England Vacation Guide

With the XX Commonwealth Games being hosted in Glasgow , I thought some info on England might be fuel for thought....

 

Arrival and Departure
 
When arriving or departing to and from England, you will probably land at the Heathrow Airport, the largest airport and one of the busiest airports in the world. It is located 15 miles (24km) west of central London; or at London Gatwick Airport, the second largest airport in the England, which is 28 miles (45km) south of central London. (No departure tax.)

Both airports are connected to London by an underground railway network. The city can also be reached by taxi that is available outside each airport's terminal.

Flight to England
 
It takes more than 8 hours if you are traveling from the US.
Quickest at present from Australia, is 1 stop at either, Bahrain, Singapore, or Hong Kong ,depending on airline. Expect 22 hours minimum, if the winds are favorable, up to 26 hours if the wind is against you. 

Time to visit
 
The best time to visit England is during the months of July to September, when the weather is at its best and daylight hours are the longest. However, this is also the time when tourists visit England so the rates are higher, the streets are more crowded and the queues are longer. Low season is from November to March. If you do not mind the chilling cold of England winter and would like to take advantage of the cheaper rates, then take your pick from these months. Shoulder season is from April to June and the month of October.

Where to go
 
England may be a small country but it offers a lot of attractions, museums and world renowned sights that you should not miss visiting. Visit some of the following sites: the Buckingham Palace, the Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, the National Gallery, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, St. Paul's Cathedral, Sir John Soane's Museum, the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, Notting Hill, the Trafalgar Square and the Admiralty Arch, among others.

Where to stay
 
Hotels are abundantly available especially in major cities such as London, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Liverpool. However, hotels in these cities are very expensive especially during the high season. Premium price is paid for rooms with bathrooms.

For a budget traveler, Bed and Breakfasts are the preferred choice. They are cheap, clean, convenient, comfortable and hospitable. Bathrooms are often shared with other guests but the rooms are generally comfortable.

Getting around

• Renting a car – If you are traveling as a group and planning to explore the country side, then renting a car is a good choice. But pass on car rental option if you will spend most of your time in the city.

Note: The driver seat is at the right hand side of the vehicle like here in Australia.

• Bus, taxi and the Tube –Buses, taxis and trains are the most popular means to get around the city. London is popular for its double-Decker buses. All cities and towns have bus services as well. All cities have taxi services. Taking the underground railways system in London (or what is commonly referred to as the Tube) is a good experience. Suburban rail services are available in Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and the cities in Newcastle and South Yorkshire. Tram routes are available in south London.

• Boats – Commuter and leisure boat services are available on the River Thames. 

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Visiting Sacred Sites

Visiting a sacred site can be a useful tool to open something within you that has remained inaccessible.


Sacred sites can appear insignificant to those who close themselves off from the notion of a living earth. But sites can provide us with a link to a unified consciousness that involves the living and the dead, infinite cultures, the physical plane, and the spiritual world. When we look beyond well-known sites like Stonehenge, we discover energetically active sites such as the Iron Age fogou caves of Cornwall, England, or the pyramids of Meroe in the Sudan. Similarly, it is easy to imagine that hallowed places exist only in remote or exotic locales. 




Yet many of the most richly vital sites are easily accessible, and visiting these lesser-known sites can be a profoundly moving experience. One such site, Serpent Mound in Ohio, was thought to be created by the ancient Adena peoples nearly 1,000 years ago to align with the summer and winter solstices. Its precise purpose remains unclear, but many who visit the site conclude that it was meant to be a conduit through which cosmic energy could flow into the earth.

The sacred sites that call to you from afar—capturing your imagination and resonating deep within your soul—will nearly always be those that can help you forge a deeper connection with the divine energy that sustains all life. During your pilgrimage, reaffirm your intention to accept whatever gifts are conveyed to you through the sites you visit. Your receptiveness will help you establish lasting relationships with these sites so that you can draw upon their peace and their power from wherever you are. 



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Finding the best hotel deals

When it comes to hotels, things boil down to a tradeoff between low cost and convenient location.  In many cases, especially when traveling to major cities and popular attractions, the closer the hotel to the city or attraction the more you can expect to pay.  The best way to save money, particularly in large cities, is often to stay in the suburbs.

Of course, this means that you will spend more time getting to the places you want to visit, and this will mean spending additional money on gasoline, etc.  It is important to compute all these costs to make sure that you will really be spending less on a less convenient hotel room.

There are of course a number of ways to save money on hotels and motels without compromising quality.  For one thing, a membership in an auto club also entitles you to discounts on hotel rooms, as does military service and senior citizen status.  When inquiring about a hotel room, always inquire about discounts that may be available.

The following brief video gives a number of websites to look at for accommodation deals and freebies.




In addition, shopping early for a hotel room can often yield the best deals.  That is because hotels often reserve a block of low cost rooms, and when they are gone they are gone.  Thus the last room at a hotel may be much more costly than the first.  Getting the best hotel room deal is often a matter of timing.

Of course getting a great deal on a hotel will mean nothing if the place is a dump.  Shopping for a budget hotel should not mean settling for a hotel that is dirty, poorly run or in an unsafe location. 

Fortunately, finding a good budget hotel has been made much easier with the help of the internet.  What used to take weeks or even months to research can now be done in a matter of hours or even minutes.  Many hotels, even budget properties, feature pictures of the property and the surrounding area, so be sure to research the property you are considering if you have never stayed there before.

