How To Travel and Work Overseas

Who hasn’t dreamed of leaving their ho-hum existence behind to go adventuring in another country, working, playing and sightseeing for months at a time, immersed in another culture. Student exchange employment programs have sprouted up all across the globe, offering anyone over 18 (and enrolled in a college or university program) the opportunity to work for 3 to 6 months in another country. And now the Boomer generation wants to get into the act! Forever young and adventurous, recent retirees are hankering to make extended visits to other countries, rent an apartment, and perhaps pick up some work or volunteer assignments.

So how to begin, where to start gathering resources for this grand adventure? Meet Transitions Abroad, the web’s premier site for “Learning, Living and Working Overseas”. Transitions Abroad is an encyclopedia of information on international internships and jobs, au pair opportunities, summer jobs abroad, travel service jobs, teaching English programs and a broad range of volunteer opportunities.

And if that’s not enough, they also have directories of information on traveling abroad, living overseas and finding study programs. It’s quite a site – one of my favorites for great indepth travel information!

Where To Find Dramatic Lighthouse Inns & Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast Stays

Wander along a craggy coast this summer and stay in an historic lighthouse that’s been turned into a charming Lighthouse Keepers Inn or captivating Bed & Breakfast. Dramatic lighthouse accommodations dot the coastline along the east and west of the United States and along the shore of the Great Lakes. Fascinating Lighthouse Inns can also be found in Canada, Scotland, Wales and The Netherlands.

Images of perfect solitude embrace guests of lighthouse dwellings. Perched at the very edge of the continent, lighthouses were built to withstand all of natures furies and to offer warmth and security to lighthouse keepers and their families as they kept beacons illuminating dangerous coastal passages. Many of these lodgings are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and offer a peak back to simpler times when nothing came between man and nature.

If you’re ready to feel the exhilaration of breathtaking views from coastal bluffs and headlands, check out some of these prominent Lighthouse Lodgings:

New England
Keeper’s House, Isle au Haut, Maine – Weekly stays only at present
Popham Beach B&B, Phippsburge, Maine -
The Lighthouse Inn, West Dennis, Massachusetts
Race Point Lighthouse, North Truro, Massachusetts
Rose Island Lighthouse, Newport, Rhode Island
Saugerties Lighthouse, Hudson River, New York Read more

Scenic Wine Trails Across the USA

Summer grasses are sprouting a vibrant green carpet across the countryside, making it a perfect time to head out with your picnic basket filled with spicy sausage, aged cheese and a good crusty bread in search of a meandering scenic wine trail. What could be better than sipping the day away as you follow a well mapped route from vintner to vintner.

If you’re within striking distance of the Northeast or Northwest of the USA you are blessed – these regions hold an embarrassment of riches with the nation’s premier wineries dotted along coastal roads.

Here’s are a list of great websites for finding Wine Trail Routes all across the United States:

Wine Trail Traveler. Chart routes in 9 prominent wine states in the US, and great reviews of wineries in 12 states, Canada and Italy.
Wine Trails of Washington State
OregonWineCountry.org – Interactive Wine Explorer, with over 250 wineries
California Wine Country Getaways
Texas Wine Trail – Who knew??
Virginia Wine Trails
Connecticut Wine Trail
New England Wineries

Salute!

American Airlines’ New Baggage Policy is JUST PLAIN NUTS!

When will the airline madness end??? The latest move by American Airlines simply baffles the mind – all checked baggage will now be charged a fee. Who is making decisions down there in Texas – certainly no one with any common sense?!

Today American Airlines announced they will begin charging a $15 fee for your first checked bag. (We’re assuming the $25 fee for the second bag will still apply) and of course don’t forget the extra curbside check in fee. So you can expect to pay a minimum of $30 extra per round trip journey ($60 per couple) if you’re taking any clothes with you on vacation! We all know the results of this stupendous (or is that stupid) decision. Every passenger will cram their belongings into a super-sized carry on bag causing havoc and long delays at the security lines and mayhem when boarding and deplaning the aircraft.

Here’s my message to American Airlines:
If you need to raise prices to make up for high fuel costs – do it, have some b…s. We understand your industry is feeling the pinch in a big way – tell it like it is. I would rather pay $100 more for a ticket and be treated with some courtesy and respect, and offered something to eat on a 6 hour flight. If you want to be a budget airline with pay-as-you go services, ask Ryan Air to buy you out. Instead of trying to lure us to fly with inexpensive flights, you are encouraging me to opt out of the whole flying experience – it’s not worth the hassle.

Wise up American before your planes are empty and you’re wondering why.
What do you think?

The Ultimate Chinese Restaurant!

You’ve got to see this to believe it.

First take the tram to the start of the trail.

Now follow the path.

