Category: Uncategorized

For the fortunate few, life isn’t complete without a backpacking trip through Europe. Here are backpacking tips need to be succesful backpacking.

These travel tips will be helpful.

Millions of people head off to Europe on a backpacking trip each year.

I mention this because you should keep in mind you can buy everything there if you forget it here.

The first time people go backpacking in Europe, they tend to completely overdue it on the packing front.

You are not climbing Mount Everest, so don’t overdue it!

The first things to pack are clothes.

Depending on where you are going, you may need clothes for warm weather or cold.

Assuming it is warm, you need a couple of shirts that are wrinkle resistant.

You will buy others there, so don’t pack ten.

You also will need a pair of shorts and a bathing suit. If you plan on visiting museums and churches, you will need a pair of long pants to get into many of them. This is a important backpacking tips.

Pack something light that is wrinkle resistant.

For your feet, you can load up on socks because they do not take much space. You will need some sandals and then a pair of something comfortable.

Some prefer hiking boots, but I usually went with cross trainers.

Whatever you do, make sure you get used to the shoes before heading off. You are going to walk a lot, so blisters from new shoes can be a killer.

On the personal front, you need a brush, toothpaste and any medicinal needs.

That is it. You can buy anything else you need as you need it. There is zero point to lugging around shampoo all over Europe.

Murphy’s law says it will open in your backpack! Keep it super simple.

While your trip will result in great memories, they will fade in time.

Take a camera and, of course, one of our travel journals.

The camera should be hardy so it can take the inevitable beating that will occur.

Our Nomad travel journals are compact and in a case. They are perfect for trips to Europe because we were on one when we got the idea!

Europeans can read. This means you can buy guidebooks over there.

If you plan to visit three or four countries, take the guidebook for the FIRST country only.

You can pick up the others over there or trade with other backpackers. Guidebooks are heavy and this will save you the aggravation of hauling them everywhere. Also, cybercafés are everywhere, so you do not need to bring a laptop unless you really have a specific need like blogging.

Finally, keep copies of your passport and any supporting documentation with you.

One set goes in your backpack while another goes in your shorts, money belt or wherever you have space.

Pack light. If you forget something, you can buy it over there.

That being said, you must take some things with you. On the positive side, you don’t need that much.

Europe is not another planet.

Of course, others have opined that copious amounts of alcohol, sun and Amsterdam have something to do with it.

Regardless of your purpose, you still have to figure out what to take.

Backpack – Getting In Touch With Your Inner Mule

Obviously, the first critical item is your backpack. Picking your backpack is the most important backpacking tips.

While one doesn’t need to buy the $10,000 Himalaya Turbo Pack, you should also avoid the $12 blue light special. So, how do you pick a happy middle ground?

The best method for picking a backpack involves three phone books.

With the books, head to the backpackapalozza section of the store and pick out a few sturdy/cool/outrageous rigs. Stuff the phone books in, adjust the straps and go for a walk.

Now break out into a run to simulate future dashes for trains/ ferries/ toilets and make the sales people nervous. These steps should quickly reveal the perfect pack.

Now, you may have read other publications suggesting highly technical ways to select a backpack.

Trust me, until you have run for the last ferry from Italy to Greece, you have no idea how to pick a pack.

What To Take [ Backpacking Tips]

There are a few mantras that every person should chant before packing for Europe. These chants were developed originally by the little known, Oh-My-Back Monks of Southeast Asia.

The “OMB” Monks were known for traveling half way to far off cities, turning around, returning home and then traveling the full way to said cities. Religious experts opined as to the deep metaphysical meaning of such trips.

They were later embarrassed when the monks revealed the back and forth nature of the trips was due to forgetting something, often whether they had turned off the iron. Nonetheless, such chants have become the guiding light of experienced backpackers.

Let us slowly and clearly chant together,

“I will pack only that which will not result in me being hunched over like a Sherpa.”

“Remember, I can pick it [(lower voice) toothpaste, book, soap] up over there.”

“I will not stuff thy pack to the point of bursting, for thy damn zippers always break/get snagged/refuse to work.”

“I will learn humility through wearing incredibly wrinkled clothes and shall not bring an iron.”

“I shall bring only one guide book, not one for each country that I MIGHT see.”

“I accept that I will come home wearing something I didn’t take and will have lost/traded/burned much of what I did take.”

For female travelers and, okay, the occasional male,

“I will not bring high heels or a gaggle of make-up.”

Admittedly, chanting these mantras will not bringing you immediate enlightenment. Fret, not. You can always throw items away or send them home in a box to your parents/friends/parole officer.

For the resourceful backpacker, it is not unheard of to send particularly smelly/discolored/toxic clothing to an ex-girlfriend/ex-boyfriend/little brother.

Follow these practical guidelines and you will soon happily be speaking in a loud voice to make foreigners understand you. When packing things look at these backpacking tips.

The Evidence

This is the hard part for most travelers to wrap their minds around.

You will forget those special moments of your trip when you met the hunk Sven or babe Svenetta from Sweden and had a romantic evening/danced the night away/got arrested in Ios/Ibiza/the airport.

Maybe not immediately, but you will eventually forget.

You will also forget or lose the contact information of people you meet, despite meticulously writing it down on the back of a coaster/napkin/your hand in a bar/poetry reading/jail at three in the morning.

Surprisingly, said coaster/napkin/hand often survive the night/day/weekend and get deposited in your already trashed backpack.

Of course, their presence is often forgotten when you later put a Oktoberfest mug/wet towel/toothbrush in.

The extra padding at the bottom of your pack is specifically designed to deal with the decomposing result.

To properly record the magical moments of your trip, you must take a diary or journal. Don’t worry, you can burn it later before you get married/your parents get nosey/you have kids.

You want a journal in a water/beer/sweat resistant case.

Of course, I prefer a Nomad Travel Journal, but just make sure you take something. When you have some extra time in the bus/train/jail cell, you can record how you got there and the people you met.

Trust me, when you, you are old and your nine children are sitting on the porch, you will greatly enjoy reading your journal.

Of course, that assumes you didn’t burn it.

Happy Backpacking! I hope these backpacking tips help you!

