Gdansk could be your port of entry in Poland if you take a Baltic States or Northern Europe Cruise. It could also be your first stop if you enter Poland by ferry as we began our travel tour.

We arrived in Poland after a long overnight ferry ride from Nynashamn, Sweden. It was kind of a fun introduction because we were about the only non-Polish passengers on the ferry. Driving into the center of the town was surprisingly easy… we just followed the signs to the center of the city… “centrum”… and even hotels were marked in relatively easy to read signs. That’s saying something because Polish is NOT easy to read!

Get a hotel near the center of town. There is lots to explore, starting with just looking at the wonderful architecture of the Old Town. It’s hard to believe that 90 percent of this city was destroyed or damaged in World War II. The buildings and churches have been painstakingly restored or rebuilt.

Walk along the pedestrian walkway along the river front. The Dlugie Pobrerze hugs the Motlawa River bank. See the crane, the Zuraw, the largest medieval port crane in Europe (though this too has been reconstructed). The buildings along the riverfront are impressive and colorful. (Even the buildings that have been turned into a hotel look like individual houses.)

You can view the riverfront best by walking over the bridge that is a continuation of the Long Street. Or take the small pedestrian ferry across in front of the crane. It’s free if you have a ticket from the Maritime Museum that is housed in the Crane Building.

Leave the river and pass through the Green Gate to stroll the Long Street… the Dlugi Targ and Dluga, its narrower continuation. It’s also a pedestrian street lined with great buildings.

Highlights are the Artus Court and the Neptune Fountain in front of it. The Uphagen House further down on Dluga has been recently restored, but it’s 17th century Rococo panelling was not damaged in the war, and it’s fun to see.

Walk all the way to the end of the Ulica Dluga and go through the Golden Gate (we had to do this since we’re from the San Francisco area!) and the Highland Gate. If you’re so inclined, you can check out the Prison Tower and torture museum while you’re there….. or just pass through like we did!

Browse the amber shops…. they’re everywhere, but especially along the very pretty Ulica Mariacka. This street (ulica means street) runs parallel to Ulica Dluga. You reach it from a side street, or you can enter it through the Mariacka Gate on the riverfront. Like much of Gdansk, most of the buildings were rebuilt after WWII, but it contains outstanding examples of traditional Gdansk architecture.

There are lots of churches to see. Most are historic, but they’re comparatively plain inside because they were rebuilt. We didn’t go to the shipyards, but signs of the Solidarity Movement were everywhere.

You may drive in like we did, or you could take the train to arrive at the central railway station, Dwonec Glowny. It’s a beautiful old building in its own right… a great introduction to the city’s architecture.

You may also find yourself arriving by air. The Lech Walesa Airport has become a destination for many low cost air connections from all over Europe. Maybe because Poland is still a bargain to travel in. There are also domestic flights from Warsaw or Krakow. There are transfer buses to the central train station, which is right on the edge of the Old Town, about every half hour.

No matter how you arrive in Gdansk, this pretty Baltic city is definitely worth a visit. The Globe Cheap Travel Guide reveals how anybody can take advantage of DISCOUNT Travel Europe Tours, through secrets previously only known within the travel industry.

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If you are thinking about traveling to Europe shortly, then you should check out these discount Europe Travel Tours to Venice. Check out what you can get up to in Venice in just one day…

Many people try to see Venice in a day. Time and money are often short when you’re traveling, so you want to get to as many places as you can. You really shouldn’t see Venice just in daylight…. a day and a night maybe. Or two nights and a day.

Venice really is a small town. You can walk right across it from the train depot to St. Mark’s Square in less than an hour… but that would be if you were just walking and not looking, and what you really want to do is stroll and SEE Venice…. La Serenissima herself is the main attraction.

The first time we went to Venice, we arrived by train at night and stayed near the train station. As soon as we settled in, we hit the street and started walking. To see Venice by street light is magical. Narrow winding streets…. Blue and red stripped “barber poles” holding boats and gondolas on the canals…. Little arching bridges to cross….

