Top 10 Must Visit World Cities

Top Ten lists are a dime a dozen on the web and one that crops up more often than most is travel-related lists with outlandish titles such as Top 10 Places You Must See Before You Die and other such morbid titles. This list is similar however we don't see the necessity to insert the Before You Die bit, although it would be useful to visit these cities before you shuffle off this mortal coil.

When it came to choosing the appropriate criteria for selecting these cities, many statistics and facts were taken into account, before being readily dismissed in favour of the most crucial method of consideration of all ... my humble opinion. So forgive me if your own favourite city is not included. I know how you feel as despite my best efforts to sneak one of my own personal favourite cities Dublin into this list logic dictated that a Top 10 list would look a bit weird if it had 11 cities.

Now the next hurdle to overcome was to decide whether to categorise the cities on a graded basis from 10 down to 1 or take the lazy way and just sort them alphabetically, suffice to say, the lazy way was the landslide winner.

Bangkok
Bangkok is a massive sprawling city that offers charms galore. Bangkok is dotted with historical palaces and temples that offer a glimpse into the city's ancient history, yet Bangkok offers much more than beautiful temples and glorious palaces. It comfortably nestles at the forefront of Asia's most visited cities attracting millions of tourists each year. Majestic sites such as The Temple of the Dawn and The Marble Temple should not be missed. Lumphinee Park offers a diversion from Bangkok's bustling city streets. Bangkok is a modern city that encompasses a bustling nightlife, supreme shopping experiences, delicious aromas that fill up the senses from the many gorgeous restaurants and marketplaces. Bangkok's wonderful architecture and soothing climate solidifies its deserved place in this list and indeed why it so frequently crops up on similar lists.

Las Vegas
Well it had to be didn't it? Surely no list of this nature could be complete without Sin City itself, Vegas. Vegas falls into the category of love it or hate it for most people and with visitor numbers increasing each year it seems most people love it. The Entertainment Capital of the World does not disappoint. Where else can you go for a gondola cruise in the morning, see the Grand Canyon in the afternoon and be back in time to see shows such as Siegfried & Roy, Cirque du Soleil and similar headline acts in the afternoon? Ok it's not everyone's cup of tea but it is a city that has to be seen to be believed. Oh, and did I mention you can also gamble there apparently.

London
Ok the weather is not ideal, and the food can be mediocre but no list of this ilk would be complete without including London. It has attractions and sights for people of all ages and is a cosmopolitan city on a grand scale. Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, London Eye, Tower of London is just a few of the majestic attractions in England's capital city. If it's good enough for The Queen well it's good enough for me, just don't forget your brolly.

New York City
So good they named it twice as the saying goes and there few cities in the world that offer the amount of iconic landmarks and attractions that New York can. Even leaving aside world famous attractions and sights such as The Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, and Times Square, New York is such a vibrant pulsating city that it has more than enough to tempt visitors going back time after time. It is one of the world's great shopping cities, has a nightlife second to none and has often been referred to as one of the world's great cities. You won't find an argument here.

Paris
I would like to say it was the romantic side in me that welcomes Paris to this list, but it is not, it is because it deservedly nestles here as it as a European heartbeat of culture, beauty and indeed romance and offers some of the most beautiful and majestic sights on the planet. The Eiffel Tower one of the most famous landmarks in the world proudly stands tall in this city that also is graced by Champs Elysees, Notre Dame and The Louvre. The Louvre is home to The Mona Lisa whose ageless beauty bewilders generation after generation. Paris should not be missed.

Rome
This historic city, known as The Eternal City, has some of the most historical sights in the world such as The Pantheon, The Coliseum and The Roman Forum. St Peter's Basilica is just one of the many glorious churches in Rome, and is an essential visit while in the city. Trevi Fountain is yet another treat in this majestic city. And no it wasn't built in a day.

