Tag Archive | flying

Are you planning on a vacation for your family? Head over to eBookers to get the best travel prices possible. Apart from the amount of money that you can save in your flights, the website also has other great features that make it one of the best sites to book your tickets through.

First of all, you need a place to stay. The eBookers lets you select the hotel of your choice from 95,000 different hotels around the world. You can even go through the reviews written by visitors to the site in various different languages.

The site has comprehensive filters to search for the specific type of hotel or location that you are interested in. The site returns location maps based on your search criteria with current prices of the hotels in the region. You do not have to pay extra fees for booking the hotel through the site. There is no charge for modifying or cancelling your booking either.

eBookers offers fantastic deals at unbelievable prices. You get to enjoy discounted rates from time to time. The site conducts flash sales periodically. It also offers promotional discount codes that you can use to get huge discounts on your bookings.

Using the site, you can choose to travel in any one of 250 different airlines. You can also choose some of the world’s best car rentals by using the site’s features. You can get amazing savings when you book multiple travel components all at once. You can save up to 40% using this wonderful feature. You can also save by making your travel and hotel bookings together as a package.

With eBookers, you can stay confident that your money is in safe hands. The site is a member of IATA and ATOL. If any one component of your booking involving a flight element is cancelled, you will get a full refund of your money. All the packages are protected and bonded by the CAA.

The site is secured by Verisign, a reputed online accreditation authority. When you see a price, that is exactly what you would end up paying. All the fee and taxes are included in the total that you see. You will not have any surprises down the way. eBookers have more than 10 years’ experience and are leaders in this field. They are also an Orbitz Worldwide travel brand member.

eBookers is the very first sight to offer a combination of hotel, flight and car bookings together in Europe. You can even access the site using your mobile phone. So, you can make your bookings on the go, wherever you are. There is a separate iPad App known as the eBookers Explorer to allow iPad owners to get the most out of the site.

You can have a live chat with customer service and sales executive online. So, book your flights, hotels and car rentals at the eBookers site.

A Winter Holiday in China

Jan23

Last year I could feel itchy feet coming on as I did my calculations and realised that I had about a week off to take either in December or the first week in January. I wanted to travel far away and so I began searching!

My budget was limited to around $3,500. I had already been to South America, and Europe didn’t really appeal to me this time round. I wanted to go somewhere different. Given that China has always been a place I have wanted to visit, and you can’t say that it isn’t an unusual destination, I started looking for cheap flights to Beijing. All kinds of thoughts were going through my head. Would I have enough time to make the most of my trip? Would my budget stretch far enough to see everything I wanted to? Would it be better to save a long-haul journey for the summer when I have more time? I managed to find return flights with Air China for $1,528 from New York to Beijing and I just bought them without thinking twice.

I found China to be quite cheap, although Beijing is slightly more expensive than areas outside the city or less touristy parts. The good thing about visiting the Chinese capital in the winter is that there are fewer tourists, which means that sightseeing is much easier and you don’t have huge crowds of people in your photographs. Likewise, you will also find that entrance fees to most of the tourist attractions are lower, as are hotel rates. The downside is that it is very cold and I found myself constantly looking for somewhere to sit down and have a warm drink. I went alone and found it safe….in fact I found it more fun setting off on the adventure by myself. In the end the trip was perfect and I had plenty of time to sightsee.

Good Advice for Traveling to Asia

Nov22

Traveling to Asia gives you a perfect experience where you can exercise your new language learning experiences, if you’ve mastered one of the many languages spoken in Asia. Since one of the best ways to learn a language—and to use it, once you’ve learned it—is by traveling and living in the country where the language is spoken, traveling to Asia can be a great way to further develop some of the new languages you learned.

As you probably figured, though, traveling to Asia is not like traveling to a destination inside the United States, or even like Canada or Europe. Not only is the language structure very different in many Asian countries, but the things that you need to know before traveling are also very different. Here are some things to keep in mind as you travel to Asia, and before you get there:

Be prepared in advance for a long flight. The biggest thing you need to remember about getting from the United States to Asia is that your flight, no matter what part of Asia you’re traveling to, or where in the United States you’re leaving from, is going to be long. Plan on having a flight that is at least several hours, and bring enough with you to either help you sleep, or keep you entertained during the flight. Your flight will be even longer if you’re traveling from Europe, and you may want to make the decision to buy a business class seat where you can be more comfortable.
Remember to get your visa before you go—and do it well in advance of when you plan to travel. Many Asian countries require that travelers from the United States and Europe have tourist visas before traveling. You may need to get these months in advance of when you travel, unless you are willing to pay for expediting costs or you have a business that is sending you to Asia.
Keep an open mind with regard to food. Asia presents many opportunities to try food that you’ve never heard of, and probably have never tried. Don’t try to seek out familiar, Western food when you’re traveling in Asia. Instead, take advantage of this experience and try new foods that you definitely won’t be able to get as take out at home.
Remember that not all hotels are like those we have in the United States. This tip is very similar to the idea of keeping your mind open about food. Although many American and European chains do have locations in Asian countries, don’t expect even from those chains that you’re going to have the same level of amenities and room that you’d have in an American hotel room. In the larger cities, such as Tokyo and Beijing, space is at a premium and you’re going to have to accept up front that your hotel room may be smaller than what you’re anticipating.

Staying Comfortable on Long International Flights

Nov3

For most travelers, booking Viking River Cruises or multi-city land tours is extremely exciting but, for some, the thrill of visiting a far-away destination can be tainted by the thought of the long international flight that is required to get them there. Most travelers agree, being uncomfortable on a long flight can definitely start what should be a pleasant holiday off on the wrong foot, but there are ways to help your necessary travel time be as comfortable as possible.

