Momondo

Transport - Stockholm

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 09:23:00 GMT

Getting to and from the airport

The express train Arlanda Express leaves every 15 minutes from Arlanda airport and goes to the Central Station in the center. It lasts about 20 minutes and costs no less than 220 SKR (24 Euros)!

You can also take a taxi, but the trip to Stockholm is long and expensive. If you can fill up the cab and if you’re going somewhere far from the Central Station, a taxi might be a good solution after all. Several taxis have a fixed price for the ride between the airport and the center.
There are also buses that go from Arlanda to the center.

Getting around in Stockholm

Stockholm is a great city for pedestrians, so don’t forget to bring comfortable shoes if you want to explore the city on foot.

There is a good subway, “Tunnelbana”, which is an easy way to get around town. Don't buy single tickets but get a ticket book from a newspaper store: Pressbyrån, or a weekend pass that grants you free transportation for an entire weekend.

Stockholm has an extensive network of city buses, which are in service every day from 5am until midnight. At most bus stops, there is a map of the city and all the bus routes. Tickets are bought from the bus drivers who are mostly very helpful about getting you in the right direction.

The most fabulous way to get around Stockholm is by boat. Not only does it feel right in a city connected by water, it is also an easy and time saving means of transportation. In the tourist offices, you can get information on schedules and routes.

Consider buying The Stockholm Card when you arrive in the city. The card grants you free access to a series of museums, free transportation in the Tunnelbana as well as on many sightseeing boats.

It is not always easy to hail a cab from a street corner in Stockholm. Most often, it’s better to call for one or have your hotel/restaurant/café call. Taxis are expensive. A short trip within the center can easily cost 20 Euros.

Links to make your stay in Stockholm a lot easier:

www.stockholmtown.se
www.aos.se
www.nojesguiden.se - you’ll find the latest news on restaurants, museums etc here.
www.thelocal.com - on-line newspaper

By Mette Lomholdt

Transport - Prague

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 10:15:00 GMT

Getting to and from the airport

Photo: Photoscott

There are no direct buses from the airport to the center of Prague. You have to change halfway from bus to metro, which is actually very easy. The airport personnel will help you by explaining which bus and metro to catch. The price for the entire trip is 20 koruna (1€ = 28 Kč).

Another way to get to the center is by one of the shuttle taxies that go back and forth between the airport and the city center. There is room for four passengers in the taxi and the trip costs 480 koruna, no matter the amount of passengers.

And finally there is the possibility of taking your own private taxi to the center. It costs 600-700 koruna.

Getting around in Prague

Public transportation works perfectly well in Prague. The fastest way to get around is without any doubt the metro, which is very easy and manageable. Tickets can be bought at the small newspaper agents that are all over town, or in the metro stations.

By David Rich

Transport - Barcelona

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 10:46:00 GMT

Getting to and from the airport

The cheapest way to go between Barcelona’s airport and the city center, is by train or bus. They run so frequently, it’s a pleasure.

By train, you go on line 10, Renfe Cercanías, which gets to the city in 32 minutes. The trains run from 6am until midnight. The tickets cost €2,4, and it’s even cheaper if you buy a ticket book.

Another possibility is to go on the bus; Aerobus (A1) goes from the airport to Plaza de Catalunya. From 5.30am until midnight, the buses run in shuttle service, and according to the timetable, you ought not to wait more than nine minutes on a weekday or twelve minutes on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The airport stops are located in front of the terminals A, B and C and you will have to pay €3,75 for the trip.

If you don’t have the patience for public transportation, like any other place in the world there are good chances to find a taxi at the airport. Between 7am and 9pm, the ride to the city costs between €15 and €21, depending on the final address. In the evening hours and at night, you should add €3 or €4 to that price. Suitcases cost an additional Euro, and you are advised to ask for a receipt. There are taxi stops outside the terminals A, B and C.

