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The Corliss Group travel review: Tips for travelling with children
Traveling with your kids to different and new places provides them with best experiences where they can grow as individuals. This could also give your children lasting memories with you that they can cherish as they get older.
The Corliss Group Online offers the following tips for your next family trip with your children.
Let your kids engage in the planning process
We all know that kids will be very excited and interested in a trip when you get them involved in the planning process. Ask them for one or two activities they want to do and have some realistic options ready from which they can choose. Search the internet or jot down recommendations from family and friends to find best kid-friendly destinations. If you have older children, they can help you with the details of planning, like booking tickets, checking out the flight schedules of your destination, and helping you decide on what activities you will perform on a specific day. Ready your kids for the trip by involving them in the planning process and explaining to them the details of the trip, so they will have ideas on what will happen.
In addition, take the opportunity of the trip to teach your kids different skills such as budgeting, how to stay healthy when away from home, and how to account for travel time. But this depends on the kid's age and understanding.
If you are planning to travel during the school year, you may also need to work with your children's teachers to determine how your kids can stay updated on their schoolwork. Their teachers might give a special project about the trip and your kids need to present them in class when they return.
During the trip, if one of your kids still needs a nap, while the others, especially the older kids, already wants to engage in various activities, take turns watching them with your partner. One of you can stay with the napping child and the other can take the older kids for an activity they picked. This will give you the chance to spend individual time with each of your kids.
When you are preparing to travel with your children, consider to pack snacks and a variety of entertainment to keep them occupied during the road trip and when you need some time to rest.
Moreover, take some time to do several researches about the culture and the history of the places you'll visit beforehand, and inform them to your kids. The Corliss Group Online suggests that you should make your children read books that are related to your desired destination.
You should bring supplies like wipes or sprays to keep the skin moisturized and to help you and your family stay refreshed.
If your children helped with the planning process, focus in on what they recommended and teach them more about the place or activities they can experience throughout the trip.
Keep your children involved once you get there
Keep your children engaged during your journey to have a memorable and fun experience them. You can make them tell you three things that were different between your destination and your hometown. This can actually make them look outside and involve them in a way that will made them seriously think about their life at home as compared to where you are visiting.
Buy your child a journal and make them draw or write about what they are feeling, hearing, or seeing. You could also give a camera to your older son or daughter to take photos for documentation purposes.
Keeping your kids involved can be challenging when they are hungry, tired, or stressed. Be attentive to what your child needs and learn to immediately provide it to them like food or water. But if they are acting out differently for no reason at all, be prepared to discipline them using similar consequences as what you had use at home.
Remember the value of the trip for your children
In the end of your trip, you are giving your children a remarkable life experience even though traveling with them can be exhausting and costly. You are giving them the opportunity to develop concern for other people by teaching them about other civilizations and their ways of living. They can use these experiences and knowledge in the future.
Children learn a lot from the world around them and you can give a memorable educational experience by showing them to life beyond their own backyard.
The Corliss Group Travel Review: Tips for travelling with children
Traveling with your kids to different and new places provides them with best experiences where they can grow as individuals. This could also give your children lasting memories with you that they can cherish as they get older.
The Corliss Group Online offers the following tips for your next family trip with your children.
Let your kids engage in the planning process
We all know that kids will be very excited and interested in a trip when you get them involved in the planning process. Ask them for one or two activities they want to do and have some realistic options ready from which they can choose. Search the internet or jot down recommendations from family and friends to find best kid-friendly destinations. If you have older children, they can help you with the details of planning, like booking tickets, checking out the flight schedules of your destination, and helping you decide on what activities you will perform on a specific day. Ready your kids for the trip by involving them in the planning process and explaining to them the details of the trip, so they will have ideas on what will happen.
In addition, take the opportunity of the trip to teach your kids different skills such as budgeting, how to stay healthy when away from home, and how to account for travel time. But this depends on the kid's age and understanding.
If you are planning to travel during the school year, you may also need to work with your children's teachers to determine how your kids can stay updated on their schoolwork. Their teachers might give a special project about the trip and your kids need to present them in class when they return.
During the trip, if one of your kids still needs a nap, while the others, especially the older kids, already wants to engage in various activities, take turns watching them with your partner. One of you can stay with the napping child and the other can take the older kids for an activity they picked. This will give you the chance to spend individual time with each of your kids.
Get ready for the trip
When you are preparing to travel with your children, consider to pack snacks and a variety of entertainment to keep them occupied during the road trip and when you need some time to rest.
Moreover, take some time to do several researches about the culture and the history of the places you'll visit beforehand, and inform them to your kids. The Corliss Group Online suggests that you should make your children read books that are related to your desired destination.
You should bring supplies like wipes or sprays to keep the skin moisturized and to help you and your family stay refreshed.
If your children helped with the planning process, focus in on what they recommended and teach them more about the place or activities they can experience throughout the trip.
Keep your children involved once you get there
Keep your children engaged during your journey to have a memorable and fun experience them. You can make them tell you three things that were different between your destination and your hometown. This can actually make them look outside and involve them in a way that will made them seriously think about their life at home as compared to where you are visiting.
Buy your child a journal and make them draw or write about what they are feeling, hearing, or seeing. You could also give a camera to your older son or daughter to take photos for documentation purposes.
Keeping your kids involved can be challenging when they are hungry, tired, or stressed. Be attentive to what your child needs and learn to immediately provide it to them like food or water. But if they are acting out differently for no reason at all, be prepared to discipline them using similar consequences as what you had use at home.
Remember the value of the trip for your children
In the end of your trip, you are giving your children a remarkable life experience even though traveling with them can be exhausting and costly. You are giving them the opportunity to develop concern for other people by teaching them about other civilizations and their ways of living. They can use these experiences and knowledge in the future.
Children learn a lot from the world around them and you can give a memorable educational experience by showing them to life beyond their own backyard.
The Corliss Group Travel Review: Tips for travelling with children
Traveling with your kids to different and new places provides them with best experiences where they can grow as individuals. This could also give your children lasting memories with you that they can cherish as they get older.
The Corliss Group Online offers the following tips for your next family trip with your children.
Let your kids engage in the planning process
We all know that kids will be very excited and interested in a trip when you get them involved in the planning process. Ask them for one or two activities they want to do and have some realistic options ready from which they can choose. Search the internet or jot down recommendations from family and friends to find best kid-friendly destinations. If you have older children, they can help you with the details of planning, like booking tickets, checking out the flight schedules of your destination, and helping you decide on what activities you will perform on a specific day. Ready your kids for the trip by involving them in the planning process and explaining to them the details of the trip, so they will have ideas on what will happen.
In addition, take the opportunity of the trip to teach your kids different skills such as budgeting, how to stay healthy when away from home, and how to account for travel time. But this depends on the kid's age and understanding.
If you are planning to travel during the school year, you may also need to work with your children's teachers to determine how your kids can stay updated on their schoolwork. Their teachers might give a special project about the trip and your kids need to present them in class when they return.
During the trip, if one of your kids still needs a nap, while the others, especially the older kids, already wants to engage in various activities, take turns watching them with your partner. One of you can stay with the napping child and the other can take the older kids for an activity they picked. This will give you the chance to spend individual time with each of your kids.
Get ready for the trip
When you are preparing to travel with your children, consider to pack snacks and a variety of entertainment to keep them occupied during the road trip and when you need some time to rest.
Moreover, take some time to do several researches about the culture and the history of the places you'll visit beforehand, and inform them to your kids. The Corliss Group Online suggests that you should make your children read books that are related to your desired destination.
You should bring supplies like wipes or sprays to keep the skin moisturized and to help you and your family stay refreshed.
If your children helped with the planning process, focus in on what they recommended and teach them more about the place or activities they can experience throughout the trip.
Keep your children involved once you get there
Keep your children engaged during your journey to have a memorable and fun experience them. You can make them tell you three things that were different between your destination and your hometown. This can actually make them look outside and involve them in a way that will made them seriously think about their life at home as compared to where you are visiting.
Buy your child a journal and make them draw or write about what they are feeling, hearing, or seeing. You could also give a camera to your older son or daughter to take photos for documentation purposes.
Keeping your kids involved can be challenging when they are hungry, tired, or stressed. Be attentive to what your child needs and learn to immediately provide it to them like food or water. But if they are acting out differently for no reason at all, be prepared to discipline them using similar consequences as what you had use at home.
