Europe is a favorite international travel destination for Americans, and there are a lot of good reasons why. It’s part of the West, making it more similar to our culture than many other regions. English and other dominant world languages are spoken there. It’s the ancestral home to many Americans.

Also, it’s chocked full of history, it’s easy to experience a wide array of cultures from one day to the next, and for most tourist travel, there are few or no visa requirements. Whew!

So if you find yourself dreaming of making the “great escape,” not just to visit, but to experience life in Europe, we can’t blame you. But there several things to consider first: [Read more…]

Usually when students have the opportunity to study abroad, they think of Europe. Italy, Spain, France and the UK have always been great destinations for a semester of cultural immersion and travel, but if you have an appetite for adventure I recommend you take the path less traveled and head for New Zealand!

Even if you were over Lord of the Rings ten years ago, you’ll still find yourself enchanted by these five aspects of Kiwi Life (and if you are a Tolkien-phile, you probably already have your ticket to New Zealand booked, so these reasons are all icing on top).

1- The Food

The food in New Zealand is diverse, with influences from both Europe and Asia. The seafood is fresher than fresh, (sushi is very popular and incredibly high quality) and the meat is free-range so you’ll find it’s much tastier than what we are used to in the US. Even the milk tastes better, (and therefore so does the chocolate and ice cream). I especially loved the Turkish kebabs and meat pies. Rack of lamb will never taste go good as it does in New Zealand, where the dish is famous. Check out Burgerfuel; with locations around the country and student friendly prices, you can’t miss, even if you are a vegetarian. Additionally, New Zealand is famous for great wine, so if you have a healthy appetite and are an aspiring wino like myself, you’ll be on cloud nine in this country. [Read more…]

There are many words we associate with England, from ‘history’ to ’roundabouts’ to ‘teapots’, but ask anyone who’s actually been to the old country and they’ll probably trump you with another: Expensive.

While it’s impossible to argue that England is a costly place to live – house prices, apartment rental fees and gasoline taxes are among the highest in the world – common perceptions that the whole country is a cripplingly expensive tourist trap are wide of the mark. At least, it doesn’t have to be pricy. With just a little prior knowledge, and some on-the-ground smarts, England can be an ideal shoestring destination. [Read more…]

Many people do all their traveling and get the travel bug out of their systems before having kids. They think that once the kids come along, travel would be a thing of the past. Well, they’re wrong. One of the greatest joys is seeing the world through your child’s eyes. Here are 15 tips to prepare your kids for travel :

1 – Include Travel In Your Bedtime Reading

Show them the pictures of great monuments, parks, animals, zoos, ships and explain they’ll be seeing all those things soon. Infuse them with travel lust.

2 – Prepare Them For Air Travel

Make them look forward to flying over clouds and oceans; this will take the dreariness out of air travel. At the same time, explain how things are done on a plane such as food and beverage service, when to use the overhead lights, seatbelts and so on. Also teach them to respect other travelers’ privacy. [Read more…]

So, the Summer is nearly upon us and you still haven’t decided on your next holiday destination. Greece is on your radar, but the choice of Islands and Mainland resorts is making your decision difficult?  This is a problem many of us who are considering a European break will have had over the years.

Greece offers so much as a vacation destination and most of the main tourist resorts offer sun, sea and sand in abundance. But dig a little deeper and you will find that certain islands offer just a little bit more than many of the others.

These are our top six picks for a Greek Island vacation in 2012 including some old favorites and a couple that offer something a little bit different. [Read more…]