Whether you are an avid clubber looking for the best party on town on the biggest party night of the year or a more subdued reveller seeking the best way to ring in 2010, Paris has something to offer everyone. (Just remember to book your hotel room and dinner reservations well in advance!)

1. Fireworks at the Champs-Elysees

Fireworks at the Champs-Elysees are perhaps the most traditional way to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Paris (and a must for all first time visitors.) Parisians and tourists alike begin arriving on the Champs-Elysees around 9pm on New Year’s Eve to get the best view of the Eiffel Tower. The metro is usually free on New Year’s Eve but leave relatively early to avoid counting down to midnight in a metro car! Once 12:00 am strikes, the Eiffel Tower lights up with fireworks. Bring your own champagne and be prepared to get to know your neighbours in the crowd.

Top Paris hotel near the Champs Elysées: Hotel Pavillon Montaigne

2. Celebrate at Montmartre

If you want to see the fireworks but can’t stand the crowds, make your way to Montmarte and the Sacre Coeur. Although it’s a popular destination, there are still smaller crowds and an unbeatable night view of Paris lit up by fireworks.

Top Paris hotel in Montmartre: Hotel Le Relais Montmartre

3. New Year’s à la Francaise….

When in Paris, celebrate like a Parisian! New Year’s Eve, or St. Sylvestre, is traditionally celebrated by kissing at midnight and toasting with glasses of champagne or white wine. Hot wine (vin chaud) and hard cider are also popular beverages. Foie gras, oysters, and pâtés often make an appearance at both Christmas and New Year’s meals, along with papillotes, popular chocolate treats that open like firecrackers.

4. A Romantic New Year’s Eve

A dinner cruise on the Seine on New Year’s Eve promises the ultimate in romance (albeit a relatively expensive evening at 320-600 Euros). Other romantic possibilities include taking in one of Paris’ renowned cabaret shows at the Moulin Rouge, the Lido, or the Folies Bergère, all of which traditionally offer a decadent New Year’s dinner and show special which for 500 plus Euros offers caviar, lobster, champagne…. However, if your budget doesn’t allow for Paris’ finest cabarets, consider one of the city’s many restaurants who offer similar New Year’s Eve menus at more reasonable prices.

Top Paris hotel in Pigalle: Hotel Villa Royale

5. Party like it’s 2010!

Paris is full of bars and clubs that will stay open until the wee hours of New Year’s Eve. Start your night with fireworks at the Champs-Elysees or Montmarte and work your way to nearby Pigalle for a guaranteed party. Another great clubbing spot is the Latin Quarter. Many clubs will have special New Year’s Eve events going on but this may mean higher door covers. Wherever you end up, you can rest assured of a great night and a New Year’s to remember!

Top Paris Hotel in the Latin Quarter: Hotel de la Sorbonne

Photo of Moulin Rouge, Paris, France, by Bibemdum84

This city of illusions proves itself as the weaver of magic and dreams during this time of the year like it never does at any other time. While walking outside on the strip might seem like you are in a time warp with nothing Christmas-y about the city, inside any one of the several hotels the scene is completely different. Artificial these winter wonderlands may be, but a lack of splendor and opulence wouldn’t be its fault. You can enjoy this city whether you plan ahead or make this a last minute trip, though if you are the former kind of tourist you are bound to enjoy much more for a much smaller hit on your pocket. Air tickets rates take a sharp upturn, hotel rates are higher the closer you are to the holiday season when making the booking. That being said, the list of things you can enjoy without paying a dime is pretty long.

Kids’ winter wonderland

Contrary to popular belief, Las Vegas is actually a great place to vacation with kids during Christmas. For one, it is the only place where all shops, all restaurants, everything is open during Christmas. If you can manage a room at Circus Circus then you might not even have to leave the hotel at all during your entire vacation. Such a Christmas playground this hotel turns into! There are beautifully decorated Christmas trees in every hotel, each outshining the other. Also a must is a trip to Henderson, Nevada, a short distance from the glitter of the Las Vegas strip. The Chocolate Wonderland put up every year at the Ethel M chocolate Factory is every kids’ dream come to life. Other than the half a million lights and more that light up the cactus garden, the decorations feature chocolate houses and chocolate sculptures. This is also one of the best places for a tête-à-tête with Santa Claus that is an essential Christmas ritual if you are the size that can fit on Santa’s lap.

For those who are kids only at heart

This city allows for varied romantic possibilities the way no other place can. Witness the fountains at Bellagio dancing to Christmas tunes or step into the Atrium there to see splendid decoration. Drift on a gondola, or hold hands and walk through the streets of Paris! This year is the special opening of the Aria Resort and Casino. The worlds’ greatest shopping experience receives another boost this holiday season with the opening of Crystals at City Center so go ahead and shop till you drop. The Winter Lights festival at the Springs Preserve is also an experience not to be missed. And please book ahead to see at least one of the several special holiday shows.

Prepare to have a wonderful holiday in  Las Vegas. Dress warm and dream big!

Top 5 Popular Las Vegas Hotels on Venere.com

• Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
• Travelodge Ambassador Strip Inn
• Best Western Mardi Gras Hotel & Casino
• Hotel Emerald Suites
• Hotel Las Vegas Platinum Suites

Photo of Christmas tree on Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, by Roadsidepictures

Things to see: Christmas Shows and New York Sights

Just walking around the streets of New York during Christmas feels like a walk in a winter wonderland. The window displays at the various department stores turn the average walker into a theater audience. You must catch at least one of the major window displays during your trip. The largest displays are at Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Barneys and Saks Fifth Avenue.

The next on the list of must-see things have to be the Christmas Trees sprinkled all over New York. Of course, first on the Christmas tree tour has to be the one at Rockefeller Center. More than five miles of lights decorate this more than seventy feet tall tree. This year the lighting ceremony will take place on the 2nd of December. Another famous tree is the Origami tree at the American Museum of Natural History, decorated with a different theme each year. The tree is open for viewing from late November. The Chorus Tree at South Street Seaport is often referred to as the singing tree because of the carollers who highten the holiday feel of the city with their performances. Pass by the tree on Friday evenings or around 3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays to hear them. Also a two and a half mile stretch between the 97th and the 48th street on Park Avenue comes alive with several Christmas trees making it a wonderful walk or drive.

Don’t want to walk outdoors in the cold? The show continues indoors too. Walk into department stores to see Christmas decorations and that grand old man of Christmas, Santa Claus sitting amidst them. Even if you are not a child yourself or don’t have one accompanying you, the sight of all the children standing in line waiting eagerly to meet Santa is bound to warm the cockles of your heart. And if you are tired of all the free stuff buy a ticket to one of the several Christmas shows like the Radio City Christmas Spectacular or The Nutcracker Ballet or anyone of the several shows. Be advised, however, that the tickets for these do sell out very fast.

New York Hotels near Rockefeller Center: Hotel Omni Berkshire Palace

Things to do in New York at Christmas

A visit to the Rockefeller Ice Skating rink is one of the essentials of a Christmas trip to New York even if you can’t skate yourself. Shopping is fun at anytime but the specialty Christmas markets and fairs make it even more special. The holiday shops at Bryant Park and in Union Square are great places to pick up handmade stuff. And the Grand Central Holiday fair held inside the Grand Central Terminal transforms a simple train ride into a unique Christmas experience. A slightly more expensive to-do is a dinner at one of the specialty restaurants that are open during Christmas, but a reservation is a must at these places.

New York Hotel near Grand Central Terminal: Hotel Dylan

Photo of Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas, New York, NY, by Thomas Hawk

Like other tourist destinations though, the surreal “City of Bridges” can be a pretty expensive place if you don’t know where to find the cheapest deals and steals. Let me give you a few tips on how to prevent shelling out all your hard-earned money and still have a grand time in Venice.

1. Keep your Stay Cheaper and Hassle-free

Venice was designed to be explored either by foot or by boat. If you choose the latter, purchasing a Venice Connected card online and in advance will save you at least 15 percent from the original price of the public service fees. Services covered by the card include Vaporettos (water buses) and buses, car parks, public rest rooms, and entrance to public museums (no more long lines!)Policies seem complicated and card rates changes often, depending on the season so you might want to check their website.