Remember the value of the trip for your children
In the end of your trip, you are giving your children a remarkable life experience even though traveling with them can be exhausting and costly. You are giving them the opportunity to develop concern for other people by teaching them about other civilizations and their ways of living. They can use these experiences and knowledge in the future.
Children learn a lot from the world around them and you can give a memorable educational experience by showing them to life beyond their own backyard.
The Corliss Group Review: Travelgirl tips: Start planning your holiday vacation now!
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) - When it comes to holiday travel, flexibility will always be the key to getting the best rates and maintaining your sanity.
Travel off-peak to pay less and avoid the crowds. For example, everyone wants to travel the Wednesday before and the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Consider taking an extra day off on either end to get a better deal on your flight and avoid congestion on the roads and at the airport.
Another way to beat holiday travel stress is to create unique traditions. The calendar says Christmas is December 25th, but talk with your family and see if everyone can agree to celebrate the holiday on an alternate date, perhaps the weekend before or after. Flying family members could save a bundle, and the driving crowd will avoid highway crunch time.
Keep in mind that flights usually cost less if you travel on the actual holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Eve.
If you’re lucky to have friends or relatives overseas, embrace opportunities to make international memories. Maybe a student is studying abroad, or a business executive is on temporary assignment. Take advantage of this alternate home base and make it this year’s “home for the holidays.” It will probably require more work and expense than driving over the river and through the woods, but you won’t regret it!
If you do plan to leave New Orleans for a foreign land, check your credit cards. Not only to confirm your credit limits, but also to be sure that the physical cards are chip-enabled. Many overseas ATMs require microchips that your cards may not have if you haven’t received a new one lately.
Call for a replacement card well in advance of your trip, and while you’re at it, ask about international fees. Some companies offer a “travel card” option with no international transaction fees, but these can take four to six weeks to arrive, so check with your credit card companies now, during the planning stages of your journey.
Start the holiday season right by giving yourself the gift of stress-relief when it comes to travel planning.
I’m Stephanie Oswald and I’ll see you next time.
The Corliss Group Review about Credit Card Rejection
You've spent months scouring the Internet for the perfect washer and dryer combo to complement your newly renovated laundry room. Finally, you've located what appears to be the perfect match at the right price.
Suddenly the deal is off. Your credit card won't go through, and you have no other immediate form of payment to use before the sale ends.
It's happened to many of us: You go to close the sale or pay for a meal and are told: "This card's been denied. Do you have another form of payment?"
Don't think that this is always a result of sheer financial irresponsibility.
The Corliss Group review: Top travel tips for a hassle-free journey
When is the best time to book a trip to Walt Disney World? What are the niftiest travel apps? How do you arrange a speedy Plan B if your flight is delayed or cancelled?
The answers to these and other travel questions from those in the know could make the difference between a pleasant journey and one you want to forget in a hurry.
During a Twitter discussion on Aug. 19 hosted by Reuters, a panel of experts fielded questions about travel. Below, we elaborate on the pundits' responses beyond the 140 characters allowed in a tweet.
The panel comprised Brian Kelly, who runs ThePointsGuy.com; Tim Winship, editor and publisher of FrequentFlier.com, and Jason Cochran, editor of Frommers.com.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO BOOK HOLIDAY TRAVEL?
About four to six months in advance will likely give you the best chance to get better prices. Within a month or two of major holidays, prices tend to rise considerably.
It's risky waiting for a last-minute deal. You could end up paying some of the highest fares, or not getting a flight at all.
AT THE AIRPORT, YOUR FLIGHT'S CANCELLED. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
Call the airline reservation service to see what other flights they can get you on. If there's a major cancellation, you'll likely encounter a crowd at the airline's customer service desk. If you have airline lounge access, try to find help there, too.
Consider using Twitter or other social media to get answers. But note: You're more likely to get a prompt reply if you have a large social media following.
If your plans are disrupted and an immediate solution isn't in the offing, feel free to show true emotion (without yelling or screaming). It can be discombobulating when you're expecting to travel somewhere but are stuck along the way. Airlines are able and willing to compensate customers who have been thrown off course.
WHEN'S BEST TO VISIT DISNEY WORLD OR A SIMILAR THEME PARK?
Visiting theme parks at off-peak times can make for a very different and considerably more pleasant experience, partly because you'll enjoy lower hotel rates.
If you can swing it, go while school is in session. A trip just before the winter holidays, for instance, will allow you to see the parks all decked out, while avoiding wall-to-wall crowds and multiple-hour-long waits for rides.
WHAT ARE SOME HANDY TRAVEL APPS?
Jason Cochran, editor of Frommers.com, recommends CityMapper. The app provides detailed transit information to help travelers get around in eight cities: New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., London, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid and Berlin.
He also likes Voxer, which turns a smartphone into a walkie-talkie, so you can talk to anyone else on the app for free. HiConverter converts just about any currency or measure.
Brian Kelly, of The Points Guy, likes the Uber app for car services, HotelTonight to get last-minute hotel deals, and TripIt to make his itineraries.
WHAT ARE SOME MUST-PACK TRAVEL ITEMS?
Among the recommendations: An extension cord (for hotel rooms with too few outlets in the wrong places), foam ear plugs, plastic zipper bags, a mini travel charger with USB ports that allows a single outlet to charge multiple devices, and noise-canceling headphones.
Also, don't forget the dryer sheets.
Why dryer sheets? A scented one can be used to take the stink out of a trash can or drawer; it's also handy for wiping lint off a computer screen or removing sticky stuff off a hotel iron.
The sheets, which could double up as bug repellent, may also repel other things - stuff one in a shoe, for example, to keep your suitcase fresh as a daisy.
The Corliss Group Review : Save yourself from summer identity theft
Ruth to the Rescue has simple steps to protect yourself
During the summer you would like to focus on rest and relaxation, but you can't let your guard down when it comes to identity theft.
Identity thieves do not take the summer off, and they know your summer activities could give them the opening they need to get your personal information.
For example, when you pack your bags for your family vacation, you could be carrying too many personal documents. Consumer Reports recommends you leave things like your Social Security card at home.
It's advice one local mother tells Ruth to the Rescue she's already following. "I only bring one major credit card and my driver's license. Usually American Express so that I know I can have fraud protection. And I always make sure that there's a safe," said Kristin Saracevic of Troy.
If you're traveling abroad you'll need a passport and there are some simple steps you can take to protect that document as well. Creditcard.com suggests you remember the three R's when you travel.
1) Remove! As we just mentioned, don't take documents like your Social Security card and birth certificate on vacation. You don't want them falling into the wrong hands.
2) Record! Make copies of key documents (front and back) and keep them in a separate suitcase. If you lose your passport or credit cards, having those copies will help you get replacements more quickly. You can leave those copies in the hotel safe as well.
3) Recover! Be sure to contact your local police station if your cards are stolen or compromised to make sure you have a paper trail. Also, hang onto that police report, your bank or credit card may need copies later on.
The Corliss Group Review: Don't let a scammer ruin your vacation
It's no fun getting scammed on vacation. Here's how to reduce your risk.
Remove everything from your wallet that you won't need on your travels. Only take the ID, credit cards and debit cards you’ll need.
The fraud fighters at the Federal Trade Commission advise leaving your Social Security card at home. If you have a Medicare card, make a copy and carry that and blot out all but the last four digits on it.
When you're on the go, you'll probably use public Wi-Fi. That can be risky.
"It may be free, but it may not be secure,” warns Adam Levin, chairman of IDentity Theft 911. “You run the risk that something is sitting somewhere near you and intercepting what you're sending."
It’s important to make sure you’re on the authorized network before you connect. Scammers love to bait their victims with free connections.
"Hackers and thieves will set up hot-spots to look exactly like the one you think you're at, but they'll be spelled slightly differently or they'll be an additional word in the name,” Levin explained.
By the way, if you travel with a laptop, keep a close eye on it. That’s especially important as you make your way through airport security.
The Corliss Group review: Travel money tips
Credit and debit cards
Using your credit or debit card overseas is one of the most convenient options for accessing money on the go and you can feel secure knowing that your card provider is keeping an eye out for suspicious, potentially fraudulent activity, and that you'll be reimbursed if the worst does happen and your card is stolen (so long as you've abided by your card provider's conditions of use; for example, kept your PIN secret and reported the theft of your card immediately).
