Switzerland Travel and Tourism

Map of Switzerland - Switzerland Tourism and Travel Information  You are here: About > Travel > Europe for Visitors Travel Go Europe Essentials European Vacation Planning Map Europe Travel 101 - Before you Go European Distances The Best of Europe European Photo Gallery Articles & Resources Europe Travel Planning What to do In Europe Lodging - Hotels and More European Travel Maps Sex and Nudism Travel Photography Transportation Benelux Countries France Germany Austria Switzerland Greece Italy and Malta Travel Info Scandinavian Travel Spain and Portugal United Kingdom and Ireland Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Italy Travel Guidebooks Europe Travel Guidebooks German Travel Guidebooks Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Europe for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Europe for Visitors Swiss Map and Switzerland Tourism and Travel Facts Switzerland in a Nutshell -- find essential information on traveling to Switzerland using our map and resources. You are Here Home Europe Map Switzerland Map and Travel Resources Switzerland Map Showing Cities and Languages Map of Switzerland © 2003 by James Martin, licensed to About Destinations in Switzerland Our Switzerland Travel and Tourism Information Guide is a directory of information on Switzerland travel, including Swiss guidebooks, regions, public transportation and cities to visit. Accommodations in Switzerland Accommodations in Switzerland tend to be expensive. There are usually fewer hotels located around train stations than in other countries. You may inspect a hotel beforecommitting to it. Hotel rooms in Switzerland tend to be smaller than other places, but there are usually more services available. Prices include service, taxes and sometimes breakfast (ask). Most Swiss hotels are members of the Swiss Hotel Association, which rates them according to their facilities and not necessarily their charm. For more general information on European hotel ratings, see our article: Hotels and their Star Ratings . Swiss Currency The Swiss currency is the Swiss Franc, abbreviated to CHF. Swiss Franc banknotes are issued in the following denominations: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 Francs. At the time of writing, 1 US Dollar = 1.35350 Swiss Franc (January, 2003). For the current rate, see CurrencyConverter by OANDA.com, The Currency Site . Language in Switzerland Four primary languages are spoken in Switzerland. See the map above for the approximate areas those languages are spoken in. The Federal Constitution stipulates that German, French, and Italian are Switzerland's official languages, whereas Romansh is an official language for communicating with Romansh-speaking persons. English is increasingly taught at an early age, sometimes taking priorityover a second national language. Foreign Languages for the Tourist gives a list of resources for learning just enough language to get along. Page two of that article is an account of going to language school in Perugia, Italy. I recommend undertaking such an experience in Switzerland if you're interested in the Swiss languages and people. Transportation in Switzerland Switzerland isserved by more than 13000 miles of train, bus and boat routes. Find outmore about Swiss transportation options in the article SwissRail Passes and Transportation information . Weather in Switzerland Due to the mountainous terrain in Switzerland, weather can vary greatly with altitude. For somehistorical information, see GeographyIQ . For current weather in Switzerland, see the Weather Underground . Eating in Swiss Restaurants Although eating in a Swiss restaurant is generally more expensive than eating in a neighboring country, you can find interesting, inexpensive food in Switzerland. Lunches are often cheaper than the same meal at dinner. Look for the plateof the day. General Eating Times: Lunch: 12-2 Dinner 6-8 pm As you might expect, Swiss cuisine is based around dairy products -- cheese, milk, cream, butter and/or yogurt. Beer is often cheaper and more readily available then soft drinks. Tipping Meals include a service charge, but tipping is common. 5% of the total is the usual tip. According to locals in Zurich, it is customary, when paying with a creditcard, to leave the tip in cash rather than adding it to the card total. Public Holidays in Switzerland Public holidays New Years: January 1st and 2nd Good Friday Easter Monday Labor Day - May 1st Ascension Day Whit Monday National Day: August 1st Christmas Eve (afternoon only) Christmas: December 25 and 26th New Year's Eve (afternoon) From James Martin , Your Guide to Europe for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Advertisement Most Popular Europe Map - Distances Between Cities in Western Europe Europe's Best Nudist Beaches Europe Picture Galleries Italy Pictures Europe Travel 101 - Before You Travel to Europe for the Firs... What's Hot Power Adapters Noord-Holland - Delights of North Holland Travel Visiting Pompeii Italy Guidebooks Naples - Getting There Related Topics France for Visitors Greece for Visitors United Kingdom / Ireland for Visitors Eastern Europe for Visitors Italy for Visitors        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Power Adapters Noord-Holland - Delights of North Holland Travel Visiting Pompeii Italy Guidebooks Naples - Getting There Headlines Antwerp Pictures Antwerp is a fashion and diamond center for Belgium and... Like to Travel Well? Follow the CIA! I really should have paid attention when the CIA came... 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Cheap Travel and Holiday

