Maybe you are debating between driving and flying and want to know what the best thing for the dog is? [travelling with pets]

Well depending upon how much your dog weighs it will most likely be in your dog’s best interest to drive and to avoid flying in the cargo area of the plane altogether.

If your dog is small which would mean either a very young puppy or a very small dog such as a Yorkie or something like that you can take your dog in the cabin area of the plane with you on most commercial airlines.

If your dog is bigger than a small dog you will definitely have to check your dog which means they will be riding in the cargo area of the plane.

Most airlines attempt to regulate the temperature and air pressure in the cargo areas for many reasons; perfumes and pets mostly.

However it is very difficult to do and the situation will be very stressful on your dog regardless of if the airline is able to regulate both the temperature and the air pressure.

The state of the economy undoubtedly has everything to do with travel trends that have surfaced over the past year and for this year.

During tumultuous times like the present we are prone to returning to classic destinations that made us feel good and took our minds off the current situation. We are more apt to seek out serenity and comfort.

According to travel sources a new breed of traveler has evolved in light of the economy and travel trends. This newly developed traveler has been defined as a flashpacker. The flashpacker is a more sophisticated backpacker, preferring private accommodations to public and group accommodations.

A few interesting changes of events that have taken place with travel companies were sprung from a need to be more empathetic to today’s traveler. In fact, Virgin American Airways are now requiring employees to go to ‘empathy training’ to help deal with stressed out and disgruntled passengers.

Several different cruise lines are even reinventing themselves by offering a more comfortable and less flashy feel to their passengers.

Destinations that have become more alluring and more popular to travelers in the past few months and experts think will continue to be alluring and popular destinations are:

• Prague which used to be known as slacker cool now has a spruced up image and is attracting travelers of all ages.
• Marrakesh Africa offers many luxury hotels that are set in palm groves and shadows of the Atlas Mountain range.

And a few travel trend destinations that are a bit more accessible to people living in the states:

• Miami Beach. If you visit Miami Beach there is a restaurant called Table 8 which comes highly recommended by past and present customers. The chef at Table 8 named Chef Govind Armstrong has concocted a meal he calls the ‘recession confession.’
• St. Helena California. If you decide to relax in St. Helena California make sure to eat at the Martini House which is known both for the ambience and the food.
• New York City has become an extremely popular destination as of late. Regardless of where you go in this majestic city you are sure to find a plethora of wonderful eateries however our sources tell us to try Convivio.

Maybe you don’t have the time to spend comparing and contrasting hotels and local tourist attractions.

Or maybe you do have the time but have no idea where to start because there are so many travel web sites out there and they all seem to do the same things?

Well we have done the research for you and came up with 5 travel web sites that are at the top of their game.

These sites make planning a trip extremely easy because they are very user-friendly sites.

Whether you are looking for international flights or a local bed and breakfast, these 5 sites will get you to where you want to go.

1. Sidestep.com is a travel web site that is particularly known for ease of booking flights. The site has been around for 8 years and provides users with over 600 different airlines and compares more than 200 different web sites’ prices and times.
2. Farecompare.com is the site you need to utilize if you are looking for international flights. This site will compare and contrast virtually every site going in and out of any country around the globe. The site looks at 500 airlines and will pull the 500 cheapest fares.
3. If you are looking for a site that has pre-researched, reviewed and previewed potential hotels in your area of travel then Kayak.com is the site for you. Kayak has the inside scoop on nearly 160,000 hotels around the world.
4. Planning to take a cruise? Cruisecritic.com is your site for completely thorough planning of a cruise vacation. The site compares more than 60 cruise lines and offers suggestions as well as recommendations.
5. Traveling abroad and financially handicapped? We have a site that is designed to help people convert currency from one country to another. For example if you are traveling from Italy to the United States you will need to know the currency ratio and Xe.com will do that for you. The site utilizes 180 different currencies from 250 areas and is updated every minute.

We still think the oldies but goodies like Travelocity.com, expedia.com and others are great and trusted sites to go to. The above mentioned travel sites are extremely specific to their area of information and highly recommended to make planning your vacation go extremely smoothly.

In 1904 the area was officially renamed and later saw the erection of the first ever sidewalk advertisement to be powered by electricity.

The paper moved on to plusher surroundings in Broadway, a decade later but the name stuck and is referred to these days as One Times Square. Located to the west of Manhattan, near the commercial side, the area is now known for its multitude of advertising media.

Things were very different during the Great Depression and as the economy fell Times Square became a neighborhood in decline. Corruption during the sixties, added to its already dangerous reputation which symbolized the decline of New York City.

When new mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, came into office in the middle of the nineties he vowed to resolve the poverty issues and regenerate the region. Eventually drug dealers and a thriving pornographic industry were driven away by the use of security and surveillance cameras.

Now the square is alive with TV studios such as MTV and a host of other new and exciting ventures aimed at attracting the tourists on mass to this unique and instantly recognizable location.

