This week’s blogger round-up starts with two very practical posts. First, Carolyn from Holidays to Europe, gives us a step-by-step guide to leasing a vehicle in Europe, which may not be a solution you had thought of. Next, Abby from Paris Weekender, tells us about a phone app you can use to find your way about the city of your choice without roaming charges. And the end up, Andrea from Rear View Mirror takes us on a visit of black & white visit of Stockholm. Enjoy!
A step by step guide to the tax-free vehicle leasing program in Europe
by Carolyn from Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of
I’m heading back to Europe and it’s time to hit the open road. I’ve planned our itinerary meticulously (I hope!!) and have decided that on this trip it will be more convenient to have our own car. There are a few off-the-beaten-track places we’ll be visiting and we’re also looking forward to the spontaneity of making a detour if we feel like it and, hopefully, stumbling across some hidden gems.
We’ll be starting this visit to Europe in Barcelona and finishing in Paris with a route including southern France and the Alps, northern Italy, southern Germany, Slovenia, Austria, Czech Republic and back into northern France. Read more
Lost Without 3G? No longer!
by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town
I am visiting friends in Brussels this week and trying to cope with the lack of 3G so as not to rack up roaming charges on my iphone. But thanks to a tip from my friend, my nomadism just got a whole lot easier.
Did you know that there’s an app that not only gives you detailed maps of numerous cities and other regions in the world but it also shows you where on the map you are without the need for roaming? The City Maps 2Go Pro app is the best-spent $2.99 in my recent memory. Read more
A Summery Weekend in Stockholm (Not Really)
by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up her Paris apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.
As the clouds parted and the pale blue sky shone through, I thought for sure I was going to have a great summer getaway. But Stockholm was teasing me. Dark clouds rolled in and the freezing temperatures put an end to my plans for island hopping in the archipelago and cycling in Djugården.
Even if I was not prepared for wintery weather in summer, the people of Stockholm are accustomed to it and the cafes quickly fill up. So of course I did as the locals do and enjoyed a little fika time and people watching in hipster/boho neighbourhood Södermalm. This was followed by more drinks, more cake, vegetarian buffets, great sushi, burgers and my favourite Swedish cider. I hadn’t planned on eating my way around Stockholm’s 14 islands but it was turning out that way. Read more
I didn’t have much time to read other blogs when cycling in Germany, but now I’m home, I’m catching up! I’m starting with a very interesting post by Anda from Travel Notes and Beyond about what she has learned from travelling the world. It certainly got me thinking. Next comes some excellent advice from Maggie at Experience France by Bike about the best SIM card to use in France. And to finish off, a fun post by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris who tested the self-guided Twiztour cars in Paris. Would you be game? Enjoy!
Ten Things I Learned from Traveling the World
by Anda from Travel Notes & Beyond, the Opinionated Travelogue of a Photo Maniac, is a Romanian-born citizen of Southern California who has never missed the opportunity to travel.
If you type “things learned from traveling” into the Google search, you’ll come up with enough reading material for an entire week. Before I sat down to write this post I was curios about other people’s approach to this popular subject. I noticed that in spite of the broad range of opinions, there is one common thread: people who travel don’t remain stuck in their own ideas. They change, they evolve and learn something from their travel experiences. So, with this in mind, here is my rendition of this subject:
1. High expectations may ruin your trip
We all have expectations, lots of expectations. It’s our human nature, whether we are aware of it or not. And when it comes to our vacation we feel entitled to have them. Read more
Using a Sim Data Card to Stay Connected When Bicycling in France
by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.
We’re spoiled by how easy and affordable it is to communicate, text and tweet to family and friends, post to Facebook, get the latest news and restaurant recommendations and get directions when we get lost. Until we go overseas. Unless you have a European phone or SIM card, communication overseas can be difficult and very expensive. A Google search of anything having to do with saving money communicating overseas yields pages and pages of articles and advice. Regardless of how many of these you read, there really isn’t a simple solution. For phone calls, you can use one of several internet apps like Skype. But for me, the problem has always been data. If ever there was a time you needed data it’s traveling overseas. Read more
Whizzing around Paris in Twiztour cars: #EmbraceParis ice-breaker
by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use
Ladies, start your engines! Or, in this case, turn on your electric, ecologically friendly Twiztour car for one of the most thrilling tours of Paris.