Don’t worry too much about your direction or getting lost…. Follow those signs that say “Per Rialto” or “Per St. Mark’s”… (Per Rialto means the direction for Rialto Bridge; Per St. Mark’s means… well, you get it…). Sometimes the signs “Per St. Mark’s” point in BOTH directions…. isn’t that wonderful! Wander where you want! All of the day trippers have gone home in the evening, and the narrow streets are all yours and so romantic!

Do what we did and wander all the way to St. Mark’s Square. If you don’t want to spring for an expensive drink at one of the cafes on the square, buy a gelato on a side street, then stand in the square and enjoy the dueling orchestras playing sentimental old favorites.

In the morning, try to see St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace. You probably won’t have time to go up the Campanile for the view with only a day, but it’s your choice…. if you only have a day, you’ll be back.

Stroll the streets, shopping along the way. There are lots of wonderful expensive things to buy in Venice, but there are some affordable Italian fashions too… and what better, easily packable souvenir could you ask for than some flamboyant Italian creation?

Find a table at one of the restaurants along the Grand Canal with a view of the Rialto Bridge for lunch. Yes, it’s touristy… it has been touristy for centuries, so you are in good company.

In the afternoon try to sample some of the art… at the Church of the Frari or the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Or if you’re interested in the history of Venice, you could venture into the Museo Correr. If you want to see one of the grand palazzi that line the Grand Canal, see the Ca’ Rezzonico, the museum of 19th century Venice.

When you get all the way to one end of Venice, take a vaporetto to the other end… you’ll never tire of seeing Venice from the water, watching all those palazzi glide by. It takes on a different look in the morning, in the afternoon, at night.

Choose a romantic canal-side restaurant for dinner… or a wonderful little trattoria down an alley. Take a gondola ride before or after dinner. Who cares if it’s touristy? Your gondolier will sing for you, tell you where Marco Polo lived… and you’ll love it.

Go to a concert in the evening… there are chamber orchestras all over vying for your money. Or just go back to St. Mark’s square and listen to those dueling orchestras again.

Two nights and a day will let you see Venice in the short time you have… and by having one or two nights there, you’ll be able to savor it with fewer crowds….. how romantic!

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Travel is dreaming… at least we think it is. It’s dreaming about a place, thinking about it, and learning about it, and finding a way to get there.

Long, long ago, my wife came home from work one day and said, “Katmandu. We’ve got to go there.”

When I asked why, she said because the name sounded so exotic. So why shouldn’t a bewitching name call to you? If travel is dreaming about where you want to go, something has to set you to dreaming.

Following another dream, we went to Morocco because as a girl my wife had seen a TV program about “The Walled City of Rabat.” She couldn’t imagine a city having a wall around it. Our hometown didn’t. What would that look like?

Why would they need a wall around their city? That image piqued his interest, so for years he had a curiosity about Rabat… she dreamed of going there and seeing it for herself.

You have to use your imagination here… that sentence has to roll off your tongue with a certain amount of awe and maybe with a little resonance… certainly with a bit of drama… not just the walled city of Rabat… but, “The W-A-L-L-E-D… City… of… R-A-B-A-T.” Can you hear it? It was a sentence that set us to dreaming for years.

I have a friend who hasn’t traveled much yet, but she dreams of going to Paris. She wants to sit in a sidewalk cafe and drink French coffee and watch people walk by. I don’t know what set her to dreaming that, but I’m fairly sure she’ll get to Paris some day and enjoy that coffee tremendously.

What sets YOU to dreaming? Is it one of the grand cities of the world? Mountains to trek through? Do you want to go on safari? Maybe you would love to go to fashion week in Milan or ride on a gondola in Venice.

You may travel to learn about yourself… how well you can get by in a foreign setting. Can you endure a hike through the mountains? Will you like what you find out about yourself? Are you hoping for a revelation of some sort? A life changing experience?