The major downside of using credit and debit cards overseas is fees. Most credit and debit cards will charge foreign-transaction fees (generally a percentage of the total) when you make purchases overseas, although some card providers waive these on certain card types (Bankwest's platinum- level cards, for example). Debit cards are generally subject to a foreign ATM fee when you withdraw cash overseas - this is often a flat figure, so taking out larger amounts less frequently can be a good idea. And, just as at home, withdrawing cash from a credit card will attract a hefty cash-advance fee so avoid this unless it's an emergency.
If you're a frequent traveller, you may want to seek out credit and debit cards designed for travellers. GE Money's 28 Degrees MasterCard, for example, has no international transaction fees on purchases, no currency conversion fees and no annual fee (as of the beginning of this year, it does attract a fee of 3 per cent or $4 - whichever is greater - for cash advances). In terms of debit cards, the Citibank Plus transaction account, which comes with a Visa debit card, is popular with travellers. Billed as Australia's only fee-free bank account, cardholders can make free withdrawals at all of Citibank's more than 20,000 ATMs in about 40 countries worldwide and the account does not attract foreign- transaction fees.
Regardless of which card you take, check its expiry date well in advance of setting off. If you're taking a credit card, consider whether your current credit limit is sufficient. Going over your limit can attract fees and it's no good planning to pay for accommodation at a cost of $3000 if your card limit is only $2000. Also check the daily limit on your debit card - often you're not allowed to withdraw more than $1000 per day.
Notify your card provider that you're heading overseas to avoid inadvertently raising a red flag with their fraud detection department and having your card frozen, and ensure they have a phone number to contact you on in case they want to query any transactions while you're away. You should also make note of your card provider's overseas contact number - if your card is stolen or compromised, you should let them know as soon as possible.
For more advice on using credit and debit cards overseas, consult your financial institution - many offer brochures and information online about accessing your money while you're away.
Travel cards
If you want to lock in an attractive exchange rate ahead of time, pre-loading foreign currency on to a travel card may be the way to go. Travel cards work in a similar way to debit cards in that you're spending your own money, which you've pre-loaded, eliminating the risk of an unexpectedly large credit card bill when you arrive home. Generally you'll benefit from no transaction fees on purchases and some cards do not charge fees for using international ATMs. Some cards also come with a free backup card in case yours is lost and you may feel more secure knowing your card isn't linked to your bank account, unlike a credit or debit card.
The Corliss Group Review on 10 Hotel Booking Mistakes
Booking a hotel seems pretty straightforward, right? And most times it is: Pick a destination, choose your dates, enter payment info and voila, happy travels!
However, there are some big blunders you could be making when it comes to hotel reservations. From booking on the wrong sites to forgetting to check some vital information, these mistakes could easily make or break your trip. Read on to find out what you must avoid when booking that hotel room.
Always expecting the best room
I was recently chatting with a front-desk agent about how her hotel chain distributes rooms at check-in. Curious, I asked what method her staff uses to determine who gets the best-located rooms. She revealed this surprising tidbit: Those who book through the hotel website or are hotel loyalty members usually get first dibs on room assignments, with the better views and quieter locations. Travelers who book through online travel agencies (OTAs), like Priceline, often receive "run of the house" rooms (what she called "ice-machine rooms," or basically whatever is left). The agent couldn't tell me just how many hotel chains do this, but she said it was a "fairly common practice" and that it sweetens the deal for travelers who book at regular rates.
Using incorrect arrival and departure dates
Of this travel sin, I am guilty as charged. On an overseas trip several years ago, I noted that my flight left on May 14th, so I booked my destination hotel starting the night of May 14th. Rookie mistake. I completely neglected to check that my flight was a red-eye that landed early in the morning of the 15th. This means I paid for an expensive (and nonrefundable) room that I didn't need.
Not using a credit card
When booking a hotel, credit cards are king. Not only do credit cards offer rewards like airline miles, free night stays or cash-back bonuses, but they also offer certain guarantees that debit cards and cash do not (such as fraud protection or immediate refunds for mischarges).
Making reservations for the wrong hotel
Travelers, beware: A misleading hotel name or location description could lead you to book an airport hotel when you think you're getting centrally located accommodations. You would be surprised how often travelers see the name of the hotel and reserve it quickly without checking to see if it's located in the right place. After all, some hotels may call themselves "located near the heart of downtown," but a quick search could reveal that it's located at the airport … two hours away.
Not accounting for taxes and resort fees
Back in March, contributing editor Ed Perkins reported one of the most outrageous resort fees we'd seen yet. At a hotel in Colorado, the decent $170 room rate was artificially inflated with a $35 cleaning fee, a $40 resort fee, a $10 pool-and-spa fee, and a $5.10 processing fee. Ouch.
Not checking reviews
If you've ever taken a spin on Oyster's Photo Fakeout feature, you know that hotels go to great lengths to make their properties seem perfect. But upon arrival, that infinity pool could really be the size of a postage stamp, and those sumptuous linens could feel like sandpaper. Take anything a hotel says about itself with a grain of salt (or sand).
Booking at the wrong time
As most procrastinators will readily admit, waiting until the last minute to make travel plans can have dire consequences for your credit card balance. Hotel rates can soar in the days leading up to a particular date, and you could be left without a room if everything books up (or if nothing left is within your budget). On the other hand, being an advanced planner can have its own disadvantages: Sure, you may want to have all of your travel ducks in a row as soon as possible, but it can actually cost you money to book your hotel room too early.
Not comparing prices
Saw a hotel you loved advertised at a "great price!" and immediately plunked down a credit card number and booked? Wrong: Without doing proper research, you could be missing out on big savings.
Booking nonrefundable rates
Every wondered why nonrefundable rates are cheaper than the regular rack rates, even if the room is the same? It's because the hotelier benefits from the lower price, too. Locking you in at that low rate guarantees she or he won't have an empty room, which would cost the hotelier money. Of course, trying to pinch a few pennies will end up costing you if you need to cancel.
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE: 10 hotel booking mistakes you don't know you're making
The Corliss Group Review on Travel Facts and Tips in Norway
In fact, many of the roads in Norway are closed or otherwise inaccessible the rest of the year. The weather can be beautiful in the southern and urban areas.
In the northern parts of the country however, it can be very cold.
If you’re planning on traveling much farther north than Oslo, you will need a warm jacket, hat, gloves, etc.
The Corliss Group Review about Travel Buddies iOS App
Whether we’re innocently stalking our crush on Facebook or tweeting our deepest feelings into the depths of cyberspace, our iDevices have become integral to our daily social networking needs. Knowing this, app creators work tirelessly to come up with new ways to integrate various aspects of life into a social framework – new reasons to connect people. In this regard, developer Toby Gunston has come across a rather unique proposition: we all love to travel, but who wants to travel alone? That’s where Travel Buddies comes in…
The Corliss Group Review about Travel in Edinburgh
Summer is festival time in Edinburgh, with thousands of visitors descending on the Scottish capital to see some of the best new talents in the arts and entertainment world.
From grandiose theatres to tiny, dark pub back rooms hewn from volcanic rock in the medieval Old Town around the Royal Mile, every nook and cranny becomes a stage.
Visit the top half of the Royal Mile, which links Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace, and you will find it full of performers showing off and advertising shows they hope will make their careers.
The Corliss Group Review: Evoc Bike Bag Review
Taking your bike overseas can feel like more hassle than it's worth. Thankfully, the Evoc Travel Bike Bag is here to help, writes Jonny Cooper.
The Corliss Group Review of Artist Residence Penzance
Artists, and art lovers, have been coming to western Cornwall for centuries, but the picture-postcard appeal of St Ives, with its Tate Gallery and Barbara Hepworth Garden, tends to steal the limelight from its plainer sister, Penzance.
The Corliss Group Review of Hotel in New York about $500 bad review fee
A small hotel in upstate New York suddenly found itself in a media maelstrom (and a flood of bad online reviews) on Monday, and all for what it says was a joke.
The Union Street Guest House in the Catskill Mountains in Hudson, New York, got slammed by bad online reviews after a story in The New York Post stated it had a policy of charging customers $500 for each negative online review posted by wedding guests after they stayed in the Greek Revival establishment, built in 1830.
