Hotels in Tbilisi

1) Stamina. Arrive early. Sounds like common sense, but when polled in 2010, most Americans admitted to starting off at least 3 of their last 4 journeys late. Whether you’re traveling by air, sea, bus or taxi- be early. Nothing starts a trip on a more frenetic note than having to catch your breath during the first leg.

2) Air Travel. Tired of traveling coach class? Then consider traveling with an All Business Airline. There are more and more of these options becoming available and believe it or not, their fares are cheaper most of the time, than the big brand airlines. What you get: Business class service throughout the airplane, larger seats, 12volt power, DVD rentals, TV, better food and service and bigger overhead compartments (real size space that can actually hold your business carry on.) And, most offer expedited TSA security lines to minimize the pat-downs.

3) Hotel. Used to be that 4 and 5 star luxury hotels would cost exactly what you would think they should. But nowadays, the business model is evolving. Research on the web search engines, luxury hotels on fifth avenue, or third party luxury hotel management companies and you will find the latest insider. These third party companies often own rooms inside brand hotels or manage rooms for owners of fractional, timeshare and condo hotels- thus they can set their own pricing independent of the large hotel. And thus, a much better deal for the consumer.

4) Rental Car. When booking, choose an economy or size down model from what you would normally reserve. Then, when you get to the counter, charm the employee into asking for an upgrade, free of charge. With rental car companies being hard quite hard by the recession, internal memos have gone out informing employees to offer upgrades whenever available. This way you get the car you want, at the price you want.

5) Overall Experience. Make it a positive one. Realize as you sit on the plane, that there are literally millions of people below you that may never get a chance to jet set to where it is you’re going. (Even if it’s the grand Hyatt conference room in Tucson). Remember to always give your blessings for where you are, remain grounded, centered and calm- and in the end, travel karma will come back to you. Most of the time, in ultra luxurious or surprising ways.

The Rocky Mountaineer is one of the finest sightseeing trains in Canada, and a contender for the best in the world. Beyond the service and style offered by the Rocky Mountaineer trains, it’s the sightseeing that can’t be beat.

Travelers who prefer the journey to be as much an experience as the destination will surely love a journey on the Rocky Mountaineer, but beyond the general descriptions of mountain and forest – what can travelers expect to see along the way?

Rocky Mountaineer runs two trains (the Rocky Mountaineer and the Whistler Mountaineer) and four routes linking the Coastal city of Vancouver to Calgary and Jasper in the Rockies. All the routes are beautiful, but a particular favourite is the Yellowhead Route which travels from Vancouver to Jasper. Make the most of your journey with this detailed sightseeing guide to highlights along the way.

For information about other routes visit Rocky Mountaineer

From Vancouver to Calgary on Rocky Mountaineer’s Yellowhead Route

When traveling east to Calgary, the coastal city of Vancouver is your starting point. Nestled between the Coast Mountains (home to Whistler resort) and the big blue Pacific, Vancouver is a cosmopolitan city that maintains strong ties to the outdoors. On clear days locals head outside to run the Sea Wall, hike Grouse Mountain, or browse the boutiques, cafes, and patios lining Robson Street, South Granville, and west 4th avenue.

Make the most of your time in Vancouver by enjoying the city’s restaurants, shops and galleries as well as adventures outside – such as strolling Stanley Park, checking out the architecture in Gastown, or traveling outside the city to explore the nearby mountains.

Boarding the Rocky Mountaineer, you’ll quickly leave behind Vancouver’s cityscapes for the lush green Fraser Valley. The Fraser Valley boasts plenty of fertile farlmand due to its proximity to the Fraser River.

The Fraser River is the longest in BC and the 5th longest in Canada. As you travel alongside it, you’ll notice its waters changing from a muddy brown to a milky green. This is due to the high levels of sediment in the water as well as plenty of rapids. The Fraser River’s turbulence belies a thriving ecosystem, producing more salmon than any other river system in the world!

The excitement of the Fraser culminates at Hell’s Gate, an attraction located at the narrowest point in the Fraser River. The sight and sound of the thundering waters only hint at the magnitude of this pass, where as much as 909,218,000 litres (200 million) gallons of water surge through the 33.53 metre (110 foot) gorge each minute.

As you exit the Coast Mountains, you’ll emerge into the beautiful Fraser Canyon, a natural canyon with sides of up to 600 metres (1980) feet. This canyon extends all the way to Hope.

From the town of Hope to that of Kamloops, your journey will see you through a landscape of mountains, countryside and lakes. You will travel through Monck and Lac Le Jeune Provincial Parks, climb through the Great Bear Snow Shed, crest the summit of the Coquihalla Pass and cross the top of Thompson Plateau.

You will stop for the night in Kamloops, a charming town in the Okanogan Valley. The weather is warm and sunny in spring and summer, and winter snow in nearby Sun Peaks beckons to skiiers. Kamloops also plays host to Rocky Mountaineer’s dinner theatre performances, the Two River Junction Musical Revue

The decision to travel abroad when you or your child has respiratory or pulmonary conditions will naturally make you think twice; knowing that dependency on oxygen will present challenges. But, with some careful planning, it is certainly possible.

Firstly, pay a visit to your doctor to discuss your travel plans. It’s crucial at the time of making reservations, that you are considered fit to travel. When having to travel with oxygen, its policy with most air and cruise lines that passengers secure suitable travel insurance. Without doctor’s consent or if you are awaiting surgery, in-patient treatment or under medical investigation, it’s unlikely that cover will be issued and travel permitted.

