Eurail Offers Students Free Travel Days on Their Eurail Pass

Eurail.com (http://www.eurail.com) offers students a fantastic new discount when travelling abroad: two free rail travel days.

Now through December 31, 2009, all youth travellers age 25 or younger on their first day of travel, with a valid International Student Identity Card (ISIC), can purchase a 21-day Eurail Global Pass Youth and get a total of 23 days at no additional cost.

As part of this Eurail special, promotional pass holders travelling with Superfast Ferries from Italy to Greece or vice versa can upgrade from deck to a bed in an AB4 shared cabin*.

"This is an amazing deal," says Paulien Pierik, Managing Director of Eurail.com. "Not only do you get two extra days to explore your favourite countries and countless other fascinating destinations -- with the ferry upgrade, you can kick off your shoes and get a good night's sleep and hot shower before continuing on your exciting journey."

With a Eurail Global Pass, students with ISIC discount cards will enjoy:

•Two free days on the 21-day pass, for a total of 23
•An upgrade to a shared cabin when travelling between Italy and Greece on Superfast Ferries
•Extensive rail travel in 21 countries
•Free and fast shipping, lowest prices, secure payment
•The ability to order up to six months in advance

Conditions apply. For more information about the Eurail student discount and conditions, visit the Eurail.com promotion page at http://www.eurail.com/eurail-monthly-promotion.

* Customers must display ISIC and Eurail Global Pass (promotional pass) at check in to be entitled to the upgrade.

Source: PRNewswire

Grab Airfare Bargains When You Spot Them!

Airfarewatchdog(TM), the most inclusive source of airfare deals, researched and verified by experts, today urged travelers to not panic about media reports claiming that expensive airfares will be commonplace during peak holiday travel this year. The site's founder, George Hobica, notes, "Some routes, especially those served by a large number of airlines, have experienced wide fluctuations in price, and not just in the up direction."

Airfarewatchdog found fares from Newark to San Francisco, departing the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and returning the Sunday after, for over $600 round-trip including taxes. Two days later, seats could be had for $389 round-trip with taxes and two days after that, fares had begun to climb again.

To find a holiday airfare bargain, Hobica also suggests that travelers:

•Check fares every day, several times a day, and when travelers see a fare they can afford or consider reasonable - grab it.
•Don't hesitate to book a fare if they find a peak holiday airfare for long haul routes under $400 round-trip with tax, or under $300 on shorter haul routes.
•Fly airlines that give full "fare drop" refunds. Three airlines--Southwest, JetBlue, and Alaska--will refund the difference in full if a fare goes down between the time they buy and the time they fly. Refunds are in the form of a credit good for future travel; other airlines offer refunds, but deduct $100 to $150 from any money due, often wiping out any savings.
•Check airline sites directly, since airlines don't always share their entire seat inventory with third party search and aggregator sites.

Source: PRNewswire

The Top 10 Wacky Attractions in America

TripAdvisor, one of the best travel websites in my opinion, has announced the ten wackiest tourist spots in the United States, according to its travelers and editors.

1. Toilet Seat Museum, Alamo Heights, Texas

Barney Smith's unusual museum holds the top spot for the most wackiest tourist attraction.  His collection of over 700 decorated toilet seat lids is displayed in his oversized garage and attracts over 1000 visitors a year.  But don't ask to go to the bathroom, there isn't one available. 

2. Carhenge, Alliance, Nebraska
England has Stonehenge, we have Carhenge.  Basically it's a collection of old cars that have been painted grey to look like stone and arranged like the massive structures in Stonehenge. 

3. Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas
And to truly convince the foreigner that we are a car-crazy nation, we point to this car-centered wacky attraction.  It's ten half-buried graffiti-covered Cadillacs where the visitor is invited to spray paint on these colorful cars.  It's a way to express your own artistic talent using old Cadillacs as your canvas.

4. Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia
I want to go to this museum!  Two room house a huge collection of Pez dispensers through the ages; from the very first Pez that was sold in the 1950s. It even has the world's largest Pez dispenser (a snowman that stands seven feet, 10 inches tall).

