Travelling with kids?

When I have been travelling, I am always amazed at how parents manage to travel with their kids and everything that goes along with them, like strollers, diaper bags, toys and much more… Now there is a company called WeeTravel that are a rental company that provide everything that you could possibly need when travelling, so that you don't have to take it all with you.

They are only in Vancouver, Toronto and Victoria (Canada) at the moment and they offer items such as car seats, strollers, high chairs and more! The items are available for rent by the day, week and some monthly plus they are all brand name products.

This company has done something that I haven't seen for a while…they have taken care of a niche market that helps tourists. They aren't another sightseeing company or hotel, but a service that every family could use if they have little ones.

Six train carriages derail in Canadian Rockies!

I was just watching the news and 6 train cars on the Rocky Mountaineer jumped track as it was going through Rogers Pass on its way from Calgary to Vancouver.

All 563 passengers that were onboard are safe as the cars remained upright and they stayed in Golden, BC last night. The passengers are due to continue their journey today.

Rocky Mountaineer Vacations say that this is the first time that it has happened in 17 years and they have launched an inquiry into why it happened.

It will be interesting to hear what the passengers say happened and how they were treated. I'll keep you posted if I hear anything…

Farecast coming soon…hopefully!

If you are looking to compare all flight prices and want to know when the best time to buy is, check out Farecast…unfortunately it is only available to those with an invite at the moment and I am on the waiting list! The reason for this is because they are still in the 'beta' phase (aka testing phase) and are working on developing the site.

From a report on TechCrunch it seems to be really well designed, easy to use and I think that it will be really useful once they release it.

If I get an invite, I'll let you all know and give you an update.

Do you want more info about your hotel?

It was brought to my attention that there is a really cool website out there that gives you all the information you could need about a hotel without having to be pressured to book through the site or pay a fee to view the information…the website is Link2Hotels.com

I was surprised how easy to use it was and I can't believe that there hasn't been a site created like this before. I have seen travel agents use something similar but the information on this site is detailed & really useful. I could actually see travel agents (or other industry people) using this site as a form of additional information before booking directly with the hotel.

There is also a lot of different search criteria that they offer such as Number of Stars rating, price range, style, type, proximity and amenities. They also offer the service in a number of different languages!

Plus it has hotels listed worldwide, infact it states that they have over 250,000 hotels listed which is more than Travelocity, Expedia & Hotels.com and you can also save your favourite hotels in a 'My Hotels' section so you can have the information saved.

Definately check the site out & it is worth being added to your favourites!

Note:This site is also known as www.worldhotelsyellowpages.com

Travel News…available on Yahoo!

I'm not sure how many of you read Yahoo! News, but I have been reading it for some time now and for the last month or so, they have featured Travel as a news section.

The news that they reveal is ok, but there are also some that aren't that interesting. Some of the stories in the last few days have been:
 - RV Ownership at Record High
 - Artists discuss plan to wrap Arkansas River
 - Largest public zoo sculpture opening
 - Maui beach named America's best

But I'll let you judge for yourself…

Up, Up & Away…will it ever be affordable?

With Space Travel alive and well in this world, do you think that it will ever become affordable for people like me & you that aren't multi-millionaires? Will it be something that people will save for over the next 10-20 years so that they can atleast try to go to space?

If you are interested in Space Tourism, check out the following websites for more information:

www.spacefuture.com
www.spaceadventures.com

A company that the industry NEEDS to know about!

In previous posts, I have emphasized how important it is for hotels, tour operators and other travel related companies to have good photos & videos of their products on their websites!

Now there is a company that specialises in producing visual content for hotels, cruises and destinations! VRX Studios are based in Yaletown, Vancouver (Canada) and they currently have:
 - 1,036 Hotels
 - 442 Destinations
 - 10, 540 Virtual Tours
 - 12, 927 Still Images
 - 864 Interactive Maps

It isn't free, but every company out there that has a website in the travel industry should at least consider this company for any photos, maps or videos that they need created.

They are a growing company and their client list includes Outrigger Enterprises, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, Sutton Place Hotels, Vancouver International Airport, Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America Line and a lot more. You can look at some of their examples and they are definately top-of-the-line! I would be impressed if I was looking at a website & they had really great images and 360 degree photos / videos.

Remember that a picture tells a thousand words, so you better have a damn good photo…or better yet a great video!

Travel Tip #12 - Help, what food can I order?

I had a problem when I was travelling through Asia as I didn't speak the language. This made it extremely tough when I was trying to order food at a restaurant.

The easiest way to order food is to simply look at what other people are eating and point to their dish when the wait person asks for your order.

But don't go over the top like I saw some people do. There is no need to walk over to the other table & point at the food as the people are eating. Remember they are trying to eat their dinner too.

Top 10 things to do in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

As I am currently staying in Victoria I thought I would put together a top ten list of the things I recommend people do when they are visitings.

1. Whale Watching - there are plenty of companies in Victoria that specialise in whale tours, whether they are by a cruise, a yacht or by a zodiac speedboat, you will find one that works for you. The best time for whale watching is between May & October.
2. Irish Times Pub - a good pub to sit back & relax and listen to live music every night. The food is great & atmosphere is awesome.
3. Bastion Square Market - if you want to pick up a really good souvenir from Victoria, stop by the Bastion Square Market. There are local artists and crafters selling their goods every day (unless it rains).
4. Inner Harbour - take walk along the harbour and see the Parliament Building and the Fairmont Empress Hotel. It is gorgeous during the day but even better at night with all the lights!
5. Cadboro Bay - this is just a short drive or bus trip from downtown and it is a great little community with shops and cafes, but make sure you talk a walk down to the water. There is a really nice park & the view is beautiful.
6. BC Museum - I have yet to visit it, but I have been assured that it is a must-see for anyone visiting the city. It is located right downtown next to the Parliament Building.
7. Fishermans Wharf - the little wharf is tiny compared to the Fishermans Wharf of San Francisco, but I find it to be more interesting. There aren't any tourist shops, just a good fish'n'chip shop and a floating home (houseboat) community. Each home is different and some of them should be classified as artwork. I was there a couple of weeks ago and saw a seal popping its head up next to the wharf!
8. Butchart Gardens - another must-see that I haven't done yet, but I will one day. It was once a quarry but now it has been turned into a beautiful garden.
9. Craigdarroch Castle - built in 1890 it is one of Victoria's legendary landmarks.  You can walk to it from downtown and it is a beautiful historic Victorian-era Mansion that was built by Robert Dunsmuir, a wealthy BC coal baron. It has 39 rooms and over 20,000 square feet of space.
10. Mount Douglas - go for a drive up to the top & climb to the lookout, it is definately worth it.

If you have any other suggestion, please feel free to let me know!

Fancy seeing a neighborhood before you visit it?

There is a great site that I saw recently and have been addicted to ever since…

TurnHere.com is a site that has mini films about neighborhoods all over the world. It is in its infancy, but there are already a good number of films and the quality is great.

The films are informative, interesting and are broken up into categories such as Most Watched, Foodie Havens, Party Towns, Art Nouveau, Our Favorites, Music, Surf's Up and Tourist Spots.

I think that this would be a great tool for any traveller or industry professional to use to get an idea of what a place is like before they travel. Or just fun to watch & dream about those destinations you wish you could visit.