Author: Bogdan

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Spend New Years in Amsterdam

The other days I was talking to my friends about our (non-existent) holiday plans. Typically, Christmas means spending time with the family and friends and New Years usually revolves around a party…or two. But this year, I want something special and I was thinking about spending New Years in Amsterdam .

Since December is knocking on our doors already, now it’s the right time to look for New Years travel deals . Of course, finding cheap flights and affordable accommodation means you have to be flexible, plan your vacation in advance and don’t overlook the low-cost carriers.

Depending on how many days off you’ve got for New Years – New Year’s Day is a Saturday, by the way – you should consider flying on December 28 (Tuesday), 29 (Wednesday) or 31 (Friday) and back home on January 1 (Saturday), 4 (Tuesday) or 5 (Wednesday).

When it comes to finding cheap tickets to Amsterdam from Sweden, the bad part is that there aren’t that many low-cost carriers serving the routes between the two countries. If you fly from Stockholm on December 31 and get back home on January 4, expect to pay €178 for the return flight on KLM.

Don’t forget to book the accommodation ahead of time as well. Private rooms in hostels start at €15 per night (Marnix Hotel and Hostel, located in the heart of Amsterdam). If you are after the hot night life, choose one of the party hostels or one located close to the hot spots. After all, the whole idea of traveling for New Years is to attend fabulous parties in fabulous cities!

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travel guide

Escape Winter: Fly to Australia

I was just checking out the weather forecast for this week in Europe and I was about to freeze while typing at my laptop. In other words: it’s winter! It’s cold. It’s snowing, it’s freezing. I want somewhere warm!

If you feel exactly like I do, then planning your vacation during summer in Australia is what you need. Summers Down Under last between December and February, exactly the months we want to avoid in Europe!

I was talking to a friend the other days and told him that if I could, I would move south for the winter. And one of the reasons is the famous Aussie food . I’m not a big fan of any meat – let alone kangaroo meat – but the tropical fruits and seafood are exactly what I love to eat. And eating mangoes, papayas and pineapples from the place where they grow is amazing! I might even try Asian food (finally).

Look up cheap flights to Sydney and book your flight before the Holiday craziness; in other words, if you don’t want to fly south for Christmas or New Year’s Eve, avoid making plans to travel from mid-December until early January. Fares are always high during this time of the year. Plus, you might find some good deals for the time right after the holidays. Just remember to keep your eyes on the airlines’ newsletter and special online sales.

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Articles

Spend New Year’s Eve in France

New Year’s Eve is, for some, one of the craziest party nights of the year. Others see it as a more romantic holiday, a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the new year with a loved one. No matter which stance you prefer, France can be an ideal New Year’s holiday destination.

Go dancing and clubbing with friends, of hit the street parties at the Champs-Elysees and Montmarte if you’re with a group.  Check out the large crowds and midnight fireworks around the Eiffel Tower or head to the Sacre Coeur Cathedral plaza in Montmarte for a more laid back street party.  Looking for a more romantic experience for your New Year’s Eve in France? Book early and snag a table at the perfect candlelit bistro and you can be clinking champagne glasses with your lover at midnight.

France is December is cold, but the holiday lights make the city beautiful no matter what the temperature. Prices aren’t exactly low around the holidays though. If you can’t quite swing the cost, check out some French gift ideas for the Francophile in your life and then plan a trip once the holiday rush is over.

Photo by stevec77

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travel guide

Fall Vacation in Valencia

Fall is the best time to plan a vacation in a large city. The crowds are gone and the prices are lower than during the peak travel time. And the weather is just lovely.

Spain is an excellent destination for shoulder season traveling. Summers are scorching hot which makes fall the perfect time to pack your walking shoes, camera and start exploring the cities. Also, big cities tend to be expensive year-round but outside the peak travel season some of the prices do go down. Plus, you can always stay in a hostel and buy the food at the market instead of eating out in a restaurant.

Flights to Spain are not hard to find and there are quite a lot of budget carriers serving the cities. If you plan to visit Valencia, a round-trip flight from London in mid-September starts at £104 (on Ryanair).

With the flight figured out, it’s time to look for accommodation. Since shoulder season traveling is all about saving money, look for cheap hostels in Valencia . Beds in dorms start at €12 per night and if you prefer a private room, beds start at €20 per person per night. You can easily find hostels located close to the train or bus stations, which allows for great mobility while you are visiting the city.

