Switzerland Travel

Switzerland.....the land of aching muscles Switzerland......the land ofaching muscles! Join the Budget Travel Mailing List Disclaimer : This travelogue is based on my travel experience in 1995. Things have changed since I've been there. I write this only to let you know of MY experiences. We are all different, so what I observe and experience may be different for you. Please do not take everything I say too seriously or take offence at my opinions or observations. I do not pretend to be a professional travel writer or to know this destination extremely well. Getting Around / Geneva / Interlaken / Grindelwald / Costs ($) / Hiking Tips Getting Around Without a doubt the best way toget around Switzerland is by train - it is fast, convenient and every place isaccessible. If you plan on doing a moderate amount of train travel, I wouldrecommend that prior to arriving in Switzerland, you purchase the Swiss Card. Withthis card, you will receive 1 free transfer from any Swiss airport or border town to anycity or town in Switzerland + 1 free transfer from any Swiss city or town to any Swissairport or border town + 50% off all other rail, steamboat, bus and mountain excursions. Thesavings really add up. Depending on how you use your free transfers, the card may payfor itself right there. In Canada the pass costs approx. CA$ 160. In the US, it costsapprox. US$ 116. Links: Rail Europe or Swiss Bahn sites formore details. Getting Around / Geneva / Interlaken / Grindelwald / Costs ($) / Hiking Tips Geneva What to see and do: Geneva is a charming world class city withlots to offer travellers looking for history, architecture, shopping, and a lot more.Located on Lake Geneva, the city has been said to be the most peaceful in the world. It isno wonder when institutions like the Red Cross and League of Nations were born in Geneva.The city is home to the United Nations. Sights you may want to take in include: the St.Pierre Cathedral, the UN building, the Jet d'eau on Lake Geneva, and the Jardin Anglaiswhich has a huge clock made out of flowers and a fountain which is popular with the kidson a hot day. If you are there during the summer and don't feel like frolicking with thekids in the fountain there is a beach which, I gather from the lack of visible swimwear,is a nude beach. Walking around the old part of the city is interesting and veryenjoyable. Where to stay: Although there are quite a few youth hostels and budgetaccommodations (budget in Swiss terms), sometimes cheap people like me just stay at theairport. Links: The Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping inAirports Getting Around / Geneva / Interlaken / Grindelwald / Costs ($) / Hiking Tips Interlaken What to see and do: I could write a bookabout things to see and do in and around Interlaken. The options are really just too much.I spent a week in Interlaken and I still did not see or do everything. Things to see intown include the Casino (have to be 21 years of age - if you still look 16 like me,you will be carded) There are also bars and restaurants. Apparently there is a bowlingalley somewhere in town for you wild and crazy party-animals. The Berner Oberland (Switzerland actually) is a hikers dream. There are many signedpaths to follow. No matter where you are in the mountains, you can easily find your wayback. Here are just a few of the activities that I suggest: Since Interlaken is located in the middle of two lakes, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, cruises are available. The Lake Brienz, the cleanest lake in Europe, is much more scenic than Thun, which has high cliffs and a few waterfalls. A round trip ticket in the Lake Thun costs SFR 22 (14 with Swiss Card). You can off as many times as you want. Hike from Lauterbrunnen up to Kleine Schedeige. I did it the other way around and it was really just too steep for anybody to go down. HIKING UP IS ALWAYS EASIER THAN COMING DOWN! The Trummelbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen is a waste of money. I think I paid SFR 10 to see the inside of the falls. There is no tour, all you are paying for is the privilege of seeing this. On the Lake Thun, the Beatushlen prehistoric caves has stalactites, waterfalls and an ancient cell of the St. Beatus monk. This is a good trip for a rainy day. From here you can hike along a path to the next village or town that proves to be interesting. Oberhofen has a huge castle-like place. I am not sure if there are tours or if people just like to take pictures of it. Take the steam boat from Interlaken to Iselwelt (SRF 5.20 or 2.60 with Swiss Card). Get off at Iselwelt and walk to Geissbach Falls. This is not a challenging walk, but is more leisurely. When you arrive at the foot of the falls, you will have the option of taking a cable car higher up or hiking up. Hike up!! The cable car is for lazy people. When you arrive at the hotel you will see that you have not made it to the top of the falls yet. Keep going. There are paths that meander through the falls. The Geissbach Falls are impressive! Where to stay: Although Balmer's Herberge is said to be one of the best hostels in Europe, that is really a personal choice. If you do not mind sharing two bathrooms with 50 other people, sharing your room with 50 other people and climbing three beds up to get to your bed on the top bunk, then Balmer's