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February 25, 2007
Europe, Mexico, where to next?
I spent some time in Europe last year and before I left, I searched out some Web sites to find good deals and learn some basic travel information. Everyone is looking for cheap flights to Europe and there is a lot you should know before you buy one, including many don't offer guarantees or refund your money if you change your travel plans.
Speaking changed travel plans, have you ever missed a vacation due to a family emergency? A few years back we missed a vacation because of a death in the family. Since then I always make sure to purchase travel insurance for major vacations. This page walks you through the steps of finding good travel insurance at a decent rate. It's really helpful to know this information so you don't get stuck with a large bill and no vacation.
I think most of us travel on a budget, so saving money on flights and insuring your vacation will leave you with some wiggle room on your spending once you get to your destination. Then you can have a nice meal and splurge on some souvenirs.
Posted by Idea Man at 01:22 PM | Comments (0)
February 24, 2007
Finding a Hotel in Edmonton
Early this summer we will visit Edmonton, Canada to see some old friends that moved there a few years ago. Unfortunately they have a small home so we decided it would be best to stay in a nearby hotel during our short stay.
Pre-Internet, it used to be a very difficult to find a nice hotel when traveling to a new destination. Now things are much easier, whenever I travel to a new destination I look for a quality hotel website that specializes in reviewing hotels in my destination city.
I used this strategy and found this great Edmonton Hotels website that was just perfect. The site offered me some great hotel suggestions that helped me to quickly book a room at a great Edmonton hotel. I also liked that website offers some excellent Edmonton attraction and entertainment ideas that we can check out to make the most of our stay.
Posted by Idea Man at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2007
Back to Freezing
Unfortunately, we are already home from our Florida visit. We stayed at my brother’s home which was very nice – plus the pool was heated to 90 degrees! All five days were in the upper 70s so it was a great relief from the Michigan snow, ice, and freezing temperatures.
Since it was a short trip we crammed in as much as possible each day. We took a pontoon boat ride, visited the Minnesota Twins Florida training camp, walked 2 different beaches, and dined at a bunch of great restaurants.
Now that we are back, I am slipping back into my winter Michigan depression. It was above freezing while we were gone, but we still have about 6 inches of snow on the ground. The good news is warmer whether should be here in only 6 more weeks.
Posted by Idea Man at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2007
New Travel Search engine
I recently discovered a new travel search site called Kayak.com that has lots of cool automated search features to help you find the cheapest flight, car, or hotel. The site is kind of like Orbitz, or Expedia with more of a Web 2.0 look and feel (although it is not a true web 2.0 website). I love their smart travel search options.
However, I was disappointed today when searching for a care for my trip to Florida next week, the daily price was $15 dollars higher then the price on orbitz. I guess the big boys still have the clout to cut the best deals with the car rental companies. Still give the site a try, I think you like it.
Posted by Idea Man at 11:36 PM | Comments (1)
February 06, 2007
Skiing Whistler
Tired of global warning ruining your skiing? Hot this ski season is Whistler in British Columbia. While European resorts have had their worst snow year for many years, and even the Colorado resorts are light on the white stuff, Whistler is almost over-burdened with it. However, just as they say you can never be too rich or too thin, if you're a ski resort, you can hardly have too much snow. There is still time to come and ski it, and if you're interested, you should check out Holiday Whistler's selection of great chalets, townhomes and condos.
There is something here for almost every taste, but if you're only interested in the ultra high end you could also look at Whistler Deluxe's array of tasty Whistler vacation rentals. Apparently they will take care of every aspect of your holiday except for the flights, and if you need help with that I've found the best prices are generally on Travelocity. Here they offer prices from all the major airlines which saves a lot of time in looking up fares on different sites.
Posted by Idea Man at 07:38 PM | Comments (0)