High speed railway (Train) from London to Paris

I've heard a couple of times from different people  that when you're in Europe you can take a train to any other city in Europe  for an affordable price. I did some looking and it is true. 

I started looking into some train companies (Eurostar) and a trip from London to Paris is 69 British pounds (110 US dollars). If I lived in London I would travel to Paris as many times as I could. $110 is such a good price. Imagine  if you go visit London one day buy a plane ticket stay there for a couple of days and then in the same travel deal package you go to Paris as well thats about another $300 instead of $110 taking the train to Paris in the middle of your vacations time. 

Personal "testimony" 

My aunt 2 years ago traveled to London she bought her ticket for two and a half weeks (it cost her $880 9 months in advance, that alone is already a good deal because some tickets cost more than $1,000). At first she looked up travel packages that take you from city to city and Europe she wanted to visit Paris and Barcelona  but once she started looking at the deals they totaled out to about $2,500 or more.After she saw how much it would cost her she didn't have the intentions of visiting any other places other than London. Once she was there with her friend they found Eurostar and saw that a one day trip to Paris cost her 95 US dollars, her friend and her couldn't let the deal go so they went. They were there for the entire day, the ride only lasted 2 hours and 50 almost 3 hours so about  6 hours in total in traveling to and from. She said that her being in Paris just for one day was enough she got to go to the Eiffel Tour, the Louvre and of course some French restaurants and cafes. She got two trips instead of one. 

Looking at some alternatives is worth the money and time. You can get two trips instead of one just like my aunt did. Don't get me wrong not all other cities are going to be as cheap as the price my aunt got but looking at some train companies is worth it.  If one day I'm in London for a week you bet I'm buying myself a train ticket and heading to Paris. 

Australia the land down under

Australia the land down under seems like one of the most fascinating places to visit there  because there is so much nature life and beaches. I've seen travel shows and whenever they go to Australia it looks like they're having the time of their life. There is so much nature to see you can go swimming the ocean with marine  animals and also just walk around on the Sydney Park boardwalk in the very popular city of  Sydney where you have a perfect view of the ocean.

Australia  is a country/island and  the capital is Canberra. Australia neighboring countries include Indonesia Papua New Guinea up north and New Zealand  south-east. The currency they use is the Australian dollar, approximately 1 US dollar equals  0.9640 (not even a dollar). 

The day I go to Australia the number one thing I want to do is go swimming in the "World Heritage-listed" Great Barrier Reef. I have always been interested in marine life. Australia to has such  beautiful places to go snorkeling. It  is amazing.  Mainlands include  towns of Port Douglas and Bundaberg.  There you can explore the rainbow-coloured coral islands and marine life below. There they offer boats where you can aboard  those boats have glass-bottom, when while you're on the boat you can see the ocean below your feet. The boat stops in the middle of  Airlie Beach, from there you put on your snorkeling gear and you can jump in the crystal clear water. While in the water you'll  see sea stars, crabs corals, molluscs, Capricorn and Bunker Reefs. The biggest reason why I want to do diving is because when in the water you pass  past marine turtles swimming next to you, how great and a wonderful experience is that? 

From what I wrote you can get a general idea that you'll have to take summer clothes because the climate is so nice and sunny during the months of October-January . Australia is not a cheap place to go but trust me the money is going to be worth it when you're there , even though I have never been there I know its going to be worth it.

Works Cited

Westcott, Simon., The Travel Book: A Journey Through every Country in the World. 2004. Print.

Plane Alternatives

If you want to visit a place close by like New York (when living in Virginia) you don’t have to take a plane. You have some other options for example a bus, train and even a car. My friends and I are thinking about taking a trip to New York for Spring break and we want to figure out what’s the cheapest way of getting there, I am sure this can help others and not just me. This week I’m going to talk about these alternatives rather than taking a plane (because that’s way too pricey for the three days we’re planning on spending there) and also comparing prices. 

Our first option is taking a bus to New York. How much does it cost? When I searched the dates we wanted to go and round trip is $65 (on Greyhound)  which I was very surprised because I didn't think it would be that cheap.  Another bus company I found chinabus-town.org  is another cheap one but I couldn't find the dates I wanted. From the looks of it is really inexpensive because a round trip from DC to Philadelphia is only $20 how crazy cheap?  From the looks of this I have to keep both companies in mind because who knows maybe one day all the tickets will be cheap. 

