France Travel Trends: What's

France Travel Trends: What's In & Out for 2005  You are here: About > Travel > France for Visitors > Money, Safety & Issues > Issues, News & Hot Topics > France Travel Trends: What's In & Out for 2005 Travel Go France Essentials New Year's Eve in Paris and France Worst of France 2005 Paris Travel Guide Top French Ski Resorts Best New Year's Eve Champagne Articles & Resources Destinations Trip Planning Transportation Interests & Situations Money, Safety & Issues Things to Do in France Where to Stay in France Staying Connected Blogs Picture Galleries Culture, Language & People Fun, Freebies & Quizes Relocating to France Nudism, Sex & Gay Travel D-Day & Historic Travel Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Sites Selling French Products Before You Buy the Gift of Travel Gifts for the France Fanatic Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the France for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search France for Visitors Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page Related Blogs Dispatches from France Blog Paris Blog French Word-a-Day Blog La Coquette Blog Chroniques dune Fraise Nice Blog Rsidence Les Marronniers Provence Blog L'Oiseau Blog Chocolate and Zucchini Blog Forty Days in Paris Blog Most Popular "Naked City" Christmas in Paris Photo Tour Paris Sex District Top Paris Attractions Christmas in France What's Hot New Year's Eve in France Paris Gay Pride Parade Host A France-Themed Party Nice, France Photo Gallery Camping in France Related Topics Europe for Visitors French Language French Cuisine Honeymoons / Romantic Getaways Wine France Travel Trends From Kelby Carr , Your Guide to France for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! What's In & Out for 2005 There are always travel trends. Spots that used to be hot become not-so-hip. With the dollar getting increasingly weaker against the euro, travelers are more inclined to stay in more modest accomodations. While Provence enjoyed its heyday in the wake of Peter Mayle's novels, Languedoc is emerging as the underrated darling of southern France. Look below to find out more about what is in and out for France travel this year. In Out Lesser-known cities Paris Languedoc Provence Recreational travel Luxury travel Small inns Upscale hotels Living in France Visiting France Driving Riding the rails Bringing your cellphone Using a phone card Packing light Packing heavy        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot New Year's Eve in France Paris Gay Pride Parade Host A France-Themed Party Nice, France Photo Gallery Camping in France

Argentina Travel Info: General

Argentina Travel Guide - Argentine Wine Guide Home Argentine Wine Guide Argentine Wine Guide Argentina has very recently become a world-renowned wine producer. Although the artform is relatively new to Argentina, the wines produced have left lasting impressions on enthusiasts everywhere. Here is the traveler's, and wine lover's, guide to the wines of Argentina. Introduction to the Wines of Argentina The history of wine-making in Argentina is very unique and offers insight into what makes Argentine wines, and this wine region so special. More Wine Varieties in Argentina A number of great wines are grown to perfection in Argentina. Learn about each variety in this section of the Argentine Wine Guide. More More -- Welcome Argentina Wine Guide WelcomeArgentina Wine Guide This section of WelcomeArgentina.com contains a great deal of information about wines and wine-making in Argentina.Learn what wines are made in Argentina, where to buy wine, along with how wine is made and instructions on serving the end result. Other Wine Resources Visit our partner websites for more information on wine in Argentina and the world. More Get the most from your Argentine vacation. Let the travel professionals at AR Tourism arrange the perfect vacation for you, while saving you money and eliminating the inconvenience of handling overseas arrangements. AR Tourism - Argentina Vacation Travel Agency Argentina Regions | Patagonia | Iguazu Falls | Perito Moreno, Calafate Buenos Aires Guide | Side-Trips | Recoleta | City Center Argentina Golfing Guide | Argentina Skiing Guide Sitemap © 2005 AR Tourism, LLC FOR MORE INFO: eMail: info@allaboutar.com Argentine Wine Guide History Varieties Resources Visit Mendoza Take a wine tasting tour when you visit the beautiful city and region of Mendoza with AR Tourism. More Introduction to Argentina Travel Info: General Information Transportation Travel Facts Safety Planning a Trip Argentina: Buenos Aires Regions in Argentina Sports Activities People & Culture Argentine Tango History of Argentina Other Stuff: About Us Links