2. Free Tourist Attractions

Not everything in Venice has an entrance fee. Churches for instance such as Basilica San Marco and Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute are free and will surely amaze everyone for its centuries-old classic architecture, intricately-designed mosaics, and paintings made by great artists. Expect long lines and remember to keep yourself covered and well-behaved when inside church premises.

3. Cheap Venice Destinations

Looking for something inexpensive and authentically Venetian? The smallest of the six siesteres (neighborhoods) in Venice, San Polo west of the Rialto Bridge is packed with souvenir shops and workshops of Venetian artisans. Whether you want to buy a Murano glass ornament, learn what a forcola is, or bargain for a mysterious-looking Venetian mask which will surely look good on your wall; the narrow streets of San Polo is where you should head to!

4. Eat Where the Locals Eat

Grabbing a bite to eat in Venice need not be expensive. Stay away from tourist traps in and around Piazza San Marco. Instead, walk around Venice and find where the locals eat. A good area to start your search is at the Strada Nuova in Cannaregio (second largest siestere), one of the longest and widest streets in Venice. You can find pizzerias and trattorias (a casual eatery) here which sells a delectable plate of pasta for a measly price of €5.

5. Riding a Gondola is a Must!

A gondola ride may cost you around €80 to €120 for a 40 to 60-minute ride. But booking in advance on a private tour can get you half of that price. Still a little bit pricey if you ask me. But nevertheless, it would be perfectly fine to skip a meal or forget buying the souvenirs, just don’t ever, ever miss riding a Gondola. These floating masterpieces are the real essence of Venice!

Top 5 Budget Hotels in Venice

• Nuova Residenza Laguna – Double Room: €45 per night
• Hotel Caneva – 1-Star Hotel – Double Room: €50
• Hotel Città di Milano – 2-Star Hotel – Double Room: €55
• B&B Residenza degli Angeli – Double Room: €45 per night
• Bed & Breakfast Al Saor – Double Room: €55 per night

Photo of restroom entry in Venice, Italy, by Cfinke

But when dinnertime rolls around, even the charms of Paris may not stop you from longing for turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Luckily, the high number of American expatriates in Paris means that the city is used to accommodating hungry Americans on this special holiday: there are quite a few places that can fully satisfy your cravings for food from home.

1. Thanksgiving

The name of this restaurant can leave no doubt that you’ll be getting the real thing come Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is actually a Cajun restaurant serves a traditional Thanksgiving meal – turkey, candied yams, the works – on Thanksgiving Thursday, plus the Friday and Saturday nights following (since it’s not a holiday in France, it’s common to play fast and loose with the dates for the dinner). Make your reservations as early as possible because tables fill up quickly. If you don’t get a reservation, consider ordering a catered Thanksgiving dinner from the restaurant, for two people and more. And if that doesn’t work out, then simply buy the ingredients you need to make your own dinner from Thanksgiving’s grocery store. The store sells American products, from Stove Top stuffing, to cornbread mix, to jellied cranberry sauce.

Thanksgiving
20, rue Saint Paul 75004 PARIS
Tel: +33 1 42 77 68 29
Web: www.thanksgivingparis.com

Top Paris Hotel in the 4th Arrondissement: Hotel Beaubourg

2. Joe Allen

Joe Allen is an American bistro that has been around for nearly 40 years, and has become an institution in Paris. This is where you go when you’re craving American specialties like barbecued chicken wings, prime rib, or pecan pie. So, it’s no surprise that on Thanksgiving Day, Joe Allen’s is ready to gratify your turkey cravings with a full-blown Thanksgiving dinner. Again, make reservations early!

Joe Allen
30, rue Pierre Lescot 75001 PARIS
Tel : +33 1 42 36 70 13
Web : www.joeallenparis.com
Email for reservations : joeallen@joeallenparis.com

Top Paris Hotel in the 1st Arrondissement: Hotel Relais Saint-Honoré

3. Bistrot St. Martin

This French bistro typically serves French and North African fare – but come Thanksgiving it turns American and serves turkey. Not just turkey, though: you’ll also get carrot soup, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin or apple pie. They also do take-out order if you aren’t able to get a reservation, or would like to have your dinner catered. The Thanksgiving menu is available on Thanksgiving Thursday, plus the Friday and Saturday following.

Bistrot St. Martin
25, rue Louis Blanc 75010 PARIS
Tel : +33 1 46 07 73 68
Web : www.bistrotsaint-martin.com
Email for reservations: lesaintmartin@yahoo.fr

Top Paris Hotel in the 10th Arrondissement: Hotel Windsor Opera

4. Breakfast in America

On Thanksgiving Day, this restaurant is pushing aside its usual menu of pancakes, bacon, and eggs to make room for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Make your reservations now: the restaurant isn’t overly spacious and there are only two seatings: at 7pm and 9pm. (Also note that while there are two Breakfast in America restaurants, only the one on rue des Ecoles will serve Thanksgiving dinner.)

Breakfast in America
17, rue des Ecoles, 75005, PARIS
Tel.: + 33 1 43 54 50 28.
Web: www.breakfast-in-america.com
Email for reservations: bia@gmail.com (give name, number in party, preferred seating time)

Top Paris Hotel in the 5th Arrondissement: Hotel Henri IV

5. La Cuisine Paris

If you think you’ll not only miss eating traditional Thanksgiving food, but also miss preparing it, check out La Cuisine Paris, a cooking school that is offering a class (in English) on Thanksgiving Day. There, you’ll make all the Thanksgiving favorites, including turkey, honey-baked ham, stuffing, candied yams, green beans, and pumpkin pie. Best of all, once you’re done, you’ll sit down at an elegant table to eat it all…and you don’t have to do the dishes!

La Cuisine Paris
89 boulevard St. Michel, 75005 PARIS
Tel : + 33 1 40 51 78 18
Web :  www.lacuisineparis.com
Email for reservations : contact@lacuisineparis.com

Top Hotel on Boulevard St. Michel: Hotel Des Mines

Photo of Thanksgiving cupcake by Lordog

Bram Stoker who wrote Dracula hailed from here and the Irish people have been celebrating All Hallows’ Eve in various forms since the days of the Celts and it is thought that the Jack o’ Lantern originates from Ireland. Enough about the history! –you might be saying. What can you actually do here during the Halloween season?

Here are a few of the best activities for the year 2009:

• Halloween Festival and Parade

The Halloween Festival and Parade is a carnival-style parade arranged by the Dublin City Council which starts at 7:00pm and consists of people dressing up with a spectacular conclusion of lights and sounds. Also (very) suitable for children – but they’ll have to be on their feet for quite some time so rest up well beforehand.

• Lillie’s Bordello Halloween Night

Lillie’s Bordello is one of Dublin’s most well-known and well-to-do nightclub (scrap that, it is Dublin’s most well-known and well-to-do nightclub), and their annual themed Halloween is well worth going to, with the guests expected to don Halloween costumes. With Bordello’s exquisite decor and stellar reputation, it should be a night to remember. Particularly attractive even to those who hate Halloween is the vast drink menu, which contains a wide range of Cocktails, Wines, and Beers.

• Hidden Dublin Halloween Walks

You’ll be transported from the City Centre of Dublin in a bus to the site of the Hellfire Club, a largely gutted old ruin where a clique of 18th Century big-wigs decided to form a society where all sorts of pagan, blasphemous rituals were said to have took place. Many people have reported a sense of unease and strange things are said to have been seen there – including, by old accounts, an actual visitation of the devil himself. The package is complete with a guide who’ll provide information and historical snippets about the history behind the Club. It’s strictly for adults only, of course.

• The Pavilion Theatre -The Old Dark House

Showing from the 29th and 30th of October, at the Pavilion Theatre near the Harbour, is a dark comedy titled “The Old Dark House” where five travellers seek refuge in a lonely part of Wales and get taken in by a rather bizarre family. The initial running of this was so successful that it was completely sold-out. It’ll likely equate to a fun evening out. Discretion is advised though as it’s not particularly suitable for the nippers.

Top 5 Dublin Hotels to stay during the Halloween Season

• Hotel Merrion Hall – 4-star hotel in the Embassy District – €109
• Shelton Park Hotel – 3-star hotel 15 min away from the city center – €55
• Hotel Lansdowne – 3-star hotel in the heart of Georgian Dublin – €69
• The Castle Hotel – 3-star hotel in Dublin city center – €99
• Schoolhouse Hotel – 4-star hotel housed in a former parochial school – €134

Photo of Halloween celebrations in Smithfield Square, Dublin, Ireland, by djcult

If you’re one of those types who goes to the expense of buying a ticket, and booking a hotel, just so you can see your idol who’s now probably ageing faster than light and languishing in a small villa by a lake, waiting to die, then this guide might be for you.

