Destinations

Whether you’re going across the globe or in the next state, you always have to worry about how you’re going to check on your kids or talk with your friends. Forget all the hassle and just enjoy your vacation - the solution is simple!

We all want to have a nice, relaxing vacation from time to time, if possible on a sunny beach in a foreign country. When we finally manage to get it, we find ourselves confronted with other issues - apart from the usual hotel reservations, flight, etc. When you travel to a foreign country, you feel the need to tell everyone back home how things are, assure them you’re alright and you’re having fun. Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy. And here’s why:

If you have a cell phone with you, you may surprisingly find that it’s not working properly, because the cell phone operator in the country that you’re in uses a different technology or you don’t have international calling activated. And if all the above doesn’t apply, you may find yourself in an area with poor or no network coverage at all…

If you don’t have your cell phone with you, the only thing left to do is to try to call from a local phone or from the hotel.

In both situations, you’re at a disadvantage, mainly because it involves huge costs - international calls are charged with much higher rates because of the technology involved and depending on the agreements between carriers and operators in different countries. Plus, hotels always charge you extra for using their lines.

So what’s the solution? It’s very simple - get a calling card before you leave. Nowadays, calling cards are the easiest and most affordable communication way when you’re traveling. When you buy it, you receive instantly a PIN number, access numbers from all international locations and dialing instructions.

Most of the time, you’ll also have special local access numbers in cities across the world - you’ll get a lower rate when using them. Plus, you can get a call back feature - meaning that not only you’ll be able to call home, but also your friends and family can call you back!

And all this at a very low cost, enabling you to do more of the things you like during your vacation.

About the Author: Robert Mann is the co-owner of Calling Cards Home , offering prepaid calling cards and long distance service to and from over 150 countries.

As the second largest city of Western Europe, Paris is known as the City of Lights for its well-lit displays in the late hours, which calls to visiting tourists from around the world. It is the home of the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and many more vacationer attractions.

What can you see in a weekend in Paris? If you’re visiting Paris for only a short while, try these suggestions on the top hot spots. You can’t miss these!

Visiting Popular Attractions In Paris

Rising up over 300 meters tall, this steel structure, the Eiffel Tower, can be seen throughout most locations around the city. Elevators lift visiting tourists to the top to get a bird’s eye view of Paris. As it is lit up in the evening, it is one of the most beautiful sights in the entire city. Guided tours add to the thrill as you get to peek into history on how it was made and what it means to the French today.

The opera building, Opéra de Paris Garnier started its history back in 1862 when its construction began. It took over ten years to complete, because an underground lake was discovered under the location and was completed in 1875. Tours and shows continue to operate through this attraction for those visiting Paris, though now mainly used for ballet performances since the construction of Opéra de Paris Bastille, another distinctive entertainment tourist spot.

Visiting Museums In Paris

One of the largest and most famous museums is the Louvre of Paris, and visiting it is none other than an opportunity of a lifetime. With over 300,000 wonderful artistic works, you simply cannot see all of it in one day. An entire weekend could be spent simply gazing at the thousands of painting, including Leonardo da Vinci’s world famous Mona Lisa.

For something more exciting for children and families, try the Centre Pompidou. It not only contains a museum of modern art, but a bookstore and a library among other things. The museum, featuring the works of artists like Matisse and Picasso, holds one of the largest collections of cubist, surrealist and abstract art.

Photo Opportunities for People Visiting Paris

You don’t need to be Catholic to appreciate the majestic architecture of Notre-Dame. Its construction was made to fit a monumental scale, and plans were made to enlarge it even before the cathedral was completed. While not the biggest, it is the most famous and one of the grandest cathedrals in the entire world.

Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806, the Arc de Triomphe, it is engraved with the names of the generals that commanded his troupes. It now stands as a monument to the era and a popular photo spot for tourists visiting Paris. The Arc also features an observatory to take in surrounding views.

If you’re still looking for something that will arouse the attention of the entire family, try the Jardin du Luxembourg, a 224,500 square meter park. An octagon pond called the Grand Bassin is located in the center of the park. It is here that children can rent toy motorboats for a fun afternoon. You can also check out the puppet shows, chess games, it’s many statues and it’s two famous fountains, the Fontaine de Medicis and the Fontaine de l’Observatoire, at the north and south ends of the park.

Obviously, these are not the only tourist spots, but upon visiting Paris, these are the most popular and are certainly not to be missed. Most of these locations offer regular guided tours, some at little to no cost. Call your travel agent and make arrangements to visit these locations.

About the Author: Fionn Downhill is President of Four Corners Hotels offering discount hotels around the world. http://www.fourcornershotels.com