Posted by libertees on November 19th, 2011 | No Comments »
Bayswater is in the City of Westminster and is located about a mile and a half west of Marble Arch. In the 17th century it was known as “Baynard’s Watering”, renowned for its excellent spring water, and it was later shortened to “Bayswater”.
Bayswater is a very cosmopolitan district with a large number of Americans, Arabs, Greeks, Chinese and Brazilians. It has a Greek Orthodox Cathedral at Moscow Road and a Brazilian Catholic Church by Queensway.
It is well known for its Georgian terraces with high ceilings. Properties in Bayswater are expensive and apartments are mainly sold as leasehold properties.
All the main activities are centred on Queenway, with lots of shops, restaurants and pubs along the busy thoroughfare.
Bayswater is perfectly placed for exploring Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens is across the Bayswater Raod. Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Playground is about two minutes walk across Kensington Gardens, directly opposite Queensway Underground station (Central Line) and Kensington Palace is about three minutes walk further down.
Other attractions in Bayswater include:
* Whiteleys – created by William Whiteley in 1863, Whiteleys was the first department store in London. It was closed down in 1981. The current Whiteleys is an indoor village of shops, restaurants and cafes and a cinema. * A popular and the only combined ice rink and bowling alley in London. * It is an exceptionally good place to eat out with lots of Chinese, Italian, Indian, Arabic, Greek, Brazillian, Spanish and Japanese restaurants. The Chinese restaurants in Bayswater serve the best dim sum and roast ducks in London. If you enjoy Great British pub food head for Bayswater Arms at the corner of Queensway and Moscow Road. * You can start your Diana Memorial Walk from Kensington Gardens by following the 90 plaques set in the ground along the route. This is a great sightseeing circular London Walk covering approximately 7 miles through 4 Royal Parks, 3 Palaces and two mansions. * Artists and craftsmen display their masterpieces along the pavement on Bayswater Road outside Kensington Gardens on Sundays. Visitors just love to stroll along the pavement and appreciate the unique displays. * A short distance west of Bayswater are fashionable Notting Hill and Holland Park. Portobello Road market, a well known open air market, is near Notting Hill Gate station (CentralLine) * There is a casino next to Bayswater Underground station (Circle and District Lines) * As this district is very popular with foreign visitors, there is a large concentration of bureau de change in the area. * Bayswater is conveniently located for shopping in Oxford Street and theatres in the West End. The Royal Albert Hall is located on the other side of Kensington Gardens (about 15 minutes walk through the park). * It has also the largest concentration of hotels in London and hotel prices are relatively cheaper than those located in the West End and Mayfair.
Visitors in London enjoy staying in Bayswater not only because it is close to the Royal Parks and Kensington Palace but also because it has so much to offer in terms of the cosmopolitan environment, a large variety of exotic cuisines and a good selection of affordable hotels in the area.
Chow Siew is the webmaster of . This site provides event news and activities in London including , theatre and and London Passes.
Posted by libertees on November 18th, 2011 | No Comments »
Comfort Suites Entertainment District would like to welcome our guests with personalized service, upscale room and suite accommodations, within a family orientated atmosphere.
Comfort Suites Entertainment District is conveniently located near major freeways and attractions.
Some of our attractions nearby are:
DFW Airport
Six Flags Texas
Texas Ranger Baseball Park
The New Dallas Cowboy Football Stadium
Hurricane Harbor
Riverside Golf Course
Ripley’s Believe It or Not
Lone Star Race Track
We are also near many wonderful restaurants and parks. Centrally located between all of these attractions and restaurants make this an ideal location for a family outing.
Some of the services we provide:
Free Hotel Shuttle to Area Attractions and DFW Airport
Minutes Away From The New Dallas Cowboys Stadium
10 or more Restaurants Within Walking Distance
Complimentary Hot Breakfast Buffet Every Morning of Your Stay
FREE Wired and Wireless High-Speed Internet Access
Complimentary Daily Newspaper
Laundry Facility
Business Center
Express Checkout
Exercise Facilities and Out Door Pool
Microwave and Mini-Fridges in Each Room
Daily Maid and Turndown Service
Choice Offers Rewards
* Earn points at over 5,000 locations in:
United States (including Hawaii)
Canada
Europe*
Caribbean
Mexico
Australasia**
* Or, earn Airline Rewards or Amtrak Guest Rewards® points for stays
* Redeem points for:
o Free nights worldwide (no blackout dates)
o Airline Rewards
o Gift cards and more!
