ontoTravel: Europe

Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Berliner December

I spent the weekend in Berlin catching up with a good friend from grad school, and I have to say that visiting Berlin during the run up to Christmas is well worth considering. The city glows with equal parts urban cool and winter wonder and there are a gazillion and one things to do - Christmas-y or otherwise. April in Paris? New York in June? Sure! But don't count out a Berliner December.

This wasn't my first time in Berlin (and I sincerely hope it won't be my last!), but it was my first during December. With pretty winter lights strung along trees, streets, homes and shop windows, and Weihnachtsmarkts (Christmas Markets) scattered throughout the city (erm, sorry, I don't think Berliners scatter anything; strategically placed at optimal locations might be a better way to put it), the festive season was in full swing.

Of course, the highlight of the trip was getting to spend some quality time with my old classmate, but I loved munching and sipping my way through the markets and sampling all sorts of yummy German treats. It was also an opportunity to try out my new Nikon D700 (which moving to it from the D70s is like hopping from the driver's seat of a VW to a Porsche). I've still a ways to go climbing the learning curve to operate this camera but I'm pretty happy with my results so far. See what you think:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR. Can't see the above pics? Click here to view them on Flickr.

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Read more about my weekend in Berlin ...

Berlin!
Chris Osburn
Qype does London
December 16th 2008

Our line of attack planned, we set out Saturday morning to do Berlin in grand style. A mix of the sobering (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and nearby Memorial to Homosexuals persecuted under Nazism) with the delightfully festive (Christmas markets at Charlottenburg and Gendarmenmarkt) and the historic (Brandenburg Gate, the remnants of the Berlin Wall) made for a perfect weekend, with plenty of glüwein and würst and all sorts of yummies (I loved the seasonal grünkohl with ribs!!!) rounding out the tour.

Read the complete Berlin! post at Qype does London.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Book UK Airport Hotels with Airport-Hotels.co.uk

Every so often, I find myself with an upcoming flight taking off at the crack of dawn. When I’ve been able to spend the night before the flight at accommodations near the airport, it’s made those trips so much more relaxing than if I would have had to drag myself to the airport in the wee early morn feeling like a zombie.

Have you got a similar travel situation coming up? Consider booking a room at an airport hotel and cut down on any early morning stresses trying to make your airport.

A useful resource for booking your room near the airport is Airport-Hotels.co.uk, which lists every hotel available near every major airport in the UK. Whether situated within the airport perimeter (on-airport) and just a short walk to the airport terminal or off-airport and requiring a short transfer to the terminals, you’ll find the right hotel on Airport-Hotels.co.uk.

Airport-Hotels.co.uk compares relevant hotel prices from five leading hotel providers, including Holiday Extras, Superbreak, APH and FHR, helping to ensure you pay the lowest price for you room. With Airport-Hotels.co.uk, you can also choose to include dinner or breakfast, additional car parking or – of course – simply book a room. In addition to those features, Airport-hotels can be used to reserve hotel parking for up to fifteen days.

You also might want to keep Airport-Hotels.co.uk in mind to bypass any potential late night hassles associated with an upcoming flight arriving just in time for you to want to hit the sack. I’ve been in this situation a few times before too. And when I’ve been able to simply make it to a room quick and move on the next morning after a decent night’s sleep, I’ve gotten more out of my trip. Of course, should you have an upcoming business meeting near a UK airport, Airport-Hotels.co.uk is an obvious choice for booking as well.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Taking a Quick Look at Ferryonline.co.uk

Air travel annoyances and Eurostar hold-ups have me searching the web for alternate modes of to-n-fro. How about a ferry?

Unfortunately, I haven’t been travelling abroad as much this year as I would have liked. I reckon that, considering the shape of the economy these days, such is the case with a lot of folks. Fuel prices seem to be upping the costs of airfare – and budget airlines just add-on whatever surcharges they feel is necessary to ensure what looked like a cheap ticket is no longer a bargain.

