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Posts Tagged ‘Europe’

Madrid possesses a wealth of cultural attractions, with many museums, art galleries and palaces. This guide gives you some information about the city so that you can fly to Madrid in the luxury holidays of your private jet aircraft.

With architecture from as old as the 10th and 11th century, Madrid is characterised by intense cultural and artistic activity. Madrid is also a great place to see the traditional Spanish arts with the largest bullring in Spain at Las Ventas and a flamenco scene on a par with the traditional flamenco cities of the south. Moreover, with hundreds of theatre shows, opera etc., Madrid is an ideal option for a weekend break.

Attractions to enjoy in Madrid:

Prado Museum - The Prado is one of the world’s most famous art museums. It contains masterpieces from the 12th to the 19th century making it one of the most visited Madrid tourist attractions.

Reina Sofia Art Museum - The Reina Sofia art museum is a part of Madrid’s ‘Golden Triangle’ of famous museums. You can find extremely important collections of 20th and 21st century art. Picasso’s would famous Guernica is included in this museum. Moreover, it also houses the works of Miro and Dalí.

Retiro Park – Plaza de Independencia – It is one of the most popular spots among tourists. Retiro Park is a wonderful oasis of calm to the East of
the centre of Madrid. The park was once a palace garden. This park also contains a boating lake with many majestic fountains.

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Now, doesn’t that sound absolutely delicious?! You have just pictured yourself having a yummy bite of a slice of heaven!So what’s stopping you from just packing up your things & flying away to any of the many exotic destinations around the world?! Oh, right — the expensive cost that you just cannot afford to pay for right now especially with the new car & house mortgage already on your belt is keeping you from having your dream vacation.

Well, stop worrying about it because there are plenty cheap air travel fares around that will surely solve the first problem in achieving your dream vacation. Travel agencies & airline companies are aware that many people would love to travel but they just cannot afford the expenses that come along with it. For a few years now, cheap air travel fare has been promoted as the #1 solution to travel problems.

@ providenciales.com

 comCheap air travel fare can be found in many online sites booking special tours on tourist destinations all over the world. With cheap air travel fare, you need not worry about spending way above your budget!As if cheap air travel fare was not the best news you’ve heard so far, you will also be surprised to find that cheap air travel fare often comes with a vacation package that also lets you stay in a good hotel along with the usual accommodations at surprisingly low prices! These vacation packages can include anything from a chauffeured ride from the airport to the hotel & from the hotel to all the tourist stops; to a complete tour package that includes an effective tour guide.

@ i.nuseek.com

Just think of all the beautiful places you can visit with cheap air travel fare! You can go to the sunny Caribbean this year, then off to classy France next year, maybe exotic Boracay, Philippines after that and then go on a cool tour of Alaska. Or maybe you want to try an Asian tour package & be swept off to an entirely different experience with the exotic East! The possibilities are endless with cheap air travel fare!

How would you like to take a look at the European countryside but you have always been told that Europe is very, very expensive. Well, it IS true. Europe really is expensive. But not if you get cheap air travel fare! The money you save on cheap air travel fare is money that you can use for shopping in Italy, on a chocolate binge in Switzerland, vodka tasting in Russia or beer hogging in Germany!

FUN! FUN! FUN! That & more is what’s waiting for you with cheap air travel fare!

@ costco.com

Europe attracts visitors from all over the world for various purposes. Many European cities are thronged by “women only” groups to celebrate hen nights as well as lads out on stag weekends. New research conducted by British Airways has found that Amsterdam has continued to be the most popular choice for stag and hen weekends in Europe.

@ loadtr.com

Because of its increase popularity Amsterdam has experience overwhelming amounts of people, this is sometime to its detriment as stag and hen parties have got out of control causing damage to hotels and on the street; this has caused some establishments to decline parties. These problems has meant that other cities such as Paris and Barcelona have seen increased bookings. This affect has still not discouraged most people and Amsterdam continues to hold the crown for number 1 stag and hen destination.

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Shifting clouds of volcanic ash shut airports and disrupted flights in Spain, Portugal and Italy this weekend, but all airports were open Monday after the concentration of ash dissipated overnight, according to updates from the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation.

Travelers should remain on alert and check frequently with their travel agents and airlines because an ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano, lingering over the North Atlantic, may cause delays in transatlantic flights that must be rerouted to avoid the cloud, the agency said.

