Some interesting and useful sites for you to visit
and tips from fellow travellers
I love the public art in Ovar, Portugal
During our travels we all develop a fondness for very useful web sites and those handy little hints which make our days just that little bit easier.
If you would like to share some of your tips and favourite sites, we would love to hear from you.
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Tips from fellow travellers
From Janis, Springfield Qld
Tip: My travel trip for Versailles Palace: when visiting, buy your tickets before arriving as the line to buy tickets is longer than the line to enter the Palace. It is a real waste of time if you could have purchased in Paris or elsewhere first.
Tip: Beware of the "cheap flight" in Europe especially with Ryan Air. Check the luggage allowance before purchase as it is pretty hard to keep to their limit when your luggage is for 4-6 weeks not for just a week-end.
Tip: When renting a car in Ireland, don't worry about any existing scratching that is on the left hand side of your rental car. This is caused by overgrown shrubs and bushes that scrape along the side of the car when travelling on their skinny roads. All of the rental cars that we saw had this damage.
Tip: Beware of the "cheap flight" in Europe especially with Ryan Air. Check the luggage allowance before purchase as it is pretty hard to keep to their limit when your luggage is for 4-6 weeks not for just a week-end.
Tip: When renting a car in Ireland, don't worry about any existing scratching that is on the left hand side of your rental car. This is caused by overgrown shrubs and bushes that scrape along the side of the car when travelling on their skinny roads. All of the rental cars that we saw had this damage.
From Tess of Toowoomba, Qld
Tip: Use cable ties for locking your luggage. They are easily cut by Customs if needed. Remember to pack something in the outside pocket of your checked luggage to cut the ties on arrival.
Tip: If you are able to, do your check-in on line as it saves the huge queues at the book-in desk
Tip: If you are able to, do your check-in on line as it saves the huge queues at the book-in desk
Mary of Sunshine Coast, Qld
Neck cushions can be fun!
Tip: Always drink plenty of water during flights and it's best not to drink alchohol (or not too much anyway)
Tip: Use a neck pillow on long haul flights - in the past neck cushions may not have been a very attractive accessory but as you can see, that has changed. Using a cushion makes the flight much more comfortable and you may even get some sleep.
And don't forget the earplugs!!
Tip: When travelling and using a mobile broadband stick, be wary!! We used a stick from the Orange network in France. It had a free period on it before you had to sign up on line. Sadly, with out extremely limited French, it made it very difficult to actually do the sign up on line. Suggest you check this out at the store and do your sign up there if possible.
From Anne, Midlife Travel Adventures
Tip And while on the subject of mobile communications, be very aware of the different mobile phone carriers in Europe. I found that, although I had purchased a Vodafone phone and SIM in the UK, I could not recharge it in Portugal. It was difficult to recharge the phones because none of the phone companies overseas would accept Australian credit cards for recharge either over the phone or online and at the store, you could only recharge for the country you were in...ended up with 3 different phones and 4 SIMs and that was not counting the US and Canadian phones I had also accumulated!
Tip: If you are travelling with a laptop with wireless access, McDonalds in many countries have free internet access as do Starbucks in Canada and USA (you have to sign up with them but you do get 2hrs free a day). I have been known to park outside a closed Maccas and still be able to get access on their free wireless connection. Oh yeah... and there was also a litle bakery in Canmore, Alberta where I could sit on the footpath after they had closed and still get access. When you are a bit desparate.....
Tip: Use a neck pillow on long haul flights - in the past neck cushions may not have been a very attractive accessory but as you can see, that has changed. Using a cushion makes the flight much more comfortable and you may even get some sleep.
And don't forget the earplugs!!
Tip: When travelling and using a mobile broadband stick, be wary!! We used a stick from the Orange network in France. It had a free period on it before you had to sign up on line. Sadly, with out extremely limited French, it made it very difficult to actually do the sign up on line. Suggest you check this out at the store and do your sign up there if possible.
