Jul
01

Villa Champagne Port Vila Vanuatu – Anyone For A Glass

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We are staying with friends at the Villa Champagne Executive Retreat in the Efate region of Vanuatu.

Aerial view of Villa Champagne Vanuatu

Aerial view of Villa Champagne Vanuatu

Villa Champagne claims to be the largest holiday home in the South Pacific, with a 3 acre property,  and comprising a main home of over 700 sq metres and two identical fully self-contained 2-bedroom villas. It is ideally situated on the south coast of Efate Island, just 20 minutes away from Vanuatu International Airport.

The 4-bedroom main residence combines an amazing and expansive open area at ground level with dining and 2 living areas, dining room, kitchen,  laundry, powder room and office and opening directly onto an immaculate outdoor area which faces the beach and contains a large swimming pool, attached spa, two outdoor entertaining areas and also leads to the adjacent villas.

We have found that the level of luxury and convenience of all of the resources necessary to have an enjoyable break from  the hassles of day-to-day life to be a great surprise, and very much appreciated. And remember that Vanuatu is only a short distance form Australia and New Zealand.

I’ll be writing more about this property in a few day’s time, but if you are planning any special event inVanuatu, this is absolutely an opportunity that you should be seriously considering.

     

Categories : Accommodation, Destinations, Vacations
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May
04

Leigh On Sea – A Touch Of Seaside History In Essex, England

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Whilst spending some family time near London England , we decided to take a visit to Leigh-On-Sea in Essex.

The High Street Of Leigh-On-Sea in Essex, England

The High Street Of Leigh-On-Sea

This is a lovely village on the banks of the Thames Estuary just 30 miles east of London on the south east coast of England.

Leigh-On-Sea has developed as a fishing village and its background is steeped in history.

The earliest written records referring to Leigh-On-Sea date back to the late 11th Century, not long after the conquest of England by William the Conqueror.

The settlement in this village has been dependent on the sea and its produce over many years, and even today, evidence of this history can still be found.

The Middle Ages saw Leigh-On-Sea develop as its sheltered position along England’s most important shipping route was recognised. By the 16th century Leigh-On-Sea had developed into a fairly large and prosperous port as a successful location for both international trade and also with shipbuilding.

However, by the 18th century, deep water access to Leigh had declined as the mouth of the estuary silted up. As a result, the town reverted back into the fishing village that it been in its previous life.

However, access to the larger markets around London England for the fisherman was limited to barge traffic up the Thames.

This situation was alleviated in the mid 1800′s by the expansion of the railway through Leigh. This resulted in a number of outcomes, including faster and more reliable access to London markets, as well as offering the opportunity for those living in the region to commute to London England. The railway line also resulted in the division of the village into two halves – Leigh-On-Sea or the Old Town on the seaward side of the railway line and Leigh on the upper side.

The old town has managed to retain much of its character and charm from times gone by.

1950's Cockle Sheds - Leigh on Sea, England

Leigh-On-Sea Cockle Sheds - circa 1950's

One of the most well known aspects of the old town are its cockle sheds, supporting its shellfish trade. The harbour at Leigh-On-Sea still supports a small fleet of cockle boats, and the old town’s cockle sheds are still run by some of Leigh’s old families who have been in the cockling trade for many generations.

These cockle sheds are open 7 days per week selling a wide range of seafoods (not just cockles), including lobster tails, prawns, winkles, crabs, mussels, and whelks.

Leigh-On-Sea also supports a number of traditional British Pubs. One of the best known (and the oldest) of these is the Crooked Billet, a heritage listed building dating back to the early 16th century. This hotel offers a great range of fine ales, and has been featured in the Good Beer Guide of England published by the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), and is also famed for its fish and chip meals.

We decided to eat at another pub, the Mayflower on the opposite side of High Street. This public house offered a deck out back that looked out straight over the water, and served a great traditional pub lunch of cod and chips, together with a pint (or two) of Doom Bar bitter. This was a great and traditional experience typical of many parts of England.

Leigh-On-Sea Heritage Centre, England

Leigh-On-Sea Heritage Centre Logo

Anybody visiting Leigh-On-Sea in Essex, England must make a point of spending some time at the Leigh Heritage Centre. The Centre is situated in the old Smithy in the High Street of Leigh-On-Sea Old Town.

