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Los Angeles Things to Do

Planning Your Vacation at Burning Man

What is the most interesting festival you’ve ever attended? Looking for something fun to do over the Labor Day weekend? Then we surely have an idea for you: the Burning Man Festival! In 2010, the festival takes place between August 30 and September 6.

The official website doesn’t help much with how to get to Burning Man stating that it’s your own responsibility to actually get there – and yes, it takes place right in the middle of the desert.

The closest airport to the site of the festival is Reno – 130 miles away – so start looking for cheap airfare to Reno . Chances are you’ll be able to find some good last minute deals. Otherwise, you’ll be racking up from $335 per person for a round trip from Los Angeles. And by the way, when you book the flight, also consider booking the airport parking at LAX to save time and money.

Once you get to Reno, make sure to rent a car to get to the festival site but remember that you cannot use any vehicle to get around the festival site. Consider booking accommodation in Reno before you leave. It might be a bit late but you can find rooms starting at $68 per night (even during a weekend night). Or you can book a bed in a hostel dorm for prices starting at $32 per night.

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Los Angeles Things to Do

Plan Your Weekend Getaway

Short weekend escapes are just perfect to break the routine and create some new memories. Granted, chances are you’ll be more tired on Monday morning than on the day you left, but … it’s so worth it! Whether you are visiting Los Angeles or you live here, sometimes it’s great to escape to another city for some good old fun.

Planning a vacation on the spur of the moment is thrilling and fun! Typically it’s not about where you head to, but the fact that you actually leave. Weekend travel deals come in many forms and you can save quite a lot of money if you know where to find the bargains. Last minute flight deals and accommodation offers are meant exactly for this type of traveling.

Check out the many travel deals from Los Angeles . You can choose flight-only, accommodation-only or a mixed package. For example, if you saved some miles and you can use them to get a discount on your flight then look for accommodation deals only.

Why not plan a romantic getaway in Las Vegas? The round trip flight starts at $135 per person and packages start at $307 per person (flight and two nights accommodation). All that’s left is to book the LAX airport parking before you leave so that you don’t need to worry about your car while you are away.

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travel guide Turkey

Greece: A Lovely Side Trip from Turkey

Many travelers who plan to visit Turkey also add Greece to their wish list. It is very easy to travel between the two countries and they share quite a lot of history. You can find traces of Turkish occupation in Greece but there are also ancient Greek sites in Turkey.

Getting from Istanbul to Athens is quite easy. If your vacation days are limited, do consider flying between the two cities. It is not that expensive and the prices depend on the time of year when you plan to travel. Direct flights in late August start at €126 per person one way (with Olympic Air), while if you plan to fly in early September, you’ll save a bit (€100 per person, one way with the same airline).

There are also ferries connecting Turkey to Greece. You can from Turkey to Rhodes, Chios, Kos and Lesvos by ferry. This is a lovely choice if you aren’t rushed by a tight schedule and if you really like to soak the atmosphere. Of course, you can always choose the ferries in Greece to explore more islands.

Do remember though that both the ferries between the two countries and the ferries within Greece depend on the weather and season. By the end of September the number of daily connections are limited and sometimes the ferries stop working over the late fall and winter.

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travel guide Vietnam

Going to Hoi An for the Custom Clothes

You don’t have to be a fashionista to appreciate having nice clothes to wear. But most of the time, you do get what you pay for – which means budget travelers who are more intent on travel than on accumulating “stuff” will pass over quality clothing pieces in favor of saving that money for a trip. But more travelers are discovering the custom tailoring done in Hoi An for a fraction of what it would cost anywhere else in the world. So in this case, you really can have your cake and eat it, too.

For whatever reason, Hoi An is full of excellent seamstresses and the streets are lined with tailoring shops. It’s not the ideal place to spend an entire Vietnam vacation, to be sure, but the city’s sole industry is enough of a lure that getting custom clothes in Hoi An is on many a backpacker’s to-do list. Whether someone wants to get a few suits made for that job they’ll get once they’re done traveling or they’re just looking for a few nice duds to wear to parties back home, Hoi An is the place to go.

Luckily, Vietnam is one of those places that’s popular enough with backpackers and budget travelers that it keeps a steady stream of people coming into the country. Flights from USA to Vietnam tend to be cheaper in January and October, and are generally cheaper from the US west coast, but prices don’t go from extreme highs to extreme lows. In other words, while it pays to do advance research on ticket prices you aren’t likely to see prices double or halve overnight.

When it comes to accommodation, Vietnam is among the cheapest places to be – so even if you splurge on a place that seems like one of the expensive hotels in Asia it will likely not put a huge dent in your travel budget. And that’s an especially good thing if you’re planning to restock your entire wardrobe in Hoi An…

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Articles Croatia

Round The World via Europe

RTW vacations typically include many budget countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, India or Turkey. But if you manage to plan the vacation right, you can fit in some European countries as well, without breaking the budget.

Did you know that many European countries are very cheap to visit? You didn’t? Then read on. Countries such as Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Bulgaria are excellent places to visit during a RTW vacation. Both accommodation and food are cheap. You’ll probably have a bit of a headache with planning the transportation part, but that can also be solved with a bit of practice.

Look up flights to Istanbul and plan to visit the city for couple of days. It will allow you to experience both the Asian culture and the European culture, hence avoiding the cultural shock when you step onto the Old Continent. Cheap Istanbul hotels aren’t hard to find , either, especially if you plan ahead of time.

Then, book a flight to Sofia (Bulgaria). Direct flights start at €122 per person one way (in late September). You can then spend a day or two in the capital and then explore the coastal area, close to Varna, where you can visit some interesting sights and relax, as well. From Sofia, you can head to Zagreb (Croatia) via Budapest (Hungary). Although Budapest tends to be a bit expensive during the summer, if you plan your vacation in early to late fall, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find excellent prices. Room rates start at €45 per night in hotels but you can find cheaper accommodation in hostels. Do allow several days in the city because there is a lot to see.

Central, Eastern and the Balkans can be excellent stops on your RTW vacation. The trick is to plan ahead and be flexible.

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