Flying With Oxygen
Booking early is the key. Some airlines only allow one passenger requiring oxygen per flight with up to seven days notice. As a rule, oxygen will be supplied by the airline for a fee. Charges range from 30 – 100 per leg. This can get expensive if you have connecting flights. Direct flights, even though the same distance may be covered, can work out cheaper. Airlines do not provide oxygen for airport terminal use, so separate arrangements need to be made should your itinerary include any stops.

Make preparations to travel with oxygen via the airline’s Special Services or Medical Department. Check the flow they can deliver and whether a mask or nasal cannula is provided. Boarding with your own oxygen is not allowed, although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), have approved a select group of portable oxygen concentrators (POC) that can be used in-flight. Do check before purchasing or hiring a POC that the model has been approved and will be accepted by the airline. Empty canisters can be taken onboard for the purpose of filling and using once at your destination.

Cruising With Oxygen
Travel with oxygen is accepted by most cruise lines provided at least ten days notice is given along with a doctor’s letter. Some cruise lines offer oxygen, others require you to bring your own. Make your travel agent aware of your oxygen needs and they should be able to advise you. Work with your regular oxygen supply company to calculate how many tanks you require and to arrange to pick up tanks at ports of call.

Both forms of transport require a physician’s letter outlining diagnosis, prescription quantity of oxygen, flow rate and approval to travel as well as travel insurance. Travel insurance does not cover the cost of oxygen but will protect you, subject to policy terms and conditions, in the event of cancellation and emergency medical treatment.

Just about everyone is familiar with those RVs we see on our highways. To those who have never been in an RV, they can seem like very strange vehicles. While a new RV can cost as little as $4000 (for a folding camping trailer) to $400,000 for one of those huge, bus-like motor homes, they can also be rented for weekends or longer vacations.

A recent study by a major consulting firm determined that a family of four can spend between 25 to 75% less when vacationing in an RV than going by plane. And there’s no hauling the kids through airports or trying to pacify them during a long boring flight. You eat good, nourishing, home-cooked meals (okay, maybe an occasional TV dinner?), stop when and where you choose and sleep in beds that you know are clean and free of bed bugs. And if you have younger children, it is a simple matter to put them down for afternoon naps.

While ‘camping’ is usually associated with RVing, there are many very luxurious resorts that cater to the RV crowd. Their costs are far less than those resorts with the big, fancy (and very expensive) hotels. There are RV parks at nearly all the great beaches, Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. If you would like a quiet, lake-side stay, there are many public campgrounds offering full utility hook-ups for RVs and at costs under $25 a night.

We have driven coast to coast spending less, total, for our overnight stays than the cost of one discounted motel night. So how about the cost of gasoline (or diesel) at $4 a gallon?

While those big, bus-like Class A motor homes only get 6 to 12 miles per gallon, a Class C mini-motor home typically achieves 15 to 18 mpg. A class C can be rented for $100 to $120 per day for a two week period. Completely self-contained, they typically sleep a family of five, are 23 to 25 feet long and very easy to drive.

Ah, yes, the cost of fuel at $4 per gallon could seem to be a problem. True, it was much better when the fuel was 40 cents a gallon but fuel has gone up for everyone. The airlines are boosting their fares and cutting back on services because of fuel costs. Your family car could cost anywhere from $60 to $100 to fill its tank. If you’re going anywhere it is going to cost more. But there are ways to reduce those costs. Driving at slower speeds (it seems easier to go 55 mph in an RV than in a car) can save a bunch. Properly inflated tires, avoiding start-stop routes (as in a city), even maintaining a constant speed on the freeway all help to significantly reduce the fuel consumption.

For us, the overwhelming advantage has been the freedom to go where we want and change our minds without incurring horrible financial penalties such as charged by the airlines. And when you get to your destination, you have your own transportation without having to rent a car. You don’t have to pack a suitcase and make those hard decisions of what to leave behind because the suitcase isn’t big enough or the airline limits what you can take along.

Taking kids on a family vacation when they are very young is usually not a simple matter. However, when you follow the tips provided in this article, you will find your next family vacation will run smoother than you imagined.

One of the first things you will want to keep in mind is something you may not spend much time thinking about, but people get grumpy and act up when they have basic needs that are not met in a timely manner. What this means is that if you are meeting your children’s needs, they will be much happier and easier to get along with.

For example, if they have been sitting in the car most of the day, chances are they will start to get crabby because their basic need to run and burn off energy is not being met. Children typically have a lot more energy than the average adult and they will certainly have a much harder time trying to sit in a car for numerous hours. To deal with this problem be sure to plan to stop frequently at parks and other areas to let the kids out for awhile. You will add a few extra hours to the drive, but it is certainly better than keeping a crabby kid stuck in the car and ruining the entire trip.

As an alternative, you could skip the long drive and choose to vacation at a destination close to your home. If you are fortunate enough to live near a large city, there are surely many wonderful family vacation packages you can take advantage of. There are also bound to be an assortment of amusement parks, stores, museums and much more all within a couple of hours of your home. Even staying in your hometown can be fun when you plan an overnight stay at a hotel and take an afternoon to visit an amusement park or a night out for a play or other activity.

Another time when kids can become extremely crabby is when they start to get hungry. If you plan ahead and pack some snacks for them, you will be able to avoid this problem. Always keep a bag on hand that has some fruit, crackers and water to hold them over until it’s time to eat. And of course, when everything else fails, bribery is usually a parent’s best defense. Keep some candy stashed in your pockets for this special emergency. Most kids will be cooperative and pleasant if they are allowed time to run around and be active and they are not hungry. When planning your next family vacation, be sure to keep the needs of the youngsters in mind and you will all have a great getaway.