How to achieve stress-free travel

Whether you are going on business or pleasure, traveling can be very stressful. Tension can start from the planning stage up to the time you are leaving. However, stress does not have to ruin your business or vacation. These simple tips are guaranteed to help you get rid of that travel stress bug.

Plan ahead

There is no replacing good planning. To ensure that your travel will be stress-free, make sure that your flights and hotel accommodations are booked and confirmed. This will put you at ease knowing that delays are unlikely and there will be no surprises at the hotel desk.

If you arrange for transportation for the duration of your travel, all the better. In case, you will have to get around the city by taxi, it is good to ask the concierge to help you find a reputable taxi company.

Be prepared to get lost

Remember that you are on a foreign land and unless you have already traveled there a couple of time, you’ll have no way of knowing how to get around. Becoming lost is probably the biggest nightmare for travelers.

Before embarking on your trip, buy a travel book with maps and some useful phrases that you can use with the locals. Carry with you a credit card, identification papers and enough money to get around the city in case you get lost. It is also a good idea to ask your hotel for a business card which you can show to locals when you ask for directions.

By acknowledging that you can get lost, you can better prepare and be ready for anything.

Keep the communication open

Nothing can be a better stress-buster than staying connected with your family when traveling. With today’s technology, communication is increasingly more available. People who travel can now keep in touch through cellular phones, emails and text messages. Rates in international phone calls are also cheaper now than before.

Reward yourself

Do not procrastinate. If on a business travel, make sure that you have done all your work before you go sightseeing. Set aside a day where all you can do is travel to different sights in the city. If your schedule is spread out, make sure that you have ample time to go somewhere. It will also help to make out an itinerary of places to see. You can always ask the hotel to help you with that.

Eat local cuisine

Eating can minimize travel stress! So, treat yourself to local foods and stay away from your usual staple of burger, spaghetti and cola. Be adventurous and have fun in local restaurants. Before leaving, you can ask people who already traveled in the country if they can recommend any restaurants. Hotel personnel can also help you immensely. When you’re there, don’t hesitate to ask for the house specialty and enjoy!

Keep a travel journal

Writing down your experiences during your travel will not only preserves the memories, it will also help you relieve stress. Describe the sights that you have seen, the places that you have been to, even the people you have met. Get small keepsakes from each experience, a napkin from the restaurant where you have eaten, a receipt from a souvenir shop, a bus ticket going to a special place. This will keep the magic of your travel with you.

Currency conversion in thailand

Your trip to Thailand is all set. You have booked your flight and hotel, packed your bags and you are ready to go. But, you just found out that your money is no good in Thailand!

Well, actually it is good; it just needs to be converted to the local Thai currency. You have many options – some good and some bad.

Option #1 is to go to your local bank or currency exchange in your home country to get some of the local money. This is a bad idea because you will get a really bad rate of exchange.

Your second option is to change some money at your home airport. There will be a small booth with the rates posted and this will be as bad as option #1.

Your third choice is to pick up some traveler's checks at home and cash these in Thailand. This can be good or bad. It is ok if you don’t have to pay any fees for the TCs. And don’t even think about cashing them in at your hotel. You will get ripped off big time. Cash them in at a Thai bank. Don’t forget to record the numbers somewhere and stash them safely.

Fourth option is to bring all cash with you. This is obviously dangerous because if you lose your wad, your vacation is over. Bringing some cash with you is ok – but just enough for one or two days.

Fifth would be to bring an ATM card with you. Having a debit ATM card is an easy way to get Thai Baht at the current rate of exchange. Having a second debit card specifically for your trip is a good back up.

Last would be to use your credit card to get cash. Be careful. You may get a double whammy. You may get charged when you get your cash and then get charged an international exchange fee. There is also the possibility of your credit card being cloned – so be careful. I recommend that you don’t use a credit card in Thailand.

When I go to Thailand I bring a few hundred dollars to exchange to se me through my first couple of days. I also usually have a few thousand Baht left from my last trip. I transfer money to two different debit ATM accounts and use one as a primary and one as a backup (just in case). I bring my checking account ATM card with as a last resort. I have yet to use this but it is good to know that I have options.

I used to bring traveler's checks with me but when the bank started charging me 1% for them, I stopped using them. Also, only being able to exchange them at banks during business hours, or cashing them in at the hotel at terrible rates is not how I want to do business.

I prefer to use a debit ATM card since ATM machines are everywhere in Thailand and they are open 24 hours per day. You get the best rates and ATM machines provide the most convenience. Just plan to have a couple of different ways to fund your trip. It is no fun to be in foreign country on vacation with no access to funds.

