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Yoga and Weight Loss - Review of Exercise DVDs

The biggest loser trainers have made a workout DVD and it was reviewed in our paper. Here is what our DVD diva had to say:

Cast - Non-gimmicky Biggest Loser TV show trainer Bob Harper strolss among show contestants, Bernie, bill, Michelle, Heba, Vicky and super-toned Ali.

Skill Level Required - Beginning to moderate. DVD has three add-on levels. In one you hold long yoga poses and sweat; in the second you do abs/pilates/yoga and shake a little; and in the third, yoga mixed with weights may make you grunt.

Equipment - Yoga mat, medicine ball and a couple of light weights. This workout works.

What’s good - Bob is as no-nonsense as his basic gray T-shirt and shorts. The people he instructs are at various levels and you can pick yours all along the ways. Great mix of basic yoga with everything but cardio.

What’s bad - Music in one segment was “so tension building DVDiva expected Keanu Reeves to drive through any minute in a bus rigged to blow.” Calling this “weight loss” is deceptive because there is no cardio.

Overall Grade - A-

See our previous DVD reviews Sculp-ilates DVD review and Walking DVD review

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Eva Longoria, Ricky Martin, Selena Gomez, Freddy Rodriguez and Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza Named in the 13th Annual Issue

This year, PEOPLE en Espanol’s “50 Most Beautiful” special issue features nine of today’s most popular Hispanic women on the cover. Desperate Housewive’s Eva Longoria, Nacho Libre’s Ana de la Reguera, Univision’s top rated soap actress Maite Perroni, and current Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza, posed together for the cover in the heart of Miami Beach.

The magazine traveled to Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Mexico to shoot all 50 celebrities with three main themes in mind: natural beauty, new generation and Hollywood classics. The Hollywood classics section salutes some of the most memorable film icons including Eva Longoria posing as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Longoria admits to actually having breakfast at Tiffany’s New York City location before marrying NBA superstar Tony Parker. “They opened the store for us so we could choose the dinnerware for the wedding and they had breakfast for us,” remembers the 34-year-old Mexican-American actress.

Other beauties in the issue include Ricky Martin posing as Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Called Desire; Univision TV personality Lili Estefan as Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch; Aracely Arambula is le femme fatale Veronica Lake; Mexican actress Maite Perroni as Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz; Ugly Betty’s Freddy Rodriguez as famed film producer and director Howard Hughes; Cuban actor William Levy as Robert Redford in The Sting; Nacho Libre’s Ana de la Reguera as the legendary Ava Gardner; Dominican singer Anthony Romeo Santos as Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain, and Mexican singer Christopher von Uckermann as James Dean, among others.

Also in the issue is 16-year-old Selena Gomez, who tells the magazine that although she was named after the late singing legend, Selena Quintanilla, she doesn’t pretend to imitate her. “I’m just trying to be the best Selena Gomez I can be,” says the star of the wildly popular Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place.

For the second consecutive year, PeopleEnEspanol.com invited users to choose one lucky celebrity who would make the prestigious “50 Most Beautiful” list. The list of nominees began with ten celebrities and after nearly 200,000 votes, actress Karla Monroig, singer Christopher von Uckermann, TV personality Lilia Luciano and popular radio host Eddie Piolin Sotelo made it to the final cut. Due to the enormous response these finalists received, the editors decided to make everyone happy and include all four this year.

In response to readers, PEOPLE en Espanol has refreshed its look and now includes more color, new sections and content.

