World Travel Guides – Travel, Destinations and Vacations

See this beautiful town of Etruscan and Roman origins in the province of Arezzo Italy. Overviews the Chiana valley and the Trasimeno lake.

Travel savings advice, tips and ideas to reduce your travel budget.
Learn how to save on vacation costs with these easy tips. Don’t just put your vacation costs on a credit card. Saving money on vacation expenses is actually more about how informed you are.

Cyprus (meaning Copper from the Latin name Kuprum) has had its history traced back over 9,000 years. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The Greeks became very interested in Cyprus because of its abundance of copper and other minerals. It has always had Country settlers there from Greeks to Romans, Lebanese and British.

The latest course of history was in 1974 when Turkey decided it wanted the North. It is now called the Northern Territory. The inhabitants were given only a few hours to leave their homes so many of the belongings were left where they stood. Even today if you know where to look, you can see a rusty old car with its front door open, just as the owner left.

The beautiful island of Cyprus has a wealth of amazing places to visit and scenery to view. Along with its forests, mountains, coastlines and beaches there are places of historical and archaeological importance.

Further inland there are the Troodos Mountains with vast area of vines and forests. It is an absolute marvel to see. It boasts the highest amount of grapes produced for the size of the land.

The mountains are great to get out of the heat and feel the cool air. The nights have an aroma of pine trees and wild herbs. There are a number of plants that can only grow in Cyprus, so is worth the visit for that alone. The valleys are very fruitful bearing almonds, cherry, apple, pear and plum. They have quaint little villages scattered around, that haven’t changed. To go into the heart of a village and taste the wines and experience their hospitality is amazing.

The south west end of Cyprus has developed into its own, especially Paphos. It is still as old world as it used to be. A quaint town without the bustle of a holiday resort. It does have an area of hotels but has a 5 to 10 minute walk away from the main town. It is a great location and area for viewing the harbour and beaches. There are two beaches that are very attractive, which lay half way between Limassol and Paphos.These are Evdimou (which has a bar) and Pissouri (which has a hotel complex).

Up on the North Coast lies the little town Polis with Latchi nearby. Latchi is a harbour town and often serves swordfish straight from the sea. It boasts a most beautiful beach. Further along the coast lies the place where Aphrodite used to bathe. Its name is Fontana Amorosa that means a foaming spring.

In the south east lies another little town named Aiya Napa. It is an historical fishing village which combines so much versatility without changing the old world style.

Cyprus is only a short cruise or plane ride to so many other countries such as Egypt, Rhodes and Lebanon. This breaks any holiday up, to have a holiday within a holiday! Cyprus has a very long hot summer and a short mild winter. (Jeans and cardigan weather without coat) In my view Cyprus is one of the most versatile islands which enjoys the beauty of nature, mythology, architecture, with a generous welcome to all.

Here’s a good tip to help cut the cost of flying to many European cities and make your dollar go a little bit further.

With the current high value of the euro, it has become increasingly expensive for Americans to take a vacation in Europe. Since 2002, the euro currency has appreciated over 45% against the US dollar. By buying cheap flights from budget airlines you can reduce your European travel costs considerably.

Rather than getting a direct trans-Atlantic flight to your destination, you can often get a better deal by flying into a hub like London, UK and then using one of the many European ‘low-cost’ airlines to get around the continent. This will give you both freedom and flexibility to visit more places and perhaps save a good few dollars. The great thing about the low-costs is that you don’t have to purchase a return fare, so you can customize your trip as you like.

Southwest airlines successfully pioneered the low-cost concept in the US in the 1970s. In the last few years the number of budget airlines in Europe has grown significantly and you now have a number of major hubs all over the continent. These include Frankfurt (Germany), Dublin (Ireland), Brussels (Belgium), Rome (Italy) as well as London. The main players are Ryanair, Easyjet, Airberlin and Skyeurope but there are many more smaller operators. European budget airlines have had excellent safety records so far.

The network of budget airlines in Europe is quite extensive covering the whole of the continent from both east to west and north to south. Consider that just 10 years ago your only options were to take a very over-priced flight with a national carrier or alternatively sit on a train or bus over very long journeys.

Example:

You want to fly from New York to Rome, Italy in the fall. Cost of flying is $575 via Spain with Iberia or $625 direct with Alitalia. However you can also fly the more competitive route to London for $400 and then book a return flight from London to Rome with Ryanair for the special offer fare of $55. Total cost $455 plus free stopover in London if you wish. Thus saving $170 or $120 off the cheapest direct and indirect scheduled flights, respectively.

