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Round The World – World Tour Best Options

by | Oct 1, 2007 | 6. Rest of World

By Dani Alonso

It was a dream some years ago, specially for the price. Things have begun to change, and something that began for more than 5,000 euros (7,250 US dollars) is now a reality for a bit more than 2,000 euros (3,000 US dollars). As the airlines industry has grown and the sky has been progressively “released” to new competitors, fares have gone down all of a sudden and now the dream to make a Round the World trip is pure reality.

The thing is… where to begin with? Sometimes it can be tricky enough to plan a trip to one single country, and now those guys are telling you that they have nearly 1.000 airports available to land and you need to choose between all them. Well, that can be pretty tricky and I am really not going to help you in that. Seriously, this is your choice, and there are no real recommendations, just follow your dreams.

Another thing, is choosing which is the best provider either in price and quality of services to choose when going for this adventure. There is a need to understand that a round the world trip is not something provided by an airline alone but by alliances of airlines instead. The 3 big ones in the market nowadays are Star Alliance, One World and Sky Team. I am going to introduce you to the three of them and let you choose the one that fits best your needs.

Star Alliance puts together 841 airports in 157 countries. Air Canada, Lufthansa, Thai, Air New Zealand, Scandinavian Airlines, United, Singapore Airlines, US Airways, Austrian, Spanair, Swiss… these are some of the most important airlines they work with, making a total of 17. They allow you a maximum of 15 stopovers, which they consider stays in one city that last more than 24 hours, and you can travel a maximum of 39,000 miles.

Regarding the fares, they will depend on the class you want to travel in and the number of miles you do, from 26,000 to 39,000, divided in 4 levels of pricing. The only problem is that they don’t offer exact numbers in their web-page and you need to plan all your route, enter your personal data, and then access to a screen where the price will be calculated. The interactive system to plan your trip is very good but I find it a big mistake to do not give any fare estimate.

On the other side, One World has an offer of 10 different airlines. American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and LAN are some of their best members. Dragonair, considered the best airline in China, joined them recently on the first of November. Even if they have less airlines than their competitor Star Alliance, One World has managed to cover 700 airports in more than 150 countries.

Furthermore, they have two different options for the world tour. One uses this basic airlines and another one, called Global Explorer, for an extra cost will allow you to use airlines that are not members of their alliance. Duration of the trip goes from 10 days up to 12 months, so you have complete freedom to decide depending on your availability

Regarding the price, it will depend on the number of continents you visit and the class you want to travel in. Considering the economy class, fares will vary from 3,900 dollars for the 3-continents route (2700 euros) to 5,300 dollars (3650 euros) for the 6-continents trip, using the non-extended airlines option.

Finally, Sky Team is not left behind at all, with some of the biggest European airlines such as Alitalia, Air France, KLM and Aeroflot. Also offers the rest of the biggest airlines in the world that the other alliances do not include, with names such as Aeromexico, China Southern, Continental Airlines, Delta and Korean Air, totaling 11 plus 3 associated airlines. With 841 cities in 162 countries, it has possibly the widest range of operations.

The situation is the same regarding the time allowed to travel, varying from 10 days to 1 year, and they offer 3 different options depending on your needs, flexibility and pricing. Your choice, as well as with Star Alliance, can vary between 3 and 15 stops along your route. The offer includes 3 price levels for 29,000, 34,000 and 39,000 miles, and also depends on the class. Taking an example with economy class, we could make the 29,000 miles trip for 3450 US dollars (2380 euros), for 4420 dollars the 34,000 miles world tour (3,049 euros), and up to a maximum of 39,000 miles that will cost 5500 dollars (3800 euros) approximately.

As you can see, the decision is not really easy. After all, my best recommendation would be to choose the alliance depending on your dream destinations. Plan your trip before looking at what they offer, make a selection between 3 and 15 cities that you would like to visit, draw the lines in a world map, and then take a look at which one of the 3 alliances is able to bring you to the most of your destinations. The price variance exists, but the strong competence between the three of them makes the difference too little as to take it into account. Plan the trip of your dreams and choose simply who wants to take you there!

About the Author

Author Dani Alonso.

Planning a European trip or a Round the World? I can help you at:
http://the-dream.ws

For more information on traveling to or within Europe:
http://the-dream-trip.blogspot.com

Source: EzineArticles.com

Learn French In France

by | Aug 19, 2007 | 2. Europe, Educational Trip, South of France

By Miguel Scaccialupo

There are many approaches to second language learning, but few methods produce better results than studying a language in the country where that language is spoken. Daily immersion in language and culture is the key to gaining real proficiency in any language. So where better to learn the French language than in France itself! France is a fascinating and diverse country with an astonishingly rich cultural heritage and simply fantastic food!

Learning a language in the country where it is spoken is easier and more efficient, any invariably produces better outcomes. Learners become intimately acqauinted with a people and their culture, as well as their language. Language learning involves much more than simply memorising grammatical structures and vocabulary – genuine fluency involves learning to communicate with the people that speak the language. By speaking and listening to native French speakers in authentic real-life situations daily, you learn how to think and behave in French.

French language schools are found throughout France, from Paris in the north to Nice in the south, and choice of location is an important factor in deciding which language school to attend. In the process of acquiring real language fluency, time spent outside the language classroom is as at least as important as time spent in class. In larger cities, language programs frequently emphasise amenities and activities but, depending on overall class sizes, may neglect individual student needs. While there may be no shortage of cultural activities and museum visits in large cities such as Paris, Lyon or Marseille, more intimate cultural experiences are typically found in smaller towns and villages. It is also much easier to fall back on speaking English in larger cities, which of course defeats your original purpose entirely!

