Argentina Travel Info: General

Argentina Travel Guide - Argentina Travel Facts Home Travel Facts Argentina Travel Facts Visas: Most foreigners do not need visas and receive free renewable 90-day tourist stamps upon arrival. Time: Eastern Standard Time(EST) plus one or two hours; Argentina does not observe daylight-saving time. Weights & Measures: Distances and measures are usually metric, but rural areas may use the "legua" (league, about 5 km). Weights are measured in kilograms (1kg = 2.2 pounds). Electricity: 220V, 50Hz. Argentina uses the European two prong and the Australian slanted plugs on most wall electrical outlets. Taxes: The sales tax, known as IVA, is 21%. When reserving a hotel, that tax is sometimes not mentioned, so double-check the final price before you book. Telephones: The country code for Argentina is 54. Every region has its own area code with Buenos Aires mainly using the '11' area code, and sometimes the '15' area code for cell phones. Cellular Telephones: Many locals have mobile phones in Argentina and a few companies rent out cell phones for short-term use.If you have a tri-band world phone it will work in Buenos Aires and most parts of Argentina. Holidays observed in Argentina January 1: New Year's Day March or April: Good Friday, Easter May 1: Labour Day May 25: Anniversary of the First National Government June 20: Day of the Flag July 9: Independence Day August 17: Anniversary of the Death of General Jose de San Martin October 12: Christopher Columbus Day December 25: Christmas Day Get the most from your Argentine vacation. Let the travel professionals at AR Tourism arrange the perfect vacation for you, while saving you money and eliminating the inconvenience of handling overseas arrangements. AR Tourism - Argentina Vacation Travel Agency Argentina Regions | Patagonia | Iguazu Falls | Perito Moreno, Calafate Buenos Aires Guide | Side-Trips | Recoleta | City Center Argentina Golfing Guide | Argentina Skiing Guide Sitemap © 2005 AR Tourism, LLC FOR MORE INFO: eMail: info@allaboutar.com Introduction to Argentina Travel Info: General Information Transportation Travel Facts Safety Planning a Trip Argentina: Buenos Aires Regions in Argentina Sports Activities People & Culture Argentine Tango History of Argentina Other Stuff: About Us Links

Italy TravelNet Have you

PlanetRider Travel Directory Europe Italy TRAVEL SEARCH Site Shortcuts Skiing Worldwide Bargain Travel Road and Travel Maps Air Reservations Help Destinations > Europe > Italy > General Guides CATEGORY GUIDE: ITALY Cities & Regions Florence Rome Tuscany Vatican City Venice Adventure & Sports Art & Culture Food & Drink General Guides Guided Tours Language & Learning Lodging Music Outdoor Transportation Click on the link, or icon to pop site in new window. TRAVEL RESEARCH SITES (rated and reviewed by our editors) Rating Content Ease of use Web Site 1 Balloon=Good 2 Balloons=Better 3 Balloons=Best DolceVita DolceVita is the online Italian Vanity Fair. Same attention to style, detail, fashion, travel, design, art, and food extraordinaire. DV throws in city guides, complete with historic tours. Ah, the self-satisfied air of materialism, er, accomplishment! Welcome to Italy Embassy of Italy Ambasciata d'Italia The Italian embassy says "Benvenuto" with a site that includes all things d'Italia. Includes the national anthem, regional profiles, history, gov't news, travel tips, a virtual newsstand of publications, and a city-by-city list of attractions. Molto bene! Emmeti: Welcome to Italy We dare you to find a topic relating to Italy that's not included here! Recipes, culture, accomodations, music, and special themed itineraries like art towns, lake visits, and golf country make this one fab fountain of info Italiano. Italian Tourist Web Guide Tutta la boota at your fingertips! From heel to toe, this index covers the major cities, seaside resorts, campsites, transportation timetables, airport and telephone info d'Italia. Every journey begins with the first step. BT Webworld Customer Sites The "Italian Connection" is posted by a Brit tour company and is somewhat Anglo in nature. But there are plenty of tips on booking hotels, cars, World Cup and opera tickets, and wedding arrangements. Think Aunt Gert will fit in the gondola? In Italy Online: Italian Regions So much Italy, so little time? This thoughtful guide breaks it down by region. A virtual tour of the Abruzzo castles, the solemn sanctuaries of Apulla, the links in Lombardy, and more. Italy TravelNet Have you always dreamed of an Italian getaway? Just sit back and click your way to a Mediterranean vacay. From hotels, to