Japan Travel Go Japan

Etiquette in Japan - living in Japan - Japanese etiquette - working in Japan - Japan job search - studying in Japan  You are here: About > Travel > Japan for Visitors > Etiquette / Living in Japan Travel Go Japan Essentials Clickable Map of Japan Japan Pictures Japan Travel Tips Japanese Geisha Japan 101 - Fact about Japan Articles & Resources Japan Maps Picture of Japan / Web cams Best of Japan / Attractions Hotels/Accommodations Tokyo / Cities / Regions Japanese Translators Japanese Culture Etiquette / Living in Japan Japan Weather / Geography Japan History / Samurai Japanese Penpal / Chat Plan Your Trip to Japan Air Travel / Train Travel Restaurants / Japanese Food Japanese Gift / Japan Books Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Japanese Gifts Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Japan for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Japan for Visitors > Etiquette / Living in Japan Etiquette / Living in Japan Japanese etiquette information and living tips in Japan - includes working in Japan, studying in Japan, Japan news, and more. Subtopics Daily Life in Japan (22) Japanese School (11) Etiquette in Japan (5) Money Tip (4) Japan News and Japan Media (18) Visa @ Japanese Government (10) Working in Japan (26) Japanese Internet (20) Articles & Resources Sort By : Guide Picks | Alphabetical | Recent Homestay in Japan How to arrange homesaty/visit in Japan. From your About.com Guide.        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Japan Postcard - Japanese free email postcards - New Year's ... Japan Map - Nagano Prefecture Map - Map of Japan Universal Studios Japan Odaiba Photos Pictures of Japan - mount fuji picture - mt. fuji Photo Headlines Best Japan Photos in 2005 Which Japan photo gallery was viewed the most by visitors... Japanese New Year's Cards Sending New Year's cards to relatives, friends, teachers, classmates, and... Photo Gallery: Christmas Decorations in Japan Christmas in Tokyo Disneyland, Odaiba, Ebisu Garden Place, and more.... Christmas in Tokyo There are many fun events and beautiful Christmas illuminations to...

