Google+

Escape Plans

The Latest Travel News from the WorldEscape Community

Caribbean vacations/cruise holidays are popular and St. Croix is a wonderful destination

By

A vacation at St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands is a dream for many people, particularly anyone planning a cruise holiday. If you are planning a round-the-world trip or hoping to meet up with members of family or close friends while cruising, this could be an ideal vacation rental destination for any culture vultures, golfing enthusiasts, or fitness fanatics.

St. Croix is a regular calling point for many cruise lines and is a popular choice with Americans when choosing an itinerary. A day on shore can incorporate a complete guided cab tour with a knowledgeable local pointing out all the details of the historic monuments, features, and traditions of the island. There are three golf courses on the island, providing a number of challenges for any keen sportsperson.

Cruise ships usually dock in the port of St. Croix for one day, allowing you to spend several hours on the island touring your favored attraction hotspots. You can hook up for lunch with any friends or family members who are enjoying a leisurely holiday on the island using several forms of transportation. It is not recommended that you use the local bus service, as the schedule is not always suited to travelers needing to return to cruise ships by a certain time of day. Your tour operator will be able to provide accurate details regarding approved cabs and likely fares, though you will be able to source alternative taxi services on the island, but the fares may differ.

Friends or family who are vacationing on the island will be able to source a number of exciting trips locally and discover more about this fascinating destination. Travel accommodations can be booked online and your friends and family will be able to source luxury rentals or cheap apartments.

Why Crete is a perfect vacation destination for any holidaymaker

By

Crete, Greece’s largest island is an ideal choice for vacationers any time of year. If you plan to book vacation rentals in Greece, though, it is well worth checking out all available options.

Touring all the historic monuments within Greece in one action-packed adventure is possible with a little ingenuity. Be cautioned, however, that it would be virtually impossible for you to soak up everything about Greek history, culture, and lifestyle within a short time frame.

Apart from Crete there are a large number of fascinating and beautiful Greek islands accessible by ferry, tourist boats and local flights.

If you plan to visit Greece as part of a vacation cruise/tour trip, you may wish to fly into the country via Athens. Alternatively, you could fly via British Airways into Crete and spend a relaxing holiday with friends or family while checking out the history of the island’s connections with the Delphi Oracle. A shuttle bus operates between the two local airports, while hotels and accommodations often provide courtesy transport. You can easily access online accommodations and book a variety of apartments providing cheap sleeps or luxury holiday apartments.

The variety of auto rental companies presently located on the island make it a simple matter to arrange a car for hire. Hiring a vehicle makes it easy to travel around Crete, while local boats, taxicabs, and flights mean your guests can switch destination with very little fuss. Walking, biking, swimming, hiking, and fitness freaks will certainly discover that Crete is a wonderful place to visit.

Golfing enthusiasts may well discover online vacation rentals that provide all necessary amenities in the locality and will ensure a relaxing trip with short-term rentals.

More adventurous vacationers could enjoy learning more about the Greek heritage sites and ancient monuments as part of a longer voyage around Europe.

Transat opens up more European connections

By

Transat has announced details of its winter service, which includes the addition of more connections for flights to European destinations. This will provide a wider range of options for those booking short-term rentals in cities such as Paris, London, Malaga, and Lisbon.

Starting this November, the airline will operate a service five times a week from Toronto to Paris, as well as between Montreal and three destinations in the UK: London, Glasgow, and Manchester. The addition of a new route between Montreal and Toronto will enable more passengers to connect with these European flights from across Canada.

Winter sun destinations

For passengers who are looking to get some European sunshine this winter, Transat will also run connecting services to four destinations in the south of the continent. This includes Montreal to Malaga and Toronto to Faro from January 2016. In addition, they will also fly between Toronto and Lisbon or Porto from November 2015.

Greater access to London

To enhance their links between Canada and London, the airline will feature a new service from Calgary to Vancouver this winter. The flight starts in December and enables passengers to connect with the flight that leaves Vancouver for London on Mondays.

The additional domestic services will not just benefit those travelling across the Atlantic. Passengers who are flying between Canadian cities will also be able to take advantage of the new links between Calgary and Vancouver and Montreal and Toronto, with services operating throughout peak hours.

Try something different in Dublin

By

Many of Dublin’s most famous attractions have been visited time and time again by tourists from around the world. However, the city has so much more to offer if you’re looking for a bit more adventure. What are you waiting for? Get your apartment rentals sorted and check out these great activities to keep you busy.

Jump into the sea at Forty Foot

The idea of jumping into the water at Forty Foot might sound frightening, but the experience isn?t quite as literal as a 40-foot drop into the ocean. The location at Dalkey, about 10 to 15 minutes out of Dublin on the DART, is a group of rocks that people like to use to jump into the water below. If this isn’t your idea of fun, there are also some good local restaurants and amazing views.

Walk the mountains

The area around Dublin is extremely mountainous and offers some spectacular scenery for you to explore. The forestry is all free to experience. Guided tours take place on the weekends for those who want to learn something about the area.

