Monthly Archives: January 2010

What is a Realistic Budget for Traveling?

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Travel58 What is a Realistic Budget for Traveling?


One you can afford – seriously. 

 

Look at how much you earn. What can you put aside for a trip? What are you prepared to sacrifice to make your trip a reality? Maybe you’ve been saving for a while and have a few thousand dollars in the bank. You do? Great. Well that’s your realistic budget. If you want to fly to Europe tomorrow and you only have ten dollars in the bank then you are not being realistic. But it might be enough to get you in to the local museum for a few hours escape.

 

When you are setting your budget, be practical. Everyone has different needs for their travel experience and if your travel plans include overseas flights, you will need to budget accordingly. Sure you can find great deals and get there cheaper than you might have expected, but make sure you have enough money in your budget to not only get you there but to travel around, find a place to sleep, oh and have enough money to be able to eat! 

 

So how do you go about setting a budget? Following these steps might help:

1. Draw up a table with two columns.

2. Column A is for Expense Items. Column B is for Approximate Costs.

3. In column A write down all the things you can think of that will cost you money while traveling. These might include: air flights, car hire/fuel allowance, travel passes, sight-seeing tours, accommodation, food, insurance, immunizations, and souvenirs.

4. In column B write an estimate of how much you think these things will cost while on your trip. You can research your travel costs quite easily on the Internet. Food allowance might be a bit more difficult. If you are traveling alone, as a couple or in a family you will need to budget food costs accordingly.

5. Now add up the costs. This will give you an estimate of how much your trip will cost. Can you afford it? Yes – then this is a realistic budget for you. If not, then you may have to rethink your destination and the type of travel experience you want.

 

Remember that this table will only be an estimate of your travel costs. You must also budget for incidentals and prepare yourself for things to not go to plan. For example, have you got enough money in your budget to buy new clothes if your luggage goes missing? A realistic travel budget will have extra built in to it to cover emergencies. Setting yourself a budget of about sixty-five dollars a day, if traveling alone, is a reasonable amount. If you are traveling as a family or in a group, this number will be vastly different. 

 

Also consider if you will be traveling and working. If this is the case, then you may not need as much to start with, just enough money to get you to your destination and a place to live while you look for work. (And enough money to buy you food until you begin earning a wage.)

 

Start making your travel plans with your budget in mind. Don’t exceed your budget, always keep a little in reserve so you can buy that fantastic Italian leather handbag or go jet-skiing in Hawaii if the desire takes you!

 

This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com


Traveling at the Right Time of Year Costs Less

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Travel57 Traveling at the Right Time of Year Costs Less


The best time to travel is in the holidays, right? Not if you want to make big savings on your traveling costs it’s not. If you travel in off peak (or low season) periods, or even in the shoulder season, you’ll find traveling costs a lot less.

 

Where are you traveling? Do you know the peak travel times for this destination? Summer and spring, no matter where you are, are generally considered the peak seasons to travel, unless you are a winter sports enthusiast. In that case, ski resorts will be having their peak season in winter. And what hemisphere are you thinking of visiting? The seasons differ depending on whether you are north or south. For example, the North America summer months are June, July, August but in Australia the summer months are December, January and February. You will need to research your destination to find out the low season times to visit.

 

First of all, what type of savings can you expect to make if you travel in the off-peak season? 

1. Air fares are much cheaper. There are less people wanting to fly so air carriers drop their prices to attract customers. Take advantage of these great savings. If you are traveling in the high season, see if you can book a flight mid-week. These flights are generally cheaper too.

2. Accommodation is cheaper and more readily available. In high season it can be difficult to find a place to stay in popular tourist destinations and when you do find somewhere it can be up to twice as much as when traveling in the off peak.

3. Eating in restaurants can be cheaper too. Owners will be trying to attract patrons so see what sort of deals you can find when eating out.

