European Vacations Email This

European Vacations at BizRate Log in to your account Bookmark this page! Home Home & Garden Computers Clothes Toys Electronics Kids Jewelry Travel & Leisure All Departments I'm shopping for in All Departments ---------------------- Special Offers Store Ratings Welcome to BizRate.com's free comparison shopping site! We help you find the best deals on the biggest selection of products from all of the top-rated stores. Compare products, read reviews, and compare prices to make sure you quickly find the right product at the right price every time! Shop smarter at BizRate. Home > Travel & Leisure > European Vacations Email This Page European Vacations See all Coupons & Special Offers Travel Resources (Sponsored Links) Save on Europe Tours Escorted Europe tours are up to 40% less than traveling independently. tourvacationstogo.com Overall Rating: Not Yet Rated European Travel Build your Dream Vacation now! More Choices, Flexibility & Savings www.expedia.com Overall Rating: Escorted Europe Tours Save $200 off per couple. Request a Free 84-page brochure. www.escortedeuropetours.com Overall Rating: Not Yet Rated European Vacation Package Shop and Compare Vacation Packages. Save up to 40% more at Priceline. www.priceline.com Overall Rating: Gilbert Travel Agency Traveling, cruise, and tour agency. Mexico, Hawaii, Europe, and more. www.wtatravelagency.com Overall Rating: Not Yet Rated Travel Europe Top quality Low Cost Student Tours Teachers travel free! www.explorica.com Overall Rating: Not Yet Rated $189+ Low Air to Europe Fly to Europe this Winter and Save. RT Fares Start at $189. Book Now! www.shermanstravel.com Overall Rating: Not Yet Rated I'm shopping for in All Departments ---------------------- Special Offers Store Ratings See the 2005 Circle of Excellence Winners! Home | Your Account | Help | About BizRate.com | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Jobs Merchant Login | Merchant Listings and Advertising | Ratings and Research | Affiliates BizRate International - BizRate UK | BizRate France | BizRate Germany Check out our new site, Shopzilla.com - Take a Tour | Online Shopping Shopzilla International - United Kingdom , France , Germany Thank you for shopping online at BizRate © 2005 Shopzilla, Inc.

Argentina Travel Guide >

Argentina flights to Argentina Travel to Argentina Tickets Buenos Aires Airfare Patagonia Tickets Search Exito Travel.com: Book your hotel online: Choose a country Argentina Belize Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Ecuador Guatemala Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru El Salvador Uruguay Venezuela Choose a city Select a City Abilene, TX Ackron, OH Albany, NY Albuquerque, NM Allentown, PA Amarillo, TX Atlanta, GA Austin, TX Baltimore, MD Bangor, ME Baton Rouge, LA Birmingham, AL Boston, MA Brownsville, TX Buffalo, NY Burlington, VT Charleston, SC Charlotte, NC Chicago, IL Cincinnati, OH Cleveland, OH Colorado Springs, CO Columbia, SC Columbus, OH Corpus Christi, TX Dallas, TX Dayton, OH Daytona Beach, FL Denver, CO Detroit, MI El Paso, TX Erie, PA Flint, MI Fort Lauderdale, FL Fort Meyers, FL Fort Wayne, FL Grand Rapids, MI Greensboro, NC Greenville, SC Gulfport, MS Harlingen, TX Harrisburg, PA Hartford, CT Houston, TX Huntsville, AL Indianapolis, IN Jackson, MS Jacksonville, FL Kalamazoo, MI Kansas City, MO Knoxville, TN Lansing, MI Laredo, TX Las Vegas, NV Little Rock, AR Los Angeles, CA (LAX) Lubbock, TX Madison, WI Manchester, NH Mc Allen, TX Memphis, TN Miami, FL Midland/Saginaw, MI Midland/Odessa, TX Milwaukee, WI Minneapolis, MN Moblie, AL Nashville, TN New Orleans, LA New York, NY Newark, NJ Norfolk, VA Oakland, CA Oklahoma City, OK Omaha, NE Ontario, CA Orange County, CA Orlando, FL Palm Springs, CA Pensacola, FL Philadelphia, PA Phoenix, AZ Pittsburgh, PA Portland, OR Portland, ME Providence, RI Raleigh, NC Reno, NV Richmond, VA Rochester, NY Sacramento, CA Salt Lake City, UT San Antonio, TX San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Sarasota, FL Savannah, GA Seattle, WA Shreveport, LA South Bend, IN St Louis, MO Syracuse, NY Tampa, FL Toledo, OH Tucson, AZ Tulsa, OK Tyler, TX Victoria, TX Waco, TX Washington DC West Palm Beach, FL Westchester, NY Wichita, KS Wilkes-Barre, PA Why can't I find my departure city? Apr 2005 May 2005 Jun 2005 Jul 2005 Aug 2005 Sep 2005 Oct 2005 Nov 2005 Dec 2005 Jan 2006 Feb 2006 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -- 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 Select A Country -ARGENTINA- -BELIZE- -BRAZIL- -CHILE- -COLOMBIA- -COSTA RICA- -ECUADOR- -EL