October 13th, 2011
Having trawled my way around every palace I could find, and there are a number of them. The Winter Palace, aka The Hermitage, is very pretty except for the million tourists, but if you leave the centre of town and head out to a small town called Pushkin about 30km outside of St Petersburg you will come to the Summer Palace. Beautiful gardens and the most ornate of all the palaces inside, including the incredible amber room, where everything is made from amber.
Amber Room
The summer palace is also referred to as the Katerina’s Palace or Tsarskoye Selo. You can get there on an organised tour or just catch the metro to Avtova station and find a minibus outside going to Царское Село !
Tags: St Petersburg
Posted in Cities | No Comments »
August 23rd, 2011
It is always good to see a new airport, particularly when they are small and have a nice bar or restaurant right outside! Kiev Zhulyany (Жуляни) airport has been around a long time but not much used up to now, kinda drowned out by Kiev’s big brother Borispol.
Now Wizzair have moved their operations their from Borispol and I can quickly see this is a very shrewd move. It is a small airport but has all that one needs. Six immigration desks are available and normally staffed when a plane arrives. Passengers get to the terminal via an airport bus, in case walking 100m might be too much ! Once thrown out of the bus you are into the immigration hall (surprisingly modern toilets on the right but you will end up at the back of the queue!). Join any line, everyone else does, ignore the Ukrainians only sign and be ready to pounce on the diplomats/crew line as it will be used ! No landing cards are needed anymore.
The suitcases trundle up next door on a big trolley and you can grab your own from the pile; no fancy conveyer belts here.
In the terminal itself is a bank which does currency exchange at excellent rates, no being ripped off here. It stays open reasonably late, till at least 7pm when I was passing last.
Talking of being ripped off, here come the taxi drivers ! They helpfully take any currency but will take it all from you! A taxi should cost in the region of 50UAH to the centre if you order by telephone, but that is a good starting point. Alternatively just hop on a bus. The best bus stop is not outside the terminal but 100m or so to the right as you leave the terminal, and just to the right by the traffic lights. There is meant to be a marshutka from outside the terminal but the corner bus stop is much more frequent.
Zhulyany airport does not really have its own web site yet, it seems to be permanently under construction, which is also promised for the airport itself one day!
The best bit is the easy availability of a cold beer or snack just outside the airport, and the further you are inclined to walk, the lower the prices. Nothing like a cold beer when waiting for the onward flight connection. Speaking of which, Khors Air fly to Lviv, Odessa and Kharkov for about $90 one way if the train is too much for you…
Right next to the airport is the Ukraine State Air Museum, though it is currently only in Russian. This is a great way to pass an hour waiting for the delayed flight 
Posted in Airport Hints | No Comments »
August 23rd, 2011
Now I have given up the suitcase and live life purely in the hand baggage lane, I am going to have to find out what is the limit to getting through security at airports. Some airports are easier than others depending on how ‘restrictive’ they are shall we say. In fact, as you head eastwards from America they become more and more relaxed – it doesn’t need much common sense to see a frozen turkey is unlikely to be used in a plane hijack but who knows till you arrive.
So, having purchased a second-hand Gaggia espresso machine in London, I stuck it into a plastic bag and off to the airport I went. Surprise, surprise, the operator on the x-ray machine asked me ‘what is this??’, and when I said ‘an espresso machine’ and peeled off the bag there were no issues. On transiting in lovely Kiev even less attention. Which is fortunate, as now I can enjoy my favourite doppio macchiato before I leave the house.
Ah, coffee and travel, what could be better.
Tags: Coffee, Suitcases
Posted in Airport Hints, Transport | No Comments »
July 29th, 2011
Coffee and travel, mm. Whilst I was basking in the sun in Nuremberg (Germany) at a Starbucks by the river, looking at the medieval bridges, churches and general German niceness around me, I was wondering which Starbucks in the world has the best view or just the nicest ambiance.
