With the rise of internet, many people have drifted away from the traditional way of booking travel deals through agents. Both travel agents and the internet have their advantages when it comes to choosing the most convenient approach to travelling. It is advisable to do your research from both sides in order to arrive at the best possible travel deal.

The benefits of using a professional person are invaluable, especially when you are travelling to a particular place for the first time. Even though using the internet might seem convenient at first, it is wise to take tips from travel agents as well.

• Expertise provided by travel agents will give you information that you cannot possible get from the internet as it provides only objective information.

• Personal services provided by travel agents turn out to be extremely convenient at a long term stage as mistakes and misinformation is repaid for by them. Hence, they are responsible to provide you the best possible information and service.

• Travel agents have the ability and knowledge to answer the smallest of your concerns or questions and inform you of even minor details which you may overlook if booking on your own through the internet.

• They are in tune with travel deals and can interpret information that is confusing or unknown to you.

• Moreover, travel agents are experienced and can shortlist travel deals according to your needs. Naturally, they are less time consuming and do the work of arriving at a decision according to your requirements.
  However, the internet is equally useful. With that said, it is important to conduct your own research before following a travel agent blindly.

• Many a times, travel agencies try to beat or equalize the deals on the internet, mostly for their own profit. However, many hotel chains have the best internet deals on their websites, which you cannot avail through agents. In this way, it is mutually beneficial to both the consumer and the hotel.

• You also don’t have to pay to a third party for booking travel deals. You can find everything on the internet for free, provided you know what you’re looking for.

• It is more reliable and convenient as you’re dealing directly with the establishment that you are proposing to stay with. In this way, your queries can be answered regarding your accommodation, helping you to save money.

• Many a times, upgrades and special deals are available at the hotel website and not anywhere else.

• Customer reviews and suggestions available on the internet are very helpful when it comes to hotel deals, places to visit and cheap travel. Such information is invaluable, localised and first hand.

With that said, it is wise to consult both the internet and travel agents. Usually, if you’re going to a place for the first time as a tourist, it is advisable to consult travel agents. However, if you have a tight budget or have already visited a place before and already know what you want; the internet is the best place to make your booking.

- Priyashree Shah

The London underground system consists of 275 stations. On the underground maps (which are freely available) the underground lines are colour coded. There are 10 main lines:

• Circle Line (Yellow)
• Norther Line (Black)
• Victoria Line (Light Blue)
  • Jubilee Line (Grey)
  • Piccaidlly Line (Dark Blue)
• Hammersmith & City Line (Pink)
• Waterloo & City Line (Turquoise/Very Light Blue)
• District Line (Green)
• East London Line (Orange)
• Metropolitan Line (Deep Purple)

Even though exploration of London by tube is fairly simple, it would be prudent to first do your planning before you travel in order to save time. A friendly tip: If you are freezing in the London cold, about to turn into an icicle, the tube can help keep you warm, for it is about 10 degrees warmer underground.

Rules to follow while using the Tube

For the convenience and wellbeing of the London underground users, here is a list of a few simple rules to follow:

• When the train arrives on the platform, ensure that you are not crowding the doorway so that users who are alighting can do so, before you board the train.
• Avoid eating pungent smelling food while riding the subway.
• Smoking is a strict no-no in the London underground.
• Stand on the right side of an escalator, so that users who are in a rush may walk past you on the left.
• Plan your journey in advance to save yourself some time and also so that you can navigate through the station easily, without blocking other users while you halt to check the map.
• Do not litter. As a preventive measure against terror attacks, dustbins have been removed from the tube stations.
• If you spot an unattended or suspicious package, kindly inform a member of the London underground staff immediately.

How to use the London Underground

To begin your journey, first purchase a ticket from a machine or a staffed ticket office. To make your transaction faster, tender exact change and check if the machine accepts only coins or cards.

The ticket to ride the London subway comes in two forms:

1. Travelcard
2. Oyster Card

The Travelcard is a ticket printed on paper and has a magnetic strip. It is available for single fare, one-day and three-day uses.