Traveling to Greece is one of the most beautiful places to visit. You need a travel to Greece guide. In this guide I will cover the when to visit ,where to book your stay and much more in this travel to Greece guide .

Greece can satisfy even the most demanding of its visitors.

It has beautiful scenery and great man made establishments, it has sea but also mountains, it has archaeological sites and night clubs as well, it has crowded areas but it also has nice and quite places.

But to visit you need travel to Greece guide to make your stay worthwhile.

The best of all is that all these are not far away from each other. I don’t think its an overstatement to say that Greece is a traveler’s paradise.

Where can you find such places.

If you want to find fancy restaurants and Hotels and all the comforts a man can get those are the services every known place has and they are actually difficult to miss. Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Corfu, Crete, Athens, Thessaloniki, Samos are among the most visited destinations in Greece.

If you need luxurious accommodations, fancy restaurants, loud music, packed cafes, lots of visitors you can find them here.

Places that are not crowded but still have lot to offer are more difficult to find. There are less services and less money to be gained from visitors and therefore are not heavily promoted.

If you are looking for those places don’t ask at your local travel agent. Don’t arrange a Cruise hoping to find them.

The are usually very close to the crowded centers but not much is mentioned of them.

Lots of smaller islands that are not heavily advertised, and island satellites to famous ones usually fall under this category and would be ideal places for people that want to explore the alternative Greece.

For the sake of the discussion I am going to mention Gaudos, Paxoi, Fournoi, Sifnos, Ikaria, Chios but this is not extensive by any means. These places are usually recommended from people that have already gone there.

If you have not had such recommendations then I would advise you to prepare your trip to the most favorable location leaving some room in your schedule for visiting places that the locals will undoubtedly suggest.

An inquiry to a local Greek travel agent or a Greek Habitant might reveal some hidden treasures around the area.

Keeping in mind the pros and cons presented right after, one can easily recognize such places.

With quiet destinations you avoid the mass tourism and the noise and you enjoy more the nature and the hospitality of people simple and not caught up at the great rush of our times.

Nature is purer and the food is fresher and atmosphere is unspoiled and healthier. The prices are cheaper too.

One great disadvantage is that such places don’t have many means of transportation to and from them and not to many comforts should be expected when looking for accommodation.

Some of them don’t even have air connectivity with mainland Greece. They might have boat or bus connection 3-7 times a week from the near by Town.

Travel off high season

Greeks usually take their summer vacation around the 15th of August that is the biggest festivity in the Orthodox Christian world, commemorating the Assumption of Theotokos (Mary the mother of Jesus).

Around these days everything gets very busy with boats running full and extra flights being added and all types of accommodation running at full capacity.

These period makes for some very tiresome vacation and I would definitely avoid it if I had the choice.

Planning either before or after August is probably the smartest thing one can do when traveling to Greece. You do avoid the headaches and prices are a whole lot different.

Almost all destinations in Greece are connected through Athens, so this gives an opportunity to the traveler to explore the Athenian lifestyle and Acropolis if he/she so chooses.

Some alternative routes include Italy which has daily direct boat connections to the Ionian islands and Turkey which has daily boat connectivity to the nearby islands of the Aegean.

Arranging your car rental before hand

Small places usually luck the public transportation of the big and famous cities.

Buses usually run not very frequently and planning your excursions around them usually is not an easy chore.

The more crowded places will probably have cars booked fully for the high season times. So if you are planning on using a car arranging it ahead of time is always good choice.

Alternative accommodations for rent

If you are not interested in the standard services of a hotel (food, everyday cleaning/towels/sheets pools and restaurants) you can rent villas or homes at cheaper prices.

Usually the such places provide a high level of service compared to what you pay for them.

Plenty of non Hotel accommodations are spread at all possible places and the go by the names of “studios” “apartments” “homes” “rooms to let” “homes”.

Some times its even possible to rent such places a monthly rental fee.

Enjoy Greece with these travel tips.

Planning a trip to London? Whether it is your 1st time or 10th time you need to learn what to do in London England . I created this travel guide of 10 things to do while you are in London. Instead of thinking what to do in London England .

If you’re planning a vacation to London, be sure to take advantage of this wonderful city with so much to offer. London is brimming with an array of exciting things to do and things to see for all ages and tastes. As one of the culture capitals of the world, London holds sight seeing and tourist adventures that you can’t experience anywhere else. Get the most out of your London vacation and let it loose by visiting these ten must see things to do in London!

1. The British Museum. Sir Hans Sloane had contributed his mass collection of over 71,000 interesting items when the British Museum was founded in 1753. In the nineteenth century, the museum began to flourish, increasing its inventory of interesting items to over seven million; many of these items are over 10,000 years old. The British Museum’s charter had insisted that the museum remain open free of charge to all those curious and studious persons who wish to enter. Spend and astounding afternoon wandering the eternal corridors and discover some of mankind’s greatest cultural achievements and explore the great relics of the Greek and Egyptian empires.
2. British Airways London Eye. Welcoming nearly four millions guests each year, the London Eye has become one of the most popular attractions in London. This observation wheel stands 135 meters over the city of London and is currently the tallest observation wheel in the world. This exploitation of modern engineering allows visitors to view London with a new perspective, revealing sections of the city that are nor visible from the ground. Described as an inspiring and enchanting experience, the London Eye has become an essential to visitors to complete the London experience.
3. Saint Paul’s Cathedral. A fascinating depot of British history and an inspirational centerpiece of reconstruction after the great London fire of 1666, Sir Christopher Wren’s cathedral still remains a spiritual focus of Great Britain. Famous for hosting royal weddings, birthdays, celebrations and even funerals of Great Britain leaders under the great dome of Saint Paul’s Cathedral and a beautiful piece of history.
4. The National Gallery. Located in the heart of Trafalgar Square it houses some of the world’s finest art dating back to the 13th century. Construction of the National Gallery began in 1832 and since then had collected the fine arts of da Vinci, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and many more. A visitor can spend days inside the National Gallery trying to view all its contents.
5. London Zoo. Regents Park contains one of the world’s most famous zoo’s that is home to over 12,000 animals. Animal shows are held daily to allow zoo visitors to learn more about a species through the animals’ handler. The London Zoo is considered a must see among visitors and residents and is suggested to be visited at least twice in order to complete the London Zoo experience.
6. Tate Modern. Viewed as London’s most innovative gallery, it includes an array of exhibitions and grand collections of modern art. Appealing to children and adults, amateurs and experts, with the collections of artists like Andy Warhol, Matisse and Bacon. Tate Modern is considered one of the top must see galleries of London.
7. Tower of London. Built with imported white stone from France, the Tower of London has been known to protect, imprison, and execute the people of London. The Tower of London was dubbed the “bloody tower” where Richard III had allegedly murdered his nephews.
8. The Natural History Museum. An attractive gothic building that houses one of the world’s largest collections of dinosaurs with exhibitions dominating the great halls and towering above awe stricken visitors.
9. The Madame Tussaud’s Experience. A museum of abhorrent waxworks and animatronics displays demonstrating the darkest parts of British history with beheading, torture, murder and plague completed with grisly sound effects. Staff would often dress up in costume and jump out at unsuspecting visitors to add excitement to the mix.
10. Westminster Abbey. A medieval masterpiece and the burial ground for kings, scientists, statesmen, poets and musicians since 1066. Visitors can enjoy the intriguing literary history, the artistic talent that went into the paintings, tombs and murals and be taken aback by the gothic architecture. The Westminster Abbey has become one of London’s most stunning churches.