Besides, air travel ain’t doing it for me anyway. I mean, even if I arrive at the airport hours before my flight, odds are I’m still in for some sort of unforeseen hassle and an almost endless wait in at least one winding queue of disgruntled travellers. Sometimes, as with the opening of Heathrow’s T5, the aggravations associated with air travel are enough to embarrass a whole nation! The last few times I’ve flown, the whole rigmarole left me wondering if the trips were worth the undo flight-related stress. Remember back in those pre-9/11 days when flights were cheap and you didn’t have to worry about how much toothpaste you had in your carry-on?

I’ve taken the Eurostar a couple of times this year as well and have to admit that I really love zipping through the Chunnel from St Pancras and shortly showing up in continental Europe. And, when I’ve been able to find a deal or book well in advance, I’ve found the fares to be exceptional value for money. However, with the Eurostar still operating an amended timetable following the “incident in the Channel Tunnel in September 2008,” this option is now a bit of a headache too.

So, ever-hankering to travel yet wanting to make the most of my money and time, I’ve been snooping around the web looking for alternative travel arrangements. One site I’ve come across in my research that appears to offer a valuable and reliable service (and has my brain buzzing with all sorts of potential travel exploits) is Ferryonline, which specialises in offering ferry tickets at low prices. Through Ferryonline, I could book ferries for any major European sea crossing. And check this out: for crossings where there are a number of operators, Ferryonline compares all the prices for me to see the cheapest price for the same route.

I’ve taken ferry trips before (loved ‘em) but only once in the UK and never anywhere to/from continental Europe. I’d be keen to try this method again some time in the near future and have no doubt that I’ll start my journey with a visit to Ferryonline first. The site provides the latest deals from all the leading ferry operators for both passenger and freight crossings, essentially providing folks with the option of booking any ferry journey in Europe from the comfort of their homes.

The hardest part will be figuring out where I’d like to go! Ireland, Holland, Spain, island hopping in Greece? Hmm … Whatever and wherever I decide, I’ll be sure to keep ya posted.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Return to Whitstable (Qype does London)

Return to Whitstable

Chris Osburn
Qype does London
September 15th 2008

Although it’s only some 60 miles from London, Whitstable seems like it’s a world away. The train trip’s scenic too. Whitstable’s train station is within walking distance of the town centre and beach - with the Pearl Fisher B&B essential equidistant between the station and the beach. I’m sure I’ll find myself back in Whitstable yet again. The delicious seafood and fresh salt air (all just a short jaunt away) are just too good.

Read the complete Whitstable post at Qype does London.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Le Eurostar weekend (Qype does London)

Le Eurostar weekend
by Chris Osburn

Qype does London
August 3rd 2008

I’m sure the Eurostar has its share of imperfections (one time about a year ago, my Paris-London train was delayed for what seemed an excruciatingly long couple of hours), but for the most part I’ve had pleasant experiences zipping through the Chunnel. Taking the Eurostar to/from any of its destinations is certainly more civilized and a lot more logistically sensible than getting to/from any airports these days!

Read the complete Eurostar weekend post.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Paris Graffiti (Juxtapoz)

Photos: French Street Art
Photography by Chris Osburn
Juxtapoz
Thursday, 24 July 2008

Our UK-based buddy Chris Osburn branched out and hit up France for a little vin and fromage and a lot of great street art.

See all the French Street Art photos.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Whitstable Weekend (Qype does London)

Whitstable Weekend
by Chris Osburn

Qype does London
July 14th 2008

While there, I was really blown away by the seafood. Whitstable is famous for its oysters and early into my stay I found out why: there’re delicious!

Click here for complete post.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Freshly Packed Suitcase Full of Misery at T5

Fresh baggage woes at Terminal 5
Hopes of Heathrow's Terminal 5 operating its first full schedule of flights have been scuppered by a new glitch with the baggage system.
BBC News
Page last updated at 13:19 GMT, Saturday, 5 April 2008 14:19 UK

Airport operator BAA's computer system which sorts bags before they are loaded onto flights malfunctioned and manual sorting had to be carried out.

Click here for complete article.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

British Airways to Cancel More T5 Flights

BA to cancel hundreds more flights from T5
By Kevin Done, Aerospace Correspondent
Financial Times
Published: March 30 2008 17:33 Last updated: March 30 2008 17:33

British Airways expects to cancel hundreds more flights at its global hub at London Heathrow airport this week, as it battles to overcome baggage handling and other operating problems at its showpiece £4.3bn Terminal 5.