From Anne, Midlife Travel Adventures
Tip And while on the subject of mobile communications, be very aware of the different mobile phone carriers in Europe. I found that, although I had purchased a Vodafone phone and SIM in the UK, I could not recharge it in Portugal. It was difficult to recharge the phones because none of the phone companies overseas would accept Australian credit cards for recharge either over the phone or online and at the store, you could only recharge for the country you were in...ended up with 3 different phones and 4 SIMs and that was not counting the US and Canadian phones I had also accumulated!
Tip: If you are travelling with a laptop with wireless access, McDonalds in many countries have free internet access as do Starbucks in Canada and USA (you have to sign up with them but you do get 2hrs free a day). I have been known to park outside a closed Maccas and still be able to get access on their free wireless connection. Oh yeah... and there was also a litle bakery in Canmore, Alberta where I could sit on the footpath after they had closed and still get access. When you are a bit desparate.....
Links to sites which may help you plan your travel adventures.
Do you have a favourite site to recommend?
Just click on the highlighted links below to take you to site for more information
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Midlife Road Trip What an adventure these guys are sharing with us.. shows how amazing and exciting life changes can happen when you really discover "the thing" you should be doing at the right monent in your life. Karma!
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U Tracks run a range of cycling, walking,barge and sail tours in Europe and the UK. Guided tours, family adventures or self guided wanderings are all available. Highly recommended by family and friends who have taken some of their tours.
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Bikestyle Tours Official Tour Operators to the Tour de France and Santos Tour Down Under. Bikestyle Tours specialises in cycling holidays to France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Australia, and provide a unique cycling experience with unparalleled service, attention to detail and value for money - a winning formula.
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Eaglerider Motorcycle Rentals & Tours pioneered the Harley-Davidson® motorcycle rental concept and the guided motorcycle tour business. We understand the needs of motorcycle enthusiasts and adventure travelers; offer a huge selection of perfectly maintained motorcycles and allow one-way rentals or guided tours between franchise rental facilities located in the most desirable tourist destinations in the world
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Vietnamese Cooking Schools and Classes - Hanoi Cooking Centre is a purpose built cooking school, cafe and retail outlet which offers hands-on cooking classes and short courses in a relaxed atmosphere, It was designed by renowned Melbourne chef Tracey Lister, co-author of KOTO - A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam. Cooking classes and some market tours are also offered by Highway 4 Restaurants, Hidden Hanoi and Sofitel Metropole. Classes are also conducted in Hoi An, Nha Trang and Saigon.
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Intrepid Travel- For travellers with a yearning to get off the beaten track, Intrepid opens up a whole new world of adventure travel.
With a huge variety of tours available, Intrepid travellers explore the world's most amazing places - from the back streets of Asia, to the wilds of Africa, the colourful landscapes of Latin America, the picturesque National Parks of North America, the delicacies of Europe & ancient cultures of Australasia. Come with us to discover real people, real cultures & incredible real life experiences along the way. |
Couch SurfingA growing number of travellers are linking with locals and saving on accommodation costs by joining the couch surfing fraternity. Open to all ages - be a host or a travelling guest and really connect with the communities you visit. Read more about the couch surfing experience on our Travellers' Stories page or on the couch surfing organization site.
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Found In LifePaddy Hobbs shares his experiences as a midlife exchange student studying in Krems Austria. Enjoy his study and travel adventures while he spends a year exploring.
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Want to Volunteer Overseas? Here are some sites which may be useful
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Global Volunteer Network Launched in December 2000, our vision is to connect people with communities in need. We do this by supporting the work of local community organisations in countries through the placement of international volunteers. International volunteering provides a more reciprocal form of travel, in which both volunteers and host communities are able to benefit from the experience; GVN have just launched a "Young At Heart" tour of Vietnam - experience sights, culture, food while sharing education, love and caring with children and young people.