I hope these tips on what to do in London England will help you! Enjoy London England!

Head to blog post for travel tips!

We all love to travel, whether it’s a short road trip, or a longer trip by air to some distant exotic place. But in order to make your trips succesful you need travel tips.

But all too often we fail to plan for our trip and the result is frustration and annoyance. But with travel tips it will ease your stress of traveling.

1. For road trips, get the right plan your route thoroughly. Everything won’t go exactly to plan, but at least you’ll have much fewer nasty surprises.
2. Never, ever make a joke about bombs or terrorists near security at an airport. Many people have jokingly mentioned they have a small bomb in their case as their luggage is being inspected. Later at the police station they deeply regretted their stupidity.
3. Be immediately suspicious in airports, railway or bus stations when someone bumps into you. It may be a pickpocket. Also be aware if something is spilled on you, or a spot on your clothing is pointed out to you. These things are designed to distract your attention from what is really going on: the theft of your valuables.
4. While cruises make planning easy with their all in charges, there is likely to be many extra items that you should budget for. These include, taxes, surcharges and fees, tipping, drinks, some shore excursions, shopping purchases, etc.
5. The most obvious thing to check on before setting off on a foreign trip is the state of the local weather where you are going. You don’t want to arrive in a tee shirt if it’s snowing, or in a fur coat if it’s in the 90s.
6. When travelling with children bring along recent photos of each one. If a child gets lost, the photo will prove invaluable in helping to locate the child again.
7. A trip to a theme park will suffer from a lack of careful planning. Some parks are so big that planning is essential. Get a list of all the rides and a map of the park, as well as opening and closing times, before setting off.

Travel Tips for day before travel :

1) Pack your bags. Make sure all your packing is done at least the night before and that you have all your bags in one central location for easy and complete loading into your car or uber.
2) Have all your travel paperwork organized and in one central location.
3) Make a checklist of all the things you want to check to secure your home before you leave and walk through your home checking off each item. Do this at least an hour before you leave your house. Do this and you will never worry if you left your stove on or any of the other little nagging worries you might have while on your travel.
4) Be sure your pets are taken care of. Make any kennel reservations well in advance of your trip to be sure you have a reserved spot at a kennel you trust.
5) Call the AIRPORT and airline the day before to see how early the recommend you should arrive for a smooth, stress free check in. If they tell you to arrive three hours early and you arrive just 30 minutes early, you will probably feel great stresses about missing your flight.
6) If you are just taking carry on luggage, many airlines let you pre check in right on the internet 24 hours before your flight. That means that you can get and print out boarding passes right from your home. And when you get to the airport, you can go right to the gate and your boarding area without getting into the long check in line. If you have to check baggage, you will not have this option available to you. But if not, it is a great time and stress saver.

Travel Tips for the day of travel :

7) Leave home in plenty of time to anticipate busy traffic or accident situations. If it is an hour trip to get to the airport, you may want to leave an extra half hour early just in case there are road problems.
8) If you are checking in bags, be prepared to wait in line. If it is a busy time of day at the airport and you are traveling with a popular airline, there could be a significant line. Don’t worry about how long the line is. As long as you arrive when the airport recommended, you will have plenty of time to make it to the front of the line and get checked in. It may look impossible but it will happen so just relax and be patient.
9) Make sure that any “carry on” baggage really is carry on. Otherwise you may get stopped at the gate and have your bag taken away to be stowed with the regular luggage. It will delay and stress you. And it will delay everyone else.
10) When boarding the plane, find your seat and stow your carry on baggage quickly. And then sit down and stay out of the way. There are lots of people trying to do the same thing and we’ve all encountered the folks who block the aisle for a long time fussing about something or other while a harried line of boarders is forced to wait. You don’t want to be one of those people. So just get your business done quickly and efficiently and sit down. You’ll have plenty of time to get up once the plane is in the air.
11) If you have to change planes, it can be a real challenge, especially in the larger airports. If you know the gate you will have to go to, ask the flight attendant for advice to reach that gate quickly. In some airports – like Atlanta – a Delta connection can be a huge adventure taking 30 minutes to get from one gate to another. If you know in advance how you have to get to your next airplane, it will be much less chaotic when you get off the first plane. And a much more relaxing walk (or run) to your next gate.
12) When the plane lands, patiently wait your turn. Whether you push or just wait, you usually won’t get off the plane any quicker. People tend to let the folks in the rows before them get up and go in a pretty orderly fashion. Trying to rush it will only get your blood pressure up and will not be looked upon favorably by your fellow travelers.
13) If you just have carry on baggage, you have successfully completed a pretty stress free flight.
14) But if you have carry on luggage, there is one more step – waiting for the luggage. Just pick a place around the conveyor belt and wait. Expect your bag to be the very last one to come out and be pleasantly surprised when it comes out early.

