How to Get the Cheapest Fare

Traveling can get expensive but there are ways to help keep your travel costs down and make sure you get the cheapest fares available. Whether you are flying by boat, plane, train, or bus you should be able to cut way down on your travel expenses by taking some quick advice on getting the cheapest fares around.

One of the ways you can reduce your fares is by booking your trip in advance. Many companies will offer discounts to travelers that book their tickets 30 days or more in advance. This is especially true with airlines, and if you can book your trip even further in advance then you will find that your fares could be even lower.

Use the discount websites to find low fares on travel. If you stick with the more popular and well known websites, then you should not have any problem finding fares that are cheap and available. If you need to book other things like hotels and rental cars, then considering using these sites for those things as well. The more you can save by planning on a discount website the better off you are.

If you are flying then you may want to consider flying on stand by. Many airlines offer discounts, or other forms of compensation such as free ticket vouchers for future flights, to passengers that agree to fly stand by. It can be difficult to schedule a trip around flying stand by, but the savings would make it worth the hassle.

One way that you can lower the cost of your fares is consider alternate forms of transportation. If you are flying to a destination, then check and see if you have time to take the train or the bus instead. These alternative forms of transportation are going to be much less expensive, and if you do have the time to take the train or the bus then you get the added benefit of being able to take in the beautiful countryside on your trip.

Vegas With Children – Enjoying Sin City With Kids

A trip to Las Vegas is a dream vacation for most people. While Sin City is more often than not portrayed as an adult playground (rightfully so), rest assured, a trip to Vegas with children is not a ludicrous thought . Many people desiring to vacation in Vegas usually want to know how they can have a good time with their children. The first step to vacation in Vegas with children is to compare various hotel room rates. Second to price, there are some obvious on Hotel venues to avoid – names worth passing over when planning a trip to Vegas with children include The Hard Rock, Hooters, and The Palms. While some might argue otherwise, beyond those three names, choose a Hotel that meets your specific needs (namely comfort and price).

When thinking of the activities children may enjoy while you indulge in more “mature” pursuits of the Sin City, it is important to consider age versus available activities. With that in mind, below we’ve highlighted some ideas for places to visit when enjoying vegas with children:

The Lied Discovery Museum is particularly geared to the younger set of kids. It comes equipped with play spaces, and in an educational spin, scientific “discoveries” can be made amongst its many displays. The museum also has informative children’s guided tours, creating a more enjoyable and educational experience.

The Preserve of Las Vegas Springs incorporates various gardens, interactive exhibits, and desert trails that children of a more “intermediate” age will likely find enthralling. And How about Circus Circus’s Adventure dome Theme Park? The amusement park is filled with carnival games, water rides, and rollercoasters. You could probably fill a couple hours here alone. Another idea for those visiting Vegas with children is to check out one of the towns many magic shows – these are likely to be particuarly enthralling for children. Some of these include David Copperfield and the Lance Burton Show at the Monte Carlo.

Elsewhere, the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef, featuring large aquariums and various forms of marine life, is worth checking out. The New York, New York arcade in Las Vegas features a rollercoaster and arcade games – an enjoyable time when visiting vegas with children of an older age. An ESPN Zone is also located within the premises – drinks and wings time!. Children and adults alike can also be entertained at the Gameworks, next to the hotel MGM Grand.

Within Caesar Hotel’s Forum Shops, rides on motion machines, large fish tanks, and talking statues are available for viewing at FAO Schwarz. Freemont in Las Vegas’s downtown offers free shows every half hour, and features great places to dine, such as Uncle Joe’s Pizza and the Plaza Coffee Shop. The Mirage also offers the Carnegie Deli. While supervision may be required, don’t skip over Margaritaville (complete with ballon blowing pirates and a children’s menu). Lastly, The Dolphin Habitat and Secret Garden at the Mirage Hotel, together with the MGM Loin Habitat can make for a fun time when visiting Vegas with children.

Ultimately, while Vegas may best be known for gaming, it is in fact possible to enjoy Vegas with children – it just requires a little bit of extra planning.

Top Three Luxury Hotels in New York City

New York City is home to a multitude of hotels. From budget to extraordinary all the options are there. For those who prefer traveling in style NYC will not disappoint. The following Five Star hotels are three of the finest that New York has to offer.

A Hotel for Every Season

The I.M. Pei-designed Four Seasons Hotel is one of the most acclaimed luxury hotels in New York City and is popular with travelers from across the globe. It is an extremely child-friendly hotel and is therefore specifically popular amongst families traveling to the Big Apple.

