Don’t Forget Your Passport

7 Ways To Make Travelling With Kids More Fun

Maak — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:39:00 GMT

Written by Maak

Not so long ago, a couple mentioned to me that the worst thing about having children, was that they weren’t able to travel anymore. They could tell by the way my mouth dropped, that I could not disagree more – travel and children are not mutually exclusive.

Our oldest son took his first plane trip when he was 6 weeks old, and whilst I know the world has changed, at the age that I’d been on my first flight (when I was 11 years old), he’d must have already flow 50 times. Our two youngest children have been walking on the Great Wall in China, rafting in Malaysia, visiting cathedrals in Paris, climbing trees in California, bathing in Greece and much, much more, and all before they were 10 years old.

Holidays are great opportunity to be together, away from the bustle of everyday life. When I ask our children about their fondest memories, it is invariably something we have done together whilst on holiday. It is my experience that at least up to the teenage years, it isn’t what you do or where you go, but more that you are doing it together – as a family.

It goes without saying that with children you can’t just charge off trekking in the Amazon, which you may have done previously. However if you follow a few golden rules, travelling with children is a far more fulfilling experience than travelling without them.

1. Plan in advance

Nowadays there a lots of resources to help you pick the right destination for your holiday with children – books, the web, travel sections in papers, magazines, friends, forums etc. Most importantly, make sure there are things that your kids will want to do at the destination you are considering.

2. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport and check-in (or to get to your destination)

There is nothing more stressful than being at the last minute. Increased traffic, longer lines at airport check-in and increased security can make it enormously stressful for you and your children. If you are stressed, it will certainly rub off on your children. So give yourself plenty of time and make sure your kids have something to read or play with whilst they are waiting.

Most airlines allow for online check-in – take advantage of it, at least you avoid one queue. In addition, many airlines have a “travelling with children” page on their websites – take a look before travelling. Here’s an example from Quantas: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/travelling-with-children-infants/global/en.

3. Keep your children occupied on the plane/travel when they’re tired

When you are on the plane, your primary goal is to get through the flight with an absolute minimum of hassle. If you are the kind of parent that limits the amount of time your children are allowed to use their Gameboy per day – flying is not the right time to keep up restrictions like this. If Gameboy is the best way to achieve that without having to answer “are we there soon” every five minutes – then go for it.

If you are flying long haul, check out www.seatguru.com to see whether your flight has in seat flight entertainment – if not keeping your kids occupied becomes even more important. And remember to book a kiddies meal – in advance – I’m always jealous that the kids get a better meal than the adults on planes.

Another good tip when flying is taking the so-called “red-eye” flights – overnight flights. One of our best experiences was a overnight flight from Hong Kong to London – the children fell asleep an hour after take off (at 1am local time), slept for 8 hours and woke up in London, totally relaxed, at 6am in the morning UK time.

4. At your destination, plan in advance – but you don’t have to stick to it

We always like to plan our trips in advance – not least, if you need to book hotels at different destinations (and finding accommodation on the fly with children can be very stressful). However don’t plan every detail and as a rule of thumb, stay a bit longer at the same place than you probably would have done if you were travelling without children. Plan in advance what you would like to see at a certain destination, but don’t plan when (or whether) you’ll see it until you get there – it might be raining, your kids might be playing together for the first time in ages …

5. Stay well - use your common sense

Perhaps easier said than done; but make sure you stay well whilst on holiday. Again, part of this is in the planning. If your children need medication, make sure you have enough of it with you and you have a letter from your doctor. Make sure you have checked whether you need vaccinations at the destination you are travelling to – and remember your children may need different vaccinations than you need (check it out with your national health service as different countries have different rules, but a good place to start is at the U.N.’s World Health Organisation http://www.who.int/ith/en/.

Remember to take precautions at your destination. Make sure the children get sufficient sun-blocker in warm sunny countries, be careful where and what you eat, but remember you are on holiday and at least for us, eating out and differently is part of the experience – but even we draw the line at fried cockroaches in Beijing.

Finally if you are travelling to a warm country – make sure your children drink, drink and drink some more. Generally, children only drink when they are thirsty and are therefore particularly prone to dehydration. Checkout whether the tap water is potable, but no matter what, make sure to take plenty of water with you when you are out and about.

6. It’s a holiday for the parents as well

Most kids, when they get past the age of 4 or 5 actually understand that this is also a holiday for the parents as well. As I mentioned earlier, being together is just as important as what you are doing

Plan adult and children days, make sure when doing adult things you also explain why you want to do this or see that. You’d be surprised what kids actually enjoy, and they love to learn new things – so Disney is better than a cathedral in Paris, but it doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy it.

A great tip I hear from many travellers with children is to find the parks, preferably with a playground. Even with children up to 12 years old, an hour at a playground can save a whole day.

7. Don’t sweat the small stuff – and enjoy it

Learn to count to 10, relax and laugh. Do things with your children. If you are stressed out, they’ll stress, if you are happy, they’ll be happy.

And remember, your children will be grown up at the blink of an eye. Great travel experiences whilst they’re young will hopefully mean they’ll also want to travel with you when they are older. Make the most of everyday you are together – you’ll remember those holidays for the rest of your life, and your kids certainly will.

When I wrote this article, I meant it to be a list of links to children’s resources that on the net, but I found very little. However, I did find the following article from the Guardian, a UK newspaper, with 50 specific tips when travelling with children: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/jan/20/8 which is a useful resource for anybody travelling with children.

4 Great Places Not to Miss in February

Maak — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:58:00 GMT

Photo: Ø

Written by Maak

February can be pretty cold and dreary here in Scandinavia and this year is no exception – I am sitting here looking at a pile of snow, and there's more on the way. However, it doesn’t have to be the case, there’s a warmer world out there. But where should one visit in February – here are four great places to visit i February, because it just gets too hot later in the year.

Read on, be inspired.

Florida Keys and Key West, USA

Whilst the rest of America is experiencing winter chills, February is the idea time to visit Florida Keys, a subtropical archipelago consisting 1700 islands at the southern tip of Florida, only 145km away from Cuba. Key West, the main city, sits at the southern point, accessed by the scenic Overseas Highway, connecting the islands like pearls on a string.

With average highs in February of 24C and lows of 19C, there is no better time to see the fabulous sunsets from Malory Square, whilst enjoying a piece of world famous key lime pie and watching the many street performers provide entertainment. Visit Ernest Hemmingway’s home and wander amongst the cats in his garden, or take a stroll along scenic Duval Street with it colonial architecture.

But there is so much more. Relax on the fabulous beaches, go sport fishing, snorkel or scuba diving amongst 260 varieties of tropical fish at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park or swim with the Dolphins at the Dolphin Research Centre on Grassy Key (remember to book in advance).

Read more about everything the Keys has to offer at www.fla-keys.com.

Agra, India

200 km from Delhi, Agra is most well known for the Taj Mahal, universally recognised as one of the most stunning and beautiful architectural masterpieces in the world. Started in 1630, the mausoleum was built to commemorate the death of the wife of a Mughal ruler who, after 18 years of marriage, died giving birth to his 14th child. Try a visit at sunrise or sunset; have your picture taken in the love seat or just stroll the grounds and enjoy the architectural fusion of Persian, Islamic and Asian architecture.

Agra is more than just the Taj Mahal, just 40km away is Fatehpur Sikri, a stunning red sandstone complex consisting of nine monuments. It was built in 1585 and meant to become a magnificent city, but was abandoned some 15 years later due to an inadequate supply of fresh water. Today the complex is in immaculate condition, but eerily deserted. As you walk from courtyard to courtyard and peer in through the windows, into the shady palaces, all it needs is a little imagination to bring this ghost city back to life.

With average highs of 26C, February is the ideal time of year to visit Agra, which means “paradise” in Sanskrit, and enjoy the sights and the aromatic cuisine from the tandoor (clay oven).

Read more about Agra at www.agratourism.org.

The Nile, Egypt

The Temple of Edfu Photo: T.K.V

Don’t expect much relaxation on a trip along the Nile, there’s just too much to see. February is the perfect time to make this trip, with the river is at its fullest and temperatures at their most pleasant, enabling you to enjoy the timeless scenery that has barely changed from the times the temples were built.

Most trips along the Nile start in Luxor and end in Aswan, a two-three day trip. Luxor is the ancient capital of the pharaohs. Take time to see the beautifully painted tombs of the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of the Nile (they open at 6am so get there early to miss the heat and the crowds) and the Temple of Karnak – in its day known as ”the most perfect of places”.

At Edfu, the Temple of Edfu built 2000 years ago in honour of the falcon headed god Horus, is the best-preserved Temple in Egypt and second largest after the Temple of Karnak. The Temple was found completely submerged underneath the desert sands, and when excavated was found to be in perfect condition.

