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Tags: Credit Cards / Europe / Technology / France / Travel News / Paris / → All Tags
Did You Want To Use Your Credit Card In Europe? Sorry.
As if the cratering dollar wasn't enough of a problem for US tourists, the New York Times reports that even trying to use American credit cards in Europe is getting difficult. The problem is in the so-called chip-and-PIN verification technology that much of the world is adopting as an alternative to magnetic strip cards. Instead of swiping your card you're supposed punch in a personal ID that needs to match the one encoded on the chip. Only problem: US credit cards mostly don't have those chips.
The writeup manages to convey the issue with all the cosmopolitan awareness we've come to expect from the NYT Travel section. They relate the story of a passive-aggressive couple in Paris who—having had their cards rejected by bike kiosks—just walked around sullenly telling no one in particular how would awesome if they could ride a bike. Obnoxious. But that doesn't make the problem any less real:
Tags: Culture / Museums / Europe / European Travel / White Night Travel / → All Tags
Sleepless White Nights Hit Europe
The end of summer is upon us, but that's no reason to stop partying: A bunch of European cities--plus Toronto--are about to start a round of all-night parties they call White Nights.
White Nights--or the sexier sounding French version Nuit Blanche--are celebrations with open-all-night museums, circus troop performances and opera, jazz and rock concerts that go 'til morning. A group of cities have now banded together to get a bit of a White Nights Circuit going, so if you've got some free time in the next month, check out these White Nights:
- Rome: September 8
- Madrid: September 22
- Brussels and Toronto: September 29
- Paris and Valletta, Malta: October 6
So if you're into partying all night or just getting ultra-cultural in Europe, start adjusting your sleep pattern now.
Related Stories:
· Outbreak of Insomnia is Spreading [NYT]
· White Night in Paris [Jaunted]
· Long on Culture, Short on Sleep [Jaunted]
[Photo: c-reel.com]
Tags: Trains / Britain / France / Europe / Eurostar / → All Tags
Newsflash: Trains Arrive On Time!
In the ongoing war between budget airlines and good ol' train travel, the Eurostar train line is busily pumping out its own good PR. Eurostar trains generally travel between London and Paris, with a few trips to Brussels, Euro Disney and the south of France. They reckon they're fast, convenient, and recently, punctual.
Yep, punctuality is the big Eurostar news of the week. Between May 7 and May 13, 98.5% of trains arrived on time (or early!). And the big news: on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week, 100% of the Eurostar trains were punctual. Eurostar is quick to point out that performance like this "easily outstrips airlines." Add to that the assumption that the carbon footprint is smaller and it almost seems logical to take the train. Except when you see an airfare for just a couple of pounds.
[Photo: lazytom]
Related Stories:
· Eurostar Records Best Ever Punctuality [Flightmapping]
· One or One and a Half Tickets, Sir? [Jaunted]
Tags: Eurovision / Music / Europe / → All Tags
Is Eurovision A Big Neighbors Scam?
Greetings to all who spent last night watching the usual odd servings of how-could-they-ever-think-they'd-win finalists in the Eurovision Song Contest. From Germany's jazzed up Roger Cicero explaining how women rule the world to Ukraine's weirdly-dressed-up song, "Dancing Lasha Tumbai," which curiously was the favorite to win.
When it came down to judging time--Europeans can call or text to vote for anyone except for their own nation--it was even more apparent than normal that the more neighbors you have, the more votes you get. Even when a tiny country gives you a top vote, you get the same number of points as if the whole of Germany or France vote for you. Poor old England got nearly no votes (their entry's quality was questionable too, but that goes for nearly all of them), and former eastern bloc countries with plenty of small neighbors did well. And the winner? A (we personally think) not particularly stunning song from Serbian singer Marija. Media explosions about votes from neighbors has reached higher levels than ever this year, so maybe a new voting system is on the cards for Eurovision 2008 in Belgrade.
[Photo: flickrwegian]
Related Stories:
· Eurovision: Need Good Neighbours [Times UK]
· Eurovision Song-O-Mat Rocks Our World [Jaunted]
Tags: Europe / Travel Media / Slovakia / Bulgaria / Slovenia / → All Tags
Times Plugs Eastern Europe Hard
The UK Times went crazy this weekend talking up a few eastern European cities. The biggest wrap went to Slovak capital Bratislava, citing great value for money and fewer crowds than Prague as good reasons to go. All in all, not a bad overview, especially as they plug our favorite hot chocolate destination, Čokoláda.
