The first thing you should know about Taiwan is that it is not Thailand. Taiwan is, in fact, a small island off the coast of Mainland China that has questionable international statehood, but is nonetheless a lovely place to visit.

When I found the Hostel Pegasus on hostelz.com last summer, it seemed like the perfect choice. Affordable dorm room beds in a relatively convenient location of Berlin, effectively ending what had been an otherwise torturous search to find available beds that would not break the bank.

If you happen to find yourself in Paris this September 20th and 21st, cancel all other plans, buy a copy of the newspaper, pack a good book, and prepare to stand in line for several hours.

In my humble opinion, the cream tea is one of Britain's greatest gifts to humanity. The name is slightly misleading - it's not just about the tea - it's about having a hot pot of tea, and a plate with scones (crumbly, preferably with raisins in it) with a side offering of thick, spreadable, Devonshire cream and strawberry jam. The purpose of this civilized ritual is to sip your cuppa while enjoying the delectableness that is a scone covered in cream and jam.

The challenge in London however, is finding out where to go for one of these cream teas, because you really shouldn't be leaving the British Isles without at least trying it once. There's always the gold standard - tea at the Ritz, but that's both expensive and requires reservations and a fancy dress code.

That's where Selfridges comes in.

A trip to London should feature a trip to Selfridges in any case, if only to gawk at how many things you can sell in one department store, but for me (other than their food court), the main attraction is the availability of a quick, not too expensive, delicious cream tea. When you get to Selfridges in your quest to have a cream tea, you must head down to the basement. Somewhere in the homewares section, by the escalators, you'll find the tiny Sienna Café that has a bakery case hopefully filled with scones (but to make sure you get a scone and a table, avoid peak tea-time hours, around 3:30-5:30 pm, and head there a little earlier).

You will be shown to your seat and handed a menu with a decent list of teas to choose from, and once you have selected your blend of choice, your cream tea should appear relatively quickly. It's worth noting that the menu here does feature other items to eat, but since the purpose of this review is a cream tea, those other nibbles shall be duly ignored.

Now the important part: tucking in to your cream tea. Start by slicing the scone into two halves, and then reach for the pot of clotted cream (and do not think of your arteries or your waistline as you do this), and spread it on the inner part of the scone as though it were butter. Put gobs of the stuff on, if you so desire. Then comes the all-important strawberry jam, and finally, a bite of heaven. Oh, and don't forget to drink your tea before the brew becomes too strong.

The French have embraced wireless wholeheartedly, but, unlike Americans, they are much more diligent about password protecting their wireless networks. This, of course, makes joining a wireless network and mooching off of someone considerably harder (free internet in hostels is not a guarantee, and can often be quite pricey).

Eating out in Paris can be expensive, but day after day of cheese and bread can get tiresome, so if you're in the mood to splurge, look no further than your local bakery at lunchtime. The French understand the importance of a hearty lunch, but eating out day after day can add up (especially when you consider that a sandwich alone will be 3-5 euros, a drink 1.5, and a dessert anywhere from 1-4 euros). That is why they have invented the formule midi.

If you are visiting New York City, chances are at some point in your trip (but more likely for most of it) you will be using the generally excellent and very extensive NYC subway system to get yourself around town. However, if you go to buy a ticket at one of the automated booths located before the turnstiles in each station, you will realize this is quickly going to add up: one single way fare costs $2, and if you are traveling as a family, this means your transportation costs are quickly going to become one of the most expensive parts of your trip.

But never fear! There is a way to make your subway rides on the system free (well, sort of) and still stay on the right side of the law. If you navigate around the menu options presented to you, you will see that you can buy a pass with as much money on it as you would like ($7 or more gets you 15% extra value added to your card). This is a good option if you will only be in the city a few hours and are not planning on spending much time using the subway system, as these cards are refillable at any station.

Look past this option, however, and you will find a variety of unlimited ride options. That is what this article is about, because if you plan strategically in terms of estimating the length of your visit and how much you anticipate using the subway while in New York, you can wind up saving yourself quite a good deal of money.

First there is the 1 day Fun Pass, which at $7.50, is not a bad deal at all for a day - four one-way trips on the subway will pay for it. It becomes valid the first time you swipe it, and lasts through to 3 am the next morning, so if you're only in New York for a day, this is a fantastic option (or even two days, if you buy a second one day pass).

If, however, you are planning a stay in New York of more than 2 days, you would do well to look into purchasing the $25 7-day unlimited pass. $25 is not cheap, but, as I mentioned earlier, if you evaluate the one time cost of paying for the pass with how long you will be in the city and how often you plan to use the subway (or the bus system, for that matter), this may prove to be a very good deal indeed. For longer stays, the MTA also offers 14 and 30 day unlimited passes.

The added benefit of the 7-day pass is, like the one day pass, a great way of freeing up yourself to explore the city at will. Since you do not need to worry about refilling the card and adding to the amount of money you are spending on your trip, it allows you to be more relaxed about using public transportation and exploring parts of the city that you might not otherwise have gone to. It also means that you can hop on and off at will if a particular area strikes your fancy or if you find yourself tired from too much walking.

This, to me, is one of the greatest gifts someone could give me in a city that has so much to explore. I've done the same thing in London and Paris, and I have yet to regret the freedom that an unlimited pass gives me. I can explore neighborhoods, dash down to restaurants, see the sights and essentially do as I please freed from the concern of how much my transportation is costing me. If you are like me, I strongly encourage you to invest in one of these unlimited passes. I promise you you will not regret it.

I am a sucker for old-fashioned libraries. You know, the kind that had ladders, mahogany shelves stacked with books as far as the eye could see, comfortable chairs. Located in New York's trendy Soho district, Housing Works Bookstore is built to resemble one of those old fashioned libraries (well, minus the huge leather chairs), complete with a collection of 45,000 new, used, and rare books. The fact that it is both an independent bookstore and a charity-based one makes this bookstore a must-visit for the bibliophile in New York City.

The French are known for their impeccable sense of style, and while this post may not be able to share the exact secret to possessing that certain je ne sais quoi that the French (especially French women) are known for, it should be able to help you blend in and look a little less touristy (often code for American).

You're on vacation in New York City, and you're missing your daily exercise routine. Sure, you can walk all over the city, but if you're looking for a more relaxing form of exercise, look no further than the free yoga classes in Bryant Park.