air carriers and then pass the savings onto the consumer. Airline consolidators and wholesalers have websites where you may search different dates, receive quotes from a variety of major airlines, and find the cheapest flights available, resulting in savings of hundreds of dollars per ticket. Also, when you fly on a discounted ticket you still earn frequent flyer miles.

Unfortunately, many travelers steer away from consolidators and discounted tickets because they are scared they will not receive a seat, they will miss their flight and their business trip or vacation will be ruined. This is a misconception and one that should be done away with immediately. Once you receive your booking confirmation and e-ticket you have a seat on the plane regardless of whether you bought the ticket from a consolidator or straight from the airlines ticket counter. Consolidator tickets often times have more restrictions, but not enough to make it worthwhile to buy airline tickets straight from the carrier.

Flying can be an expensive form of travel if you dont examine all your possibilities. Discount Air fair is a great chance to save a lot of money. Do your homework and make sure you are getting exactly what you pay for. In the end there are far better things to spend your money on while on your next vacation, or business trip.

About the author:
USF Travel Insurance provides international trip insurance products for safety and peace of mind. Or check out this Website Promotion Swervice

10 Reasons to Holiday in New Zealand Part 2Sue Taylor10 Reasons to Take a Holiday in New Zealand
Part 2 of an article first published 30 August 2005

1. Queenstown in the South Island is considered to be the “Adventure Capital of the World”. You can bungy jump or go on a thrilling jet boat ride, go heli-skiing, sky diving, fly-by-wire, and luging to name a few. Both bungy jumping and jet boating were invented in New Zealand. New Zealanders have a saying about Kiwi ingenuity which is borne out in the tourist spots within New Zealand.

2. There is a wide array of different accommodation options to cater for all tastes. At the upper end there are Lodges which are the height of luxury. These lodges are ordinarily located in very scenic and secluded areas and all gourmet meals are included in the price. The price of this type of accommodation reflects the luxury and inclusions.

The next level of accommodation is hotels, from international 5 star down to 2 star for basic accommodation. The hotels will tend to be serviced on a daily basis and usually include one room and a bathroom. Hotel rooms will include tea and coffee making facilities, fridges and most hotels would include a restaurant.

A favored option for families is the ever increasing numbers of apartments. The apartments are generally self catering as opposed to a hotel stay but the advantage is that they provide more space and are self catering which means that you don'’t have to eat out all the time thus saving you money to spend on sightseeing.

Then we have motels. Generally speaking motels offer more space than hotels and tend to be serviced daily but do not tend to be as luxurious. Motels often provide a separate bedroom or two and sometimes cooking facilities. You would need to check this out when booking.

There are also an increasing number of Bed and Breakfast’’s. These vary dramatically and can vary from 5 star establishments to the fairly basic. If you enjoy “getting to know the locals”, the B & B option could be a good one for you. Generally breakfast will be provided as part of the price. Dinner would be by special arrangement only.

If you are on a budget there are plenty of backpacker hostels to choose from which are centrally located and well priced.

3. New Zealand has a great culinary landscape. Being a small island country surrounded by the sea, there are a multitude of seafood delicacies on offer. The ocean surrounding New Zealand is cold water thanks to Antarctica being relatively close. Cold water fish tend to have a delicate flavor. As well as fish from the sea, there are large lakes which are trout and salmon breeding grounds. Trout can not be caught commercially so there is no danger of supplies running out. New Zealand is also quite big on game and most of the more up-market restaurants will have a game option on the menu. You will find that there are dining options to suit every taste and budget. New Zealand might be quite removed geographically from the rest of the world but it is quick to adopt new types and styles of food and the kiwi ingenuity mentioned earlier in the article is demonstrated in the food served in restaurants. There are coffee bars and cafes, wine bars serving food, pubs with restaurants, family dining options, buffet’’s as well as the more up-market al la carte options.

There is also a thriving wine industry in New Zealand. Wherever you go, you will see vines and many of the wines produced are top quality. If wine is your thing, you won'’t be disappointed. Marlborough located at the top of the South Island is one of the oldest and best known wine areas, most famous for production of Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand is also becoming very well known for producing excellent Pinot Noir, a notoriously difficult wine to produce.