will make you very happy. If you are a light sleeper, there is no way you will be able to sleep with the constant chatter of drunk young backpackers wandering in at all hours of the night. In short, Balmer's is a PARTY hostel. Depending on when you go, the average guest age could very well be 18. Even if you stay somewhere else, you will probably return to Balmers several times during your stay. There is a store that sells everything you may need (not including groceries), a mini bar/restaurant for alcoholics, currency exchange and many day tours can be arranged. There are double rooms, but you have to be there early in the morning to grab those ones. After one sleepless night at Balmers, I stayed at the Hotel Beyeler/Heidi's Hostel. Don't ask me why it has two names. The owner told me that many Balmers refugees come to this place. It is not fancy, but it is an affordable roof over your head. The cheap travellers room is on the third floor and has three beds. If you get the single bed near the window, you better have extra blankets, because the window sometimes blows open and the cold mountain air may kill you. The room has a sink and there is a shared washroom in the hall. Oh, one more tip about this place. Bring your own WD-40. The door to this room is very loud!!! If you are travelling solo don't want to stay couped up in your room alone, let the owner know that you are willing to share if any other people are looking for a roommate. If anyone comes along, she will accommodate everybody. I don't think you will save any money, but it is good company. My roomies were one of the highlights of my trip. Contact: Heidi's Garni/Hotel Beyeler - 37 Bernastr (tel. 229 030) or if you are desparate, Balmer's Herberge 23-25 Hauptstr (tel 221 961). Getting Around / Geneva / Interlaken / Grindelwald / Costs ($) / Hiking Tips Grindelwald What to see and do: Grindelwald is smaller than Interlaken and not so infested with tourists. There is a lot to keep you busy for a few days at least. From town you can hike to the Upper Glacier or the Glacier Gorge. The hike to up to the top of the Upper Glacier is very challenging. No matter how fit you claim to be, you will be huffing and puffing a few times at least. And if you have big feet, it will probably take you twice as long to get to the top. The stairs are painfully narrow and small. I did the hike up First Mountain twice (once from Bort and the second from Grindelwald). The part from Grindelwald is very steep and tiring, so bring lots of water with you. To avoid the steep part, take the chair lift (the longest in Europe) to Bort, get off and hike up the rest of the way. The fresh air is revitalizing!!! Depending on the time of year you go, there might be snow at the top and lots of it. Here is the recipe to make your own slushie: take some hard fruit-flavoured candy with you, grab some snow (that is not yellow) and place both in your mouth. Yummy!!! When you get to the top, you will have a magnificent view of Eiger, Jungfrau and Mnch. Take one of those disposable panoramic cameras and snap away. If you think you are hearing a thunder storm approaching, it is just an avalanche. If the sound is more distant, you can probably turn around and see the avalanche on the other side of the valley. If it sounds really close, then I am afraid that you will be a fair bit of trouble!!! Where to stay: Lehmann's Herberge is a real Swiss chalet-like lodge. Rooms are wooden with red curtains, have nice, warm comforters, and a shared washroom for every two units. The washrooms are modern and have hot water. Many rooms overlook a valley, while a few others overlook a road. Lehmann's is VERY COMFORTABLE right off one of the main roads in town. 25-35 SFR per night - breakfast is included. There are some other youth hostels, but for comfort Lehmann's is the place to go! Contact: Lehmann's Herberge (tel. 531 141). The woman that runs the hostel does speak English. Getting Around / Geneva / Interlaken / Grindelwald / Costs ($) / Hiking Tips Costs You probably know that Switzerland is a very expensive place to visit. Here are a few extra tips when planning your Swiss vacation: When looking for accommodations it will cost you an extra bundle for a private washroom. Unless you are staying at a really nice hotel, most lower end hotels have a couple of shared washrooms per floor. Showers usually cost extra. Food is very expensive. I am from Canada and the cost of a loaf of bread was a shocking SFR 3.10. Four bananas cost SFR 2.05 and 6 pack of pop cost SFR 5.10. Luckily, I brought my own peanut butter and ate A LOT of peanut butter sandwiches!!! Transportation is reasonably priced if you have a Swiss Card, Pass or Eurail Card. And things like postcards aren't too bad in price! Clothing is expensive. A movie costs SFR 13. Getting Around / Geneva / Interlaken / Grindelwald / Costs ($) / Hiking Tips Hiking Unless you hike often and are use to the strain of hiking up/down steep mountains, start off easy. I ruined the whole trip for myself by starting big. The result was that I could barely walk for a few days and I had to put plastic Pepsi bottles full of HOT water on my legs at night. Although I was able to do some great hiking, I could have done more if I didn't start of thinking I was superwoman. This is not to say that I do not exercise at all, because I do everyday. I just don't hike up and down mountains everyday. Please sign my guest book! [ HOME ] This travelogue is based on the travel experiences of Donna McSherry

