Rail Tours: Destination Checklist

February 6, 2014 By Guest Blogger

If you thought rail travel was only about commuting to work or visiting family, think again. From desert odysseys to mountain adventures, city breaks to luxury safaris, railways holidays come in all different sorts of shapes and sizes.

Here’s a quick guide to just some of the many different kinds of trip on offer.

Short breaks

If you’ve only got a https://www.viagrasansordonnancefr.com/viagra-naturel/ few days to spare or want to make the most of your weekends, a short UK railway break could be just what you’re looking for. Hop on a train in London or closer to home and be whisked https://www.acheterviagrafr24.com/achat-viagra-en-ligne-suisse/ to the Highlands of Scotland, the wilds of Wales or the beauty of Cornwall. Your travel and accommodation will all be arranged for you, so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the view!

4703986442_1d0e91a2f4 — Train station in Berlin

Historic journeys

If you have a love of trains and a love of history, taking a trip on a classic steam train through timeless countryside could well be your ideal summer break. All around the UK, steam trains carry enthusiasts to some of the most beautiful parts of the country, but if you’ve got more time then you could even visit Belgium, Austria or Germany by rail.

For https://www.acheterviagrafr24.com/acheter-du-viagra/ anyone interested in the battles of World War One, a train journey to the sights and monuments of the conflict would be a weekend to remember. Your guides will talk you through the momentous events that took place in these now peaceful towns and villages and give you a real insight into what life was like back in the early 1900s.

Exotic excursions

Those who want to travel even further afield may think rail journeys are out of the question – but they’d be wrong! Go on safari in South Africa, visit the temples of Sri Lanka or walk round the imperial cities of China with sensational rail journeys throughout these countries.

3936628067_dba65bcc37 — https://www.acheterviagrafr24.com/ Tracks to adventures and travels still unknown!

Long haul breaks can last anywhere from one week to three weeks, but you can also arrange https://www.viagrasansordonnancefr.com/viagra-en-pharmacie/ a custom-made trip and experience everything that your chosen destination has to offer at your own place.

If you’ve got a list of places that you want to visit, a rail tour is almost guaranteed to take you there. As train holidays let you travel around viagra pas cher inde maroc and experience cities, towns and villages at a more relaxed pace, you’ll come back with a deeper understanding and appreciation of what your destination has to offer.

Top Three Winter Sun Destinations for Brits

January 24, 2014 By Guest Blogger

With the worst winter in decades supposedly on its way to Britain this Christmas, it’s pretty clear that some of us will need to get out of here quick sharp if we can – unless you fancy hibernating in your bedroom after the boiler inevitably packs up. It might be in your best interests to treat yourself to a warm, sunny Christmas instead, perhaps.

Fortunately, there are plenty of continental locations for you to hop over to for some sun-soaked respite from the coming icy blasts. Winter sun destinations are simply the best thing when it comes to beating the winter blues. Here are our favourites.

The Canaries

Visiting the Canary Islands is great value for money. They offer some of the most diverse holiday destinations in Europe and if you can visit more than one of the islands, you’ll really benefit from the variety. Cheap holidays to Fuerteventura are particularly popular.

There are seven islands on the peninsula in total and they all have their own individuality and particular charms to offer as well as enjoying year-round sunshine.

If you want to spend your Christmas indulging in wild parties, head down to Tenerife for its legendary party atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer more than just nightlife, head to cialis generique Lanzarote, which offers more family-friendly activities, like the Submarine Safari and the Guinate Tropical Park.

Cyprus

For such a small island, Cyprus is chock-full of local culture and history, and importantly, some impressive nightlife to enjoy. It’s a great Christmas getaway: you’ll be able to justify your cheeky little break with all the culture and have your New Year’s Eve party fun, too.

327430381_bff95eb162 — Photo courtesy flickr user Chany14

Limassol, Larnaca and Ayia Napa all have famously exciting nightlife scenes – particularly the latter, which plays host to over 20 nightclubs on the main strip in town alone. The only thing about visiting Cyprus during Christmas time is that you may not want to return to Britain; the sunshine, warm lapping seas, halloumi cheese, wine and all the fresh seafood will make you forget all about going back to reality.

Madeira, Portugal

If you’re thinking of a later winter escape – around February (when the cold is at its worst and there’s nothing to look forward to), then consider heading over to the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. But never mind the (admittedly excellent) beaches and the cuisine; your priority will be Madeira’s version of Rio’s famous Mardi Gras Carnival.

11171173874_893a37f502 — Photo courtesy flickr user Gertrud K.

Traditionally, there are two Carnival parades in Madeira. The first one takes place on the Saturday of the Carnival Weekend – https://www.acheterviagrafr24.com/viagra-pour-homme/ expect a riot https://www.viagrasansordonnancefr.com/viagra-naturel/ of Samba dancing and the most outrageous and vibrant, colourful costumes. The second parade follows on Shrove Tuesday.