Celebrity stalking, and in particular the visiting of celebrity death places, is a more common activity than you might think. Graceland, Memphis,  the place where Elvis Presley unceremoniously kicked the bucket whilst a-seated on the toilet, receives well over half a million adoring fans each year.

So let’s start with locations. If you didn’t already know, Europe is simply drenched in stardom, with some of the prime spots being Marbella, London, Paris, Rome, and Monaco.

Get the right apparel.

So once you’ve got your location sorted, it’s important to have the right apparel. If you intend to stand outside their estate hoping to catch a glimpse, it’s probably OK to remain as you are, but, if you intend to get close to them in say, a nightclub, you might have to buy some smart clothes as a dress code – and no, crocodile skin shoes and a sparkly gold jacket probably classify as a little too smart. But of course, if you’re travelling then you’ll have to find a source of information as to where exactly all the celebrity hang-out spots are. Good ways to do this generally include a) a hotel porter b) a tourist information bureau representative with “behind the counter” knowledge or c) the good old internet.

You’ll have to think about gadgets too.

Binoculars would be useful for sneaking views of them at home or in their garden, but you might want a concealable camera if you intend to track your prey down in the nightclub – they won’t usually let “journalists” inside. Small cameras can be purchased online at a relatively low cost that can fit in a lapel, wristwatch, or even inside a mock-zippo lighter – technology just makes things easier and easier nowadays, doesn’t it?

Turn your break into something real

Now comes the point where you can recoup your loss and turn your break into something real. But be warned, the risks for this stunt are very high – so are the returns. Here’s the rundown: Tabloid newspapers love nothing more than a star caught in a “compromising” position, such as bending down or falling over. So here’s what you must do: shortly before you see then coming, casually chuck a banana skin you’ve been holding onto the pavement or ground they’re about to walk on. If you play it just right and they’re inattentive enough, they’ll slip over, giving you a quick opportunity to steady your (concealed or otherwise) camera and shoot away. Think of what an article it’ll make! Although not to mention, that Failure may lead to imprisonment. Spending the rest of your holiday behind bars awaiting extradition is seldom the best way to end a holiday, unless of course you’re writing The Guide to Europe’s Finest Prisons.

Celebrity Resorts on Venere.com:

• Celebrity Resorts Brigantine Beach, Atlantic City – Double Room from  $93
• Celebrity Resorts Palm Coast – Double Room from  $107
• Celebrity Resorts Reno – Double Room from  $78
• Celebrity Resorts Orlando – Double Room from  $95
• Celebrity Resorts Lake Buena Vista, Orlando – Double Room from $108

Photo of paparazzi statue in Bratislava, Slovakia, by jaime.silva

If you haven’t been to Amsterdam before then I guarantee that even with a good map in front of you you’ll still be staring blankly around, scratching your head and wondering whether you’re even in the same city anymore.

There are so many streets where you’re suddenly right in front of another canal and can’t get across. By the end of the day you’ll be building a raft and sailing back to your hotel. Holland is a pretty flat country overall so don’t expect there to be any high points of reference such as hills or mountain in the distance for you to get your bearings.

The alleys are all small and windy and have names so long you’ll be buying a magnifying glass to read them on the map or else needing a genius IQ to work out the abbreviations. Taxi drivers in the city make a living out of taking tourist for rides – both in the actual and the metaphorical sense of the word. Many a group of weekenders up to mischief in a coffee shop have been taken the scenic route back to their hotel whilst under the influence, unaware they were only one street away from their destination.

Find a good map of Amsterdam

What you need to do is to first and foremost find a really good map. In my experience the best ones come from the tourist office or the train station or the hotel. They might look cheap and cheerful and full of too much colour but they are often designed by people used to asking where places are so are well thought through.

Amsterdam Central Station

Once you have your map in front of you, find Centraal Station and hang out there for a few minutes, unless you have otherwise. It’s probably the most useful point of reference the whole city. It’s your northern pin in the map.

Amsterdam’s main canals

Then there are the main canals to learn off by heart. These are Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht. They roughly work their way around the city in a semi circle and resemble a seating plan in a theatre, broken up now and again like aisles do. Watch out though because sometimes the names of streets change when they get to this broken section. Once you’ve got the hang of these canals and where you are and are going to in relation to them, then you should be well on your way.

Amsterdam’s main squares

Finally the main squares are worth learning and finding beforehand. These are Dam, Nieuwmarkt, Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein. Dam is the big one with the grand hotels and the street performers and the famous Bulldog café, which will have hordes of people looking rather sheepish outside.

Amsterdam Hotels near Dam Square

• Hotel Tulip Inn Dam Square -3-Star Hotel – Room Price: €175
• Hotel Golden Tulip Amsterdam – 4-Star Hotel – Room Price: €105
• Hotel Rho – 3-Star Hotel – Room Price: €124
• Hotel Tulip Inn Amsterdam Center – 3-Star Hotel – Room Price: €95
• Hotel Die Port Van Cleve – 4-Star Hotel – Room Price: €104

Map of Amsterdam picture by Mark Andrew Webber

• Flights to Vancouver

So to start off, how can you get there cheaply? Economy Class goes without saying in this case – try to book flights at less peak times – flying on a Monday for instance could prove significantly cheaper. Getting a flight with a stopover could be an idea as it may lower the price further. Another fact to consider is that Seattle is only a two-hour drive away from Vancouver, so landing there and then travelling to Vancouver will give you the added benefit of being able to see two truly fantastic cities at once. Crossing the border into Canada isn’t as difficult as it once was, either, especially if you have a European Passport.

• Accommodation in Vancouver

A great place to stay in the Downtown area of the city is the Victorian Hotel which is ideal in terms of location and cost. There are also many other great places to stay around this area if you look around in advance.

• Getting Around Vancouver

Vancouver has quite a modern infrastructure, with an extensive modern metro network called the SkyTrain which runs four lines covering most of the city, making getting around cheaply an easy one here. There is also a ferry called the SeaBus, which travels from main Vancouver over water to the North part of the city. Renting a car is costly in Vancouver and probably not worth it, as well as being hardly necessary. Cycle hire is common and, depending on the weather, is a very viable and fun option. Increasingly more and more cycle lanes have been built, making the city quite cycle-friendly. Most public transport is also equipped with cycle racks, including many buses.

• Having fun in Vancouver

Couples or individuals travelling without children will enjoy the Public Art Walk, a 13 kilometre route through Downtown Vancouver. Here are many interesting buildings, sculptures, and gardens, many of which are of unique historical and cultural interest. This is a great way to see a lot of the city in a short amount of time. There is also Robson Street, an area chock-full of expensive boutiques, but they’re also intermingled with budget stores and many cafes in restaurants where you can have a snack or a drink and watch the world go by. The Vancouver Flea Market (for those unfamiliar with the term, a flea market is a market where very cheap, often used goods are sold) is a fun, little known place to visit, which may provide some cheap thrills. Additionally, entry is less than one Canadian Dollar.

• Eating out in Vancouver

Recommended is the Cassis Bistro serving inexpensive French food in the downtown area. The Shao Lin Noodle house is also very popular. Also worth visiting is the unique “Japa dog” stand, which serves Hot Dogs with Japanese favourites such as Teriyaki Sauce. There’s always the obligatory McDonalds and Burger King for those who don’t like variety!

Photo of Japa Dog stand in Vancouver, Canada by Tequila Partners

Sort out your visa

Probably the first thing you’ll want to look at getting done is to sort out your visa. For people with Western European Residency, getting into Canada will not be a problem – however, people living in Eastern Europe and countries such as Russia and Romania may have to apply for a visit visa.

Book your flight to Vancouver

For those of us who are living in Europe, Canada can be quite an expensive place, particularly the air tickets which are always costly; no matter what time of the year you’re travelling. The most advisable European Airlines which fly directly to Vancouver International Airport are British Airways and KLM.

