Travel Reader

Chatting about Lewiston Auburn, Maine on the Radio

Peter Sacco — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:34:12 +0000

Read our newest story by Jack Dunphy about a visit to Lewiston/Auburn Maine, where history and the days of shoe and textile mills come alive.

Listen to the segment o n the rad io

17 Facts about the Queen of England

Peter Sacco — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:58:44 +0000

The Queen doesn’t need a license to drive.

If you think of England, it’s hard not to think of the famous Queen, who has presided over the throne for many decades. Here are some facts about England’s most famous person.

This year, Queen Elizabeth celebrates the 60th anniversary of her coronation, which took place on 2 June 1953. On that day she was driven in the beautifully appointed Gold State Coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey with her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh.

The iconic carriage was pulled by eight of the famous Windsor Grey horses and is known to be one of the largest and most lavishly decorated carriages in the world. It has recently been made available for viewing by the public at The Royal Mews — the office that provides all road transport for the Queen and Royal Family and that is one of the finest working stables in existence.

If you love your trivia, havebooked your London airline ticketsrecently and are getting ready to pay the city a visit, you might like to get in the Royal mood by reading up on these 17 fun facts about Queen Elizabeth.

In 2003 Queen Elizabeth sat for her first (and only) hologram portrait. Made up of over 10,000 individual layered images of her, the portrait has a 3D effect.
The Queen wasn’t able to say her name properly as a child, thus creating her “Lilibet” nickname!
The monarch does not require an interpreter whenever she visits French-speaking countries as she speaks the language fluently and uses it regularly for audiences and state visits.
Although Queen Elizabeth’s birthday is celebrated officially in June, her actual date of birth is 21 April. This tradition began after earlier British monarchs with winter birthdates decided that public celebrations were more fun in summer!
The Queen has visited several TV soap-opera sets. She has checked out the behind-the-scenes workings of popular shows such as “EastEnders” and “Coronation Street”.
Queen Elizabeth sent her very first email from a British army base in 1976. The contents have never been documented.
The Queen is known for her love of the corgi dog breed, and in fact, she has owned more than 30 during her reign. Her first corgi, Susan, was an 18^th birthday gift.
She also happened to introduce a new dog breed to the world a number of years ago. The “Dorgi” was created when one of her dogs mated with a dachshund that belonged to Princess Margaret!
The Queen, who learnt to drive in 1945, is the only person in Britain who is allowed to drive without a license or a number plate on her car.
Believe it or not, Queen Elizabeth is also handy with machines — she is apparently the only British monarch ever trained to change a spark plug (she took a car-maintenance course during World War II). She also learnt how to fix truck engines as a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the female branch of the British army.
She works with more than 600 charities and organisations and has actually been a patron of over 400 of them since 1952.
The Queen has received plenty of unusual gifts over the years. On foreign tours she has been given two tortoises, a bull elephant named “Jumbo”, two black beavers, a grove of maple trees and a box of snail shells!
She was the first British monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding anniversary and actually met her husband, Prince Philip, when she was only 13 years old.
It’s believed that at her coronation, the Queen found her official robes so heavy that at the start of the ceremony she had to ask the Archbishop of Canterbury to give her a push, saying, “Get me started!”
While Elizabeth is one well-travelled lady, she doesn’t actually own a passport. The British monarchy’s website says: “As a British passport is issued in the name of her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one”.
Queen Elizabeth is woken every morning by the sounds of her personal bagpiper.
Although most people address her as “Your Majesty”, to her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry, she is just affectionately called “Granny”.

There’s a Whole Lot Underneath Paris

Peter Sacco — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:47:29 +0000

If you’re reading this blog, chances are good that you’ve been to Paris. But have you ever been underneath the City of Light?

Intrepid travelers can go down into the sewers of Paris by showing up at a manhole at the Pont de l’Alma, after they buy their tickets on the Place de la Resistance.

You’ll see the Catacombs, which are open every day except Monday, and the incredible world’s largest necropolis, containing six million skeletons. Really.

Why all of these cavernous spaces below Paris? Because they used the limestone to build the Louvre museum, among other great buildings.

There is a big coffee table book full of images called Paris Underground. If you want to look at some of them, visit this link for a photo gallery.

If you would rather stay above ground during our tirp to Paris, find All-Paris Apartments for the perfect affordable place to sleep.

An Urban Hotel, a Country Ride, a Denver Brew

Peter Sacco — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:54:42 +0000

Bikes & Brews package includes city bike rental, Fat Tire beer

and a chance to win a New Belgium cruiser bike

Sage Hospitality has partnered with fellow leading Colorado company New Belgium Brewing to offer the Bikes & Brews Package at select Sage hotels across the United States. Eighteen hotels from Minneapolis to the Napa Valley will offer a summer package including a bike rental to explore the city and a refreshing brew after the ride.

“Sage Hospitality is based in Denver and it seems only natural to pair up with Fort Collins-based New Belgium,” said Kelly McCourt, Vice President of Marketing for Sage. “This perfect summer package is created for those whose favorite way to explore a new city is on two wheels. The bike rentals allow travelers to get out and explore the city they stay in, after that it’s time to cool off by enjoying a delicious Fat Tire beer at the hotel!”

