London Bargains Abound

Right about now everyone is either at the Olympic games or staying far away, because the talk of huge crowds and crap traffic has kept them out of the city when possible. Amazingly, it worked so well that now tourists have changed all their plans and avoided London altogether, too. Of course, the airfare taxes have not helped. If you were hoping to make a trip into London, now is the time to do it. The city is like a ghost town outside the Olympic Stadium and merchants and hotels are suffering. Snap up deals where you can and also have a lot of the capital to yourself. Perfect for sightseeing and shopping!

View of Tower of London from Tower Bridge.

·         If you’ll actually be traveling for the games, make sure to use your included travel card to save money on transportation. It’s good for zones 1-9 on the day of your event.

·         If you won’t be traveling for the games, then buy an Oyster card or Travelcard or a pack of passes for travel on public transportation. It will save you quite a bit over paying each time you need to use the underground or bus.

·         Hit up free attractions, like Tate Modern, the Victoria & Albert, Imperial War Museum, the British Library, National Portrait Gallery, the Changing of the Guard and more.

·         Want stellar views of the city without spending big bucks? Skip the London Eye and head for Tower Bridge. You can get the same views for much less from the historic walkways.

·         Staying for a while? Think about purchasing a London Pass and save substantially on a long list of attractions, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower of London and Shakespeare’s Globe.

·         Bring your own snacks into the Olympic Stadium if you’ll be going. You can also bring an empty bottle and fill up once inside. Pack a few of those handy ice tea packets and you can mix it in and have a tastier beverage.

For those that don’t live in Britain and need a primer on British slang, here’s a handy guide.

Do you have any other last-minute tips for visiting London during the Olympics?

Lake Como Budget Activities

On Monday, we looked at what makes Lake Como so amazing. If you're interested in planning your own trip, here are just a few budget activities you may like to include:

Villa Balbianello - True Star Wars fans make the pilgrimage to Lenno to view the famous wedding spot. Heck, it's even available for weddings, but that's not the budget part. For only a few euro per person, you can take a water taxi over to Lenno and for €5 you can view gardens of the villa and for €11 you can gain entry into the villa and gardens.

Funicular Railway - Want to see the best views of Como? Well, for just  € 5.10 you can get a round-trip ticket on the railway, built in 1894, to Brunate. Amazing views of the Alps and Como. Make sure you bring your walking shoes, or else catch the bus to the lookout and lighthouse. For €20 you can get a return ticket and dinner. Choose from a variety of restaurants participating in the promotion. Allow for enough time to explore the village of Brunate and take pictures.

Villa Carlotta - Love plants and flowers? Then this is a fun place for you to visit. See over 500 varieties for €9 at this luxurious palace build in the 1600's. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in the gardens or have a quick bite at the coffee house.

Jungle Raider Park - Starting at just €10, you can choose one of five courses (or a combination of them) and zip line, traverse rope bridges and other awesome outdoor amusements that test your skills and get you out in the fresh air.

The Jewel Of Northern Italy: Lake Como

Today's guest post comes to us from Shane Mcc from NationalRVParks. Doesn't this make you want to visit Italy?

Any trip to Northern Italy should include a visit to Lake Como. It is a popular tourist destination because of its fresh air, water, mountains and great weather. This lake is so beautiful that many celebrities like George Clooney, Madonna, Sylvester Stallone and Gianni Versace have purchased property there. It has also served as the setting for movies including the Stars Wars. Its appeal is truly legendary.

This photo of Como is courtesy of TripAdvisor

My family, which includes my mother, father, brother and I, traveled to this pristine area of Northern Italy in October 2011 as a side trip while we were visitng Milan.  Lake Como is in close proximity to Milan, Italy. It is easily accessed by train from Stazione Centrale in downtown Milan.  It takes about 45 minutes to arrive. We left on a quiet Sunday afternoon in mid October.






St. Marks

After a short walk from the main train station called San Giovanni, we gazed open-mouthed at a vast expanse of clear, glass-like, calm water and almost in unison, a smile appeared on our faces. We all knew immediately why this area of Northern ltaly is so popular.