Boasting 364 oversized guestrooms including 61 suites the room amenities are guaranteed to blow your mind. Only the best of the best in terms of luxury products, furnishings and fittings adorn these rooms. The spa at this luxurious hotel blends contemporary knowledge with ancient wisdom and will delight your senses while relaxing your body and mind.

As it is located close to some of New York’s greatest attractions, the Four Seasons Hotel is very well-liked amongst travelers interested in doing a bit of sightseeing during their trip. American Museum of Natural History, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Television and Radio and the Statue of Liberty are all accessible from the NYC hotel.

Dining at the L’Atelier de Jol Robuchon, the hotel’s signature restaurant will prove to be one of the most memorable meals you’ll experience in New York City. Offering the perfect blend of Asian and French cuisine legendary chef Jol Robuchon’s meals are not to be missed. If you’re looking for something a bit more casual the Four Seasons 57 hotel restaurant offers up classic American dishes and is open for breakfasts, lunches, dinners and Sunday brunches.

A Taste of Asia

In the heart of Manhattan lies one on New York’s most acclaimed hotels – The Mandarin Oriental recipient of the prestigious Mobil Five-Star award for 2007. Located on floors 35 to 54 of the Time Warner Center on Columbus Circle this exquisite hotel is home to 248 luxurious rooms and suites which all reflect a melting pot of oriental and Manhattan living.

Every single one of the rooms boasts a spectacular view of central park and the views of the New York City skyline at night are simply breathtaking.

Another feature that attracts many of the hotel’s guests is the luxurious spa which is located on the 35th floor of the Mandarin Oriental. Boasting amethyst crystal steam rooms, vitality pools, six multifunctional treatment rooms and relaxation lounges a day at this spa of “Ultimate Luxury” is a real treat. If you’re lucky enough to be spending some time at the Mandarin Oriental a Thai Yoga Massage is not to be missed.

Due to its prime location the Mandarin Oriental is located near to some of the best attractions in New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park and the Rockefeller Center. After a day of sightseeing there is nothing better than enjoying a sumptuous meal and at the Mandarin Oriental. Dining at this New York City hotel will delight all of your senses – sporting sublime views of Central Park Asiate on the 35th floor is renowned for its French and Japanese offerings, the more casual Lobby Lounge is the perfect spot to enjoy a light meal and MObar is THE location for pre or post dinner drinks. This prestigious hotel is a favorite amongst travelers to NYC looking for a bit of Five Star luxury.

The Ritz

The 33-story Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park is Mobil Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond hotel comprises 260 guestrooms and suites. With captivating views of Central Park and all the trimmings you’d expect from a Five Star hotel it is a popular choice amongst travelers to the Big Apple especially amongst those who like to take their pets along. The Ritz-Carlton, Central Park is actually one of the few completely pet-friendly hotels in New York City.

The La Prairie at The Ritz-Carlton Spa is an absolute treat for guests looking for a bit of pampering. This luxurious spa boasts six treatment rooms, steam rooms, a wet room, and every beauty and relaxation treatment that you can think of. The jetlag therapy is a must for travelers coming in to this hotel after a long international flight.

This is the perfect hotel from which to explore Central Park and its surrounding attractions. Central Park boasts two skating rinks, a pool, zoo and wildlife center and is home to several concerts and art showings through out the year. There is always something going on in Central Park and a stroll through it will never disappoint.

For a delicious afternoon tea, a light meal or a couple of cocktails the Star Lounge is the place you’ll want to go. For something a bit more substantial sampling the menu created by acclaimed Chef Laurent Tourondel at the newly renovated BLT Market is a must.

While I’ve only featured three of New York’s luxurious Five Star hotels there is an endless array of options when it comes to luxury travel in the Big Apple. Some other notable Five Star hotels include the Four Seasons Hotel, Mercer Hotel, Peninsula Hotel New York, St. Regis Hotel and the Trump International Hotel & Tower.

Learn to understand what women really want!

What makes tourists and foreigners attractive to local girls? What makes celebrity gossip so incredibly interesting? Why does it matter more that Jennifer Lopez runs out of toilet paper than when that happens to you? We should think about that!

If you are like me, then you have already and the answer is easy for sure: ordinary things. People are drawn to seemingly mundane topics and stories because they can relate to them on the spot. If we talk about mundane things we can instantly attract people anywhere. You might have noticed that we do that already with our friends: we talk about anything, important and unimportant alike. So when we do that to a stranger, it creates an instant feeling of “intimacy”.

