Time to start planning your trip. Here’s some education on where to go (and not to go), what to eat, how to avoid getting ripped off and keep money in your pocket.

Getting There

By air: Most visitors will fly into Guarulhos International Airport (formerly Cumbica International Airport) in Sao Paulo or Tom Jobim International Airport (also known as Galeao) near Rio de Janeiro. Because the matches are in numerous cities around the country, consider getting a World Cup package from a travel company that includes flights, accommodations and city transfers. If making your own arrangements, look into a TAM Brazil Airpass to save money.

By land: Bussing across Brazil is easier than you might think, according to Footprint Travel Guides. Because there are so many entry points from surrounding countries, this might be a good chance to tour a portion of the continent, not just Brazil. Surrounding countries are Peru, Venezuela and Argentina. Getting around by car is an option, too; just be sure to have the proper documents.

By sea: Since this is the trip of a lifetime, you could take the opportunity to go big. You can start your trip with a cruise around the most southern part of South America, traveling through Argentina, the Chilean fjords and Peru on Celebrity cruise lines. Then, head over to Brazil for the World Cup.

Where to Stay

You can either choose to follow your team from city to city and hope there is lodging available or stay near Rio’s coastline, Copacabana beach, Ipanema or Leblon. For a more offbeat experience, the Guardian recommends a boutique hotel in Santa Teresa. If you’re thinking more along the lines of a hostel, look into Vidigal or Tavares Bastos for a favela hotel.

Between Matches

Popular tourist destinations and landmarks include:

• Christ the Redeemer statue
• Copacabana bars and beaches
• Amazon National Park
• Sugar Loaf Mountain

The lesser-traveled sights:

• Wildlife watching in the Pantanal
• Iguacu Fall (across the border in Argentina but worth the side trip)
• Salvador: the capital of happiness and UNESCO World Heritage Site
• The Manaus Municipal Market: 12,000 sq. meters of local shopping

What to Avoid

Police make regular appearances in tourist areas so safety has improved, according to the Guardian. Always be aware of your surroundings. Be wary of dark streets, keep your money and documents close to your body and avoid wearing jewelry of value. Don’t stand out or openly talk on your smartphone. Bring an old flip phone if you need one at all. Avoid ATMs at night. Be careful of street distractions or anything that diverts your attention from your surroundings.

Also, don’t bring your newest souvenir—the plastic, rattling caxirola—into any World Cup stadium. The are banned due to fans throwing them onto the field in a test event.

Shape Up

Brazilians are known for their tan skin and beautifully sculpted bodies. Before you go, begin your beach workout by taking Brazilian dance classes like the samba and lambada. Knowing these local favorites will have the locals shouting, “Viva!” (“Cheers” in Portuguese).

When you’re there expect a diet of rice, beans and beef. Give your body room ahead of time for the impending gluttony.

WorldCupRioBrazil.com offers a free seven-day email course to prepare visitors for the event. It includes expectations, what to bring, lodging, safety, transportation, culture and cuisine. While summer 2014 may seem like far away, it’s going to get expensive if you wait much longer.

About the author: Dylan is a musician and writer from Albuquerque, N.M.

The T in the Park landing

Just select your artists or events below, then search, and the infographic will lead you to ticket prices and other info. For instance, if you select Rihanna, you’ll be shown T in the Park, and taken to the landing above if you click through. Cool huh?

(View full-size. via thetrainline.com).

From London: As shown in the international media in the last few days, there have been protests in Istanbul and a number of other provinces regarding the redevelopment of Taksim’s Gezi Park.

As of today, there are currently no problems being experienced with either transport or security in Istanbul or any of our tourism regions and thus every sort of touristic activity is carrying on as normal.

Flights in and out of Turkey have not been affected by these events and are running as scheduled. The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism continues to take every precaution regarding the safety of visitors to the country.

Readers interested in more information may visit www.gototurkey.co.uk, www.goturkey.com, or follow the ministry via their Twitter @TCTO_UK or at Facebook.com/turkishtourismofficeUK

The network - courtesy Northern Caucasus Resorts

According to the reports this particular resort will target middle income skiers rather than jet-setters and the affluent. The first stages of construction will begin soon for designing cable runs and construction of various aspects of support infrastructure. Located within a nature reserve, the site of the new resort is actually a Unesco World Heritage local with magnificent mountains and river views. The family ski village is slated to open sometime late in 2013 or early in 2014 according to the news.

