Spend just a few moments in the centre of London, and you’ll become familiar with the sight of the iconic, Cab-Direct style black cab. They’re a part of the city’s global image, and it’s difficult to imagine the capital without them.

But London isn’t the only city in the world where people need to get from place to place in a hurry. And it isn’t the only city with a cab service that meets that demand. But in other parts of the world, taxicabs tend to take a radically different shape to the big black one to which Londoners are accustom.

New York Yellow

Of course, the New York cab is probably just as recognisable as the London one, thanks to the sheer volume of films and tv shows set in the city. The yellow style came to be at the turn of the twentieth century, so that would-be customers could spot them from afar.

Auto Rickshaws

If you head to a large Indian city, you’ll find that the most practical and affordable way to travel is in the back of a tiny little automated rickshaw, commonly called a ‘tuk-tuk’. You won’t be able to cram quite as much luggage (or people) into one of these things, but for the most authentic Delhi experience, they are are hard to beat.

Chinese Sanlunche

This is another kind of Rickshaw, whose front end is actually that of a bicycle. This design has been around since the middle of last century, and has, almost everywhere, replaced the traditional human-powered rickshaw. You’ll find similarly-designed pedal-powered rickshaws in Mexico city and Paris – they’re environmentally friendly and lots of fun, too!

Munich White

The taximeter was actually invented in Berlin, but these days it’s Munich that retains the most recognisable style of cream-white taxicab. Most of the city’s taxis come from high-end German manufacturers like Mercedes and Audi.

Venetian Gondola

If your city is mostly water, like Venice, then it makes sense for the taxi service to come in boat form. Part of the gondola’s appeal is its leisurely pace – you’re not going to be going anywhere in a hurry.  Gondolas take around two months to make, from a combination of half-a-dozen different woods. As such, they’re several times the price of most taxis.

Viennese Fiaker

In any city with a historical heritage to preserve, you’re likely to find horse-drawn carriages. In Vienna, these cabs, called Fiakers, have been around since the turn of the 18^th century, and featured heavily in the operas of Johann and Richard Strauss. There’s no better way to see the cobbled streets of Vienna!

If you’re planning to venture abroad this summer, join the club! Very often, it’s easier to relax when we are far away from home. Before you book your accommodation, though, have you considered a villa holiday? Many people feel this kind of lodging tends to top all others.

Let’s think about some of the reasons why.

A Home from Home

Do you seek holiday lodgings that still keep some sacred items and conveniences you have at home? If so, you’re probably not alone. After all, isn’t the whole point of a vacation to feel as comfortable and as relaxed as possible? If you choose to stay in a villa, you’ll be able to relax in your own space, at a pace that suits you.

My sister frequently travels with her husband and a small group of other couples and rents a villa to share among them. They have never had a bad experience. One of the secrets she says is to choose people in which you have many travel and budget similarities.

While in a hotel, you’re typically confined to one room, villas offer a more spacious, airy feel to guests. You feel more free to roam the house at your leisure, and you’ll be more likely to settle in than you would be at a hotel or inn.

A villa can guarantee a home-from-home experience for travellers, especially those who don’t mind doing some cooking or grilling while they are away on holiday. My sister and her friends frequently go diving or do water sports during the day on a vacation and then return to a villa and relax with a BBQ for the evening while sipping on their island themed cocktails. By all of them chipping in together for booze and food, it makes the holiday experience a little cheaper and more fun for them.

Constant Privacy

When it is your holiday, you will likely want to unwind in your own space. Though hotels provide this benefit to some extent, villas can offer ultimate peace and seclusion.

If you seek somewhere to relax after a big day of adventures in your travel destination, or you just want to lounge around your lodgings, a villa could be the best type of accommodation for you. That way, you and your group can enjoy your holiday to the full without interference from anyone else. How many times have you been in a hotel and suffered the experience of hearing someone’s wedding party blast through the corridors at 2am like the festivities haven’t ended? Or woken up in the morning and faced a cold shower because it seems everyone in the hotel hit their bathroom at the same time?

While Mr Sunny and I love sunning ourselves by a ginormous pool at a luxury hotel, we also don’t enjoy getting splashed by every dad playing ‘here comes the canon ball’ with his kids while everyone else dodge’s the oblivious mom on her oversized inflatable unicorn on the other side.

With a villa that is close to your chosen amenities and places of interest, you will also be able to secure easy travel as well privacy during your trip.

