Saturday, October 4, 2008

Student Discount travel Card

Student discount travelling cards are cards which provide the students to get discount not only on travel but also on a number of other things. Students who travel abroad for studies mainly use these discount travel cards. In order to acquire a student discount card one must be a student of at least 12 years of age. There is no maximum age to qualify for a discount card.

There are a number of student discount cards. Let us discuss about a few of these cards.

1.The International Student Identity Card(ISIC)
This card provides discount on travel, accommodation, shopping, entertainment and facilities like benefits in illness and reasonable prices on expensive international calls. The ISIC card costs 25 dollars and is valid till 31st December every year. This card is issued by the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC).
This card is the only internationally recognized document which offers proof that you are full time student, studying abroad. It has a worldwide network and offices in almost every country. There are around 4.5 million users of this card all around the world. ISE card holders, purchasing tickets from ISE offices usually receive huge discounts and bankruptcy protection.

2.International Youth Travel Card(IYTC)
These cards are especially for those students who are between 12 to 25 years of age but are not full time students. This card is issued by the ISTC. The holders of this card get huge benefits on travel as they can save thousands of dollars. They also get discounts on sport rentals, admissions in museums and cultural activities.

3.International Student Travel Card(ISTC)
There are some businessmen who do not give discount to the students on IYTC so in order to deal with this issue there is one another card called the ISTC which helps the students to get discounts at retail shops.

4.Student Advantage Card(SAC)
This card provides retail, entertainment and travel discounts to the students. The annual fee to get this card is 20 dollars.

5.International Student Exchange Card(ISE)
This card is issued for 25 dollars and provides the same facilities as the ISIC, but is offers more facilities than the IYTC. This card also helps in enrolling the students in universities all around the world.

6.Hostel Discount Cards(HDC)
This hostel cards offer facilities and discounts on some hostel premises. This card also provides the benefit of lessening the online booking fee. Discount is also provided on food and hostel outfits.

The above discount cards will help a student in many ways, if he or she wants to study abroad.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Suggestions While Buying a Travel Cot

A travel cot is also known as a sleeping cot and is used for babies, campers, travelers and infants. Some baby cots which have elevated sides help to protect the babies from falling down. Baby cots are very useful for travelling purposes. Mothers prefer to use separate baby cots for their babies because common baby cots that are available in hotels are not always clean.

In order to buy an appropriate baby cot for your baby, you must follow the below mentioned tips and suggestions.
  • While buying a travel cot, you must make sure it is very light, convenient to carry and can be stored away easily.
  • You must be sure of the purpose for which you are buying the cot; the cot should be strong enough to handle pressure.
  • You should consider the size of your room in which you will be staying while on a trip. If the room is small then buy a mini sized cot but if you have a fairly large room then you can buy a full sized baby cot.
  • Additional features like bassinet, changing table option, music player and nightlight are also available with some cots, so you must consider these features while buying the cot.
  • You should buy a travel cot which can easily be folded. This feature will help in saving space and time because you can carry it around without making any effort.
  • If you are a style conscious parent, then you can buy cots which are available in numerous styles and designs. Cots with cartoon designs and Disney characters are also available in the market.
  • If you are looking for cots which are cheap and handy then consider buying the Hauck travel cots, which are strong, reasonable, light and very functional.
  • You can also buy baby cots which have drop sides which is used to get your baby in and out of the cot easily.
  • You should only buy cots which have protective plastic coating; it would prevent your child from chewing the railings.
  • You should buy baby cots which has a life of at least five years.
  • The safety and comfort of the cot should be checked before buying it.
  • Baby cots should be designed in such a manner that they provide comfort, safety and protection to the baby.
These essential tips should be followed while buying a baby travel cot for your baby. They will surely help you in travelling with comfort and safety with your baby.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Get Travel Insurance to Make Your Trip Safe

Travel insurance is becoming very necessary while you travel abroad or across your own home country. Travel insurance helps you when you face any crisis during your trip like accident or theft. Today there are a vast number of travel insurance plans which offers you with a wide variety of choice to make your trip more safe and comfortable.

Travel insurance helps in a number of situations like trip cancellation, medical costs, emergency evacuation, natural calamities, terrorist attacks and other problems related with travelling. Travel insurance provides you with the required travel cover to make your journey enjoyable by reducing the risk.

Taking travel insurance is a very easy task; the customer has to pay a premium which is payable to the insurance company. The insurance company will in return bear all the expenses involved in any mishap that may occur during your trip. If you do not meet with any misfortunate incident during the trip, then the insurance company will take away the entire premium amount.