“There is an area of ash cloud in the middle of the North Atlantic, which is impacting transatlantic flights,” the statement said. “While most of these flights are operating, many are having to make significant reroutings to avoid the area of ash cloud coverage, resulting in delays.” The agency, known as Eurocontrol, said it expects about 28,500 flights to operate Monday over Europe – about 500 fewer than normal. Eruptions from the volcano last month forced a five-day suspension of air traffic over Europe.

On Sunday, Italy’s airports in Pisa, Milan and Florence were shut, as well as airports in Portugal and Spain. Airlines are struggling to keep fliers updated with the latest information through postings on websites, Twitter and text messages and e-mails.

Below is what some airlines are advising passengers to do if their flights have been affected by the volcano; if you booked your flight through a travel agent, contact him or her to rebook or file for a refund.

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@ treehugger.com

Train travel is an ideal means of transport in the UK and the rest of Europe. Rail travel is fast, practical and convenient in both urban and more rural areas. Railway stations often allow for car hire services if you need access to a car or perhaps need to venture to an area not accessible by train.

Rail travel is often convenient even if you have flown partway to your destination. Train travel works well for personal or corporate travel, and can be an economical way to transport staff to a conference, event venue, or meetings. It can also be a luxurious and comfortable way to transport clients quickly and efficiently. Train travel is a viable option for conferences, annual meetings and other events throughout Europe. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that you can easily opt for rail travel to or from the UK and mainland Europe.

Booking rail travel is easy thanks to online interfaces that offer planning, scheduling and trip organisation services. Both personal and corporate travel arrangements can be made easily and practically online. Whether you need to simply book a rail ticket or opt for a full package, both can be done with little effort. Corporate travel to events including annual meetings, conferences, and other events can be planned quickly and easily. Many online trip organisers even allow you to book airline tickets, car hires, rail travel and accommodations in one step. A well planned trip can be especially important for group travel, or for corporate travel arrangements. Discount on rail fares are even available for groups of more than ten.

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Verdi Street in Gracia Barcelona

Last week a friend from the United States was visiting me here in Barcelona. As is the habit of my friends and I, we went out for drinks before dinner at an old Modernista bar in El Raval. Towards the end of the evening as my friend Bob was rolling another cigarette, the friend from the US asked him, ‘Are you going to smoke again?’ Clearly she had reached her smoke limit.

It was a wake up call to have her say this, because upon seeing her discomfort I looked around the bar and realized that just about everyone was chain smoking tobacco like there was not tomorrow (and let’s face it, if they keep it up at this rate there may not be a tomorrow for many of these smokers!). My friend was turning green with secondhand smoke poisoning for a reason, the bar was covered in a dense layer of nicotine fog.

People in Europe smoke, and people in southern Europe especially. They smoke a lot, and many times they then throw their cigarette butts on the ground. Culturally, there is nothing wrong with this. I guess they figure that if you want to smoke yourself to death, that is your problem. But what about the secondhand smoke? Herein lies the issue. In fact, this year a new non-smoking law is suppose to go in to effect in Spain, which will make smoking in public places (like bars and restaurants) illegal. So far, nothing has happened with this new regulation, and people are still puffing away.

There are some restaurants and cafes that have smoking and non-smoking sections and even a few that are entirely non-smoking. Sol i Lluna is one such non-smoking gem located in Barcelona’s artsy Gracia neighborhood. Sol i Lluna is an ideal place to go before seeing a movie at the independent Verdi Cinemas on the same street about a block down. Try the cheese cake at Sol i Lluna, and sample one or two (or three) of the wines on their wine list. Sol i Lluna also serves dinner and lunch, but I have only been there for drinks (and that cheesecake) so I can’t say much about the food.

Address: Calle Verdi 50, Barcelona, Spain (Gracia Neighborhood, Fontana Metro)

Photo Credit: Diluvi

By UpTake

Royal Caribbean International’s giant Mariner of the Seas, which brought a whole new class of cruising to the Mexican Riviera last year, is already planning to leave Los Angeles, where it has been home-ported since February 2009.

Starting in January, after a repositioning cruise and a short season in Brazil, the ship will split its time between Europe (sailing from Rome) and the western Caribbean (sailing from Galveston, Texas).

To make the switch, Royal Caribbean is canceling 15 weeklong cruises to Mexico from the Port of Los Angeles between Jan. 16 and April 24, 2011. The round-trip sailings were scheduled to go to Puerto Vallarta and back via Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan. Here are your options if you booked one of these trips, said Royal Caribbean spokesman Harrison Liu:

>If you act by May 6,  you can get a full refund; rebook for the same fare (or lower, if available) on one of the Mariner of the Seas sailings that depart before Jan. 16 ; or keep your original departure date but sail out of Galveston on Voyager of the Seas. You’ll also be eligible for on-board credits of $200 or more per cabin.