Another option Is taking a train. I haven’t been on a train for a long trip, just the usual 10 minutes when I hop on the metro in DC but this time it would be different. This is a little different from taking a bus (as far as prices) a regular trip would be $100 round trip for coach. First class or “business class” cost $230 I’m not sure if I want to pay that much, because then it would leave me with a little less money to spend on my trip. Then there was another option the “shortest trip option” what that is a shorter trip. The usual time it would take to get to NYC from DC is 3 hours and half but with the “shortest trip option” it would only take two hours and forty-five minutes. Is it really worth buy a faster trip ? I think the only way I would take that  “shortest trip option” is if someone paid for me. 

Lastly, my other option would be to take a car. For my car to fill up the tank Supreme Gas is about $43 average (11 gallons that’s how much my car takes in). On the last New York trip my family and I took it took us one fill tank of gas to get there, we didn't stop to get gas we went straight there and the gas was enough. If my friends and I were to take a car we would chip in for gas for the way there and back. Also I would have to consider if we did go in car we would spend more money on gas because we would drive around in New York a lot, and finding parking in the city is a pain so I don’t think I would like to take a car.

So what options am I considering? I’m not sure yet the bus ride seems like the cheapest but boring. The train ride seems like fun but it’s pricey and to take a car also seems like fun because what’s more fun to be in car full of your friends? But then again I don’t want to spend so much money on gas. I’m leaning towards a bus ride, why? Well because it’s the cheapest and I want some money to spend on my trip and because I’m pretty sure that through the whole trip I’ll be sleeping so it won’t matter to me.  

Airlines

What airlines to take?

The first thing you should think about when wanting to travel is “what airline should I take?” you want the cheapest and the best quality you can find. I know how hard it is to find airlines that are cheap because when my family looks for plane tickets to go to El Salvador we get pushed off by the prices because they are crazy high. Even when wanting to travel within the United Stated they can range from $300-$500 for just a week, that’s pretty ridiculous if you ask me we should be at the most $200 since you’re traveling within the country (for at least a week). So what are the best airlines to take when traveling nationally (in the United States) and internationally?

                When wanting to travel inside the United States look up different airlines compare and contrast the prices. You’ll notice that if you search for tickets at different times of the day the prices will change they can be up to $200 cheaper, I know by experience. Over the summer my aunt went to Houston for 2 months she flew out of National Regan on Spirit Airlines she paid about  $256 for a round trip. That’s crazy cheap when compared to other airlines for example American Airlines which was about $600 in total,  she saved a lot of money with booking with Spirit. When I looked online so see what were the cheapest airlines to travel within the United States American came in fourth, I though that was pretty weird because to me that was the expensive airline but then again it depends when you’re traveling and to where. Spirit Airlines is affordable and good quality, don’t think only because its cheap you’ll have crapy service no you will get the best service.

                Now lets talk about what airlines are the best choices to take internationally. Well Spirit is another good choice but the only places out of the US they travel to is Central America they tickets are cheaper than other but the downfall is that you have to layover in other airports for hours. So are you willing to layover for about 6 hours to get a good deal? How about if you want to go to Itlay, Spain or Germany? I found that Turkish Airlines provide first class service for a good price, I checked the dates for mid November and the average price was $740 for 2 weeks not bad if you think about the time of year. Turkish Airlines goes around the world so if you want to go somewhere else check with Turkish Airlines.

               

  A few pointers, check with the airlines in advance. Check for you tickets 5-8 months on advance to see what you find. Some airlines offer “mileage” which is basically the more you travel the airline counts the miles you have flew and if you have traveled enough mileage you can get a discount or a free plane ticket, so I 

would make sure to ask.

So after all of this which airlines do I prefer? Nationally Spirit, hey if I’m saving up to $200 on a trip I am up for it I can spend that money on my vacation. International wise I would pick Turkish Airlines.  People who work for airlines are lucky because they don’t have to pay much to travel, how lucky of them. From what I have seen I have to start saving my money if I want to visit another country. 

Thailand

Thailand

            Who hasn’t heard of Thailand? Thailand is such a popular Asian country and when I think of Thailand I think of the food stands  in Bangkok at night with vendors waving fans at themselves to  make the heat a little less irritating, but the people who live there are used to it. There is so much to do when visiting Thailand, you can go to the temples, go to the food stands any time of the day and take boat river rides. In Thailand they speak Thai and use the currency Baht.

 (temple 

Wat Benchamabophit  Photo  Darko Pevec.)

            There are thousands of Temples in Thailand visiting every single one in a short period of time would be very difficult so visit the most popular ones. One temple is  Wat Chedi Luang in  Chiang Mai, Thailand One of the best times to see this  is during the wian tian ceremony  that takes place in June one of the main Buddhist festival days, so many tourist come here to visit (Stig Albeck).  Wat Benchamabophit the marble temple is located in Bangkok it is the most visited temple Thialands capital, its style is Thai but inspiration from European neo-classicism can also be seen. The lovely proportions of this temple make it one of the most beautiful  (Stig Albeck).  Wat Mahathat is another and it is located in the historic Sukothai’s Royal City. It is the oldest building in the area. Visiting these beautiful places is an eye opener you see the hard dedication to these temples.