The complete list of the “50 Most Beautiful”:
Allisson Lozz - Mexican actress, Univison’s Al diablo con los guapos
Ana Barbara - Mexican Latin Grammy Award winning singer
Ana de la Reguera - Mexican actress, Nacho Libre
Ana Maria Canseco - Mexican TV personality, Univision’s Despierta America
Anthony Romeo Santos - Lead singer of Dominican Bachata group Aventura
Aracely Arambula - Mexican actress/TV personality, Univision’s ¡Viva la familia! de Todobebe
Aylin Mujica - Cuban actress, Telemundo’s Sin senos no hay paraiso
Barbara Bermudo - TV personality, Univision’s Primer impacto
Carlos Calderon - Mexican TV personality, Galavision’s Acceso maximo
Carmen Villalobos - Colombian actress, Telemundo’s Sin senos no hay paraiso
Carmen Dominicci - Puerto Rican journalist
Catherine Siachoque - Colombian actress, Telemundo’s Sin senos no hay paraiso
Cesar Evora - Cuban actor, Televisa’s En nombre del amor
Chayanne - Puerto Rican singer/actor, Mega TV’s Gabriel
Christopher von Uckermann - Mexican singer
Dayana Mendoza - Miss Universe 2008
Diana Bracho - Mexican actress, Univision’s Fuego en la sangre
Eddie Piolin Sotelo - Mexican radio personality, El Piolin de la manana
Edith Gonzalez - Mexican actress, Telemundo’s Dona Barbara
Elizabeth Alvarez - Mexican actress, Univision’s Fuego en la sangre
Esteban Cortazar -Colombian fashion designer
Eugenio Siller - Mexican actor, Univision’s Al diablo con los guapos
Eugenio Derbez - Mexican actor, Univision’s La familia D.Peluche
Eva Longoria Parker -Actress, ABC’s Desperate Housewives
Fidel Rueda - Mexican singer
Freddy Rodriguez -Actor, ABC’s Ugly Betty
Galilea Montijo - Mexican TV personality, Televisa’s ?Cuanto quieres perder?
Genesis Rodriguez -Telenovela actress, Telemundo’s Dona Barbara
German Montero - Mexican singer
Giselle Blondet - TV personality, Univision’s Nuestra belleza latina
Gonzalo Garcia Vivanco - Mexican actor, Televisa’s Verano de amor
Greydis Gil -Univision’s Nuestra Belleza Latina finalist, winner of People en Espanol challenge in the show
Ilia Calderon - Colombian journalist, Univision’s Primer impacto
Jencarlos Canela - Cuban-American actor, Telemundo’s Mas sabe el diablo
Jenni Rivera - Mexican songwriter and singer
Karen Martinez - Colombian actress, Telemundo’s El cartel
Karla Monroig - Puerto Rican actress, Telemundo’s El rostro de Analia
Lili Estefan - TV personality, Univision’s El gordo y la flaca
Lilia Luciano -TV personality, Telefutura’s Escandalo TV
Lorena Rojas - Mexican actress, Telemundo’s Pecados ajenos
Lupillo Rivera - Mexican singer
Maite Perroni -Actress, Univision’s Cuidado con el angel
Manolo Cardona - Colombian actor, Telemundo’s El cartel, Beverly Hills Chihuahua (Walt Disney Pictures)
Pee Wee - Mexican-American singer
Ricky Martin - Puerto Rican Grammy Award winning singer
Sebastian Zurita - Mexican actor, Televisa’s En nombre del amor
Selena Gomez -Actress, Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place
William Levy - Cuban actor, Univision’s Cuidado con el angel
Wisin - Puerto Rican, Grammy Award winning reggaeton singer (duo with Yandel)
Yandel - Puerto Rican, Grammy Award winning reggaeton singer (duo with Wisin)

For exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the “50 Most Beautiful” cover shoots visit PeopleEnEspanol.com. Starting April 27, the site will have an online special featuring daily updates with exclusive photo galleries, celebrities interviews, interactive surveys and blogs about this year’s 50 Most Beautiful.

PeopleEnEspanol.com will also have a behind the scenes look at the magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful” party to be held on May 13th, in New York City. Log on to see celebrity interviews, red carpet arrivals and party images at PeopleEnEspanol.com.

Source: PEOPLE en Espanol

Starting an online business can be one of the fastest and smartest ways women today can earn money from home. I didn’t say it’s easy. I just said that it is a smart way and can be fast if you do it correctly. Here are few reasons for starting an online home business:

1. Earn Money At Home.
Whether you are trying to get out of debt, build a retirement, or just simply make ends meet, online business present opportunities for you to meet your financial and personal goals. With the right guidance, an online business from home can start generating income almost immediately.

2. Parenting from home.
Let’s face it Moms, many of us want to be home with our kids. A work at home job is great to achieve. For some home business jobs you would still need to leave home for appointments, parties, or sales calls. An online or internet business truly lets you work from home.

3. Flexibility.
Because I work from home, I can plan my schedule to be available when a child is sick or unwell or to just take a leisure day off once in awhile and sit at a park and play. How many bosses would give you the day off to spend time with your children? Sometimes you may just want to grab your Sony Vaio and sit in a cafe and have a cup of coffee while catching up with your emails.