SALVADOR- -GUATEMALA- -HONDURAS- -MEXICO- -NICARAGUA- -PANAMA- -PARAGUAY- -PERU- -URUGUAY- -VENEZUELA- -BELGIUM- -FRANCE- -GERMANY- -ITALY- -NETHERLANDS- -SPAIN- -UNITED KINGDOM- Then a City Why are some cities ALLCAPS? Apr 2005 May 2005 Jun 2005 Jul 2005 Aug 2005 Sep 2005 Oct 2005 Nov 2005 Dec 2005 Jan 2006 Feb 2006 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -- 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 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 -- Later Date? Round Trip One Way Normal Flights Group Flights Extended Stay Flights Airpasses Multi-Stop Flights Adult 2-11 yrs < 2 yrs 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Flight Options: Flights for Groups Extended Stay Flights Multi-Country Flights Resources: Travel Tips Travel Resources Special Requests Study Spanish Trips and Treks About Us: Why Exito? Contact us Discount Airfare > Argentina Flights & Travel Buenos Aires Travel Overview Buenos Aires is arguably the most beautiful capital city in Latin America. It prides itself on its European feel, modern architecture, plethora of cafes, active nightlife and of course as the home to the tango. The city is well-suited to tourism with plentiful buses, colectivos, a fairly extensive metro system, the subte , and centralized attractions based around plazas in a grid-like layout. The capital city is divided into neighborhoods, barrios , which are detailed below. You should plan a minimum of three - four days to fully enjoy the city, more if nightlife is your thing. Porteños (residents of Buenos Aires) tend to be very well-dressed, even by Latin American standards, and are known for a somewhat cool, elitist attitude. Buenos Aires Travel Info provided by Live Travel Guides Argentina Travel Guide > Argentina Travel Guide -- Buenos Aires -- The Argentine Andes -- The Iguazu Falls -- The Patagonia -- Tierra del Fuego Tours to Central America Belize Tours Costa Rica Tours Guatemala Tours Honduras Tours Nicaragua Tours Panama Tours Flights to South America Argentina Tours Bolivia Tours Brazil Tours Chile Tours Ecuador Tours Peru Tours Venezuela Tours Flights to Central America Mexico Flights Guatemala Flights Belize Flights Costa Rica Flights El Salvador Flights Honduras Flights Nicaragua Flights Panama Flights Flights to South America Peru Flights Ecuador Flights Bolivia Flights Argentina Flights Chile Flights Brazil Flights Venezuela Flights Colombia Flights Uruguay Flights On this page: Argentina flights to Argentina Travel to Argentina Tickets Buenos Aires Airfare Patagonia Tickets. info@exitotravel.com 800-655-4053 Call free to speak to a Flight Expert Monday - Friday 7AM - 5PM Pacific Time 108 Rutgers Street • Fort Collins, CO 80525 • PH: 970-482-3019 800-655-4053 On ExitoTravel.com: Cheap flights to Mexico Flights to Mexico City Costa Rica Tickets Flights to San Jose Costa Rica Flights to Belize Flights to Belize City Guatemala Tickets Flights to Guatemala City Honduras Tickets Flights to Tegucigalpa Flights to Roatan & Utila El Salvador Flights Flights to San Salvador Airfare to Ecuador Flights to Quito Galapagos Flights Flights to Peru Flights to Lima Cusco Flights Airfare to Brazil Flights to Rio de Janeiro Flights to Sao Paulo Flights to Nicaragua Flights to Managua Flights to Panama Flights to Panama City Flights to Argentina Flights to Buenos Aires Flights to Chile Flights to Santiago Chile Flights to Bolivia Flights to La Paz Bolivia Flights to Colombia Flights to Bogota Flights to Uruguay Flights to Montevideo Flights to Paraguay Flights to Venezuela Flights to Caracas Costa Rica Tours Guatemala Tours Honduras Tours Nicaragua Tours Panama Tours Peru Tours Cusco and Machu Picchu Tours Ecuador Tours Galapagos Tours Chile Tours Bolivia Tours Venezuela Tours © 2004-2005 Exito Travel Inc. - all rights reserved, site by 3W Target & Metamorf, creators of L!VE Travel Guides

France Travel

France Travel Information | Lonely Planet Destination Guide worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links : Explore France France Douce France taught the world just how sweet life should be. At a Glance Fast Facts WORLDGUIDE Introduction Background Info See Image Gallery Events Transport Money General RELATED Thorn Tree Forum Postcards Travel Links More Places Check out our other destinations: Within France Bordeaux Corsica Lille Marseille Nice Paris Toulouse View Map Click here Feature Attraction Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris This is the heart of the city, a French Gothic masterpiece and the focus of Catholic Paris for seven centuries. Built on