* Receive in-hotel benefits
* It’s easy, fast and free to join!
* Choice Privileges® points for
o stays at Choice hotels
o Choice Privileges® Visa® card purchases
o point purchases
o shopping (online mall purchases, flowers, wireless phone service)
o travel (rental cars, cruises)
o memberships – (ID theft protection, wine club)
o exchanging points
o Refer-a-Friend
* Airline Rewards
o Earn triple Airline Rewards at Cambria Suites® hotels
* Amtrak Guest Rewards® points
* Free nights at over 5,500 Choice Privileges locations worldwide (no blackout dates)
United States (including Hawaii)
Asia & Pacific
Canada
Caribbean
Central America
Europe
Mexico
South America
* Free nights at luxury hotels & resorts – New Partner!
No blackout dates! Destinations include:
United States
Bahamas
Dominican Republic
Europe
Mexico
* Airline Rewards miles, points, credits or dollars
* Travel Rewards car rentals, Amtrak® and gasoline
* Gift cards over 350 merchants like Bass Pro Shops®, PetSmart®, Walgreens® and Wal-Mart®
* Dining Rewards restaurants like Applebee’s®, Macaroni Grill® and Red Lobster® – New Restaurants!!!
* Unique Experience Rewards stock car racing, hot air balloon rides, rock star fantasy and more
* Sport & Entertainment Rewards play golf around the world, Broadway shows, movie tickets and more
* Memberships & Subscriptions Memberships to Costco and AARP. Subscriptions to magazines like Woman’s Day, Men’s Health and more – New Redemption Option!
* Music Downloads digitally download favorite songs from the Choice Privileges Music Store – New Redemption Option!
* Charitable donations American Red Cross, the Armed Forces Relief Fund or Rebuilding Together – New Charity!
We are a in the entertainment district. Come join us for many fun filled days out with the family. As always, we’ll see you there. Thanks for stopping by.
I’m the owner of this hotel for many years and welcome all guests to enjoy the comforts of home in our . Come visit us centrally located between many major attractions in our .
Posted by libertees on November 16th, 2011 | No Comments »
Some time it is very important to spend some valuable time with family and friends to over come from daily tight work schedule. Relaxation and refreshment is necessary for human to give 100% out put in their work.
There are various places in all over world where people can go to spend few moments with their family, friends or loved once. Those who are married and have family, they can grab the opportunity of family holiday packages launched by various tours and travels all over the world. During the time of vacations or festival’s, they usually declare holiday or vacation packages with discount rates for customers.
The most beautiful and peaceful places to spend holiday with family are: India, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Maldives, Singapore, Italy, America etc. all these are very beautiful placed to move around with family or friends.
Now, you must be thinking how to arrange your trip. Don’t panic. Lot many options are available for customers; one can plan their trip from their home only without any tension. Internet has made it more easy and convenient to plan trip or hotel booking or resort booking just by log in to the respective website. Just register your self on the website and search out for the place to go, select the package, select the room type, select the days, and select the payment gateway, now you done.
Moreover one can surf for the reviews on the internet. That will help you out in selecting place as well as hotel booking. For more convenience, travel or tours agency provides pick up and drop facility, also provide car rental and services. Every thing will be done from your home only. Here , resort, online car rental booking, cruise booking everything is available for customers.
Now a day planning international tour has become very easy and takes no time or not even panic for customers. Even those who don’t have internet access or don’t know how to use internet, travel or tourism agents are always there to help them out.
Select any hill station, or beach resort to enjoy family holidays. provides all the luxurious facilities to their customers. They have maximum entertainment resources like swimming pool, disco, Children Park, garden, mini theater, library, gym, yoga center, casino, bar etc. so customer can enjoy their holidays of 4-5 days in resort only without going out anywhere.
So for what are you waiting? Join any online tourism portal and book hotel or resort for you and your family. Else contact any tours and travel agency for joining their best family holiday package. Enjoy your trip and have fun with your family friends or loved once.