And now let’s take a look at the highlights of Valencia . Don’t miss visiting the City of Arts and Science, The Barri del Carme neighborhood – located in the old city – , The Mercat Central, or the Lladró Porcelain Museum and Factory. Plan for some walks along the river and do try the local cuisine.

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travel guide

Let Technology Help Planning Your France Vacation

It might be that my job sort of made me drag my laptop, camera and cell around all the time…or that I am just way too addicted to being always connected, but one thing is sure: whenever I plan a vacation, technology surely plays a huge role.

Nowadays, smartphones are pretty much small laptops which can help you do anything you ever dreamed of. With the introduction of the iPhone, everyone went crazy to have the latest apps and use them for their needs.

Planning a vacation in France can be very easy if you let technology help. France iPhone apps allow you to carry travel guides with you, without having to fill your backpack with books; and they surely help when you cannot remember a particular French word (or don’t speak the language at all). And if you want to try the local cuisine but you are afraid something weird will turn up in your plate, an iPhone app can help you choose the right dish.

Most of us have totally forgotten about travel agents. Why should we trust them when it’s easy to book cheap flights to Paris online? Just do it from the home computer (or during lunch break at work). You can check various possibilities and choose the best flight and the best prices. Also many airlines offer web-only deals, which are absolutely amazing.

Likewise, searching among the many Paris hotels can be a daunting task but you’ll surely be able to find something that fits your budget and plan. And just like in the case of airlines, hotels also have web-only offers which can save you quite a lot of money (or you can get various perks for free).

Not to mention that you can ask around the travel community and get direct recommendations regarding a particular hotel. I’ve done it many times and I was never disappointed by the suggestions and what I eventually chose.

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travel guide

Tour Canada This Summer

Are you sick of the European beach vacation you plan every year? Or do you really want to take a break from visiting the European cities? Then, think out of the box. Sure, the price tag for your vacation will be higher but it’s totally worth it to spend several weeks in Canada this summer.

Start by looking up cheap flights to Canada . Both Toronto and Vancouver are served by large airports which receive plenty of flights from Europe. A round trip flight to Toronto (from London) starts at £706 per person; while a round trip flight to Vancouver is more expensive, starting at £806 per person. Once in Canada, flying between the two cities starts at £204 per person, one way. Alternatively, you can travel by train.

Regardless of which city you decide to fly into, remember to book the hotels as well. Cheap hotels in Toronto start at as low as $93CAD per room per night at the end of July. Discounts can still be found, especially if you book online. Likewise, hotels in Vancouver range from affordable to expensive but with a bit of search you can find something to suit your budget.

Alternatively, hostel beds in Toronto start at $20CAD (in a private room). Of course, location does influence the price so you can find privates at $45CAD per night as well, but you’ll have free wi-fi and stay in downtown Toronto. Likewise, in Vancouver privates start at $21CAD per night but for $45CAD a night you can stay on the central nerve of the city scene and have free wi-fi.

Remember to add the cost of local transportation to your budget and don’t forget you’ll also have to pay for the meals. An easy way to save on these costs is to buy the food at the farmers’ markets and plan to enjoy picnics in the parks rather than eat in a restaurant. And if the hostel has a common kitchen, you will have the opportunity to cook something for yourself.

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Planning a Trip

Visit Boston This Summer

The largest city in New England, Boston, is an excellent choice for a summer vacation. It is, without a doubt, one of the most historic and influential cities in the United States. Planning a visit in Boston means you’ll be visiting museum, experience excellent live performances and check out great historical sites.

Boston travel deals are an excellent way to find great prices for accommodation and flights. During the summer, most large cities tend to be quite expensive and Boston makes no exception. So, checking out the special deals is a great first step when planning a vacation.

Cheap flights to Boston are not that hard to find even if you are in Europe. You will have to make a stop along the way, but flights start at $924 return (from Edinburgh, on Air France, in the middle of July).

Once the flight to Boston secured, it’s time to look for a hotel room. Boston hotels range from affordable to expensive, just like in all other large cities. It’s up to you (and your budget) to decide where you plan to stay. In the middle of the high season, standard double rooms cost about $160 per night (2-star, in Boston’s theater district). Alternatively, you can look for hostels and you can book a bed in a dorm for just $25 a night.

Sure, if you fly from Europe a vacation in Boston can be a bit pricey, but it’s all about the choices you make. Check different routes into Boston. If you don’t mind spending more time in airports, you don’t need to book the shortest route, especially if you can grab some deals along the way. Likewise, don’t settle for the first hotel you find online. Ask around, especially in well-established travel communities. There’s always someone who can give you a good tip.

