The randomly selected winner to our contest is #10, Nicol Loya! Contact us at feedback@isecard.com to claim your $100 Amazon gift card. Another contest will be posted soon, so stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: contest

Monday, May 18, 2009 | contest | 1 Comment

A few years ago, I fell in love with a little town in Italy called Empoli, and in particular, a charming Bed and Breakfast, I Melograni. Charming is such an understatement, but you get the idea. Having just spent a couple of days in the dirty hustle and bustle of Rome, the Tuscan countryside was refreshing. We made our way there from Rome by taking a train to Florence, then a 25 minute train ride to Empoli. The train station there is tiny. You literally get off the train and walk into the station, and a few feet in front of you are the exit doors. My travel partner and I grabbed some pizza and caught a taxi just outside the station doors. The taxi driver didn’t speak English, which for me was a good sign. He excitedly tried to converse with us, so he could practice the little English he knew. The Bed & Breakfast is just a few minutes from the station, and the scenery of the drive was even more than I had hoped for.

We were welcomed at I Melograni by our wonderful hosts: Sue and Riccardo Melani. They were hands-down the most genuine and helpful hosts there could ever be. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening walking around the vineyards, taking pictures, and enjoying the scenery from the patio. The next morning, we joined everyone in the quaint dining room, and Sue and Riccardo helped everyone plan their days over a wonderful breakfast. The location is perfect for taking day trips. The first day, we took a bus to Vinci and the next day, a train to Pisa, and finally spent a day wandering around the tiny town of Empoli. Then, it was sadly time to move on to our next destination. Still, five years after this sixteen day trip through Europe, it is the little town of Empoli that tempts me to return.

I recently contacted the owners of I Melograni and asked if they would offer a discount for ISE Cardholders. They graciously agreed. For more information on the special rates offered, and to see their website, click here. Sue also shared that they have expanded their property, including a large terrace for breakfast and more guest rooms added. Sounds like a perfect excuse for me to go back! If you don’t take my word for it, you can read their Trip Advisor reviews here.

Oh, they will also give free lifts to the train station after breakfast if you are without a car. If you find nicer hosts, let me know. I don’t think you will.

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Friday, May 8, 2009 | day trips | No Comments

This is the time of year for me that I get bit by the travel bug, and start dreaming about – and planning – my next trip. I just don’t feel right without plans for a trip abroad, even if it is far in the future. Some of my dreams include sky diving in New Zealand, hiking rain forests in Costa Rica, and touring the greenery that is Ireland. (I live in the desert, so anything green is heaven to me). Of course, I also dream about returning to some of my most wonderful travel destinations that seem to be calling me back, especially a certain B&B in the Tuscan countryside of Italy. More on that soon.

I’ve decided to take one dream off the shelf and dust it off. For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of spending some time in an orphanage somewhere in South America. I want to hold those babies and play with young kids, pack my luggage with kid toys and medicine, whatever they need. And to be honest, because of the nature of my work, I’d love to go with a group of young people who have the same passion. I can’t imagine anything more rewarding than this trip I have in my mind: the challenge of pushing myself beyond what is comfortable in order to make a difference and have a new experience. When I check that off my list (not if, but when), I wonder if I will want to move on to Ireland and sky diving, or if my dreams will change. I can’t wait to find out.

And now for the contest: I want to hear what your travel dreams are. Where do you want to go? Why? What will you do? What is keeping you from your dream? Leave a comment (by May 15th, 2009) and let me know. One winner will be selected randomly to receive a $100 Amazon gift card. One comment per person please.

Oh, and it might be helpful to subscribe to the RSS. You can do that here.

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Monday, April 6, 2009 | general | 20 Comments

ISE Cards is running a special offer: Buy an ISE Card membership, normally valid for one year, and get the second year free. This has never before been offered by ISE Cards, and is available for a limited time. If you plan to travel abroad, now is the time to get your ISE Card and start saving money now, even in the planning stages of your trip. If you are part of a group traveling, be sure to pass the news along. Your travel companions will thank you!