There is an amazing amount of information available for the interested visitor about the village, the area and the history of this unique part of England.

Within the confines of the smithy, the Centre displays a permanent historical photo display, an exhibition of the traditional tools used by blacksmiths and wheelwrights in England during past centuries, as well as other items that are intrinsically part of Leigh’s history.

Directly behind the Centre is a restored fisherman’s cottage which enables today’s tourist the chance to envisage life back in the south east coast of England. This two storey structure contains the living areas down below, with the sleeping areas on the top floor. Upstairs, there was space only for a double bed, small single bed and a tiny cot.

We were told by the lovely people manning the Centre that this hut had offered accommodation for a family with 12 children. One can only imagine how those still at home managed to fit into this tiny cottage.

The task of ensuring appropriate conservation within the old town is being supported quite admirably by the members of the Leigh Society. It is this Society that negotiated the lease of the smithy from the local Borough Council and restored the building, developing it into the Heritage Centre of today.

We strongly suggest that visitors to this part of England make a point of visiting Leigh-On-Sea and visit the Heritage Centre. It is indeed refreshing to find an historical display and information service such as this that is still able to provide its services to visitors without requiring a payment for entry.

In order to find out more about this very special part of England, please visit the website for Leigh-On-Sea at: http://www.leigh-on-sea.com/

Categories : Destinations, Food and Wine, Vacations
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May
01

Cruisin’ Down The Rhine

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Rudesheim - Rhine River

Rudesheim - Rhine River

We decided that, before we left Germany, a river trip down the Rhine River was a must.

This trip is a good way to relax whilst enjoying some great scenery as the boat meanders its way from village to village.

KD Rhine has been offering tours of this wonderful river system that comprises both the Rhine and the Moselle Rivers since 1853. At this time, two river transport companies, the Koln company and the Dusseldorf company merged during a time of great competition on the river and the establishment of railway lines along the banks of the Rhine River.

When travelling along the Rhine (Rhein) or Moselle Rivers with KD Rhine, you obviously have a wealth of experience and knowledge of the river behind you.

The Rhine River runs through 4 countries between its source high up in the Swiss Alps and its mouth in the North Sea near Rotterdam.

The Rhine River is mentioned in much of the writings of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was considered to be the natural border between Gaul and the Germanic peoples. The first urban settlement was in the area that is now Cologne in about 38 B.C. It was recognised by the Romans in about 50 AD. The river was seen as an important natural barrier, and during its history there have been many attempts to take the lands beside the river.

This resulted in the construction of many castles along the banks of the Rhine, used by feudal leaders as a means of providing defence over the lands and for the inhabitants. A number of these castles were also inhabited by robber barons who were able to use their positions on the banks of the river and power to extract excessive tolls from boats using the river as a commercial route.

We boarded our KD Rhine boat at Mainz for a trip down the river to Koblenz. One of the advantages of travelling on a Eurail Pass that includes Germany as one of the countries for which the pass is valid is that the cost of tours with KD Rhine are included as an additional benefit of the pass. These free sailings include regular day tours of the Rhine River between Mainz and Koln (Cologne) and on the Moselle River between Koblenz and Cochem.

The river does have quite a current flowing. As a result, down river trips are much quicker than upstream trips. For instance, a trip from Mainz to Koblenz takes about 5 and a half hours, whilst a trip from Koblenz to Mainz will take 8 and a half hours. Remember to keep this trip time difference in mind while you are planning your vacation.

Once the boat leaves Mainz, the first part of the journey is a little industrial until we clear the area around Mainz and move down to our first stop at Weisbaden.

Once the boat departs from Mainz, there are 19 stops before its arrival at the wharf at Koblenz.

The scenery on either side of the river is ever changing, so that the travel is far from boring. Not only are there very many castles and other historic buildings along the way, but also many many vineyards stretching up the banks of the river, villages along the shores and a never ending variety of commercial river traffic travelling up and down the Rhine river.