My self Astha Mishra. I have written many articles on . I have written many blogs. Its been great .
Posted by libertees on November 13th, 2011 | No Comments »
Growing roses can be a difficult and time consuming process. They need a lot of special care and attention to stay healthy and keep growing those beautiful blooms that are so highly prized. With all of the pruning and cutting that must go into outdoor roses, many people are turning to indoor roses as an easier option.
Many different types of roses can be grown indoors as well as outdoors but because of the size of most rose bushes, most experts recommend using miniature roses for growing indoors. These roses are not only smaller, making them easier to maintain, but they also require less care and attention than most other types.
The ease of caring for your indoor roses depends directly on you and what kind of rose you choose.
Some types of miniature roses need very little care beyond the normal watering and sunlight although they do need occasional fertilizing with a weak solution of rose fertilizer. Other types require more effort, going through blooming and dormant seasons and needing to be fertilized, watered, and pruned often. Either way, the roses inside will be easier to care for than your outdoor roses simply because of the convenient location.
Another reason growing roses indoors is easier is because of pests.
You do not have all of the harmful insects inside your house that can potentially live in your garden, therefore the risk of infection in your roses is less, as is the risk of them being eaten by little plant loving bugs.
Pruning often puts outdoor roses at risk of infection and disease but since your indoor roses will have little or no pruning done to them, the risk to them from this is also greatly reduced.
A large part of the problem many people have with outdoor roses is the amount of pruning and precision that is required. Outdoor rose bushes must be pruned just right and shaped in order to keep their gorgeous look.
If you use miniatures for your indoor roses, you don’t have to worry about how you prune them.
Simply cut off the old blooms, and when they go dormant, usually in December, simply cut the entire plant back to about three inches. They naturally grow out well-shaped and beautiful with minimal help or attention. Cut off any dead blooms and soon you should see new growth and more flowers.
Growing roses indoors can be difficult; but, if you are unsure of what you’re doing, it is easy to find others who have had success and can give you tips and advice to get your green thumb in gear. Compared to outdoor roses, indoor roses are easier to care for and to keep beautiful, not to mention the longer blooming season, giving you more beautiful blooms to brighten your day.
Peter Bourke is a rose gardening expert… for more information about visit
Posted by libertees on November 10th, 2011 | No Comments »
Traveling in a group? You are the holiday packagers dream! Imagine being able to offload bulk airline seats, rail passes and entertainment packages in one booking. A group traveling is a wanted commodity and because of this you can secure great deals for your group. But as always, beware of any hidden ‘extras’ such as cancellation policies and preferred partners when stepping outside the package. Be prepared to shop around for the best deal.
Here are some tips for the traveling group on a budget:
1. Travel insurance can be bought through some companies where savings can be ten percent or more. A group usually consists of four or more. Contact a number of travel insurance agencies and compare quotes.
2. Pack as many people as you can into your hotel room (keeping it legal). The more heads in the room, the higher the number to divide the cost by.
3. Renting a car when traveling in a group of four is usually cheaper than buying travel passes – and more convenient.
4. Food, guidebooks, taxi fares can all be split between the group bringing costs down.
5. Rail passes for groups or pairs may find discount offers in some countries.
6. Some airlines offer discount rates to groups of ten or more traveling together.
7. Group package bookings that have everything included in the price will have all expenses covered so you won’t be surprised by any extra costs, apart from shopping!
8. Discount holiday packages for large groups of travelers are offered through a number of travel agencies. Sports fans may be able to travel to big events using one of these travel packages for much cheaper than organizing it on their own.
If you want to join a group tour so you don’t have to travel alone consider all the pros and cons. Will there be like-minded people? Is there any flexibility to the travel arrangements? If not, will this outweigh the savings you’ll make on joining the tour? Some travelers like the convenience of all the travel arrangements being made for them. Group tour operators will find the best fares and reputable places to stay in. This saves you the hassle but it may mean that some of the cultural experiences you want will have to be put aside for the relatively cheaper ride.
Traveling in a family group can also benefit from a number of offers. Inform your booking agent that it is a family and ask about any special offers or deals. Can you visit any amusement parks or tourist attractions at family discount rates?
