TRAVEL BLOG

Virtually everyone who depends on public transportation to get from point A to point B (especially in major cities, where the traffic is generally very intense even outside rush hours) on a regular basis agrees that waiting for the bus or any other means of transportation can at times become a very frustrating, if not truly annoying experience.

Knowing that it is very difficult to synchronize your personal schedule with your bus’s schedule (this problem grows in proportions when your bus regularly runs late or, on the contrary, tends to leave the station earlier than mentioned in its daily schedule), you may find yourself waiting precious minutes in the bus stop every day, hoping that the bus will finally come and that you will be able to get to work or arrive at home on time. If waiting long minutes for the bus or other means of public transportation every day is a bad experience, waiting in bad weather can be exasperating! Fortunately, nowadays there are efficient ways to take care of this problem and you can now finally say good bye to those frustrating minutes of waiting for public transportation!

Whether you are a regular or occasional bus traveler and regardless of the distance you need to travel by bus every day, nowadays you can avoid wasting your time at the bus station by employing a very efficient and easy to use service called “Text Bus”. Text Bus is a very useful and increasingly popular service which has been primarily designed to help you save valuable time by eliminating the guess work from public transportation. With Text Bus (Txt Bus), you receive Real Time GPS arrival estimates on your mobile phone whenever you need precise information regarding bus arrival times. With Text Bus, you will never find yourself losing time at the bus station again, and the best thing about this great service is that it is absolutely free!

In fact, Txt Bus is not only free, but it can also save you thousands of dollars every year! Corroborated with the use of Txt Bus service, public transportation can nowadays bring you considerable financial benefits, as Txt Bus offers service users discounts for restaurants, coffee shops and many more. In addition, by using Text Bus you will encourage the use of Public Transit, thus reducing the number of cars on the road and consequently, reducing pollution. Therefore, Text Bus is also aimed at determining people to take a proactive approach against the pollution characteristic to major, overcrowded cities.

Text Bus is extremely easy to use; you can either choose the “on-the-go” feature of Txt Bus (suitable for occasional bus travelers) or the “my schedule” feature (especially designed for individuals who ride the bus on a regular basis). If you ride the bus on a daily basis, you should opt for the “my schedule” Txt Bus feature, which allows you to setup scheduled and completely customizable alerts. For instance, if you ride the bus every day at 8am, you can have Text Bus send you a daily alert at 7:55am and provide you with information on the exact time that your 8am bus will arrive at the bus station. Writing and reading Txt Bus messages is simple and intuitive: the text message responds with the name of the bus, the location of the bus stop and up to five of the next bus arrival times at that stop. The format is the following: “Route, Stop Location, NextBus.Com arrival time (minutes from now).”

Considering the fact that the use of Text Bus service brings many benefits and that the service is absolutely free, you should definitely give it a try and see how it works for you!

For more information about Text Bus or even about Txt Bus plaese review this web site http://www.txtbus.net

In Seattle, two charter buses full of students were left hanging over the edge of an elevated section of Interstate 5 near Capitol Hill. The buses slid down an icy hill near Melrose Avenue East and hit each other before crashing through a barrier. A third bus in the caravan escaped the accident.

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All the passengers have been evacuated, and no serious injuries wre reported, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is reporting. The buses were headed to Seattle’s Greyhound bus station with dozens of students from the Columbia Basin Job Corps who were heading home for Christmas. Officials said the buses were stable and not in danger of falling onto the interstate. Northbound lanes were closed.

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The cause of the accident was not immediately known, but winter weather left many city streets coated with ice. Nicole Maxie, a passenger, told KING-TV that the buses were carrying students with the Columbia Basin Job Corps home from Moses Lake for Christmas break. She said they were part of a three-bus caravan bound for downtown Seattle’s bus station. The third bus was not involved in the accident. Reco Collins, a 16-year-old passenger, told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that one bus crashed into the railing and was then struck by the second bus, pushing it farther over the side.

The Spanish Property Market

When it comes to investing in property in Europe, Spain has been on the top of the list for nearly thirty years. A significant number of foreign nationals have spent a great deal of money on property located in Spain during this time period.

As time moves forward into the 21st century, the Spanish real estate market has not been as hot as it was some five years ago. Nonetheless, the returns that most investors have realized through real estate holdings and investments in Spain have remained high. In addition, the market itself has remained fairly stable overall.

