Comfortable Airline Travel?

There are some travel accessories that will help you get some important sleep enroute. Many crewmembers themselves, including the pilots, use these things on their very important rest breaks.

If you are comfortable while traveling, you'll be much more likely to sleep. Even if you can't sleep, which is unlikely if you utilize these techniques and recommended travel accessories, you will certainly be more rested.

If you have a routine you normally go through before going to bed at night, try to do this on the plane too. For example, if you brush your teeth, wash your face, and then read for a few minutes before retiring at home, then do it on the plane too. Studies have proven that this is also helpful for settling in to sleep when you arrive at your destination.

Travel Accessories That Will Help You Rest While Traveling

Travel Pillows
Use two. One to support your lower back and one for your head. They're great for car trips too. Try to get one that wraps around your neck to stabilize your head. They really help you get as comfortable as possible. Without one, your head might flop around, which may wake you up. Leaning against the window  never seems to make you comfortable, and if you are able to sleep, you usually wake up with a very stiff neck or back. Having your own travel pillow is more sanitary than using the airline pillows. Those are moved around everywhere and the covers are not necessarily changed before every flight. For ultimate travel comfort, you can use a full body travel pillow. This is an inflatable, full-length seat liner. Be sure to bring yours on every long-haul flight.

Sleep Masks
An important low cost and effective travel accessory for avoiding jet lag symptoms is a sleep mask or eye shade. These are great for sleeping on the plane. Many people have difficulty sleeping enroute because the light level changes frequently. Passengers turn on lights, the movie scene brightens which brightens the cabin, people open their window shades, or the galley curtain opens flooding the area with bright light. Wearing a good sleep mask will make you oblivious and immune to all that.

Noise Canceling Headphones
To sleep on the plane, you need to have it quiet. Since you can't control the noise level around you, you have to bring the quiet along with you. How can you do that? Two ways--earplugs or noise canceling headphones. Ear plugs are terrific for some uses. While they are small, light, and inexpensive, the drawback is that you may find them difficult with which to sleep. Many people greatly love these headphones and think that they are one of the best inventions in years. Many airlines provide these headphones for their first class passengers, but they have to give them back at the end of the flight. If you bought yourself a pair, you'd get one of the best first class benefits at less cost than a first class upgraded ticket. Then they're yours to keep and use whenever you're in a noisy place and want to slip on some peace and quiet. Warning! Once you've tried these there's no turning back. You'll be hooked on them and will want to use them regularly.

Travel Footrest
The first and business class seats have these, but even in coach you can benefit from using a footrest. Using a footrest helps in two different ways: If you're tall, it takes strain off your lower back. If you're not so tall (or a child), and if your feet don't touch the floor, this helps prevent upper leg cramps.

Other Tips And Strategies For Sleeping While Traveling
Wear Comfortable clothing. Comfortable clothes, warm socks and a sweater will enable you to sleep better.
Loosen or Remove Your Shoes. Untie your laces to get some extra circulation to your feet.
Avoid/Manage Caffeine. In addition to being a stimulant, caffeine also dehydrates you.
Avoid Alcohol. Consuming alcohol before or during the flight will make it more difficult to sleep well. It will also dehydrate you. It is best to avoid alcohol from 12 hours before the flight until you're at your destination.

Courtesy of ezinearticles.com and pilot Paul M. who came up with these great ideas!

Cruising Without the Weight Gain

Lets face it, one of the joys of a cruise is the availability everywhere of sumptuous world-class food that is in such great quantities. Needless to say, nearly anyone who has embarked on a cruise has come back a bit heavier, but that doesn't have to be the case. There are many other amenities aboard every cruise ship that you can enjoy and still fit into your bathing suit at the end of the trip. Hey, If I can take a 9-day cruise and come back lighter than I did when I left, then so can you!

One key to not overeating is to simply only eat when you are hungry. Avoid the temptation to eat at every chance you get and ask yourself , "Am I really that hungry". If you are then go ahead and fill up, but if you are not, pass on the food or eat just a little bit or a piece of fruit.

Another thing to remember is that you do not have to sample everything on the buffet every night! If there are many things you would like to try, then pace yourself throughout the week. How about taking just a bite or two of that tempting dessert instead of eating two pieces? Those 2 bites will taste just as good as eating the whole thing and leave you feeling much lighter.

When eating at a buffet, try to fill your plate up with fruits and vegetables. This will be much healthier for you and leave you full of energy and ready to dance the night away! And there are plenty of opportunities for dancing all around the ship. And if you don't know how to dance, you can always take dancing lessons onboard too!

If you do overeat, there's plenty of opportunity to burn off those extra calories. Take full advantage of the exercise equipment on the ship and plan to get in a full workout each day. Walking the deck can be fun and also a great way to get in some exercise. When you are in the pool, swim a few laps instead of just floating. Take the stairs instead of elevator whenever possible. And there are stairs all over the place!

