Category — Europe
Travel to Europe for Christmas: Winter Wonderland
One of the most picturesque times of the year to be in Europe is during the pre-Christmas season; especially in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Many of these regions are snow-covered and lit brightly for the holidays.
Austria has some particular traditions around Christmas times. Advent wreaths are a very important one in the country. They are usually decorated with ribbons and four candles to signify the four weeks leading to Christmas Eve. Innsbruck, and old town in Austria bustles with busy Christmas markets and the “sound of music” fills the air in Salzburg and Vienna.
Around Christmas time, Switzerland is a fabulous place for children. Numerous markets open in the streets with handmade treasures and activities for little ones. On December 6, St. Nicolas day, children set out their shoes in hope that Santa Claus will fill them with nuts, chocolates, tangerines and homemade cookies. Swiss children also look forward to receiving a graetimaa — man-shaped bread decorated with raisins and spun sugar.
In Germany, Christmas markets reign throughout the country, in towns small and large. Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and Stollen breads are popular foods during the holiday season. Nurnberg, famous for packaging its delightful gingerbread in countless ways, has one of Germany’s best Christmas bazaars. Hand-carved wooden ornaments and nativity scenes, festive wreaths, and aromatic candles line the booths, when you stroll by cradling a cup of hot, spiced wine.
In the alpine areas of all three countries, winter festivals are spectacular. Running from November through February, these areas offer horse and carriage racing, hot air ballooning, ice-skating and more. This could make for a very romantic getaway or a family vacation. Germany’s “Viva winter Fun — Party at the Zugspitze” was one of last year’s most sensational.
December 6, 2006 3 Comments
Using an American Cell Phone in Europe
Not all American phones get service in Europe and not all mobile providers offer plans that stretch beyond the Atlantic. The ones that do work are a bit pricey but can be effective.
The standard phone network in Europe is called GSM, or Global System for Mobile Communications. Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson all produce GSM-enabled phones. Make sure your phone is “GSM-enabled.” If not, and you’re thinking of buying a new mobile phone that you can use in Europe, look for anything labeled “tri-band” or “quad-band” to get the “world phone” option. Dual-band doesn’t always work. My personal opinion is that Blackberry offers the best international communication hardware.
Once you have the right phone, next you need to purchase the right international calling plan. T-Mobile offers a very affordable option, if used sparingly ($1 to $2 a minute). What is especially good about this particular plan are no additional fees.
Lastly, before you go on your trip, stop in at your provider’s store and ask one of the customer service employees if your phone is cleared for use in Europe. Some phones you need to manually change the network while others do it automatically.
Just so you know it works; as you cross each border you’ll usually get a text message welcoming you to the new country’s network. Good luck and have a safe trip!
December 4, 2006 No Comments
Interactive Map of Oxford University in England
For those of you interested in planning a trip to England, I strongly recommend making a stop in Oxford. It is a beautiful city with lush gardens and fascinating individuals. Below you can see an interactive map of Oxford. University Park and the Christ Church War Memorial Gardens were my personal favorite places to sit and relax.
The bottom of the map shows a map of the city while the top shows a “real-life” 360 degree view. Hit one of the buttons on the bottom and notice how the pictures on the top changes. This interactive map is provided by Panoramic Earth and powered by MAI Technology. Hope you enjoy it.November 27, 2006 No Comments
Top 25 British Isles Hotels for 2006
Not a surprise that nearly half the British Isles’ top hotel properties are located in London. However, the number one pick is Buckland Manor settled in the Cotswolds. The hotel dates back to the thirteenth century and is set in glorious grounds featuring immaculate gardens with running stream, small waterfalls, croquet lawns and tennis courts. Golfing guests can enjoy the private putting green and there’s an 18-hole course in nearby Broadway. Top British Isles hotels are:
- Buckland Manor, The Cotswolds 98.9
- Gidleigh Park, Devon 93.5
- Madarin Oriental Hyde park, London 92.2
- Four Seasons, London 91.1
- Claridge’s, London 90.6
- The Dorchester, London 89.4
- The Lanesborough, London 88.7
- The Merrion, Dublin 88.3
- Lygon Arms, The Cotswolds, 88.0
- The Connaught, London 87.8
- The Balmoral, Edinburgh 87.7
- The Savoy, London 87.7
- The Ritz, London 87.4
- One Aldwych, London 86.5
- Four Seasons, Dublin 85.4
- Killarney park Hotel, Co. Kerry 85.1
- Cashel House Hotel, Co. Galway 84.9
- Cotswold House, Cotswold 84.7
- The Westin, Dublin 83.3
- Royal Crescent, Bath 82.6
- The Berkeley, London 82.4
- Covent Garden Hotel, London 82.2
- Dukes Hotel, London 81.9
- Royal Hourseguards, London 81.9
- Conrad, Dublin 81.5
November 22, 2006 1 Comment
Top 75 Europe Hotels for 2006