Cheap Annual Travel and Holiday Insurance from 1Stop Travel Insurance     Buy now best budget prices travel insurance Online certificate Or call 0870 112 6122 Call Agents available today 8:00am to 9:00pm Home ¦ About ¦ Claim Information ¦ Contact ¦ Policy Documents ¦ Quote Me ¦ Support ¦ Travel Extras Prices Cut More Cover! We have cut our prices and improved the cover giving our customers even better value for money. Financial Services Authority 1Stop Travel Insurance meeting the standard. Click for more information Cover & Benefits Please Click HERE Form E111 Are you ready for the changes to form E111. Click HERE for more information Join our Affiliate Programme Click HERE for more Information Fantastic Prices Travel Insurance - Holiday or whatever! Single Trip Annual Kids go free with adults trip travel product - 10,000,000 Medical Expenses benefit as standard Great value annual travel insurance Discounts for couples and families - winter sport cover available Ski Backpackers Easy to buy cover for a wide range of winter sports activities including Off Piste, snowboarding Kids go free with adults Budget cover and prices for Gap Year Travellers taking trips greater than 30 days Includes policy break to return home For UK & Republic of Ireland Residents Customer Feedback Buy with confidence You tell us! Read what other say about 1Stop and let us know what you think! We accept the following cards in payment Quick easy online buying Emergency Medical Assistance Medical emergency whilst overseas call +44 (0) 870 112 8203 Need to make a Claim How to claim. Click HERE for more information Know Before You Go 1Stop, 1Click, 1Check for updated UK Government Travel Information US Citizens Click HERE Cheap Travel and Holiday Insurance Information Annual multi trip | annual travel | backpacker | cheap travel | family travel | gap year | holiday insurance | international | long stay single trip | ski insurance | student | insurance cover | online travel insurance | worldwide travel 1Stop Travel Insurance is a division of Drakefield Insurance Services Limited Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority >© 2004 Drakefield Insurance Services Limited > Disclaimer > Privacy > Sitemap

Travel Planning Survey. Home

Frommer's Travel Guides: The Best Trips Start Here! FREE Newsletters! Win a FREE Trip! Entire Site Destinations Deals/News Bookstore M. Boards Hot Spot: Fiji Extraordinary Deals Win a Trip for Two to Fiji! What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Vancouver & Victoria What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Montréal & Québec City What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Toronto What's New, Nearly New and Otherwise in Cruising The Odyssey , with Hot Tubs: The Mediterranean Cruise Scene 2006 Think About Alaska Now? Well, the Early Bird Gets the Room Hit Rock Bottom (Prices, that is) in Europe: Air and Hotel Packages Get Cheap, Cheap, Cheap Baseball Means Sunshine: Get Ready for Spring Training Earlier Than The Players X Marks the Savings Spot: Dig in to our Treasure Trove of Cruise Deals View Current View Archives Update Subscriptions Refer a Friend Get Frommers.com RSS Feed Today's Newsletter is Sponsored by Adventure Family Beach & Water Sports Gay & Lesbian Cruise Disabled Cultural Immersion Honeymoon Outdoor Senior Road Trip Single Theme Park Student Winter Sport Women Highlight: Outdoor & Adventure Deals & News Message Boards Get 15% OFF this Book! Frommers.com Poll What part of flying bothers you the most? Take-off Turbulence Landing All of it None of it View Results Take Our Travel Planning Survey. Home | Destinations | Hotels | Trip Ideas | Deals & News | Book a Trip | Tips & Tools | Travel Talk | Bookstore About Frommer's | FAQ | Contact Us | Help | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Advertise With Us Add Frommers.com RSS Feed ( What's This? ) Add Frommers.com Deals & News to Your Web Site © 2000-2005 by Wiley Publishing , Inc. All rights reserved.