Any suggestions, add them to the comments below ! Maybe I’ll do a blog posting of great pictures from inside a Starbucks .. ones with St Paul’s or the Niagara Falls in the background…
Starbucks in Nurnberg by the river
Tags: Coffee
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July 28th, 2011
In my travels I stay in a lot of hotels, from the bland but efficient chains to youth hostels to 5 star resorts. Some are great, some value for money, and some surely are not. So in the first of a series of posts, I will blog about an excellent choice of hotel in each city. To qualify as a great hotel it must be reasonably priced; anything over $100 a night starts to make me unwell! The hotel must have certain things, like free wi-fi, staff who do not get in the way but make you feel at home and reasonable food and drink prices. In some cities of course I am still searching.
First up is a small boutique hotel in the centre of Antalya. Not one of those big resort hotels on the beach, but a little place in the centre of town. Near Starbucks… and near the old town tourist attractions and nightlife and restaurants. The hotel has only a few rooms, but it does have a great restaurant which many tourists not staying at the hotel used. I liked being able to walk barefoot down to the included breakfast, served on the terrace. The rooms were small but comfy, bathrooms fine. The owner was also happy to negotiate on the price.
This Antalya old town hotel has everything you want for a relaxing break right in the old town. It gets a HotelPriceBot gold star ! Ping me if you have any questions about it !
Tags: HotelPriceBot Picks
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July 10th, 2011
A topic perennially close to my heart, making my money go further in foreign countries. In Turkey, by far the best way to get hold of the local currency lira, is to take cash in dollars or euro and exchange them at the frequent exchange shops found everywhere. Even in tourist areas the rates are not far off the rates that can be found in more off the beaten track places. Just be aware that after the banks close in the evening the rates from the exchange offices can become markedly worse as competition is removed. So change in the daytime during the working week. These offices charge no commission but check in case you get a bad one, and I have used them many times and never had an issue. Every lira saved in exchange fees is one more shaslik …
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Tags: Turkey
Posted in Travel tips | No Comments »
July 8th, 2011
Entering Turkey requires the purchase of an entry visa, or really a sticker, at the border. It basically functions as a tourist tax. Depending on your nationality or more likely where your entry flight or preceding country originated you will be charged in US dollars, Euro or pounds sterling. The fee for UK and EC citizens is either 10 pounds, $20 or 15 euro. At the recent exchange rate of about $1.6 to a pound, it is almost $4 cheaper to pay in pounds than in dollars, with euros coming out at about $22. So, going to Turkey dig out those pounds left over from a previous holiday to save a few dollars ! Just beware that different nationalities have different fees, check out the Turkish government site for the full list.
Tags: Travel Money, Turkey
Posted in Travel tips | No Comments »
May 16th, 2011
Flying in the last couple of years has becoming steadily more limiting in terms of luggage. Once, a suitcase was free up to 32kg, then it became 23kg and now sometimes I see 20kg, and as for free… well, those days have long past. Once I had hard-case Samsonite suitcases, but these days their empty weight took up half the allowance so they went to the charity shop. Then in came a lightweight suitcase which helped for sure, but still when flying on a low cost airline (or any airline except lo-cost in the USA!) they charge.
So the next option for me has become what do I actually need to take with me when I travel? When I think about my normal outfits I wear day in and day out they tend to revolve around the same few items. Toiletries? Who needs them, I have never found a country where these are not available, and it can give a little adventure straight off the plane to have to go and purchase the few essential items required. I do pack my toothbrush and a tiny tube of toothpaste in case I will be arriving late, but remember virtually all hotels will give you free things if you ask, from tampons to shavers so my advice is don’t worry about bathroom things. If you are going for a longer stay you can easily wash socks and underpants in the sink.
My packing list was reduced to wearing the heavier items, like shoes and jeans, and then packing the following:
Laptop and power supply for work – If you can get a ultraportable notebook, believe me, well worth the extra cost to save carrying an extra kilo.
One spare pair of shoes, a different colour to the ones you wear. I also make sure one pair is good for exercising in – nowadays it is simple to find trainers that can pass for casual shoes.