Travel experiences can sometimes seem magical. It may seem that travel is dreaming while you are on your journey. You may even find that you have to keep reminding yourself that you actually are there… you ARE walking on the Great Wall of China. Pinch yourself…. make yourself stay aware so you don’t get home and say you should have paid more attention…. been more…. more THERE.

Travel is dreaming about that journey even after you return home. That’s a great thing about it. You’ve learned a little about a new place. It will never be entirely foreign to you again. Those memories that travelers have help connect the world more closely.

Do we keep talking about the reasons to travel because we are trying to rationalize traveling so much? Maybe, but we think travel helps spread tolerance and understanding, so we want to cover all of our reasoning to convince you to get out there and explore the world.

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If you’re traveling to the United kingdom for a quick vacation within the approaching weeks, you should benefit from some from the following low cost Discount Travel Deals and see a few of the most traditionally popular and stunning areas of the this blessed country. Widen your horizon in the United kingdom, and get away from London; right after an evening out at the Royal Albert Hall, where you’ll have the chance to come across essentially the most popular places of interest, especially if you take advantage of the subsequent impressive low cost vacation offers…

London’s Royal Albert Hall
Watch Cinderella on Ice along at the Royal Albert Hall using this type of family members package staying in you of Athenaeum’s luxury household condos. The five-star lodge has partnered together with the venue to give 4 top-priced seats together with a one-night stay in a household townhouse condo from £400 plus TAX. Athenaeum has a children’s playing area with bicycles, kites and seeds for feeding the birds in Green Park opposite the motel. Bargains as well as two top-priced tickets and a superior room begin at £250 plus TAX. See www.athenaeumhotel.com or name 020 7499 3464.

Devon
Save £94 on a last-minute break for four this February by staying inside a conventional cottage in the heart of Croyde village. The two-bedroom property has original features which includes beamed ceilings, a stable kitchen door, stone inglenook fireplace plus a cast iron wood-burning stove, and charges £290 for the three-night remain on February 20 or 27. Nearby Croyde Bay has a lot more than half a mile of fine sand beaches. Visit www.marsdens.co.uk or contact Marsdens on 01271 813 777.

Yorkshire Dales
Eco-friendly luxury inside middle of rolling countryside is accessible for groups of up to 7 more than the half-term from £26 for every man or women, for each night time, for 5 nights. Stay for seven nights, before February 28, and pay merely £23 for each lodger, pre night for a self-catering apartment next to the National Park and close towards the historic town of Richmond. Guests receive a welcome hamper filled with natural goodies and can make use of a concierge service. See www.naturalretreats.com or name 0161 242 2970.

Loch Lomond
Appreciate a four-night all-inclusive escape in Loch Lomond from £139 for every particular person, lodging in the Tarbet Inn, situated within 1 of Scotland’s largest national parks. The price is calculated over a half-board basis and includes sightseeing trips to Glasgow and Inveraray, you Gala dinner, nightly entertainment and return coach trip. Departures are in February and March. See www.shearings.com or call Shearings Holidays on 0844 209 7143.

Cheshire
Those wining and dining in the Nunsmere Hall Hotel, Northwich, can remain for no cost if they spend more than £70 per particular person within the motel restaurant, as well as breakfast, during your stay. A restricted quantity of rooms are up for grabs from Sunday to Friday, January 25 to April 30, excluding Valentine and Easter trips. Call up 01606 889100 and quote “Wine, dine and lodge for free”.

Cornwall
Keep in Padstow and marvel at stunning views above the estuary from a three-storey design cottage that is accessible for just a 40 per cent low cost until March 26. Awarded 4 stars by VisitBritain, this cottage sleeps 8 and fees only £279 (was £464) for 7 nights self-catering, such as linen and towels. Pets are welcome. See www.cornishhorizons.co.uk or name Cornish Horizons 01841 533 331

Alternatively Visit Penzance on a ‘Cornwall Classic’ escorted rail tour from £725 per individual, as well as all rail journey and 5 nights half board. “Festtravel Journey” can tailor-make rail itineraries throughout Britain, as well as lodging and activities, from virtually any departure point. Visit www.festtravel.co.uk or call 01766 772030. You could in addition just go to the St Mellion International Resort, which is selling luxurious one-night Romance holidays at its 4-star hotel for merely £89 for each guest. Lodge on either February 13 or 14. See www.stmellionleisurebreaks.co.uk/winter or contact 01579 352001.

