Asia Travel Guide

I’ve been planning to go to Dublin for Christmas and so I’ve been scouting the net for Cheap flights to Dublin. BootsnAll offers discounted airfares and it is very simple to book a flight through the site. You just need to enter your destination, where you are departing from, appropriate dates and click search.

You can book tickets to almost all destinations at BootsnAll. You can book tickets to most of the states in United States. Apart from US domestic flights, they have tickets to international destination too. Thinking of going to Asia? No problem. BootsnAll has tickets to most of the countries in Asia. Discounted airfares to most of the countries in Europe and Australasia are also available. You can compare the ticket prices from different providers and decide which airline you would like to fly.

If you want to book your car rental and hotel in advance, BootsnAll provides those services as well. It saves time to secure a rental car before you leave as the car will be ready when you reach your destination. It is also cheaper to make hotel reservations in advance compared to walking in on the day itself.

If you prefer to speak to a sales person, you can always call them at 1-888-379-9411 (8am-6pm PT weekdays) or if you have any questions regarding the air tickets, shoot them an email.

Someone I know hired a double decker bus to ferry his relatives around during his wedding ceremony in London. Yes, I’m talking about the traditional red colored double decker buses. That probably cost him a lot of money. However, that’s London. If you are in Sydney, you can hire a minibus instead. It is definitely cheaper than taking the cab especially if there are twenty of you.

If you don’t have a license to drive the minubus, worry not as the bus hire company can provide a bus driver at an affordable rate. Besides, it’s good to have someone who knows the roads well to drive you around the city as you won’t have to worry about getting lost.

If you’d rather drive, then it is better if you get the Tom Tom GPS from them so that you won’t get lost. You also can have them pick you up from Sydney airport. Luggage trailers are available for free so if you are not one that travel light, worry not as there will be enough space for your luggages.

Please take note that they don’t provide car rental services, only minibus.

Call them at these numbers to get a quote for your bus hire.

(02) 9524 7007 (within Australia)
+612 9524 7007 (from outside Australia)

This post is brought to you buy Sydney Minibus Hire.

Lodging Hunt has got to be one of the most comprehensive hotel reservation site I’ve ever come across. It offers the best rates on the smaller chain of hotels or individual hotels that you won’t normally find in those large and popular hotel reservation sites. They have a list of hotels in United States, Canada and Europe. They cover all the states and major cities in United States and Canada. If you are looking for affordable Arizona Lodging, then you will be spoilt with choices as there are plenty of hotels for you to choose from, depending on which area of Arizona you are heading to.

If you feel like paying Chicago a visit, they offer good rates on Illinois Lodging. In fact, they offer good rates on Nevada Lodging and hotels located in other states and cities too, so do check out the site for more information. The information provided on the hotels are quite detailed. The address of the hotel is listed and a description of the hotel is included too. Check out, check in time, numbers of rooms and the hotels’ amenities is listed too. You can see pictures of the hotels and some of their amenities like the swimming pool (if they have one) on the site too. There is also a brief description on the location of the hotel so that you can plan your travel beforehand.

Just enter the date of your arrival, departure, number of adults and children, and the system will check the rates and the availability of the rooms for you. If you think that the offer is reasonable, then proceed to reserve the rooms.

I was planning to visit Perth a few years ago but due to unforeseen circumstances, I went to Queensland instead. I’ve been planning to pay a visit to Perth for quite sometime now so these past few weeks, I’ve been searching for cheap and strategically located Perth accommodation.

I’m looking for a place located at the heart of the city and it must be near a train station as well so that it will be easier for me and my travel companion to get around Perth. I’m looking forward to seeing some kangaroos and koala bears. Besides that, I’m hoping that I would be able to pay a visit to any of the vineyards for some wine tasting and hopefully, I’ll purchase some if I find any that I like.

Most of all, I’m going to get myself lots of chocolates, especially Pods and Tim Tams! The tim tams available here are different from the ones available in Australia. Obviously the ones in Australia taste a lot better. Anyway, I should be looking for some discount hotels in Perth as I’m on a budget. Can’t wait for my trip!

Italy, the birthplace of pasta and pizza provides a wide range of choices for artwork lovers to experience. A temperate climate exists here with very hot summers and not so cold winters. The weather is the best in spring and autumn with pleasant temperatures and scenic views. At that time of the year, the place isn’t crowded much and things can be enjoyed in leisure. Incase of emergency call 112. For fire call 115 and for ambulance call 118.

Culture

Italian is widely spoken and is the official language. English isn’t very familiar to the locals. Family ties are of utmost importance here and hence social courtesies mean a lot to the locals. There is a great impact of the Roman Catholic Church on the culture here. There is a high content of chlorine in tap waters, so bottled water is recommended for staying fit during the trip. Since Italian is spoken on a wide scale, it is highly recommended to learn few common Italian phrases which can be of great use. Social gatherings call for formal wear, but one can dress in casuals otherwise. At some religious places, sleeveless shirt and shorts are frowned upon. So they are better avoided. Purses and wallets should be well guarded and in case of any theft, police should be informed about the incident.

Site Seeing

The first thing to check out is the leaning tower of Pisa, where Olympics originated. At places like museums and art galleries, photography, especially flash photography is restricted. Check out the ticket counter for more information. Italy should be majorly discovered on foot for a thorough viewing of all the beautiful buildings and monuments. Coaches and trains are a good option to get to a tourist spot.

