Photo by admin

Choose your travel companions

Holidays can be stressful; they shouldn’t be, but sometimes they are.  It definitely helps if you are travelling with people you know you’ll get along with, and who will give you space when you need it. Staying in the same hotel room, or even a house, with a bunch of people you aren’t used to living with – even if they are your best friends – can be taxing on a relationship.

Plan ahead

Arriving in a new country or city can be overwhelming. There are so many new things to do, so many things to see; you could get overwhelmed by all the different activities you want to do. You could always dive in headfirst and go with whatever takes your fancy, but I find it’s better to plan out a rough schedule to avoid time constraints and ensure that you do everything that you want to do.

Conversely, if you arrive somewhere and aren’t sure of what you can do there, a little research in advance can’t hurt. Who knows, you might find a new favourite activity or restaurant. Knowledge is power!

Save up

For maximum enjoyment and to reduce stress, budget your trip beforehand. This is especially useful for long and/or overseas trips. The last thing you want to have to worry about on a holiday is how much you can spend. Estimate how much you want to spend per day – think about the types of meals you want to eat (will you be dining out every day, or are some “home”-cooked meals on the menu?), are you planning on purchasing any souvenirs? Or going to any attractions that involve buying tickets?

It’s best to work out a budget for your trip as soon as possible, so you can start putting aside money in preparation for it. That way, you can focus on having fun, rather than balancing the books.

Accommodation

Where you stay plays a fairly important role in your enjoyment of the holiday. After all, it’s the place you’ll come back to at the end of the day to unwind and to sleep. If you envision lazy days by the pool, choose a place with a pool. If you some private time in the bathroom, make sure your room has an en suite. It’s also a good idea to choose a hotel or hostel that’s close to the city central or somewhere close to public transport, so it’s easy to get around.

Sarah Paige is a travel expert currently living in Vale, in Western Australia, until her next intrepid adventure.

The post Travelling Checklist appeared first on Europe Explored.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Dave Smith

You have to pay to get in to the theme park itself, which currently costs £30 for children, £40 for adults (and a child over 12 is considered an adult so expect to pay full price for older kids) or £120 for a family of four for a day, so it isn’t cheap, but once inside your ticket covers all of the rides and so the only extras will be souvenirs and food and drink.

Thorpe Park is famous for some of its rides, including the new rollercoaster and live action maze based on the Saw movie series. Not all of these rides are suitable for young children and some are particularly scary, so it is a great choice for thrill seekers and teenagers but not so good for the feint hearted.

Thorpe Park has several rides, including the Logger’s Leap log flume, where you will get very wet, so unless it is a very hot day it is a good idea to buy one of the waterproof ponchos they sell at the park to try and keep your clothes dry.

Thorpe Park also has plenty of restaurants and bars where you can unwind during your visit. For further information visit their official website.

View Thorpe Park – one of England’s biggest and most popular theme parks United Kingdom in a larger map

The post Thorpe Park – one of England’s biggest and most popular theme parks | United Kingdom appeared first on Europe Explored.

It also includes several restaurants and shops with various souvenirs. Futuroscope theme park is open all year outside of January. Opening hours vary according to the season, however, it is appropriate to look at the official site of the park. Admission is different for adults 35 EUR and for children (5-16) 26 euros.

View Planete Futuroscope – latest audio and visual technology theme park in France in a larger map

The post Planete Futuroscope – latest audio and visual technology theme park in France appeared first on Europe Explored.

Sopot Pier is the most famous seaside promenade in Poland. History of Pier started in 19th century, but gained its current appearance in 1927. Sopot Pier is 511.5 meters long and 10 meters wide. It consists of a square lying on the shore and wooden part overlooking the bay. Tourists can enjoy here a pleasant atmosphere of the summer, sunbathe, watch the sunset or buy souvenirs and have fun. Nearby you will find healing spa facilities, restaurant, snack or a cinema. Sopot Pier is home to many social and sporting events, concerts and art exhibitions. course, hotel and transport services.

Sopot Pier is one of the most popular Polish recreational and entertainment venue, and it is called ‘the Pearl of Sopot‘.

View Sopot Pier in Poland – the longest wooden pier in Europe in a larger map

The post Sopot Pier in Poland – the longest wooden pier in Europe appeared first on Europe Explored.

Santa Claus Village was formed with only few wooden-cottages in 1950. Today it is a complex, which consists of several cafes, shops and refreshment facilities. There is also Santa Claus office, or Santa Claus post office. There is a white line leading throughout the Santa Claus Village that indicates the Arctic Circle. In the local stores you can buy a really interesting souvenirs. They sell the handicrafts Lapps, knitted sweaters, gloves, hats, reindeer meat, a variety of products from Finnish berries and real Finnish knife that will last for a lifetime.

500 000 tourists visit Santa Claus Village each year. You can get there from Rovaniemi by bus #8 known as Santa’s Express. The village is open all the year. Opening hours are often changed, it is appropriate to look at the official village site. There is the popular Santa Park situated just 2 km from Santa Claus Village.

The basic admission is 28Eur in winter and 15Eur in summer.

View Santa Claus Village and Park – exciting fantasy world in Finland in a larger map

The post Santa Claus Village and Park – exciting fantasy world in Finland appeared first on Europe Explored.

Already on the way to Vesuvio you can see the places where nothing grows. In 1944 there was the last eruption of lava flowed through here. From the car park you can walk to the top of a very busy sidewalk. Hike is pretty tough and definitely not suitable for older people. There are stalls selling refreshments and souvenirs on the top.

During the beautiful weather it really worth to look at the Gulf of Naples, the sea and also to the crater of a volcano.

View Monte Vesuvio – destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy in a larger map

The post Monte Vesuvio – destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.