Momondo

Transport - Paris

David Rich — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:10:00 GMT

TO / FROM THE AIRPORT

Charles de Gaulle or Orly

Line B stops at Gare du Nord, Châtelet les Halles and Saint-Michel. It takes a little more than half and hour and costs around 9 Euros. The best way to get to the center.

GETTING AROUND IN PARIS

The Metro is fantastic! The trains are fast and frequent and there are stops at every other street corner, it seems. The only problem is that it closes between around 1 A.M. – 6 A.M. The RER trains that go the suburbs and the airports also cross Paris and stop at some of the bigger metro stops. If you are going from one place to another within Paris where the RER stops, choose that option, since it is even faster than the metro.

Only take the bus if you have plenty of time and you find it charming to wait forever or be stuck in traffic without the running meter of a taxicab.
Taxies can be very hard to get. They are not supposed to stop in the street within a certain distance from a taxi stop. But they will do it, if they get a chance to and are not too busy – which is rare. On weekends and late at night, it can become a real nightmare to find a taxi, and the lines at the taxi stops can be frighteningly long.

By Katrine Salomon

Transport - Stockholm

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 09:23:00 GMT

Getting to and from the airport

The express train Arlanda Express leaves every 15 minutes from Arlanda airport and goes to the Central Station in the center. It lasts about 20 minutes and costs no less than 220 SKR (24 Euros)!

You can also take a taxi, but the trip to Stockholm is long and expensive. If you can fill up the cab and if you’re going somewhere far from the Central Station, a taxi might be a good solution after all. Several taxis have a fixed price for the ride between the airport and the center.
There are also buses that go from Arlanda to the center.

Getting around in Stockholm

Stockholm is a great city for pedestrians, so don’t forget to bring comfortable shoes if you want to explore the city on foot.

There is a good subway, “Tunnelbana”, which is an easy way to get around town. Don't buy single tickets but get a ticket book from a newspaper store: Pressbyrån, or a weekend pass that grants you free transportation for an entire weekend.

Stockholm has an extensive network of city buses, which are in service every day from 5am until midnight. At most bus stops, there is a map of the city and all the bus routes. Tickets are bought from the bus drivers who are mostly very helpful about getting you in the right direction.

The most fabulous way to get around Stockholm is by boat. Not only does it feel right in a city connected by water, it is also an easy and time saving means of transportation. In the tourist offices, you can get information on schedules and routes.

Consider buying The Stockholm Card when you arrive in the city. The card grants you free access to a series of museums, free transportation in the Tunnelbana as well as on many sightseeing boats.

It is not always easy to hail a cab from a street corner in Stockholm. Most often, it’s better to call for one or have your hotel/restaurant/café call. Taxis are expensive. A short trip within the center can easily cost 20 Euros.

Links to make your stay in Stockholm a lot easier:

www.stockholmtown.se
www.aos.se
www.nojesguiden.se - you’ll find the latest news on restaurants, museums etc here.
www.thelocal.com - on-line newspaper

By Mette Lomholdt

Transport - Rome

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 09:50:00 GMT

Going to and from the airport

The Leonardo da Vinci airport, Fiumicino, is situated 26 km southwest of Rome.

There is a train that goes directly to and from Stazione Termini every 30 minutes. It takes about half an hour and costs €9,5.

Local trains leave every 15 minutes. It lasts an hour and costs €5.

Taxi (pick the yellow or white ones that have a license): From the airport it’s an additional €6 to what is shown on the metre. In total around 45€. The drive lasts 45-50 minutes to the center.

Bus to and from Stazione Termini lasts about one hour. Price for a single ticket: €9, return: €15. Children between 2 and 12 cost respectively 5 and 10 €.

Roma Ciampino airport is located 15 km southeast of the center. Taxies cost between 40 and 50 € and the drive lasts 30 min.

It is worthwhile to order a transfer. You will be picked up in the airport and taken directly to the hotel at a cost of €35 and up, each way. If you’re going to or from the Ciampino airport it costs from €42 and up. Get more information and make a reservation at: www.airportshuttle.it.

Getting around in Rome

In Rome, buses are probably the best means of transportation. A few subway lines exist, but they will hardly get you to all the places that you want to go to.

A one-way-ticket with bus/metro/tram (BIT) costs 1 € and lasts 75 minutes from the moment it’s stamped. A one-day-ticket (BIG) costs 4 € and gives you unlimited transportation until midnight on the day it’s stamped. A one-week-ticket (CIS) costs 16 €.