Austria Travel: Austria Travel

Travel: Austria Travel Notes -- Austrian Tourism Car Hire Cruises Flights Hotels Tours Vacations About Travel Notes™ Destinations Budget Travel Feedback Search Travel Forums Travel Writers Africa Asia Caribbean Europe Middle East North America South America Oceania Austria Travel: Austria Travel Notes -- Austrian Tourism Travel In Austria . Round The World Flights - Free TravelNotes e-mail Lonely Planet Guide to Austria Austria Index AustrianCities Austrian Culture Austrian Hotels Austrian News Austrian Regions Austrian Tourism Austrian Tours Kaffehauskultur (in German) LocalCurrency Convert your currency into euro . Food Travel Fiction Health Kids Bios Humor Mags Software Gifts Tech Business Other Your Ad Here Travel Notes Mailing List Austria Hotel City Search : Travel In Austria By Road -- All the major Austrian cities are connected by motorway, if you need to get somewhere quickly, but driving on Austria's national roads is always more interesting. If you bring your own car to Austria, and intend to drive on the motorways, you will need to buy a vignette -- available from service stations -- and stick it in your window. Vignettes can be bought for ten days, one month, two months or a year. There are also tolls on some of the tunnels, but you may prefer to drive over the passes in the summer months. By Train -- Austria connects well with all of Europe's major cities. Timetables . By Boat -- Lake Constance, or Bodensee , has services between Switzerland , Bregenz in Austria, and Germany during the summer season. The River Danube has traffic from Ravensburg in Germany, through Vienna onto Bratislava, Budapest, Belgrade, and the Black Sea -- temporarily suspended at Budapest, due to NATO bombing of bridges in Serbia. Airlines and Airports : The national airline is Austrian Airlines, and the former Formula 1 champion, Niki Lauda, owns Lauda Air. Vienna's international airport is located at Schwechat to the south-east of the city. There are also smaller airports at Innsbruck and Salzburg. Austrian Airlines : The flight planner even lets you search for all airlines on a given day -- not just through Austria. Austrian National Tourist Office : The official page for tourism in Austria. Austria for Americans : This site is produced by the Austrian National Tourist Office exclusively for North American residents and contains material specific to their needs. Austrian Regions : Austria is divided into nine provinces. U.S. Embassy, Vienna : Gateway to information and services provided by the U.S. Embassy in Vienna -- there's even an Embassy Chatroom, available every first and third Wednesday of the month. Casinos Austria : There are twelve Casinos in Austria: Baden, Bad Gastein, Bregenz, Graz, Innsbruck, Kitzbhel, Kleinwalsertal, Linz, Salzburg, Seefeld, Velden and Wien. The Euro : Now the official currency in Austria. Walking Seefeld : An independent vacation guide to active summer holidays on the Seefeld plateau, near Innsbruck . Austrian Culture : Austria's illustrious history leaves a lot of memories behind. Uncover the delights of former glory. Europe Travel Forum : From Albania to Vatican City, Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, Europe is culturally eclectic and full of lavish history. Join us in the travel forums if you have a question about Europe or would like to share your experiences about travelling or living in Europe. The Internet TravelNotes.org Flight Tickets : Save money on Round The World flight tickets. Travel News : Get the inside scoop with the latest travel features and tips. Past Articles . Austria Travel Guide Weather Outlook Car Hire Cruises Flights Hostels Tours Vacations Destinations Budget Travel Feedback Meta-Travel Travel Forums Travel Writers Africa Asia Caribbean Europe Middle East North America South America Oceania Travel Directory : Europe : Austria : Austrian Tourism -- Submit to Travel Notes | Advertise on TravelNotes.org | Favourite Destinations | Magun'sCompass | Travel Articles | Writers | | Airlines | Airports | Car Hire | Cruises | Flights | Hotels | Online Reservations | Vacation Rentals | | Casinos | Olympics | World Cup | General Disclaimer | Meta-Travel | Search Resources | | TravelNotes is a Trademark of TravelNotes.org | Travel Notes Blog | Add URL | Add to Favorites The URL for this page is: http://www.travelnotes.org/Europe/Austria/austrian_tourism.htm

