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

European vacation for more

Europe hotels and vacation deals from EuroVacations.com Hotel Location City/Country: - Select a City - Aix-en-Provence, France Amsterdam, Netherlands Antwerp, Belgium Athens, Greece Avignon, France Barcelona, Spain Basel,Switzerland Beaune, France Belfast, N. Ireland Bergen, Norway Berlin, Germany Bern, Switzerland Bilbao, Spain Bordeaux, France Bratislava, Slovakia Brig, Switzerland Brugge, Belgium Brussels, Belgium Budapest, Hungary Caen, France Cannes, France Chamonix, France Chur, Switzerland Cologne, Germany Como, Italy Copenhagen, Denmark Cordoba, Spain Cork, Ireland Crete, Greece Davos, Switzerland Dresden, Germany Duesseldorf, Germany Dublin, Ireland Dubrovnik, Croatia Edinburgh, Scotland Engelberg, Switzerland Florence, Italy Frankfurt, Germany Freiburg, Germany Geneva, Switzerland Ghent, Belgium Glasgow, Scotland Granada, Spain Graz, Austria Grindelwald, Switzerland Gstaad, Switzerland Hamburg, Germany Heidelberg, Germany Helsinki, Finland Innsbruck, Austria Interlaken, Switzerland Istanbul, Turkey Kilkenny, Ireland Krakow, Poland Lausanne, Switzerland Liege, Belgium Linz, Austria Lisbon, Portugal London, England Lourdes, France Lucerne, Switzerland Lugano, Switzerland Lyon, France Luxembourg, Luxembourg Madrid, Spain Malaga, Spain Malmo, Sweden Marseille, France Milan, Italy Monte Carlo, Monaco Montreux, Switzerland Moscow, Russia Munich, Germany Mykonos, Greece Naples, Italy Nice, France Normandy, France Oslo, Norway Oxford, Great Britain Pamplona, Spain Paris, France Plymouth, Great Britain Porto, Portugal Positano, Italy Prague, Czech Republic Provence, France Rhodes, Greece Rome, Italy Rothenburg ob Tauber, Germany Salzburg, Austria San Sebastian, Spain Santorini, Greece Santa Margherita, Italy Seville, Spain Sorrento, Italy Split,Croatia St. Moritz, Switzerland St. Petersburg, Russia Stockholm, Sweden Strasbourg, France Tallinn,Estonia Tuscany, Italy Valencia, Spain Venice, Italy Vienna, Austria Warsaw, Poland Waterford, Ireland Wurzburg, Germany York, England Zagreb, Croatia Zell Am See, Austria Zermatt, Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland Check-In Date: (MM/DD/YY) Check-Out Date: (MM/DD/YY) Number of Hotel Guests: Room 1 # of Adults 1 2 3 4 # of Children -- 1 2 Child Age 1 -- 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Child Age 2 -- 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Room 2 # of Adults -- 1 2 3 4 # of Children -- 1 2 Child Age 1 -- 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Child Age 2 -- 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Please wait while we check prices and confirm availability YOUR EUROPEAN HOTEL SPECIALIST B ook from over 1,000 quality hotels in Europe with eurovacations.com. W e know that the hotel you choose for your vacation in Europe can make your vacation special. Every hotel we offer has been inspected by our team of travel experts, and we know what makes a great hotel. As part of the Rail Europe Group, we've been helping travelers get the most out of their European vacation for more than 60 years. FLORENCE 4th Night Free Hotel Paris 11/7 to 12/29 /05 PRAGUE 4th Night Free Golden Star 11/1 to 12/27/05 LONDON 3rd Night Free Marlborough 12/19 to 2/28/06 Extra night will be automatically calculated into your price. England & Scotland : London, England Ireland France : Provence, France Paris, France Italy: Florence, Italy Rome, Italy Venice, Italy Spain : Barcelona, Spain plus Amsterdam, Netherlands , Munich, Germany , Vienna & Salzburg, Austria , Switzerland , and Eastern Europe SHOPPING CART 0 ITEMS Current Savings The more you book the more you save. Watch your savings grow with our shopping cart . Save more with each item you book! We have partnerships with major airlines and hotel chains. We offer you steep discounts when you Book Air + Hotel Our exciting, free newsletter and special e-deals alerts have great offers on European hotels, travel tips, and more! Click here to subscribe And don't worry, we have a very strict privacy policy Read our latest issue Home . Hotel . Air + Hotel . Car . Rail . Packages . How To Vacation In . View Shopping Cart Affiliates . About Us . FAQ’s . Help © 2004 Eurovacations.com. All rights reserved. Eurovacations® is a registered trademark of Eurovacations.com. Use of the Website constitutes acceptance of the Eurovacations Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy . 1-877-471-3876 State of California Seller of Travel Certificate of Registration # 205-2601

