If you’re planning on attending the Olympic Games this summer, you should be aware of all the locations, to thoroughly enjoy the events. Games will take place in 28 different venues; many outside of London. Here’s where you can find the Games:

Olympic Park – London

Aquatics Centre: here, spectators can watch swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and modern pentathlon (swimming) competitions.

Basketball Arena: some of the Games’ basketball competitions will take place in the arena as well as the handball finals.

Eton Manor: watch wheelchair tennis and aquatics training at Eton, which is also providing power to the games with a new wind turbine.

Handball Arena: the fencing portion of the pentathlon will be held here as well as handball and goalball.

Hockey Centre: watch exciting hockey games and cheer for your favourite team.

Olympic Stadium: the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in the stadium as well as track and field competitions.

Olympic Venues – London

Earls Court: located in West London, volleyball finds its home in the court.

ExCel London: a myriad of sporting events will be taking place here, very near to London City Airport. Games include: boxing, judo, table tennis and a variety of Paralympics games: judo, power lifting and table tennis.

Greenwich Park: in the southeast of London, spectators can watch equestrian events such as jumping and dressage.

Horse Guards Parade: feel like soaking up the sun? Then head to this park to take in a beach volleyball competition.

Hyde Park: the world-famous park will host the triathlon and 10k open water swim.

Lord’s Cricket Ground: home of the archery competition.

Millennium Dome: arena 1 will house artistic gymnastics, trampoline competitions, basketball and wheelchair basketball. In arena 2 you can find badminton competitions and rhythmic gymnastics.

Regents Park: the exciting sport of road cycling will take place to this park, home to the London Zoo.

The Royal Artillery Barracks: shooting and Paralympics shooting and archery will be held at the barracks.

Wembley Stadium: the game of football, or soccer to Americans, can be found in the stadium.

Wimbledon: is it any surprise at all that Wimbledon will be home to the tennis competitions during the summer Games?

Olympic Venues – Outside of London

The Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre in Hertfordshire will host the canoe slalom.

Eton Dorney, near Windsor, will play host to rowing, Paralympics rowing and canoe sprint events.

Hadleigh Farm is where spectators can find the mountain biking competition.

Hampden Park in Glasgow will host football games.

The Millennium Stadium, in Wales, Old Trafford, in Manchester, St. James’ Park, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Villa Park, in West Midlands, will all also hold football games.

Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour, in Dorset – you are looking for sailing competitions, head on over.

The Summer Olympic Games may be your best reason to take that trip to the UK that you’ve always dreamed about. Be sure to bring along a great travel-friendly credit card as you’ll, no doubt, want several souvenirs of your amazing trip! Look for a card that offers great international rates and you may just spend less using your card than you would if you exchanged your currency. Have fun!

Author’ Bio

Andy Trace is a money consultant and content contributor for Finance Choices comparison website, featuring detailed comparisons for the top providers, and offering bad credit credit cards for those who’ve experienced an unfortunate hit to their credit score.

1. Repositioning Cruise – Celebrity

Sure, you’ll have to fly home, but the money you’ll save on the cruise will be well worth the plane fare. If you’ve never heard of a repositioning cruise, you aren’t alone; many people have no idea that this option exists. At the beginning and end of each cruise season, ships must reposition, or head to a certain local. These cruises are one-way and, as such, are cheaper than a round-trip cruise.

A 14-night cruise aboard the Celebrity Century costs just $799 per person and will take you from Miami to Amsterdam. Not only will you never find another cruise like it, but you’ll never find such a budget-friendly price. Take full advantage of the duty-free shopping offered while on your cruise! The money you save in taxes can be spent on a fantastic piece of jewelry or a new watch; either of which will serve as a fabulous memento of your trip.

2. Off-Season – Holland America

Board the Zaandam in May or September and pay, at most, $649 per person for a seven-night Alaskan cruise. While you may not see as many animals as you would during the summer months, and the weather may be a tad on the cool side, the rain falls less in May and September offers guests a chance to see the amazing Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.

