Italy travel guide with

Lonely Planet | Travel Links | Italy worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links TRAVEL LINKS Destination Practical Planning Health & Safety Activities Issues & Reportage Modes De Voyage Report bad links › Italy SPONSORED LINKS Enquire Atlante Stradale d'italia You need to understand Italian to effectively utilize this site, but you can find a street atlas of Italy here. Go › BBNaples Bed & Breakfast in Naples and Campania. Special offers for groups. Go › Bed and Breakfast Accomodation in SICILY Accomodation in B&B and villas around Sicily, it is possible organize a personal sicilian tour or rent a car. Go › Delicious Italy This site is simply deliciosa - recipes, markets, festivals, classes, regional cuisine... Need we go on? Your tastebuds will demand you satisfy your hunger. Go › Destination Italy Lonely Planet lives la dolce vita with Europe's kinky over-the-knee boot. Go › Discover Italia Itinerary and activity ideas, cultural events and latest developments Go › DolceVita: The Insider's Guide to Italy Glossy magazine-style features: fashion, design, food and wine, travel survival tips, itinerary suggestions, and event listings. Go › Ferrovie Dello Stato Online If you're doing Italy by train, take a look at timetables and special offers. Go › giraReggio A virtual and interactive visit of the historic center of Reggio Emilia (Italy). By clicking on the panoramic photographs, learn about Reggio Emilia's monuments, buildings and works of art. Go › Hotels in Milan Book your hotel in Milan online. All hotels with special internet offers. Go › Italian Art This A-list of Italian art has been lovingly compiled. Think the Virtual Uffizi, Florence Art Guide, Leonardo da Vinci links, Sistine Chapel, Virtual Venice? Go › ItalyBy.Com - Accommodation in Italy Accommodations available for rent in Italy, but also with maps, weather and other tourist info. Go › Italy Heaven Italy travel guide with special features on Rome daytrips, and destinations such as Sorrento, Orvieto, Lake Garda. Go › Italy: Tourist Information A dozen or so tourism-oriented sites collected by the University of Washington will cut out your legwork. Go › Net Reserve Find different lodging options all over Italy including Florence and Tuscany. Go › Scala Reale Cultural Association A team of architects, historians, archaeologists and art-historians, mostly American graduate students and scholars, based in Rome, Italy make up this not-for-profit cultural association. Go › Tuscany.Net - Accommodation in Venice Online reservation of castles, farmhouses, hotels, b&b, and villas in Tuscany. Go › Verona, Italy The site offers a lot of resources about Verona, Roman city in Italy. Maps, city guide, photo archive (about 1000 photos), events, meteo, train and flight timetables etc etc. Go › Villas and apartments for rent in Italy Holiday rentals in Italy: from the Northern Lakes to the Amalfi Coast, including Tuscany and Umbria. Go › Shop Online Hundreds of guides to thousands of places. Buy them here › Travel Services · Flights · Hostels/Budget Lodging · Hotels · Adventure Travel · Travel Insurance · Car Hire · Rail/Ferry Travel · Personal Trip Website · Global Communication WorldGuide The low-down on over 450 destinations worldwide. Explore WorldGuide › Thorn Tree Travel Forum Travel talk from around the globe: · Join the discussion text & images © lonely planet 2005 about us | privacy | feedback | advertising FAQs worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links

