for you. Forget the standard tour idea. Sure, if you’re traveling to new places, you want to see all the major sights that those tours have on their itineraries, but use your hobbies for trip ideas, and you’ll go to places you might overlook otherwise.
OK… maybe if you’re a stamp collector, you’ll end up in museums that house collections or haunting post offices, but there are lots of hobbies that make a great basis for a trip.
Do you love golf? I’m not really a golfer, but my brother is. We went to the practice rounds of the Masters Golf Tournament a couple of years ago and had a great time. We had time to explore Atlanta, the area around Augusta, and we made it up to the Biltmore Estate before we came home.
There are plenty of great areas for golfing vacations around the U.S. Scotland, England and Ireland are naturals for visiting and playing at world famous golf courses. I bet you can even find interesting golf courses in countries that don’t make you think of golf at all. I remember a funny little course in Bamako, Mali… but…. another time.
Do you love trains? You could splurge on one of the Orient Express type trains that are popping up all over the world. Use trains in Europe to get from city to city. Those high speed trains are amazing. If you prefer old steam trains, there are lots of small historic rail lines to ride. One time we went to Wales just to learn to “drive” a train for a day. (In the U.S. you would be the engineer.)
We’ve also been known to look for air shows and air museums around the world.In Budapest one trip, that got us out to Varosliget (the city park) where we were looking for the Transport Museum. There was some sort of a festival going on that day.
We would never have known about the festival if we hadn’t been looking for that air museum…. and that local festival was lots of fun. The bonus was, the museum was free because of the festival!
Do you love gardening? There are lots of garden tours all over the world. And you don’t even need to join a tour…. there are many stately homes that are famous for their gardens that are open to tourists.
Bird watching can take you all over the world, either with organized tours, or just going on your own. Some fanatic birders plan whole trips just to see one rare bird.
How about cars? If you love cars, you can go see where they are manufactured in Europe… see museums with old Porches, Fiats and Ferraris. There are rallies for great old cars in the U.S. and Europe. Visit Italy when they are running the Mille Miglia and see old Maseratis, Bugattis, Cisitalias and Lamborghinis racing through the streets of cities and countryside starting in Brescia. We watched them zoom past the Duomo in Florence one time… Great fun.
Those hobbies that get you outside and get you excited will keep you loving your trip and keep you fresh for that next museum, so use your hobbies for travel ideas and enjoy your traveling even more.
The summer is here and the travel bug is biting in full force. If you’re like many people, you want to travel, but your budget is, well, somewhat lacking. Never fear, you can still travel this summer. There are deals all over the place. Here are some ideas to help you transform your travel dream into a vacation reality.
Go Last Minute
Yep, you can save some serious money by waiting to the last minute to go. Most people plan ahead–and this is a good plan. However, if you’re caught in the middle, it might be best to go last minute.
There are some great Web sites out there that feature last minute airfare deals and some of those deals are spectacular.
Use Airline Miles–Barter for More
If you’ve got airline miles, use them. Don’t have enough airline miles to go anywhere fun? Try bartering for more. The Internet is full of wondrous Web sites and some of them allow you to barter for additional airline miles.
This tactic is really good if you’re just short of reaching your goal. I’d definitely recommend you take a gander at doing this.
It’s Train Time
When was the last time you were on a train? If you want to get out and see the country, literally, then going on a rail excursion might be just what the doctor ordered. Did you know that you can buy an unlimited train pass for North America?
It’s called the North America Rail Pass–nifty title–and it’s offered by Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada. When you buy a pass, which runs $999 during the peak season, you get 30 consecutive days of rail fun. It’s unlimited. Go where you want, when you want.
There are over 28,000 miles and 900 destinations that this pass opens up to you. And there’s even a nice $100 discount for seniors, students and children.
Do you worry about where to get travel ideas? I hope you’re not putting off travel because of that. We have friends who actually say they don’t want to take any vacation time because they can’t think of a place to go!
We think travel is important, but it’s not just us…. Studies show that taking time away from work on holiday makes workers more productive. Even if you don’t feel like you can take a long vacation, you can get away for a long weekend. If your budget is a little tight this year, find a budget get away. However you do it, it’ll be good for you.
We’ve never really been at a loss for finding a place to go, so let’s see if we can help you get travel ideas.