Shopping

Shops here are open from 9am to 8pm, closed for lunch. Quality of goods is great although the prices are very less. Items like crystals, lacework, leather good, and jewelry can be bought at the stores. Remember to hold on to the receipt. Tipping of 10% is customary along with the service tax levied on the bill. Italy is famous for top designers of the world, so do buy clothes and accessories to update your wardrobe. Cruises have formal gatherings in the evening, so ensure to buy a cocktail dress or some formal wear, though casuals can be worn at other times.

Electricity

The voltage used is 220 volts and 50 Hz frequency.

Getting there

Alitalia is the national airline of Italy. Many other flights connect to Italy from USA, Canada and Australia and there is big competition to attract passengers giving a wide range of offers to travelers. Rome airport is located 26 km away from the city and it takes 45 minutes to get there from the airport. Trains connect directly to Termini Station from where one can take taxi to get to their destination. Duty free shops, bank, car hire and restaurants are the other services provided at this airport. Milan has another famous airport here, which is at a distance of 45km away from the city.

Brindisi, Ancona, Naples and Venice are the major seaports of Italy. Italian State Railways connects many European cities. But, Eurostar provides the fastest train service.

If choosing to drive, don’t forget to carry international driving license and international insurance certificate. Roads connect Italy to France, Austria and Switzerland. Many coach services are provided from the neighboring countries.

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 2liter of wine and 1liter of spirits (over 22 per cent) or 2liter of fortified or sparkling wine
3. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette; 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract (if over 15 years of age)
4. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
5. Gifts not exceeding €89.96 (if entering from an EU country), €175 (if entering from a non-EU country).

The Federal republic of Germany is the most influential country of Europe. It has witnessed the most controversial facts of history like Nazism, Holy Roman Empire and the building and demolition of the Berlin wall. With many magnificent castles it has wealth of art and culture. German is the widely spoken language in German, but outsiders can find many English speaking locals especially in the common tourist destinations.

Weather

The weather here is very unpredictable as there is a possibility of rain almost all months, so carry clothes accordingly. April and May are the months of spring which brings in full bloom of fruits and flowers. Months from May to September have very fine weather with sunny skies and offers the best time for traveling and site-seeing. People who have a passion for sports like swimming, hiking, and cycling can have the best time here during these months. Winter sports can be enjoyed at the resorts in the months from November to early March. The temperatures are below freezing and the days are too short (comprise of only six to eight months) in winter.

Local Customs

Locals greet each other by handshaking and saying Guten Tag. To say goodbye, people use Auf Wiedersehen. Guests are expected to bring uncovered and odd number of flowers, especially roses, when visiting someone’s home. The guests are welcomed with either food or refreshments. At the table, hosts say ‘Guten Appetit’ to which the guests should reply with ‘Ebenfalls’. Smoking should be better avoided in public areas. Locals dress informally but certain occasions like opera, theatre, certain restaurants and social functions call for formal wear.

Electricity

220 V, 50 Hz

Moving Around

The best way to get around is to buy the Welcome cards or the city passes which allows the customer to access unlimited bus facility in many cities of Germany. It also gives special offer on certain tourist attractions. For flexibility one can rent-a-car or go for chauffer driven cars. Along with the rent, VAT of 16% is payable. Car insurance should be available before hand in case of any accident. The speed limit within the cities is mostly 50kph and 100kph on the highways.
Nine stars

The nine stars of Southwest Germany comprise of Baden-Baden, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, Mannheim, Pforzheim Stuttgart, and Ulm. They are considered to be some of the beautiful cities of Europe. Each of the cities play a vital role in the culture of Germany. Baden-Baden has few of the finest resorts and also has Europe’s second largest opera and concert hall. Freiburg is known as the historic city center and is famous for cobblestone mosiacs, open streams and ancient alleys. Heidelberg has world famous castles and Germany’s oldest university. Karlsruhe has the famous museum Center for Art and Media. Look out for various amusements along the Nectar river of Heilbronn. Pforzheim is the capital for watches and jewelry. Stuttgart is famous for theatres and opera. Ulm is the birth place of Albert Einstein and is also house to the world’s tallest hurch spire.

Travel

The national airline that serves Germany is Lufthansa. Bwelin-Tegel airport is situated at 8 km away from the city and it takes about 20 minutes to reach there. There is a provision of duty free shops, banks, post office, eateries, conference hall, and car hire and tourism information for the passengers.

Another busy airport is the Frankfurt airport which is located at 13km away from the city. Buses take about 20 minutes to get there. Taxis are available at any time. The Intercity railway network at the airport also provides international services to Hungary, Switzerland and Austria. The facilities provided here are duty free shops, left luggage, restaurants, banks, conference halls, post office, car hire and tourism information. No departure tax is levied on the passengers.

Those wishing to travel by sea can avail the ferry connections to Finland, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Latvia, and Norway.

Eurostar provides railway service to and from Belgium, France and the UK. Booking can be made by telephone. The Inter-Rail offers unlimited second class train travel within 29 European countries. The Eurailpass offers unlimited first class train travel within 17 European countries.
EuroCity and InterCity trains have a restaurant on board, providing food and drinks. InterCity Express target the business class and provides services such as fully equipped office, conference compartments, etc. Tourist over 17 years of age can carry alcohol and tobacco with them within permissible limits.