The Bikes & Brews Package features a day bike rental from a local business and Fat Tire beer where available. In areas where New Belgium does not currently distribute, a local area beer will be substituted. Hotels offering New Belgium products will also provide a New Belgium gift bag with the famous bike bell and bottle opener from the brewery.

The deal is available now through Sept. 2, 2013, during that time guests who book the Bikes & Brews Package at participating hotels will be provided an entry to win a New Belgium Cruiser bike.

Sage hotels offering the Bikes & Brews Package for 2013 are:

Napa Marriott Hotel & Spa – California
Courtyard Denver Downtown – Colorado
The Curtis – a DoubleTree by Hilton – Colorado
Embassy Suites Downtown Denver – Colorado
Holiday Inn Denver East Stapleton – Colorado
Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park – Colorado
JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek – Colorado
The Oxford Hotel – Colorado
Residence Inn Denver City Center – Colorado
SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown – Colorado
TownePlace Suites Denver Downtown – Colorado
Westin Westminster – Colorado
Renaissance Blackstone Hotel – Illinois
Hotel Commonwealth – Massachusetts
DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Minneapolis – Minnesota
Courtyard Portland City Center – Oregon
The Nines hotel – Oregon
Renaissance Pittsburgh – Pennsylvania

To learn more about the Bikes & Brews Package and view other great promotions from Sage Hospitality, visit http://www.sagehospitality.com/promotions.

About New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, is recognized as one of Outside Magazine’s Best Places to Work and one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Small Businesses. The 100% employee owned brewery is a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Business as designated by the League of American Bicyclists, and one of World Blu’s most democratic U.S. businesses. In addition to Fat Tire, New Belgium brews eight year round beers; Ranger IPA, Rampant Imperial IPA, Shift Pale Lager, Sunshine Wheat, 1554 Black Ale, Blue Paddle Pilsener, Abbey Belgian Ale and Trippel. Learn more at www.newbelgium.com.

Renting a Supercar, Even for the Weekend, Is Something Special

Peter Sacco — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:41:16 +0000

A Ferrari 458 Italia is just one of dozens of supercars you can rent to spice up your weekend, this is from Gotham Dream Cars in New York City.

There are rental cars, and there are luxury rentals that give your heart a little extra horsepower.

The typical rental car is maybe a Hyundai, or a Ford…bland things that you pick up in Orlando and toddle off to Disney World with the kids in.

But there is a higher level of hire car, a place where dreams take over for the day to day. A place like Gotham Dream Cars.

You want to drive a Ferrari, a Lambo, a Porsche, or even a McLaren? They got it. Hey, it’s not cheap but these are cars that sell for $300 or $400,000, so you will indeed pay a bit. But how cool would you feel tooling down the parkway in one of these?

Some times these are weekend rentals that a wife gets for her hubby. The late Senator Edward Kennedy’s wife surprised him with a weekend rental of an Aston Martin Vanquish, no doubt giving him a joyful birthday indeed.

The good news is that your own car insurance policy will cover you in case you crash the Ferrari or Lambo. As long as you have a clean driving record and are over 21. Oh, there is also a security deposit of between $5 and $15K, depending on the car. In case it snows you can get an extra day if you leave it in the garage and never get to play with it. And if you fill it up with anything less than 93 octane super unleaded, you can slapped with a $350 fine.

You can find these exotic beauties in Melbourne, Australia too. So if you are planning on doing a car hire melbourne on your next visit, step up to something truly unique…Rent a Ferrari or a Maserati!

Barga, Italy

Peter Sacco — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 16:26:33 +0000

Tips for Making the Most Out of a Language Holiday

Peter Sacco — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:55:01 +0000

They’re all speaking Spanish…you could learn how too and understand them!

If you are tired of coming back from holidays with little to show but a quickly fading tan and a few tawdry souvenirs then a language holiday may be just what you are looking for. A language is something that will serve you for life and beats any memento you can cram into your suitcase. Whilst the popularity of Spanish courses in Spain, Japanese courses in Japan or French courses in France still lags behind the popularity of English courses in the UK, there are plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself in the language, culture and customs of other countries on a break with a real difference.

Here are the benefits of learning a language abroad on your next break and some tips on making the most out of the opportunities out there.

The benefits: A language is for life

A new language helps to open up vocational and educational opportunities, offers revealing insights into your own and other languages, increases the number of people you can communicate with all over the world and helps you to enjoy travel to many more countries.

Meet new people

If you are traveling alone a language course is a great way to make new friends from all over the world who are pursuing a similar goal. By the end of your break you will not only have language skills that will serve you for life but an address book filled with international friends.

Have a more authentic travel experience

Understanding a language is the key to unlocking the secrets and nuances of a culture. Not only will you be able to communicate with locals and feel confident enough to step off the well-trodden tourist trail, you will also be able to appreciate the literature, watch the local news, take in the latest films and browse the newspapers. You will feel much more a part of the place you visit than the average tourist.