European Vacation Ideas for

Benelux and Beyond - Northern European Vacation Ideas for the Benelux Countries  You are here: About > Travel > Europe for Visitors > Benelux Countries > Benelux and Beyond - Northern European Vacation Ideas for the Benelux Countries 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 Benelux and Beyond - Northern European Vacation Ideas for the Benelux Countries 5 Countries in 14 days? Why Not? If you have a short vacation and want to travel through the most varied cultural landscapes in a short time, why not consider Benilux--Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg--along with adjacent pieces of the bookend countries of France and Germany? Short distances and the availability of high speed rail connections mean that you won't spend all your time looking out a window on a moving landscape. Plus, Benelux rail 'n drive packages give you the flexibility to see it all by train and car. The Benelux countryside is flat and watery--you can bike or walk on tow paths along the many canals to observe calming rural vistas for hours. Benelux Countries - Benelux Rail Map Benelux Map © 2005 by James Martin, licensed to About Why Benelux? Benelux is compact. It's 123 miles between Brussels and Amsterdam, 184 miles between Paris and Brussels--and both of these destinations are served by high speed rail that'll speed you between Paris and Brussels in one hour and 25 minutes. Folks in Benelux countries are quite likely to speak English , since the local languages are confined to a relatively small goegraphic area. Benelux hospitality is legendary --you might want to consider a farm stay while you're there--especially if you have kids--to test the friendliness of the natives and get a feeling for what it's like (more below). Variety - and France and Germany are just across the border. Not only do you have three countries to visit, all within an hour or so travel time between each other, center to center, but France and Germany are easily visited as well. Lille, just across the border in France, was a European capital of Culture for 2004, and it's a major rail hub for high speed trains. Koln (Cologne) and its famous cathedral are also close, and the landscape around Trier--a colonial capital under Roman Emperor Augustus in 16 BC and Germany’s oldest city--is beautiful, and the city isa good starting point for trips into theMosel Valley and cruises on the scenic Mosel River, Germany’s mainwine-producing region--just in case you get tired of the almost infinite varietyof Beer styles you find in Belgium that is. Getting to the Benelux Countries You'll probably start your vacation from a large city. Major airports usually offer the best fares from the US, so you'll probably be starting from Paris, Frankfurt, or Amsterdam. If you find a good fare to London (or wish to add that city to your visit), you can take the Eurostar from London to either Paris or Lille, and continue your Benelux vacation from there. Getting Around the Benelux Countries While rail is highly recommended, and trains can get to most cities in the Benelux countries, you might want to also view a little of the countryside. Rail 'n Drive passes make this easy. Plan Your Benelux Adventure Transportation Rail Passes (Including Rail 'n Drive Passes) for Benelux, France and Germany. Thalys - High Speed Train Information - The thick blue line on the map is the Thalys route. Eurostar - All About the Eurostar - London to Lille, Paris, and Brussels. If your end point is Brussels, you'll get a free pass to any other stop in Belgium, just in case you wish to avoid Brussels altogether. Destinations in or Accessable from Benelux Lille, France Reims and the Champagne Region of France Belgium: Belgium Guide | Belgium Map | Belgium Pictures Netherlands: NetherlandsGuide | NetherlandsMap | Amsterdam Guide Luxembourg: Luxembourg Guide Cologne, Germany Dusseldorf Germany Frankfurt, Germany Trier, Germany Farm Stays in Belgium Many "farm" stays don't set you down in a real, working farm. I've found the Spreeuwenburg farm in a perfect location in the Belgian countryside not so far from the Netherlands border and nearby to the justly famous old smuggler house turned into a restaurant bar, Roste Muis. Read more: A Pleasant and Inexpensive Farm stay in Belgium . Benelux - The Final Word I hope you'll check out the Benelux countries. The major cities are interesting and chock full of art from old masters. Belgium cuisine is considered one of the best in Europe, and the beer is outstanding as well. Amsterdam is an amazing city, and if you want to visit a city that's mostly ignored by tourists, look into Antwerp, Belgium. Peter Paul Ruben's house makes an outstanding visit--and even Antwerp's main train station is worthy of the label "Railway Cathedral." 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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Japan Travel

Japan Travel Pictures | Japan Travel Photos Japan Travel resources, links and information for Japan. Click on the thumbnails to read stories and see travel pictures. Book your hotel Book a hotel in Japan Book a hostel Book Youth hostels in Japan Fly your way! Book your flight to Japan online - saving 40% or more! Other countries: Azerbaijan Bahrain Brunei Cambodia China Georgia Hong Kong India Indonesia Iran Israel Jordan Kazakhstan Laos Lebanon Macau Malaysia North Korea Oman Pakistan Philippines Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Syria Thailand United Arab Emirates Vietnam Yemen Sometimes apparently western, but not so deep down completely different. Stories and pictures: Niseko Skiing Hiroshima Sapporo Snowfestival Miyajima Mount Fuji Sumo Wrestling Naritasan Tokyo Subway Shakotan National Park Japanese people Sapporo Art Park Daisetsuzan National Park Onsen Sapporo Dome Sounkyo Canyon Path of Philosophy Useful travel links: Book your hotel in Japan Weather Lonely Planet Japanese Guesthouses Travelogues for Japan Currency exchange Many more links on Japan ! Suggest a site Go directly to: Africa Asia Europe North America Oceania South America Join our mailinglist: If you want to be updated about developments at Around the World in 80 Clicks, subscribe! Your E-mail address: Travel Forum Join others in discussions on Asia Also on this site: read and sign the guestbook send us your suggestions ! send this site to a friend read about the background of this site publications on this site meet new friends for travel, dating or just fun! Around the World in 80 Clicks All rights reserved - www.traveladventures.org - 1999-2005 Share your comments