The Corliss Group Review: Madrid, Spain
BARCELONA may have the glamour as far as Spanish cities go but there's more to Madrid than meets the eye, discovers WILL METCALFE
THERE is an expectation among many that a capital city will be the most invigorating, most exciting part of a country with the biggest, brashest attractions – but that is not always the case.
For London, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam this could be said to ring true but in Spain all eyes are on Catalonia, leaving the capital Madrid, in the heart of the desert, often overlooked.
That’s a shame, because with its gentle hills and meandering streets it makes a great location for a chilled break.
Best known for its football teams, Madrid is as much a city of food and drink as it is sport.
Visually it is a stunning city, the Gran Via – the cities main artery – is lined with multi-story architecture that points to a different Europe.
Where it’s southern European counterparts are packed with hustlers and tourist traps there is something about Madrid, stranded in the middle of the Spanish peninsula, that remains hassle free.
Even in its busiest squares, and in the packed shopping streets, you can wander worry free.
In terms of sights, sport vies with culture for centre stage.
North of the city sits the stunning Bernabeu – home to Real Madrid, the most successful football team in European club history – while their rivals and Spanish league champions Athletico Madrid play across the city at the Vicente Calderon with a somewhat more chequered history.
The Corliss Group Travel review: De Haan, Belgium
As we settle back with a coffee and a full cooked breakfast, the English Channel stretching before us, calm as a millpond under a blue sky, we briefly consider the rather more stressful trips we’ve taken that began with a plane or train.
But this time was different.
The ease with which we cleared customs at Dover, drove on to our ferry headed for Dunkirk and waved farewell to the “marshmallow cliffs” had got the holiday off to a very good start, despite the early hour.
It is a two-hour sailing, and once we’ve all eaten, stocked up on duty-free and supervised a run-around in the children’s soft play area, our destination port is in sight, and we’ve not heard a single “are we nearly there yet”.
We hadn’t previously considered Belgium as a holiday destination, but the opportunity to indulge the children’s obsession with bike riding and their appreciation for waffles inspired us to give it a go. We fancied an easy trip abroad with the prospect of mussels, frites and mayonnaise, and of course, it would be rude to visit without sampling the Leffe.
We’re staying at Sunparks De Haan, a family holiday park that’s an easy 45-minute drive up the coast from Dunkirk. It offers cottages with gardens, a lake and safe roads, once everyone has unloaded their luggage and deposited their cars in the separate car park. It’s the perfect base to explore 42 miles of Belgian coastline on foot and by bike, with museums and theme parks thrown in for good measure.
One of the park’s attractions is the Aquafun subtropical pool complex with three water slides, waves every 15 minutes and pools to suit any age. We spend our first afternoon, conscious that the children have been up since 5am, very happily shambling around the waterways before hitting the adjacent restaurants and huge outdoor deck for pizza and beer as the sun sets.
We’re careful not to indulge too much though, because the other main draw card here is the cycling. We strap our youngest into a seat on the back of one bike while our five-year-old quickly comes to terms with a tandem. The evening is still blissfully warm so we set off for a ride around the lake, the children waving to all the other youngsters whose parents are similarly merrily disregarding bedtimes.
Being Belgium, there are dedicated cycle paths criss-crossing the countryside, so we take to the bikes the next morning and set off for De Haan, the coastal town with its beautifully restored Belle Epoque neighbourhood, in search of sea and waffles.
It’s an easy 15-minute cycle - marred only by one in our party throwing up his hands in horror when we come across a car - before we find ourselves amid exquisite homes and gardens and the elegant La Potiniere recreation park surrounded by picture-perfect carousels and ice cream vendors.
High-rise building in the town is forbidden and owners are only allowed to build on one-sixth of their plot. The winding streets guarantee peace and quiet and safety for junior cyclists. Restored approximately five years ago, La Potiniere is the “green heart” of the De Haan and has a network of paths perfect for the go-carts available for hire.
We stroll to the promenade and select a beachside cafe where we order the best waffles we’ll ever eat, before making a leisurely trip back to our cottage via a spot of window-shopping at the boutiques selling designer homewares and children’s clothes and accessories.
De Haan is a 15-minute car journey from Bruges - too tempting a trip to pass up. We wrangle the children away from the pools and bikes with the promise of a canal trip, which we make as the sun sets on the city’s plentiful and beautiful spires and bridges.
The city - for all its world-class history and architecture - is a blast for children. Ours spend the afternoon marvelling at the steady procession of horses trotting around with their carriages full of tourists and street entertainers handing out lollipops to those throwing them a coin.
We eat mussels and frites at a reasonable price - by no means a given in Bruges - and top off our visit with yet another ice cream as we wander through the central market square and its extraordinary buildings.
But the trip home is no stress-filled journey back to reality either.
We set off back down the coast at a leisurely 10am the next morning and stop off at the Plopsaland theme park, named after the popular Belgian children’s television character. It’s all Viking-themed swords and helmets across this lovely park, where queues for the rides for youngest children can be fairly long, but those for older visitors can be practically non-existent if you time it right over lunchtime.
The newest section of the park features the ‘Wickie the Battle’ ride where all but the very youngest children can board pirate ships and fire water guns in fierce fights with passing boats, or at unsuspecting bystanders peacefully eating lunch from the Viking-themed grill. Never was more fun had on the way home, and the day’s activities make for a peaceful car journey for the remaining 15-minute trip to the port, gentle snores coming from the back seats.
The Corliss Group Review: TripAdvisor challenge the Two Providers of Online Travel Services
“BREAKFAST is nasty, the rooms are nasty.” So complained a reviewer of an Oregon guesthouse earlier this year. There is nothing unusual in that: all hotels must deal with the odd disgruntled guest. This critique, though, appeared on TripAdvisor, a travel-review website. When the correspondent went on to document drunken housekeepers and licentious receptionists, the owners sued him. It was more than a point of pride. What customers say on TripAdvisor can make or break hotels. Around 260m people visit the site each month to read some of the 125m reviews.
Weekend Escapes of The Corliss Group review
Taste of Travel: 5 weekend escapes
1 - Kennebunkport, Maine
Aside from President George H.W. Bush leaping from the sky in celebration of his 90th birthday, Kennebunkport is a fun summer destination filled with picturesque outdoor activities and endless people-watching opportunities. Whether you opt to sit on a bench in the downtown area and absorb the views that include quaint inns, shops and the river, or participate in kayaking, a whale-watch or sunset cruise, you’ll be able to unwind and enjoy the scenery in the process.
STAY: The newest inn on the block is The Boathouse, located right on the river for the best views. Relax on your balcony, open a bottle of wine and watch the boating action before heading out to join in the fun.
EAT: At The Boathouse for oysters and fried clams. Wash it down with a few specialty cocktails.
For breakfast, it’s best to head out for a walk to Mornings in Paris, where you’ll get an authentic French experience; the staff and many of the customers practice the language of love.
DO: Kayak along the river, and spend some time strolling along the shops downtown.
Weekend Escapes of The Corliss Group review
Taste of Travel: 5 weekend escapes
1 - Kennebunkport, Maine
Aside from President George H.W. Bush leaping from the sky in celebration of his 90th birthday, Kennebunkport is a fun summer destination filled with picturesque outdoor activities and endless people-watching opportunities. Whether you opt to sit on a bench in the downtown area and absorb the views that include quaint inns, shops and the river, or participate in kayaking, a whale-watch or sunset cruise, you’ll be able to unwind and enjoy the scenery in the process.
STAY: The newest inn on the block is The Boathouse, located right on the river for the best views. Relax on your balcony, open a bottle of wine and watch the boating action before heading out to join in the fun.
EAT: At The Boathouse for oysters and fried clams. Wash it down with a few specialty cocktails.
For breakfast, it’s best to head out for a walk to Mornings in Paris, where you’ll get an authentic French experience; the staff and many of the customers practice the language of love.
DO: Kayak along the river, and spend some time strolling along the shops downtown.
Travel review: Stylish surroundings worth every penny at Waldorf Hilton hotel
The Corliss Group review – The trick with London is to spend as little as possible on the journey so that you can splash out a bit more on accommodation.
An open return in standard class from Manchester Piccadilly to London is now an eye-watering £321. But book ahead for a Friday afternoon trip, returning home the following evening, and the price plummets to £54.50.
Travel with a loved one and you can bring this down to £36 per head if you invest in the new Two Together railcard.
