Budget Travel Through Europe

Teruel, Up, Up On The Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:50:00 +0000

La Escalinata (Teruel)

I know it's been a while, but I guess I got hooked up with life, not to say a bit lazy, but time is our eternal enemy and that's a very good excuse.

In mid october I went for a day trip to Teruel, a small mountainous Spanish city north of Valencia, in the Aragon Province, best known for it's Lovers and Mudejar architecture style.

First of all when you walk on Teruelesque earth comming from the train stration you are welcomed by La Escalinata, a quite long stair, to keep you fit. This stair is made in a beautiful Mudejar style and it's like nothing I've ever seen before.

Teruel city center is only a 5 minutes walk from La Escalinata and the Tourist Information Office is just at the left of La Escalinata. As I said at the beginning, Teruel is a small city, small enough for it's inhabitants to start in 1999 a campaign with the slogan "Teruel existe" ("Teruel exists"). Well, it does. I've been there, I've seen it with my own eyes. You can take my word for it. Teruel is there, small but strong, exactly like its Torico, a small 60kg bronze statue reprezenting a bull, on top of a tall column in the middle of Teruel's main square.

Teruel's other symbol are The Lovers of Teruel. The story of the Lovers took place in 1217. But people of Teruel still remember them, probably mainly to the mausoleum in the San Pedro's Church housing the mummified bodies of Isabel Segura (a rich lady) and Diego de Marcilla (a poor man who battled at Crusades to earn some money with the intention to return to get married with Isabel) whose love ended tragically. It's kind of a Romeo and Juliet love story. Diego went away to gather wealth and Isabela was supposed to wait for him 5 years. Diego was not heard from in those five years and so on the day of the five years' close Isabel's father married her to somebody else. Right after the wedding ceremony Diego shows up with great riches but there was nothing he could do. So that night, Diego sneaks into the bedroom of Isabel and her husband and gently awoke her. He pleaded to her, "Kiss me for I am dying", but she refused. Upon hearing this Diego could not bear the separation between himself and his love, and with a sigh he died on the feet of his beloved Isabel. The next day, during Diego's funeral, Isabel showed up dressed in her wedding dress. She proceeded to walk to the front of the church and place a kiss on the man whom she had refused but in doing so Isabel died, falling prostrate on the body of the man whom she loved.

The mausoleum of The Lovers of Teruel

And the Lovers story at the top of La Escalinata

The San Pedro Church is a magnificent mudejar style church. I loved the interior, so rich in detail and color. The Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon is a World Heritage Site in Spain. Mudéjar is the name given to individual Moors or Muslims of Al-Andalus who remained in Christian territory after the Reconquista but were not converted to Christianity. It also denotes a style of Iberian architecture and decoration, particularly of Aragon and Castile, of the 12th to 16th centuries, strongly influenced by Moorish taste and workmanship.

San Pedro Church (Teruel)

The Cathedral is also in Mudejar style and though the interior didn't impress me that much in general, it's ceiling amazed me, especialy that the guided tour takes you up through the tower next to the ceiling so you can see it from up close.

Teruel Cathedral

The San Martín Tower from the 13th century is considered to be the most beautiful in Teruel.

San Martín Tower (Teruel)

Teruel Town Hall Square

Teruel is seeable in 4 hours and you can still take your time to have lunch. Teruel is well known for its jamón serrano (cured ham), but they also have very good cheese. Yummy! I'm craving for them right now.

Teruel is also known for it't pottery so if you know you have hungry for gifts big children waiting for you at home, you don't have to look far.

One more tip and I'm out of here. Teruel is noted for its harsh climate (hot in summer and very cold in winter), it is situated at 915 metres above sea level so if you go visit during the winter time, be prepared for snow. This being said, I'm going for a walk 'cause it's sunny outside and I need my tan nice and ready for my Las Fallas pictures, comming up next.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Europe is packed with must see historical places, but one probably would need a lifetime to see them all. Here I created a list of the top 10 European travel destinations to help you with your research.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #10
ATHENS, Greece

The history of Athens begins more then 3000 years ago when during the prehistoric times its first inhabitants created their first settlement on the rock of Acropolis. Athens is a city of contradictions, as frustrating as it is seductive. It is the oldest city in Europe, yet still in a state of transition. It’s one of Europe’s safest and liveliest destinations – a heady mix of grunge and grace with an undeniable urban soul.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #9
DUBLIN, IrelandProbably most people wouldn´t include Dublin in the top 10 European travel destinations, except the Irish of course, but I certainly love Dublin and I think it deserves to be on the list. Dublin is not the typical capital, busy and ugly with modern sky scrapers. Dublin has mostly houses. Your can barely spot a tall building in the whole city. And the locals are so friendly, you won´t even remember you are in a capital. The Irish green, the luck of the Irish and the Irish pubs are all to be tried. Be careful with the leprechauns!