Make the most of it

If you are to make the most out of your language holiday, whether with ESL-Languages.com or another top language school, you need to be prepared to really throw yourself into it. The first requirement is an open mind: you need to be ready for a challenge, prepared to meet new people, take part in group activities and to take every available chance to practise your target language. Language learning is at its most effective when you are immersed in it. Immersion is not cramming in lots of class time but listening and speaking in the language in your social time too.

You’ll be amazed at how quickly your language skills improve and could be coming home with a new language under your belt, a list of new friends to visit and the chance to feel at home in a number of other places all over the world. That beats a couple of blurred snapshots any day!

Why Buy Travel Insurance? Because….Well, You’ll Get the Idea

Peter Sacco — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:04:22 +0000

Why buy travel insurance? This is the kind of question you might ask before you go on a trip–but if you’ve ever had an experience like the travelers below, well, the answer would be pretty easy to answer.

Jessica Taryn wrote a story on GoNOMAD about some of the best examples of travelers who ended up being DAMN glad they bought travel insurance. Here are a few of them. One woman’s son was lucky enough to plan a trip to Tongariro Northern Circuit in New Zealand to go snowboarding. Then she broke her leg, and had to cancel the trip. If she had bought a policy, she could have been reimbursed the costs, even though she fell BEFORE she ever left on the trip!

A Massachusetts woman went on a cruise. After just a few days of cruising the Greek Isles and Turkey, she fell ill, and the ship’s doctor said it was pneumonia. She had to be taken by ambulance off the ship to a local hospital and treated. She never planned on it, but she was sure glad the travel insurance covered it.

Finally a story about terrorism. A trip was planned to Israel, and as they were reviewing things, the hotel they had prepaid for was blown up by a terrorist’s bomb. They were still in the US. The travel agent was frantic, and said the hotel wouldn’t reimburse their money. But the travel insurance policy took care of her.

Need more reasons for cheap travel insurance?

To Granville, with a Discounted Ferry and Cheap Hotel too!

Peter Sacco — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:45:30 +0000

It was a great day for a road trip to France from our home base in London. I thought it would fun to take the ferry from Dover to Calais, first seeing those pretty white cliffs, and then getting a chance for a first-class lunch complete with some delicious French wine. Or maybe I’d have some of the great Norman cider in a roadside cafe.

The seaside city of Granville, where tides to out half a mile every cycle. photo by Max Hartshorne.

But before we could begin hearing the dulcet tones of French and seeing those famous Plane trees in our rear view mirror, we needed to find a few ways to save. So we hit the web on our phones and went to find travel discounts online.

At this time of year, we Brits get a little pasty, since our winters are cold and grey. France is the perfect tonic to restore our joie de vivre with all of the pretty scenery and sunshine. A small vibrant city like Granville (pictured) is about as fun a weekend destination as anyone could every find! The website we found, my vouchercodes, provides hundreds of codes to save money when we go to check out.

For the P&O Ferries, for example, all we did was enter the code we found for free, and they marked down the cost of the crossing. The sliced the price 20 percent, making the crossing much cheaper and giving us more more money to gamble with in the casino. After we scored the discounted ferry crossing, it was time to find a deal on a hotel. Voila–we were in the right place.

The same site offers a bunch of ways to save with Hotels.com discount codes. Sweet! We were able to get a really cheap hotel in the picturebook city of Honfleur, where the legendary harbor is probably the most photographed scene in France. With the extra euros we were able to drink better wine!

Travel to Italy with Gutsy Women Travel!

Peter Sacco — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:57:51 +0000

Have you ever traveled with a group of women? Only women–no husbands, no spouse-equivalents, only the friendly company of fellow women who most likely understand you a little better than men do. Gutsy Women Travel have been offering women-only vacations, designed for women, for twelve years.

They have a wonderful trip coming up that takes you to one of Italy’s most fabulous places-Cinque Terre in Tuscany. The trip also includes stops in Rome and Naples. It departs on May 25, a ten day smorgasbord of all things Italy. For women only!

Inclusions
Airport transfers on arrival at Fiumicino airport at 09:30, 12:30 and 15:30 (guests may purchase individual transfers if arriving outside of these times.)
Airport transfers on departure, arriving at Fiumicino airport at 07:30, 09:30 and 11:30 (guests may purchase individual transfers if departing outside of these times.)
Welcome Reception with Gutsy Women Travel Director and fellow travelers
First Class hotels listed or similar; hotel taxes, service charges and baggage handling
10 breakfasts, 1 Welcome Reception, 2 Lunches, 4 Dinners, 1 Highlight Dinner and 1 Farewell Dinner
Private luxury motor coach with air-conditioning and reclining seats
Sightseeing, special features and scenic highlights as indicated in the itinerary, including admission charges where applicable
Gratuities to local guides and driver
A glass of wine with every included dinner

Find out more about this trip at Gutsy Women Travel’s website. You can save 5% on this trip if you book in March!