Advice and Information for the World Traveller on Many Destinations

Archive for the ‘City Guides’ Category

There is certainly something quaint and special about the colourful capital city of the Netherlands. With around three-quarters of Amsterdam’s annual 3.7 million visitors being European, it holds a particular appeal for students and young couples who want to enjoy the laidback culture and fascinating history that Amsterdam has to offer. There are four campsites located around the city, which attract the cash-strapped backpacker and are a good option for any traveller on a budget.

Perhaps best known for its controversial Sex Museum, red light district and mellow coffee shops, Amsterdam has much more to offer than pornography, peep shows and pot. Top tourist attractions include the Anne Frank House, Dam Square, Oude Kerk, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum (modern art) and the Tropenmuseum (anthropology). There are also numerous windmills and parks. Two of its prominent top-end hotels are the Krasnapolsky and the Okura.

Amsterdam has good shopping facilities, from luxury department stores (e.g., Maison de Bonneterie) to speciality and curiosity shops arranged along most of the cobbled side streets. A plethora of cafes generally stay open at all hours; if you work up an appetite, you are never far away from a decent restaurant. At night, the atmosphere in Amsterdam becomes noticeably more intimate, and certainly during the summer months, the outside terraces will be filled with wine-drinkers getting acquainted by candlelight, and chilled-out couples relaxing in the moonlight. Nightlife centres around the Leidseplein and the Rembrandtplein, where tourists who want to dance and socialise can find a good choice of discos, bars and clubs.

Amsterdam is characterised by its numerous canals, intersected by pathways, side streets and bridges. Cycling is the most popular and encouraged mode of transport. Trains, buses and trams also operate on a regular basis – and additionally there are even water taxis to take travellers across the canals. Amsterdam loves music and parties, and plays host to over 100 festivals a year, including Gay Pride and the Holland Festival. The main airport serving Amsterdam is Schiphol, around 10km from the city centre.

In the green heart of central Italy lies Umbria, the emerald jewel in Italy’s crown. This is a land of saints and painters; with 70% of Umbria still wooded and three quarters of the landscape classed as hills or mountains it is the perfect landscape for explorers. Villa rental in the area offers the ideal way to discover this magical part of Italy.

Developments and the property boom have led to a rediscovery of rural Umbria, a quiet tourist destination not over populated with the commercialism of other tourist centres around Italy. Many old farmhouses, tobacco towers, monasteries and barns have been converted for villa rental use. Travellers will discover an array of old stone buildings with exposed oak beams that look out across vast vineyards, olive groves and the Apennine Mountains available.

Umbria boosts some of Christianity’s big names when it comes to saints; Frances, Clare, Benedict and Rita were all born and lived here. Towns like Assisi and Perugia are synonymous with these preachers as are the artists who came to paint them.  The Renaissance is very much a part of Umbria; Raphael, Perugino, Giotto and della Francesco all worked in the cities and hill towns of the region and many of their frescoes are still evident.

Even around the small towns of Orvieto, Terni and Spolleto you will find plenty of villas to rent, lovely properties that make excellent bases from which to see the sights, sample the cuisine and taste the local wine. Natural wonders like Marmore Waterfall and Lake Trasimeno are excellent destinations and Umbria’s national parks are well laid out, protected areas of perfect beauty.

Holiday travel to Syria requires a few more steps in obtaining proper visas and paperwork. If you have a flight to Damascus in your itinerary, here is what you need to know to have a safe and enjoyable trip.

Flights to Damascus land at the Damascus International Airport, which is located 35 km south east of the capital city. The airports are served by Syrian Arab Airlines, with British Airways and bmi being the two major airlines from European countries.

Citizens of Arab countries are not required to have visas; however, almost every other traveller must have an entry visa. The process of obtaining a visa can be expensive and time-consuming. The most efficient way is to visit the Syrian embassy in your home country. Some individuals may wait and hope that they can get a valid visa by travelling first to Turkey and applying for one there.

To enter Syria, you will need a letter from your consulate stating that your home country has no objection to your travel to Syria. This correspondence is referred to as a “letter of recommendation”. Your visa must have a signature and two stamps, or else it will be declared invalid and the traveller will not be allowed to disembark.  It must also be in its original blue arrival form.

There can be no evidence of travel to Israel, whether it is a passport stamp, packaging with Hebrew labelling, or if the flight to Damascus comes from any country bordering Israel. These travellers are denied entry into Syria.

