Sep 2

Cheap Travel Tips

Deciding on when to book is a bit of a gamble. While many tour operators will offer cheaper prices and early booking discounts, you may find that last minute deals are also available which will prove better financially.

There are many factors that you should take into account when deciding on when to book for maximum financial gain:

Are you flexible in terms of dates that you are prepared to travel?

Are you flexible in terms of destinations that you are prepared to travel to?

Will you be buying a package deal or will you be building your own package?

Are you considering a popular destination where many tour operators or flight companies travel?

Flexibility Is A Plus

Firstly, if you are flexible in terms of location and dates then you will almost certainly benefit from waiting until the last minute to book your holiday. Last minute deals are, of course, something that you cannot rely upon and if you are set on going to a certain destination at a certain date then last minute is far too risky. If you are planning on creating your own package then youneed to be aware that you are taking multiple gambles. For example, you need to consider your airfare, hotels and transport. Whilst you may get an excellent last minute flight, you may not be so lucky when it comes to the hotel or car hire. In fact, you may find that paying a premium for other parts of your holiday will end up out-weighing any last minute savings you have made.

If you are looking to travel to Europe, this is the time to do it! Flights are a lot cheaper during the spring months when temperatures are still relatively low.

Mexican beaches and the Caribbean islands start to see their prices drop from mid April as the weather becomes hotter. However, during the spring months, the water and air temperatures are still pleasant and the resorts less crowded

Seasonal Travel Plans

During later spring, for example May, the traditionally hot and dry countries are not in their peak seasons but have not yet become intolerably hot. So if you want to visit Morocco, Jordan or Egypt, plan a spring vacation.

Summer

Finding a bargain in summer is tricky. Americans, Japanese and Europeans are all on the move and this is also the time of year that most weddings take place, so honeymoon destinations are in a great deal of demand.

During the early part of summer, through June and July, Caribbean destinations are still good to get a deal, provided you try to book before the Europeans start to flood in during their school holidays at the end of July.

Safari holidays are a good option between June and September. High season ends in May, but the weather is still relatively dry.

Flights and hotels are still quite reasonable in Southeast Asia during the summer months, but temperatures can be quite hot, so if you can’t stand the heat, avoid this destination during the summer months.

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Sep 2

Scarborough Beach Vacation Rentals

A hidden jewel that rests along Rhode Island’s southern shore, Scarborough Beach offers a classic coastal New England atmosphere without the crowds that flock to more popular towns. From its rocky coastline and sandy beaches to its delicious seafood and historical sights, it has never been easier to enjoy the charms of a picturesque East Coast destination when you live like a local in a vacation home rental.

Although Scarborough Beach may not pop up on your vacation radar since nearby Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard are tried and true options, this waterfront delight is certainly worth a look when you consider its distinct appeal. Home to the north and south sections of the most popular beach in the state, Scarborough State Beach, knowledgeable Rhode Islanders know they need not go far for an amazing beach, while out-of-state visitors are just beginning to discover that relaxation and the East Coast can be synonymous when you select the right destination.

While the Scarborough State Beach may lead you to select Scarborough Beach as your home base, it is also convenient to the fine sands and clean waters of Narragansett Town Beach, the Roger Wheeler State Beach, and Salty Brine State Beach. Swimming, sunbathing, body surfing, and fishing are just a few of the available options for filling your mornings and afternoons, while a sunset stroll on the soft white sand is always a relaxing cap to the perfect day. Up and down the coast, breathtaking scenery is also at your fingertips whether you want to ride along the East Bay Bike Path, drive past the mansions on Ocean Drive, or soak in the splendor of the Point Judith Lighthouse.

Even with its breathtaking beauty and endless opportunities for excitement, it is the unblemished nature that should draw you towards Scarborough Beach. Rather than endless droves of vacationers and constant commotion that keeps you from relaxing, you can enjoy easy access and breathtaking views of the sparkling water, soft sands, and pristine coastline from Scarborough Beach vacation rentals. When every glance out the window or off the patio looks like it jumped right off a postcard, you are definitely doing something right.

Close to the water’s edge and surrounded by unparalleled beauty, convenience is only the tip of the iceberg for your stay in a vacation rental. While your time outdoors will certainly be more fulfilling as the water exerts a constant pull and the great outdoors beckons for exploration and untamed adventures, the time you spend indoors is bound to be just as enjoyable in Scarborough Beach rentals. With plenty of space to comfortably house your entire family, an evening of movies, games, and a little peace and quiet are never too much to ask from your home away from home.

