New Zealand Mirror Travel

Archive for September, 2009

When planning a trip to Europe, there are a ton of available resources for travelers. With this is mind, it is often time-consuming to wade through all of the websites to find really valuable information.

Here is a list of some of the top travel resources for planning a trip to Europe.

1) Wikitravel
This is one of the best sites for travel available. It is open source, so it is constantly updated; further, it is usually locals or people who have direct, experience with an area who contribute information. Thus you get localized information you might not have gotten elsewhere.

2) World Travel Tips
This is a huge, comprehensive resource for world travel. It includes forums, articles, links, free membership and much more for every continent. Their European section covers every European Country and offer in-depth information about each one.

3) About.com: Europe for Visitors
This is a great site dedicated to travel in Europe from About.com. Geared towards everyone from first time to experienced travelers, it is a goldmine of European travel and planning information.

4) Virtual Tourist
This is a great travel guide. Their motto is ‘real travelers – real info.” This seems consistent with the site, which has everything from transportation reviews to the best travel deal and trip planners. The site also includes forums where you can read about other people’s adventures in Europe.

5) Travel Europe
This is an swicki (cross between a search engine and wikipedia) where community users can add, remove and improve the results. This particular swicki is geared towards travel in Europe and is a great resource fro planning a trip to or in Europe.

6) Visiteurope.com
This is the European travel commission’s guide to Europe and is packed with tons of useful information, articles, advice and much much more.

7) Europe for Visitors
This is a site that offer European news, general advice, specific country advice, hotels, links to city guides, tourist offices and much, much more.

8.) Europecities.com
This is a comprehensive portal site that offers European city reviews and guides to hundreds of European cities and over 40 European countries.

9) Travel Library
Travel Library is an impartial resource for travelers and offers a plethora of resources that offer in-depth travel information, from hotel and hostel ideas to travelogues and most popular locations.

10) Europa: Traveling in Europe
A huge site that offers tools and information for over 30 European Countries. Each country has their own site dedicated to travel resources, information news and more from that country. Categories for visitors include: documents you will need, choosing a time to travel, getting there, staying healthy, money, shopping, communicating, pets, and if things go wrong.

11) Europa: Your Europe
While this site is geared towards European citizens, it still offers tons of great information for visitors outside of Europe. Information categories include: working in Europe, education and study, living in Europe, traveling in Europe, consumer protection, European citizenship and diplomatic protection.

12) European Union Website
This is the official website of the European Union. It offers news, educational resources and tons of links to information about what’s going on in Europe and well as youth travel portals, travel guides, transportation information and much, much more.

13) Yahoo Answers
This is a great place to ask questions and get answers about anything Europe related. You ask the question and get a number of answers, then choose the answer that fits your question best. This site is great because it gives you several points of view to read and learn from and is focused on sharing knowledge.

14) Travels Wise
This site offers tons of information about travel in Europe and countries including Belarus, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the Ukraine.

15) Rick Steves’ Travel Tips
This site is a large portal site that offers tips and advice for exploring Europe safely, effectively and confidently. From packing tips and safety to accommodations and communications, you will find what you’re looking for.

16) Travel Punk
This site offers travel tips and advice targeted at backpackers, budget travelers and tourists. Offers tons of great information as well as travel tools and resources for finding cheap flights and accommodations.

17) TERC Europe Travel Tips
Offers tips on traveling in Europe and categories run the gamut from packing tips and staying healthy and safe to money matters, budget planning, food and accommodations and much more. It is a huge site that is well worth visiting for any Europe travel-related needs.

18) Accessible Journeys
This is an awesome travel site that offers a wealth of information, tips and travel advice about accessibility and traveling in a wheelchair. With information on everything from traveling with your wheelchair or scooter to equipment rentals, handicapped parking permits in Europe and accessible ways to travel, it is a great resource.

19) Europe Travel Tips
A large portal with tons of travel tools, articles and information about travel in 40 European countries, from Austria to the United Kingdom.

20) Independent Traveler

Great site offering lots of travel tips and advice to independent travelers.

21) Travel-and-transport.com
This is a highly useful portal that offers basic and necessary transportation information for Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway and Sweden. New to the site is a route planner that is especially handy.

22) Travel Notes: Europe
Comprehensive travel notes and advice for traveling throughout Europe. Lots of links, resources and tools for travelers.

23) Open Travel Info
Great travel site with a large amount of travel and Europe related information. The forums and articles are especially useful.

24) Discover Europe
Another excellent portal site that offers a wealth of tools, resources and links for travelers to learn about different European countries and plan their trips effectively and efficiently.

25) World 66: Europe
This is a great wiki site that allows members (free) to change and information. It has a great travel guide, maps, and resources for getting to Europe and getting around it. Members can also post photos and there is a cool photo gallery of different places in Europe. Well worth checking out.

26) Backpacker.net
Geared towards backpackers, this is one of the better sites for information, advice and travel planning for backpackers. Users can submit and read recommendations for hostels, tours, bars, beers and much more.