When traveling in a group, never be afraid to ask for a discounted rate. Everyone involved in the tourism trade is looking to get large numbers on seats or through doors. Groups are welcomed and catered for accordingly.
This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru
Stuart S. Travel / Your All World Online Travel Guru:
Sherry Hardesty has been a professional flight attendant for over 15 years. Her experience is extensive and she provides professional travel consulting and booking services at http://www.stuartstravel.com
Posted by libertees on November 8th, 2011 | No Comments »
One of the many advantages of a cruise is that everything is organised for the tourist if the person wants it to be so. They can also choose how long they want to be away for, whether it is a mini cruise, a seven day cruise or even longer. Reserve an European cruise in North or South Europe, sail to the famous Mediterranean with yachts, mouth-watering food, mountains, lovely historical buildings, perfect beaches and friendly folk.
The Baltic Sea area Starting in Northern Europe, do not miss the Medieval Baroque architecture of Norway and Finland and also its dramatic scenery and rich history. Visit St Petersburg, Russia s most beautiful city and a most in any tourists itinerary. Enjoy the wild night life of Hamburg or Copenhagen in Germany and Denmark respectively. Explore one of the richest areas in the world and take advantage of the cruises’ facilities.
Europe Departing from Southern England, visit the Atlantic ports of France and Spain –experience the world famous fine cuisine and wine culture! Cruises sail through the Bay of Biscay and the Straits of Gibraltar, where tourist can also enjoy the most beautiful ports of Portugal and Southern Spain. Finally some cruises also visit the well renowned Spanish islands including Mayorca and Ibiza. The Mediterranean Visit historic places, romantic cities and beautiful islands in the Mediterranean, but also enjoy the top quality resorts and sandy beaches. The Mediterranean has been divided into three main areas, as follows: Western Mediterranean cruises include the French Riviera, la Costa Brava and volcanic Sicily. Southern Mediterranean sails through Northern Africa, including the most important ports in Egypt and Morocco. Eastern Mediterranean cruises travels along the Aegean Sea covering most of the Greek Islands, Turkey and Italy; expect to find amazing ruins from the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians
Ocean Cruise organise very convenient in Europe and the Mediterranean.
If your idea of a fun-filled life is synonymous with travel, then London is the best place to visit. With its charming atmosphere, the city invites visitors from all parts of the world. They can enjoy loads of tourist activities ranging from shopping at Harrods (Europe’s largest store in London) to watching a play at the Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. Many visit the city with the purpose of learning about its deep and rich history and observing it’s intrinsic and, at the same time, very appealing art deco. They can also take pleasure in watching the millions of historical objects preserved in the several museums of the city. The options are unlimited. So, to enjoy the best that the city has to offer make sure to book London hotel rooms for a minimum of a week.
London draws more than 15 million visitors annually. Thankfully there are innumerable hotels in the city that offer a wide range of accommodations to these visitors. You can choose from luxury hotels, cheap hotels, discount hotels, family hotels, bed & breakfast places, apartments or youth hostels. You can find a room that exactly meets your specific requirements within your budget. London hotel rooms vary greatly in terms of tariff that depends upon a number of factors, such as conveniences in the room, its furnishing, star rating of the hotel, and its location. A hotel at a posh area and in proximity to tourist attractions is likely to charge higher than those located in the narrow lanes of the city. However, if your budget is low and you still want a comfortable hotel room, you must visit these narrow lanes to find a charming hotel that is also reasonable.
London hotel rooms range from deluxe (single, double and twin) to club double. Depending on the type of room you choose, you may also get complimentary breakfast. The facilities in the room also vary on the basis of their category. However, all the rooms feature most of the basic conveniences promising a comfortable stay. The rooms are well furnished and feature an armchair or two, apart from a superior bed. The plush pillows and quality linen ensure that you enjoy your sleep to the fullest at the end of a tiring day. All the rooms are carpeted and exude a warm and friendly ambience to make you feel at home. The attached bathrooms are fitted with modern shower accessories, and towel and slippers are available on demand in many hotels.
