Maximize your holiday budget

When it comes to planning a summer getaway, don’t leave money matters to the last minute. It’s wise to get the money matters in the bag first.

Travel insurance

Leaving your travel insurance to the last moment is potentially the costliest holiday mistake you can make. Travel insurance doesn’t just protect you from illness and theft when you’re away—it starts as soon as you buy it. This comes into use if you find you need to cancel your trip due to things such as illness or the death of a travelling companion. So it makes sense to get this sorted as soon as you make your first booking.

Travel money

The worst place to switch your cash into foreign currency is at the airport or ferry port. You’ll find the poorest exchange rates here as they know you’ve no other options. Buy your money at least a week before you go. The best rates can usually be found from specialist brokers, which are often also better than high-street banks. There are exchange-rate comparison websites such as Travel Money Max, which will let you know what you’ll get at the different locations.

A budget

It might not be the most fun thing to think about, but it’s arguably the most important of them all. Work out how much you can afford to spend when you’re away to avoid any nasty surprises when you get home. It’s helpful to have a daily budget that you adjust up and down if you spend more or less.

Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.

AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events,concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room.A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival(19 Oct.)cost￡169.15 atBooking.com.A week later,the same room cost￡118.15.

If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or you’re looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com,which allow you to search for events in the UK by city,date and category.

STAY AWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station,but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.

Don’t be too choosy about the part of town you stay in.Booking two months in advance,the cheapest room at Travelodge’s Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was￡95.95.A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was￡75.75.And at Farringdon,a double room cost just￡62.95.

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London,Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune,especially at weekends and during big events.As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen.Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings.A great example is the historic O’Neill Flat on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile,available for￡420 for five days in late September,with room for four adults.

GET ON A BIKE London’s‘Boris bikes’have attracted the most attention,but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace,saving you on public transport or car parking costs.

Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle(casual members pay around￡1.50 for two hours)and Cardiff(free for up to 30 minutes,or￡5 per day).　

With the assistance of Jay and Judy at Brooks Range we discovered the wonderful Brooks Range in 1999, got hooked, and have been back ever since. For many years we flew with bush pilots all over Alaska. Of all of them, Brooks Range is the safest, most reliable flying service we have ever flown with. Jay keeps his planes in top condition. He and all of the other pilots are skilled, experienced, personable, and they really know the country.

—Polly, High Country Adventure

When you fly into the Brooks Range, you want to fly with the best. We’ve been running trips in this wild land since 1979 and we wouldn’t fly with anyone else but Brooks Range. They’re not only the most trust-worthy pilots, but their friendliness and customer service are outstanding —they’re the best.

—Carol & Jim Campbell, Arctic Treks

Brooks Range has been safely flying my clients for years into my remote camps. Although my trips are on horseback, we depend on Brooks Range to get our clients into our area and back. Thank you Jay and Judy for all the air support.

—Mike McCann, Master Guide

Brooks Range dropped me off on my first commercial trip in 1979. Reliability and good judgments are priceless in this business and this is exactly why we still choose Brooks Range today.

—Adams, Wilderness Alaska

Guiding for almost 20 years over most of Alaska, I am flying every year many times into remote wilderness corners of Alaska. I want to have a safe flight for my clients and myself. Flying with Brooks Range always gives me this comfortable and safe feeling. They know what they are doing in this great wilderness. The Brooks Range and I trust their judgment.

—Charles, Owner of Alaska Wild-trek, Alaska

Central Park

Outside among the trees, watch the wildlife—both the human and animal varieties. Call (212) 360-3465 or (212) 360-2726 for events and tours. Central Park stretches from 59th to 110th Sts., and from 5th Ave. to Central Park West.

Empire State building

This is among the most striking buildings in the city, the nation, even the world. The observation deck(瞭望台) on the 86th floor is open to general public, offering a wonderful view of the city. On the second floor you’ll find the New York Skyride, a simulated(模拟的) helicopter ride over Manhattan. 5th Ave. at 34th St., Midtown/ (212) 736-3100.

Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum

Five blocks west of Time Square, this museum has hundreds of air, deep-sea and space exhibits. Walk the fight deck of the 900-foot-long aircraft carrier Intrepid, see dozens of old and modern aircraft and ride the Intrepid Navy Flight Simulator. Pier 86, W. 46th St. and 12th Ave./(212) 245-0072.

Madison Square Garden.

If it’s big, it probably happens at the Garden. Check out sporting events, concerts and much more. Tours are available. 7th Ave, btwn. 31st and 33rd Sts., Midtown /(212) 465-6741.

No trip to Chicago is complete without a visit to the Art Institute, which is the second largest art museum in the nation.

  Opening hours:

Mon - Wed & Fri - Sun, 10:30 am - 5 pm; Thu, 10:30 am- 8 pm; closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

Highlights:

The Modern Wing contains contemporary masterpieces by Dali, Matisse, Miro, Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol.

View one of the world’s finest Impressionist collections, including masterpieces by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Seurat, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.

Thorne Miniature Rooms offer a detailed view of European homes from the 16th century through the 1930s and American homes from the 17th century to 1940.

The past returns as over 550 works from 4,000 years of art come together in Of Gods and Glamour, located in the beautiful new Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries of Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Art.

Advice for visitors:

Free guided tours are available daily at noon.

Free art-making activities are available for children each weekend from 11 am to 2 pm.

Visit the Family Room in the Ryan Education Center, open daily from 10:30 am–5 pm, and introduce your child to the museum’s collections with a variety of hands-on activities. Assemble  puzzles based on masterpieces you’ll see in the galleries, build architectural wonders with colorful blocks, and learn about art through stories and games at Curious Corner.

Check out the Lion’s Trial tour for children ages 5-10. This tour is especially designed for the young people in your group! Don’t miss it!

Getting there:

You can take the follow buses: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 14, 26, 28, 126, 143.

  A visit to a museum contributes (有助于) to our education. The British Museum is a great building in our London, not far from London University. Thousands of visitor go to it every year to see the rare, strange and beautiful things it contains. What interests many people more than anything else is the large library, in which there are millions of books. You can find any English book you want there, and many books in foreign languages or translated into English. The library is also a reading room, with tables and chairs for students who wish to study; but if you want to borrow books to read there you must first get a reader’s ticket from the office. One can not borrow books to take away.

    In other parts of the museum there are rooms and halls containing things which have been brought from countries all over the world. They help us to understand the histories of foreign lands, and the people who live in them. Some of the things which have been dug up in places where old cities once stood, were being worn out or used by men and women thousands of years ago. These cities now lie buried, covered with many feet of earth.

On the way out you can buy pictures of the most interesting things that are shown in the museum.

Have you ever been to London? Here is some hotel information for you.

Kingsway Hall Hotel

We offer quality service (优质服务) in Kingsway Hall Hotel. This location puts guests in easy reach of many places, such as the British Museum and Piccadilly Circus. Our hotel also has modern Western food, and offers a perfect dining environment. The lounge bar is a comfortable place to enjoy a drink while watching the tourists. There are hundreds of dining choices within walking distance. Non-smoking rooms are ready for guests.

Hilton Docklands Riverside

Located on the bank of the Thames, our hotel is about two miles east of Tower Bridge and 36 miles from London Heathrow Airport. Our hotel has a beauty salon, a fl ower shop and a swimming pool. The hotel also offers laundry (洗衣店) services, babysitting, shining shoes, and local area transportation.

Windermere Hotel

Located in the center of London, our hotel puts guests within easy reach of London’s well-known buildings. Buckingham Palace and the Royal Parks are just a short walk away. Within 1.5 miles you can visit Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. The theatres, Harrods shopping centre, and the designer shops of Sloane Square and Knightsbridge are all only a short walk away or a taxi ride away.

The best of adventure and sport in NSW

If you want adventure, then the state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia is the place to go. No matter what the season, you can choose from a wide variety of landscapes, climates, activities and experiences all with easy access to tour operators and local guides.

For snow lovers, there’s no better place than the Snowy Mountains. Skiers and snowboarders can hit the slopes for some downhill thrills in Kosciuszko National Park. Non-skiing adventure-seekers will enjoy hiking or snowshoeing.