Find more information about the sites along the Nile, as well as the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx at www.touregypt.net.

Adelaide to Darwin, Australia, on The Ghan

Photo: GothPhil

If your idea of fun is being confined to a train for 2 nights and 2979 kilometres, then Australia’s legendary The Ghan, is just for you. On the other hand, you will be crossing the whole of Australia – from the North coast to the South coast (or visa versa) with some of the Continents most spectacular and diverse landscapes. From the fertile plains around Adelaide, to the rusty reds of the MacDonnell Ranges surrounding Alice Springs, gateway to Ayers Rock and the Red Centre, then north to Tennant Creek, Katherine and the tropical splendour of Darwin.

Originally, the Afghan Express, the name was inspired by the pioneering Afghan cameleers who blazed a permanent trail into the Red Centre of Australia almost 160 years ago. The original tracks only reached Alice Springs (going north), but was extended in 2004 to make the whole journey to Darwin.

You can choose between three levels of service:

- Red Service with a choice of twin share cabins with washing facilities or 'daynighter' seats. Toilet and shower facilities are shared, and meals are not included

- Gold Service provides a premium service with meals included. Twin share cabins have their own private facilities and there is lounge car entertainment and space to relax.

- Platinum Service offers unparalleled service in luxury surrounds - the cabins are approximately twice the size of standard Gold Service cabins and everything is included.

As an example, one-way Gold Service fares (and you’ll probably only want to go one-way) cost €1.200.

Inspired, read more at www.railaustralia.com.au/theGhan.php

4 Events You Shouldn't Miss In February

Maak — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:50:00 GMT

Photo: SteveMcN

Written by Maak

There's no shortage of great events taking place in February, and there's something for everybody whether it's Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Fashion weeks in New York, London and Copenhagen, Carnivals in Brazil, Nice, Cologne and Venice, Viking festivals in York, New Year in China and other Asiatic communities, orange throwing and dressing up in Belgium, Super Bowl in Florida or the Berlin Film Festival - to mention just some of the great events taking place.

I have selected 4 events you shouldn't miss.

Salvador Carnival, Brazil

The carnival in the coastal city of Salvador, Brazil’s third largest city, may be less famous that the carnival in Rio, but Salvador holds a carnival with a difference. No decorated floats, no parades with dancing girls in bikinis (or less) and no spectators lining the streets watching it all go by. The Salvador carnival is all about participation. You don't go to watch, you go to participate in the weeklong street party, including some of Brazil’s most famous musicians, often performing for hours on end as the crowds go crazy in a dancing frenzy. Many of the local musicians perform on trucks that drive through the narrow streets of the city, followed by tens of thousands of dancing, drinking and partying supporters – just as though they were the pied piper of Hamlet.

Apart from the carnival, Salvador also known as “Africa in Exile” for its cultural mix of African’s and Brazilians and is world famous for its stunning beaches and colonial architecture, not least in the upper city that is a UNESCO World Heritage site and national monument.

Read more about the carnival at www.bahiacarnival.info and see some of the great pictures.

Binche, Belgium

Photo: Marie-Claire Lefébure

Every February on the three days, leading up to Ash Wednesday, the town of Binche, small Medieval town with just over 30,000 residents, puts on its world-famous carnival. The centrepiece is clown-like performers known as Gilles, characterised by their vibrant red, black and yellow costumes (the national colours of Belgium), wax masks and wooden footwear. Each Gille’s mask has a curled moustache and a signature pair of spectacles.

The honour of being a Gille at the carnival is something that is to be aspired to by local men and number up to 1000 at any given time, covering all ages. Gilles dance to the sound of drums and ward evil spirits away with sticks. Later, donning large hats with ostrich plumes, they through the town with baskets of oranges, throwing them to, and at times at, the crowds gathered to view the procession.

See more about the Binche carnival at: www.visitbelgium.com

Chinese New Year, Beijing

Photo: Donnaphoto

The Chinese celebrate the Chinese New Year on February 14th in 2010 and will be celebrating that they enter the year of the Tiger. In difference to the Gregorian Calendar used in most western countries, China use a lunar calendar and the Chinese New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice.

Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese New Year vary widely. Each family thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill fortune, in a hope to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors are decorated with red colour paper-cuts with popular themes of “happiness”, “wealth”, “longevity” and a marriage blessed with children. On New Year’s Eve, supper is a sumptuous feast with families and the night ends with firecrackers, echoing through the narrow alley’s. Children wake early next morning, wishing their parents a healthy and happy new year, and receive money in red paper envelopes.

You can enjoy the Chinese New Year anywhere in the world where there is a large Chinese population. But if you get a chance take a trip to Beijing and take part in two of the most traditional processions in China, the lantern festival and the dragon dancing.

The lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The lanterns are works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, in front of the houses and carry them during an evening parade under the light of the full moon.

In my eyes, the highlight of the New Year celebrations is the dragon dance. Colourful dragons, typically made silk, paper, and bamboo, and which can stretch up to 30 meters, are paraded, dancing, through the streets. Traditionally, young men hold aloft the dragon as they guide the colorful beast to the sounds to sounds of loud drums, gongs and cymbals.

The Annual Jorvik Viking Festival, York, England

Photo: Sarah Grice

Viking street performers, colourful processions, battle reconstructions, music and poetry are all part of the annual Jorvik Viking Festival in York, England, this year taking place from the 15th to 21st of February.

Join the action as hundreds of Vikings from all over the world descend on the city for the nine-day program, including the dramatic reconstructions tell the story of the build-up and aftermath of the Battle of Woden’s Field in 910AD, which left three Viking kings dead. The drama includes fire jugglers, warrior fights, special effects, fantastic fireworks and over 200 participants.

With more than 10.000 visitors descending on York, this international celebration of York's heritage is not only ferocious and bloody battles, but also to enjoy dozens of specially organised arts, music, drama and action events throughout the city, both for adults and children.

Come dressed for very cold weather and wear suitable footwear – unless you are a real Viking. Read more at www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk

7 Ways To Help You Allay Your Fear Of Flying

Maak — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:02:00 GMT

Photo: Iloydi

Written by Maak

Most of us are in the lucky situation that we don’t think twice about taking a flight somewhere, (although perhaps we should with the current focus on the environment). In fact, for many of us, despite the hustle of the airport, flying is still something special, something a little exotic. But not everybody feels the same way. Many of the sites I looked at whilst researching this article state that airline industry studies show that one in three people have anxiety about flying, and one in six are too afraid to fly at all.

The fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane is referred to as aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia or pteromerhanophobia. Although a distinct phobia in itself, or it can also be an indirect combination of one or more other phobias related to flying, such as claustrophobia (a fear of enclosed spaces) or acrophobia (a fear of heights).

Over the years, many have told me that alcohol is the best way to address the fear of flying. Whilst alcohol may well help you relax, it is well documented that alcohol fuels any anxieties that are already in the conscious and subconscious. In other words, panic and anxiety attacks can in fact be triggered, and even enhanced by the presence of alcohol.

Whilst statistics show that it is significantly safer to fly than to ride in a car, very few have concerns about sitting in a car. Many argue that the fear of flying is exaggerated and point at the media’s heavy focus on airline disasters and possible terrorist attacks, as something that sticks in people’s minds leading to a genuine fear. Others point at bad flying experiences as the cause of their fear.

Whatever the reason, I have put together 7 tips that I hope will help you overcome your fear of flying.

1. Educate yourself

Education plays a very important role in overcoming the fear of flying. Understanding what a certain sound is, that an encounter with turbulence will not destroy the aircraft, and the processes the airlines go through to ensure flight safety, are all beneficial to easing the fear of the unknown.

2. Keep yourself occupied

Occupy yourself – take a bunk of work, a good book, music or the in-flight entertainment to remove focus and allay your fear of flying. Even better, do something you wouldn’t normally do, so your mind is occupied with something different from the familiar – hear classical instead of rock, read a different type of book, do a puzzle.

Monitor your media intake – be careful which films you see or which newspapers you read, as this can also greatly affect your state of mind and enhance your fear.

3. Prepare yourself

Give yourself plenty of time at the airport – don’t get stressed out by being late, as this will only enhance your fear. When you are on the plane, get to know the aircraft, where are the security exits etc. Try and reserve an aisle seat; as fear of flying can be caused by fear of heights, stay away from the window.

4. The pilot wouldn’t be flying if he didn’t have a strong belief that the probability of something happening is almost zero.

Trust that the industry do indeed have your best interests in mind and are taking every necessary precautions to make sure you, the crew and all the other passengers arrive safely at your destination.