Cruises to Alaska are quickly becoming just as popular as those to the Caribbean. The beautiful scenery is worth the price of the tickets alone. For the budget conscious, the best part of these cruises is the chance to save almost half of the in-season ticket price!

3. Weekend Cruise – Princess

When people think of weekend getaways, they rarely think of taking a cruise. This is a huge mistake! Princess offers short, weekend cruises between Vancouver and Seattle, Los Angeles or San Francisco. Like with longer cruises, your ticket prices are all-inclusive, meaning that you can take advantage of free food, the pool, disco and onboard entertainment for the entire weekend.

Off-ship, spend your time, and the money you’ve saved, walking through the streets of your destination. You’ll find shops galore and fantastic places to grab a bite to eat or sit back and have a drink with the locals. These weekend cruises are a great introduction to the fantastic opportunities that ships provide.

Budget-friendly cruises are out there if you know where to look. There’s no need to spend thousands of dollars per person to have a great time. Look into any one of these three options if you are planning an upcoming getaway. The money you save on your tickets can be spent on shopping, great meals or even attractions at ports-of-call!

Author’s Bio

Tanya Peterson resides in NYC and is a travel writer and content contributor for watchrepairny.com, a Manhattan provider of fine services such as Rolex watch repair and engraving since 1978. Tanya’s grandfather was in the antique watch business and it’s been a fascination with her since childhood.

Scotland

Scotland may be known for its golfing, and for good reason! The country is full of resorts and amazing courses.
Perthshire: travel between April 1 and May 15 and you’ll pay only £225 per person for a two night, three round “championship special”. Included in your tour are: two nights at the Ramada Hotel, 18 holes each at Blairgowrie Rosemount, Gleneagles Kings and Downfield. Breakfast is included but you’ll be on your own for lunch and dinner.

If you’d prefer to stay a bit longer, you can golf on the same courses during a four night stay at the Lovat Hotel for £300 per person.

Spain

Head to Costa del Sol and from €209 per person you’ll receive a car hire, guaranteed tee time, three nights and two rounds of golf at Gaudalhorce and Lauro. Travel through the end of March and for just €279 per person, you can stay for four nights and enjoy three rounds of golf, including a chance at the amazing links of Parador.

Off-season in Spain runs from January through March. You can expect mild weather so be sure to pack light layers. If these courses don’t strike your fancy, no worries! Spain is home to several fantastic courses and a plethora of golf holiday packages.

France

In the city of Le Touquet sits a majestic manor with an amazing golf course offering fabulous prices on golf holidays. Travel from January 30 through March 15 and you’ll pay just £155 per person for: two nights at Le Manoir Hotel and three rounds of golf at Hardelot Les Pins, Hardelot Les Dunes and Le Touquet Le Manoir. You’ll also be treated to one dinner and a half a bottle of wine per person.

The same trip, taken between March 18 and April 5, will only cost you £14 more! France is a lovely country and one would be remiss to skip a stop in Paris if a weekend trip fits in the budget.

Portugal

From now through the end of March, guests can enjoy three nights at the Colina Verde Golf & Sports Resort for £95 per person. Amazingly, the price includes unlimited golfing on the Colina Verde Executive nine-hole course. With the money you’ll save on the green, you can head over to one of the other nearby courses for a full round. Local courses include: Benamor, Quinta do Ria and Monte Rei, designed by Jack Nicklaus.

All of the apartments, or suites to Americans, are self-catering so you’ll save a ton of money on food. The hotel’s restaurant offers a continental breakfast each morning and has a large lunch menu. When you’ve tired of golfing, you can play tennis, ruby or even soccer and then relax in the Turkish steam room.

Traveling to Europe for a few fabulous days of golf doesn’t have to break the bank. Take advantage of your travel credit cards, use your airline miles or even your rewards points to boost your budget. If you don’t have a travel card, now is the perfect time to secure one. Don’t let your ideas of inflated prices stop you from traveling, golf tours in Europe are incredibly affordable.