Look at celebrities: Have you ever watched an interview with Sandra Bullock or Bill Maher? When they talk, they talk about ordinary things. They talk about how they rescued a dog or a how they went on a skiing trip, how they did this and that. The things they talk about are seemingly about day-to-day issues, things everyone immediately relates to:

“I like the fresh bread in Italy” or “Did you ever notice that the tap water in Switzerland tastes different?”

I try to be as simple about the things I talk about as I possibly can. Let me give you a few examples:

“I noticed the birds this morning when I woke up”

“I give this piece of paper to my dog so she can shred it and that makes her happy, isn’t that amazing? I mean, a piece of paper”

“Do you smell it? The smell of fresh croissants from the pastry around the corner”

“Wasn’t it a beautiful day yesterday?”

“Did you see the clouds up there? This is the most amazing formation ever!”

I always keep a low profile when it comes to talking about whatever comes to my mind. Need more examples? When I recently went out, I was talking to this sweet girl. She was born in LA, always lived there and apart from a couple of trips to Mexico and the East Coast of the USA hasn’t been anywhere else – she was also the dedicated driver for a bunch of people. So we started to talk and I tell her about how Los Angeles is so diverse and that this is what I like about it the most:

ME “Did you ever notice that people in Los Angeles are somewhat difficult to talk to?”

HER “Yeah, so true. Everyone thinks that they super special!”

ME “Do you remember when we were little? Back in the days, we were talking to anyone, we were making friends everywhere and life was good – what has changed?”

SHE “I don’t know?! But thinking of it, it’s sad – maybe we lost our innocence or we stopped dreaming?”

ME “Oh yeah, totally. When was the last time you have enjoyed a sunset in Malibu or the sunrise over Mulholland?”

SHE “Let me think! I don’t think I ever did that on purpose, I don’t recall that I ever watched the sunrise over Mulholland. Is it pretty?”

ME “Hell yeah! It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen because it draws such a strong picture, full of contrast. Everything looks so peacefully – it’s almost like having a dream.”

SHE “WOW, never thought it would be that amazing but the way you explain it, it must be breathtaking!”

ME “I’m very disappointed in you, living all your life in Los Angeles and haven’t even seen the sunrise over Mulholland! I feel obligated now!”

SHE “Yeah, it’s just nobody ever asked me to watch it and by myself I never actually thought of doing it. Why do you feel obligated?”

ME “Because I can’t let you go on with your life knowing how beautiful the sunrise is without you ever seeing it. So, when are we going?”

She “(laughs) You waste no time, do you?”

ME “God knows how long we’ll be having those sunrises after all – we gotta hurry before we’re running out of them (smiling)”

She “Ok, here’s my cell, I’m busy this week but next week I’m fine.”

ME “Great! I’ll bring the fresh and warm bagels and you bring the coffee! Just milk, no sugar for me, ok?”

SHE “Deal!”

So, what just happened there? I was talking with this girl about mundane things: sunset and sunrise. I was also foreshadowing but I will get into more details about that in another post. We did not talk about what I do for living or what she does, we did not brag about how cool we are, nothing like that. We kept the conversation casual but yet interesting. Although she is beautiful I did not complement her or make any moves (largely because logistics would not have worked out and that would have not gotten me anywhere). I was just that man who appreciates the sunrise and she loved it.

She got approached by a couple of chodes that night but I bet that our conversation was the most genuine and memorable by far. Again I used Line Of Sight to show her that I am a genuinely nice guy and even though she said she was busy for the rest of the week, she texted me early in the morning “Did you make it home safely? I hope we don’t run out of sunrises or sunsets before we will meet next week”.

So talking about mundane, ordinary things helps us to create attraction because we sound genuine and like someone they have known for a long time. I heard that more than once “I feel like I have known you for ages” – this is why this works. It creates a feeling of friendship and intimacy you normally only find between good friends.

We appreciate life and simple things. We are not obsessively in love with ourselves and we don’t have to brag about who we are or what car we’re driving. We don’t seek approval or respect by trying to impress people. If they like you for being the ordinary guy, imagine what will happen as soon as they find out how awesome you really are? As soon as they hear that you are playing in a band or skydive or engineer bicycles or go bungee jumping or whatever it is that you do to enrich your life. They basically like you for being “simple” and then they find out, randomly or by accident or by checking out your facebook page, that there is way more to you than what they thought. You will come around as humble and with a strong character; they will think “wow, it keeps getting better and better!” Don’t use all your bullets at once – let them discover instead how special you are.

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