By following these travel tips , you will find that your stress levels from your air travels will be much less. A well planned trip agenda ensures that those little stress points stay little stress points and don’t balloon into a full blown crisis. Try it any you will be amazed how just a small amount of up front planning dramatically improves the enjoyment of your travel.

When you have kids, traveling by car or by plane it can become a difficult part of your holiday. Here are a few traveling with children tips needed to make your travels easy.

The most often heard “Are we there yet mum?” can drive you mad when asked for the five hundredth time in as many seconds.

The reason they keep asking is because they don’t really have a fully developed sense of time.

They might be genuinely afraid you are going to keep them in that car bored and tugging at their little sister forever.

It might help to explain to them how long the whole trip will take by dividing the trip into sections.

Add in that you are 20 minutes away from stopping at that place with the ducks and donkeys.

Little milestones will make the journey and the concept of how far they need to go still easier to digest.

The time in which you choose to drive can be carefully chosen to optimize sleeping time in the car.

You can try leaving before sunrise and you will manage several hours of quiet driving time before they wake up and want entertainment.

Some folks travel at night because everybody is sleeping. Not only do you get a peice of mind but you also save on the food budget.

Plan the trip not to coincide with any major traffic surrounding holiday season at least to minimize time spent in the car.

Take your food breaks during work traffic. People go to lunch around noon and get off of work between 4-5 pm.

Plan to take your lunch and dinner breaks around this time since spending time in large amounts of traffic will obviously take longer to get to your destination.

There are some things you can do to make the ride a bit smoother and more fun for everyone.

It’s important to plan ahead when deciding to take a long car journey with your kids. Make sure the car is comfortably packed; keep the backseat clear so they have more space.

Here are 5 surefire ways to keep your long car ride fun for kids:

1. Pack a goodie bag for each child filled with simple cheap toys that you think can keep them amused. Depending on their ages there some creative and inexpensive items that will keep them quiet and happy. Browse through the cheaper isle of the toy store.
2. Another good buy, speaking of inexpensive items, is a deck of cards (if you do not already own any). This is a great investment not only for the car ride but for the destination as well.
3. There are all kinds of listening materials available. You could buy some, borrow some from your local library or look around on the internet. Radio-productions and taped books can be a wonderful way to pass the time together in the car and enjoy a book together as a family.
4. The classic car journey activity is singing. And for a good reason too. Try to choose a CD that everyone will enjoy.
5. Coloring books, puzzles, crosswords and sticker books can be included in another goodie bag along with crayons to create hours of fun and more importantly quiet.

Get an ipad which are a fun way to pass the time. If you have a DVD player in your car you can stock up on a new DVD to keep them entertained and quiet. Remember the journey is part of the holiday so make it fun. Stop along the way and appreciate the sights. Use the opportunity to explore new places. Regular breaks will make the long trip easier on everyone. Pack a picnic and let your kids release their pent up energy.

The most important thing is to keep your activities varied. Alternate 30 minutes of card playing with some singing and then some coloring in. With some planning and creativeness you can make you car ride enjoyable for the whole family – and that’s what vacations are about after all.

Traveling with children tips before you reach the airport

     Please allow yourself and your family extra time to get through security especially when traveling with younger children.  Allow even additional time if you are traveling overseas.

     Call your airline or travel agent for their recommended check-in times for your departure airport.

     Talk to your children before you come to the airport and let them know that it’s against the law to make threats such as, “I have a bomb in my bag.”  Threats made jokingly (even by a child) can delay the entire family and could result in fines. This is important for your child safety.

     If you are traveling with an infant, try to book a bulkhead seat so that you can access the infant carrier that attaches to the bulkhead.

Traveling with children tips at the airport

     Speak to your children again about the screening process so that they will not be frightened or surprised. Remind them not to joke about threats such as bombs or explosives.

     Tell your children that their bags (backpack, dolls, etc.) will be put in the X-ray machine and will come out at the other end and be returned to them.

     Let your children know that a Security Officer may ask to see their shoes, but that they will get these back as well.

     You may want to consider asking for a private screening if you are traveling with more than one child.

     If you are traveling with an infant, a collapsible baby stroller is ideal.

Traveling with children tips on the plane

     Have some gum or a pacifier for an infant.  Chewing the gum or sucking on the pacifier will help with ears popping during takeoff and landing.  If your child is old enough, explain what air pressure is.

     Ensure that you have toys and games for the kids to play with.  The airline will have a small selection, but it is better to bring your own.

    Airplane food isn’t the best, so make sure that you have some of your children’s favorite snacks handy.

Traveling is fun, but your safety is important. You need traveling safety tips to ensure your safety.

Everyone needs a travel guide to ensure one’s safety. Your travel guide should include safety tips.

Before you travel especially when you traveling out of the country need traveling safety tips.

To enjoy traveling you need make sure you and your things are safe.

Follow these 20 traveling safety tips .

1) When taking taxis from an airport to your hotel, travel in the more expensive airport taxis and ensure that the drivers have official identification.

Never take a taxi waiting outside the airport grounds.

I know this sounds extreme, but it is by far better to be safe then sorry.

2) When traveling from your hotel to the airport, go with a taxi recommended by the hotel.

Again, taxi’s can be very dangerous. I can’t express that enough.

3) Try not to arrive in a new city or town late at night.

This can just go wrong in a number of ways. It is much easier getting checked in during the day time and security at night in certain areas is just horrendous.

4) Travel in a group if possible.

Since when is traveling in numbers not a good idea?

5) Learn the basics in the local language before you arrive. Don’t expect that people will speak English.

English is becoming more widely spoken these days, but you want to be sure. You should always check on these things before your arrival.

6) Keep your valuables hidden.

A money belt is great if it is an option that you willing to look into. There are many different styles of money belt. One of the most popular is an “over the shoulder” style wallet on a strap that you were underneath your top. This makes it very difficult for a thief to make off with your valuables.

7) Avoid going on your own to remote areas/ruins where tourist would be expected to go. Seek local advice or take a guide.

8) Read the guide books and talk with other tourists to find out which areas are best avoided.

9) When leaving clubs late at night take a taxi home no matter how close your hostel is. Outside most discos you’ll find a street vendor selling cigarettes. Usually these people know all the taxi drivers and can recommend a safe one.