Making your halloween disguise travel friendly

Halloween costume originality

Keep in mind that when you hit the streets, you are sure to run in plenty of vampires, ghosts, and recent movie persona. So if you are hoping to stand out at the bar or be the life of the party, you may want to try and discover a Halloween costume that is more unique. If you do choose to go with a clichй Halloween spook, consider doing something about it that will make you stand out from everyone else.

One way to do this is to create your own Halloween costume. However, for most people, this is more laborious than it sounds, and the finished costume may leave much to be desired. An easier choice is to go to online Halloween costume stores. These will offer a much wider variety than your local costume retailer, allowing you to find something that is unique from everyone else.

Restrooms and crowded locations

If you are headed out to the bar or to a celebration, not all costumes are going to work. For instance, if you are going to go out for some drinks, then there is a good chance you will want to use the restroom at some time in the evening. A costume that is tough to get in and out of can make this a problem. If there is going to be a large number of people in a small room, then bulky Halloween costumes can make it difficult to move around. Watch out for the sizes of objects like wings and other accessories to make moving about easier.

Watch your layers

While attractive Halloween costumes can be proper for an indoor party, wearing one out on a chilly Halloween night to take the kids trick-or-treating can leave you shivering. On the other hand, the thick gorilla suit can cause you to faint from heat exhaustion in the center of a crowded party. So ponder where you will be on Halloween night and choose your costume accordingly. If there is going to be a assortment of venues, consider a costume that has removable layers so you can adjust it for the weather.

Carrying your essentials on Halloween

Ever notice that Wonder Woman never carries a handbag? If you are going out on Halloween night, you will need to consider how you are going to carry your essentials like your wallet and car keys. Many costumes do not have pockets, so you might need to get creative with how you do this. Look for accessories that can double as a bag or handbag. Hidden wallets like are designed for travelers will also work well with some costumes as a hideaway for your money or ID.

If you plan ahead, your Halloween costume will prove to be less of a chore and more suited for partying.

Spring paris events to enjoy the city in the warm season

It has a distinctive character with flea and flower markets where artists just sketch your profile or cut it out from a piece of paper or locals sitting out of the cafйs listening to street musicians or cycling around with their baguettes under their armpit.

The French capital is one of the world’s truly great cities, with fine museums and excellent food, that is worth a visit either in summer when a riverside expressway is converted into an oasis of swimming pools, sand and deckchairs; or in fall when there are fewer crowds and boulevards trees change their colours.

But for sure Springtime gives to any place a fresher touch of liveliness, or should we say ‘joie de vivre’. Some of the coolest events that the city features for this coming warm season vary and will absolutely satisfy any traveller’s interest, curiosity and taste!

Starting with the Paris Book Fair ( from the 14-19 March) that will bring together authors literally from around the world, to the internationally renown Paris jazz festival in June and July or the open-air Summer Arts Festival up to the classic Bastille Day on 14 Jul. For sporty people Paris offers some important events too. In April it is possible to assist to the Paris Marathon (Sun 06 Apr 2008 ) starting at the top of the Champs Elysees and ending at the bottom of Avenue Foch. Not to mention the French Open Tennis (Roland Garros) dispute between 01 May 2008 until the very end of June.

And cherry on top, while in Paris you can assist to the famous arrival of the Tour de France (Final Stage of the cycle race) presumably on Thu 31 Jul 2008. But dates have to be confirmed. If you like races you also have the chance to see the Great Paris Steeplechase in May (Sun 25th 2008) at the Auteuil Hippodrome. It is a Parisian jump racing held at one of the city’s bigger and famous Hippodromes.

Some other music events like the Music Festival, held on the summer solstice on the 21st of June, are worth a visit to the France Capital. There is also the Saint Denis Festival running from June to the end of July, during which time concerts are held in the Saint Denis Basilica. In the gorgeous frame of the Chateau of Versailles you could be the spectator of some venues organized by the Baroque Music Festival, usually held from the middle of September to the middle of October.

To complete this nice picture it is important to find a suitable accommodation that, far from being too much luxurious or too much a pain, it has to be clean, comfy and romantic. There are some hidden treasures in this sense in Central Paris, where the French atmosphere is well preserved. Just to mention some 1-2 stars hotels, we suggest Cecil hotel, Taylor, Mon reve Hotel, Des Artes hotel, Altona hotel, Bac Saint Germain (in Latin quarter) or the Hotel du Parc Saint Charles.

All these hotels offer good value rooms and services starting from 35-40 euros per person. Hotels in Paris are usually more expensive and too standard to give you a genuine Paris vibe. Some of these have private gardens, or terraces where breakfast is served. Be aware that in France it is not always said that breakfast is included in the price! And it is usually not abundant.

Well, now that we have given you some ideas on how to spend a spring weekend in the French Capital, we have only to wish you a romantic trip!