Each year, a large number of Americans fly for the first time. As exciting as it is to be a first-time flyer, many first-time flyers are at a disadvantage. That disadvantage is not knowing everything about the airport that they will be using or the airline that they will be flying on. If you are a first-time flyer, you are advised against going into this exciting experience with unanswered questions. Instead, you are advised to get the answers to your questions.

When it comes to first-time air travel, there are an unlimited number of questions that many have. Some want to know what the best international airports are to fly out of and others want to know exactly what an intentional airport is. If you are planning of flying out of the country, it is advised that you familiarize yourself, not only with local international airports, but international airports as a whole. You will likely find that after doing so you will not only know what you are doing, but you will also have a better appreciation for international travel.

In the United States, there are two main types of airports. These airports are domestic airports and international airports. Perhaps, the best way to learn more about international airports, namely what they are, is to compare them to domestic airports. Domestic airports are more commonly found in the United States, when compared to international airports. This is because essentially any airport is considered a domestic airport.

A domestic airport is defined as an airport, in the United States, that offers flights to and from other cities or states, also in the United States. Since their planes will not be leaving American soil, the flights are considered domestic flights. Essentially, an airport that houses domestic flight is referred to as a domestic airport. On the other hand, there is an intentional airport.

An international airport is an airport that offers flights from the United States to other countries. Although they tend to advertise the fact that they specialize in international flights, most international airports not only have international flights, but domestic flights as well. For that reason, international airports are often larger in size, when compared to most domestic airports.

The size of an airport will also have a direct impact on how you will go about getting around the airport. Since most, but not all, domestic airports are relatively small in size, many only have a few terminals. These terminals are also likely to be connected or be all in the same building. International airports are a different story, in fact, some international airports are so large they have to shuttle their passengers around from terminal to terminal.

Although there are a number of differences between international airports and domestic airports, there are some similarities between the two. These similarities most commonly include the baggage and passenger screening processes. Due to concerns about airport security, namely on international flights, the airline industry has started to follow a number of strict rules. These rules often include bans on dangerous objects and intense screening, such as the removal of all shoes. In most international airports, domestics flights are not always separated from international flights, this means that all passengers will have to go through the same security checkpoints and examinations.

As you can see, it is easy to learn about international airports, especially when comparing them to domestic airports. Now that you know exactly what an international airport is and does, you can now start searching for an international airport that can offer you the services that you need, if you have not already done so.

The best time to travel is in the holidays, right? Not if you want to make big savings on your traveling costs it’s not. If you travel in off peak (or low season) periods, or even in the shoulder season, you’ll find traveling costs a lot less.

 

Where are you traveling? Do you know the peak travel times for this destination? Summer and spring, no matter where you are, are generally considered the peak seasons to travel, unless you are a winter sports enthusiast. In that case, ski resorts will be having their peak season in winter. And what hemisphere are you thinking of visiting? The seasons differ depending on whether you are north or south. For example, the North America summer months are June, July, August but in Australia the summer months are December, January and February. You will need to research your destination to find out the low season times to visit.

 

First of all, what type of savings can you expect to make if you travel in the off-peak season? 

1. Air fares are much cheaper. There are less people wanting to fly so air carriers drop their prices to attract customers. Take advantage of these great savings. If you are traveling in the high season, see if you can book a flight mid-week. These flights are generally cheaper too.

2. Accommodation is cheaper and more readily available. In high season it can be difficult to find a place to stay in popular tourist destinations and when you do find somewhere it can be up to twice as much as when traveling in the off peak.

3. Eating in restaurants can be cheaper too. Owners will be trying to attract patrons so see what sort of deals you can find when eating out.

 

There are some other positives to traveling in the off peak season, other than saving money. There are fewer tourists for one, so visiting any cultural sight will be much more enjoyable. You can get more of an idea of what a destination is really like without the thousands of extra people. Experiencing the true culture is a real bonus. Did you know that opera season is in full swing in Europe in winter? Or that winter in Australia is often the best time to visit places in the north when the humidity and heat are bearable. Or how about visiting the best holiday markets in Germany in December? Do some research to find out what your chosen destination can offer in off peak, ones that you won’t experience in high season travel times.