The Oyster card is a plastic smart card with an embedded chip and is used to store values for 7 days or more. Tap or hover the Oyster card over the sensor to utilize it. To protect it from theft, the card can be registered. This card can also be used for taxi, DLR and bus services.

For visitors to London, a special Oyster card is available which can be purchased before arriving in London.

Tariff Structure

The tariff for the London underground system is calculated zone-wise. Both the Travelcard and the Oyster cards tariff are less expensive than regular single tickets and will not cost more than a single day Travelcard. After 9.30 PM, the use of cheap Travel cards is curbed.

- Mehernaz Jila

As it is an established fact that Paris is a city of art and history, with countless art galleries and museums hence travelling or ’sightseeing’ is quite an important part of a trip to Paris. The Paris Pass is a pass which is aimed for tourists and visitors. This pass allows free entrance to over 55 spectacularly famous museums and monuments. It also allows you to skip the queue at top Paris museums for example long queues at Palace of Versailles, Notre Dame Cathedral and many more. The other benefits are free entry on a Seine River Cruise, Musée Grévin etc. this pass would help save time and money and also let you visit as many city attractions as you like.

The cheapest way to travel around the city is obviously by walking. The beauty of Paris can be witnessed from the streets. If one is not a fan of walking or is simply just travelling longer distances then one should be warned that taxis are not the best option for a budget traveler. A ‘Navigo Découverte’ card can be purchased for 5 EUR. This would allow you to travel in zones 1 and 2 till the card runs out and can then again be reused after recharge. Another option would be to simply higher a bike for the period of stay, although this might be a little more expensive than the trains.

Accommodation in Paris should be thought of attentively and by considering the nature of your trip. If you are going to visit monuments and museums etc find a place closer to them. Breakfast lodges are a good option because they are of affordable prices and also serve a big breakfast which proves to be a good deal. French food, at least the best of it can be found on the streets. Create your own French basket and enjoy your picnic in a beautiful serene park.
Sharpen your French and you shall win your way through the Parisians’ hearts. See the city for what it is – without ripping your pockets.

- Priyanshi Vasani

A thorough research on the place you are visiting will help a lot. You may also come across organizations which guide such single woman travelers within a particular territory. A study would also help you know the culture of the place and thus you can come prepared accordingly. Dressing according to the culture of a place will help avoid unwanted attention and help you interact freely with the local citizens.

Try to avoid night travel if you can. Single woman travelers are often in the limelight if they travel at an uncomfortable hour of the day. Always book your hotel well in advance so that you have a proper shelter after reaching the place. Try to plan basic things so that you are not caught in the middle of nowhere. Always be very aware of your company. Do not get over friendly with fellow travelers and reveal much information about yourself. Also be very careful with your drinks at the pub or the bar especially when you are being offered by a stranger.

Make sure you always leave your valuables at the hotel room. Carry your credit and debit cards at all times. But do not carry many cards at one; carry one for personal and one for business purpose. Never allow your personal details such as your name, address, phone number or credit card number to be discussed or printed on any visible document unless where they are necessary. Always check your hotel rooms before you check-out.

Keep your luggage light since it would make traveling from one place to another much easier and fun. Try to sit next to another woman while travelling in a public transport. Be very careful about your belongings while travelling in crowdy buses or trains since pick- picketers are many in such places. Be very careful as to who are you asking to take your picture since the person might just run away with your prized camera!

It is very necessary to keep someone regularly informed about your whereabouts so that you can be easily reachable in times of emergency. It could also be fulfilling enough to carry a journal with you; it makes a wonderful companion while you are travelling alone. You can enter the tiniest of the details of your day and preserve it all life long! Travelling alone makes you realize that the world is a much better place than what you had perceived it to be. Remember that instincts are you friends, while adventure is all that you yearn for! So make the most of it!

