Country Vacations & Resorts

More to confuse the issue.

No clarity coming on the “holidays” front.

Once per vacation season, articles appear in the media about standard and statutory minimums for days off work.

Some countries call this “leave,” and some call it a “holiday.” In some countries a national holiday is a paid day off – separate from “vacation days.” In other countries, national holidays are part of the paid package. One way or another, it appears many Americans are still calling it “not enough” and based on the numbers, some US workers do have an opportunity to complain. But that’s about all they can do.

US law does not require employers to grant any vacation or holidays and about 25% of all employees receive no vacation time or holidays.

For those employees that do receive vacation, US standard is 10 days paid vacation and 8 days paid national holidays. US military personnel receive 30 days paid leave plus the national holidays for a total of 38 days paid vacation per year. Some employers also have “use it or lose it” policies that keep employees from “banking” leave. Others do not – and in fact at one quasi-government agency I worked for, many of the more senior employees were known to have 10 or 12 or more weeks paid leave on the books. Lucky them…

Here are a few countries with fairly generous employee vacation packages. They are not necessarily the countries with the highest days vacation allowed, but the countries that might actually also have employment to offer.

Australia
20 days paid vacation (10 days that can be sold back to the employer)
10 public holidays

Belgium
20 days

Brazil
30 consecutive days after one year’s employment. (10 can be sold back to the employer)

Denmark
25 work days

Iceland
24 days vacation
13 public holidays

Ireland
20 work days
9 public holidays

Italy
20-32 days holiday (dependent on job, etc.)
12-13 public holidays

New Zealand
4 weeks
11 public holidays

Russia
28 calendar days

Spain
30 calendar days

UK
28 work days
8 public holidays

I guess the opposing point of view is if you even have a job – don’t complain. I’ve heard employers use this veiled threat to keep employees from questioning what appears to be “standard procedure.” Maybe a better question to ask is why the US has NO standard law on that all important work-life balance days off number? And who decided 10 days as a semi-standard, is enough?

Remembering that the number of paid vacation days is basically granted by employers, I’m quite frankly surprised anyone working in the US gets any of them. Supposedly there to address the “work-life” balance, it more often appears you have to fight for the days you are expecting – no matter the number.

If you’ve worked in Information Technology as I have, you may have been contract versus employee – meaning days not worked are always days without pay – and you may have also found that some big software rollout runs into your preferred vacation time. Less users on a commercial online software system on the 4th of July may mean this is primetime for your employer to want your entire IT team rolling out a new package.

It might be time for the US to rethink this vacation days number, but I doubt they will. They haven’t understood that working longer does not necessarily mean working better or at a higher level of productivity.

Source
Further info by country

What could be better for your vacation in Paris, the “City of Lights” than the perfect hotel in the middle of this vibrant city?

Hotel de Crillon – Paris
5-Star Luxury

Paris is also known as the “City with 100 villages” consisting of 20 districts known as arrondissements and as in most urban centers, the closer you are to the action, the more expensive the hotel. Hotels on the Right Bank near the Champs Elysees and the Louvre, are generally more expensive than hotels on the Left Bank. Not to worry though – in comparison to other European capitals, accommodation costs in Paris are still affordable.

Starting at the 3-Star level, hotel rooms offer an ensuite bath and/or shower and rooms will tend to be smaller than in similar hotels in the United States. Not all hotels have restaurants or room service but, since you’ve selected Paris’ city centre, croissants and other culinary delicacies will never be far away.

A note to remember about Paris…Fashion Weeks will be held from from January 24th – 27th, 2011 (Spring/Summer Collection), and from July 4th – 7th, 2011 (Fall/Winter Collection). Book VERY early to be centrally located in Paris for these events, or book around to avoid the huge increase in crowds and papparazi.

From “One Star Cheap” to “Five Star Luxury,” hotels in Paris city centre will put you right in the middle of history, culture, couture and cuisine – all from one convenient location.

Athens? Barcelona? Monte Carlo? Rome?

What better way is there to sample the history of these scenic and exciting cities than aboard Mediterranean Cruises ? Wake up in a new world each morning and take advantage of the all-inclusive and relaxed comfort of these floating resorts.

For the best possible cruise experience, planning is essential. Think about the time of year you wish to travel. The prime season for Mediterranean cruises is from April through October. Cruises in December may be less crowded and/or less expensive, but you may pay for it with choppy seas, less predictable weather, and motion sickness.