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Vacation Rentals and Bed

Krazy Moose Canadian Vacation Rentals - Canada Vacation Rentals in Canada -- Krazy Moose Canadian Vacation Rentals Welcome to our directory of fine Canadian Vacation Rentals and Bed & Breakfast Inns. Advertise your Canada vacation property for only $ 60 US / 1 year or $ 40 US / 6 months! Check out the Latest Canada Vacation Rentals and the finest in Canadian Bed and Breakfast Inns What's New Edit Your Ad Promote Your Ad Check out what some of our clients and customers are saying... Visit our Krazy Moose Kudos page. -- Tell them you found them on Krazy Moose Canada Vacation Rentals !!! For Canada vacation rentals, click on the province on the map below, or click on one of the province names underneath the map. [Alberta] [British Columbia] [Labrador] [Manitoba] [New Brunswick] [Newfoundland] [Northwest Territories] [Nova Scotia] [Nunavut] [Ontario] [Prince Edward Island] [Quebec] [Saskatchewan] [Yukon Territory] Brand New 2003 - Labrador and Nunavut - Listings! -- Krazy Moose Canadian Vacation Rentals PO Box 536 Bonaire, GA, USA 31005 Email: kontactus@krazymoose.com Phone: ( 478) 923 - 4745 The Canadian Family Safe Net Directory Krazy Moose Vacation Rentals Was Last Updated: October 11, 2005 Find Discount Hotel Reservations: Discount Airport Hotels Discount Hotels Hotel Discounts Hottest Hotels Las Vegas Hotels Orlando Hotels [Home] [Search] [About Us] [Services] [FAQ] [Canadian Links] [Advertise With Us] [Site News] [Trade Links] [Kontact Us] [Legal Disclaimer] [Our Privacy Policy]

Cruise Vacations Panama Canal

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South America travel, Luxury

South America Tour Packages, South America travel, South America Luxury Vacations & Cruises South America Tour Packages, South America travel, Luxury Vacations & Cruises Site Index South America Cultural Tours, Biking Tours, Hiking Tours, Family Tours Virtuoso Tour Consultants: First Class Tour Arrangements Suited to Your Needs Luxury South America Vacation: Call 1- 415-446 5252 to book . Open Every Day! 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Many of these lands were first discovered and inhabited by intrepid Viking explorers, Irish monks, and Inuit hunters. Expedition to Patagonia -- Tierra Del Fuego & Torres del Paine 12 Days / From: $4,6295 plus airfare At the tip of South America, the stately Andes Mountains rise impressively, creating a magnificent wilderness environment with landscapes of outstanding beauty and abundant natural wonders. Alluring South America ( 16 Days / From: $7,295 plus airfare ) You can't resist this tour that takes you to the very best of South America. You'll get a healthy portion of South American big-city excitement, balanced by the incomparable natural beauty of this spectacular continent. Click here for more South American vacation packages Amazon River & The Pantanal ( 17 Days / From: $8,595 plus airfare) Indulge your wildest travel desires on an extraordinary excursion through nature's greatest playgrounds in the Amazon Basin & the Pantanal wetlands. Here you'll find over 600 species of birds and a fascinating variety of aquatic reptiles and exotic wildlife. Chile: Atacama & Patagonia (12 Days / From: $6,395 plus airfare) See the beauty and wonder of Gorgeous Chile from every angleclimb to the lovely hilltops, voyage out to sea, journey through the lush valleys and get up close to the magnificent local glaciers. You'll explore the trails leading into the luxuriant rainforests. Patagonia Adventure (13 Days / from $3595) Journey through Chile and Argentina's Lake District, Southern fjords and ice fields, Perito Moreno Glacier and Tierra del Fuego National Park. Sail through the Argentinean and Chilean lakes across the Andes, admiring dazzling scenery of snow-capped mountains, glaciers and un-spoilt nature. Patagonia Explorer (15 days, from $5949) A varied exploration of the beautiful wilderness of Patagonia - Tierra del Fuego, Glaciers National Park, Torres del Paine and the Lake District. Enjoy Buenos Aires, abound with garden parks, broad boulevards for shopping, historic and colonial landmarks, colorful and fashionable districts, as well as an intriguing nightlife. Wonders of Peru (9 Days / From: $3,895 plus airfare ) One word that most travelers use in describing Peru is mystical. Some claim ancient Incans had been contacted by aliens from another planet. Some travelers claim to have had odd spiritual experiences. Peru does have an ambiance; a numinous atmosphere. click here for more luxury south american vacation packages <<back 1 2 3 next>> Please Note: Luxury tour & vacation package prices listed in this guide are published fares. Our fares are often substantially lower. Please contact us for up to the minute specials and pricing. We are a member of Virtuoso - Specialists in the Art of Travel. Described by Conde Nast Traveler as "a network of the finest agencies...a reliable indicator of experience, knowledge, and industry clout." 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Russia Travel

