Travel Tips

Visiting Seattle Washington can be an infinitely fun experience. This experience can be magnified greatly if you find entertainment that is inexpensive of free. The good news is that this type of entertainment can be easily found in and around the Seattle area. The even better news is that I’m going to share some of the many great things you can do for free while visiting Seattle.

Some people tend to scoff at the ideas of freebies, and that is all well and good. Those people are perfectly willing to pay over inflated prices for their entertainment while I hope you will be wise enough to choose entertainment that doesn’t come with quite as much sting. Believe me when I say, you do not always get what you pay for and the clichs are correct. You will probably find that many of the best things you find in Seattle are absolutely free.

The first great place I’m going to tell you about is one of those absolutely free places to visit. Not only is it great fun but it is educational as well. I sincerely hope that you will not let the price tag prevent you from the knowledge and good old-fashioned fun you can have at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. There is much to do during your trip to the locks. A few great suggestions would be to walk in the gardens, watch the boats, visit the fish ladder (little ones will find this completely fascinating), and exploring the many exhibits in the area. You can even go on a free guided tour between the months of March and November.

Next, there is The Center for Wooden Boats. What boy doesn’t like toys? Or girl for that matter, I know I’m game when it comes to boats, particularly wooden boats. Not only can you go and explore the boats for free, on Sundays at 2:00 (weather permitting) you can go sailing on one of these magnificent watercrafts for absolutely no charge. You can call ahead of time at (206) 382-2628 in order to check water conditions. Because of the popularity of this program it is wise to arrive at least one hour ahead of time in order to participate in the 2:00 sail. There are some Sundays when other events conflict with the Sunday sail so call to be sure that the sail will be offered. Of course, even without the Sunday sail the Center for Wooden Boats is still an excellent way to spend an afternoon dreaming about these fantastic toys.

Finally, I want to mention Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve. This reserve was created in order to preserve the natural history of the land. Coupeville is a 19th Century town that has been preserved in an attempt to portray an accurate picture of what life here was like. There is a museum, gift shop, several eateries, and an antique shop that line the once vibrant seaside town. Then visit the Admiralty Head Lighthouse and many of the other attractions that abound. You can take your car and drive the length of the reserve. The drive is approximately 43 miles long and your driving time will depend greatly on the amount of time you spend exploring along the way. If you want to make a day trip of it, you may want to pack a picnic lunch and plan your day accordingly.

Other activities that you may enjoy while visiting Ebey’s Landing include: biking, boating, camping, fishing, hiking, kayaking, nature walks, scuba diving, wildlife viewing, and bird watching. Visiting this reserve is literally taking a step back in time. I hope you enjoy this place as much as I do.

With so many great things to do for free, who would ever want to leave Seattle Washington? The best news is that this is only a small glimpse of the great ways to have fun while visiting this unique and wonderful city.

When most people travel, transportation is a primary concern. How do you get from the airport to your hotel? How do you see all the sights that Italy has to offer? What if you are traveling in a large group? What about public transportation? On your Italy vacation there are several options for transportation.

Many international flights arrive in Rome so in planning your transportation needs you need to start from there. When you arrive at the airport you can rent a car from one of the several car rental companies. In addition to local companies there are the international names such as Hertz and Enterprise Rent-A-Car so you should be able to reserve your vehicle online in advance and have it waiting for you at the airport. There are 2 airports in Rome and they are called the Fiumicino and the Ciampino Airports. Buses and shuttles depart from the airports’ arrivals areas about every hour and can take you to the Termini Station which is the central train station. From there you should be able to connect to all other parts of Italy. Public transportation although it requires some advance planning, is always the cheapest option for your Italy vacation. You may also want to learn some Italian words in case you get lost and need directions or need help.

If your hotel is near the airport or is in Rome, you may also consider taking a cab. They are known as “taxis” here and most drivers speak English and can even serve as your tour guide if you choose. You may take a taxi out of Rome if your Italian vacation is starting outside the city. If your budget allows there are limo services at the airports that can serve your transportation needs when you arrive. If you are traveling in a large group you probably want to rent a van at least to get to your hotel from the airport. After that you can plan to join a guided tour as a group but its best to reserve tickets or space in advance if you want your group to stay together.

To see all the sights that Italy has to offer, you will do best by signing up for a guided tour. With very knowledgeable and friendly tour guides, your Italian vacation can be greatly enhanced by choosing this option. There are walking tours, full day tours and night tours. Budget tours and luxury tours. If you are in Italy for a very specific sight you would probably want to do a walking tour. The tour guides on those tours give a more detailed presentation as you walk through the sight and some of them know little-known facts that are hard to find or read anywhere else. Non-Italian speakers will be happy to that the tour guides speak English.

Also becoming famous are “transportation-included” visits to Italy. For your Italy vacation you may choose to visit a small village if you want to see Italy without the crowds. Many inns and bed and breakfasts provide options that include transportation around the village.

During your Italy vacation you will find that architecture here has had strong ties to religion through the ages. Many of the great architectural pieces are religious buildings such as churches and chapels. Just walking around the tourist attractions and in the country side you will come across several chapels and churches with great and unique architectural design. There are numerous other pieces to see in the architectural center of the world. But as with many things when you are on vacation you will draw more out of a tour if you have a guide. You guide will be able to provide you with the history surrounding what you are seeing and its significance. He or she will be able to accurately describe the architectural style and point out important details.

Although a lot of architecture is surrounded by religion in Italy, nothing says a great piece of ancient architecture like the Colosseum. This is one of the most popular destinations for tourists on vacation in Italy and also the world but the name of its architect is unknown. It is the huge stadium that was built for sporting events and is now infamous for the gladiator games that took place here. It could seat 50,000 people and had 80 entrances! During your Italy vacation you can enter the Colosseum by yourself or with a group for an unlimited time but you can take a guided 45 minutes tour which will only cost you a few dollars more. You will probably get more out of your visit by taking the guided tour option.

An excellent piece of architecture that you may be able to see if you are in Venice while in Italy for vacation is the Il Teatro del Mondo. This translates to “The Theatre of the World.” It is a more modern piece of architecture designed by Aldo Rossi that opened in 1979. Modeled after the floating theatres that were in Venice in the 18th century, it was constructed in a shipyard and then carefully towed across town. Using steel beams for support the builders welded the beams together to create a raft that now sits on the water. The architect Aldo Rossi had a dream to recompose Venice and as you will see during your Italy vacation here he managed to bring old Venice into the new.

If you are in Florence, Italy on vacation, you should probably see the Pallazo Vecchio. It is huge gothic town hall with a famous copy of Michelangelo’s David statue. At one point in Italy’s history, this building was the seat of the government around 1865. It is now where Florence’s city council holds its offices. Each room, courtyard and entrance features beautiful architectural designs. There are private rooms and studies and each room is named after an architectural feature in the room. During your Italy vacation, you can take a guided tour of this huge building or you can walk through it at your leisure to marvel at the amazing ceilings and beautiful designs.