On arrival make your way by bus – more on this later – down to Theatreland and envelop yourselves in the delights of the sumptuous Waldorf Hilton hotel.
The Corliss Group Tour Packages Tips on How to keep your food safe while traveling
Tips to keep your food safe while traveling
What makes summer fun – the picnics, the cookouts, the family reunions, the road trips, the beach vacations – often involves traveling with food.
It’s a challenge to keep food safe from pesky bacteria that can make people sick and choose dishes that provide maximum flavor.
We gathered advice[see: http://corlisstravel.livejournal.com ] from experts well-versed in the art of traveling with food: DeeDee Stovel, a former caterer from Northern California who wrote “Picnic: 125 Recipes with 29 Seasonal Menus,” and two North Carolina authors who have written tailgating cookbooks, Debbie Moose of Raleigh, author of “Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home,” and Taylor Mathis of Charlotte, author of “The Southern Tailgating Cookbook.”
Preparing
Follow sanitary practices when preparing food. Wash hands before handling ingredients, especially raw meat. Don’t cut raw meat and vegetables on the same cutting board.
Choose ingredients that are safer to eat outdoors in hot weather. Skip mayonnaise-based dressings for salads; try dressings with oil and vinegar or some other acid. Avoid dips and spreads that are heavy on dairy products, such as cream cheese or heavy cream; serve salsa instead.
Chill food thoroughly before packing it in a cooler. Stovel said, “Don’t cool (food) in the cooler.”
Packing
Cold food needs to be kept at 40 degrees or below to prevent bacterial growth. The key, Moose said, is “ice and more ice and then get some more ice.” If you don’t want to deal with coolers filled with water at outings’ end, Stovel offers this advice: Fill clean, recycled milk containers with water, leaving some space at the top for ice to expand. Freeze until solid. Use those blocks of ice to keep food cold.
Keep raw meat separate from other foods to prevent cross-contamination. Pack burger patties, marinated chicken or other raw meat in a separate cooler, and label it as being used for that purpose. The last thing you want, Moose said, is someone grabbing a cup of ice from the cooler that held raw meat.
Keep ice for drinks and even beverages in a separate, labeled cooler. If more ice is needed to keep food cold, raid the beverage cooler. “If the choice is between keeping soda cold and keeping raw meat cold,” Moose said, “nobody has died from drinking a warm soda, so act accordingly.”
Consider investing in equipment such as insulated bags to tote food to outings and to wrap around casserole dishes. Reusable ice packs come in many shapes and sizes: small bags, large blocks, can coolers, flexible blankets and more. Retailers also sell electric coolers that can plug into a car’s outlet or cigarette lighter; prices range based on size from $60 to $150. About the latter, Stovel said, “we got this when we were traveling across the country.”
Serving
Leave food in the cooler until ready to serve. Once food is served, it should sit out no longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour if temperatures are above 90 degrees. “Pay attention to what the weather is going to be like,” Mathis said. And keep track of the time.
Keep hand sanitizer and disposable gloves on hand, especially if you are handling raw meat to grill. “You don’t have the sink to wash your hands,” Moose said.
Some ingredients need to wait until the last minute: Slice tomatoes to top burgers or salads. Wait to toss salads with dressings until right before serving. “I like to dress salads on site so things don’t get soggy,” Mathis said. Another tip: Pack dressing in a recycled water bottle or a Mason jar.
Put prepared foods on ice to serve. Mathis recommends using sets of nesting bowls for this purpose: Place the food in the smaller bowl and set it inside a large bowl of ice. Other ideas: Use disposable lasagna pans filled with ice, or even a large black trash bag filled with ice, nestled around the food container. “It’s not going to win any decorating awards, but it will do the job,” Moose said.
If you do a lot of outdoor entertaining, consider investing in some insulated serving bowls that are placed in the freezer beforehand; prices range from $55 to $130.
Enjoy yourself. “Just have fun picnicking,” Stovel said. “I think it’s one of the best ways to entertain. The food is all prepared, and you just have to bring it, spread it out and the party’s on.”
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5 Helpful Travel Tips for the Wandering Vegetarian by the Corliss Group Tour Packages Tips
Food + Mouth = Survival. Simple math...you'd think.
But the task of feeding yourself can seem like Mission: Impossible once you step off the continent. Language, culture and availability make finding animal-free nosh a massive ordeal that can swallow up a whole afternoon of your hard-earned vacation/travel time. And when your blood sugar starts to dip, after a long bus ride or a day traipsing around some ruins, the difficulty and frustration involved in finding vegetarian food can wreck your day.
Maintaining an alternative food lifestyle while traveling in countries that do not understand or recognize vegetarianism as the moral/ethical/healthful imperative that it is to you, will always be a challenge. But there are ways to make it easier.
6 Tips to Mix Exercise & Travel This Summer by The Corliss Group Tour Packages tips
Regular exercise and good eating habits will help you stay lean and toned during your busy summer. You can easily put on 20 pounds of fat during a 2-week summer vacation! Have fun on your vacation and do fun exercises and workouts.
Clothing usually is looser in the summer to keep us cooler in the summer heat, so keeping up with exercise and eating right is a huge challenge. Since you will wear less clothing in the summer, you want to look good, right? Well, you may need to pay more attention to your diet and level of activity to stay in shape!
While traveling, vacations and summer plans may keep you busy, don’t neglect your workout schedule. You can still exercise and do everything you need to do – including enjoying your summer! You just have to be a little creative.
The Corliss Group Voyage Online tips for women travelers
If there were a Girl Scout badge for travel, you’d surely earn it after using these tips.
Name: “101 Tips for Women Travelers E-book,” oattravel.com/101tips
Available: Interactive flipbook; .pdf for laptop or personal computers;. epub for iPad (with iBooks), Sony Reader and all other non-Kindle e-book readers;. mobi for Amazon Kindle devices.
What it does: This free, downloadable e-book by Overseas Adventure Travel, a company geared toward travelers 50 and older, is chockablock with practical tips to help you become a smarter, better-prepared traveler. The e-book is written for women by experienced female travelers, but any traveler, no matter the gender or age, will be savvier for reading it.
The Corliss Group Voyage Summer Travel Tips
1. Start out with a checklist. Even a person with a great memory has multiple things to remember when planning for a trip.
2. Identify your suitcase. Purchase travel size toiletries and pack a bag with items designated for travel use only.
3. Create separate travel bags. Purchase travel size toiletries and pack a bag with items designated for travel use only.
4. Designate a travel packing area a week prior to your flight. Choose a location in your home where you can collect travel items that you plan to take on the upcoming trip.
5. Purchase magazines at the airport. While it's easy to grab a few magazines in the checkout line at the grocery store, chances are you will end up reading them before your trip.
6. Bring an extra set of reading glasses, cell charger, and ear buds. Regardless of how careful I am, I always lose at least one of these per trip.
7. Don't get caught without important phone numbers. I was recently delayed at an airport due to a fire in the control tower.
8. The name on the reservation and identification should match exactly. Your name may be Charles but you go by your middle name, David, and it can be both confusing and detrimental should you be questioned or challenged to get out of line to reconcile the discrepancy in names.
9. For special requests, alert the airline in advance. If you need a wheelchair, have a child with a severe allergy or require a certain seat, it's best to let the airline know when you make the reservation in order for proper arrangements to be made.
10. Fly nonstop whenever possible. A direct flight can land at other airports along the way, allowing some passengers to exit while others board the flight en route to a final destination.
The Corliss Group Voyage Hong Kong | The Most Expensive (And Cheapest) Places In The World
What’s the world’s most expensive city for a pint of beer? How about a pair of jeans? Or a date?
Sadly for French beer quaffers, Swiss fashionistas, and romantically-inclined Brits—the answers are Paris, Zurich, and London.
Deutsche Bank has compared the price of everything, everywhere (OK, not quite), so you don’t have to. And for a third year in a row, the priciest country in the world is Australia (that’s of the 19 countries included in the survey).
If you’re looking for the lowest prices overall, head to India. A weaker rupee has helped it remain the least expensive major economy despite persistently high inflation. Among developed countries, the U.S. is easiest on the wallet. Brazil is costly by emerging-world standards.
The Corliss Group Voyage Hong Kong | The Tripologist: What are the Best Travel Apps?