Planning to travel to Europe in style? Conde Nast recently published their Reader’s Choice Top 100 “The Best in the World”. The segment rates the best of the best for Cruises, Hotels, Airlines, Islands, and Cities on a scale of 1-100. This will be the first of a series of posts. We will start with hotels. The categories in which they are rated are:
- Food/Dining
- Location
- Overall Design
- Rooms
- Service
The following list does not contain hotels in the British Isles. The Four Seasons makes the list six times. Both Paris and Rome are home to six hotels that make the list. And the top European Hotels are:
- Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Budapest 98.8
- Chateau Les Crayeres, Reims 97.8
- Four Seasons George V, Paris 97.4
- Palazzo Sasso, Ravello 96.6
- Four Seasons, Istanbul 96.4
- Ritz Carlton, Istanbul 93.1
- Il San Pietro di Positano, 95.3
- La Bastide de Moustiers, Provence 95.3
- Villa San Michele, Tuscany 95.0
- Palace Luzern, Lucrene 94.9
- Chateau de la Chevre d’Or, Cote d’Azur 94.7
- Le Meurice, Paris 94.1
- Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, Paris 94.1
- Hotel Taschenbergpalais, Dresden 93.9
- Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne 93.8
- Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, Cote d’Azur 93.7
- Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul 93.2
- Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento 93.1
- Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo 93.1
- Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris 92.6
- Katikies Hotel, Santorini 92.3
- Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi 92.2
- Hotel Villa Cipriani, Asolo 92.2
- Hotel d’Europe, Avignon 92.1
- Hotel Cipriani, Venice 92.0
- Chateau de Bagnols, Beaujolais 91.8
- Le Sirenuse, Positano 91.8
- Four Seasons, Milan 91.6
- Grand Hotel de la Minerve, Rome 91.6
- Hotel Savoy, Florence 91.5
- King George II, Atens 91.5
- La Reserve de Beaulieu, Cote d’Azur 91.5
- Londra Palace, Venice 91.3
- Ritz-Carlton, Berlin 91.3
- Domaine des Hauts de Loire, Onzain 91.2
- Luna Hotel Baglioni, Venice 91.2
- La Colombe d’Or, Provence 91.1
- Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel, Interlaken 91.1
- Hotel Imperial, Vienna 90.8
- Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, Venice 90.8
- Hotel Ritz, Madrid 90.8
- Chateau Eza, Cote d’Azur 90.4
- Mandarin Oriental, Munich 90.4
- Raffles Hotel vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg 90.2
- Westin Excelsior, Florence 89.9
- Beau Rivage, Geneva 89.8
- Hotel Hassler, Rome 89.7
- San Domenico Palace, Sicily 89.7
- Baur au Lac, Zurich 89.6
- Tivoli Palacio de Seteais, Sintra, Portugal 89.5
- Four Seasons, Prague 89.4
- Hotel Ritz, Paris 89.4
- Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville 89.1
- Hotel Lungarno, Florence 88.9
- Hotel Goldener Hirsch, Salzburg 88.8
- Hotel Gritti Palace, Venice 88.8
- Marriott Hotel, Berlin 88.4
- Trianon Palace, Versailles 88.4
- Hotel de Crillon, Paris 88.3
- Grand Hyatt, Berlin 88.2
- Hotel Bauer & Bauer II Palazzo, Venice 88.0
- Hotel de Russie, Rome 87.8
- Grand Hotel Quisisana, Capri 87.7
- Hotel Kamp, Helsinki 87.4
- Le Meridien, Vienna 87.3
- Grand Hotel, Florence 87.2
- Palais de la Mediterranee, Nice 87.2
- Kempinski Hotel Corvinus, Budapest 87.1
- Four Seasons Hotel Ritz, Lisbon 87.0
- Hotel Arts, Barcelona 86.9
- St. Regis Grand Hotel, Rome 86.7
- The Grand Amsterdam, Amsterdam 86.6
- Westin Palace, Madrid 86.6
- Principe di Savoia, Milan 86.5
- Hotel Sacher, Salzburg 86.2
November 21, 2006 3 Comments
Interactive Map of Skiing Resort in France (Serre Chevailer)
If you are planning on a ski trip to Europe soon, France might be the place for you. The food is magnificent, the weather is beautiful and the slopes are exhilarating. To help give you a better idea, below is an interactive map of Serre Chevailer, a ski resort in France.
[Read more →]
November 1, 2006 3 Comments
List of 33 Things to Bring With You When Backpacking Through Europe
For any of you who are interested in backpacking through Europe, whether you are a college student, a vacationer, or just a free-spirit, below is a list of 33 necessary things to take with you on your journey.
- Backpack
- Passport
- Foreign currency (see tips here)
- Chapstick
- City Guide
- Language Dictionary
- Two Changes of Clothes
- Gloves
- Jacket
- Toothbrush
- Deodorant
- Calling Card
October 25, 2006 1 Comment
Fly to Poland
Getting to and from Poland will now be a little easier. Centralwings is offering new flights from the United Kingdom and Ireland to various cities in Poland. Check our their special offers page. I just priced out a flight from Edinburgh to Warsaw for about 67 GBP ( $125 ).
Full article from travelmole:
23 October, 2006
Centralwings expands Polish destinations
Polish low-cost airline Centralwings is to serve Wroclaw from Gatwick with four flights a week from October 29.
The carrier is to start its first service from Stansted on December 15 with three flights a week to Warsaw.
Twice-weekly Shannon-Gdansk and twice-weekly links from Cork to Krakow and Wroclaw start on October 30 and October 31 respectively.
The airline already operates routes from Gatwick to Warsaw and Krakow; Edinburgh to Warsaw, Gdansk and Katowice; Shannon to Warsaw; and Dublin to Wroclaw, Gdansk and Katowice.
Report by Phil Davies
October 23, 2006 No Comments
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