Self-Catering Holidays

When I travel to London, one of my “musts” is an apartment or a hotel with a kitchen. The city is one of the most expensive in the world and the easiest way to save is by cooking some of our own meals. We always eat in for breakfast, because a bagel or cereal will keep us full until lunchtime and will also save us £30 or more. We can eat while getting ready and not have to get up earlier in order to rush out the door to grab food and get on with sightseeing. It can be hard to find affordable apartments or hotels with useful amenities, but Robert and Polly Arnold have gathered them all in one website for you. They are native Londoners and know the city inside and out.

Using their extensive knowledge of London and its sights and attractions, the Arnolds have conveniently located accommodations for any traveler, whether you are a solo traveler, business traveler or bring your whole family. The personally inspect and choose the lodgings that they offer for rent, which gives you peace of mind when booking.

Jump online and choose from the long list of suitable London apartments. Not only will they keep you in the middle of the action, but you can find one that will also be far enough away from the action that you won’t be kept up all night by revelers. Postings have all the relevant information you need to choose the best apartment for you: plenty of photos to show you what the units look like, amenities of each room, what there is see and do nearby, the closest transportation stops and the overall features of the hotel. If you have a specific part of London you want to stay in, you can sort by neighborhood, too!

Apartment-Hotels has a separate section for corporate travelers. Need to find things to do when you aren’t working? They have that covered. Need a longer rental? No problem. Robert or Polly will help you choose the best London apartment for you by going with you on viewing appointments. Who else gives you that kind of personal service?

I’ll be traveling back to London next fall and you can bet I’ll be staying in an apartment again, just like I did before. Our first day always finds us at the local Sainsbury, gathering supplies for breakfast, snacks to take with us and even some dinner staples. It makes travel so much more affordable and gives us a reason to enjoy our room more often. It’s the perfect choice for the budget traveler and gives you an excuse to buy interesting new food items that you don’t have where you live.

Are you looking to travel to London? If so, have you decided to rent an apartment for your stay?

A Library in Your Travel Bag

Nobody likes to be bored when they travel. No matter where I go, I bring along some form of entertainment, whether it’s reading material, a game or a puzzle book. Sitting on the airplane, train or in the car, you can’t always pass the time sleeping or shooting the breeze with your fellow companions. Also, sometimes you just want some time to yourself. In anticipation of the Shereen Travels Cheap book coming out in the next week, I’ve been thinking more and more about ebook readers and what great travel companions they make. While I LOVE a good book, I also love saving space in my luggage. Before Kindle came along, I always took up too much room in my packing with physical books. With one book that I was in the middle of and another as backup for when I finished in the middle of my vacation.

Are you a lover or books and reading? If so, this may still be your problem. While you can leave books in many hotel lobbies for other avid trip readers, books still take up room in your bags. Whether they are travel books, reference books, novels, journals or text books. Now, I carry 80% of the books I own with me, as well as blogs and newspapers I read often. I take notes on my device, too. The space I save by owning a Kindle is invaluable, because I have a wealth of information at my disposal, infinite reading material as well as Internet access, should I need it.

You rarely see me go anywhere without my Kindle and anytime anyone asks me about it, I am singing its praises. I love, love, love my Kindle, though I know it’s not the right ebook reader for everyone. There are new and improved models, but you can also choose from Nook, the Sony ereader and numerous others. There is certainly one for everyone now. While they may get smaller, the font size is always adjustable. Great for your little sister or your grandma!

Ebook readers can be super useful, as many have Wi-Fi now and can be used as tablets on-the-go. Plus, if you own an iPad, you already have a book reader. With free reading apps, they do double duty. Take pictures, write notes, check email, pay bills, Skype with friends and family, update your blog and read all the books you want. In the same space of a regular size novel, you can take every book you own (or at least the ones you downloaded). Kindle books run cheaper than actual books and you save paper and space at home and on the road. You can find most books for around $9.99, though some are more if they are new releases and many are cheaper to entice you more. In fact, there are many free and $.99 books for download and this is true on other services that are not on Amazon. Order with the credit card you have on file and get it wirelessly in under a minute. Lend books to friends, upload your own books and even listen to audio books or MP3s.