San Francisco
The Bay area of California is home to one of America's most popular destination retreats San Francisco as well as being one of the country's most liberal cities. The hilly streets are as familiar as perhaps the city's most famous landmark, The Golden Gate Bridge. The Bay itself sparkles under the warm sun whilst San Francisco is also renowned for its famous cable cars. The twisty streets in Lombard Street are another essential visit whilst harbor tours often include a trip to Alcatraz, the famous, though now inactive, prison. San Fran is a warm wonderful city with a new treasure each time you come, and no, you don't need to wear flowers in your hair.

Sydney
Beautiful beaches, breathtaking sights and the famous Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge entwined with the beautiful weather and cosmopolitan cuisine make Sydney an unmissable city. The city is a hotbed of activity and one of the friendliest on the planet. Darling Harbour offers enthralling sights and attractions including museums, stunning hotels and shopping whilst The Rocks provides charm in abundance. Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognisable buildings of modern times and is an essential visit. Sydney has it all culture, arts, scenery, climate, and often tops Most liveable city polls. It's not hard to see why.

Tokyo
A metropolis city on a grand scale Tokyo is a vibrant almost futuristic city that engulfs one's senses from the start. Tokyo revels in shrines, museums, temples and the city's Imperial Palace. Sensoji Temple reigns amongst Tokyo's enduring sights along with The Meiji Shrine and The Imperial Palace itself. Museums align the streets competing with restaurants and shops of all descriptions. Those seeking a more modern approach have options like Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Dome City and Tokyo Disneyland. There's truly something for everyone in this great city.

Venice
Many cities claim to be unique, and indeed many are but few can compare to Venice's quirky charm and decidedly unique canals that transcend across the city. Romantic gondola rides alone do not capture the entire beauty of this marvelous city. St Marks Basilica is a glorious church that often has long lines to visit. It nestles in St Marks Square a wonderful open square with charming coffee shops and is a hive of activity as it is one of the most photographed parts of Venice. Doges Palace, The Bridge of Sighs, and The Rialto Bridge are further landmarks of this extraordinary city.

Travel Tips to Save You Money

Most people will save all year or even more to obtain that relaxation or adrenaline fix we all crave for. Whether it's a couple of weeks relaxing in the sun or adventures up mountains and across rivers, people need this to break up their day to day living - a well earned break from the real world.

Ideally, most people would like to pay off their holiday with their savings, which is the more sensible thing to do as it will ensure no financial black clouds follow them abroad. Although the thought is ideal, for those who have no savings are more likely to take out a loan in order to fund their trip away. This might be financially possible and will be easily sorted upon their return but they will always have that cloud lingering above them gradually getting bigger and bigger as the holiday comes to an end.

Try to save a little money, even if it's only £20 a month. You are looking at £240 for your holiday which may cover the flight, hotel or even spends depending on where you are going. Cut down on drinking or give up smoking in a bid to maximise your holiday budget, or another way, a more obvious way is to simply lower your holiday budget.

This might seem like an unpopular choice at first but however reluctant you may be to do so, this is the easiest way to make sure the dreaded black cloud gets left at the airport.

Minimizing your budget does not necessarily mean minimising your enjoyment.

This can be easily achieved by simple yet effective steps:

Not eating out every day and night - Try and find local bakeries or delis where the prices are far less expensive and you are able to grab a quick sandwich or pastry. East a large meal once a day and snack on bread, fruit or cheese for the remainder. Then when you do treat yourself, provided you spread them out, the dining experience will be a lot more appreciated and worth while.

Buy for yourself - When you are away you will, as most people, feel obliged to buy your relatives little souvenirs which they will normally keep on the mantelpiece for a couple of weeks and you'll later find that they did not fit the room décor and have therefore been disposed to your dissatisfaction. Try to buy, if any, souvenirs which are necessary.

Don't take a taxi everywhere - When you are away you will normally find yourself taking taxis to the different destinations when necessary. This might seem like an obvious thing to do, but with enough planning you can reach your various destinations via public transport saving you a packet.