Click here for complete article.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

T5 Nightmare Continues

What did go wrong at Terminal 5?
Seventy flights have been cancelled in the last two days as teething problems at Heathrow Airport's new Terminal 5 caused chaos. But what actually went wrong?
BBC News
Page last updated at 18:43 GMT, Friday, 28 March 2008

The problems appear to be due to a combination of factors.

Click here for complete article.

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BA promising Terminal 5 fix soon
The Press Association - 1 hour ago
BA has moved to reassure air passengers contemplating a third day of travel chaos at Heathrow's Terminal Five (T5) by revealing that just 37 flights would ...

British Airways boss Willie Walsh refuses to quit after Heathrow chaos
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 1 hour ago
Arch-rivals Virgin Atlantic stuck the boot in, saying BA had been given a wonderful gift with T5 "but they couldn't unwrap it properly". ...

Disruption at T5 enters third day
BBC News, UK - 2 hours ago
Cancelled flights, a temporary suspension in luggage check-in and baggage delays blighted the opening day of T5 on Thursday, leaving many passengers ...

Day 2 At T5 .. And It's Business As Usual
Glasgow Daily Record, UK - 3 hours ago
Scheduled flights from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen were axed as T5 saw a second day of long queues, cancellations and baggage delays. ...

SEEING RED IN STYLE
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 3 hours ago
In fact the staff at T5 were faultless - impossibly patient, relentlessly cheerful and endearingly helpful. All in all, it was a very British day out - 18 ...

COMPO TO COST DEAR
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 3 hours ago
The T5 debacle will cost BA millions - but it may try to get some of the cash back from the British Airports Authority, which technically runs the building. ...

ERRORS PILED UP ALL DAY
Mirror.co.uk, UK - 3 hours ago
When they finally got into T5, a programming error meant staff could not log into the baggage handling computer. Passengers arrived to find check-ins ...

Friday, March 28, 2008

T5 Nightmare

Baggage halted at new £4.3bn T5
Flights from Heathrow's new £4.3bn Terminal 5 are departing with hand baggage only after luggage check-in was suspended due to technical problems.
BBC News
Last Updated: Thursday, 27 March 2008, 19:43 GMT

British Airways, which has sole use of T5, announced check-in of all hold luggage was suspended until Friday. The airline has already cancelled 34 flights because of baggage system problems and passengers have had to wait up to four hours for luggage.

Click here for complete article.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Heathrow's T5 Opens to Public

Heathrow's T5 open to passengers
Heathrow's new Terminal 5 has opened to the public as British Airways begins operating from the building.
BBC News
Last Updated: Thursday, 27 March 2008, 07:59 GMT

A BA flight from Hong Kong was the first to arrive at the £4.3bn facility. The first departure was at 0620 GMT, when a service left for Paris.

Click here for complete article.

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'Hassle Heathrow' new terminal opens
CNN International - 44 minutes ago
With 60 aircraft stands actually attached to two new buildings, "T5" can handle dozens of planes at the same time -- including the new Airbus A380 ...

Terminal 5 opens its doors
Guardian, UK - 7 minutes ago
Travellers on the first arrival at T5, flight BA026 from Hong Kong, reported no major problems with baggage or long queues at immigration - two of the ...

Heathrow's T5 Adds Passengers, Fails to Stop Delays (Update1)
Bloomberg - 1 minute ago``T5 was actually designed in the early 1990s and so is already out of date,'' Steve Ridgway, Virgin's chief executive officer, said in an e-mailed response ...

BAA axes T5 fingerprinting plan
Guardian, UK - 4 hours ago
Airport operator BAA will not be taking fingerprints of passengers using Heathrow's £4.3 billion Terminal 5 (T5) following doubts over the legality of such ...

Flash mob demo expected as T5 opens The Press Association
Heathrow T5 opens amid tight security Reuters UK
Protests planned as T5 opens for business ITN
TeleText - MSNBC all 321 news articles »