As a current student, I understand the need for students to go out and travel. Many of our days are spent cooped up in dorm rooms or in crowded libraries studying the day away. So when there is finally some free time, getting away from school and away from the norm is a must. This begs the question though, where should students with free time go? For many students, college is the last time that they will have free time for a spring, winter, or summer break, and, for the lucky ones, their income is almost completely disposable. With money as almost no object, let’s look at some ideas for where students should go.

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Cancun, Mexico is always a popular destination for college students. The drinking age there is 18, the sun is constantly shining on the lucky inhabitants, and the girls are tan and fit. For college students, especially males, this is a dream. Parties occur in the day, the night, and stretch into the morning. There is always something to do in Cancun, making it a hotspot for students on spring break every year.

Students who may not wish to lose their money but want to spend a good amount of time with their friends should consider going on an old-fashioned road trip. Road trips are relatively inexpensive, requiring only money for gas, lodging, and food, and after a road trip, there are almost stories aplenty to tell others. As long as the group is not dead set on getting somewhere as fast as they can, detours on the way may prove to be more interesting than the final destination itself. Signs for a spooky wax museum, advertisements for the world’s largest cookie, and other novelties will provide students with the opportunity to pose for pictures others will be jealous of and create stories that others wish were their own. So buckle up, make sure you have some leg room, and enjoy the ride.

Florida, The Sunshine State, is another amazing location for college kids to take trip to, especially the college kids living up in the frigid north. Florida is a tourist hot spot in the United States, and offers a wide variety of things for people to do. Students could lounge on the beaches like Daytona, enjoying the sun and the beautiful people, or they could travel to go tour orchards holding Florida’s famous oranges. My personal favorite suggestion, however, is to go to the amusement parks located in Florida. Both Disney and Universal Studios have established theme parks in central Florida, and both sets of parks are a sight to behold. Disney has a nostalgia factor for many students, taking them back to their childhood when things were much simpler. Universal Studios, on the other hand, is a great destination for the action junkies among us. They have huge roller coasters at almost every turn, and water rides that will leave guests extremely happy, wet, and willing to go on the rides again. For those of us who are racing fans, The Daytona 500, one of the biggest races in NASCAR, is held in Daytona, Florida every year. Being at a race is an amazing experience, the view is great, the atmosphere is wonderful, and spectators can even feel the vibrations from the cars as it whiz by. Overall, Daytona is something that should be experienced by everyone, not just race fans. Clearly, Florida has something for everyone, making it a great destination for student trips.

For those history majors out there, a trip to Northern Virginia would definitely not be a bad idea. The place is full of history, and if one were to go at the right time, they could participate in reenactments of some of our country’s most pivotal battles from the Civil War. In addition to that, Washington D.C. holds some of our country’s most important treasures, many of them held in the Smithsonian Institution and its museums. Famous art, fossils, and exhibits illustrating the history of America and the world are everywhere in the museums. People can literally spend a day exploring just one museum, and then come back the next day to explore another one. In addition, Washington D.C. is the home of many Senators and Representatives. These Congressmen are unusually accessible, a lot more accessible than one might think. They are generally happy to see their constituents, and will take time to talk to almost anyone. While it may not be the sexiest of trips, Northern Virginia and its neighbor Washington D.C. holds a wealth of knowledge that many would find fascinating.

Every student wants to get away from their school at one point or another. School is incredibly stressful, and the precious breaks given to students by their teachers should be spent wisely. The ideas that are listed above are some of the suggestions on where students can go. There are several different places for students to travel on. Just make sure that friends are willing to go with you, that you have enough money to get there and back again, and that you spend the time that you are given wisely. It is your break; spend the time having as much fun as you can. Nothing is worse than that first day going back to school, at least give yourself some stories to tell others when you get there.

A family vacation is where everyone, be it parents or children, can kick back and have fun while enjoying quality time with one another in a safe, relaxing setting. When planning such an event, you must look at several factors and often parents will opt for a family vacation resort or cruise. These are great for busy families who haven’t much time to make plans or are looking for age-appropriate activities for the children.

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When choosing a resort, there are several things that parents will want to consider. In these tough economic times, the first thing many contemplate is price and value. Many resorts will offer package deals for families of four or more that are very appealing. For children under ten or twelve years you will often find that meals and accommodation for them are reduced in price or even complimentary. A travel agent or travel website will usually provide all the details necessary as well as any fine print.

