Posts Tagged ‘Tips’
Travel tips to European Countries: Sweden
About the county
Beautiful and clean, the peaceful Sweden is a land of cultural diversity with a mix of Danish and Wild Arctic North influences. One can also get the feel of urban living in its beautiful and sophisticated cities and at the same time one can feel the tranquility in the countryside. Sweden is full of charm with scenic medical villages, islands, lakes and forests dotting its landscape.
Most of Sweden’s area is covered by forests and not to forget thousands of lakes. One of the beauties of Sweden is its islands and one cannot go without seeing these islands. They offer the most scenic and beautiful experience to any visitors. Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, a city with 14 islands dotted with great restaurants, nightclubs, pubs and artistic grandeur. Wherever you go most people speak English. If visitors want to have a taste of seafood the west coast is the place to be. Also it is popular for ancient city Uppsala. Do no miss a trip to the Ice Hotel which is sculpted from ice each winter in Lapland. Sweden is an exciting country with great roads and state of the art high speed train system.
Population & Languages
Sweden has a population of around 9 million and the official language is Swedish. Lapp is spoken by Sami people in the north. Most people speak English fluently and also many speak German and French.
Electricity
Voltage – 230 volts, Frequency – 50Hz. Standard European 2-pin plugs are used.
Geographic Location
Sweden is a Nordic country lying in the Scandinavian Peninsula and is the fifth largest country in Europe. Its west neighbor is Norway; Finland in the northeast, the southwest border is surrounded by Skagerrak and Kattegat straits and the west coast is surrounded by Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. Majority of the area is forest and there are thousands of lakes mostly in the Southern part of Sweden.
Local Customs
Like any other country Sweden has its own customs too. It is customary not to drink until the host makes a toast. Smoking is prohibited in most public areas. It is also customary to say Tack för maten to the host after having a meal which means thanks for the food. Casual dress is acceptable for everyday wear and formal wear for social gatherings. Also tipping up to ten percent is customary for service in restaurants and around same percent for taxis also.
Places to see
Stockholm – The biggest city and capital of Sweden and is one of the most beautiful cities of the world. The old town is a treat for your eyes and a walk around city’s waterways and parks is an experience to cherish. Most visitors prefer walking around on foot and visit the medieval part of Gamla Stan. The city is basically constituted by archipelagos which are outstandingly scenic and can be explored by cruises.
Gothenburg – it is the second biggest city of Sweden. Not to be missed attraction in this city is Liseberg, a world class amusement park. It is home to popular museums like Ostindiska huset, Konstmuseet and Sjöfartshistoriska museet.
Vadstena – The Renaissance castle Vadstena slot & klosterkyrkan.
Visby – Port of Visby, ruins of Drotten, St Nicolai, St Lars and St Carin, cathedral of St Maria and Gotlands Fornsal historic musem.
Oland – Fort of Graborg, Eketorp museum and ruins of Borgholm Castle.
Travel
By Air – It is well connected to the rest of the world by air. Many international airlines serve Sweden apart from its national airlines SAS. The other airlines are Air Canada, Air France, Aeroflot, British Airways, Finn air, Lufthansa, Ryan air etc.
By Sea – The ferries connect Sweden with other destinations such as New Castle, Copenhagen, and St. Petersburg etc.
By Rail – Trains connect Ostend, Sweden to London. It is also connected to Denmark by Eurostar train.
By Road – Visitors from UK can drive to Sweden through Demark or Germany
Duty Free Items
1. Up to 200 cigarettes or 250 gm tobacco
2. 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars
3. 1 liter spirit over 22% or 2 liter wine or 32 liter beer
4. Perfumes
5. Gifts up to SEK 1700.
Prohibited Items
Narcotics, firearms, ammunition, weapons, most meat and dairy products, eggs, plants, endangered species, fireworks and alcoholic beverages that contain more than sixty per cent alcohol.
Travel Tips to European Countries: Germany
About the country
The Federal republic of Germany is the most influential country of Europe. It has witnessed the most controversial facts of history like Nazism, Holy Roman Empire and the building and demolition of the Berlin wall. With many magnificent castles it has wealth of art and culture. German is the widely spoken language in German, but outsiders can find many English speaking locals especially in the common tourist destinations.