Most London hotels are technologically advanced. The availability of broadband internet connection in London hotel rooms vouches for this fact. That is not all; numerous good hotels also offer WiFi connection in the public places of the hotel including restaurant and lobby. Some other facilities include Plasma TV, tea/coffee making supplies, air conditioning, hairdryer, in-room safe, iron and ironing board, and fresh fruits.
Hotel reservation London is easier when done online. To book from the best London hotel rooms, you can visit . Online booking comes with free breakfast during your stay in this hotel. So, hurry up!
Posted by libertees on June 25th, 2010 | No Comments »
This has resulted in a greater demand for quality hotel services. In order to compete for your business, hotels are now improving and enhancing the services that they provide.
The following is a list of the types of hotel services that hotel guests prioritize:
1. Hotel guests expect clean rooms that contain all of the essential conveniences. This includes comfortable beds with clean sheets, high speed internet access in the room, access to movies, full bathroom facilities, free local calls, continental breakfasts, newspaper in the morning outside the door, wake up call service, alarm clock, hair dryer, coffee maker or complimentary coffee, iron and ironing board, and air-conditioning. Rooms should be spacious, including the bathroom. It should also be well decorated and not have any strong perfume type odors. There should be a thermostat in the room that the guest can use.
2. Easy accessibility to local transportation such as a taxi service and car rental is an important priority. They also want hotel staff to be able to arrange for their transportation.
3. Hotel guests would like hotel staff to be able to arrange for entertainment services such as theater tickets, movie tickets, dinner reservations, spa and hair salon reservations…etc. The staff should be able to fulfill the requests of every hotel guest. As well, the staff should know about all of the attractions in the area.
4. Hotel guests would like a member of the staff to be available for assistance 24 hours a day. It is important that there is concierge available at all times to cater to the needs of the guests.
5. Extra amenities should be available such as extra towels, extra bed (cot), bathrobes, baby cribs, magazines, laundry services…etc.
6. The hotel should have convenient parking where vehicles will be safe. The hotel’s front entrance should have a wheel chair ramp. There should also be more than one elevator.
7. Many people travel with their pets, particularly dogs. Many customers look for hotels that allow pets.
8. Safety deposit boxes should be available for guests to store their valuables.
9. The hotel should have a quality dining room that serves delicious food at affordable prices. A hotel lounge is also important. The lounge should be a nice place to relax and have a drink.
10. The hotel should have recreational services such as a swimming pool, sauna, gymnasium, or tennis court. Most customers enjoy taking advantage of hotel recreational services.
11. Most hotel guests enjoy their privacy. Hotels should have rooms for those who want extra privacy.
12. Most people look for ways to save money when they travel. Customers enjoy taking advantage of special discounts on certain services offered by hotels.
To maintain competitiveness, hotel management must listen to consumer demands for a quality hotel with extra services. Because consumers are demanding more services at hotels, it is important that hotels keep up with current consumer trends to stay ahead of the competition. Maintaining quality and reliable hotel services will ensure happy and satisfied customers.
Posted by libertees on June 10th, 2010 | No Comments »
There are lots of ways to save money when budget traveling around East Coast Australia. I will show you the main ways you can save your Aussie dollars on accommodation, shopping, transport and much more so you can come home with more souvenirs and more happy memories without an empty pocket. I have lived in Sydney and Brisbane as well many other towns and cites on the east coast, hopefully my experience will save you lots of money!
Australian money
Money in Australia is called the Australian dollar. We have $100, $50, $ 20, $ 10 and $ 5 notes, and $2, $1,.50 cent,.20 cent,.10 cent and 5 cent coins. Many shops will charge for items something like AU$ 10.99 for a product, just for marketing effect, but in the end you will pay AU$ 11.00. Capital cities expenses are usually more than country areas but sometimes it is the reverse. For example fuel can be more expensive in the country areas but not by too much. The list below is an estimate average of the prices charged in Australia, to be referred to as a guide only. It is all based on 33 years experience…
Accommodation
Budget tip: Use the Internet to get bargains and save loads of money. Some of my favourite sites are on the links page. If you’re travelling on a shoestring budget then I would suggest staying in hostels or caravan parks. They vary in price based on quality and location. A word of warning caravan parks especially along the coast are not what they used to be. These days they have almost resort style facilities so they can be just as expensive as staying in a motel.