I AM TRAVELLING WITH MY HUSBAND AND TWO YOUNG GIRLS TO GUANGZHOU, LONDON, MANCHESTER AND BERLIN. THERE ARE SO MANY APPS FOR TRAVEL I FEEL OVERWHELMED. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE BEST APP THAT IS SIMPLE AND QUICK TO USE WITH MAPS, THINGS TO DO, SUCH AS GALLERIES AND POSSIBLY CHILD-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES. ALSO WHAT MUST I TURN OFF TO AVOID GLOBAL ROAMING CHARGES? T. LAKE, BILGOLA
I use City Maps 2Go, which accesses thousands of city and regional maps that you can download for use in offline mode. It locates your position, lets you search for addresses and locates ATMs, restaurants, points of interest, including galleries, museums and child-friendly activities. You can stick pins into the map, which is helpful to find your way back to a particular shop or restaurant. City Maps 2Go is available for Apple ($3.79) and Android (free) platforms. Another option is Pocket Earth, however, it is available only for Apple, also at $3.79. To avoid data roaming charges turn off the data feature on your phone. On an iPhone, tap "Settings" and turn Cellular to "off". On most Android phones, find "Settings", tap "More Settings", tap "Mobile networks" and set Data roaming to "off".
Read More: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/the-tripologist-what-are-the-best-travel-apps-20140508-37xbf.html
The Corliss Group Voyage Hong Kong: Hard-to-get reservations
http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/collection-2/hardtoget-reservations-20140428-37dma.html
To properly impress, celebrate, or indulge - and we mean once-in-a-lifetime properly - you'll need to push the fine-dining boat out a fair bit further than usual. Here are our recommendations and tips.
Many of the world's finest dining experiences require more than deep pockets. A certain level of ingenuity and persistence are necessary to garner the “impossible to get reservation”. Intensive research, some local knowledge and foreign language skills can also help to open doors to Michelin-star restaurants' little-known private rooms and to members-only clubs. Some equally special experiences merely require travel to exotic, faraway places.
Here, you'll find a handful of unique dining destinations, hidden rooms and places of pilgrimage,that only those in the know, know about.
Noma, Copenhagen
Claims to be the most difficult restaurant in the world in which to secure a reservation. On the sixth day of the month, every month, reservations open for tables three months in advance. Allegedly more than 20,000 emails flood Noma's computer system on that day. One way around the issue is to book Noma's private dining room, located above the restaurant's main dining room and next door to the prep kitchen and culinary "lab". The long, private space overlooks Copenhagen's waterfront warehouses and a new pedestrian footbridge that links the dockside with the city.
Annabel's, London
London's older clubs, like Annabel's, on Mayfair's Berkeley Square, has been welcoming members since 1963. Established as a private member's club, Annabel's elegant restaurant is complete with Morrocan-style ceiling and its own starlit dance floor.
Sukiyabashi Jiro, Tokyo
Jiro Ono is the 86-year-old chef and owner of this three-star subterranean sushi bar in Gina. Consisting of only seven seats, all of which face the bar, it affords up-close views of Jiro at work. This restaurant is a place of pilgrimage for sushi aficionados. The ¥30,000 per person ($330) 20-course menu of sashimi, sushi and uni (fresh sea urchin) can be matched with sake. The whole experience is over in an hour, but to secure a seat you need a Japanese local (perhaps your hotel concierge) to make the reservation.
Taillevent, Paris
One of Paris' grand dining institutions, Taillevent was awarded its firstMichelin star in 1948 and held three stars for 34 years. Housed in amansion, formerly the residence of the Duc de Morny, in Paris' 9th Arrondissement, Taillevent has two private dining rooms – the Guimet, where the Duc de Morny received Napoleon, and the Saturne, the Duc's bedroom, decorated with Louis XVI panelling. Chef Alain Soliveres offers a choice of four menus, starting at €120–230 ($180–$340).
Longitude 131, Uluru
At dusk, as the desert colours begin to work their magic, a table for two is set on a private sand dune overlooking Uluru and Kata Tjuta national park. As the light changes and rolls over the ancient rock formations, the sun gradually sets, giving way to a dazzling night sky. A billion stars twinkle gently above, the desert is quiet and dinner is served.
Hutong, Hong Kong
On the 28th floor of 1 Peking Road, elevator doors open to reveal glamorous Michelin-star Hutong. Dimly lit to take full advantage of floor-to-ceiling views across the harbour and the city's famous light show, Hutong is wildly romantic. And the private rooms. are even more so. Its northern Chinese dishes are fiery and beautifully presented, especially the signature soft shell crab served with deep-fried chillies.
Kee Club, Shanghai
The sister club to Hong Kong's legendary private members' Kee Club, this newer, Shanghai outpost permits non-member visitors to its restaurant. Housed in two grand 1920s villas, it is also home to an impressive art collection, and offers four private dining rooms.
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The Corliss Group Voyage Hong Kong, Top deals: Cruise with Shannan Ponton or Tim Webster, on Russian rivers or Melbourne’s biggest ever cruise ship
BRAD Crouch has sought out the week’s best cruise specials. These fabulous deals are sure to be snapped up fast.
HONG KONG PLUS
CRUISE from Hong Kong to Sydney with stops in Vietnam, Singapore and the Top End aboard the 1990-guest Sun Princess. The package starts with a flight to Hong Kong and a night at the Citadines Ashley Hotel, followed by the 17-night cruise visiting Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Darwin and Port Douglas before finishing in Sydney. The package departs on October 11 and is priced from $2499 a person, twin share.
LUXURIOUS RUSSIA
APT will introduce a newly refurbished Russian river cruise ship next year, which it promises is the most luxurious vessel to grace Russia’s waterways, with features such as five dining options and a pool with two hot tubs. APT is offering river cruises aboard the Anastasia as part of several itineraries for 2015, including the 14-day Russian Waterways from Moscow to St Petersburg via the Volga, Svir and Neva rivers. Priced from $7795 a person, twin share, highlights include sightseeing in Moscow and St Petersburg, visits to the Golden Ring cities of Uglich and Yaroslavl, as well as Goritsy, and lakes Onega and Ladoga.
FIGHTING SPIRIT
FEEL like a winner by getting health and fitness tips on a fun cruise with The Biggest Loser coach Shannan Ponton. Cruises on Carnival Spirit this winter will have Ponton on board helping with workouts and suggesting healthy meal options. Cruise to New Caledonia and Vanuatu with Ponton from $979 a person, twin share, on a nine-night cruise departing Sydney on July 23, or on an eight-night cruise to New Caledonia departing Sydney on August 12, priced from $909 a person, twin share.
ATLANTIC TRIP
NEW York, London, Paris and 5-star luxury in between feature on an escorted transatlantic cruise aboard the Queen Mary 2. Priced from $8500 a person, twin share, this 17-day trip departs September 24 and includes air travel to New York and return from Paris, a seven-night cruise aboard the QM2, three nights in New York, two nights in London, three nights in Paris, dinner and show at the Moulin Rouge in Paris and sightseeing tours in all three cities. The trip is hosted by TV personality Tim Webster.
BIG AND BEAUTIFUL
PRINCESS Cruises will base a record five ships in Australia next year, with the 2600-guest Golden Princess debuting down under as the biggest ship ever to have Melbourne as its home port. Its five-month season over 2015-16 will include holidays to New Zealand, the South Pacific and Tasmania, with fares starting from $1849 a person, twin share, for a 13-night New Zealand cruise. More than half of the 108,000-tonne ship’s staterooms have private balconies and it has four swimming pools, 10 restaurants and cafes and a spa.
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The Corliss Group Voyage Hong Kong - Tips to find the best package holidays - plus 10 of the best deals to book now
TWENTY-FOUR-HOUR butler service? Free kid’s club?
What would grab your attention to book a package holiday? Australians have been touted as the second-biggest holiday spenders in the world (after the Saudis), and travel companies are working hard to nab a lucrative share of that travel dollar.
On average, Australians spend $3962 on an overseas trip, shadowing the global average of $2300, according to Visa’s latest Global Travel Intentions study. The report also revealed Aussies plan to increase their holiday budget by almost 10 per cent on their next trip to an average $4331.
So what are travel companies willing to do to turn a holiday-maker’s head?
