December 1, 2008
Welcome to the December 2008 edition of the Europe Travel Carnival, where my aim is select great posts to inform, inspire and entertain readers who love travel in Europe.
Activities
In How can I be sore THERE!? posted at Wide Awake in Wonderland, we read about Vanessa Wolf’s caving adventures in the Budapest Caves. There are around 200 caves located under Budapest formed by the springs which feed the thermal baths in the city.
Budapest Caves
GrrlScientist writes about London’s Regents Park posted at Living the Scientific Life, saying, “This photo essay contains descriptive text, my Regent’s Park bird list, a nursery rhyme, and lots of gorgeous images.” Regents Park certainly seems to be popular with bird watchers as I found loads of bird photos when searching for “Regents Park” on Flickr.
Regents Park
Christopher Cook presents Tickets To The Alhambra: posted at -noambit -Travel Europ, saying, “Anyone headed to Granada Spain is going to do two things; eat free tapas with their beer purchase and visit the Alhambra. In this article I outline how to go about purchasing tickets for this awe inspiring collection of palaces as well as how to arrive at the hilltop Fortress.” We visited Granada many years ago when I was pregnant and it was a wonderful city.
Alhambra, Granada
Destination
Khan predicts that most of the tourist who visit Venice will end up getting lost in The Streets of Venice posted at European Travel Blog. It’s a small price to pay for wandering around this beautiful city. Yes Venice is full of tourists but I’d still rate it as a must see European city.
Venice
Mark presents Underground Fantasy (Skocjan Caves, Slovenia) posted at Travel Wonders of the World. That’s a coincidence to have two posts about caves in the same Carnival. The Skocjan Caves in Slovenia do look amazing.
Skocjan Caves, Slovenia
Hairy Swede presents Alla Helgons Dag and a Urinary Emergency in Sweden posted at A Swedish American in Sweden, Here’s another coincidence Anna Etmanska of the Europe a la Carte blogging tean wrote about the Skogskyrkogarden cemetery, burial site of Greta Garbo, where she also had great trouble locating the toilet facilities. I’m always relieved to hear about other travellers having issues with finding toilets, it reassures me that I’m not the only person who finds this all an annoying distraction.
Skogkyrkogarden Cememtery, Stockholm
Sue presents Sicily Travel posted at AtlasSue. Sicily is another one of thedr destinations I’ve been wanting to visit for ages but it’s not very easy or cheap to reach from either Scotland or north east England.
Golfo di Macari S Vito lo Capo. Tranpani, Sicily
Jul describes her trip to Zurich with melted cheese and chocolate high on the list of attractions in Toasting Obama in Zurich posted at This non-American Life.
Cheese Fondue
Restaurants and Food
In My Top 10 London Restaurant Recommendations posted at londonelicious: a london restaurant blog, there are recommendations for “food the people” style of London restaurants.
London South Bank by night
In Croatia: Safe Haven for Celliacs from the Gluten Free World Traveller the Alaskan Goddess was happily surprised at how easy it was to request that food be prepared to her requirements when she visited Rovinj in Croatia.
Rovinj, Croatia
Travel Tips
Christopher Cook presents Audio Tours posted at -noambit -Travel Europe- where to go, saying, “Instead of lugging heavy guidebooks around, and following a crowd of people chasing after some lady holding up an umbrella why not see the sights at your own pace and spend a lot less. Audio tours that can be downloaded directly to your MP3 player are a great new way to travel light, on your own time frame and save money. This article will tell you how they work as well as provide a list of reputable companies providing such tours.” Now I tried an audio tour at the Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum near Edinburgh and couldn’t get it to work. Continuing the Scottish theme, when I was searching Flickr to find a photo for this submission the photo below taken at Stirling Castle attracted my attention because it looked as though the young people were enjoying themselves. I lived in the Stirling area in central Scotland for 19 years.
Audio Tour, Stirling Castel
Sasha reviews the new ebook “Travelling Europe” written by Craig and Linda Martin of Indie Travel Podcast in If you want to start travelling Europe, you know what to do posted at Yankee in a New World.
Quai de Seine, Paris
Other topics
Cynthia Caughey presents How it all began posted at Adventures of an American Woman in the French Alps. Now being of a romantic disposition I loved reading about how Cynthia discovered l’amour travelling in France and how it ended up in her decamping from the States to live in France. Who says holiday romances don’t last?