France Travel

France Vacations & Tourism, France Hotels, France Attractions - Yahoo! Travel Primary Navigation Overview | Hotels | Things to do | Restaurants | Map | Flights | Cars | Deals | FareChase France: Search Travel Travel > Guides > Europe > France Email this page Print France Vacations, Tourism, Hotels View larger map of France Top Cities in France Paris Nice Bordeaux St. Tropez Cannes Aix-en-Provence Lyon Chamonix Marseille Toulouse Strasbourg Lille Annecy Lourdes Montpellier Biarritz See all cities in France View larger image One of the best ways to get to know France is to visit a local market. Strolling among the stalls on Boulevard Richard Lenoir in Paris one morning, we watched as finicky chefs picked through crates of Brittany mussels and truck drivers recharged themselves with tiny cups of strong coffee. A little girl helped her mother arrange bouquets of fresh flowers. A … Read More Popular France Hotels Paris Best Western Hotel L'Horset Opera Westin Paris Hotel Chambiges Elysees Ritz Paris Hotel de Crillon Nice Hotel la Perouse Tulip Inn Nice Brice Hotel Negresco Regence Hotel Hotel West-End Bordeaux Libertel Hotel Claret Hotel Majestic Mercure Chateau Chartrons Best Western Grand Hotel Francais Les Sources de Caudalie St. Tropez Hotel des Lices Byblos Saint Tropez Villa Saint-Elme Ermitage Hotel Hotel Le Yaca Cannes Hotel Martinez Splendid Hotel Cannes Hotel Canberra Hotel Regina Noga Hilton Cannes Aix-en-Provence Hotel Aquabella Chateau de la Pioline Le Pigonnet Hotel Ibis Hotel Grand Hotel Mercure Roi Rene Lyon La Tour Rose Sofitel Lyon Bellecour Hotel Alize Villa Florentine Boscolo Grand Hotel Chamonix Grands Montets Club Med Chamonix Le Hameau Albert I Hotel Mont-Blanc Prieure Hotel Related Information Popular Attractions in France Arc de Triomphe Eiffel Tower Musee du Louvre Promenade des Anglais Basilique du Sacre-Coeur Musee d'Orsay Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris Abbaye Saint-Victor Beaubourg - Centre Georges Pompidou Musee Rodin Popular Hotels in France Hotel Martinez Best Western Hotel L'Horset Opera Westin Paris La Tour Rose Hotel Chambiges Elysees Splendid Hotel Cannes Ritz Paris Hotel de Crillon Hotel des Lices Best Western Left Bank Saint Germain Popular Cities in France Paris Nice Bordeaux St. Tropez Cannes Aix-en-Provence Lyon Chamonix Marseille Toulouse Yahoo! Travel: Your best choice for cheap airline tickets and other great deals! Help get your favorite places listed on Yahoo! Travel: suggest a hotel or suggest an attraction .

Japan Travelogue Travel Go

Japan travelogue - Japan travel story - traveler story - Japan travel tips  You are here: About > Travel > Japan for Visitors > Plan Your Trip to Japan > Japan Travelogue Travel Go Japan Essentials Clickable Map of Japan Japan Pictures Japan Travel Tips Japanese Geisha Japan 101 - Fact about Japan Articles & Resources Japan Maps Picture of Japan / Web cams Best of Japan / Attractions Hotels/Accommodations Tokyo / Cities / Regions Japanese Translators Japanese Culture Etiquette / Living in Japan Japan Weather / Geography Japan History / Samurai Japanese Penpal / Chat Plan Your Trip to Japan Air Travel / Train Travel Restaurants / Japanese Food Japanese Gift / Japan Books Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Japanese Gifts Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Japan for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Japan for Visitors > Plan Your Trip to Japan > Japan Travelogue Japan Travelogue Get some travel tips from stories of travelers to Japan. Articles & Resources Sort By : Guide Picks | Alphabetical | Recent Adventure in Japan A story of an Australian in Japan. Hear Comes Kopa'nyan The author and his car, "Kopa'nyan", the Pajero MINI went to Hokkaido, Nagano, Gifu, Kyoto, and Yamaguchi. An Indian In Japan Stories by Sumat Mehra who visited Tokyo. Japan A travelogue by Evelyn C. Leeper. Visited Tokyo, Nikko, Nagano, Kamakura, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, and more. JET Files You will find the author's travelogues as he works, lives and travels throughout Japan. Kristi Goes to Japan Kristi's two-week visit in Japan. She went to Fukuoka, Tokyo, Yokohama, and more. A Stroll Through the Past, Takayama A visit to Gifu, Takayama. Articles by Sakagami Yasuko and lots of photos by Setoyama Fukashi. Traveling to Hakone & Ito Trip to Hakone and Ito National parks by David Lam.        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 Japan Postcard - Japanese free email postcards - New Year's ... Japan Map - Nagano Prefecture Map - Map of Japan Universal Studios Japan Odaiba Photos Pictures of Japan - mount fuji picture - mt. fuji Photo Headlines Best Japan Photos in 2005 Which Japan photo gallery was viewed the most by visitors... Japanese New Year's Cards Sending New Year's cards to relatives, friends, teachers, classmates, and... Photo Gallery: Christmas Decorations in Japan Christmas in Tokyo Disneyland, Odaiba, Ebisu Garden Place, and more.... Christmas in Tokyo There are many fun events and beautiful Christmas illuminations to...

Germany Travel > Dresden,

Dresden Germany - Travel and Tourism Information on Dresden  You are here: About > Travel > Europe for Visitors > Germany Austria Switzerland > Germany Travel > Dresden, Germany 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 Dresden Germany - Travel and Tourism Information on Dresden Tourist information for visitors to Dresden, Germany. Baroque Dresden, the "Florence of the North," was long known as as a center for fine arts and is today an important center for science. In 2006 Dresden will celebrate its 800 year jubilee. Find Dresden visitor information below. Articles & Resources Sort By : Guide Picks | Alphabetical | Recent Dresden Germany Travel Information - Dresden Profile Dresden Germany has long been a center for the arts. Dresden is being propared for its 800 year jubilee, and a great many of Dresden's buildings are undergoing restoration. Find more on Dresden in this profile. City of Dresden - Official Site Get a map, learn about festivals and using public transport, find museums, cultural events and accommodations. Dresden Performances Find cultural events in Dresden here, including opera, theater, sports, and flea markets. Dresden Night Skate If you're in Dresden on Friday night and you like to skate, why not try this organized group skate at 9pm? Site in German. More Categories Up a category Dresden Germany Lodging (8)        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... Tapas from Cans? Ok, so you wander into one of Barcelona's most celebrated... North Holland: Noah's Ark Redux A pious north Holland businessman took out a 300 000...