Author’s Bio

Andy Trace is a money consultant and content contributor for www.FinanceChoices.co.uk a site offering detailed comparisons for the top providers, and side by side features for credit cards with balance transfer offers.

Driving in the snow is nothing like driving in clear conditions, and still significantly different from driving in the rain. These tips should help you stay safe during severe weather, but always stay mindful and cautious. If you don’t feel comfortable driving in the snow, stay in and wait for things to clear. Don’t overestimate your need to go out.

Before you leave:

• If you are leaving on a long trip or crossing barren country be sure that somebody on the other end of your trip knows that you’re coming and when to expect you. Also give them the route that you are taking. This way if you do break down people will know when and where to send any help. It’s a myth that they can’t stop looking for you until you’re missing for more than twenty-four hours.
• When traveling long distances through severe weather make sure you have safety equipment and extra gas in the car. A blanket, flashlight, chains, gloves, hat, food and water are all things to have handy even if you’re only stranded for an hour or two.
• If you are going on a long trip check the weather report. If it’s looking particularly bad stay in or direct your trip around the bad spot. A snowstorm may not be the death sentence it was when our ancestors were traveling across the country in covered wagons, but that doesn’t make them insignificant.

While you’re driving:

• Always steer and look where you are driving. This may seem simple, but it’s easy to take a casual attitude towards driving too far. Not only are you on a slippery surface, but so is everybody you are driving with. Pay attention.
• In a similar vein, listen to what your car is telling you. Are your tire losing traction? Are you sliding around? Are the brakes working properly?
• Slow down everything. Accelerate slower. Stop slower. Steer slower. Accelerating too quickly is an easy way to lose traction and get your wheels spinning wildly. Everything takes longer in the snow.
• Don’t lock up your brakes. Even if you have ABS keep from applying full pressure and engaging them. When your brakes lock up they slide, and you lose traction. If you do lose traction a small burst of gas will engage the wheels with the road again.
• Give yourself extra space between you and other vehicles. Stopping will take longer and emergency maneuvers will be far more dangerous. If you don’t usually give much heed to how much space you have between you and your fellow drivers, now is the time to start.

Keep these winter driving tips in mind and be careful on the road. Think and be aware of how you drive and why you drive when there are snow and ice on the road. Sometimes the best thing you can do is not drive and wait for things to pass. Consider whether you really need to go out when things look bad. Take it slow and keep your eyes open.

Author Bio

Brandon Everts is an insurance consultant and contributes content to getinsurancequotes.ca. Check out their handy guide for winter driving tips.

Can You Use Your Phone Overseas

Some countries aren’t very good for cell service. They may be high in the mountains, or there might be a lack of cell towers in the area. Depending on what phone you have, there could be issues with what types of phones are supported and whether or not a cell service provider has any type of working agreement to provide service where you are. If you think your phone isn’t usable in another country, a disposable phone might be a better option.

How Much Does It Cost

A phone that has no smart capabilities might seem sort of lame, but at least you know how much it will cost. If you are traveling internationally, you might have to deal with the cost of roaming internationally, or data rates overseas. You might be charged as much as 3 dollars a minute for international roaming charges. Data plans could be useless even if you have an international plan through your provider.

How Much of A Vacation Are You On

If you cannot get through a few days, or weeks, without the Internet at your fingertips, are you really going on vacation? A phone should be available to make phone calls and stay in touch in the case of an emergency or change of plans. There are still plenty of other means to access the Internet, and it is probably much cheaper as well. The point of a vacation is to relax, not check Facebook and wish you were back home. If you are going for business, see if your employer will cover any costs before bringing your phone.

Going overseas means that you have to deal with extra charges, and phones that might not get great service anyway. If you don’t need to bring your phone, do not do it. Just get a cheap phone when you arrive at your destination, or just do it the old fashioned way and have someone send you an email. If the message is urgent enough, you can still be contacted in plenty of ways that have nothing to do with a phone.

