I Need That Vacation Right Now!
So, you’ve worked hard all year and you’re exhausted and desperately in need of a vacation. Well I’m not surprised. If you are an American, then you live in only one of two countries that do not have a legal requirement to provide vacation days. Only the US and China do not have these requirements.
The standard vacation days for other countries averages about 2 weeks. Some have more but by far the highest amount of vacation days are found in the European Union with 4 weeks and France a whopping 5 weeks. No wonder we Americans can be so stressed out.
You may be lucky and work for a company that provides you that much needed time off of a week or two, but it is a common practice in this country to have your sick days be deducted from your vacation days. That sucks!
A vacation of any sort whether it’s a cruise, a trip to the islands or simply a few days at the cabin is extremely therapeutic. We need that time away from all the stresses of work and every day life problems. On vacation the stress starts to melt away and we savor every moment of it. It’s the gift we give ourselves for all the hard work we do.
I do believe that it improves our health when we go away and experience a new environment (of our choice) and have that time with family or good friends. This may sound funny but you can reacquaint yourself with your family. With all the hustle and bustle and driving the kids to soccer practice or dance class, the homework and dads meetings, moms PTA , work, shopping etc., we are living in the fast lane. I say go camping with your kids and bring the pace down to a level where you can actually breathe and relax. Or go on a cruise and let yourself be pampered.
Whether you are single or married, have children or not, we all seem to desire and cherish those days away from the fast pace of life. Some people take their entire vacation all at once but you can stretch it out with mini vacations. Consider doing 2 or 3 day stretches at a cottage or on the ski slopes. Having 3 or 4 mini vacations throughout the year may be more beneficial because you can experience completely different locations and have more opportunities to unwind.
However you want to do it, vacation rocks!
Enjoy!
About the Author
Willie Jones
http://www.vacationestore.com
Willie is a freelance writer, researcher who likes to provide information and share her thoughts with others.
Tags: airlines, cruise, flights, holiday, holidays, resorts, Travel, travelling, vacation, vacationsFiled by faison on June 10th, 2008 under hotel-and-resort.info | Comment now »
How To Choose The Hotel That’s Right For You
Getting the right hotel to spend one~s vacation at is one of the most difficult and costly parts of planning the vacation. It is really difficult if you have never visited the city before and do not know it, or if you are going on vacation during the major tourist season.
Planning vacations in advance is always recommendable, though do not invest too much effort. Booking a hotel beforehand is very important, otherwise, when you get there, you risk to be unable to find a place where to spend the nights, or there might be vacancies only in hotels, which are not best for you.
Going to the most expensive hotel is hardly mandatory, if you are looking for good service; but on the other hand, do not forget that there are reasons why cheap hotels are cheap. Your guide for hotel prices could be Motel 6. Since a room even in that hotel is about $40 on average, anything below its price is most likely too cheap.
While you should never consider a hotel room to be completely sterile, the more expensive hotels are generally cleaner than some of the really cheap places. On vacation, you generally get what you pay for.
However, before you decide on a hotel, there are a few things that you need to consider.
The first is how much money you have available to pay for a hotel room. If you can’t afford to pay more than a hundred dollars per night for your hotel, then, depending on where you’re going, that might hurt your chances of getting a good hotel and a good room.
Next, you need to consider which features are important to you. Do you want a continental or full service breakfast, for instance? One benefit of in-hotel breakfast is that it will make it easier in the morning if you don’t want to go out for breakfast, or don’t want to order room service.
Continental breakfast usually consists of something light and quick in the morning, while full service breakfast is a more complete meal. However, if you’re going to be getting up extremely early, perhaps you won’t have time even for the continental breakfast.
If you’re on vacation and want a pool, then you should also pay attention to where the pool is located, and what time of the year you’re going to be vacationing there. If you’re going somewhere during the winter, and the hotel has an outdoor pool, then the pool might be closed. Even if it’s during the summer and the pool is open, inclement weather might make it harder for you to find time to swim.
Another really important thing to consider is the location of your hotel. For instance, if you’re going to go to Disneyland, and you don’t want to deal with rental cars, then you should probably stay at a hotel that is either right next to the park, or that is at least within walking distance of it.
Finally, after you have found the most suitable hotel for your vacation, it is wise to purchase a package, rather than buying services separately. There are agencies that offer discounts when you buy a package (hotel room and tickets), sometimes saving you hundreds of dollars.
FTI Hotel is a great site for all the information you would ever look for regarding hotels.
Owner Chelsea Rosamund has a vast knowledge of the hotel industry.
Visit FTI Hotel and you will find articles, resources and a free newsletter.
Filed by faison on May 24th, 2008 under hotel-and-resort.info | Comment now »
Destination Weddings and Honeymoons
Many couples are foregoing the traditional idea of a wedding for an intimate destination wedding. A destination wedding or “weddingmoon” a term coined by Sandals Resort, combines the wedding, reception and honeymoon together in one location. Destination weddings are perfect for couples with family and friends scattered around the country. If most of your guests would have to travel to attend your wedding anyway, then getting married in a desirable vacation spot would allow them to combine attending your wedding with a family vacation for them.
Most resorts and cruise lines offer wedding and honeymoon packages to help keep a destination wedding stress-free and simple. Some offer complimentary services of their on-site wedding consultant to help coordinate the essentials, such as your marriage license, flowers, photographer, wedding cake and the reception. All invited guests should be notified of the required travel documents for the destination chosen. Passports are required for some destinations.
Some of the most popular wedding destination locations are Hawaii, DisneyWorld, Jamaica, U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico and the Caribbean Islands. All-inclusive resorts such as Sandals Resorts, Palace Resorts and Couples Resorts are top picks for combing the wedding and honeymoon. Sandals recently announced a partnership with the internationally known event designed and wedding planner Preston Bailey and have created the Preston Bailey Signature “WeddingMoons” at Sandals and Beaches Resorts. Often the all-inclusive resorts will offer a free wedding for couples that stay 7 nights or longer.
With a destination wedding the choices are endless. It is often a longer celebration and typically involves fewer guests due to the costs associated with travel. Destination weddings are usually less stressful, more relaxing and cost less than a traditional wedding. Whatever the destination choice for the wedding and honeymoon, planning ahead, researching, seeking guidance and advice will insure wonderful memories of the “WeddingMoon”.
Cruise and Travel expert with over 11 years experience specializing in Honeymoon Vacations. http://www.allaboutthehoneymoon.com
http://www.honeymoonforums.com
