Posts Tagged ‘Common Sense’
Travel Tips For Your Cycling Vacations In Italy
In this article we present common sense tips you can employ to ensure that you have a fun and safe vacation in Italy.
“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
That’s an old cliche, but it’s true. When you travel to a different country you’ll come across different ways, different customs. It’s important to know a little bit about the culture before you visit, and of course there are common sense precautions you should follow where ever you travel.
Advance Planning
Do you need medications of any kind? Always bring the medication - and the appropriate documentation to prove you need it - with you. You may be able to get the same kind of medication in Italy - but then again you might not. Better to be safe than sorry.
Do you plan to do any driving? Find out if you can drive in Italy using your regular car license, or if you need to get an “international driving license.’ If you are not familiar with international road signs - learn them before you go. While driving, check out your route in advance so you have some knowledge of where you’re going before you try to get there. Know the rules of the road in Italy and what to do in case of accidents.
Make a list of the places and things you want to see before you go, and do research into them. Some events or museum exhibits are time sensitive, so you’ll want to make sure you’re going at the right time to see everything. Now that practically every museum and art gallery is online you can easily check to make sure if there’ll be an exhibit you’ll want to see, or if a gallery will be closed while you’re visiting.
Can you get along without your cellphone? You may be able to get a special card in it to make sure it will work in Italy. Ask your service provider about that. Will you be bringing a laptop computer? Make sure you have transformers so that you can plug in batteries to recharge, not only for computers but also for other electronic devices. And not only will you need a transformer but also a converter - to make sure you don’t burn out your appliance. Just because a plug fits into the socket, it does not mean the right voltage is going through it!
Site Seeing
You’re in Italy, and you’re seeing the sites. Depending on where you are, you will be in a crowd of other tourists. If you’re traveling with family or friends make sure that you have contingency plans in case you get separated. Distribute your money in such a way that if you lose a wallet you will not lose your vacation.
Be aware of the rules for each site you visit, and make sure you follow them. Not all of the sites you visit will allow you to take pictures, for example, and if you are inside buildings such as art galleries or museums you will certainly not be able to use a flash.
If you enter a church, be as quiet and respectful as possible. Even if there are famous for their architecture and open to tours, worshippers are still there and should not be disturbed. Be careful about using a camera in this instance.
Dinning Out in Italy
It’s a good idea to drink bottled water instead of the tap water, at any time of day. It will save you from any stomach unpleasantness.
There are some countries where you can go into a restaurant, order food, and get it “your way.” This is not the case in Italy. Don’t insult the chefs by making special requests to substitute or leave off an ingredient.
As you travel from country to country you’ll find that different regions have different table manners. You may look odd, for example, if you cut your spaghetti with a fork - the Italians wrap the spaghetti around a spoon and eat it that way. However, so many tourists travel in Italy with so many different customs that it won’t invite that much comment - you’ll probably just be considered a tourist. If you are traveling on business - that is the time to make sure you eat your food the way the Italians eat it.
Italians like to linger over their food. You will not be presented with a check - you’ll have to ask your server for it. Tipping is an accepted practice, and should be done in cash. Most of the dining restaurants in Italy are the sit down type with several different courses. If you want “fast food,” a pizzeria is your best bet.
You’ll enjoy your trip to Italy much more if you are familiar with the customs in advance, have plans to take care of every contingency, and know what you want to see and when you want to see it. Avanti!
Alastair Hamilton
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/travel-tips-for-your-cycling-vacations-in-italy-83229.html
Tags: Car License, Cellphone, Cliche, Common Sense, Different Ways, Electronic Devices, International Road Signs, Italy Rome, Laptop Computer, Museum Exhibits, Right Time, Rules Of The Road, Sense Precautions, Sense Tips, Travel Tips, Travel Vacations, Vacation In Italy, Vacations In Italy, When In Rome, When In Rome Do As The Romans | No Comments »
Common Sense Tips For Better Travel Photographs
When you have free time to travel to any of the beautiful locations of your choice, your camera and your knowledge of how to use it will be the difference of having beautiful visual memories to reflect on forever, or to experience the disapointment of lost memories.
There are so many wonderful places to travel to around the world, and for most of us it can be a once in a lifetime experience. It is wonderful to have photographs as seen through your own eyes to relive those times over and over.
Most of us nowadays have a digital camera to record our travels and they are fairly easy to use, usually just a point and shoot method. But many people forget small basic steps that can lead to disaster and lost photographic opportunities.
Simple things like not having spare batteries or making sure their rechargeable batteries are charged. Making sure to have more than one memory card in case one has a problem or you get caught up in the moment and take too many photographs. Not having your owners manual with you to explain a possible error message from your camera and how to fix it, or how to do an advanced photography technique that you may not be able to do in automatic mode.
Try to make sure you have had the camera for a while and are fairly familiar with it, you will be gambling if you go with a brand new camera that you are not familiar with.
When you are traveling and on different tours you do not always have a lot of time to compose and capture your images, so knowing your camera and being ready will prevent you from missing great photographs.
When taking your photographs, you do not want to point your camera into the sun unless you want a silhouette effect. Always try and have the sun or light source behind you to get the best results.
When photographing people in a scene try and photograph them in the shade otherwise they will be squinting and the photographs
will have too much contrast.
Try and use objects in front of the camera to show perspective. Along with your beautiful landscapes try and pick a subject within the landscape as a motif. A small mini tripod is also a great piece of equipment to take low light or night photographs.
These are just a few small tips to insure that your travel photographs are as close to the real thing as possible. Enjoy your travels and return to relive them again in photographs.