5. Gatorland, Orlando, Florida
If alligators are your thing, then you can't miss this place.  There are over 1000 alligators for you to enjoy and you can even feed them raw hot dogs or take a picture sitting on an alligator; that's something you don't get to do in Disney.

6. The Paris Texas Eiffel Tower, Paris, Texas
This other Paris has a tower that's 65 feet tall topped with a cowboy hat on top.

7. House on the Rock, Spring Green, Wisconsin
I guess it's the only museum sitting on top of a rock that's 60 feet tall that has an eclecting collection of stuff  like automated musical instruments.

8. Stonehenge II, Kerrville, Texas
This tourist attraction not only has a replica of the original Stonehenge in Britain, but it even has a replica of the Easter Island statues. Who says you need a passport to visit ancient sites?

9. Extraterrestrial Highway, Rachel, Nevada
After years of reports of bizarre extraterrestrial behavior near top-secret government base Area 51, a stretch of Nevada State Route 375 was deemed the Extraterrestrial Highway. Be prepared and make sure that you bring a videocam when you ride on this highway.

10. Minnesota Twine Ball, Darwin, Minnesota
Remember that old I Love Lucy episode when the Ricardos and the Mertzes went on a cross-country car trip, got involved with a local situation and was rewarded with a huge ball of aluminum foil? Well this place actually has the world’s largest ball of twine, weighing 17,400 pounds and measuring 12 feet in diameter. Creator Francis A. Johnson worked on the creation for decades before he died and left behind a now-beloved landmark, housed safely in a gazebo for travelers to see. One TripAdvisor traveler said, “The very nice man opened the gazebo and let us take in the whole experience — the smell and touch of the ball.”

From PRNewswire

Portland Chinese Classical Garden

This block long garden is modeled on the estate of a retired scholar/administrator during the Ming Dynasty in Suzhou, one of the oldest cities in China. Portland is a sister city of Suzhou and received a lot of help from its artisans in transforming an old parking lot into a retired scholar's estate complete with gardens and man-made lake. It is literally an oasis in the middle of an urban jungle. The details are breathtaking. The overall effect is soothing and a Sunday afternoon can't be better spent.

There are guided tours that are included in the entrance fee which gives you some information on how and why things were constructed the way they are. There is also a tea house in which you can enjoy a cup of tea and some munchies.

Hidden mini-waterfall behind the willow tree.

Covered bridge leading to the living quarters from the Main Hall

Portal leading to the Scholar's Study

Entrance to Scholar's Study

Hanging lanterns in the Sitting Room

Mid-lake Pavillion

Portland Japanese Garden Part 3: The Rest of the Gardens

As you stroll through the rest of the Garden, your heartbeat slows and you know that there is more than enough here to discover for a whole afternoon.  And I would suggest just that you do take a whole afternoon to savor this very pretty place.

Moon Bridge and lower Strolling Pond

Lower Strolling Pond

Heavenly Falls

The Natural Garden

The Sand and Rock Garden

Portland Japanese Garden Part 2: Strolling Pond Garden

You walk towards the Strolling Pond Garden and you can smell (in this case) wonderful, natural things.  I don't know what it is but it would come from a combination of fragrant flowers, plants and trees.  The moon bridge which crosses the pond is so romantic, you can't help but linger for a long while.

Portland Japanese Garden: The Flat Garden

It was brutal. Portland was suffering through an atypical hot summer week that was registering 95 degrees and above. My friend and I decided to come around 5PM when the day should start getting somewhat cooler. I wasn't sure about spending some time in the garden. I wanted shade, will there be shade, please let there be shade. We were waiting at the parking lot for the open air shuttle bus to bring us to the garden entrance, otherwise it would be a 10 minute climb up in very hot weather. I consider myself a delicate, hothouse flower, I am waiting for the van. We paid our $8 entrance fee, got a map and walked in. The very first building we saw was a small gift shop. Okay, keep walking. We walked to our left to look for the Pavilion typically made of wood and Shoji screens and it has a verandah. Inside was another gift shop, forget that, because in front of the pavilion was The Flat Garden.