Staying in chill, grey Britain over winter is not an appealing prospect for most people. But when there are so many gorgeous and sunlit locations so close by, it’s not necessary to suffer the chill. There’s simply no sense in enduring it when you could be enjoying yourself in much warmer climes. So make sure you make the right decision this winter – you certainly won’t regret it!

With Elephants It’s Complicated – Win a Trip to Thailand

January 23, 2014 By Jillian

Riding on an elephant sounds a bit exotic doesn’t it? I certainly think so. Immediately I visualize riding atop a majestic animal decked out in Southeast Asian silks and gems like some ancient Maharajah’s wife. Ok, that’s a bit far, but you get my drift. The thing is I’ve had the chance to ride atop and elephant, and not just at the zoo, and I passed. That’s right, I gave up my opportunity to – for at least a moment – sit atop one of these beautiful animals and imagine myself as some exotic Asian ruler. Why?

Because I couldn’t guarantee their safety. Yes, their safety.

The thing is, I wasn’t scared about falling off or hurting myself, I was afraid of being a part of the big tourist machine throughout Southeast Asia, the one that practices animal cruelty in the name of tourism and conservation. You see, elephants are BIG business in Southeast Asia. You can hardly get through a major city in Thailand, Laos or Cambodia without someone offering you an elephant riding tour or an elephant painting tour. And some of these tours even claim to be to conservation centers. To me, there is nothing about conservation that puts an elephant on display like a circus animal performing tricks, and carrying humans around all day for their entertainment and enjoyment. And so, offer after offer I passed on my dream. And the more I heard about the way these animals are treated in the name of tourism, the better I felt about my decision.

elephantbutts

Cruelty in the Name of Tourism

As we traveled around the world we saw animals of varying species being used for transportation, work and entertainment. Like the animals in a circus, we saw animals performing tricks in city squares, monkey’s chained to an owner performing for coins, larger animals hired out for transportation and in the case of Southeast Asia elephants being used for entertainment. In some cases these were wild animals domesticated for human use, in others they were animals born and bread in captivity. Sure, many of them were well fed, and in many cases beloved and well treated by their owners. However, we had heard too many first -hand stories about what happens to the elephants in Southeast Asia to be willing to take a tour. In fact, things are so out of control that elephant orphanages, rescue centers and homes for abused elephants exist in Thailand.

So what can we do?

Thankfully there are responsible organizations out there that protect these animals from abuse. One of those organizations, Save the Elephants Foundation operates in Chang Mai, Thailand. The provide safety, love and rehabilitation for elephants and open their doors to responsible tourists who want to learn about these majestic creatures without participating in tourism cruelty. Although I never took a chance at riding an elephant, I do wish I had the opportunity to visit this organization and meet the elephants they’ve saved.

Win a Trip to Thailand

The good news is – you can! We’re working with a group of travel bloggers to raise awareness about the Foundation and collect donations to support their efforts! 100% of the proceeds go to supporting the foundation. And here is the best part, every donation enters you to win a TRIP TO THAILAND worth $3300. Thanks to the support of companies like Flight Network, who is donating a $2000 flight voucher, and Where Sidewalks End, who is donating a Thailand tour for two people, you will be able to support responsible tourism in Thailand including elephants. If you win, don’t forget to send us a picture of you with the elephants your donation supports!

*A donation entitles you to raffle tickets that will be used to raffle off a trip to Thailand. Full details are available at: http://www.travelbloggingcalendar.com/about/

The Most Important Thing To Bring With You When Traveling With Kids

January 6, 2014 By Jillian

Before we had kids the thought of traveling to a kid-friendly destination made me want to gouge my eyes out. Seriously. I had visions of kid friendly travel being a trip full of toddler tantrums, screaming packs of kids in a pool, tons of luggage, and more cartoon characters than you can shake a stick at. I was definitely of the mindset that when we had kids we would just take them along to wherever we wanted to go and there would be something interesting for them to do when we got there. Because we were travelers, not tourists. Because we would be cool parents, not typical parents. Fast forward six months into twin parenthood and to our first vacation with the entire extended family.

A few weeks ago we went to a Club Med property that was family friendly. < Insert stereotypical image of screaming children in the dining room here.> I cringed as I read review after review praising the place for being kid-centric and having a great kids club. Great I thought, a property full of parents who cannot wait to get rid of their kids. I imagined something like the food fight scene from the movie Hook.

As a parent and a traveler, this would most definitely not be bangarang.