Please note, flights to London from North America will arrive at Heathrow or Gatwick airports. The budget carriers generally operate out of London Luton or Stansted airports. Both are 1 hour north of the city and can be reached by bus or train.

Expensive to stay in London? Yes, but Easyjet founder Stelios Haji-Iannou has now branched out into the hotel business and his easyhotels chain now offer small rooms in Central London from just $35 per night if you book ahead.

To get the very best fares on budget carriers you should:

• Book as far in advance as possible. As the plane fills up the ticket price rises.
• Fly very early or very late in the day.
• Fly midweek, Tuesday and Wednesday being the cheapest day. Avoid Friday and Sunday evening as these can be expensive.
• Avoid flying just before holidays and to destinations holding major events such as big soccer matches, as demand will be heavy.
• Check budget airline websites regularly for special offers where you can sometimes get ‘free’ flights. Unfortunately these are not really ‘free’, you will have to pay the taxes and charges which will vary for each airline.

A caveat about low-cost airlines. Sometimes they will not be cheaper than the full service carriers especially if you are booking at short notice. So do make price comparisons.

Also, check how far the airport is from the city centre. “Frankfurt” Hahn used by Ryanair is actually around 80 miles from Frankfurt. Fine for a leisure trip but possibly inconvenient if you are flying in on quick business.

You should always allow plenty of time for connections. Because of the low cost nature of the business the budget carriers won’t hold your hand if there are any delays or problems. However, most flights are usually on schedule.

In summary, budget airlines in Europe will allow you to both travel around very cheaply and reach some of the more out-of-the-way destinations such as Estonia and Slovakia that you might never have considered before.

When travel dreams take people to Italy, Tuscany is often their first stop. There’s something almost seductively charming about this region and its rustic good living. Today we’ll experience two classic examples of “la dolce vita” (the sweet life): joining an early-morning truffle hunt through an oak forest, and tasting the bounty of a small-town artichoke festival. For more information on the Rick Steves’ Europe TV series.

Having a fantastic day in New York City doesn’t have to break the bank, if you know some insider secrets. To complete this How-To you will need: A Metro card Comfortable walking shoes Energy A sense of adventure.

Step 1: Start with breakfast Start your day right, with a New York City bagel. Grab one and a cup of coffee from any deli or street vendor for about $2.50. Tip: To sound like a native, order yours with a “shmear” of cream cheese.

Step 2: Get a Metro card Get a Metro card. As of spring 2008, a one-day unlimited pass for the public transportation system will be $7.50. It allows you to take as many subway or bus rides as you like at a fraction of the cost of a tour bus.

Step 3: See free landmarks Check out gorgeous free landmarks like Grand Central Station, the New York Public Library, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, and the Chrysler Building. Tip: Grand Central Station and the Public Library offer free tours.

Step 4: Take the Staten Island Ferry Take the Staten Island Ferry; it’s how 70000 New Yorkers commute to work every day.

Rural tourism has become quite popular on the last years and Mallorca (Majorca) is a good destination for those looking to escape from massified areas and resorts.

There are many rural hotels in Mallorca, some of them offering luxury accommodation with all the facilities for the modern and smart traveller, which is looking for a place to escape and relax, and others are somewhat more agriculture oriented, perfect for those that want to try what living in community is and learn a little more about farms and its kind of life.

In Pollensa places such as the Son Brull Hotel and Spa that mixes both relax and farmhouse-community style. The guest is here given the option to choose which of these fits more its holidays.

Next to the world famous sandy beach of Es Trenc, in the Campos area, a good and cheap (or at least affordable) option for a rural finca is Finca Sa Casanova which offers activities such as trekking, horse riding and mountain bike, among others.

More in Campos: the Finca Es Palmer, which as been awarded by many traveller guides and offers 10 superb rooms, swimming pool and solarium. It is also really near to the beach as well as to the Golf Sa Rapita.

In Fornalutx, a small village with less than 600 inhabitants the Fornalutx Petit Hotel offers interesting rates for accommodation in this small and unspoilt village. Unfortunately this small charming hotel seems to offer only its pool and sauna as pluses. However, be pretty sure that in familiar hotel like this their staff will help you in organizing your activities.