Sounds like being a celebrity or dare I say… a royal?!

Personal Touches

Let’s face it, as pleasant as hotels can be, they typically offer little opportunity to personalise your room. In fact, many don’t allow any kinds of unique touches to be made – and if you’re going on a special holiday, this could really dampen your mood.

A villa, on the other hand, provides a nice, private space that – for the duration of your trip – is entirely yours. Wouldn’t it be nice at the end of a long day of excursions to lay on a couch and watch television or a film in a space that didn’t double as your bed? Or one of those stiff chairs that is probably holding half your luggage too?

In particular, this makes villas an ideal place to stay if you aim to throw parties or events while you’re away – as the house is temporarily yours, you can decorate it as much as you like. Even better, you’ll be able to tidy up afterwards in your own time, too.

A villa vacation seems to offer everything to the person who wants a customisable trip.

Many of us dream of peaceful holidays – and with a villa holiday, you probably have the chance to achieve just that.

How many of you have tried a villa holiday? What was your experience? What tips do you have for someone planning their first villa holiday?

There is nothing quite like setting off on holiday, yet travel can be a highly stressful experience and you will want everything to go smoothly and according to plan. Therefore, it is helpful to know a few tips which should help you to reduce stress and get your holiday off to a smooth start.

Research What You Need to Take

It is always helpful to research your destination for a few different reasons. One of which is that it will give you a good idea of what you need to take – you could even find an easy checklist to follow. You would be surprised how many different destinations require items that you wouldn’t need for others. For example, when we visited Malta, I really wish I had packed water shoes. But, obviously that’s not something I would suggest for someone visiting London. However, there are certain passes, tickets and apps you shouldn’t go without!

Or, better yet, there may be really popular activities that you may need to book ahead. For London, I have a huge list of experiences that you should book in advance for your trip. And, the video from the Sunny News below shares even more tips, if you have five minutes.

Find Out Airline Restrictions

Every airline is different when it comes to what you can and cannot take on the plane and how large your carry-on luggage can be. Make sure that you find out this information well in advance so that you will have a smooth experience and not have to pay any additional charges. Sunny in London email subscribers receive a free, downloadable Guide to London Airports as part of a subscribing bonus. More on that later! If you can’t wait to receive that, we’ve created a Travel Tips for London Airports article that goes through London’s six airport options and the airlines that use them.

Practice Pack Beforehand

You won’t want to be rushed when you are packing as this can cause stress. You may not be able to get everything in and you could create a mess. Instead, it is a good idea to do a practice pack a few days before so that you can work out the best way to arrange your possessions. I did a practice pack before I flew to London from New York back when Mr Sunny and I first started our long distance relationship. I also made charts for all of my outfits, shoes and accessories. How many of you have done that before? Too OCD?

Next, you should then pack your suitcase the night before or in the morning if you have time. Layering tissue paper in between your clothes keeps them from wrinkling too much. And, if you haven’t discovered packing cubes yet, you are really missing out!

If you’d like a list of how I pack for short and long trips with success, let me know in the comments. It would include explaining why I have all that string in the mesh pocket of my suitcase. Or did you guess what this is for already?

Pre-book Travel to the Airport

With so much focus on the flight, it is easy to forget about getting to the airport. The train is often the best way but you should always pre-book your tickets to save time and reduce stress on the day – you can book online at places like Southern Railway.

For a guide to London airports and which is the best for you, I made this video to help your decision process, because there are many different travel situations.

Pre-Book Travel to the Airport

On the day of your flight, you will not want to be rushed and you will want to give yourself plenty of time to get through the airport. If possible, you should check-in online and arrive at the airport at least an hour before your scheduled departure time. However, Mr Sunny and I always make it at least three so he can relax in the airport’s pub while I hit duty free!

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

These tips should help you to take the stress out of travel and get your trip off to a smooth start. A vacation should always be a fun and relaxing experience but the travel side can cause a great deal of stress if you are not well-prepared. Keep the above in mind in the run-up to your trip for a fun, relaxing and stress-free vacation.

Holiday Travel- Final Thoughts

What packing and travel tips can you include, Sunny friends? Have you considered booking train travel in advance to save time and money? Has an airlines’ extra baggage fees ever determined which one you choose?

Want a Freebie for Your Trip to London?

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As part of the welcome, you will also receive several other free downloads that will guide you through trip planning, plus a weekly edition of the hottest happenings in London.