As for the existing and planned resorts of the Northern Caucasus Mountains, the image at top reveals a network including the aforementioned Lago- Naki village. For more information about Lago-Naki or any of the other planned resort destinations, readers may contact OJSC Northern Caucasus Resorts (NCR) via their website here.

We leave you with some motorized skiing fun from adventurous riders at Lago-Naki plateau.

Even Hungary’s Prime Minister went so far as to sound alarmed, suggesting these floods will be the worst in history. A state of emergency has been declared for all low lying areas of Hungary. Waters are expected to reach ten inches beyond the previous high levels established back in 2008. Already Hungarian’s in the path of these floods have begun sandbagging and taking other precautions to protect their homes as best they can.

Prague's main cycle way the other day - courtesy zechian

Floods in the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland and Germany have already killed 11 people, and left thousands stranded out of their homes. The worst situation so far was experience by the citizens of Prague: while metal barriers set alongside the Vltava river banks protected the historical city centre, the South and the North of the city were severely damaged. The zoo and the horse racing track were closed because of the floods – the zoo is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, however only the North side of the garden will be accessible to the public.

Public transportation lines in Prague were closed yesterday, and numerous traffic restriction are in place to protect local population and tourists – about 60 streets are closed to all traffic. The subway system is closed till Friday. The first stations scheduled to reopen are Kolbenova, Vysočanská, Českomoravská, Smíchovské and Muzeum. The Prague public transport scheme for today can be seen below.

In Ústí nad Labem authorities have evacuated 8,340 people this morning, will probably have to relocate 1,500 persons in Mělník and Děčína.

The danger level is gradually shifting towards Bohemia, nearing the German border. Almost 10,000 people have already been evacuated from their homes in Saxony and Bavaria, and the prognostic is not encouraging. Authorities expect Germany, Slovakia and Hungary to be hit hard in the following days.

Local authorities in Germany have already warned that it’s possible to stop shipping on the Rhine until Thursday if the waters continue to rise. Shipping south of Koblenz was already closed this morning, with more destinations to come.

Updated image: Flooding in Prague – courtesy czechian

A few days ago I wrote a post that was a semi-sarcastic poke at fun and global warming naysayers entitled Terror and Catastrophe Be Gone: Feeling Safe and Warm in Toasty Europe on our Everything PR News portal. It was a rant aimed at humorously informing readers of our now almost continuous stream of bad news here in Europe. Now that I have read French farmers and even tourism dependent businesses may already be dashed over this year’s weather situation though, I’m wondering if the Gulf Stream really has stopped?

Declassified Naval Research Laboratory charts showing damaged loop current - courtesy Infinite Unknown

Plantings and harvests disrupted already, production halved in some cases early in the season, milk production disrupted, electric and heating bills climbing, construction stumped, and tourism taking hits at every turn, France can ill afford it’s most crucial industries to be set back, not now. And the coldest Spring in France since 1987 goes on, but France is not the only place hit by strange weather rumors.

This Bloomberg article must have gotten buried somehow, I mean the New York Times does not have a front page “Ice Age Coming” article today? Maybe it’s Whitney McFerron’s mundane title Cold Weather Forecast for U.S. to Europe Seen Curbing Crop Yield? The intro talks about unseasonably cold and wet conditions across the US and Europe “for the next 20 to 30 years!” Yes, you read that correctly, France, your done for. This article with the lame title quotes Piers Corbyn, Managing Director of London-based WeatherAction so:

“…Solar activity and movements in the jet stream mean a “mini ice age” is beginning, similar to a weather pattern experienced in the early 1800s,..”

This is worse than I feared, but about what I expected actually. While world leaders fence over who’s fault the messed up world is, somehow an Ice Age is upon us and nobody made a gesture? I mean failing economies due to malfeasance by politicians and banker types is one thing, the Dark Ages recurring because of solar flares and CO2, that’s a story we should all have heard already, no? While I was quoting NOAA’s measuring the highest ever CO2 levels at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory, surely President Obama and the European Commission already knew, surely? Add to this a mental image like the one below is from Aviso showing mean sea level rise around the world. It is irrefutable that the seas are encroaching on land more and more.

