Travel Photos and Travel

Every year, millions of people around the world set off on exciting travelling adventures, but these vacations are no simple accomplishment. Travelling holidays are complex, expensive and potentially risky. To accomplish it, most people plan exhaustively. They map out schedules, account for contingencies and build detailed budgets. But no matter how much one plans, mistakes still happen and problems still arise.

The root of many of those issues is in the budget. People tend to budget at their means. The problem is that you can’t account for everything. Surprises and accidents will happen, and when they do, they will drain and undermine the budget. So in the following series of tips, we’ll explore ways to travel and budget frugally while accounting for the unexpected by travelling below our means.

Aeroplan Cards
Aeroplan cards are credit cards with built-in airline bonus programs. Often, the airline associates this account with your frequent flyer miles account, but you don’t need to be a frequent flyer in order to take advantage of an aeroplan program. These cards provide miles and cash back on travel-related purchases, and some of the best cards provide these bonuses on any kind of purchase.

A common financial technique is to use a credit card with a bonus program for all expenses. The key to this technique is to pay the entire bill each month in order to avoid credit charges. By doing so, the bonus is truly free. The savings accrued this way can be quite substantial, and travellers can even budget at standard prices, and then use this “extra” money as a safety net for all unexpected expenses.

Be Loyal
An aeroplan program isn’t the only way that loyalty pays. Many other service businesses, such as hotels and car rental agencies, have loyalty programs too. Some of these businesses require you to join programs while many of them are much more subtle than that. Long term, loyalty can pay big dividends, but travelers can also reap great financial benefits in the short term.

For instance, pick one hotel brand, and choose them for every stop along your trip. They may not give you a break upfront, but service businesses are computerized. They know when you come and how often. As you progress through the trip, the hotel will see how much business you’re giving it, and it’ll often reward you with various benefits and on-the-spot price breaks.

Take an All-Inclusive Approach
All-inclusive travel packages bundle hotel stays, car rentals, meals, drink and even activities. By choosing a bundle, you lose a little bit of flexibility, but in return, you get great savings that can really help stretch a budget. There are so many bundle options, that you can choose bundles with the same hotel and rental agencies so that you can build loyalty with those companies. Many all-inclusive vacation packages are at a fixed location, but it’s not too difficult to chain these opportunities together in order to create a travelling adventure.

Be Adventurous
Many people have their heart set on a particular destination, but that location may not be where the greatest savings lie. Be willing to go where the money is. For instance, make a list of possible destinations, and then choose the ones where the dollar is converting the highest. This adds both frugalness and excitement to your adventure. The worst mistake vacationers make is that they choose a location where they’re losing money on the dollar conversion. It may not seem like a big deal, but it adds up fast and can increase the overall cost of a vacation substantially.

With all the shows, musicals, comedies and plays – and hundreds of wonderful hotels and restaurants, from bustling Oxford Street to leafy Kensington, and the lights – there really is nowhere like London for Christmas time theatre breaks…

So here is a list of the TOP FIVE SHOWS to see in London this Winter…

1. Celebrate Christmas in style with The Rat Pack!
They’re back! Frank, Sammy and Dean – from Vegas to the West End – kick off a winter tour with their famed Christmas Special: Christmas with the Rat Pack before carrying their incredible all-singing party into the New Year with The Rat Pack – Live from Vegas… both shows playing at the Wyndhams Theatre on Charing Cross Road.

The Rat Pack celebrates Christmas in style. Celebrate the Christmas season with Rat Pack renditions of songs from the era and traditional tunes in a line-up that includes Baby It’s Cold Outside, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Let It Snow Let It Snow, White Christmas and Auld Lang Syne. A 15-piece orchestra accompanies the cast.

2. “Wart a show! A beasty baddie and stonking songs – Roald Dahl’s Matilda has it all” FIVE STARS (Daily Mail)

“It is the best new British musical since Billy Elliot…hilarious, moving and magical”(Daily Telegraph)

“Matilda The Musical … covers itself in chocolate glory, and I’d happily have a second helping” (OfficialLondonTheatre)

Following a sensational sell-out season at The Courtyard Theatre, the RSC’s production of MATILDA THE MUSICAL has finally transferred to the Cambridge Theatre on Seven Dials.

Roald Dahl’s much-loved story bursts into life on stage in this brand new musical version by Dennis Kelly and award-winning musician and comedian Tim Minchin. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination.