River boat showing car on roof

River boat showing car on roof - courtesy Dan Beaudoin

One of the things that we have noticed about many of these Rhine river cargo vessels in that so many of them carry the master’s home with them, and sport cars, boats and other personal items above the living quarters, so that there is the opportunity to travel around once the boat is moored for the night.

The section of the river from Bingen to Koblenz is now a World Heritage Listed site. This particular section of the Rhine river is said to have the highest concentration of castles of any river valley in the world. Also in this section of the river you’ll find the legendary Loreley (Lorelei) Rock, a massive rock face rising from the river bank. This section of the river, which is the narrowest and most dangerous in the Middle Rhine, has claimed many boats, and is the source of the legend of the blond siren who with her singing and beauty lured many sailors to their death on the rocks below.

We found that our trip down the Rhine River to be a really worthwhile part of our tour of Europe.

 

Categories : Destinations, Food and Wine, Sea, Vacations
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May
01

German Trains – The Most Reliable?

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We had the opportunity to try out the German rail system recently, and I have to report that we had a mixed experience on German trains.

Upon arrival into Dresden on a Eurocity service out of Prague we decided to transfer to German Intercapital Express (ICE) trains for the rest of the trip to Berlin.

One of DeutschBahn's ICE Trains at a Platform
ICE Train at Platform

These ICE trains offer a whole new level of comfort and service onto the German rail system, as well as offering a smooth and quiet way to travel between major cities in minimal time.

ICE trains first entered service in 1991. They have a distinctive design and livery for which Deutsch Bahn has registered the design elements. These trainsets are very well configured internally for the comfort and convenience of passengers, and include such things as luggage storage bays in most carriages, adjustable seating, piped music to all seats and seat back video screens in many first class carriages. Many ICE trains also have wireless internet and mobile phone access enabled for those who feel unable to do without such amenities during a trip.

interior of one of the ICE Trains

ICE Train interior

Interior design is also a special feature with these trains. Colours have been chosen to offer a restful travelling environment, and lighting is subdued. Indeed in some carriages the interior is quite similar to that of an aircraft (although more comfortable and much quieter).

Travel on ICE trains is very pleasant, although it can at times be difficult to take photographs out of the side windows because everything is whooshing past so quickly that many objects appear blurred when the photo is examined (one of the joys of having digital cameras available nowadays).

We took one ICE service from Dresden to Leipzig and another service from Leipzig into Berlin Hauptbahnhof. We do enjoy traveling on these trains!

As is always expected with Deutsch Bahn services, departure and arrival times were exactly on time (indeed you can usually set your watch based on arrivals and departures of trains in Germany.

On this part of our journey, everything operated with typical German precision.

However, on our final day in Germany, their trains let us down.

We had decided to book on a Deutsch Bahn City Night Line service from Berlin to Heidelberg. Because we wanted the opportunity to compare this sleeper service with that offered on the Elipsos trains that operate between Spain, France and Italy we booked a similar class of travel. We selected a first class sleeper with shower facilities and were hoping that the trip would provide an enjoyable conclusion to our travel adventures on trains in Germany.

Unfortunately this was not to be!

We waited on the platform at Berlin Hauptbahnhof for the train to arrive at the station … and waited, while many other trains arrived and departed on other platforms.

Double Decker Carriage on CNL trains

City Night Line Double Decker Carriage

The train eventually rolled in nearly 30 minutes behind schedule. We then went to our allotted carriage and boarded (along with many many other passengers). Once on board, we worked our way gradually along the passageway to find our cabin. Unfortunately, the nominated cabin number couldn’t be found.

At this stage, we didn’t understand what was happening, and had to wait in a queue to speak with the conductor. We were simply told that our cabin number had changed, and were shown to a lower level cabin (it was a double decker carriage). Upon climbing down, we were very surprised to see that we were obviously in a second class cabin, with no shower, no toilet, and practically no room. This certainly wasn’t what we had ordered and paid for.

Eventually we managed to locate the conductor again, and were told that due to an equipment fault, the carriage had been changed at the last moment, and because the train was full, we had no other alternative. We had been given the use of two adjacent 2nd class cabins, so that we could sit in one and sleep in the other.

