Month: February 2023

Travel Tips to Save Your Vacation to France

Common Courtesies

The key to understanding the main cultural difference that exists between the French and the rest of the world is the word “guest.” In the United States it is considered good service for the shop keeper or store employee to greet the customer, but in France it is just the opposite. Cafes, bistros, boutiques, hotels, and even supermarkets and department stores are considered to be private spaces in France. For this reason it is expected that the guest, or customer, will be the first person to offer a greeting, just as if we were entering someones’ home. So when entering a building in France, look at the shopkeeper or hotel clerk, smile, and say “bon jour.” When leaving the establishment we are expected to say “au revoir.” After six in the evening replace both bon jour and au revoir with “bon soir,” unless it is very late at night, in which the final bon soir can be replaced with “bon nuit.” France is a very polite society, we are also expected to say please (S’il vous plait). Here are the definitions of those useful phrases.

Bon jour: Good day.

Bon soir: Good evening.

Bon nuit: Good night.

Au revoir: Goodbye.

S’il vous plait: If you please.

Proper Attire

In addition to being polite, France is also a more formal society than the United States, with the sartorial consequences that come with being less casual. In other words, shorts, ripped jeans, t-shirts, flip-flops, and white sneakers are best left indoors. David Lebovitz, a well-known chef and cookbook author currently residing in Paris, tells a story in his latest book, The Sweet Life in Paris, of the moment he realized he had truly become a Parisian. He was lounging in his apartment, dressed in his comfortable, laid back attire, when he needed to take his trash downstairs. He promptly showered, shaved, and put on his Sunday finest to walk the few steps from his front door to the elevator, then outside to the trash receptacle and back again, a journey of less than a few dozen steps.

Try to Speak the Language

You may have heard that the French are quick to pounce on someone mangling their native tongue. That is only partly true. They are proud of their language, and will in fact correct any grievous errors in pronunciation, but make no mistake about it: they will absolutely love you for the effort. A cheap pocket phrasebook from Berlitz has kept many a visitor in the good graces of the French on numerous occasions.…

Save Money on Travel Expenses by Doing These 7 Things

If you are going on a business trip or a pleasure trip, you will find the increased costs have been passed on to you. These Travel Tips have been put together to save you money. You can use them as business travel tips or pleasure travel tips.

No one wants to keep on “shelling out” more of our hard earned money or our company’s money. The changes we have referred to above have to be made. So, it is more important than ever for the consumer to get acquainted with price saving travel tips so we can still afford to travel. Here are some excellent points for us to know and practice.

1. “Discount Deals” are found on the internet. Look thoroughly to find one a little bit better. However, they may not be the best you can find. Check carefully for specials in your local newspapers in the Sunday or Special Editions.

2. Sharpen your pencils! Compare the cost of flying to driving. Many times flying is the least expensive way to go when you add in the cost of fuel, meals, overnight stays, etc. The longer the trip, the better the airlines compare. Time available to you is also one of the issues that play an important part of your planning. Business travel tips are very important because your employer wants business trips to be expedited – and inexpensive!

3. Check into smaller airports. Many large cities have several airports. Often the smaller ones are better priced and have cheap/free parking. They need your business in this market. Check into using an airport in a nearby town. Most of the time you need to rent a car. If a few extra miles will save you enough, Use it. Many times, when you are on a business trip, extra calls on customers can fit nicely between the smaller and larger towns.

4. If it is legal where you are, check the price of buying 2 two-way tickets each way. Discard each half you don’t need. The airlines aren’t happy with this practice, but where allowed, check it out. You might save money this way.

5. Another Travel Tip!! Be careful where you book your hotel room. You could get an unfavorable room location. Hotels will assign you a less attractive location if you get the room at a very low price. The hotels won’t admit this. But they do it and you can avoid a bad location if you work with the hotel’s website directly.

6. Nine times out of ten, buying insurance on your rental car is not required. You can confirm this with your own insurance company. If this is a business trip, you can check with your company’s insurance carrier. But most times a “temporary replacement vehicle” is covered already. Many major credit cards provide this as well.

7. Not likely for a business trip, but if you can be flexible as to time and days you can travel, you can get great deals through “last minute” booking. Remember; if the seats or rooms are going to be empty, the airline or hotel make NO income from them. Even at a low price, you are improving their bottom line and you win by getting a great price. Sign up for e newsletters or search the internet for last minute deals when you travel.

Remember it’s cheaper for you to do as much as you can yourself. Keep informed and save!

This is very important!…

Five Tips For Turbulence On Your Next Flight

Don’t lose sleep over your next flight! Turbulence is a natural state of the atmosphere and, fear of turbulence can be managed. Since the birth of aviation, turbulence has been the thing that we just have to deal with when flying. You either love it, or hate it. Most people just get use to it. However, for fearful fliers they sometimes never get use to it. There are five tips you can take on your next flight to help make it a smooth one.

The first tip, is to get the idea that bigger is better out of you head. When it comes to airplanes & turbulence it’s the climb performance of the airplane that matters. Why is this important? Well commercial aircraft travel within the troposphere which is our lowest atmospheric layer where all out weather occurs. Every aircraft has a service ceiling which is the maximum altitude that aircraft can climb to. Most commercial aircraft fly between an altitude, or flight level from 300-430. Flight level 300 is 30,000 feet. As the aircraft burns more fuel & becomes lighter it can climb to a higher altitude up to it’s service ceiling, or maximum altitude. Sometimes all it takes is a change of altitude of a thousand feet to get out of a layer of turbulence. The aircraft with the higher service ceilings have more advantages when it comes to changing altitude. Older aircraft are limited in how high they can climb. This is the reason why the size of the aircraft don’t matter. Some small 70 seat regional jets have better climb performances then older aircraft like the MD-80 that carries 150 passengers. To find out the service ceiling of your aircraft you can sometimes go to the airlines website, or to the back of the airline magazine were they have their aircraft fleet information. If you know the aircraft you will be flying already then you could also go online to research this information.