Getting around in Barcelona

Whereas the new part of town seems to have been constructed with a ruler – the old part of town is tortuous and makes a good city map a good investment to start your trip with.

A good way to get around Barcelona is to ride Shank’s mare, and it’s convenient if you have the time to stroll around in the fascinating city and allow yourself to get lost. Conversely, the metro is the fastest way to get around and it is well extended. Almost every place can be reached by either metro, train, tram or bus, and they all use the same ticket system. A single ride is €1,10 and once your ticket has been stamped, you can use it for 75 minutes. There is a lot of money to be saved if you buy a 10-trip ticket at €6 or a day pass, T-Dia, at €4,60. If you’re staying several days in the city, an even better deal is a pass that’s valid for 2-5 days. Depending on the duration, it costs from €8,40–21.

There are quiet a lot of taxi stops in Barcelona. But if you can’t find one, you can just hail a cab in the street. A green light means that it’s free. Make sure the driver puts the meter on.

By Katrine Salomon

Transport - Oslo Eng

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 11:40:00 GMT

Getting to and from the Airport

The very best way to get from Oslo’s airport, Gardermoen, and into town is by “Flytoget”. It runs every 10 minutes and the trip lasts about 20 minutes. The cost of a one-way ticket is 140 NKR (€18).

www.flytoget.no

Getting around in Oslo

The best way to get around town is by foot or by the public transportation system that runs every day from 5.30 am until midnight.
We advise you to invest in The Oslo Card (available from tourist offices, hotels and certain news agents). It enables you to travel by public transportation within four different zones, including some ferry and boat routes, and also grants free entry to most museums.
Unsurprisingly, taxis are expensive in Oslo.

www.visitoslo.com/en/the-oslo-pass.49104.en.html

By Mette Lomholdt

Transport - Lisbon

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:23:00 GMT

Getting to and from the airport

The trip from Aeroporto da Portela to the city center is a pleasant and short one, since the airport is located very close to the city. It is actually possible to be at your hotel less than 30 minutes after you’ve picked up your luggage.

The taxis are lined up outside the airport and the trip into town shouldn’t cost you more than €10 – depending on how far you’re going of course. Ask for a receipt, just to be on the safe side.

The bus lines 44, 45 and 83 are also waiting to bring travelers into the city, and if you’re not carrying too much luggage, it’s the cheapest way to get to the center. But if you brought big suitcases and land any time between 7.45am and 8.45pm, jump on the airport shuttle, AeroBus 91, that will take you to the city for around 3 Euros. You buy the ticket from the driver.

Travelers for Cascais and Estoril should be aware that there is an hourly shuttle service from 7am to 10pm.

By Katrine Salomon

London's Two-wheel Revolution

David Rich — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:34:00 GMT

Amsterdam was pioneering, Oregon tried, Copenhagen has had them for years, Paris got them in the summer 2007 and now London wants them too. We are of course talking about public rental bikes, which currently seem to be the hottest service a city can offer its inhabitants and visitors.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone recently announced a cycling and walking plan for London that will see 6000 public bicycles available at docking stations 300 meters apart in central London. The bicycles will be free for locals and visitors the first half hour of use, with a fee of around $2 for each additional half hour - with prices rising sharply for longer periods. The only not so good thing is: The bikes are not expected to be introduced until …..2010!

Ken Livingston’s modest and very sympathetic goal is to turn London into one of the most cycle-friendly places in the world. The Mayor says that the city will spend something like £500 million over the next decade on cycling - the biggest investment in cycling in London's history.

The investments will among other things include the creation of a series of Bike Zones for shoppers in Inner London and two-wheeler superhighways that will link popular residential areas to the city centre cutting a swath through traffic and congestion. Authorities expect the many bicycling-initiatives will stimulate a 400% increase in the number of people pedalling round the capital by 2025.

