Planning a Smart and Satisfying Europe Trip

September 29, 2008 at 1:28 am · Filed under europe2

Before you even pack your bags and jump on the first flight to Amsterdam, we’re going to have to do the dirty work. That’s right. We need to take the time to spread out those big Europe maps and open some guidebooks to plan our trip right. You could never really cover the entire landmass of Europe in one trip unless you had an unlimited source of travel money, so some basic decisions have to be made before you even call your travel agent. Will you try to cover as many countries as you can in the given time or do you choose to explore a few countries and cities in depth instead?

First, you have to decide where you will start and end your journey. London is a major entry point for flights into Europe, but you could also start and end in Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Athens.

Second, consider your mode of transport when you get to Europe. You will need to take a hard look at your budget to factor in the ticket prices of the boats/trains/buses/planes you will be riding. Rail is a good way to cover a large area in a smaller amount of time. Rented cars can give you a lot of flexibility but can isolate you from the local culture. You will most probably use a combination of train, bus, ferry, foot, trams and rail to get around most cities.

When planning your route, make sure it is based on the way you want to travel and see the sights. It should include stopovers or roads with elements that interest you, such as views and historic significance (some castles, bridges, views, etc.). But you have to be realistic. There’s not much point in only staying for a day or two in a city that interests you; you will miss most of the sights and you will most likely be totally exhausted before you even reach the end of your trip. Make sure your transport routes are clearly traced: zigzagging back and forth across cities can take its toll on your sanity and your wallet.

It’s always a good idea to pick the cities you think you must absolutely visit (London, Paris, Vienna and Rome are always popular). Allow at least two or three days in each city and a day in between for travel time. You can also go to side trips if the time allows (like Versailles if you’re already in Paris). Add a few days for relaxing along the way and see how many days that adds up to. If it’s too long, you will have to cut some cities out. Or you could choose two or three countries and spend at least four days in each. With each country, allow three days in the capital and an extra day for other towns and villages.

Once you come up with a workable itinerary, you are now ready to travel. Just remember to have extra cash for unforeseen events and circumstances and always be open to changing your plans once you’re there. However, try your best to stick to what you planned to do and thoroughly consider visiting new cities. Don’t just throw the entire planned route away just because some travelers say that a certain city is “unmissable”. Again, what may appeal to other travellers may or may not work for you.

Always be on the lookout for travel burn-out. Don’t panic and try to cram too many cities in too little time. Travel steadily, pack light and always allow enough time just to relax and take everything in. Enjoy!

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Ukraine-Sleeping Beauty

September 28, 2008 at 1:27 am · Filed under europe2

Ukraine… Truly a country like no other. For seventy years hidden behind the Iron Curtain this Sleeping Beauty suddenly arose with a new breath of life, throwing off the tyranny of her past oppressors and proudly proclaiming herself as the worlds newest democracy. Ukraine’s example of determination against all odds has indeed served as an inspiration to freedom seeking peoples around the world.

For the tourist, the openness and warmth of the Ukrainian people is unmistakable. The cultural diversity is refreshing, leaving your senses of life, of humanity, broadened and enlightened. Ukraine’s people are as curious about you, as you are about them. After all, it’s been in near total isolation for a very long time.

For the Traveler there has been no better time to experience first hand the impact that Soviet style communism has left on this Nation of 48 million, and at the same time witness a most profound moment in history. Michael Gorbachev likened Ukraine’s Orange Revolution as equal in importance to the fall of the Berlin Wall in the emergence of democracy in the former Soviet Union.

Of the Worlds great capital cities, Kyiv (Kiev) ranks second to none in her livability. Known in the past as the “Mother” of former USSR strongholds, Kyiv has a rich history in its importance as a vital part of Europe. With a population of nearly 3 million ‘registered’ residents, the city is actually estimated to be much larger, with an abundance of parks, theaters, beaches, and nightlife that beg for exploration in a seemingly endless trail of discoveries that continually surprise and delight.

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UK Airport Parking

September 27, 2008 at 1:21 am · Filed under europe2

Airport parking in the UK can be expensive if you just turn up at the car park without having made a reservation. Cost savings of up to 60% are not unusual when you are able to pre-book your airport parking space.

The trouble is that there is so much confusion online with airport parking on who can offer the best price and solution that meets the users needs. There appears to be a large number of websites offering various parking solutions. In truth there are only a small number of direct operators, but there are many operator partners that you can use to pre-book your airport parking.

This situation is common within the travel industry. There are relatively few major booking systems in comparison to the number of on and offline businesses connecting to and using them as their backend operation. Successful operations are able to add value to the booking process for the consumers. Some of the operator partners for airport parking include airlines, hotel chains and dedicated parking websites.

The Airport Parking Guide ( http://www.airport-parking-guide.co.uk ) aims to offer the “best choice of available car parks at airports across the UK” and have developed their own price and information comparison system. The search results are colour coded for easy identification of on site, off site or meet and greet parking.

Using data from five of the main direct discount operators, for a given set of times and dates, the guide will return a choice of available car parks along with links to more in depth information.

The Airport Parking Guide in collaboration with BCP has recently made available for download, PDF guides for Gatwick and Heathrow airports. These are the first in a planned series of airport guides to be released by the Airport Parking Guide.

Over 200 car park options are contained within their database from around 100 or more car parks. The four parking brokers used to compare information and prices are BCP, APH, FHR and Holiday Extras. These operators account for the majority of all online and offline pre-booking of UK airport parking.

Each operator has their own strengths, but comparing the solutions of all four ensures that the Airport Parking Guide is able to add value to the website visitor. It is often in the detail that one makes a choice and the guide presents impartial information on all the car parks offered.

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