Now to me a garden has lots of flowers and bushes. But looking at The Flat Garden, your eye looks first at the sand design and then you notice how the shrubs and small trees and additional sculptures frame it. The sand is raked smooth except around some bit of ground which has some shape. You are immediately made to ponder over this garden in serenity. You just can't help it. It's stunning. The Pavilion provided some shade and there were chairs on the veranda to encourage you to sit and contemplate. In the heat, the white sand got me thinking about vanilla ice cream.

I'm not sure that was what the gardeners had in mind, but I thought that eating an ice cream cone on a hot day looking at the garden was a nice way to spend a few minutes.

From there I sauntered over to the other gardens.  This five acre park seems so secluded.  You wouldn't know that you're in the middle of the city.  Granted, Portland is not urban by New York City or Chicago standards but it is still a city of some size.  Approximately 200,000 people live here.  traffic is not bad at all.  You can go from one end to the other of the city in approximately 20 minutes.

There are four other parks within this enclave.  I've attached pictures which of course doesn't do justice to it but it gives you a good idea of what you can find which I hope will encourage you visit Portland's Japanese Garden.

Two Days in Portland, Oregon

I thought Portland was going to be like Seattle, only smaller. I was wrong. Portland is quirky, relaxed, ecologically conscious, and earnest. People are friendly but not overly so. Bike lanes abound and are used regularly and not as some kind of highway decoration. Cars stop for pedestrians -- that was a shock for me. I'm used to letting cars get their way, but in Portland, they have considerately waited for me while I considerately waited for them, until I figured out that they wouldn't drive until I walked across and our mutual consideration would create a traffic standstill. You see many Portlanders carrying their aluminum bottles filled with water or some other beverage. Portland has an Oldtown, a Chinatown, as well as other ethnic neighborhoods, and many computer venture capitalists that have escaped California.

So what did I do in Portland, well I only had 48 hours so I chose the things that Portland was famous for: gardens, beer, and chocolate. Well, Portland should be known for them. Portland has the finest Japanese Garden outside of Japan as well as the largest Chinese Classical Garden based on the gardens of Suzhou. In addition they have a beautiful terraced rose garden where over 400 different varieties of roses grow. After all that nature, you can imbibe a byproduct of nature. Beer. Portland has a lively microbrewery scene and you can visit many pubs that have their own brands and they are not all expensive. After a meal and some suds you should also check out several gourmet chocolate shops that can be found in this small city. I'll write individual reviews of the above but I would rather have you experience Portland, Oregon itself. There's more than enough to do in the city for a weekend, and even more to do if you take advantage of the recreations that can be found outside of Portland. So for those of you who haven't thought of Portland as a destination. Consider putting it on your list.

LeSportsac Travel Tote

I love LeSportsac. I like their colorful designs. I love how the material is so light and airy that it doesn't feel like you are carrying a big tote bag, yet these bags are so sturdy. They are perfect for travel as a second carry on bag to have with you in case your checked bag is overweight. When it's empty you can roll it up and stick it into a handbag but if you have a lot of things to carry it can expand and let you carry so much. And you don't have to worry about it bursting at the seams! Another plus is pockets. Pockets, pockets, pockets. You can never have enough when you travel and this tote has many. Also as a girlie girl it's great that it comes in all sorts of patterns and colors. They are eyecatching, convenient, fresh.

Enjoy 2 days for the price of 1 at Universal Studios Hollywood!

I am a kid at heart and I still love going to theme parks as an adult without kids. And I know I'm not the only one. That's why I was excited to find out about the 2 days for the price of 1 deal at Universal Studios Hollywood and I'm passing it on to you. If you are going to or near Los Angeles you might want to take a break from all the stargazing and spend a couple of days being a kid at heart. Buy a 1 day ticket for $67.99 and get a second day free! This deal is for a limited time only and tickets must be bought online.

One-way flight from Cancun was only $89 on AirTran!