Other considerations are your budget – in both time and dollars. How much or how little you have of either must be factored in when making your cruise choices. Also, investigate points of departure, itinerary, and even the size of your prospective vessel. Remember, a smaller, more exclusive ship may be less stable in ocean waters.

Consider too, the authenticity of a cruise line – and each individual vessel. Do you want American food on a ship where everyone speaks English? Then maybe a Carnival cruise is for you. Prefer a cruise with an Italian flavor in both cruise, culture, cuisine, and ship personnel? Maybe the MSC Cruises’ elegant and exclusive “Fantasia” will be right for you.

Options are wide open for a peaceful, scenic, and relaxing cruise – plan carefully and you will have one of your best vacation experiences.

Spectacular shows and entertainment, luxury hotels and spas, gambling galore, fine dining, incredible shopping, and some of the best scenery nature has to offer – where can you find all this and more?

Vegas baby!

It is a good thing that all the news of what happens in Vegas doesn’t really stay in Vegas and holiday travelers will quickly realize that time is of the essense to experience this unique city.

The famous Strip is a boulevard packed with shops, casinos, restaurants, and fabulous hotels and is a good place to start your Las Vegas Holidays. Wear comfortable shoes and plan on about three hours of walking to explore all the sights and sounds.

Notables on your walking tour might be the fountains at the Bellagio, the Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand Hotel, and the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat located at the Mirage Hotel. More intrepid and thrill-seeking travelers will not want to miss the Stratosphere Tower with its roller coaster, reverse bungee jump, and spectacular panoramic views of the city and surrounding mountains.

Las Vegas “Mob” Experience – Ruthless gansters or entrepeneurs?

Visit a lost era and draw your own conclusions by touring this new exhibition opening December, 2010. Visitors will be able to virtually experience the world of organised crime and learn about the impact it had on early Las Vegas development.

Las Vegas holidays – a good bet for a fantastic vacation.

More choices than you might think. Where do YOU want to go this year?

If your vacation leads you to the Gatlinburg- Pigeon Forge area of Tennessee, here is a great service for you.

Smoky Mountain Grocery.

Delivering groceries to cabins, chalets, RV parks, resorts and residents – this company will even allow you to pre-order! Now this is my idea of personalized service. After all, if you have a vacation rental, what is the first thing you usually have to seek? Food – or a food source.

Next day (or same day for a small charge) service is available to the following areas: Gatlinburg, Maryville, Pigeon Forge, Seymour, Sevierville, Townsend, Wears Valley, Douglas Lake and Cobbly Nobb.

You can even place your order online and there is “pre-arrival” service available! Check out the service’s outstanding customer reviews

Just call: 877-4-VITTLES

Suppose you are watching a House Hunters International on HGTV and see a property or area you really like. What if, as on the last show I watched, the area is in Croatia? I personally know little about Croatia and was surprised by both the beautiful seas AND the relatively (to me) high real estate prices. I’m not selling out of the United States this week and moving, but it would be nice to have a place to go online for immediate and comprehensive information.

I found Property-abroad.com.

From their website you can search for a property in their database of over 140,000 listings in 100+ countries. Country guides and directories are conveniently referenced, and there is also information on investment and fractional ownership which we’ve discussed in an earlier post.

Buyer’s guides will prove very handy once you’ve found the perfect country and/or the perfect property. Real estate purchases are notoriously detailed and the process varies significantly from country to country. Imagine trying to track a property’s title in Croatia? You’ll need guidance.

Since my interest today is in Croatia, clicking on the Croatia guide link gives me immediate access to the very kind of info I need to research. I get an overview on buying property in Croatia, mortgage options, investment property information, apartment, villa, and vacation home availability, and commercial property purchase options and info. This is a goldmine for anyone contemplating an overseas property purchase.

Maps of the selected country are available via each country’s guide. The site also does not assume that since you are on a country’s page, you already know the area. Enough specific information is provided to either direct you to or help you avoid tourist areas, point out coveted seaside and beach locations, and generally take you on a quick virtual tour of your target property destination. There are even links to local news items per country guide. Find out what’s going on before you get there!

Anyone with ideas of purchasing property abroad will benefit by spending some time with Property-abroad.com.

Overseas Property featuring thousands of properties for sale worldwide direct from estate agents, developers and private sellers alike. Buyers guides, country guides and much more useful information on buying overseas property abroad.