Travel Resources & Recommendations
Deciding where to go is only half the battle; trying to figure out where to stay and how to get there makes up the rest. Fancy web sites, paid advertising and often even guidebooks can be misleading which is why only the places I’ve actually visited, used or stayed at and 100% recommend are listed. If I didn’t find it acceptable, why should you?
It’s not always about four stars and extravagance; it’s also about providing a great experience that you’ll fondly remember whether it’s a luxury hotel in Paris or a campsite in Yosemite. I’m glad to share my finds with you below.
An asterisk (*) beside a name signifies that it is highly recommended.
- Places to Stay
- Transportation
- Tour Companies
- General Info & Publications
- Health & Safety
Hotels, B&B’s, Cabins & Guest House Rentals
North America
CANADA
Banff AB: Mount Royal, Banff Caribou Lodge, Banff Springs*
Burns Lake BC: Sunshine Motel
Emerald Lake BC: Emerald Lake Lodge
Jasper AB: Jasper Park Lodge
Kamloops BC: Lac Le Jeune Resort
Lake Louise AB: Chateau Lake Louise, Lake Louise Hostel
Langley BC: Traveller’s Hotel Bed and Breakfast
Nelson BC: Prestige Inn
Port Hardy BC: Quarterdeck Inn
Parksville BC: Tigh-Na-Mara Resort Hotel
Revelstoke BC: Hill Crest Hotel
Tofino BC: Wickaninnish Inn
Vancouver BC: Pacific Palisades* (My Review), Wedgewood Hotel* (My Review), Le Soleil, Westin Grand Vancouver* (My Review), Sylvia Hotel, Wall Centre Hotel, Listel, Lord Stanley Hotel, Opus Hotel*
Victoria BC: Hotel Grand Pacific, Laurel Point Inn, Sooke Harbour House, Aerie Resort, The Empress
Whistler BC: Hortstman House, Four Seasons Hotel*
UNITED STATES
Austin TX: Driskill Hotel, Hotel San Jose
Carmel CA: Cypress Inn
Chicago IL: The W Lakeshore
Dallas TX: Rosewood Hotel Crescent Court
Denver CO: Hotel Monaco
Half Moon Bay CA: Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay
Los Angeles: Farmers Daughter Hotel (My Review), Casa Del Mar* (My Review), Hotel Oceana* (My Review), Fairmont Santa Monica, The Ritz Pasadena, Embassy Apartment Hotel, The Huntley Hotel
Maui HI: Maui Hyatt
Napa Valley CA: Harvest Inn*
Portland OR: Fifth Avenue Suites*
San Francisco CA: Hotel Triton* (My Review) , Potter Bed and Breakfast, Ritz Carlton*, Westin San Francisco Airport, Serrano Hotel
San Jose: Cypress Hotel
Santa Barbara CA: Hotel Andulucia
Sausalito CA: Hotel Sausalito* (My Review)
Seattle WA: Four Seasons, Seattle*,Fairmont Seattle, Salisbury House Bed and Breakfast*, Edgewater Hotel, Woodmark Hotel*, Willows Lodge*
Yosemite Ca: Chateau du Sureau*, Evergreen Lodge*
Europe
BELGIUM
Brugge: Dieltiens-Debruyne*
DENMARK
Aarhus: Hotel Royal*
Copenhagen: Front Hotel*, Hotel d’Angleterre*, Tiffany Hotel*
Ribe: Hotel Dagmar
Silkeborg: Radisson SAS Hotel*
ENGLAND
London: The Levin Hotel*
Oxford: Burlington House Bed and Breakfast*
York: The Hollies Guesthouse
FRANCE
Paris: Hotel du Champ de Mars, Four Seasons George V*, Hôtel Particulier Montmartre*
Amboise: Le Fleuray Hotel*
Lyon: Cour des Loges*
Isle sur la Sorgue /Provence: Le Pigeonnier* (the gite)
IRELAND
Cork: Hayfield Manor*, Clarion Hotel
Kenmare: Sheen Falls Lodge
Glendore: Marine Hotel
ITALY
Lake Garda: The Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli
SARK
Stocks Island Hotel
South Pacific
NEW ZEALAND
I stayed exclusively in Hostels in cities such as Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown, Dunedin and Christchurch. Each hostel was fantastic, clean and cheap and would recommend them to anyone of any age who travels to New Zealand.
Transportation & Tour Companies
General
Microsoft Expedia: Flights, car rentals, accommodations, and more.
Rail
Europe Through the Back Door’s Railpass Guide
Deutsche Bahn: Train timetables for all of Europe.
Buses
Go by Coach: Buses throughout Europe.
Brewster*: Buses/Tours serving Calgary, Jasper, Banff/Lake Louise, and longer trips to Vancouver.
Quick Shuttle: Bus Transportation between Vancouver BC downtown/airport and Seattle WA downtown/airport.
Local City Transportation
Metros in Europe: Metro plans for each city.
Airlines
British Midland
BuzzAway.com
EasyJet
Jet Blue
RyanAir
Virgin-Express
CheapFlights.com
Canada – Tour Companies
Brewster Tours – The oldest tour company in the Canadian Rockies offers the best trip – from three hours to a week. Their guides are friendly, knowledgeable and extremely passionate about the Rockies. Their day trips are a must.
New Zealand – Tour Companies
Elm Wildlife Tours – This company offers day trips through the Otago Peninsula. I took the six hour Peninsula Encounters tour, which started with a pickup in Dunedin and lead me to view the Royal Albatross, Hookers sealions, Blue Penguins, NZ fur seals and Yellow Eyed penguins. This company mixes tourism with conservation – a definite must for anyone visiting the South Island.
Funyaks: A very unique experience out of Queenstown New Zealand. Take a shotover jet for over an hour up stream, and paddle your way down in a kayak while stopping for lunch to see a waterfall or two. A personal way to experience some of the beautiful scenery that is New Zealand.
United States – Tour Companies
Maui: Kapalua Kai – A spectacular snorkeling company in Maui HI that offers half day snorkeling trips on a 53ft wing-masted catamaran. They provide equipment, lunch and all the drinks you can handle. Beautiful boat, great crew and a fair price make this a must for any trip to Maui.
Santa Barbara/Los Angeles: Cloud Climber Jeep tours – a highly recommended company that takes you in an open air jeep to four different wineries that you get to pick (either by telling the driver your name, or telling them your wine preference). Go into the back country, learn some history and drink fine wine. A wonerful way to see wineries (especially great if you’re a fan of the movie Sideways.
Specialty Travel Index: A directory of tour companies.
General Info & Travel Publications
Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory: Directory of tourist info offices.
Canada: British Columbia: Hello B.C – provides free accommodation book service for hotels, motels & B&B’s throughout British Columbia. As well provides free information. Run by Tourism British Columbia.
Great Britain: Visit Britain: The official website of the British Tourist Authority.
Lonely Planet: Budget travel guidebook series.
STA Travel: A worldwide travel organization geared towards students.
Red’s Travels: Travel Writer/Speaker Amy Harkin’s articles on travel and why you should.
Rick Steves: Visit Rick’s guidebook library.
Girls Guide to City Life: Articles written by women for women on great cities around the world.
Travel Corner: Travel Articles by Sheree
Travel Intelligence: Excellent resource for hotel and travel reviews.
WorldClimate: Average weather conditions for thousands of locations.
Money Matters: OANDA: The Currency $ite: Currency conversions for 164 countries.
Telephoning: Country Calling Codes: Country codes for any country.
Health & Safety
Centers for Disease Control: Travel Health Advisories.
U.S. State Department Travel Warnings & Consular Information Sheets