On the beach or in your vacation rental, serenity is always on the menu when you retreat to Scarborough Beach. Countless waterfront pursuits, beautiful coastal scenery, and other quaint towns are waiting to wipe away your worries, while all of the space and comforts of home are at your disposal to ensure your vacation is as easygoing and relaxing as possible. Rather than following the crowds and taking the run-of-the-mill course for your next getaway, get off the beaten path and make Scarborough Beach your destination for fun in the sun.

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Sep 2

Top 10 Caribbean Beach Vacations

Looking for the best Caribbean beach vacation? Hey, I love sharing the highlights of all the places I visit and learn about. Below you’ll find my top 10 picks for a great beach vacation with examples of what’s special about them. Then you can decide which one you think would be the best beach vacation in the Caribbean for your trip!


Aruba:


This place is for those that like a non-stop vacation with lots of restaurants, bars casinos. The beaches are gorgeous, the water is wonderful and it hardly ever rains. The scuba diving is awesome with great opportunities for photography. The fishing is pretty good too.


Barbados:


Your troubles will simply wash away in the soft island serenity of this great beach vacation destination. Brighton Beach is a great place to stay for your Caribbean beach vacation and the most popular here. If you want a little more privacy you can get secluded villas around the island. Taking that horseback ride on the beach will feel as if you’re in a movie and I would highly recommend trying it. Probably my second favorite beach vacation overall.


Turks and Caicos Islands:


Like long beach walks? At 12 miles long, Grace Bay is simply a phenomenal stretch of soft white sand with smaller luxury resorts, spas and great restaurants perfect for a beach honeymoon vacation. And the water color is the most vibrant translucent turquoise… I love it! Seems that many movie stars and rock stars like it too with several owning homes and vacationing here on some of the 8 secluded islands all with fantastic beaches. Turks & Caicos has long been a diver’s paradise with great deep-sea and bone fishing too! Taking the kids? Well, Beaches Resort consistently gets high marks as one of the world’s best family beach vacation spots.


Bahamas:


Technically not in the Caribbean, but with so many beautiful beaches I had to add it to the best beach vacation list… it’s close enough. Paradise Island is great fun especially swimming with the dolphins, which is an experience of a lifetime. The diving here is fantastic because of the calm waters and enjoying the nightlife is all kinds of fun. For a secluded romantic get-a-way try the pink sand beach on Harbor Island.


British Virgin Islands & U.S. Virgin Islands:


Both make great beach vacations, especially for island hopping. Having a chance to easily enjoy not 1, 2, but potentially 3 islands or more each with it’s own charm make for one of the best beach vacation spots. Trunk Bay on St. John is particularly gorgeous and popular with calm waters and an underwater snorkeling “trail.”


Cayman Islands:


A very entertaining destination with odd things like feeding iguanas grapes while dining at a restaurant. Definitely worth it for the pictures! Three islands in all, its another great place to island hop and enjoy waterfall climbing, extensive shark diving, and swimming with the stingrays and shopping, shopping, shopping.


Dominican Republic:


Here is a place you can go for a cheap beach vacation and still enjoy all the splendid beauty of a Caribbean island. Have a great time scuba diving, swimming with dolphins, deep sea fishing and hiking. Fabulous beaches too!


Anguilla:


A fun Caribbean beach vacation to tell your friends about. It’s the only area known in the Caribbean to have beautiful white sandy beaches deserted during peak season, which makes this a great place for couples to enjoy. Especially with activities that include windsurfing, scuba diving, and snorkeling. Oh, and if you love seafood, all I can say is, “The best chefs in the Caribbean!”


St. Lucia:


A honeymooners delight. Think jazz music, small island, secluded and intimate and that is St. Lucia. Beautiful beaches, lush tropical foliage, scenic mountains, spectacular sunsets and typically many great all-inclusive packages are offered. It all makes for a very seductive beach honeymoon vacation.


Hey, I could add a couple more since the Caribbean is full of beautiful and interesting places. Some may offer a little better snorkeling or fishing, larger or smaller hotels, more seclusion or more nightlife, but all are wonderful in their own way. You really can’t go wrong with these when planning and dreaming of your next Caribbean beach vacation!

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Sep 2

20 Year Low For Andorra Ski Holidays In 2007

Shortly after investing millions of Euros in their ski facilities, popular ski country Andorra has been left reeling from her worst season for twenty years, with initial official suggestions of a ten per cent drop in tourists this year, and private ones of closer to 40 per cent.