Author David Rich Momondo

Bangers And Mash On The Beijing Olympics

David Rich — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:30:00 GMT

Photo by Decafinata

Lately the Beijing Olympics has received heavy criticism from Western countries because of China’s involvement in Tibet, violations of human rights and the country’s close relations with the regime in Sudan. Now China is responding with a charm offensive betting on that the way towards better relations with the West goes through our stomachs.

Therefore China will over the next few months send some 1,000 chefs to London to learn how to make Western-style food for athletes and tourists who attend the Olympics in Beijing this summer.

Each Chinese chef will receive a five-day crash course in how to mash a swede, roast potatoes, boil a ham and other delicacies plus they will have to learn how to prepare a variety of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and desserts. According to their teachers, those Chinese chefs - who already have attended the course - have been very attentive students who took notes all the time and were really interested to learn.

To those of you who will visit Beijing this summer, it is worth mentioning that the Chinese kitchen is the most varied of all national kitchens, and that Beijing is stacked with noodle shops, teahouses and restaurants serving delicacies from all parts of the country.

Author David Rich Momondo

Happy New Year

David Rich — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:34:00 GMT

Photo: Mandj98

At Momondo we want to wish you all a happy New Year with lots of travels. 2008 has been fantastic and we hope to see you many times in 2009.

All the best,

The momondo-team

Momondo Goes Trainspotting

David Rich — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:15:00 GMT

The future belongs to ……… trains. They are comfortable, greener and offer more picturesque views than planes, they take you directly to city centers and not the least - they are ridiciously fast too. The popularity of today’s high speed intercity trains grows by the minute as an increasing number of travellers turn their backs on low-cost flight and discover the pleasures of overland travel. At Momondo we are fully aware of all the advantages of travelling on the rails and we want to further stimulate the ‘great’ revival of trains.

First we took you to the air with our airfare-search engine, later we took you on wheels and followed you to bed with our hotel search. Now we escort you to the train. Later we will follow you from door-to-door.

We believe that high-speed trains represent a viable alternative to flights. Therefore we have extended our flight search to include more than 4,000 train routes between major destinations in Europe, Australia and the US. The price comparison pops up as you do a flight search on specific routes and you’ll probably realize that the train is often cheaper and faster than the plane. So it is likely that your next arrival in Paris or Rome will be on a platform in Gare du Nord or the Termini Station both in the middle of the city centers. Oh yeah, and we forgot to mention that you don’t have to turn op hours before departure when you take the train.

My Favourite Things: Sleep And Get Married In Captain Von Trapp's Villa

David Rich — Thu, 22 May 2008 08:34:00 GMT

Photo by x.ni

If your girlfriend - like mine - thinks that ‘The Sound of Music’ is the most romantic thing that ever happened (even more romantic than our first date!), then here's the good news - you’ll soon have the chance to treat her to a passionate night in the bed of Captain von Trapp.

The Salzburg villa of the original von Trapp family, that gave inspiration to ‘The Sound of Music’ musical and movie (1965), will become a ‘The Sound of Music’ themed hotel in July.

The consequence is that on top of 'My favourite things' being played in heavy rotation at home and my girlfriend’s endless attempts to teach me to sing 'Do a dear, a female dear' in harmony, I might now also have to spend my summer holiday in Salzburg….

However, our stay in Salzburg is likely to be enriched by the company of other fans of the failed nun Maria who finds love in the arms of the widowed and terribly handsome father of seven, Captain von Trapp. The Austrian town is a must-see place for ‘Sound of Music’ die-hards, who have the film as the sole reason for visiting Salzburg. Local tourism officials estimate that fans from the US, Asia and Japan generate 280,000 overnight stays in the city every year.

Photo by BHartzell

Seeing the film's original locations in Salzburg is for many a dream come true. As Lana Wright (51) from New Zealand puts it, stepping off the bus: "Finally I have arrived, arrived somewhere where I was supposed to be, somewhere that I was supposed to see", writes Reuters.