5 continents, 22 countries and 63 projects-Where do you want o go? |
Volunteer with VCap Nepal offers wide ranges of meaningful volunteering, internship & travel opportunities in Nepal for individuals, groups and families at an affordable cost from all around the world. Our volunteering & internship programs in Nepal include; Orphanages volunteering, teaching English, health and sanitation, environmental awareness and many other various community development aid projects at local level focusing the local community & it’s development.
Join once in a lifetime experience in Nepal |
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Cheyenne River Youth Project People come from all over the world to volunteer with the Cheyenne River Youth Project®. We are truly an international organization in this regard, with volunteers regularly arriving from the U.K., France, Germany, Canada and other nations. Our children love to meet new people, to learn about different cultures and to teach others about their culture. By participating as a volunteer, you become an educator, a mentor, a diplomat and a friend. It is certainly a tall order!
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ATN Portugal - Faia Brava Reserve, Coa Valley located in the northeast of Portugal, near the Douro International Natural Park, is a small but important SPA (Special Protected Area – Bird EU Directive), due to its significant cliff breeding bird populations. This area is also classified as an Archaeological Park, because of the existence of Palaeolithic engravings. Volunteer with the "1 Million Seeds" project or other programs. The link will take you to their site where english translation is available.
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Airline/travel websites where I have found great deals (Anne Hobbs)
www.canadianaffair.com This site is part of Thomas Cook travel and I have found some fantastic fares here (eg Calgary, Canada to Manchester, UK for CA$49.00 + taxes and a return flight to Calgary from Manchester about 3 months later for CA$56.00 + taxes - loved that bargain. These flights were booked within 5 weeks of departure and the price had come down quite a bit from the scheduled fare.
www.airtransat.com This is another related arm of Thomas Cook travel - some good prices here on flights also
www.westjet.com One of Canada's large regional budget airlines - you can get some good deals here (eg I got a flight from Vancouver to Honolulu for CA$169 which included taxes) and prices reduce closer to flight dates if seats not sold.
www.cheapflights.com This is a general travel browser but they do include a lot more of the regional airlines so often get some good buys
Don't forget - if you see a bargain on one of the search and compare websites, just check with the airlines own website - they often have a similar price but without the booking fee levied by some search sites.
Happy travels!
www.airtransat.com This is another related arm of Thomas Cook travel - some good prices here on flights also
www.westjet.com One of Canada's large regional budget airlines - you can get some good deals here (eg I got a flight from Vancouver to Honolulu for CA$169 which included taxes) and prices reduce closer to flight dates if seats not sold.
www.cheapflights.com This is a general travel browser but they do include a lot more of the regional airlines so often get some good buys
Don't forget - if you see a bargain on one of the search and compare websites, just check with the airlines own website - they often have a similar price but without the booking fee levied by some search sites.
Happy travels!
Free download Travel Guides
Ryan Air offers free downloadable travel guides to many of their destinations including London,Berlin. Barcelona, Paris and Rome
In Your Pocket City Guides: Download Them All, For Free In keeping with our pioneering approach to city guide publishing, In Your Pocket is the first travel publisher to offer its unrivalled print publications for free download, in full, in PDF format. Optimized for quick download and viewing on screen, they are the perfect primer to the cities of Europe.
Free travel guides for many travel places. The travel guide is a PDF file and easy to read on screen or print off. Each travel guide contains complete travel information for the place and designed to be your travel guidebook.
In Your Pocket City Guides: Download Them All, For Free In keeping with our pioneering approach to city guide publishing, In Your Pocket is the first travel publisher to offer its unrivalled print publications for free download, in full, in PDF format. Optimized for quick download and viewing on screen, they are the perfect primer to the cities of Europe.
Free travel guides for many travel places. The travel guide is a PDF file and easy to read on screen or print off. Each travel guide contains complete travel information for the place and designed to be your travel guidebook.