Population: 40.4m

Currency: Euro

Capital: Madrid

Country dialling code: 0034

Flag of SpainFlag of the European Union

Investment Property in Spain

As referenced previously, a significant number of buyers from different countries around the world have invested rather heavily in real estate in Spain. Since the restoration of the monarchy in Spain, the gates have been opened to heavy foreign investment in property ownership by overseas buyers. (During the reign of General Franco in Spain, foreign investment in real estate was restricted. The regime of Franco enacted fairly stringent laws that limited foreign investment in real estate.

Residential Real Estate in Spain - Single Family Properties

Over the course of the past decade, many foreign nationals have spent vast amounts of money on single family residences in Spain. Primarily these foreign nationals are buying the residences for use as second homes, for use on holidays to Spain. (Spain has been a popular end destination for European travellers for years.)

In many parts of Spain, the single family residential market is what some people would term a “buyer’s market.” In other words, people interested in buying residential, single family homes in Spain — including foreign nationals — have a significant number of housing choices available to them (in major cities and in rural communities alike).

While the residential property market in major cities in Spain have found brisk sales for years, the rural areas in the country have also been experiencing an upswing in the property market in recent times also. Many people, including foreign nationals, are finding the ownership of homes in rural environments to be pleasing, appealing and cost effective. Generally, these people are buying in smaller communities in order to escape the hustle and bustle of the Spanish urban scene.

Residential Real Estate in Spain - Apartments

In large cities, such as the Spanish capital of Madrid and the coastal resort towns, the apartment market has been booming for the past fifteen to twenty years. A significant number of people have turned to apartment ownership when it comes to the buying of property and real estate in Spain.

Overseas buyers have expanded into the apartment ownership market with a vengeance over the past decade. Some industry experts in Spain estimate that as many as twenty percent of all apartment purchases in Spain during this time period have involved foreign nationals buying apartments in Spain.

Foreign nationals tend to be making the purchase of apartments in Spain for three primary reasons. First, these foreign citizens are buying apartments for retirement. Many people have been flocking to Spain from different European countries (and from some other nations around the world) for retirement because of its milder climate.

Second, with the creation of the European Union, and with Spain being a leading economic region in the EU, many people are finding it imperative for them to present themselves in Spain for a part of each year. As a result, these men and women are buying apartments to serve as second residences in Spain.

Finally, people are snatching up apartments in Spain in record numbers to provide them with a second home to be utilized for holiday or vacation purposes. Apartment ownership is proving to be a convenient, practical and economic means through which a person or a family can own a second residence that can be used for a holiday retreat and for similar situations not only today but well into the future.

Holiday Property in Spain

As referenced, many people are buying property in Spain for vacation and holiday purposes. (This includes both apartments and single family residences in different parts of the country.)

In many instances, foreign nationals are buying real estate in Spain that they can utilize for their own travel and holiday purposes during part of the year and which they can rent to other individuals seeking a vacation spot at other times during the course of a given year. Thus, these men and women are buying property in Spain for a dual purpose: holiday travel and income generation.

The tax and related laws in Spain make this kind of dual property ownership a profitable enterprise for most overseas buyers. Indeed, it is expected that more and more foreign nationals will invest in vacation real estate for this dual purpose well into the coming decade. They suggest that the growth of the European Union will spur on this type of real estate investment in Spain and in some other countries that comprise the EU at this time.

Specific steps to buying real estate property in Spain

At the present time, there are no significant restrictions to a foreign national purchasing and owning real estate in Spain. Indeed, foreign nationals are able to purchase and invest in nearly any type of property to be found for sale within that country — commercial, residential or other types of investment real estate.

When it comes to making the purchase of property in Spain, many experts maintain that a person is well served is he or she takes the time (and spends the money) to hire a lawyer to assist in managing and overseeing the legal affairs associated with the successful purchase of real estate in Spain.

Once a person identifies a piece of real estate that he or she is interested in purchasing, the first step in the purchase process (after an oral offer to purchase has been made by the buyer and accepted by the seller) is the creation of a preliminary or initial contract for sale. In Spain, it is highly recommended that a person makes absolutely certain that the ownership of the property and any encumbrances on the property are clearly identified before this agreement is signed.