It is because of fans like Lana Wright and my girlfriend that I predict the ‘The Sound of Music’ theme hotel will have a bright and none the least prosperous future.

As an extra bonus, the hotel's guests will also be able to get married in the Von Trapp family’s private chapel. But please don't tell my girlfriend....

Written by David Rich Momondo

Find more hotels in Salzburg and Austria here.

Michelin Throws Stardust On Tokyo

David Rich — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 15:42:00 GMT

Photo: Stefano

The Michelin restaurant-guide has been extremely generous towards Tokyo. In the Tokyo-guide 2007 – Michelin’s first guide outside Europe and the United States – nothing less than 191 Michelin-stars are awarded to 150 Tokyo-restaurants. No city has ever been awarded this many Michelin stars, and Tokyo totally outbattles Paris on the gastronomical battlefield. Previously, Paris had the most stars, at 97.

"Tokyo is a shining star in the world of cuisine," Michelin Guides Director Jean-Luc Naret said at a news conference in the Japanese capital. He declared Tokyo "the world leader in gourmet dining."

Eight restaurants in Tokyo, including two sushi eateries, received Michelin’s highest three-star rating. About 60 percent of the restaurants in the Michelin guide serve Japanese food, while a majority of the other restaurants are French.

It has been hard work doing the research for the Tokyo-guide. Five Michelin inspectors (three European and two Japanese) went undercover in Tokyo for a year and a half and eat their way through 1,500 of the city's estimated 160,000 restaurants to decide on the ratings. Bad job!

Tokyo’s 3-star restaurants are:

Joel Robuchon, French
Sushi Mizutani, sushi
Kanda, Japanese
Hamadaya, classic Japanese
L'Osier, French
Koju, Japanese
Quintessence, French
Sukiyabashi Jiro, sushi

See all the Michelin rankings in Tokyo here [PDF].

Related articles:

Tokyo doesn’t want Michelin-stars

Paris hits back on the gastronomical battlefield

Author David Rich Momondo

Enjoy Artful Wellness At Amazing Austrian Hotel

David Rich — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:56:00 GMT

The Euro 2008 is well over and what could be a better treat for worn-out footballers and hung-over football fans (plus the rest of us) who need to regenerate body and soul than a wellness and spa-stay at the amazing Rogner-Bad Blumau hotel.

The hotel - that looks like a mixture between a hobbit-village and an old Arabic citadel - is nestled in the gently rolling hills of the Styrian hot springs region in South East Austria.

Rogner-Bad Blamau’s strong colors and asymmetrical shapes are drawn by the world famous Austrian architect and artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser who has designed every detail in the hotel.

The hotel is the pride of small village Bad Blamau, and not only is it amazing to look at, it is also the right place to be if you want to relax and recover.

Among other it offers different beauty treatments and medical services and it has its own holistic center called 'Findedich' (find yourself). Here you can get in contact with your inner self through different alternative treatments such as sound-therapy and Shiatsu massage.

There are different indoor and outdoor pools with water from two hot springs which according to Rogner-Bad Blumau brings vitality, heat and energy to the hotel! And of course the hotel's restaurant serves organic food.

Rogner-Bad Blumau is only a 40 minutes drive away from the airport in Graz and 90 minutes away from Vienna.

Author David Rich Momondo

Find more hotels in Austria here.

7 Reasons Why Brussels Isn't The Most Boring City In Europe

David Rich — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:59:00 GMT

Photo by Jim's World

Poor Brussels! Recently the Belgian capital was announced the most boring city in Europe in a survey conducted by TripAdvisor. At Momondo we don't get it. We think Brussels is cool and fun and we've decided that the city should have a chance to defend itself. Therefore we contacted the local tourist authorities (Brussels International) and asked them to come up with 7 reasons why Brussels isn’t the most boring city in Europe.