With a grumpy disposition but little other option, we had to make the most of the situation. We were aware that the train was about half an hour behind time, but hoped that this could be made up during the trip. However, the train again stopped about 45 minutes out of Berlin, and stood stationary for another half hour or so.

With the train now running an hour late, we now realised that it would be impossible for us to make our connection to another train in Heidelberg. This looked as though it would prevent us from boarding our KD Rhine cruise down the Rhine River from Mainz.

We ended up having to leave our City Night Line train at Mannheim station at about 5:30 in the morning, and attempt to find other trains to get us to Mainz.

The service we had hoped to catch was cancelled, and we needed to look for options on other trains. We eventually boarded an ICE train heading to Frankfurt Airport, reasoning that this station was on a main line down the Rhine River, and that it may be simpler to catch trains from here to Mainz.

After following the signage and asking a Deutsch Bahn attendant how to find the platform for connecting trains, we duly dragged our luggage from platform 2 down to platform 7, arriving about 15 minutes before the train to Mainz was due.

Surely our trials and tribulations with Deutsch Bahn were now over.

However, the arrival time came and went, with no trains. We later found out that the trains had been diverted to another platform, but without any platform announcement. The next train wasn’t due for another 30 minutes, and we would miss the boat.

Eventually, after hauling our belongings back up to platform 2, we were able to find another service that was able to get us to Mainz, but with only 15 minutes to spare before the scheduled departure of our boat.

I have to report that this sequence of events hasn’t resulted in our being such staunch supporters of the German railway system.

I suppose it might be correct to report that the system works like clockwork for most of the time, but that when things begin to go wrong, the performance of the system really starts to fall over very badly.

Certainly, I couldn’t recommend that any of our readers consider travelling on any night trains in Germany given our experience with this service.

Categories : Rail, Vacations
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Apr
30

Berlin By Water – 63 Bridges In 3 And A Half Hours

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We are touring the city of Berlin by water today.

Berlin's Oberbaum bridge

Berlin's Oberbaum bridge

During our cruise from Miami to Barcelona on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty Of The Seas, one of our luncheon companions who lived in Berlin told us that this was an absolute “must do” activity during our visit to the capital of Germany.

We have decided to take a round trip from Friedrichstrasse wharf to Charlottenburg. This trip travels along the Landwehr Canal towards Charlottenburg, then returns along the Spree River via Spreebogen to Friedrichstrasse.

Our trip takes about 4 hours, including a stop of a little over 30 minutes in Charlottenburg, offering the chance to visit this part of Berlin. Of course, it is possible to stay over a little longer, and catch a later boat back.

This tour is one of a number of river trips referred to as Berlin Bridge Tours, as they take the passenger under approximately 63 bridges on the circuit trip. According to the promotional literature, this offers more bridge transits than it is possible to experience even in Venice.

We have found this to be an excellent way to see the great city of Berlin from an entirely different perspective.

The weather in Berlin has been ideal for such a trip, with bright sunshine, yet not too hot to enjoy sitting outside on the top deck, or downstairs at one of the comfortable tables.

The trip is incredibly relaxing, with the boat travelling at about 8 km/h, and of course the river surface is smooth so that even the most wary traveller should be free from any discomfort.

MS Fortuna

MS Fortuna

We’re traveling on the Fortuna, a ship of the Reederei Bruno Winkler Line.

Our travels have taken us from Friedrichstrasse past the Berlin Museum, the and the Oberbaum Bridge (Oberbaumbrucke).

We then left the Spree River and joined the Landwehr Canal.

During our trip, the boat passed through 3 locks, in itself an interesting experience, seeing the way in which the boat is secured before the gates open to allow the water level in the lock to raise or lower. Once the level has equalised with that of the water in front, the gates open fully, and the trip can then proceed.

The scenery along the trip was varying sufficiently regularly that there were few chances to become bored. During our time on the boat, we travelled through high density residential areas, city facades with buildings backing directly onto the river or canal, open park lands, tourist market spaces,

Dakota Aircraft - Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin

Dakota Aircraft - Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin

luxury hotels, modern business parks, the Berlin Museum, the German Museum of Technology, together with one of the Dakota aircraft that managed to sustain Berlin throughout the airlift of the late 1940s, the Berlin Zoo, the Tiergarten, and of course a great many other vistas.