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #8
FLORENCE, Italy
Florence, the city of the lily, gave birth to the Renaissance and changed the way we see the world. When we say Florence we think of famous people such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo or Dante Alighieri, to name but a few and to the sculpture of David and the jewelery shops on Ponte Vecchio. One tip for this destination: it is enjoyed best at sunset.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #7
VIENNA, Austria
Vienna was for centuries the main stamping grounds for the Habsburg rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The empire is long gone, but many reminders of the city's imperial heyday remain, carefully preserved by the tradition-loving Viennese. Baroque with a dash of art nouveau, that´s Vienna, and the combination and pure harmony. Wherever you go, your camera won´t stop shooting, I asure you. Charge your batteries in advance!

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #6
ROME, Italy

Rome is the Eternal City, the city founded by Remus and Romulus. Here, modern and old, past and present go side by side all the time. Whether you are in Rome for 3 days, 3 weeks or 3 months, be prepared to step into the world’s biggest open air museum.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #5
VENICE, Italy

Venice pays tribute to the waters a few centimeters every year, like a captive princess to a beast. Get lost on the Venetian streets without a map if you want to discover the full beauty of this unique European destination. Best time to visit Venice is during the carnival period in February, but in the meantime, be prepared to face the crowds as this is high season for Venice. No matter when you visit Venice, don´t do it by yourself. Be in love!

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #4
BARCELONA, Spain
Barcelona never sleeps and Gaudi is omnipresent like a God. With a warm climate throughout the year, this is a destination you can visit anytime, as many times as you want. Barcelona is alive, colorful and sexy 24/7 and it will make you feel the same too.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #3
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands

Sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North", Amsterdam is bike friendly, sex friendly and drugs friendly which makes it one of the most tourist friendly destinations in the world. With a stunning architecture, criss-crossing canals and top museums, Amsterdam is the third on my top 10 European travel destinations because it offers the visitor a different perspective on life.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #2
LONDON, UK

With many internationally well known sights, London is a must visit city. The traditional red English phone booths will guarantee you the most envied by friends photo from your European holiday. They will congratulate your for your originality. Let them do that, don´t spoil it. You are a grown up and can keep a secret. People are cuing to have their picture taken in the red phone booths. Before you visit the Buckingham Palace, stop by the supermarket and buy some peanuts. Than, after watching the change of the guards, go for a walk in the beautiful park in front of the palace and feed the squirrels. They will definitely thank you for that and ask for more. And last but not least, London is the European travel destination for musicals. Go see at least one!

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #1
PARIS, France
The "city in love" is nevertheless the Nº 1 travel destination in Europe. Lovers from all around the world meet next to the banks of the River Seine, shopping lovers explore shiny shop windows, art lovers wonder in front of Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa and romantics climb the Eiffel Tower. But this symbols of Paris are just the surface. What makes Paris the Nº 1 European travel destination are the atmosphere, the cafes, the never ending walks one can take around the city without ever getting bored. The most vivid memory I have from Paris is bathing my tired feet in the fountains in front of The Louvre Museum, along with so many other tourists from every corner of the world. How do I know Paris is the European Travel Destination? Easy! Every time I plan a trip and the destination question pops up, my answer is always the same: Paris!

Halloween in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:49:00 +0000

Halloween is a European holiday at core. It basically drags it´s roots from the Celtic festival of Samhain which celebrated summer's end. Halloween was taken to US by the Irish immigrants. Though nowadays Halloween is thoroughly celebrated all over US and is one of the most important US holidays, Europe celebrates Halloween too. Wearing costumes and attending costume parties, dining in Halloween decorated restaurants, ghost tours, watching horror movies and telling scary stories are common Halloween activities in Europe. Trick or treating is not as common but is not unheard of in some counties.

In Valencia, where I live now, the heraldic symbol of the city is the bat. A bit spooky and Halloweenish, isn´t it? The bat is represented all over the city and supposedly has its origins in a winged dragon. There is a legend that says that thanks to the humble intervention of a bat, king James I of Aragon was able to win a crucial battle against the Saracens that allowed him to win Valencia for his kingdom. Go Baty!

See the bat on top of the Valencian Town Hall

And on top of "La Puerta del Mar" (Sea Door) from Valencia

I love Valencia by night as the streets are inundated by this pumpkin like light color. Last night everybody was there: The Kitties, The Nurses, The Wiches, The Devils, The Vampires who don´t show of in pictures because they are, well, vampires, even characters from Alice in Wonderland. It was a hell of a Halloween party!

Cheap Europe Accommodation - Etap Hotels Review

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Etap Hotels are a cheaper alternative to the traditional hotels and a more comfortable alternative to the youth hostels. Basically one could say Etap Hotels are somewhere in between the hotels and the hostels. I want to make it clear right from the beginning of this review that I have no connection whatsoever with Etap Hotels. I am simply a backpacker grateful to have discovered an Etap Hotel just behind the Munich main rail station while looking desperately for budget accommodation in an expensive city. Since then I´ve stayed in different Etap Hotels around Europe and they grew on me because every time I opened a hotel room door it felt like home as I knew what to expect. It´s like McDonald´s - everywhere same quality.

