Tag: travel club

How To Improve Your Group Travel Experience

by hotelsetcstaff, posted in Home 
I took my first group tour this summer. That was a learning experience. Don’t get me wrong. I had lots of fun, but for someone who has always traveled alone, I had some “learning” to do.

First things first! Getting to know my co-travellers! This was easy and fun, cause our group leader organized several get-togethers way in advance, so we could get to know each other, and get all or questions answered. And there were many questions, like, where would we stay, where can we buy travel insurance, what should we bring, what will immigration and customs documents will be need! And more.

Then roommates had to be assigned, because it would be cheaper to share a room than to have your own room. So unless you were a family , you got a roommate. I got two roommates, and we really hit it off. One roommate was a die hard shopper, and the other was an eternal organizer. So between the three of us, we had a ball.

But I did have to learn to be patient. Our group was very diverse. We had kids, teenagers, and some older persons. So things did not always move as quickly ( or as efficiently) as when I travel alone.  We usually had to wait and make sure that everyone was accounted for before our tour bus could leave for the next stop. Hotel check-ins did not always go smoothly, but once we got settled the rooms were comfortable.

The key to enjoying group travel is to be patient and to be considerate. Be flexible and tolerant in order to accommodate others in the group, and do your best to stick to the itinerary schedule. Don’t show up at 7:30 when the Bus was scheduled to leave at 7AM. Take your sense of humor with you, and you will definitely have a good time.

Group travel is an excellent way to make new friends and to foster old friendships. If you want to spend quality time with your friends, family members, or business colleagues and enjoy a wonderful vacation experience at the same time, then I highly recommend a group travel tour!

Bringing Along Your Cellular Phone While Traveling

by hotelsetcstaff, posted in Home 
We all agree that the invention of the cellular phone has made our lives so much easier.  It has afforded us the convenience of being able to communicate with others while we are mobile.  The cellular phone enables us to make and receive important calls, send and receive text messages and some models even allow us to check our emails and store important documents functioning more like a personal digital assistant.  It is no wonder that majority of the people nowadays have their very own cellular phones and they even bring it along with them on their travels be it locally or internationally. 
	
If you will be traveling abroad with your cellular phone in tow, you need to let your mobile phone operator enable your phone for international roaming.  This process may vary among different operators but it usually takes only a short while and usually after 24 hours your international roaming service will already be activated.  When you will be availing of this service, make certain that you clearly ask your operator how much you will be charged for call and text services.  Be in the know if you will be charged for calls and messages that you will be receiving when you are out of the country because certain operators even charge you for this.  So despite the fact that you may not have used your phone for calls or texts, you may have been receiving calls or messages that may shock you upon receiving your bill.
	
It would be best for you to buy a local sim card in your country of destination if you will be staying there for quite some time.  This would enable you to save more because call charges under international roaming services could be costly.  Though some operators actually lock your cellular phones to their network making you unable to use the sim card, you can find many local retailers who could unlock your cellular phone.  Just be careful though because certain operators would forfeit the warranty of your cellular phone if you have it unlocked.  
	
When traveling always have a copy of your cellular phone number and serial or IMEI number for you can never predict if untoward incidents may happen.  In case you will be a victim of theft, immediately report to your operator your mobile number and IMEI number to have them disable your phone.  Report it then to the local police authorities.  
	
When traveling with your mobile phone always keep it safe and avoid showing it off.

Heise Hot Springs In Idaho – A Great Vacation And Travel Destination

by hotelsetcstaff, posted in Home 
If you like those out of the way places that are hidden gems then you will love the Heise Hot Springs located near the Snake River close to Idaho Falls. This resort has been family run since 1898 and it offers many fun activities for tourists and even locals. Fun things include a 350 foot water slide that is wonderful for all ages, a nine hole golf course, swimming pools, and even float and fishing trips down the Snake River. There are two options for housing and this includes the RV park where you can park your own RV or else you can stay in a two bedroom cabin. The hot springs are closed in November, but are open for your enjoyment the rest of the year.

The hours of the Heise Hot Springs are 8 am until 10 pm daily Memorial Day to Labor Day and in the winter from 2 pm to 10 pm on weekdays and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am until 10 pm. The fee for entrance is $6 for adults and $3 for kids under 11. This makes for an ultra affordable vacation if you are on a budget and even if you aren't you will still appreciate an affordable outing for your entire family for once.

