Travel Preparation Plugs

As I get ready for a trip, I spends lots of time online finding information to help me before I go. This is almost as much fun for me as the actual traveling. Since I'm not the only person that travels, I wanted to share my favorite finds with you in the hope that one or more of these will help someone else as they research future trips -- or just dream of someday.

http://www.livemocha.com/. This is totally free and has become the main site that I'm using to study italian, but there are many, many languages that you can study. There are other sites I use for supplemental instruction, but this site is truly amazing. It is very difficult to learn a language online without a real person to help and this site gives me that personal assistance. When a student posts a writing or speaking submission, it is listed on a page where anyone can correct and grade the work. From the time I began using this site, whenever an italian native was particularly helpful in their comments, I sent them a message and asked if I could directly send my submissions to them for help. Everyone I asked said "yes", and now I have 9 native italian "friends" to whom I send each submission and I get from 4 to 7 ratings and comments for each one. They will rate my work (which I really don't care about) and then, as they correct mistakes, will explain why it was wrong or why the way they suggest is better. If it's a spoken submission, some of them will record themselves reading the work so I can hear the difference. You can imagine how helpful that is. If you're looking to study a foreign language, check them out. Also look at www.about.com to find information on about anything. I typed in italian language and downloaded tons of information. Also www.speak7.com A site that teaches 7 languages. Great information there, too. All free. Don't you just love free stuff?

http://www.ricksteves.com/ Rick Steves has spent 3 months in Europe each year for 20 years. His business is Europe Through the Back Door (ETBD) and he helps those of us that choose to travel to Europe without groups or guides. You can find his guide books in any bookstore. His stuff is very practical and you can great pointers. On the site, I'm learning how to use the train system. I can even order my train pass before I go. He explains the difference between buying a pass or getting destination tickets and when each one is better. Too much information to list here, just browse and you'll be surprised at what you find. The site is invaluable if you plan on going to any place in Europe.

http://www.ricksteves.com/news/travelnews/0602/audiotour_menu.htm This is also from Rick Steves. If you are interested in Italy, Paris, or Britain, these are audio walking tours that you can download onto your MP3 player or IPod. I've downloaded tours of the Vatican, Coloseium, various areas of Rome, the Pantheon, Pompeii, etc. You can also print out maps to follow while you're listening to the tours. Not only informative, but will keep me from having to rent the audio tours when I go to many of these places. I love free stuff!

http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/ One of a few sites I use to find an apartment to rent when I travel. If you're going to stay in one place for at least a week, it's usually less expensive to rent an apartment. You choose a country, then a region or city, how many bedrooms you'd like, then BAM! - you see lots of choices. Pictures, descriptions, prices, etc. You can shop in the middle of the night or whenever it's convenient. Of course, you must be careful, ask questions, and carefully read all the information. I've never been disappointed, but it's always a bit of excitement over the unknown. I like places where I rent directly from the owner - not a management company. I've never tried using a management company, but I like the personal touch. Here's the link to the apartment I rented for 2 weeks last year just to give you an idea of what and ad looks like: http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/italy/IT1047.htm. Everything was exactly as described and I couldn't have been happier.

http://www.flipkey.com/ Another rental site. This is where I found the apartment I've rented for this November. This one has lots of management listings, but I skip past those and focus on the owner managed ones. Here's the listing from the apartment I've chosen this time: http://www.flipkey.com/properties/view/193263/lovely+apartment+in+trastevere/ Oh, also, read all reviews and contact the owners. If you're staying more than a week, do not pay the listed price. Haggle. Offer them much less and see what they will accept. When I contacted the place I stayed last year about possibly returning this year, she quickly offered me 25% off. I ultimately decided to stay in Rome, so I chose to search elsewhere. Because I'm staying 4 weeks this time, the owner agreed to 50% off. It doesn't hurt to ask. The owners know there are more choices out there, so I have found them easy to work with. I always email back and forth with questions to find how helpful they are. The couple that owns the apartment I've rented this time said they will organize a gathering of their friends so I can practice my italian and get to know others in the area. It's like you rent friends with the apartment.

I think everyone knows how to shop for airline tickets. I check many sites, different dates, etc., but for someone reason I have always ended up buying tickets from http://www.travelocity.com/. I'm not recommending them specificially, just mentioning that I always end up there. Probably because I've used their site so much that I'm comfortable with getting around there. Find a site that offers flexible dates (like +/- 3 days) so you can compare. Sometimes changing the date by one day makes a big difference. Also, many sites have prices that look really cheap, but the listing doesn't include all taxes and fees, so randomly choose a couple of flights and pretend you're going to book them. Take the process all the way to just before payment and there you will find the total price. At travelocity, the price listed is the one you pay. Also many sites have a place where you can shop specials. It helps to know when airfare drops for certain areas so you can plan accordingly.

Wow! This is probably too much information. Hope this helps someone planning a trip or allows you to dream of future possibilities.