Skiing Holiday with Teenagers

Skiing as a family can be a lot of fun. But, what if the kids are too young for total independence and too old to hang out with you? How do you choose a resort that will cater to your teenagers needs without introducing them to situations they’re not ready for? Many resorts across Europe are beginning to recognise that the enjoyment of their teenage visitors is just as important as the enjoyment of the parents paying the bill. So, if you want resorts to cater for your teens, so you don’t have to, what should you look for?

Location, Location, Location

Booking a ski chalet as near the slopes as possible is important because it reduces your teenager’s reliance on you. Their ease of mobility will give them a sense of independence without the need for parents worrying will they get across the road safely, will they get lost en route, etc?

Also, looking for ski chalets with teen-orientated facilities will keep them amused while you’re out to dinner. Many chalets come with fully-equipped media centres, games consoles and, if you’re looking for luxury, a spa.

Teen Tuition

Many resorts now offer skiing and snowboarding tuition for groups of teenagers. This is a great opportunity for your child to learn new skills, try new winter sport disciplines and mix with their peers, some of whom will come from other countries.

Terrain Parks

Now, for putting those lessons in to practice! More and more resorts around Europe are building terrain parks for freestyle skiing and snowboarding and if you’re wondering where your son or daughter is, look no further. They’ll be trying out new tricks and discovering that their abilities stretch further than they first thought.

The majority of resorts recognise safety, so you can expect rules and patrols making sure kids are making the most of the snow without causing trouble or harm.

Off-Slope Activities

Once they’ve had lessons, made friends and then cemented their new friendships on the half-pipe, a good choice of alternative activities is key to keeping your teens and their friends amused. Most resorts will offer Tobogganing, ice skating and climbing; although an introductory course to ice climbing and comprehensive insurance is strongly recommended.

Party Time

As in the UK, the legal drinking age in Europe is 18. However, some regions take a much more relaxed approach to youth drinking. If you don’t want your teen succumbing to temptation, or peer pressure, look for quieter venues. If you choose to dine at a hotel, most will have games rooms kitted out for teen, or an indoor swimming pool.

Britain’s Most Haunted

Tower of London

London has plenty of ghostly haunts and many of them are accessible on foot. Walking tours provide you with lots of paranormal viewing in the Old City, down narrow passageways and dark alleys, while experienced hosts narrate your journey. If you do decide to start your journey in London, be sure to visit the Tower of London, a building steeped in bloodshed and death.

Even if you don’t experience a ghostly encounter, walking tours will allow you to visit parts of the city you may otherwise have missed, not to mention give you a hands-on history lesson.

Outside of London there are various opportunities for ghost tours. Book a guided tour or choose to stay overnight in famed haunted properties. Durham Castle is one location that is known for its otherworldly inhabitants, particularly the Lady Grey, who can be seen haunting the staircase where she met her fate from a fall.

Chillingham Castle is another popular spot, as it was listed on the TV show, ‘Most Haunted’. Visitors often report hearing screams in the corridors and experiencing the apparition of a little boy in Chillingham’s Pink Room.

Head out to the 13th century abbey in Lacock Village. Plenty of visitors have experienced ghosts within the abbey walls and the apparition of a young woman is often seen down at the nearby lake.

The Talbot Hotel in Oundle, Northhamptonshire is supposedly haunted by none other than Mary, Queen of Scots. It’s said that Mary descended the stairs of the hotel on her way to her fate at the executioner’s block. Plan on spending at least a night in this hotspot so you can maximize your chances of seeing a ghost.

The Guinness Book of Records lists the village of Pluckley in Kent as the UK’s most haunted village. Visit the mediaeval Elvey Farm and see if you can spy the ghost of the ‘weeping wanderer’. Other reported apparitions include a woman named Red Lady Derring, a highwayman, a miller, a schoolmaster, a screaming ghost and even a white dog. Plan to spend at least the better part of a day here and be sure to bring your camera along in the event you can snap some evidence.

If you’re feeling particularly brave, stay in the Prince Rupert Hotel in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Room six is reported to house the ghost of a hanging woman. Guests in other rooms have experienced objects moving on their own, so you may not get much sleep.