Getting around
By air: Australia has 4 main airlines to choose from: Qantas: Usually the most expensive VirginBlue: Basic service at cheaper rates JetStar: Similar to VirginBlue TigerAirways: No frills basic budget service. Some of these don’t fly to certain parts of the country so you need to do your homework.
Public transport
A great way to save money on a tight budget. Queensland Rail or QR mainly covers south east Queensland (Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast) now offers a goCard which is valid for train, bus and ferry services mainly in Brisbane. It is cheaper than paying by cash. I am a big fan of getting the train around Brisbane. It is convenient, safe and cheap. You can also purchase daily, weekly or monthly QR passes. The longer the pass the more money you save. QR also offers concessions for pensioners and students. City Rail (New South Wales): covers Sydney, Wollongong, Central Coast and Newcastle): Has loads of different tickets to save you money.
I used CityRail all the time when I was living in Sydney. Sometimes the trains run late but for the most part it is a good safe service. For families consider the Funday Sunday pass where currently (2009) you will pay just $2.50 per person you just need a minimum of one adult and one child. City Rail also offers other discounted tickets Cityhopper (for Syndey only), day tripper and the Sydneypass (Sydney only for 3, 5 or 7 days for travel within a 8 day period) which gets you unlimited train, bus and ferry around Sydney. Concessions are available for students and pensioners.
Getting to or from the international airports
Avoid taxis. These will cost you a small fortune mainly because of traffic congestion. The price of a ticket from the Domestic Airport to the City is $14.60 and from the International Airport to the City is $15.20. And sometimes the cabbies get lost.
SUPER BUDGET HINT:
Instead consider airport shuttle services. Do a Google search for Airport transfers in the city you are landing in. For example ‘Airport transfers Sydney airport’. Sydney New South Wales: Usually price range for shuttle services will be $20 return to major CBD locations but may be cheaper if you book online. Brisbane Queensland: Airport transfers by Rail. These are privately owned companies that don’t usually offer concessions. They are an excellent way to save money though. Brisbane Airtrain: This is a rail service that will get you from Brisbane International or Domestic terminals to Brisbane CBD, Brisbane suburban areas or Gold Coast. The price shouldn’t be more than $30 one way to most destinations. Check out the Airtrain interactive map on their website to give you an idea Airport Link Sydney: Similar to Brisbane. As of 2009 a one way ticket to the CBD from the Domestic or International airport terminals will be a little under $20. Check out the FAQ section on their webpage for details.
Hiring a car
East Coast Australia has all the major hire companies Hertz, Budget, Avis and independents which may be better for budget travelling. There are all types of cars and vans to choose from, the bigger the car the more you will pay. They’re a few websites out there that allow you to compare hire car prices. Use them, they will save you lots of money! If you will be here for a bit longer then consider hiring a van. There are lots of options for you. In Queensland a popular choice is Wicked. In NSW they have depots in Sydney and Byron bay. In Queensland their depots are in Brisbane, Hervey Bay and Cairns.
Grocery Shopping
Australian grocery shopping is dominated by 2 big ‘players’ in the market namely Woolworths and Coles. If you spend over a certain amount your sales docket will get you cheaper fuel (see below) You will find Woolworths and Coles in most bigger towns and they are of course in every capital city. They now use ‘price per weight’ tickets so you can compare and save whilst browsing the shelves. Australia also has Aldi stores in most regional towns and all capital cities down the Australian East Coast. These are my favourite for budget shopping especially if you are travelling and you only need basic items along the way.
SUPER BUDGET TIP:
Cheaper items are usually below eye level. That’s right the more expensive items will be on the middle shelves so look down and grab a bargain. Australia’s generic brands such as Home Brand, Black and Gold and Woolworths and Coles own varieties are just as good in value as the bigger name brands. Aldi are cheaper than Woolworths and Coles and the quality is just as good. You will though have to take your own bags to pack your items or buy bags at Aldi. There are other supermarkets in Australia such as Foodowrks and IGA and they are great if you just need a few items in your travels.