Only hours after meeting each other over a lovely afternoon tea at Le Meurice last Sunday afternoon, taxis whisked the #EmbraceParis ladies to the foot of the Eiffel Tower for our first activity — a Twiztour GPS guided tour of some of the most impressive monuments of Paris.
Assuring Brooke, who’s from Australia, that I had complete confidence in her ability to navigate the streets of Paris on the right side of the road, I squeezed into the back seat of the car with the walkee-talkee. True to their names, “Leader of the Pack” and “Jessica Rabbit” set off at a brisk pace. The four other Twiztour cars made their way across pont de Bir-Hakeim, one of my favorite Parisian bridges, behind them. Read more
The idea is to go to the Tourist Office in Dresden to find a hotel. I’ve already done some research and there doesn’t seem to be much on offer in the old town apart from the Hilton and a couple of Ibis Hotels. I’ve seen something called Aparthotels on booking.com, a bargain at 58 euro, but there is no indication of parking possibilities, so Jean Michel thinks it will be better to check it out first.
Neumarkt Platz
We get to Dresden about 11 am. After parking the car in an underground parking lot, we head for Neumarkt Platz and the Tourist Office. I see the sign for Aparthotels so we go in to inquire. The only thing left is a suite at 95 euro so we decide to take it. The very helpful girl at the desk who speaks excellent English tells us there is above-ground parking at 3 euro per 24 hours about 5 minutes walk away. We get the car and drop off our luggage and she says she’ll send an SMS when the room is ready. That’s what I call service!
Our suite in Aparthotel Am Schloss, taken from the brochure because I forgot to take a photo myself!
Well, when we see our suite, we are pretty amazed. Enormous, stylish, with two large rooms, a kitchen with dishwasher on one wall, large comfortable sofa, table and chairs, desk, two TVS (not that we ever watch TV) and a bathroom with a washing machine!
Sunset over the Elbe
It is not until about 11 pm that we start looking at next day’s accommodation in the vicinity of Meissen. I find what looks like a great hotel but it’s not available until the day after. Why don’t we stay another night in Dresden? We’d like to see the famous baroque treasure in the Grünes Gewölbe museum. We check booking.com and there is one apartment at 58 euro left in other Aparthotel on Münzgasse next to Ayers Rock on the other side of the Frauenkirche. We take it.
Our luggage trolley
It’s next morning and we go down to see the friendly girl on the desk just in case there is a room available our own Am Schloss Aparthotel. No, there isn’t but she checks our Münzgasse booking and tells us we’ve been upgraded to a suite. We pack up and put all our luggage on the neat luggage trolley and I wait and chat with the girl on the desk while Jean Michel goes to get the car.
The breakdown truck – German only
My phone rings. “On a des problèmes”, says Jean Michel. The battery’s flat. We later discover he had left a light on inside the car. Good thing it wasn’t me! He phones our travel insurance and they send us a breakdown truck. We then go to Renault because Jean Michel thinks we should change the battery. I know who’s going to have to communicate and am dreading it. Also it’s nearly midday. I bet they close for lunch. “Guten tag”, I say, “Do you speak English?” “Moment”, replies the man and off he goes.
PIcnic view
He comes back with Julia whom I instantly take a liking to. She speaks real English having worked for six months in a garage in Brisbane of all places. She is our life saver. By 1.30, the battery and one of the injection coils (imagine having to converse about that in German) have been changed, we’ve been to the local supermarket on foot to top up supplies and had a picnic on the Elbe at Julia’s suggestion. Our new room is waiting for us. The repairs were even cheaper than they would have been in France.