I saw that AirTran was having a sale and couldn't believe the prices from Cancun to my base airport. I fly on a space available basis because I work for an airline. It's never a problem trying to get to a destination, it's more of a problem trying to get back from a destination. So when I saw the fares, I had to take advantage. When you include all the charges and fees, the price increased to a little over $160. Also, I do have a layover at Atlanta but that's okay.

Of course as soon as the transaction was processed, I saw that American Airlines was also having a fare sale. Well you know what that means, as soon as 1 or 2 airlines start slashing fares there will be a fare war. That's all good for the passenger and it's good for the industry because it keeps us employed. Bring it on!

Hillary as a Jack O Lantern

Is it Halloween already? Please, someone in her staff discreetly tell her that wearing a day-glo orange pantsuit against a dark background does not project the authority that she wants to display as Secretary of State.

On the other hand it might scare the Russians to our point of view.

Review of Hotwire.com

I mainly use Hotwire for their discount hotel services so that's what I am reviewing. Hotwire.com has great rates in every city but you won't know what hotel it is until after you have paid. For example, let's say you want to stay at a hotel in San Francisco. Now San Francisco is a great travel destination and attract many visitors each year. To accommodate all the tourists, there are many hotels in all areas of San Francisco. So which one to pick?

Well, at Hotwire.com you would type in the city, the dates that you will be checking in and checking out, the number of rooms, the number of adults and children checking in. Once you enter your information you will get a list of available hotels by star rating, price per night, hotel amenities and area in San Francisco. Now at this point you will still not get the name of the hotel, you will find that out after you have picked one and paid for it up front. That can be daunting for some people, however, Hotwire.com only deals with well-known hotel chains and brands so that is a certainty that can help you feel comfortable in choosing one of the hotels on the listing.

Once you click on one of the hotels listed, you will get additional information. You will get the total price of your stay (including taxes and fees), the area that the hotel is located, the star rating of the hotel, check in/out dates, amenities, the hotel chains that qualify under the star rating and description of services that fit that star rating. Now that's a lot of information to comfortably choose a hotel. For example, a stay in San Francisco from July 31 - August 9 this year I am choosing a hotel that is rated 3 stars, is in the Fisherman's Wharf area, that has a fitness center, swimming pool, in-house restaurant, business center, laundry facilities, and high speed internet access for $143 per night. The 3-star rating means that the hotel chains that qualify are Holiday Inn, Radisson, DoubleTree, etc. With all that information, I feel very comfortable in choosing that hotel. And I've rarely been disappointed.

Actually, I experience a thrill once I click on my choice and paid for it and found out that I will be staying at a 4-star Hyatt for less than half the rack rate. The one time that it had disappointed me was when I chose to stay in small city. In a small city, there are much fewer hotels, so you can't actually pinpoint your area as narrowly and what I ended up with was a hotel that was not near the city center and I had to use a cab to get to it from the rail station. However, it was a short cab ride and the star rating of the hotel stayed true.

Depending on the season, the rates that you get through Hotwire can be unbelievable. Off peak, I have stayed in 4-star hotels for under $75. Hotwire has been a wonderful and reliable service and would recommend it highly.

Customer care: 1-866-HOTWIRE

Don't forget to use deodorant!

With the weak economy and fewer business travel warriors roaming the skies, the airlines have been forced to reduce capacity either by reducing the number of flights and/or downsizing the planes. What this means is that there are fewer empty seats on each flight and more passengers are being forced to get cozy with each other. It is more important than ever to be thoughtful of your fellow passenger by observing the rules of good hygiene.

1. Eliminate as much body odor as possible. This can really be done effectively by taking showers regularly and using deodorant. Now there are some individuals who feel that a body's natural aroma should not be denied; you must be European, feel free to use European airlines such as Lufthansa or British Airways and so forth. However if you are flying on an American airline, you should follow American hygiene practices. Your American seatmates will thank you for it. Otherwise, trade seats with an American who is sitting with a European and everybody will be happier.
2. If you use perfume, cologne, after shave, eau de toilette etc. use a scent that is not overpowering and use it sparingly. Less is more in this case.
3. Control your halitosis (aka bad breath). Always have a supply of minty tasting gum or breath mints.
4. Watch what you eat before your flight; try not to have anything garlicky or any strong smelling spice. I myself love garlic. Life without garlic is a life without flavor, but I don't want people to know what I had for lunch and I'm not interested in what other people had for lunch either.
5. Before your flight, don't eat anything that will cause you gas. You'll have to expel it either through the front door or the back door, either way, it is rude. It's always a good idea to have tissues with you to discreetly burp. If you feel a fart coming, please hold it until you get to the bathroom.