All tickets and passes are valid for both bus and metro and can be bought in ATAC and COTRAL centers and with special dealers.

Transport - Prague

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 10:15:00 GMT

Getting to and from the airport

Photo: Photoscott

There are no direct buses from the airport to the center of Prague. You have to change halfway from bus to metro, which is actually very easy. The airport personnel will help you by explaining which bus and metro to catch. The price for the entire trip is 20 koruna (1€ = 28 Kč).

Another way to get to the center is by one of the shuttle taxies that go back and forth between the airport and the city center. There is room for four passengers in the taxi and the trip costs 480 koruna, no matter the amount of passengers.

And finally there is the possibility of taking your own private taxi to the center. It costs 600-700 koruna.

Getting around in Prague

Public transportation works perfectly well in Prague. The fastest way to get around is without any doubt the metro, which is very easy and manageable. Tickets can be bought at the small newspaper agents that are all over town, or in the metro stations.

By David Rich

Transport - Barcelona

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 10:46:00 GMT

Getting to and from the airport

The cheapest way to go between Barcelona’s airport and the city center, is by train or bus. They run so frequently, it’s a pleasure.

By train, you go on line 10, Renfe Cercanías, which gets to the city in 32 minutes. The trains run from 6am until midnight. The tickets cost €2,4, and it’s even cheaper if you buy a ticket book.

Another possibility is to go on the bus; Aerobus (A1) goes from the airport to Plaza de Catalunya. From 5.30am until midnight, the buses run in shuttle service, and according to the timetable, you ought not to wait more than nine minutes on a weekday or twelve minutes on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The airport stops are located in front of the terminals A, B and C and you will have to pay €3,75 for the trip.

If you don’t have the patience for public transportation, like any other place in the world there are good chances to find a taxi at the airport. Between 7am and 9pm, the ride to the city costs between €15 and €21, depending on the final address. In the evening hours and at night, you should add €3 or €4 to that price. Suitcases cost an additional Euro, and you are advised to ask for a receipt. There are taxi stops outside the terminals A, B and C.

Getting around in Barcelona

Whereas the new part of town seems to have been constructed with a ruler – the old part of town is tortuous and makes a good city map a good investment to start your trip with.

A good way to get around Barcelona is to ride Shank’s mare, and it’s convenient if you have the time to stroll around in the fascinating city and allow yourself to get lost. Conversely, the metro is the fastest way to get around and it is well extended. Almost every place can be reached by either metro, train, tram or bus, and they all use the same ticket system. A single ride is €1,10 and once your ticket has been stamped, you can use it for 75 minutes. There is a lot of money to be saved if you buy a 10-trip ticket at €6 or a day pass, T-Dia, at €4,60. If you’re staying several days in the city, an even better deal is a pass that’s valid for 2-5 days. Depending on the duration, it costs from €8,40–21.

There are quiet a lot of taxi stops in Barcelona. But if you can’t find one, you can just hail a cab in the street. A green light means that it’s free. Make sure the driver puts the meter on.

By Katrine Salomon

Transport - Istanbul

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 11:09:00 GMT

Getting to and from the airport

Istanbul's main airport, Atatürk International, is modern and easy to navigate around in.

The easiest way to get into town is by taxi. It costs around €15 to get to the center.

Getting around in Istanbul

Traffic in Istanbul is often one big traffic jam with cars honking their horns.

The best way to get around is by foot (but watch out!) or by taxi.

Taxies are cheap and reliable, and there are plenty.

Public transportation is not too impressive nor extended. But there’s a tram that goes from the old town over the bridge and up to Taksim. If you are going somewhere along this route, jump aboard, it is preferable to walking. A ticket costs 1,3 YTL.

Another great way to get around is by boat. Most people go from Eminönü (on the Sultanahmet side) and Karaköy (on the Beyoglu side).