Author’s Bio

Author Stephanie Sanders is a communications consultant and writes for a UK mobile phones site, offering all the latest phones and plans.

Pamplona, Spain

It’s not Ibiza, nor is it tourist-y Barcelona, but Pamplona is a worthy contender for partygoers continent-wide, when it comes to fun, clubs and partying. The more literate ones of you definitely remember Ernest Hemingway’s descriptions of running with the bulls on the streets of Pamplona during the Festival of San Fermin, the town’s most famous event. However, there’s much more to do in Pamplona than run in fear for your life. Take a trip down to the historic district to sample the great little pubs and bars. They are so relaxed and inconspicuous that most of them don’t even have signs hanging outside, but that shouldn’t deter you from going in and enjoying a pint. If clubbing is more your thing, there are plenty of snazzy places for it scattered around Pamplona. Just make sure you observe their strict dressing code and have at least one female in the group, as the local clubs’ customer selection process is quite strict. Otherwise, it’s all partying, all the time, until as late as 6 in the morning in Pamplona.

Budapest, Hungary

Central and Eastern Europe has risen to the forefront of the European party scene for two reasons: most former Communist countries are so enthusiastic about partying that they’ll knock your socks off. Additionally, they’re dirt cheap, compared to most capitals in Western Europe. The Hungarian capital featured here also hosts an uncannily large number of clubs, which has lead to it being called “the new Berlin”. You can start your evening with a wine sampling and a buzz at any of the great wine bars around the city, or go upscale, with the House of Hungarian Wines on Castle Hill. Buda will offer loads of open air clubs during summer, as well as a floating club-boat—the A38, which has been permanently moored on the Danube. The clubs are open until 4am on club nights and well-known DJ sets are not uncommon. One of the best spots in town for live DJ acts is the Bahnhof Music Club, whose dance scene is packed almost every night. There are also lots of casinos, located on the premises of luxury hotels and requiring you to dress up to the nines in order to gain admission.

Stockholm, Sweden

Any Scandinavian city might seem too cold a location for partying—however, cool and trendy Stockholm is an ideal location for the young set. While it’s not necessarily cheap to party in the Swedish capital, with a standard entrance fee of nearly $11 to most clubs in the Stureplan area, according to our currency converter, Stockholm is great for summertime parties. Since northern summer nights tend to enjoy more natural light than the rest of the continent, while winter nights are also longer than in other parts of Europe, clubbing almost seems a necessity here. To boot, the fun-loving Swedes have instated the rule of partying on Wednesday nights, probably in order to shake off the midweek blues. Most clubs will stay open until 4 or 5 am, and the most famous one of them all, the Spy Bar in Stureplan, is great for rubbing elbows with media pundits as well as sampling the local alternative and indie scene.

Riga, Latvia

Like most other Eastern and Central European capitals, Riga is great for partying on a budget, since prices are low and clubs open late into the night. Kick off the evening by warming up in a cozy bar, since Riga’s pubs feature excellent beer and, more often than not, live music nights. Then head out for a cool club, such as the Essential, near the Esplanade. There’s an Afterparty on every weekend here, and an average of three out of seven nights per week of concerts. Be wary, though, of club scams, usually run by beautiful girls who will try to lure you into a club. The scam is that you’ll end up forced to buy expensive drinks by credit card—which would be a pity, since there are lots of places around the city where you can genuinely have fun.

1. Coupon Books
Many school districts sell coupon books as part of their fundraising campaigns so chances are you’ve seen one or two floating around. If you are planning your vacation well in advance, look for the same coupon books for the city in which you will be staying. These books offer fantastic discounts on local attractions, restaurants and hotels. Visit The Entertainment Book’s website and see how much you can save on your upcoming vacation.

2. Expedia Discount Codes
Expedia is well known as a great site to use if you’re looking for discount airfare. What many don’t know is that Expedia also offers a discount site, codes.co.uk, that offers amazing coupon codes. If the code you find doesn’t work or doesn’t net you the best price available, Expedia will provide you with a $50 travel voucher.

