22
Sep
Travelling to Europe can be a wonderful and life-changing experience, but many people don’t enjoy it the way they could and should because of the little annoyances that pop up during the trip.
Here are a few tips to ensure you can make the most of your travel through Europe:
1. Instead of taking a taxi to your hotel it might be a lot better to share an airport shuttle with a few other travellers. Airport taxis are usually more expensive and some unscrupulous drivers will take side routes or even mess with the meter just to get more money out of your pocket.
With an airport shuttle you save money and you don’t have to worry about directions or finding the hotel; plus, you can get picked up again at the end of your stay and dropped off at the airport.
2. Take your time when travelling! Some people go on vacation doing a speed tour of every city and location they can think of, and this really is not the way to travel anywhere. Travelling this way will only exhaust you and you won’t get to enjoy each city the way you should.
Remember this: it’s good to plan ahead but don’t stick to it if you feel that you haven’t spent enough time somewhere. It’s better to go back another time and pick up where you left off than to go home tired and disappointed with the experience.
3. Are you sure you have enough time to visit all the places you want? Make sure that you reserve 2 or 3 days for each location and half a day or a full day for travelling from one place to another.
Given this reasoning for a 10 day trip you should plan to visit 3 or 4 places at the most, and a 15 day trip would be suitable for 6 destinations.
It is also helpful if you plan ahead for a route that will take you less time to travel from destination to destination – saving on travel time will give you more time to do other things.
4. Rent a car or go by train? Both options have pros and cons, so it’s worth thinking which is suitable for you.
Renting a car can give you freedom that a train can’t: for example in France there are a lot of vineyards that offer free wine tasting or dairy farms with free cheese tastings. Just pop out of the car and enjoy!
On the other hand, trains are best when you are short on time and money – unlike the United States, train fares are cheaper here and the distances are not that great. Also, if you stick to major cities you’ll most likely get there faster than in a car. If you plan on visiting smaller towns or even villages chances are that a train runs through there, so going by rail is always a good choice!
5. Gas Prices – if renting a car you should also be aware of the higher gas prices in Europe. While the average price per gallon in the United States is hovering around $2.50 in Europe you won’t find it cheaper than $4 per gallon, and that’s at best. Some European countries have it at around $7 per gallon.
That train ride sounds better and better, huh?
6. Bring batteries and power adapters – if you’re from Asia or the United States be sure to bring batteries and power adapters for every electronic device that you have with you.
Although you can find them in Europe too, they are cheaper in your country and you wouldn’t want your camcorder dying on you when you really need it!
Keep these tips in mind and your trip to Europe will be the best one in your life!
September 22nd, 2008 in
Main Continent | tags:
Europe |
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21
Sep
The whole Pacific area is too vast to cover in one simple article, so we’ve selected some of the best places to stay.
Where is it?
For the purposes of this guide, the Pacific refers to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and French Polynesia. There are thousands of islands scattered around this area of the Pacific and the Coral Sea, and many are largely unexplored by tourists.
Where can I stay?
Each of these countries is used to tourism and Australia and New Zealand in particular are not short of places to stay; from grand hotels to backpacker hostels. Europeans travelling to this part of the world usually stay for some time because of the long flights and because there’s so much to explore. Take the weight off your sight-seeing feet and choose to stay in one of the growing number of boutique hotels. Specifically designed for those who like to stay somewhere different on their travels, these hotels pay careful attention to design, detail and service, ensuring that your stay is comfortable and straightforward so that you can concentrate on the cities, landscapes and activities nearby. In Australia, try the Tower Lodge in the country’s Hunter Valley – internationally famous for its wine production. With just twelve rooms that are simply and elegantly furnished and designed for maximum comfort whatever the weather, a stay at Tower Lodge is the perfect start to an Australian tour. By contrast, try the luxury yachts that operate out of French Polynesia. A six or seven night cruise around these beautiful islands is refined by the number of spacious bedrooms – just 30 – and the addition of several sundeck levels, champagne breakfasts and on-land excursions designed to let you see the wonder of these islands at first hand.