Santa Maria Dellfiore



The town of Como was our starting point to tour the lake.  It has various docks where boats are available for transportation to other towns on the lake.  The lake itself, is shaped like an inverted "Y", and is rimmed by small village-like towns that each have a dock for easy boarding and unboarding. 




Statue of David

These towns are rustic and quaint.  A visit to any of them is the quintessential Lake Como experience.  Towns like Tremezzo, where the gorgeous Villa Carlotta is a must see attraction, Mennaggio, with its small wine bars, gelatarias, and cafes, and, Bellagio, the "pearl of the lake" are all worthy of a  visit. 

 

      

Bellagio, in particular, was the most appealing for us.  We had lunch at a small trattoria situated along the lakeside.  I particularly remember a gentle breeze, soft sunshine and a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains accompanying our bottle of Pinot Grigio and bruschetta. A pleasant lago di Como memory that i will always treasure. An interesting note is that the little town of Bellagio was Steve Wynn's, the well known Las Vegas impresario,  inspiration for the  Bellagio Hotel, the centerpiece of the  famous Las Vegas Strip. The essence of an old Italian villagio comes to life in its buccolic surroundings.  Bellagio is known as the "Pearl" of the Lake. Our visit to Bellagio will be incentive enough for us to come back.

This photo of Villa del Balbienella is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Bellagio also is the home of another must see attraction;  the Villa Balbienello (the location of the famous Star Wars wedding scene).  Its meticulously maintained grounds and its old world Italian architecture are of particular note.  

There are many other sleepy little towns and villages worthy of a visit on the Lake.  If you are fortunate enough to spend a few days there, you can really get a chance to explore and enjoy  Lago di Como . The only mistake that you can make about visiting Lake Como is not making plans to return. Please, take some time to view some photos taken of our perfect lake Como sojourn.

Make sure to visit Shane at NationalRVParks, follow him on Twitter or join him on Facebook. [All photos above are courtesy of Shane Mcc, unless otherwise noted.]

 

5 Ways to Pack Light and Save Money

We all want to take half our closet with us when we go on vacation in case we might need something. Guess what? You probably won’t need it. Just remember: the less you bring, the less you have to carry. With this in mind, start with a packing list and only add essentials to it. A packing list can help save you from over-packing and having to pay overweight baggage fees. In fact, traveling with only a carry-on can save you checked-bag fees as well. Think of the things you can spend that money on during your vacation when you’re putting back that sparkly party dress that you might wear.

Find stylish pieces that work together to extend your travel wardrobe and pack less. Bring neutral bottoms, so all your tops will match your bottoms and you can mix and match outfits. This allows you to take half as many articles with you. If you can find great looking travel clothing, this is even better, because they are lighter weight for more efficient packing and are made with quick-drying, moisture-wicking fabrics.

Take only two pair of shoes. Wear one on the plane and pack the second pair. There are so many fashionable walking shoes now that can double as dress shoes for a night on the town. Stick to the first rule and find travel shoes that match everything in your luggage. That way you won't feel like you need to take up your limited space with more options. It’s always good to give your shoes a test run before you go, too. Wear them to a variety of activities to see if they can stand up to vacation stress.

Use accessories to dress up an outfit. Sometimes you want to go out for a nice dinner, bar-hopping or a night of theater. Add a funky belt, cute jewelry pieces or a scarf to add pizzazz to something even as basic as a pair of jeans and a black tank. You'll be surprised what a few strategic pieces can do to make an outfit look completely different.

 

Bring products that do double (and triple) duty. Travel gadgets are one of my biggest weaknesses. If I can find an item that has multiple uses and saves space in my travel bag, it goes on my wish list. Something like an iPod Touch can eliminate the need to bring a DVD player and a handheld gaming device. 

Pack only travel-sized toiletries. There's no way you need a full-size shampoo, conditioner and hair spray for a five-day vacation, or even a two-week one. Look for these items in travel sizes or purchase small bottles that you can refill with your own product and put labels on them. This won't require you to check your bag and more than you think will fit in the 3-1-1 bag you're allowed to take through airport security. You can even buy travel hairdryers, flat irons, electric razors and curling irons. They can take up only half the space as your full-sized items, work just as well and are easy on your wallet.