Pack warm clothing

While Vancouver has one of the mildest climates of any City in Canada, it’s worth bringing reasonably warm clothing, as you’ll probably be sitting inert for large amounts of time in-between events. Remember particularly to take a firm pair of boots or shoes as you may spend some of your time standing in snow, and of course a woolly hat and gloves.

Book your Vancouver accommodation in advance

Winter Olympics or not, Vancouver is a popular destination so it’s probably worth your time booking accommodation well in advance. A good location to stay is in the Downtown Area, otherwise known as Vancouver’s Central Business District, which contains some of the best restaurants and nightlife in the city.

Pack  your camera gears

As far as equipment goes, it’s probably worth investing in a pair of binoculars in order to get a better view of the events – sitting at the very back of the crowd as to only see a little colourful speck skiing far off in the distance is unlikely to be particularly thrilling without magnification. For those who enjoy taking photographs, you’ll likewise want to purchase a big zoom lens just in case. Remember also to stock up on memory sticks for the camera – nothing’s worse than running out of space halfway through the event and having to just stand there helplessly watching everyone else snap away. Be careful though as flash photography is prohibited, as well as video recording. Some events may not allow photography altogether.

Research the rules and current news of winter sports

The amount of events happening at the Winter Olympics is quite extensive. These include Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Speed Skating, Snowboarding, Bobsleighing, and many others. It’s probably worth taking the time researching the rules and current news of these sports, as viewing the game before knowing how it works properly is seldom interesting. You’ll likely find that each of the Eighty-Six events taking place is a world within themselves.

Hope you enjoy your time at the Winter Olympics! Thanks for reading and enjoy your travels!

2010 Winter Olympics Accommodation recommended by Venere.com:

• Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort – A cozy 4-star hotel in Whistler ski resort, venue for alpine skiing, bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions.
• North Vancouver Hotel – A budget hotel in Vancouver offering easy access to both Whistler and Downtown Vancouver
• The Westin Grand Vancouver – A modern 4-star hotel in Downtown Vancouver

Photo of Inukshuk ice sculpture (Vancouver Winter Olympic’s symbol) by Tim in Sydney

Really, they city so big and sprawling and known as one of the most expensive capitals on our planet is probably hard to visit on low budget. But do not get too skeptical! Here I am to tell you about hidden places and spots that will help you to get to know Moscow better and not to go broke.

Moscow is the city of contrast: the reflection of $200,000 cars in the dirty windows of grey blocks stuffed with small apartments; beautiful ladies in the haute couture dresses walking by the place where babushkas (old women) sell sunflower seeds and cigarettes by the piece; tired and sometimes even colorless faces on metro escalator that goes down to some of the most magnificent stations in the world. What do most people know about this metropolis? Red Square and Kremlin, sable furry and bloody red patches of history! But there is definitely so much more in Moscow you will never be able to know unless you visit this city and try to let its vibe go through you. Now, some local tips.

Tip #1: How to Move Around and Where to Go.

If you are not that familiar with traffic jams, then you will surely get to know them better in the Russian capital. However, you can get along without that knowledge. Get yourself a map of the city metro lines (you can simply download one from the Internet and print it) and walk more. There are so many amazing and special things to see simply walking around and reading the history of the country reflected in the architecture and the mood of the nation echoed in people’ style. You can start from the Red Square where you will see Kremlin in all its glory, St. Basil’s Cathedral with its picturesque domes and Lenin’s Mausoleum, then you can walk down the Moscow river, go to Gorky Park, Lubyanka Square (where the headquarters of all Russian spies are), Manezhnaya Sqare, Arbat and numerous Moscow theaters. Fantastically beautiful VDNH, numerous churches, and parks also should not be overlooked.

Tip #2: Where to Eat in Moscow.

If you are looking for some good place to eat out in Moscow, I recommend that you go to one of those places where they serve Russian cuisine. Is not food one of the best ways of understanding a new culture? What you should definitely try is Russian blini (pancakes, the best are with red caviar, for sure!), pelmeni (dumplings with meat), cold borshch (beet-root soup), smoked fish and delicious jams made from local berries. Great street/casual/cheap food at Teremok and Kroshka Kartoshka stalls you can find in many places all around the city. Besides, to eat well and really cheap (like $3 for a meal), you can go to some university canteen near GITIS theater school (metro Arbat), MArkhl architecture school (metro Kuznetsky Most), or near Moscow State University (metro Universitet). Here are some more places: Tretyakovka Café, Coffee Bean and Max Internet Café (rather good coffee, which is so hard to find fairly priced), and Yadrena Matrena. Just pretend that you are a student and walk in.

Tip #3: Where to Drink in Moscow.

I think that the name of this tip is just right because there could be no doubts about what to drink: vodka, of course! Drinking vodka in Russia is all about traditions. If you want to drink like locals do, never take a sip before raising your glass in a toast. There is such a Russian saying: if you drink without any reason, you are an alcoholic. Typical Russian Nazdorovie! will do and will definitely break the ice, if there is some. The third toast is always for love. Most people are drunk in one shot of vodka; so if you want to survive the night out, do not forget to eat before, preferably something fat. You should try different flavored vodka shots and do not forget about vodka with black pepper. Usually, vodka and other drinks are very overpriced in bars and clubs, so be ready to spend not less then $20. Visit such places as Sorry Babushka, Vision Cocktail Hall, Kitaisky Liotchik (Chinese Pilot), Propoganda, Boscow Bar and Vodka Bar (the name speaks for itself!).

Tip #4: Where to Party in Moscow.

Well, it is pretty difficult to give advice where to club in Moscow to someone who is traveling on a budget. I guess, rule number one here will be: try to avoid paying entrance fee. Usually, there is an entrance fee like $15-30 but in some clubs you can get in for free if you come early enough, before the party starts. You simply need to check out beforehand the rules on the website of the club you want to go to. Do not forget, that the more expensive is the place, the more crazy is the face control and dress code. Here are some nice places you will definitely have fun at: Solyanka, B2, Gaudi Arena, Fabrique Club, or Karma Club.

Tip #5: Where to Stay in Moscow.

After having a good drink and a lot of fun, you should have a place to go back to and have a good sleep. There are not so many cheap hostels in Moscow, but you can choose one of these Napoleon Hostel, Home Hostel, Trans Siberian Hostel, Yellow Blue Bus Hostel or Home from Home Hostel (average cheapest room $25). If this price does not work for you, you might want to try one of those hospitality social networks like HospitalityClub or CouchSurfing. These networks fuse a number of fantastic opportunities altogether: free stay, new friends and better understanding of a new culture. Russian hosts are very hospitable, they are likely to take you around the city and show some of their favorite places, teach you some funny Russian words and might even show you how Russians really drink.

Have fun in Moscow! This city is arrogant and haughty, but somehow it manages to get you interested and even attached. Moscow has its own rules and even if you do not fall in love with it at the first sight, it will definitely leave a lasting and strong impression.

Budget Accommodation in Moscow, Russia

• Hostel Camelot – Budget hotel in the center of Moscow.
• Kremlin Hostel – Budget hotel in Moscow city center.
• Suharevka Hotel – Bed & Breakfast in Chisty Prudi district, Moscow.
• Oasis – Budget accommodation in downtown Moscow.
• Napoleon Hostel – Budget hotel in Moscow’s trendy Kitai Gorod district.

Photo of Matryoshka dolls in Moscow , Russia, by Neiljs

For “road warriors” who find it essential and convenient to use a laptop on the move, durability is quite an important factor when it comes to your purchase – either that or a durable laptop case which for some reason are all very expensive.

The heavier the laptop is, usually the less equipped it will be to survive drops and the like. If durability is absolutely required, a laptop to consider might be the Panasonic ToughBook, which is built basically like an armoured vehicle, and while it’s expensive and has unremarkable specs, it could prove invaluable – it can survive having water poured directly on it and can even withstand being run over by a car practically unscathed.

Battery life is always an issue with many laptops as very few can practically last more than four hours, a figure that rapidly decreases as the battery gets older – the practical lifespan of laptop batteries is often barely one year. It may be worth purchasing a travel battery but these generally occupy a larger space and stick out of the back of the laptop. They can also be expensive and will suffer the same problems with age and frequent use.

The actual brand of laptop is becoming less and less important in recent years as many parts are shared between manufacturers in order to lower cost – a fact that few know. Build quality is still something to look out for though – check for squeaks and rattles when you press the keys and fold the top. Some models of laptop tend to be excessively hot to the touch even on standby. These usually suggest bad system architecture and/or a faulty processor.