 

So what are the negatives of traveling in the off peak? Well there are a few, but if you plan well you can overcome most drawbacks. Off peak usually means traveling in colder weather and that also means less daylight hours. Pack wisely and remember to dress in layers for the cold weather. Some tourist places close earlier or do not open at all in the off peak, so check up before you go so you are not disappointed. You will also find that in some areas the public transport system does not run as often as in peak tourist season. Find out what options you have to get to places and don’t be caught out missing the last bus home in the middle of winter, in the middle of nowhere! Some hotels and museums close down for the winter to re-furbish and get ready for the next high season influx of tourists. You can gamble and bargain your way to a great accommodation deal once you get to your destination, but all your bartering skills will be of no use if the hotels are all closed. It’s best to check what’s open before you go.

 

If traveling in the off-peak doesn’t sound attractive to you, then you might like to try the shoulder season and still get some travel price reductions. The shoulder season is considered the period leading up to and away from the high season. Usually in this time you’ll get decent weather, less crowds and lower travel costs – not the great bargains you’ll get in off peak, but lower costs nonetheless.

 

This article is brought to you by: Stuart S. Travel – Your Online Travel Guru

www.stuartstravel.com

The Old Havana charms any person who is interested in innermost places. When talking about holidays, this city is something very special for the most exquisite travelers, a Cuban feast for the eyes.

It’s particular contrasts stimulate dreams and make it an obligation for tourists to capture such a beauty in a picture and, much better, in an unforgettable memory of the active rest.

That’s why it constitutes a real pleasure the necessary walk through the paved streets of the old part of the wonderful island’s capital.

So, as a part of the efforts to provide the Cuban capital city with a more and more cultural and historical tourism, comes into being the San Beltrán de Santa Cruz hotel in the old Conde de Jaruco’s house, considered today an innermost resting place.

This hotel, managed by the touristic company of the City Historian’s Office, Habaguanex S.A, which is responsible for the amusement in La Habana Vieja, could be considered as a cultural jewel; the perfect lodge.

Located in Calle San Ignacio 411, between the streets of Muralla and Sol in Old Havana – declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 1982 – shows now an appropriate elegance and intimacy.

This hotel is composed by 11 colonial rooms, one suite and the other 10, standard rooms. It also boasts a breakfast-room called “San Juan de Jaruco” and a snack-bar baptized as “Don Gabriel”.

According to historians, in 1732, Don Gabriel Beltrán de Santa Cruz ordered the construction of a house at the Plaza Vieja, – the Conde de Jaruco’s house – but he died at the beginning of the works.

Hes widow, Doña Antonia Aranda y Avellaneda, daughter of the major of the San Salvador de la Punta fortress, extended the project and asked the contractor to build a small imitation of it in the backyard of the main house, called since then “La Casa Chica” (1739).

During the time, several families and prominent personalities of the society of the capital city lived in the house like the Count of San Juan de Jaruco, Pedro Beltrán de Santa Cruz and the sister of the Marchioness of Cárdenas de Monte Hermoso, Josefa Catalina de Santa Cruz.

In that mansion were received and lodged the most prominent personalities that visited the city, including the Baron Alexander von Humboldt, an eminent German scientist, and three French princes: the Count of Beaujolais, the Duke of Montpensier and the Duke of Orléans, who became later the king of France, Louis Philippe.

“La Casa Chica” hasn’t suffered great transformations, preserving its old components and its colonial ambience. This great house is located near the Plaza Vieja and has opened its doors as a new charming hotel, combining antique and modern elements with an attractive design.

This hotel is part of a very delicate structure admired by hundreds of travelers from all over the world; especially Europeans that are daily accommodated in this houses of the old part of the city.