>If you act after May 6, you’ll only be able to get the refund.

Despite its splashy entrance into the Mexico market, the Mariner’s hasty departure is not too surprising. Talk about poor timing.

First came the H1N1 “swine flu” scare in Mexico, which caused Royal Caribbean to suspend port calls there in May and June last year and re-route the Mariner northward up the coast as far as Canada. Meanwhile, drug-related violence in Mexico has continued to scare away many tourists and to prompt the State Department to issue travel warnings.

As demand has fallen, so have cruise fares to Mexico. When I checked Royal Caribbean’s website Tuesday, I found Mariner’s Mexican Riviera fares as low as $479 per person per week, or $68 per day.

“It has not met our expectations in terms of consumer demand,” Liu said of Mariner’s performance in Mexico, adding that it was “reflected in prices.”

In his blog, Royal Caribbean’s president and chief executive, Adam Goldstein, left open the possibility that his company’s ships may return to Los Angeles.

“Royal Caribbean has had a major presence at the Port of Los Angeles and on the west coast of Mexico for many years with various ships and it is our hope to return in the not too distant future,” he wrote.

I hope it will. I was impressed with the Mariner of the Seas when I toured it last year. Not the most restful ship, perhaps, but it provides plenty of activities. You won’t be bored.

- Jane Engle, assistant Los Angeles Times Travel editor

Photo: Mariner of the Seas at Port of Los Angeles in 2009. Credit: Jane Engle / Los Angeles Times

By LA Times

Barcelona’s new Terminal T1 recently debuted at Barcelona Airport, solidifying Barcelona’s situation as one of Europe’s top ten airports. Native son Ricardo Bofill, has planned a sleek sword-shaped construction that is flooded with natural light from its floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Some 100,000 passengers a day will pass through the 5.8 million square-foot terminal, which is predictable to greet 30 million a year. The US $1.7 billion terminal boasts a spa, fitness center, hair salon, four VIP lounges, and a multi-faith chapel. In the airport’s 256,181-square-foot shopping area, there are 51 shops and 30 bars and restaurants. Business tourists will have entrance to the 28,000-square-foot business center that has five offices and a multipurpose section with five board rooms. The center also has a gym and a rest area with 10 rooms with beds, baths and TVs. For people with compact mobility, 49 moving walkways, 26 mechanical ramps, 48 escalators and 125 elevators make available accessibility. Travelers can ask for assistance at eight meeting points and other information centers. There is Wi-Fi access all over the terminal. Made of polished white granite, the sustainable construction allows light to filter through the glass curtain walls creating a “Mediterranean-style” terminal. Ceramic-tile ceilings are slightly arched, lending a futuristic effect. The architecture of the interior of the terminal, known as the “sky center,” blends straight and curved forms, and the glass walls permit for panoramic views of the city and the nearby scenery. The terminal is one of the major civil engineering projects in recent times undertaken in Europe. Bofill planned the construction with sustainability in mind, placing hundreds of solar panels on the aluminum roof. Consequently, 70 percent of the water in T1 is heated using thermal collectors. Curtain walls, designed to resist air, water infiltration, wind and its own dead load forces are composed of an aluminum framing filled with glass to offer an architecturally-pleasing and light-filled composition.
HotelChatter

By Journey ETC

When youre travelling, its inevitable for you to have to use the public bathroom, and most of the time this is not a very pleasant experience. Theres either graffiti on the wall or the flush isnt working and the place reeks. Some public toilets dont even have locks for their cubicles. If youre very lucky, youll get into a public bathroom with graffiti, faulty flushes, no locks, and no running water.

However, there are some (if not few) public bathrooms that are just a pleasure to look at. Youd wonder if you just accidentally found yourself in a posh hotel. These public bathrooms are very refreshing, and youd be lucky to encounter them in one of your travels.

Hundertwasser Public Toilets in New Zealand

Youll probably never see any other public toilet just as colorful. The Hundertwasser Public Toilets in New Zealand gathers quite a crowd simply because its amazingly well-kept. Unlike other public toilets which are drabby and depressing, this public toilet and very cheerful and blends quite well with New Zealands turquoise-colored waters, Kauri forests and cove-lined coasts.