A feature that many manufacturers often try to push is the idea of having multimedia controls on the laptop. In my experience, these are often unresponsive, and will probably not work without downloading additional drivers if you ever want to upgrade or downgrade your operating system so are often best avoided. They also drive the price up substantially as well.

Another consideration can be the hardware level and the old tech-shop question which has probably been asked trillions of times – should I choose a laptop with integrated graphics or dedicated graphics? It depends. Are you going to be playing video games or dealing with intensive designing and 3D imaging software? If not, there’s probably no point in choosing a machine with dedicated graphics as they will most probably drain the batteries faster and will increase the bulk and cost of the laptop substantially. As a side note, simpler programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator will usually run sufficiently on a machine with only integrated graphics.

Overall, remember to keep in mind the old warning: “Buy in haste, repent at Leisure!”

Thanks for reading and enjoy your travels!

Photo of traveler at Minneapolis Airport by “Today is a Good Day“

Stay put and you’ll get the same relaxing benefits as that of going on a trip.

1. Turn off your “working mode.” That includes turning off your mobile phone and laptop if you will use these gadgets for the purpose of working. As if you’re going abroad, inform your business colleagues that you cannot be reached.
2. To put yourself in that “relaxed mode,” cozy up in your pajamas.
3. Meditate or do yoga.
4. Soak in the bath alone or with your partner, sipping your favorite glass of wine and listening to a soothing music. Fill up your tub with hot water, which can relax tension in your muscles. Use nice-smelling shampoos and bubble bath for a delicious aromatherapy.
5. Dry yourself using freshly washed fluffy towels.
6. Use scented candles, bunches of fresh flowers, essential oils, potpourri or incense in your bedroom. These relaxing scents will put you in that proper mood: lavender, bergamot, sandalwood, vanilla or cinnamon. Take in the atmosphere and let it relax you.
7. Sleep. Use crisp, freshly laundered sheets for a hotel feel.
8. Drink a bottle or more of cold beer. After that, loosen up and start singing your thoughts away in your favorite couch.
9. Still in that couch, watch a movie or reruns of your favorite movies with popcorn.
10. Bring out that child in you and play computer games.
11. Can you paint a canvass other than your face? Go paint!
12. Has it been a while since you’ve kept a journal? Perhaps you possess the poetic license to write poems. If not, simply write your thoughts in free verse and upload it later as a blog.
13. Catch up on your reading. This is no time for speed reading, read a magazine or book at a leisurely pace.
14. Do scrapbook. Don’t regard your trash as an eye sore just yet. Maybe you can recycle some old containers and trash into crafts and artwork.
15. Go through old photo albums. This never fails to make me smile or laugh, especially the fashion and hairstyles of the past and the before and after looks.
16. Go for a walk or jog around your subdivision. Exercise is a good way to clear your head and prepare mentally for the next day’s challenges. Pay attention to your breathing, listen to the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, or your iPod.
17. Eat chocolates – the natural mood booster.
18. Whip up something tasty in the kitchen. Turn your kitchen into a laboratory by creating new dishes.
19. Do gardening. Feel the earth with bare hands as you pull weeds and trim bushes. This can be relaxing and visually gratifying.
20. Lie on the grass, look up at the stars, figure out their formations or you can do stargazing with a telescope.
21. Practice your backstroke or butterfly in the pool.
22. Get a good tan without getting sunburned in the poolside.You don’t have to isolate yourself within the four corners of your home. You can cover some distance to distress. Invite some friends to spend your vacation with.
23. Organize a pool party or barbecue party with housemates and neighbors. You can be the deejay or the chief chef.
24. Try something new to you and your friends like wine tasting or sushi making. You can host it in your home for this week and rotate hosting among your friends.
25. Camp out in your backyard. Have a picnic.
26. If you have kids, you can do storytelling in costume. Adventure and ghost stories would get everyone’s attention! Perhaps you can do a simple puppet show.
27. While computer games are fun, you miss out on the real fun of playing outdoor games. Get physical. If there are two of you, play tennis, if there’s more, you can group yourselves into teams and play basketball. Fly a kite on a sunny day.
28. Meet up with friends at a salon for facial, foot spa, manicure, massage or other beauty treatment. Wear that soothing eye mask. You may also do this at home using natural facial scrub ingredients. Give and get a massage from your partner.
29. Go to a coffee shop. Read a book in solitude or chat with friends.
30. Have a pajama party. Pick a reason to celebrate. You can play dress up and invite your friends to sleepover wearing their funkiest or flirtiest wear. Going back to tip #8, you and your guests can watch a movie. It can be a thematic evening based on the movie, like wearing wizard costumes for Harry Potter series.
31. Practice photography. There are informative sites like DIY (Do-It-Yourself) which will teach you the basics. Use the plants in your garden as objects of your lenses. Experiment and adjust your camera’s exposure settings during photography’s magic hours of sunrise and sunset.
32. Are you a stranger in your own town? Be a tourist and explore interesting places, which you may have overlooked as you set sights on far places.
33. Ride your bike as you tour the town. There may even be a mountain bike trail.
34. Check in a nice but affordable hotel. It’s like you’re on vacation. You’ll enjoy a change in your routine and a change in location. They may have facilities that you don’t have at home like a gym, a sauna, a pool. And there are no chores to be done.
35. Sip decaf peppermint tea before going to bed and call it a day.

When you’ve enjoyed a day to yourself or have spent it with the people you love, doing the things you love, it’s like going on a vacation, even if it means wearing your pajamas.

If your health matters to your wealth, then invest time on what matters more. No Leave, No Life.

Photo of people relaxing in pajamas by Mr.Thomas

But with increasing reliance on computers for many professions, and with many spending more and more time away from the office, means that a much cheaper and faster desktop no longer seems as relevant anymore. More and more people need something that can, if needs be, be toted out of the office and onto a plane, train, or cafe. To choose a suitable laptop, it is important to understand that despite everyone giving you impossibly varying advice on which brands of laptop are good and which are bad, more emphasis should be placed on the reputation on the individual model than the brand of it – some manufacturers have been known for churning out machines of very differing quality.

But before we start, if you’re going to be traveling, it’s important to choose the laptop with the right kind of operating system. Serious computing enthusiasts might want to choose one with Linux. Trendy people and graphic designers may want to consider the more elite, expensive Macs. But for the thrifty or casual/office user, Windows will probably be sufficient.

Windows and Linux users will have to concern themselves with two additional options: There are two main processor manufacturers and these are Intel and AMD.

AMD processors are a little cheaper and may be better for certain types of PC users, but they tend to drain the laptop’s battery more than they should, so it may be best to choose Intel.

Also, as many readers will be aware, there are many different varieties of Intel processors, such as Celeron, Atom, Dual Core, Centrino, and so on.

It’s not massively important to know the difference between these processors, (although, as always, research doesn’t hurt!) but be warned from the start that the Celeron Processor is aimed at budget laptops and will sacrifice your battery life for performance – a balance, which, for travel, should be tilted the other way.

There are many stylish laptops out there that look absolutely amazing for their price, but look closer and you’ll discover that often all that glitz can often disguise how underpowered the laptop really is. It may sound rather extreme, but unless you only plan to buy a laptop or netbook (smaller laptops known for lower price and portability) to surf the internet, then it’s important to choose a laptop with a hard drive no smaller than 120 gigabytes. You’d be surprised at how fast all that space seems to go after you’ve got a few programs installed.

If it’s running Microsoft XP, make sure that the RAM is no smaller than 512 megabytes, and if Vista, 2 gigabytes. I trust the reader can detect a certain amount of regret from the tone of yours truly for not heeding his own advice!

Photo of laptop by Mark Wubben

48 Hours in Copenhagen: Day 1

Try to find a hotel near Strøget, in the city center. As with all capital cities this helps with the navigational aspects but particularly with Copenhagen because it’s a bit of a maze and there’s often water in your way when you need to cross somewhere. A good way to start the break is to head towards the Rosenborg Have park and find the famous Rundetårn Tower. It might look like a giant toilet roll with windows but the climb up this 350-year-old 200-metre observatory is a fantastic welcome to the city. Take a good map and try and find someone to help you point out certain landmarks. You’ll then feel very confident getting around on foot.

