If you are looking for a unique vacation, a cruise provides the perfect balance of travel and relaxation. Cruise ships are luxurious and provide their guests with food, entertainment and a place to sleep. Planning a cruise may sound expensive, but many discount cruises are available that fit your budget. You can find these cruise deals through cruise specialists such as Discountcruises.com. Another option is to book your cruise directly through the cruise line. These provide you with a variety of options for finding an affordable cruise package.

When planning a cruise, you should first decide when you are you able to leave since the departure dates are already scheduled. After finding the days that you are available, you should decide which location its best for you. The most popular cruise destinations are the Caribbean, Europe, and Alaska. These all provide a scenic view with many amazing locations to visit at each port. The location and length of the trip also affect the price.

There are also cruises available for those wishing to travel alone. These singles cruises provide the perfect opportunity to meet new people. If you decide to book a singles cruise, be sure to take part in the onboard activities.

Whichever type of cruise you wish to plan, there are many options available to choose from and the price varies between these options. When planning a cruise, be sure to research the locations you wish to see and then pick a travel package that fits your budget.

The world has opened up to cheap international travel. Gone are the days of being limited to monolithic packages with a handful of travel agents, with all-inclusive hotel accommodation and a holiday camp regime of fixed mealtimes and round-the-clock, often crass entertainment.

Now, thanks to bargain flights and hundreds of travel websites, you can design your own vacation down to the last detail. Many people are moving away from the hotel-centered break and going for rented villa accommodation instead, which allows for complete flexibility and a more relaxed and homely atmosphere. This is definitely the best option if you have kids with you, as you don’t need to worry about troubling other guests, and you can also come and go as you please, staying up all night and lying in all morning if you so choose.

Imagine renting a villa in, say, Amsterdam. Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is more than just red lights and coffeeshops. While it is a popular place for young people to be stupid, it is also a place of museums, cafes, and art. Explore the famous canals and many museums and art galleries, the old Dam Square at the heart of the city where Napoleon had his headquarters in 1808, and have lunch is a picturesque tapas bar, or some of the amazing Indonesian food in the city.

Book it a few months in advance via one of the many websites, either through an agency or direct through the owner. Then build your own itinerary and explore this historic city at your own pace, without having to worry about getting back for fixed mealtimes. Preparing your own picnic in the villa using local produce from the market can be a fun part of the holiday. Rent a villa and enjoy the freedom of a great European city. Amsterdam is a city that really reveals itself after a long stay.

The travel company, HBF just wrote a great article on tips to make your travel insurance claim easier, with some very useful information if you ever find yourself in need of making a claim. I thought they made good points with the following:

1. First, you need to be honest and upfront when you take out your policy. Some pre existing conditions can be covered by your insurance company, so check. You don’t want your policy cancelled because you didn’t mention something!
2. Make sure you read your policy. It’s a bit dry, I know, but there’s a lot of important information in there which will come in handy if you have to make a claim.
3. Keep everything! What’s to stop someone from faking an insurance claim? Insurance companies require evidence. Keep original receipts and documents related to your claim. The worst case scenario, you get home safely and make a scrap book of all your sundry expenses.
4. If you have to make a claim, be as detailed as possible. If you answer everything with enough detail, the insurance company might not have to follow up – making the payment come much faster.
5. This is probably the most annoying advice, but you have to be patient. A lot of companies have standards they have to meet, so as long as you claim is being processed within the time they specify (HBF specifies 10 days, but your insurance company might be different), try to wait.

Obviously you never want to find yourself in a situation where you need to make a travel insurance claim, but if you follow these steps your life will be much easier. I also found an article about the five most common travel insurance claims, so hopefully you can try to avoid them.

Medical claims are probably the most annoying to have to deal with. No one wants to get sick while they are on vacation. So the best thing to do is find out as much as you can about the destination before you go. Is it safe to drink the water? Any food you should avoid? Going to your destination with a little bit of research can save you a lot of grief in the long-run.

Lost, damaged, and stolen luggage is another common claim, and there are a few things you can do to help avoid it from happening to you. Some things are pretty much common sense, but you would be surprised how many people forget to put tags on their bags! Make sure you remove old destination stickers, check in your bags early, avoid flights with tight connections, and head straight to the luggage area as soon as you land. And remember, as those announcements echo around the airport “do not leave your bags unattended”.

Lost or Stolen Credit cards and money are a huge problem for travellers, but the only thing you can really do here is use common sense. Keep a photocopy of you credit cards and ID in your bags, but other than that you just need to be careful.

Finally, cancelled flights are travel delays are something that is out of your control but a huge inconvenience. Always check with the airline a few days before and the day of your flight to make sure everything is going forward. Try to fly earlier in the day, midweek, and get to the airport early.

Hopefully you are never in a position where you have to make a claim on your travel insurance, but a little common sense and thinking ahead can save you time and money in the long term!

From the staff writers of LifeVisions.

Slovenia is a beautiful and little known country in Central Europe. It is a mountainous country, a little smaller than Vermont. The coastline is also quite small and the best city on the coast is Piran. When you visit Piran, you can get the flavor of all of Slovenia.

Slovenia has a history that stretches back almost 2,000 years. In that time it has been a part of the Roman Empire, the Venetian Republic (you can particularly see this in Piran itself), the Hapsburg Empire, and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – to name a few. So the influences in food, agriculture and architecture are a wonderful mix of ancient Roman, Italian, Austrian, Russian and German.

Piran, being on the coast, definitely has the feel of Venice. From the Venetian-style campanile to the stucco houses with red tile roofs, you could imagine yourself in an Italian fishing village. I love the crooked streets and narrow alleys. The houses are either beautiful pastels or crumbling brick. Everyone is friendly and English is readily spoken in most hotels and restaurants.

These days Slovenian food is inspired by the Slow Food movement and the restaurants of Piran celebrate the bounty of the ocean admirably. Many of the restaurants jut out on to the tip of the land, so they have amazing views of the water. Slovenia’s wines are celebrated for good reason. The wine selection is excellent and the prices are amazing. It is usually cheaper to get wine rather than a soda or lemonade. There are many surrounding vineyards which offer tastings and tours. If you are staying for a few days in Piran, make sure to set aside a day for a winery tour.

Although Slovenia is small, you may want to linger on the coast. In less than an hour you can be in Trieste, Italy or you can take a hydrofoil to Venice for the day. Even getting to Ljubljana, the capital, is only a few hours’ drive or train trip. I found that the accommodations in Piran were cheaper than anywhere else in Slovenia (it was the off-season) and it was a fine place to make my base of operations.

Slovenia is charming. The people, the food and the countryside are authentic and unspoiled. I look forward to spending more time hiking in the mountains, swimming in the deep Alpine lakes and fishing in the rivers. Whether you are a nature lover, a foodie or a history buff, Slovenia has something to offer you.