Now More Important Than Ever for Families to Follow Proper Hygiene Routines Recommended by CDC

The recent declaration of a public health emergency in the U.S. due to swine flu has caused concern among families across the country. However, families have a powerful defense to help protect themselves from swine flu and other infectious diseases: basic, low-cost hygiene routines.

The current strain of swine flu has been identified as an Influenza A virus (specifically an H1N1 strain), which can be spread from human to human and surface to human. While it has yet to be determined how exactly the current strain of swine flu is spreading, influenza is normally spread through the air via droplets expelled from the mouth when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes. Droplets can land on surfaces or hands and easily spread to others. According to the Centers for Disease Control Ounce of Prevention Initiative, there are simple, inexpensive steps that families can take every day to help minimize their risk of contracting viruses of this nature, and infectious diseases year-round.

• Wash your hands: Thoroughly wash your hands throughout the day with soap and water for 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice), making sure to scrub underneath the nails and the back of the hands. If soap is not readily available, use a hand sanitizer.

• Disinfect surfaces: Regularly disinfect the frequently-touched surfaces in your home with a disinfectant to prevent viruses from spreading from surfaces to people.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick: If you yourself are ill, stay home to avoid spreading germs to those around you.

Many LYSOL(R) Disinfectant products are effective against strains of Influenza A virus and specifically the H1N1 strain.

To learn more about how to help protect your family from swine flu and simple routines to prevent infectious diseases year-round, visit:

• CDC Ounce of Prevention Initiative www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention
• Germ Protection Center via the Visiting Nurse Associations of America

http://vnaa.org/vnaa/g/?h=html/germ_protection_center_influenza

• Centers for Disease Control Swine Flu

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm

• World Health Organization

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

• Lysol tips and tools www.lysol.com

Source: Reckitt Benckiser

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society show it’s relatively safe for women with epilepsy to become pregnant, but caution must be taken, including avoiding one particular epilepsy drug that can cause birth defects. The guidelines was published in the April 27, 2009, online issue of Neurology(R), the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, and was presented April 27, 2009, at the Academy’s Annual Meeting in Seattle.

The guidelines recommend women with epilepsy avoid taking the drug valproate during pregnancy.

“Good evidence shows that valproate is linked to an increased risk for fetal malformations and decreased thinking skills in children, whether used by itself or with other medications,” said lead guideline author Cynthia Harden, MD, Director of the Epilepsy Division at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine and member of the American Academy of Neurology.

The guidelines also suggest, if possible, women with epilepsy should not take more than one epilepsy drug at a time during pregnancy since taking more than one seizure drug has also been found to increase the risk of birth defects compared to taking only one medication.

“Overall, what we found should be very reassuring to every woman with epilepsy planning to become pregnant,” said Harden. “These guidelines show that women with epilepsy are not at a substantially increased risk of having a Cesarean section, late pregnancy bleeding, or premature contractions or premature labor and delivery. Also, if a woman is seizure free nine months before she becomes pregnant, it’s likely that she will not have any seizures during the pregnancy.”

However, Harden says pregnant women with epilepsy should consider having their blood tested regularly. “Levels of seizure medications in the blood tend to drop during pregnancy, so checking these levels and adjusting the medication doses should help to keep the levels in the effective range and the pregnant woman seizure free.”

The guidelines also state that physicians of women with epilepsy should consider avoiding the epilepsy drugs phenytoin and phenobarbital in order to prevent the possibility of decreased thinking skills in children. In addition, the guidelines recommend women with epilepsy be warned that smoking may increase substantially the risk of premature contractions and premature labor and delivery during pregnancy.

It is estimated that about half a million women with epilepsy in the United States are of childbearing age and that three to five out of every 1,000 births are to women with epilepsy. The majority of people with epilepsy have well-controlled seizures, are otherwise healthy, and expect to participate fully in life experiences, including pregnancy.

To develop the guidelines, the authors reviewed all scientific studies available on the topic. The guidelines were developed in collaboration with the American Epilepsy Society and will also appear be published in the April 27 online issue of the journal Epilepsia.

The development of the guidelines was supported in part by the Milken Family Foundation.

“For too long, women living with epilepsy have feared the added risk of premature birth and other consequences of both their epilepsy and their medications,” said Howard R. Soule, PhD, chief science officer for the Milken Family Foundation. “The results of this project will help relieve the worries of these women and their families.”

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Diamond Lounge is the first dating website that’s genuinely exclusive. The site offers single professionals a sophisticated and refined online environment where they can date and socialize with like-minded individuals. And for those that want exclusive business networking, the new CEO Lounge offers senior executives their own private space in which to meet and interact online.