Watch a GAA game

Gaelic football is the Irish version of soccer or American football, and watching a game gives you an idea of the true spirit of Ireland. This is an amateur sport, so players take part for the love of the game. They are all volunteers who have to work outside of the sport, and their passion shows when you watch them play.

Step inside some of Italy’s spookiest attractions

By

For those travelling around Italy, the country has a lot more to offer than the standard tourist attractions. There is even the opportunity to explore some downright creepy locations and learn something about the country and the people who have lived there throughout its history.

Galileo’s finger

If you decide to stay in one of the many lovely apartments in Florence, you might want to consider heading to the city’s Museum of Science while you’re there. In the museum, you can actually see the middle finger of Galileo, the renaissance scientist. The finger was taken from his body 95 years after he died and is now on display in a container of glass and gold for everyone to see.

Mussolini’s bunker

There are plenty of sites to visit on a break in Rome that have a creepy side. Many tourists visit the Coliseum to admire its architecture, but it is also where about 400,000 people were killed. However, Mussolini’s bunker under Villa Torlonia has to be one of the strangest. This is the location where Mussolini would hide during bombing raids and gives an insight into the mind of someone who was responsible for a great deal of suffering in the world.

Capuchin catacombs

If you really have a stomach for creepy sites, visit the Capuchin catacombs in Palermo. This labyrinth is home to 1,250 bodies that are all at different stages of decomposition. The corpses have been separated into different sections, and each person was interred wearing their best clothes. There is even one that is hanging up on the wall with his eyes still open, which is truly spooky.

The newest New York City attractions

By

If you’re planning a visit to New York City this summer, you might want to check out some of the exciting and interesting new attractions that have opened this year. This is the perfect time to book one of the city’s vacation rentals and spend time experiencing something different.

A stunning view of the city

If you want to see everything that the city has to offer, you can now get a bird’s-eye view from the One World Observatory. This is situated on floors 100 to 102 of One World Trade Center, and it gives you a spectacular 360-degree glimpse across the city. The journey up takes only 42 seconds. Brave visitors can check out the Sky Portal, where you can stand on live video footage of what is below you.

Pay homage to the TV greats

As one of the longest-running variety shows in the US, Saturday Night Live has become an American institution. You can now see what happens behind the scenes at Saturday Night Live: The Exhibition. The tour features a recreation of the producer’s office, as well as sets, props, and costumes from 40 years of the show.

New art space

New York has always been renowned for the works of art that are on display within the city. Lovers of art now have a new location to explore, with the opening of the Whitney Museum of American Arts? new location. This new venue offers outstanding facilities, including a space for outdoor installations and sculptures, a multi-use theater, and unobstructed views thanks to the column-free interior space.

New Dubai to Mashhad service launched by Emirates

By

Emirates has announced the addition of a new service connecting Dubai with the city of Mashhad in Iran. This service will begin September 1 and operate five times a week. The inclusion of this route will be the airline’s second link with the country.

The new service will benefit passengers flying into and out of Dubai from around the globe. The city offers key connections throughout the area and beyond, making it an important international hub. There are also many apartment rentals available in Dubai so that visitors can spend time seeing the city’s many sights.

Mashhad is an ideal business destination that plays host to key international trade shows. It is also an active tourist center that brings in more than two million visitors annually. The city has many historical and cultural attractions and is home to 17 UNESCO world heritage sites.

Emirates will operate the Mashhad service on an A330-200, providing economy, business, and first class cabins. The flight schedule enables passengers to make convenient connections throughout India, the Far East, Europe and the US, including cities such as Bangkok, Istanbul, and Stockholm. Emirates offer all of their passengers a generous baggage allowance and provide a great range of entertainment.

In addition to this new route into Mashhad, Emirates is launching a number of other services in the near future. This includes Multan, Pakistan, from August 1; Orlando from September 1; and Bologna from November 3. These new routes will enhance the choices that are available to their passengers.

The palaces of Warsaw

By

Warsaw is a city often celebrated for its rich culture and beautiful architecture, but its experiences over the past century have tended to make people forget its regal history. Because of that its magnificent palaces are all too often overlooked. These are five of the most impressive. If you’ve booked holiday accommodation in the city, they should be high on your list of things to see.

Ostrogski Palace

One of Tylman van Gameren’s masterpieces, this centrally located building, also known as the Gniski Palace, became home to the Warsaw Academy of Music in 1859 and is now the Chopin Museum. Full of fascinating musical treasures it is said to be guarded by a golden duck, the spirit of a princess.

Mostowski Palace

This handsome 18th Century building is now home to the Metropolitan Police and is much altered internally, but there?s still much to admire about it from the outside. Its neoclassical architecture is embellished with motifs from Ancient Greek and Roman mythology.

Łazienki Palace

Known as the Palace on the Water, this centrally situated neoclassical building looks stunning reflected in a broad lake and surrounded by extensive gardens. Built by Count Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski, it features magnificent murals in its lavishly structured interiors.

Wilanów Palace

Built in the late 17th Century for King John Sobieski III and later modified by King August II the Strong, this sprawling Baroque structure is now open to the public and incorporates the Polish Portrait Gallery. See spectacular marble floors, glittering chandeliers and masterfully sculpted statues.