5. Accept your fear and learn to control it

Once you have accepted that you have a fear of flying, it is easier to find out how it best can be controlled.

Not all fliers are so fearful that they need intensive programs to overcome their fear and simple techniques and strategies help. Visualization where you image that you are somewhere else or focus even of all the fun you will be having when you get to your destination is one technique . Another is relaxation techniques – breathing and muscular techniques to help you relax. These may be enough to get you through the flight. You can read about some of these techniques via the links below.

6. Take a course, see a therapist

If you’ve tried all the above, and your fear still stops you from actually boarding a plane, then more advanced and potentially more costly alternatives exist – self-help courses and one-to-one therapy.

Many of the airlines offer courses. Virgin Atlantic in the UK holds one such course: www.flyingwithoutfear.info. Pilots address topics such as how a plane works, safety trainers explain all the checks that are made before takeoff, and a therapist explains some of the techniques and strategies that can be used to overcome the fear of flying. The session ends with a short flight where the captain takes the participants through the take-off and landing as well as discussing any noises that are heard during the flight. Virgin advertise with a 98% success rate from their course based on the number of people that actually board the plane and random follow-up.

7. Find help on the internet

There is a wealth of information to be found on the net to help you undertsand and overcome your fear. Below are some of the best sites I found.

A great free resource is www.fearfreeflying.co.uk where you can read 50+ articles solely about this subject and some of the different way to address the problem. Another good resource is www.fearofflyingtips.com, which just as the name indicates, contains a wealth of tips and information, including relevant course, book and DVD reviews. The website www.anxieties.com, which offers advice for all types of fears and anxieties, also has a section dedicated to fear of flying and offers a free self-help course: www.anxieties.com/flying.php.

Whatever works best, I hope that you somehow get over your fear, and even in these enviromentaly friendly times, manage to get on a plane to go somewhere you've always wanted to go.

To Tip Or Not To Tip .....7 Ways To Find Out

Maak — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:05:00 GMT

Written by Maak

When I travel, tipping is one of the more niggling problems that I encounter. In China I’ve had the waiters running after me to forcibly return my tip, whilst in the US I’ve experienced a waiter telling a group of us that the 15% tip we had added to the bill was not sufficient. In Argentina tipping is outlawed – at least theoretically, whilst in Germany, its legal but not practiced – I’ve even experienced a German take the money from the table and give it back to me, telling me that German waiters have a base wage and 6 weeks holiday, whilst in Japan it can be considered rude to tip at all.

So to tip or not to tip … it's not straightforward.

Even when we’ve established that we should tip, the next problem is, “how much should you tip?” The norm in one country is extravagant or not enough in another.

Then there’s the question of who we should tip – and will the person that deserves the tip actually get it?

And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s the situation where out of politeness they may say one thing but mean something else, In India a friend left a tip, but the waiter said that “this is not necessary” and held the money in front of him, so my friend took the money and began to leave. An Indian colleague intervened and explained that it was customary to say it wasn’t necessary, but really the waiter was thanking you. Embarrassed my friend returned the tip!

It would be so much easier if everything was included and we didn’t have to think about it!

William Michael Lynn from The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University is a recognized expert on tipping who has written over 30 publications on this topic. His research has shown that the quality of the service we receive is not always reflected in the size of the tip we leave. His research concludes that excellent service only draws a marginally higher tip than average service, but other things the server might do can make a difference, including:

Touching - Waiters experienced a tip increase from 11.8 percent to 14.8 percent of the check total when they briefly touched the shoulder of the customer.

Squatting - Waiters who squatted next to the table when taking orders and talking with customers increased their tips from 14.9 percent of the bill to 17.5 percent of the bill in one study, and from 12 percent to 15 percent in another study. Apparently, the eye contact and closer interaction creates a more intimate connection and makes us want to give the server more money.

Giving candy - A study that involved giving customers a piece of candy with their bill showed an increase in tip percentage from 15.1 percent to 17.8 percent.

Being helpful - A study of hotel bellhops revealed that just taking a few extra minutes explaining to guests how to operate the television and thermostat, opening the drapes for guests, and offering to fill the ice bucket increased tips from $2.40 to $4.77.

Here are few tips for tipping that should help you get through your trips without too many awkward and embarrassing moments.

1. Find out what is customary in the country you are visiting

As I mentioned earlier, customs vary from country to country. A great place to start is the guidebooks that often have a section dedicated to tipping. I do sometimes find that the guidebooks are vague, and therefore often resort to another great resource Magellan’s worldwide tipping guide - Mallegan’s is a travel accessories store, and they have put together a list of general tipping guidelines per country.

2. Find out who you should tip

Again rules differ per country, in Japan you do not tip a taxi driver, in the US you most certainly do. In my experience you always tip the bell-boy/porter who carries your baggage to your room, but beyond that who you tip will differ greatly from country to country. If possible see what the locals do (not always that easy), as your guide or the concierge at your hotel. And by the way, a definite faux pas is to hand out chocolate or similar instead of cash.

3. Check whether service and tipping is included on the bill or not.

In many countries, the tip is already included when you receive the bill – however you may not realize it, as it is written on the first page of the menu when you ordered and not mentioned on the bill. In countries like Greece, Hong Kong and Italy, the bill contains a service charge, but this has nothing to do with the tip and you should leave a tip in addition to the service charge.

If in doubt, ask the waiter (or perhaps the headwaiter) whether the tip is included in the bill.

4. See what the locals do

OK, you didn’t research and now you sitting in a restaurant and don’t know whether to tip or not. Take a look around and see what others are doing – is there money on the empty tables; are people just paying and leaving, not waiting for the waiter to come with their change; or has everybody else given the bus driver a few dollars. In all these cases, you probably should be tipping.

On the other hand, if there is a small glass bowl or mug with coins in, then it’s probably a sign that you don’t need to tip.

5. Carry the local currency and know how much it is worth

Travelling from the airport in a taxi and you will most likely encounter your first tipping dilemma. Make sure you have some local currency with you to pay the tip. In general, it is always good practice to give cash when you tip – in that way you can make sure that the person you intend to have the tip gets the tip. Adding a tip on your credit card payment may be convenient, but you actually have no idea who gets the tip.

Most airports have ATM’s or exchange rate counters here you can get enough local currency to cover your first tips.

And remember, never tip with your own local currency, the recipient probably has no idea what your currency is worth, and it will cost him or her time and money to exchange it.

One of my worst tipping experiences was sitting in a taxi in Brazil after giving the driver what I believed was a fair tip. He was obviously of a different opinion and made sure I was aware of it – although he spoke no English and I no Portuguese. I held my own believing it was a fair tip until the bell boy came to see what the issue was – it turned out I’d given him a note that was only 1% of the value I believed it had – due to a devaluation that had taken place but where the notes were still in circulation!

6. Don’t ask

In general, you should never ask your waiter, bell-boy or guide whether they should have a tip. Beyond causing a conflict of interest in a cash-strapped service industry, you may, in many countries not get the right answer. As I mentioned earlier, in India your bell-boy or waiter may, out of politeness say it is not necessary, even though his income is mostly comprised of tips.

7. Be Nice

The service may not be great, but in countries where tipping is practice, the bellboys, waiters, tour guides, bus-drivers and everybody else involved in service industries rely on tips to feed their families and pay the rent.

If the food is bad, it probably isn’t the waiters fault, if the tour didn’t live up to expectations, or the bus sat fast in a traffic jam it probably isn’t the tour guide or drivers fault. Remember, whilst there are always a few rotten apples, the vast majority of people in the service industry are interested in doing a great job, because they rely on it to survive. Customs and language barriers and many other circumstances may result in you seeing things differently than they actually are.

Go further:

The art of Haggling

7 Rules To Get A Good Night's Sleep When Flying

Maak — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 07:48:00 GMT

Photo: madmack66

Written by Maak

What a difference a good night’s sleep makes – something that is not least true on a long overnight trip on a plane. If you are travelling on business, you may have a meeting as soon as you arrive. If you are travelling on vacation, it may make all the difference to what you get out of your first hours and perhaps days at your destination – especially, if you are visiting friends and family, who are expecting you to be on top form from the minute, you get off the plane.

If you are like me, all the noise and hassle on the plane, not least when you fly economy class, make it almost impossible to fall asleep. However, it does not have to be the case; my husband is often already asleep by the time the flight takes off! Choosing the right seats, wearing the right clothes and taking the right things along, may make all the difference.

Here are 7 tips that I hope will help you get a good nights sleep on your next trip.

1. Upgrade

OK, not really a possibility for many of us who’ve saved up and scoured Momondo to find the best tickets for our holiday, but there is no doubt about it – the best guarantee of a good night’s sleep is to fly in business or first class. Reclining beds, fewer people who probably all want a good night’s sleep and a closed off area at the front of the plane, all help you get off the plane rested and ready to go.