If you have a taste for history then one of the best museums in Copenhagen is the aptly named National Museum of Denmark. There are wonderful archaeological remains, detailing this vibrant and colourful country’s history. One of the highlights in the collection is the clothing remains of the Egtved Girl, whose teenage body was preserved in a barrow. If you want to see what the fashion was back in 1370 BC then you might be surprised to see how little things have changed.

Let’s head to the shops for a while shall we? Copenhagen loves shopping. The area you want to head over to is the place they call “the stroke”, or Strøget if you’re a local. The wide, pedestrianized zone is the longest shopping walkway in Europe and is full to the brim with fashionable outlets, many of which you might know from other countries and some of which have a certain Danish feel. Built to reduce the cars that were starting to spoil the city centre around fifty years ago, this area has become something of a template for cities the world over.

Only a short walk from the shops of Strøget is the famous Rosenborg Castle Gardens aka The King’s Gardens. A place perfect for those tired legs and feet after all that shopping. Or maybe somewhere for the gents to sit and read the paper while their female loved ones shop till they drop. It’s the most visited park in Copenhagen and the views of the castle will make you feel like you’re in a fairy tale.

A park of a very different nature is perhaps something to save for the following day, when you a little more energy. For the climax to the opening day you couldn’t do better than to go out for dinner at Restaurant Gråbrødre Torv 21, found between the park and the university, it’s a very traditional affair. The décor is very earthy and simple but the atmosphere is as warm as the food. Trying something traditional is almost a dead cert here. Why not plump for some of the wonderful fish, fresh from the North Sea.

48 Hours in Copenhagen: Day 2

On your second day you could either take it easy or not. Or maybe you could merge the two? If so then head straight for the world famous Tivoli Gardens in the morning for an energetic experience to rival no other. It’s an amusement park with an edge. Being one of the oldest of its kind in the world there is a huge array of things to see and do. Roller coaster rides and carousels in one corner but then traditional dance and theater across the trees in the other. There’s a Pantomime Theatre, a Glass Hall and even the odd chance you’ll see some famous musical acts if you’re there in the summer months.

On your final afternoon in Copenhagen, why not take it easy with a saunter around The National Gallery and soak up some masterpieces from Rembrandt and the like. It’s just next to the Nørreport Metro station.

Popular Copenhagen Hotels near Strøget

• Hotel Best Western City – Double room from €168
• Clarion Collection Hotel Twentyseven – Double room from €121
• Hotel Copenhagen Strand – Double room from €117

Morocco’s ‘Red City’ will send you red in the face if you don’t quickly become street wise enough to know that everyone is out to make and save a buck or two.

It’s not done in a nasty or deceitful way. It’s simply how they run things. Your days of trying desperately to knock the odd penny or cent off the price of something in a second-hand shop will seem like playschool after you’ve been to Marrakech.

First of all you need to know that there is very little in the whole of Marrakech that has a fixed price. Don’t just think of trinkets on a stall in a market however. We’re talking beers, food, bus fares and even hotel rooms sometimes. The Moroccans love to haggle and the second thing you need to know is they are very very good at it.

When you walk around the maze of the city, if you look like you’re a tourist then the locals will fly around you like mosquitoes showing you what they have to sell to you and assuring you that not only do you absolutely need the item but also that it’s the best price in the world. It’s not. Prices seem to have been plucked from thin air in some cases. A quick example being a very cheap Fez made from card, some velvet and a tassel probably cost under a £1 to make but worked out as over £20 as a starting price. If you aren’t confident, hugely suspicious and quick with your maths then you could get stung every day for the whole trip. So assume everything that everyone is selling is at least double than what you should pay.

Whether you’re buying leathers, lights, lanterns or lattes you’ll find a man running after you convincing you he’d be starving his children is he sold what you wanted for anything less. The best way to get what you want for the price you want is to have a good look at the item but then walk away as quickly as you can without showing any interest in it any more than anything else. Then do exactly the same at other stalls but make sure you compare the quality and prices of the item you want. Then head back to the stall where it was cheapest and start to barter.

Have a figure in your head and stick to it.

Make it one you feel it fare considering the other items you saw. The stall holder will then shake his head at you, as though you’re about to get laughed out of the country, but don’t worry, he knows it’s a fair price and also he knows at that point that this is probably going to be what he sells it for so he’s getting as used to it as much as you.

Then your simple tactic has to be one of firmness.

Walk away and say ‘no thanks’ and I assure you he’ll come running after you. Keep shaking your head and walking away until he drops to the price you want. He won’t follow you forever so don’t worry. Ignore him until he agrees. It’s hard but it works.

The only annoying part of this is that when you genuinely don’t want the item anymore there’s not really any way you can distinguish between this and expert bartering so at that point you might have to start running.

Holiday Apartments in Marrakech, Morocco:

• Residence Assounfou -  From €59 per night
• Flat Appart Slimania -  From €77 per night
• Palemeraie Village – From €87.5 per night
• Le Domaine de l’Ourika – From €100 per nigth

Photo of  Marrakech souk, Morocco, by Vtveen

If dance music makes you tick, then a pilgrimage to the White Isle should be top of your to-do list. Quite simply, there is nowhere like it.

Unfortunately, being the promised land of clubbers everywhere does not come cheap. With bar prices to make your eyes bleed and cover charges bordering on daylight robbery, losing it on the dance floor Ibizan style will burn a hole in your wallet quicker than you can say “Paul Van Dyk”.

But don’t panic just yet; it is possible to party on a budget. All you need is imagination, the right attitude and a bit of confidence. Oh, and the biggest pair of sunglasses you can lay your hands on.

Get the basics right

The Ibizan club season runs from early June until the legendary marathon that is Space’s closing party, at the end of September. For the best deals, head to the island at the start or end of the season. Not only are the hotels cheaper, the clubs and bars are less busy, so you will be more likely to get discount drinks and entry prices.

Arguably, this is also when the clubs are at their best, as the DJs tend to pull out all the stops for their opening and closing parties. For a truly hedonistic trip, try to arrive during the first couple of weeks in September, when you can catch a different closing party every night of the week.

The best things in life are free

Ok, ‘free’ is not a word you will hear very often in Ibiza, but there are still some things that you can get gratis and for nothing. One must-do highlight of any Ibizan itinerary is catching a sunset on San Antonio’s renowned Sunset Strip – the line of bars on the sea-front that include Café Del Mar and Café Mambo. All of these bars are amazing, it’s true, but they are also vastly overpriced and make a fortune out of people willing to pay a premium for the well-known name. Save them for another trip when you’ve got more cash.

Instead, take a picnic down to the rocks by the sea and enjoy the sunset with all the other people who can’t afford to drink there! The beach has a fantastic party atmosphere of its own and the experience of cheering the sun as it dips below the horizon, with a rag-tag collection of clubbers, hippies and broke travellers is one you will never forget.

On a similar note, when you’re catching some rays in the daytime, beware the phenomenal prices for the hire of sunbeds and umbrellas. It varies across the island but is never cheap and will quickly eat away at your budget. Invest in an inflatable lilo instead. A sound decision, as you can’t take a sunbed into the pool with you anyway!

Befriend the locals

Well, befriend the workers at least. Ibiza has an army of seasonal workers that descend on the island every year and these people are your best ticket to cheap drinks and discount club entry.

Almost every bar will have a ‘PR’ working for them; these are the slightly annoying people that hang around outside and try to tempt you in. Yes, it does get irritating when you get accosted by them every time you try to walk up the street, but remember, they usually work on commission, so they will do just about anything to get you into their bar instead of the one next door. Talk to them, be cheeky and see what you can get.

Similarly, all of the club nights have a team of promoters that hand out fliers and sell tickets to their nights. Get to know the ones near you and find out if they are offering any deals. Often they will have a number of wristbands available that will get you vastly reduced or even free (yes, free!) entry before a certain time. Usually this means arriving at the club long before anyone else does, but at least you’ll be able to stake out your spot on the dance floor.