4. If you are a Lord of the Rings fan, you will know that the recent series of movies was filmed in different parts of New Zealand. New Zealanders are very proud of this and whilst traveling around you will come across many mentions of parts of the movies which may have been filmed in certain spots. There are also tours catering specifically to Lord of the Rings fans.

5. New Zealand has an interesting cultural history. It is thought that the Maoris who came from Polynesia settled in New Zealand about 1000 years ago. New Zealand became a British colony in 1840 after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. There are many excellent museums within the cities and towns which offer a great overview of the relatively short and violent history of New Zealand.

About the author:
Sue and Grant Taylor now travel extensively and they have compiled a number of tips for traveling at their website: http://www.taylortraveltales.com

I'’ve often used the Net for planning my personal and business trips. Trips to Australia, Hawaii, Seattle and Las Vegas, to name a few, are a cinch to plan on the Net… If you know how to go about it. The main problem with the Internet these days is that people often are overwhelmed by information overload.

I'’ve often used the Net for planning my personal and business trips. Trips to Australia, Hawaii, Seattle and Las Vegas, to name a few, are a cinch to plan on the Net… If you know how to go about it. The main problem with the Internet these days is that people often are overwhelmed by information overload.

Many destinations have many sites covering details on vacationing there and Hawaii is no exception. In fact, Hawaii, as a travel destination, is covered by numerous websites covering everything from activities to mountain biking, and snorkeling to luaus. So many sites and so little time.

Thought there are many activities, hotels and ways to get to Hawaii, they are limited and after a while you'’ll discover that many sites on the various topics cover the same ground. This is both good and bad: Good, in that you have numerous choices to choose from for look and feel and price. Let’’s face it, some sites are easier to navigate than others, while some also have better privacy statements and ease of contact. Also, competition generally keeps prices lower. The bad: Well, there’’s just so many choices and one can easily become overwhelmed.

My suggestion here is not to try and visit every Hawaii travel website on the planet, but to check out a few and stick with those you feel at ease with regarding navigation, product, pricing and privacy. There are many excellent
Hawaii travel sites out there, so the first thing to do is to target how you want to get there, where you want to stay and what you actually plan to do once you are there. If you'’re like most visitors to the Islands these days, you'’ll arrive by air.

If you have frequent flyer accounts, you'’ll likely choose one of those airlines, otherwise, leave this open until you have completed some rudimentary pricing. The quickest, but not always the cheapest, is to book a non-stop flight. Cruises from the Mainland are available, but are quite expensive and are generally round trip, round-island cruises, with little time actually on the Islands.

As for your planned activities, once your list is made, I would highly recommend checking out activity agents and when satisfied, book your day tours, dinner cruises and submarine tours, etc. in advance. Why? Well, depending on the season–high or low–some of the more popular activities can book out quickly, leaving you high and dry looking for alternatives. This leads me to: Do you really want to be spending your valuable vacation time calling around to book activities to fill your days with fun, culture and adventure. Also, reserving your activities allows for better insight on itinerary and what your trip to paradise is going to cost. Valuable, if you'’re on a tight timetable or budget.

Where to stay… Well many areas have many styles of accommodation, from hotels to cozy bed and breakfasts, to condos to luxury resorts. Oahu’’s noted for its tourist hotels and condos in Waikiki to luxury spa resorts. Maui, Kauai and Hawaii have their fair share of luxury resorts and bed and breakfasts.

Once you have your rough general itinerary, it’’s now time to search using appropriate terms, such as “hawaii vacation,” “fun things to do in hawaii” and “hawaii airfare,” etc. Line up 3 to 5 good sites for each topic–some sites will cover them all–and then start clicking. Explore each site to sort out the better from the good and keep your eyes open for any travel, accommodation or activity options you may have missed when composing your itinerary. Add these items to your list and keep clicking.

After spending “quality” time with your long list, it’’s now time to decide which one(s) you feel most at ease with. These are the ones you should use for planning and booking your vacation necessities. If unsure about a few, send off a question by email or phone. You can tell a lot about a company on how they respond, if they respond. Obviously, if some don'’t respond or respond inappropriately, drop them from your list… You don'’t need the aggravation.