Courtesy of ezinearticles.com

Choosing the Cruise That's Best for You

Why do people love cruises? Why do so many cruise vacationers swear they wouldn't go back to hotel vacations? Cruise travel represents a pinnacle of luxury. You travel around the world, or your chosen area, in cosseted pleasure.
Every whim gets catered for. Every time you're hungry, food awaits. You go ashore to sight see a new place, but return to your own bed every night. A floating hotel, traveling to a new location every day.
But how do you choose your cruise deal? How do you know what's good or bad? Firstly, let's look at the different types of cruises.
* Size
Ships range from city size with over 5,000 passengers right down to small sailing vessels holding less than 10 people.
* Location
Your choice of ship might depend on location. If you're cruising the Caribbean, you could try a sailing ship. If you want a world tour, you probably should go for something bigger?
Some of the newer ships from the major cruise operators allow you to cruise the world in luxury. Their high-tech stabilizers mean your wine barely ripples, even in rough seas.
So for smaller cruises in benign weather e.g Caribbean or Med, you can choose large or small. For longer cruises, such as an Atlantic crossing, Arctic visit etc., you need a big ship.
* Price
Prices vary dramatically. Only a few years ago, cruises were an expensive luxury. Now prices fall within any vacation budget. In fact, all inclusive special cruise deals can be much cheaper than land-based vacations. For less than a 5 star hotel, you can get 7-days all inclusive in a luxury location.
* Internet
How do you find these great deals ? As always, use the Internet. Sure, call your local travel agent, or respond to newspaper ads, but you'll find the best deals online.
There's only a limited number of cruise ships. So you'll find exactly the same cabin standard, exactly the same food deal, for widely varying prices.
Try to narrow down your preferred location before starting. How long do you want to go for? Then start searching the web. Try 'cheap cruises deals' for a search term, and see what comes up. Immediately, you'll be faced with a bewildering array of choices.
Click on a few of these search results sites. Read some advice and info. Get an idea of prices to your preferred location.
When you've seen some deals you like. When you've seen at least three different deals to your preferred location. When you're tempted to book right there & then. Stop!
Before you book, you must separate the wheat from the chaff. That bewildering array's about to become clear. Put the cruise company name into your search engine. Put the destination into the search engine. You're looking for reviews. You're looking for feedback from other people who've been with that cruise company. You're looking for reviews about your destination.
Do this for each of your cruise vacation shortlist. Check there's no hidden catches. Check price fully includes everything, and you won't be stung for lots of onboard extras.
Follow these simple guidelines, and you'll soon be embarking on the cruise of your dreams.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/32746

Travel Free: By Leading and Promoting Tours

Whether you're 16 or 60, you CAN travel just about anywhere in the world for free -- and even with a nice stash of cash in your pocket -- by telling like-minded people about a trip and convincing them to go with you. Get 5 to 20 to book the same trip, and your trip is free.
If you have a burning desire to see the Pyramids... or go on an African Safari... or snorkel the Great Barrier Reef of the South Pacific... and don't have the cash, don't worry.
There's a good chance that you can travel for free to just about anywhere in the world your heart desires just by locating a group of like-minded folks and convincing them to go with you.
And if you are really good at convincing a lot of fellow travelers to join you -- and have chosen the right travel company -- you could also earn up to $10,000 a trip for your efforts.
Not bad for doing something you passionately enjoy doing, and meeting a whole bunch of people who enjoy the same kind of traveling you do.
There are dozens upon dozens of travel companies who are actively seeking individuals to help them organize tours -- or promote existing ones.
Age is no consideration. Whether you are 16 or 70, there is a tour or tour group that is bound to suit your travel interests.
Teachers are actively courted to promote tours to their students... and even given handsome cash stipends as well.

High school and college students are sought to promote grad trips and spring break trips to their friends and classmates. Besides free trips and "rock star" treatment, successful promoters can often earn as much as $10,000 per spring break.
Ministers and church members are rewarded for telling church members about pilgrimages and trips to the holy land. With as much as $10,000 to be made per trip, booking and leading tours is a wonderful way to raise cash for a church building fund... or augmenting a minister's meager salary.
Scuba divers can get a free trip by organizing a scuba dive trip and promoting it to their fellow divers.
Lovers of the oriental culture can get free trips to Japan or China, while connecting with a whole new group of friends and earning enough cash to dine well and bring back lovely souvenirs.
Travel companies will often pay cash when you produce more reservations than the minimum required to earn a free trip.
The number of paid trips it takes to get a free one varies from travel company to travel company.
Some require as few as 5. Others as many as 15-20. Cruises usually average 16.
Many companies will reward you with multiple trips.
Most will also offer a commission which gets bigger the more trips you sell.