10) When arriving in a new town, keep to your original plan and stay in the hostel that you have decided on. Don’t let the taxi driver persuade you that your hostel is fully booked and that he knows a cheaper and better one. He’ll be working on commission and the hostel probably won’t be in a safe part of town.

11) Even better, when arriving lane/train in a new city, try to reserve your hotel in advance, preferably with a hotel that has an airport/station collection service.

12) Don’t wear expensive looking jewelry.

13) On public transport have your day pack close to you at all times, preferably with the straps around your legs or padlocked to the luggage rack. On buses your backpack will normally go outside, either on top of the roof or in the external luggage compartments. On long distance buses ask for a receipt for your bags. On short rides just keep a careful eye out each time the bus stops to off-load bags. In the event of having your bags stolen, stay with the bus – you will probably require a declaration from the bus company accepting responsibility for the loss in order to claim any money from your insurance company.

14) Leave your valuables in your hotel safe when making day trips or longer tours. Obtain a receipt not just for your money belt/wallet etc. but for its contents, with each item listed.

15) If you have to leave your passport and credits cards together, place the credit card in a sealed envelope and sign your name across the flap. This way when you return you will know that nothing has been tampered with.

16) If planning on going to market areas, crowded streets, fiestas etc. don’t go with all your valuables. Leave them in the hotel. If you’re planning on buying something expensive keep your money safely in a money belt. Try to be discreet when opening it! To protect small change in your pockets you can stuff a handkerchief in after.

17) If the pavements are really crowded, especially in market areas, walk in the road.

18) If you suspect someone is following you, stop and stare them in the eye until they go. If you really get a bad feeling about a place, go with your first instincts and leave. Bag slashing is rare nowadays but for added safety you can wear your day pack on your chest.

19) If it’s on your back try to walk without stopping. If you need to stop, sway your pack gently from side to side so that you can feel if anyone is tampering with it.

20) When putting your bag down on the floor, to take a photo or just to sit in a café, remember to put your foot through the strap. Not only will it be impossible to snatch, you also won’t forget it! This is the most common type of theft – tourists forgetting bags in cafes and on returning to ask if anyone has seen it, you’ve guessed it, it’s gone.

Happy Traveling. These traveling safety tips will keep you safe add them to your travel guide.

Traveling is your favorite pastime right? But don’t you hate jet lag ? I have the cure for jet lag.

Follow these 7 tips to cure for jet lag.

Though traveling is a fun  experience traveling out of the country puts your body out of rhythm because of the different time zone.

When you’re headed out on a vacation or business trip the last thing you need is to feel tired or run down. But with these seven tips to beat jet lag, you’re sure to stay alert and ready for your entire trip.

Use this cure for jet lag.

Keep it the same

When you’re not traveling for long, you can usually avoid jet lag by sticking to your normal routine. Keep your watch set to your ‘home’ time and just do what you’d normally do at home—eating, sleeping, exercise, etc.

Your body won’t even notice the time chance when you do this, and it will readjust without any problems on the way back.

Sleep like a baby

When you’re traveling out of your normal time zone, you’ll want to try to keep to normal bedtimes. And while you might have troubles at first, try to get the same number of hours of sleep per night. This will help your body fall into a new rhythm for the time when you’re away.

Even if you can’t fall asleep right away, try to get into bed and close your eyes until you fall asleep. Eventually your body will pick up the clue and you’ll get all the sleep that you need.

Fill yourself up

Many times jet lag can be made worse by becoming dehydrated on your trip or while you’re headed there on the plane. To combat this you’ll want to make sure that you’re drinking plenty of fluids as you travel—water and juices especially.

Alcohol can dehydrate the body so it should be avoided if you can. And if you’re expected to drink at a business function, just follow each glass with a chaser of water.

Find the rhythm

When you’re headed into areas where the time will change significantly, you want to set your watch when you get there and start following the local hours. You’ll want to eat when you are supposed to eat, sleep when it’s dark, etc.

By changing the routine that you’re used to directly into the new hours, you can help to offset jet lag before it even starts. Follow your new daylight and darkness hours to adjust your circadian rhythms.

When you arrive

One of the best ways to avoid jet lag is to do some form of exercise when you arrive at your destination. This can be as simple as a walk or a few calisthenics in your hotel room. Do a few jumping jacks to get your heart pumping or start touring the town.

When your body gets exercise, it can ‘bank’ the extra energy and help you adapt to changing light conditions.

If you just can’t sleep

When all else fails, you can try a sleeping pill to re-teach your body when to sleep. Normally this isn’t recommended, but when you’re on an extended trip or you have to switch time zones frequently, a sleeping pill can help to give you some rest in order to be alert during the day.

Natural cues

And if the sleeping pill doesn’t appeal to you, you can try aromatherapy.

Find a good travel kits that includes oils that you can smell for energy as well as soothing oils for relaxation, like lavender.

With all of these tips, jet lag will no longer follow you on your next trip.

Cure for jet lag is easy as these 7 steps.

Happy Traveling!

Are you wondering how to get traffic to your website?

One of the biggest questions I get from bloggers is: “I have a blog but how do I get people to it?”

 Well first off, you want to keep blogging, but there are other things you can do too and we’ll discuss two of the most powerful ones here.

If you are wondering how to get traffic to your website keep writing content.

If you’ve spent any kind of time online you’ve probably heard the terms: tag or social bookmarking. But what *exactly* do these terms mean?

Well if you think of the term “tagging” like you would a name tag at a party or networking event it will start to make much more sense.

Generally when you post a blog, it’s recommended that you “tag” it with various terms appropriate to the message of the blog. The Wikipedia definition of “tag” is: A tag is a keyword which acts like a subject or category.

This keyword is used to organize webpages, subjects, and objects on the Internet.

When you think of it this way, what you’re really doing is organizing each of your blog posts so that folks can find and search them.

 By tagging each of them with specific keywords you’ll come up faster when someone searches those keywords than if you left your blog blank.

Keywords will help you learn how to get traffic to your website.

 Make sense? Ok, then let’s get started learning how to tag. (I promise, it’s very easy)

When creating tags, there are two types that you can create. You can imbed your blog with tags using services like Technorati (more on that in a minute) or you can go to social networking sites and tag your blog as well. Honestly, I recommend a combination of both.