Now, get serious about planning and booking your itinerary. If you have a problem offering your credit card via the Net, many agents can accept same via telephone. Personally, given the pre-planning above, I, have never had a problem and I'’ve ordered thousands of dollars of stuff via the Internet with no problems whatsoever. Given my life in general, I doubt that this has anything to do with luck. Once done, you'’ll have a great sense of accomplishment and very likely, a fantastic vacation in paradise. So, get clicking and planning and before you know it, you will have followed all your favorite links to Hawaii… Aloha!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

HOW TO GET A HOTEL DISCOUNT You need to ASK if you want a discount. Here are ways to do it:

*Search the internet, look for great deals. There are various types of hotels that offer great discounts on the web for online customers. Be sure to check these out.

*Plan your trip during the off season months. These are the times when big discounts are given.

*Call the hotel of your choice. Ask them about offers and discounts that they can give. List all promotions.

*Certain hotels can give discounts to credit card holders of certain card establishments. Ask for the manager and ask him about it. The manager is the best person to ask, since if you can make negotiations, he has the authority to make negotiations with you.

*Ask if they give discounts to students or senior citizens.

*Simply ask through the phone how can you qualify for a discount. If at certain day of the week or at certain times of the year they give discounts, ask them about it and ask how much or how less can they give, then ask if you could get still a higher discount. Usually at off peak seasons, hotels will be willing to give in, just to fill the empty rooms.

*Ask for certain packages. Hotels usually offer rooms with free breakfast.

*Do name drop. If you know of someone who frequently stays them, mention his name. It can help. Tell them your friend referred you to them and ask for a discount. Don'’t ever give up if they say no. A statement like “is that the best you can do?” can encourage a big discount.

*Often, people in the military get good hotel rates. Usually, discounts are offered to government employees. *At off peak seasons, you could definitely ask for special rates. Then if they don'’t budge after you have offered a discount, ask some extras, like breakfast.

*When negotiating, it is very important to write down all agreed discussions. Write too, the names of the persons that you have been talking to, the time as well as the day and date. Ask for a number that you can call before checking in to the hotel for confirmation.

*Upon arrival to the hotel, look around and ask for negotiations once more. For instance if you feel that the hotel is not fully booked, ask for a room with a better view than the one you are in, if you don'’t agree with what you see.

Enjoy your stay!

About the Author

Jay is the web owner of http://www.airline-tickets.biz Discount Airline Tickets, a website that provides information and resources on vacations, airfare, hotels, and travel. You can visit his website at: http://www.hotels-in.net Cheap Hotels
Finding Cheap Airfare Tickets for your Vacation.

by: Mike Yeager

Finding cheap airfare tickets for your vacation is very important as you plan your next vacation. Imagine saving 25%-35% in airfare expenses as you get ready to travel to an exciting, exotic location. How exciting would that be? Cheap airfare tickets for a vacation can be found if you'’re willing to do just a little research. You don'’t have to be an expert at hunting down the most discount airfare, just spend a little time comparing departure dates and times.

If you'’re schedule is flexible, you'’ll find Cheap Airfare Tickets for your next vacation.

For example, when traveling to Madrid Spain, you'’ll save a lot of money if you can go before June and after September. The summer months are the busiest. But, if you search for cheap airfare tickets for that vacation during the shoulder or off-season, you'’ll find some cheap flights that will save you a lot of money. Why give that money to the airlines when you can use it for sightseeing or eating in nicer restaurants?

Spend a little time doing some research on the internet and you'’ll be very excited with cheap airfare tickets offered. You'’ll be in control of your vacation and how much you pay and that'’ll make your vacation that much better.

I admit it. I'’ve made some mistakes. Oh, sure, I talk
about all of the things that went right and that I did
pretty well with my home-based business, and that’’s true.
But I would be doing both of us a disservice if I were to
leave you with the impression that all is well in
“Home-based Business Land”, that I live in a carefree
fairytale world of wealth and consumption, and that my bills
are all paid and will continue to be. No, it’’s not like
that at all. And it’’s only just recently that I identified
the problem. It can be summed-up in a single word: denial.

