See Rome In A Day?  It’s called the Eternal City.  Eternal means “lasting or existing forever”.

While Rome hasn’t necessarily existed forever, it has been around for a very, very long time.  There are layers and layers to see.  Do you want to see ancient sights, religious centers, or medieval and modern Rome?

When you’re contemplating a visit… your first visit… all you can hope to do is see the highlights… SOME of the highlights.

You’re going to have to limit yourself if all you have is a day or even two.  You can get a good overview of all the layers of the city if you plan it right.

Good guidebooks will give you specific information about what buses and subway lines to catch… and you’ll need to have this planned out in advance to make any plan to see Rome in a day work. (more…)

New York City is a favorite for travelers from the United States and for visitors from around the world.  It’s one of those must see cities right up there with London, Paris and Rome.

So where do you start with a city that offers so much?  Well, any self-respecting tourist has to hit the tourist highlights, so unless you have a particular agenda, you’ll probably want to visit this short list.

You can certainly see New York City on your own, but if your time is short or you’d like a quick overview, you might want to consider a city tour.   Another option is to check into one of the sightseeing city passes that are available; they can save you time and money. (more…)

If you’re interested in adding a little budget travel to your itinerary, and who isn’t once in a while, think about getting out into the countryside instead of spending all of your time in the big cities.

No matter where you’re traveling in the world, the countryside will almost always be cheaper than cities.

To maximize the benefit of this formula, you have to refine it even more, and plan when you’ll be in the city and when you should spend time in the countryside.

If you’re on a driving trip in your home country or one next door, this type of budget travel planing is easy.  You’ve got your car, so you can do both city and countryside.  (more…)

London is expensive, so how can you save money?  Look for things to enjoy in London for free!  Those ticket prices add up in a hurry when you have to pay admission.

Remember whenever it costs you 10 Pounds, that’s really about 14.00 US Dollars and 11 Euros — give or take — with today’s exchange rate…. And you’ll find plenty of admissions that are 10 or 15 Pounds and more.

You will want to see the Tower of London… and you should, but the admission fee is 17 Pounds… that’s $25.00 or 20 Euros!

So what can you see in London for free?  Lots of things.  First of all think museums.  Almost all of the museums in London are free. (more…)

You’re finally on your way; you get to the airport, and OH NO…. you’re getting bumped.  How did that happen?  You have a reservation.

How could they not have enough room for you?  Well, now we’re into a whole new category of flight problem.  Not getting on the flight you wanted.

The problem comes from the way airlines book their flights.  They routinely overbook their flights.  They do this because there is an amazingly large “no-show factor” even in this day and age of “non-refundable tickets”. (more…)

What about a camping family vacation this year?  If you’re American and you leave it to the kids to decide on your family vacation, chances are you’ll be heading to Disneyland or Disney World.

There’s nothing wrong with that…  those magical lands on both coasts of the U.S. are great fun for kids of all ages.

And there are plenty of things to do nearby to both, but what about something different….maybe getting back to basics and a camping family vacation?  Ah-oh.  Camping?  Where do you go?  What do you do?

If you’ve never camped before, you might want to start close to home… so you can bail out if you have to!  You can save the beautiful park far from home for another time, once you know you’re all going to like the camping experience. (more…)

Travel with friends and family can be a tricky thing.  You may have talked about your dream vacation with your friends…  Think about what you’ll do if they say, “Yea, I’ve always wanted to do that!  We should go together.”

Maybe you think, why not?  You get together a couple of times a month for barbecues.  You’ve caught a few ball games together, spent days together getting those house projects done.  Why not enjoy a trip together?

A trip together can be a really good thing, but you have to make sure you think things through… You really need to have an idea about who likes what before you start traveling with friends and family.  You want them to be your friends when you come home too! (more…)

Many Americans choose London as one of their first destinations abroad.  While the majority of Americans no longer claim English ancestry, there is no doubt that the history of the United States is closely tied to England.  Combine that with the fact that you don’t have to deal with a foreign language, and it’s an appealing destination.

If you’re not an American or a native English speaker, this grand old city still is a great place to visit.  So if you want to go to London what can you expect to see?  What should you do?

One of the most iconic things to see is Big Ben…. but you won’t really SEE Big Ben.  That is the nickname for the Great Bell, as it’s officially known.  The smaller bells chime “Westminster Quarters” on the quarter hours… a little tune you’re probably familiar with.  Big Ben chimes the hour. (more…)

Grand Paris!  Think of a romantic trip to Europe, and the City of Lights springs immediately to mind!  And why not?  It’s a beautiful city.  Easy to navigate.  And the sights!

Well, there is no shortage of sights.  And because of the combination of tourist attractions, food, and romance, it is one of the most popular destinations in the world.

So what do you want to do in this grand city?  The museums?  The Monuments?  The  markets?  The bookstalls along the Seine?  Is it the food that attracts you at world class restaurants, or do you just want to sit in a sidewalk cafe and watch the world go by?

There are so many “must sees” that you really will have to choose what is most important to you.  Monuments?  How about the Eiffel Tower.  The Place de la Concorde with it’s Egyptian obelisk.  Think of the line up of the Arc du Triomphe du Carrousel through the Tuileries to the Arc de Triomphe, and the grand Grande Arche in La Defense district. Or how about Invalides where Napoleon is buried.

Landmark churches?  Start with Notre Dame de Paris.  The Basilique du Sacre-Coeur… dramatic and white on the hill in Montmartre.  The churches of La Madeleine, Sainte-Chapelle, and the Pantheon.  Or just landmark buildings like the Palais Garnier.

There are so many world class museums that it would take your entire vacation to see them.  The Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, the Musee Rodin and the Musee Picasso to name some of the most obvious.  Museums can make your head spin after a few hours.  To avoid being overwhelmed by them, get a museum card.  They are available for 1, 3 and 5 days.

The card will allow you can go in and out of the museums over the period of your stay and not get “museum head”.  The museums are fantastic, but you want to get a feel for all of Paris don’t you?

Take time to stroll in a garden or two.  The Tuileries stretches in front of the Louvre.  The Luxembourg Garden is a great place to watch children of all ages sail small boats on the ponds.  Sit in one of the cafes and have a glass of wine.

Wander in some of the neighborhoods.  See Montparnasse with it’s artists and cafes.  See the delectable food displays in stores around La Madeleine.  Explore the Latin Quarter… see the Sorbonne and visit a bistro or two.  Or just wander along the Seine and see what the booksellers have in those green metal boxes.

The food is… well so French and wonderful.  You can certainly eat expensive meals at restaurants with who knows how many Michelin stars, but the food will be good almost everywhere.  Pop into any bistro or neighborhood restaurant and order a “prix fixe” menu and you are sure to have a great meal.  You have to try the favorite street food of Parisians…. crepes… try one with Nutella, or sugar and butter.

Food, wine, lots of action….. If we haven’t got you packing your bags for Paris, we hope we at least have you dreaming of the City of Lights.

Isn’t it hard navigating Paris on your own?  You’ve heard that they won’t speak anything but French, that the waiters are rude, and the shopkeepers are impolite.  It’s really not true.

Paris is a big city, and its citizens sometimes have that “big city attitude”….  people are hurried and may seem a bit brusque, but if you remember some of the simple rules of travel, you’ll do fine.

First thing you need to remember is to bring your sense of adventure and appreciate the differences.  The French are more reserved than most Americans.  They may not be as quick to smile at strangers, but with a little effort on your part you’ll find friendly, helpful Parisians. (more…)