A step you can take to save more money is to rent a property for the week. This is the recommended option if you are interested in a relaxed time away as you can make it how you want. There will be no children running around or music blaring at all time of the day and night. You can tailor your trip to your exact preference whether it's a sunny trip to Spain or skiing holiday in France.

With the rented property holiday becoming more and more popular, a bigger variety of packages are now on offer so everyone's needs are accommodated for.

People who can't bear leaving their pets at home can now take them along on holiday with them providing they have their pet passports. This is a huge relief for many who don't want to leave their pets in kennels or with relatives.

Travel Tips For Cheap Romantic Vacations

You can also find cheap romantic vacations if you look online. You can certainly book directly with the hotel, or if you prefer you can go through one of the various packages Internet sites that offer accommodations around the world. I had an opportunity to visit India at attractive package by a website. Their packages include casual travels and tours, honeymoon or wedding events, diving packages that feature the best diving spots in the archipelago and golf packages for the corporate buff. These traveling sites have become huge influences on the cost of these tickets, and doing so by simply giving you comparisons and more information than the airline wants you to know. These days, with the many packages online out there, if you invest just a few hours of time researching your trip, then this will often end up saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Sometimes people get into a rut by using traveling agencies or depending only on the Internet to search for cheap airline tickets. When a traveler has a coupon for an upgrade from their credit card company or other source, then the agency presents a travel deal to the customer by upgrading two car sizes for the price of an economy rental car. When you have learn to identify deals, you can save a lot for other purposes. Cheap flights are extensively available and it is an important development for discount. The business opportunities on are high and they not only fulfill your vacation dream but also save hard earned dollars. helps all the people who love to vacation by not hurting their account balance with cheap fares and best deals.

If the only constraint for a vacation is money, and the vacation clubs will help you with the best vacation offer to any destination. The vacation clubs operated by individuals like separate businesses. And offer great on vacation packages and cruises. No one likes to junk up their email by useless offers for credits cards or so called packages. Online package deals can often beat the prices quoted by cruise line, and are great ways to find cruises. There are many large reliable low cost airlines world over, offering discounts and remain a reliable alternative to other travel methods. To learn more about home based business opportunities, and its commission scale, bonuses, and flexible work schedules.

Shop online package deals, and keep looking for offers. That can happen; check out online package deals or talk to the cruise agent. In recent years there has been an onslaught of online package deals. No matter where you want to go, you can probably find a cheap agency that can help you plan without spending all your money. Professional membership It is really important that a traveling agent is a member of a professional body. Registering for these communications gives you advance information about travel, allowing you to take advantage of offers that suit you. One of the most important things to remember when it comes to traveling is that special rates are often not refundable. The costs during this time can add up quickly, so traveling a little earlier or later than everyone else could save you a bundle.

The reason is because online shoppers are often tempted with special Internet only rates, discounts for early reservation and the ability to receive and print and instant confirmation. In addition to using a site, you may be able book your reservations online and select the accommodations your prefer, and directly through the company that offers services that you need. A number of online package deals advertise that their site is free, but then they charge hidden fees. travel sites are most known for their packaged deals. Cardholders of the United Airline Business Credit Card also receive a $25 United travel certificate and a free one way, 1,000 mile, one class upgrade certificate after their first purchase.

They can help you with family, pet friendly travel, and lots of information for the business traveler. Thanks to the Internet and dynamic fare pricing, you do not need a agent to find packages. And since you had to use a agent to book your flight, hotel and tour reservations, and other related items, you also had to pay some sort of service fee, lessening the true of your package. However, prior to the emergence of airlines and the dynamic fare pricing model, cheap airfare was limited, making packages not so discounted. In many cases, the agency was able to package together many of these components, based on the agency relationships with the airlines and chain hotel and car rental services, and offer packages.