It turns out that kid-friendly didn’t mean food fight city. It meant having a changing pad in our hotel room, having strollers for us to use on property and having dozens, literally dozens, of highchairs available in the main dining room. That’s right, kid-friendly meant traveling with kids without a trunk full of baby gear. It also meant a baby water park, baby food in the dining room and a bottle warmer in the hotel room. There were plenty of activities for adults without kids and even an adults only pool far, far away from the kids club and kids pool. Sure, our six month old twins were not old enough to join the kids club for movie night or marco polo in the pool, but I was certainly appreciative of the kid-friendly amenities. In fact being kid-friendly meant that we could actually take a break.

And as it turns out, that was pretty bangarang.

Maybe, as I’m learning quickly with parenthood, I shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Like backpacking the world, traveling with kids requires certain equipment, but probably the most important is the one that I had left behind- an open mind. Next time, I’ll be sure not to leave it at home.

Traveling With Twins: How To Pack

December 3, 2013 By Jillian

Traveling with twins requires a lot of luggage, right? Well not necessarily. Now that we’re well into family travel season we figured we’d reveal how we pack up our twins. It’s not as much luggage as you think. In fact our first trip with the twins required NOT A SINGLE piece of checked luggage. How did we do it? We arranged for a pack n’ play on the other end, counted out the clothing we needed and got it all in compression sacks. I felt like a victory.

Since then however we’ve learned that we need more than just one extra set of pjs or outfit and our luggage has grown a bit. As a couple who spent 21 months traveling around the world with only carry-on size backpacks however, we have fought the desire to over pack. Here’s what we brought on our last trip to D.C. with our 5 month old twin girls:

Clothing: The clothes are the easy part. You know how often you need to change your kid. Some kids go through 3 or 4 outfits a day while others can wear the same onesie all day long. Like adults, mix and match outfits are good. Admittedly we are fortunate because we have twin girls so in theory they can share clothes meaning we don’t have to bring double of everything. On the other hand, even with a boy and girl if you’re careful about how you pack (bringing gender neutral items) you may be in luck. We’ve found (through an unfortunate night in Toronto!) that we should break the travel rule when it comes to baby clothes- look at everything you’ve pack and then ADD an additional set of pajamas and daytime clothes.

Baby Carriers: For us, these are essential travel items – the twin stroller can be a bit cumbersome to navigate a city with. We love both our Moby Wraps and our Ergo Baby Carrier’s for different reasons. I love the flexibility of the Moby Wrap, especially when the girls are going to be wrapped up all day – it’s nice to be able to change positions and carry them in different ways. We also use the Moby Wraps on the plane to carry the girls – besides being a great way for them to nap (yay!), it also helps keep hands off of them during boarding. Maybe two sets of carriers is excessive, but the Moby’s are pretty small and I love the ease of the Ergo Carrier, especially when we’re taking them on and off a lot in one day. It’s also a bit easier to show someone else how to use and have the girl’s positioned correctly.

Sleep Solution: We use our Pack N’ Play Twin Bassinet still when we travel with the twins. We are way beyond being able to use the bassinets, but even without them our girls are pretty good sleeping together in the Pack N’ Play. Note that Graco does not recommend putting two babies in one pack n’play. That is a choice we have made. Pretty soon the girls will be too big to share the pack n’play, but until then this works for us. I looked at other options like the LulyBoo, but ultimately decided that the pack n’play was easier for us since we already had it.

Car Seats: It’s not an option to travel without the car seats unless you are going to a city and are planning to use public transportation (like a subway) 100% of the time. If you purchase a ticket for your twins or plan to use the car seat on board, make sure it is Airline approved. We have the Peg Perego 30/30 which is airline approved- we have brought them on board twice without a problem when there have been extra seats on board. Otherwise we have gate checked them without a single problem. Some airlines will even provide you with a thick plastic bag to check the car seat. Otherwise you can get a protective cover or car seat bag pretty inexpensively.

Stroller: Although it isn’t the easiest to navigate around with, we always travel with our double snap n’ go stroller. We use it to go through the airport quickly and efficiently with two squirming babies. It’s easy to collapse and small enough to fit in the back of a rental car without a problem, plus it has a decently large bottom for storing carry ons.

Toys: Admittedly we are bringing more and more “entertainment” on each flight. Traveling with twins doesn’t require double the toys, we just swap toys mid-flight to help keep things interesting. We always travel with our letter links, which both girls love and are fantastic to use to clip things to both car seats and the stroller. Thankfully they are silent, yet colorful and interesting enough to keep a baby amuse for a little while. They are also our favorite teething toy right now. We also love these colorful animals from Lamaze: Freddie the Dragonfly (called Jacque in our house!) and Pierre the Peacock. Again, colorful, interesting, but without the incessant music that so many toys have. We also bring a few soft touch and feel type books, which the girls love to play with at this stage.

So there you have it. That’s what we bring traveling with twins. What would you add to the list? What would you leave at home?

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