So, if you have a few frequent flyer points or the airlines have a two for one offer, consider investing in a business class seat.

But it’s no guarantee. Some years ago, my family and I were upgraded to Business Class on a trip from San Francisco to Paris, at a time when in-seat entertainment was only found in Business or First. It was the first time our son, then 8, had experienced a TV in a seat and stayed awake all night watching and playing – and kept us awake as well.

2. Choose your seat carefully

Now this is important – and could probably write a whole article on this alone.

Try to choose a seat where you won’t be woken when your neighbour needs to go to the toilet or wants to stretch their legs. Try to get a window seat, which will also give you something to lean against and control over the window shade – at least to a certain extent.

Many people recommend taking an exit row or bulkhead seat, as they have some extra legroom. Personally, I’d think twice. On long haul flights, exit seats are often near the galley or next to a door that, many say is draughty. Often the seats don’t recline for safety reasons. Bulkhead seats are often reserved for families with small children and armrests that can’t be raised.

Never select the last row in a cabin, here the seats often only partially recline, and often don recline at all.

There are pro’s and con’s as to whether it’s best to sit in the front or the back of the plane. If the plane isn’t full there is probably more room at the back, and you may be lucky and there is an empty seat next to you – or even a row! On the other hand, it is usually noisier the further back you are in the plane, the engines are noisier, usually there is a galley or toilets at the back and when people go for a walk around they generally walk towards the back of the plane.

My general rule of thumb is book seats as far forward as possible (but not the bulkhead seats). Then when you check-in ask whether the plane is full or half empty, and the latter case move your seat selection towards the back of the plane. But again, there are no guarantees.

To help you choose the right seat, check out SeatGuru, which gives great advice on which seats to select for each airline and each type of plane.

3. Choose the right clothes

On a flight to China, I once encountered an elderly Chinese gentleman change into pyjamas after take-off – we were in economy class, not business. There probably aren’t that many of us that would go that far to ensure the we are wearing loose fitting clothes when we travel. But you can still do a lot of things to help yourself feel comfortable - loosen belts, open the top button of your shirt, take your shoes off (be careful of smelly feet), use the socks supplied by the airlines on longer flights – we always take some with us just in case they’ve also been cut in a savings round.

Think about what you are wearing before you leave home and when returning home, pack some comfortable clothes at the top of your suitcase, if the clothes you are wearing to the airport aren’t comfortable to sleep/travel in. Remember to change before you check-in!

4. Careful how much you drink and eat

My experience is that taking a glass of wine with your meal is fine; it helps you relax, which in turn helps you sleep. Just be careful how much you drink, alcohol has a stronger effect 10.000m up, due to the cabin pressure and dehydration increases the chances of waking up feeling a bit rough – in addition to the fact that too much will always effect your sleep, no matter whether it’s on a plane or not.

Make sure you drink plenty of water (start the day before you travel), but remember to take a trip to the toilet before you sleep!

And remember to take it easy on the caffeine.

Finally, make sure that you don’t eat too much just prior or whilst on the plane. A light meal, where your stomach doesn’t have to work too hard, will generally make it easier to sleep. Banana’s and almond’s are supposed to be a pretty good drowse inducing food to take with you on a flight, as they contain magnesium, which is good for relaxing muscles.

5. Pillows, blankets, eye shades and head phones

Inflatable pillows - I’ve got to admit, they don’t work for me, but they do seem to work for many travellers who swear by. You may have to experiment a bit to find the one that works for you, but give them a try!

For me, the “must have” are noise reduction headphones. Once I’ve popped them into my ears, I’m totally oblivious to the rest of the world and sleep comes fairly quickly. You don’t have to hear music at the same time, but for some that helps as well.

Many airlines turn up the heat after a meal to make you feel drowsy, and turn it down again later, so make sure you cover yourself with a blanket, or you may wake up cold.

Another trick to help you fall asleep is to reduce the amount of light. Here I find that the eye shades many airlines distribute on long haul flights to be a great help – they aren’t pretty, but then again, you probably aren’t either if you haven’t had a good nights sleep. Take some along if you aren’t sure they are handed out on your flight.

6. Sleep when you normally sleep

Try to fit your sleeping in with your normal sleep rhythm. Of course, it may not be possible. Especially older children can have great difficulties changing their sleep rhythm, especially with lots of other things going on.

If meals are served on your flight and you don’t want the meal, make sure you have informed the flight attendants, so that they don’t wake you if you are asleep.

Give yourself time to wake up before you arrive. 45 minutes is usually enough, and again if you don’t want breakfast, make sure you told the attendant.

Finally, make sure you fasten your safety belt, so the attendants do not need to wake you in case of turbulence.

7. Use a sleeping aid

I’ve never used medication myself, but a number of my husbands colleagues use them when flying from the US to Europe, so they are well rested when they arrive. I will not recommend anything, but if you do need to get a good nights sleep and non of the above recommendations work for you, contact your doctor and get his advise.

Airport Boredom - 7 Airports To Get Stuck In

Maak — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:00:00 GMT

Photo: aiisuki

Written by Maak

Based on Murphy’s Law, you will, eventually, miss your connecting flight, get stuck in a snowstorm or strike, or have your flight inexplicably cancelled by the airline. Or perhaps you’d forgotten how boring airports really are and saved a few dollars or euro’s by choosing a cheaper flight with a looooooooong layover.

Here are 7 airports with activities that will help you get through those long layovers – and could almost be destinations in themselves.

ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL, UAE – A Round Of Golf

400 meters from the terminal of Abu Dhabi airport is an entire 18-hole golf course, which opened in 1997, measures ca. 6000m and a par of 71. Instead of greens there are browns created by compacting rolled and treated sand and, according to the golf club, give an extremely true putting surface.

The course is built around an archaeological site, which was once an old coastline, and the challenge is greater due to burrows dug by the local desert lizards and water.

A round costs $33 on weekends, $28 during the week. Read more on their website: www.alghazalgolf.ae

AMSTERDAM – Museum and Casino

Photo: AaronC

Amsterdam's famous Rijksmuseum has an annexe at Schiphol and displays a permanent exhibition of ten works by Rembrandt and other Dutch masters of theGolden Age. Admission is free.

At the other end of the scale, the airport also gives you the chance to win back the cost of your airline ticket - or a sizeable wad of holiday spending money on the roulette and black jack tables at Schiphol’s Casino. As an added convenience, and so that you don’t miss your flight in the excitement of having a flutter, this is one of the few casinos in the world where clocks are present. Admission is free.

Read more about what Schipol can offer at www.schiphol.nl

DALLAS FORT WORTH – Art Tour

Photo: cote

DFW offers free hour-long art tours that allow for a more intimate look at the paintings, sculptures, floor medallions and terrazzo floor designs that grace International Terminal D. The pieces are commissioned from 30 local artists and include pieces on loan from Dallas's acclaimed Nasher Sculpture Center.
Visitors to DFW are invited to take a walking tour of the Art Program for an up-close look at the collection. This walking tour is free of charge and usually lasts between 60 to 90 minutes. You can learn more and register by following: www.dfwairport.com

FRANKFURT – Flight Simulator

Have you always wanted to fly a big passenger aircraft? Now you can “take off”, using the same equipment that the pilots of Lufthansa and many other airlines carry out their training and checks. Your dream of flying will come true. Altogether nine different types of aircraft from the Piper Cheyenne to the Airbus A340 and the Jumbo B747 are available. Join 2 colleagues or friends and participate in a 3 hours session where you will be briefed on flying, take the controls on a 1 hour flight followed by a debriefing.

Cost is €625 to €775 depending on the type of airplane you would like to fly and must be booked in advance.

Etiquette at 10.000m – 7 Tips To Put The Fun Back Into Flying

Maak — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:10:00 GMT

Photo: Donna81

Written by Maak

It’s a well known behavioral trait, that overcrowding breeds stress. When people are cramped together in confined spaces, small things can be blown out of proportion and cause major irritation for others occupying the same space.

As low-cost flying becomes the norm, travelling is easily within the reaches of almost everybody, flights are generally pretty full, and given the stress factor of flying - beyond being in a confined space, there is the whole airport and security experience nowadays – people have short fuses and easily get annoyed at their fellow passengers. I am sure that everybody who travels fairly regularly, has, at some time, been irritated at a fellow passenger or flight attendant.

But how rude are our fellow travellers - and I know it isn’t you, but all the other travellers that are rude.

Online travel provider Travelocity (owner of Lastminute.com in Europe), recently surveyed over 16,000 North American travellers to establish what annoyed passengers most of all when travelling. You can see the whole poll and its conclusions here.