Fuel (Gas)
We call a gas station a service station. Australia has all the major fuel companies available (BP, Caltex, Ampol, Shell etc). Some offer 4c off your fuel if you present a supermarket docket. Caltex accepts Woolworths dockets and Shell accepts Coles dockets. I highly recommend using these especially if you are doing most of your traveling by car. Fuel prices go up and down through the week. Anecdotal research indicates the cheapest day to buy fuel is now either on a Tuesday or Wednesday. To save on fuel drive smoothly, limit using the air conditioner and don’t speed, this chews the fuel (and it is dangerous too!) A special word on Service station stops: All service stations want you to buy something else while you’re in the store such as drinks, chocolates, lollies, CDs etc. Avoid the temptation, as you will be paying extremely high prices for doing so. Instead plan your trip by buying drinks and food at a supermarket for your travels. Some service stations even offer 4c off your fuel if you buy $2 worth of food. This means you are worse off then if you didn’t buy the food or drinks. Don’t be fooled!
Phone calls
Cell phones are called ‘mobile’ phones in Australia. AVOID USING YOUR MOBILE (CELL) PHONE. INTERNATIONAL ROAMING RATES WILL STING YOU.Of course mobile phones are useful for emergency situations. Cheapest option when on a budget to save money when travelling is using international telephone cards. With one AUD 10 card, you can talk to the USA for longer than 2 hours. Keep in mind that making a lot of shorter calls will costs you more than a 1 longer call. For instance 6 calls of 10 minutes will cost you more than 1 call of an hour. There are lots of telephone cards available. Including: Ozcall, Daybreak and Gotalk. There are also lots of online sites to compare prices; just do a Google search such as ‘International telephone cards Australia.’ You can buy the cards from Newsagents or online and for a range of prices. To make it easy though buy them in even amounts of AUD 10, AUD 20 or AUD50 and use them from your home phone and also public phones.
Food and drink.
Eating out and drinking lots of alcohol can be very expensive. Depending on the bar or restaurant beer can cost from AUD 2.50 up to AUD 7.00.
SUPER BUDGET HINT:
Size of glass will determine the price. The Beer names given to different beer glass sizes varies from city to city in Australia and generally from state to state. For example asking for a Schooner in most Victorian or Western Australian Pubs will earn you a confused or annoyed look, as the don’t serve that size. Ordering a ‘Beer’ in Victoria will get you a 285ml (10 oz) ‘Pot’ however if you said the same thing in a Queensland Pub you might find yourself with a smaller 200ml (7 oz) glass. In other words a Pot (in Qld) is the same thing as a Middie (in NSW) and usually is a comfortable size to enjoy a beer. A schooner is larger and a pint is larger again. A jug of beer is (literally a jug of beer) is 1140ml or 40oz is the largest of all. Careful though, you’re not meant to drink straight from the jug, pour it into a pot (middie) and enjoy! Ordering spirit drinks (rum, bourbon, vodka etc) at a bar will normally cost you from about AUD 7.
SUPER BUDGET TIP:
One way to save is buying alcohol at a bottle shop. There are big ‘superstores’ such as LiquorChoice and Dan Murphys in all capital and some regional cities. A six pack of local beer (xxxx, Tooheys, Cascade etc) will be anywhere from $12 to over $20. A carton of beer consists of 24 cans or stubbies (small bottles). Local beer will set you back anywhere between AUD 35 to AUD 65.
Wine
Australia boasts some of the finest wines in the world and I highly recommend you try some while you’re here. The prices range but you can usually get a ‘good drop’ for about AUD 15.
SUPER BUDGET TIP:
Look for the ‘clean skins’, which are bottles with no brand. Some have labels some don’t but they are often in the bargain bin but can be tasty surprises. A ‘clean skin’ will cost you about AUD 7.
Eating out
Australia has all the main food chains McDonalds, KFC, Hungry Jacks Wine Australia boasts some of the finest wines in the world and I highly recommend you try some while you’re here. The prices range but you can usually get a ‘good drop’ for about AUD 15. I especially like the light variety of Moscato. It won’t give you a hangover and it won’t dent the budget. Subway and numerous pizza franchises: If you want to stay healthy on a budget Subway is a good option. They offer special prices for certain subs on each day of the week. Some pizza outlets such as Dominoes offer discounts on a Tuesday.
