Travel Blog |

I lived in Germany for five years, many years ago, and as a result had the opportunity to travel around Europe quite a bit, visit lots of places, learn a little of three languages and have lots of fond memories. But since those golden days I have been back twice with my fiance for a three week trip and one 18-day.

The first was completely planned with reservations for each night and was high intensity, high stress covering six countries and nearly 1800 miles. How else can you cover all the bases? Actually you can’t and do it any justice at all.

And my friends that is lesson number one. For any traveling tours to Europe lasting less than 3-4 months decide ahead of time and agree that you cannot see it all. There is so much not just the large cities but the countryside and small towns. That is where the heart of the country lies. You have to set priorities on what you want to see and stick to it. This requires quite a bit of advance planning on your part-or if you trust someone else a Travel Agent?

And that is lesson number two. Find a travel agent for cosmos travel tour who you can trust-one who’s been there many times. Unless you have been to the country before you cannot possibly aware all the nuances of foreign travel. Depending on your personality consider doing a tour first. Self guided trips to a foreign country can be very stressful and will perhaps ruin the trip

Lesson number three -Make an attempt to speak the local language. Even in France (with one exception) the locals appreciate you trying to speak their language. Depending on where you go for your European bus tours, for instance, most Beneulux countries, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and even northern Italy you can get by with German-and truth be told English if all else fails. But the locals really appreciate the effort and you will be rewarded for your efforts.

Lesson number four-Contrary to an international myth there are speed limits in Europe so watch the signs.

Lesson number five-Room sizes like bathrooms and bedrooms are without exception considerably smaller than what you are used to. So if you tend to be claustrophobic-beware. Also mealtimes are generally different from ours especially in Italy and France. The normal safety precautions should be taken for your room with a alarm door stop or a keep it for added security. Thieves live in Europe too.

Lesson number six-For the really adventurous forget all of the above and just wing it. There is no better thrill in traveling, to my way of thinking, than being able to turn left off the autostrada to go to Venice just because you feel like it.

Traveling to Europe requires much planning and careful preparation. Having a good travel agent that has been to Europe many times is almost an absolute necessity for a self guided tour. If you are with a group you needn’t worry so much. But the most fun of all is doing it on your own without an itinerary.

Share This

Read Full Post »

The Desert Palms Resort is comfortable, accommodating and well-placed in Alice Springs. Seeing as we planned to spend most of our time in Alice outside of our hotel room, we were simply looking for reasonable accommodation. The Desert Palms Resort is that, and so much more…

This is one of those places where every party has their own individual little “chalet” or “cabin”. They’re funky little a-frame looking places that are surprisingly large and comfortable on the inside. They have pitched-pine ceilings and very, shall we say different, color schemes inside. Each chalet has a nice deck as well.

And, one other great feature of this Accommodation in Alice Springs is its connection with many of the tour operators in the area. Almost any activity that you’ll be participating in will feature a pickup at the Desert Palms. There is hot air ballooning, quad bike adventures, massage, golf, and cultural trips to different locations.

Of course, the primary reason for a visit to the Alice is a trip to the rock. Though it can be done in a rental car, the roads are long and strait. It’s far better to organize a 2, 3 or 4 day trip with a local operator as you can relax in the air-conditioned comfort from the moment they pick you up from your Alice Springs Resort Accommodation. They have the best accommodation available near the rock, and the biggest prize… the bus driver doubles as a tour guide – and the local information and historical stories they convey is worth every cent.

Ayres Rock sets a number of factual records, but has an amazing connection with the Aboriginal dreamtime. A great guide who can balance the delivery of this information can make your trip so much more magical.

The same can be said about your Accommodation in Alice Springs management. We found those at the Desert Palms Resort will do just about anything to help you have a wonderful stay. One night, we were very late (14 hours, to be exact) in returning from a 3 day trip. We had the bus driver phone ahead to warn the Desert Palms that we’d be late getting in, well after the desk closed. When we arrived, there was a note instructing us to go to particular chalet. And as I’d mentioned we had a hot air balloon trip scheduled for the next day, they also had taken the liberty of scheduling a wakeup call for us. : )

Comfortable rooms, each with two double beds. In summer it’s hot… you will laze in the air-conditioning, and the nights of winter can drop below zero… Lucky they have reverse cycle!

Clothes dry very fast in the desert, but there is good laundry facilities.

A small convenience/grocery shop attached to the desk, where you can buy all sorts of prepared meals for microwaving, if you get a late munch attack.

The resort has a very nice pool, for the times of year when it’s not too cold.

They also have a 1/2 sized tennis court. Not sure about playing on a 1/2 size court for tennis. But if the wind ever dies down, you could play the world’s biggest ping pong tournament.

And, if you’re into gambling, it’s only about 700 meters down Barrett Road to the Casino!

I would highly recommend a trip to Central Australia, and suggest Desert Palms Resort as your Base.

For helpful recommendations about luxury vacation home - study this web site. The time has come when concise info is really within your reach, use this opportunity.

Share This

Read Full Post »

The towns of Whitby and Scarborough, on the North Yorkshire Coast, are unique in their own ways, but both of them provide tourists with an exceptional choice of attractions to keep people of all ages entertained. Rent a holiday cottage in Whitby or Scarborough and you will have a good base from which you can explore all that this wonderful area has to offer. Dealing just with Scarborough, in this piece, we recommend the following tourist attractions.

Scarborough is a typical British seaside resort and of course that means a great choice of amusement arcades along with the family friendly Luna Park Fun Fair. The fair is situated right next to the harbour and has a lovely atmosphere. Even though it is only small there is a good quality choice of rides including a ferris wheel, dodgems and a helter skelter. The fair is primarily aimed at families with young children.

Peasholm Park in Scarborough is also very popular with families. It is a much loved park and there are various things to do. There is a lake and in the summer months it is possible to hire boats and enjoy the simple pleasure of boating -choose between conventional rowing boats, canoes or pedaloes with dragon heads! Free concerts frequently take place at the bandstand during the summer months. There are also two cafes in the park. The park is an excellent spot for a summer picnic! The North Bay Railway, which has operated since 1931, runs from Peasholm Park to Scalby Mills. It is thought of as the most historic miniature railway in the country.

No visit to Scarborough is complete without a visit to the castle. This striking ruin is located above the town on the prominent headland. Children will adore exploring the castle and there is an audio tour which will undoubtedly capture their imagination and enable them to visualise life in the castle hundreds of years ago. There is also a free activity sheet for children to fill in. The visitors centre at the castle provides an exceptional insight into the past and also contains a number of fascinating artefacts.

Terror Tower is a haunted house attraction which uses special effects, live actors and animated scenes. The show brings to life well-known characters from horror films and covers three storeys in two buildings. The show is not recommended for young kids, particularly the under fives.

The Futurist Theatre provides entertainment for local residents and tourists alike. It is also used as a cinema which was its original purpose.

The Rotunda Museum in Scarborough contains a number of fascinating exhibits which people of all ages will enjoy.

Jane writes for Ideal Holiday Cottages.co.uk where you can find an excellent selection of holiday cottages available to rent in Britain and Ireland along with a good choice of holiday cottages in North Yorkshire.

Obtain helpful recommendations in the sphere of vacation home - please go through the web page. The time has come when proper information is really only one click of your mouse, use this chance.

Share This

Read Full Post »