Saint-Petersburg, Russia. St.Petersburg travel tips. Home St. Petersburg guide St. Petersburg seasons Tips to come to St. Petersburg Arrival & Departure Transfer Accommodation Excursions Tours Links for tourists Deutsch version Saint-Petersburg: Travel tips See also : Visa support | VISA Requirement | VISA Types Contact us if you like to travel to St.Petersburg, Russia. Hotel prices and itineraries of many tour programs change depending on the season. Peak season is from May to September. Alternatives are to come in spring (1 April-15 May) or fall (1 September-31 October) when prices are lower and the city less crowded. The summer White Nights in St Petersburg are spectacular but, at the same time, summer may be humid and dusty. An Indian summer in the fall is lovely. If you do not mind the cold and snow, the winter season is cheapest and accommodation most readily available. There are some of the events that annually take place in the city in winter season: "Christmas musical meetings in the Northern Palmyra", "Art Square" winter festival, international jazz festivals, sport tournaments, international cinema festivals and theatre first nights. The first thing a visitor should do is picking up “St.Petersburg: The Official City Guide”, an excellent full-color quarterly freebie, or buy the pocket edition of the Traveler's Yellow Pages. The Friday edition of The St.Petersburg Times and the monthly Pulse are both free and have good listings and reviews. All the hostels can provide everything from invitations and accommodation bookings to theatre tickets, restaurant advice and general help and advice should something go wrong. The City Tourist Information Office at 41, Nevskiy prospect is still near the bottom of a steep learning curve. You should always have identification. It is advisable to carry photocopies of your passport and visa, showing that they have been registered. Frequent random checks by police are taking place, more usually on men. Besides passport and visa are wanted to change money, and to buy train tickets, book hotel rooms and in numerous other situations. In St.Petersburg, as in any large city, you should watch out for pickpockets working in public places, such as on crowded public transport (especially at metro electric trains) or in markets and other touristy spots. Keep money and documents in inner pockets, try not to flash big means, don't leave your baggage unsupervised, have an eye on your handbag (it could be cut up insensibly and you will loose your purse). Stand as far as possible from Gypsies, including the children. Don't give them money and the like. You wan't even notice when all your valuables are disappeared. Walking out late alone in deserted dark areas (courtyards and parks) or after drinking would make you a good target for offenders. Be warned about persons representing themselves as police and wanting to check your pockets, you may find lack of money after a time. Police is allowed to inspect you only at the police station. In case of stopping you in the street dial (on your mobile phone) the special police number arranged for foreigners and explain the situation. You should obtain the officer's name, badge (ID) number, and patrol car number, and note where it happened. Verify your change carefully before leaving the cashier or seller. !! Free option: If your return flight is in the afternoon you can book a suburb tour with us for the morning of the departure day and have airport transfer free of charge! !!! Free option: If you book a travel package with our company youwill get free visa support to obtain a Russian travel visa. Travel services: VISA Support See also : VISA Requirement | VISA Types | Back to : Travel tips Contact us if you like to travel to St.Petersburg, Russia. There are three types of visas: tourist, business and visitor. A tourist visa application can be collected from a travel agent or at a Russian embassy or consulate. Three passport size photos and a photocopy of the information page of your passport are also required. Once confirmation of your the best rates in hotels. Each city you plan to visit must be written on the visa. Once in Russia, you can lengthen your stay or visit additional cities by making arrangements with the service desk at your hotel. If you are sponsored by a Russian organization, you are entitled to a business visa . Ask the organization to fax you with an invitation and dates of stay. Give this to the Russian embassy or consulate; they will usually issue a business visa without proof of hotel stay. Multi-entry visas are also issued with the proper papers. If you hosted by a relative or friend, you can enter on a visitor's visa . You must send your host a visa application filled out in duplicate (not a photocopy). The host must then take it to his own travelers' organization, OVIR, which will issue a visitor's invitation for you after several months. The traveler is only allowed to travel to the cities and stay with the persons designated on the visa. You must make these arrangements far in advance. On arrival , all visitors to Russia must register their visa and passport with Local Visa Office (OVIR) . If you are staying in a hotel, the registration desk will do this for you upon checking in. (Your passport and visa may be held for a few hours or days at the hotel registration desk.) If staying elsewhere, you should go directly to OVIR: Visa Registration Department 4 Saltykova-Schedrina Street. Now you can order visa