The hot springs are located at 5116 E. Heise Road in Ririe, Idaho. If you are traveling by RV in Idaho you must include the hot springs on your list of things to do. There are of course many other fun activities in Idaho as well include mining era towns, museums, canyons, and even theme parks. When you think of places to vacation Idaho might not jump to the top of the list but there are many beautiful places in this great state and lots of fun things to do. You will be surprised at all Idaho has to offer not to mention relieved at the affordable prices of many of the tourist attractions.

There is a website that has great information on USA Vacations and Unique Travel Spots Listed State By State and Season, the website is called: Seasonal Vacation Spots, and can be found at this url:

http://www.seasonalvacationspots.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007 

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Annual Travel Insurance

by hotelsetcstaff, posted in Home 
Annual Travel Insurance covers you for every holiday you take for twelve consecutive months. Annual Travel Insurance is generally meant for people who take more than one holiday every year. If you are taking a three-week holiday in some destination during summer and another holiday later in the year, then Annual Travel Insurance could help you save money. Because, if you hold an Annual Travel Insurance, there is no need to spend money for purchasing insurance every time you travel.

Annual Travel Insurance is an insurance policy or contract under which the insurance company agrees to pay for loss or damage or injury encountered by you during your trip. This includes trip cancellation, evacuation, medical emergency, baggage loss etc. If you hold proper Annual Travel Insurance then your worries or anticipations regarding your safety during the trip will be no more.

Annual Travel Insurance policies cover you for one year with an unlimited number of trips. That means, you can have unlimited number of holidays or business trips as you wish and have a guarantee that for all the trips for the next twelve months you will always be covered. During this one year, you can travel as many trips you like, but no trips should exceed the maximum number of days you have selected in your policy. Annual Travel Insurance policy will cover you for a period of one year from the start date you choose. So, one has to be careful in mentioning the start date in the policy. Annual Travel Insurance gives you superior cover levels and reduced excess payments that you need to pay to make your travel insurance claim. Burglary, hijack, hospital expenses, flight delay, travel delay, cancellation, evacuation - everything is covered in a better way if you hold an Annual Travel Insurance. Annual Travel Insurance gives you complete peace of mind all throughout the year and also gives cover to your delayed baggage, loss of personal items or cash, or passport documents.

Obtaining an Annual Travel Insurance policy is very simple. First, select the destinations you wish to be covered for the next consecutive twelve months, and then select the date you want your Annual Travel Insurance to start. After that you have to clear what kind of party you need to cover, that is whether you go for single person, family, couple, group of people etc. and their age groups.

An overview of Poland for Travelers

by hotelsetcstaff, posted in Home 
Poland has a unique history in Europe, often pulled between Russian and Western interests. It you are planning a trip to Poland, here is some background information your should know. 

An Overview of Poland for Travelers

The official name of the country is the Republic of Poland. It covers an area of roughly 120,000 square miles, about the same size as the State of New Mexico in the United States. The capital of the country is Warsaw, which is also the biggest city by population with nearly 1.7 million residents calling it home. Other cities of significance include Lodz with a population of just fewer than 800,000, Krakow with 760,000 residents and Gdansk with 460,000 people. The terrain of Poland is primarily flat although mountains can be found in the region along the southern border of the country. 

Citizens of the Republic of Poland are known as Polish. The most recent census found there 36.8 million people living in the country, though some are undocumented aliens. The annual growth rate for the population is stagnant, neither growing nor declining sufficiently to be considered to be changing from a statistical point of view. Unlike many European countries, Poland is primarily populated by its own people with Polish people making up 98 percent of the ethnicity. A smattering of German, Ukrainian, Belorussian and Lithuanian people also live in the country. 

Poland is a predominantly uniform religious country. Over 90 percent of Poles subscribe to the Roman Catholic faith. Followers of Eastern Orthodox, Uniate, Protestant and Judaism can also be found. 

The literacy rate in Poland is over 98 percent, on par with rates throughout much of Europe. The official language is Polish, which is also the dominant language actually used by the citizens of Poland. Life expectancy for Polish men is 70 years of age, while women life an extra nine years on average, a marked difference. 

Poland is often overshadowed by Hungary and Czech as a travel destination in the former bloc countries of the Soviet Union. This gives you an opportunity to experience it before the fast food joints of the west start taking over the quaint country.