Finding haunted hotspots in England is relatively easy if you know where to look. Simply ask the locals if you can’t decide where to go next and test your bravery with haunted overnight stays and guided tours. One thing for sure is this is one vacation that won’t be easily forgotten.

Jennifer McKnight is a freelance writer specializing in a variety of web content subjects. She frequently writes travel articles, gives financial advice and details information on current Accounts at moneysupermarket.com.

California State Route 99

Everyone loves California and there really isn’t a place there that isn’t worth visiting alone. Best of all there are so many cheap hotels that it’s an affordable vacation destination that is sure to fit anyone’s budget. The sunshine, the just about perfect year round weather and more are sure to please any lone traveler looking for some fun and adventure on their vacation. Following are just of few of the best places to visit in California.

California via Highway 1
Highway 1, aka Pacific Coast Highway, is regarded as one of the most scenic drives you can take and it is absolutely breathtaking. The most captivating sections of the highway run between LA and San Francisco and have exciting twists and turns, pristine, beautiful beaches and plunging cliffs touching the raging waters below. You’ll also pass acres of gentle green farmland growing everything from strawberries to lettuce. Highway 1 is the best way to really experience the beauty of California.

San Francisco
There is so much to say about San Francisco that it would be impossible to cover everything this gorgeous city has to offer. The architecture is breathtaking as is the Golden Gate Bridge, the people are colorful and creative, Fisherman’s Wharf is fun and exciting, and all of theses features just touch on what the city has to offer. Best of all it’s a small city meaning that it’s effortless to get around the city without a car and transportation is a piece of cake. Also, many cheap hotels in San Francisco is available what makes the city even more attarctive!

San Diego
San Diego is California at its finest if you love gorgeous beaches, terrific weather and fantastic things to do like visiting the San Diego Zoo. San Diego is also close to the Mexican border so you’ll have the opportunity to indulge is the Mexican cultures not to mention the delicious, spicy food. You’ll also want to book one of the discount hotels in or near one of the city’s popular neighborhoods like the Old Town, Little Italy and Gaslamp.

Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is almost 1200 miles of pure beauty and beautiful waterfalls and is highly regarded as one of the greatest national parks in the U.S and is world renown. It is a natural preserve that showcases countless forms of life and showcases just how stunning nature can be. Yosemite is one of the most historic wildlife parks in the U.S.

San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo is jut one of many charming beach towns along the coast of California but is one of the best. It’s a little bit more peaceful than most beach towns along the coast but it’s a also a college town so it offers a fun combination of a younger scene with good music and fun bars as well as an exceptional Farmer’s Market, trendy art galleries and quirky shops and restaurants.

All these outstanding California places are exceptional places to visit if you’re traveling alone. Most of them can be very affordable if you stay at one of the cheap hotels in California, and all are worth visiting.

Hotel Splendido

Located on a green hillside overlooking Portofino’s harbour, the Hotel Splendido is amongst Italy’s most luxurious retreats. A stay here will grant tourists the opportunity to embrace the splendour of the Ligurian Riviera: relaxing days spent soaking up the sun by the crystal clear pool, enjoying legendary lunchtime cuisine at the hotel’s Pool Restaurant and taking in the breath-taking views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Splendido Hotel

Guests at the hotel can enjoy their complimentary full American breakfasts before exploring the abundance of charming cultural sites to be found in the area, including Castello Brown and the Church of St. George. A shuttle bus is available from the hotel at various times throughout the day, allowing guests to explore the village’s main sites with ease. For those who do not wish to get around using public transport, free parking is available outside of the hotel, with a private garage being available for use at an additional charge.

elegant Hotel Splendido

From the hotel, tourists can immerse themselves in the traditional Ligurian atmosphere of Portofino by wandering down the winding roads and past the colourful houses to immerse themselves in the charm of the busy harbour, which is surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Portofino’s Piazzetta is adorned with cafés and restaurants, while its main street, Via Roma, is lined with high-end boutiques, jewellers’ stores and artists’ workshops, reflecting the fact that the village has been frequented by some of Hollywood’s most famous, including Elizabeth Taylor and Humphrey Bogart.