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Things to Do

“Glamping” in Colorado

glampingLet’s face it – the words “Los Angeles” and “camping” aren’t often seen together in the same sentence. Sure, there are plenty of Angelinos who probably like the great outdoors quite a bit, but that’s just not the reputation of most of the people who call L.A. home. Which is why so many L.A. folks probably will love the idea of glamping.

Glamping isn’t exactly glamorous camping, although that’s arguably where the made-up name comes from – it still involves sleeping outdoors, usually in a tent, and cooking your food over a campfire or a portable camp stove. Makeup should still not be toted into the wilderness, and you should probably also leave your fancy car at home, too. Glamping is still more about the “camping” than the “glamor.”

But there are some pieces of travel gear that will make camping – sorry, glamping – more palatable to people who might not be as comfortable sleeping in something other than a hotel room. And if bringing something like a self-inflatable air mattress, a camping-friendly wine carafe, a portable collection of kitchen utensils, a mini espresso maker, or even an inflatable nightstand with a checkers board on top makes someone more interested in camping, then we figure that’s fine.

Now, if you’re all set with your “glamping” gear and you’re looking for the perfect place to try them out, may we suggest nearby Colorado? You can find cheap flights to Denver from L.A., and within a short drive you’re surrounded by beautiful mountains (not to mention lots of people who know what they’re doing when it comes to camping). A trip combining Denver with camping in the nearby wilderness is actually a great way to introduce someone who’s less keen on being outdoors to camping in general. Because not only are you showing them how beautiful the scenery can be when you zip open a tent in a quiet campground away from civilization, you can also bookend the trip with a night or two at any one of the Denver hotels to make sure they don’t hate you afterward.

photo by Zaskoda

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travel guide

Let’s Meet in South Africa to Watch the World Cup Matches

rooney-home-300x300Football fans everywhere rejoice at the idea of heading to South Africa this summer to watch the matches. Especially for you, the World Cup 2010 travel guide comprises enough details about the host cities, venues and travel arrangements so that you can plan everything on your own and don’t risk running into trouble.

Aside from being a good excuse to travel, planning a vacation in South Africa during the World Cup is also an excellent opportunity to meet fellow football fans from all over the world. And with a bit of planning you can add some sightseeing to your itinerary as well. You can add a 3-day safari to your vacation, for example. It’s not very expensive and you get to chance to see the animals in their natural environment.

A true fan won’t leave home without the England World Cup kit . You can choose among several jerseys to show your love for the favorite team. And yes, you can buy your girl one as well.

If for any reason you aren’t able to travel to South Africa in June, then you can always follow England at the World Cup and head to your local pub to watch the matches. Your new jersey will suit you well, don’t you think? Surely, it won’t come close to watch the matches live on the stadium, but there is a certain magic feel to watching the matches together with other fans, guys and girls.

Whatever you do, just remember to stay safe and don’t get drunk. A pint or two of beer is a good way to unwind but more can send you directly into trouble. Always be aware of your surroundings and know where your belongings are.

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travel guide

Explore the Culture of Istanbul, a 2010 European Capital of Culture

hagiaEvery year, one or more “European capitals of culture” are chosen to highlight some of the amazing culture and history that can be found throughout Europe. In 2010, one of those European Capitals of Culture is Istanbul.

Straddling two continents (Asia and Europe) Istanbul is a mish-mash of cultures, religions, and cuisines. The city was the seat of three successive empires – Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman – and traces of each stage in its development are still evident everywhere you look – from the sparkling cerulean tiles of the Blue Mosque to the lavish rooms of the Topkapi Palace.

You can literally walk through different stages of history here, take a boat ride from one continent to another, and examine the juxtaposition of old versus new.

There are dozens of activities lined of to celebrate the city’s inclusion as a Capital of Culture; the events take place all year round so the ideal time to go depends more on your budget. Your best chance to find cheap flights to Istanbul is during the spring and fall. More cheap hotels in Istanbul are available during this time as well.

As elsewhere in Europe, the most popular times (and therefore the most expensive) to visit Istanbul tend to be during the summer months and over the holidays. Shoulder season (late spring and early fall) are a good compromise. Prices may be lower, tourist crowds will be fewer, and you’ll still be able to enjoy all the sights and culture of Istanbul, but without the sweltering heat that accompanies the height of summer.

Photo by David Spender