In most instances, a preliminary contract is a fairly substantial and a firm legal agreement. Along with the agreement itself, a buyer will need to put down a deposit of at least 10% of the total purchase price. Under the real estate laws of Spain, the buyer has a more significant burden than is found in some other countries to ensure that the title to the real estate has a title that can be conveyed to the buyer at the conclusion of the sale (clean title). Thus, there are instances in which a title proves to be imperfect, in which the ultimate transfer of ownership cannot occur, and in which the buyer may lose out on the deposit he or she paid because they simply did not carry out the correct checks at the outset.

Many people who have experience in dealing with the buying and selling of property in Spain suggest that foreign nationals should retain the assistance of a capable lawyer at this juncture. While Spanish real estate laws are not particular confusing or difficult to understand, a person seeking to buy a property in Spain bears a greater due diligence responsibility early on in the real estate buying and selling process than do buyers in some other nations.

During the period following the signing of the preliminary or initial contract, the buyer has the opportunity to obtain financing and a mortgage loan to consummate the sale and actually purchase the real estate.

Again, as referenced earlier, the buyer of real estate in Spain has a bit of a stiffer burden to make certain that the title to real estate in Spain is clear before he or she makes a purchase. Additionally, a buyer bears a greater burden than buyers do in other countries when it comes to making certain that there are no mortgages or liens from other lenders on a particular piece of property. While in most other countries the world over, the burden for “clearing title” generally rests nearly exclusively with the seller, such is not the absolute case in Spain.

Unlike in some other countries the world over, the laws governing the buying and selling real estate in Spain generally are uniform across the country. There really are no regional or local differences. (There are some local differences when it comes to matters relating to municipal taxes.)

The final task in the sales process is the payment by the buyer of the amount due and owing under the terms of the initial contract and the conveyance of the deed and possession of the property from the buyer to the seller. Property Abroad always recommends using a Solicitor or Lawyer.

The main function of any travel agency is to, of course, act as an agent. This includes selling tickets and travel products, reservations, and so on, on behalf of one or several suppliers. Travel agents generally work with no charge to the traveler him or herself. Rather, the travel agent takes a small commission from the overall cost. Again, this isn’t added on top of the sale or anything like that. Rather, their commission is taken out of the advertised price.

So why go through a travel agent? Well, besides the simplicity and convenience, the main draw is that travel agents receive tickets at significant discounts.

This is pretty much how travel agencies work the world over. However, there are a few different types of travel agents…

General Sales Agents for Foreign Travel Companies

A general sales agent is something like a tourism ambassador. A company with its headquarters located in, say, Japan, might set up travel agency offices all around the world to encourage tourism to the country where their headquarters is located. The travel agent will still seek to find better deals for their customers (as, after all, that’s what turns a customer into a return customer), so they are not indebted to any one airline or hotel, but, they do tend to focus strictly on travel to, and within, the country where their headquarters is located.

Business and Commercial Travel Agencies

Most travel agencies have a department of business travel and a department of leisure travel. The needs for one traveler and the other tend to vary in a few significant ways, and so, splitting up the duties amongst a couple of departments can help to allow either department to specialize, finding better deals for business travelers on the one hand, and better deals for leisure travelers on the other. However, there are also travel agencies that specialize strictly in business and commercial travel. Incidentally, there aren’t a whole lot of agencies that restrict themselves solely to leisure travel.

By Class

In the United States, there are several main types of travel agencies: corporate-owned national chains, national/international franchises, membership associations — such as AAA — and independent, locally owned travel agencies with no brand or corporate affiliation. National chains will have the most consistent policies and pricing not matter where you go, and often the best international “hotline” customer service, but not always. Big-name franchises offer similar perks but different local owners can opt out of certain promotions and pricing specials. Membership-based associations are often less commission-focused since they rely on member fees. Independent agencies tend to cater to niche markets, such as assisting sports teams, church and school groups looking for inexpensive travel, and large group options.

Cargo Travel Agencies

A few travel agencies specialize in shipping cargo. Of course… that’s not entirely relevant if you’re looking to fly for business or personal reasons. Still, this should go to show how many different areas an individual agency can specialize in.

Online Travel Agencies

One of the real boons to the travel agency industry has been the use of the internet to allow travel agents to let their travelers compare a wide variety of options for hotels and airline tickets. Ironically, there was some fear for a period of time that, by selling tickets directly to travellers, the travel agencies would go out of business. However, a handful of travel agencies have proven that, even if you can find good deals yourself, there are still instances where a travel agency can find you an even better one. Many traditional bricks-and-mortar travel agencies now have full-service web sites so that you can get the best of both worlds: convenience of self-serve online booking with the benefit of talking to a real person when you need it.