trains, tours, cultural days, even restaurant reservations, planning your Roman holidays is as easy as uno, due, tre. Travel Europe: Italy Pick a province and go to town finding its art attractions, history, hotels, restaurants, top tourist spots, even what to do in neighboring cities. Travel Europe dissects Italy's "great areas" for your virtual delight. Travelspots: Italy Voyaging to Venice or flying into Florence? The 'spots cyberstop can clue you in on hotels, day excursions, subway connections, railpass tickets, currency, and weather forecasts. In a word, Travelspots is trippy! Backpackers Ultimate Guide: Italy Living light in Italy? This site's pretty basic, but has a few good tips on backpacking through Italy. Find out where to crash for cheap in several cities, get transportation tips, and even get a language primer. We wish it were more complete! Wandering Italy Need inspiration? You'll be packing your bags after visiting this gorgeous site. Fabulous photos, fun virtual reality scenes, and entertaining essays make up this guide to all of Italy. ITALY GUIDE Florence Italy Rome Tuscany Vatican City Venice Travel Quick Links: Destinations: Africa | Antarctica | Asia & the Pacific | Caribbean | Cruises | Europe | North & Central America | South America Travel Activities: Adventure & Sports | Golf | Fishing | Skiing | Scuba | Art & Culture Guides | Food & Drink | Music Landscapes: Deserts | Forests & Jungles | Mountains | Rivers & Lakes | Seashores Maps: Cartography | Maps for Sale | Physical Maps | Regional Maps | Road Maps | Unusual Maps | Vintage Maps | World Maps Resources: Bargain Travel | Reservations | Business Travel | Travel Store | Weather What will you find at PlanetRider? Only the best travel sites on the Web Time-saving organization An easy-to-use Web site rating and review system with sites evaluated based on the quality of information (info), and how easy they are to use (ease). In depth information on top travel destinations and vacation activities. About Us | Help PlanetRider Keywords: italy travel guides, italia, italy hotels, italian restaurants, florence, rome, tuscany, vatican city, venice, firenze, roma, toscana, venezia, italian islands, trattorias, piazzas, frescoes, fresco, italian art museums, villas, churches, cathedrals, mediterranean, mediterannean, renaissance, renassance, castles, planetrider © 1997-2001 PlanetRider

Argentina Travel Info: General

Italy TravelNet Have you

France travel needs from

Discover France travel: bicycle tour and walking tour specialists - see About Us DISCOVER FRANCE FRANCE BICYCLE TOURS FRANCE WALKING TOURS FRANCE GETAWAYS PARIS TRIPS PARIS HOTELS Theme Travel » Honeymoons Family Trips Wine/Cooking Paris Packages His & Her Custom Travel Gay/Lesbian Promotions Group Travel Club Trips Info Site Map Links "Barb and I had a great time on our bicycle trip arranged by you and DiscoverFrance in the Languedoc region. As with our first trip, everything went very smoothly with no problems at all." R&B Smith "The Loire tour was awesome! It was a superb outdoor vacation, a great culture and historic tour, and the accomodations and dining took us to another world each evening. The Discover France staff and everyone at the hotels made every part of the trip more than I dreamed they could." M. Walker "Our guides, Marc D. and Alain, were excellent. They were informative and fun to be with. The riding was amazing! Getting to see the Tour de France was and unforgettable experience! Thanks so much!" M. Leibling "Olivier (TDF) did an outstanding job of caring for each and every person in the group. His attention made the trip particularly good and enjoyable." B. Gauny "Everything was so great!! I was very organized and didn't have to stress about the little stuff, just ride, ride, and ride some more.. Thanks on a great tour, Ill never forget it. " J. Prescott "I'd just like to say that the whole holiday and experience was wonderful. The hotels you allocated us were fabulous, the people were friendly and the food was superb. Obviously the sights along the way also made our vacation. The routes that we took were so easy to follow, with some beautiful views on the way. So we would just like to say that we would recommend your company to anyone and won't hesitate to book another holiday through your company. - D. Watts "Our trip was wonderful. The sites were spectacular. The accomodations were excellent far exceeding our expectations. The B&B owners were very friendly and helpful. We found the French people to be more pleasant and accomodating than anywhere we have visited in Europe. ... This was my fifth