Here I am enjoying my own Kindle.

I prefer my Kindle with the 3G, because I don’t have to find a Wi-Fi connection to download a new book. As long as there is cell service, I can read something new. If you spend a lot of time in coffee shops and other places that are Wi-Fi hotspots, then you may wish to save money on your ereader and get one that has Wi-Fi only. As long as you aren’t continually using the wireless function, your battery will last much longer than you would have thought. When I’m not on vacation, I read on my lunch break at work. I have been able to read for 8+ hours on one battery charge, which is more than I can say for the battery life of any other electronic device I own. So, whether you’re on a 2 hour plane ride or a 15 hour train trip, your ereader can make the journey with you without needing recharging for a long time, making it one of the best travel companions you could own.

Vegetarian Traveling

Being a traveler on a specific diet can be difficult, but you can always make it work by going to destinations that are more accepting to your needs. Everyone knows that the U.S. is fairly easy to travel in when you are a vegetarian, but are you looking for somewhere "exotic" to travel that is vegan- and eco-friendly? Here’s a list of international destinations for you:

• Bahamas – Nassau is very popular, but affordable. For a less touristy location, check out Exuma Cays. Perfect for snorkeling and diving and avoiding hoards of people.   
• Belize – Beautiful and lush, you will find many eco-lodges here and locally grown produce everywhere you go.
• Berlin, Germany – Berlin has become a mecca for so many things. Not only is it becoming the hot new vacation destination for families, but now for vegans, too! VegNews recommends visiting Vöner, Chipps, and Lucky Leek.
• British Columbia – The Pacific Northwest is chock full of vegan dining spots and BC is no exception. VegNews recommends visiting Gorilla Food,Edible Flours, and Grub.
• Costa Rica – South America has so many amazing fruits and veggies that grow on the land that you almost can’t avoid eating some vegetarian meals.
• Ecuador/Galapagos – Another South American treasure. Try those yummy potato balls and other delicious produce that they grow everywhere while you’re observing the colorful wildlife.
• Greece – The economy is in ruins – just like many of the tourist attractions, ha! – so your dollar will go pretty far. Make sure you carry plenty of small bills, since if you pay in larger bills, you may not enough change back and could end up paying twice as much.
• India – Did you know that about a third of the country is vegetarian? Now you do! Make sure you ask about ghee, creams and cheeses in dishes before ordering. 
• Kenya – Even though you’re surrounded by wildlife, it’s still easy to find eco-lodges that specialize in vegetarian food. It would be hard to go on safari if you ate all the animals!
• London – Hotel rates are slipping and it’s always more convenient to explain your food preferences when people speak your language. VegNews recommends visiting Saf, Inspiral, and Manna Cuisine. 
• Thailand – Like India, Thailand is super easy to find non-meat cuisine. 
• Vietnam – Pack your lightest clothes, because it is hot and humid here. The economy lends itself to a meat-free diet, so you won’t have any problem finding a place to dine here.

Do you have a favorite vegan food destination that you’ve found on your travels?

Air New Zealand Infographic and Giveaway

Air New Zealand is celebrating 30 years of flying from London to New Zealand via Los Angeles. Check out this fun infographic and then enter their giveaway to win a trip for two to London from Los Angeles. 

Sailing on the Cheap

Going on a cruise can be downright expensive, but here are some tips to make it more affordable for you:

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• Sail on big ships. The bigger the ship, the more cabins to fill and the more deals to be found. Think of it as Las Vegas on the ocean. Those huge hotels have so many rooms to fill that even with some of them going for half price the regular rate, they are still making a ton of money...at least much more than they would make if those rooms were empty.
• Turn to Cruise Critic if you have ANY kind of questions about cruising or ships. They tell you everything from how to pick the right cabin for you to what kind of entertainment you'll look forward to on each ship. I love reading all the cruiser reviews of the ship I'll be sailing on and what they thought was good and not so good, plus what they thought of the excursions that were offered. Sadly, I also found more information on my ship here than I did on the actual cruiseline's website.