Weather
The weather here is very unpredictable as there is a possibility of rain almost all months, so carry clothes accordingly. April and May are the months of spring which brings in full bloom of fruits and flowers. Months from May to September have very fine weather with sunny skies and offers the best time for traveling and site-seeing. People who have a passion for sports like swimming, hiking, and cycling can have the best time here during these months. Winter sports can be enjoyed at the resorts in the months from November to early March. The temperatures are below freezing and the days are too short (comprise of only six to eight months) in winter.
Local Customs
Locals greet each other by handshaking and saying Guten Tag. To say goodbye, people use Auf Wiedersehen. Guests are expected to bring uncovered and odd number of flowers, especially roses, when visiting someone’s home. The guests are welcomed with either food or refreshments. At the table, hosts say ‘Guten Appetit’ to which the guests should reply with ‘Ebenfalls’. Smoking should be better avoided in public areas. Locals dress informally but certain occasions like opera, theatre, certain restaurants and social functions call for formal wear.
Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz
Moving Around
The best way to get around is to buy the Welcome cards or the city passes which allows the customer to access unlimited bus facility in many cities of Germany. It also gives special offer on certain tourist attractions. For flexibility one can rent-a-car or go for chauffer driven cars. Along with the rent, VAT of 16% is payable. Car insurance should be available before hand in case of any accident. The speed limit within the cities is mostly 50kph and 100kph on the highways.
Nine stars
The nine stars of Southwest Germany comprise of Baden-Baden, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, Mannheim, Pforzheim Stuttgart, and Ulm. They are considered to be some of the beautiful cities of Europe. Each of the cities play a vital role in the culture of Germany. Baden-Baden has few of the finest resorts and also has Europe’s second largest opera and concert hall. Freiburg is known as the historic city center and is famous for cobblestone mosiacs, open streams and ancient alleys. Heidelberg has world famous castles and Germany’s oldest university. Karlsruhe has the famous museum Center for Art and Media. Look out for various amusements along the Nectar river of Heilbronn. Pforzheim is the capital for watches and jewelry. Stuttgart is famous for theatres and opera. Ulm is the birth place of Albert Einstein and is also house to the world’s tallest hurch spire.
Travel
The national airline that serves Germany is Lufthansa. Bwelin-Tegel airport is situated at 8 km away from the city and it takes about 20 minutes to reach there. There is a provision of duty free shops, banks, post office, eateries, conference hall, and car hire and tourism information for the passengers.
Another busy airport is the Frankfurt airport which is located at 13km away from the city. Buses take about 20 minutes to get there. Taxis are available at any time. The Intercity railway network at the airport also provides international services to Hungary, Switzerland and Austria. The facilities provided here are duty free shops, left luggage, restaurants, banks, conference halls, post office, car hire and tourism information. No departure tax is levied on the passengers.
Those wishing to travel by sea can avail the ferry connections to Finland, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Latvia, and Norway.
Eurostar provides railway service to and from Belgium, France and the UK. Booking can be made by telephone. The Inter-Rail offers unlimited second class train travel within 29 European countries. The Eurailpass offers unlimited first class train travel within 17 European countries.
EuroCity and InterCity trains have a restaurant on board, providing food and drinks. InterCity Express target the business class and provides services such as fully equipped office, conference compartments, etc. Tourist over 17 years of age can carry alcohol and tobacco with them within permissible limits.
How to Choose the Best Hotel and the Best Restaurant while in Paris
When choosing your hotel and the restaurant you want to visit in Paris, you should consider your budget. You should also consider your disliked and likes. Keep in mind that not every restaurant in Paris severs French dishes. You have a choice of pizza shops, French diners, well-rounded menus and more.
To learn more about Paris’s dishes and restaurants you may want to talk with your local travel agent or go online to review the various diners. If you consider your budget and tastes first, it will help you make good choices. There are many choices to choose from in the beautiful country of Paris, France.
How to consider hotels in Paris:
The hotel is rated, depending on courtesy of customer service, food, rooms, etc. If you know which hotel you want to stay in Paris, you can go online and find reviews. Look for the four and five star hotels. Three star hotels are good too. Paris’s hotels are designed to fit your needs. Many hotels in Paris offer special equipment for the handicapped, which is a good thing because you are many people with special needs.