This particular cruise cost us 18 euros each for almost 4 hours of travel around the waterways of Berlin. We both considered this to be a very reasonable charge considering the relaxation and scenic qualities of the trip. Several of the tour operators offer the chance for you to hire (at a minimal extra charge) a set of headphones that will allow you to hear audio descriptions of what you are seeing in your own language.

We could definitely recommend this trip (or something similar) to anyone who wishes to find out what the city of Berlin looks like from a very different viewpoint.

Categories : Destinations, Vacations
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Apr
27

Bratislava To Vienna By Water Along the Danube

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An unplanned component of our trip arrived by virtue of a stroll along the banks of the Danuj (Danube River) yesterday afternoon. As we watched the activity with river cruisers, tourist sight-seeing boats and others on Easter Monday, we noticed a fast Twin City Liner catamaran pull into one of the landings by the river’s edge.

Twin Cities Liner on Danube River

Twin Cities Liner on Danube River

We noted down the name of the service operating the boat on the Danube, and checked up on its activities online.

It turns out that the Twin City Liner runs regular commuter and tourist services along the River
Danube between the two capital cities.

Vienna and Bratislava are the two nearest capital cities in Europe, being only some 60 km apart and both built across the Danube River, so opportunities do arise for services such as this one which is able to make 6 international trips between European capitals in a single day.

The Twin City Liner service runs along the Danube from 3 to 5 times per day (season dependent), and takes between 75 and 90 minutes for the journey (depending on the direction of travel).

We thought that this would be a great opportunity to see more of the countryside in both Slovakia and Austria, as well as to experience travel along the Danube.

The cost for the Twin City Liner was somewhat lower than on a river cruiser, with our single leg from Bratislava directly into Schwedenplatz in Vienna costing only 19 euros each.

Unfortunately, the weather has closed in somewhat overnight, and the views from our catamaran are not as bright as they could otherwise be.

There are about 30 other travelers on our service, although we suspect that the later services may well carry more people. Ours is the first up river service of the day, having already delivered from Vienna those tourists who have planned for a day in Bratislava.

We have been astonished by the size of this river, and particularly at the speed of the water that is flowing down towards the sea. I’ve estimated a speed of some 8 knots in some sections, when gauged by the wake generated by the stationary channel markers.

The Twin City Liner travels along the River Danube at a speed of some 50 km/h.

The vital statistics of the boat are as follows: engines – 2 each with 1000 hp capacity, driving water jets. The catamaran itself has a length of 34 metres, a breadth of 8.5 metres, and a draft of just 1 metre. The maximum speed capacity of the boat is said to be 75 km/h.

As we are traveling up the Danube river, we are noticing a number of little huts (raised off the ground) with wood burning stoves and heaters and the bare necessities for riverside life. We can’t tell whether these are available for rental or are simply weekenders for Viennese families, but they certainly would offer a unique “out of town” experience.

This is a great opportunity to travel in a different way, and to enjoy the vista and sense of traveling along the Danube – an iconic European river.

Categories : Destinations, Sea, Vacations
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Apr
27

Bratislava – A Taste Of The Real Slovakia

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Bratislava is a delightful place to visit

We visited Bratislava on the evening of Easter Sunday, and stayed until Tuesday morning.

In some ways this was a little unfortunate since most of the shops (and indeed the tourist information offices) were closed for the Easter break, and we therefore had to make the most of our own resources to discover just what Bratislava has to offer the independent tourist.

We were quite surprised about the breadth and variety of historic buildings and architectural monuments that abound in the old town sections of the city, despite the fact that this city seems to receive less tourist information and publicity than many other places in this region of Europe.

We are able to report that we enjoyed our time in Bratislava immensely.

Bratislava is a very compact city, and it is possible to walk around the old town region of the city at a relaxed pace, yet have sufficient time to take in the history and grandeur of the old Bratislava.