It is very essential for you to read all the points in a travel insurance policy before you sign the documents. A good travel insurance policy should provide you with the following facilities
  • Medical and health cover
  • 24 hours emergency cover
  • Accident cover
  • Legal expenses cover
  • Lost and stolen possession cover
  • Cancellation cover
But a travel insurance policy has certain exceptions
  • It does not cover alcohol and drug related accidents
  • You must take proper care of your things otherwise an insurance policy will not provide you protection.
While buying a travel insurance cover you should be well aware of the following points
  • Take a multi-trip insurance if you travel very frequently.
  • Cheaper policies provide you with less cover.
  • A good travelling insurance company will provide you cover for cancelling or cutting you trip short.
  • Ensure that the policy will cover the full cost of your holiday.
  • A good policy should also cover your pre-paid expenses.
You should take the insurance policy seven days before you make the trip. You can also choose to limit your policy for small items like cameras and jewellery. If you have lost a certain object, you should record a F.I.R with in 24 hours of such incident. Proof will be necessary when you make your claim.

Good travel insurance will also cover your personal liabilities. Hence it is very important that you take a proper travel insurance policy which would save you from all unexpected incidents.

Best Cheap Hotels in USA

USA earns millions of dollars through its tourism industry every year. Thousands of people visit USA for vacations as well as business ventures. It is very easy to get cheap and discounted accommodation in USA for budget conscious people.

Below is a list of the best available cheap and discount hotels in the various cities of USA.

1.New York
  • Wolcott Hotel: It is located in the centre of New York, near the Empire State building. It provides clean, comfortable and modern stay at an affordable price.
  • Latham Hotel: Situated at the right of 5th Avenue, it is a budget hotel. It has facilities of air conditioner, television and telephone.
  • So Hotel: Located in down town Manhattan, there is no restaurant in the hotel but all rooms have been recently renovated.
  • Winsor Hotel: It provides safe and reasonable accommodation and is located in the centre of the city.
2.Las Vegas
  • Las Vegas Platinum Suits: It has 250 suits and provides safe and comfortable stay to the visitors. It is just one and a half mile away from the heart of Las Vegas.
  • The Carriage House: This hotel has 155 rooms and is recommended for families, teenagers and children. It provides an extremely clean and healthy stay.
  • Palms Place Hotel Spa: This hotel is especially for honeymooners and married couples. It helps them to enjoy swimming pool and spa facilities.
3.Miami
  • They Clay Hotel and Hostel: It has a beautiful environment and is situated near the south beach. You can get accommodation at a very fair price.
  • Motel Blu: It gives you finest hospitality and your stay will always be clean and comfortable. It gives you all these facilities at a very unique price.
  • Island House South Beach: It has rooms ranging from studios to suits. It offers well furnished rooms and bathrooms.
4.Boston
  • The Langham: It has a rich history and provides you with luxury facilities. This hotel is also a national architectural landmark of the country.
  • The Liberty Hotel: This hotel has 289 bedrooms, all are well furnished with important linens and floor to ceiling windows.
  • Red Roof Inn: It provides you with free internet access, microwaves and refrigerator. It welcomes one well mannered family per room
  • Charles Street Inn: This hotel has been thoroughly decorated in antique furnishings and has vibrant wall colors. Roll away beds for adults as well as children are available at cheap prices.
5.Los Angeles
  • Sea Rock Inn: This budget hotel is situated in down town Los Angeles. It provides comfortable stay for businessmen as well honeymooners.
  • Santa Clarita Motel: All rooms in this hotel have television with cable, bath tubs, air-conditioners and large sized beds.
The above hotels will provide a comfortable and clean stay for you in USA at very nominal and reasonable prices.

Holiday in Germany

Germany is a very beautiful country in central Europe. Germany is rich in art and cultural heritage, it has magical castles, vast tracts of land covered by lush green vegetation and it offers the pleasure of having the best wine and beer available in the world. It has a number of old towns, medieval houses, gigantic churches and small villages.

Germany is one of the best and most popular holiday destinations in the world. You can visit Germany at any time of the year but the best time is the autumn season when you can enjoy both seaside vacations as well as skiing trips on the huge mountains. It is an elegant country which has vibrant wine festivals and traditional German Christmas market.

Germany offers you many delights including great outdoor adventures, great music, fun filled annual beer festival, some of the greatest cuisines of the world, spa holidays, summer river cruising, many traditional events and the superb wine. Some of the cities of Germany like Freiburg, Bonn, Hamburg, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Heidelberg and Tubingen attract the greatest number of tourist all the year around.

Germany has great scenery, breathtaking rivers like Rhine and Moselle .It has a fascinating history and wonderful painters. Germany is the land of Holy Roman Empire, Italian Renaissance painters and medieval architectural styles and designs.