Multi-Destination and Niche Agencies

If you want to split it up into just two types of travel agency, you have multi-destination and niche. Multi-destination out-bound travel agencies are usually larger, offering flights to just about anywhere. Niche agencies are usually independent, and focus on one specific part of the world. If you’re flying to say, Greece, you might find a niche agent who knows the area very, very well. Most of these niche agencies cater mainly to people with family in that country, or who do business there on a regular basis.

Consider your individual needs, preferences, and trip objectives when choosing your travel agent. Different types of agencies provide different levels and types of services. If you are a frequent globe trotter, you may want to use a large corporate travel agency with many branches in countries all over the world. Or you may view travelling as a treasure hunt or puzzle, where researching and finding the most off-the-map places is half of the fun. If this is the case, a niche operator may be just the right travel partner for you.

Just as you have many different options when selecting where to travel and what to do when you get there, you also have a variety of choices when selecting the travel agency that will help you to design your perfect vacation. When you are looking for the perfect travel agency to help you with all of your travel needs, it is first important that you understand the basic types of travel agencies from which to choose and significant differences in terms of the services they provide to a vacationer.

Before looking at different niches of travel agencies, one large distinction exists. Do you want to work with an online-based travel agency, or a locally-based travel agency? Depending on how either type of travel agency is run, you can have a vastly different experience. With an online-based travel agency, you can often receive service 24/7 and book your travel at any time that is most convenient to you. You will be able to retrieve information from many online-based travel agencies “on demand,” or exactly when you request it.

With a locally-based travel agency, you can often form relationships with particular travel agents who will also be your main point of contact for any future travel that you plan. In addition, the agents in your locally-based agency will be able to maintain information specific to your desires to help them to provide suggestions for future vacations. These are only a few of the distinctions between online and local travel agencies.

One recent innovation great for the customer is the emergence of travel agencies who provide both of the above - the personal service of a local, walk-in office with the 24/7 and technological convenience of online access to all your itineraries, account information and options for self-service booking when you want it. Look for a national brand with a history of providing reliable service and customer satisfaction; these companies are most likely to provide you with the best of both worlds in travel agency services.

Once you have determined whether you will use an online or a local travel agency, there are additional options from which to choose. The first option to consider is the level of service an agency will provide. Travel agencies can run the gamut from full service to self service. Especially with online travel agencies, information may simply be provided to aid in your travel decisions while leaving much of the leg work to you. If you prefer a travel planning experience that allows you to seek out all of your own information and make all of your decisions and reservations independently, a self service travel agency will be your best bet.

Full service travel agencies, whether online-based or locally-based, offer the exact opposite scenario. They pair an agent with you to provide all of the information you need, when you need it, and to be on hand to help you with all of the travel decisions that you make. In addition, they will handle all of your bookings and payments and logistics, sparing you the need to do so on your own. In between self service and full service agencies are other options that offer a combination of do-it-yourself plans and planning that involves the step-by-step guidance of a travel professional.

The second option is the type of travel an agency may designate as their specialty. Some travel agencies work only with domestic travel planning. They can assist you with any need you may have related to travel within the United States and its possessions. Other travel agencies work specifically to aid travelers in planning overseas travel. A further narrowing of this niche can occur when a travel agency focuses only on one particular area of the world for the travel services they provide, such as Europe or the Caribbean. You can also choose travel agencies that focus only on one particular type of travel, such as cruises or multi-segmented trips. It can be very important for you to decide whether you would like to partner with a niche travel agency, or a travel agency that is more broad-based.

The third option is the type of traveler an agency may specialize in assisting. Some travel agencies only work with a specific demographic of travel. For instance, you may choose a travel agency that caters to single travelers. This type of agency may work to put together travel packages and tours specifically geared towards singles instead of couples or families. Other travel agencies may work with just that - couples or families. Whether they focus on providing romantic destination options for two, or kid-friendly destinations for the whole family, this can be a popular niche for travel agencies. Finally, a travel agency may choose to focus exclusively on business travelers instead of leisure travelers. They may have options available to offer that are particularly suited to travelers who need different amenities and more flexibility in scheduling.

In conclusion there are many services a travel agency provides to make your life easier when planning a vacation or business travel. Most importantly, the agent offers years of expertise and knowledge of other travelers’ experiences from which you can benefit.