 

There are some other positives to traveling in the off peak season, other than saving money. There are fewer tourists for one, so visiting any cultural sight will be much more enjoyable. You can get more of an idea of what a destination is really like without the thousands of extra people. Experiencing the true culture is a real bonus. Did you know that opera season is in full swing in Europe in winter? Or that winter in Australia is often the best time to visit places in the north when the humidity and heat are bearable. Or how about visiting the best holiday markets in Germany in December? Do some research to find out what your chosen destination can offer in off peak, ones that you won’t experience in high season travel times.

 

So what are the negatives of traveling in the off peak? Well there are a few, but if you plan well you can overcome most drawbacks. Off peak usually means traveling in colder weather and that also means less daylight hours. Pack wisely and remember to dress in layers for the cold weather. Some tourist places close earlier or do not open at all in the off peak, so check up before you go so you are not disappointed. You will also find that in some areas the public transport system does not run as often as in peak tourist season. Find out what options you have to get to places and don’t be caught out missing the last bus home in the middle of winter, in the middle of nowhere! Some hotels and museums close down for the winter to re-furbish and get ready for the next high season influx of tourists. You can gamble and bargain your way to a great accommodation deal once you get to your destination, but all your bartering skills will be of no use if the hotels are all closed. It’s best to check what’s open before you go.

 

If traveling in the off-peak doesn’t sound attractive to you, then you might like to try the shoulder season and still get some travel price reductions. The shoulder season is considered the period leading up to and away from the high season. Usually in this time you’ll get decent weather, less crowds and lower travel costs – not the great bargains you’ll get in off peak, but lower costs nonetheless.

 

This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com


What is the cheapest way to travel & stay in Amsterdam?

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Travel9 What is the cheapest way to travel & stay in Amsterdam?

Me & a friend are planning a 4 day holiday from the UK to Amsterdam soon. We want to travel and stay for as little as possible. We are probably going to travel there by coach then stay at a hostel. Is this the cheapest way and does anyone have any experience/tips for travelling & sleeping rough?

How do I travel with my fish via airplane?

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Travel4 How do I travel with my fish via airplane?

I’m leaving for Oregon at the end of September and my only pet i have, a Beta fish, is traveling with me. But i havent a clue how thats gonna work, since supposidly you can’t even travel with water bottles on some flights. Any suggestions or answers would be great. Thanx

Great Guides to Help You Plan Your Travel Budget

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Travel67 Great Guides to Help You Plan Your Travel Budget


There are literally hundreds of guides on budget travel to be found on the Internet and in bookstores. Some are useful, some are not. It really depends on what you want and where you are going. Many web sites offer email subscriptions and regular updates on where the best deals are. So how do you decide which ones are the most useful? A lot of the sites are confusing, so how do you find the ones that are going to give you the information you need?

 

Online bookstores have sections on travel guides. Try Amazon or specialty travel book stores like the Globe Corner Bookstores. They have an amazing array of guide books for the traveler on a budget. The most important thing to keep in mind about published guidebooks is that once the information is printed, it is probably out of date. Although most of them are updated annually, you cannot take what is written as set in stone. Internet guides are preferable in this area because their information is updated sometimes on a daily basis so all the deals on offer are available when you see them.

 

The best guides seem to be the ones that give you specific information on either your choice of destination or the type of holiday you will be taking (family vacation, backpacking, students, seniors, etc). There are the well known guide books/web sites like The Lonely Planet that will give you information on just about every destination you can think of. Or you can contact the embassy of the place you want to visit or go to the library to find out more about your choice of destination.  Most web sites will also have links to travel deals that are from the site sponsors. Some of the deals look great but research them. Compare to other sites to get the best deal for you.

 

Some guides worth having a look at for the budget traveler are:

* ‘The World’s Cheapest Destinations’ by Tim Leffel

* ‘Europe on $70 a Day’ by Arthur Frommer

*  Any guidebook from the Lonely Planet ‘Shoestring’ series

*  Any guidebook from the ‘Cheap Eats and Sleeps’ series

 

If you are backpacking, getting a guide on hostels in the area you are traveling to is a good idea. There are many sites dedicated to finding hostels. You will be able to get prices and make bookings in advance.