Germany is a country of great diversity; it has lovely sandy beaches in the north, lush green valleys and huge mountains in the centre and amusement parks and rivers in the west. All the cities of Germany are united in providing great tour packages and excursions to its visitors.

Germany attracts a lot of attention from people who are cultural seekers and shoppers. The annual beer and wine festival offers great opportunities to all the alcohol lovers to come together and enjoy. It also gives you a chance to enjoy mouth watering dishes of local specialties as well as international standards.

It may sound surprising to the foreign visitors that it is a German custom to charge a fee for entering a beach; in return of the fee you get clean secure beaches including Yoga and live music facilities for youngsters as well as kids. Germany has some of the largest museums containing fantastic treasure of paintings which depict distinctive lifestyles and customs.

Germany's modern and sophisticated cities will surely rejuvenate your senses. All the cities of Germany contain a large number of huge and luxurious hotels which will make your stay very comfortable. In all, Germany is a country that will help you in enjoying a thrilling, enjoyable and learning experience and also help you in creating memories that would last for a life time.

Tips and Advice for Air Travel with Baby

If you are a mother and have a small baby while travelling on a plane then there are certain tips and precautions that you must follow for the safety of your baby as well as your self. Air travel with a baby is the most difficult task. Some of the problems start even before you board the air plane.

So in order to avoid these problems and for a safe air journey for you as well as your baby you should keep in mind the bellow mentioned tips:
  • First of all you should keep all the necessary items that a baby needs, an air plane may or may not have those things. The list includes boiled water, baby food, milk, clean diapers and underpants, napkins and toys for the baby.
  • If you can then book your place in a larger air craft because this will provide more facilities for the baby.
  • Always bring your own utensils and feeding bowls with your self which are sterilized and properly washed.
  • Bring ready to eat food and drinking items for your baby, this would save much of your time and energy in preparing any thing while on board.
  • Always consider going with one other person while you are travelling with a baby on a plane. This would help you to take care of the baby in a proper fashion as that other person would always be there to help you in case the baby is in any trouble.
  • Don not forget to carry warm blankets and clothes for your baby while travelling on a plane. Sometimes the temperature in an air craft may get too low for the baby to bear.
  • Try carrying a car seat for your baby onboard. The car seat is a very good option for safety purposes for the baby.
  • Get a through medical check-up of your baby done. Also ask your doctor whether the baby is safe enough to take a flight, the doctor will tell you about the medical precautions that you should take while travelling with a baby
  • Sometimes the baby may have pain is his or her ears due to the change of pressure in the aircraft, be sure to keep some cotton in handy.
  • Purchase a sling or a back pack carrier; they will help you to carry your baby with much ease and comfort. Special flight vest are required for babies if you have a long flight.
Insure the safety of your baby by following these important advices. They will help your baby to travel more comfortably and securely while travelling by air.

Safe Travelling Tips

Safety is one of the most important measures that one should follow during travelling. Everyone should be aware of all the traffic rules if they are travelling by road. Safety of ourselves as well as other people travelling with us is the most important thing one should be aware of while travelling.

Here are some tips that would ensure your safety while travelling. These tips will surely provide you with guidelines for safe and sound travel.
  • The most important tip that you should follow is that you should not indulge in talking to strangers. Revealing of personal information (like name, address, phone number. Etc.) To people who can misuse it can be dangerous to you.
  • While travelling overseas one should be careful that they have kept all the necessary documents like passport, travel insurance and visa very safely.
  • While travelling by road one should not be drunk, necessary traffic rules should be followed. While travelling across borders of different countries make sure that you have the required permit.
  • Get a through medical check up of your self and your family before going on a trip. You should make sure that you do not carry any disease that will spread through direct, air or water contact.
  • Make sure that you have packed your luggage and essential items in a proper manner. You should take care of your bags and ensure that they are not lost or misplaced.
  • It is very necessary for you to carry a map of the place your are visiting, this will help you in locating all the important places and will also help in case you are lost or in any kind of danger.
  • Always carry the contact number and address of the hotel you are staying in. Incase you are travelling on a cruise ship you should carry the name of the cruise liner as well as your travel agent.
  • Incase of overseas travel always carry the address of the Embassy of your host country; this will help you in case you are in any kind of trouble.
  • Do some beforehand research of the customs and religious practices of the natives of the place you are going to. It would offend the locals if you do some thing which is not in accordance with their religious beliefs.
  • Take precautions to prevent your self from becoming the target of any kind of crime. Do not wear expensive jewellery neither carry a heavy amount of cash.
Following these tips will surely make your travel experience more safe and enjoyable.

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