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•  Get the most out of your cruise, by not spending the whole time laying around by the pool. Your rate is mostly-inclusive, so the more you do, the further your money goes. See the shows, play mini-golf, go to the clubs and use the workout room. If it's included, try it out. You need to work off your buffet meals somehow. Besides, you went on vacation to see and do new things...and you can sit at home for free!
• Did you know that cabins located on different decks on cruise ships have different prices even though the room is exactly the same? You could save hundreds of pounds by just moving up or down a "floor"! Make sure you price compare cabins before making your final decision.
• Cruise in the off-season instead of peak times. There may be fewer choices of cruises to your desired destination, but there will also be fewer travelers, which means lower prices and less crowded ships. You might also be able to get some extra perks by booking when the cruise companies are not as busy and really want to fill cabins. Everyone likes freebies, like spa credits and drink coupons.

What are some of your tips for cruising on the cheap?

Get a Job Teaching in the UK to Travel in Europe

Traveling is almost never cheap, even when you don’t stray far from home. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to travel for extended periods of time and still be able to pay your bills? You can enjoy sightseeing and meeting new people and trying local foods and know that that your credit cards and cable will be taken care of while you’re gone. No, it’s not some new insurance plan, but a great website called TeacherHit.com that helps you find teaching jobs in Europe in order to travel and make money at the same time!

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I know I would love to get paid to travel and, essentially, that is how it works. You apply for jobs teaching English (and sometimes other subjects) in foreign countries. If hired, you will teach immersion classes like ESL for locals that want to learn English, so they can travel to the UK and North America or even be able to use it for business deals and more. English is a widely spoken language and can be very beneficial for people everywhere to know how to speak it.

Can I teach in my own country?

If you don’t feel comfortable just moving off to a foreign country to teach a language students don’t understand, that’s okay. You can get a job in the UK to get your feet wet first. Once you have more experience, you can apply for jobs all over Europe, including France, Germany, Italy and Turkey. Many jobs require you to have your teaching certificate (i.e TEFL, ESL or TESOL) but many don’t. They only ask that you have great communication skills, are reliable and have a flexible schedule.

ESL classes are usually held in the evening hours or on weekends, which means you have plenty of time to go out during the day to see your destination city. Not only that, but your students will gain just as much knowledge from you as you do them. There’s no better way to learn a new language than by totally immersing yourself in a different culture. In no time you’ll be learning new words and phrases, too!

Choose your own destination!

Have you been dying to learn Russian or German? Then apply for jobs that you could qualify for in those countries. If you already have teaching experience, great! You’ll have a lot more listings to choose from. If you don’t, you will still find plenty to send your resume/CV to. Spend your free time exploring Red Square and the rest of Moscow with money you earned teaching your native language to others hoping to learn it. You’ll benefit twice, because you’ll have the luxury of travel and learning how to speak a new language from those that have spoken it their whole life. They benefit the same. No one knows how to pronounce words and create sentences better than someone who is native to the country of the language spoken.

TeacherHit allows you to upload your resume or CV to your profile to let employers find YOU! If you want to actively search the open jobs, you can do so with no ads or annoying pop-ups and you can even be notified of new jobs by email. If you find a job posting that wouldn’t be a fit for you, but could be for a friend, you can easily share listings on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or by email. They have made it super simple to use and I highly recommend using TeacherHit to find teaching jobs in the UK and Europe, especially if you have a love of travel and want to meet, interact with and learn from foreigners. It’s definitely one of the best ways to gain life experience and job experience at the same time and a have fun doing it!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post brought to you by TeacherHit.com. If you’re interested in teaching abroad to travel also find them on Twitter and Google+.

Be Your Own Tour Guide

One of the best ways to see a city is by walking around it, but walking tours can be spendy. You can still take a guided tour without having to book a tour or go with a bunch of strangers. With Stray Boots, you can take tours in the UK or US at your own pace and when you can fit it into your schedule. You don’t need to be on someone else’s time. Not only do you learn interesting things about the city you’re visiting, but it combines education and history with a cool scavenger hunt feel. You play your tour by cell phone text messages. You don’t need a fancy smartphone either.