a site occupied by earlier churches ... more The French wrote the book on la vie en rose and gave the world champagne and camembert, de Beauvoir and Debussy, the Tour de France and the Tour Eiffel. There's a term for their seductive lifestyle - Douce France (Sweet France) and you'll find yourself using it often. Although the ubiquity of Levis and Le Big Mac flusters the country's cultural purists, anything from a year in Provence to a weekend in Paris will explain why half the world grows dreamy over stalking Cyrano's streets or picnicking Manet-style sur l'herbe . When To Go Spring offers the best weather to visitors, with beach tourism picking up in May. Temperatures aren't too bad in autumn, although the short days mean limited sunlight and the cold starts to make itself felt towards the end of the season, even along the Côte d'Azur. Winter means playing in the snow in France's Alps and Pyrenees, though the Christmas school holidays send hordes of tadpoles in uniform scurrying for the slopes. Mid-July through to the end of August is when most city dwellers take their annual five weeks' vacation to the coasts and mountains, and the half-desolate cities tend to shut down a bit accordingly. The same happens during February and March. Factoid Dirty Pretty Two possibly contradictory statistics about the French: 1. Only 47% of French people bathe or shower every day. 2. French men and women buy more beauty products (creams, masks, etc) than any other people on earth. SPONSORED LINKS Enquire Accomodation Reviews Find Lonely Planet author reviewed places to stay * Required Fields Country * Please select Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada China Cuba Czech Republic Denmark Egypt England Estonia Finland France Germany Hungary Iceland India Ireland Israel & the Palestinian Territories Italy Japan Malaysia Mexico Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Poland Portugal Russia Scotland South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Taiwan Thailand Turkey USA United Arab Emirates Vietnam City * Please select Travel Services · Flights · Hostels · Hotels · Travel Insurance More Services › On the Road Discover Le Panier, an old girl with a kick in her step. Read it › Disclaimer: We've tried to make theinformation on this web site as accurate as possible, but it isprovided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injuryor inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information.You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety,customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before youtravel. text & images © lonely planet 2005 about us | privacy | feedback | advertising FAQs worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links

Hotel Travel

Omni Hotels - Travel Agents Home | Sign In | Contact Us Welcome Travel Agents At Omni Hotels, we value our relationships with travel agents all over the world. If you should need assistance, please visit our Help Desk . You can be assured that Omni Hotels maintains rate integrity  throughout our system and pays commissions  regularly. Also, please be sure to see our FAM Rates  and learn how to access Omni Hotels' index pages on the GDS . Sign Up For Omni Hotels eNews For Travel Agents Stay up-to-date on all the latest developments for making travel arrangements at Omni Hotels. Omni Hotels eNews is also a great way to stay current on new promotions, hotel openings and special contests. We've made it as easy as checking your email. To get started, click here. GDS & Commissions FAM Rate Print Hotel Brochures Help Desk Find a Hotel Select by City -or- Select by City Atlanta Austin Boston Cancun Charlotte Charlottesville Chicago Corpus Christi Dallas Denver (Broomfield) Detroit Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Los Angeles Miami (Coral Gables) Montreal New Haven New Orleans New York Newport News Orlando (ChampionsGate) Philadelphia Pittsburgh Puerto Aventuras Richmond San Antonio San Diego San Francisco St. Louis Tucson Washington Select by Hotel Select by Hotel Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark Omni Austin Hotel Downtown Omni Berkshire Place Omni Cancun Hotel & Villas Omni Charlotte Hotel Omni Charlottesville Hotel Omni Chicago Hotel Omni Colonnade Hotel Omni Corpus Christi Hotel Bayfront Tower Omni Corpus Christi Hotel Marina Tower Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West Omni Detroit Hotel at River Place Omni Hotel at CNN Center Omni Hotel at Independence Park Omni Houston Hotel Omni Houston Hotel at Westside Omni Interlocken Resort Omni Jacksonville