Europe Train Travel Tips
December 8th, 2008 by Ada Denis, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
If you want to really see Europe, train travel is by far the best choice. There is no better way to see a place than a leisurely train ride where you can see everything, from the countryside to the mountains to the dazzling lights of European cities.
Furthermore, Europe is made for train travel. Trains conveniently link every city from Athens to Helsinki (and everything in between).
There are many ways to organize a European railroad trip. There are Eurail passes that cover the entire continent, as well as more limited ones if you only want to visit certain parts of Europe. Which you should choose depends, of course, on your schedule, preferences and budget.
There is no “best time” to visit Europe, as there are advantages to going in every season. Summer is most convenient for many people, though it will be crowded and more expensive. Winter is great if you like sports like skiing. Fall and Spring offer both moderate temperatures and fewer crowds. But there are unlimited activities throughout the year in Europe.
If you plan a train trip to Europe, the most challenging thing is choosing the right train ticket or pass, as there are many choices. If you only get to visit Europe rarely, or if this is a once in a lifetime trip, you should see as much as you possibly can.
The great thing about Europe is that you have many countries close together with distinct language and cultures (even if most of them use the same currency now).
If you are traveling to Europe from another continent, you may want to fly into London and take the Eurostar to Paris. England and other parts of the UK are not part of the same train system as continental Europe, so your Eurail passes will not be honored there. Still, a trip to Europe is not complete without seeing London.
You can visit Eastern Europe as well as Western, though you will have to get a separate train pass for some of these countries. There is one pass that allows you to go to Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic.
If you get a train pass in Europe, make sure that any train you board will honor it. Not all trains do, and if you find yourself on a train that does not accept your pass you will have to pay for an extra ticket.
When visiting Europe, train travel is the way to see the most scenery, meet the most people and absorb as much as possible of the continent’s myriad of natural and cultural sites.
Visiting London (england) And Buckingham Palace, A Top Visitor Attraction
October 14th, 2008 by Super Max , under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
England is a most amazing nation in which to spend a little time. There are an awesome selection of tourist attraction well worth a visit perfect for all tastes. For instance the historical city of York which has been inhabited since the times of the Roman Empire, Liverpool (which won the title of European City of Culture in 2008), and Torquay (which is widely known as the English Riviera). Possibly the most famous place to spend some time is the capital city of London
London is an astounding city to visit, possibly just for a weekend or, possibly for longer. You would be surprised at how many folk living in Britain who have not yet visited London, even more surprising when you ponder on the fact it is usually top of the majority of visitors lists (of most enjoyable attractions they went to).
There literarily so many things to do and see in London that it is almost impossible to list them all at once. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular - The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is England’s most famous Royal residence, as it is home to the Queen. Buckingham Palace is positioned right in the very center of London which makes it the perfect focus for visitors. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is very interesting to witness and quintessentially English.
Buckingham Palace was originally known as Buckingham House. It was originally a large townhouse, constructed in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the townhouse which forms the main core of the palace as we know it today.
During the following three quarters of a century Buckingham House was made larger by the building of an additional 3 wings forming a central courtyard. The main architects responsible for these additions were John Nash and Edward Blore. It was also John Nash who was responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.
The widely known architect Aston Webb was responsible for the construction of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which, in 1912, he re-designed. Webb together with Sir Thomas Brock (the sculptor) were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial still exists today.
The Queen has many other royal residences besides Buckingham Palace. Every year the Queen stays, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, during the Christmas season. Sandringham House is a private royal residence (owned by the Queen).
Another private residence is Balmoral Castle, found in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Queen was in Balmoral Castle when she was informed about the shocking demise of Diana (the former wife of Prince Charles).
If you would like to take a break in the United Kingdom you might be surprised to be informed that it is possible to find a cheap London hotel without too much difficulty, on the other hand you may desire to stay in more luxurious accommodation and the small number of boutique hotels in London should more than satisfy.
Folks Taking A Vacation London Should Take A Ride On The London Eye
October 14th, 2008 by Super Max , under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
London, the capital city of England and the UK, has many visitor attractions, many of which are amongst the most popular in the country. For a great deal of time London has been an amazingly popular vacation destination and much of this interest is due to the grandness of the historical architecture and the unique culture. While a noticeable number of the tourist attractions found in London have an historic interest, for example the Tower of London, Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, there are various others that are relatively new, for example the London Aquarium, Millennium Bridge, Millenium Dome, and the most popular of these, the London Eye.
