Thursday, September 18, 2008

Fall Travel Deals

If you are one of the lucky few who can be flexible in vacation travel, taking fall vacations can be a great bargain for you. There are a number of special things going on to capatalize on plus summer venues still looking for the last of the tourist dollar.

Top summer destinations are usually great fall bargains. The weather can still be gorgeious and the crowds gone. Take a look at Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard during this time. Hawaii is typically a bargain in September. The summer crowds clear out and there are a few months before the holiday crowds start to come in.

Look to Europe during this time, too. Many cities emptying out from the summer tourist crush are still hungry for visitors. Weather can be great and look for speacial deals on packages that combine airfare, hotel and transfers plus a tour or two. Colder European destinations can be a special bargain and look for great deals to Russia and Scandinavia around this time of year.

For other ideas look to respositioning cruises. This is when cruises lines move their ships around to follow the sun. Most people want to cruise to the warmest, most pleasant regions of the world. Ships float and therefore they can pick up and just move from one side of the world to another to follow the sun.

Most Alaska, Europe, India, Mediterranean and Bermuda cruises, for instance, are offered in the summer when the weather is the best in those regions. For cruises to South America, the preferred time is winter (our winter, when it's summertime in the southern hemisphere). The Caribbean is warm year-round, though since hurricane season stretches from June through November, the optimal time to cruise the islands is

winter and spring, though many ships are there year-round. In Asia, since much of the cruising region is near or just north of the equator, temps are very warm year round, though the wintertime months are slightly more comfortable.

To be in all of these places at the right time, ships reposition from one region to another, typically between seasons, during the months of September and October and April and May. These one-off oddball itineraries are called repositioning cruises and they're often deeply discounted because most don't include a whole lot of port calls. Many are two to three weeks in length, with a long, lazy stretch at sea crossing the Atlantic, Pacific or Indian oceans -- perfect for people who don't need too much action, though many lines feature guest lecturers and special entertainment and activities revolving around music, food, wine or other topics.

You'll find some repositioning cruises that don't include crossing over vast oceans and therefore offer more ports of call -- for example, when ships move between the Caribbean and New England/Canada, stopping at points on the eastern coast of the US along the way. There are a slew of options.

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Travel Journals

Are you off to a vacation adventure this summer? Have you ever kept a travel journal, diary, or diaries?

A travel journal is where you write about your personal, family and/or business travels. It can be a separate journal where you record your experiences, details, and even your feelings about your travels, creating a written record of each trip. You can also record your travels, if you already journal, in your existing journal. Just indicate that this is a record of your travels -- That can be accomplished by using a separate color of pen.

You can record�

Your feelings and experiences.

All the locations you visited. You can include a map or draw a map.

The miles and time to travel from location to location.

Who you were with.

Who you met.

What you wore.

Would you go back? Why? What do you want to see?

Where you stayed? You can keep the address, phone numbers, names, etc.

What you ate? Again record the address, etc., so you can find it again.

What you saw?

Daily travel experiences, and expenses.

Favorites-hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, locations, etc.

The funniest

thing that happened.

The most difficult thing that happened.

In your travel journal you can add photos, receipts, memorabilia, maps, drawings, menus, any items that you want to add, and that fit the space you have.

Travel Journals for the Children

A great tool to involve the whole family is to create a travel journal for the children. They can use a notebook and record the same items that you did, writing what their experiences were. They can also write a story telling what they experienced each day. You can create a game for them where they count the cows they see, other children they met, or towns, etc., keeping that information in their journal.

Use the idea of a travel journal to keep a written record of all your travels, all those adventures.

Also find information to travel India at: india tourism news

Travel Safety Information for Students

As the time approaches for spring or summer breaks, many college students are getting ready for that much anticipated trip abroad. Most will have a safe and enjoyable adventure, but for some the trip will become a nightmare. A number of vacations are ruined by one or more of the following: drugs, alcohol, and disorderly behavior.

Each year, more than 2,500 American citizens are arrested abroad -- about half on narcotics charges, including possession of very small amounts of illegal substances. A drug that is legal in one country may not be legal in a neighboring nation. Some young people are victimized because they are unaware of the laws, customs, or standards of the country they are visiting.

Besides drugs, alcohol can also cause trouble for U.S. citizens traveling abroad. Students have been arrested for being intoxicated in public areas, for underage drinking, and for drunk driving. Some young Americans go abroad assuming that local authorities will overlook such conduct. Many believe that they are immune from prosecution in foreign countries because they are American citizens. The truth is that Americans are expected to obey all of the laws of the countries they visit, and those who break these laws sometimes face severe penalties, including prison sentences.

Disorderly or reckless behavior is also to be avoided. In many countries, conduct that would not result in an arrest in the United States constitutes a violation of local law. Being arrested is not the only misfortune that can occur on a foreign vacation. Young Americans have suffered injury or even death from automobile accidents, drowning, and falls, in addition to other mishaps. While these accidents are sometimes chance occurrences, many are caused by alcohol or drug abuse. Sadly, other Americans have been sexually assaulted or robbed because they have found themselves in unfamiliar locales or are incapable of exercising prudent judgment while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Other hidden safety issues are of major concern as well. Because standards of security, safety and supervision are not the same in many countries as they are in the U.S., many young persons have died after automobile accidents, after falls from balconies, after falls into open ditches, by drowning in the ocean as well as in hotel pools, and in water-sports mishaps, among others. In some countries, the water sports industry is not carefully regulated. Unlicensed operators have been linked to assaults, and a number of Americans have been killed or injured by the improper use of jet-skis and other personal watercraft. It is crucial that young Americans be aware of these risks as they are enjoying their time abroad.

Young Americans traveling abroad should remember that reckless behavior while in another country can do more than ruin their vacation; it can land them in a foreign jail, cause them to suffer physical harm, or worse. It is possible to have a safe and fun trip if they avoid risky behavior and become familiar with the basic laws and customs of the country they plan to visit before they travel.

Also find information to travel India at: india tourism news

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