My business is centered around software that is dependent on
a technology that is slowly going away. I had a nice income
stream (customers pay an annual fee), but as my customers
drifted to new technologies my base of income eroded. I
could see it happening. For years I said “This gravy train
isn'’t going to last forever!” I chose to ignore it. Why?
Denial. Although I wasn'’t consciously aware of it, I took
the attitude, “I'’ll worry about it when it happens.”
Suddenly the revenue is alarmingly low, and now I have to
deal with it. Had I dealt with it sooner, it would have
been much easier to fix.

A friend of mine recently went to New Zealand on a speaking
tour. She agreed to pay her own airfare and the organizer
('’Peter'’) would pay for hotels and for her speaking
appearances, plus she would be able to sell her books and
tapes at the seminars. It was not until after she arrived
that Peter informed her that most of the seminars had been
cancelled. After she arrived! He knew that participation
was going to be low. He knew that they might have to
cancel. He didn'’t tell her, though, because he was in
complete denial.

Denial is what we do when we just can'’t face the truth. It
is very real, but it does nothing to fix the problem. Did
Peter’’s denial of the failure of his seminars change
anything? Did my denial of eroding revenue change anything?
YES! In both cases it made a bad situation worse.

Two things happen when you are in denial. First, you have
more anxiety because you haven'’t examined the situation
enough to know how bad it really is. No matter how bad it
is, it’’s easier to deal with if you know where you stand.
Second, there’’s a pretty good chance that delaying the
solution will make the problem worse, maybe even completely
unsolvable. By denying the problem, you may be passing up a
golden opportunity to fix it. Easily.

Do you have a situation that is too scary to deal with?
Deal with it anyway.

Do you have a situation that is too embarrassing to face?
Face it anyway.

Deal with it. Face it. Get it over with. You can'’t make
it worse; you'’ll only make it better. You'’ll feel better
too.

“Make More Money and Have More Fun” with your small
business! Dave will show you how with his FREE newsletter,
“Big Bucks in a Bathrobe” sent by e-mail. Visit
http://www.TheStayAtHomeCEO.com to sign-up, for information
on speaking services, or for copies of past articles and
newsletters. Comments and/or questions are always welcome
at 1-800-366-2347 or Dave@DaveBalch.com.

I admit it. I'’ve made some mistakes. Oh, sure, I talk
about all of the things that went right and that I did
pretty well with my home-based business, and that’’s true.
But I would be doing both of us a disservice if I were to
leave you with the impression that all is well in
“Home-based Business Land”, that I live in a carefree
fairytale world of wealth and consumption, and that my bills
are all paid and will continue to be. No, it’’s not like
that at all. And it’’s only just recently that I identified
the problem. It can be summed-up in a single word: denial.

My business is centered around software that is dependent on
a technology that is slowly going away. I had a nice income
stream (customers pay an annual fee), but as my customers
drifted to new technologies my base of income eroded. I
could see it happening. For years I said “This gravy train
isn'’t going to last forever!” I chose to ignore it. Why?
Denial. Although I wasn'’t consciously aware of it, I took
the attitude, “I'’ll worry about it when it happens.”
Suddenly the revenue is alarmingly low, and now I have to
deal with it. Had I dealt with it sooner, it would have
been much easier to fix.

A friend of mine recently went to New Zealand on a speaking
tour. She agreed to pay her own airfare and the organizer
('’Peter'’) would pay for hotels and for her speaking
appearances, plus she would be able to sell her books and
tapes at the seminars. It was not until after she arrived
that Peter informed her that most of the seminars had been
cancelled. After she arrived! He knew that participation
was going to be low. He knew that they might have to
cancel. He didn'’t tell her, though, because he was in
complete denial.

Denial is what we do when we just can'’t face the truth. It
is very real, but it does nothing to fix the problem. Did
Peter’’s denial of the failure of his seminars change
anything? Did my denial of eroding revenue change anything?
YES! In both cases it made a bad situation worse.