3. CouponHeaven.com
The site offers Funjet promo codes that will earn you large discounts whether you’re planning a vacation for next month or next weekend. Destination-specific deals are offered frequently from Funjet. You may be thinking California, but if Funjet is offering a great discount on a trip to Hawaii, why not?

4. Simply Ask
If you have very specific plans and are having difficulty finding coupon or promo codes, phone the hotels, airlines and attractions and simply ask for deals. If that is too bold for your personality, phone and ask to be pointed in the direction of any coupons or discount codes that they are aware of. Most businesses will be more than happy to tell you exactly what discounts they are offering and where you can find great deals. At the end of the day, if you decide to not stay in their hotel or visit their attraction, they don’t make any money. It’s far better to get you in the door than it is to lose your business!

Sticking to a budget doesn’t mean you have to take a ‘cheap’ vacation. Flexibility in your planning and great coupon codes will help ensure that you’re budget vacation is as luxurious as a five-star holiday. Follow these tips and you’ll be soaking up the sun for less money than you thought possible!

Photo credits: waipio by Paul Bica/flickr; Hilton Hotel Dublin Airport by UggBoy UggGirl/flickr; Restaurant by Hallenser/flickr

Author’s Bio

Mary Blanchard is a self diagnosed coupon addict! She loves to find the best deals, share her advice and investigate options. As an addict, she provides information for other addicts or just those who want to find the best buy for their dollar. One of her favorite sites to shop around for deals is the Coupon Croc in the UK, check them out to see why.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, with its attendant Sphinx and smaller pyramids in turn make up a star map of the constellation of Orion. That there is a mystery encoded in these stones is beyond doubt although the exact nature of that mystery remains controversial. The Great Pyramid has been described as a weapon system, a global marker and a prophecy machine. Its companion and guardian, the Sphinx remains silent on the subject.

On the East bank of the Nile at Luxor are the temples of Karnak and the temple of Luxor. Monumental statues, pylons and obelisks are all around you here. Rameses II, one of the mightiest pharaohs of antiquity has left his stamp and seal incised into the stone. For a different experience visit the complex at night beneath a canopy of stars.

Alexandria, named after the Macedonian conqueror of the third century BC is the cultural capital of Egypt and was once the cultural capital of the world. The twice-burned library of Alexandria stood in the harbour district here and served to educate Archimedes among others. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina today is a stunning modern building in the old harbour district. Designed by Norwegians, following a UNESCO competition which attracted 1,600 entries. The building hosts a tri-lingual archive in French, English and Arabic with space for more than 70 million books. Invisible to any observer, but nonetheless impressive, is the fact that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina maintains a complete copy and the only backup of the internet archive.

Earthquakes have struck Egypt on several occasions. The entire harbour and temple area of Alexandria was lost in 365 AD when an undersea earthquake sent a tsunami surging over the old city wall. Marine archaeologists are today investigating the ruins which lie offshore. The facings of the Great Pyramid were shaken loose in the earthquake of 1347 and can be seen today forming the fabric of the Mosque of Sultan Hasan in Cairo.

There are two major religions in Egypt each with their own architectural heritage. Coptic churches are dark, candlelit and mysterious with icons and faces of saints glittering in the gloom. The domes of mosques sometimes seem to be held up by air and impossibly thin pillars.

Many older buildings in Cairo and Alexandria show a decided Italian influence. Political instability in the mid-19th century brought architects from all over Italy to Egypt where they designed a number of flamboyant palazzos and villas.

Egypt has an architectural heritage spanning fifty centuries. No-one with an eye for man’s ingenuity and building skill is ever disappointed. Camera essential.

Author’s Bio

Adriano Comegna writes on behalf of Thomson holidays, a leading travel operator specialising in Egypt holidays.