Right now, you can play in Covent Garden, City of London, Westminster and Oxford. Soon, you will also be able to tour Windsor, Edinburgh and a lot more destinations. Through clues and fun facts, you can see the city from a unique perspective. This is the perfect way to go on a tour without all the structure and it’s great for kids and adults alike. Each tour can last two to three hours, even more if you choose to spend more time at any of the stops along the way.

This photo of Covent Garden is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Want your children to get a fun educational experience while you’re on vacation, then you’ll definitely all think Stray Boots’ treasure hunt walking tours are awesome. Put your heads together to come up with answers to questions texted to you and earn points that you can redeem for more fun facts! It doesn’t matter if there are two or ten of you, you can all work on one phone and even switch phones to make someone else “captain”. Each tour is just £12 per person and £6 for kids, though I’m not sure how they regulate how many are in your team.

This photo of Covent Garden is courtesy of TripAdvisor

You have a year to use your voucher, so if something comes up, you can do it some other time. It’s all up to you! Check out Stray Boots now to get started!

How To Fit In with Foreigners

When you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, things can easily get lost in translation. If you’re just sightseeing, that’s not such a bad thing, but if you’re trying to make a deal or a business transaction, it can certainly make things very complicated. With Rosetta Translation, you can make sure you completely understand those documents you’re signing or can offer several different copies for those that don’t speak your language. Rosetta is a translation agency that offers worldwide translation services to anyone who needs them.

You may not be a business traveler, but that doesn’t mean their services can’t be beneficial to you. Say you find yourself hospitalized in a foreign country and are asked to read or sign a document that you can’t understand. You can use Rosetta to translate these papers for you in your native language before you do anything. Of course, you may not have the luxury of having any paperwork and find yourself trying to communicate with no chance of understanding the other person or them you. Make it easier on yourself by using Rosetta’s interpreting services, where they can help you lower the language barrier and get your message across as well as that of who you are speaking to.

Maybe you’re trying to rent a house in a country where English isn’t spoken and your contract is written in that local language. Before you sign anything, have it looked over by a professional translator. The same goes for renting out your properties for foreign travelers. Not only will you be able to easily cater to those that come from all over the world, but you will know that you are not being misunderstood and you won’t lose rental fees because you can’t communicate with worldwide travelers. This is the perfect time to use Rosetta’s translation services for your personal gain. You’ll be known as someone who is easy to deal with and could possibly gain more business because of your use of a translation company.

These interpretive services can also be used in a business setting, for meetings, one-on-one dealings and more. An interpreter can come to you location and help make your transaction go as smoothly as possible. International business dealings are not uncommon in this day and age and it’s helpful to have a translation agency on your side that can give you accurate information. If you’re in need of such services, make sure you visit Rosetta Translation’s website to see how they can help you.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for which I received compensation, but all opinions are my own.

Guest Post: Top Travel Insurance Tips

Today's guest post comes from Joe Johnson, aka Backpack Joe. (this post originally ran on ShereenTravelsCheap)

Going on holiday is invariably one of the highlights of the year, unless of course you’re a wealthy oil tycoon and your whole year is one big holiday, but since you’re reading this, I’d wager that you’re not (what oil tycoon needs travel insurance?!). Everything about going on holiday is exciting, planning which restaurants to go to, flip-flop shopping, frantically scrabbling to locate your passport in the ‘safe’ draw, getting travel insurance… Oh wait.

Ok, almost everything about preparing for a holiday is exciting, and while travel insurance may be an unwelcome aside, it is nevertheless necessary, if only to give you piece of mind. Getting injured, falling ill or having your laptop pilfered is inconvenient in the outskirts of Coventry, but when you’re in an unfamiliar country where you don’t speak the language, it can be more than distressing. Best shell out for travel insurance then. Here are some tips for ensuring you get the right type of insurance, and getting the most out of it should you need to use it.