The second thing that parents will discuss is activities. What is appropriate for a child under or over twelve? Can the entire family join in? Are there some activities where the children are supervised for a period of time while, giving Mom and Dad a chance to have some quality time alone? You can always ask your travel agent or the activity director, who will be glad to answer your questions and give you more details.

Some resorts have “themes” such as sports, Medieval times, equestrian, religious education/praise and worship, and even technology and space travel. The entire family should sit down and converse before any decision is made or you will have some sour faces later. Little Jenny might love the idea of going to Disneyland where she can play with fantasy princesses while little Johnny would much prefer going to a beach where he can learn to surf. In some cases both children can find what they’re looking for but it’s best to research a resort as much as possible before making a decision.

Food is also a hot topic among families, especially if someone has allergies or is a picky eater. Again you will want to talk to your travel agent, activity director, or someone that is specifically in charge of meals and cooking. Many restaurants will openly state whether the food they offer has common known allergens, such as peanuts, soy, wheat, and gluten. If you’re unsure, you can request a nutrition guide or a list of ingredients that you can review before ordering a meal. Also, if your teenage daughter has decided to become a strict vegetarian or your adolescent son is trying to bulk up via excessive protein, she or he can look over the menu with you and help make choices for themselves or the family.

Another issue many families encounter with their vacation is when to go and how to get there. For those familiar with the 1983 comedy film “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, time and travel are both very important. Both can also be adventurous as well as disastrous depending on the method of travel, weather, and temperament of the passengers. Some children can ride in a car for hours if they have some means of entertainment (DVD player, personal video game system, books, etc.) while others get bored easily and will start the age-old game of “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” If you choose to travel via airplane, you will get to your destination much quicker but with airline rules, restrictions, and price you could arrive at the resort with a very big headache. Buses are fairly inexpensive and allow parents to better supervise children during the trip and the driver will make intermittent stops to allow everyone to stretch their legs as well as purchase food or souvenirs. However, this method can be very tiring and parents might not be able to sit right next to their children where they can easily be watched. Trains are a little more expensive but are often faster. They also give families ample room to move around and provide dining compartments for meals throughout the day. Parents can also spend quality time with their children and the whole experience is usually quite enjoyable, making for pleasant memories.

Also, when planning a family vacation, keep your children involved in the process. They will learn about value for money, travel options, geography, and it will let them know that you respect their ideas and value their opinions. Children today are very smart when it comes to using computers and can be very helpful when browsing for resorts and/or cruises on the internet, as well as travel, accommodations, meals, activities, and even boarding facilities if you have pets.

As a caution, check with your travel agent regarding issues such as blackout dates, return policies, fees, and restrictions. Some resorts will charge additional fees and taxes while you are staying with them, but you won’t realize it until you check out and see the bill. Some will allow you to reschedule only if there has been an emergency while others will make you wait six months or more to book again. If you change your mind or are unable to make the trip, you may encounter some static if you ask for your money back (assuming you’ve pre-paid). Make sure you get everything in writing and review it carefully before you sign anything and hand over your check or credit card.

A family vacation resort is often a superb choice for those who want to relax and make great memories with their loved ones. Make sure you do your homework and don’t jump into anything without having a family meeting to discuss your options, create a plan, set a date, and explain anything your children might not understand (such as “How are we getting there?”, “Where’s Florida?”, “Do we have to take my little brother?”, “What about Fido and Fluffy?”, etc.) For more information you can contact a travel agent or use the internet to search using the key words “family vacation resort” as well as any other terms that might apply to your interests.

Want to write a great travel article but don’t know the little tricks of genuinely writing an amazing one? You can do it and this article is going to walk you straight through it. Writing can be exciting effortless work once you’ve practiced and developed the knack of allowing great ideas and the words for them to just flow as you type. And writing about travel makes your efforts astonishingly fun even though you think you’d hate doing research for it. Yep, a bit of research is necessary to write a travel article. However, even the research can be like discovering a new oasis that you get to enjoy reading while you jot notations down about your travel destination.

