travel Archives - Page 4 of 16

Romantic Activities for you and Your Partner in Venice

June 25, 2019 by admin

If you are looking for the perfect romantic getaway with your partner then look no further than Venice, a place which has gained a reputation as being the ideal spot for love birds. My partner and I toured Europe last year and this was the place that really blew our socks off. Some places gain a certain reputation but fail to live up to it, in the case of Venice however this couldn’t be further from the truth and every sight, sound and smell here simply oozes with love. If you and your partner do decide to visit this gorgeous Italian city then here are some romantic activities which you can both indulge in.

Gondola Ride For Two

Gondola’s are an iconic image of Venice and to take one out on the water with your partner is just about as romantic as it gets. You won’t be sailing the boat of course, that will be left up to the experts who will take you floating by some of the gorgeous architecture throughout Venice. The gondolas go from the main bridges of Rialto or Accademia.

Walk in the Footsteps of Casanova

Nobody has a reputation for romance like the famous lover Casanova, save for Cupid himself perhaps, and you can walk in his footsteps here in Venice. Enjoy a glass of wine at the Do Spade bar close to the Rialto Bridge which is where he would meet his lovers or head to Doge’s Palace which is the prison from which he escaped from.

Watch the Sunset at St. Mark’s Square

Sunset is always a romantic event and here in Venice it is even better given your surroundings. The best place to catch it is on St. Mark’s Square, the heart of romance here in Venice. The square is packed with live orchestras, opera singers and people dancing, what better way to watch the sunset?

Explore the Dorsoduro

Just near the Grand Canal in the Dorsoduro district you will find that the canals narrow and become more like a water village. Throughout this area of Venice you’ll find handmade gifts and street sellers offering their wares, walk through with your partner and buy yourselves some romantic souvenirs to remind you of your time in this beautiful city.

Take Lunch on Torcello

Ernest Hemingway famously wrote about taking a water bus over to Torcello island which is around 10km from St. Mark’s Square. Here you can visit the ancient Byzantine cathedral to the famous Locanda Cipriani restaurant where you can enjoy a romantic Italian meal for two under the shade of the pergolas.

Watch a Performance at La Fenice Theatre

The La Fenice theatre is a Venetian icon and you can enjoy ballet and opera here on most evenings. The journey to the theatre itself is romantic and then once the doors open up you are greeted by the most stunning and intricately designed theatre which you are likely to see, and this is all before the action starts. Watching an aria with your loved one in this glorious setting is about as romantic as it gets.

Best Tips to Prepare Kids for a Trip

April 25, 2019 by admin

While you’re busy preparing for your upcoming trip and making sure everything is packed, checking flights and hotel bookings, and arranging transportation – don’t forget to prepare your kids too. Traveling can be a stressful and even scary experience for kids, especially if you’re stressed out too. Also especially where a road trip is intended, the actual way to survive the burden of traveling is to keep it entertaining all the way. However, this isn’t easy where little kids are included – They get all kinds of irritant feelings in so it is important to prepare them ahead, and of-cause don’t forget to download one of those lovely children songs youtube hosts which your kids can sing along to.

To help you to prepare your kids for a trip, there are a few tips that you should definitely try out:

Start a countdown

Let your kids know that you’re all going to be going on a trip – and start a countdown. For toddlers it may be best to wait until the day itself and start counting down by the hour while explaining to them what will happen after that.

If you have kids that are old enough to understand the trip however, starting the countdown a week in advance can help build up the excitement. That will alleviate any apprehension they may feel about it, and get them pumped instead.

Explain (as best you can) exactly how you’ll go on the trip

It is important that your kids understand exactly what is going on, and you should try to explain it to them as clearly as possible. Take them through it step by step, such as: We’ll get in the car, drive to the airport, take out the luggage, put it through the security check, get on the plane, etc.

Try to act out each step so that your kids understand what is going to happen, and then remind them of the steps periodically until you depart.

Teach them about the place you’re visiting

One of the best ways to get kids excited is to let them know a bit more about the place you’re visiting and what makes it special. Nowadays there are lots of kid-friendly travel videos that can help, or you could choose a video that is similarly-themed.