Napoleon leaning over a seat in the square in Bratislava

Napoleon leaning over a seat in the square

Even today, Bratislava’s population is less than half a million people, so the city still maintains a human scale, enabling the tourist a much better

opportunity to interact with some of the locals and find out some more about what it is like to live in Bratislava today.
We found that the time we spent walking about Bratislava was one of one surprise and delight after another. Not only was a seat in the old town square somewhat distinguished by a gentleman in eighteenth century uniform leaning over and looking over the shoulder of anyone sitting there, but

Bronze papparazi photographer in Bratislava

Bronze papparazi photographer in Bratislava

around another corner just a block away, a sly photographer was catching a snapshot of events in the next street (maybe a 1920′s version of the papparazi!).

 

As we visited Bratislava on Easter Monday, there was a service underway in the Cathedral adjacent to the square. A number of tourists took the opportunity to join with the local people in the church to celebrate the Christian significance of this time of the year.

The castle overlooking Bratislava (Hrad Castle) dominates the town, and has outstanding views in both directions along the Danube River (Danuj), as well as the surrounding lands. It was documented as early as 907 A.D., and has had many face lifts as it’s function has changed over the centuries. It is currently undergoing major internal renivations, and unfortunately the inside is not open to visitors at the moment.

Ice Hockey Player Sculpture

Ice Hockey Player Sculpture

The other aspect of Bratislava that became very obvious as we continued our tour of the city is the fact that the forthcoming world Ice Hockey Championships are due to be held in the city in late April and Early May of 2011. We encountered a number of slightly larger than life hockey players in various colours located around the city in strategic locations.

This event will be a major boost to Bratislava, bringing the eyes of the world to this great part of Europe for at least a few days.

We encountered many local people during our time in Bratislava, and found that the majority had sufficient grasp of the English language to make themselves understood, and (more importantly for us) to understand our comments and questions.

We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending that Slovakia and Bratislava should be on the itinerary of anyone planning to visit this part of Europe.

Categories : Destinations, Odd Spots, Vacations
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Apr
26

Budapest To Bratislava By Train – An Interesting Travel Contrast

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OBB RailJet Train At Budapest Station