Hotel Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza Omni Majestic Hotel Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas Omni Mont-Royal Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale Omni Newport News Hotel Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate Omni Parker House Omni Puerto Aventuras Beach Resort Omni Richmond Hotel Omni Royal Crescent Hotel Omni Royal Orleans Omni San Antonio Hotel Omni San Diego Hotel Omni San Francisco Hotel Omni Severin Hotel Omni Shoreham Hotel Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa Omni William Penn Hotel Find RATES & RESERVATIONS Make a Reservation Hotel Directory Reservation FAQs Sensible Luxury | FIND A HOTEL USA Arizona Tucson California Los Angeles San Diego San Francisco Colorado Denver Connecticut New Haven District of Columbia Washington Florida Orlando Jacksonville Miami Georgia Atlanta Illinois Chicago Indiana Indianapolis Louisiana New Orleans Massachusetts Boston Michigan Detroit Missouri St. Louis New York New York North Carolina Charlotte Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pittsburgh Texas Austin Corpus Christi Dallas Houston San Antonio Virginia Charlottesville Newport News Richmond Canada Montreal Mexico Cancun Puerto Aventuras | SPECIALS & PACKAGES Hotel + Air + Auto Special Offers Search Offers Offers By Email (eNews) | MEETINGS & EVENTS Meetings & Groups Weddings Social Events Find a Location RFP & Inquiries National Sales Contacts Select Rewards | SELECT GUEST PROGRAM Member Benefits Earn Miles News Join Now My Account Contact Select Guest About Omni Hotels | Employment | Press | Omni Store | Travel Agents | Language | Site Map | Contact Us © 2005 Omni Hotels | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Japan Travel International Travel

Metropolis - Tokyo Japan Travel: God speed JAPAN TODAY | METROPOLIS | CLASSIFIEDS | PERSONALS | JOBS Issue Index Original Features Features Mini Features Cultural Features Life in Japan Big in Japan Rant & Rave Cars & Bikes Health & Beauty Interiors Practical Jobfinder Money Talks Tokyo Tech Web Watch Food & Drink Food & Drink Restaurant Reviews Bar Reviews Word of Mouth Travel Travel Features Japan Travel International Travel Travelogue Style Art Artifacts Fashion Tokyo Talk In Store Buyline Music Japan Beat CD Reviews In Person Concerts Clubbing JAPAN TRAVEL Photos by Mary King The mother of all Shinto temples, Ise Grand Shrine is the spiritual home of the Japanese nation. Mary King takes a pilgrimage. D own the ages various rumors and tales have circulated about the sacred mirror of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. It was once said that whoever laid eyes on the mirror would immediately be struck blind, a possible deterrent for would-be thieves. Others have claimed to have seen the mirror and reported that it is inscribed with ancient Hebrew lettering, reading “eheyeh asher eheyeh,” the name of the Judaic-Christian God written in Exodus 3:14 and meaning “I AM THAT I AM.” Heavenly abode Japan’s sacred mirror, one of three items of the Imperial Regalia, is kept in the Inner Shrine (Naiku) at Ise Grand Shrine, a sanctuary that many visitors to the Mie Prefecture city of Ise are astonished to discover they are not allowed to enter or even see. Ise Jingu, popularly known as “O-Ise-san,” or officially “Jingu,” holds the most honored position among the more than 100,000 Shinto shrines that are scattered throughout the breadth of Japan. The site of the nation’s most Holy of Holies, and boasting some of the world’s greatest architectural monuments, Jingu is also home to some of the simplest and most mysterious structures. Described as the “starting point for all journeys in Japan,” Ise is regarded as the spiritual home of the Japanese, a place to which most wish to make at least one pilgrimage to in their lives. In fact, more than six million pilgrims and worshipers come to Jingu each year, crossing the Uji Bridge spanning the sacred Isuzu River to symbolically leave behind the temporal world and enter a “pure world” of kami (gods and spirits) and the ancient mythology of the land. Odyssey Passing through the second huge torii at the end of Uji Bridge, a long gravel approach leads you through a natural cathedral of towering cryptomeria. Pilgrim and tourist alike are taken on a divine journey toward the Naiku and Geku, where Amaterasu and Toyouke (God of Abundant Food) are respectively worshipped. It is an unforgettable odyssey, one that spirits you back to the country’s earliest recorded “history” that tells of the “Age of Kami,” the creation of Japan and