- P. Asha Ritu

• If you are travelling on road, then make sure that your vehicle is in a well maintained condition to be able to sustain the long journey. Regular servicing of the vehicle helps prevent many mishaps on the road. Always follow the speed limits on the highways. Do not let the empty and smooth roads of the highways tempt you to drive rashly and end up hitting some unseen vehicle from the other end.

• No matter whichever mode of transport you are using to travel, it is always advisable to follow its rules and regulations as far as safety is concerned.

• Remember that only physical fineness does not define safety. Safety extends to all your tangible and intangible things. Getting robbed or cheated could also be equally dangerous as getting killed or worse murdered!

• Precautions must also be taken in the way you dress in the places you visit. Do not wear flashy things such as gold chains in order to grab attention because that is precisely what you should not have. You never know the intentions of a mere passer by, who suddenly decided to grab your chain and run off!

• It is very important for single traveler especially single women travelers to keep themselves safe. Always roam in busy streets filled with people which do not draw attention to you. Do not be over friendly with strangers as you do not have an idea where such conversations end!

• It is very important to keep your documents with you all the time. Try to carry maximum two credit cards when are travelling.

• Be very careful when choosing rooms in a hotel. Make sure your room has a peep hole and also a deadbolt lock. And try to stay near the staircase which helps you in emergency situations like fire.

• Incase your cell phone does not work in the place where you are visiting then try and rent a cell phone. And make sure that you are in touch with one of your office mates so that any deviation in your plan is immediately known to your workplace.

• During business trips, be very careful with all your official documents. Do not leave your passport with your other documents. You might never know when your documents are misplaced and your passport is your only identity when you are out of the country!

• Generally, at the end of the vacation, everyone is so excited to get back home that many things often miss your attention and they do not get back home. Make sure that all you belongings are back in place, double check your rooms before leaving.

It is really not that difficult to be safe and secure during your trips and travel. It just requires patience and some cool brains to get things in a more organized manner. So try and be safe rather than spoil your whole vacation because of a tiny mistake on your part!

- P. Asha Ritu

A very common travel game is Word Building. In this game, a person begins by spelling a word with the alphabet ‘A’, the next person must build up a word from the last alphabet of the previous word. For example if a person says A for Apple then the next person must build a word from the letter ‘E’ since E is the least letter of the previous word. This helps kids to improve their hold on English and provides them an opportunity to learn new words. Proper nouns are not considered as words in this game.

A similar game is The Professor’s Cat. In this game, the participants must complete the sentence ‘The Professor’s cat is_______’. The first player fills in a word with the letter ‘A’. Similarly the next person would fill in a word with letter ‘B’ and thus the whole group can participate and check whether you find suitable words to fill in the gap from A to Z!

A very engrossing game is Family Fact or Fiction. This game is best when you are traveling with your family. In this, a member of the family must say three things about themselves – out of which 2 must be true statements while 1 must be a false statement. The others must pick out the false statement. A point is given to the person who picks out the false statement else the person who bluffs well will get the point! It’s a nice travel game since it helps you to know your family better and have fun at the same time!

Some simple paper travel games such as connect-the-dots; hangman, tic-tac-toe etc also are great fun and help kids learn a lot in the process! Many enacting games where you need to identify which movie or which animal or which thing is being enacted out. There are memory games as well where you are made to see a geometrical drawing and you are asked to reproduce the same on a separate sheet of paper. This is a good test of short term memory and is used by many psychologists to test various skills of a person!

Travel games must be such which do not require many items. Pens, paper, cards etc – such stuff must be used to play so that it is not much of a task carrying the extra game luggage! But always be very careful when playing such games in crowded trains or even in flights. You must not disturb the fellow passengers nor create any kind of inconvenience for them! So play, have fun and enjoy your travel trips! Happy gaming!!

- P. Asha Ritu

• First you must decide which type of adventure you would like to undertake – outdoor recreational activities, winter sports, experiences in the nature etc. You must be physically adept for the adventure sport, must know the risks involved and you have to spend much time practicing it.