It is important to research the area in which the hotel is located as well.  Be sure to check out things like restaurants and attractions within walking distance of the hotel.  Doing some research on the area will help ensure you do not end up staying in a dangerous neighborhood just to save a couple of bucks.

As shown in the above video, the internet also provides a number of review sites where those who have stayed in various hotels share their experiences and their impressions of the hotel properties.  These review sites can be very useful for travelers, particularly those traveling to a new location for the first time.

In addition, the internet hosts a number of comparison web sites where travelers can easily find and compare hotel properties for their individual dates of stay and destinations.  These web sites offer a number of ways to search, including distance from a particular tourist attraction, price, star level and more.  The only caveat to consider when using such a web site is its independence.  

Some comparison web sites feature only properties that pay an advertising fee, so using a comparison site does not necessarily guarantee the best price.  It is best to use a number of such web sites to get a true picture of the lowest prices available.

Introduction to budget travel

The world of budget travel is one of the most exciting and interesting, and in today’s world traveling on a budget is becoming more and more of a necessity. 

 Keeping costs low while traveling is important, whether you are a solo traveler seeing the world for the first time or a family with a carload full of kids heading for the beach or the theme park. 


When it comes to coming up with a travel budget, the first step should be to decide what is important to you and where you can cut back a bit. For instance, some travelers are comfortable spending a bit more for a better class of hotel, while others prefer to save money by using budget accommodations and spend the money they saved on sightseeing or a special meal for the family.







As with other aspects of finance, it is a good idea to create a travel budget. Determine a budget for the various aspects of your vacation, such as hotel, airfare, rental cars, sightseeing, gasoline, etc. Once you have a good idea of what each element of the vacation should cost, it is time to start shopping around for the best deals. 

Once you have determined what is most important to you, it is time to start determining how to get the best deals. Often, admission deals on area attractions are the easiest to come by, since many theme parks, museums and other destinations run specials to attract out of town guests. 

To score big discounts on area attractions, the best place to start is the web site of the attraction itself. Be sure to check the web site for any specials, such as two for one deals, free admission for children, special reduced admission days, etc. 

If you are a member of the military, a senior citizen or a member of an organization such as AAA, there are often additional discounts available. Most AAA offices sell discount admission tickets to theme parks, museums and other popular attractions within driving distance, and most AAA offices sell discounted admissions to popular attractions like Walt Disney World as well. The key to making your travel budget stretch farther is to ask about, and take advantage of, all discounts that may be available. 

If you are driving to your destination, one great way to make your travel budget go further is to make sure your car is in tip top shape before embarking on your trip. Small details, such as under-inflated tires or worn spark plugs can really eat into your gas mileage and end up costing you a bundle, especially on a long road trip. 

A good map can also be a money saver, since it will keep you from driving around in circles and wasting gas. Finding your way easily to and from the hotel and the surrounding area will make your vacation more pleasant and less costly. 

No matter how you save money on your next vacation, having a budget and sticking to it will help you enjoy your vacation more, and worry less about paying for it. 





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This Week's Top 20 Travel Deals

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Safety First When Traveling

You can find a lot of safety tips in online and
offline resources for traveling whether it is for
pleasure or for business. 

If you want to make the most of your trip, safety first when
traveling is very important. Check out the video from Soniastravels for some great ideas.






Here are some other things that you can do to ensure
your safety:

1. When traveling, it's natural to carry
luggage. If you need to place luggage tags, just put
your email address and never indicate there your name,
phone number, and home address.

2. Air traveling is a big part of holidays.
One effective shield that you can use against an attacker
(if there is trouble on the plane) is the seat straps.
You have to use all your strength in ramming the strap
on the attacker's face. This move will cut off the
attacker's vision and then you can kick
that individual in the groin or in any other sensitive
body part.

3. Don't forget to bring a handy flashlight and
batteries. You can use it if there is no light or even
use it against an attacker if needed.

4. Don't forget to carry wallets. If you want, you can
take two wallets with you. One wallet can contain some
non-important items and cash while the other
wallet should contain your important IDs, insurance
cards, cash, and emergency contacts. Keep the wallets
in separate places. For instance, the insignificant
wallet can be placed in your pant's back pocket and
the important wallet should be in your coat's front
pocket.

5. When eating in foreign restaurants, it is a good idea to
acquaint yourself with the place's layout. Take note
of the front and exit doors.

6. Charge your mobile phone at the hotel. When you
leave, bring it with you and other gadgets that can be
easily carried.

7. Never travel alone. Through there are some
travelers who do this every time they travel, you
shouldn't take the chance. Who knows, perhaps they are
just lucky but you'll never know what's going to
happen in the next few hours. Always be prepared.
Remember that devious individuals are just waiting to
see a helpless traveler, alone and vulnerable.

8. You must be mentally alert at all times. Observe
the people around you, how they move or look at you.
Recognise any uneasy feelings if something's going to
happen.

9. Before you travel to a foreign place, it's
best to make hotel reservations in advance. That way, you don't
have to fumble or ask for directions trying to
locate your hotel.

10. Don't travel with so much luggage unless
needed. Try to wear comfortable clothes and don't wear
something that might attract the attention of bad
people. Be simple as you are. For women, avoid wearing
high-heeled shoes when traveling.

Have a great holiday :-)


 

This Week's Top 20 Travel Deals

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