Italy Travel

Vicenza, Italy - Travel Photos by Galen R Frysinger,Sheboygan, Wisconsin Vicenza townsquare Vicenza (ancient Vicentia ), city in northern Italy, capital of Vicenza Province, in Veneto Region, situated at the junction of the Bacchiglione and Retrone rivers. Vicenza is a commercial and manufacturing center. Products include textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, and processed food. The town is noted for its splendid churches, palaces, and other buildings, many of which were designed by the architect Andrea Palladio. Parts of a 13th-century wall that encircled the town are still standing. so-called Basilica, or town hall, of Vicenza. (renovations started by Palladio in 1549) Vicenza was originally a Ligurian town. A free commune in the Middle Ages, it was ruled by Venice from 1404 to 1797 and by Austria from 1797 to 1866. The city was badly damaged in World War II (1939-1945). Population (1990 estimate) 109,333. Palladio, Andrea (1508-80), Italian architect, one of the most influential architects in European history. Palladio was born November 30, 1508, in Padua (Padova), and trained as a stonemason. Originally named Andrea di Pietro dalla Gondola, he received the name Palladio when he joined the academy of the Italian poet Giangiorgio Trissino, who oversaw Palladio's architectural studies. Trissino took him to Rome, where Palladio studied and measured Roman architectural ruins; he also absorbed the treatises of Vitruvius, possibly the most important of the Roman architects. One outcome of these studies was Palladio's Antiquities of Rome (1554), the principal guidebook to Roman ruins for the next two centuries. Palladio's first work of major importance was the renovation (begun 1549) of the facade and exterior supporting structure of the so-called Basilica, or town hall, of Vicenza. In and near Vicenza he designed many residences and public buildings. The best known of these are the Barbarano, Chieregati, Tiene, Porto, and Valmarana palaces and the Villa Capri, or Villa Rotonda. From about 1560 to 1580 he built several churches in Venice, notably San Francesco della Vigna, San Giorgio Maggiore, and Il Redentore. His last great work was the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, completed after his death (in Vicenza) in August 1580. Villa Rotonda Although the historical antecedents of Palladio's style are the classically Roman-influenced High Renaissance works of architects such as the Italian Donato Bramante, Palladio's own use of classical motifs came through his direct, extensive study of Roman architecture. He freely recombined elements of Roman buildings as suggested by his own building sites and by contemporary needs. At the same time he shared the Renaissance concern for harmonious proportion, and his facades have a noteworthy simplicityalmost austerityand repose. Palladio was the first architect to develop a systematic organization of the rooms in a house. He was also the first to apply to houses the pedimented porticos of Roman templesformal porches defined by a shallow triangular gable supported by a row of columns. Both these features are exemplified in the Villa Rotonda. Palladio's buildings were highly functional, often ingeniously so. In the facade of the basilica, for example, the arches are supported on slender columns; between the columns and the vertical piers that separate the arches are narrow rectangular spaces. (This pattern of an arch flanked by rectangular spaces was so widely imitated that it became known as the Palladian motif.) The arrangement allows the piers between the arches to be narrow, rather than wide and massive, and it allows more light to pass into the main building while giving the facade an open, harmonious appearance. Palladio was the author of an important scientific treatise on architecture, I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura (1570, 2nd ed. 1580; trans. The Four Books of Architecture, 1571), which was widely translated and influenced many later architects. Its precise rules and formulas were widely utilized, especially in England, and were basic to the Palladian style, adopted by Inigo Jones, Christopher Wren, and other English architects, which preceded and influenced the neoclassical architecture of the Georgian Style. Text by Microsoft Encarta building facade Fortress in Soave entrance courtyard carved stair post Return to Italy page Return to Europe page Return to People and Places