27) WorldWideBackpackers.com
This site is another excellent resource for backpackers and other travelers. While it is geared towards backpackers, there is a wealth of rich information for all travelers, so you should definitely pay them a visit.

28) Gate 1 Travel
This is a travel site for Central Europe. there is a wealth of information that is super handy; they offer info from climate and clothing advice to packing, required travel documents, travel insurance, transportation, communication and much more.

29) Backpackeurope.com
This is another site that is geared towards backpackers in Europe but is highly useful for all travelers. Has Europe travel tips, advice on packing, hostels and hotels, transportation and links to other travel resources.

30) Gemut.com
This is a great travel site that offers visitors advice on everything from car rental and rail travel to hotel reservations, money matters and much more.

31) Travels With Friends: Travel Tips for Europe
Travel tips and advice from planning your trip to executing it. The site’s creators travel Europe and research sites, accommodations, destinations and much more, so there is great, first-hand information available on all aspects of travel in Europe.

32) Suite 101: Eastern Europe & Russia Travel
Travel, culture and trip planning and advice. This is an excellent resource for finding out more about Eastern Europe and its cultures.

33) Traveler’s Point
Europe advice, tips and travel help for all European countries.

34) Budget Travel Online
Great site offering ideas, how-tos, advice and tips for travelers.

35) Yahoo Travel
Yahoo’s comprehensive travel site offers a wealth of information on all European Countries and many of its countries. Another great resource to check out.

Incoming search terms:

• friend tarvel free site (2)

Even if you opt for cheap travels, it should remain fun and exciting. The way to enjoy your cheap travels is to travel smart. One of the most important considerations when traveling is money. You can save money by selecting cheaper accommodation and airfares.

And on your travel, it is extremely important to keep your travel money safe. Most seasoned travelers and travel experts recommend keeping valuables in a hidden wallet or travel pouch, either wrapped around your waist under your clothes or hung around your neck under your shirt.

Another great travel tip is to reduce the chance of theft by keeping majority of your cash in the hotel’s safe. Take out enough for each day to pay for necessary items. When using credit cards, make sure that the establishment or shop looks alright. Credit cards provide valuable consumer protection and the best currency exchange rates as well.

Here is one very valuable travel tip to keep a lost or stolen wallet from bringing your vacation to an abrupt end. Many seasoned travelers pack an extra wallet in their suitcase or backpack. This wallet will contain only a credit card or two and perhaps an ATM card. That way, if you lose your primary wallet, you still have access to ready cash for the rest of your cheap travel.

It is also a good idea to make an itinerary and leave it at home with family members or a trusted friend. This way, they can contact you in the event of any emergencies. You could also keep copies of your identification papers, travelers check numbers, and a photocopy of your passport, at home.

Some travelers carry their passport with them all the time. The reason for that is because the passport provides an additional piece of information and that is important if your wallet is lost or stolen while on your cheap travel. Since it is impossible to board a plane these days without ID, having an extra form of ID can make your life a lot easier.

Another travel tip is to make several copies of your important travel documents – flight reservations, hotel confirmations, rental car receipts, etc. Put each copy in a different place – one or two in different parts of the suitcase or backpack, one in your back pocket, one in your purse or carry-on, etc. Also record important phone numbers in the address book of your cell phone for easy access.

Always remember to have the basic medical information such as blood type, allergy (if any), medications, etc. If you need your medication frequently, don’t pack them in your checked luggage. Instead, always have them with you in your hand-carry luggage.

With these important travel tips, you should be on your way to enjoying safer and smarter cheap travels.

Are you looking for travel packing tips? Many people look for tips to reduce the amount and overall weight of their luggage. Following are 5 tips for travel packing that help you save money, backaches, and stress as you travel.

Do not wear more than two outfits per day:
Many times, you may feel that you will need your entire wardrobe with you. It is good to be prepared for any occasion or event. But, the truth is, you should not wear more than two outfits each day. Hence, it is advisable to pack accordingly.

Choose outfits that match easily with each other:
If you choose tops, bottoms, and jackets that can be easily coordinated with each other, you can save a lot of space in your bag. Choose standard clothes such as jeans, jean shorts, khakis, khaki shorts, etc., and repeat their use with different tops to get new look everyday. You should choose your shoes accordingly in the same way.

Do not forget to pack essential toiletry and cosmetic products:
Do not pack anything unnecessary and takes a lot of room. Make a list of all essential items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a comb/brush. Ladies need to choose only selected and most important items for a short vacation.

Carry a small bag:
You must carry a small and light carry bag to keep your essential items that you use on a everyday basis. Rest can go inside your suitcase.

Travel Insurance:
Insurance helps a lot, everywhere. What if lose your luggage or robbed on your way? An embarrassing situation, isn’t it? An insurance policy gives you much needed support as and when you need the most!

Use above mentioned tried and true travel packing tips and enjoy a peaceful journey!