Le Mont Ventoux
I hope that you’ve enjoyed your Carnival trip around Europe. If you’d like to submit to the January edition of the Europe Travel Carnival, published on 5 January 2009, the submission deadline is 29 December 2008. Any submission should be directly related to travel in Europe.
Originally posted here.
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November 29, 2008
I always like to find the lowest possible price for accommodation, so I’m a big fan of the HotelsCombined price comparison site which searches the databases of more than 30 accommodation suppliers to find the best rate. Recently HotelsCombined found great deals on two occasions for me.
I was looking for a double room in Perthshire for a two night Autumn weekend break in October and found the three star Quality Hotel in the centre of the Scottish town of Perth for only 109 euro (£85) for the two nights through the accommodation supplier Book in Hotels. The hotel is opposite Perth rail station. The room was good apart from some stains on the wallpaper. The bathroom had an enormous Victorian bath with the biggest taps I’ve ever seen. The breakfast was wonderful, a lovely spread of fresh fruit, selection of cold meats and a hot buffet but there was confusion over the hours of service for breakfast.
Perth riverside at dusk
The Leith Waterfront Express by Holiday Inn in Edinburgh was an amazing 105 euro (£83) for three nights, (only £28 a night) in November 2009 for a double room including continental breakfast, booked through Hotel Board. Initially it looked as though Skoosh offered the lowest rate but Skoosh proceeded to add £7 in taxes and charges to the original price which meant that Hotel Board had the lowest inclusive price. That’s around £28 a night for a comfortable room for two. The hotel is a couple of miles from the city centre (which means free parking) but it’s opposite the Ocean Terminal shopping and leisure centre, where the Royal Yatch Britannia is berthed, and a short walk to from several restaurants, pubs and cafes. The room was comfortable but lacked adequate sound proofing as we could hear a conversation from the neighbouring room one morning, although it was quiet during the night. The self service continental breakfast was good.
Leith, Edinburgh
The cheapest rates may be quoted in euro or US dollars, so I have a Nationwide debit card which means I don’t pay any additional charges for these transactions.
As ever it’s always worth checking the hotel’s own site as sometimes you can find a cheaper rate there but HotelsCombined usually finds the lowest rate.
Originally posted here.
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November 28, 2008
I have just picked up the most lovely picture book / coffee table book / travel guide that would make a perfect stocking stuffer: The Grand Literary Cafes of Europe. It is chock full of wonderful pictures of the best cafes across the region, and includes a wealth of history on how Europe became famous for its “café culture” lifestyle and the heavy influence that literary circles had on the rise and dominance of the café.
Another cup? Photo Copyrght by Andrew Hayes
I started reading through to see how many of my favourite cafes were included, and surprisingly I have been to several of the ones listed. Here are a three of my best picks that are in the book:
Café de Flore
Paris is the epicentre of café culture; today the city of lights has the highest number of historic coffeehouses still in operation. The best of them all, in my opinion, is the charming Café de Flore in the trendy neighbourhood of Saint-Germain des Prés. The atmosphere is vibrant as the Parisian elite mix with the odd tourist and backpacker. The café is so hip that it even has its own CD, Café de Flore: Rendez-Vous a Saint Germain des Pres (another great stocking filler, incidentally).
Café Europa
Prauge is not about to let Paris go uncontested for the café lifestyle. Café Europa is the hotel café in the Grand Hotel Europa, and is the most photographed café in Prague. There is no question why, with its stunning Art Nouveau façade and interiors that rival that of royal residences. With wall-to-wall murals, marble columns, late-afternoon piano music, and a grandiose skylight, this is the best place to rest your heels after a busy day of sightseeing or shopping in the Czech capital.
Café Américain
Surrounded by buskers, cannabis shops, beer-soaked cafes and a general sense of overwhelming revelry, it is hard to believe an oasis of calm can be found here in the centre of Amsterdam. However, just off the bustling Leidseplein is the beautiful Art Deco Café Américain. Enjoy a newspaper or book in a civilised environment; it is quiet enough to enjoy conversation over the gentle hiss of the espresso machine or simply relax and admire the buzz of activity passing by on the street out of the window. The furnishings are authentic and create an intimate atmosphere unique in this tourist hotspot.
Do you soak up the café culture when enjoying Europe? What’s your favourite café (literary or otherwise)?
Originally posted here.
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November 27, 2008
If you are looking for a relaxing getaway then there is no better place than Bled, Slovenia. Bled is a small lakeside town that is gorgeous with a high castle overlooking a small lake and surrounded by snowcapped mountains. There are many accommodation options and for such as small town it is surprising the amount of places that there are to eat. There are also a couple of cool bars on the main street in the town.