What can I see?
You can’t possibly fit everything that this area has to offer into a couple of paragraphs, but all of the countries of the Pacific benefit from astonishing coastlines, unforgettable mountain, desert and forested areas, rich culture and an adventurous spirit. Whether you’re bungee-jumping in New Zealand, surfing in Australia, river kayaking in French Polynesia or enjoying the scuba diving in Fiji, you’re sure to want to return to the Pacific again to explore its delights.
How do I get around?
Transport varies from country to country. Australia and New Zealand are well served by airlines, so you can visit both countries in one trip, just move between New Zealand’s North and South islands, or take in as much of Australia as you can. It’s straightforward to hire cars in both countries and they operate public transport networks that are obviously cheaper and more regular in the cities than in rural areas. In Fiji, you can island hop by plane or, more cheaply and slowly, by ferry. Alternatively, there are reasonable bus services on the larger islands. French Polynesia is much the same, as are many of the other island groups in this part of the Pacific.
As more and more boutique hotels emerge to cater for travellers who appreciate design and service, the Pacific islands will feature in many more travel wish lists.
21
Sep
A South Pacific Vacation makes you think of Fiji, French Polynesia, Tahiti, but not perhaps Lord Howe Island. Yet Lord Howe Island could be just the perfect South Pacific Island vacation destination, a real romantic getaway, and yet easily accessible from the eastern seaboard of Australia, as it only takes two hours flying time.
Lord Howe Island is an extraordinary place, and has been described as the last paradise, where you will often find more fish and bird species than people, and this includes the visitors as well!! The reason for this is there are around 300 residents and then a restriction of 400 visitors at any one time. For this reason it is never crowded, and a good reason to call itself a real south pacific island romantic getaway
Lord Howe Island has the most southerly coral reef in the world and it is absolutely teeming with over 500 species of fish, plus many varieties of coral. It makes a superb sight below water line but pretty spectacular above, where there is a lovely lagoon protected by the line of surf that denotes the reef. This is a place with no pollution and the beaches are spotless.
Lord Howe Island is dramatic to look at, as it came from an ancient volcanic eruption, and the southern end is dominated by two large mountains called Mt.Gower, and Mt.Lidgbird, named after the Commander of the first ship to visit the island, which soar 875 metres out of the ocean.
Visitors definitely step back in time when they arrive here, and there are few of the trappings of resort style 21st century life for the holidaymaker. This is a place for nature lovers, and people who like nothing better than to walk and even hike in the mountains.
In addition you can hand feed the fish at Ned’s Beach, go for a lagoon cruise in a glass bottomed boat, charter a boat to go fishing, or take the two hour round the island trip. By the way the island is 11 kms long and 3kms at its widest.
I terms of where to stay on Lord Howe Island, then there are 17 family run accommodation properties, ranging from full board to self catering, but please note, there is no camping permitted. You can hire a car when you are here if you pre book it, but bicycles are the popular mode of transport.
The weather on Lord Howe, is sub tropical varying from 18-28 degrees C.
The Best time to visit Lord Howe Island is really anytime!! In fact from September to May is summertime, and it is usually fine and mild to warm and hot. You are advised to bring a jacket for cooler evenings, and that you should bring a raincoat. You’ll need comfortable shoes and sandshoes for reef walking. You’ll need a torch to find your way around at night because there are no street lights.
There are no entry requirements, and Australian citizens don’t need a passport.
Lord Howe Island isn’t only a great place for a romantic getaway it is also a paradise for children because they can roam free in perfect safety, because there are no snakes, nothing poisonous, and almost zero crime. Honeymooners and escapists love it because you are out of the range of mobile phone masts.
Go to Lord Howe Island for a South Pacific Island Vacation with a difference.