Social bookmarking is a way of “bookmarking” favorite sites (i.e. yours) so you can easily share them (via tags) with the Internet community and especially folks who are searching on your search term.

Tagging is a method in how to get traffic to your website.

Simple steps to tagging:

1) Create a blog post: just write your blog, don’t worry about doing anything different.

2) Identify some keywords you’ll want to use: just pick some keywords, as many as you want. Don’t worry about getting too scientific with this, just be thorough.

3) Social bookmarking: simply put, you want to tag each of your blog posts in one or all of the following social networking sites. The one slightly time consuming piece is that you’ll need to set up accounts for each of these but once you do, it will take you a minute or so per post to add a social bookmarking tag to each of them. Here are some of the most popular social bookmarking sites you’ll want to use: Digg, delicious, yahoo(this is still in beta but I recommend using it anyway), reddit.

4) Nuts and bolts: each of these sites has a different set of criteria for bookmarking your blog post. If you’re blogging everyday this might seem pretty tedious. If it’s too much work to tag and bookmark each of your posts, handpick a few each week and focus on those. The idea is that you want to get these keywords out in cyberspace so folks can find you.

1) Blog frequently

Most new bloggers dislike hearing this. Trust me when I say that the struggle for content is ongoing. New bloggers, however, feel like it’s just happening to them. The truth is, don’t get a blog just to have a blog. Get it and keep it updated. It’s the quickest way to gaining traffic. How often should you blog? Three times a week. The best days to blog? Studies have shown that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are key days for blogging.

2) Stay on point

I tell authors this a lot: stay on point, stay on topic. Why? Because if you don’t you’ll lose readership. Once someone commits to your blog they want to keep reading relevant information. So don’t blog one day about your book, your speaking, or your mission and the next day share Aunt Ethel’s pot roast recipe.

3) Plan your blogs

While spontaneity is the catalyst for creativity, planning is a good way to stay on track. Start to map out key dates that you want to blog about that have some relation to your topic – this way when you’re at a loss for topics, you can always pick one from your list of planned out blogs. Also, consider these topics to blog about:

a) Future predictions: everyone loves these, to the degree that you can predict market trends in your industry do it, and the readership will follow.

b) Discuss industry news: what’s happening in your industry that you can talk about? Even if you’re a fiction writer there’s always *something* going on worth mentioning in publishing, writing, or marketing that directly relates to your topic.

c) The elephant in the room: talk about the stuff that everyone is afraid of. What new trends are emerging that consumers/readers/companies need to be aware of? What’s next for your market and how will it affect the industry? How can we keep publishing books when we already publish 800 a day? You see what I mean? Think of things that frighten you and talk about them. People will respond. Every time I do this I get a ton of comments on my blog.

d) Write reviews: review other people’s books, product or work. This is a great way to network and to become a “filter” for your market. Filter out the new stuff and feature it on your blog (this goes for you fiction writers too!).

e) Other blogs: what are people talking about? What did your favorite blog just say? Virtual networking (with other bloggers) is a great way to grow your content and get to know others in cyberspace. Don’t forget to link to the blog you’re discussing!

4) Invite comments on your blog!

This is really important! The more folks you can get commenting, the quicker your blog will get passed around. If you have a “no comment” feature on your blog, remove it! You want people to be able to comment and give feedback. In fact, at the end of every blog, why not invite readers to comment? If you start getting a lot of responses to this, begin featuring your favorite comments in future blog posts!

5) Comment on hot topics in the news

The quickest way to get traffic is to get your blog featured on a high-traffic site. But how can you do this? By commenting on news stories. Most major news sites have a feature that will list blogs that are talking about the various news stories. Not all blogs get featured but: a) if your if your topic is related to the story they’ve featured; and b) you’ve written an insightful post on the topic, you’ll likely get listed.

6) Twitter your blog

Got something to say? Try microblogging at Twitter: http://www.twitter.com. It’s a free service that asks the question: What are you doing now? Go in, sign up and start posting your messages with links back to your blog. We tried this and it’s fantastic. You can also blog from your cell phone and blackberry. You can not only use it to promote your blog but your book, speaking event, whatever you want. It might sound like a “who cares” idea, but trust me, everyone’s Tweeting these days.

7. Write posts people desire to read. Although this seems obvious, taking a quick look around many blogs you will find thousands upon thousands with too much personal information and not enough useful information. Do people really want to read about your cat? Or better yet, do you really want to attract the kind of people who want to read about your cat? Create timeless, conversational posts about relevant topics. Consider what you would want to read and write that!

8. Become THE expert on your topic. Research and stay current on your blog’s topic. If readers believe you have information and musings on the latest and greatest, they will come to you first. People do not want old news rehashed. They want to be informed of something new and cutting-edge.

9. Utilize Search Engine Optimization. Learn all you can about SEO, and use it for your blog much like you would use it to optimize a website. This means, place keywords in the URL to your blog, the title of your post, the body of your post, and within your post text links.

10. Don’t make your blogs too much like an advertisement. Readers feel used and abused when they visit a site thinking they will find useful information only to discover they are reading a blatant advertisement for some product or service. By making yourself an expert and providing thoughtful and thorough information, you are going to peak the interest of readers and make them WANT to learn more about your product.

11. Create some drama, controversy, and BUZZ. People love wars of words, some controversy here and there. It creates wanted buzz and develops readers who will return to your blog just to see if anything is brewing. Always allow comments on your blogs, and post comments on other blogs that will cause readers to want to visit your blog to see what you are all about.

12. Send notification of blog-updates via e-mail. For those potential readers who are not going to seek out a blog post, e-mail is a great way to reel them in. Use a free blog service or an auto-responder to invite readers and manage your reader list.

13. Of course, submit your blog to every search engine!

14. Make sure the link to your blog is on every piece of written communication you send. Include the link in your newsletters, brochures, business cards, in your e-mail signature, and in every post you make on various forums.

15. Turn your blog into an article. Create blog entries that can be easily adapted into articles, and place them in online article directories along with the link to your blog.

Finally, don’t use an “official” voice on your blog. Pretend you’re sitting across from your reader over coffee.