Flexible Discount Travel Tips Can Take You Far

But the trouble is that it is so expensive that not many can fulfill this dream of theirs. So far travel is considered a luxury that only rich can afford. But things have changed now because discount techniques are there for anyone to use and make travel affordable and enjoyable.

The basic concept of discount travel is flexibility. The more particular you are about your program the more expensive it becomes. By just being open about your travel dates you can save a huge amount on just air fares. If you widen the choice of places also it can become even better.

For example if you want to visit South America and not set on any particular place then it can be much cheaper than if you do it otherwise. Anybody who is a a travel freak and believes in discounts will have this flexibility as opposed to going to a particular place on a particular day.When you come across people who do not earn much and yet travel a lot you will find that this is the way they do it.

Your attitude towards flexibility is does not have to be limited till the arrival of the destination. If you really want discounted travel then you should have your itinerary also very open. The true discount traveler recognizes the worth of this flexible touring because he knows that there is going to be equal benefit from this as it would be with expensive travel both enjoyment and interest wise.

The discount traveler is aware of the result of rigid itinerary - more cost. Once you become rigid about visiting a particular place at a particular time you have to depend heavily on the travel agents who may fix everything for you at exhorbitant prices.

The idea of being open to everything also includes food and entertainment. The prices of the food depends from country to country so whatever you get at the best price why not try that? Drinks follow the same pattern: say if you are in Mexico Tequila will be extremely cheap, so keep your eyes open for places where you plan on spending your money on activities.

This flexibility will bring you not only great travel but also great cultural variety and knowledge which you will cherish for a life time. So, with a little creativity and the right mind set for planning your next trip, you will be surprise at what you can afford and have a blast of a time doing so.

Travel Tips to Save Money

What do you know about your state? Have you been to all of its state parks or any national parks that are in your state? Have you been to the museums and other attractions in your town or other towns in your state? I bet you haven't--because I haven't either!

Maybe it's time to explore your own "neighborhood." You don't have to reserve a plane ticket well in advance, although you may want to call about reserving any hotel rooms that you might be needing.

And, exploring your state will actually help your kids when they study your state's history. Most states have some kind of tourist phone line with information as well as websites to tell what attractions are in your backyard.

Go off-season. Virginia Beach is really nice in October. It's quiet and the hotel rooms are cheaper. The ocean is still just as beautiful, only it's harder to get a sunburn. The beaches are quiet and you can take a stroll or build a sand castle just as well as you can in July.

Take at least two meals' worth of food per day. This doesn't have to be drudgery and dull--take along those attractive, well-advertised, junky foods you never let your kids eat in normal life and they will be perfectly happy to eat out of the picnic basket instead of the fast food restaurant. Then you can have one meal per day at a nice restaurant (or one that allows kids to eat for free or reduced price!).

Also, don't fall for vending machine water or pop. Bring your own. Be flexible. If you can be flexible on both dates of travel and location, you may be able to find a great deal at the last minute for a trip on the web. If you can look at this as an adventure--kind of like spinning the globe and putting your finger on a random place, only you will actually go there, this could be a lot of fun and not just a poor substitute for grand vacations of the past.

Send postcards. Instead of buying Aunt Margaret a souvenir that she'll put in her next garage sale, buy postcards and have the kids write them out for various friends and relatives. A series of fun and funny postcards is a lot more personal than a piece of plastic. Bring along addresses and stamps (if your trip is in the US) and you are ready to go. This also gives your kids a chance to practice their writing skills, which is a good thing to do in the middle of vacation.

Walk. See if you can park somewhere central and walk (or rent bikes and ride them) to all your destinations in one area. This will save you gas and it will also wear your kids out which means they won't be bouncy at the end of the day. It will also keep your calorie splurges from having such a devastating effect on your waistline.

Before your trip, use a mapping website to plan where you can park and routes and distances you might walk. You can look at the need to save money as a tragedy or you can see it for what it really is: an opportunity to try some new things and have some memorable family adventures.