Two things happen when you are in denial. First, you have
more anxiety because you haven'’t examined the situation
enough to know how bad it really is. No matter how bad it
is, it’’s easier to deal with if you know where you stand.
Second, there’’s a pretty good chance that delaying the
solution will make the problem worse, maybe even completely
unsolvable. By denying the problem, you may be passing up a
golden opportunity to fix it. Easily.

Do you have a situation that is too scary to deal with?
Deal with it anyway.

Do you have a situation that is too embarrassing to face?
Face it anyway.

Deal with it. Face it. Get it over with. You can'’t make
it worse; you'’ll only make it better. You'’ll feel better
too.
about all of the things that went right and that I did
pretty well with my home-based business, and that’’s true.
But I would be doing both of us a disservice if I were to
leave you with the impression that all is well in
“Home-based Business Land”, that I live in a carefree
fairytale world of wealth and consumption, and that my bills
are all paid and will continue to be. No, it’’s not like
that at all. And it’’s only just recently that I identified
the problem. It can be summed-up in a single word: denial.

My business is centered around software that is dependent on
a technology that is slowly going away. I had a nice income
stream (customers pay an annual fee), but as my customers
drifted to new technologies my base of income eroded. I
could see it happening. For years I said “This gravy train
isn'’t going to last forever!” I chose to ignore it. Why?
Denial. Although I wasn'’t consciously aware of it, I took
the attitude, “I'’ll worry about it when it happens.”
Suddenly the revenue is alarmingly low, and now I have to
deal with it. Had I dealt with it sooner, it would have
been much easier to fix.

A friend of mine recently went to New Zealand on a speaking
tour. She agreed to pay her own airfare and the organizer
('’Peter'’) would pay for hotels and for her speaking
appearances, plus she would be able to sell her books and
tapes at the seminars. It was not until after she arrived
that Peter informed her that most of the seminars had been
cancelled. After she arrived! He knew that participation
was going to be low. He knew that they might have to
cancel. He didn'’t tell her, though, because he was in
complete denial.

Denial is what we do when we just can'’t face the truth. It
is very real, but it does nothing to fix the problem. Did
Peter’’s denial of the failure of his seminars change
anything? Did my denial of eroding revenue change anything?
YES! In both cases it made a bad situation worse.

Two things happen when you are in denial. First, you have
more anxiety because you haven'’t examined the situation
enough to know how bad it really is. No matter how bad it
is, it’’s easier to deal with if you know where you stand.
Second, there’’s a pretty good chance that delaying the
solution will make the problem worse, maybe even completely
unsolvable. By denying the problem, you may be passing up a
golden opportunity to fix it. Easily.

Do you have a situation that is too scary to deal with?
Deal with it anyway.

Do you have a situation that is too embarrassing to face?
Face it anyway.

Deal with it. Face it. Get it over with. You can'’t make
it worse; you'’ll only make it better. You'’ll feel better
too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Keeping Lives Safe on the Road

Accidents do happen unexpectedly, but they can be avoided.

However, despite the fact that a lot of people are trying their best to avoid it, still, many are in danger in the road while traveling. They will never know when an accident will take place. In fact, it seems that the number of people who gets into accidents while traveling is continuously growing.

In 2003 alone, statistics show that over 6 million car accidents have been reported in the United States, and in those accidents about 2.9 million were injured and 42, 643 people were killed. That is, indeed, a very alarming figure considering the fact that the campaigns about driving safely and avoiding road accidents are in full force.

So, where does the problem lies? Is it on the driver, the car manufacturer, the government, or is it fate for most people who get into accidents? In reality, nobody can really tell who to blame. The only choice people have is to continue driving safely and avoid accidents.

However, in the event that accidents happen, the only way to solve the mishap is to deal with it. Here’’s how:

1. Emergency numbers in one’’s mobile phone are extremely important.

People just don'’t realize this yet, but the emergency numbers stored in their mobile phones are vital to one’’s life, especially when away from home or while traveling.

Surveys show that people who usually survive in accidents are those who were attended to immediately by health experts. This goes to show that immediate actions are important so as to save people who have met accidents.

2. Panic is the number one killer in an accident.

The reason why many people do not survive in an accident is because they tend to panic first. They get so panic-stricken that they can no longer clear their mind and think of ways how to deal with the dilemma. That is why it is extremely important to stay calm when accidents and happen and think of ways how to solve the problem.