It was built in 1997 by architect Freidensreich Hundertwasser. It looks like a wacky temple with mosaics, curvy columns, walls tiled with colored bottles which look like stained windows, and the works. The architects vision: the loo is usually a place for contemplation. This is why it looks almost like a temple.

Hundertwasser didnt stop at the styling details, though. The building is also environmentally friendly, incorporating living trees in its design as well as reclaimed bricks and a thatched grass roof. Where exactly are these toilets located? Just go to Paihias State Highway 1. This is in the rural town of Kawakawa.

Urilift Pop-up Toilets in Europe

While its least likely that youll be touring around the world just to view pretty public loos, visiting the Urilift Pop-up Toilets in London, Amsterdam, and Belfast should be fun. These public toilets are located in the Cambridge Circus, the Rembrandtplein, and the Shaftesbury Square respectively. These stainless cylindrical urinals are Europes solutions to “indiscriminate” male toilet habits.

These receptacles, unlike the lower, open urinals of the past, are easier to aim at. The floor of the cylindrical urinal also has a drainage unit just in case youre not as well-coordinated as the average visitor.

Charmin Restroom in Times Square, NY

New York is notorious for its dank, depressing subway public toilets. However, somewhere in Times Square, youll find the Charmin Restroom during specific periods of the year. Charmin sets up a bi-level space right between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.
The designs of the public toilets are also anticipated by most New Yorkers who frequent Times Square. Every year, the theme seems to change. Last Christmas, they carried a Winter Wonderland theme which put everyone in the mood for the holidays despite the cold weather.

For those who werent able to see the toilet stalls, they were set up as 20 log cabins. Each one was maintained by an exclusive attendant after use, so all visitors could enjoy immaculate seats and floors. Of course, the cabins are stocked with the products its sponsors are selling.

On the second floor of the log cabins, one can lounge at the Duracell charging station (you can also hook up your phones), or let your kids play at the Wii lounge. Theres also the Charmin Tree House where kids can learn the “Charmin Potty Dance” from the videos shown from seventeen flat-screen TV sets.

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If youre tired of booking rooms at hotels near the beach, you might want to book somewhere near a rumbling mountain for a change. After all, aside from the Icelandic volcano which is wreaking quite a havoc in Europe, most volcanoes around the world are pretty enough for pictures and peaceful enough for a summers stay. Below are the most posh and stylish digs youll find near volcanic sites.

101 Hotel Reykjavik, Iceland

Once the ash settles down, you might want to book yourself a room in 101 Hotel Reykjavik. This hotel can give you a pretty unique volcanic sighting. Aside from the havoc thats already in the headlines, the landscape is unique for another thing: brining both fire and ice together. Besides, the destination is safe enough because the hotel sits on the harbor-side of the city. Its just 100 miles from the temperamental and beautiful Eyjafjallajokull volcano.
It fuses old Iceland with the new, more metropolitan cityscape as well. In this hotel, youll get to enjoy sleek guestrooms, freestanding baths, an art gallery, a basement sauna, and of course, the hotels popular Icelandic menu. Get to sample Icelands best traditional cuisines while viewing the volcano from your room.

Hacienda San Antonio, Colima, Mexico

Another volcano you wouldnt want to miss out on is the Colima in Mexico. The best vantage point and lodgings of this Mexican volcano is Hacienda San Antonio. You can wake up early in the morning, backstroke across the haciendas enormous pool, enjoy the façade of the coral-pink heritage hotel, and finally, get prime peeks at the majestic slopes of the Colima volcano.

This retreat is 120-years-old, seated strategically near West Mexicos Pacific Coast. The manor luxe with its lush gardens provides the perfect viewing point of the mountain. The best suite to take is the El Quetzal Junior Suite which has a privileged panoramic view of the haloed volcano from its terrace. Hacienda San Antonio also keeps its own organic farm so you can be sure to enjoy its delicious produce in your meals.

Later, you can order their refreshing margarita which is made from their homegrown mango grappa.

Mystique Resort in Santorini, Greece

Sitting on the Cycladic summit of the island, the vistas of Mystique is full of romance, nature, and relaxation. It offers a full view of the bay as well as the rocky heights of the Oia which sits at the northern tip of Santorini. The serene, whitewashed suites are both spacious and airy and they all come with their own private terraces providing a full view of the sea.

You can enjoy this Greek getaway the most if you book your stay in one of the hotels Spiritual Suites. This has their own exercise machine, Jacuzzi, and spa bed to keep you looking as good as a Greek god if you wish.
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