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So first, let’s talk about the research you need to do and where you’ll find juicy tips and treasures of information about your destination. Let’s say you’re planning to write a travel article about Iceland. Find out how many main attractions your requestor wants you to write about. This is usually one, but may be two. We’re using two as an example today.

The first step in authoring a travel article is to learn the most popular means of getting there. Airplanes, ships, or both? Are there travel packages available for Iceland? Go to the search bar on your browser and type in “travel, Iceland” and voila! There are travel agencies brimming with information about Iceland. Make notes of which airlines and cruise ships go there. Visit at least 4 travel agencies getting new informative nuggets about Iceland at each one and jot these notes down.

Now, Iceland is not a common destination for travelers. And chances are you’re saying to yourself “I know next to nothing about Iceland”. But the odds are, you’re becoming interested and I hope fascinated to discover the basic information you need. Once again, the travel agencies online are ripe with tourist sites. They knock their socks off to have all the information you want. They list all the important sites and tourist attractions in Iceland. Jot these down! This is great information! And some of these sounds so great they even appeal to you. With just one glance, you see there are glaciers, hot springs, lava fields, deep sea and trout fishing, hiking, waterfalls and far more.

You’re instantly hooked on the hot springs and lava fields so you will decide to learn more about those. Where do you go to get these details? There are two main ways to get detailed information. The first is to do as before, go to the Internet and type in the search bar “Iceland hot springs”. Icelandic hot springs should pop right up naming the most favored hot springs with exciting details about them. Most likely, pictures of them also! Once again, it is important to note the travel means to get to the hot springs. This can sometimes be surprising types of voyage such as a single engine plane, a jeep ride, and hiking or even by a canoe. They look like great fun and you find yourself enjoying the research and learning at the same time.

You should visit at least 4 of the web sites offering information about Icelandic hot springs. You will encounter duplicate information; however, you’ll be surprised at all the great tidbits you can pick up at each web site. Now with the notes you’ve taken, you should have enough information for half your travel article. Next, go back to the search box on your browser and type in “Iceland, lava fields”. Once again the web sites offering details about the lava fields jump right up for you and once again, you visit at least 4 web sites to make sure that you are getting the most favored lava fields, details about them and how they are approached. Once again, take short notes from each web site. Never copy and paste notes while you are there although you’ll be sorely tempted to. At all costs, your article needs to be unique and originally written by you. You can do that by making sure to take just jotted notes. Don’t ever copy an entire sentence.

Now your research is done and you feel great and totally enthusiastic about writing the article based from what you’ve learned. At this point, you want to organize your article using an acceptable authoring layout of information. The most acceptable format for writing a travel article is in 4 parts. Let’s look at each of those parts.

1. The first opening short paragraph: here you need to spend some time deciding what your first 2 sentences will be. It is the first 2 sentences that determine if 85% of the readers are going to stay and read more. So make a special attempt to make those 2 sentences stand out with a surprising fact, statement, question you intend to answer or any other tactic you want to use. After you’ve written your first 2 sentences, you need to state what information you’re going to give them in the article. For example: “Although there is a huge list of reasons to visit Iceland, this article will primarily discuss the hot springs and lava fields you will find there.” So, your first paragraph will have its opening 2 sentences and a short description of your article.
2. Summarize the entire list of Icelandic attractions. Try to make Iceland sound like an unbelievably fantastic place to visit and all the reasons why. List the attractions, any special historical areas, local foods and restaurants and niceties of some of the hotels. Try to whip right through this by using commas. This is meant to tease the reader into learning more of what’s in Iceland and why he/she should go there.
3. The third paragraph should be a complete and concise description of the hot springs in Iceland. Give all the special tidbits you found while researching. Make the reader visualize and feel it. For example say “Soak into the pinkish soothing warm water of this mountainous hot spring”. Seeing and feeling – try to get it in! Name all the locations of hot springs in Iceland then close that paragraph. Open your fourth paragraph with an introduction to Icelandic lava fields. Continue to be concise while giving as much information as possible. Draw attention to how many volcanoes there are in Iceland and the most popular lava fields to visit. Again, drag out the juicy tidbits you jotted down and get all the information in this paragraph.
4. The last paragraph: write a very brief summary of what was in your article using words like “Although this article spoke mostly about Iceland’s hot springs and lava fields, there are many other fantastic reasons to visit Iceland”.