Near Alton Towers
Take the kids for a day of hair-raising thrills at this well-liked theme park and lodge in the very quaint Dog and Partridge Country Inn, for just £85 for four folks. The provide consists of a large en-suite room that sleeps four and contains breakfast. See www.laterooms.com/en/p5661/hotel-reservations/88760_the-dog-and-partridge-country-inn-ashbourne-nr-alton-towers.aspx

Northumberland
Remain at an elegant three-story house that sleeps ten persons on the heritage coast and enjoy an all-year hot tub, enclosed private garden and decking area, all situated in an exclusive development in Nedderton Village, near Morpeth. Four nights self-catering accommodation starting February 15 costs £782 (from £19.55 per guest, per night). See www.cottages4you.co.uk or call cottages4you on 0845 268 1560.

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You have to have a good conversation with your travel agent to start the trip planning process, and find the very best discount travel deals, because “why should you pay more?”

We’re assuming that for simple trips, airline tickets, or hotels, you’ve been able to fend for yourself on the internet. But if you’re planning a complicated trip or a custom itinerary or special access to hard to get venues, you’ll want that travel agent, and you’ll want your travel agent to know what YOU want.

Your first conversation can be by phone or in person. If you call them and they don’t have time right then, schedule an appointed time when you can talk to them or find another travel agent.

You can have your discussion just with e-mail. We often contact travel specialists in the country we will be visiting. All the same tips still apply, just put everything in your e-mails instead of into your conversation.

Be sure you feel comfortable with them, that they understand what you want. You can talk to more than one travel specialist. Choose the one who will seem easiest for you to work with.

Tell them what you want, what you like… what you don’t like. What you want to see on your trip, what you want to do. Use e-mail to “get it in writing” so you’re both on the same page.

Let them get to know you a little so they’ll know how to plan for you. They need to know your personality…. Are you outgoing and independent, or do you want a guide who will pave the way for you? What are your hobbies?

Can you walk all day…? What is your physical condition? Be honest about this. When we went to Madagascar they asked us… and with good reason. Our hike through the Tsingy was the closest thing I’ll ever want to come to rock climbing. If we hadn’t been in good shape, we couldn’t have done it, and we would have wasted that time.

If they’re arranging a guide for you, emphasize that you need a guide you can understand. If you find that you can’t when you’re on your trip, contact your travel agent or their local contact immediately. They should be able to make new arrangements.

Here’s another example from our Madagascar trip…. the guide that met us at the airport was really not that fluent in English. We talked with the local agency, and the next morning we met Rita, a wonderful guide who was easy to understand and fun to be with. She knew about the birds and animals and geography of Madagascar too. The trip was much more successful because of her.

Let them know what your budget is. Most agents deal with hotels and cruise ships at all price levels. Your travel agent needs to know what you can afford. Don’t be shy if your budget it tight…. ours is. When we’ve used travel specialists, they’ve always been able to come up with a good plan for us… but you have to work together.

A good travel planner will be able to suggest ways to plan within your budget. They will be making a commission from your booking, but it is worth it to you for complicated itineraries or trips to remote locations. They may even charge you a service fee. That’s OK too… then they may be able to steer you towards more reasonable accommodations.

Allow enough time to plan. Your travel agent may come up with an itinerary that is close to what want, but not exactly right. Feel free to discuss it. They can make changes, but only if you’ve allowed enough time for the process.

Talk to your travel agent. Work with them, and you’ll have a great trip, and get the best discount travel deal. On the other hand if you want to do the whole deal online then Check out the Globe Cheap Travel Guide that reveals how anybody can take advantage of Discount Travel Deals, previously just secrets known within the travel industry.

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