The season was so bad that it was decided to close the facilities at the end of the long Easter weekend, in previous years the slopes have been open until the end of April, and this effectively cut the 2006/7 season by two weeks.


There was hope in the middle of March when the snow finally arrived that it could increase substantially the number of visitors for the last six weeks, but despite Easter week seeing normal levels of hotel occupancy, it failed to trasllate into bookings for the few weeks after.


For a small country with a population of 70,000 reliant on the ski industry, the economy has been hit not only direct in the travel trade, but others sectors feeling the pinch include Andorra’s shops and departments stores which offer some of the cheapest quality shopping in Europe, but also restaurants, petrol stations and real estate.


A nervous wait is in store for Andorra for the 2007 to 2008 season, with the hope that snow levels, which were poor throughout the European ski resorts this year, will return to normal.


Andorra has invested heavily in recent years to bring the standard of ski facilities and other infrastructure up to the quality of competitor European ski resorts, with a resulting ten million tourists a year prrior to this year.


Included in the investment has been a new ski park in the village of Arinsal designed with children in mind, with the aim of encouraging their ski ability before being let loose on the slopes, and new hotels in Andorra’s prime ski resort of Soldeu and improvements in the road system.


Fortunately for Andorra, as well as skiing, the country enjoys a tax haven status, with subsequent high employment in banking and an active real estate industry for those looking to gain residency.


Surprisingly perhaps for a tax haven, mortgages for a property are as available as many European countries, with rates around the same level. Up to eighty per cent of a property’s value is often agreed by the banks in Andorra.


Buying a property in Andorra is often seen as a route to residency, which entitles people to live in Andorra and benefit from her tax haven status.


To obtain residency in Andorra, applications need to be submitted in Catalan. A notarised copy of the applicants passport, birth certificate and a certificate of good conduct from the home country are submitted at the same time. Residency normally takes between three and six months to be approved.


Once residency is granted, residents are supposed to spend six months a year in Andorra, but this isn’t policed.


One of the drawbacks for those looking to become a resident in a tax haven when considering Andorra has been that the country has no airport of its own, and is unlikely to have ine future given that it is located in the Pyrenees. The nearest airports are Barcelona and Toulouse.


Recent improvements in the road from Barcelona to Andorra though have cut the travelling time by some thirty minutes to two hours fifteen minutes.


‘Given the tax advantages Andorra has’, an Andorra travel guide, ‘A two and a quarter hour trip to the nearest international airport could be viewed as a small price to pay for those who will be saving substantial amounts of money in tax. Especially when you consider that their properties could be rising in value quite significantly in the years to come.’


It’s hoped that it won’t take years for the ski industry to bounce back with a second poor ski season in a row for Andorra.

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Sep 2

One Of The Best European Honeymoon Destinations Is The Villa Le Scale In Capri, One Of The Most Romantic Hotels In Europe

The Villa le Scale on Capri has been often voted as one of the very best European honeymoon destinations, and from my own experience it is not only all of that, it is also in the top 10 romantic hotels in Europe.

Capri in the summer is not for the faint hearted, and the hustle and bustle is quite overwhelming, but the second we went through the gates we were immediately in an oasis of calm and total luxury. I also loved the way the crowds on the street all stopped to look as the gates opened, it made me feel like a film star!!

Greeted with complimentary champagne, snacks, and towels, quickly shown to the Venetian Room, which certainly did not disappoint. It was beautifully furnished with a wonderful terrace, which we were to make great use of during our stay. It also had a Turkish bath which was well used by us.

A nice touch was the complimentary fresh fruit plate, indeed the first of many complimentary offerings we were to receive at the Villa le Scale. Already we could see why this is rated one of the best European honeymoon destinations, and one of the most romantic hotels in Europe.

We had breakfast on the terrace every morning amidst the perfumed jasmine and the gardens. I also had a couple of massages on the terrace-highly recommended!!

Lunch by the pool was another delight, but one of the outstanding memories were the staff who could not have been more helpful.

There are many nice hotels where the staff can be a little churlish when you want to eat out, but not so here, so we were able to enjoy the Aurora for dinner in Capri and da Paolina where you eat under the lemon trees.

Get Marcello to take you on a boat trip so you can swim in the grottos, and explore the island with a chauffered car.

Wait until the evening before you go into Capri, because all the day trippers will have gone, and it will be cooler.

All in all we loved the Villa le Scale, the quality of everything from the food, to the service was unsurpassed. We were made to feel like friends and not like paying guests

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