travel social network

While all this social network leisure reading and interaction is fun, there are other great benefits to being a member of a traveler social network site. In fact, if you sign up with a great travel social network such as MooPlace.com, you might be outright surprised at all the amazing benefits you gain from being a member of the site. What would you get out of being a member? Here is a brief look at the benefits you would attain:

Insight into amazing travel deals and discounts would be among the prime benefits. Who would ever want to pay full price on their travel excursions when they are alternatives available. When you are a member of a solid social networking site for travel, you will quickly discover many great deals you never thought of before.

You will never be lacking in knowledge as to what are the top hotspots or the most beautiful beaches, entertainment locales, and dining establishments in any area you visit. These topics are discussed all the time on travel social network which will certainly be of great interest to those who want to cut down on their travel costs but do not want to cut down on the destinations they want to travel to.

When is the peak season to travel and when are the off seasons? Different regions will have different peak and off peak seasons and there can be huge differences in your travel itineraries when you travel peak vs. off peak. One is not necessarily better than the other but you do want to take your trip during the season which will prove to be most in concert with what you are seeking.

Among the more interesting aspects of a travel social network would be that it can come with an amazing amount of information of subjects which you never thought would be broached. For example, did you know that there are travel tours that appeal to people who love ancient history? These vacation packages take you to the locations throughout the world where you can enjoy guided tours of the ruins of antiquity. This is only one example of unique trips you can take. Other examples would be adventure tours and ecotourism excursions. Finding information on tours of this nature is not always easy. However, when you are a member of a solid travel social network, you will discover it is quite easy to access such helpful and interesting information.

There truly are a number of great reasons to become a member of a travel social network site. Once you belong to the fun communities which comprise these networks, you will be able to meet like-minded people who also enjoy travel and can provide you with a tremendous amount of information you can utilize for your travel excursions.

On the Beach Voucher Codes

Does a trip to a vacation resort have to be expensive? The answer is most definitely not provided you have the right On the Beach voucher codes available to you. On the Beach is an appropriately named service. It can provide you with many excellent vacation and package deals for trips to areas where the sandy beaches allow you to forget about all the troubles and responsibilities you endure when not on vacation.

Why not allow On the Beach to provide you with an excellent low cost means of visiting the greatest beaches in the world?

No, a trip to a famous beach never has to be costly. What it can be is a lot of fun and offer a lot of excellent memories. You might discover your ventures to a legendary vacation resort to be filled with a lot of “fun in the sun” and games. You could use the opportunity to take many pictures with your family. You could even use it as a great way to de-stress from the rough and tumble work year you had to go through.

However, you should never assume your day at work has to be troubling or stressful in any way. And as long as you are investing the right amount of time taking advantage of the great Voucher Codes which are available, you never have to feel you will be at the whim of high fees to go on a simple holiday of sand, sun, and blue waters.

On the beach discount codes exist for a reason – they are intended to help you get a great deal and discount on beach passes. Since they are there, why not take advantage of them? There is no reason to overspend on any of your ocean excursions.

One reason that some would be vacationers might not take advantage of the offers for voucher costs would be that they are not sure where to find them. It can be said one of the best – if not the best — place to look for excellent vouchers would be to look online. On the Beach has provided some truly excellent deals and special offers online. If you are interested in finding some great voucher codes to some truly excellent destinations, you definitely will find the online offers to be among the best of the best.

These deals and On the Beach vouchers could include both short term and long term holidays. They can involve both peak and off peak season trips. You might discover that in addition to some very famous resort locations, you are also afforded with the opportunity to visit “out of the way” and lesser known vacation spots.

Either way, you will discover that you definitely can gain access to a great many different vacation destinations. No matter what type of resort you are hoping to travel to, you can do so. And yes, you can do so with the great cost savings made available through On the Beach voucher codes. This is why it is so strongly suggested to look online for the many excellent deals which are available.

