Hungry yet?

Post from: Europe String

Absolutely nothing. You can stop telling people that you heard about how one hoof raised means the guy died in battle and that four hooves raised means the horse had magical flying powers. This urban legend is persistent (I’ve heard it from multiple tour guides in various countries), but it’s just not true.

Photo source: personal collection

Post from: Europe String

Post from: Europe String

Zurich’s main shopping street (Bahnhofstrasse) gets decked out for Christmas each December, and since 2005, the lights above the street have been disappointing locals and tourists alike. The LED display just isn’t festive enough, they complain. It’s such an eyesore that the powers that be are considering ditching the expensive lights by next year.

You can see the lights in action in this video.

Post from: Europe String

It’s good to bone up on your European geography before your next trip there, right?

Found via Swissmiss.

Post from: Europe String

Post from: Europe String

So before I announce the winner of the Barcelona Student JetPack Giveaway Contest, I am going to examine its contents minutely and share with you my thoughts:

‘Don’t Forget’ Checklist has a couple of interesting items which some of you may never even think of including in your own list. With this, apart from the basics, you will not forget to pack your contraceptive and your whistle/rape alarm. In my opinion, these are items which could be important for single (women) travelers.

The Continental Travel Adaptor Plug is designed for use in countries with European Electrical Infrastructures. If you are bringing gadgets (iPod charger, mobile phone charger) with you, this should be useful.

Travel Solutions’ Travel Money belt is your basic no frills money belt in black. It’s great for keeping your money closer to your body, away from thieves’ easy reach.

TriCircle Brass Padlock with 3 keys – good to have because you cannot really expect that all hostels have spare locks for your use. Besides, it’s safer to have one of your own. At least, you are sure that all spare keys are with you and that no one else has a copy.

Pre-paid SIM Card from Amena/Orange with starter credit. You also immediately get a phone number which your parents and friends can use to call you. It’s very useful to have, imo.

Several Maps and Guides:

• Barcelona Bus Turistic has the following information: Barcelona city map with the corresponding bus stops and routes. It also has a brief explanation of what you can expect (advantages) if you choose to use the services of Barcelona’s official city tourist bus.
• Plano de Barcelona is a detailed city map of Barcelona with a short description of must-see sights and a map of the integrated railway system. A must for every kind of traveler. I, personally, used this map a lot.
• Barcelona Cultural Agenda – should help you find the concert, dance, exhibition and sporting activities during your visit. Unfortunately, the one I received was for April-May ‘07. Student JetPacks should make sure that they send out the current issue.
• Barcelona Card leaflet which shows the price list and the kind of discount you get if you do purchase a city card.

Bonus information sent by Tarkan: Maps for Granada, Madrid and Spain & Tour Guides for Granada and Madrid.

Some of the above maps and guides are available for free in some hotel lobbies in Spain. However, if you want to plan your trip way in advance, it pays to get them (even at cost) when you purchase your Student JetPack.

Examining the Cost:

1. The Travel JetPack Plus costs £27,99
2. Travel Adaptor Plug – £3,95
   Travel Money Belt – £4,28 (on eBay)
   Tri-Circle Padlock – £2,69
   PrePaid Sim Card from Amena/Orange (with 16€ starter credit) – £29.99
   Guides and Maps – FREE (but I don’t think you’ll be able to get your hands on one until you get to Spain)

The contents of Travel JetPack is around £40,91 but will only cost you £27,99. £12,92 cheaper than if you buy each item individually (unless, you’d rather waste your time waiting for bids on eBay for something as small as those items). Plus, you have the advantage of planning your touring itinerary in advance with all those maps and guides.

EUROPESTRING’s RECOMMENDATION:

If you think about the cost first, the biggest push would be coming from the Pre-Paid Sim Card. If you think that you would need one then, you should go get the Travel JetPack Plus. Not only would you save yourself £2, you will also get all those other useful “goodies” which are included in the package.

Yes, I definitely recommend budget travelers to get the Barcelona Travel JetPack Plus.

Friendly advice to Tarkan: Make sure that you have people constantly scouring for updated map and guides.

P.S.  The winner of the  Barcelona Travel JetPack Plus giveaway contest will be announced later today.  Note that the contents of the same items reviewed will be given away and will not be kept by EuropeString. 

Post from: Europe String

“This new piece of legislation has introduced significant improvements to the protection of air passengers’ rights in the European Union. Airlines now have to pay compensation for denied boarding (€ 250 for flights of less than 1 500 km, € 400 for flights of between 1 500 and 3 500 km and € 600 for flights of more than 3 500 km). Passengers will be compensated for late cancellation of their flight and will receive assistance in the event of long delays. However, there is no right to compensation for cancellation if the airline can provide evidence of extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided.”

You can read all about your rights in detail here.

Should you find the need to complain, check out this page for more info.

Post from: Europe String

Of course, unsuspecting tourists only realize that they have been had only in the end… after the money has disappeared into someone else’s pockets and they become part of a stupid-tourist-stories exchanged between dubious characters who are out there to pry on, well, stupid tourists.