We keep a wish list of sorts, and we think that’s the best way for you to get ideas for your life style. When we read about a place that piques our fancy, we put it on the list. We might even look it up right then and find out when the best season is for that destination.
We might quickly research what there is to see and do there, and figure out about how much time we need to allow to see everything. Later, when it’s really time, you have a head start on your research.
We love traveling to far away and exotic locations, but we also put nearby destinations on our list. That way when we have even a long weekend, we can get travel ideas from our list.
You might have to let your employer know way ahead when you want vacation time… we do. So we try to have a few ideas about where we could go in any season, so we have destinations to choose from depending on the time of year we actually end up with vacation time.
If you still can’t come up with ideas about where to go, there are plenty of travel websites and travel magazines with great pictures and stories.
Yeah, you say…. so many websites that this option might be just too overwhelming. Well, you could go to a site like Travel Muse. Find their “Get Inspired” function… Fill in your budget, where you’re traveling from, the time of year you want to travel, the length of time you have for your holiday, your interests, and, of course, your budget. They will give you some suggestions.
Some of the travel magazines also have “destination finders” online. These online magazine sites cater to all budgets, so find one that fits with the amount you have to spend for travel. They have filters that let you put in your interests, and they come up with destinations that they have printed articles on lately.
Do you want active and adventure, arts and culture, or nightlife and shopping? You can even put in several interests and see what they come up with.
You might get travel ideas that are just what you want from one of these sites… or you may find that their recommendations aren’t exactly what you want, but they trigger an idea that is perfect for you.
Don’t stay home just because you can’t get travel ideas… there are plenty of places to fit any budget and time line… Start thinking about it, and soon you’ll have a list too!
Have you reached that stage when you feel you’ve seen it all, done it all? Most monuments, museums, temples, art galleries, beaches, villages, wildlife have been plummeted? The eternal question is what next? How about some evergreen adventure? Arrive at your pre-booked hotel in Delhi and head for the highest mountain peaks!Like the best ski mountains, the best ski vacations come in all shapes and sizes, from luxury mountain getaways to affordable ski-lodge stays. Today’s travel portals cater to every conceivable kind of holiday experience. The portals that will take you to your unforgettable ski trip are sorted by region, timing and interest.
More and more people are hopping onto the international recreational skiing circuit for fun and frolic.Skiing is not the preserve of the rich and famous anymore, thanks to improved accessibility.
India has some fabulous world class ski resorts. These traditionally used to cater to an international crowd. But today, its not just the jet set in chic hotels in Delhi and Mumbai who are booking ski tours, but the lesser mortals as well.
Jammu and Kashmir and other northern states were always popular for their fabulous cool climate, snowfall, pristine rejuvenating air and flora and fauna.
The sheer joie de vivre of one’s first successful slide down a ski slope defies description
Once limited to a privileged few, the adrenalin-producing pastime of skiing has been brought within the range of the masses now. Many a common man is now landing at a hotel in Delhi, as transit to a mountain slope, with intention to slide down it.
For wobbly beginners and confident intermediates, there are easy slopes and understanding instructors. Every winter the slopes in the Indian Himalayas are warmed by the excited cries and laughter of new comers being introduced to the joys of winter sports.The best time for skiing is December to March – the time of maximum snowfall. About 16 km from Joshimath is Auli, a popular winter resort. There are snow -beaters and sophisticated machinery to keep the slopes fit for skiing.
Gulmarg, in Jammu and Kashmir, is another famous skiing resort frequented by tourists. Gulmarg has slopes varying between 8,700 and 10,500 feet with some of the highest ski runs in India. Gulmarg’s ski lifts and chair lifts provide basic utilitarian facilities with a simple link-up. At Gulmarg, the ski-slopes are being extended for the ambitious skiers. Heli-skiing too is being introduced.
Shimla, Narkanda, Kullu-Manali, Chamba, Kuper and Pabber in Himachal Pradesh have several ski slopes. Ski lodges and hotels as comfortable as any luxury budget hotel in Delhi, trained instructors, lifts and ski runs to suit all levels are provided. Heli-skiing facilities are available at Hanuman Tibba, Rohtang Pass, Deo Tibba and Chanderkhani Pass near Manali.
Most of the skiing tour operators are active in the Himalayas. Just contact the travel help desk at your hotel in Delhi – they will organize everything for you – right up to your local hotel stay arrangements and tour operator and instructor /guide.