Based on the feedback from the Travelocity's surver, and my own personal experiences I have selected 7 general rules when flying, where just a little courtesy can go a long way to making everybody’s trip a little more enjoyable.

1. The overhead locker

Make sure your luggage fits into the overhead and can sit under the seat in front of you and store it considerately and close to where you are sitting.

29% of respondents complained about passengers bringing oversized baggage onto the flight and then trying to stuff it into the overhead bin, often with little or no respect for other baggage already up there. This is then aggravated when you try and find somewhere for your regular piece of hand baggage there’s no room left!

Another overhead related irritation, is the careless storage of luggage. Collect your hand luggage and place them together and if possible on top of each other in the bin, leaving room for others to store things, without having first to move your items.

Then there are the passengers that store their luggage at the front of the plane, and sit further back. Later when the plane lands, this is often then used as an excuse to move forward whilst everybody is waiting to disembark (see point 3).

2. Let me get on first

If you want to get on the plane first, stand in line, and don’t jump the queue.

We’ve all experienced it, somebody jumping the queue to board; coming in from an angle to get on the plane earlier. Over 21% of participants complained about this. Why do people jump the queue to get on first - unless it’s to make sure there’s room for their oversized baggage? We all take off at the same time and I’d prefer to be on the plane as short a time as possible.

3. Let me get off first

If you have a tight connection, speak to flight attendants, if they agree and there is room, they will try and move you forward, and the people around you will hear and be understanding. Otherwise, just wait your turn and use your energy once you are off the flight where there usually is plenty of time to overtake fellow passengers.

We all want to get off, but there is always somebody who tries to push his or her way towards to the front of the plane, just to get off split seconds in advance of the rest of us. The normal excuses are having a connection to catch or that they have stored their luggage further forward (as if this was any excuse).

This has led to a new bread of passenger “the aggressive aisle stander” who doesn’t budge a centimetre as fellow passengers try a push past.

4. Kicking, grabbing and reclining the seat and the arm rest

Try to be as considerate of the person in front and behind you as at all possible. Never recline the seat during the meal and ask if the person behind you is using a laptop – so it doesn’t bang shut as you recline – or even fall off, which I saw on one flight. Don’t use the seat in front to pull yourself up, and try and control those legs so they aren’t stuck into the seat in front.

You have just napped off, and the passenger in the seat behind you decides to go to the washroom and grabs your seat as they get up. Then there is the child (or adult) repeatedly kicking your seat, something sixty percent of participants indicated as rude behaviour – in fact the highest number in the Travelocity poll.

Passengers who stand and rest against your seat whilst talking to somebody behind you, is another rude behaviour I often hear from travellers.

Reclining the seat is another hot topic, with over 30% of the people indicating that people who recline seats are annoying. I assume the main reason for this is the fact that there is already so little space, that people feel even more confined when the seat in front is reclined.

Finally, just because you are stuck in the middle seat, you don’t have the right to both armrests, as a kind of compensation. You are just going to have to try to work it out.

5. Personal hygiene

Take a shower before taking a flight, and if your feet smell, don’t take your shoes off.

Forty-five percent of respondents cited personal hygiene as an annoyance when flying. In my experience, smelly feet are the major issue, but over use of cologne or perfume, general lack of personal hygiene, and passengers that have eaten odorous food before taking a flight – or even worse, during the flight – are also issues passengers consider as problematic when flying.

6. Speaking loudly, bad language, arguing

Keep your personal conversations quiet and the subjects appropriate for everyone to hear and remember to bring things along to entertain your children.

The person next to you just isn’t interested in the problems you are currently having with your pet dog, or your boss – the rest of the plane aren’t either. Keep subjects appropriate and find out whether your seatmate is interested in conducting a conversation with you. Fifty-four percent of participants highlighted that speaking loudly and bad language was a problem when flying.

Other related pet peeves are out of control children and family arguments – flying is stressful, but sitting on the plane isn’t the time to make a big issue out the money your better half spent on duty free.

7. Do something nice, be helpful

Be courteous and respectful of other travellers, and the flight attendants. Friendly behavior is contagious, so hopefully they will return the favour.

Travelling used to be something to look forward to – perhaps even a bit romantic – OK I’m probably a bit older than most of the readers, and remember how proud I was and how envious everybody else was when I announced in school I was going to fly. Even though flying has become stressful, by doing something nice, being pleasant to your fellow passengers and respectful of the flight attendants, we might bring back the fun of flying.

If it goes wrong anyway, taking three deep breaths to calm yourself, always helps!

Airport Boredom - 7 Ways To Pass The Time

Maak — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:20:00 GMT

Photo by: mindgutter

Written by Maak

In a series of articles, I am looking at different aspects of airport boredom, and more importantly, ways to survive that long layover, or cancelled or delayed flight.

In my previous article 7 airports to get stuck in I highlighted seven airports that were worth being stuck in. Airports where you can take a round of gold, a dip in the pool, walk around museums, see art, go the cinema or even take flying lessons – in a simulator. Unfortunately, we are not always lucky enough to be stuck in an airport with plenty of things to do, but to kill the wait.

In this article I will highlight seven activities you can occupy yourself at almost any airport around the world.

1. Work or browse

Photo by: silverturtle

More and more people I see around airports nowadays have laptops with them, and not only business people. My husband would never dream of going anywhere without his notebook, and to be honest it has served us well, enabling us to kill time seeing a film, or, if luck would have it and you can find an internet connection, browsing, catching up or just answering mail.

Luckily, more and more airports are offering free internet connections. You can check out whether your airport offers free internet at http://www.wififreespot.com/airport.html

2. Educate yourself

Photo by: coba

Although flights aren’t usually delayed long enough to master a new language, an unexpected airport delay could be just the time to get started on that language you always wanted to learn. Most, if not all, airports have bookstores, which are usually packed with language courses, either in the form of book or, even better, mp3 language courses.

So why settle down with your headphones on and start practicing – don’t repeat the sentences too loudly, or you may not be popular with fellow travellers.

3. Exercise

Photo by: aiisuki

If you are about to embark on a longer trip, or just got off a plane, and are waiting for your connection, exercise is great preparation. Take a brisk walk along the concourse or a few “touch your toes”.

Even better, a number of airports actually have gyms that give you the chance to shred a few kilograms and kill time. In addition, it’s a great alternative to raiding the magazine store or snoozing.

At www.airportgyms.com you can find a list of airport with gyms. If your gym clothes are checked in with the luggage, or at home in the drawer, most airport gyms can even rent you sanitized clothes and shoes as well. With prices as low as 10USD per day, there’s no excuse not to work out during a lengthy layover.

Still predominantly in the US, this is bound to catch on in Europe and Asia as well.

4. Wine and Dine

Photo by: Julie, Dave & Family

Airports aren’t just junk food and high prices. More and more restaurant chains are realizing that there is a captive audience at airports and many have the time to enjoy a good meal.

Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food at London Heathrow’s new terminal 5 is a great example of this. Enjoy a meal inspired by the renowned TV celebrity chef. Brioche French toast with treacle-cured bacon and fried oysters for breakfast; braised pork cheeks with honey and cloves for later, and even special picnics to go.

Celebrity chef, author, TV personality and more, Todd English’s South American inspired restaurant, Bonfire, at Boston’s Logan Airport is another great example. Grilled chicharrones (crispy pork in chimichurri sauce) and skirt steak topped with chipotle aioli and avocado crema are standouts.

5. Shop

Photo by: NewbieRunner

There are plenty of shops at most airports – and not just convenience stores, duty-free and book and magazine stores. A lay-over is a good time to window shop (and get some exercise at the same time). My husband always takes in the CD and electronic shops, whilst I browse the perfumes and clothes – where else are you encouraged to try any number of different perfumes. Most airports guarantee that prices aren’t more expensive than the equivalent prices in the city – so now that you have the time, you may just find that blouse or gadget you never knew you wanted.

6. Read

Photo by: prettywar-stl

A no-brainer, but now’s the time to buy the latest Grisham book, lifestyle magazine or travel book and get in some quality reading – if you aren’t doing one of the other things in this list, what else is there left to do?

7. Sleep

Photo by: guan_wang

Travelling is tiring, waiting even more so. So now’s your chance to catch up on some of the sleep you’ve missed, not least if you’re connecting from an overnight flight or have been up early to catch the first flight out of the airport. Find a comfortable chair, somewhere quiet and take a nap. Be sure to set the alarm on your mobile phone and sleep close to the departure gate – if you don’t wake up and you are the only guy sitting in the departure area, the flight attendants may put two and two together and check whether you are the guy they are waiting for.