The second tip is to fly in the early morning, or late evening hours to avoid turbulence. This is because most turbulence is caused by the sun’s radiation as it heats the earth’s surface causing updrafts & clouds. This tip works most of the time, but not always. For example, if you have inclement weather in the morning such as thunderstorms, or a fast moving cold front in the vicinity then you will still get some turbulence. In the summer time it’s especially important to fly very early because most thunderstorm occurs in the afternoon.

Third tip is if you find yourself experiencing turbulence on a flight, it’s a good idea to turn your air vents fully open. If you have a row to yourself use all the air vents as this will help you from becoming dehydrated.

Fourth Tip is to use technology such as apps. There are a host of new apps out there for the iPhone that can help with fear of turbulence, or fear of flying. Some apps such as, ” Let Panic Go & Turbcast ” do a wonderful job for fear of flying, & turbulence.

The fifth & final tip is try to sit over the wing root section of the airplane. The wing root area is just right before the wing & at the edge of it. If you look out the window you should be able to see the wing area. The wing root area is the center point of gravity of the aircraft & happens to dampens the effect of turbulence a little better. It is also common to see the wing flex & bend a little so don’t worry if you see that. An airplane wing is built strong enough to handle a lot of stress. Hopefully all these tips will help you enjoy your next flight.…

In Search of a Vision Quest?

Embark upon a Vision Quest! Vision is more than what is seen with the naked eye. It’s a “vivid mental image… the power of imagination. Unusual competence in discernment or perception.” What is your Vision for yourself, your family, your career? With the current state of affairs, the horizon might look quite cloudy.

This quote seems apropos: “Anyone who isn’t confused here doesn’t really understand what’s going on.” (Nigel Wrench). You have gotta love it! And of course since we are of the educated elite class that actually does know what’s going on, we admit our incredible confusion and wonder how best to proceed.

Time for Vision Quest! If you can not control the weather (and heaven knows 50% of the time the meteorologists have difficulty reporting it), at least you can control your response and dress appropriately. And really, without the rain, would the sunny days seem as sweet or the grass as green? Use that imagination, create a vivid mental picture, step up and captain your ship. First, do a little surveying.

Crew – Who is on board?

Compass – Where are you?

Map – Where are you headed right now, in 1 year, 3 years, 10 years?

Supplies- Do you have everything you need? Any necessary repairs, replacements, investments?

Communication – Who knows where you are, where you are going, when you will return? How will you keep in touch?

Ports – Where and when will you stop to rest, refuel, and recharge your batteries?

And now, you are ready to SET SAIL! Let your journey begin! Use your tools, keep your destination in sight, and carry on Mate. Expect to hit some rough waters and maybe even head overboard for a swift spell. In time and with attention, you will learn to self-correct at the slightest change in wind. Here’s to a world of adventure and discovery. Make each day count and the years will add treasures beyond measure. “The years teach much what the days never knew.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Time’s a Tickin’: Delegate. “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” (Theodore Roosevelt). Beautifully put. Simple in theory, challenging in practice. Start small. Set aside your pride and think productivity. What can you do with that free time and energy. Go! Delegate with delight!!…

Canada Travel Tips

Canada travel tips are basically meant to inform travelers about various necessities which they have to have before entering the country. The following are some Canada travel info:

Registration

Travelers should register to the State Department so that they receive assistance in the situation of requirement. Free online registration facility is being made available by the government wherein travelers can register their travel plan. The registration helps as when the traveler is at some emergency, the government contacts with the family members.

Possess Valid Visa and passport

A valid passport and Visa has necessarily to be carried along so that in case of any inquiry the same can be furnished. Additionally, there should be proper information about who to contact in any emergency.

Family should know about tour plan

Travelers are advised to have briefed their family members about the travel so that they are able to contact for any purpose.

Checking overseas medical insurance coverage

Travelers should check whether their medical insurance has cover to their overseas ailments or not. If there is no medical insurance for overseas country, please make it sure that you have some kind of medical insurance to cover during your outside stays.

Know law of the land

Travelers are expected to be law abiding citizen and comply with the local laws. In order to be a decent traveler, one should familiarize himself with local conditions and laws.

Avoid being a target of crime

It is better to avoid target of crime. Though Canada is an advanced country and has low crime rate, travelers are expected to wear minimum jewelries. Travelers should not leave their baggage unattended in public place.

Language

English is an official language in Canada. However, French is spoken widely.

Smoking

Canada is cautious about the harmful effects of smoking. Some states in Canada such as British Columbia ban smoking at public places.

Measures

Officially, Canada uses the metric system wherein distance is measured in kilometers, speed signs are in kilometers per hour. Petrol/gas is sold by the litter and temperature is measured on the Celsius scale.

Taxes in Canada

The country has a regime of taxes imposed on travelers. In Canada the Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 7% applies throughout the country and is added to most purchases and services. However, basic groceries have been exempted from it. In British Columbia, a Provincial Sales Tax (PST) of about 7% applies to retail merchandise and services with certain exceptions – such as food, books, children’s clothing, restaurant foods and personal services. Canada taxes hotel rooms too at the tax rate of 8-10%.

Tipping

As always, tipping is a personal subject matter and can be paid at restaurants, bars and pubs, taxis and hairdressers, etc. Travelers should remember that it should not exceed to 15% of the total cost.

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol in public is prohibited by law in Canada. A person must be 19 years of age to consume or purchase alcohol in the province of British Columbia. However, the minimum age varies from province to province.…