The Beach

One of the most relaxing things to do for me is to find a nice spot on the beach or on the promenade and just sit back and enjoy looking out to sea and becoming mesmerised by the waves breaking on the shore. Even in winter, as long as you bring a coat then you will still find the experience relaxing and the perfect way to chill out after a stressful day of sightseeing. For those early risers, the sunrise is an incredible sight to see (or for those who have not gone to bed yet). My favourite time to visit the beach is sunset, even though the sun sets behind you, the contrasting colours in the sky and in the sea make for a fantastic view.

Montjuïc

The hill of Montjuïc is most famous for being the home of the Olympic site that hosted the games in 1992. Also, the famous Castell de Montjuïc on the top of the mountain offering stunning views of the city is also something to see. The gardens of Montjuïc are the relaxing spot on the mountain though. The gardens underwent a massive restoration and cleanup operation before the Olympics in 1992 and new gardens were also added. A trip to the lake and sitting on the grass enjoying the silence knowing that below you is one of the world´s most visited cities.

Tibidabo

Tibidabo huge mountain behind the city and looking out to sea. To get to the top of the mountain take the funicular to the top and enjoy the stunning views of the city. This is the perfect place to relax while viewing the cities.

Parc de la Ciutadella

Another great experience in Barcelona is to visit the Parc de la Ciutadella. The park includes a zoo, a lake, a large fountain and several museums. The Catalan Parliament is seated at a building in the center of the park. The park is great to relax and take in the beautiful architecture, particularly the impressive Cascada fountain that will take your breath away with the beauty of it.

La Rambla

This may come as a major surprise to most people who have visited Barcelona as La Rambla is the street that is full of life all day and all night. But, there is something relaxing about grabbing a drink and watching the world go by. If you are a fan of people-watching then there are few places better to go in the world for people-watching then the street of La Rambla, just ask the locals.

I love Barcelona and I love to explore the city and all of its hidden treats but I also sometimes like to take a step back and just enjoy being in such a incredible city without the stress of having to force through crowds.

Author’s Bio

Article written by Sean, writer and blogger from apartime.com, providers of Barcelona apartments for rent.

Diving and snorkelling are wonderful pastimes for grown-ups and there is no reason that adventurous kids and teens can’t get involved as well. Any comfortable and competent swimmer can learn to snorkel and, at the instructor’s discretion, older children can even take the standard Open Water Diver course.

Kids can snorkel from a very young age and they often master the basic techniques faster than less adventurous adults. No certification is required, although most popular beach destinations with warm water offer snorkel tours for those who want some extra instruction. Taking a tour is also a very good way of finding out where the best local snorkelling spots are.

Basic snorkelling gear is nothing more than a fitted mask and snorkel, although a set of fins will make swimming easier. For younger children parents might also want to buy or hire a buoyancy vest. Naturally, kids should always be closely supervised while in the sea. Easily the best way to do that is to get in and snorkel with them.

The Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI, one of the two major global dive certification providers) allow kids as young as 8 to take special junior scuba diving courses in swimming pools, and they can join the full Open Water Diver scheme as young as 10. There are certain restrictions on who kids of this age can dive with and how deep, but young divers can come out of these courses with as complete an understanding of dive equipment, safety, and navigation as an adult. From 12 to 14, certified junior divers can take advanced courses and from 15 years up they’re free to dive as grown-ups.

The normal Open Water course usually takes place over a few weeks. It does take time to master the skills required to move freely and find your way around underwater, read the necessary tables, and learn how to plan safe dives, so taking the course as a family gives adults and teenagers the opportunity to spend quality time together working towards a common goal. In many cases the challenge is an excellent bonding experience, something the parents of some teenagers find very useful indeed.

A parent that dives with their kids will never be short of exciting vacation ideas. As a beginner diver’s skills improve they can go to more places and explore different things so new horizons open up over time. Every dive is unique and you can never quite say what is down there waiting. Diving with mom or dad won’t get boring after a year or two. If it’s something you both enjoy, diving could be a family holiday activity for decades to come.

Author’s Bio

Jess Spate took the Open Water Diver course at 14 and is still diving more than a decade later. Lately she has developed an interest in underwater photography, but still loves to dive just for the simple pleasure of it.