Bled Lake and Castle
In the summer the lake hosts many water sports and in the winter it is one big ice skating rink. When the lake is not frozen over you can take a small gondola out to the tiny island on the lake, which features the Baroque-decorated Church of Sv Marika Božja.
There are a couple of paths up to the Bled Castle, which is an 11th century fort that has a fascinating museum, local artwork, and offers some fantastic views of the lake and across the Alps.
One of the main attractions of Bled is located in the outlying hills in the Vintgar Gorge, which has a small chapel and a great walking path through the forest. The Vintgar Gorge is a great place to have a picnic. To get there you can head northwest out of Bled on the Vintgar road, next to the bus station, turning right on the outskirts of town towards the small villages of Gmajna and Zasip. Then Head uphill through Zasip to the hilltop chapel of Sv Katarina before leading you to a path through the forest to the gorge entrance.
You can also stroll around the lake on a walking path that takes a few hours and could not be more peaceful.
View of Lake Bled from Walking Path
If you are looking for some nightlife, you can head to one of the many small bars located around the lake and a couple near the bus station. There is also a casino that is located right on the lake if you are feeling lucky. One of my favorite bars is Cocktails and Dreams, which is located near the lake.
There are no shortages of food options in Bled from real Slovenian food and high-end classy restaurants to great Italian food and pizza joints. There is a great kebab place in the small shopping center across from the lake. I went there and had a great kebab and the worker was so nice he even gave me a big beer. So what if it was 11 in the morning I was on vacation! There is even a fantastic Chinese restaurant located juts behind the shopping area. In the shopping area there are clothing stores, souvenir shops, sporting goods, and even a tiny market.
Finding accommodations are no problem, as there are swanky hotels, private rooms, a hostel, and a few pensions. The hostel is located near the bus station just up from the lake, but I would recommend trying to find private rooms or a pension near the lake. When I went there for the first time I stayed in a 3 story pension and had a room on the top floor with a balcony overlooking the lake and it was only 20 Euros a night. The next time I went I stayed at a nicer pension right near the lake with great rooms and a nice bar for only 40 Euros a night.
Bled is not hard to get to, as you can take a train from the capital of Ljubianna to near Bled and then take a bus right to Bled.
I have told many people about Bled and have been there a couple of times now, once with my girlfriend and once with my family. Trust me, if you visit Bled you will never forget it.
Originally posted here.
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November 27, 2008
Have you ever looked longingly at a cheap flight to a European destination, only to realise that the cost of a villa or hotel would put that family holiday outside your budget?
Well here’s an alternative which will give you a modest roof over your head with full access to the beach, pool and sporting facilities to keep your family happy. And if you choose your location carefully you can have access to all the interesting sights that a city can offer.
You’ll probably have heard of operators like Eurocamp and Canvas holidays who offer a tent or mobile home already set up for you in major campsites. What is less widely known is that many campsites have their own apartments, wooden chalets or mobile homes that you can rent directly for less money. It’s a formula that I’ve operated successfully over the past few years when my children were younger.
These are my tips for arranging this sort of holiday yourself;
1. Check out which low cost carriers fly from your local airport and keep an eye out for when they release their summer flights to bag the early bargains. (As I write Easyjet and Ryanair have just released their summer flights)
2. Narrow down to a few areas or cities you would like to visit.
3. Check out campsites located close to your destination airport, preferrably those that can be reached by public transport or a taxi ride. The website I use for this is Alan Rogers which has comprehensive information on the best European campsites and will tell you which have accomodation to rent.
4. Carry out an internet search to find the website and contact details of any campsites that look promising and check out what accomodation they have to offer.
5. Contact your chosen campsite directly to book accomodation. You will get a better response if you e-mail them in their own language - use an internet translator if necessary.
One year we went to Barcelona and stayed in a wooden chalet by the beach, which was only a half hour bus ride into the city. We alternated one day relaxing on the beach with another wandering Las Ramblas and taking the cable car up to Montjuic.
Then there was the time when we stayed in a mobile home in a campsite on the mainland near Venice, taking the bus and ferry for daytrips into Venice. We managed to see many of the major sites while the pool and beach were at hand for the non-sightseeing days.
I have to say that given the choice, I’d rather stay in the comfort of an apartment or hotel. But for a family on a tight budget, a holiday on a campsite in the sun is a lot more fun than a wet week in Cornwall.
Originally posted here.