The Presidential Palace

This spacious structure, now the President’s official residence, was built in 1640 by Great Crown Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski and later became one of the first places in which Chopin performed. Guided tours of some of its lower chambers are available but must be booked in advance.

Diamonds, the jewels of Amsterdam

By

Every great city has its jewels in one form or another, but in Amsterdam you can see the real thing. The capital of the Netherlands has long been a center of European trade, with luxury goods a specialty, and since Renaissance times its jewelers have been famed for their exquisite work with the world’s most precious stones. Today the highlight of any trip to the city has to be a tour of its magnificent diamond museum and a look at some of the treasures now being produced in the jewelry workshops of Amsterdam.

Even if you have seen impressive precious stones in collections before, the Diamond Museum will have something to astound you. Its collection includes some of the most famous diamonds in the world, including the legendary ape skull, the Katana and the Rembrandt Diamond. There’s also an educational section where you can learn about how diamonds were formed, and there’s the option of joining a workshop where you can learn how they are cut and polished, even working on one yourself. Located on Paulus Potterstraat right beside the Rijksmuseum, the museum is close to some of the city’s most attractive luxury rentals and most celebrated restaurants.

As well as visiting the official museum, diamond lovers in Amsterdam should consider the tours offered by its most famous jewelers. At Gassan Diamonds you can see some of the amazing, unexpected colors diamonds come in and can try on incredible jewelry. At Coster Diamonds you can learn about different cuts and see jewelry made for the royal families of Europe. Zazare Diamonds, meanwhile, combines tours of its treasures with the option of getting personal advice of what to choose for special occasions.

Whether you’re just a window shopper of you’re seeking a little sparkle of your own, exploring Amsterdam’s diamond heritage is a delight.

Animals can chill in luxurious surroundings before flying

By

Starting next year, animals flying into and out of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York will have a chance to relax before or after their flight in luxurious surroundings. A new facility called The Ark at JFK will open in 2016 for animals that require quarantine services.

This will be a bonus for those travelling with their animals to stay in the city’s holiday apartments. They will be able to take advantage of the 24-hour quarantine facilities at the terminal, which are fully USDA approved.

The terminal for animals will cover 178,000 square feet of space and is set to cost $48 million. Work is currently under way. When it is complete, it will provide services for a range of animals coming into and going out of the city, including pets, birds, horses, and livestock.

The pets will even have their own departure lounge that includes food, water, and stalls for the horses. The individual horse units all have their own climate controls and come compete with natural light and bedding. There will be a veterinary hospital on site to provide emergency and general care to the animals, including diagnostic checks and surgery. The pet resort will provide a pool for dogs shaped like a bone, the option of flat screen TVs, a cat gym, grooming services, pet massage, and obedience training.

When it opens next year, The Ark at JFK is set to be the only facility of its type in the world, providing pets and other animals with services that even some airline passengers can only dream of.

Celebrate the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party

By

The Boston Tea Party was one of the most significant parts of the American Revolution. However, the event is often forgotten about today, with many people commemorating the points in the Revolution that came afterward instead. This year sees the 242nd anniversary of the Tea Party, and the city has planned a special reenactment to commemorate the events.

The Boston Tea Party Anniversary Reenactment will happen on December 16. On this date in 1773, a full tea shipment that was coming into Boston from the East India Company was destroyed by the Sons of Liberty and Samuel Adams. They threw the consignment into the harbor.

Follow the reenactment

The reenactment of the events that took place on this day will last for two hours. They will start from the Old South Meeting House. This was the location of a debate amongst Patriot leaders including Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, and Loyalists who were trying to resolve the situation peacefully.

This will be followed by a march towards the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. Those attending the commemorations and members of the public can follow the route as well and see the tea being spilled into the harbor by those participating in the reenactment.

If you’re planning to stay in short-term rentals in Boston during the anniversary, you can get your early bird tickets now. From September 1, you will be able to buy general admission discounted tickets, with general tickets going on sale from November 1. Tickets are available online.

Try something different this summer at a freshwater beach

By

If your idea of heaven in the summer months is to sit on a beach relaxing in the sunshine, why not try one of America’s great freshwater beaches for a change? The Great Lakes area runs from Minnesota to New York and is the largest area of fresh water in the world.

A chilled out beach

Many of the beaches along the Great Lakes are situated in small towns that don’t attract the masses you’ll find at the major coastal resorts. For example, North Beach in Racine, Wisconsin, is half a mile long and contains 50 acres of sand for you to enjoy. There’s also Empire Beach in Michigan, which is within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. You’ll find dunes that can be up to 400 feet tall along this 35-mile stretch of beach.

Beach in the city

If you want a vacation site that offers more in terms of retail and entertainment venues, the Great Lakes area is also renowned for its urban beaches. Those who book accommodation in Chicago, Buffalo, and Cleveland for the summer will be able to get a bit of beach action while in the city. Oak Street Beach in Chicago, for example, is set directly under the city’s skyline.

Whether you’re looking for a sleepy setting, some water sports activities, or a city location, the Great Lakes beaches offer something for everyone.