Fortune favours the bold

A bit of confidence and a cheeky smile will get you everywhere in Ibiza. Sadly, it is practically impossible to get round the ridiculous bar prices once inside a club, (think upwards of 8 Euros for a tiny bottle of water and don’t even ask about the alcoholic drinks!) In fact, you’ve probably got no chance of talking your way into a fair deal unless you are:

1. Fluent in Spanish
2. Incredibly good looking
3. Completely without shame
4. All of the above

But God loves a tryer, and nowhere more so than in Ibiza, so it’s always worth pushing your luck. Just remember, the security staff are usually pretty scary, so don’t make a nuisance of yourself because they will throw you out.

Budget Accommodation in Ibiza:

• Hotel Club Maritim – Budget hotel rooms and apartments  in San Jose de Sa Talaia, Ibiza
• Hostal Torres – Budget hotel in San Antonio de Portmany’s West End area
• Hostal Don Juan – Budget hotel on West End Street, San Antonio de Portmany

Photo of Sunset Strip, San Antonio, Ibiza, by ST33VO

You can enjoy some of the same benefits as tourists. You have access to all the cool restaurants for dinners. Then there are those nighttime sightseeing walks after business is done, where you can enjoy the architecture – without the crowds, and in a different light…

But of course there is work, you’re traveling to produce results, and that means you need to get productive quick. Let me outline some of the challenges, and offer some solutions to them for the business traveler in Rome.

Getting Around

Getting around used to be super easy for the traveler on an expense account. Taxies are invented for this! You get a taxi at the airport, at the office, at the hotel, or at the restaurant, a friendly chap will zip you to your destination, and you might even get some restaurant or bar tips on the way. Now we’re in a recession, travel budgets are shrinking, and you just know that outrageous taxi bills will give you unnecessary visibility. Here are a number of ways you can shave off some Euros from your travel expenses:

• When you arrive at the Rome Fiumicino Airport, consider taking the Leonardo Express into the city. It takes you to a main train and bus hub, Roma Termini. You can take a taxi from the Termini, and many of the major hotels are actually in a walking distance from there. The train ticket costs 11 Euros.

• The subway system is not extensive, but see if you happen to go to a location that is close to a metro station along the two subway lines. See the subway map here: http://www.romebuddy.com/givesadvice/subwayroutes.html

When you do decide to travel by taxi, here are some local phone numbers that you can use to call a cab for yourself: 06 3570, 06 6645, 06 8822.  If you call from a non-local phone, dial +39 and then the number, including the zero.

Note that while some airport taxies will take credit cards, the taxies you order by phone or pick up on the street will usually only accept cash.

Talking to people

Yes, you can get by with just speaking English; Italians will probably understand you even if they don’t necessarily respond back in English. But just a few key phrases in Italian will make everything easier and more pleasant for everybody, so let’s learn some Italian:

Numbers are important, you will want to go to addresses, get prices for products or you will want to give a tip at a restaurant. I think you can get away with just counting from 1 to 10, and put together numbers from that, but you might go the extra mile and go up to 1000.

Counting from one to ten: uno due tre quattro cinque sei sette otto nove dieci

When booking hotels or tables at restaurants, you may need to know the names of days.

From Monday to Sunday: Lunedi Martedì Mercoledì Giovedi Venerdì Sabato Domenica

OK, we got the numbers and days out of the way. You’ll want to add a “please” to your request: “per favore”. Now that you managed to get to places and buy stuff, you will want to thank the taxi driver or your waiter for the nice meal. “Grazie”. And finally, “You’re welcome” is “prego”.

Using this 15-20-word vocabulary will make you more welcome in Rome!

Business Communications

Mobile roaming charges slowly start to crawl downwards within the EU, but participating in a couple of long phone conferences while abroad will still cost you a lot. The easy solution is to get a pre-paid SIM card at any phone shop. I got mine at a TIM shop, which is the local subsidiary of T-Mobile. For around 10 Euros, you get a local number and a SIM card, which you can use in any unlocked GSM phone. Bring a secondary mobile with you, or buy a local one for as low as 30 Euros. If you don’t have to pay roaming fees on a one-hour conference call with the head office, you already saved money.

When I get a local number, I always send out an email with this new number to my coworkers and business contacts I expect to talk to during my stay. I also add the phone number to my email footer so that people can quickly find it when they want to respond to an email message over the phone.

Internet access is not this easy. You can get a pre-paid 3G Internet account, but it’s quite expensive, and the per-megabyte charges are also quite high. Your best bet is to find a Wifi-enabled coffee shop in your neighborhood; they typically have a Wifi Zone logo outside. As a bonus you can enjoy a nice cappuccino or espresso while cleaning your email inbox online.

Eating Out

There are many articles and even books written about eating out in Rome, so let me just offer a couple of guidelines that can help you make a quick decision on your breakfast, lunch or dinner.

While you can fill yourself up at the breakfast buffet in your hotel, you might want to venture out and have a breakfast in the city. There are many tiny cafés around, you can mingle with the locals there, soak in the atmosphere, and even save a few Euros. Many cafés are open from 7. You can get a very nice Italian croissant called cornetto and an excellent cappuccino to start your day. My suggestion is to look for places where you only see local people and no tourists, and you’ll likely have an excellent experience. Remember the Italian words we discussed above to order your breakfast.

While many food scientists study how Italians can stay so slim on the local diet of pasta, breads, and olive oil, my experience is that they just don’t really eat much. In the offices I’ve been in Rome, many coworkers just skip lunch. So have a backup plan if you’re not offered lunch on your visit. Make sure you have a breakfast, and try to find lunch for yourself. It’s usually very easy to find a place where you can get a slice of pizza or some pastry to survive until dinner.

Romans tend to have dinner from around eight in the evening; restaurants serve food until around 23:00. Selecting the restaurant can be a daunting task though, as Rome has hundreds of restaurants. Many of them primarily cater to tourists, not necessarily aiming for culinary experiences, so try to get some recommendations from your local coworkers or business partners. TripAdvisor has great recommendations on restaurants.

If you don’t have the chance to do research before dinner, you can try to rely on the following general rules:

• If the place has more than 5-10 tables, don’t go in
• If it’s named after a tourist attraction, don’t go in
• If you see people in tourist hats and cameras hanging in their necks, avoid it
• If you have waiters standing outside inviting you in, don’t do it
• If it’s a small restaurant, in a tiny side alley, and there are local people, families with kids, or old guys having a spirited discussion in Italian, you’ve found your authentic Roman dinner!

Enjoy your stay in Rome, and remember to fill in your Expense Claim for the business trip as soon as possible.

Top Business Hotels in Rome Eur:

• Hotel H10 Roma Città
• Mancini Park Hotel
• All Time Relais & Sport Hotel

Photo of businessman having a break on Piazza Navona, Rome by thapgood

However, there are a few places in Rome that are considered “must-see” attractions due to their high-profile artistic, historical, and cultural values. They are some of the world’s ultimate sites to be seen and are on every world traveler’s checklist.

Ideally, you should plan to spend at least two days in Rome in order to see all of its main sites properly. Unfortunately, sometimes circumstances allow a tourist a limited amount of time to enjoy the city. Given Rome’s historical significance in world history, though, it is important to make the most of the time you have there. With careful planning, though, Rome’s biggest attractions can be seen in only one day and one night.

8:30 AM: The Roman Forum

Arrive at the Roman Forum entrance on Via dei Fori Imperiali as it opens and buy your combined ticket for the Forum and the Colosseum and wander around the Roman Forum for a while. The ticket line at the Forum entrance is always much shorter than the one at the Colosseum, so it saves a lot of time to purchase tickets there.

Many people opt to skip seeing the Forum in favor of heading directly to the Colosseum, but the Forum is full of history and is awe-inspiring in its own right. However, the Forum is, at first glance, a jumble of rocks and columns, and there are no museum-like plaques to speak of, so take a decent guide-book with you to make sure you leave with a decent understanding of what you have seen. You also might consider picking up some pastries from an Italian café on the way there and having breakfast while sitting on top of the remains of a 2,000 year old building.

9:30 AM: The Colosseum

Leave the Roman Forum from the exit closest to the Colosseum on the East side of the Forum. On your way between the Forum and the Colosseum, make sure you note the The Arch of Constantine to your right. Built in the early 300s, it is well-preserved for its age, and its size is nothing short of impressive. Like the Forum, it is often underappreciated due to its proximity to the Colosseum.

Now onto the main attraction: The Colosseum. Go to the entrance, and make sure not to get into the line to purchase tickets; you already have yours from the Forum. Go inside the Colosseum and wander around a bit.