Disney Vacation Other Disney

MouseSavers.com - Ways to Save for Your Disney Vacation Great deals on all things Disney! Find out how to save on: Walt Disney World Disneyland Disney Cruise Line Transportation for Your Disney Vacation Other Disney Travel Savings Discount Disney Shopping Mall Live Disney Shows Disney Freebies Disneyland Resort Paris Disney Parks in Asia Disney's Vero Beach/Hilton Head Non-Disney Theme Parks & Attractions More information: About MouseSavers Frequently Asked Questions Trip Reports and Articles Links Testimonials Privacy Policy & Legal Stuff Contact Mary Ways to Save for Your Disney Vacation Jump to: Vacation Savings Account Other Ways to Save in Small Increments More Tips and Tricks Vacation Savings Account One of the best and smartest ways to save for a Disney vacation is to open a separate savings account specifically for your vacation fund. If at all possible, jump-start the account with a lump sum, such as a tax refund. Have a certain amount auto-debited from your paychecks and deposited directly into that savings account. That way you never see the money, so there is less temptation to spend it. And of course you'll be earning interest! If you put $25 a week into your vacation account and earn 2% interest compounded daily, you'll have $1337 in the account a year after you start saving, and $2677 in two years. If you're able to "jump start" the account with $500 and then add that $25 a week at 2% interest, you'll have $1847 in your account a year after you start saving, and $3197 in two years. By the way, it is very worthwhile to shop around for the best banking deal . The best I've found is the Orange Savings Account from ING Direct . I have one of these accounts myself. You can open one in 5 minutes or less and transfer money into it electronically. The ING account pays a variable 3.75% Annual Percentage Yield on savings with no minimum deposit and no hidden fees or service charges. (Compare this with what your bank or credit union pays on savings accounts. I predict you'll be amazed.) It's FDIC insured. You can easily set up an automatic savings plan with this account. Other Ways to Save in Small Increments Here are some additional, relatively painless tricks people use to get themselves to save. It's all about setting priorities -- and in some cases, tricking yourself into saving. What works for one person, won't work for another. Try one, or try 'em all. Remember, every penny helps! Buy US Savings Bonds You can purchase them online and spend as little as $25 each time. US Savings Bonds must be held for at least 1 year before you can cash them in. There is a 3-month interest penalty if you cash an EE or I Bond within the first five years from its issue date. There is no penalty for cashing EE or I Bonds that are at least five years old. Bonds pay very good interest compared with a regular savings account and since they are issued by the government, they are an extremely safe investment. Buy Disney Dollars Personally I would never use this method because it doesn't earn interest, but some people find it very helpful because you can't spend Disney Dollars anywhere but Disney! Disney Dollars are "cash equivalents." One Disney Dollar = one US dollar, and you can buy any even dollar amount, so for example if you have $31 saved you can buy that amount in Disney Dollars. You can also give your children Disney Dollars for birthdays and holidays, and ask relatives to do the same, so the kids will have their own spending money for the next Disney vacation. Disney Dollars can be purchased at any Disney Store or Disney theme park, or through Walt Disney World Mail Order at (407) 363-6200. The Change Jar Make a rule that you never spend coins. Save all your pocket change and throw it in a big jar. Label the jar (i.e. "Our Disney Vacation") to remind your of your goal. Periodically you can roll the coins and see how much you have. (This is a great job for kids.) Once it's rolled, put it in your vacation savings account. If you don't want to roll the change, see if your bank takes unrolled change . Some banks have change-counting machines and they'll count your coins for free or for a very small fee. There are CoinStar machines in many grocery stores that will allow you to dump in a ton of change and get a slip redeemable for bills at the cashier, but you'll pay a hefty premium (somewhere around 9%) for the service; if you do this, at least pluck out the quarters and roll those! Variations on the change jar: Never spend quarters , or never spend dollar bills . Put those in the jar. Checkbook Games When writing a check, round up your checkbook entry to the nearest dollar. For instance, if you write a check for $57.12, record it in your checkbook as $58. Not only does this help you prevent overdrafts, it also means you're accumulating a little extra in your account every time you write a check. Another good thing about this method is that you're earning interest on that extra money, assuming you have an interest-bearing checking account. Round down your deposit entries to the nearest dollar. For instance, if you deposit $300.91, record it as $300. Again, you're accumulating a little extra "ghost" money in your account. A variation on the checkbook rounding method: charge yourself a dollar every time you write a check, plus round up . So if the check was for $47.39, round it up to $48 and add a dollar, making the entry in your checkbook $49. Another variation on the checkbook rounding method: round up to the nearest five dollars . So if the check was for $52.23, round it up to $55. If it was for $9.51, round it up to $10. More Tips and Tricks If a payment ends, keep making it -- to yourself! For instance, if you pay off a car or a credit card, keep making that payment, but instead write the check to yourself and deposit it into your vacation savings account. Make a rule that "found" money goes in the vacation fund. For instance, if you get a rebate, tax refund, gift check or work