Thursday, January 10th, 2008
You can spend a lot on a vacation in Italy, but you don’t have to. By choosing the right time of year and the right flights and accommodations, you can enjoy a great vacation at an affordable cost.
The Off Season - after August
Summer is the most popular time for travel, and that’s why it’s the most expensive. If you wait until summer passes, you can find excellent bargains on airfare and hotels. The least expensive flights are generally those leaving a major city’s airport, so if you can travel on land to a major city before boarding a plane, you may save yourself a surprising amount.
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Tuesday, September 19th, 2006
Val D’Orcia is in the southern part of Tuscany. The best way to explore it is by using the route that is now marked as Route 2, but is named “Via Cassia” since the days of the Romans, and leads to Rome to this Day.
The Val D’orcia region includes the towns of Montalcino, San Quirico d’Orcia, Pienza, Castiglione d’Orcia and Radicofani.
The landscape of this area is made of hills, river beds and cypress trees lining country roads. The ancient fortresses on the hill tops add severity and mystery to the image.
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Saturday, September 16th, 2006
Prague has a reliable and convenient public transportation system, which consists of metro, trams and buses. It enables local people and visitors of Prague travel around Prague quite easily though at peak hours one might find it too crowded.
Fares
You can use just one ticket or pass for all three vehicles. If you stay in Prague for a short time (a few days), you will probably use single tickets.
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Monday, August 21st, 2006
Nestled on the North Eastern coastline; Knokke-Heist in Belgium draw thousands of tourists every year. Knokke-Heist is revered for its splendid beaches, its historic landmarks, its stunning countryside scenes, its panoramic views, and is a city that lies very near the Dutch border. In fact, it is not uncommon for those visiting Knokke-Heist to cross over into the Dutch territory during their travels. First established by Irish pilgrims between the sixth and ninth centuries, Knokke-Heist was once referred to by the name of Cnoc. In the 1600’s, Knokke-Heist had a population of a mere 200 inhabitants and the city remained relatively small until the 1800s. In fact, when Knokke-Heist became part of Belgium, the city itself was still very bucolic—with small villas and homes dappled throughout the countryside.
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Wednesday, August 9th, 2006
Kortrijk, also referred to as Courtrai, is a historical city situated in West Flanders in Belgium. Positioned on the Lys River, Kortrijk was first established by the Romans under the name of Cortoriacum. Possessing a population of over 70, 000 individuals, Kortrijk remains a thriving city: one that is surrounded by many other famous locations, tourist attractions, and popular cities in Belgium. The cities nearest to Kortrijk include Halluin, Menen, Neuville-en-Ferrain, Roncq and Wevelgem, and travellers staying in Kortrijk, will therefore find the attractions in such cities easily accessible during their stay in Belgium. Other popular cities nearby Kortrijk include Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, Liège, Mechelen, Mons, Namur and Ostend.
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Sunday, July 30th, 2006
On my first visit to Denmark, I fell in love with the country and the city of Copenhagen. Contrary to my guidebook, you could see elephants and experience ice hockey in the dead of summer.
The Hanson Brothers
Upon arriving in Copenhagen, I was burned out from backpacking and looking forward to a good nap. I was traveling with three other Americans and we became distressed as each subsequent hostel told us all beds were sold. After asking around [okay, we were in a bar], we were given a lift by a local to a “hotel†guaranteed to have space.
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Saturday, July 29th, 2006
From beaches to the alps, France has a little of something for everyone. In this article, we take a look at Paris and the beach city of Nice.
Paris
It is hard to know where to start when discussing Paris. Take a boat down the Seine River and you will pass Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and so many other notable spots it is easy to get overwhelmed. The city is simply that dramatic.
Long considered the most glamorous city in Europe, Paris has a little of everything. For the romantic, one can visit the haunts of famous writers, historical sites of just about every nature and the Moulin Rouge.
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Friday, July 28th, 2006
On the southwestern tip of continental Europe, Portugal is an old school country. In this article, we take a look at Lisbon, Lagos and the Algarve.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the biggest city in Portugal and is located on the Atlantic coast in middle of the country. I’ve been to Lisbon three times, but only for a few days each time. Every time I come away with the impression of elegance.
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Friday, July 14th, 2006
Benidorm Spain is located about forty five kilometres northeast of Alicante. It is one of the main attractions on the Costa Blanca. This city was built for tourism. The beach front and other areas are lined with hotels offering many choices in accommodations. Benidorm is surrounded by mountains. This protects the city against cold winter winds. The climate is mild in the winter months. The city is most popular among tourists in the summer. There is plenty to see in the daytime and a bustling nightlife after hours.
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Thursday, July 13th, 2006
Sitting round the dinner table one night , after a few bottles of Chianti with some old friends, most of whom had spent time as European tour guides and backpackers, I asked them to name the best thing to see or do while staying in Italy. There was a lot of loud discussion as some tried to praise the less obvious things over the more mainstream, but there were also plenty of unanimous agreement for others. In no particular order may I present to you the top 20 things to do in Italy as decided by my mates.
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Saturday, July 8th, 2006
Alicante, Spain is located in Eastern Spain in the southern portion of the land of Valencia. Alicante is surrounded by Murica to the south, Valencia to the north, mountains to the north and west, and the Mediterranean Sea on the east. Popular travel destinations in the Alicante province include Alicante, Torrevieja, Benidorm, Alcoy and Elche.
Alicante is the second largest city in the Valencia region. It is a popular tourist destination, particularly in the summer. About six million people visit the Costa Blanca every summer and most enter through the Alicante Airport. The city has been called the best all around city in Spain.
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Wednesday, July 5th, 2006
The official epithet for the natives of the city is Madrileño, but they are frequently known as gatos (cats). City breaks in Madrid will make it apparent that the city positions itself as one of the important cities in Europe. Madrid is a foremost southern European city and the most significant link between the European Union and Latin America. The enlightened city is home to over three million people. Like any other chief European capital city, each district (or barrio in Spanish) has its own ambiance.
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Monday, July 3rd, 2006
Ahh, Roma. It should be written in every person’s destiny that they shall travel to the Eternal City at least once in their lifetime, to experience the romance, the history and the charm that is the capital of Italy. A short break in Rome may seem like a compromise, but in reality, even a few days is enough to experience a wonderful slice of life so different to one’s own existence. To sit and ponder life’s mysteries while enjoying affogato in a piazza, or to throw coins in the Fontana di Trevi and wish for a return to this magical place, are moments that justify making the journey for a short break in Rome.
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Tuesday, June 27th, 2006
In my teens, I traveled to France with my mother, father and grandmother for a month of sightseeing with a rental car. Michael Schumacher and Formula 1 have nothing on my father and our Opel rental car.
American fathers have an interesting if somewhat aggravating habit on trips. Yes, I am talking about the desire to see everything there is to see. This was particularly problematic in France, which has a gazillion things to see. For some reason, my memory is a blur! I’ll have to refer back to my Nomad Travel Journal, but here we go!
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Monday, June 26th, 2006
Denmark is one of the hippest countries in Europe. Copenhagen is the center of activity with a lively evening scene, palaces and castles.
If you’ve traveled to Denmark, you’ll understand when I immediately bring up the subject of bars. The Danish like to toss back a few when time permits. Time seems to permit a lot and a few beers often become many. To this end, going out for a night on the town with friendly Danes can be dangerous in the summer. Due to its location on old mother earth, it doesn’t get dark in Denmark until elevenish during the summer. This can be difficult to adjust to, particularly when you look down at your watch and realize it is four in the morning. And the sun is coming up! Ah, but Denmark is not all socializing.
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