Indie Places

No one wants to cancel their holiday, but sometimes it must be done.  If you have to cancel, there are some important things you need to consider.  Before you decide anything, you need to look at how much money you’ve invested in your trip and if you can get it back.  Sometimes, you won’t be able to get refunds.  In this case, you may actually want to try to go ahead and take your holiday if it’s at all possible.  If it’s not, you may want to try to find others who can go in your place.  True, you’ll still be out the money, but at least someone will get to enjoy the trip.

You should check the cancellation policies for your transportation, your lodging, and any events you’ve pre-booked.  Generally, transportation and lodging have a 24-hour cancellation policy, although some are 48 hours.  For some, you may be able to get a credit on your account, but you may not get all of your money back.  Be certain you know when you have to notify them of any cancellations.

For events, it may be more difficult.  Some tickets may specifically state that they are non-refundable.  Others may need to be cancelled a week or more in advance.  It can be very difficult to return tickets at the last minute.  If you know in advance that you may need to cancel your holiday, you may want to put off purchasing tickets to events or at the very least have someone in mind to give the tickets to if you can’t attend.

When it comes to travelling, perhaps the most important thing to take into consideration is not how you’ll get there but where you’ll stay.  Annoyances that occur during transportation may only last a few hours, but if you get stuck with a bad hotel room, you’ll be annoyed for the entire duration of your trip.  To that end, here are some tips for selecting the perfect hotel room.

Is the hotel near places you need to go?  If you’re going to a conference, can you easily walk from your hotel to the conference location?  If not, is it near a bus or subway station?  If you have to get up a half hour or more just to get across town, you may want to look for a different hotel.  If you’re in town on holiday, location may not be as important.  Check to see if your hotel offers free shuttle services to the airport as well.

When arriving at your lodging, if you see signs of construction, you may have a cause to be concerned.  You should ask if the construction will be near your room and, if it is, what time it will start each day.  You don’t want to be woken up to the noise of sawing and drilling.  Ask the hotel staff to give you a different room if the noise is going to be a problem.

Take a look at what amenities are offered by the hotel and take them in mind when you’re reserving a room.  Some hotels may offer microwaves, mini-refrigerators, and more, while some offer only a bed and television.  Decide what you need in a hotel room before making your reservations.

Boston, Massachusetts, is home to many different historical sites.  As one of the oldest states in the United States, Massachusetts was the setting for many major events, especially during the American Revolution.  If you’re planning on visiting Boston soon, you may want to see some of these interesting sites.

The Old North Church, built in 1723 by the Episcopalian Church, is the oldest church is Boston.  It is the church described in the poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” as the church where one lantern would be hung if the British were coming by land and two if by sea.  History buffs visiting the church won’t have to spend too much—no admission is required although the historical society does ask that each person donate a couple of dollars towards the preservation of the church.

The USS Constitution, the oldest ship in the US Navy still in existence, is docked in Boston.  It was actually built in Boston’s North End in 1797 as one of the first six frigates in the US navy.  During the War of 1812, the Constitution gained the nickname of Old Ironsides after cannon balls actually bounced off the ship’s thick sides.  While it has served as a museum for many years, it is still seaworthy.  Every Fourth of July, the Constitution is taken out for a tour around the harbour.  Visitors can tour the vessel and visit the museum located near the dock.

The Old South Meeting House was first used by the Old South Society in the early 1670s.  It is the most famous meeting house in the state.  In 1770, many people stayed at the house following the Boston Massacre.  In 1773, over 5,000 people met at the house and made plans for the Boston Tea Party.

The final historic place on this short list of Boston historical sites (there are many others that aren’t listed here) is the Granary Burying Ground.  This graveyard features the tombs of Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and many others.  This graveyard is located almost in the centre of Boston, and it’s completely free to visit.

If you really wanted to make your trip a historic one, you could stay in one of the historic Boston hotels like the Boston Park Plaza and Towers.

If you fly regularly, you know just how annoying it can be to lug several heavy bags through airports and hotels.  How many times have you found yourself pulling several heavy rolling bags or having two or more bags over your shoulders?  To avoid the potential aches and pains that come with heavy luggage, here are some ways you can cut down on your packing. Don’t over-pack.  If you’re not going to need a really nice outfit for anything, don’t take one.  Avoid any clothing that you’re only taking “just in case.”  If it’s not necessary, it should stay at home.  Likewise, women should only take a small amount of makeup and jewellery. Purchase small travel-sized toiletries.  You don’t need to take a large bottle of shampoo for only several days or a week.  If you can’t find your brand in travel size, you can buy small bottles and fill them from your larger bottles. Think of the various ways you can mix and match your outfits.  You can often wear several different shirts with one pair of trousers.  One nice jacket can also go with different outfits, as can an over shirt.  You can also wear your jacket on the plane so it doesn’t take up room in your luggage. If you don’t mind spending a bit of money, you can always purchase toiletries at your destination and then throw them away when you leave.  Your hotel may supply soap, shampoo, and conditioner for you to use so you can leave that behind if you like. While these tips may not save you much space individually, if you combine them all, you’ll notice that your bags weigh significantly less.