 

Once you know where you are traveling you’ll be able to find a guide on just about anything. How to get there, where to sleep, where to eat, what to visit and how to travel around are all going to be available in a travel guide. And once you get to your destination go to the local tourist information stand and look at what other helpful guides are available.

 

This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com

 

 

 


How do you get work at Travel Channel, National Geographic as a travel photographer? Or as anything?

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Travel31 How do you get work at Travel Channel, National Geographic as a travel photographer? Or as anything?


I want to work for travel channel, it must be my job to travel the world. Im studying film directing and taking photography courses. How and where do you think i should get a job that will allow me to travel?
Thanks a mil…

Leisure Travel Expert Guide

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Travel88 Leisure Travel Expert Guide


Leisure Travel Expert Guide

Safe travel requires several guidelines. Most of the suggestions are very common and probably we imbibe them in our daily life. However, it looks like that many people on holiday forget their usual safety guidelines and fall impetuously into danger. This article is a means of providing you information that helps you prepare your travel with unique travel advice and safety tips.

Unique Travel Advice

Travel should be well planned and prepared. It is too exciting and thrilling to think of travelling to a new destination. But if certain amount of caution is not addressed it will become a night mare. Purchase a money belt which acts as a safety locker and consistently use it to keep all your documents that are required like passport, and money safe. Try to find out what is allowed on board with the inspectors at security check points prior to the travel. It is also advisable that sharing personal details and details that pertain to our travel such as staying hotels and places planned for vacation should be avoided. All these details are immaterial for any one.
Make sure that a copy of journey schedule is left back with a close relative or a friend and they are updated and in touch with you. Ensure that prior to departure all things at home are arranged properly. Also Prior information about the place of visit should be gathered. Single travelers should exercise caution and always be aware of their surroundings at every point of time. Also ask at the hotel desk if you ought to avoid any place while going for site seeing.

Unique Safety Tips

Certain amount of cautiousness and application of common sense can protect us and keep away from dangers. Take a cab that is marked taxi and seems to be an official one. Avoid taking jewelry or wearing them, which might attract thieves. Avoid walking alone at the unknown destination. Behave like one among them. Avoid shortcuts and poorly lit streets, they can become dangerous. Also avoid deserted beaches as they could be like inviting danger. Exercise caution and make sure that the surrounding is safe and secure. It is highly recommended that you ask the hotel desk to book a taxi for you including your return to the hotel. Unable to do this, find out where you will get one, that is safe. Vacationers should also carry a small first aid kit along with them for emergencies. Bandages, antacid, aspirin, insect repellent, sunscreen, and first-aid ointment are few things that are recommended to be carried even when going for sightseeing.

Keeping all the various aspects in mind a complete plan of the trip should be planned prior to the trip and sketched out well. Thus vacation can become ever lasting memories and remembrances, if all things are done well. As the saying goes all that begins well ends well!!!


What happens after proteins travel from Golgi apparatus to lysosomes?

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Travel41 What happens after proteins travel from Golgi apparatus to lysosomes?

Proteins travel from ER to Golgi to lysosomes. What happens to proteins when they go into lysosomes?

What travel documents does an International student need to travel within Canada?

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Travel2 What travel documents does an International student need to travel within Canada?


Hi,
I am an International student in Toronto and would like to fly to Vancouver for a couple weeks. I wanted to know if my passport is sufficient ID for me to travel on. I received an extension on my study permit but have lost it. Will that be a problem?

Thank you very much.

How could traveling the speed of light lead us to time travel?

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Travel1 How could traveling the speed of light lead us to time travel?


In a question, someone answered that if we were able to travel the speed of light, then we could somehow achieve time travel. How would this happen?

Also, how could we make time travel possible? Is there some formula to it? I think time travel is a really awesome concept, and I want to learn more about it.