OBB RailJet Train At Budapest Station

Austria’s Railjet train

We decided to experience the Railjet service between Budapest and Vienna so that we could experience how this high speed service compares in ride and service quality with that offered by other rail providers.
The OBB Railjet train is defined by the Austrian Railway System Provider OBB to stand for speed, comfort, design, top modern equipment and a completely new service concept.
It is interesting to note that due to the fact that much of the travel of the railjet train service is in neighboring countries, the railjet concept doesn’t rely upon the inclusion the locomotive as a part of the overall design concept.
Whilst the Thalys, ICE and Eurostar trains have a design that integrates the locomotive tightly into the overall design of the overall train profile, our trip from Budapest to Vienna had a Hungarian locomotive attached to the Railjet carriages in a more conventional configuration.
Once the train reached the Austrian border, one of the Railjet locomotives replaced the Hungarian engine, and so the train arrived into Vienna looking much more streamlined than it did when it left Budapest.
We were extremely impressed with the first class layout and configuration of the Railjet carriage. The interior of the train was subtly colored, and the quality of the seats and configuration of tables between facing pairs of seats was well appreciated.
The only thing that we did notice was that as a part of the exterior design elements of this train, the word “Railjet” is emblazoned across the sided of the carriages, and as a result, some seats had window views somewhat obstructed by the lettering attached to the outside of the train.
Railjet is different to many other services across Europe in that it offers 3 grades of train travel, Economy, First and Premium.
Premium class is a different level of train travel  service and features comfortable leather armchairs with foot rests, arranged into semi-partitioned compartments containing 2, 3 or 4 seats each.
The premium class fare, which costs 25 euros more than First Class, includes snacks and soft drinks.
We travelled in first class, however, since the sector was only about about 3 hours, and there was no need to upgrade to the premium level.
Even in first class, the seating was extremely comfortable, a luggage storage space was also provided, resulting in a much less congested passenger space and we were also impressed with the information screen at the end of each section of the train carriage.
This screen updated regularly with a map of the route travelled, showing the current position of the train, information about the stations on the route, including major transfer options, and a speedometer that indicated how fast we were travelling at an time. Although we didn’t exceed 160 km/h during our trip, I understand that speeds of 200 km/h are not uncommon on some of the lines.
We were also well looked after by a train attendant who was able to provide advice and offer any assistance we needed.
We really enjoyed our travel on Railjet, and would strongly recommend it to anybody looking to travel by rail in or out of Austria.
Once we arrived into Vienna (at Meidling station), we needed to transfer to Vienna’s Ostbahn station for our rail journey north to Bratislava.
This required 2 train changes.
At Meidling, we needed to find our way to another platform, and managed to make our connection by the skin of our teeth. In fact, we believe that the conductor may have held up the departure of the S-Bahn train by 30 seconds to allow us on board.
A couple of stops later we had arrived at the Ostbahn S-Bahn station (an underground station). From here, we needed to locate a lift to bring both us and our luggage up to street level.
At the present time, Vienna’s rail system is in a major state of change. The task of replacing a number of stations with a central Vienna Railway Station is underway. This project has a time frame of some 2.5 years. As a result of these changes, most of the old Ostbahn railway station has now been demolished to make way for the new lines and structure that will eventually steer rail traffic from the south, east and west of Vienna into a central point.
Of course, this means that the task of traveling from on line to another is not easy at present.
As a result, we needed to lug our belongings across several streets and a bus station towards the only street level component of the original Ostbahn infrastructure.
We arrived at our regional express train to Bratislava again with only seconds to spare (about 60 seconds in this case).
The REX train from Vienna Sudbahnhof (Ostbahn) to Bratislava did not seem to be quite the level of express that we had anticipated. I think that I counted some 10 stations that we stopped at along the 60 km route.
One of the things that anybody traveling on a Eurail Pass should be aware of is that Slovakia has not yet joined up with the Eurail system. As a result, your Eurail Pass will not cover any rail trips in Slovakia itself.
Once we traveled across the border, we were asked to purchase a ticket to cover our journey to Bratislava. For the two of us, this ticket cost just 4.20 euros. However, had we elected to travel on a more direct service form Budapest to Bratislava (and miss the trip on the Railjet train), then the cost from the border would have been something like 30 euros each.
We traveled in that section of the last carriage that is normally reserved for bicycles, wheelchairs and luggage storage, and therefore had little chance to enjoy such comforts that the REX train may have had on offer – although from what we were able to see, these were precious little.

All in all, the contrast between the luxury of the OBB Railjet and the austerity of the REX train service to Bratislava was quite noticeable.

Categories : Destinations, Rail, Vacations
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Apr
26

Travel Hints And Tips For Budapest

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A six carriage tram in Budapest

A six carriage tram in Budapest

We discovered that Budapest was a city in which there were a number of things that many might find a little confusing, so it is worth while giving some hints and tips to make your visit to Hungary just that little bit smoother.

Whilst Hungary is a part of the European Union, it still maintains its own currency, so that it will be necessary to convert funds into the local currency when you enter Hungary.

You are advised to carry sufficient funds in the local Hungarian currency to ensure that you are able to pay for those purchases for which credit cards are not acceptable – we did find a few of these during our stay in Budapest.

The Hungarian florint (HUF) currently has an exchange rate of some 260 to the euro, so be prepared to have many high value notes in your possession after changing your funds (mind you, they also disappear back out quite rapidly as well).

As an example, the cost of our taxi ride from the railway station to our accommodation came to just under 5000 HUF.

We recommend that you make use of the great public transport system that Budapest has to offer the visitor as a means of getting around the City efficiently and within a reasonable time frame.

Although some parts of the City are quite compact, the division of Budapest by the Danube River means that some of the travelling distances are greater than would otherwise be the case if there wasn’t the need to travel up river or down river to the nearest bridge.

The transport system is efficient and very cost effective. Tickets can be used on all of the modes of transport, so there is no need to purchase different tickets for different types of transport vehicle. Individual tickets can be purchased at machines which are located at many tram stops, at metro stations and other City locations. These machines are mostly coin operated, although there are also note and credit card operated machines at metro stations.

