Saturday, June 27, 2009

International Travel Can Be Fun

Source: Nextarticles.com

Author: JohnQ.Harris

Once only the province of the wealthy and famous, international travel is now far more prevalent as technology has reduced costs and made it possible for the number of people to travel the world to increase dramatically. It is not as if you need to be rich anymore either as a good deal of the arrangements can be made online, and discounts can be had if you are willing to travel out of the normal peak travel times.

Although most of the best deals are in winter, the likes of Southern France, Italy, Spain and Greece have very mild winters so you won't have to suffer the cold on your travels. If you want to save even more money you can look for villas, apartments or houses owned by private citizens who rent them out for shorter periods so you may be able to have a longer trip without a cost penalty.

There is no need to think that you will suffer without facilities like the internet, fully equipped kitchens, telephone either. Of course making use of the kitchen will save some money if you have your breakfast there every morning before you spend the day exploring the local sights.

If you planned to send cards to all your friends then you can do it electronically which won't cost anything and all your laundry can be done without having to go elsewhere, once again, saving time which means you have more time to do things. It's the little things you notice when you visit any foreign country and while most peoples daily lives are not much different to our own it is the small customs and idiosyncrasies are what make each country unique.

For instance, in Europe, meals are much more of an occasion for family and friends to get together and socialize with each other, something that isn't really done in America. Try new things; walk around your neighborhood and discover the bookstore, grocer, hardware, night club or restaurant and neighborhood businesses reflect the tempo of life in your chosen destination. When in a foreign country a real international traveler will make sure that national and local dishes are eaten in typical restaurants or tavernas like Italian pizza or Greek Kleftiko. Finding your way around without a guide and just enjoying the experience for what it is, is the sign of an international traveler; one who will explore an unfamiliar city using their local transport systems and making the most of the visit.

However, if this is how you like to travel then restricting how much you carry with you is paramount and being able to fit everything you need into hand luggage can save a great deal of time at the airport. This of course means that to do this efficiently, it is good idea to carry everything you need for the trip in a carry on, which will make things simpler; no lost luggage or waiting around the luggage carousel at the airport. You may not think this is possible but it is; you just need to remember that many of the essentials of traveling like toiletries will be available almost everywhere you travel too. The less you take with you, the more adventurous it becomes and finding a new exciting destination is as easy as clicking a button.

No comments:

Post a Comment