The red areas are places where the sea has encroached most - courtesy Aviso

England and Wales have seen the coldest Spring this year since 1962, and it’s just as rainy as it is cold there. Some forecasters are calling this year The Year Without Summer In Europe, a Summer some experts say will be the coldest in 200 years. But wait, the news gets worse. NOAA has projected a hurricane season to end all hurricane seasons. Here is an excerpt:

Based on the current and expected conditions, combined with model forecasts, we estimate a 70% probability for each of the following ranges of activity during 2013:

Basically the NOAA report goes on to reflect scientist talk which probably amounts to the United States being clobbered by catastrophic storms this year. Okay, maybe I am being alarmist, but understand I was half kidding writing about the Gulf Stream stopping the other day. My cold feet this morning are no joke, it turns out.

Not to be too critical here, but maybe one reason world leaders don’t divulge more to us peons is the sensibilities of my fellow Americans. While farmers and cafe owners in France seem alarmed their livelihoods will disappear, Americans get upset only when their Memorial Day Weekend gets some chilly rain doused onto it. Sorry, but this Wall Street Journal article tells me so. Sophia Hollander paints an eloquent picture of Central Park joggers in weather gear rather than cutoffs and tank tops, it’s true, but isn’t this a story of foreboding? Maybe our attitudes are the problem?

Is the Gulf Stream irreparably damaged?

Finally, amid all the disrupted shopping days in Paris and New York City, even though the Caan Film Festival was ruined by rain, the Wall Street Journal did take note of the Gulf Stream. It looks like the work of the good Dr. Zangari and the recent work evidenced in this Journal of Geophysical Research (PDF) study show there’s some really smart people suggesting we really messed something up. John R. Moore brought all this to light back in 2010, but I guess people considered him some kind of conspiracy theorist? (when you have time watch the video beneath this link) Maybe we should reevaluate how we look at the whole “conspiracy” thing? Watch this and wait for part two of our Ice Age coverage, thanks.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Image credits: Sea level and satellite imagery – courtesy Aviso satellite altimetry, Damaged Loop Current – courtesy Infinite Unknown,

The Game of Thrones tours, with a duration of circa three hours, are priced as low as €55.00 per person (€ 27.50 for children aged 12, and free for children aged 0 to 11) and include a copy of a local guide, and the entrance fees for the Dubrovnik city walls and Lovrijenac Fortress.

The tours begin at 10:15am, at the Pile Square in Dubrovnik’s Old Town, where visitors meet the guide, and proceed in the footsteps of Ayra Stark, to discover King’s Landing – the capital of the Seven Kingdoms realm. Further on, tour participants get to climb the old city walls that were attacked by the Baratheons in the first series, and then explore Lovrijenac Fortress – the beautiful 11th-century castle that features heavily in many of the Game of Thrones battle scenes.

The tour explores all filming locations, including the city parks used to film countryside scenes. The guide relates stories about all the popular Game of Thrones characters: the Targaryens, Baratheons, Starks and other noble families.

Dubrovnik Game of Thrones tours are exclusively available from Viator, meaning that they cannot be booked anywhere else, and they are the first, original Game of Thrones tours.

Courtesy Vilniaus miesto savivaldybe

This article via the Lithuania Tribune tells of the all new sky restaurant’s first guests, kids who might not have otherwise ever experienced such a place. Underprivileged and disabled youths accompanied the mayor of the city at the opening.

Named by Forbes “one of the world’s most extravagant meals,”  the restaurant has had guests in the past from royalty to the world’s most rich and famous. For an idea of what your Dinner in the Sky meal may consist of here’s the menu straight from the website.

Dinner in the Sky® – with the Chef of the day
•    Time in the sky 60 minutes
•    The menu includes four course meal prepared and served by the chef of the day personally.
•    Drinks include and aperitif, wine and a digestive
•    During the dinners, in the evening session, the chef of the day personally join the guests at the height of 50 meters to serve and talk about his food and menu. This exclusive atmosphere with extraordinary food and face-to-face contact with exceptional chefs will leave an everlasting impression on everyone.

For more information about Dinner in the Sky readers may also contact the Lithuania contacts at: info@dinnerinthesky.lt

GoEuro landing page

With the new service travelers can plan their transportation options anywhere in Europe, even in and to small towns and villages across the continent. The service makes for a simple filtering of options for would-be travelers to compare and choose travel modes based on a series of criteria.