At Alaro, the rural hotel S’Olivaret also offers activities such as trekking, hiking, tennis and the like. S’Olivaret perfectly conjugates history and tradition with comfort. More in the north of the island, in Soller, the Rural Finca Ca’s Sant offers peace, tranquillity and calmness surrounded by more than 30.000 sq. metres of enviable beauty.

And in Llucmajor, the Finca Son Guardiola offers authentic Mallorca accommodation in an old by completely refurbished area with more than 50.000 square metres of its own property.

The finca Sa Torre is situated in Santa Eugenia, next to the Santa Maria villa and could be a good choice if you plan to visit Palma during your holidays, as it is only 15 minutes driving from Palma de Mallorca. This village is still really small and keeps it mallorcan character. Every body still greets you while walking although they do not know you. Also, on Sunday you can visit the Santa Maria market, which in my humble opinion is one of the best to be found around the island. And by the way, is not more than 20 minutes driving from Palma.

Mallorca is not only sun, beaches and sangria, but the smart destination to escape from major cities. And rural tourism the way to find the real Mallorca.

While airports are increasing efforts to prevent such incidents, according to the International Society of Aeronautical Telecommunications (SITA), each year they lose about 25 million bags in airports worldwide.

Obligations of carrier

A dream holiday may be overshadowed by the unfortunate mishap that supposed to travel suitcases suffer destroy or, worse yet, lost. there’s plenty of travelers are unaware of what rights they have in these situations and the steps they must follow to retrieve their luggage or obtain compensation.

One time you actually check the destroy, delay or loss of luggage, the company is required, at no additional cost to the passenger’s belongings to be delivered at home or at the place said in the shortest time feasible. You must also pay compensation for each lost bags whenever a complaint filed in a timely manner. Filing a claim for loss or destroy of the case

When you find that your luggage is not on the tape for baggage claim or destroy appreciate, the steps are:

The airlines are responsible for all incidents occurring in the bags of passengers, including delays when it’s on board the aircraft or its custody.

1. Go to the airline counter in the airport terminal or, failing that, to the company in charge of ground handling. in case you couldn’t find the counter, you can see a point of information enabled by the airport or ask the staff to help travelers who have some airports.
2. Request a form called a Property Irregularity document (PIR) and complete all requested information.
3. Provide all required documentation: identity card or passport, plane ticket, baggage check tags (if any) and boarding pass.
4. Besides the above, it’s important to keep all receipts and invoices that have had to pay for not having the baggage. These documents will then be thought about by the company to calculate the compensation due.

Amount of compensation for lost luggage

One of the most important agreements is the Montreal Convention on air carrier liability. Made part of the following countries: Member States of the European Union, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, United Arab Emirates, United States, Gambia, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Syria, Tanzania, Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tonga.

The allowances are set by international agreements signed by each country.

If passengers feel that the content of one or more of their luggage has a special value, declaring it can secure sufficient time before check-in of the company must pay the supplement. The last resort, sue the airline to court

Under that agreement, compensation is calculated based on a unit called the SDR (Special Drawing Rights) which has a corresponding value determined in dollars, euros, pounds sterling and Japanese yen. This value is reviewed and updated by the International financial Fund.
Baggage special value

If after having gone through the grievance procedure, the company does not reply, refuses to meet the compensation or if it’s deemed insufficient, the passenger may file a complaint with the courts.

The passenger must not forget that both airport employees such as airlines are there to conveniently provide a service and therefore has the right to demand proper performance but always must approach them with due respect. Patience and wisdom will always be the best allies.

The Catacombs of Paris, once rock quarries used to produce building materials for the city above, is now home to the remains of millions of the city’s dead.

When you fly on the commercial airlines of the United States, you are flying on the safest, most efficient form of transportation. When the rare accident does occur, more and more people survive due to advances in aircraft manufacturing and design, air traffic control technology, emergency planning, and cabin safety.
Aviation manufacturers, air carriers, and the Federal Aviation Administration are proud of their contributions to aviation+s impressive safety record. You, the air traveler, play a very important role in aviation safety. You can take responsibility for your own safety.

• Listen To The Safety Briefing
• Keep Your Seat Belt Fastened
• Obey Carry-On Baggage Restrictions
• Wear Sensible Clothing

Fly Smart. Be responsible for your safety and make your safe trip.