Asia Travel

CAMBODIA - ASIA TRAVEL HOTELS RESORTS TRAVEL TOURS RESERVATION Cambodia Travel Information Map of Cambodia Siem Reap Phnom Penh Banlung (Rattanakiri) Kampong Som (Sihanoukville) Check out the other Mekong regions Airport pick up Click here for Alphabetical Listing of Cambodia Hotels & Resorts Please Click Hotel Name ------- Siem Reap -------- Angkor Century Angkor Diamond Angkor Hotel Angkor Sapphire Angkor Village Bopha Angkor City Angkor Grand Hotel D'Angkor Golden Angkor Hotel De La Paix Neak Pean Hotel Nokor Phnom Pansea Angkor Hotel Princess Angkor Prum Bayon Royal Sofitel Angkor Shinta Mani Ta Prohm -------- Phnom Penh --------- Holiday International Hotel Hotel Le Royal Intercontinental Hotel Micasa Hotel Star Royal Hotel Sunway Hotel Cambodiana Hotel Juliana Hotel Regent Park Hotel Bayon Phnom Hotel Princess Phnom Penh ------- Kampong Som ------- Holiday Palace Resort Seaside Resort Golden Sea Hotel Claude's Bungalow ------- Banlung -------- Banlung Guesthouse Bangkok Office Hours (GMT + 07:00) Monday - Friday 09:00 - 18:00 Saturday 09:00 - 13:00 CLOSE ON SUNDAYS & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS Cambodia Package with Accommodation!! Click here to reserve hotels with up to 70% Discount (Prepayment Basis) Room Rate at US$ 20 and above Koh Kong International Resort Room rate at US$ 40 and above Nokor Phnom Hotel Room rate at US$ 50 and above Bopha Angkor Hotel Room rate at US$ 60 and above Ta Prohm Hotel Angkor Hotel Room rate at US$ 80 and above City Angkor Hotel Room rate at US$ 100 and above Angkor Village Hotel Angkor Village Resort Grand Hotel D'Angkor Hotel De La Paix new!! Pansea Hotel Royal Sofitel Angkor Shinta Mani Click here to send electronic birthday cards... Asia Travel

FRANCE TRAVEL INFORMATION :

