SEASONED travellers who know how to get what they want – and have time to do the phoning and research – may not need travel agents. But for most people, a good travel agent can be a major asset. Read more…
WITH THE economic squeeze caused by high inflation, high interest rates and high taxes, many Canadians are uncertain that they will be able to afford a holiday at all this summer. The question people ask most frequently is, “Are there still any really inexpensive places to visit?” The answer is yes, but the difficulty is that the less expensive a country, the farther away it tends to be. Countries such as Greece, Portugal, Egypt and Mexico can be very inexpensive, especially for those prepared to forgo North American comforts. Even some northern European countries such as Austria and France are quite reasonable if you avoid the big cities; costs for hotel and meals can easily be limited to $25 or $30 a day per person. Read more…
MANY PEOPLE seem to think that winter doesn’t have a lot to recommend it, but it is the season of the year when you can get some of the best travel bargains. If you avoid the two weeks around Christmas and New Year’s, you can find tremendous savings on most kinds of holidays during December and January. Read more…
What should I do on my vacation? the conversation usually begins. My reply? If you’re active – as little as possible; if not, as much as you want to. Strange as it may seem, I’m not an advocate of trying to force fitness into anything, including vacations. Read more…
I’m not a vacation Scrooge, though I feel like one sometimes. Last year my husband and I went on a tour of a local time-share resort, to get a free lunch and a three-day weekend anywhere we want. (That vacation never materialized. Funny how they rarely do.) I’m usually pretty impervious to sales pitches, but even I thought the condo sounded like a pretty good deal. Except we gave the wrong answer to the salesman’s question of how much we go away on vacation: never. This makes us totally useless to high-pressure time-share marketers. Read more…
Snow permitting, conservation areas are open for cross-country and downhill skiing close to home. Albion Hills (Hwy. 50 west of Bolton) has downhill ski rentals $7 for adults, $5 for children – per day, boots and poles included. Cross-country equipment is $6 for adults, $4 for junior. Snow shoes $3. Read more…
NIAGARA FALLS: One of our prettiest areas this time of the year is Niagara. Frozen spray decorates trees and bushes. Icicles hang from lamp posts. Although the falls are rarely frozen, the overall scene resembles a television Christmas Special. Marineland and Game Farm is open. North America’s oldest museum has more than 700,000 exhibits including a Daredevil Hall of Fame. A host of other museums here specialize in houdini, Frankenstein, cars, waxworks, biblical and movieland figures and more. Read more…
For years, crossing the English Channel by ferry has been a standard item on the itinerary of most budget travellers. Now, as air fares continue to climb – the current London to Paris air fare is $68 one-way economy – the boat-train is more popular than ever. Read more…
How to know if the travel agency you use is getting your company the lowest airfares? Large and small corporations often judge a travel agency solely on performance and service. Company travel planners who work with the travel agencies just don’t have the background or the time to constantly check on ever-changing rates, rules and regulations. Read more…
The legend fits Brook’s adventure, for the 38-year-old London-born writer and mountain climber went to Tibet in 1982 initially to accompany one of the first Himalayan expeditions allowed by the Chinese back into Tibet, and then to travel on her own through a country that had been virtually closed to foreigners for three decades after the Chinese takeover in 1951. She explored Tibet on her own as deftly and sensitively as the snow lion, eluding Chinese authorities who were often hot on her trail attempting to restrain her movements, and mixing lightly and harmoniously with Tibetan families who gave her shelter and humble but warm hospitality. Read more…