Indie Places

No matter where you travel to, chances are you’re going to buy some sort of souvenir or gift.  Much of the time, you’ll be able to fit these purchases into your luggage, but sometimes, you may find that you’ve either purchased too much or have been given too many items (such as from a business meeting) to fit in your baggage.  In this case, you may have to ship some items home.

Now you have to decide what you want shipped.  If you’ve attended a business meeting and have items that will be needed right away when you return, you may actually have to ship some of your personal items home.  This could actually include some of the clothing you took on the trip.  In that case, select the items you won’t need right away.  This might include formal clothing, or it might include things like shoes.  You may also want to ship any souvenirs you purchased.

On the other hand, if you were on holiday and bought some rather large items or bought a lot of stuff, you might need to ship these things home.  Make certain none of them are items you’ll need within a couple of weeks—shipping can take a long time unless you pay extra.  Generally, your hotel can tell you where to go to ship things.  Some hotels on luxury holidays can even ship packages for you.

If you’ve travelled overseas, be ready to pay.  Shipping across an ocean is not cheap, and it takes longer.  If you’re shipping breakables, you may need to pay extra for insurance, plus you’ll want to make certain they are packaged well.

Occasionally, you may need to ship items to your destination, especially at business events.  In this case, contact your hotel first and make certain you know where to send it and how to properly address the package.  Make certain you mail the package in plenty of time so that it will arrive before you do.  You don’t want to get there only to find that the important items you needed are stuck in the mail.

Venice’s Canale Grande, or the Grand Canal, is the main “street” of central Venice.  This canal forms an S as it follows an old riverbed.  The Grand Canal begins at the Tronchetto parking garage, a huge parking garage.  One thing you should know about Venice: there are no streets in the city.  If you’re driving a car, be ready to haul your luggage to your hotel—there’s no on-site parking unless you’re staying in one of the hotels in Venice is on the outskirts of the city.  Within Venice, it’s all walkways and canals.

The Piazzale Roma transportation centre is located at Tronchetto, and from there, you can grab a boat on the canal.  It’s around 4 kilometres long, and there are a number of different routes on the canal.  If you’re looking to see the entire canal, take the No. 1 from the Piazzale Roma and ride to San Marco.  This is an especially beautiful trip at night when everything is lit up.   This boat trip is a great way to relax after dinner, plus it makes frequent stops along its 40-minute trip from one end of the canal to the other.

While riding down the Grand Canal, you’ll find a number of sights to see.  You’ll actually go under three different bridges.  If you want, you can always journey along the side of the canal yourself and walk over these different bridges.  You can cross the Ponte di Scalzi, the Rialto Bridge, and the Accademia Bridge as you wander along the waterway.

If you want something a bit more private, gondolas also traverse the Grand Canal.  They’re a bit expensive, of course, but they’re also incredible romantic.

Milan is known for many different sights and attractions, but one of the most unique and historical is the Duomo, a huge cathedral.  The Duomo is the world’s second largest Catholic cathedral; the only larger cathedral is the cathedral of Seville.  The Duomo can easily hold 40,000 people without feeling crowded!

The Duomo Cathedral is located on the Piazza del Duomo, and if you’re planning on spending a day at the cathedral, you may want to book one of the hotels in Milan near it so you can walk.  Walking through Milan is a joy, anyway, so even if your hotel is a dozen or more blocks away, you should take the time to stroll through this historic city.

The first thing you’ll see is the Duomo’s amazing exterior.  The entire building is made of brick with a marble face.  Its main spire stretches 109 meters into the air.  The architectural style is an interesting blend between the classical Gothic and the neo-Gothic look.  This is because construction on the western section of the Guomo started in 1616 and wasn’t finished until after 1800.  Some Baroque and Neo-Classical influences can also be seen.  Since 1900, parts of the cathedral that were less Gothic in style were replaced with Gothic designs by Giuseppe Brentano.

Once you step inside the Duomo, you’ll find a lofty roof, wide aisles and hallways, and strong round pillars.  There are a number of interesting stained glass windows, statues, and paintings within the Duomo.  It is a bit dark, as most older cathedrals tend to be.

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.

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.

Travelling can be a very exciting experience, especially if you’re travelling alone or if you’re visiting a  city that you’ve never been to before.  However, there are some risks involved with travelling as well, especially if you’re by yourself.  Here are some tips and things to keep in mind to stay safe while travelling.

First, watch your wallet or handbag.  If you’re in a crowd, keep a good hold on your handbag or any other bag you’re carrying.  Likewise, if you carry your wallet in your trouser pocket, you may want to put it in one of the front pockets instead of the back pocket.  This makes it more difficult for someone to steal it.  A wallet chain can also help secure your wallet.

It’s also a good idea to take your passport with you wherever you go.  Leaving it in your hotel room or in your baggage can be a bit risky, not only because it could be stolen but because you can also accidentally misplace it.

If you’re travelling alone, be wary of going out after dark, especially if you don’t know the area well.  If you do go out by yourself, ask the hotel staff about places to go to that are near your lodging.  You don’t want to get lost after dark in a strange city.

Take traveller’s checks or use your debit or credit card instead of carrying large amounts of cash.  If someone steals your credit card, it’s very easy to have it cancelled and stop any transactions.  On the other hand, if someone steals your cash, chances are you will not get it back.

Finally, always be aware of your surroundings.  Keep an eye out for anything that seems odd, and always listen to your instincts.  If you find a section of town creepy, for example, you may want to head back to your hotel instead of exploring what could be a dangerous section of the city.