If you are really stuck at an airport www.sleepinginairports.net is a great site with plenty of information about sleeping at airports.

4 Great Events To Take Time To Visit In March

Maak — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:50:00 GMT

Photo by: Steven Bloom

Written by Maak

March heralds the start of spring in the northern hemisphere, it’s warmer, lighter and a time to celebrate the end of winter – although sitting here watching the snow fall in Copenhagen, I’m not at all sure when or whether spring will be arriving.

I’ve highlighted a mixed bag of events to consider this March, including the “Black Sun” from my native Denmark. But there are many other events taking place, including Turin’s (Italy) chocolate festival, Bognor Regis’ (UK) Clown Parade, Sydney’s Comedy Festival and Antigua (Guatemala’s) celebration of Semana Santa (the Holy Week); to mention but a few.

Black Sun, Romø, Denmark

Photo by Tommy Hansen

Black Sun is a natural phenomenon where up to 1 million starling’s gather at dusk – roughly 1 hour before sunset – to settle in the reeds and marshes for the night. The starlings arrive from all directions during a very short period of time (ca. 30 minutes) and often gather as one gigantic flock flying back and forth across the reeds and thickets finding a place to spend the night.

The starling’s form a blanket across the sun, in what is often called the Black Sun ballet thanks to the beautiful formations the starlings make. As the starling’s go to rest more or less at the same time, it is as though the flock is being sucked downwards towards earth – a truly amazing sight.

Black Sun takes place in southern Denmark, near the border to Germany, in spring (from around March 20th until April 25th), and again during the autumn, (ca. 15th September until 20th October).

The World's 7 Most Bike-friendly Cities

Maak — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:11:00 GMT

Photo by: stari4ek

Written by Maak

Simple, cheap and accessible, absolutely no existing transportation solution could be better for reducing greenhouse gases, untangling snarled urban streets, and improving human health than getting more people to cycle.

For the tourist, biking is a fantastic way to get acquainted with a city. No problems parking, you can stop and start at your own pace, you can cycle where cars aren’t allowed (sea walls, nature paths, downtown areas) and with the cost of fuel only going in one direction (upwards) it’s a cheap and environmentally friendly way to get around.

Cycling is making a major comeback in many cities and is increasingly becoming a major part of urban planning – making a great way for the tourist to get around.

Here are seven cities that have gone out of their way to promote cycling. There are many more, Berlin, Barcelona, Basel, San Francisco and many others are going out of their way and making significant investments to promote cycling – making the cities more attractive places for residents and tourists alike.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Photo: Prodromos Sarigianis

Bike capital of the world; 40% of Amsterdam’s traffic is by bicycle and the 750.000 residents own an estimated 600.000 bicycles. Bikes are by far the most popular means of transport, partly due to that fact that it’s almost impossible to drive a car around the narrow streets with canals, and due to the high price of parking – if you are lucky enough to find a spot to park.

Just about everybody cycles in Amsterdam – and it’s not unusual to see mothers, 2 kids and shopping all on the same bike. With its extensive network of routes dedicated to cyclists, plenty of places to park (Amsterdam is building a 10.000-bike parking garage at the main train station) and its bike culture, Amsterdam is a great place to cycle.

Read more at www.iamsterdam.com where you can also find links to guided tours – by bike of course.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Photo by: Canadian Veggie

With a vibrant bike culture, I'm not sure that many Copenhagerners agree that Amsterdam is the world's bike capital. Approximately a third of Copenhagen’s resident’s cycle to work daily – including myself. With an extensive network of dedicated paths, separated from the main road – including traffic lights specifically for cyclists – cycling is a quick and practical way to get around.

The local council is planning to on doubling its spending on cycling infrastructure during the next couple of years, and already parts of town are car-free and taking a bike for free on the subway system enables you to cycle further afield.

To encourage tourists to enjoy Copenhagen by bike, the city provides more than 2000 public bicycles, which can be found throughout the downtown area. Simply deposit 20 dkr to unlock your bike from one of the 100 cycle racks and enjoy your trip. Your money is refunded, when you return the bike to one of the racks.

Bicycle taxi’s are one of the latest trends in Copenhagen, you don’t need to tread the peddles, just lean back in a comfortable seat and enjoy the scenery.

Read more about all the cycling options Copenhagen has to offer at www.visitcopenhagen.com or if you need some inspiration about how chic Copenhagers are on a bike, take a look at www.copenhagencyclechic.com.

New York, Sydney and London are amongst the major cities that have sent delegations to Copenhagen to be inspired by Copenhagen's cycle culture and how to move traffic from the four-wheeled type to the two-wheeled type.

Portland, Oregon, USA

Photo by: Salim Virji

Portland has a varied bicycle network that connects all parts of the city with almost 400km of cycle paths, parking and a strong cycling culture with the highest percentage of bicycle commuters in the US, with up to 9% of commuters taking the bike in some neighbourhoods. 60% of Portland’s police force patrols via bicycle.

Portland's Create-a-Commuter program is the first project in the United States that provides low-income adults with commuter bicycles as well as a session on commuter safety. The bikes come outfitted with lights, a lock, a helmet, a pump, tool kits, maps and rainwear – needed in the Pacific Northwest.

On February 11th, 2010, Portland’s city council unanimously adopted a 20-year plan to further increase investment in cycling and bicycle related facilities.

Read more about what Portland has to offer at: www.portlandonline.com

Trondheim, Norway

Photo by: nick wright

Trondheim is an environmental friendly city that promotes cycling and where 18% of the population of Trondheim is using their bike as a daily means if transport to work or school.

The problem in Trondheim is that it’s hilly, and cycling uphill isn’t much fun! Therefore, Trondheim has come up with a pretty novel solution – the world’s first bicycle lift that carries cyclists, still sitting on their bikes, uphill. Inspired by ski technology, the cyclist puts their foot on a footplate and is transported uphill.

The 130m lift was set up in 1994 and can transport 360 cyclists per hour and so far, there have been no accidents.

Read more about Trondheim’s Trampe at www.trampe.no

Bogota, Colombia

Photo by: pattoncito

Perhaps not the first place to come to mind when cycling, but with less than 15% of residents owning cars, cycling is much of a necessity. Unfortunately, Bogotá's drivers have a culture of disrespect for traffic laws that causes more than 56,000 accidents per year, killing about 900 people among pedestrians, drivers, passengers and cyclists, every year.

Notwithstanding this, there is a great cycling culture in the city. Twenty-five years ago, the city administration started a car free program called "Ciclovia" where ca. 70km of roads are closed for cars each Sunday – more than 1m people turn out to enjoy this freedom.

The local council has a long-term bike plan, and ca. 350km of cycle paths have been created – often separated from the normal roads, to make it safer to cycle. Since the construction of the lanes, bicycle use has increased by 5 times in the city. It is estimated that there are between 300,000 and 400,000 trips made daily in Bogotá by bicycle.

Read and get some ideas about to see in Bogota, on a bike, at: www.bogotabiketours.com

Curitiba, Brazil

Photo: felippecesar

Cycling in Curitiba is a real pleasure. Curitiba is perhaps the most well-planned city in the world, certainly in Brazil and was designed from a master plan in 1965 which included a plan for pedestrian and alternative transport – most notably buses and cycles. The city has been pushing cycling as the go-to mode of transportation during the past 45 years and has resulted in bike lanes everywhere.

70% of Curitiba’s population use public transport or bicycle to get to work each day.

Montreal, Canada

Photo by: designwallah

Montreal has embarked on a $134 million plan to revamp the city’s bike trails and create a more bicycle-friendly atmosphere. The city currently has a total of 450 km of dedicated cycle paths downtown, and plans to expand these in the coming months.

Montreal also boasts an urban bike-share infrastructure, the Bixi program, touted by Time magazine as one of the 50 best inventions of 2008. For 5 CAD it is possible to borrow a bike at one of 300 stations, and take a trip around one of Canada’s most beautiful cities.

Read more about what Montreal has to offer and BIXI at www.tourisme-montreal.org

Airport Boredom - 15 Things You Can Do For Free

Maak — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 07:01:00 GMT

Photo by: DaKaTotal

Written by Maak

Smart travellers get all the packing, checking and planning for their trip done, but even the most well prepared traveller can't control an airport delay. In the third of my series about airport boredom, I’ll be looking at some of the more fun ways of spending your time during the airport layover – and this time they are all for free.

Previuosly I've looked at airports to get stuck in and at 7 ways to avoid airport boredom. In this post I've listed 15 things to do in airports - for free.

Play Musical Chairs

Remember this game when you were kids. Place one a row of chairs, one less than the number of participants, somebody sings and when the person stops singing everybody has to sit on a chair. The person still standing no longer participates and the game continues until there is only one person left.