If you do find a good video that your kids enjoy you may want to use Online Video Converter to convert it, put it on your smartphone and take it with you. It will make it easy to convert MTS to MP4 online or to any other format you need.

Get kids involved

Kids tend to feel more comfortable about things that they’re involved in – so make it a point to involve them in some way. The exact way in which you do so can vary based on their age.

For school-aged kids you should even involve them in the planning of the trip and float ideas of the places that you’re going to visit past them. For younger kids you can get them involved in the packing, and ask them to pass you things or find stuff for you.

While you’re actually traveling you can look into ways to keep your kids calm. If you’ve taken the tips listed above to heart, odds are they’ll be excited and looking forward to getting to their destination – which should make your job a whole lot easier.

Child Friendly Holidays With a Difference

March 30, 2019 by admin

Where are you taking your family this Easter? Have you missed the boat and you’re worried about it being too late to book? Don’t worry as although we are swiftly approaching the Easter holidays there are still some great value last minute deals which you can find to give the kids and exciting break. This Easter why not try a break with a difference, something beyond the normal city break or sunshine holiday? To give you some ideas of what kind of trip you could take the family on this Easter holiday, here are some inspirational holidays for you to consider.

Canal Boat

Throughout the north west of England and in Wales there are hundreds of miles of canals cutting through the land and for an altogether different type of holiday you and the family can rent a canal boat and float through your Easter holidays. Canal boats come in all sizes so regardless of how big or small your family is there will be something to suit. The boats are very easy to manage and the only technical skill which you’ll need is to manage the locks when you meet them. Along the way you can stop off for pub lunches and park visits before heading back to the barge for some rest. Kids will love this type of holiday and for the best family experience we’d recommend the Llangollen canals in Wales which features an huge aqueduct which will amaze you all.

Costa Rica

Central America often gets a bad rap when it comes to traveling there but Costa Rica is a country which reminds us just why this part of the world is so beautiful. The country is very big on eco-tourism and they embrace the wild and natural landscape. Why will kids love Costa Rica? Easy, because there are hundreds of activities which they can get involved in from hiking to bike riding, ATV tours to kayaking, caving to snorkeling and just about everything else in-between. Whether you head to the coast of Costa Rica for some action on water and sand or prefer to get further inland for some fun in the rainforest, all of the family will enjoy a trip to Costa Rica.

Tokyo

If you want a city break with a difference then look no further than the Japanese capital of Tokyo. The prices may be a little hefty but there are some Easter breaks which you can still find. Tokyo is a city like no other with its neon lights, its forward thinking nature and of course its delicious food. Kids will love the games and gadgets which are littered throughout the city, parents can relax in beautiful botanical gardens and the entire family will fall in love with the local cuisine and the quirky nature of this city.

Thinking outside the box with your holiday plans is the best way to ensure that you and the family have a trip which will be truly memorable, where will your next destination be?

Choosing the Perfect Car for Traveling with Family

December 27, 2018 by admin

Buying a new family car is nothing short of reaching an exciting milestone for every family. As the kids grow, the family needs change, and along them the travelling gear. Trolleys, cots and play yards are replaced with backpacks, surfboards, tents and fold-frame bikes. Nonetheless, the car-shopping time is full of excitement on all sides, with discussions, suggesting and pros-and-cons lists sprouting like mushrooms after the rain. To make things worse, manufacturers are spoiling us with yet unseen choices of models, types, colours and trims. Add the dealers’ or insurance discounts into the mix, and buying the best one really gets more difficult than it seems. However, when we’re making such a big decision, it’s important to call a spade a spade, so here is some weatherproof car-buying advice for a family that loves to travel.

Study the safety rating

While the vehicle safety should be among the first concerns for buying any kind of car, when looking for a family tourer, you should stay away from anything with less than four-star NCAP crash test rating. So, when you’ve made your shortlist, head on to your regional NCAP site and check the models to see how they fare on safety. EuroNCAP, for example, is particularly focused on child safety in its crash test assessments. If you live in Australia, the good news is that recent changes to Australian Design Rules allow for Isofix seats to be used in new cars sold in Australia without any modifications.