self guided tour (the first with Discover France), and it was the best. We thank you for a wonderful experience!! We look forward to traveling with you again soon." - R. Goracke "I can't thank you enough. You have allowed our family to experience something deep that will remain as wonderful memories, all our lives." - Mary M. "Everything was very well coordinated. We hope to take another tour next year!" - Anne A. "It was a great experience that I've recommended to friends and would love to do again." - Jeff C. "We had a wonderful time and the choices that we were given with Discover France with regard to accommodations and tours were the best! We enjoyed every minute of our trip and felt that we were staying in the best places and had the best tours available. I would definitely recommend Discover France without hesitation to anyone who wanted to visit this magnificent country!!" - Heather H. "I wanted to thank you for the planning that you did for our recent trip to France. It was a wonderful trip, one of the best we had ever taken. All of your arrangements were great, and the French were especially warm and welcoming under current political/economic circumstances." - Tim S. "Just wanted to tell you everything was great. The hotels were wonderful. Nicole was very helpful, informative and flexible. Thanks for everything. I hope we get to use your company again." - Marty N. "Excellent trip cant wait to go on our next adventure.The velos were great, the hotel was superb and the riding fantastic." A. Gelles "I had an excellent time. I loved the cycling and found the tour a great way of meeting like minded people to get out on the road with. Would highly recommend it." J. Patterson "Bikes were great, we want to buy the bike that was rented to us - increadable. Guide Alain was great, very tolerant of all of us. please tell him thank you. Could not have asked for a more positive experience." Z. Weiss "Truly the sign of a great trip is that NONE of our family wanted to return home--not even the 15 year old socialite. We had the best time. As I start to work through 500 emails, I really wish we were still biking through Entre deux Mers." S. Kraft "The bike tour was fabulous. All the logistics were taken care of, accomodations were great, and best of all the bike route took us through beautiful landscapes and small towns. I'd recommend this tour to anyone who needs a break from the daily routine and isn't afraid to get a little sweaty!" L. Schievelbein "I had a wonderful time! The dining and accomodations were excellent, and the sites to see were all extremely interesting and beautiful. I would definitely love to do this again." Thanks to our customers for their feedback! We do get recommendations for how to improve trips as well and we do listen. Each year, we review comments and in the offseason we are always looking to make the tours better. If that means changing a hotel that has begun to deteriorate, or changing the routes because of new road construction; we listen and try to get better and better! Travel has so many components that something can go wrong, but it is important that all of our clients know that we will do everything possible to make it right and avoid problems, or when they arise, to rectify them as soon as possible. Our suppliers throughout the tours are vital components to keeping things running well and to fixing problems as they may arise. This is your advantage as a client, knowing that we have people on the ground where you are to look after you. DISCOVER FRANCE is the leader in self-guided bicycle tours to France and specializes in travel to France including walking tours, Paris travel, hotels, Paris passes, cooking tours, and other themes for a France vacation. We are French and American owned and operated. In 2006 we celebrate 12 years in business! We sell more than $1MUS/year in bicycle tours alone, exclusively to France! Want to contact us? send us an e-mail! Don't complete your travel plans without seeing our programs first! If you plan to go to France, then why not talk to a specialist!? Why us and why are we better? Knowledge - We are French, speak French, live/lived in France; we also provide extra services so that you can get all your France travel needs from one source, using our experience for a total package and not just your tour Flexibility - we can adapt tours to your needs, and we offer enough tours to meet just about everyone's needs. Lodging - an important component - always very good, and we offer several choices to help meet all budgets. Superior equipment - only for our clients; children sizes and equipment