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Originally set up by members of the West Indian community, The Notting Hill Carnival started on 1965 and since then it has grown so much that today is the World's second largest street festival.

Every year more than 1 million people are expected to dance and join the Caribbean rhythm and soul of this particular Carnival. It is split over the Sunday and Monday Bank Holiday and although it may sound weird, Sunday crowds will not be as dense as on Monday.

In fact Sunday's Carnival is also known as "Children's Day" and has a far greater emphasis on family but there are loads of kids on both days enjoying the bright colours of the floats and the dancers' feathered costumes.

Of course, music is the soul of the Festival and you will be entertained with an eclectic mix of Soca, Funk, Reggae, Dub, Steel Bands, Calypso filling the air of any place in the district! Most of the music is played on live stages with the great participation of local bands and international artists and musicians! Giant sound systems and steel bands are joined by over a million revellers of all ages into Europe's biggest street party. It's a huge area, and can get very crowded. Nearest tube stations like Ladbroke Grove Tube or Westbourne Park Tube may be closed or running skeleton journeys. Be prepared for an exhausting day out, but if you love a party, Carnival remains the absolute highlight of the London summer! The best time to arrive is around midday, in fact things start to cool off at about 7pm.

The epicenter of the 2-days Carnival is the Parade with groups from all around the world showing off their fantastic costumes and performing along the 3-miles long route through Notting Hill's major streets. The procession route is along Great Western Road, Chepstow Road, Westbourne Grove and Ladbroke Grove. There will be plenty of occasions to get a real taste of what Caribbean isfrom music, to dances , costumes and food! Try the delicacies on the stalls that literally pave the streets.

One of the best things you can do to help you survive the day, is to get info of the nearest bus and Tube services in the area. Allow plenty of time to leave the area. It may be slow moving through the crowds, some exit routes may be closed, and you may need to walk quite a long way to get to a Tube or bus station which is open. Also check the maps on the carnival websites for the of toilets and be very careful with your belongings, For more information, visit the official website: nottinghillcarnival.biz

For suitable accommodations in the area, we suggest the following youth hostels: Smart Camden Inn hostel, Smart Hide Park Inn hostel and the Smart hide Park View hostel. They all offer quality accommodations for the budget traveller in dormitories, but they also have nice and quite family rooms or private ensuite rooms. Prices starts from as cheap as 21 euros per person with breakfast. The is just perfect as it is central and well served in terms of public transportation. It will be very easy for you to reach any place in London! Another good place is the extravagant Clink Hostel set in a former courthouse, the hostel offers such modern amenities as high-tech pod beds, equipped with reading lights and personal lockers, an internet caf with wi-fi, a brand new kitchen and secure key-card access to every room. The avant-garde of London hostels, the Clink is centrally located in the up and coming vibrant neighbourhood of King's Cross. Rates from only 25 euros per person per night.

Traveling can be a stressful event and airplane travel is tops on the list of the stressors that we experience on what is supposed to be an exciting and fun event. A few simple steps can remove most of the stress of air travel.

Things to do before travel day:

1) Pack your bags. Make sure all your packing is done at least the night before and that you have all your bags in one central for easy and complete loading into your car or taxi.

2) Have all your travel paperwork organized and in one central .

3) Make a checklist of all the things you want to check to secure your home before you leave and walk through your home checking off each item. Do this at least an hour before you leave your house. Do this and you will never worry if you left your stove on or any of the other little nagging worries you might have while on your travel.

4) Be sure your pets are taken care of. Make any kennel reservations well in advance of your trip to be sure you have a reserved spot at a kennel you trust.

5) Call the AIRPORT and airline the day before to see how early the recommend you should arrive for a smooth, stress free check in. If they tell you to arrive three hours early and you arrive just 30 minutes early, you will probably feel great stresses about missing your flight. Also ask if there are any parking restrictions you should be aware of. Ever since 9/11, when we have a heightened threat level there may be car searches before you can park.

6) If you are just taking carry on luggage, many airlines let you pre check in right on the internet 24 hours before your flight. That means that you can get and print out boarding passes right from your home. And when you get to the airport, you can go right to the gate and your boarding area without getting into the long check in line. If you have to check baggage, you will not have this option available to you. But if not, it is a great time and stress saver.

Travel day:

7) Leave home in plenty of time to anticipate busy traffic or accident situations. If it is an hour trip to get to the airport, you may want to leave an extra half hour early just in case there are road problems.

8) If you are checking in bags, be prepared to wait in line. If it is a busy time of day at the airport and you are traveling with a popular airline, there could be a significant line. Don't worry about how long the line is. As long as you arrive when the airport recommended, you will have plenty of time to make it to the front of the line and get checked in. It may look impossible but it will happen so just relax and be patient.

9) Make sure that any carry on baggage really is carry on. Otherwise you may get stopped at the gate and have your bag taken away to be stowed with the regular luggage. It will delay and stress you. And it will delay everyone else.

10) When boarding the plane, find your seat and stow your carry on baggage quickly. And then sit down and stay out of the way. There are lots of people trying to do the same thing and we've all encountered the folks who block the aisle for a long time fussing about something or other while a harried line of boarders is forced to wait. You don't want to be one of those people. So just get your business done quickly and efficiently and sit down. You'll have plenty of time to get up once the plane is in the air.

11) If you have to change planes, it can be a real challenge, especially in the larger airports. If you know the gate you will have to go to, ask the flight attendant for advice to reach that gate quickly. In some airports - like Atlanta - a Delta connection can be a huge adventure taking 30 minutes to get from one gate to another. If you know in advance how you have to get to your next airplane, it will be much less chaotic when you get off the first plane. And a much more relaxing walk (or run) to your next gate.