Chose the car body

Depending on where you live – inner city, suburbs or country, as well as how many children and pets you need to accommodate, you’re going to choose between a family hatch, saloon, estate or MPV. Five-door hatchbacks tend to be more practical than saloons of the same size, not only because of the bigger boot, but also because their design makes the interior space more flexible for fitting bulky items. While many family drivers swear by the estates, in reality, full-size saloons also have plenty of legroom in the back and a spacious boot. Multi-purpose vehicles, or people movers, are probably the best solution for families with older children who don’t need so much ‘gear’ but are keen on inviting a friend or two on a family trip.

How do you like to travel?

This is where you need to think whether a normal 2-wheel drive car will be enough or you need something with more power and clearance. Although in the last couple of years, the popularity of SUVs has exploded with manufacturers flooding the auto market with SUV-like versions of established lines in every niche, a thoroughbred high towing SUV can be immensely valuable for families who like to get the most out of their travels. Additional clearance and all-wheel, or four-wheel drive allow these vehicles to handle less than ideal road surfaces while towing a caravan or a boat trailer.

Set your budget

Unless you have your cash ready, you need to consider your financing options. Ask yourself how much you can really afford to set aside each month. For most families, the monthly new-car instalment should not go above 15% of the monthly take-home pay. The same rule applies for used cars, which are bound to be less expensive. If you’re leasing, arrange for a monthly payment of less than 10% of your take-home pay. On top of the car payments, you need to figure in the fuel and insurance costs. If you’re not sure what kind of cars you can afford through a certain monthly payment, there are plenty of online affordability calculators, listing the vehicles according to price range and the financing options.

Ask about after sale services and warranty

Buying happens once, but servicing is an ongoing process. So if you’ve settled down to two candidates, give the advantage to the one whose dealership is closer to where you live. Do you know a family that owns four cars, different models of a particular manufacturer? While the reason behind this might always be a personal preference, past experience or loyalty to a specific make, in many cases, it’s the local presence of the company’s showroom and workshop that makes the choice. Having two or more cars of the same make serviced and maintained close to your home saves you a lot of time and inconvenience.

Before swooping down on a new car, you need to research all the options, with your budget, driving habits and lifestyle in mind. Instead of sticking to individual traits like safety rating, body type or a particular make, you need to observe these as a whole and see which one would really suits your family in the years to come.

How to Make the Most of Your Next Travel Destination

September 20, 2018 by admin

When you are a nomadic family, the anticipation of visiting your next destination is something that can’t be beaten, until you get there. With new cultures and languages to learn about, there are many educational benefits that shouldn’t be missed out on. However, making the most of your time there can be a struggle when you have work and family commitments every day. There is luckily nothing to say that you can’t make the most of your next destination. In fact, there are numerous tips you can follow which will help you find a home there, where both you and your children can make the most of your surroundings.

Learn some of the language

When you are staying in a location for a few months at a time, it’s wise to learn some of the native language of the country. Not only does this show respect to the people that live there, but it can be a great benefit to add another language to your repertoire. Learning an entire language in this time is unrealistic, but having basic phrases and some understanding of how to hold a conversation will be helpful. Apps like Duolingo are perfect for when you want to learn on the go and are ideal for younger family members who want to start learning, too.

Immerse yourself in the culture

It can be both exciting and overwhelming to be thrown into a new culture. Like most things, it is unlikely you will reap the most benefits unless you delve into it as deep as you can. This can be another educational experience in and of itself. There are many ways to fully immerse yourself, such as adopting the local food into your diet and practicing native customs. In your first days there, you should take the time to learn about the history of your new destination, moving on to enjoy fun activities during your time there.

Enjoy some fun activities

Some countries will offer fun activities that you can’t find anywhere else. For example, authentic yoga practice in India. However, it is natural to want to enjoy some home comforts when you are traveling across the world. Activities like camping and attending the cinema are some of the most popular, but there is nothing better than seeing a musical act you love perform live in a place you never expected to see them. Finding where your favourite act is performing next and buying tickets from a trusted site like ticketsales.com will ensure you have the most enjoyable experience.

Live like a local

There are many parts of a new location that regular travellers may not get to see on a whistle-stop tour. The advantage of living somewhere for a longer period means you have more time to find hidden treasures and make some amazing memories. The key to doing this is to live like a local. Asking the local people where the best spots are for exploring means you may often see some impressive scenery or learn something new for free.