Some of the best-rated hotels in Paris include the Hotel Bristol. The hotel is rated three stars. The hotel is near Champ-Ely sees and the Madeleine; this hotel is also rated with 3 stars, since it is the Hotel Castes and its near Musee Du Louvre. Another fabulous hotel in Paris is the three star, Hotel Luxemboubou Parc near St Germain. Many other hotels in Paris are rated at three also. The hotels are all very nice hotels and remember that Paris wants you to love Paris the way they love it, so the managers work hard to accommodate you. Paris hotel managers are confident that the entire family will enjoy their stay. The hotels all serve daily breakfast, which is a good way to start your morning.
Keep in mind when choosing hotels in Paris, remembering that you want to stay at near areas where you may want to visit. For instance, if you want to visit the Aldaz restaurant, search for a hotel in this region.
How to choose your restaurant:
When it come to food you what the best, so let’s see what we can come up with while visiting Paris. If you are in the mood for some Middle Eastern food you will want to try out this resonant for size, it is the Aldaz. Perhaps you do not have an Eastern taste, and then visit the Aubacou, which serves some of the tastiest French dishes in town.
You maybe on a tour and be in a hurry to eat so you may want to go to the Angelina which is a tea café that serves sandwiches and salad for all the busy people on the ran. Then they have the Blue Elephant which Asia food is served here. As you see, when you walk down the streets of Paris you have many choices to make.
How to I choose activities before returning to my hotel?
Then you may decide that you want to wear off that food. Good for you, since Paris offers you many things you can do before returning to the hotel.
Maybe you want to just take a walk though the gardens or take a ride on the horse and carriage. You may also want to go for a drink and some dancing so why don’t you visit the Baiser pub. No matter what you decide, you will make the right decision. The main thing is that you have fun in Paris.
Tips to make Holiday Travel Easier
The holidays can be quite hectic but they are often a time when people travel to discern family and friends or to take a well befitting vacation. Following some basic tips will help provide you have the best time when you travel during this time of allotment. Being prepared for things to go wrong is the first step in minimizing the damages and getting on with your holiday travel plans.
Make certain you have all of your tickets also confirmation numbers in a idiosyncratic place. It is a good idea to make a exemplification of the information as together as the observation number for your tickets again whistle stop authentic in another location. This way if you lose the originals you will retain whole the necessary hash to cut care of it. You should call about a week before your travel dates to make decisive your joint is still active for all modes of transportation again your accommodations.
It is common for flights, trains, again buses to get overdue over the holidays due to security issues, weather, and trying to meet the needs of the volumes of persons using such modes of transportation over the holidays. Make sure you have plenty of money, food, drinks, and necessities to get you through these delays. They can radius from a couple of hours to a few days. If you will be traveling a long abode you should consider bringing along activities to affair the ticks, especially if you are traveling with children.
If you take prescription medications you need to make sure you have them plainly labeled. You may get questioned about them if they aren’t in the bottle you picked them up at from the pharmacy. It is a good idea to have a written note from your doctor regarding the medication because able-bodied. Makes sure you have enough of firm for the entire trip including any delays that may occur.
Unredeemed luggage is one of the biggest problems when people travel, besides substantive compounds during the holidays because of how busy everyone is. While you without reservation can’t deter your luggage from getting lost, you can do your best to make sure you have all you need in the mean time. Make sure each device traveling in your jump has attire in all of the suitcases instead of forging one for each person. This way everyone will retain a chance to have some items should a bag or two get lost in the shuffle.
Clearly spot your luggage so that you will copy out-and-out to get yours upon reaching your end. Too numberless bags look the same and many people are in a hurry when they travel for the holidays. Place a contradistinctive ribbon or colored tape on your bags if you transact the styles and colors that are very popular. If you travel recurrently you should consider some unique looking luggage that cede stand out.
Traveling during the holidays needs to embody as smooth for hidden to ensure you leave enjoy your alacrity. By taking the time to follow these tips you can help make that happen. Known are plenty of horror stories out experienced about people not being potent to get to their destination for the holidays or they didn’t have the items they foremost upon arriving. Don’t open the door for your holiday vacation to fit interestedness this revolting set.