By Mette Lomholdt

Transport - Oslo Eng

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 11:40:00 GMT

Getting to and from the Airport

The very best way to get from Oslo’s airport, Gardermoen, and into town is by “Flytoget”. It runs every 10 minutes and the trip lasts about 20 minutes. The cost of a one-way ticket is 140 NKR (€18).

www.flytoget.no

Getting around in Oslo

The best way to get around town is by foot or by the public transportation system that runs every day from 5.30 am until midnight.
We advise you to invest in The Oslo Card (available from tourist offices, hotels and certain news agents). It enables you to travel by public transportation within four different zones, including some ferry and boat routes, and also grants free entry to most museums.
Unsurprisingly, taxis are expensive in Oslo.

www.visitoslo.com/en/the-oslo-pass.49104.en.html

By Mette Lomholdt

Transport - Lisbon

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:23:00 GMT

Getting to and from the airport

The trip from Aeroporto da Portela to the city center is a pleasant and short one, since the airport is located very close to the city. It is actually possible to be at your hotel less than 30 minutes after you’ve picked up your luggage.

The taxis are lined up outside the airport and the trip into town shouldn’t cost you more than €10 – depending on how far you’re going of course. Ask for a receipt, just to be on the safe side.

The bus lines 44, 45 and 83 are also waiting to bring travelers into the city, and if you’re not carrying too much luggage, it’s the cheapest way to get to the center. But if you brought big suitcases and land any time between 7.45am and 8.45pm, jump on the airport shuttle, AeroBus 91, that will take you to the city for around 3 Euros. You buy the ticket from the driver.

Travelers for Cascais and Estoril should be aware that there is an hourly shuttle service from 7am to 10pm.

By Katrine Salomon

Transport - Copenhagen

David Rich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 14:35:00 GMT

Getting from and to the airport

Copenhagen Metro Photo: Rutlo

Copenhagen has the shortest distance from the international airport to the city centre of all the European capitals. Beneath Terminal 3, which is where you arrive and pass through customs. In the airport there are both a train and metro station where trains leave around every tenth minute to the Central Station in Copenhagen. During the day, these trains run every ten minutes. The fare is DKK 27, if you have Danish change, you can buy it from a machine. There is, however, also the possibility of purchasing a CPHCARD, which you can use during your stay. This card gives free transportation in the greater Copenhagen area including to and from the airport. Taxis and buses are also available at the airport and you'll find them in front of Terminals 1 and 3. Remember that the same ticket(s) can be used on buses, Metro and on trains.

Plan your trip here: http://www.rejseplanen.dk/

Getting around in Copenhagen

Bus

Copenhagen has a large network of bus lines and you can reach almost all parts of town by bus. All buses are yellow and entrance is in the front. Bus stops are marked with yellow signs. Night buses are available every night in the city as well as to many suburbs and surrounding towns from 01.00 am - 05.00 am.

Harbor busses sails in the Copenhagen Harbor from the Royal Library to The Little Mermaid making stops in Nyhavn and by the opera house.

Metro

Copenhagen has a new and efficient Metro, but there aren't many lines (yet) and it wont take you to all parts of town. The Metro runs from Vanløse Station to Lergravsparken in East Amager, to Ørestad in West Amager and to Frederiksberg. All metro stations are marked with a red M.

Metro information: http://www.m.dk/en/welcome

Taxi

There are lots of taxies in the city and all taxies in Copenhagen are licensed by the authorities and are equipped with meters. Taxies can be flagged down anywhere in the streets of Copenhagen. If the yellow "Taxa" light on the roof of the car or in the front window is on, the taxi is available for hire. Be prepared that taxis are very expensive. Fares include a service charge, so tips are not expected. Most taxis accept major credit cards. Should you wish to pay with a credit card, let the driver know before beginning the trip. On request, taxi drivers will provide you with a computerized receipt for the fare.

Biking

Copenhagen compete with Amsterdam about being the 'Cycling capital of the World' and getting around by bike possibly the easiest and funniest form of transportation in the inner city, where there are bicycling lanes everywhere. The Copenhageners seem to bike all year round no matter what the weather is like.

Many hotels rent or lend out bikes and there are several places where you can rent bikes for a small amount of money:

http://oesterport-cykler.dk/Rent+a+bike/Engelsk.html

http://cphbikerental.mono.net/

http://cykelboersen.dk/english.html

Train

There are three different kinds of trains in Copenhagen. S-train: These trains take you to and from the city from early morning till late night. Regional trains: There are frequent train connections between Copenhagen and other parts of Denmark. The trains depart from Copenhagen Central Station or the station at Copenhagen Airport. Thanks to the bridge between Sealand and Funen, the travel time from eastern to western Denmark is short. Øresund trains: The Øresund train connects Copenhagen and Malmö. The train stops at Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, on its way to Sweden.