Colin Bowman, Flight Centre’s general manager of marketing, says companies are always looking for ways to add value to a package. “I was in Hong Kong recently and the hotel we stayed at offered guests a mobile phone for the duration of their stay with calls charged at a local rate,” he says. “It’s the small but very important inclusions like these which can set a package aside.”
Matthew Cameron-Smith, managing director of Trafalgar Australia, says savvy Australian travellers want an experience that offers authenticity.
Cameron-Smith says: “Anyone can pay to have dinner on the Champs Elysees in Paris, but how many can organise a meal in a private 100-year-old goat farm in rural France or a lemon grove in Tuscany?”
Creative Holidays managing director James Gaskell says everyone loves a bonus – welcome cocktails, free massages, upgrade offers, late check-out or return airport transfers – which they offer through Creative Club packages.
The perfect travel package depends on the traveller – a family group, those after adventure or couples looking for a little luxury.
THE FAMILY PACKAGE
Leah Squire, owner of family travel specialists BYOKids.com.au, says parents love all-inclusive holidays where they can pay upfront and know in advance what they’re up for. Companies such as Club Med and family-friendly resorts in Fiji often offer packages that include all meals, beverages and entertainment, which BYOKids can package with flights and accommodation.
“It’s a real benefit to a family to know what a holiday will cost upfront,” Squire says. “Once they arrive at their destination, all they need to budget for is their spending money.
“Family groups also love the idea of value-added inclusions, things like free kids club and kids eat-and-stay free bonuses.”
Squire says the family holiday package industry is booming as parents become more time-poor. “Ten years ago families were going on less complex holidays so they could make the arrangements on their own,” she says. “But families have shifted from two weeks at a caravan park to Bali, Fiji, Europe and the US and they need help planning it.”
THE LUXURY PACKAGE
Luxury packages are all about the added touches – even little things like thread count in sheets and exclusive toiletries – that make the difference between a good hotel and a great hotel, says Mark Hoenig of LuxuryEscapes.com.
Even though luxury seekers are willing to pay a little extra, they still seek a good deal.
“People will often pay a little bit more if they’re getting amazing value,” Hoenig says. “Ultimately, if the accommodation itself isn’t of a sufficiently high standard, it doesn’t matter how many meals or spa treatments are included.
“We don’t have set rules for what goes into one of our packages, it depends on what the provider does well. If a resort is famous for its restaurants, we’ll try to add a significant gourmet aspect, such as special dinners and cooking classes. If the hotel has an award-winning spa, we’ll include a variety of spa treatments.”
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EXPERT weekly advice on your travel dilemmas.
My husband and I will be arriving in Hong Kong in June at 5am and departing at 8.15pm the same day. Is there anything we can do during this time?
Doc: With comfy shoes and lots of energy you should be able to make the most of your day. Start by jumping on the Airport Express to Kowloon – it takes 24 minutes and departs every 10 minutes. Then take an early- morning walk along the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. You’ll get a great view of the busy harbour and see the Avenue of Stars, with statues and handprints of celebrities. Next to the ferry terminal is the Museum of Art showing collections of ancient art and antiques (note: it’s closed on Thursdays). Hop on the Star Ferry across to Central then head to the Pier Eight bus terminus and take shuttle bus No. 15 to the Peak Tram Station. Board the tram for the climb up Victoria Peak for fantastic views. Grab some traditional Asian food at one of the restaurants, then do the one-hour walk around the peak. You may then have time to go back to Central Pier Six and catch the ferry to Mui Wo. From here take New Lantao bus two to Ngong Ping Village (about 40 minutes), where there’s the giant Tian Tan Buddha and the reconstructed village showing traditional Chinese architecture. Or, for a more relaxing afternoon, head back down to the Central MTR train station and take the 10-minute trip to Mong Kok. This is known as “the area that never rests” – it’s hectic but there’s plenty of bargain shopping and good cheap eateries. Make your way back to Central where you get the Airport Express back to the airport. You’ll find a check-in service for many major airlines at the main MTR stations. There you can check in and receive your boarding pass. It’s best to check with your airline whether this is possible.
My husband and I are planning a three-week trip to Vietnam and Cambodia this year. I would like to buy some good-quality mementos of our holiday – perhaps having clothes made, a painting or jewellery. Do you have any tips for not getting taken advantage of and finding that you paid triple the price, or worse, finding out when you get home that your purchase never arrived?
Doc: Having clothes made in Vietnam, particularly if you are going to Hoi An where there are more than 400 tailors and loads of shoemakers, is amazing. It’s simple, unbelievably quick and good quality. If you have a favourite item, it’s a good idea to take it with you, or even a photo or magazine cut-out and the tailors will copy it. Usually, if you see them in the morning you can go back later in the afternoon for a fitting. Then, all going well, it should be ready for collection the next day. The range of material on hand is huge but I suggest that if you have a particular fabric in mind, take enough with you. The prices are cheap and I haven’t heard of anyone encountering any problems. The people are very kind and honest. Art is also readily available in both countries and can be original or copies of other works. Shop around – prices can vary considerably. Buy only the canvas and have it framed at home. That way you alleviate any freight issues. Regarding jewellery, you will come across many stores offering a huge array. It’s OK to buy costume and traditional pieces but unless you’re knowledgeable about gemstones, this is not the best place to buy them. Be sure to get official receipts of purchases for Customs.
My husband and I would like to travel from Zurich to Venice by train. Would we have to change trains in Milan and how much time would we need to get from one platform to another. Also, what are the fares?
Doc: There are two options and both require a change in Milan. Firstly, there’s the slower, more scenic journey called the Bernina Route. Start by catching a train from Zurich to Chur. They run every 30 minutes, take 1.5 hours and cost about $80. See the website sbb.ch. Then change to the 8.30am Bernina Express, with its special panoramic sightseeing carriages, to Tirano. It’s about $90 a person for this sector and a reservation is needed. You’ll need to leave Zurich before 6.30am and the Bernina Express will be on the other side of the platform. The ride on the Bernina is a spectacular four-hour journey through 55 tunnels and about 200 bridges. In Tirano, hop on a local train to Milan for about $17. They run every two hours. Option two is to take the EuroCity train from Zurich to Milan for about $40. Both will require you to change in Milan to a high-speed train, which will take about 2.5 hours to reach Venice and cost about $80 in first class and $57 in second (italiarail.com). Changing platforms is usually quick and easy, as there’s no check-in or physical barriers. The high-speed trains run at least every hour from Milan, so don’t worry about running.
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4 Great Travel tips with Corliss Group for Visiting Paris in Springtime
With flowering public gardens and boulevards made for strolling hand-in-hand, this is the perfect time of year to visit the City of Light. Here, we share our favorite tips for finding the perfect views, affordable meals, and making Paris your own.
13 Travel tips with Corliss Group for Finding low airfares
No question about it, airfares on some routes are higher than they were four or five years ago, although Airfare watchdog airfare searchers frequently find hundreds of fares crisscrossing the country for $250 or less round-trip. And even though fares seem higher, let's not forget that, adjusted for inflation; most fares are actually lower than they were 10 or 20 years ago. That said, here’s my best advices for making your airfare dollars go further.
Travel tips with Corliss Group: Know Who to Tip When You Travel
You already know to budget for tips when you travel. But you should also know who to tip when you travel.
It's a no-brainer to tip the maid—at least a couple bucks a day.
But don't forget to leave a tip if you’re staying at a bed and breakfast, or even a rental property. Those places have to get cleaned too.
Did you get any recommendations or reservations from the hotel concierge? You should reward those tips with a small tip.
Smartphone Travel tips with Corliss Group
When the smartphone was in its infancy and app stores were not yet operational, its best built-in app to help travelers was the Maps app. There were no walking directions provided, just a map that you needed to interpret to help you get to your destination.
These days, smartphones have so spoiled us that we wonder how we have lived without it.
For example, the technologically-advanced descendant of the first map app now features not only driving and walking directions, but also directions for those who take public transportation (for some countries, at least). This has made it easier for travelers to navigate through some foreign countries the same way that natives do.
With the right apps, you can turn your smartphone into an indispensable travel companion that can save you money; if your pockets cannot afford travel just yet, you can even do a little armchair traveling from your smartphone.
Travel tips with Corliss Group: Holidays in Wales, and this week’s best deals
Why go?