Ski Vacation Gear Guide

Ski Vacation - Planning a ski vacation  You are here: About > Sports > Skiing > Ski Vacation Sports Skiing Essentials Ski Resort A to Z Snow Reports Plan a Ski Trip Ski Equipment Learn to Ski Articles & Resources Beginning Skier Downhill Skier Cross Country Skier Snow Reports/Weather Ski Resorts Ski Vacation Gear Guide Picks FAQ's Ski Fitness Mountain Cams and Pictures Competitive skiing Latest News Specialized Skiing Expert Skiing Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Skiing newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Skiing > Ski Vacation Ski Vacation Do you need to plan a ski vacation? You ski vacation should include a great mountain and great snow and you should be able to get it for a good price. Check out these sights for a great ski vacation Subtopics Glossary of Ski terms @ Ski Packages (4) Ski Canada @ Articles & Resources Sort By : Guide Picks | Alphabetical | Recent Vermont Free Ski - Vermont Discount Ski Deals - Ski Free - Discount Tickets Get free ski tickets and discount ski tickets for Vermont ski resorts and Vermont lift tickets for the 2005 - 2006 ski season. Find ski deals for Ascutney Mountain Resort, Bolton Valley Resort, Burke Mountain Ski Area, Jay Peak Resort, Killington Resort, Mad River Glen, Mount Snow Resort, Okemo Mountain Resort, Pico Mountain, Smugglers' Notch Resort, Stowe Mountain Resort, Stratton Mountain Resort and Sugarbush Resort. California Free Ski Deals - Discount Ski Deals - Ski Free - Discount Tickets Military personnel will be able to ski and snowboard for free at Squaw Valley USA for the 2005-2006 ski season. Squaw Valley USA is offering the return of the Free Military Discount Program to salute the troops and say thank you to the entire United States Military. Free Ski Deals - Discount Ski Deals - Ski Free - Discount Tickets Find the best free ski deals and best discounts ski deals for the 2005 - 2006 ski season. Get free ski tickets and discount ski tickets for ski resorts and lift tickets for the 2005 - 2006 ski season. Book your ski vacation today Start your research for your next ski vacation. Book flights, hotels and cars in one easy spot. Planning that ski vacation has never been easier. Ski in Luxury The definitive collection of luxury ski holiday chalets and hotels throughout the major European ski resorts, including Chamonix, Val DIsere, Courchevel, Morzine, Zermatt, Verbier, and many more! Ski Utah Announces Partnership with Delta Air Lines Ski Utah Announces Partnership with Delta Air Lines Ski Portillo Chile - Portillo Chile South America - Ski South America Ski South America at Portillo Chile. Ski Portillo chile in the South American Andes. Resort information and travel tips for Ski Portillo Ski Lake Tahoe - Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts - Lake Tahoe Ski Lake Tahoe - Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts - Lake Tahoe Aspen for under $20 - Outdoor ice rink in Aspen Aspen for under $20 - Outdoor ice rink in Aspen Utah ski resorts this season Utah ski resorts this season. Get the Latest News Buritto run ski trip How long does a ski trip have to be to be considered a vacation? world wide family ski locations great place to help you find the perfect family ski resort world wide. skier responsibility code On the mountain you have a responsibility to ski responsibly. Know the code. ski trip planning first ski trip ski trip packing check list        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Winterplace Mt. Holly Las Vegas Ski Area Ski Windham Paoli Peaks Headlines Killington Resort to Re-Open Saturday for the 2005-06 Ski and Snowboard Season The Killington Resort in Vermont will Open this Saturday... Free Ski Deals - Discount Ski Deals Find the best free ski deals and best discount... Breckenridge in Colorado - Ski Season Opened Nov 11 Strap on your skis, brush off your board and dig... Top 10 Ski Schools Take lessons from the top instructors at the top...