The Etap Hotel Network belongs to The Accor Hotels Network. There are more than 400 Etap Hotels around Europe in the main touristic cities and the prices and the quality is pretty much constant. The rooms rates go ruffly between 35 euros and 50 euros for 2 people. Some hotels charge a 12 euros fee for the third persons, others don't. The rooms are prepared for up to 3 people, with 1 double bed and 1 single bed. All rooms have private bathrooms and shower. Etap Hotels provide you the towels, the soap and the shampoo at no extra cost unlike most of the European hostels and you get daily cleaning service too. I found all the Etap Hotels I've stayed with generally clean, I would give them a 9 out of 10 points, as nobody is perfect. Plus most of the Etap network's hotels are of new opening and you can actually notice that looking at the furniture and the carpets. And speaking of carpets, I found the decision of having carpets instead of parquet a bit strange but in the mean time they give the rooms a warmer feeling.

All the Etap Hotels rooms have air con and small TV with remote control with volume limit, which is good for your neighbors and for your good night sleep too. The windows are modern PVC, which means they keep away the street noise. The shutters are easy to use and they fulfill their job successfully so you can sleep all day long. But don't! You are supposed to visit that great city, not to sleep!

Most of the Etap Hotels have 24h reception. There is always somebody at the desk ready to help you out and you can check in anytime you like. The staff speaks English except maybe the night shift. At the reception, when you check in you are given a card that is your room key digitally programed with a code that resets itself automatically at 12a.m. on the day of your departure as an extra security measure.

If you are a travel writer or a business person or you just can't live without checking your Tweets, Etap Hotels provides you with free Wi-Fi access. In the morning there is a continental breakfast buffet that you can contract separately, on a particular morning or every morning. You don't have to pay the breakfast in advance. Suffices with you going in a particular morning to the reception and pay for it. Pets are welcomed too, one per room, but they cannot enter the cafeteria area during breakfast.

Each Etap Hotel has hundreds of rooms and they usualy have short notice availability even during the high season. If you travel from one city to another in the same country you can ask your hotel to make a reservation in your name to another Etap Hotel from another city in the same country. They won't charge you anything for this service and they even give you a written confirmation of the booking.

Etap Hotel are suitable for any ages. You can be 5 or 95, nobody will ask for your passport except for the receptionist who will anyways keep your age secret. The elevators are disabled friendly and the rooms though modern and simple are useful and clean. There isn't much furniture in the rooms, except for the beds, a desk and a chair and some hangers for your clothes. No real wardrobe there, white walls and no fancy decorations, but for the price difference between Etap and a classy hotel, I think it is worth it. It's not like you are going to live in the hotel forever.

I hope this review was helpful. I personally like Etap Hotels and I think they are a great concept, a good choice for budget travellers and good value for your money. Though many Etap Hotels are located next to the airport, which is not particularly bad, or next to main roads, at the outskirts of the cities, some of them are actually located next to the city center, like the one in Birmingham or the one in Munich mentioned above. But no matter where the Etap Hotels are situated, there's always a metro station or a bus station near by so you won't have problems visiting the city center.

I hope this helps and next time you visit Europe and you are looking for budget accomodation you will have a look on the Etap Hotels page to see if there is an Etap Hotel in your city of destination. Enjoy your stay!

Remember that Etap Hotels are budget accommodation. In some countries they are not even considered hotels. If you are looking for luxury, a 4* or a 5* hotel is probably better for you. Etap Hotels are meant for people who don't want to spend much money on accommodation and for that they are great value. And they are far cleaner and comfortable than a slightly cheaper youth hostel with dorms for 12 people.

Valencia Travel - The Silk Exchange

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:12:00 +0000

Today I´ve visited La Lonja de la Seda (The Silk Exchange) in Valencia for the thousandth time. I love it. The entrance is free and the place is not very big and lacks furniture, but it is really refreshing and castle like, with huge doors, very high ceiling and enormous columns. The Silk Exchange was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 for being one of the most stunning, most important and best preserved examples of Late Gothic architecture in the entire Europe.

Built at the beginning of XVIth century, La Lonja (Silk Exchange) is the real emblem of the Golden Age of Valencia - the times when the city was one of Europe's main economic centres. La Lonja is an impressive building and a must see for the traveler to Valencia and that´s why it is always included in any Valencian travel itinerary. La Lonja is composed of three parts (plus the Orange Garden - a walled court-yard). The main hall, Sala de Contratacion (The Contract Hall) is an enormous, lavishly decorated space supported by gorgeous twisted columns. This was the centre of life in La Lonja, the place where the merchants would meet, deal and sign. The side-wing is named the Pavillion of the Consulate, and this was the seat of the Tribunal del Mar - the first merchant tribunal to ever be formed in Spain. The first two floors were the main function rooms, with the upper one hosting a richly decorated ceiling - a masterpiece of medieval art which had the King ride out of the capital just to see it. La Lonja is situated next to the Central Market and only 5 minutes from the Town Hall, basically in the heart of Valencia and next to many typical tapas bars tourists and locals alike so enjoy.

Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam - UNESCO World Heritage

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:19:00 +0000

Sanssouci Palace from Potsdam is the former summer residence of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia. The Sanssouci Palace was designed by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 following the King's ideas and sketches and had the primary role of fulfilling Frederick's need for a private residence where he could relax away from the pomp and ceremony of the Berlin court. The French phrase, sans souci, translates loosely as "without worries" or "carefree" symbolising that the palace was a place for relaxation rather than a seat of power. The Sanssouci Palace is relatively small, more likely a villa that a palace like Versailles with which it is oftenly compared. The Potsdam Palace has 12 glamorous rooms including a concert hall and it is located on top of a terraced vineyard, beautifully decorated in rococo style. There are numerous temples and follies in the park like the Orangery, the Charlottenhof Castle, the Tea House and the Roman Baths. Paintings by Watteau, Panini and Pesne are on exhibit in the picture gallery. The Sanssouci Palace from Potsdam is listed by UNESCO between the World Heritage Monuments. It´s a pitty they don´t allow you to take pictures of the rooms, as they are truly breathtaking. The complex is rather large so you need a full day to explore it. Take your time and enjoy it and pray for a sunny day!

Vienna

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:57:00 +0000

Few cities in the world glide so effortlessly between the present and the past like Vienna, the city of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss, Brahms, Mahler and Schönberg. Vienna is a dream city for anyone with a romantic streak or an interest in history. Its splendid historical face is easily recognised: grand imperial palaces and bombastic baroque interiors, museums flanking magnificent squares, amazing architecture and impressive statues. Vienna, also described as Europe's cultural capital, is a metropolis with unique charm, vibrancy and flair. The collecting passion of art-loving rulers and monarchs has made Vienna a treasure house par excellence. The historic city centre of Vienna is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Vienna is also famous for its coffee culture. "Let's have a coffee" is a very commonly heard phrase. The Kaffeehauskultur is still the traditional way to drink a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, meet friends or fall in love.

Amsterdam in Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:45:00 +0000

Amsterdam has an impressive architecture with lovely bridges and canals criss-crossing the city and world famous museums (Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Van Gogh Museum, the Rembrandt House Museum, Anne Franks House, Rijksmuseum, etc). Amsterdam took its name from the River Amstel. The city developed out of a small fishing village called "Amstelredam", built in the 13th century alongside a dam at the mouth of the river. The town was granted city rights around 1300. Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. Amsterdam is situated only 2 meters above sea level and it is sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North". Amsterdam is bike friendly, sex friendly and drugs friendly which makes it one of the most tourist friendly destinations in the world. Love is in the air!

Saint Dionysius´ Feast Day in Valencia

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:25:00 +0000

On October the 9th Valencia celebrates Saint Dionysius' Feast Day, the local version of Saint Valentine. The valencian men wrap up in silk handkerchiefs specially decorated and shaped marzipan sweets that you can find in almost any valencian bakery around these dates and give them to their girlfriends as a demonstration of their affection. As I love colorful marzipan sweets I took a lot of photos as you can see. And yes, I got a nice marzipan box too. I´m a good girl, you know? I always get what I want!

Cheap Travel - Food

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:20:00 +0000

When you travel on a budget you need to set rules and goals. When you plan your travel itinerary you look for budget hotels, cheap air line tickets, European Rail Passes, etc. But one thing you cannot know, unless you contract full board with your stay, is the price of food in each destination. And underestimated food costs greatly increase the cost of a cheap travel plan.

Eating out in Europe can be very pricey. But here are some tips and tricks to take into consideration while travelling through Europe.

1. Before you start traveling, do some research. It's a pitty to go to Valencia and not try la horchata or Agua de Valencia, two of the most valencian drinks. If you find out about them too late is not likely you will go back just to taste them but you will be left with a bitter taste because of the missed opportunity.

2. Don’t buy food at the airport. Ludicrously expensive and often poorly made, airport food can cost you precious calories and cash. Skip the plane chow, too. Airlines need money for gas, and they’re taking it out of your meal budget. Why pay $8 for a sandwich you might not even like?

3. Many European hotels have all you can eat buffet breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so eating in comfortable limits can save you some money later in the morning. If the breakfast is not included in the hotel package, just go find a local coffee shop or bakery. Now here is where you are going to sample some of the local specialties and they are always cheaper than hotel breakfasts. It's a win, win situation for you and your pocket.

4. When in Rome do as the Romans do. This applies very well when you try to travel cheap. Just adjust your eating habits to you destination habits. It's as much a part of your visit as the highly rated museum or scenic outlook.

5. A picnic lunch purchased at a deli, market or take away is a great idea too. Bread, local cheese and fresh fruit make a filling lunch for a fraction of the restaurant costs. You don't pay for the table in the restaurant and you can choose the view. Just imagine having lunch in Champ de Mars looking at Eiffel Tower. Priceless!

6. Lunch menu prices are often lower than dinner ones. You can always alternate. Rules are meant to be broken. Just not too often if you still want to travel cheap.

7. Guidebooks direct you to certain local restaurants but in time these places become more and more expensive as the owners know that no matter what they do, the restaurant will still be full at dinner time. It's also good to make your own discoveries. As you walk through the city, some restaurants will definitely call your attention. You can come back later on and try their specialties.

8. Cheap travel is not about cheap experiences. A typical restaurant a few streets away from the center can be a few times cheaper that an over rated restaurant in the main city square. It's not always about the view.