Of course the above is just a starting point. Anything you want to add I'll consider to the above list.

Your favorite CSA

I was surfing Youtube and happened to see this MAD TV spoof of a United CSA. With all the cutbacks I hope it doesn't come to this!

Airline layoffs mean more waiting for you

Continental lays off 3000 workers! United cuts 1400 from its payroll! US Airways lays off 600. American Airlines reduces workforce by 1600!

It's a trying time to be a customer service agent but it will be even more trying for you the passenger. If you're the type of passenger who thinks CSAs are equivalent to the gatekeeper from hell, you're probably happy that there will be less of us to hassle you and you can always use the kiosk to check-in. However, you're checking in and the kiosk says "Unable to process, please see an Agent" Then what? Yes, you can call your travel agent, but what if the office is closed when the problem occurs. Or what if you bought your ticket from Orbitz or Cheaptickets or Travelocity? You will have to go to the dreaded "Full Service Line" and the line is meandering around the terminal...and you have to start boarding in 15 minutes.

Yes, things do go wrong and it's that time that you realize how much the airline industry has downsized when there's only one of us and 500 of you waiting on line.

Please realize when you're on that line that we will do the best we can to fix your ticket. When you're in line and in a panic because you don't want to miss your flight and the agent is just talking on the phone while a passenger is standing in front of her, we're not calling our mother-- we're calling our support desk. We can only service one passenger at a time and some problems take longer than others. It's not that we don't care but we do feel the huge anxiety emanating from all of you but we can only help one passenger at a time.

So what can you do. Here are some tips:

1. Check-in online at the airline website. Things usually go well and most likely you just have to go to the gate when you arrive at the airport (unless you have to check-in a bag). If it does not go well online, then call the 800 number for customer service of your airline to see if you can clear it up before you go to the airport. Please don't forget to print your boarding pass.
2. When you come to the airport know at least three things: your full name as stated on your ticket, your connection city or destination, and what time you are supposed to leave. You would be surprised at how many idiots (I'm sorry but I have to think that) who come up to me to check in and don't know where they are going or what time. People, there are many flights at different times to different cities, we need all three above information to locate your ticket. If you have a 6-digit confirmation number or locator number or itinerary number, it makes things that much easier for us.
3. Bring the credit card that you used to buy the ticket, sometimes we can use that to locate your itinerary.
4. If you do have a problem with your ticket, get to the airport early so that you have extra time to wait for a CSA and extra time for the CSA to resolve your issue and still make your flight.
5. Bring the customer service number of your ticketing service, you might need it. Then while you are waiting in line you can give Expedia or Priceline a call to see if they can resolve your issue.
6. If you found out at the airport that you have a problem when you tried to check in at the kiosk and you only have 15 minutes until you board your flight, then consider the possibility that you might not make it to the flight and try to be flexible and open to the options to resolve your problem.
7. Have patience and bring some bottled water and some snacks to tide you over while you are waiting. We really do appreciate your patience and we will give you as much time as needed to solve your issue.
8. Problems are usually a technical issue so don't get mad at us, we're trying to help you get to where you want to go and we will do what we can to help you.

Travel light and cheap

Leisure travelers pack way too much and inevitably they run across the excess baggage fees. Then they look at me and get mad and ask..."When did you start charging for baggage?"..."How much?!"..."That's ridiculous! I paid so much for this ticket!"...then you take your huge bags off the scale and start taking pieces out to keep the bag under 50 pounds and muttering under your breath. Understand, that it is not my fault, I'm following our baggage policy, be glad that I gave you a chance to take the stuff out so that you don't have to pay the overweight baggage fee.

