Holidaying in Italy:milan and Rome

Holidaying in Italy:milan and Rome

Steeped in antiquity yet bursting with all that’s fashionably modern, Italy is the birthplace of La Dolce Vita – the sweet life that celebrates beauty and happiness.

Climate

Winters are long and cold in the northern alps; the summers can be rainy with frequent storms. The far south is warm but often lashed by the sirocco – the hot and humid African wind that brings weeks of stifling heat to the areas south of Rome. Pleasant temperatures make spring and autumn the best times to visit Italy.

Accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts

Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of hotels in Italy

Milan:cutting edge design and fine shopping

Milan’s drab facade belies the fact that it’s the innovation capital of Europe.

transport: getting there and getting around

Malpensa airport, located about 31 miles northwest of Milan, handles most international flights. For domestic and some European flights, Linate airport is used. Stazione Central, which as the name suggests is in the city centre offers an extensive rail network.

Milan has an efficient public transport system is efficient. It includes four underground lines, buses and trams.

climate

Other than the odd heat wave, the climate in Milan is mostly temperate.

accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts

Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of Milan hotels

events:what’s on and what’s hot

For all its consumer-driven culture, Milan celebrates the spiritual as well as the worldly.

*The first ten days of June celebrate the Festa del Naviglio, a potpourri of parades, music and various performances.

*The Milan Jazz Festival gets the city swinging in November.

*The Festa di Sant’Ambrogio, on 7 December is celebrated with services, offerings and fairs around the Fiera di Milano. This is also the day that Milan’s renowned opera house La Scala opens its season.

Rome:the eternal city

Drenched in history and weighted with monuments famous the world over – the Vatican and the Colosseum, Rome stands as the epitome of history and culture.

transport:getting there and getting away

Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) airport is 16 miles southwest of the city with the Stazione Termini direct train running hourly into the city. The main bus station is located outside the Stazione Termini. The Rome Metro service has two lines, both of which go through Termini. It runs from 5:30 a.m to 11.30 p.m. and 0:30 on Saturdays.

climate

The climate is mild with sunny skies and pleasant temperatures. However July and August can be oppressively hot, November is often rainy, and December to February can be chill.

accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts

Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of Rome hotels

Events: what’s on and what’s hot

*Holy Week (Easter) is time when Catholics from all over the world arrive on pilgrimages to visit the city’s churches and to hear the Pope at the Vatican. On Good Friday a procession of the Cross goes from the Colosseum to Capitoline Hill.

The Estate Romana (Roman Summer), is at the heart of Roman social life from June to September. It’s a time when the city reverberates to free concerts, street theatre and outdoor cinema.

In September museums, galleries and shops stay open all night from 20:00-08:00 on the occasion called Notte Bianca (white night). It’s also a time of free concerts and other happenings all over the city.

Travel Tips To European Countries: Holland

Travel Tips To European Countries: Holland

About the Country
The summers are cool here but the winters are severe with some chances of snowfall. Rainfall can be expected in any month of the year. Dutch is the official language here. English, French and German are the other languages that are spoken, out of which English is widely spoken. Incase of emergency call 112.
Culture
Handshake is the commonly practiced form of greeting. Although tipping is not mandatory, but it’s better to pay rounds figure in restaurants and taxis. A humble gift should be taken to the host’s house always when invited for a meal. Informal clothes are worn on a daily basis, but people are expected to turn up in formals at social functions and smart restaurants.
Shopping
Pottery of Delft, Makkum and Workum is a must buy. Silverware from Schoonhoven, crystals from Leerdam and diamonds from Amsterdam are highly recommended.
Site Seeing
Apenheul Primate Park is a place to visit which is a home to more than thirty species of mammals. It remains closed during the winter. De Hoge Veluwe is the oldest and largest park of Holland. Bicycles can be used to explore the 5,500 hectares of the park. Paleis Het Loo is a magnificent Palace surrounded by gardens and remains open year round except on public holidays.
Electricity
230 V and 50 Hz
Travel
The national airline that operates in Holland is KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines. It connects to almost all the major cities of Europe, North America and Asia. Amsterdam Airport is the hub for many international and local flights. It is located at 15 km away from the city and it takes 20 minutes to reach there by train. The Airline, KLM, provides bus service every 15-30 minutes which takes passengers to some of the famous hotels of the city. Public buses can be availed too, to reach destination. Trains connect to Amsterdam’s Central Station and Zuid Station. Taxis take tourists to almost any location. The Airport features duty free shops, banks, showers, business center, baby rooms, and car hire.
Rotterdam airport and Eindhoven airport are 8km away from the city. Trains and buses operate every 15 minutes to transport passengers to their hotels. Facilities such as duty free shops, eateries, car rental, and internet can be availed at these airports. No departure tax is implemented on passengers at any of these airports.
The main sea ports are Hook of Holland, Vlissingen and Rotteradm. Stena Line, P&O ferries and DFDS seaways provide ferry service to get to Holland.
If traveling by railway, Eurostar provides the best service and connects to all the major cities of Europe. It provides high grade services. Good offers are provided on regular basis and to utilize them they should be monitored from time to time. Unused tickets are easily refunded. The Inter-Rail pass can be bought to avail the unlimited second class train travel within 29 European countries.
Top class road network connects Holland to majority of cities in Europe. They are well maintained and signs are posted every where for safe driving. 120kph is the speed limit while driving on highways. Many car dealing agents exist if opting for car-rental. Some of them are Avis, Europcar and Budget.
Cycling is also a major means of transportation in Holland and is part and parcel of daily life. Tourists can hire cycles from the airport or other service providers with some money-deposit.
Duty Free Items
1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette
3. 1liter of liquor or 2liter of sparkling wine or liquor wines and 2liter of non-sparkling wine
4. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
5. 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract

Cardiff Airport Car Hire – a Great Way to Save

Cardiff Airport Car Hire – a Great Way to Save

If you are planning a holiday next week and thinking about having a hurried swashbuckler trip through Cardiff and its adjoining areas, let us ensure you traveling around the city won?t be a huge issue.
Cardiff University which is a cynosure of many eyes and Cardiff bay holding the Welsh assembly, has been the root cause for much of the movement here. The city in South Glamorgan boasts of a high tourist fare.
Just as you alight at the Cardiff airport, you can have plenty of car rental suppliers at your disposal. You can confirm your bookings on a global car hire search engine. Confirming your book as early as possible will set your mind at ease.
For example, Scotia car hire is a renowned player in the business of car hire for many years and connects to more than 450 car rental suppliers. This is a huge number in itself. It gets you the best possible deals by communicating your needs to international players as well as smaller, independent players in the market. Usually, their network connects to many renowned brand names such as Hertz, National, Avis and and more.
These companies have a reputation to keep but they also do not want business to decline. Hence, they put a mouthwatering offers for the consumers. An online car rental website will confirm these sparkling rebates.
Moreover, the prices fixed cover every thing – from the Road funds tax to the VAT and local taxes. They also include special benefits in the form of unlimited mileage along with free breakdown assistance. In case of the car breaking down at any point, the car driver just have to call the breakdown assistance department – no charge. The rentals also do not charge any cancellation fees in the event of cancellation.
You are also entitled to Car theft indemnity and Collision Damage indemnity. But there are additional fees involved for these features. So request for them only if you need them. Now, it must be noted that few Car rental suppliers charge a premium fee for locations that tend to be more popular. When you book for a car on a car rental website, you can make a special request to waive these fees as well.
Although the services are available for 140 pounds a day when the service is being fixed through a top hirer, it can come down to as little as 20 pound a day – if we deal through average dealers.
A small piece of warning is that there are many different car rental suppliers and hence the rental conditions vary too. They can be minor or severe, depending on the supplier. However, this is less of an issue these days, as most major car suppliers only rent cars that are less than two years old.
So the next time you plan to travel, just hit a car rental comparison website and let the search engine search for the best car rental deal for you. The confirmation number it delivers is your ready pass.

Why to choose Slovakia

Why to choose Slovakia

Is a country located in Central Europe. The capital is Bratislava. Slovak landscape is very contrasting: Carpathian Mountains, which lies north of the country, also Tatras mountains are situated here. Tatras mountains are a good destination for skiing. Other relief units such as: lakes, valleys, rivers and the Danube.

Slovakia is a country with a long history, the main tourist attractions are historical cultural values (castles, churches, museums).

Bratislava – is a town near the borders with Hungary and Austria, and only 60 kilometers from Vienna. This capital is crossed by the Danube. One of the city’s attractions can be Bratislava Castle – is an impressive structure of this city, on a area of 85 meters, above the Danube level.

National Park High Tatras (TANAP) has an area of 70,000 hectares and is the most spectacular mountain range, in Slovakia. Has more than 20 peaks exceeding 2500 meters and about 100 glacial lakes. There is a dense network of marked trails, for the most attractive places. This National Park is favorable for winter sports.

National Park Low Tatras (NAPANT) here we find ski trails and tourist resorts, find also the Red Monastery – built in gothic style and Slovak Paradise, represented by stunning karst landscapes. Dob?in? Cave, the oldest cave in Europe.

In Slovakia we find, rivers and lakes anthropogenic, but this country is landlocked. Doma?a Lake,  was built on the river Ondava. This has facilitated the development of six recreation centers, on the  Ondava Plateau.

Spas, is an important point in Slovak tourism. This country is known for its large number of sources of clean water. This resource brings every year a large number of tourists who come to treat certain diseases. Silt deposits of the best quality, make these spas, miracles of nature. The same can be said about the hot springs, another source of health for people.

Medieval towns, religious buildings, castles, mansions and fortresses – all are part of the history of Slovakia and also shows that Slovakia has been an important point in European history. In the ancient trade routes passed through this country. In Slovakia there are 18 historical cities recognized heritage buildings, fortifications, towers, churches, hotels, gothic cathedrals, baroque or renaissance. Some examples of how medieval towns, such as: Levo?a, Trnava, Pre?ov, Bystrica, Bansk? ?tiavnica – some of these cities as part of a UNESCO program to preserve natural and cultural values.