1. Get Insurance 

Sounds obvious right? Maybe, but so many people make the mistake of not taking out travel insurance and regretting it afterwards when they end up with hospitals bills for thousands of pounds/dollars. You wouldn’t take to the road without car insurance, so don’t take a holiday without travel insurance.

2. Get the right Type of Insurance

Travel insurance covers many different things: injury, illness, delayed flights, loss or theft of possessions, and while you don’t want to go away without any kind of insurance you need to get the type that will suit your trip. If you’re going backpacking for example, you won’t need the same kind of insurance that would be suitable for, say, a business trip.

3. Abide by the Rules

As we all know, insurance policies are riddled with loop holes, so make sure you tick all the boxes by obeying the rules. This means checking in on time so you can claim if your flight is delayed.

4. Report Theft Immediately

If you are unfortunate enough to have your possessions stolen on holiday (or carelessly lose them), you must report to the local police in order to record the loss or theft. A crime reference number will usually be given. Failure to do this may mean you cannot claim on your policy.

5. Take Notes

If you do claim, your insurance company will want to know the precise details of what happened. Make sure you note every last detail down – what happened, when it happened, where it happened and why it happened. Make sure your story is water-tight or you’ll get caught out!

6. Get Luggage Insurance

We all know how heavy-handed ground staff at the airport can be. Not a problem if you have suitcases full of clothes, but a real risk of you have prized items in tow like a snowboard, guitar or canoe. Make sure any, large fragile, valuable items are insured. Oh, and always padlock your suitcase. Use TSA approved locks.

7. Keep Your Insurers Abreast of Changes

If you make any changes ahead of your holiday, be that changes to your schedule, holiday dates, hotel, car rental details or anything even mildly significant , be sure to inform your insurers so your policy can be adjusted accordingly.

8. Buy in Bulk

If you are travelling as a couple or a family, get group coverage. It’ll work out a lot cheaper than buying individual policies.

9. Think Long-term

The reason travel insurance can sometimes seem very expensive can simply be because you’re unprepared and disorganised. If you think you’ll be going away multiple times through the course of a year (lucky you) then buy a year's coverage since it’ll work out cheaper than buying many short-term policies. Consider what kind of holidays you’ll be going on, too. Skiing holidays require a different type of coverage than beach holidays.

10. Be Persistent with Claims

By their very nature, insurance companies don’t want to pay out for claims. They’ll try every trick in the book in an attempt to refute a claim. For this reason, you need to be persistent when claiming or insurance companies will brush you aside with legal jargon.

Joe is a travel blogger from the UK who always takes out insurance before going away! You can follow Joe on Twitter @joe__johnson__ or his blog.

Three Great Travel Apps for the UK

Even though Britain is not huge, it can still be tough to find your way around or plan a holiday without some help.

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What better help than Britain’s favorite footballer, David Beckham? Okay, there’s probably a lot more qualified travel advisors, but he’s a traveler and knows what he likes. He also loves his country enough to tell the Olympic coordinators that they should let an actual Olympian carry the torch instead of him. Imagine that! Beautiful and humble. Anyway, The Best of Britain App is a great download for those that want valuable information and also a peek at what Beckham loves most about it. His top 10 is only a small part of a very awesome app.

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Want to visit London without missing a thing? Then you’ll want to go download the free London Official City Guide App. Not only will it show you the best of the best in town, you’ll also get alerts on deals, special events and secret happenings going on. It’s like you’re totally in the know!

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Not specifically for the UK, the Arounder Touch App allows you to sightsee without getting off the couch! Of course, seeing the amazing places you COULD be going will be motivation enough with this app that gives you 360 degree views of famous visitor attractions. See museums, cathedrals, views from mountaintops and more, then start planning your own trip to go there or somewhere new that you can take your own videos of.

Do you have a favorite travel app that you’d like to share?