9. And, for goodness sake, don’t get carried away in lovely Irish pubs and spend your food budget on Guinness. Yes, you might get some free peanuts, but that’s not going to help you tomorrow when the only thing that will cure a hangover is a trip to the buffet. I never understood the people that can only have fun when drunk.

10. From my experience the cheapest way to travel is by buying food from the supermarket. This doesn't mean that you don't get to taste the local food or you don't go to a fancy restaurant once in a while. It just means that you can save some money and invest them in other interests.

Marseille

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:58:00 +0000

Although part of the region of Provence, Marseille has a soul of its own. Founded in 600 b.c. by the Greek sailors of Phocaea, Marseille is the oldest city in France and surely the most complex. In the time of the French colonies, Marseille was the gateway to the Mediterranean. Today Marseille remains a capitol of southern Europe, cosmopolitan and exuberant, with its picturesque old port, its Bouillabaisse and its folklore.

Notre-Dame de la Garde, Marseille (the church is situated on the hill)

Longchamp Palace from Marseille features an allegoric group of the Durance River and the statues of vine and wheat. Note the fisherman’s net and fish on the column. The bulls from camargue draw the chariot.

These stairs lead to Marseille Main Train Station. But before you tire yourself climbing them, be advised that just around the corner there is another more modern entrance with mechanical stairs.

Neuschwanstein Castle

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:46:00 +0000

Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Bavarian castle on a rugged hill near Hohenschwangau and Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. Neuschwanstein Castle was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to the composer Richard Wagner, the King's friend and inspiring muse. Ludwig did not allow visitors to his castles, but after his death in 1886 the Neuschwanstein Castle was opened to the public (in part due to the need to pay off the debts Ludwig incurred financing its construction). Neuschwanstein Castle is the most photographed building in Germany and is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Unfortunately public photography of the interior is not permitted. Thou there aren´t many rooms opened to the public, mainly because the castle was left unfinished, the ones that you can visit are huge ball rooms extremly rich in details. Neuschwanstein Castle appeared in several movies and was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle at both Disneyland Park and Hong Kong Disneyland.

Beautiful painted German houses at the bottom of the hill from where you can get to the Neuschwanstein Castle by foot, by bus or by a traditional horse carriage.

Zürich Travel - The Chinese Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:48:00 +0000

The Chinese Garden is a gift from Zürich's Chinese partner town, Kunming. The garden is dedicated to one of the main themes in Chinese culture, "Three Friends In Winter ", the pine, the bamboo and the winter cherry. The Chinese Garden covers an exactly rectangular terrain, surrounded by a low wall. Its central element is a pond with a small island. A bridge connects the pavilion's island and the inner garden, reminding of the Island of Immortals.

Travel Itinerary

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:42:00 +0000

One can not plan to travel to Europe without a travel itinerary. While contracting your dream travel itinerary to Europe with your local travel agency is more delicate, first things first, you need to sketch in your mind a travel itinerary to suit your interests in order to know what to ask for. Europe is dense in must see places, packed with beautiful medieval towns and breaths ancient history and culture. Including all this marvelous destinations in your travel itinerary is impossible, but it´s worth some research in order to find out what other jewels lay in the shadow of Paris so you will have some untold and unheard stories to tell your friends when you go back.

A travel itinerary depends on how many days you can spend in Europe. I can assure you that even thou Europe looks somehow small on the map, a lifetime of traveling is not enough to see it all. I would say that if you make the financial effort of traveling to Europe it is worth spending at least two weeks on the old continent. Including just Paris or Barcelona in your itinerary will only open your appetite for more and you won´t leave satisfied.

The shortest Europe travel itinerary I would recommend is Amsterdam - London - Paris (+ Versailles Palace situated 1 hour trip from Paris) - Barcelona. Give at least three days for each in your itinerary as they are vast and dense cities you cannot ignore. Of course there are Vienna and Venice and you definetly shouldn´t forget about them, but as they are not situated on the way between the cities mentioned above, I leave it up to you to include them or not in your itinerary.

A 1 month travel itinerary is already more satisfaing. We will include the destinations from the previous travel itinerary: Amsterdam - Paris - London - Barcelona and let´s get our itinerary fat starting from here. We still have 15 days worth travel left. Vienna (2 days) - Prague (1 day) - Rome (2-3 days) - Venice (superfast in 1 day, better stay for 2 days) - Florence (1 day) - Munchen (1 day) - Dublin (1 day) - Madrid (2 days) - Copenhagen (1 day). These travel destinations will give you a pretty good idea about what Europe really is about.

In 3 months, if you are young, restless and eager to see as much as humanly possible, just have a look at my travel itinerary list on the right side of the page. Yes, I managed to see all those cities and castles in just about 3 months. There is a lot left to be seen. My list is still young. There are always places you want to go back to, like Chillon Castle in Switzerland which for me represents heaven on Earth or Dublin, the cozyest capital I´ve ever traveled to, or Venice where I spent one day of my honeymoon and loved it and want to go back. Drawing a travel itinerary is no child´s play. It´s a tough job and involves a lot of responsability. But there is one dirty little secret to know before and meanwhile and after you travel throughtout Europe. No matter how carefully your travel itinerary was developed, it is never perfect. Because of a very simple reason: you will always want to travel more.