Play only at a gate where there is plenty of room – e.g. where the flight isn’t leaving for several hours otherwise you might get seriously unpopular with fellow passengers.

Power walk on the moving walkway

Photo by: OZinOH

Finding the longest moving walkway, power walk along it and see how many non-walkway passengers you can pass.

People watching

Watch other people – try and determine their nationality or simply watch their mannerisms, interactions and rituals and gain some valuable first hand knowledge about other people and cultures. Try and imagine what they do, why they are at the airport – even make up stories about them to pass the time. Once you've travelled a bit it's pretty easy to identify different areas of the world people come from - white socks and sandels, and they are bound to be Northern European.

Make a friend

It’s easy to strike up a conversation with people in the same boat as you are – not least when they are delayed and waiting. Ask them how they kill time at airports. Who knows, your delay may turn into a memorable experience. A colleague of mine told me the other day how his mother, whilst stuck in Oslo, ended up having a long talk with the lead singer from A-ha.

I spy …

Hard if you are alone, but if there a few of you, playing “I Spy, With My Little Eye, Something Beginning With <letter>”, is a great way to kill time – and perhaps notice some things you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.

Bag bingo

You probably don’t have a bingo set with you, so make your own bingo cards depicting different types of bags – golf bag, yellow PC case, green roll on etc., and as you see people with different coloured bags or luggage, see who gets the first row.

Plane spotting

Photo by: roomman

Most airports have large windows where you can watch take-off and landings or try and identify the different types of planes. You probably aren’t the only person watching, and they probably know more about the different plane types than you do, so another way to strike up a conversation.

Destination guessing

Check out the departures screen and see if you can correctly identify the countries for each of the destination cities listed. If you’re a geography expert, then the additional options are guessing the time zone and longitude/latitude of the destination cities.

Last and Final

When the airline makes a “last and final” departure call for a specific person that hasn’t yet boarded, see whether you can get to the gate before the person being paged.

Dress a-likes

See how many people you can spot with the same top, the one you bought in H&M a few weeks back. You don’t need to be wearing it to play this game. See whether you can find passengers that are dressed the same way - this doesn’t work with business men, pilots or airline attendants, who always look alike! Consider introducing them to each other, they must surely get on when they are dressed in almost the same clothes.

Out and in

If you are group, take in turns to leave the departure area and return via security. See how long it takes, and who can get though quickest. If you are alone you can do it several times to establish a record – and something to measure against next time you are at the same airport.

Take a ride

Photo: ykanazawa1999

As airports expand, there are more and more transport possibilities between terminals – buses, trains, monorails etc. Plan a round trip using all forms of transportation – include the buses to the rental cars lots and the long term parking as well.

You can even include a trip to a different terminal in the “out and in” game above.

Help-out at the baggage carrousel

Help elderly people collect their luggage at the luggage carrousel. Who knows, you might even make a tip or two.

Read

You may not have anything to read, but the bookstores, newspapers and magazine stands, have plenty. Whilst they are not the public library, I have never seen anybody asked to leave for reading a newspaper or magazine. See how book covers you can read in 15 minutes – who knows, you may be inspired. Most people leave newspapers and magazines lying around once read, so another option is find a discarded paper and fill in the time (and even do the crossword or Sudoku).

Yoga

Photo by: pocketmonsterd

If you haven’t packed your Yoga mat in your checked in luggage, a layover is a great time to meditate. Of course, not all exercises work at the airport – a headstand may cause a few raised eyebrows, but some breathing or stretching exercises will probably prepare you for the flight ahead.

How do you get through your airport delays. Add comments below!

7 Secrets Of Travelling With Teenagers

Maak — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:32:00 GMT

Written by Maak

Travelling with teens can be difficult, to say the least. Teens are often enthusiastic travellers, but their schedule and interests aren’t always aligned with their parents or younger siblings. Visiting your 4th cathedral or getting up early to be first in line at some archaeological site may work for you, it probably won’t for them – they’d probably rather lie in or shop.

Travelling with teenagers is a tricky, but far from impossible, challenge. Getting it right can make a good holiday into a great holiday – something the family will be able to look back on with the passing of time.

During our numerous travels, our teenage son has travelled with us on car trips to France and Italy, and father afield to Canada, the US (on several occasions) and China. In our experience, the foundation for a successful holiday lies well in advance of departure – in setting expectations and planning. We apply the following seven rules when we travelling with teens, that we believe give the basis for a fun holiday for everybody.

1. Let your teen decide whether they want to go or not

Of course this isn’t always possible for younger teens, but our experience is that if they get a choice of whether to travel or nor, and decide to travel, they are a lot more likely to make an effort whilst on holiday. Most teens enjoy travelling and new experiences, so when given the option of staying with family or home alone, most jump at the chance to travel.

2. Get input from your teen and plan accordingly

Photo by: Kevin H.

A couple of years back my husband and I had planned a trip to California. and we were lucky to get tickets to a U2 concert. We had planned to travel with our two youngest children, but they were too young to see U2. Our teenage son agreed to travel (and babysit) and we built in a number of his wishes for the trip – amongst others a Lakers game, a day at sea world and a day shopping at a specific outlet with tons of sports outlets.

When travelling with teens make sure that you get them to list what their expectations are and help plan the itinerary. Agree on what you are going to see and what to miss; and make sure there is something for everybody.

3. Let your teen pack

photo by: Heliotrop3

You know it’s going to be 30C on that Greek island you’ll be visiting, but as long as you have told your teen that that is the case, let them pack what they want and feel most comfortable with. Talk to them, advice them, but the final decision must be their own.

Also, make sure they have their own suitcase/roller and make sure they are aware that they will be lugging it around. Help them pack lightly, but again if they want that extra pair of jeans with them (or in my sons case, that extra pair of basketball shoes) then let them take them - they'll be carrying them around.

Finally, if they are travelling somewhere where you know they’ll shop, make sure they have enough room for whatever they buy, and advise them to pack accordingly.

4. Set a budget

Especially with older teens, make sure that they take responsibility for how much they spend (of your money) and what they spend it on! We make sure that our son draws up a list of what things he would like to buy, before leaving on the trip. It helps him prioritise and stops him from blowing all the money on the first day.

5. Give your teen space

Whilst on holiday be flexible and give your teens room to be themselves. If possible, book adjacent rooms for them, but even if they are sharing your room, let them sleep. If you are travelling around there will be days they have to get up, so on other days tell your teen what you plan for the next day, and if they want to sleep in, let them.

Give them freedom to do there own things – it may be an afternoon at the mall or an evening watching one of the final four basketball games (as it was for our son).

6. Remember, this is a holiday

Photo: Steven Bloom

Don’t forget that you are ALL on holiday. This may mean that to keep the peace you may need to give up on some things that you’d normally enforce at home – but if it keeps everybody happy, it’s OK, everybody knows that normal rules apply once you are back home.

Remember that you are on holiday as well, make sure you get time to relax by the pool, see that museum you always wanted and eat a romantic dinner with your better half whilst the teens (and younger siblings) are at McDonalds.

If meltdowns happen – and they probably will - don’t dwell, move on as quickly as possible. Finally make sure you enlist your teenager to play with younger siblings – it’s amazing how our 24 year old and two pre-teenage children can spend hours together in a pool.

7. Make sure your teens can stay in touch with friends

Photo by: escapedtowisconsin

Make sure there is time for your teens to stay in touch with their friends – bring along a laptop or make time for them to visit the local internet café. No matter how bored they were visiting the Louvre in Paris, I guarantee you, they’ll be bragging about it to their friends at the first opportunity.

You could also consider taking one of your teenager's friends with you.

Do you have experience travelling with teenagers, share your tips with us.

Green Travel - Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint When Travelling

Maak — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:52:00 GMT

Photo by: Didier Vidal

Written by Maak

Over the past couple of years, I have heard the term “Green Travel” being associated to almost anything to do with travel. It wasn’t until fairly recently I stopped up and actually thought about what the term actually means – isn’t it a contradiction in terms, how can any travelling be green – unless you walk to the next town to hold your holiday in an environmentally friendly hotel (or even better with friends!)?

At it’s worst, “Green Travel” has been used by travel agents, airlines, cruise lines and tour operators to cover any encounter with local people, foray into the forest, trip on a bicycle or a hotel offering to not change the towels every day.

However, all that seems to changing! We consumers require real evidence of real commitment to the local environment and community. There seems to be growing consensus that “Green Travel” can be a trip to the next town or the other side of the world. What is important is that if our actions hurt in one way, we can compensate in another way.

No matter what your view “Green Travel” is, there a few things that you can and should do to reduce your carbon footprint. Here are seven reasonable courses of action.