Our Aparthotel suite in Münzgasse
Our next apartment does not have the same chic as the first one, but it’s still very nice. We have a separate kitchen, bathroom (with washing machine but a bath and not a proper shower), hallway, living room and bedroom, all with absolutely stunning views of Neumarkt Platz. All for 58 euro! I put on a load of washing (what luxury!) and ask for a clothes horse, ironing board and iron to be sent up. That’s domesticity for you.
The view from our room at Aparthotel Münzgasse
Then we go off to do something more interesting. Sun and rain alternate so we take some brighter photos on the way.
The Pretiosensaal in the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe
I used to be an avid museum goer but an ongoing foot problem that occurred about 8 years ago has made me very selective. Our choice goes to the Grünes Gewölbe historical museum which contains over 2,000 masterpieces made of gold and silver, amber and ivory displayed in eight beautifully decorated rooms. No photos allowed so I’ve taken one of our travel diary.
The Dresden Opera House
The sun’s out again so we go back to the Zwinger gardens to take some more photos but they are so crowded with groups that we don’t bother. On the other side, we discover the Opera House and visit the very plain interior of the Catholic Cathedral, badly bombed during the war.
Cathedral
It suddenly starts raining so we head home for a cup of tea. I realise that I haven’t received confirmation on hotelinfo.com for our next hotel booking. I try to ring the hotel but am stumped by the recorded message in German. I find a toll free number for hotelinfo.com and am told there is no reservation. I make another one, which is now confirmed. Ouf! Our next stop is only 45 minutes away so we’ll be able to have a full day of cycling – weather permitting!
Our personal concert
In the meantime we have an excellent quartet just outside our window.
We reached our destination – Kobern Gondorf on the Moselle near Koblenz at 4 pm and by 5 pm we were on our bikes ready for our first ride along the Moselle.
First I’d like to explain how we operate. We have a very good bike stand on the back of our car that enables us to open and shut the boot even when the bikes are attached. Jean Michel’s lock system also means we can leave them anywhere without any part of them ever getting stolen.
We drive to our initial destination – we prefer a long drive the first day (we left Blois before 8.30 am and stopped a few times along the way including a picnic lunch) – where we stay 4 or 5 days to wind down and get back to our normal rhythm of 40 to 50 km a day. We fan out from our base taking the train to go further afield if necessary.
Last year we planned everything beforehand but bad weather made us change our plans a bit – there is nothing worse than cycling in pouring rain – so this year we decided to book our first accommodation and then play it by ear. We discovered last time that there are any number of gasthof and gasthaus offering very good value for money along the cycle paths in Germany.
Our present accommodation is in a recent building, is spacious and comfortable ( it even has a small dishwasher) and a large terrace with a lovely view. It has one major defect: the wifi only works on my iPad and iPhone and not on my laptop which means that I can’t touch type or use Photoshop to prepare my photos. The iPad version of WordPress is not as easy to use as the regular version so please be understanding – and don’t be surprised if I stop posting,
On intermittent fast days, we don’t have breakfast and take a picnic lunch. The other days we have breakfast at our flat or at the gasthaus, eat out at lunchtime along our cycle route then have an aperitif and easy to make dinner on our terrace whether we are staying in self-catering accommodation or a gasthaus.
Jean Michel looks after the itinerary and writes up the travel log each day while I look for accommodation, plan meals and speak English! I also look after the clothing situation. Washing can get complicated in a country that has practically no laundromats. But before we left Blois we went to Go Sport and made some great purchases – two sets each of 3/4 pants and shirts that are specially designed to dry quickly and get your body dry when you perspire.
Today we cycled a total of 20 km along the Moselle to Lof and back on another more interesting route past very steep vineyards. Being able to cycle for a couple of hours after spending most of the day travelling is a wonderful way to get right into holiday mood.