3. Prevention is still the number one remedy.

Today, car accidents are currently the top most causes of death, usually within the age bracket of 1 to 37. Hence, the majority of the drivers, who are prone to accidents, are young. Usually the causes of accidents in young people are speeding, reckless driving, not wearing seatbelts, and drunk driving.

And so, it is important to observe traffic rules and regulations so as to prevent road accidents while traveling. As they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

About the Author

Jay is the web owner of http://www.airline-tickets.biz Discount Airline Tickets, a website that provides information and resources on vacations, airfare, hotels, and travel. You can visit his website at: http://www.hotels-in.net Cheap Hotels

There are two ways to save money traveling. The first way is to get the best deals on the specific things you want. There is a limitation to this type of approach though. If , for example, you find the lowest price on the best hotel in Honolulu at the height of the season, you will save money, but still have a very expensive vacation. Trying to get exactly what you want, or what you think you want, will generally be an expensive proposition, in travel and in life.

There are two ways to save money traveling. The first way is to get the best deals on the specific things you want. There is a limitation to this type of approach though. If , for example, you find the lowest price on the best hotel in Honolulu at the height of the season, you will save money, but still have a very expensive vacation. Trying to get exactly what you want, or what you think you want, will generally be an expensive proposition, in travel and in life.

Be A Travel Opportunist

The other approach is to be a true opportunist. This will be difficult for some of you, and entirely unacceptable to others. Nonetheless, the travelers who get to travel the most, go to the widest variety of places, learn the most and do the most, are the opportunists. This will be true until you are so wealthy that you have no monetary limits.

The first time I went to Ecuador, I went there because it was cheap. If it wasn'’t, I would have had a great time - somewhere else. The trip lasted a month, and cost $1045, which included airfare and even the $130 fee for a guide to take me to the top of glacier-covered Mount Chimborazo.

I cut the cost by taking a bus from my home in Michigan to Miami, and back again when I returned from Ecuador. The round-trip ticket cost $158. The round-trip flight to Quito from Miami was only $256, because it was a courier flight, which meant I signed for some luggage (car parts), and could only take carry-on luggage.

Never did I feel deprived, or bored. I had a great time, eating wherever it was cheap and clean, doing all sorts of inexpensive, but interesting things, and traveling across the country to climb Chimborazo. I also met and fell in love with my wife Ana.

How To Become An Opportunist Traveler

Can you drink rum at a dollar per bottle, instead of your favorite beer? Can you eat chicken instead of steak? How about visiting the free sights first, and dancing in the street festival instead of the disco?

Being an opportunist means you'’ll have just as much variety, and probably almost everything you want - eventually. You just have to stop trying to get exactly what you want exactly when you want it. If the guide that took me up Chimborazo hadn'’t dropped his price from $200 to $130, I would have spent $2 for a bus and gone hiking on El Altar, another great Andean mountain. That would have left me with enough money for several other minor adventures.

More Secrets Of Cheap Travel

Plane Tickets: My wife and I were planning a trip to visit family in Ecuador. The cheapest airfare from Traverse City, Michigan to Quito, was $1720. Out of curiosity, I checked Miami to Quito, and it was only $404. Airfare from Traverse City to Miami was $300. Book two separate flights and save more than $2000! The discount sites aren'’t set up to search in this way (yet), so you have to do this on your own. By the way, the whole six-week trip, which we took in 2004, cost $2400, including losing $100, and being robbed of $174.

Food: Whether traveling here or in other countries, it is usually cheaper to buy some healthy snacks in a grocery store, rather than eat every meal in a restaurant. When you do eat in restaurants, it can be cheaper to to order individual items on the menu from the list of appetizers or side dishes. You also may get more variety in that way.

Accomodations: For a long trip, you may want to rent an apartment in an interesting city. We did this for two months in Tucson, for about $600 less per month, compared to even the cheaper motels. Watch for hotel coupon-books in gas stations. The coupons will often save you $10 on a room you would have stayed in anyhow. If you have a conversion van or RV, you can camp a couple nights a week, like we do, to save on motels. We love the hotsprings we'’ve stayed at, for a $3 fee to the BLM, instead of $40 for the cheapest motel in the area.