 Talk to them in a more casual, conversational tone and you’ll not only get more readers, you’ll likely get more comments too! It doesn’t take much to grow a blog, just a little dedication and creativity.  Following these steps help you learn how to get traffic to your website.

No matter how much you advertise, unless there’s something new to read, you won’t generate traffic.

You don’t have to post daily, but in most cases you should post a few times a week. Posting often will with how to get traffic to your website.

The more you post, the more motivation readers have to come back and see what you’re up to now. Having something worth reading will help you learn how to get traffic to your website.

Any old post won’t do, either. Your readers want to know who you are and what you’re doing.

A few lines or a post thrown together before bed won’t cut it. There are too many other blogs out there; give your readers something they really want to read. If they feel that you’ve taken time for them, they’ll take time to come back for you.

If you plan to be away for a while, then let your readers know that you won’t be posting for that time.

Announce when you’ll return, and be sure to post on that day. Even better, schedule a few posts to come out while you’re away.

Most blogging software allows you to schedule when posts will appear on your site. Whichever route you choose, don’t just leave the blog idle. You don’t want your hard-earned readership to go elsewhere because they think you’ve abandoned your blog.

Follow these tips to learn how to get traffic to your website. These tips will get you the desired traffic you desire.

Happy Blogging! I hope you have learned how to get traffic to your website!

Should you host your blog yourself or pay someone to host it?

Are you looking for the best web hosting sites?

 It doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or a veteran this question always comes up when creating a new blog.

Usually someone new to blogging would gravitate to hosting a blog themselves or get a free blog and as time goes by with experience they begin to ponder maybe paid blog hosting isn’t so bad after all.

So what is better?

In my opinion paid hosting is best. I think the best web hosting sites is Bluehost.

To answer this question, let’s first look at how a blog is created.

 Just like creating web pages, first, you need a software or script that will take your entries, format it and publish it to the web.

 The second component of a blog, is the web space, where the software should publish to, a home for the blog pages.

Knowing this information, let’s review the different ways to host a blog:

Full blog host.

This is where the blogging system or software is provided for you and your blog is also published to a web space provided by the host. Blogger or  SquareSpace fall into this category. It’s very much like creating a website with a site builder.

Hosted blog software but published elsewhere

This is where the blog software is provided for you but the blog pages are published to another website or web host altogether.

By doing this, the software acts as a publishing system like FrontPage except it creates nicely formatted blogs.

Blogger is probably the most well-known for this.

Yes Blogger can do both. Publish to their host or to yours.

Blog software and blog are hosted on your web server

This is where you would install the blog script (software) on your web server – it can be any web hosting account.

And when you publish, the blog itself resides on your web server also.

 To draw a parallel, this technique is like buying web hosting and then installing a content management system on it to help you build web pages.

If you’re new to building web pages or have built sites using site builders then you might want to go with a fully hosted blog.

 These hosts do all the nitty gritty for you and there’s very little technical stuff you need to know.

If you can point and click, you can build a blog with a full blog host.

Having said that, just because you’re seasoned at building web pages doesn’t mean full blog hosts won’t work for you.

In fact, if you have many blogs this becomes very appealing since you won’t have to worry about upgrading the blog script, people exploiting the script, making plug-ins work or what happens when your web host decides to disable part of your blog functions because there is a security hole.

 All you do is concentrate on blogging. After a while, blogging becomes more important than maintaining your blog and that’s the way it should be.

Next up, hosted software but blog is published to your website.

This seems to be the best of both worlds.

 At time of writing, WordPress free account  is one of the best ways to do this but because of its popularity often and free, you find the system too slow to publish or completely down just when you have a hot idea to share.

 The idea is good but you’ll also be depending on someone else’s availability to publish your blog.

 It’s much like using a friend’s computer to build your web pages and you know how that can go.

Finally, you have the option to use scripts. This is also a very popular method.

 The flexibility it allows is very liberating because you can mold the blog anyway you want.

 You can even get a programmer to create custom plug-ins or customize the whole blogging system the way you want it.

In short, you can do pretty much anything you want.

The down side, you need at the very basic, some knowledge of HTML or publishing web pages.

 Also the burden of upgrading, troubleshooting and maintaining the script is on you.

If you have one or two blogs it’s not so bad but once you start having more, it can be quite tedious.

You also have to consider all the other responsibilities of maintaining the script as mentioned earlier.

Armed with this information, you should be able to figure out which one is for you.

If you’re still undecided, think of how you would do it if you’re creating a regular website.

 Chances are your choice method for publishing a website is also the best method for you to create a blog.

 The  best web hosting sites in my opinion is Bluehost it is cheap and reliable.

This article is about blogging and why you should never blog on a free host like blogger.com or wordpress.com I am writing this to alert people out there who are building blogs on free blog hosts like blogger.com and wordpress.com.

The best web hosting sites are the ones you pay for because you are free from being attacked.

My favorite web hosting site is Bluehost.

Installing wordpress.com  is free and gives you full control over your blog. There are other platforms like moveable type to choose from as well.

 Take a look around and find the platform you like or that best fits your blogging style. I’ve learned an expensive lesson and now will only build blogs on my own domain names.

The reason?

Let’s start with blogger.com

They have a new out of control spam bot. Search the blogger help forums and you will find the horror stories.

 Legitimate blogs are being deleted, people are getting locked out of their blog until reviewed, and assumed to be a spammer because either the bot flagged the blog or someone clicked the little flag button at the top of all blogger blogs.

That and the fact that they have constant problems with the publishing getting stuck at 0%, slow load times, etc. it makes blogging through blogger.com a buggy experience at best and your content or reason for blogging is up to someone else’s interpretation of what is or is not legitimate.

I understand getting rid of  spammers, but in blogger.com case the cure is worse than the disease.

They were not always that way. I’ve been on blogger a long time and the service used to be good.

As far as wordpress.com, they are just as bad. If the blog links to a website and looks as if it might be promoting people to go to that website they will suspend your account without warning and lock you out of all the content.

I’m not sure what they think blogs are for, but they seem to think they have a noble purpose in life and that they alone decide what is a “genuine blog” or not.

A “genuine blog” is one that is controlled by the individual who writes to it, not one that must adhere to someone else’s idea of what their blog should look like and what it should say.

