Nowhere in the world is as densely populated with rich and distinct cultures as the European continent. In all of Europe, you’ll find countless cities brimming with culture and charm, each with its own unique history and identity. While the possibilities for adventure are endless, here’s just one route you might take on a trans-Europe trip. [Read more...]
5 Must-Visit Destinations On A Trans-Europe Trip
4 Trips You Should Experience At Least Once
Looking for something besides yet another trip to the beach for your next vacation? From cooking lessons in the hills of Tuscany to snorkeling the waters off Belize, these trips should be on everyone’s list. [Read more...]
5 Free Attractions In Rio
After years of steady economic growth in Brazil, the dream of an on-the-cheap exotic vacation in Rio de Janeiro has melted faster than a Popsicle in tropical sunshine. Tourists enjoy their stay here because of the stunning natural setting, the easy charm of locals and the culture that give the city its flair. And those can all be had for nada at the following spots: [Read more...]
Top 5 Hidden Getaways In Europe
Europe is full of under-the-radar gems — from Eastern Europe’s hippest art scene to a sleepy district of lakes and castles. It takes extra effort, sure, to reach these European spots, but the reward comes with that sense of being let in on a fantastic secret — and the opportunity to experience a place rooted in local tradition before it’s really discovered and altered. [Read more...]
Adventures In Croatia
In the years since the war ended in the late 1990s, Croatia’s coastline and its 1,244 largely unspoilt islands have emerged as one of Europe’s top tourist hotspots. The likes of Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Rovinj have added a new range of hotels and restaurants to their already attractive Venetian- and Roman-era architecture, and the Adriatic waters are now alive with yachts.
Touring Around London’s Olympic Attractions
London’s eastern quarter is home to a number of new attractions: the Olympic Stadium; the Aquatics Centre; Westfield Stratford City, Europe’s largest and poshest shopping complex; and the Arcelor Mittal Orbit, a 37-storey sculpture and observation deck. Through autumn, several walking tours are taking visitors through this regenerated area, to see the structures built specifically for the Games and to experience the neighborhoods that surround the Olympic and Paralympic Village, where the athletes live. [Read more...]
Italy Introduces ‘Ferrari’ High-Speed Train
As chairman of Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo is used to making things that move at breakneck speed. But rather than flashy sports cars for wealthy motor enthusiasts, the Italian businessman’s latest high-velocity project aims to cater for the traveling masses. The Italo train from NTV – a passenger rail company of which di Montezemolo is also chairman — is a high-speed service that has been dashing between Milan, Rome and other major Italian cities since April.
With its dark red color scheme, streamlined shape and speeds as fast as a formula-one car, everyone’s calling Italo the “Ferrari train.” A cinema carriage, free Wi-Fi access throughout the train, and luxury leather seats all add to the high-performance, luxury theme. But Italo is intended to be affordable and accessible to all consumers.
Both Italo and state-run rival Trenitalia currently have promotional offers, but Trenitalia’s flexible standard tickets from Rome to Milan start from $107 and go up to $200, whereas flexible standard tickets from Rome to Milan on Italo range from $110 to $163.
While Italy has had high-speed trains since the late 1970s, NTV is the country’s first rail operator not run by the state. Montezemolo and his consortium of partners, including French state rail company SNCF, have invested €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in NTV, breaking Trenitalia’s monopoly. But Trenitalia was ready for Italo’s arrival. It has spent $100 million upgrading the interiors of its Frecciarossa trains and introduced free Wi-Fi. It welcomes a new high-speed player and is prepared to fight for every customer.
Cameron Jones, vice president of rail industry technology specialists SilverRail, agrees that competition in the sector can benefit the consumer. The expansion of other rail operators across Europe is having a similar effect, says Jones. Italo hopes to have 25% of Italy’s market by 2014, and di Montezemolo doesn’t rule out expanding beyond the country’s borders.
So, do you want to experience riding a ‘Ferrari on rails’? Do you like the concept of the Italo high-speed train?
Source: CNN Travel
Image: Jalopnik
Bug Appetit — Chefs’ Campaign For Edible Insect Dishes
In places like Columbia, Korea, and the Philippines, eating insects as a snack or with a meal is no big deal, but in Europe and the United States, the idea of chomping down on a crunchy critter makes many people squeamish. A few ambitious chefs are determined to change all that.