Just in case regular readers have wondered where I’ve got to, I’ve been gardening flat out since we arrived in Blois on Thursday afternoon. It’s amazing just just how quickly the vegetation grows at this time of year. I have a theory about weeds too. As soon as you plant something that you want to grow, a similar-looking weed springs up! So I have been doing a lot of weeding.
I was worried about our geraniums which didn’t look as though they were going to produce many flowers but I think they were just waiting for the warmer weather.
After spending another day gardening and packing, we’re all set for our annual one-month cycling holiday – back to Germany again. Last year we cycled 1100 K along the Danube and I think it was my most enjoyable holiday yet.
After reading about Saxon Switzerland on Travel Notes and Beyond, we decided we would cycle along the Elbe this year. However, we are stopping off along the Moselle on the way and starting with an initial 4-night stay in Koblenz.
This week’s blogger round-up contains a very helpful website review by Maggie Lacoste from Experience France by Bike for hassle-free purchase of French & German train tickets at the best prices, followed by tips on using packing cubes (I had never heard of them!) by the very practical Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel and, to round off, the latest news about love locks on the Pont des Arts in Paris from a new blogger I have just discovered – Beth Shepherd from Wanderlust and Lipstick. Enjoy!
The Easy Way to Buy French Rail Tickets
by Maggie LaCoste from Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.
Easy. Purchase tickets for you and your bike. User-friendly. No hassles. Fast. No booking fees. No advertising.
For anyone who has ever tried to book French Rail tickets from the USA, none of these words would ever describe the experience! Until now.
A relatively new travel company, Capitaine Train offers travelers an efficient platform for buying train tickets through the French Rail parent SNCF and Deutche Bahn, two of Europe’s largest train carriers. I came upon their website quite by accident, and I am so happy that I did. I’ll definitely be purchasing my train tickets for my summer trip using Capitaine Train. It’s certain to be much faster than purchasing tickets using Voyages-sncf.com, and cheaper than Rail Europe. Read more
Real Life One Bag Travel – Packing Cubes Reviewed
by Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!
I’ll be the first to admit, I was always dubious about packing cubes. I saw them on websites, I saw them in luggage shops, but I always thought they were a bit of a gimmick. Another way to spend more money on travel accessories I didn’t need. Then I asked my blogger colleagues for their favorite packing tips. Travel blogger after travel blogger raved about packing cubes. I was curious, and decided I really needed to make up my own mind. Read more
The Weight of Love
by Beth Shepherd from Wanderlust and Lipstick, an American who has travelled halfway around the world several times and is now a first-time adoptive parent in her fifties in the Pacific Northwest.
The many bridges crossing the Seine in Paris invoke a certain je ne sais quois, inspiring lovers worldwide to walk amidst their beauty, sharing romantic moments. Around 2008, the walls of several bridges—including the Pont des Arts, with its spectacular view of Île de la Cité—have virtually disappeared from view, covered by swathes of love locks, padlocks symbolizing unbreakable love.
Love locks are not unique to Paris. Bridges in Germany, Taiwan, Canada, and Italy are also festooned with thousands of locks. The tradition, relatively recent in Europe (2000’s), transpires as follows: Sweethearts inscribe their initials, names, or a message of love on a love lock or love padlock. The lock is affixed to a bridge, fence or gate. And then, the sweethearts throw away the key (in this case, into the river Seine) to show their love is forever more. Read more
In this week’s round-up, Carolyn from Holidays to Europe takes us on a quick food shopping tour of Europe while Adelina from Pack Me To provides an excellent explanation of the beautiful and fastastic bridges of Ljubljana in Slovenia, one of my favourite cities. Enjoy!