Unplug your appliances before you leave

Many of the appliances at home are left on standby whilst you travel – draining electricity even when they are not in use. Before leaving on your trip, lower your thermostat and turn-off or turn-down the air conditioning. If you are leaving lights on to deter burglars, use an power-off clock so the lights are only turned on when it’s dark.

Cram a year’s travel into one vacation

Let’s face it, most people are not going to stop taking flights to reduce emissions, but instead of taking two or three flights per year consider only taking one flight and cram more in – stay longer at your destination and perhaps take a train to a different part of the country. Consider mixing a family visit with a holiday on the way, reducing travelling.

Travel intelligently

Photo by: puregin

Take off and landing account for a large portion of the fuel used when flying. Take a direct flight instead of a connection. Even better, consider taking the train instead of a short-haul flight. Momondo displays trains as well as flights when searching – making it easier than ever to consider the environmentally friendly alternative.

Offset your carbon emissions

The majority of airlines give you the possibility to offset your carbon emission when flying. It's also possible via Climatecare where you can map in where you will be flying and invest in a number of projects to offset the carbon footprint from your travel adventures.

Take rechargeable gadgets with you and borrow instead of buying

Photo by: byronface

Especially batteries have a massive impact on the environment and should always be recycled. No matter whether you are home or travelling, don’t just toss them into the trash bin. As far as possible, always take gadgets with you that you can recharge, so you don’t need to throw batteries away.

In addition, do you really need to buy a tent, backpack, universal battery recharger, volt converter, guidebook and more? You probably have family and friends that have the same stuff packed away in their garage or attic waiting for their next trip. Why not see whether you can borrow things instead of buying them, and remember to offer your things to family and friends when they go on vacation.

Guidebooks are dated fairly quickly – so unless you plan to return in the near future, consider leaving your guidebook at the hotel so others can take advantage of it

Do you really need to a car?

At many destinations in Asia and Europe or US cities like San Francisco or New York there really isn’t any reason to rent a car – in fact you’ll probably find it expensive to rent and expensive to park, and barely used as it’s quicker to walk, cycle or use public transportation. In fact, with the money you save not renting a car (or taking a taxi) you could perhaps afford a nice centrally located hotel close to all the sites!

Reuse, reuse, reuse

Photo by: detritus

Do you really need a clean towel or a change of linen every day – you don’t at home. Make sure housekeeping is aware that you don’t need a change – in my experience many hotels change the towels daily, even when you’ve indicated that it isn’t necessary. At ecohotelsoftheworld hotels have been given green stars, and you can search for hotels with five green stars at the seatination you are planning to visit.

It’s not only at the hotel you can re-use things. How often do you end up with plastic bags when you are shopping because you forgot to take a bag with you? And how often do you end up buying water shipped all the way from France, just because you threw the last empty bottle away instead of using it to get a refill at a water fountain.

Whether it’s borrowing from friends, offsetting your carbon emissions or reusing your towels, travelling green helps you reduce your carbon footprint and helping ensure that our earth remains healthy and will enable future generations to explore the world.

If you have any advice for travelling greener, please share them with us.

7 Guidelines to Increase Your Chances of Your Luggage Arriving at Your Destination

Maak — Sun, 02 May 2010 07:01:00 GMT

Photo by: grapefruitmoon

Written by Maak

Based on statistics from the United States Department of Trade, 6,6 bags per 1.000 bags were delayed, whilst as few as 5 out of 100.000 pieces are actually lost. The figures are higher in Europe, not least when travelling via one of the large hubs at Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle or Frankfurt. Luckily, the vast majority of mishandled luggage finds its owners again within a matter of hours or a day.

Here are a few guidelines that should help you improve your chances of your luggage arriving with you, instead of some days later (or not at all!).

1. Don’t check-in luggage

Photo by: Shanghai Daddy

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration reported that in the period October 2008 to October 2009, the number of complaints about mishandled baggage fell by 26%, whilst in the same period the number of checked bags on U.S. carriers fell about 20 percent.

Given the trend in both the US and Europe, where airlines impose fees for checked baggage, passenger’s are packing less and taking it with them in the cabin to avoid the fees. Whilst you would be surprised by how much is actually left in the cabin, the chances are greater that you will have your luggage with you when you arrive at your destination.

2. Fly Direct and check-in early

Photo by: HeatherMG

According to the UK consumer body Which, estimates that up to 40% of luggage being transferred between flights needs to be sorted manually due to scanners failing to read labels that are badly printed, damaged, or even worse, torn off.

If you then take into account the fact that flight delays often cause a short connecting time, the chances that your luggage makes the correct flight (even if you do) are not high.

For the same reasons, if you are checking baggage, check-in early as last minute bags may not have time to make it to the flight, not least at the large airports where the plane may be well away from the terminal.

3. Make sure your luggage stands out

Photo by: tymesynk

I remember the first time we bought a Samsonite suitcase; we couldn’t wait to take it on our first trip. That was before we realised how many other travellers had similar coloured Samsonite suitcases and how many times we’d be inspecting similar suitcases to ours, before we found ours.

Make sure your bag is easily identifiable - also amongst the other 1.000.001 Samsonite cases - stick something on the lid, tie coloured tape around the handle – do something. Make it easier to identify the case if it gets lost, but also to reduce the risk of somebody else mistakenly picking up your suitcase from the baggage claim belt.

4. Make sure you baggage is labelled correctly

Photo by: superciliousness

Tear off all the old baggage tags before you pack and make sure that you have destination tags on your suitcase before you check it in. Especially if you are taking a connecting flight, consider taping an paper in a clear plastic bag to your suitcase that clearly indicates the flight(s) you are taking to get to the destination - just in case the tags get ripped off.

When you check-in make sure that the check-in staff attach the baggage labels securely and correctly, and if you are checking in yourself, make sure the baggage labels are attached correctly; and if in doubt ask the staff to help you.

Make sure you always keep the luggage receipt stub with you throughout the flight and keep them safe and handy.

5. Place contact info on the outside of your case

Photo by: mydogtag

This is a touchy subject. Many are concerned about putting contact information on the outside of the suitcase, as this is a clear indication you won’t be home for a few days. Use sturdy address tags that can’t be torn off and cannot be opened easily – we use the ones where the strap you ties around the handle actually goes through the address tag, so you need to take the strap off before you can open the tag and see the contact details.

Consider putting your business contact information instead of your home information.

Bags from some high-end manufacturers of suitcases like Swiss Army and Tumi contain a metal plate with a unique code impressed on them. When you buy the case, you register it with the manufacturer and if your case ever gets lost, you call them up to trace the bag – or just inform the airline of the code impressed on the case.

An alternative is to use a company specialising in baggage tracking. GlobalBagTag and i-Trak are services which offer protection for your luggage and valuables worldwide whenever you travel. Full details of your luggage, travel itinerary and contact details can be updated on their web sites and you attach heavy duty tags to your baggage with a special code. In theory at least, anybody finding your luggage updates the same web-site, and your baggage is easily traced, giving you piece of mind.

6. Put contact information in your case

If worst comes to worst and you’re the luggage tag falls off during the flight, there may not be any other alternative than to open your case to see whether there is any indication about who the case belongs to.

Always place addresses, contact info and exact itinerary in your suitcase on the top of your belongings so it is visible when the case is opened, and the official will quickly be able to identify whom the case belongs to and where you currently are, without having to go through all your belongings.

7. Consider having luggage shipped

Photo by: Earl - What I Saw 2.0

If you really want to guarantee that you bag arrives in your destination city at the same time you do, consider using an outside service. Rates aren’t always cheap, but you will be assured that your luggage will end up where it was supposed to. Try a luggage shipping company like the luggageclub, carrymyluggage or even FedEx.

However the airports and baggage handlers are working at improving the whole process. According to IATA (the International Air Transport Association), 11% of airlines are now using baggage tags with radio frequency identification (RFID) chips instead of standard bar codes, with RFID readers installed at counters and sorting locations. Bar codes have a 90% success rate (just think of how many times you see the cashier at the local supermarket swiping things several times before hearing the beep to indicate it has been scanned) – meaning many bags need to be scanned manually. With RFID scanners that use radio waves instead of lasers, the success rate is more than 99%, leading to a significant fall in manual processing, making it far simpler to re-unite lost bags with their owners – bags will always miss flights, e.g. with tight connections.

Finally, if you are one of the unlucky people that ends up losing your baggage, make your life easier by having a list of everything you packed (with receipts if possible) and two or three pictures of the contents and the suitcases don’t do any harm either. Remember to keep the copies of the baggage tags, and if the baggage doesn’t arrive, report it immediately – and certainly no later than after 24 hours.

Go further:

The Art Of Packing - Wrinkle Free Vacations!