available. In 2006 we are upgrading even more in this area, our equipment is superior in every region! Trek and Eddy Merckx brands. Uniquely modified routes; upgraded hotels and choices of hotels. Our routes always minimize traffic and take charming options near the sites. It is with local expertise and support that we know these are the best rides. Local support - help always available, orientations, transfers, and other support services Extensive Pre-travel documentation designed by us to help you finalize and anticipate your tour Price - when you compare "apples to apples", there is no better value. We are not the cheapest option out there, but by comparison to luxury guided trips, our programs are incredible values offering many of the same places of lodging. And, for other companies that now offer self-guided, we know a small difference in price is not important for the superior quality we provide. Your vacation is valuable time, we won't let you risk it to save a few euros! For the most part, price is driven by hotels and the associated dining. It is easy to sell expensive luxury hotels, nobody is rarely, if ever, disappointed. The challenge is to find top quality family run establishments that give a regional ambiance, have a charm that is unique, superior standards, all at a great price. We give you both options! Our hotel selections for 2006 are even superior to 2005 in many cases and for the most part we focus only on 3 and 4 star hotels. Meals are typically gastronomic affairs -meaning very good quality and never the cheapest menu option. France is our savoir-faire, it is all we do! Our niche of France appeals to many travelers, and we pride ourselves in helping people discover this multi-faceted country. Within our niche of France, our sub-specialty is active vacations in the form of self-guided and guided biking and walking tours. In addition to these we offer theme tours such as cooking and wine tours and driving tours. We also offer a comprehensive selection of charming hotels throughout Paris and France. Thousands of travelers each year have taken advantage of our services to fit that part of their French experience they need help organizing. The name Discover France says it all; exclusively operating in France, nowhere else. The tours were selected and created with the intention of visiting new places and some of the lesser traveled routes. Our philosophy is that we will provide the best experiences and lifetime memories through knowledge, contacts, and SERVICE. Lives have been spent in France by our creators, and our support staff. We are experts on France and have the very best working with us. That's why we only do France - its what we know best! We will give you the expert advise and quality trips you've worked hard and longed to be able to enjoy. STAFF: USA and FRANCE based personnel who will ensure your satisfaction throughout your journey: Loren Siekman - Scottsdale General Manager; contracts, admin/finance, sales/marketing, technology, reservations, and TDF leader. American, former resident of Paris while working as superintendent for Disneyland construction. BS/ASU, EMT. Traveled/cycled/hiked extensively throughout France and Europe since 1988. Magali - Scottsdale Office Manager; sales, reservations, program implementation. Native of Bayonne, France. Fluent in French, English, and conversational Spanish. Florence (and baby) - Scottsdale Product Development; tours, services, contracts, reservations, sales. Graduate of CREPS sports university in France with 2 degrees, and a BS from ASU.. Native of Montpellier, France. Fluent French/English. Laura - Scottsdale ; Sales, reservations, communications. Native of Southwest France with degrees in tourism, Laura is fluent in French, English, German, and conversational in Russian, and Spanish. Jessie - Scottsdale; Paris sales, Communications, PR. Fluent in English, Turkish. Jane - Dallas; Sales, trip leader. Former resident of Loire Valley. Jean Marc (with his son and Eddy Merckx) - Responsible for all cycling tour logistics in Provence and Languedoc regions, as well as TDF program contracts and logistics. President of Cycling Classics based in Montpellier, degree in Oenology and specialist in Corbiere vineyards. David - Cyclist, guide, and coordinator throughout Provence and Languedoc. Jerome - Cyclist, guide, and coordinator throughout Provence and Languedoc. Brigitte & Cecile- France Responsible for all individual and self-guided cycling tour logistics in Loire, Normandy, Brittany, Cognac regions. Beatrice & Julien - France Responsible for all group bookings in