Prague’s airport, Ruzyne, is situated about 17 km north-west of Prague (about a 30-minute car journey), and is the Czech Republic’s only international airport, serving 11 million passengers every year.

The centre of Prague is relatively easy navigate, and most sight-seeing can be done in a day, either by foot or using the trams. There is also a funicular railway, and river cruises are available, as many of the sights are located along the banks of the Vlatva River. The city has become increasingly and consistently popular over recent years, and is the perfect destination for a weekend break. In 1992, the centre of Prague (which totals over 2,000 acres) was listed in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Register. Charles Bridge (Karluv Most) connects the two opposite banks of Vltava River, and the city centre is spread over five areas on both sides. On one side is the Stare Mesto and Old Town Square and the Nove Mesto (New Town, known as Wenceslas Square). Across the bridge is the Mala Strana and Castle District, where you will find the famous Prague Castle (Prazsky Hrad). Prague has a selection of low-cost holiday apartments and reasonably-priced hotels situated on both sides of the river. Staying in local accommodation means you only need a weekend to take in all the major sights that the Prague experience has to offer. Although the charm of the region, the delectable local beer and the welcoming atmosphere may make you want to stay much longer!

Apart from the stunning castle, situated on top of a hill overlooking the city below, there are numerous other attractions, including the two impressive Bridge Towers, the Old Town Hall Tower and the magnificent Klementinum with its astronomical clock tower. Art-noveau-style Municipal House is the largest concert hall in Prague – and this unique Eastern European country certainly loves its music concerts and theatre performances.

Offering visitors a unique insight in to Eastern European life and its history, with quirky architecture (Baroque, Gothic and Rococo), quaint churches, winding cobblestone streets and a friendly ambience, Prague is justifiably one of Europe’s top city destinations with couples and families alike.

If you are looking for a good reason to book cheap flights to Israel, look no further than Tel Aviv. The White City section, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, combines a unique concentration of modern buildings blended in with the old, and as the richest city in the entire country and home to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, there is really no reason to book cheap flights to any other major city in the Middle East, because there is more than enough going on in Tel Aviv to keep you busy for weeks; if you can spare the time of course.

The northern section of the city is the wealthiest district and sites such as Hayarkon Park and Israel’s Museum can easily keep a visitor occupied for quite some time. The city centre is described as the heart of Tel Aviv and contains most of the major tourist attractions and shopping areas. This is the modern Tel Aviv that everyone can appreciate, regardless of which country they have taken a cheap flight from.

The southern section is the original district that contains the first neighbourhoods built in the early 20th century and while it is considered the poorer district it is continually evolving. The Jaffa section contains one of the oldest ports in the world, detailed in various religious manuscripts over the years as the place where Jonah started his journey. Andromeda was tied to the rock as a sacrifice to the sea monster and this is where Peter the Apostle received his famous vision.

When you take advantage of the many flights to Berlin you’ll be letting yourself in for a real treat. Berlin is one of Europe’s premier cultural capitals, and has a fascinating past, infamous in the 20th century for being divided down the middle by the notorious Berlin Wall between the East and West parts of the city.

Nowadays, Berlin has left all that behind, and is a world-class city that offers a great deal to the most demanding visitor. The population is multicultural and cosmopolitan, and the city is full of international eateries serving up not only German but also Vietnamese, Turkish and Russian cuisines amongst many others.

Berlin also features many acres of parkland in addition to its multitude of museums, theatres, art galleries and vibrant nightlife, so there really is, as the cliché goes, something for everyone here. 

Berlin is a modern city with a youthful and positive outlook, whilst at the same time refusing to ignore the old and troubling wartime memories that it has to live with. So as well as the socialising and fun of the Berlin Bike Tour and the day-trips to Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace you can take the more sombre Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Walking Tour.

To really get into the spirit of Berlin you could not do better than to visit Charlottenburg Palace, where you can take a tour of this magnificent Hohenzollern residence and listen to the Berlin Residence Orchestra playing exquisite baroque and other music.

If staying in a private holiday villa while in Italy is high on your list of priorities as a traveller, there is no better place than Turin for your extended stay in the country. Nestled in the shadows of the Alps as they dominate the skyline of the Piedmont region, Turin contains literally dozens of villas to choose from, including the more famous tourist attractions such as the 17th century Royal Palace or the Savoy Residences. There are also a variety of other sights to see, such as the Villa la Tesoreria, the Giardini Reali di Torino, or the Royal Gardens of Turin.