Slovenian capital Ljubljana also grabbed a headline: the reviewer uses the Interesting Site Per Yard measure and rated Ljubljana very highly (if still somewhat unpronounceable). The value is probably not quite as good here given that Slovenia changed to Euro currency at the start of the year (Slovakia won't until 2009).
Finally, so-called un-cool Bulgaria also rates a mention. A stay at Bourgas and nearby beaches actually sounds pretty cool, especially when they start talking wine-tasting and cheap Bulgarian reds.
[Photo: Friends Friends Friend]
Related Stories:
· Slow Slovak Summer Elates Chocoholics [Jaunted]
· Why I Like Un-Cool Bulgaria [Times UK]
· Chill With the Bratislava Pack [Times UK]
· A Jam-Packed Weekend in Ljubljana [Times UK]
Tags: Maps / Europe / WiFi / Free WiFi / → All Tags
Map24 Adds WiFi Locating Feature
Map24, the map site that isn't Google Maps, has just added a new filter to its North American, Australian, and European maps. The hotspots "channel" lets you locate WiFi networks around your destination of choice. The function seems to work best in Europe so far, and even there it isn't perfect. We tested it out on Vienna, and it wouldn't hone in on Phil, our favorite WiFi utopia. So, take note: not all private WiFi providers, such as cafes and coffee shops, are listed. There's an option to list free hotspots only, but we suspect this does not take into account (or does not always properly process) cafes where the coffee will cost you but the connection is essentially free. Perfect? No, but it'll definitely help you when you're in a rush. Map24 also offers free mobile software for PDAs.
Related Stories:
· Map24 [Official Site]
· Find wireless hotspots before you travel [Computeractive]
Tags: Blogs / Europe / Travel Deals / Budget Travel / → All Tags
EuroCheapo Blog
EuroCheapo has just launched a blog to cater to your insatiable cheapskate needs in Europe. The newborn blog already contains some handy tips on airport transportation and a few tips on airfare sales. As was previously reported here, SkyEurope has added Vienna as a destination. (That's Vienna proper, as opposed to the "Vienna" that's actually an hour away in Bratislava, Slovakia.) EuroCheapo reminds us that the route has just launched, but it seems those 19 Euro fares were snapped up fast. Much like an ice cream shop opening in winter, this isn't exactly EuroCheapo's time. But if you're still holding out hope for a summer trip on the cheap, it's not a bad place to continue your tip gathering.
Related Stories:
· EuroCheapo Blog [Official Site]
Tags: Travel Deals / Travel Hell / Airlines / Europe / → All Tags
Proceed Towards Summer With Caution
As Europe's peak tourist season approaches, prices for transatlantic travel get higher and higher, until economy seats finally leak over into that "I thought that was the price for first?!" territory. Budgets don't always give us tons of options, but if you have some flexibility, a little research goes a long way when you're considering what airline you'll fly with. At the very least, if you need the cheapest seat, period, you should at least prepare yourself and know what sort of hell to expect.
Air India often has some of the best deals from the U.S. to points throughout Europe. Their prices sink particularly low in winter, but also lure unsuspecting passengers in over summer. Indeed, a super-quick booking engine scan reveals "winning" prices from Air India on a sample late June trip between New York and London. But is it really victory over the competition?
According to some recent economy passengers, via AirlineQuality.com: "We have travelled on numerous airlines and no airline has been this bad." "Flight attendants were typical government employees with so much job security that they did not care about you, or what you think. Aircraft interiors poorly maintained." And many add "never again."
Air India also has a reputation for some heinous delays. The online reviews, however, aren't all bad. Many passengers make it to their final destination without broken bones and confident that the trip was fine for what it was. We recommend researching thoroughly, weighing your options, and proceeding towards summer with caution.
[Photo: monsieur paradis]
Related Stories:
· Air India Passenger Opinions [Airline Quality]
Tags: Airlines / Flight Attendants / Cartoons / Europe / Travel Deals / → All Tags
Sexy Flash Flight Attendants
Hot flight attendants never go out of style, but a couple of Eastern European airlines are taking temptation to the next and creepiest level. Then again, we've never flown LOT or Adria, so perhaps a hot cartoon is the best they've got. We're just assuming they play the game well given the way our country imports their kind into the fashion industry. Anyone care to pipe in with a rating for their staff?