SUPER BUDGET TIP:
For budget travellers (backpackers and families) the best option is to: Buy food at the supermarket such as cheese, ham, and chicken and make sandwiches to pack for traveling. Also consider buying ‘popper’ packs, which are little square packs of juices that usually come in packs of 6. Australians love their pub meals and I highly recommend them. They can be costly though, expect to pay from AUD 15 upwards.Smokers Better stop smoking, as a packet will cost you about AUD 15 for a packet of 20 cigarettes. Some states in Australia also have strict laws about where smoking is allowed. Queensland probably has the toughest laws of all with smoking banned in indoor and outdoor public places. Also Queensland has just brought in a new law banning people smoking in cars if children under 16 are in the car too. Fine is $200 on the spot!
Entertainment
Movies (Cinemas): Go on a Tuesday, tickets are cheaper. DVDs: Again, buy on a Tuesday. Many outlets offer reduced prices on this day for whatever reason. Free entertainment for kids: Kids love beaches and there are loads along Eastern Australia. Keep the kids entertained for free by stopping off at some. Kids also love parks, and parents love them because they are free. Why not stop off at our great parks, which are often near beaches. The playground equipment is tested to the highest safety standards so you can rest assured the kids can play hard and then rest hard!
Summary
There are lots of ways of ways to save loads of money when travelling in Australia on a budget. My best advice is to plan ahead. That doesn’t mean a regimented itinerary but just some forethought such as picking up some groceries at the supermarket the morning you plan on setting off. My other super tip is to budget and add at least 20% on that. If there’s one thing I have learned in my travels is that despite all my good intentions and strategies I have always gone over budget. Hopefully though I have given you some tools and tips that will mean you keep more of your hard earned money in your pocket and leave the Australian East Coast with loads of happy memories!
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Posted by libertees on May 30th, 2010 | No Comments »
Travel Smart By Finding The Best Hotel Deals Within Your Budget
The shrinking world has made traveling a necessity. Visit Here
Whether you are traveling for business or for leisure the first step that you have to take is to book a hotel. With hundreds and thousands of hotels in all major cities of the world, it becomes a difficult task for a traveler to intelligently find a hotel that is in the proximity of the city area that he or she is visiting, has appropriate facilities, and is also within the budget.
To ease this pain, a lot of travel websites with hotel reservation systems have popped-up for every nook and corner of the world, but the problem remains intact – which website to visit. There are over thousands of hotel search and reservation websites for each city or geographic area. For instance, if you are looking for accommodation in Paris, the first thing you would do is type – “Paris accommodation” in your favorite search engine – the result would bring over 3.5 million matches. Soon you will get tangled in millions of sites, offering different prices for thousands of hotels in Paris – each claiming to be the cheapest.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way out. Recently, I was searching for hotels in Prague for one of my relatives and I wanted the best hotel prices. After some futile searching I landed on the Prague webpage of hotels4travelers.com. It had a list of all the hotels in Prague. I could sort the results based on consumer ratings, hotel prices, location, stars, etc. The website also has the option to select the currency in which you want to see the hotel prices. This feature is extremely convenient for international travelers, who don’t have to calculate the amount in their local currency for each hotel.
The best part is that this website brings the results from over 30 popular online hotel reservation systems to give the best of all worlds. It shows a comparison of hotel prices offered on each hotel reservation system of which that hotel is a part of. Once you click on the hotel, you will see the prices offered by sites like hotels.com, booking.com, octopustravel.com, hotelbook.com, skoosh.com, accomodationz.com, expedia.com, travelocity.com, cheaptickets.com, and many more. Apart from the prices you can also see complete hotel details, pictures of rooms and the facilities, reviews by other members, and the map to the hotel – all at one place.
Once you select the hotel rate, from among the various prices offered by multiple reservation systems, and click “select”, the website takes you to the booking page of the respective hotel reservation system. For instance, while searching for hotels in Paris, you liked the deal offered by expedia.com over the other systems and you clicked on it, then you would be taken to the booking page of expedia.com website, so that you can go through the payment gateway securely.Visit Here