A Quick Guide to Shopping Etiquette in Europe
by Carolyn from Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of
Whether you are on an escorted coach tour or travelling around Europe independently, at some point during your holiday you are going to need to buy something from a shop. It might just be a snack at a convenience store, a gift for a someone back home, or you might even need to stock up on groceries. Whatever it is you’re buying, it’s good to know some basic shopping etiquette and what to expect in stores and at the markets in Europe. Read more
The Beautiful and Fantastic Bridges of Ljubljana
by Adelina from Pack Me To, a Chinese American who’s been traveling for as long as she can remember and has lived in the Netherlands and Hungary. She loves telling stories, and eating and exploring her way around the world
Wandering about Ljubljana, you’d be immediately struck by how many bridges there are connecting parts of the inner city. You’d probably think that there is nothing special about the bridges – they just connect medieval Ljubljana to modern Ljubljana, more a means to an end. However, if you look closely, you can easily tell them apart. Each of them have unique features and have their own stories to tell. Read more
Three completely unrelated subjects for my Weekly Blogger Round-Up today. First, if you’re wondering whether to take the train or hire a car in Europe, Paula McInerney from Contented Traveller will help you to make the right decision. Next, if you’re looking for a weekend getaway idea, Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris has an excellent suggestion – Chartres. And to finish off, Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney tells us all about the famous Saint Bernard dogs. Enjoy!
Self-Drive versus Train Travel in Europe
By Paula McInerney from Contented Traveller. When they are not living in Australia, she and her husband Gordon travel the world, trying out houseboats, tatami mats, cave houses and over water bungalows, with serendipity as their watchword.
There are pro’s and con’s to driving yourself or catching trains in Europe, however, we decided relatively early on that train travel is our preferred option. We have done both.
From our own experiences, we have looked at the positives and negatives of both self drive and train travel. Hopefully this will assist in your decision. Read more
Completely charmed by Chartres – A weekend getaway to the “City of Lights and Perfume”
by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use
It’s odd how much the weather impacts our perceptions of a place. The first time I visited Chartres, it was pouring. After admiring Chartres Cathedral’s magnificent 12th- and 13th-century stained-glass windows, we quickly toured the city’s windblown streets before seeking refuge in a café. Over cups of hot chocolate liberally topped with whipped cream, we surmised that we had seen most of what Chartres had to offer and beat a hasty retreat to Paris.
Now, thanks to some blissful, sunny weather and a four-day “Vin et Terroir” tour organized by the Loire Valley Tourist Board, I realize how much I missed during my initial visit and have added Chartres to my list of favorite weekend destinations. Read more
Visiting the Original St Bernard Dogs
by Wendy Hollands from Le Franco Phoney, an Australian who writes about all things French in La Clusaz, Annecy and Haute Savoie as seen by an outsider
Did you know that Saint Bernard dogs were originally called Barry dogs? I learnt this when I visited the Barry Foundation in Martigny, Switzerland last weekend. The foundation was only set up in 2005 to continue breeding dogs like the legendary dog called Barry, who lived at the Great Saint Bernard Pass from 1800 to 1812 and saved more than 40 people’s lives as they crossed the difficult terrain. The dogs come in both the fluffy variety that we know from films like ‘Beethoven’, and also in a more labrador-like short-hair variety. Read more
This week’s Blogger Round-Up is all-Australian, starting with Carolyn from Holidays to Europe with practical suggestions as usual, this time on how to get to and from Europe’s major airports. Phoebe from Lou Messugo gives a detailed description of a mediaeval festival on the French Riviera while Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel gives more packing tips, based on other bloggers’ suggestions (including mine). Enjoy!
Getting to and from Europe’s main airports (part 1)
by Carolyn from Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of
After a 24 hour (or longer) flight to Europe from Australia, the last thing you probably feel like doing is working out how you are going to get from the airport into the city, and I don’t blame you! I’ve been there and somehow miraculously found my way from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport to my apartment via public transport and let me tell you, it was no fun – especially with one husband, two kids and assorted luggage in tow and only a miniscule understanding of French. Read more
Medieval Festival – Knights Templar on the Côte
by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia.