The London Eye is not unfrequently named as the Millennium Wheel for the simple reason that it was erected in 1999 to celebrate the coming of the new millennium. It was opened officially by the U.K. Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, on the evening of December thirty first sadly there was a number of safety problems and it was not opened to the public until March 2000. At a height of one hundred and thirty five meters above London it is now an unmistakable, and highly visible landmark.
Way back in 1895, in Earl’s Court, was found the Great Wheel of London, which was a monsterously huge Ferris Wheel which was able to accommodate approximately sixteen hundred people a go. Unfortunately it was demolished in 1907 but today London has something of a replacement in the London Eye. Although it is not the biggest Ferris wheel in the world it can easily say that it is the worlds biggest cantilever observation tower!
Although the London Eye cannot carry as many people as the Great Wheel of London could, it can manage to carry 25 people in each of its 32 capsules. Unlike in a Ferris wheel, on the London Eye, you are able to stand up and walk around in one of the pods but you may discover that you want to remain seated as it takes approximately half an hour for it to finish a full revolution.
With as many as 3.5 people flying on the London Eye every year it’s, now, the number one most visited visitor attraction which charges across London and the British Isles. The most common reason why people choose to take a trip on the London Eye is to see for themselves the astounding sights available from it. During a revolution of the Wheel you are able to see as far as 4m. At this incredible viewpoint a person is able to view such well known landmarks as Buckingham Palace, Hampton Court Palace, St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey. Obviously these are just a few as you can also see the best possible views of the majority of London’s landmarks. In fact the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben appear as though they are directly underneath.
The London Eye has proved to be a popular spot for marriage proposals and weddings and they now offer special wedding packages. In fact there are a number of things available which also include educational aspects for schools and colleges as well as river boat trips along the Thames.
If if you are only staying in London for a short break the London Eye is a real life saver because it is possible for one to take in nearly all of the primary London landmarks while enjoying the 30 minute ride which is impossible to do any other way (excluding a helicopter or balloon ride). Luckily it is not too difficult to find hotels near the London Eye which will save more time. If you are on a tight budget you will be pleased to know that it is also possible to find cheap hotels in London without too much trouble
Scottish Music Festivals, Wickerman
August 9th, 2008 by WickermanXXX, under Vacations. No Comments
The growing popularity of music festivals worldwide is phenomenal and in the United Kingdom there has been a dramatic increase in the number of events this year. While many people know of the huge festivals such as Glastonbury not many know of many of the smaller events which account for over 400 festivals this year.
Each year it would seem that more and more people are choosing to visit music festivals. This year has seen a massive increase in the number of music events across the globe and in the United Kingdom there have been over four hundred this year. Obviously not all such events are as large as Glastonbury but even the smaller events manage to raise crowds of many thousands of people.
Right at the peak of the tourist season (end of July) East Kirkcarswell, near Dundrennan comes alive with the sound of music emanating from the wonderful Wickerman Music Festival. Deep in the heart of Dumfries & Galloway the Wickerman Festival site is surrounded by the most incredible countryside and, usually, benefits by the gorgeous weather of the area.
Although Wickerman is a music festival it is actually themed upon a 1973 classic of British cinema, The Wicker Man. In 2006 Nicolas Cage appeared in a Hollywood remake but many folk still prefer the quirky original starring Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland and Edward Woodward.
Wandering around any music festival ground you are bound to meet all kinds of people dressed in amusing costumes but at the Wickerman Music Festival the costumes seem to appear more often than usual. Many of the costumes will have an animal theme and this is taken from the 1973 classic movie which saw people dressed in similar costumes. There are a great many references to the movie throughout the Wickerman festival site, with art installations and an open air cinema. The climax to the movie was the burning of a wicker man and this is replicated, minus the human and animals, as a climax to the music festival late on the Saturday night and is enjoyed by a huge crowd of eager onlookers.
Considered by a great many people to be a family friendly music festival, Wickerman has excellent facilities. Of special note are the toilets because usually, at music festivals, they are terrible but at Wickerman they are emptied often and usually rather clean. If you would rather not use one of the portable toilets and would like something a little more similar to yours at home then you should pay a little extra for a “Down n Dirty” ticket as these toilets are superb, porcelain types which are continually monitored by cleaning staff. If you would like to take a shower there is also a block of portable showers available too! Throughout the site there are plenty of family friendly things such as a fairground and circus. Even the food stalls are better than those usually found at festivals.