If you blog on free hosts just be aware your content and your blog is in the hands of others who will decide for the world whether or not your blog should be seen by others.

I recommend all bloggers get their own domain names and install their own blogs. You probably have learned that using a free host for your company’s website is bad for business so why put your company’s blog on a free host?

The same goes for individuals.

 Blogs allow you to express yourself the way you want to express yourself. That is the beauty of blogging.

 Are you willing to sacrifice your individuality to conform to what blogger.com or wordpress.com thinks is a “genuine” way to express yourself?

Many times the person deciding your fate is someone who has never had any authority over other people and who think that now they have Godlike powers to decide the fate of content written by others.

These are people who likely produce no content of value themselves and think they know what is best for the rest of the world.

Get your own domain name and install a blogging platform that fits your needs. It’s the best advice you will ever get about blogging. The best web hosting sites  is Bluehost.

You only own the blog if it is on your own domain name. Everything else is just providing content for someone else.

These days, if you have something to say and want to share it with others, there’s an easy way to do it: Start a blog.

Learn how to start a blog for free and begin to share your thoughts with the world.

 If you thought only the young or computer savvy create blogs, think again.

 Just about anyone can start a blog-and people of all ages are doing so.

What is a blog?

A blog, short for Web log, is a Web page where you write about things that are important to you.

 Many people use blogs as online journals.

 Some bloggers write about their hobbies or parenting .

Others use blogs to share their opinions on politics and serious issues, often adding their own comments to news stories.

No matter what you write you can learn how to start a blog for free.

How to Start a Blog for Free

To start your own blog, just follow these three simple steps.

Select a Topic and Blog Hosting Site-The first step is deciding what you want to write about. Next, find a blog hosting site.

 Many portals, such as Google, Yahoo and MSN, offer free hosting so you can  start a blog for free .

Or you can use a paid webhosting which I recommend.  I use Bluehost.com its so cheap only $2.75 a month.

Also, there are specialized blogging sites focusing on specific topics, such as family and business.

 Do a search to find a site that best fits your topic.

 Once you’ve selected a site, you’ll fill in some basic information about yourself and your blog topic.

 Now you’re ready to start writing and posting to your very own blog.

If you like you can  add Video to Your Blog ,The next step is to add a video to your blog.

This is called a vlog, short for video blog.

 To create one, you can use software such as Vlog It!, from Serious Magic.

The software lets you create videos that look like a TV news show. First, connect a Webcam or camcorder to your computer.

 Next, import pictures or video from your computer, digital camera, camcorder or cell phone. Finally, read your script from the teleprompter included with the software.

 Because the Webcam or camcorder is positioned directly above your monitor, it will look as if you’re staring into the camera.

The program offers special effects and graphics similar to those used on television, so your production looks professional.

 The technology also has a wizard feature that makes the entire process relatively simple. To learn more, visit www.VlogIt.com.

 Share Your Blog ,Decide if you just want your friends and family to see your blog or vlog, or if you want more people to view it.

You will need traffic. If you want it to be available to the general public, register with search engines-such as www.pinterest.com that will help you show your blog to over 200 million monthly viewers.

 If you like to know how to use Pinterest to generate traffic to your website try Pinaff training which shows you how to generate traffic and make money while blogging.

Now that you know how to start a blog for free here are blog tips to consider for your blog.

There is nothing worse than coming across a boring blog.

The difficult thing is that what is boring to one person might be interesting to another.

 Therefore, you really need to focus on your readers when creating new text and posts for your blog.

 If you want the blog to be successful, you cannot simply expect your day to day activities to be enough information to keep the readers interested.

If you post that you went to the grocery, came home, and then ate dinner, you can expect the readers to be bored out of their minds.

 If you find humor in your activities or if you tell them in an interesting manner, you might keep their attention even when using the same day to day activities.

 If you want to spice up a boring blog, you can also use these tips to get things moving in the right direction.

Allow Comments

One big mistake boring bloggers make is to not allow comments.

You should always allow people to comment on your blog. You may not always like what they have to say, but their comments alone will help your blog seem more interesting to anyone who reads it.

 If you want to be sneaky, you can even comment on your blog yourself, using a different name. This can quickly create a controversy that some readers will appeal to.

 Try being honest and letting the readers comment themselves, but if all else fails, use the sneaky approach to break the ice. Once one person makes a comment, others will be more likely to comment as well.

This will help get things going and make your blog a place to bounce ideas off of others.

Ask Questions

Another great way to provoke your readers to participate is to ask open-ended questions.

 You can do this throughout your blog or at the end. This will be seen by readers as an open invitation to respond.

Your questions will get them thinking about what you have to say, whether or not they respond.

They will be more likely to come back to your blog to read more about your comments later on. Everyone has an opinion on everything, so go ahead and ask your readers straight out what theirs is.

Use Pictures

If you want to connect more with your readers and keep them interested, try adding pictures to your blog.

Adding pictures is simple through your blogging software.

 Get a digital camera if you don’t already own one so you can update your pictures frequently.

 By adding pictures that go along best with the content of your posts, you will be connecting with your readers on a more intense level.

 They will be more entertained and you will have a more interesting blog.

 Just be sure that you don’t overdo it on the pictures.

Place them in appropriate places and don’t use massive pictures or else you might take the risk of having a blog that take ten minutes to load. Do be sure that you use close-ups however.

 You wouldn’t want to use pictures that were impossible to see on the screen.

Be Personal

When writing your posts, you should always act as if you were talking to a great friend.

 Some people create boring blogs by writing as if they were writing a textbook.

This is a huge mistake.

 People most often read blogs because they want to be entertained or gather interesting information or opinions.

They do not want to read a blog that sounds like a textbook. Try to be a little personal in your blog.

Let your own personality shine through. Allow your individual humor to be seen in each post. Your readers will appreciate your honesty and love you for your casual style.

Use these great tips to spice up your blog if it is hitting the boring stretch.

 A boring blog is one that pains people to read.

Keep in mind that successful blogs will make people laugh, think, contemplate, and gain useful information. You can do all of this using these tips.

So, get to work and completely transform your boring blog today! You will see an improvement in your traffic and likely enjoy blogging a lot more than before.