For three days every year in early April the lovely village of Biot (pronounced Bi-otte not Bi-oh as you may think if you know anything about French pronunciation) goes back in time to the 13th century. The setting couldn’t be more perfect as the old centre of Biot is a fortified medieval hill village, perched just a couple of kilometres inland from the Mediterranean sea, commanding sweeping views out to sea one way and over to the mountains the other, creating the perfect backdrop for this historical event. Read more
Travel Bloggers Share Even More Great Packing Tips
by Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!
Hi Frugalistas!
My travel blogger friends are back with more great packing tips. Take it from the experts, and you too can pack like a travel pro! Your key to successful one bag packing is here…..
Vanessa (@turnipseeds) at Turnipseed Travel is a crafty one. She’s got two great recommendations for travelling successfully with just a tiny carry on bag:
“Burp” the extra air out of your toiletry bottles before you fly so they have room to expand with the air pressure of the plane. Otherwise you’ll have a messy leak! Read more
In this week’s Blogger Round Up, Carolyn from My Sydney Paris Life shares nine big reasons to love Paris in winter (even though it hasn’t snowed this year); Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Traveler takes us to Istanbul in the first of a series of posts, while Mind Body Green gives ten very interesting eating rules followed by French children. Enjoy!
Nine Big Reasons to Love Paris in Winter
by Carolyn Barnabo from My Sydney Paris Life, writing about global families and change and life in special geographic places that have captured her heart.
With our global family and so many destinations on our ‘we should go there’ travel list, I’m often wishing we could physically be in more than one place at one time. I miss family members, I miss my share of special events, and I miss Paris.
Paris is a favourite destination any time of year. Here are nine big reasons I’m missing Paris in winter. Read more
Three things that surprised me about Istanbul
by Jo Karnaghan from Frugal First Class Travel, an Australian who loves to travel – especially in Europe – and who has gradually learned how to have a First Class trip on an economy budget, without missing out on anything!
I don’t know about you, but when I travel to a new place I always some preconceived ideas about what I am going to experience. My trip to Istanbul was no exception. I was delighted to discover some of my preconceptions exceeded my expectations, and some of my negative preconceptions were just plain wrong!
Visiting the hammam was heavenly
I wrote previously about how much I enjoyed my hammam experience at Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamami. While I was looking forward to going to the hammam, I didn’t realise just how enjoyable it would be. A good session at a reputable hammam really is like a wonderful treat at a very exotic spa. If you like massages, facials and other spa treatments, I thoroughly recommend a trip to the hammam – there really is no experience like it! Read more
10 Eating Rules French Children Know But Most Americans Don’t
by Rebeca Plantier writing for Mind Body Green, CEO and co-founder of Fit to Inspire, an online and offline community inspiring women to greater fitness and well-being regardless of their age, shape or level of fitness.
How the French eat, age, dress, raise their children and live in general is a real talking point these days. So, as an American mother of three half-French kids, I figured I’d add my two cents to the conversation.
I lived in France before becoming a parent, but eventually it was my kids who taught me everything I need to know about eating like a French person: Eating, and staying slim and healthy, isn’t just about what you eat, but also how, when and why. Yes, French people enjoy junk food occasionally, and sometimes they eat between meals, but people don’t just let loose every day. There’s a code of conduct for food, for big people and little ones alike. Here, in 10 quick life lessons, is what my kids taught me about food. Read more
I’m heading back to Europe and it’s time to hit the open road. I’ve planned our itinerary meticulously (I hope!!) and have decided that on this trip it will be more convenient to have our own car. There are a few off-the-beaten-track places we’ll be visiting and we’re also looking forward to the spontaneity of making a detour if we feel like it and, hopefully, stumbling across some hidden gems.
I am visiting friends in Brussels this week and trying to cope with the lack of 3G so as not to rack up roaming charges on my iphone. But thanks to a tip from my friend, my nomadism just got a whole lot easier.
As the clouds parted and the pale blue sky shone through, I thought for sure I was going to have a great summer getaway. But Stockholm was teasing me. Dark clouds rolled in and the freezing temperatures put an end to my plans for island hopping in the archipelago and cycling in Djugården.