12) When the plane lands, patiently wait your turn. Whether you push or just wait, you usually won't get off the plane any quicker. People tend to let the folks in the rows before them get up and go in a pretty orderly fashion. Trying to rush it will only get your blood pressure up and will not be looked upon favorably by your fellow travelers.

13) If you just have carry on baggage, you have successfully completed a pretty stress free flight.

14) But if you have carry on luggage, there is one more step - waiting for the luggage. Just pick a place around the conveyor belt and wait. Expect your bag to be the very last one to come out and be pleasantly surprised when it comes out early.

By following these simple steps, you will find that your stress levels from your air travels will be much less. A well planned trip agenda ensures that those little stress points stay little stress points and don't balloon into a full blown crisis. Try it any you will be amazed how just a small amount of up front planning dramatically improves the enjoyment of your travel.

When you are planning your trip there are some things you can fail to remember. Usually they are very useful things and their absence can cause some inconveniences. Depending on the length of your trip and the place you are going to the list of the necessary items will differ.

In any case, if you are going abroad you must have all the necessary documents.

1) your foreign passport with visa (if necessary)

2) your tickets (plane, train, bus just any)

3) your hotel voucher (if you stay in a hotel)

4) your insurance (if you have one)

If you are traveling with a travel agency, youd better have their telephone numbers and other contacts both in your country and in a country of your destination.

So, when you plan to spend away from home only a couple of days you should only take your documents and a sufficient sum of money. There are hardly such things you cant live without for several days. Of course, if you do prefer not waste your money, you should not forget your toothbrush ad other item of the personal hygiene. However if you stay in a prestigious hotel these things wont be a problem.

Some people live their city with a strong desire to forget about all that they have left in their motherland, but if you still want to be in touch with your relatives and friends youd better to take your mobile. Of course, you can call from the reception in the hotel, but mobile is much more convenient and cheaper.

In any foreign country if you dont speak its language, the phrase-book can become almost indispensable thing.

No matter for how long your trip will last you will be safer if you take your medicines with you. If you route lays far from the big cities you simply couldnt manage to find what you need. Even if you are going to New York or Paris, are you sure you would like to waste your time and money looking for your salvation? Its good if the foreign pharmacists know the name of your medicine and if they dont?

Continuing about healthcare its highly recommended to make all the vaccinations you can need in the country you are going to. Its especially urgent if you go to the tropical countries of in the country where the epidemic can spoil your plans. The list of the vaccinations you may need can be easily found in your travel agency, in the embassy of this country and even in Internet.

Dont forget also to take the clothes for you rest. Swimsuit, T-shirts and shorts on resort and a couple of the warm sweaters and blazers in mountains. Anyway, dont forget your running shoes barely you will like to make long walks on high heels or in uncomfortable shoes.

If you expect long trip in bus or train, or long flight take some books, magazines or something else to entertain yourself. Some people always take their talismans in their journeys. So, if you feel uncomfortable without your old toy dont forget to take it too, especially if you plan a long stay abroad.

Anyway, when you have cash or credit card you wont be in trouble now you can buy almost everything, almost everywhere.

When it comes to hotels, things boil down to a tradeoff between low cost and convenient . In many cases, especially when traveling to major cities and popular attractions, the closer the hotel to the city or attraction the more you can expect to pay. The best way to save money, particularly in large cities, is often to stay in the suburbs.

Of course, this means that you will spend more time getting to the places you want to visit, and this will mean spending additional money on gasoline, etc. It is important to compute all these costs to make sure that you will really be spending less on a less convenient hotel room.

There are of course a number of ways to save money on hotels and motels without compromising quality. For one thing, a membership in AAA or a similar auto club also entitles you to discounts on hotel rooms, as does military service and senior citizen status. When inquiring about a hotel room, always inquire about discounts that may be available.

In addition, shopping early for a hotel room can often yield the best deals. That is because hotels often reserve a block of low cost rooms, and when they are gone they are gone. Thus, the last room at a hotel may be much more costly than the first. Getting the best hotel room deal is often a matter of timing.

Of course getting a great deal on a hotel will mean nothing if the place is a dump. Shopping for a budget hotel should not mean settling for a hotel that is dirty, poorly run or in an unsafe .

Fortunately, finding a good budget hotel has been made much easier with the help of the internet. What used to take weeks or even months to research can now be done in a matter of hours or even minutes. Many hotels, even budget properties, feature pictures of the property and the surrounding area, so be sure to research the property you are considering if you have never stayed there before.

It is important to research the area in which the hotel is located as well. Be sure to check out things like restaurants and attractions within walking distance of the hotel. Doing research on the area will help ensure you do not end up staying in a dangerous neighborhood just to save a couple of bucks.

The internet also provides a number of review sites where those who have stayed in various hotels share their experiences and their impressions of the hotel properties. These review sites can be very useful for travelers, particularly those traveling to a new for the first time.

In addition, the internet hosts a number of comparison web sites where travelers can easily find and compare hotel properties for their individual dates of stay and destinations. These web sites offer a number of ways to search, including distance from a particular tourist attraction, price, star level and more. The only caveat to consider when using such a web site is its independence. Some comparison web sites feature only properties that pay an advertising fee, so using a comparison site does not necessarily guarantee the best price. It is best to use a number of such web sites to get a true picture of the lowest prices available.