European Rail Passes

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:09:00 +0000

Europe's modern rail network makes travel easy, efficient and environmentally-friendly. And regarding the fact that Europe is packed with lovely must see places, the hop on, hop off method is the best. I managed to visit up to 3 towns in one day, as they were 1 hour of less far from each other by train and had only one or two sights of interest. If you travel on a budget you might want to take into consideration writing down a list of priorities and don´t waste time wondering on the streets of a village that you know nothing about after visiting the up hill castle.

The European Rail Passes are specifically designed that you can literally explore Europe by train. The Rail Passes are the alternative to buying several Europe rail tickets. The most outstanding advantages are that they are cheaper than buying individual tickets, you don´t have to cue anymore in every train station and you don´t have to validate you pass before getting on the train, the time pressure is gone, if you miss a train, there´s always another one coming usually in the next hour or so, you don´t have to worry about the train connections, you can change trains as often as you like as many time as you like. Now there are supplements you have to pay from time to time, as if you want to use the super fast French TGV or if you want to cross the channel to Great Britain or to cross the sea by ferry to Denmark. For all the local trains thou you don´t have to pay an extra dime.

There are up to one month Interail Passes and up to three months Eurail Passes but if you have time and money left in your pocket you can buy yourself another and another month of Europe until the only thing everyone will ever remember about you is that you are a full time traveller.

The European Rail Passes are divided in two categories: EuRail and InterRail. The main difference is that the EuRail Pass is for Non-European residents and InterRail Pass is for European residents or persons which stayed the last 6 or more months in Europe. The InterRail pass is not valid in the pass holder's country of residence, meaning that once you start your journey your first stop must be outside of your country of residence.

The InterRail Global Pass is valid in all of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Eurail Pass is valid in all the countries above except Bulgaria, Great Britain, Poland, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

You can chose between a consecutive-day pass, a flexipass or a saverpass to suit your needs. Just remember that you travel on a budget and you want to make the most of your trip to Europe.

Consecutive-day passes: If you plan to travel nearly daily and cover a lot of ground, a consecutive-day pass is the right choice for you. You get unlimited train travel for the duration of the pass. If you have a 15-day pass, you can travel 15 consecutive days, taking trains many times each day. If you have a one-month pass, you can travel, for example, from June 10th through July 9th. But remember, more travel days on a pass equal cheaper costs per day.

Flexipass: If you like to linger for a few days in each place, a flexipass is the best choice. You have a certain number of travel days to use within a longer "window" of time (for example, any 10 days within a two-month period). You can sprinkle these travel days throughout your trip or use them all in a row. You can take as many separate trips as you like within each travel day. Flexipasses are cheaper than the Consecutive-day passes because they cover fewer days.

Saverpass: Designed to save money for groups, a Saverpass is a single ticket printed with all the names of two to five travelers. Members of each pair or group must order the same pass together and all must be present to validate the pass in Europe. Part of the group can use the pass while others stay in town or fly home early, but those sharing a pass cannot split and go different directions by train. If you are a group of four, you can give yourselves more flexibility by ordering a separate pass for each pair.

One pass is usually better than two. To cover a multiple-country trip, it's usually cheaper to buy one Selectpass or Eurail Pass with lots of travel days than to buy several single-country passes with a few high-cost travel days per pass. If you decide to travel over a border (e.g., France to Germany) using separate France and Germany railpasses, then you will use up a day of each pass.

Being young is all about advantages. If you are 25 years old or younger on your first day of travel a Youth Pass will save you some money. Youth Passes are valid in second class and give a 35% discount on the Adult first class fare. Youth travelers who prefer 1st class train travel can buy an Adult Pass.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Amsterdam

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:47:00 +0000

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum from Amsterdam is amazing. The museum is housed in a very large building in the center of Amsterdam and it is spread over four floors. The lifelike figures are so perfectly done that you almost forget that all those famous people could just stand there and melt away if somebody switched on a lighter. From royals, sport stars, popular musicians, world leaders (as from January 2009 the Bush figure was replaced by an Obama figure), contemporary Hollywood celebrities, historical figures such as Gandhi and Einstein to famous Dutch people, everybody is there to greet you. It´s not like Madame Tussauds Wax Museum from Amsterdam is better than the one in London or NY, but hey! where else in the world can you have your picture taken next to Rembrandt? And to be fair, the wax figures in my photos are hard to distinguish from the real people. Hm, could it be really Rembrandt standing there next to me? There is always a cue to enter the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum so be advised and get your patient mood with you. The entry fee is not cheap either, but it is worth the trouble. And by any chance, don´t, but don´t forget your camera in the hotel!

Copenhagen

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:38:00 +0000

Copenhagen is one of Europe's most enjoyable cities. Copenhagen has a reputation for tolerance, reinforced by the presence of the fascinating 'free city' of Christiania, a community of people who have tried to create an equal and just consensus-governed democracy for its people. There is more here than Carlsberg and The Little Mermaid. Thou I haven't been to The Tivoli Gardens I hear they are wonderful. The colorful buildings and the architecture are fascinating and the people are opened.