support. Contact us for more information about visa support. Travel services: VISA Requirement See also : VISA Types | Back to : VISA Support | Travel tips Contact us if you like to travel to St.Petersburg, Russia. All foreigners traveling to or transiting through Russia must have a passport and visa covering the duration of stay in the country. Visas are issued by Russian Consulates in your home country, based on an invitation (a visa support letter) from a Russian party. To obtain a Russian visa, you should submit the following papers to a Russian Consulate: Completed visa application form (one per person) which can be obtained from consulates of Russia. Original national passport (valid not less than one month after the date of departure from Russia). Three standard passport-size photographs. Please, sign on the back. An invitation from the authorized hosting Russian travel agency (for tourist and business visas). The letter of invitation can be arranged through Nota Bena Co. A Money order or cashiers check payable to the Russian Consulate for visa processing. Russian visas must be registered in the first 3 bank days after your arrival. This can be done either at your hotel at a small fee (about 1 EUR per person) at check-in procedure or in OVIR offices (the local immigration authorities) with the help of the company that invited tourists. Registration fee in this case is negotiable. Russian visa is an exit permit as well and if you lose it or overstay your visa's validity, even for one day, or neglect to register your visa, leaving the country may cause problems. Tourist visas are not subject to prolongation. As for business visas — only your sponsor (organization which has provided your invitation) is allowed to apply for replacement, extension, or changes to your visa. Important Notes : The visa fee is paid to the Consular service issuing visas in your home country. Its cost varies depending on the country. Please, check with Russian Consulate. Visa processing fee is non-refundable. Any person applying for a visa for a stay of more than three months must present a certificate showing that the individual is HIV-negative. After you receive your visa please check it for possible mistakes (passport number, date of birth, term of validity) and, if necessary, return it to the Consulate for corrections. Travel services: VISA Types Back to : VISA Requirement | VISA Support | Travel tips Contact us if you like to travel to St.Petersburg, Russia. TOURIST VISA A supplementary requisitions for a Tourist visa: A standard tourist confirmation (visa support letter) from the authorized hosting Russian travel agency, registered with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The confirmation must contain the agency's reference number, registration number, official seal and signature of authorized person. The invitations must be on letterheads and contain full name of the invited person, his/her date of birth, passport number, period of stay in Russia and cities to be visited. The invitations must be signed by authorized persons and sealed. Original voucher issued by an authorized travel agency (or confirmed hotel reservation), indicating full name of the traveler, date of birth, passport number, dates of entry and departure, name of the hosting Russian tourist company. If you order travel services with us we can provide visa support to you. Contact us for more information about tourist visa. Please, notice that tourist visa is valid for not longer than 30 days! When entering Russia with a tourist visa, you are required also to present at the border checkpoint your tourist confirmation, voucher and a return ticket with a fixed date of departure from Russia. You also will have to prove that you have sufficient funds for your travel. However, this does not apply to cruises and tourist groups! BUSINESS VISA A supplementary requisitions for a Business visa: A letter of invitation from the Russian Foreign Ministry, its regional representatives, Ministry of Interior or its local offices, or any other authorized Russian Agency. The letter must contain: official seal and legal address of the agency, document registration number, date of registration, signature and name of official authorized to invite foreigners to Russia, travel itinerary, dates of stay, names of persons invited. A cover letter from your company or from yourself if you are traveling individually, with information about the traveler, destinations, terms and purpose of visit. Contact us for more information about business visa. VISITOR'S VISA A supplementary requisitions for a Visitor's visa: Original visa support letter (" Izveschenie ") issued by a Local Visa Office (OVIR) in Russia. Applicant's friends or relatives can obtain such invitations. The invitations must be on letterheads and contain full name of the invited person, his/her date of birth, passport number, period of stay in Russia and cities to be visited. The invitations must be signed by authorized persons and sealed. " Izveschenie " is valid within one year from the date indicated there. !!! Free option: If you book a travel package with our company youwill get free visa support to obtain a Russian travel visa. home | St.Petersburg guide | seasons | tips to come | arrival & departure | transfer | accommodation | excursions | tours | links © 2005 Nota Bena Co. Contactus .