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November 26, 2008
With all the Christmas decorations going up I’ve been reminded of my favourite Christmas holiday ever - a couple of years ago I spent the Christmas season based in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. There are so many outdoor activities to do up there - and yes, especially in winter, despite the very short daylight hours - although unfortunately a lot of them are pretty expensive.
One of the best days out I had was also the cheapest, probably because for once it didn’t involve firing up a snowmobile and powering across the snow. Just before Christmas I booked onto a day of snowshoe walking out in the forest about a half hour drive from Rovaniemi, with a great Finnish guide and a small group of Brits and Aussies.
Snowshoe walking is no adventure sport, but perhaps that’s why I loved the day so much - it was quiet and peaceful and I felt like I finally got to experience the Finnish outdoors properly. The snow was very deep and soft, so it was actually quite strenuous (and I tripped over my snowshoes a couple of times too, when they got stuck too deep!), and the guide was smart enough to have a few breaks and provide hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies.
In fact you could do this more cheaply by just renting the equipment and heading out yourself, but all the tour operators in Rovaniemi also provide reasonably-priced tours - well, reasonable in the Finnish sense, in a country that’s definitely not cheap. You can choose from half a dozen Rovaniemi tour operators - I used a couple and found them pretty similar. If you do get up to Rovaniemi then please drop by Santa’s Village and tell the old guy I said hi!
Originally posted here.
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November 25, 2008
I had heard much of the opening woes of Heathrow’s Terminal 5 back in March, when planes were leaving without any baggage and passengers were being delayed. But it has been a while since any complaints of the British Airways home base surfaced and so it was with a certain amount of confidence that I faced my change of planes last week.
One should not celebrate too soon though. The entire morning turned into something of a disaster story, but - at the risk of giving away the ending - one in which Terminal 5 came through as a champion.
- Heathrow Terminal 5 Arrivals by moaksey
The opening scene was, of course, the fire in Berlin’s Tegel airport. This delayed a few flights (it was only in the military section, not the commercial one so a disaster of truly epic proportions was avoided) however mine managed to take off only about twenty minutes behind schedule. This sounded fine until I realised that the travel agent had given me only an hour’s time to change at Heathrow. We arrived twenty-five minutes before my connecting flight was due to depart, with me at the back of the plane, the disembarkation dock unable to connect, and the security re-screen ahead of me. To make things even more fun, the air hostesses were fairly convinced there was only one flight to Japan per day.
The push through the plane! The mad dash down the stairs! The mad dash up the stairs! The full speed sprint down the endless hallways to… wait a minute. I was at flight connections already! Only a minute off the plane and I was being ushered, without a wait, to a charming woman who checked me onto the next flight. Only two hours later. And with a five pound gift certificate to spend on food while I waited.
A great British sandwich, salt and vinegar chips and a comfortable chair positioned to watch the tarmac through giant windows. There were more boards displaying flight information than I’ve seen in any airport meaning there was no jumping up to check somewhere else and risk losing your chair or your carry-on. A thirty second train ride and I was at the second part of the terminal that my departure was in. The whole experience was lovely.
To finish the story on an even better note I wound up with a full middle row all the way to Tokyo and was able to stretch out and nap well. My luggage? Well that was already waiting for me when I got through customs.
- Heathrow - Terminal 5 by ~Temjin
Originally posted here.
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November 23, 2008
I could not find any info on it on the English version of the SAS website, which leads me to believe that since the new requirement applies to domestic flights, SAS thinks that everybody who flights with them within Sweden should speak Swedish. Oh well… The announcement in Swedish is here.
Basically, don’t be surprised when you’re asked to be fingerprinted on domestic flights with SAS while in Sweden. The explanation for it is that if you have checked-in luggage you need to be matched to it later on, and hence the need for your fingerprint. In theory it works like that: you proceed through the self-check in, print your luggage tags and when you deposit your luggage at the luggage drop, you leave a fingerprint.
Later, while boarding, you are required to leave a fingerprint at the gate. That way SAS knows you and your luggage are on the same flight.
However, in practice, the check-in staff seems a bit confused. On a recent flight from Umeå to Stockholm on November 19, everybody was required to leave fingerprints at the gate, even if a person didn’t have any checked in luggage. However, when returning from Stockholm to Umeå on November 21, only people with checked-in luggage were fingerprinted.
Because this is Sweden, and people meekly accept and do what they are told, and because the information is supposedly stored only for the duration of the flight and later erased, there were no objections to this new innovation from the public at large.