Edward Mercer
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/common-sense-tips-for-better-travel-photographs-132919.html
Tags: Advanced Photography, Automatic Mode, Common Sense, Disapointment, Free Time, Lifetime Experience, Light Source, Memory Card, New Camera, Own Eyes, Photographic Opportunities, Photographing People, Photography Technique, Rechargeable Batteries, Sense Tips, Silhouette Effect, Spare Batteries, Travel Photographs, Visual Memories, Wonderful Places | No Comments »
UK Airports, Car Parks - Stansted - Passenger pickup hell from Oct 2006. Environmentally unfriendly?
No common sense left in world? Partner arrived at 10pm on a European flight to Stansted & was waiting. Inside terminals hell at moment so why can’t officials get something right. As a stranger to this airport (she flew from different airport) there is minimal info. Long Q of cars into short term 15min pickup advises min charge £1 (no other rates). Inside find a bay to park & pay at foot pay station (significant Q’s) - mass of people; no clear ID or marked waiting areas to find people. You struggle to find friends & family. Cars queuing way back waiting to get into short term parking & there are no notices adivsing specific prices. I got out "1st" time after 16 mins for £3 but other people hammered for £20. The Orange Car park just next door gives fairer fares & this advise not displayed. Cash Cow to excess? Sack designers? Customer care cannot get any worse? Penalised as 1 car family? Park & Ride? UK 3rd world? NCP & BAA in profit drive? 2min pickup > 1hr. Boycott, save planet?
Ummmm…. Youre worried about the environmental impact of car parking ? at an AIRPORT ? where MASSIVE jet engins burn away gallons and gallons of fuel at insanely low efficiency levels…. Hey… drive anywhere drive in individual cars, if you wanna save the planet…… Boycot the aeroplanes !
UK Airports, Car Parks - Stansted - Passenger pickup hell from Oct 2006. Environmentally unfriendly?
No common sense left in world? Partner arrived at 10pm on a European flight to Stansted & was waiting. Inside terminals hell at moment so why can’t officials get something right. As a stranger to this airport (she flew from different airport) there is minimal info. Long Q of cars into short term 15min pickup advises min charge £1 (no other rates). Inside find a bay to park & pay at foot pay station (significant Q’s) - mass of people; no clear ID or marked waiting areas to find people. You struggle to find friends & family. Cars queuing way back waiting to get into short term parking & there are no notices adivsing specific prices. I got out "1st" time after 16 mins for £3 but other people hammered for £20. The Orange Car park just next door gives fairer fares & this advise not displayed. Cash Cow to excess? Sack designers? Customer care cannot get any worse? Penalised as 1 car family? Park & Ride? UK 3rd world? NCP & BAA in profit drive? 2min pickup > 1hr. Boycott, save planet?
Ummmm…. Youre worried about the environmental impact of car parking ? at an AIRPORT ? where MASSIVE jet engins burn away gallons and gallons of fuel at insanely low efficiency levels…. Hey… drive anywhere drive in individual cars, if you wanna save the planet…… Boycot the aeroplanes !
5 Tips For Easy Air Travel
There’s no denying that it has become more and more difficult to fly without running into snags or problems with the airport or the airlines. Enduring the line at the security check point in some airports is enough to put some passengers in a bad mood. However, despite all of the inconveniences that come with flying, it is a necessity. There are several things that can be done to make flying easier and more hassle free, and all that is involved is a little bit of common sense and planning.
1. Get to the Airport Early
Arriving at the airport early is a no-brainer, especially when the airlines tell passengers to arrive at least two hours prior to a flight’s departure time. However, there are many people who refuse to heed this request, and arrive at the airport just several minutes before a flight is scheduled to leave. If there is a line at the check-in counter or at security, this can create a very stressful situation. Not only may the flight be missed, but a new flight must be booked, and the passengers will probably have to travel stand-by on a later flight with no guarantee of a seat until the very last minute.
2. Take a Morning Flight.
Leaving on an early flight does not necessarily mean a 4 a.m. flight must be chosen. However, flights that leave first thing in the morning are less likely to be running late, and they are less likely to be affected by weather problems across the country and/or other planes that may be delayed at other airports. Also, if for some reason the first flight of the day is canceled or delayed, there will probably be several other flights throughout the day that, if necessary, can be taken instead.
3. Try Not to Fly During “Rush Hour”
Airports, like highways, have rush hours. Typically, rush hour in the morning is from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., and in the afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. These are the hours when airports are the most crowded with people waiting for flights. Crowds mean longer lines at the security check points, more people in the restrooms, more people waiting in restaurant lines, and more people taking up seats in the waiting areas. Flying at a NON-rush hour time of day can alleviate the need to stand in lines and sit with crowds.
4. Try to Take Non-Stop Flights
Obviously, when a non-stop flight is taken, there is less risk of being delayed. Taking off and landing both take quite a bit of time, so avoiding having to do this twice is recommended. There will always be destinations when a non-stop flight is not available, but there are plenty of cities where non-stop flights are just as common as those that stop. It may even be worth a few extra dollars to book a non-stop flight to avoid an unneeded hassle and the possibility of being delayed.
5. Book Connections with Enough Time
If a non-stop flight is not available to a desired destination, make sure to schedule enough time in between flights. When airlines book flights, they often have a layover requirement of 30 or 45 minutes between connections. However, this is often not enough time if the original flight arrives late. In order to avoid this stress, try to schedule connecting flights with at least an hour to spare between the arrival time of the first flight and the departure time of the connecting flight.
Gabriel Adams
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/5-tips-for-easy-air-travel-106878.html