Some are kinda obvious but, hey, some still fall into even the most obvious tourist trap.

Note, though, that the term “tourist trap” is ambiguous. What I classify as tourist trap may even be the highlight of your tour. They may not be in your list but they are in mine.

Buying Souvenirs – NEVER buy them in shops, kiosks or stalls located right outside a famous landmark. Yes, those key chains or mugs printed with the silhouette of the London Bridge may not seem to cost a lot but you can definitely get them for a fraction of the price in other places. Try going to the local department store. Too lazy? Then shop around (several shops are normally concentrated in one area) and haggle before you buy.

Have your portrait done. My very own parents thought that a trip to Paris is not complete without getting your portrait done on the streets of the city of lights. I have seen many American tv shows and movies that shows the same and I am sure that many people have the same Paris musts as my parents. Well, if you must, make sure that you check the artists’ work first. Not all of them (even those in Montmartre) are good. Take the time to observe some of them while they sketch. And then, before you sit on that stool and pose, agree on a price. Here is an old entry I wrote about this.

I am fine outside, there is no need to go inside. Some of the must-sees in several key cities have the wow factor when you look at them outside. Go in (or up) and you may end up being disappointed. The admission is surely not worth it as what wowed you from the outside is IT. And yes, you could have saved yourself some money.

In my opinion, the inside (or top) of the following sites are tourist traps: The Eiffel Tower in Paris, the majestic Dome in Cologne, Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Atomium in Brussels among others.

Love the view.  Let’s eat here. More often than not, those restaurants strategically located right in the middle of where everyone else goes to sightsee are ridiculously expensive. The further you go away from this kind of spots, the cheaper the food will be. Believe me, I know. I experienced this first hand in Sienna back in 2005. If you insist on being right in the midst of action while you take a break and eat, I suggest that you sit on one of those historical steps while you eat that bread or pizza you bought a few blocks away. Oh yea… if you do go in any restaurant, make sure that you check the price for food AND drinks. Prices for drinks are mostly jacked up way higher than they do with food.

Avoid Scenic Taxi Rides. Consult your map before you hail that taxi. Check out the street names and routes. Pretend that you know where you are going. Oh yea, before you get in, make sure that you make it clear that the taxi driver should use the meter otherwise, you are not going to get in. The best way to avoid being cheated? Take the train, bus, tram or better yet, walk.

Check out this site for common scans which could also be used on you.

The “I’ll take you to a nice cheap hotel which is run by my brother, mother, sister or friend” line. Sure, this offer could be the real thing from a very helpful local but, do you really want to risk it? You may end up paying a lot more than what you could probably get at that cheap hostel you found online. Or, you could even end up in the middle of nowhere, lost and robbed of all your belongings. Again, do your research before you leave. And don’t take people at face value. You can let other people earn their angel wings when you are more sure of your surroundings.

Guided Tours Only If You Have Moolah to Spare. Check the hour-to-hour plan and the price. There are tons out there which are definitely NOT worth it. Sometimes, you will even get more out of it if you go on a self-guided tour with dear old LonelyPlanet to help you out.

Check Virtual Tourist. Several travelers have posted their opinions on several key cities. Each listed city has several entries under “tourist traps”. Around 60% of them are quite helpful. My “crappy restaurant” list would have been a lot less full had I checked Virtual Tourist from the very beginning.

Eavesdrop to Find Out What Fellow Tourists Think. If you want to try a certain restaurant, museum or shop, walk around the area or stand nearby. Try to listen in on conversations of people who are just about to leave the establishment. Or, if they seem friendly, ask outright. When you hear “it’s awful”, that would be your cue to NOT go in.

The thing is, there is no sure way of avoiding tourist traps if you go somewhere where you have never been before. If you do your research, though, it could up your chances of avoiding these tourist traps to around 75%.

Remember: Read. Ask. Enjoy!

Post from: Europe String

I didn’t think so.

It’s that part written in very small letters or in light grey (as opposed to the black print everything else are written with). It’s where companies write the exclusions, reductions, exemptions and limitations of coverage. When booking online, these are under terms and conditions which most of us (admit it!) just skip because well, who would want to read all those which only lawyers would probably be interested to read?

Well, if you see an offer that is too cheap to be true, it will do you a lot of good to read the fine print before you click Book or sign the dotted line. Otherwise, you may book something which you may end up paying more for OR, worse, you cannot use.  Believe me, some fineprints are like roadblocks.

Imagine finding what you think the best deal ever online. And just as you click book (and having given your credit card details), you notice that the price just went more than double. Then you check further and notice that you only saw the the base fare. You actually need to pay a whole lot more, if you include the taxes and fees that apply to this “discounted fare”. Oh yea, this special discount ticket is non-refundable too. See what I mean? IF YOU DO NOT READ THE FINE PRINT, that could happen to you!

Be warned!

Fine Print Photo Source

Post from: Europe String