Loire, Normandy, Brittany, Burgundy, Cognac regions with Paris add-ons. Emmanuelle - France local coordinator for Catalonia Walking tour in Languedoc Roussillon. Jean Marc (Walking) - France Responsible for all walking tour route development, roadbooks, contracts in all regions. Cathy - France responsible for all reservations/services and is local coordinator for all walking tours throughout France. Glenn - France Responsible for all cycling tour logistics in Alsace. Glenn is an Oxford grad and has lived in a wine village of Alsace since 1992 and has been leading and supporting cycling and walking since 1994. Agathe, Franck, and Pierre-Olivier in Burgundy- responsible for logistics, bikes, and tour support. Manu - Paris Responsible for Paris transportation, airport transfers, and driver services. Aurore - France local coordinator for cycling in Dordogne/Bordeaux We are a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), the Better Business Bureau (Central/Northern Arizona Chapter), as well we are endorsed by IATAN as a Travel Service Intermediary meeting the strict standards of eligibility. Discover France participates in a variety of French Government Tourist Office events. We offer our own travel insurance to our clients through CSA Travel Protection Insurance. We have pages of testimonials from customers who have traveled with us previously, and we keep a large file full of magazine and newspaper stories/articles about our companies. Just contact us to receive fax copies. Notes: Discover France is a brand name owned by LRB Flagship, Inc. In 2006, LRB enters its 12th year of operations. The company has been ARC appointed, is currently IATAN certified, and is licensed in Arizona. Tradenames are registered with the United States Patent Office. We carry $1M E/O policy insured by The Berkley Group. The company has been selected at the small business of the year in 1998 in our local community. We work with various offices of tourism and employ destination specialists in the regions that we promote. Discover France along with Cycling Classics, and Pure Adventures supports Race Lab U23 cycling, Bicycle Ranch Junior Cyclists, and the Lance Armstrong foundation through the Tour of Hope and Peleton Project. We support MS 150 riders, and we donate to the International School of Arizona, the Arizona Wilderness Coalition, the Vietnam Veterans Assn of the Valley, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. In 2006, LRB Flagship will contribute a small portion of each tour sale to Save the Children, Lance Armstrong Foundation, and Arizona Wilderness Coalition. We expect to donate up to $10,000 in 2006. If you would like to visit these 4 star rated charities (top rating for efficient use of donor funds) donate to these organizations, please see these links: Lance Armstrong Foundation ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2004 finalist for La Maison de la France award for Most Extensive Product offers to France. 1998 Small Business of the Year award winner in our local community for growth as well as community supported efforts and Chamber of Commerce contributions. Our president was a board member; chair of International Trade, and participant of other committees. Discover France organizes tours and product in coordination with a variety of local guide services ensuring exposure to all the charms of a region. Our 11 years plus those of our colleagues in France average of 18 years of continuous service. For any guided tour, we use native French speakers, with national diplomas in various fields of sport, emergency trained, and instructor certified. Discover France is a brand name wholly owned by LRB Flagship, Inc. which also owns the brand name Pure Adventures and is a joint venture owner of the company Cycling Classics SARL based in France. Discover France is always looking for good people. Currently, we are accepting CV's/Resumes for Inside Agents, administrative assistants, and communications personnel, as well as, Outside Sales representatives, both domestically and abroad. Industry experience is required for inside positions in our Scottsdale, AZ offices. We are not currently looking for tour guides. Note that any guide applicant must be bilingual French/English, experienced, and achieved Diplome d'Etat in related disciplines. Please send an email with attachment in MSWORD or ACROBAT format only to EMPLOYMENT Please do not telephone, thank you. Home | Cycling Classics | Pure Adventures | Bicycle Tours | Walking Tours | Media | Links Promotions | Travel Agents | FAQs | Weather | Newsletter | Group Travel | Privacy © 2006 Discover France (SM)