the origins of its people right through to the Imperial line and succeeding generations of emperors and empresses. The auxiliary shrines resemble ancient granaries The Geku (Outer Shrine) was dedicated to the grain deity Toyouke, possibly in a bid to bolster the new imperial cult that started, according to the myth, when Amaterasu sent her grandson, Ninigi no Mikoto, down to earth to rule. The Sun Goddess handed her grandson the mirror that had lured her out of her cave, along with Susano’s sword, and a curved jewel. The mirror (yata no kagami), along with the jewel and sword, remain the Three Imperial Regalia, symbols of divine authority, and to this day the emperor conducts rites to ensure a bountiful harvest as well as secret rituals in which he symbolically mates with the Sun Goddess. The high priestess of Ise, meanwhile, has traditionally been an Imperial princess, reflecting the nation’s early history of shamanesses, priestesses and ruling empresses. Having passed through large open grounds and crossed over a small bridge (hiyokebashi), you gradually move towards the more sacred area of the Naiku. To the right of the main pilgrimage path is located a font for the ablutions made by pilgrims prior to proceeding toward the main sanctuary grounds. Beyond the daiichi torii (first sacred gateway) are steps that lead to the Isuzu River, where since ancient times pilgrims have purified their body and mind by washing their hands in, and rinsing their mouths with, the waters of this sacred river. According to Shinto thought, one’s pure mind and body given by the kami must be ritually cleansed so as to return to a state of purity. Amaterasu Omikami is enshrined in the main sanctuary building, the Goshoden, of the inner sanctum of Naiku, in which the august mirror, her symbol or goshintai, is kept and worshipped. As they are considered most sacred, pilgrims or other visitors may see neither the mirror nor the main sanctuary. In fact, the only people allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, according to my guide, are members of the Imperial Family, although on one occasion, it is rumored, Queen Elizabeth was invited in. Restoration Except for the exalted mirror, all of Jingu’s other sacred shrines and objects must be reconstructed in synch with each 20-year Shikinen Sengyo cycle. The elaborate transference procession and ceremony involves the remaking of some 491 holy treasures, 1600 accessories and 125 kinds of sacred apparel that are then put in their proscribed places by the priests. Formerly used objects are kept in the nearby Jingu History Museum, which is open to the public. It is possible to find two absolutely identical Naiku and Geku standing side by side-one old, one new. In time the older one will be deconstructed and its wooden parts, now forever consecrated, recycled as repair pieces for other shrines around Japan. The newer one-once the transference of holy objects has been consummated-hence replaces the old as a locus of veneration. The shrines themselves are thought to resemble ancient granaries or storehouses and are built from Japanese cypress (hinoki) from the Kiso forestry preserves extending between the Gifu and Nagano Prefectures. Befitting the reverence accorded to these sanctified building blocks, death, loss of a limb, or imprisonment have, over the centuries, been the penalties for felling these jewels. A visit to the majestic Ise shrine allows one to understand why. Where to stay: Oaken, tel: 059-622-2589; Hinodekan, Tel: 059-628-2954; Saekikan, tel: 059-628-2017; Okubun, tel: 059-628-2231. Ise City Tourist Information, tel: 059-623-9655. TRAVELOGUE WORLD TRAVEL TRAVEL FEATURES JAPAN TRAVEL: SEPTEMBER 389: God speed The mother of all Shinto temples, Ise Grand Shrine AUGUST 385: Hattoji Highland hamlet JULY 380: Nagasaki Remembrance of things past 378: Kawagoe From modern Tokyo to "Little Edo" 376: Tottori Tottori's stunning landscapes JUNE 375: Kyushu Bed and bath under the volcano 373: Ryogoku Land of the giants 372: Osaka Universal Studios Japan MAY 371: Osaka Amerika-mura: Osaka's funky town 369: Mie Mikimoto Pearl Island 368: Takarazuka Hyogo-ken's all women theater group APRIL 365: Kawasaki Kawasaki's annual fertility festival 364: Aomori A day on Fear Mountain MARCH 362: Nagano Chill out snowboarding 361: Asuka One foot in the grave FEBRUARY 356: Yamanashi Hakushu's hidden treasures 355: Waseda Tram Trip A streetcar named... 352/3: Aomori Jesus in Japan 351: Kumamoto Under the volcano in Kyushu 350: Sado Island Explore the forgotten charms of Shukunegi ISSUES 348- ISSUES 298- TOP