By Mette Lomholdt & Katrine Salomon

Transport - London

David Rich — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:37:00 GMT

To and from the airport

www.baa.co.uk

Heathrow Airport is situated about 16 miles west of London. The cheapest (and most often, the fastest) way to get to the center, is by Underground, Piccadilly Line. The trip to the center takes around 45 minutes. A one-way ticket for an adult costs from £ 5 and up.

Heathrow Express runs every 15 minutes to Paddington Station. Duration about 15 minutes. A return trip costs around £ 29.

Gatwick Airport is situated 30 miles south of London. The Gatwick Express runs every 15 minutes in the daytime to Victoria Station. Duration: around 30 minutes. A return ticket for an adult is £ 28.

Stansted Airport is 32 miles northeast of London. Stansted Express runs every 15 minutes or every half hour to Liverpool Street Station. Duration: 45 minutes.

A return ticket costs from £ 27 and up.

Getting around in London

London is a huge city, and you will walk a lot, but with the underground (the Tube) and buses you can get around fast and easy.

The underground is easy to figure out and has a well extended network of lines that cover the entire city. A single ticket costs from £ 1,50 and up. And at those prices, it easily pays off to buy a Travel Card.

Get a map over the Tube to print or visit the official Tube site.

A great and valuable site for transport/getting around in London is the official Transport For London (trf.gov.uk)

The bus service is also well functioning and efficient, read more on Transpaort for London. A bus ticket costs £ 1,20.

By David Rich

Transport - Berlin

David Rich — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:58:00 GMT

Photo: Ciaron

To and from the airport(s):

From Tegel the JetExpressBus TXL runs to Alexanderplatz.

A taxi to the centre of town will take about 30 minutes and cost approximately €25.

Schönefeld is the former airport of East Berlin and located 18km South-East of the city. It’s small, barren and mainly serviced by budget airlines. The S-bahn train station is a 5-minute walk from the airport; the Airport Express runs to Alexanderplatz and Zoo Bahnhof between 5am and 11.30pm and takes 30 minutes. A taxi will cost approximately €35 and take 50 minutes.

Getting around in Berlin:

If you’re in town for more than four days, it’s worth while to buy a weekly pass for public transportation.

Trains

Berlin has two train systems: the S-bahn (over ground) and U-bahn (underground). Information on both can be found at www.bvg.de. Tickets for both can be purchased from yellow machines on station platforms. Weekly, day, single and short-distance (three U- or S-bahn stops and six on the bus or tram) tickets can be purchased. Be sure to validate your ticket after purchase.

Taxis

Taxis can be expensive – €2.50 before you start and €1.50 for every km.

If you say ”kurzstrecke” (short distance), on entering a taxi, you can go two kilometers in any direction for only €3. This only applies if you hail the taxi in the street yourself, and thus not if you take a taxi from a taxi stop.

Links to make your stay in Berlin a lot easier…

www.donnerwetter.de - The weather forecast in Berlin
www.Berlinaut.de - good tips n’ tricks
www.berlin.de - the official site of the city
www.zitty.de - guide for eating, art etc.

By Mette Lomholdt & Katrine Salomon

Dutch Masters Behind The Passport Control

David Rich — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:04:00 GMT

If flying to, from or via Amsterdam, why not spend a few minutes at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol Museum, a permanent outpost of Amsterdam’s celebrated Rijksmuseum - home of Holland’s greatest art collection - located in the airport on Holland Boulevard, in the area behind the passport control between the E and F Pier.

The museum is open every day from 7:00 until 20:00 and admission is free. It houses a permanent exhibition of ten works by Dutch masters of the Golden Age from the Rijksmuseum’s collection. A temporary exhibition changes a number of times a year - for example, in honour of the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt’s birth, the Rijksmuseum presented an exhibition of works by Rembrandt’s pupils at the airport.

The Rijksmuseum is the first museum in the world to have an annex at an airport, while Schiphol is the first airport with a museum in its terminal.
The museum shop affiliated with the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol offers souvenirs specially crafted for the museum.
The Rijksmuseum is only open to passengers.
www.rijksmuseum.nl

Oslo's Getting A New Landmark

David Rich — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 07:44:00 GMT

Photo: Arkitekturnytt.no

The legendary Holmenkollen ski jumping hill in Oslo is due to demolition and a new winter sports stadium with a spectacular ski jumping hill named ‘Holmenkollen lighthouse’ will be build at the same spot. Holmenkollen is one of Oslo’s most famous landmarks and more than three million tourists visit the ski arena every year.