It doesn't take any experience to get started -- and most travel companies supply you with lots of marketing materials and support.
The degree of involvement in planning and promoting a trip varies considerably.
For example, promoting a trip for a spring break can often be done quite casually. Some spring break travel companies will even send a representative to your campus to put on a meeting. A few phone calls to friends. Some posters placed around the campus. An ad in the school newspaper. And voila, you could easily have 15 or 20 people signed in no time. Some companies don't even require that you collect the deposits. And most will do the follow through in collecting the balance of the trip fee.
The more aggressively you promote, the more trips and money you'll earn.
According to some travel companies, it is not uncommon for a very aggressive promoter to walk away with a free trip AND a very sizeable amount of cash.
Some travel firms say their top producers earn as much as $10,000 a trip.
There is no limit to where or how you can advertise a trip to the general public. The more widely you advertise your tour or pilgrimage, the more trips you'll book and the more cash you'll make.
To maximize your chances for success, it is advisable to announce and begin promoting your trip at least a year in advance of your departure date, so that you have plenty of time to reach enough people -- and to enable your prospects sufficient time to raise fund and schedule the trip.
If you are already affiliated with a particular group such as a school, a church, or a club, it makes promoting a trip all the easier as you already have easy channels of communication in place. Writing letters or emails, making phone calls, announcements at meetings or services, announcements in bulletins, etc.

If you are interested in making as much money as possible in addition to a free trip -- either for yourself or as a fundraiser, you might want to look at other ways of reaching a wider audience.

• Press releases to newspapers and other media.
• Posters and flyers posted on community and church bulletin boards.
• Small ads taken out in newspapers and appropriate magazines.
• Posting in special interest forums on the Internet
• Holding public meetings and seminars.

Organizing a trip gives you rewards way beyond the trip and the money. In the process of organizing a trip, you will also come into contact with many like-minded people you might never meet otherwise ... resulting in friendships that last a lifetime.
For many, the best part of actively organizing and promoting a trip is meeting new people who have at least some common interests.
Because you are the group leader, you are in a unique position to have already "broken the ice"... so that when it comes time to embark on your cruise or tour, you will often be on a first name basis with everyone. This feeling of camaraderie with a large number of fellow tourists can contribute immeasurably to the success of the trip -- and can often lead to lifelong friendships.
So, don't put off traveling just because you don't have the finances.

(Couttest EzineArticles.com author Jacqueline Corbett)

Using Credit Cards While Traveling

Using credit cards while traveling is a good idea for a number of reasons:

• You have a record of your expenditures for record-keeping and tax purposes (especially important if you travel for business)
• You may get a better exchange rate when obtaining foreign currency when using your credit card.
• Credit card companies can refund disputed charges and may offer extra guarantees, special deals or warranties.
• Your liability in the case of a stolen credit card is limited to $50

But, traveling these days is often a juggling act of luggage, boarding passes, identification cards, passports and a gauntlet of security measures. These identification acrobatics can leave you distracted and even a little bit addled, perhaps putting you more at risk of being targeted by an enterprising pickpocket or purse snatcher.
And, even though your liability is limited, costs can quickly add up if multiple cards are involved. Factor in the hassle and increased risk of identity theft, and it is apparent a few preemptive measures can save you from a boatload of heartache.
Consider the following tips as guidelines to traveling safely and affordably with your credit cards:
Plan Ahead:

Anytime you travel you should make photo copies of all of your credit cards airline tickets and documents, both front and back. You should leave these photocopies with a friend or family member.
Be aware that if you make copies of your cards and documents to take with you, you may be giving thieves another opportunity to rip off your personal information. Consider blacking out details such as expiration dates, verification codes and social security numbers.
If you decide not to carry photocopies of your credit cards, be sure to have the card cancellation numbers from the backs of the cards written down and stashed in your luggage.
Leave a Paper Trail:
Save receipts and keep track of the places you used your card. Make sure receipts are stored in a safe place so they can be checked against your credit card statement to ensure unauthorized charges have not been made and/or gone unnoticed.
His & Hers:
When traveling with other family members, even spouses, bring different credit cards that are on separate accounts. When a card is lost or stolen and must be cancelled, all cards on the account are cancelled as well. Having at least two cards from separate accounts will prevent the situation from leaving you stranded.
Lighten Up:
Carry only the personal information absolutely necessary for vacation, such as a passport or driver's license. The less personal information you have, the better off you will be if your purse or wallet is stolen.