In addition to the picturesque countryside filled with mountains, forests, valleys, gardens, hidden Italian villages and more, Turin is also a major industrial centre for Italy, functioning as the headquarters of Fiat as well as for various factories where modules for the International Space Station were built. The University of Turin is also headquartered in the city, ranked as one of the best universities in Italy, as well as one of the oldest.

Bear in mind that Turin is not a budget destination. During the summer months this is one of Italy’s favourite mountain retreats for both foreigners and locals alike, and during the winter months this is one of the premier ski resorts in the country. As such, most of the accommodation is comparable with resort prices around the world, especially when it comes to renting villas for the duration of your trip. As long as your pockets can handle a little extra stretching, Turin is the perfect place for a vacation, regardless if your stay is during the winter or summer months.

The city of Amman, which is the capital of Jordan’s Hashemite kingdom, now stretches over 19 hills (known as jabals). In its settlement days, the city originally unfolded over the landscape of seven hills.

Almost half of Jordan’s population lives in Amman, dotting the hills with pastel coloured houses made of stone. The houses are all uniformly shaped like boxes, with the flat roofs of desert dwellings. Pavement markets, ancient minarets, and the crumbling remains of ancient civilizations mix in harmonious contrast to the international restaurants, fashion houses and contemporary office buildings.

The downtown district is the heartbeat of Amman. In the centre is the Ottoman style King Hussein Mosque. The area around the Mosque is busy at all times, but is especially a beehive of activity during the prayer times. The streets are filled with the sound of worship, scented by the exotic smells of Arabia and surrounded by rows of jewel-like treasures in the marketplace, with the haggling of bartering voices.

Amman dates back over 5,500 years and was the capital city of the Ammonites. Overlooking the city, the Citadel is the site of the ancient Rabbath-Ammon of the Old Testament. At its feet lays the Roman amphitheatre, a relic of the city of Rome’s Philadelphia.

Amman is one of the oldest cities in the world, and has been continuously inhabited since it was first settled. Today, it is also a thriving administrative and commercial centre of notable hospitality, modern facilities and historical attractions. Many of the other attractions in the region are no more than a five hour drive away.

Flights to Amman are available from most international airports.

Aberdeen is one of Scotland’s major cities. It follows Edinburgh, the capital city, and Glasgow, the most populous, as Scotland’s third major city. Other Scottish places of note are Perth, Inverness, St Andrews and Dundee.

Aberdeen is situated on the east coast of Scotland, on the North Sea coast. It is a historic fishing city, economically vibrant since the 1980s due to its participation in the North Sea oil industry. Largely due to this industry, Aberdeen has become one of Scotland’s most internationally minded cities, with many expatriates working and living there.

As a travel destination, Aberdeen enjoys cheap flights to and from other Scottish cities like Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness, or UK cities like London, Manchester or Newcastle. Aberdeen is often used as a base from which to travel along the east coast of Scotland, to visit beaches, golf courses or whiskey distilleries. It is also within a few hours reach by car of the Central Highlands, Loch Ness, the Cairngorm Mountains and the lowland cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Aberdeen itself has a number of tourist attractions. These include the historic harbour, a number of museums, cinemas, restaurants and pubs, traditional and modern, as well as historic university buildings and architecture.

Scottish hospitality is, generally speaking, of a warm nature. Travellers can choose from a wide variety of accommodation, including world class hotels as well as large numbers of bed & breakfast businesses, hostels and self-catering cottages. Most places, in addition, have tourist information offices.

Caen is one of France’s great historic cities and the capital of Normandy, founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century and although the centre was flattened by the Germans in 1944 it has been effectively restored. Williams’ castle and two medieval abbeys still dominate the town, and it’s the mixture of ancient and modern that gives Caen its unique character.

There are plenty of things to see and do in Caen, and the city is a popular destination with the French as well as foreign visitors. The most effective way to explore it, if you’re staying for a few days, is to rent a villa or apartment. This will provide the flexibility to create your own daily itinerary without the hassle of having to get back for pre-arranged meals. You’ll have more private space, the kids will have their own rooms to chill out in, and self-catering is a great way to get involved with the culture. Shop at the local markets, make picnics for the day’s outing, and practice your French. The whole self-catering gig works out cheaper than hotel accommodation, especially if you’re going in a group and can spread the cost that way.

A typical day out in Caen could include – if you’re driving – parking at the Cote de Nacre just north of the city and getting a free tram ride to the city centre to explore museums and historic buildings, the picturesque marina at the entrance to the old harbour, and do some shopping in the lively Rue St. Pierre