It is sometimes called the crossroads of the world, but whatever anyone likes to call it, stopping off at this vibrant and unique place should be on everyone’s list of things to do when visiting the Big Apple, as its multitude of attractions are bound to enthrall any visitor. [New York Attractions]

In a recent poll of more than 43,000 people, respondents named availability of good jobs as their most important concern when sizing up a town.

These small towns have ‘em – plus great schools, affordable homes, low crime, and much more.

Here are the top 10 towns:

1. Louisville, CO
2. Chanhassen, MN
3. Papillion, NE
4. Middleton, WI
5. Milton, MA
6. Warren, NJ
7. Keller, TX
8. Peachtree City, GA
9. Lake St. Louis, MO
10. Mukilteo, WA

See the full list here: Best Places to Live – 2009

Here is the list of top 100 from US News

To assist you in finding the city that best fits your lifestyle, U.S. News launched a brand new Best Places to Live online search tool. The tool lets users sift through mountains of economic and quality-of-life data in a simple, straightforward fashion.

another list:
Relocate-America’s Top 100 in 2009

After the obligatory cup of watery tea and a stroll round WHSmith there is not much else to keep you entertained except huddling from the inevitable rain in the waiting room which, despite the ban, still has a hint of stale smoke.

But there are railway stations around the world that offer more than hot beverages and gloomy stationary stores. A select few are actually so nice they’re almost part of your holiday.

TravelMail looks at some of the stations around the globe where a short delay wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world…

Read full story at dailymail

An open mind is the first thing you should have when embracing cheap travel packages, let the good deals guide you to your next destination.

Always be on the look out for contacts, if you have acquaintances or friends that live in a place that you would quite like to visit then offer to house sit for them.

Even an actual house ‘swop’ could be considered, many families do this very successfully. Popular resorts are always in high demand, which in turn means more expensive, there are always alternatives and often they can be fairly close by.

Do plenty of research and do not rely on a travel agent, the internet is a great source so get to know the different web sites and what they can tell you.

Cheap flights are a good place to start, work out the actual destination and date of your vacation based around deals and always avoid peak times if you can. The recession means that many hotels have to give better deals to bring in business, so use this to your advantage.

City breaks are sometimes much more cost effective than longer stays and last minute trips created by a cancellation are always worth looking out for. Never be rigid about where you actually want to go to, try alternatives that will be cheaper, and eventually your dream destination will be the next bargain vacation that you take.

Every location differs not only within the United States but also across Europe.

Newer hotels often have better facilities but this cannot be assumed and it is always best to enquire before making a reservation.

Different terminology can mean very different things so it is better to make detailed enquires before deciding if a specific room will suit your requirements. Descriptions can be misleading.

An adapted room may mean that the suite with grand views is fine but reaching it might be almost impossible. Alternately, wheelchair access may get you through the door but not necessarily fulfill use of the bathroom.

Often staff want to help but don’t actually appreciate your specific requirements so try to be patient as they ultimately want to be of service to you.

Don’t be afraid to ask for door measurements or push for a detailed layout of what the room affords. Sometimes floor plans can be faxed or sent on quite easily. You are the customer just like any other able bodied person.

Do not expect reservation travel agencies to be able to provide finite details, politely request to talk to the hotel manager or someone who knows the room that you are enquiring about.

Alternately, explain what you require and let the manager offer something suitable to your needs.

If you set up good lines of communication from the start, it will increase the chance of you being correctly accommodated.

These warnings are aimed at underlining dangers the students may incur in due to the continual drug violence and criminal activities.

Despite these warnings, travel booking to the country have not decreased, for people who have already traveled to Mexico do not feel that there is an actual threat.

Although last year more than 6,000 people died due to the conflict amongst drug dealers and the Mexican law enforcement, most of these incidents occur near the borders and usually tourists are not involved, though there have been outbreaks in tourist areas such as Cancun and Acapulco.

During 2007 there were cases of injured American tourists as well as a couple of Canadians who were killed during their stay in the Acapulco area.

Another couple lost their 19-year-old son in Acapulco after he was beaten to death, although the Mexican authorities claimed that he was hit by a car. Yet another car hit a Canadian couple, the husband died and the wife was severely injured and succumbed to a coma.

In the Mayan Riviera, another couple was found murdered in their hotel resort room. All these facts concord with the warnings issued by the State Department, who stresses how important it is to try and avoid travelling to the country.

Famous sites such as the Georgia Aquarium and Walt Disney World in Florida are offering incredible discounts in order to boost their business.

Entry fees to parks and attractions have come to a standstill, in reaction to the general economical crisis.

The U.S. is going through one of its worst years in the tourism sector, since the attacks in September 2001. In 2008 hotel vacancies have increased by 10 to 16 percent compared to the same time the previous year.

Analysts foresee a further decline in tourism and many larger amusement parks such as Disney World are offering up to $400 reductions on one-week packages.

Hershey Park has also cut ticket prices by nearly 75%, while San Diego Zoo and Sea World in Florida are not increasing the prices of their annual passes encouraging their stable clients to return.

Other attractions such as Silver Dollar City in Branson are offering packages in joint venture with hotels with discounts for tourists who plan to stay a few more days.