 

One day I was watching Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and he was visiting Thailand and he showed the food stands Bangkok, the amount of food that was being sold is unexplainable. The Thai papaya salad looked so amazing, what it is a dish that combines sour lime, hot chili, salty, savoryfish sauce, sweetness added by palm sugar and lastly the papaya. Most people eat the papaya salad with a small cup of tea. Another dish is Khao man gai (chicken and rice) served mostly during the daytime he chicken is gently boiled until it is tender then the water is used in boiling the rice. This means that khao man gai – apart from being delicious – its high in cholesterol. Served with a chicken broth and delicious sweet and spicy sauces, it’s the perfect midday snack (Stig Albeck). I can’t imagine drinking soup in the heat of Thailand but when I see Thai soup I have to drink it, my favorite is  Thai Pumpkin Soup with Shrimp & Cucumber sounds kind of odd but it is very delicious when I have it here in the States, I can’t imagine how good it is in Thailand.

 

Take a boat trip on the Chao Phraya River, in Thai it means “the river of the Kings”.  Not only can you use it to see the city of Bangkok but you can use it as a “bus” to get from one point to another. There are boats you can chose from like the really nice fancy ones or the not so fancy but neither will cost you more than $8 US dollars or even less that is amazing for a boat ride. In Thailand they  have many large and small rivers, the small rivers they use as rice paddies.

I hope to go to Thailand one day and see all cultural aspects this country has to offer. This country takes in so many tourists you’ll never feel alone. From what I have seen and read the people of Thailand are very respectful and caring. That’s the kind of hospitality I want when going to another country because that’s what I would give to a traveler from another country when here in the United States.

Work Cited

Stig Albeck. Thailand: Travel to Thailand. 2008. Print.

Brazil

            When I think of Brazil I always think of nice beaches, very populated the Amazon and soccer. My dream is to go to Brazil and experience the full culture of the beautiful country. There is so much to do in Brazil from surfing on the gorgeous beaches to visiting the popular Cristo Redentor (Statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

 

            Brazil is a country in South America the biggest and most populated the main language is Brazilian Portuguese, if you know Spanish it will sound a little similar but im sure many people there speak English so I wouldn’t be a problem.  The currency they use is the Brazilian Real  $1 is 2 Brazilian Real . The capital of Brazil Brasilia is now modern populated city, I know that many people from other countries are moving to Brasilia because of their economy which is doing very well and also because it’s a place for modern business, take a trip there  eat all the foods like Feijoada a pork stew served with rice and a bowl of beans. In Brazil you’ll find beans everywhere, as to coffee. Coffee is a very popular drink almost everyone drinks it but isn’t it here in America as well? Who hasn’t seen a picture of Ipenema Beach in Rio de Janiero, the people walking on the white sand having a cold drink while looking out on the beach with the view of the cliffs, who wouldn’t want to have that view? In Rio (as in all of Brazil) there are Churrasco restaurants everywhere. Churrasco is cooked meet on the grill, I have been to a couple of Churrasco restaurants and they are amazingly good but to eat in a restaurant  in Brazil how amazing would that be with a beach view. In Brazil you won’t need a car everything is close by or take a taxi the traffic there is crazy.

 

            If you’re the adventurous type take a trip to the Rainforest Amazon. I still remember in Elementary school learning about the Amazon and thinking “Wow that’s so cool, what beautiful nature I want to go there”. It might be a little expensive to take a trip to the Amazon but it would be so worth it to take a boat ride on the Amazon River and hiking in the Rainforest to see mother nature in front of you, not many people can say they have been to the Amazon, wouldn’t you like to be one of them?  

 

 

Take a walk on the coble stone stay for carnival dance Samba it is never a bad time to go to Brazil the tropical weather will never disappoint you. I know I’ll be visiting Brazil one day and I’ll fall in love. 

What Sources can I use?

For my final analysis paper there are only a few sources I'm thinking I can use since my topic is Traveling I can't really use an academic website because I'm not sure that would give me too much information on traveling but the two sources I am thinking of using are an Encyclopedia and Travel books or a traveling website.

Using an Encyclopedia can help me with the history of the country of choice I'm writing about . The use of an official (if that exists) travel book or website can help me grateful because my whole blog is just on traveling. Although I think I'll need some help choosing these  sources.