For more information, or to order your ISE Card, click here.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009 | general | No Comments

As you may know, last month there was a fire in the Channel Tunnel (”Chunnel”) involving a train carrying vehicles and other goods. Thankfully, there were no passenger trains in the tunnel at that time.

What you need to know if you will be using the Eurostar in the near future:

• Eurostar is currently operating at 93% capacity, meaning that some schedules have changed.
• Tickets issued before October 1, 2008 have the incorrect train number and/or travel times and will need to be re-issued.
• A manual check-in process is being enforced, and it is recommended that passengers arrive one hour prior to their departure time.
• The changes have resulted in slightly longer travel times. (2 hours 43 minutes from London-Paris, 2 hours 21 minutes from London-Brussels.)

More information can be found on the Eurostar website.

For more information or to book Eurostar tickets, go here.

Technorati Tags: eurostar, tickets, train travel

Thursday, October 9, 2008 | getting there, travel resources | No Comments

It’s a tad overdue, but here is the link to the winners from our ISE Model Contest. The grand prize winner, Sabrina Bricker, won a round-trip airline ticket and three other winners each received a $100 gift card to Amazon.com.

Thanks everyone for entering! The next contest will be launched here on the blog. If you have not subscribed to the RSS, now would be a good time to do so.

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Monday, October 6, 2008 | contest | No Comments

I suppose it is time for a proper introduction. My name is Cammi and I will be your host here at “On the Road”. This blog is sponsored by ISE Cards, a company dedicated to helping students and young people experience the world. For the last 12 years, I have worked for ISE Cards. I’ve done it all: booked flights for individuals and groups of students, spent hours and hours on the phone with young people needing help arranging their rail pass travel, negotiated discounts for students, talked to students after their travels to get feedback, and more.

I’ve also spent those years traveling myself, to places like Australia, Korea, England, France, Switzerland, and Italy. Travel is one of my greatest passions, and I’m thrilled to be able to share with you what I have learned and to introduce the world of student discounts that is at your fingertips. Whether your dream is to study abroad, volunteer, work abroad, backpack around another country, or anything else, I hope you will find information that is helpful to you and that will inspire you to explore this amazing world we live in.

I will be holding regular contests here with great prizes that will help you reach your goals of traveling abroad. Also, I would love to hear about anything you would like to see featured here. What keeps you from traveling abroad? What is your dream destination? If you have traveled abroad before, what was your favorite thing about your trip? Stay tuned, and feel free to contact me anytime at cammi@isecard.com.

Thursday, September 4, 2008 | general | No Comments

By the way, time is up on the contest. I’ve gotta say, that was a lot of fun! The three winners will be announced on Monday, September 8th. Now for the judging … we’ve got some tough choices to make. The main prize winner will get a free round-trip airline ticket, and the other two winners will each get a $100 gift card.

 The next contest will take place here on the blog. We will have some regular contests here with some great prizes, so you might want to subscribe to our RSS, and be notified when those contests are announced.

Thursday, September 4, 2008 | general | No Comments

Hi There,

Cammi here. I wanted to let everyone know that we have a contest running on Facebook. All you have to do is upload a photo of yourself. Prizes up for grab include a round-trip airline ticket, and two $100 gift cards. You can get more details here. Or go directly to our Facebook Group. Good luck!

Monday, August 25, 2008 | general | No Comments

Do you have any travel tips for a cycling holiday in Denmark? - Mex

No, I don’t; I’ve never done something that cool! After a quick Google search, though, this is what I’ve come up with:

Bike Denmark - 7 Great Bike Tours. The tour includes a good 7 speed bicycle, accommodation at hotels or inns and luggage transport.

A comprehensive list of available bike tours - this looked pretty helpful.

Ooh! And this one!

And as always, I’m going to let the commenters chime in - they always know more than I do about this kind of stuff.

Thursday, July 10, 2008 | general | 1 Comment