Travel Expenses: Do more and travel less. It is often the traveling part that costs the most, due to the cost of gas, convenient fast food, and expensive hotels you are forced to pay for when you just can'’t drive any further. So if you find a place with a reasonable motel, and a lot to do in the area - stay for a while!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Schedule Europe Trip for Best Seasons, Values

A journey to Europe is the holiday of a lifetime. Limitless sites and attractions are waiting throughout the continent. The prices and the weather are the major elements in deciding the prime travel periods.

A good compromise is to choose the period before and after the busy summer season, because the weather is mostly good and prices are lower. Southern Europe also offers a nice experience in the winter, with reasonably mild weather.

If nice weather is important to you, the winter is one of the worst times to see northern Europe. Gray, wet and cold weather is common December through February. And daylight is in short supply, so evenings will be spent primarily indoors.

However, winter travel offers the best prices. Italy or Greece would be good choices if you are limited to a winter vacation.

There are some other benefits to winter travel. Winter festivals and New Year’’s are exciting times in Europe. Cities such as Paris are beautiful when decorated for the Christmas holidays. New Year’’s eve in Paris is exciting, with parties, festivals and night life. Several other countries have holiday events and festivals as well.

The biggest benefit of winter travel is that you will see fewer other tourists. Your experience will be more authentic, seeing European life without the crush of people.

Early spring finds most of Europe still chilly and wet, especially in the north, so streets are uncrowded. Though not great for swimming, the weather is fine for outdoor tours and sightseeing. Budget-minded travelers will like the cheaper prices for airfare and hotels.

May and June are among the best months to visit most European countries. The weather is warm on most of the continent and it’’s still uncrowded. There are a variety of festivals and cultural events throughout Europe in May and June. Because the tourist season hasn'’t started into full swing yet, you can get good deals on accommodations and plane fare. An added benefit is few lines at most tourist attractions and plenty of room on tours and in restaurants.

Once schools let out, Europe quickly becomes crowded. The summer months are very busy and hotels get booked quickly. Because of the demand, everything is more expensive in the summer. Tourist destinations are very crowded and you will wait in lines at many attractions.

Northern Europe, with its good weather and smaller crowds, would be a good option for summer travel. Whatever season you choose, there are more than enough attractions to provide a great European holiday.

About The Author Glynnis Farrow writes for the Europe site, YO Europe. Register for the Europe ezine at http://yoeurope.com. Finding Cheap Airfare Tickets for your Vacation. by: Mike Yeager Finding cheap airfare tickets for your vacation is very important as you plan your next vacation. Imagine saving 25%-35% in airfare expenses as you get ready to travel to an exciting, exotic location. How exciting would that be? Cheap airfare tickets for a vacation can be found if you'’re willing to do just a little research. You don'’t have to be an expert at hunting down the most discount airfare, just spend a little time comparing departure dates and times. If you'’re schedule is flexible, you'’ll find Cheap Airfare Tickets for your next vacation. For example, when traveling to Madrid Spain, you'’ll save a lot of money if you can go before June and after September. The summer months are the busiest. But, if you search for cheap airfare tickets for that vacation during the shoulder or off-season, you'’ll find some cheap flights that will save you a lot of money. Why give that money to the airlines when you can use it for sightseeing or eating in nicer restaurants? Spend a little time doing some research on the internet and you'’ll be very excited with cheap airfare tickets offered. You'’ll be in control of your vacation and how much you pay and that'’ll make your vacation that much better. About The Author Mike Yeager Publisher http://www.a1-travel-4u.com/ mjy610@hotmail.com No Comments « Previous Entries You are currently browsing the Airfare Sites weblog archives for the day Tuesday, October 9th, 2007. Pages: Categories: Airfare Sites (2212) Calendar: October 2007 M T W T F S S « Sep   Nov » 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31   Archives: October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 VIDEOS: 1) Airfare Sites 2) Videos About Airfares 3) VIDEOS - How to get cheap airline tickets and airline discounts Site: Login