• Adventure includes activities such as backpacking, camping, hiking, or winter spots like skiing etc. After deciding the kind of adventure you would like to have, you must choose a destination where you would practice it. You can choose from a variety of sources – friends or family suggestions, any random place on world map, approach a travel agent, or get top ten lists from the internet. After you have chosen the place, you can then begin working with the minor details. Details such as contacts of hotels, health and safety, weather etc must be enlisted. Some of the best sources of information could be travel blogs; you tube videos, flickr pictures, magazines, guide books etc.

• Next, you must book tickets as soon as possible.

• Then enlist all the possible things that you might need during your adventure travel. Things ranging from boots, shorts, socks to cameras, sun glasses, and torch should be mentioned in the list. This list will help you to add or deduct unnecessary things from packing. Always make sure that you carry a first aid kit with you especially during adventure travels!

• Keep a regular check on the climate of the place you are about to visit since it will help you to pack more efficiently.

• Carry all the documents necessary and make sure that your travelling dates are proper. Try to get in touch with a local person to guide you through all this more carefully. Remember adventure trips may go a bit haywire since something unexpected always pops up but certain amount of planning always helps.

• Safety precautions during adventure travel are very essential. Take proper expert guidance before trying out anything. We might not be able to undo what has already been done but we can always try to prevent any mishaps! Thus, it is advisable to work under guidance every time you want to try some new adventurous sport or activity.

• Adventure at all times need not be something sporty or breathe taking activity. Even a small trip to a small tea manufacturing firm could be an adventure since that is something you do not see everyday. Thus it is only apt not to limit your idea of adventure to such a narrow list. One important tool in planning your adventure travel is the budget of the entire trip. Only if your budget allows then you can plan a full fledged trip but be very careful not to over spend on something which was never that significant!

Adventure travel requires you to be in full control of the situation. Whether it is about trying out different things or to meet unexpected situations, you just cannot afford to show any sign of weakness. And this can only be achieved when you are absolutely sure of your plans. The above listed tips can only act as a beacon light but the success of your adventure travel will entirely depend upon your capabilities to experience adventure and derive pleasure out of it!

- P. Asha Ritu

• Traveling on a budget demands you to get the best deals on the things that you want. But even in the cheapest of deals, the proposition must just end up being an expensive affair.
• To travel on a budget, it is very necessary that you become an opportunist traveler. It means that you cannot get what you want but want what you get.
• It is always advisable to avoid the peak travel days. Sometimes it is unavoidable to skip the peak travel days but this helps you save a lot. According to the demand and supply theory, it seems logical to book tickets when there are few takers rather than expect low prices on house full days!
• Many a times it is observed that train tickets are much cheaper than air ones. If your budget allows you to book air tickets, then by all means do so. But if you would rather save that money and utilize it elsewhere then it is advisable to book train tickets. Even renting a car for short distances is a good option.
• When travelling on a tight budget, it is most advisable not to eat out all the time since it might prove to be a costly affair. Even the cheapest of hotels increase their prices when dealing with tourists! It would also be good if you could pack some light snacks along when you are packing so that you do not have to spend on little things as well.
• Try availing the multi day passes at the places that you visit so that you do not have to spend on entry tickets every time you visit that place.
• It is always smart to allot each person travelling along with you, a specific budget. This ensures that you do not have to pay for every minor expense.
• It is always better to make your own bookings. Generally hotels and travel services offer good discounts during the vacation time!
• Just because you ate on vacation, it does not mean that you need to spend all your days visiting different places. You can also enjoy in the hotel where you are residing, playing in the swimming pools or exploring their gyms and spas!
• Just a bit of research on your part regarding prices would be very helpful for you to decide your budget. Making a rigid uniformed budget would be of no use if none of your requirements are met. Thus it is more advisable to do your homework and set a bit flexible budget which ensures the joy of your family and the well being of your pocket!!