South West of Crete

My family and I had been planning our annual holidays for quite some time and when my husband suggested a trip to the Greek island of Crete everyone agreed. Because we booked our plane tickets ahead of time we saved quite a bit of money.

We arrived at the Chania airport about 10:00 in the morning and travelled by bus to the south west of Crete. We were going to hire a car, but were told that we wouldn’t need one since our first stop would be Agia Roumeli. We chose this destination first because it was at the end of the Samari Gorge which my husband and I had wanted to check out for years. Apparently the Gorge is closed during the winter, but reopens in the spring. Our teenagers were not very excited about what they called a boring walk, but we were going to spend a couple of days at a very nice hotel in Paleochora so they could have some fun too. The seaside hotel has a pool and all kinds of water activities that they can participate in while my husband and I go sightseeing.

We checked into a great little hotel that was right on the beach in Agia Roumeli. Our accommodations were comfortable and the views of the sea were spectacular from our private balcony. The restaurant had great authentic cuisine including snapper and barbecued shrimp. We really enjoyed have breakfast outside on the deck. There was a great little snack-bar next door and the beach was literally steps from the hotel.

The next day we made our way to the Samari Gorge which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Crete. Apparently almost a million people make the trek from May to October. We were told to wear comfortable hiking shoes and I am sure glad that we did. The path is well maintained, but it can get quite rocky and is pretty steep. The trip takes about 5 hours. We made it in 4 and even stopped for a picnic lunch in the village of Samaria which is eerily deserted. The kids were actually enjoying themselves and got some spectacular photos of the Iron Gates. The wildflowers were in full bloom as we made our way back to Agia Roumeli. After a good nights sleep we spent most of the day relaxing on the beach. The hotel offers guests beach chairs and umbrellas and since our ferry didn’t arrive until 4:30 to take us to Paleochora, we decided to take advantage of the warm spring weather.

The ferry ride to Paleochora was beautiful and we couldn’t have asked for a nicer afternoon. When we arrived at the hotel we were pleasantly surprised. Our room overlooked the pool and we were only 5 minutes from Sandy Beach. After we unpacked we made our way down to the pool. We were really impressed with the outdoor bar and the pool was massive. We were going to have breakfast at the hotel the next day so that night we decided to look for a restaurant with views of the sea. We found a great little authentic Greek eatery that has been around since 1968. The family restaurant overlooks the Libyan Sea and serves fresh seafood dishes like swordfish and calamari. After dinner we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep so we would be well rested for our last two days in Crete.

The next morning we had a huge breakfast of eggs, sausage, mushrooms, toast and coffee. We were going to rent a fishing boat, but decided to go on a kayaking tour. We paddled out to sea and were amazed at how clear the water was. We stopped off at Grammeno and had a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants before we paddled back to Paleochora. That evening we had a delicious meal at a lively taverna that was a short stroll from our hotel. Even the teens were impressed with the live band and were dragging us out on the dance floor.

The next morning we took a cab back to the airport to catch our flight back to the UK. We were sad to leave, but we will be back. We love the great outdoors and found quite a few nice areas where we could set up camp. We want to spend a couple of days in Nopigia and plan on renting a caravan so we can see everything that the beautiful island of Crete has to offer.

Amsterdam cyclists guide

Amsterdam may be well known for its outrageous nightlife, but there’s more to this pretty city than coffee shops and the red light district. After disembarking your flights to Amsterdam, the best way to find your way around the city is almost jumping on your bike and getting ready to explore.

The majority of cheap flights airlines (for example Easyjet, Ryanair, Thomson or others) require that you pay extra to bring hold luggage: so unless you can fit your bike into an overhead locker, you will have to pay up or leave it at home. Budget travellers needn’t worry: Amsterdam is chock full of bicycle rental facilities, so you can easily rent one once you arrive. Most rental shops will charge per 24 hours, and this is usually in the region of €13 plus deposit.

Bear in mind that bike rental is very popular, especially on sunny days. If you want to avoid disappointment, arrive early in the morning whilst other tourists are recovering from the night before.