When traveling by air, always keep copies of important documents in a separate part of your luggage, such as a carry-on bag.
Keep cards on your person. Most travel stores carry small bags that you can keep cards, cash, and other items you will need to access while out and about. Consider a money belt or security wallet.
Look out for fees:
When traveling abroad and using a credit card, watch out for the conversion fee that many banks levy to convert charges in foreign currencies to dollars, generally 1% of the purchase amount. Some banks charge a fee and some don't so, if you have several cards, it's worth checking with the issuers to see which one has the best deal. Even with the conversion charge, many times ATM machines will have the best possible exchange rates and the lowest fees.
With proper planning, credit cards are a convenient, secure and cost-effective means of payment when traveling. Just keep these tips in mind, and the next time you're balancing on one foot at the security gate, you'll be glad you did.

(Courtesy EzineArticles.com, author Gail Corwin)

Hawaii Weather Is Not All That You May Expect

The weather can vary greatly within a few miles. For instance, Mount Waialeale on Kauai is the wettest spot on earth with over 460 inches of rain a year (in 1982 it actually rained 666 inches!) However, just a few miles away is a desert that receives less than 10 inches of rain per year. So as you can see the weather varies quite a lot just on one island.

Hawaii weather is greatly influenced by the trade winds that generally blow at speeds of 10-20 MPH. Sometimes the winds will be light to non-existent and sometimes they will blow much stronger--into the 30 MPH range.

The trade winds have a welcome cooling effect. Even though it may be 85 degrees with 80% humidity, the trade winds make it feel much more comfortable.

The opposite wind is called the kona wind. The kona winds tend to bring hot, humid weather, and sometimes rain. The kona winds are not as prevalent as the trade winds. (Don't confuse kona winds with Kona side of the Big Island which tends to be hot and dry.)

Hawaii has semi-tropical weather. Temperatures usually range from 75-90 degrees year round in the daytime, and 70-80 degrees at night. Temperatures in the winter months may be a little cooler, where nighttime temperatures can sometimes fall into the 50's. (It feels much cooler than that with a 20 MPH trade wind blowing.)

At the higher elevations of the islands (such as up country Maui and Big Island) temperatures can drop to the 30's or 40's and snow often falls at the very high elevations of Haleakala and Mauna Kea!

Rain showers can appear at any time of the year but they most often fall between the months of November-February. Even though these winter months are technically the "rainy season", the rains are generally short lived, and sunshine and blue skies return quickly.

We call these short, light showers "blessings." Sometimes you can't even seem to find the clouds that are producing these "blessings", but if you look around you will probably see the rainbows they leave behind!
Hawaii also has what are called "Mauka Showers." Mauka means "inland" or "toward the mountains." It will often be raining in the mountains or valleys, but be dry on the beaches.

Sometimes during the winter months it does rain for 2-3 days straight. The good news is that since there are so many micro-climates on the islands, you can often just go a short distance to find dry weather.
Hawaii does, on rare occasion have a hurricane pass our way, although this happens much less often than it does in Florida or other parts of the US mainland. It is always good to be prepared, of course, but the last hurricanes to hit Hawaii was "Iniki" which hit Kauai in 1992. Hurricane season runs between June-December.

Even given these general guidelines, the weather can vary quite a bit depending on where you are on the island. The windward (Northeast) sides of the islands are generally the wettest and coolest, and the leeward (Southwest) sides are generally the driest and hottest.

So as you can see, there can be quite a variety of weather in Hawaii. Be sure to pack a light jacket, rain coat, or sweater so you'll be comfortable on the cool Hawaiian nights and in your visits upcountry.
If you plan on visiting Maui or Big Island you won't want to miss the summits of Haleakala (elevation 10,023 feet) and Mauna Kea (elevation 13,796 feet.) Just make sure you pack a heavy jacket!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/30826

Seal Beach: The Surprise of California

If you are visiting the Los Angeles, California area you need to travel just south to beautiful Seal Beach. Named for the seals which used to inhabit the area, the town has all the charm of a beach community. Lovely tree lined streets and well kept homes are the town's feature. When you want to have a little extra adventure and are lured by the salt air, take a walk on the pier which pushes out to the Pacific Ocean.

Once on the pier look to the north and see the mountain range seemingly rising up from the ocean's floor. Look straight out and you will see the majestic Pacific. Yes, those are oil rigs jutting up out of the ocean! A bit of an eyesore, but necessary especially in this day of over dependence on oil imports. Are you hungry? Stop in at the restaurant located half way down the pier and get a bite to eat. Or, stroll back in town and have your pick of seafood restaurants.

Nearby to Seal Beach is Long Beach, which is the home of McDonnell-Douglas, the airplane manufacturer. Now owned by Boeing, much of the area surrounding Long Beach International is dedicated to aviation. Stop by the airport and see what a circa 1920s airport still looks like! Yes, it is functioning and it is a good alternate airport to LAX.

Los Angeles is a 20 minute drive to the north while Orange County and Anaheim are within an hour's drive to the south. Of course, being that it is California, expect to be stuck in one of their wonderful traffic delays at some point. Hey, you could always return to bucolic Seal Beach and wait out the traffic!