It is very easy to put aside a sum of money and feel that it would be enough for your travel. But when it comes to putting things to practice, it is then that all the money seems to have disappeared somewhere. So why not be sensible from the beginning and enjoy uninterrupted and smart planned vacations!! Happy holidays!!

- P. Asha Ritu

Travelling may decrease your resistance and make you prone to a variety of diseases, so it is very important that one exercise regularly, has nutritious food and adequate sleep. Carrying a gym kit would be a good idea to make sure that you stick to your routine! A simple workout would work wonders since most hotels have a gym. Also some body weight exercises like pushups, sit-ups, lunges, squats etc do not even need any equipment! Avoid swimming in fresh water lakes and streams since you might be exposed to certain diseases.

Proper diet during travels helps one to stay healthy. Make sure you eat well cooked and hot food since they are relatively safe. Eating plenty of fruits, juices and salads help one maintain their level of vitamins and proteins. Make sure to pick fruits that can be peeled. Consumption of raw or uncooked food is not at all advisable. Always try drinking bottled water or carbonated beverages. Make sure you are not over eaten especially when you are about to travel long distances.

Carry a small first aid kit with you every time you travel. Your kit must have remedies for minor muscle and body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin allergies. Also keep band aids, gauges and antibiotic creams. If you are under some kind of medication, then carry all your medicines wherever you go and make sure you take them on time. Keep alcohol consumption low especially while driving in order to avoid any accidents or mishaps! Carry a small hand sanitizer everywhere you go so that the non-availability of soap and water does not hinder your healthy trip!

It is also very essential to keep healthy while flights and sea cruises. Never fly with an empty stomach but have a light meal before your flight. Take proper medication for sea sickness or vertigo before you set on your journey. A good night’s sleep is very essential before your travel since it keeps your immune system stronger and helps resist many infections.

Thus staying healthy while you travel is an important aspect of your travel plan. Whether you travel by air, road or the sea, you must be well quipped with knowledge on how to avoid getting swayed by the tastes and weather of the place to keep yourself fit! Proper planning before travelling helps in a healthy and fun trip.

- P. Asha Ritu

Major space will be occupied by clothing, footwear and electronics. Clothing and footwear depends entirely upon the place and the season you are travelling in. T-shirts and jeans are always the best options for both – males and females. Towels, napkins, bathing gowns are equally necessary. Other than those, you can always add clothes according to the season and the occasions you might encounter on your travel. Footwear may include sport shoes for long distance travels while sandals or slippers for evening stroll. A pair of socks helps in any season.

Electronics such as cameras, laptops, mobile phones, video cams are common to any kind of travel you make. It is a must to have the kits for cameras and video cams containing all the essential equipments such as lens, batteries, cords etc. Remember to carry your pen drives or hard disks for business trips in order to preserve your data. Keep your suitcases as light as possible for business related travel and carry only the most important of all things!

Another small but very important tool that you must have are locks for your luggage or use the number locks already provided on the suitcases. Carry normal size bags so that it neither becomes too small nor too large. A personal cosmetic kit including shampoos, lotions, gels, deodorants, sunscreens etc must be handy at all times. Be sure to carry the cosmetics which would suit the climatic conditions of the place you are travelling to.

It would be advisable to make a check list of all the items that you would require for travel. Specifications of things to be packed would also differ according to the mode of travel chosen. Certain things required in trains such as pillows and blankets might not be necessary in flights or ships. Carrying light snacks is also useful in certain situations when you tend to feel giddy or sick.

Since traveling needs much time, you must also carry some portable games such as cards, chess, scrabble etc. Books and MP3 players would also serve the purpose. Make sure you carry several plastic bags since they help in a variety of ways. Always carry an umbrella or a raincoat or a water proof jacket with you since the weather can be really unpredictable at times. Hats or caps are also must haves. It is always good to be over cautious than under!

A small knife, fork and/or spoon, torch or flash light, a small calculator, an alarm clock, a head lamp are also very useful tools. Be very careful while packing and always remember to keep it light! Happy packing!

- P. Asha Ritu