You only travel once a year, but seriously, if you are traveling for a week or two weeks you don't need to pack your entire wardrobe. There are things called laundromats and hotels do have laundry services. The rest of your wardrobe is probably wishfully thinking about an experience that you hope will happen. You're thinking you'll meet Handsome Rich Dude or Cute Rich Girl who'll grab you by the hand and bring you to his/her yacht/mansion with pool/beachside house and dance until dawn at a hip club and you'll want to impress with your CLOTHES(?).

Now I hate to tell you this but the chances of meeting Handsome Rich Dude or Cute Rich Girl in coach is somewhat nil. They'll be hanging out at the First Class Lounge. And no they won't let you in exchange for some frequent flyer miles.

Or perhaps you are packing for any kind of emergency or situation. Let's say you're headed to Cancun but you're afraid that your plane might have to crash land in the Yucatan jungle. In that case you definitely want to make sure that you're not without the safari suit you bought from Banana Republic. Well, chances are if you do crash land in the Yucatan, everybody's suitcases are going to be flung every which way and your chances of finding your own suitcase is the same as...crash landing in the Yucatan. Besides, knowing Banana Republic they probably do have a store in the jungles of the Yucatan and you can buy there.

Checking-in luggage of unusual size can create a hassle for you and might delay your flight or even cause a change in your travel itinerary. This usually happens when passengers check in with things like cross-country skis or pole vaults. Checking in with something too big or too long may mean that you can't get it on the plane because the baggage bins are too small and may cause you to be rerouted and go through a connection because the checked-in item needs to be stowed on a bigger airplane.

Also, don't pack anything fragile in your suitcase. The underbelly of a plane is like a football field. Taking off and landing, and any turbulence during a flight makes the baggage area inside a plane similar to an electric mixer. The fine wine that you packed with your clothes will only be enjoyed by sucking it through your shirt.

The other thing that I see when I check people in for their flight is that their carry-on bag is heavy. Try to keep the weight of your carry-on bag manageable. You might hurt yourself or the passenger sitting underneath when you lift your bag and can't quite reach the overhead bin. Now you might be thinking to yourself that the flight attendant should do this and they could; but don't forget that the flight attendant is there for safety reasons and is not supposed to be your porter, in addition the flight attendant will not want to take the risk of hurting him/herself and go on disability because you packed a very heavy bag. Most airlines have a maximum weight of 40 pounds for carry-on and believe me, that's heavy.

In all seriousness, it would probably be easier for your to pack less and choose your travel clothes wisely. But here are some tips for you so that checking in and air travel will be a much smoother process.

1. Pack light. If you check in more than two bags, the excess bag charges will be very costly.
2. It costs less to check in two bags each under 50 pounds than one overweight bag. Be sure to carry an extra duffel bag or large tote bag so that you have something to put your excess clothes in.
3. Keep your carry-on bag light so that you don't strain anything when you lift the bag on or off the overhead bin. If it's over 20 pounds put it in under the seat in front of you.
4. If you bought a lot of stuff during your vacation, check and see if it's cheaper to send your clothes home and pack your new stuff instead of paying the excess baggage fee. If you are traveling with more than one person coordinate so that each traveler is using their baggage allowance effectively.
5. Don't check in an expensive or fragile item as baggage. You run the very real risk of having it broken or the baggage lost and the compensation that you are entitled to might not be as much as the value of the item.
6. Don't check in something that is irreplaceable because you run the risk of losing the bag. If you were shopping and found the perfect wedding dress for your wedding, don't pack it in your check-in bag, pack it with your carry-on. It saves a lot of heartache.
7. The day before you leave, check your airline website and check whether the stuff you are checking in is allowed on your plane.
8. Your carry-on bag shouldn't be too big, again check with your airline website to make sure that your carry-on bag dimensions are allowed as carry-on.
9. Pack your liquids over 3 ounces with your check-in bags.
10. Prepay your bag on your airline website it might be cheaper.