Being held in the gorgeous Dumfries and Galloway countryside it is wonderful to see that the Wickerman Music Festival organizers have gone to great lengths to ensure that there is minimal impact upon the local, and global, environment. It is actually the “greenest” music festival I have attended and each year more effort and thought goes into improving this aspect of the music festival. Litter is never a problem as “wickerpickers” can be seen wandering around collecting litter and categorizing it into the various types ready for recycling. Around the camp site there are various places to put materials suitable for recycling and even the abandoned tents are packed up and sent off to charity. It is truly amazing that only a very short time after the event it looks as though nobody was ever there!
Finally I will mention the music of the Wickerman festival, after all that is what it is all about. Most UK music festivals seem to focus upon one, or maybe two, specific genres of music but at Wickerman there is a most amazing eclectic mix of sounds ranging from reggae to punk, from acoustic folk to ska, from pop to hard dance and electronic and all manner of world music including many types of music which defy the usual categories. This may appear strange but it is one of the aspects which helps create the most incredible atmosphere as all types of people mix together and celebrate their enjoyment of live music. There is one thing, besides the incredible scenery, that you will take away with you from the Wickerman Music Festival and that is the most amazing memories of friendliness not often experienced these days.
London Tours Are The Best Way To Take In The Sights
July 21st, 2008 by Elizabeth Campbell, under Vacations. No Comments
One of the most interesting cities in the UK is London. Not only is it the capital city, but it is a city with a vast amount of things to do. London has a colourful history, and a large proportion of tourist attractions are related to this. Of course, the first thing to come to mind when thinking of London is the Queen and Royal Family. London is an enormous city and navigating your way around can be tricky. To take the stress out of this there are plenty of organised tours where one can sit back and relax. If a tour is not to your liking, then the easiest way to get about is the underground or Tube.
When visiting London the easiest way to see everything you want is by booking a tour. For the more energetic there is a walking tour. There are also tours specifically for the younger generation. One of the favoured tours is on an open top ‘red bus’ (weather permitting), a rare sight these days. Other interesting tours are those of the taverns, historic monuments and ‘rock and roll’ tours.
For the more culturally minded tourist London is an ideal destination. With a population of over 7,000,000, London is by far the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe. As you walk around it soon becomes obvious just how culturally diverse the city is. In fact there are over three hundred different languages spoken within London. The different ethnic backgrounds differ according to country of origin and religion. Of course we must not forget the English language, the most common of all. Other languages to be heard are Hokkien, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin and Gujarati.
An altogether different experience can be had by visiting one the famous street markets on offer in London. London has always been known for the fabulous Billingsgate Fish Market. Its present location in the Isle of Dogs has only been home to the fish market since 1962. Billingsgate fish market first started life about 1500 years ago. Another must see market is Walthamstowe Market, the longest street market in England which stretches for 1.61 kilometres.
London has many sights and things to do for the tourist interested in Literature. William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the famous poet and playwright has connections with London. His famous Globe Theatre was sited in London, and even though the original theatre no longer exists, it is possible to visit and watch performances at the newly constructed Globe Theatre, which is close to the site of Shakespeare’s original theatre. There are a lot of different tours available with a Shakespearean connection.
It was in 1613 that the original Globe Theatre was destroyed. The theatre burnt to the ground when a canon fired on stage during a production hit the thatch roof. The original theatre was built between 1598-1609, and was only in use during the warmer, drier, summer months of the year. After its destruction the Globe was rebuilt, re-opening in 1614. Unfortunately the theatre was forced to close again due to protests by Puritans. In 1664 it was finally knocked to the ground.
Charles Dickens is another famous person from the world of literature who has close ties with London, and there are numerous tours affiliated with him. When he was a child Dickens lived at 16 Bayham Street, Camden. Today however you will find a plaque at 141 Bayham Street, this is because number 16 has been demolished. Another of his home still stands and that is now the Dickens Museum (48 Doughty Street). Unfortunately the remainder of Dickens homes are no longer standing. One such home is 1 Devonshire Terrace, where Dickens lived in 1839. Today an office block is in its place at Marylebone Road.
There has been a fantastic book market in London since 1982. OUtside the National Film Theatre one will find South Bank Book Market. The book market takes place at the weekend all year round, the only difference being the opening times, longer in the summer (10.30am - 6.30 pm) and shorter in the winter (12pm - 5.30 pm). Bargains galore can be found amongst the many secondhand book stalls.