Diamond Lounge (http://www.diamondlounge.com)

Luxury dating and socializing site Diamond Lounge blends cutting-edge design and advanced technology with unparalleled exclusivity. Less that 1 in 4 applicants are accepted for membership (based on the quality and suitability of their proposed profiles) and the site already boasts an eligible membership base including A-list celebrities, models, CEOs, doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs from around the world.

London based entrepreneur, Arya Marafie, founder of the Diamond Lounge said: -

“Diamond Lounge is a modern elite dating website. The elite dating market has traditionally been dominated by the so-called ‘millionaire’ dating sites (that are aimed at matching beautiful young women with successful older men). Diamond Lounge is different. It’s about matching successful professional men with successful professional women, and we have just as many eligible women as men within our membership base.

We have enhanced the attraction of Diamond Lounge through the use of innovative technology. The site is intuitive and user friendly. It is quick and easy for our members to find potential matches and they are able to communicate immediately using instant email, text chat and video conferencing. Diamond Lounge members are typically busy professionals and they appreciate the efficiency of the site.

Members also benefit from networking opportunities within Diamond Lounge. The site encourages users to share knowledge, opinions and experiences and to interact on a range of levels. The aim is to offer members the chance to make great friends and contacts while they search for love!”

CEO Lounge (http://www.ceolounge.com)

And for those who are looking for exclusive business networking, there’s the new CEO Lounge; a business network that’s exclusively for CEOs, senior executives and specialist professionals. CEO Lounge allows high-level professionals to meet, share information and gain valuable insights from each other. Again, the major USP is the bedrock principle of absolute exclusivity; only those that can prove that they meet the strict eligibility criteria are granted access to the CEO Lounge.

“CEO Lounge members want to maximize the value they garner from the limited time that they can spend networking, and they appreciate the fact that everyone on the site is a top-level decision maker.

The site provides an effective way for professionals to network, collaborate and discover new opportunities, whilst avoiding the costs associated with traditional offline networking (a point that is particularly pertinent in the current economic climate).

The CEO Lounge is a truly unique resource for those who want to network at the very highest level,” said Arya.

Company’s Foray into Sustainable Textiles Prompts Deeper Environmental Commitment

Fila USA announces the establishment of a new tree planting collaboration with AmericanForests.org, the nation’s oldest and most respected non-profit dedicated to funding and overseeing tree planting programs in the U.S. and globally. Fila had been exploring partnerships with tree planting organizations in order to give back to the environment to complement its Women’s Personal Performance line (formerly Women’s Wellness). In keeping with Fila’s introduction and use of sustainable organic and recycled materials into their women’s performance fabrications, the company made a donation to AmericanForests.org’s general tree planting fund.

Fila signed an initial one-year commitment with AmericanForests.org. The Washington D.C. based non-profit was attractive to Fila due in part to its reputation for maximizing the number of trees planted per dollar donated by its sponsor partners.

Presently, the funds will be distributed evenly among AmericanForests.org’s U.S. reforestation and urban tree planting programs, but Fila retains the right to designate specific regional programs as the company’s participation expands.

This partnership perfectly complements the brand’s use of sustainable and recycled fibers in the Women’s Personal Performance Collection such as soy, bamboo and recycled Polyester. Fila launched this effort in 2008 with the use of flexible, wicking fabrics ideal for personal performance disciplines like yoga and Pilates, while taking advantage of the unusually soft properties that add a new feminine dimension to the ever expanding personal performance apparel category.

“We welcome the opportunity for Fila to get involved in these important efforts that surely represent the future of our industry and to participate in the positive new green movement that is rapidly growing in the U.S.,” says Fila USA CEO Jon Epstein. “As our Women’s Personal Performance Collection grows in popularity among women who make sustainability and recycling a part of their everyday lifestyle, so grows AmericanForests.org’s success. So I think that the women who wear our ‘09 collection will be as pleased and inspired by our tree planting efforts as they will be by the fit, feel and wear-ability of our new line.”

Source: Fila USA

The YOUAND.ME free dating site has just given birth to a new feature, YOUAND.ME MAKE BABIES, and it offers this proprietary morphing technology on the www.YOUAND.ME site for its members to have fun and make virtual babies with other members or anyone else. All you need to do is load their photos as well as yours and you get the chance to create a virtual baby in 9 seconds, not 9 months.

