European Vacation By Ray

10 Money-Saving Tips for Your European Vacation Web TransitionsAbroad.com Home Work Study Travel Living As seen in Transitions Abroad Magazine March/April 2001 Related Topics Back Door Travel with Rick Steves Budget Travel Related Articles Europe’s Online Travel Deals Cheap Travel in Europe Ricks Steves' Thrifty Fifty: How to Make Your Dollars and Sense Carry You Further in Europe Ricks Steves' Dirty Thirty: More Tips on How to Make Your Dollars, Euros, and Pounds Stretch 10 Money-Saving Tips for Your European Vacation By Ray Bangs Traveling cheaply is not just about saving a few francs, it is really about getting a better value for your money. Eat like the locals and you will save big bucks. Food and drink costs add up. For breakfast, a cup of coffee, a roll, assorted cold cuts, and a piece of fruit from the local market can be very reasonable. For lunch, try a picnic. Even in winter you may find Europeans unpacking a sandwich in the park. Choose the fixed menu and the house wine. Restaurants usually offer two or three choices that highlight some of the house specialties. Spend the night on a train. Your long-haul transportation and accommodations are taken both care of and you gain one more day for exploration. Bring a meal and snacks with you, since the dining car prices are often outrageous. Water is essential and will help you avoid that hangover effect if you do not sleep well. If you decide against the sleeper-car, an inflatable neck-pillow is important. Buy the postcard. Instead of snapshots of the Eiffel Tower take pictures of your friends and the people you meet. Keeping the rolls of film in a Ziploc bag will allow you to safely transport them back to the U.S. where developing costs are much less. Digital cameras are another eco- and wallet-friendly option, as long as you have some means of recharging the battery. Send an email instead. At a dollar each, the cost of mailing postcards can add up. Try to get everyone’s email address before you go, then at every city send a group email from an Internet café. If you are using a digital camera, you could even send that photo of you trying to distract the Buckingham Palace guards. It’s nice to receive emails from the people who write back to you as you travel. Try to speak the language and meet the locals. Everything can cost more than it should when you are unfamiliar with the currency, the customs, and the language. Following the advice of locals beats following the guidebooks. Use your credit card and get cash at ATMs. You will get a much better exchange rate and not have to pay conversion fees. Buy prepaid phone cards. In Europe these are available at any market or kiosk. Plan your souvenir budget. The little sew-on patches, stickers, or postcards are inexpensive mementos. If you simply must have a replica of Julius Caesar’s bust, remember that the further away from the Coliseum you go, the cheaper it will be. Get the discounted price. A student ID card can help you get the best prices on everything from museums to hotels. Joining a hostel association is worth the small investment. In the larger cities, an inexpensive public transportation ticket will allow you to enjoy the tour at your own pace. RAY BANGS lived for two years in Europe before moving to Tempe, AZ. He is planning a move back to Europe. Contact him at RCBangs@hotmail.com . Web TransitionsAbroad.com Home Work Study Travel Living Disclaimer ©Transitions Abroad

cruise vacation news and

CLIA | Cruise Line International Association | Cruise Vacation Travel Packages Norwegian Coastal Voyage Inc. offers unique coastal trips with sailings along the captivating coast of Norway, from Bergen in the south, across the Arctic circle, to Kirkenes in the north close to the Russian border, stopping at 34 ports along the way. The great cities, history, culture, excitement and beauty of the "Old World" of Northern Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea region and Russia have made this one of the favorite cruise destinations of North Americans. STRONG 3RD QUARTER PASSENGER GROWTH EXTENDS 2005 TREND FOR CLIA-MEMBER CRUISE LINES read more Register to receive the latest cruise vacation news and information on special offers Click here to sign up PASSPORTS REQUIRED TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES Read further -- Search for any city or US zip code Search by Destinations All Destinations Africa - Southern Alaska Antarctica Australia/New Zealand Bahamas Baltic/Russia Bermuda Black Sea British Isles/Ireland Canary Islands/North Africa Caribbean Costa Rica Cruises to Nowhere East Coast Europe - Western Far East/Orient Greek Isles/Aegean Hawaii India Israel/Egypt Mediterranean - West Mexico New England/Canada Panama Canal Red Sea/Suez Canal River - Amazon River - China River - Europe Scandinavia, North Cape South America South Pacific/Tahiti Southeast Asia Trans-Atlantic Trans-Pacific West Coast World Cruises Search by Cruise Lines All Cruise Lines Carnival Cruise Line Celebrity Cruises Costa Cruises Crystal Cruises Cunard Line Disney Cruise Line Holland America Line MSC Cruises Norwegian Coastal Voyage Norwegian Cruise Line Oceania Cruises Orient Lines Princess Cruises Radisson Seven Seas Cruises Royal Caribbean International Seabourn Cruise Line Silversea Cruises Swan Hellenic Windstar Cruises Search by Length of Cruise All Cruise Lengths 3-7 days 8-14 days 15-21 days 22+ days Why choose a CLIA Certified Cruise Counsellor? Find a CLIA affiliated travel agent in your area Search Tips Site designed by RampageInteractive / Web Services by TheDestination Group Digital Site Map