Having secured $4 million in seed funding from Battery Ventures and Hasso Plattner Ventures, GoEuro seems all set to redefine the ways in which people figure out their best personal transportation alternatives. Comparison shopping the best possible “linkages”, this just makes good sense if the developers can carry it off. My 1,2,3 preliminary test of the search system follows.

One – It’s refreshingly clear to start using. Input the destinations (even a small town in Germany like ours), add the people traveling, choose the mode (like air below), and bingo!

GeEuro "thinking" about my choices

Aside a glitch in traversing secondary flight search fly.co.uk, which you can see timing out below in the first instance, GoEuro did in fact find what appears to be one of the cheapest flight choices in between Germany and Bucharest. I especially liked how GoEuro reveals each suggested leg of the trip – car to airliner to car to door.

A bug at fly.co.uk

Bottom line for a quick search via GoEuro, I would have saved a bit over €100 euro per person booking via their method. As an added bonus, the flying with Austrian Airlines may or may not be a superior experience to traveling with Pegasus, for instance.

Two - For a beta, GoEuro is about as complete as anyone in the development world could expect at a stage. Although car and bus choices are not so abundant yet (Bucharest was out in my test), the potential is certainly impressive. Switching cities from Bucharest to Copenhagen (a nice drive we’ve made before) the DB Bahn choices appear. Saving fares from €356 euro seem pretty good from here, but I wanted to check bus travel, for a closer comparison – opps! The incompleteness is a lost opportunity cost. Still, the user interface and the organizational structure/technical merit of the tool are there already.

Since we just traveled to Milan via car, my next little mini-test made sense for showing you readers the new startup. Switching over the the “car” section of GoEuro (which I wondered how come on) the same simple and elegant “push button” results appears quickly, this time from Rentalcars.com. The Mecedes C Class with GPS looked perfect as did the price for a week’s driving. When compared with our own Eurocar member affiliation, the Audi A4 at about the same price might be a better choice? Still, GoEuro was lightning fast.

Found - Best rail from our village to Copenhagen

Three – The online travel game may be a bit closer to “over” than most people would like to think. With mobile taking up an ever increasing percentage of looking and booking actions worldwide, the desktop is simply not going to host so many brave new inventive services later on. But for now I guess the question for GoEuro is; “Is your product really needed, really innovative?” My answer here is decidedly “yes” for a couple of reasons. First, travelers (users) need an “all in one” that can decipher the mountain of data at their fingertips. In short, just what GoEuro is – a meta search engine for meta search engines and primary sources. Secondly, what GoEuro has made so far is perfect for smart devices really.

Rental car to Milan - I would use GoEuro just for this

So, I think you have the recipe for further expenditures of GoEuro’s capital in the coming months. Add services and destination coverage, and start banging out a killer app. Hey, do you guys need content providers? Nice work GoEuro.

Putin at a meeting discussing high speed rail - courtesy his press office

Addressing collegues in the meeting, President Putin covered a lot of ground in presenting the case for high speed rail across Russia. Describing this new infrastructure investment as “key priorities for our economic and social policy”, Putin went in depth in describing the necessity, potential, and hurdles his administration will cross in tackling Russia’s age old infrastructure and transportation problems.

At one point during his opening address, the Russian President brought to bear insight into how the unique geography of Russia inter-plays with the positives of economic growth, developing the regions, creating jobs, and giving people greater mobility overall. Russia, as anyone who studies maps will know, is a vast country which has always suffered from a lack of key, modern transportation links. In this latest Putin initiative, the negatives and critique accompany the up-speak and good news. For one instance, Putin offered this:

“Russia still has only modest achievements as far as moving people and especially freight around the country are concerned. Our level in this area is not much different from what it was in the late 1980s at the end of the Soviet period. We therefore need to undo the bottlenecks and build new railway lines, increase trains’ speed and improve traffic organisation on the existing lines. In other words, we need to develop a genuinely effective railway network.”

The President’s clear understanding of where Russian transportation infrastructures are would seem to play a vital role in planning for and implementing a high speed rail system tailor made for the one country in the world which surely needs such services. It will be interesting to see how Putin’s plans play out in the coming months.