If water sports are more your thing, there are plenty of places to go. Surfers grab your surfboards and head to Byron Bay, Shellharbour, or Newcastle’s Merewether Beach. To see spectacular sea life up close, visit Lord Howe Island, a world-famous destination for underwater diving.

The oceans, lakes and rivers around NSW offer a lifetime’s worth of exciting fishing and boating challenges. Want more? Experience the rush of whitewater rafting in Jindabyne and Penrith, or go barefoot waterskiing in Port Stephens.

For adventure in NSW, the sky’s the limit! Book a hot-air-balloon or helicopter ride over the stunning vineyards of the Hunter Valley, go skydiving in Wollongong, or try hang-gliding in Stanwell Park.

Get to know the State’s unique and tough landscapes on a caving, canoeing or rock climbing adventure. Four-wheel-driving and off-roading tours are popular in both Country NSW and Outback NSW. Or explore parts of the State on horseback—you’ll find great horse riding options in Sydney and throughout NSW.

Georgia Aquarium(水族馆)

    The world's largest, most magical aquarium inspires imagination unlike anywhere else. You can visit Atlanta's 10-million gallon playground for yourself and see manta rays(蝠鲼鱼), beluga whales and so on. Admission to the changing exhibits is based on availability.

(404) 581-4000

Non-Summer (Starting Aug 12) : Sun-Fri, 10am-Spin; Sat, 9am-6pm

Open 365 days a year

The World of Coca-Cola

    You can visit the World of Coca-Cola, where everyone will be entertained. From a thrilling 4-D theater to a walk through our fully-functioning bottling line, you will experience something new. Take your taste buds on a charming tour with more than 60 different products from around the world.

(404) 676-5151

Summer (mid-June—told-Aug): Mon-sot, 9am-7:30pm; Sun, 10am-7:30pm

Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

CNN Studio

    Through the journey into the heart of CNN worldwide, you can get an up-close look at global news in the making. Inside CNN is a 55-minuto guided walking tour with special, behind-the-scenes views of Atlanta's CNN studios and an exciting glimpse of news and broadcasting in action from the global headquarters of CNN, the worldwide leader in news.

(404) 827-2300

Open daily, 9am-5pm

Closed on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day

High Museum of Art

    The Southeast′s largest art museum features the famous architecture of Richard Meier and Renzo Piano. Light-filled galleries display an inspiring permanent collection and masterful exhibitions from around the world.

(404) 733-HIGH (4444)

Sun, neon-5pm

Friday (3rd Friday of month, except in Dee): 5pm-10pm

Closed on Mondays and holidays

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is a hotspot travel destination, and it’s easy to see its beautiful beaches and busy city life.

Why it’s a great choice: Australia as a whole is considered a safe destination for international travel, and because of that, many solo travelers go there. As an English­speaking country, you won’t be faced with any language barriers. Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere!

Thailand

Thailand is great for solo travelers — perhaps because it is one of the Buddhist mindsets, which promote equality among the sexes.

Why it’s a great choice：Thailand is known for its friendly atmosphere, and as a travel hotspot, there are plenty of chances to meet other like­minded travelers. Well known for being very cheap, especially in the north. A good choice if you want to get away on a budget. Thailand has a lot to offer, from the party­central Bangkok to beautiful beaches and tropical (热带的) jungle.

Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong is a great place to relax for solo travelers as it is full of “Zen Moments”，such as beautiful gardens and Tai Chi classes.

Why it’s a great choice：Hong Kong is regarded as one of the safest cities in the world. If you’re not well­traveled, or perhaps a bit tired of things like language barriers, Hong Kong is a great place to start, as it mixes both Eastern and Western at the same time.

Bali, Indonesia

Bali is a spiritual place with yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches. The combination of friendly people and splendid visual culture has made Bali number one tourist attraction.

Why it’s so great: you won’t be the only solo traveler in Bali. Everyone is known for being extremely friendly and you’re sure to meet some amazing characters along the way. As a Hindu island, Bali is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual retreat (静修). The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud is fantastic — if you like monkeys, anyway.