When you purchase your tickets at the metro stations, you are given a greater choice in the types of ticket available. In addition, it is possible to purchase tickets at newsagents and tobacconists. Single tickets cost around 260 HUF (approximately 1 euro). However, other options are available for those wishing to make more extensive use of the system.

We purchased 24 hour tickets from a ticket machine at Moskova metro station for 1550 HUF (approximately 6 euros). These allow you unlimited access to all modes of transport for 24 hours. I did note that you can adjust the start time of the ticket on the machine prior to purchase.

Tickets for longer periods are also available at proportionately lower prices.

For those wishing to make lots of use of site visits and do a lot of sightseeing, the Budapest Card may suit your needs perfectly.

This card is offered for 2-day or 3-day periods, and also covers children under the age of 14 travelling with the card holder.

The card offers free travel on Budapest’s public transport system, free admission to over 60 museums and other important sites and discounts for city sightseeing tours by bus and boat, for folklore and cultural programs and spa baths, restaurants and a number of other businesses in the City.

Prices quoted for this card range from 6300 HUF (about 24 euros) for a 2 day card to 7500 HUF (about 29 euros) for a 3 day card.

Categories : Accommodation, Destinations, Road, Vacations
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Apr
25

Budapest – “Queen Of The Danube” – Buda Side Or Pest Side?

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Budapest's Parliament Buildings

Budapest's Parliament Buildings

We have just finished a 2-day stay in Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

We have enjoyed great weather in all of our destinations in Europe so far, but have to say that this morning’s weather in Budapest looks a little threatening, with some showers forecast for later today.

At this stage, we’ll just have to see how much longer our luck holds out in terms of near perfect spring weather.

Upon our arrival into Budapest (via Keleti Station) we were once again confronted by a scary taxi ride. This time, the driver had to take us across the Danube River from Pest to Buda.

The aggressive driving shown by this driver made me very happy that we hadn’t decided to rent a vehicle during this part of the trip, since the chances of having to return the vehicle and try to explain body damage (to the vehicle or to us) would have been quite high.

Whilst we eventually arrived at the correct destination, the driver’s need to search for locations on his vehicle mounted GPS device whilst driving through the heavy traffic streams around Budapest made us doubt this on several occasions.

Our accommodations were at the amazing Buda Hill Apartments, a short walking distance from the Buda Castle and close to the Mamut (Mammoth) shopping center and to Muskova Metro Station.

The building is absolutely amazing, with a mix of the traditional curves and domes of the Byzantine style with parallel elements which fit much more within the modernist architectural outlooks. This makes it a definite Budapest landmark.

The result is a building with vast numbers of nooks and crannies, where each apartment will have a different outlook and where relatively few spaces are of the simple rectangular shape that we tend to take for granted.

We chose this particular location because it met our basic requirements for our accommodation units: complimentary wireless internet, good locations for access to tourism sites and shopping facilities and either breakfast included or self contained accommodation.

Overall, we enjoyed Buda Hill Apartments, although the washing machine almost had the better of us at first. The control symbols were far from obvious, and it turned out that under some circumstances the bowl would never actually empty, and the washing cycle would then continue for ever (or until we became sick of this and went to find a copy of a user’s guide from reception.

One odd thing that we observed during our stay in Budapest was that reception was only open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, and that the staffing during these times consisted of one receptionist accompanied by a security guard who tended to pass away the time by watching a small television receiver.

Budapest is well served by public transport, with trains, trams, trolley buses and an underground metro service that is notable in being the first underground railway on the continent.

The contrast between different modes of transport in Budapest is quite marked, from the carriages in the metro, that seem to remain relatively unchanged in well over half a century to the ultra-modern 6 section trams that seem more like small trains than trams.

The City of Budapest is unique in a number of ways:

  • it claims to have Europe’s largest parliament
  • Europe’s first underground railway system
  • the continent’s largest functioning synagogue
  • still operating Turkish baths – 12 medicinal baths, 100 thermal springs

Budapest also boasts an incredibly diverse range of special buildings and unique architectural styles.

Wandering around Budapest, you’ll be able to find the remains of Roman fortresses and buildings, gothic and baroque buildings, a wide range of Art Nouveau styles and some emerging examples of contemporary architecture.

Categories : Destinations, Rail, Vacations
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