Travel Tips

The classic conflict that comes up when the family is voting on the next great vacation outing is, Should we go to the mountains or the beach? Well if you review all that America has to offer, it wont get much easier because we have some of the most exciting mountains and the finest beaches in the whole world right here in the USA.

Maybe world travelers can speak of the great beaches of France or Europe but you dont have to fly over the ocean to be on some of the best beaches that can be had this side of heaven. And it stands to reason America would posses some of the most extraordinary and sought after beaches in the world. With an ocean on three sides of the country, the shores of Americas coast are literally thousands of miles long. So it isnt whether America has great beaches but which one to pick that is really a question.

Sometimes we here on the mainland forget that Hawaii is just as much America as Iowa or Massachusetts. But Hawaii has something very special to offer and that is the finest beaches in the world for swimming, surfing or just laying on the sand soaking up the rays. The only problem with Hawaiis beaches is that there is so much to do on the Islands and so much beauty everywhere you look that it is hard to take the time to really enjoy those beaches for all their worth. But they deserve a big part of your vacation schedule so take advantage of these idyllic beaches which you are enjoying your visit to the islands.

Just a short hop over the ocean to the mainland and you can be on the beaches of California which rival Hawaiis and, in fact, any beach in the US or around the world. California has such a long coastline that you can find almost every kind of beach terrain you can think of traveling up and down Californias coast. Not only that, the colorful and eccentric California population is always a great people watching experience as you relax on those beaches, especially on the well known beaches of Los Angeles like Laguna or Venice Beach.

But you dont have to be left without beach access if you live on the east coast because the shorelines of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Cape Code and even Maine are just as scenic and picturesque as any the west coast have to offer. Even in the middle of the hustle and bustle of city life in Boston, there are wonderful beaches nestled right in with the urban build up. Revere Beach, which lies just north of Boston, is a hidden treasure. With its long sandy shoreline, it is the delight for many a Massachusetts youth looking for a romantic beach or a place to just get in some good ocean fun.

We cannot end our discussion of great American beaches without mentioning the phenomenal opportunities on both the east and west shores of Florida. The perfect pure white sands that is as soft as cotton can be found on the west banks of the peninsula that are so pristine that they compare with some of the great beaches of Europe.

So if this summer sneaks up on your family and that battle of mountain or beach rears its head, you know that you dont have to settle for the mountains if the family has its heart set on some ocean side fun, some swimming, surfing, sailing and all the other great fun that can be had at one of Americas great beaches. From the Midwest, you literally have all the beaches we have discussed plus hundreds more that we will leave for you to get out there and discover. So get out those swim trunks and dust off that snorkeling mask. Americas top beaches are calling for you.

The United Kingdom or UK for short is one of the more popular territories in Europe. Keep in mind that when traveling in Europe, you need a separate visa to visit this area of the continent. United Kingdom is not usually part of Europe Tour packages so make sure to inform your traveling agent beforehand that you want United Kingdom to be part of the itinerary so you wont have any problems.

You would not want to miss retracing the life of one of the worlds beloved royalty Princess Diana. Here are some sights in United Kingdom you should try to squeeze in your schedule.

London is for you to taste the English kind of life – the privileged and the luxurious kind of life. The Original London Walks is Londons South Bank Walk where walking has never been more leisurely. Having an unguided stroll through this path while smelling the breeze of the Thames River is something you cannot do in other countries that are too developed because most of those cities will be filled with big buildings so the city sidewalk is all you have along with the noisy cars.

You also have to check out Harrods to get a taste of English shopping. The home of the royalties that is the Buckingham Palace has been the residence of the royal bloods since Queen Victorias time.

Ireland is home to a lot of the legendary authors of all time. Discover how many of them grew up or even better stay there longer and try your hand at writing. There are surely some inspirations you can pick up in the busy streets and in the lonely unpaved roads to the provinces.

Drop by Sligo to have a taste of Irish culture and to see for your eyes why WB Yeats loved this place so much. While you are there, take home a seashell with you. The locals have this penchant for shell fish primarily because of the fact that the literal translation of Sligo is place of shells.

The Rock of Gibraltar is one of the wonders of nature. There was even a movie made about it starring Drew Barrymore when she was still a kid. The rock is said to have been there already even before the British came. The Strait of Gibraltar links two big bodies of water the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. There is something about the place that is truly special for the British to fight over Spain just to continue its domination. In case you did not know the famous designer John Galliano is from this place.

These are just some of the many stops and sights in United Kingdom. There are still so many other worthy places to visit that are frequent favorites or obscure ones waiting to be discovered. The sights to see in United Kingdom are boundless. It is no wonder why one of Europes biggest businesses is its tourism industry. Imagine United Kingdom is just a portion of Europe. If you are overwhelmed by all the possibilities then think very carefully about the objective of your vacation. From then on you can start jotting down the places you want to visit and cut them down if you think you are going to have problems due to time constraint.

After the end of the second world war, during Russias offensive against the Nazis, many small countries fell under the umbrella of the Soviet Union. When the wall came down and the cold war ended, many of these small republics declared impendence and one of these countries is Romania.

Tourists from the United States can get to Romania by boarding Austrian Airlines. This is the preferred carrier since it has daily flights from the Atlantic as well as to other cities in this country.

If the people are traveling across Europe and have arrived from another country, it is still possible to get to Romania by riding the train, renting a car or on a bus. The travel time will be from 2 to 6 hours depending where the person is coming from given the terrain.

Romania has some sights to offer people dating back to the middle ages. The most visited castle in this country is the Peles castle that is the work of German new renaissance architecture.

It has over 160 rooms and each room shows signs of excellent craftsmanship as done on the windows, chandeliers, leather, ebony and ivory sculptures.

A smaller castle not far from the first is Pelisor Castle. It has 70 rooms. This smaller version was constructed a few years after Peles was built since the new king did not appreciate the vastness of the other structure.

Both of these places can be found in the town of Sinaia that is situated at the foot of the Bucegi Mountains in the Prahova Valley.

Another historical castle that has importance in Romanian history is the Bran castle. This fortification, which is often, called Draculas castle served to protect the citizens from invaders.

Most of the castles in Romania are open from the Tuesday to Sunday from 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. People should not plan going there then on Mondays since this place is closed. It is best to do other things then to make the tip worthwhile.

To the east of Ukraine is the Black Sea. There are many fine hotels and beach resorts along this area. Some of these places have remnants of Greek culture as far back as the 7th century B.C.

The main beach resorts covers a total of 45 miles and these include places like the Eforie, Mamaia, Jupiter, Neptun, Saturn and Venus.

There are also health spas in this country to help the body relax after walking up the steps of castles and museums that is exhausting for those who dont exercise often.

The two most famous rejuvenation treatments known as the “Gerovital” and the “Aslavital” can be availed at the beach resort before continuing on with the tour.

Romania also has treasures such as the Voronet Monastery Church in Bucovina that can compete with the Sistine chapel in Rome. This is because most of the artwork in this place and others were hand painted and are still in good condition today.

In most of the monasteries and churches are excellent vineyards so the tourist can taste something another glass of wine that is just as good as those produced in Italy or France.

There are a lot of places and things to see in Romania. This just shows that the former Eastern bloc countries are worth visiting just like those in the West.