Amsterdam is very friendly for cyclists: even if you’re a novice you’re unlikely to feel stressed or threatened. Most people favour cycling as a way to get about as the roads are very flat. If you’re concerned about looking like a tourist on your rental bike, there are some companies that sell camouflaged bikes so that you can blend right in (head down to the Jordaan area to find some).

One important thing to remember to look out for is the tram tracks which can be a danger to cyclists. The cycle tyres can be quite thing and if you’re not careful can easily get caught in the tracks. Although tram drivers are used to tourists doing silly things like this, do watch out for this problem as at the end of the day, you’re always better safe than sorry.

Once you’re on your bike, there are a couple of things to remember: if you’re British remember to keep to the right side of the road, and no matter where you’re from remember to stay out of the tram lane. Getting your tire caught in a tram track is no laughing matter, especially when twenty tonnes of public transport is bearing down behind you.

Consider what you want to see in Amsterdam. If the weather is sunny, I recommend cycling to the supermarket to load up on supplies for a picnic in the Vondelpark. Work off the bread, cheese, and potato chips with a cycle around the park.

If the weather is cooler you can spend your cycle time exploring local attractions. There is one windmill near the center of Amsterdam called De Gooyer. There is a small café/pub underneath with a terrace and free wifi: a perfect place for a pit stop. Amsterdam zoo is also a short cycle away from the city center, as is the famous Bloemenmarkt. Although it’s possible to walk to both from Dam Square, having a bike makes things  a lot quicker.

If you’re cycling to the Heineken Museum (or the local nightspot) remember that drink driving is never a good idea: even in Amsterdam. You’ll need to keep your wits about you if you don’t want to end up crashing into the famous canal: a fate famously reserved for Red Light District paparazzi.

Exchange Rates

Planning a foreign trip? Then of course you’ll have a hundred things on your to-do list, ranging from finding a comfortable hotel at the right price to remembering to pack your toothbrush when the day to leave finally comes.

Of course, in addition to all these things to check off your list, there’s also the important task of changing currencies. Taking the Eurostar from London to Paris? Then you won’t want to be caught without euros! Hopping on a plane to the States? Then changing your pounds sterling into dollars is essential.

But where do you change currencies exactly? What’s the best time to do it, and how do you get the best exchange rate? To help with these questions and more, I’ve compiled some helpful tips below!

Choose The Right Place! 

Without a doubt the worst step you can take is to decide to change currencies in the wrong place. You might for instance be tempted to change your pounds into euros at the airport. If you do this though, you’ll be stuck with some of the poorest exchange rates available, as airport bureau de changes take advantage of the fact that people are changing currencies at the last minute to take the biggest percentage possible. Not the way to get you foreign holiday off to a sunshine start!

Instead then, seize the moment when you think you might need to change currencies. Head onto Google and find out what bureau de changes are available in you local area. (You might be surprised: even supermarkets like Tesco and M&S let you change holiday money these days, while the Post Office is a good-but-sometimes-overlooked option.) Take down the numbers of your local branches, and get ringing. You want to find out who’s offering the best rate, and how much foreign currency you’ll have when all is said and done.

Check The Rates Beforehand 

If you’re not travelling for some months, another great tip is to look where the exchange rates are at beforehand. This is because the rates can change dramatically inside a few months, meaning the rate available today might be better (or worse!) than that available in a few months.

So how do you make sure you change at the right time? Once again, look up the numbers of some local bureau de changes and get calling. You want to find out where the exchange rate has been in recent weeks, and whether what’s available today is better or worse. You might even ask if they think the exchange rate is going to improve or not although – be careful! – no one can know this for certain and so any predictions should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Once you know here the rates have been, you’re in a position to decide if the one available today is good or not. Has the pound been stronger against the euro in the past six weeks? Then perhaps it could be worthwhile holding off before you change. Is the pound at an eight month high against the US dollar? Then get changing, before it comes down again! This way you can get a much better deal when you change currencies.

If you’re not just taking a holiday but in fact emigrating abroad, visit us at foreign exchange specialist Pure FX for a great deal when you change currencies. We’d be delighted to help.