This requirement applies to both foreigners and Swedish citizens who fly SAS domestically.
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November 21, 2008
Mark Garbers of Love Camping gives us some guidelines about wild camping in the UK.
“There’s nothing quite like wild camping for the true “back to nature” experience. When done properly it’s a very environmentally friendly way to see some truly wonderfully hidden areas of the UK countryside. However, as with anything, there are always a few guidelines to be followed, even in this most unstructured type of holiday:-
Leave the site in the same (or better) condition as you found it
This is the golden rule of wild camping. Pay special care to areas where you may have had a campfire and most certainly don’t leave any rubbish or litter lying around on your departure. Bury your toilet doings and don’t bury tampons or sanitary towels- animals can smell the pheromones and are sure to dig them up.
Don’t get in the way
Even though a lot of open land may not appear to be used when you pitch camp, the odds are good that dog walkers and ramblers will come upon your site at some stage during your stay (most likely early in the morning, always say hello and be friendly!). As such, don’t camp on towpaths or bridleways or anywhere else where you could block access.
Be careful when camping on farmland
A large amount of ‘open’ land in the UK actually belongs to farmers. While they may not appear to be working the land at present, it does belong to them and there’s nothing more sure to annoy a farmer first thing in the morning than finding he can’t graze his cattle in a field because you’re camping in it! A general rule of thumb is that if you need to climb over fences to get to a campsite, you’re likely to be camping on private land and need to be extra sure that you’re not going to cause a nuisance.
Be prepared to move
There are times when you will get item number 2 wrong… in those cases, be prepared to be polite and be happy to move if asked. The key here is to be polite. Most situations can be defused by a simple apology and then going on your merry way.
Where possible, arrive late and leave early
This will ensure that you cause minimum disturbance, especially if you’re on agricultural land.
Respect the peace and quiet
Don’t make huge amounts of noise or disturbance. You are guests of the land and should respect your surroundings accordingly.”
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November 21, 2008
It’s that time of year again – Christmas markets, festivals, and events are gearing up all over Europe. I simply love them – steaming mugs of mulled wine, twinkling lights brightening up the dark nights, hot food stalls, rosy cheeks and big smiles… it’s the one of the best things about winter!
One of my favourite places to enjoy Christmas is in Cologne, Germany. Not only is it a wonderful city the rest of the year – with good restaurants, an excellent modern art museum, the impressive cathedral to mention a few things – but the city goes all out for Christmas.
Cologne - the Dom (cathedral) with Christmas Market boat below - Copyright Andrew Hayes
In Cologne (Köln in German) there are no less than six Christmas markets, so you’ll need at least a 3-day weekend to explore them all. Shopping by day, food and drinks by night is my strategy. Here’s what you’ll find in each market:
Chrismas Market underneath the Dom: Perched underneath the impressive Cologne Cathedral (the Dom), this market is a stunning beauty, with the overhead lights shooting out from a beautiful Christmas pine overhead. This market has plenty of homemade crafts, lots of mulled wine and a huge food market. Best to head here if you’re hungry.
Angel’s Market at Neumarkt Square: Between the major shopping streets, this is a candlelight paradise, as if it did just drop from heaven – hence the name.
The Rustic Market in the Old Town: Buy some traditional sweeties handmade in the traditional ways. Plenty of Kölsch, the local beer, is on hand here – even though it’s cold, try it – it is delicious.
Children’s Market in Rudolfphplatz: Children will adore this cute fairytale-themed market. Lots of toys are on sale, as well as plenty of sweets and treats.
Medieval Market at the Chocolate Museum: This market comes complete with concerts, buskers, and even a live nativity. The area has such an old-world feeling, with open fires used for roasting corn as well as beating out iron ornaments.
Floating Christmas Market: Moored down below the cathedral on the Rhine is the MS Wappen van Köln, a large ship with an expansive Christmas market. Much of it indoors, this might be a nice place to warm up if the weather is inclement. Lots of stalls with antique ornaments and there is an on-board restaurant/café.
Christmas Market at Stadtgarden Gardens: what a lovely atmosphere here at this massive market, full of stalls with food, antiques, and modern Christmas goods.
You’ll have to pay a deposit for the glasses that the Kölsch and mulled wine are served in. Both are considered popular souvenirs, as the glasses have the market name and date on them. There are even different glasses in different markets. If you decided that you don’t want them, be sure to return them to the stall for a refund of your deposit.
Have you been to Cologne? Any recommendations for Christmastime?
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