One spare pair of trousers, usually dressy or as part of a suit.
I wear my suit jacket, and ensure it is one I can wear casually too with my jeans.
2 shirts and 3 t-shirts.
Swim shorts which can double as exercise gear.
A few socks and underpants.
This should still leave space if required for some other bits and pieces applicable to the trip.
Now what kind of bag to use? If you know you are only going to places with no steps and smooth pavements feel free to take a wheeled bag, but the wheels add a lot to the weight and reduce the packing area, and in most of the world you may find wheels more of a hindrance.
The bag I chose is the Red Oxx Sky Train, which comes with built in shoulder straps to use as a rucksack if required. They do make a version without these straps which is cheaper and lighter. The bag is designed to be the maximum size permitted as a carry on and is surprisingly spacious. I managed to take all my required stuff and a pile of my partner’s clothes inside it.
For more bag info check out onebag.com which looks at bags for the minimalist traveller and has a number of amusing stories.
Tags: Suitcases
Posted in Travel tips | No Comments »
May 12th, 2011
Looking for a fun and different idea to pass a stopover at London Gatwick? How about visiting a llama park. Located just 30 minutes drive from Gatwick, Ashdown Forest Llama Park has llamas naturally, plus alpacas and reindeer, and the obligatory english tea shop. Jump in a taxi at the airport, ask at the llama park for them to order you a taxi for the way back when required, and then you can relax in the typical english woods with the not so typical llama !
Alternatively, pop into Brighton. This is simpler as the London to Brighton train runs straight through the airport and will take again only about 30 minutes to get to the heart of Brighton. Brighton station is only a 10 minute walk to the sea, which unless it is high summer will be a touch cold to swim in. But the beach has its pier, an old fashioned amusement in Britain, in the days when foreign holidays were only for the rich. The pier will keep you entertained for a while with its silly amusement games and rides. For something more artistic, the Royal Family used to holiday in Brighton, where they built a ’summer house’, The Royal Pavilion. Tours there are self guided and info can be found on the website (visitbrighton.com) along with other useful info about the town. Near the pavilion is the area known as the Lanes, old bendy streets now populated with offbeat shops if you need to pick up a gift idea.
Of course, a stop in Gatwick can easily lead to a quick visit to London, the same train in the opposite direction will get you to the London Victoria terminus in 30 minutes as well. If you require an overnight stay at Gatwick, you can of course find a hotel near Gatwick airport on this wonderful site!
Posted in Airport Hints, England | No Comments »
January 30th, 2011
One of the big problems with renting a car is the insurance. Often a quote can be found for a rental car which is very competitive, but then no or little insurance is included. Americans have the option of using their personal car insurance for rental cars, but us Europeans don’t tend to have that option. Adding on the required insurance to a car in most countries will cost at least $15 a day, and more if you want comprehensive cover, but this still will leave a large excess and many exclusions.
So what is the alternative? Some car hire aggregators include insurance in their quote, one example being holidayautos.co.uk but they are unlikely to get you the best price and often come with some annoying features. For example, hiring a car through them in Miami and New York I found I was charged for a full tank of petrol at the car pick up as part of the rate. This fact was buried at the bottom of the small print in the holidayautos contract. Maybe this is ok if you intend to use a full tank but on a short stay is a waste of money.
To get the best rate now I tend to use carrentals.com, a price comparison engine which scrapes many sites and also compares in separate windows to hotwire and expedia, so a very useful one stop site. Do note that car rental prices do fluctuate day to day, so trying day after day can easily save you money.
Now back to the insurance. Some firms exist that provide insurance for car rentals on a one off and annual basis. If you rent a car a few times a year I can heartily recommend the policy from Insurance4carhire.com, a UK company that completely covers a car rental for Combined Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)/Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) and also covers the excess. This policy is not cheap at around $200 a year but does provide comprehensive coverage. It is only available to UK residents I’m afraid, but similar firms exist in other countries.
Tags: rental cars
Posted in Transport | No Comments »