Toloache, a restaurant in New York City, serves up tacos de chapulinesor grasshopper tacos, inspired by chef Julian Medina’s upbringing in Mexico City. In the Netherlands, the restaurant Specktakel recently hosted a five-course bug buffet, which included samosas with a mash-up of bugs known as “insect crumble”, mealworms and duck, and chocolate fondant with worms. Though the buffet was a special occasion, the chefs promise to keep at least one insect dish on the menu at all times.
Those looking for a more subtle introduction to entomophagy (the scientific term for bug-eating) can visit the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the insecectarium serves up gourmet bug-eats every day at 10 am. From chocolate “chirp” cookies (baked with crickets as well as the usual chocolate chips) to cucumber sandwiches topped with queen ants, the dishes are all aimed at making eating bugs more routine.
“We eat so many odd things, like eggs, organ meat and honey, which is bee barf when you think about it,” said Zach Lemann, visitor programs manager at the insectarium. “Why not eat bugs? Insects are healthful for people, but they also taste good. They are much more efficient at converting plant matter into edible tablefare than livestock, so there is an environmental benefit as well.”
Whatever the six-legged snack on the menu, diners are always wished a hearty “bug appétit!”
Have you tried eating any of these edible insects or bugs? If not, would you be willing to sample one?
Source: BBC Travel
Image: Eat The Weeds
Cities Where People Spend The Most For Business Travel
Which city do business travellers spend the most time? According to Concur, a provider of travel and expense management services, London tops the list, followed by Shanghai, Singapore, Beijing and then Toronto. The Concur survey also shows that business travel is getting more expensive due to increasing airfares, pricier hotels and costly ground transportation such as taxis.
London
Contrary to popular belief, the city ranks sixth on the list of the world’s most expensive cities, but only Sydney beats London when it comes to the average amount spent on a hotel room — it’s even more expensive than Dubai.
Shanghai
Located on China’s prosperous eastern shoreline, the city is the gateway to the country’s manufacturing heartlands. While lodging, dining and entertainment tend to be less expensive than in London, business travellers spend slightly 16% more on car rental in Shanghai.
Singapore
In the English-speaking financial hub for Southeast Asia, now a gateway to booming, resource-rich Indonesia, it is fairly economical to get around either by taxi, car rental or public transport. Yet business travellers to Singapore tend to spend slightly more money on dining out than travellers to London.
Beijing
“Many clients have long established business relationships here that must be nurtured by regularly making sales visits,” said Peter Muller, chief operating officer for Europe at ATPI, a travel management company. In Beijing, car rental is more expensive than London, but lodgings are nearly half the price.
Toronto
As the gateway to North America’s natural resources industry (mining, energy, oil and gas), Toronto has been getting increasingly popular as a place to do business. Pricewise, accommodation is competitive, but when it comes to entertaining and dining out, Canada’s financial hub is even more expensive than London.
Have you conducted a business travel to any of these places? Tell us of your experience!
Source: BBC News Travel
Image: Reuters
Man Travels 25,000 Miles Without A Penny
Michael Wigge left Berlin without a penny and traveled 25,000 miles to Antarctica, hitchhiking, bartering and working his way by ship, plane, car and foot, from Europe to Canada and the U.S. and then through Latin America.
A series about his project, “How to Travel the World for Free,” is airing on some PBS channels throughout May and June, using video Wigge shot of his adventures. Here are some details on how he did the project and how it went.
THE TRIP: Wigge, a travel journalist and videographer who speaks German, English and Spanish, left Berlin in June 2010 and traveled for 150 days through 11 countries, arriving in Antarctica in November 2010. More than 100 people helped, providing transportation, food and places to sleep. He planned the journey for a year before starting out, collecting contacts for those who might provide accommodations or odd jobs, but he also relied on the kindness of strangers.
FOOD: I offered to clean the floor or the shelf or wash the dishes in the restaurant in exchange for an old sandwich. And most of the people I approached in shops, supermarkets and restaurants gave me something.”
ACCOMMODATIONS AND ATTITUDES: In Latin America, he found that “people were very helpful if I went to their door and said, ‘I have no idea where I will sleep tonight, can I sleep here?’ But in the U.S., it was more about the story. They would say, ‘This is cool, we want to help you reach your goal.’ Americans really go for this.”
WORK: He crossed the Atlantic working on a container ship from Belgium to Canada in exchange for his passage, doing everything from paint jobs to changing the oil in the engine room. Eventually he had 300 $1 bills, which he used to buy plane fare to Costa Rica. From there he hitchhiked to Panama, where he worked as a butler for the German ambassador.