The type of French language program you choose will of be determined in large part by your particular needs. There are many different types of program offered by language schools in France, including general French, French for business, French for academic studies, and French for art courses, music, design and culinary arts.

Whichever program you opt for, there are several characteristics to look for which are shared by all quality programs: flexible, communicative teaching methodologies, a friendly atmosphere, personal attention, enthusiastic and qualified teachers, and small class sizes. Depending on your requirements, the program should also provide a language qualification recognised by national and international colleges and universities.

In summary, to get the most out of a French language program in France, seek out language schools with qualified native-speaking teachers, small groups and programs providing ample opportunity for individual student attention. Excursions and other extra-curricular activities are all important elements in a cultural program, but such activities should not substitute for genuine language learning which always occurs best in smaller, more intimate contexts. Whatever happens during your time in France, the most important objective is of course that you thoroughly enjoy your learning experience! When all is said and done, you will learn much more much faster if you are happy with your program and enjoying yourself!

About the Author

Miguel Scaccialupo writes regularly about France Tour and Malta Tour topics, and regularly reviews Outback Tour packages.

Finding Truth in Sedona – Where Have All the Celebrities Gone

by | Jul 15, 2007 | 1. North America, Arizona

By Marv Lincoln

Located somewhere between Shangri-La and La-La-Land, Sedona, Arizona is a truly beautiful place. It is surrounded by stunning red rock formations and miles of malarkey. This year, as in years past, about four million tourists are expected to visit the area. Many of them will be on the lookout not only for gorgeous scenery but for beautiful people as well.

These days Sedona is more famous than ever, its natural beauty and quirkiness the subject of endless articles and TV features. One would think that a place as beautiful and famous as Sedona would be teeming with celebrities, right? That visitors can expect to rub shoulders with the rich, famous and infamous at local coffee shops and bistros? Wrong. Very wrong.

Sedona, Arizona, photo by Jack Sanders

Because of the presumed gullibility of the typical tourist, and some local tour guides’ quest for quick and easy sound bites (and bigger tips), a kind of local mythology has been created around a fantasy Sedona inhabited by A-list movie and TV stars, athletes and politicians. “That’s Madonna’s house over there,” says a lady Jeep tour driver with a straight face. “Sharon Stone lives on the next block. Al Pacino’s mansion is just down this street and to the left.”

The truth: A lady named Sharon Stone sells real estate in Sedona. So does a gentleman named Randy Moss (who never played tight end for the Raiders). At the moment, there are no celebrities living in Sedona. Actress Diane Lane keeps a second home in the city, population about 8,000. A certain Republican senator named John McCain sometimes stays at his ranch in Page Springs, about 10 miles from Sedona’s western outskirts.

And that’s it. Only a couple of celebrities lived here full-time in recent years — the beloved actor and song-and-dance man Donald O’Connor and actress Sean Young. O’Connor died in 2003 at the age of 78, and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood. Ms. Young, who has appeared in many films including “Blade Runner” and “No Way Out,” her two most famous roles, moved back to Los Angeles a few years ago.

Ann Miller, the raven-haired, leggy dancer whose tap-dancing skills won her stardom during the golden age of movie musicals, kept a second home in Sedona. She was often seen at local restaurants, although her main residence was in Beverly Hills. She died there in 2004.

Actor Nicolas Cage loves Sedona and often came here with his (now) ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, a few years ago. He wanted to have a home here and was even in escrow for a place in an exclusive subdivision near the town’s tiny airport. He dropped out of escrow, so the story goes, because he wanted to own the airspace above his home and it wasn’t for sale.

But because there is usually a high BSQ (B.S. Quotient) in tourist towns, not only to lure the tourists but to make them think they might bump into somebody famous while sipping a $5 cup of coffee at Starbucks, the nonsense continues unabated. It’s true that many famous folks pass through Sedona because they, like us ordinary humans, love looking at jaw-dropping scenery.

At the beautiful Enchantment Resort, employees must sign an agreement that they will never reveal the names of famous people who stay at this posh retreat (its Mii Amo Spa costs around $1,000 a day). So…don’t ask, and I won’t tell!

Actress Jane Russell used to live in Sedona and ran a nightclub called Dude’s. Orson Welles rented a house here for his wife and daughter and often visited, once had to be rescued during a major flood in the Seventies. Lucille Ball never lived in Sedona, nor did Walt Disney despite persistent rumors. Bob Dylan has passed through, and Johnny Depp, and Mike Tyson, and Muhammad Ali, and Regis Philbin, and Martha Stewart, and…and…

And, yes, Oprah! In the summer of ’06 she visited our local health food store during one of her cross-country tours, told a friend of mine, “There’s nowhere to eat in this town!” and bought a bunch of fresh organic vegetables.

And that’s the truth. If you really want to find truth in Sedona, take a hike. It has some of the best hiking trails on the planet. You might even meet me on a trail someday. I’ll be happy to give you an autograph.

About the Author

Learn more about beautiful Sedona, Arizona and its lively cultural, artistic and political scene at our blog. Also enjoy some unique insights on important issues of the day by Liberty and Marv Lincoln. Marv’s writings have been published in many national periodicals, including Newsweek and more. Visit www.sedonapr.com for details.