bonus, deposit it in the vacation account. Give yourself an allowance for cash expenditures (i.e. groceries, gas, meals out, entertainment, etc.) and make a game of seeing how much of your allowance you can NOT spend. Anything left over at the end of the week (or month) goes into the vacation fund. Charge everything to Disney's Visa or a cash-back credit card and pay the card off each month. (Only do this if you can handle the temptation to overspend on plastic, and if you really will pay the balance off every single month. If you won't pay it off monthly, this is a bad idea.) Use the Disney Dream Reward Dollars or cash-back bonus toward your vacation. Cut out one small daily expense and put the money you're saving into your vacation fund. The savings can really add up. If you save $1 a day on something you buy at work, and you work 5 days a week x 50 weeks, that's $250 a year! For example: If you drink a cafe latte every morning, buy a travel mug and fill it with strong coffee and hot milk at home instead. If you usually eat lunch out or buy lunch at a deli, try bringing lunch from home at least 2 or 3 days a week. If you just can't get it together to make a lunch, at least try bringing a can of soda from home instead of buying one at the deli or out of a machine. Bring a snack from home instead of hitting the vending machines. Giving up smoking may save you enough money in a year to fund a family vacation. I'm not kidding! If you're smoking a pack a day, you're spending at least $800 a year on cigarettes. In places with high tobacco taxes, you're spending $1600 or more. Ask your family to help you save. Often children aren't very aware of how much small expenses can add up over time. If you point out that every nickel they can save the household will get them closer to seeing Mickey, they may surprise you! Solicit their ideas and suggestions, and then agree to put aside what you've saved for your vacation fund. Be sure you have a plan for keeping the saved money separate, so that it doesn't get spent elsewhere. That might mean writing a check for the amount of money saved and depositing it into your vacation account, or putting that amount of cash into the change jar. Whatever it is, do it consistently. Here are a few ideas your family might consider: Spend less on entertainment. Borrow videos from your public library instead of the video store: most public libraries offer this service for little or no cost. Instead of going to the movies, check the newspaper for free local family entertainment and events, or have a family game night. Eat out less. Face it, cooking every night can be tiring and a drag, and that leads to eating out, which is much more expensive. So find a way to avoid this. Think up something you can make in the crockpot one night a week instead of getting takeout. Or turn cooking into a fun project once a week -- for instance, make a pizza with the kids instead of ordering one. Use grocery store coupons. Particularly if you live in an area like Southern California, where the major supermarkets will double the value of manufacturer's coupons, you can't afford NOT to clip coupons out of the Sunday paper! I do this, combined with buying sale items and seasonal produce, and frequently save 40% or more on my grocery bill. Seriously, 15 minutes of effort and a $5 coupon organizer can save you an amazing amount of money. Kids who are old enough to use scissors can certainly cut out coupons. Older kids can also sort and file coupons in your coupon organizer. Sell your junk. Have a big garage sale. Take still-in-fashion clothes to a consignment shop. Sell unwanted books, CDs, movies and collectibles you no longer want on eBay . You'd be amazed at what your old stuff may bring. Don't assume no one wants it. (I once sold a ratty bathmat the dog had chewed up, which I was using as a rag, for a quarter. It wasn't even part of my garage sale -- someone just noticed it lying on the ground and offered me money for it!) If you are a family of recreational shoppers, start going to garage sales, consignment shops and thrift stores instead of the mall. One person's trash is another's treasure, remember? There is often good stuff to be had at these places! Take a certain amount of cash and don't spend more. You'll get the thrill of the hunt and the thrill of the bargain, but for much less than a trip to the mall. Shop around on your insurance at least once a year. It's remarkable how much you can save. Rates for an identical auto insurance policy can vary from one company to another by as much as 100%! An easy way to shop around is to use an online site such as InsureMe.com , which will get you quotes from several insurance companies. I used this site to shop for life insurance and ended up with a great deal from a top-rated company. Evaluate your spending on cable television and telephone services. Maybe you don't really need extended cable or call waiting. Check rates to be sure you're not paying more than you have to for long distance calls. I've used OPEX as my long distance carrier for several years. I have tried AT&T, Sprint, MCI and others in the past, and this company is just as good... for only 3.9 cents per minute! To compare long distance rates, you can use a site like longdistanceworld.com . Get everyone to turn out the lights when no one is in the room, and turn off TVs, radios and computer equipment when they're not in use. Fix dripping faucets and leaking toilets. These measures may only save you a buck or two a month on your utility bills, but it all adds up. Encourage "gifts of love" instead of store-bought gifts. For instance, give each other certificates for back rubs, car washes, and other kind gestures that cost you nothing but your time and effort. Or set a low limit (like $5) on gifts and see how creative you can get. Back to the home page Back to top Content of MouseSavers.com is © Mary Waring & MouseSavers 2001-2005. No part of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.