The new Holmenkollen will have a 138 meters hill size (the current is 128 m.) and a heated terrace on the top with an amazing 360º view over Oslo, the mountains and the fjord. It will be covered with transparent plates of glass that will be lit from inside so that the ski jump’s profile is visible also at night. The profile will be further extended by giant spotlights that will throw a concentrated beam of light straight into the sky.

The ‘Holmenkollen lighthouse’ is set to be finished in 2010, a year before the World Championships in Nordic skiing which will be held in Oslo in 2011. The last competition in the old ski jump will be held in Marts 2008. It is the Danish JDS Architects who have drawn the ‘Holmenkollen lighthouse’. Their project won in competition with 103 other projects.

In Bed With Erich Honecker

David Rich — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:14:00 GMT

Want to spend a night in East Germany? Then book a room at Ostel, which is the name of Berlin’s first DDR design-hostel. The hostel offers guests a chance to experience life in the old East Germany and a bit of communist kitsch.

All interior at Ostel is from the old DDR. Everything is brown or orange and made from materials that are anything but good quality. In the reception there are different watches showing the time in Moscow, Havana, Beijing and Berlin and on the walls are pictures of former communist leaders keeping a watchful eye on the guests.

Ostel is situated in a residential area behind the station Ostbahnhof and do we need to say that it is located in a concrete block of the kind favoured by communist leaders from Berlin to Novosibirsk.

If you want to enjoy real DDR-extravagance then book the Stasi-suite. The suite is decorated with authentic furniture from former members of the Politburo and with a big picture of a smiling former Communist Party leader Erich Honecker. As an extra luxury the suite has a balcony with a spectacular view of great DDR-style concrete blocks.

Ostel opened 1. May 2007 and has received a lot of attention from around the world. However some guests have been a little bit too interested and nicked interior from the hostel. Therefore Ostel has begun selling DDR-souvenirs including photos of Erich Honecker.

Ostel – das DDR Hostel, Wriezener Karree 5

Author David Rich Momondo

Go further: Sleep next to Kim Jong-Il at the former North Korean embassy in East Berlin.

Find more Berlin hotels.

Berlin's Coolest Apartment

David Rich — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:20:00 GMT

If you are interested in art and furniture and are in Berlin, don’t miss the Hoffmann Collection (Sammlung Hoffmann). It is not a museum but a private and very impressive collection of contemporary art from around the world. The collection is owned by Erika Hoffmann and on Saturdays she opens her spetacular 1.800 m2 apartment in a courtyard in Mitte for visitors. In the apartment - which once was a sewing-machine factory and a manufacturer of medical equipment – Erika Hoffmann presents works in various media, including painting, video, photography and sculpture.

Erica Hoffman and her husband Rolf Hoffmann began collecting art in 1968. They moved to the old factory in East Berlin in 1995 and two years later they opened their private home to the public. Erika Hoffmann has continued to collect art and continued the open-door-policy after the death of her husband a few years ago.

Upon arrival all visitors have to put on oversized felt slippers that are provided in the reception before they are allowed into the apartment. To ensure that all guests enjoy an intimate experience, the capacity on the guided tour is limited to ten people. The guide acts more like a moderator and encourages discussions among the visitors. He or she demands something from the visitor and might even confront you and ask: “How does this piece of art communicate to you?” So you'd better be well-prepared and in good form when you visit the Hoffmann Collection if you don’t want to make a fool of your self in front a group of dedicated and educated art lovers.

There is a raw industrial feel to Erica Hoffmann’s apartment. The rooms are huge with high ceilings and concrete walls and staircases. The floors are wooden and the range of furniture is extremely limited but the selection is delicate. Though the apartment has many similarities with a gallery there are small signs that indicate that someone is living here. There is a piano in one room, a messy desk in Erika Hoffmann's office and a pile of newspapers in the giant diningroom (Erika Hoffmann reads Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and not tabloids).

In July each year Erika Hoffmann changes the selection of work and rearranges the furnishings. To go on a guided tour in the Hoffmann Collection you have to book in advance. The entrance fee is 6 € and the tour lasts about 2 hours.

Sammlung Hoffmann, Sophie-Gips-Höfe, Aufgang C, Sophienstrasse 21, Berlin-Mitte.
www.sophie-gips.de

Author David Rich Momondo