After a long flight, the only thing most people want to do is get to their hotel (or wherever they’re staying) and rest.  However, before they can do that, they have to pick up their luggage.  This means standing around with many other people while the various bags move around on the conveyor belts.  Finding your luggage can be like finding a needle in a haystack, though.  To make this task easier, here are a few tips. Buy baggage that isn’t a standard, solid colour like blue, brown, or black.  While these are the most common colours for suitcases and other bags, buying bags with a print design or brightly coloured bags can make them easier to spot.  Of course, there’s always the chance that another traveller will own a leopard print suitcase, but at least you’ll be able to narrow down the bags to only a few. Another way of recognising your luggage is to tie a brightly coloured shoelace or other piece of material to the handle.  While this generally works, however, there’s always the chance that your identifying marker will come lose in transit and fall off.  Some airlines, too, do not like long, dangling strings or streamers hanging off of bags.  You may have to remove the item before you can even check your bag. A simpler way of doing this is to add stickers or use fabric paint on your luggage to add an identifying mark.  You can take some coloured electrical tape and wrap it around the handle to add a unique mark to your bag, or you can use fabric paint and make a design or other decoration.  Just don’t paint your name on your bag—it’s never a good idea to advertise your name for safety reasons.

If you plan on visiting the Czech Republic and its capital city of Prague, there are many things you’ll want to check out.  Prague sits on the Vltava River, and it has served as the centre of the country for over 1,000 years.  The city has many different things to see, but one of the must-see sights is Prague Castle.

The castle is, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest ancient castle in the entire world.  Home to not only the Czech Kings but also to the Holy Roman Emperors and the current presidents of the Czech Republic and the previous country of Czechoslovakia, the castle has served as the centre of the country’s political world since it was built.  It also serves as a museum of sorts, housing the Czech crown jewels and other national treasures.

Built in 870 AD, Prague Castle features several different buildings within its walls.  Some of the oldest include the church of Our Lady, the Basilica of St. George, and the Basilica of St. Vitus.  In fact, the first convent founded in Bohemia was located within the walls of Prague Castle.

In 1541, parts of Prague Castle burned down during a massive fire.  However, it was rebuilt, and some of the new buildings were done in the Renaissance style.  The castle was damaged again during the Second Prague defenestration.  During this and the following years, many different pieces of art were stolen from the castle.  Queen Maria Theresa oversaw the last major renovation and repairs on the castle during the latter part of the 18th century, creating the castle as we know it today.

Prague Castle remained the home of royalty until 1918, when it was converted into the offices of the president of the Czechoslovak Republic.  Some further renovations were done then, mostly to the New Royal Palace section and the gardens.

When the castle was occupied by the Nazi army during World War II, it served as the office of Reinhard Heydrich, the German overseer of what was termed Bohemia and Moravia.  After WWII, the communist government moved into the castle.  Later, since Czechoslovakia split into Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, the castle has served as the offices of the president and his council.

You can tour many parts of the castle, including Our Lady and the other historical cathedrals.  If you love seeing old buildings and learning about the history of the Czech Republic, you don’t want to pass up seeing this amazing part of Prague.

Many of the hotels in Prague are spectacular, but one really stands out when talking about Prague Castle. The Prague Castle Hotel has spectacular views of Prague castle.

Travelling can be a lot of fun, but it can also be irritating at times.  No matter how you travel or where you stay, you’ll find things that annoy you.  Instead of letting them totally ruin your holiday, however, here are some things you can do to deal with them.

If you’re stuck next to someone who annoys you on the plane, train, or bus, don’t get snappy with them.  If you do, it may only make things worse.  Instead, try to remain as polite as possible.  If they’re chattering away at you, there are several excuses you can make to stop talking to them.  You can say that you’re very tired and want to nap.  If you’re on a business trip, tell them you need to review your notes for a lecture or for a discussion.  While you might not really want to look over your paperwork, it never hurts to review information.  Of course, you can always fake it, too.

If you have issues at your hotel, you have a couple of options.  If it’s something caused by another traveller, you can always confront them yourself.  Simply knock on their door and ask them to keep the noise down if they’re being loud.  If you don’t want to be so direct or if it’s an issue with the hotel itself, you may want to contact the hotel staff.  Some people only do this if it’s a major annoyance—they try to overlook small things.  That is an option, especially if you’re not spending much time in your hotel room.  If you’re spending a lot of money for the room or are spending a lot of time in it, though, it may be worth speaking to the staff to correct any issue.  If you’re willing to change rooms, that may be a solution to noise problems.

Finally, it’s important to remember that some things aren’t going to be fixable.  You may be stuck next to someone on a long flight who simply won’t let you be, or you might have loud neighbors who won’t be quiet no matter how many times you report them for noise.  If that’s the case, be prepared to simply endure it.