Check out their websites and you'll notice some special ladies enticing you towards their new offers: low fares to Ljubljana for Adria, and a new business class for LOT. We like Adria's busty attendant because she winks at us and we're suckers for that personal touch. LOT's bait is a bit weirder: she's a leggy bird (literally) at the beck and call of her business class passengers. Where will these flash ladies turn up next? We sense a trend and will let you know if we spot them elsewhere across the web.
Tags: Lonely Planet / Travel Media / Europe / Strange Things / → All Tags
Lonely Planet: Tiraspol Is Creepy
Leif Pettersen's take on Tiraspol, Transdniestr (Moldova) is up on Lonely Planet's main page, and it contains enough Soviet spook to hold us over for quite a while. We haven't been this creeped out since our flight to Japan crossed over the Bering Sea and visions of Soviet ice-pirates danced in our head.
Transdniestr, or TransD, is a region of Moldova that considers itself a sovereign state, though it's not internationally recognized as such. Tensions between TransD and Moldova evoke the spirit of Borat's feud with Uzbekistan, and when something goes wrong in Tiraspol, it's not uncommon for it to be blamed on "Moldovan provacateurs."
Pettersen briefs us on how to enter the region (bribes) and secure unsuspicious lodging (Your Friends In Moldova, though it seems to have gone out of business). Alas, there aren't many sights to see here; the best part, sayeth the author, is "just walking the streets" of the capital, a "living museum." Also, there's this:
At night, the city is largely deserted, save for teenagers dry humping on park benches. Later we visited Prokhlada, the hippest club in Tiraspol. It was a Friday night, but there were only three people huddled in one corner.We just love the idea of being able to rack up Moldovan hipster cred without having to actually socialize. Total score.
Related Stories:
· Tiraspol, Transdniestr (Republic of Moldova) [Lonely Planet]
· Russia's Big Bang [Jaunted]
Tags: Airlines / Europe / Northern Europe / → All Tags
Air Baltic Keeps Cool
Small European carriers aren't all as miserable as Ryanair. Air Baltic, which runs a big hub from Riga and another out of Vilnius, has an impressive route map for such a specialized carrier. Flying to four destinations in Ukraine (Kyiv, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, and Simferopol) is exciting, sure, but the real draw for those attracted to Europe's edges are the Riga-Tbilisi and Riga-Baku routes. A Mid-June Riga-Baku round-trip fare starts at 184 Lats, or about $315. A Riga-Tbilisi mid-June round-trip fare starts at 214 Lats, or about $370. Both fares include taxes.
From a sample set of two recent Air Baltic jaunts (Stockholm - Riga and Riga - Copenhagen), two notes. First, Air Baltic does quite well in the customer service department, especially at overstaffed check-in. Secondly, Baltic Outlook, Air Baltic's in-flight magazine, strikes just the right balance between jingoism and humility. Articles in the February/March issue observed George Bush's failure to distinguish the Balkans from the Baltics, and praised Finland's fifth-largest city, Turku.
Bargain-hunters, take note that Air Baltic is a quasi-low-cost carrier, offering plenty of inexpensive seats on particular routes on the first-come-first-served model. Isn't it worth paying a touch extra for a seat that, you know, reclines?
--Alex Robertson Textor
Tags: Europe / → All Tags
Plastic People of the Universe
We understand going to Thailand to get plastic surgery. It's the kind of place that we'd like to recuperate. It's cheap, warm, and there's plenty of servants nearby as you lounge about, caressing your new face/ breasts/ tummy/ nose.
That's why we're surprised that the Czechs are trying to position Prague (which is a lot of things, but warm year-round is not one of them) with package deals as a plastic surgery destination. We have no doubt of the quality of their doctors; Czechs were at the forefront of the field when it was invented. Hot ladies milling about is a good way to convince people to go under the knife, we believe. That's why Brazil is another popular choice for plastic surgery vacations.
But we still think of Prague as more of a place to injure ourselves and our bodies in some unquantifiable way than a place for surgery. We imagine being in need more of a detox than a botox when we're there.
Perhaps the Czechs change their tourism slogan to "Get Big Beers and Big Boobs" instead?
Related Stories:
· Cosmetic Capital of the East [Times of London]