Be sure to hold on to the ‘railing’. Read more

Ten Simple French Travel Phrases

If you’re headed off to France this year and are a bit nervous about communicating, fear not. Just watch this terrific video clip we found on GeoBeats.com entitled “Top Local Phrases”. The adorable host, Sabine Cormy, will introduce you to all the important phrases in a non-threatening David Letterman style countdown. Sabine annunciates each phrase so you’ll feel comfortable saying them right away.

Top Local Phrases Video

Au revoir!

Where To Find Lowest Around-The-World Airfares

Now that millions of the Boomer generation are reaching retirement age, it’s time for folks to make their dream of circumventing the globe a reality. How many of us have dreamed of winning the lottery and taking off on a trip around the world? It may surprise you to learn that an around the world trip may not be as daunting and expensive as you’ve imagined.

For thirty years, the airfare company AirTreks has been specializing in around the world airline tickets and itineraries. Their site is the first place you should visit to gather crucial information and price airline tickets. The trick is to plan a path that is serviced by airlines in the same airline alliance group. You may be familiar with some of the major global airline alliance partnerships – One World, Star, Sky Team, etc. By staying with one alliance group, fares will dovetail and with any luck your luggage will as well. Here’s an example of one appealing around the world airline journey that is currently pricing out at $1,999 plus tax: Fly from San Francisco to Hong Kong, to Bali, to Sydney, to Honolulu, to San Francisco. You’ll definitely need your bathing suit, sun tan lotion and shopping bag for that route! So spend some time on the AirTreks‘ site whenever you’re in the mood to dream about taking off for an adventure around the world. They’ve got you covered with airfares, hotels, pre-planned trips and custom itineraries.

Gas Calculator – Estimate Gas Costs Before Your Trip

Find out how much gas you’ll need and how much it will cost before going on your trip. We all know that gas prices are sky high and likely to climb even higher as the summer vacation season approaches. With a slowing economy and frenzied airport scenes, more of us will choose to drive to a vacation destination closer to home this year. The thoughts of all that extra gas expense has us in a frump. But it may not be as terrible as you think. Use this great Fuel Cost Calculator developed by AAA to find out what your gasoline expense will be ahead of time. It may not be as bad as you’ve been imagining. Read more

Keep All Your Trip Details In One Online File

Now which notepad did I write down my rental car confirmation number on??
I know I printed out the confirmation… what pile on my desk is it hiding in??
I swear I used to be really organized about all this STUFF. But somehow now that everything is paperless, I have more bits of paper with confirmation numbers floating around than ever. I have confirmations for flights, cars, hotels, tours, and restaurant recommendations and they are all over the place. Luckily I’ve found a virtual online travel file available to collect all your trip details in one place.

Meet TripIt.com an online site that promises to organize all your travel itinerary details in one spot and provide easy access by any computer or mobile device. Simply forward your email travel confirmations to TripIt, no matter what online site you book it with. Your itinerary will be compiled and sorted by dates, and is available for review with lots of additional information like weather forecasts, restaurant reviews, and maps. So give TripIt a try the next time you’re planning a complicated journey. They’ll hold all your bits and pieces of information together in one place and will save you from going nuts shuffling through piles of confirmation slips.

Best City Walking Tours – Our Favorite Walkable Cities

Our favorite walking cities can all be explored in a day, tracing history through varying ethnic neighborhoods, offering top notch museums, inviting parks, exciting cuisine and of course local artisan shops. Leave all the stress of public transportation and driving in busy cities behind, visit pedestrian friendly cities around the world and take off on your own two feet to discover, explore and rub elbows with the locals. With escalating fuel prices effecting auto touring and tour buses alike, it’s a great time to travel to a city where you can tour by walking.  Here are our favorite cities for touring on foot and most popular walking tour companies:

Domestic – USA
#1 – Boston Boston by Foot, Walking Boston, Photo Walks, Boston Heritage Tours
#2 – San Francisco I Left My Heart Tours, SFO City Guides, Victorian Walks
#3 – Philadelphia Constitutional Walk, Feeladelphia Tours, Go Phila
#4 – Seattle See Seattle, Seattle Walking Tours, Architecture Tours
#5 – Savannah Saunter in Savannah, Ghost Savannah, Savannah Walks
#6 – Washington DC Tour DC, Arnow Tours, Cultural Tourism

International
#1 – Paris Paris Walks, Paris Muse, Paris Digest
#2 – London Original London Walks, Secret London Walks, Mikro Tours
#3 – Rome Rome Tour, Enjoy Rome, Angel Tours
#4 – Florence Florentia, Tours-Italy, Art Viva
#5 – Lisbon Lisbon Walker, Lisboa Tours, Lisbon Walks
#6 – Vancouver Street Hike, City of Vancouver, City Talks

And don’t forget to look for free iPod city guides for all of the above locations.