10:30 AM: Getting to the Vatican

Leave the Colosseum and head across the street to either get a taxi, or if you would like to save some money, go to the Metro stop. The Roman metro system is reliable, clean, and easy to use. In this case, taking a taxi will not get you to the Vatican much faster than the metro will.

When you arrive to the Vatican area, head to the Vatican walls by Piazza del Risorgimento. There, you will find about a dozen people selling guided tours to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica on behalf of several fly-by-night tour companies. While they have unorthodox advertising methods, these tour companies are generally a good value for the amount of knowledge they impart, and most importantly, will allow you to skip the line to get into the Vatican Museums, which can be hours long at the high point of tourist season. The price will be about 40 euros per person. Ask when their tours are, and choose a company that has a tour in the early afternoon (usually around noon or 1 PM). Be sure to double-check as to whether the tour company has permission to skip the Vatican Museum lines.

While you are waiting for your tour to start, poke around the tourist shops in the area and go eat some lunch at one of the nearby restaurants. If you are really pressed for time before the tour, most Roman cafes have sandwhiches to go. Your tour should start at 1:00 PM at the latest, since the Vatican Museums close at 4:00 PM.

4:00 PM: View of Castle San Angelo

You should be done with your tour around 4:00 PM, if not earlier. It all depends on which company you used and what time you started your tour.

Walk directly East from St. Peter’s Square up the Via della Conciliazione. As you are walking, be sure to turn around every now and then for the picture-perfect view of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Veer off to the right onto Via San Pio X and go onto Ponte Vittorio Emanuele, one of Rome’s many bridges over the Tiber River. This particular bridge is a work of art in its own right, and almost everyone that crosses it overlooks the statues that decorate it. However, the real goal here is to see the impressive view of Castle San Angelo, the ancient fortress that has also served as a tomb, dungeons, and papal refuge throughout its long history. Unfortunately, there is not enough time to go inside, so the view from the outside will have to suffice.

5:00 PM: The Pantheon

Hail a taxi and direct the driver to go to the Pantheon. While there are bus routes that could get your there, I do not recommend using the Roman bus system if you have a limited amount of time in the city. The buses are notorious for never being on schedule, and it is often difficult to know at which stop you should get off. A taxi ride should set you back no more than 10 euros.

After you see the Pantheon, you can do the rest of the itinerary at your own pace, since the rest of the attractions do not have closing times you have to worry about.

6:00 PM: The Trevi Fountain

Make your way from the Pantheon to the Trevi Fountain (the street you want to take is to your left when you are facing the front of the Pantheon). It is about a ten minute walk, although you might want to poke around the souvenir stands that line the pedestrian street leading up to the Trevi Fountain.

Once you get to the fountain, spend some time looking at it. You might consider getting some pre-dinner gelato from one of the nearby gelaterias to eat while you sit on the steps of the fountain.

7:00 PM: Piazza Navona and Dinner

From the Trevi Fountain, walk the 20 minutes to Piazza Navona. Wander around the piazza a bit and perhaps buy some art from one of the many artists who sell their wares there. Find a place to have dinner. There are dozens of little restaurants to choose from in the area.

9:00 PM: The Spanish Steps

When you are finished with dinner, find your way to any of the main roads near Piazza Navona and hail a taxi. Direct the driver to go to the Spanish Steps. When you arrive, find yourself a seat on the steps and absorb the lively atmosphere around you. Bring a bottle of wine or a few beers with you and drink at your leisure- sitting and drinking (in moderation) on the Steps is a fairly popular nighttime activity during the summer.

When you have finished your drinks and seen your fill of the nightlife at the Spanish Steps, you can head back to your hotel room to collapse after your busy day.

Top Rome Hotels near the Spanish Steps

• Hotel Centrale
• Hotel Brunetti
• Hotel San Carlo

Photo of the Spanish Steps, Rome, at night by fspugna

In the morning, you may need to bundle up in a warm sweater; by afternoon, you’ll wish you were wearing shorts. Or vice versa. But every now and then, you’ll get a stretch of blazing hot weather that will leave you whimpering for mercy if you’re not prepared. Whiling away some time in a department store or museum may not bring the relief you’re looking for as most businesses in Paris, being very energy-conscious, do not necessarily have air-conditioner. To get really cool, you’ll have to be creative. Here are a few tips.

1. Swim on the Seine.

Swim on the Seine? No, that’s not a grammatical error. In 2006, the Piscine Josephine Baker, a large public swimming pool, made its debut atop a barge on the Seine. Named for the famous African-American expatriate actress/dancer that won the prestigious Croix de Guerre, the pool can accommodate up to 350 people, and has a wading pool for very little ones. There is also a café, sundeck and gym for those wanting to do more than splash around. The pool is open year-round and has a sliding roof that opens in such a way that swimmers feel as if they actually are swimming in the Seine. Piscine Josephine Baker, Quai François Mauriac, 13th arrondissement, Paris. Tel. 1 56 61 96 50. Open daily, 10am-10pm (Mon-Fri.) 10-8pm (Sat.-Sun.).

2. Go to Paris Plage.

Paris seriously pities those who can’t make it to the beach during the summertime, so in 2002, the city decided to bring the beach to them. Every year since then, some two thousand tons of sand, 50-something palm trees, and huge thatched beach umbrellas are imported to the banks of the river Seine transforming them into a makeshift beach. Sure, you have to use your imagination a bit, but you’ll soon forget that you’re strolling along an expressway, not a boardwalk, and will get into the spirit of things. In past years, Paris Plage has made every effort to keep visitors cool by importing a large swimming pool, setting up many stands with cold drinks and ice cream, and erecting misty water sprinklers every 500 yards or so. Definitely check it out – the kids especially will love it. Paris Plage, July 20-Aug. 20, 2009.

3. Duck into a church.

Thank heavens for the old stone churches of Paris. Not only are they sanctuaries of peace, they are sanctuaries from the heat! When the sun is getting too much for you, take the time to admire the interior of some of the lesser-known beauties (stopping into favorites such as Notre-Dame or Sacre Coeur will not necessarily cool you off as the number of other tourists will raise your temperature considerably). Try the cool interior of St. Germain l’Auxerrois, a gorgeous 15th century church, located across the street from the Louvre. The church used to be the house of worship for the royals and nobles living in or visiting the Louvre in the days when it was a palace. It has a lovely bell tower that dates from the 12th century, and a second smaller bell tower known for being the bell tower that signaled the start of St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. 2 place du Louvre, 1st arrondissement, Paris. If you’re on the Left Bank, stop into the Église St-Germain-des-Prés, the oldest church in Paris, dating back to the 6th century. As it is so old, its style is Romanesque rather than Gothic, but its interior is just as cool. 3 Place St-Germain-des-Prés, 6th arrondissement, Paris.

4. Eat Ice Cream.

An old standard for hot days, but Paris has some exceptionally good ice-cream. The most renowned is Berthillon, which is probably named in every Paris guide book as ‘the best ice-cream in Paris.’ Although Berthillon only has one shop on the Ile St. Louis, many restaurants serve Berthillon ice cream: you’ll know it when you eat it, because it always called by name on the menu. Berthillon, 31, rue Saint-Louis-en-l’Ile, 4th arrondissement, Paris. There is, however, a new popular spot for ice cream in Paris: Amorino, a chain that sells Italian gelato. I must break with impartiality here, and admit that I am absolutely mad for Amorino’s gelato and will brave the longest lines (an inevitability on warm days) to get my pistachio, banana, and fior di latte (“milk flower”) combo. Just try it. Amorino, 31, rue Vieille du Temple, 4th arrondissement; 4, rue de Buci, 6th arrondissement, plus 11 other Paris locations.

5. Have a Perrier-Menthe.

When the weather is warm, you may notice a considerable number of people at sidewalk cafes sipping a glass of a rather lurid green liquid. This classically French drink is called Perrier-Menthe, and is simply a small bottle of Perrier (or some other sparkling water) mixed with a few tablespoons of mint-flavored syrup. Okay, yes, often the taste is compared to watered-down mint mouthwash, but somehow after a few swigs, you forget about that and simply feel cool and refreshed.

Hotels near Paris Plage

• Hotel Britannique
• Hotel Relais du Louvre
• Grand Hotel Dechampaigne

Photo of  information display in Paris, France by cfd