Curious to get an idea how the love creations of you and your potential match will look? Guess no longer. YOUAND.ME is the first online dating site to launch a partner morphing tool. Soon, the site also will allow members to morph with their favorite celebrities. You have to make sure their photos are in the public domain and YOUAND.ME encourages its members to morph with only single celebs. Sorry, Brad Pitt, Jessica Alba, Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Adriana Lima, Beyonce, Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen and J-Lo are already taken. But we understand Li-Lo (Lindsay Lohan), Rihanna, George Clooney, Shrek, Jennifer Aniston, and Madonna are available - at least for now.

YOUAND.ME offers free online dating. The Make Babies feature comprises proprietary technology that does not mix and create images to make a photo-hybrid baby picture. Instead, it utilizes identification and recognition technology to detect specific facial traits and features for creating a virtual baby’s face that resembles the morphing of these features.

To get the best results from the YOUAND.ME MAKE BABIES morphing feature, you should upload a clear frontal photo. Then you will need to upload the best facial frontal image of your co-creator, then you will need to select a name and a gender. You can also make modifications with regard to ethnicity and race; and you even get the chance to “recreate your baby,” if you’re not completely satisfied with his or her appearance. To morph with members on the YOUAND.ME free dating site, you will need to right click on a member’s photo, save it, then upload it as Parent 1 or Parent 2. Next, you get to choose a name, gender, and the desired ethnicity or the default of 90% detection rate.

YOUAND.ME requests that morphing members be responsible parents and make as many babies as members desire, but the YOUAND.ME team advises daddy and mommy morphers to give their virtual YOUAND.ME babies the care and devotion they deserve.

YOUAND.ME is setting up a college fund for all virtual YOUAND.ME Babies, as the team firmly believes in providing the best opportunities for the YOUAND.ME Children. The site is also holding a contest for the “most beautiful” YOUAND.ME virtual baby of the month, and it will donate $100 to UNICEF in the YOUAND.ME virtual baby’s name.

Several of YOUAND.ME’s 35,000 members have already morphed and given birth to beautiful YOUAND.ME virtual members. One member, who wishes to remain anonymous, beams with joy when speaking about her virtual child. “Actually, my sweetie is about what I’d imagine my ideal baby would look like,” she states. “I’m a little nervous as a novice virtual mommy, and I’ve yet to break the news to the virtual daddy.”

Since launching the baby morphing feature on the www.YOUAND.ME free dating site, members have given birth to over 500 virtual babies.

The YOUAND.ME online dating site pays for all the baby delivery expenses - as everything on YOUAND.ME is completely free - connecting, blogging, gaming, uploading, video chat, messaging, dating, morphing, and even having virtual babies. So welcome to www.YOUAND.ME and start connecting and morphing with that special someone. Magic happens everyday at YOUAND.ME and it strives to make your dream come true.

Source: YOUAND.ME

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do you choose to earn money from home“? I would like to believe that most of us choose this option because we desire to spend more time with our family or children and we look forward to a better quality of life.

In the fast paced world that we live in it can be easy to neglect our health and wellness. We are so busy racing through our day to day lives - family, friends, work, social engagements that we don’t take the time to look after ourselves. Its really no wonder that so many of us are tired and run down even when we are working from home in our home office. How then can we improve our quality of life instead of this mad rush everyday?

One of the things you can do is to Exercise. The thing is, exercise doesn’t have to be boring or rigid. It doesn’t need to be strenuous or taxing on our bodies. Early this year, I took up Pilates and it has been great taking time off every week to stretch and workout this body of mine. In the past, I wouldn’t allow myself to get out and do something like that cos all I wanted to do was to stay in my home office and kept working.

These days, you can hop to the gym, take up yoga, step classes, learn a dance and a whole range of new workout options. If you don’t really have the time or money for the gym, or prefer to spend your mornings/nights at home, then try an exercise bike in your home office. My work at home husband never fails to jump on his rebounder and does his weight lifts every morning before he heads to the home office. Sometimes when he needs a break from his cad drawings, he would step out of the house and do some deep breathing.

On a final note, don’t forget to take some quiet time for yourself while you earn money from home. Meditating is an excellent way to minimize stress. You don’t have to sit around for hours, just give yourself 5 minutes of quiet time every day. What matters most is that you can take time and have a little catch up with yourself.