Cityscape

Photo by John & Mel Kots

The thing to see in Brussels right now is according to Brussels International the Cityscape, which is a gigantic (and anything but boring) sculpture of tangled wood made by Belgian artist Arne Quinze.

The sculpture, that is 40 metres long, 25 metres wide and 18 metres high, will stand for a year on Avenue de la Toison d’Or.

Bruxelles les Bains

Bring your speedos or bikini with you to Brussels. Each summer a stretch of Brussels' canal is converted into Bruxelles les Bains - a mini 'Copacabana ' where city dwellers can experience the joys of beachlife in the middle of the city.

Get drunk while discussing EU-policies

Place du Luxembourg

Multicultural celebrations take place in Brussels every Wednesday and Thursday night when the young professionals from the EU institutions meet for after work drinks.

On Wednesdays after the market the cosy Place du Châtelain fills up with hundreds of beer drinking youngsters. On Thursdays they head for Place du Luxembourg in front of the parliament, where especially Ralph’s Bar is a hotspot or they head for the @7club.

The capital of comic strips

Blake and Mortimer, Rue du Houblon

Brussels is not only the capital of Europe and Belgium, but also the capital of comic strips and the city has brought up prominent characters such as Tintin and the Smurfs.

They really take their comic strips serious in Brussels, where you in addition to several comic strip shops and galleries can find a comic strip museum, a comic strip house and not the least a comic strip trail involving 30 city-walls covered with famous comic strip characters.

2009 has been announced comic strip year and this year there will be even more exhibitions and events on comic strips in Brussels.

Rue Antoine Dansaert

15 years ago Rue Antoine Dansaert was in a state of decay and neglect, then designers moved in (haven’t we heard stories like this before!) and today the street is buzzing and stylish and the cornerstone in Brussels’ fashion district. Most famous shop on Rue Antoine Dansaert is Stijl, which opened back in 1984. Here you can purchase men’s and women’s clothing by Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Xavier Delcour and other notables.

Find out more about design and shopping in Brussels here and here.

On Rue Antoine Dansaert you will also find the legendary art deco bar and jazzclub Archiduc.

Art nouveau

Maison Cauchie, Rue des Francs

Though Archiduc is very art deco Brussels big architectural heritage belongs to art nouveau. If you are into this design-style from the turn of the 20th century you should visit the house of Victor Horta, the Musical Instruments Museum, Hotel Hannon and the comic strip museum, which is in a Victor Horta building.

Find out more on art nouveau in Brussels here.

Gastronomy

If you think eating and drinking is fun you definitely have come to the right city. Brussels is a gastronomical powerhouse and the city has more than 1,800 restaurants ranging from the best Greek restaurant outside of Greece and Michelin-starred Italian restaurants to simple but brilliant frite stalls. The area around Rue Antoine Dansaert is packed with great restaurant such as: Vismet, Le Fourneau, Bonsoir Clara just to name a few.

Brussels is also a Mecca for chocolate lovers who would go giddy if they enter Marcolini or Wittamer and not the least Brussels is a beer-drinkers paradise. Try for example Delirium Café or Bier Circus.

If the 7 above recommendation haven’t convinced you about the joys of Brussels click here and you will find 151 reasons to visit Brussels.

Transport - London

David Rich — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:37:00 GMT

To and from the airport

www.baa.co.uk

Heathrow Airport is situated about 16 miles west of London. The cheapest (and most often, the fastest) way to get to the center, is by Underground, Piccadilly Line. The trip to the center takes around 45 minutes. A one-way ticket for an adult costs from £ 5 and up.

Heathrow Express runs every 15 minutes to Paddington Station. Duration about 15 minutes. A return trip costs around £ 29.

Gatwick Airport is situated 30 miles south of London. The Gatwick Express runs every 15 minutes in the daytime to Victoria Station. Duration: around 30 minutes. A return ticket for an adult is £ 28.