Products We Love: Stila Convertible Color

I’m a huge fan of multiuse items, so I was overjoyed when I walked into my local Sephora, looking for cheek stain, and stumbled up on Stila’s Convertible Color. It solves two issues at once and also gives you a healthy glow. Convertible color compacts come in a variety of hues and serve as both a blusher and moisturizing tint. The colors are vibrant and easy to apply. You don’t have to put them in your bag of liquids when you fly, either, which is a huge plus, as it saves you space in there and also does the job of two products.

You can purchase Convertible Color in the following hues: Fuschia, Gladiola, Gerbera, Lillium, Peony, Petunia, Poppy and Rose. With a just a few taps of your finger, you can get that exact shade on both your cheeks and lips. I have had a compact for a few months and it is still practically full, so you know it will last a long time and give you the bang for your buck you need to keep one in your travel bag at all times. Check out this video below to see how amazing it is.

Stila Cosmetics are available worldwide and can be purchased from a variety of sources. Asos.com gives customers around the globe free shipping or you can pay £14.95 once and get unlimited next day shipping for the whole year. That’s a bargain, yeah? You’re definitely going to find this to be a beauty product you don’t want to leave home without.

Do you have a favorite product that is dual purpose?

5 Places to View the London Skyline for Less

So, everyone knows that they can get an amazing view of the skyline of England’s capital from the famous London Eye, but queues can be long and admission is a bit expensive. Why not check out amazing views for less from some of these places?

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1.       Tower Bridge Exhibition. The walkways above the bridge give a great view of London from both directions. See the Tower of London, boats on the Thames and so much more including the London Eye.

2.      National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Go to the top and see amazing views over Westminster. It’s also FREE.

3.      OXO Tower. The 8th floor viewing platform is a fab place to get some photos of the London scenery. If you’re ready to hang out and relax, you can grab a bite to eat in the restaurant or a drink at the bar.

4.      Lewisham’s Telegraph Hill. Another freebie. Climb to the top of Telegraph Hill for panoramic views of London. This is the perfect place to bring a picnic and your camera.

5.      London Zoo. If you’re going there anyway, on a clear day you can get some nice views of Central London…and a collection of lovely animals.

Do you have a favorite place to see the London landscape?

Let Me Plan Your Trips!

Do you hate planning your vacations (like what you will do, where to eat and where to go) or just don’t have the time to research anything other than airfare? Why not let me do it for you. You choose how much you want to do, give me a budget you have to work with, tell me what dates you are traveling and what kinds of things you like to do and I’ll come up with a bunch of options for you to approve or deny that I can work around to come up with more things to add to your selections and then build you a custom itinerary. All you have to do is buy tickets or make reservations and go do it! Simple, right? I can even help you find a hotel!

Need budget ideas for where or when to go, I can definitely help you out there, too. Here are the things I can do for you:

·    Give you great hotel recommendations – if you need or want one – based on your budget and

·      Create an awesome list of things to see and do, including tours, activities, festivals and not-to-miss attractions.

·        You choose what sounds good and what doesn’t from the ideas I give you.

·        Build you a totally amazing customized itinerary for your whole trip based on what you choose from my list of great finds and ideas. (Have specific stores you want to visit, too? Let me know, so you don’t waste time going back when you were in the neighborhood doing something else on another day!)

·    Give you dining recommendations for each day out built into your itinerary, because you’re gonna want to eat and you’re gonna want a plan for wherever you are when you get hungry. (Don’t worry, I’ll give you some budget dining tips and you can tell me what kinds of food you like!)

·      Send you full instructions on how to get the best deal on the amazing things you chose, so you can quickly buy tickets and book reservations for your trip without wasting time researching it all. Yup, I’m wonderful like that!

Your custom itinerary will be be delivered within 2 weeks of final emails confirming which type of activities you (and your family/travel companion) like and dislike. (Approximate prices in GBP is £5 | £16 | £32)

Does £32  seem like a lot of money for having someone plan your trip? Between the money and time I will save you, that will be a drop in the bucket! Got questions on how this all works? Send me an email.

Custom Travel Planning

Plan 1 £5.25 GBP Plan 2 £15.99 GBP Plan 3 £31.99 GBP