France travel information tips, Paris hotel specials, and France travel and tourism facts. 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 Woman Tours Gay/Lesbian Corporate Group Travel Club Trips Info Book a Tour Site Map Walking Tour Regions Alsace Brittany Burgundy Champagne Dordogne/SW Paris/Ile de France Languedoc Loire Valley Normandy Provence Bicycle Tour Regions Alsace Brittany Burgundy Champagne Dordogne/SW Languedoc Loire Valley Normandy Poitou-Charentes Provence Rhone-Alpes Travel news/announcements/Info: See our latest newsletter for updates Southern France, Spain, Italy - the best weather in the fall season ! We can take last minute bookings up to 7 days in advance of travel - subject to hotel availability. Our recommendations: Carcassonne Countryside - more challenging cycling tour visits the famous Cite of Carcassonne and vineyards of the Corbiere before finishing at the sea side. Provence - Avignon to Mediterranean - most popular tour for a full cross section of charming Provence. Spain - Catalonia and the Costa Brava near Girona . Lovely farmhouse family style lodging or gastronomic charm hotels. Exceptional late season biycle tour! Italy -Tuscany - enchanting region with its famously hilly terrain is best visited in the fall. We can accommodate 4 or 6 night packages. Paris Getaways : Low Season - November through March from low rates for excellent hotels of charm. Add on museum passes, metro passes, airport transfers or even add a stay in any of the many provinces easily reached by train from Paris like Dijon, Bordeaux, Avignon, Strasbourg, Tours, Reims, Lyon, and so on! Paris by foot; see our new Da Vinci Code tour and other programs in Paris Self Guided Walking Tours : Our program of self-guided travel is open to anyone; to know more visit this page of our website: Self Guided Touring FRANCE TRAVEL INFORMATION : This bit of information is for general travel throughout France. Each of our tour clients will receive this in addition to more detailed information about their tour. Paris Hotels - see our site at www.hotelsparis.net Hotels throughout France - see our site at www.francegetaways.com Regional Tourist Offices throughout France - see our links page See our new Vocabulary and interactive Language page Arriving in Paris: most flights now arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport from foreign destinations. There are still some charters and inter France flights going out of Orly. Our site at www.gotoparis.net discusses in detail the different options available for getting into the city. These options include: express buses, trains, taxis, and private transfers. To get from CDG airport to Orly, the best is by Air France bus. They depart every 30 minutes between 6:30 am and 10:30 pm. Traveling around in France: France is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (G.M.T. +1). This makes it 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time (E.S.T. +6, and +9 PST). The time is the same all over the country. The country is divided in 95 departments – each has its name and its number and this number is set by alphabetical order. That number is found at the beginning of each zip code of the department as well as the last 2 digits of the car plates. Documentation U.S citizens only need a valid passport to travel to France as long as their stay does not exceed 3 months. You are required to carry identification with you at all times when traveling in France. If you lose your passport, contact: American Consulate 2, rue Saint Florentin - 75001 Paris Tel: 01.42.96.12.02 or 01.42.61.80.75 Consular Section for Canadians 35, Avenue de Montaigne - 75008 Paris Tel: 01.44.43.32.00 Post Office - Mail / Shipping The Post Office is called LA POSTE or PTT. Generally open M-F from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 12pm. Telephone France is divided by 5 zones for the telephone. The 2 first digits of a phone number tells you the area: 01 is Paris / 02 northwest / 03 northeast / 04 southeast / 05 southwest. From the States, you don’t need to dial the 0. But once in France, you have to dial the 0. Phone numbers must have 10 digits (including the first 0), no exception – except of course the emergency numbers. Public phones in France require a telephone card, or they can often work also with a credit card. Check for the signs “Visa”, “Master Card”, etc… Emergency telephone numbers throughout France 24 hour ambulance (called “SAMU”): 15 Police: 17 Fire: 18 Other telephone numbers in Paris: 24 hour doctor: 01.47.07.77.77 24 hour dentist: 01.43.37.51.00 English language crisis line: 01.47.23.80.80 Public Holidays January 1st / Easter Monday / May 1st = Labor Day / May 8th / Ascension Thursday (last Thursday of May) / Pentecote Monday (beginning of June) / July 14 = Bastille Day / August 15 = Assumption / November 1st / November 11th / December 25th. Electric current Electricity in France runs on 220 volt, 50-cycle AC current. If you bring electrical devices, you will need to have a transformer and plug adapter. Banking / Purchasing Banks are generally open weekdays 9am - 4:30pm. In many cities outside Paris banks close for lunch, sometimes for 2 hours. Most banks are closed Saturday and Sunday and all holidays. The main banks are: BNP / Credit Agricole / Societe Generale / Caisse d’Epargne / Credit du Nord, etc… The Euro - € As of January 1, 2002, the Euro is the official currency in France and the 11 other countries currently participating in European currency union. The old French Franc is now part of history and is no longer accepted as a payment form. Check before departure the equivalent of the Euro compare to the U.S Dollar. The Euro paper currency will be the same in all 12 countries, in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 Euros. The coins however, will bear a different face according to the country. There are 8 coins: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and 1 and 2 Euros. Driving in France Document / Insurance / Law - An American driver’s license is valid for Americans driving in France. Have another ID document with you like your passport. - Insurance is highly recommended, be sure you are set before you leave home. - The legal age to drive in France is 18. - Trucks – except with special authorization – are not allowed to drive on Sunday. - Seat belts must be worn at all times – children under 12 must sit in the backseat - Park your car only where it is authorized, fines arrive quickly! And cars are often towed away. Car rental The legal age to rent a car is 21– but most companies require being 25 years old. See our links page for companies, and insurance options. Gas Taxes on gas are very high in France, which explains the price of the liter: On the petrol pump “Sans Plomb” means unleaded petrol. Gas stations along highways are open 24 h / 7 days. French usually get gas at large stores like Carrefour, Leclerc, Casino, etc… You can go at any time, help yourself and use your credit card Types of roads Interstate toll way / Motorway = A + the number of the road / 130km/h is the speed limit. This is also a toll road, you can pay tolls with a credit card; this is the fast way to travel, but is not cheap! Every 20 km you have restaurants, gas station, sometimes shops, restrooms… National road = N + number of the road / 90km/h. If you are not traveling too far or if you have plenty of time, then the more scenic and free way to go is on the National roads. A famous road in France is the National 7 / N7. There is even a song ? about that road sung by Charles TRENET! Department road = D + number of the road / 50km/h. Great for seeing the back country of France; very slow going. PARIS - some basic info is below. Museum passes, metro passes, day tours, shows, bus tours, more: www.gotoparis.net TOURIST OFFICES There are many convenient locations within Paris: Carrousel du Louvre: 99 Rue de Rivoli, 75001. Metro: Palais Royal / Louvre (1,7) Montmartre: 21 Place du Tertre, 75018. Metro: Abbesses (12) Gare du Nord: Metro / RER (B,D,4,5) Tour Eiffel: Metro / RER: Champs de Mars / Tour Eiffel (C), Bir-Hakeim (6) Gare de Lyon: Metro / RER (A,D,1,14) Opera – Grands Magasins: 11 rue Scribe, 75009/ Metro: Opera (3,7,8) / RER: Auber (A) Train Stations in Paris: Gare du Nord: North of France, Belgium, Eurostar to London, UK Gare de L’Est: Champagne, Alsace / Germany Gare de Lyon: Southeast, Provence – Cote d’Azur / Italy Gare Austerlitz: Loire Valley, Southwest France Gare Montparnasse: Brittany, TGV to Loire and Southwest Gare Saint Lazare: Normandy, western coast More detailed travel information is available at the French Governement Tourist Office Website at www.franceguide.com Home | Cycling Classics | Pure Adventures | Bicycle Tours | Walking Tours | Media | Links Promotions | Travel Agents | FAQs | Weather | Newsletter | Group Travel | Privacy © 2006 Discover France (SM)