List Of European Festivals

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:29:00 +0000

JANUARY
Snow Festival - Kiruna, Sweden - Late February
In the snowy north as reindeers race and dog sleds drift, artists sculpt ice into fantasy forms in the whitest festival of them all.

FEBRUARY
Waitangi Day Pub Crawl - London, England - February 6th
There are loads of Kiwis in London and they all come out to do the Circle Line pub crawl on their national day. The tube lines are packed, and the festivities end at Westminster for a massive Haka!

Venice Carnival - Venice, Italy - Mid February
The Venice Carnival is the most internationally known festival celebrated in Venice. Masks and gorgeous costumes hit the canals every February in complete anonymity.

Viareggio Carnival - Viareggio, Italy - February
Famous for it's huge, mechanical floats, this carnival holds parades on each Sunday in February.

Ronciglione Carnival - Ronciglione, Italy - Mid February
Famous for its nasi rossi (red noses), locals who force feed onlookers pasta, and riderless horses, this carnival is definitely unique!

Ivria Carnival - Ivrea, Italy - February (the three days before Ash Wednesday)
If you don't mind being pelted in the head by a stray orange or two, this is the festival for you! Participants ride horse-drawn carts and hurl oranges at one another. Mayhem!

Sitges Carnival - Sitges, Spain - Mid February
No carnival is complete without a few drag queens and Sitges is the place to find them strutting their stuff amongst the floats and families.

Maastricht Carnival - Maastricht, Netherlands - Mid February
Any silly costume will be fine for this short, boozy carnival amongst Maastricht's many bars.

Fasnacht - Basel, Switzerland - Late February
10,000 drum and piper troupes converge on the city at 4am on a Monday morning and marching by torch through the streets for 24 hours - refuelling in pubs along the way of course.

MARCH
Las Fallas - Valencia, Spain - March 12th to 19th
Las Fallas is undoubtedly one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain. Las Fallas is the festival of fire where giant extremely lifelike figurines made of paper mache, wood and wax are burned on the streets in the middle of a huge feast. Las Fallas is a festival with a strong satirical character and the huge (up to 30 meters) colorful scenes usually depict current events. A wild and explosive festival that will blow your socks off.

St. Patrick's Day - Ireland - March 17th
Paddy's Day parties will spring up all over the country on this national holiday, but Dublin is the centre of it all with the parade and hundreds of pubs.

Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race - London, England - Late March
Brave the chilly weather to watch some university students battle it out on the River Thames. The 'Old Ship' pub in Hammersmith is a great place to take it all in - if you don't mind crowds!

APRIL
The Grand National - Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, England - Early April
Watch the jockey's fly as their horses leap over bushes for glory in one of the world's most dangerous and prestigious races.

ANZAC Day Service - Gallipoli, Turkey - April 25th
Aussies and Kiwis head in masses to Turkey to pay tribute to their fallen war heroes at this sombre dawn service.

Queen's Day - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Late April/Early May
Celebrate the Queen's birthday in style getting boozed up and everything else in Amsterdam for this national holiday.

MAY
Feria De Abril - Seville, Spain - 1st week of May
A colourful annual street party with Flamenco dancing at the centre of it all.

Cannes Film Festival - Cannes, France - Mid May
Spots the stars at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.

Constitution Day - Oslo, Norway - May 17th
Celebrates independence from Denmark, with folk music, parades, entertainment and people in traditional costumes.

Carnival in Aalborg - Aalborg, Denmark - Late May
This small Danish town is home to Northern Europe's largest festival with 30,000 participants giving the spectators a fabulous wave of colour and music.

Chelsea Flower Show - Chelsea, London, England - Late May
Wander around some amazingly posh and well manicured gardens in amazingly posh and well manicured Chelsea, southwest London.

French Open - Paris, France - Late May
One of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments rolls into Roland Garros for two weeks at the end of May.

Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling - Gloucestershire, England - Late May
With a disputed history dating back to at least the 1800s, the annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake involves hordes of fearless competitors chasing a weighty 8lb Double Gloucester cheese down a death-defyingly-steep hill. If you're feeling brave and want to win a big cheese, join in!

JUNE
Tourist Trophy Superbike Races - Isle of Man - Early June
Watch some bikers race around the narrow streets on this tiny island for glory. Then once that's all done, watch biking enthusiasts from around the world have a crack at the course themselves. Guaranteed carnage!

Wimbledon Tennis Championship - London, England - Late June
Southwest London plays host to the world's premier tennis tournament and tickets can be had for those willing to camp out on the second Saturday or those who go after 5pm midweek.

Summer Solstice - Stonehenge, England - June 21st
Midsummer night ritual with all sorts of druids, hippies and new age wackos. Fascinating, especially if the weather is good!

Glastonbury Festival - Glastonbury, England - Late June
As much about the atmosphere as the music, camp for up to five days with thousands of your closest friends and take in three days of great bands - if you're lucky enough to get tickets, that is!