65% Taking Advantage of Deals and Going to Europe in Next 12 Months

Best, Worst and Free of Europe Called Out in TripAdvisor Survey

TripAdvisor(R), the world’s most popular and largest travel community, announced the results of its annual European travel survey of more than 1,300 U.S. respondents. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed are planning a trip to Europe in the next 12 months. Thirty-six percent said they’re planning to take advantage of a great deal to Europe this year, and 28 percent are interested in finding an excellent deal and would go for the right price. Nineteen percent said they would only be lured to go by the deal of a lifetime.

Seeking Savings Across the Pond

Thirty-three percent of respondents intending to visit Europe this year said they’ll save money by taking advantage of off-peak travel rates, and 50 percent said they are visiting Europe during September or October. Fourteen percent said they would save by using public transportation and 10 percent expect to pinch pennies by preparing meals or eating at reasonably priced restaurants.

Tongue Tied

Eighty-five percent of respondents said they make an effort to sound like a local when traveling in Europe, while 56 percent said they felt taken advantage of because they didn’t know the local language. When asked what major European languages they can speak, 43 percent admitted none. Thirty-one percent can speak Spanish, 28 percent French and 13 percent German. Thirty-seven percent have resorted to speaking louder and more slowly in their native language in an attempt to be understood.

Hosts with the Most?

Some travelers find Europeans to be unfriendly hosts. Forty-one percent of respondents believe they are friendlier hosts to U.S. visitors than Europeans are to Americans. Forty-two percent said they have been insulted or met with hostility in Europe because of their nationality.

The Obama Effect

Fifty-seven percent believe Europeans have a better opinion of Americans since President Obama’s election. Forty-four percent agree that this perceived improvement in European opinion of Americans since Obama’s election increases their desire to visit Europe.

Survey Revealed the Best and Worst of European Cities:

Best Bargain Cities
1. Prague, Czech Republic
2. London, England
3. Paris, France
4. Lisbon, Portugal
5. Budapest, Hungary

Best Free Attractions
1. London, England
2. Rome, Italy
3. Paris, France
4. Venice, Italy
5. Amsterdam, Netherlands and Barcelona, Spain (tie)

Best Bargain Shopping
1. Istanbul, Turkey
2. Prague, Czech Republic
3. Florence, Italy
4. Budapest, Hungary
5. London, England

Cleanest Cities
1. Zurich, Switzerland
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands and Copenhagen, Denmark (tie)
4. Paris, France
5. Stockholm, Sweden and Vienna, Austria (tie)

Dirtiest Cities
1. Athens, Greece and Rome, Italy (tie)
3. Paris, France
4. Istanbul, Turkey
5. Venice, Italy

Friendliest and Most Helpful Locals
1. Dublin, Ireland and London, England (tie)
3. Amsterdam, Netherlands
4. Edinburgh, Scotland and Rome, Italy (tie)

Most Unfriendly Hosts
1. Paris, France
2. Moscow, Russia
3. Rome, Italy
4. London, England
5. Berlin, Germany

Most Attractive Locals
1. Paris, France
2. Rome, Italy
3. Stockholm, Sweden
4. Barcelona, Spain, Amsterdam, Netherlands and Copenhagen, Denmark (tie)

Worst Tourist Traps
1. Paris, France
2. London, England and Rome, Italy (tie)
4. Venice, Italy
5. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Top 10 Free European Attractions, According to TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index

1. National Gallery, London, England
2. Imperial War Museum, London, England
3. Magic Fountain, Barcelona, Spain
4. Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Oswiecim, Poland
5. Pantheon, Rome, Italy
6. Saint Mark’s Basilica, Venice, Italy
7. Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France
8. Sir John Soane’s Museum, London, England
9. Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany
10. The Resistance Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Award-Winning Best Bargain Hotels in Europe
1. Hotel Vecchio Asilo, San Gimignano, Italy
2. Arcadia Residence, Prague, Czech Republic
3. Can-y-Bae, Llandudno, Wales
4. Garni Hotel Berc, Bled, Slovenia
5. Pension Bellas Artes, San Sebastian-Donostia, Spain
6. Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo, Venice, Italy
7. Kenley Hotel, Blackpool, England
8. La Villa Marbella-Charming Hotel, Marbella, Spain
9. Hotel Tagoo, Mykonos, Greece
10. Casa Sibarita, Rafelguaraf, Spain

“Travel to Europe is still an essential annual escape for a number of Americans,” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. “There are some great deals out there, and it’s heartening to see travelers are going, despite the times.”

Source: TripAdvisor