RETURN TRIP: Once he’d achieved his goal of starting out with no money and completing a one-way trip to Antarctica, he had no qualms about accessing a bank account for return fare to Germany.
Did you enjoy reading about Michael Wigge’s adventure? Tell us what you think!
Source: Fox News Travel
Image: Pichu Productions
The Rudest Countries For Travelers
Travel search site Skyscanner recently released a list of the world’s rudest nations for visitors, naming the countries whose smiley and friendly natives are apparently confined to their promotional videos. The result, which lists 34 countries, is based on Skyscanner’s online poll, which received more than 1,200 responses from Europe, North America and Australia.
La Belle France was declared the champion of impoliteness, garnering nearly 20 percent of the total votes. French people are known for “their abrupt and curt nature,” especially while facing foreign tourists, Edinburgh-based Skyscanner told International Business Times. Russia took second place with 16.6 percent of the votes, followed by the United Kingdom (10.4 percent), Germany (9.93 percent) and a puzzingly labeled “Others” (miscellaneous countries). China (4.3 percent) ranked sixth on the list, leading Asia.
China-based etiquette expert Lawrence Lo pointed out that language barriers and cultural differences are the two major players behind the ranking. Yi Bao, Skyscanner marketing manager for China, gave an example to back the “culture difference” theory. According to Yi, though queuing is a social norm in the West, it’s not a common behavior for Chinese people, “so [it] could be interpreted as being rude [by international travelers.]”
The personality of hospitality staff is another contributing factor. Lo said many restaurants’ waiting staff in Chinese cities are usually young women from rural areas, and that the Chinese are naturally more shy than Westerners. Lo also said the result of the survey depended on what type of travelers were voting.
Travelers, it’s your chance to speak up! What do you think is the rudest country for international visitors?
Source: CNN Go
Image: International Business Times
The Islands of Greece for Your Retirement
Whenever a person plans to retire overseas, there are several issues that have to be considered in advance. One of many most important issues to consider is the expense of owning home in the destined country too because the expense of living. This really is important, in that it guides individuals in their relocation plans to the intended country. If you have plans to retire to Greece or reside there in future, you should have this details prior to relocation. It is important to note that the price of living just isn’t uniform across all Greece, therefore you will find localities inside the country which might be a lot more pricey than other individuals.
You can find several sorts of property for sale in Greece, each in the islands and inside the mainland. You will find plots of land, old homes for renovation and new houses for resale. One of the largest islands of Greece is Crete, and is usually a preferred destination for those wishing to purchase property inside the country. Though Crete is really a popular tourist destination which attracts high home prices, it has lots of villages inland that offer you house at affordable prices. Other island places in which you’ll be able to own house consist of islands for example Mykonos, Corfu and Rhodes, that are famed for their idyllic beauty. The most preferred destinations for mainland house are Athens, Halkidiki, and Peloponnese. The majority of the cheapest properties in Greece are identified within the country’s rural mainland.
Purchasing house in Greece is somewhat straightforward, getting few restrictions for overseas purchasers. However, it is actually essential to seek legal guidance from a qualified skilled in the country before acquiring property to stay clear of any troubles in future. One of many most cost-effective ways of acquiring house in Greece is through renovation of old buildings or homes. For anyone who is set to refurbish or renovate new buildings, you may readily discover excellent bargains. As soon as your house has been purchased, no monthly payments are required like council taxes.
With regards to language, English is widely spoken by the neighborhood persons in addition to Greek. It is actually also compulsory in most Greek schools, which will make it simple for you for those who have school-going youngsters. In addition, Greece is also technologically advanced, therefore amenities such as satellite televisions and high speed internet are available in most parts from the country.
Living in Greece has other positive aspects, along with low home rates. It has great weather which can be sunny the majority of the year, coupled with short, mild winters. Additional, the cost of living is lower than in most European countries except in Athens, which can be among the most costly cities on the planet. At the same time, the Greeks are pretty friendly whilst crime rates are very low. Greece has the reputation of having the lowest crime rates in Europe. In most villages, individuals ordinarily leave their vehicles and houses unlocked. Greeks also enjoy natural, healthy cuisines, therefore you are assured of a wholesome, outdoor life style. Living in Greece as a result greatly enhances the quality of one’s life.