Family Vacation

Johnson Family Vacation Johnson Family Vacation Watching Johnson Family Vacation is like watching somebody's vacation videos - there is a feeling of being trapped, stuck at the mercy of whoever is narrating their boring experiences. The difference is that this is a movie, and one can leave the theater. Even better, don't go to the theater in the first place to watch this movie. It's not bad; it's just so derivative and uninspired that it's dull, which is especially disheartening given some of the talent in front of the camera. This is Cedric the Entertainer's ( Barbershop 2: Back in Business , Intolerable Cruelty ) first outing as the star of a film, and it was a serious mistake on his part. He plays Nate Johnson, insurance salesman and family man. The Johnsons are crossing the country from the Los Angeles suburbs to Missouri, site of the Johnson family reunion. Of course, everything that can go wrong along the way does, but that's okay, since everything will be peachy at the end. First, Nate is separated from his wife Dorothy (Vanessa Williams, Shaft , Light It Up ), but oddly enough, she lives literally right down the street. She had career aspirations, and apparently Nate disagreed with them. Still, for their kids, she agrees to go. So Nate, Dorothy, Nikki (Solange Knowles, sister of Beyonce), DJ (Bow Wow, Like Mike , All About the Benjamins ), and little Destiny (Gabby Soleil) pack into Nate's mistakenly tricked out SUV and head off across the county. The nature of the movie is episodic, and for better or worse (WORSE), the script by Todd R. Jones and Earl Richey Jones unfolds this way. Each state brings a new wacky adventure for the family, and they slowly begin bonding along the way. An episodic movie is not inherently bad, but director Christopher Erskin haphazardly strings all the various misadventure together, and then drops any sort of meaningful plot development that is supposed to tie all these things together. Along the way, they pick up a goofy hitchhiker (Shannon Elizabeth, Love Actually , 13 Ghosts ), stop by an Indian reservation, Nate gets stuck naked in a jacuzzi, and other random comedy bits strewn together with no rhyme or reason. The other diversions are so forgettable they aren't even worth mentioning. Waiting at the reunion is Nate's brother Mack (Steve Harvey, You Got Served , Love Don't Cost a Thing ), who is constant competition with Nate for the attention of their mother. He has also won the family of the year award at the reunion for a number of years running. And, Nate's mother doesn't know he is separated. Cedric the Entertainer is a wildly funny comedian. Not here. It feels like Erskin slipped him a sedative, then told him to start performing. The script gives him nothing to work with, and he seems too bored to make an effort to make bland material watchable. Other actors like Williams and Harvey can be appealing, but here Williams is also bland and Harvey is annoying. The Jones' are content to rely on bathroom material to wake up the viewers instead of doing anything memorable. Bow Wow acts like he is trying to hard, and all that Knowles does is bat her eyelashes and roll her eyes in disgust. Maybe the latter is from watching her own movie. Haro Rates It: Pretty Bad. 1 hour, 36 minutes, Rated PG-13 for some sexual references, crude humor and brief drug material. Back to Movies HOME MOVIES MUSIC ADVICE CAREERS ADULT HISTORY CONTACT

vacationing in Florida. Here

Florida Travel Vacation Guide - Accommodations, Attractions and Retirementinfo and more!. Accommodations Attractions Real Estate Theme Park Tickets Disney Savings Magazine Golfing Golfing Hot Deal Retirement Cruise Lines Weather USA 3000 Car Rentals Amtrak Customer Care Articles QUESTIONS? Contact one of our Representative! Last updated: The ultimate, one-stop guide to vacationing in Florida. Here you'll find everything you need to plan your holiday in the sunny south, including the best links to Florida's attractions, accommodations, car rentals, weather, and more! 2005 2006 Check out our Electronic Brochure for Best Rates on Accommodations! Call: 1-800-430-2435 (All prices are in US funds) US - Sarasota location: 866-929-7121 / 941-955-2500 CAN - Ontario location: 800-430-2435 / 519-658-8105 ACCOMMODATIONS Your best resource for affordable vacation accommodations throughout Florida. Narrow your choices down by choosing a region, followed by a specific city. You'll find a listing of Florida accommodations ranging from vacation homes and condos to five-star resorts and hotels. ATTRACTIONS Florida is the place to visit if you're looking for fun in the sun! You'll discover an endless list of things to see and do - from kiddie rides to the newest, wildest roller-coasters. Orlando, home to Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios Escape, is rated No.1 for theme parks. RETIREMENT There's no better place to spend your leisure years! With its wonderful climate, endless attractions and amenities, and expertly-designed adult living communities, Florida offers a retirement lifestyle that most only dream about. CRUISE LINES If your idea of a dream vacation involves lying under a cloudless blue sky, indulging in fine cuisine and dancing until the wee hours, then consider a cruise departing from one of Florida's four ports. WEATHER If you're looking for a vacation destination known for its balmy breezes, sunny skies and warm temperatures, then the Sunshine State is the perfect choice. Florida Web Guide Arts and Entertainment Health Events Maps Education Recreation and Sports Employment Shopping Government Society and Culture Links Florida Travel Magazine LOOK INSIDE Our Magazine is designed for people who love all that Florida has to offer! Order Now! We're here to help! 1-800-430-2435 More... Currency Converter CVBs RV Info Camping Temperature Charts Moving South? Timeshare Quick Find Accommodations Northern Florida Central Florida Central East Florida Central West Florida South East Florida South West Florida Attractions Northern Florida Central Florida Central East Florida Central West Florida South East Florida South West Florida Other Topics Car Rentals Weather Links Retirement Cruise Lines RV Info Articles Magazine Camping Timeshare

Travel Guide

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