Stansted Airport is 32 miles northeast of London. Stansted Express runs every 15 minutes or every half hour to Liverpool Street Station. Duration: 45 minutes.

A return ticket costs from £ 27 and up.

Getting around in London

London is a huge city, and you will walk a lot, but with the underground (the Tube) and buses you can get around fast and easy.

The underground is easy to figure out and has a well extended network of lines that cover the entire city. A single ticket costs from £ 1,50 and up. And at those prices, it easily pays off to buy a Travel Card.

Get a map over the Tube to print or visit the official Tube site.

A great and valuable site for transport/getting around in London is the official Transport For London (trf.gov.uk)

The bus service is also well functioning and efficient, read more on Transpaort for London. A bus ticket costs £ 1,20.

By David Rich

Transport - Copenhagen

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 14:35:00 GMT

Getting from and to the airport

Copenhagen Metro Photo: Rutlo

Copenhagen has the shortest distance from the international airport to the city centre of all the European capitals. Beneath Terminal 3, which is where you arrive and pass through customs. In the airport there are both a train and metro station where trains leave around every tenth minute to the Central Station in Copenhagen. During the day, these trains run every ten minutes. The fare is DKK 27, if you have Danish change, you can buy it from a machine. There is, however, also the possibility of purchasing a CPHCARD, which you can use during your stay. This card gives free transportation in the greater Copenhagen area including to and from the airport. Taxis and buses are also available at the airport and you'll find them in front of Terminals 1 and 3. Remember that the same ticket(s) can be used on buses, Metro and on trains.

Plan your trip here: http://www.rejseplanen.dk/

Getting around in Copenhagen

Bus

Copenhagen has a large network of bus lines and you can reach almost all parts of town by bus. All buses are yellow and entrance is in the front. Bus stops are marked with yellow signs. Night buses are available every night in the city as well as to many suburbs and surrounding towns from 01.00 am - 05.00 am.

Harbor busses sails in the Copenhagen Harbor from the Royal Library to The Little Mermaid making stops in Nyhavn and by the opera house.

Metro

Copenhagen has a new and efficient Metro, but there aren't many lines (yet) and it wont take you to all parts of town. The Metro runs from Vanløse Station to Lergravsparken in East Amager, to Ørestad in West Amager and to Frederiksberg. All metro stations are marked with a red M.

Metro information: http://www.m.dk/en/welcome

Taxi

There are lots of taxies in the city and all taxies in Copenhagen are licensed by the authorities and are equipped with meters. Taxies can be flagged down anywhere in the streets of Copenhagen. If the yellow "Taxa" light on the roof of the car or in the front window is on, the taxi is available for hire. Be prepared that taxis are very expensive. Fares include a service charge, so tips are not expected. Most taxis accept major credit cards. Should you wish to pay with a credit card, let the driver know before beginning the trip. On request, taxi drivers will provide you with a computerized receipt for the fare.

Biking

Copenhagen compete with Amsterdam about being the 'Cycling capital of the World' and getting around by bike possibly the easiest and funniest form of transportation in the inner city, where there are bicycling lanes everywhere. The Copenhageners seem to bike all year round no matter what the weather is like.

Many hotels rent or lend out bikes and there are several places where you can rent bikes for a small amount of money:

http://oesterport-cykler.dk/Rent+a+bike/Engelsk.html

http://cphbikerental.mono.net/

http://cykelboersen.dk/english.html

Train

There are three different kinds of trains in Copenhagen. S-train: These trains take you to and from the city from early morning till late night. Regional trains: There are frequent train connections between Copenhagen and other parts of Denmark. The trains depart from Copenhagen Central Station or the station at Copenhagen Airport. Thanks to the bridge between Sealand and Funen, the travel time from eastern to western Denmark is short. Øresund trains: The Øresund train connects Copenhagen and Malmö. The train stops at Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, on its way to Sweden.

By Mette Lomholdt & Katrine Salomon