Reserve a good seat
Even within the same class, some airplane seats are much better than others. Consider an aisle or exit row seat for the most leg room, or a window seat if you want to rest your head to sleep. It’s best to try to avoid seats near the lavatories as other passengers will be accessing these throughout the flight which can be disruptive, particularly if you are trying to sleep. Some travelers opt to sit near the back of the aircraft for long flights. This is good if you don’t mind the noise produced by the engines because certain aircraft (such as the Boeing 747), have a large area behind the last row of seats that gives you plenty of space to stretch.

Be Comfortable
When taking a long flight, it is always wise to wear loose clothes with options for layering if you become cold. Also, if you want to take your shoes off during a flight, slip-on shoes are best since shoes that tie can be difficult to put back on at the end of the flight. Bring a neck pillow to provide firm neck support and keep your head from tilting while napping. There are small neck pillows available that can easily fit into your carry-on luggage and even some inflatable options that are smaller still.

Prevent Boredom
Make sure you bring things to entertain yourself during the flight. Even if you happen to be interested in the in-flight movie, they don’t start right away and the music selection can be quite limited. If you bring an iPod, you will make sure you have the music and movies that you like. If possible, choose an airline that offers AVOD (Audio Video on Demand), which is a TV screen in front of your seat that lets you choose what you want to watch or listen to. Regardless, it’s a good idea to bring your own headphones as the headphones available on the plane (whether for purchase or for free) are generally fairly poor quality. In addition, it’s good to always have a book and magazines with you since unforeseen flight delays could prevent the in-flight entertainment from being available and could cause your iPod to run out of battery before your flight is over.

Stay Hydrated
The air in a plane is very dry and may dehydrate your system so it’s extremely important to stay hydrated during your flight. Although you can request water from the flight attendants, it is a good idea to bring plenty of water on board with you as well. You can purchase bottled water in the airport (once you pass security) or, if you prefer, you can bring an empty stainless steel water bottle to fill from a water fountain. Just remember that you should never drink the water from airplane bathrooms as it may contain bacteria.

Fight Hunger
There’s nothing worse than being hungry on a plane. Since plane food is quite poor on many airlines, you may want to consider bringing your own food on board to make sure that you are not hungry during the long flight. As an alternative to the regular meals, many airlines offer vegetarian, Kosher and other special meals if you order in advance. Because the airlines have to specially prepare your meal, it is always fresher (and usually better) than the standard meal options. Plus, passengers with special meal requests are almost always served first. In addition, take some snacks with you. Protein bars are particularly helpful if on a long flight as airline meals tend to be low in protein.

By following these few tips, you can help make your flight more comfortable which will make it more likely that you will land feeling happy and ready to start your vacation.

Discovering Asia

Sep30

Asia is the largest continent in the world and an ever popular tourist destination. With so many countries to choose from, each with their unique culture, traditions and attractions, it is sometimes difficult to decide where to go. Asia is too massive and diverse to conceptualize as a single digestible travel “destination”. Even defining the borders of this continent is difficult – from the mountains around the Black Sea in the west, to the snow fields of Siberia in the east, there are more people and cities in Asia than outside of it.

Thailand, China, India, Japan…….the list of destinations in Asia goes on. Thailand has its paradise islands, Buddhist temples and beautiful capital Bangkok; China has its architectural wonders such as the Great Wall, as well as sacred buildings and a unique culture; India has its own manmade wonders such as the Taj Mahal, not to mention a rich smell of spices coming from the wonderful restaurants in Delhi, and Japan has its spectacular Mount Fuji and cherry blossom trees.

Checking out the price of airline tickets online is perhaps crucial to the decision-making process. Search and comparison websites allow you to enter in the flight criteria so that you can price airfares for different destinations and book the cheapest you find. Asia’s largest airports by number of intercontinental connections include Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Mumbai and Singapore. For the Middle East, Dubai is by far the largest hub, with Doha and Abu Dhabi also having reasonably good connections.

Flights to Thailand

Sep22

Thailand has fast become one of the top tourist destinations in the world. Backpackers flock to Bangkok; honeymooners retreat to Phuket and nature seekers head to Chiang Mai. Its paradise islands, luxury resorts, charming capital and natural beauty are its most appealing assets. Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, and for a reason. You can find almost anything here: thick jungle as green as can be, crystal blue beaches that feel more like a warm bath than a swim in the ocean and food that can curl your nose hairs while tap dancing across your taste buds. Exotic, yet safe; cheap, yet equipped with every modern amenity you need, there is something for every interest and every price bracket, from beach front backpacker bungalows to some of the best luxury hotels in the world.

And despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential Thainess, with a culture and history all its own and a carefree people famed for their smiles and their fun-seeking sanuk lifestyle. Many travelers come to Thailand and extend their stay well beyond their original plans and others never find a reason to leave. Whatever your cup of tea is, they know how to make it in Thailand. These features, along with the rising popularity of this country as a holiday destination mean that finding cheap flights to Thailand is not always easy.

It goes without saying that booking in advance increases the chances of finding cheap flights. However, doing a simple price check on search and comparison websites is another good way of getting bargain flights. The main airlines which operate flights from worldwide destinations to Thailand are Delta Airlines, Thai Airways International, Jet Airways and Emirates. To help you decide which airline to fly with, check out airline reviews. Search for customer feedback on airlines, airports and hotels so that you can find out about other travellers’ experiences and it will help you pick the right travel deals. Life is easy with the internet.

Travel Tales from Asia

One Girl's Stories and Tips from the East