Her parents think she is a nuisance and she thinks, quite rightly, they are only interested in watching telly. Life is not much better at school, where the monstrous headmistress Miss Trunchbull terrifies both students and teachers ALIKE. Then one day Matilda discovers she has a very special power and decides it’s time the grown-ups were taught a lesson. Be warned, the children are revolting…

3. Follow the yellow brick road over the rainbow and into The London Palladium on Argyll Street, the capital’s home of the family musical.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of The Wizard of Oz is an enchanting adaptation of the all time classic, totally reconceived for theatre breaks by the award-winning creative team that delighted audiences of all ages with their recent London Palladium revival of The Sound of Music.

Developed from the ever popular MGM screenplay this new production contains all the much-loved songs from the Oscar winning movie score, all the favourite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way, including new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

So click your heels together and join Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy and her little dog Toto, in the magical land of Oz to meet the Wizard and obtain their heart’s desires. Watch out for the Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys as you rediscover the real story of Oz in this fantastic musical theatre break for all the family.

4. Ogres and Donkeys and Princesses… Is it a Pantomime?
No it’s Shrek the Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in Wellington Street.

Shrek (Nigel Lindsay), our unlikely hero, and his loyal steed Donkey (Richard Blackwood) as they set off on a quest to rescue the beautiful (if slightly temperamental) Princess Fiona (Kimberley Walsh) from her tower, guarded by a fire breathing love-sick dragon. Add the diminutive Lord Farquaad (Nigel Harman), a gang of fairytale misfits, and a biscuit with attitude, and you’ve got this year’s must see new musical comedy – Shrek The Musical

Featuring all new songs as well as cult Shrek anthem – I’m a Believer, Shrek The Musical brings the well loved characters to life in a hilarious and spectacular new production based on the story and characters from the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks Animation film.

The world of fairytales is turned upside down in an all singing, all dancing, irresistible mix of adventure, laughter and romance.

5. Sprinkle some fairytale magic this Christmas with Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! at the O2 Arena, London Docklands

One of the most popular dance productions ever staged in the UK, Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! returns to Sadler’s Wells this Christmas to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a limited seven week run.

“A nutcracker that’s truly, truly scrumptious” INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

This delicious theatrical feast has family-sized helpings of Matthew Bourne’s trademark wit, pathos and magical fantasy. Nutcracker! follows Clara’s bittersweet journey from a hilariously bleak Christmas Eve at Dr. Dross’ Orphanage, through a shimmering, ice-skating winter wonderland to the scrumptious candy kingdom of Sweetieland.

Tchaikovsky’s glorious score performed by a live orchestra and Anthony Ward’s unforgettable sets and costumes combine with sizzling choreography to create a fresh and charmingly irreverent interpretation of the traditional Christmas favourite.

In 1992, when the Olympic torch arrived in Barcelona, the renaissance era evolved and now after 14 years, the capital of Barcelona, Catalan is still experiencing an influx of hordes of visitors. The reason is not difficult to understand as the country offers an enjoyable Mediterranean climate along with many cultural insights apart from a large number of restaurants and bars. The Futbol Club of Barcelona is one of the most renowned sporting clubs which was the primary reason for Barcelona to be chosen as the host for the 1992 Olympics.

EasyJet made travel to Barcelona from UK easy for visitors and the reason that tourism is soaring in Barcelona is also due to the affordable flights that are being offered nowadays. Many budget airlines in Scandinavia, Germany, UK and Eastern Europe offer flights to Barcelona. Ryanair also has frequent flights coming into the Girona-Costa Brava airport and Reus from countries, such as Ireland and UK. These flights take just about two hours to reach Barcelona. The United States also has direct flights on Delta that operate from New York as well as other states.

Look for great deals on rentals for apartments that you can hire short-term. Check out the areas where you choose to take up an apartment as many of these are recently renovated and can house about ten people. Make sure that you rent one in a good neighborhood.

Hotel Arts is one of the award winning hotels though the area may not be entirely suitable if you want to enjoy the activities in the heart of Barcelona. You can try the Hotel Majestic which is not far from Placa Catalunya, where you can access the various sights. Hotels such as La Pedrera and Casa Batllo are close by and have great restaurants with rooftop pools.

The other good hotels in Barcelona are the Le Meridien, which is just off Ramblas and Hotel Colon and is located opposite the cathedrals. Enjoy a walk down the Ramblas to feel the pulse of the area. You can grab a beer or enjoy coffee in any of the cafes and bars that are scattered along the area.

Make sure you take a look at the architecture of the Sagrada Familia cathedra, which was started by Gaudi but remains unfinished for over a century. From there, you can head to Casa Batllo and La Pedrera, which is on Passeig de Gracia. Parc Guell is another unfinished project by Gaudi though it is worth admiring the architectural design. You can also visit the museum which has been dedicated to the works and life of Gaudi.

Accommodation may be your priority when deciding on making short breaks to Barcelona. You can look for hotels that are not as luxurious as these if you wish to enjoy city breaks.