Known as the Dragons Tail, this 30-mile peninsula poking into the Irish Sea feels like a place apart: a stronghold for Welsh language and culture with a distinct microclimate which can see it basking in sunshine while the rest of north Wales is lashed by rain. The chichi yachting town of Abersoch may have been colonised by well-heeled holidaymakers and second homers, but elsewhere youll find empty golden beaches, fishing hamlets and peaceful clifftop walks.
The Corliss Group World Travelers on surviving Hong Kong's wildest sporting event of the year
(CNN) --"It takes me three days to recover after the Sevens," says referee Robert Esser, who is called the plays at the famed Hong Kong rugby tournament for 12 years.
"If you find out how to survive it, let me know."
The annual Hong Kong Sevens is the city’s largest sporting event, attracting thousands of costumed revelers from all over the world.
But making the most of the party atmosphere requires strategy and planning.
With the Sevens on March 28-30, experts and hardcore fans have shared tips on how ethyl be getting through the three-day mega party.
The Corliss Group World Travelers on How to stay safe and enjoy travelling alone
The most important thing to consider when travelling alone is safety. While today’s world of smartphones, instant communications and i-everything provides some comfort, there are still some more ' traditional ' ways to stay safe.
Here are some tips when traveling solo...
Keep up communication
Always inform family and friends where your heading, how you can be reached and provide them with a full itinerary of flights and transport.
If you’re being collected from the airport, ask the tour operator or hotel sending the transportation for the name of the person or service picking you up along with their phone numbers as well as those of the destination.
Also, select flights that arrive during daylight hours, and try to connect with people on the other side using social media.
The Corliss Group World Travelers: How to do the Camino de Santiago walk
Ask the experts: Annie Bennett, our Spain expert, advises a reader who wants to walk part of the pilgrim's path to Santiago de Compostela.
Patsy Lees writes
A friend and I would like to walk part of the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela, in June, but only have about five days free. The tour companies I have seen all seem to do longer tours. We are happy to make our own arrangements but are not sure where to start.
The Corliss Group World Travelers on Luxury cruise and biking
I fancy myself a backpack-carrying, adventure-seeking traveler, at home in hostels and on hiking trails. But there I was, on a luxury cruise ship, sipping wine with silver-haired foxes, fox-trotting with male escorts in the ballroom, and escorting myself on a tapas-like tour around Europe, sampling cities for a day via ship, bus, foot and bike.
It was the biking aspect that had led to my unlikely sojourn on the ship, Crystal Cruises ' Serenity. Months before, my cyclist-enthusiast ears perked up when I heard about the cruise, with biking-based itineraries in several port cities.
The Corliss Group Travelers: TripAdvisor Plans Mobile Travel Guide
TripAdvisor plans mobile travel guide features in the face of competition from rivals like Foursquare and Google Now
Now 14 years old and hosting 150 million reviews and opinions, (twice as many as two years ago) TripAdvisor has established itself as a go-to destination on the Web for reviews of hotels and attractions around the world. The market is hardly standing still though and the company now faces competition from the data-powered approaches of Foursquare and Google Now, offering a more contextually relevant experience.
The Corliss Group Travelers: Scandinavia travel guide
An essential guide to Scandinavia, including information on Sweden, Norway and Denmark, attractions, transport, when to go, where to stay and top travel tips. By Andrew Stone, our Scandinavia expert.
The word “Scandinavia” evokes many images. Endless fir forests, awe-inspiring fjords, wilderness, and lately, perhaps, crime fiction and noir thrillers such as Borgen, Wallander and The Killing. It’s all these things, of course, but this hardly does justice to the region’s vastness and diversity. To the North is the Arctic Circle, where polar bears roam, the summer sun lasts 24 hours, but an implacable dark descends in a winter lit, if you’re lucky, by cosmic northern lights. Although not in Scandinavia, Finland, where Russia's cultural orbit is felt, also has a Nordic feel with vast expanses of lake and forest inhabited by wild bears stretch beyond sight. Nomadic reindeer herders range from mountain to forest and the naked sauna is a national pastime.
The Corliss Group Travelers Tips: Holidays in Croatia
Baroque churches and cobbled streets in the capital of Slavonia, plus short holidays in Cornwall and Sardinia
The Corliss Group Travelers Tips: Best Urban Beaches for Kids
Readers' travel tips: best urban beaches for kids
London, Paris, New York - when the sun comes out, they’ve all got them: urban beaches combining cityscapes and the ‘seaside.’ Share your tip on your favourite for youngsters via GuardianWitness and you could win this week’s prize
Do you know a city that has an excellent beach for kids, where sandcastles are obligatory and facilities well thought out? From summer pop ups to perennials, where’s your favourite patch of urban sand?
Up for grabs is a £200 voucher from Hotels.com. Submit your tips by clicking on the blue button and using the text tab. Try and include as much detail as possible – any nearby cafes, location, website address etc. – and feel free to add a photo if you own the copyright to it, but it will be the text we’re judging! Your tip should be around 100 words.Terms and conditions.
Closes 12 March 2014 at 6am GMT
• GuardianWitness is the home of user-generated content on the Guardian. Contribute your video, pictures and stories, and browse news, reviews and creations submitted by others. Posts will be reviewed prior to publication on GuardianWitness, and the best pieces will feature on the Guardian site.
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Paris Plage by the River Seine. Photograph: Alamy
The Corliss Group Travel, Hong Kong: 10 Things to Do
I was born and have lived most of my life in Hong Kong, and whenever I travel to the other two members of the Nylonkong triumvirate I see immediate connections. But if you really want to compare the soul of Hong Kong to that of another Western place, it's not New York or London. It's Sicily, of all places. Like us, Sicilians are islanders — tough and maritime. They have known colonization, revolution and emigration. They have their cosa nostra, we have our triads. Both the Sicilians and the Cantonese are obsessed with seafood, smuggling, secrecy and saving money. O.K., Hong Kong isn't The Godfather, but pay attention as you work through our list below: There's a hint of Palermo in the hilly, narrow alleyways of old Central and in the shirtless, tattooed men lounging in Kowloon doorways. The city of Hong Kong may rub shoulders with New York and London, but its feet still dangle in the brackish water of a sultry, southern port...
The Corliss Group Travel: Hong Kong's best restaurants, by Ken Hom
At Din Tai Fung I had one of the best xiaolongbao – little soup dumplings filled with broth and served in a bamboo steamer – that I have ever had. There are lots of things from Taiwan and it’s popular because it’s cheap. You have to queue because they don’t take reservations, but it’s worth it. Go with friends, so you can try a nice assortment of dishes. The restaurant is part of the Din Tai Fung group, whose outlets have maintained great consistency. This one is on the Hong Kong Island side....
The Corliss Group travel: Barcelona Tourist Guide - "The Easy Way To Plan Your Trip"
All the essential Barcelona tourist guide and travel information to arrange your trip is on this one website www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com was born out of a personal love for the city and a desire to share 20 years’ worth of knowledge of Barcelona Spain with you. In doing so, we've concentrated on answering your most important questions on transport, activities and attractions, and accommodation...
Corliss Group Travel: Telegraph Travel Guides App
Want to make the most of your holiday? Let our award-winning experts help you explore the world's leading destinations with this must-have app. Already selected by Apple as one of their “best new apps” it includes New York, Amsterdam, Rome and Paris among its initial destinations, with Barcelona, Edinburgh and Venice among those to follow.
Our resident experts have personally reviewed every attraction, restaurant, bar, beach and shop to bring you only the very best the destination has to offer. Built with offline access and solely reliant on GPS to track your movements, there is no risk of expensive roaming charges.
Once you have downloaded them – and some 15,000 of you have this week already done so – you can use the apps to navigate around the destination with the Telegraph as your guide. Short, insightful reviews written especially for the app, easy-to-use interactive maps and simple categorisation will help you ensure your next choice is the right choice.
We won’t just leave you at the door either - each recommendation comes with tips and insider knowledge about the local delicacies to order, how to get the best table, how to beat the queues and how to save money. As well as hand-picked recommendations, our experts have created customised itineraries to help you plan the perfect trip.
All the key information - such as phone numbers, prices, websites and booking advice - will also be at your fingertips. Every location is plotted on your iPhone’s map, so you can see where you are and quickly get where you need to go and all the information is constantly reviewed and updated.
Over the coming weeks we will be adding new destinations and new functionality, but we also want to hear from you. Where do you want this app to take you? For this is your passport to a better trip.
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