JULY
Running of the Bulls - Pamplona, Spain - Early July
Gorge yourself on booze with thousands of others during the week long party while trying to avoid being gorged by an angry bull.

Love Parade - Berlin, Germany - Early July
Get off chops and participate in the world's largest dance party in the streets of Berlin. Flash floats and some the of best DJs around will keep things pumping all night.

T in the Park - Kinross, Scotland - July
Pray for good weather for this outdoor weekend music festival which attracts big acts from all over the world.

Newquay Board Masters - Newquay, England - Late July
Chill on the beach in Newquay while taking in England's premier surf competition.

Medieval Festival - Sighisoara, Romania - last weekend of july
A large and colourful event full of drama in a beautiful ancient town in Transylvania.

July Fair - Valencia, Spain - whole month of July

The July Fair is a month of various concerts, theatre, open air cinema, sports events and bullfighting. The final act of the July Fair is the Battle of the Flowers a long parade of enormous and gorgeous floats pulled by horses and filled with Valencians dressed to the theme of the float. The primary condition for all of the floats is that they involve artwork with flowers, and it is truly amazing - some look like they are totally made of flowers, and others actually are.

AUGUST
Medeltidsveckan - Gotland, Sweden - Early August
Celebrate all things medieval with jousting competitions, music, pageants, lectures and any other event you can think of related the dark ages.

La Tomatina - Bunyol, Spain - Last Wednesday of August
Come prepared with goggles and a swimsuit to this giant tomato fight in the plastic-wrapped streets of a tiny village in Southern Spain.

Notting Hill Carnival - London, England - Late August
Not just a movie, also a street party - Europe's largest! Celebrate Caribbean music, dancing and food in the streets of London!

Edinburgh Fringe Festival - Edinburgh, Scotland - Late August
All things artsy and creative spill into the streets of Edinburgh for a few weeks in August for the world's largest arts festival.

SEPTEMBER
Oktoberfest - Munich, Gemany - End September/Early October
Oktoberfest is a 16 days festival where the "liquid gold", among other attractions, is the protagonist. Oktoberfest is one of the most famous events in Germany and the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year. Sausages, leiderhosen and beer are plentiful at this Bavarian booze festival with a great party atmosphere and table dancing.

OCTOBER
The Belfast Festival - Belfast, Northern Ireland - Late October
The UK's second largest arts festival is held for two weeks to showcase the city's creative spirit.

Valencia Region's Official Holiday & Saint Dionysius' Feast Day - Valencia, Spain - October 9th
October the 9th is Valencia region's official holiday to celebrate the triumphant entrance of Jaime I into the city after defeating the Moors in battle hundreds of years ago. A three hours procession takes place on the streets of Valencia where the locals dress up in the most beautiful festival costumes. October 9th is also the Lovers Day, a local version of Saint Valentine. Read more about Saint Dionysius' Feast Day from Valencia.

NOVEMBER
Guy Fawkes Nights - England - November 5th
Spot the burning effigies of the English traitor amongst the other fabulous fireworks displays that will be lighting up the skies for weeks.

Christkindlesmarkt - Nuremberg, Germany - Late November
Join millions of shoppers from all over the world and get in the holiday spirit at this month long market selling all things Christmassy.

Cannabis Cup - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - November
Potheads unite for the world's largest marijuana tasting festival in the world. Bring your party hat and some munchies!

DECEMBER
Hogmanay - Edinburgh, Scotland - December 31st
Enjoy the largest New Year's street party in the world in a beautiful setting surrounded by crazy kilted Scotsman. Everything from a torchlight procession, a Fire Festival, fireworks, concerts and to much insobriety, in a dark yet strangely light city.

The Azay-le-Rideau Castle

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:06:00 +0000

The Azay-le-Rideau Castle is one of the earliest French Renaissance châteaux constructed in the Loire Valley. Built on an island in the Indre River, 15 miles southwest of Tours (and about 150 miles southwest of Paris), its foundations rise straight out of the water. One of the many impressive features of the Azay-le-Rideau Castle is the central staircase, with open windows overlooking the courtyard, a very novel idea for the time it was built. The Azay-le-Rideau Castle is 'L' shaped, the two arms enclosing the courtyard and terminating in round towers (19th century additions). One can only marvel at the charming and majestic Azay-le-Rideau Castles that reflects such serenity and projects the image of a certain gentle and romantic way of life or haven of peace. It is hard to imagine that until the reign of François 1st, the Azay-le-Rideau Castle had a defensive objective and looked like all the fortresses of the area.

Heidelberg

noreply@blogger.com (Laura) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:50:00 +0000

Heidelberg is a jewel among German travel destinations. Heidelberg is located in the Neckar river valley right where the dark Odenwald (Forest of Odes) opens up towards the plains of the Rhine Valley. Heidelberg is home to the oldest university in Germany (est. 1386). During WWII, Heidelberg was almost completely spared by allied bombings which destroyed most of Germany's larger inner cities. As a result, Heidelberg has retained its baroque charm of narrow streets, picturesque houses and of course the world-famous Heidelberg Schloss (castle).

Heidelberg Castle