Tag: City Of Lights

Travel tips to European Countries: Romania

About the county

Lying in the Southeastern Europe Romania is slowly emerging from the shackles of its dark history. Modern Romania was formed by merging two Principalities i. e. Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 which were ruled by Ottoman Empire for centuries before. Romania is bordered by Moldova, Ukraine, the Sable Sea, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro and Hungary. Bucharest is the capital of Romania. Transylvania and Moldavia constitute the northern half of the country. Romanias main attractions build Black Sea Coast, the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania. The Black Sea Coast is popular for its white sandy beaches further offers a perfect experience for families. The Carpathian Mountains are beautiful and covered by dense forests which offer skiing opportunities. There are many health resorts also in Romania. Transylvania is popular considering Romanian Spas which have been known for its lousy with healing powers. Local cheer specialty includes cuisines like ciorba de perisoare ( soup with meatballs ), ciorba tanancasca ( meat with vegetables ), lamb bors, giblet soup and a variety of fish soups.

Population & Languages

The population of Romania is around 22. 5 million and the official language being vocal is Romanian. The other popular languages are Hungarian and German.

Electricity

The voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. The types of plug used are round pin with attachment and ” Schuko ” contribute and receptacle with side grounding contacts.

Geographic Location

It is located weight Southeastern Europe bordering the Black Sea between Bulgaria besides Ukraine. Existing is bordered by Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and Moldova to the northeast further Bulgaria to the south. Carpathian Mountains pass through the center of Romania.

Climate

The climate of Romania onus be termed as Temperate and material has four seasons. While spring and autumn are cool again pleasant. Summers are very short and hot occurring in July also August. The winters can be harsh and cold with snowfall between December and March. The best months to visit Romania are May and June and September and October.

Local Customs

Handshaking is the common custom. It is also customary to kiss when being introduced to a woman. Mostly all normal European customs apply to Romania also. Dressing is conservative and casual. Searing is prohibited on conspicuous transportation vehicles and theaters. Romanians like smoking themselves and thus like if you gift them cigarettes. Tipping is 5 to 10 percent in restaurant, hotels and taxis.

Attractions

Bucharest: Once used to be known as Paris of the East the city of Bucharest is a city of lights bustling with cafes, night clubs and restaurants. It also has Romanian Opera House and a huge National Museum. The historic sites include the Palace of Parliament, Old Court Church and Athenee Palace Hotel.
Brasov: Not to be missed places are Castles in Transylvania which include Bran Castle, Rasnov Castle and also wind up miss to see Sighisoara about 90 miles from Brasov, the birth place of Vlad tepes.
Romanian Riviera: This is along the coast of Black Sea which is huge tourist attraction. It is also home to several resorts also Romanian spas famous for their healing powers.

Travel

By Air The national airline of Romania is Tarom. Many common airlines that fly to Bucharest consist of Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa and Swiss. The biggest airport is Bucharest Otopeni Airport which is located like 10 miles north of the city.

By Sea Constanta is the major port on the Black Sea. Currently no ferries are being operated. But there are many cruises available which stop at assorted points of tourist interest like Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Bazias, Giurgiu, Calafat and Bucharest.

By Inveigh There is an international service to Bucharest from Western Europe which runs only in summer months i. e. from June to September, the name of the train service is Wiener Waltzer.

Duty Free Items
1. Up to 200 cigarettes or 200 gm tobacco
2. 200g cocoa and 200g coffee
3. Perfumes, medicines and souvenirs
4. Two cameras, One small movie camera, Twenty Four cassettes, One portable radio, One shot TV set, One tape recorder, One pair of binoculars and One typewriter.
5. Gifts up to 175

Prohibited Items
Un – canned goods, fast food or dairy products, Narcotics, firearms, ammunition, weapons, eggs, plants, endangered species, yamp further alcoholic beverages that contain more than sixty per cent alcohol.

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Visiting Venice for your Italy Vacation

If you go on a vacation in Italy it is almost necessary that you visit Venice. Everyone who has ever been to Italy has an almost classic picture of them in a “vaporetti” or a “gondola” with a canal for a backdrop. This famous Italian city found in the north is also sometimes known as the city of water, the city of bridges and the city of lights. Vaporetti are motorized buses used by Venetians for transportation around the city’s canals while the gondola is a Venetian boat that is now used mostly by tourists and sometimes for weddings or funerals. The city is made up of several small islands, 118 to be exact hence the need for water transportation and the many bridges.

There are 150 canals and 400 bridges. There are also several art galleries and all together these make for an exciting experience when you are on an Italy vacation.

You can get a Venice card which allows you free access for seven days into the museums and casinos. You will also get free waterbus or vaporetti services plus a free boat trip from the airport with this card. The airport in Venice is on the main land and is newly renovated. You can go to the train station from here to get to other parts of Venice. If you are driving on your Italy vacation you can also get to Venice by car but you will need to take a Ferry boat. The least expensive garage in Venice is the Tronchetta garage so you can park there and take a public boat or hire a private water taxi which can be expensive. You will be able to get one way vaporetti tickets, all day passes or if you are spending more time here for your Italy vacation you could also get a 72 hour pass.

If you are in Venice you must tour the city by a gondola. There are several tours available. For something really different during your Italy vacation in Venice and if you are really in the mood for it, perhaps you can even take what is called a serenade tour. The tour is accompanied by a singer (usually a baritone) and a guitarist or someone playing the accordion. Several of these tours leave from piers near hotels in Venice. Your trip will probably be a little under an hour and you may see landmarks such as the Church of Santa Maria Formosa and the Bridge of Sighs.

This bridge received it name because it is said that prisoners would get their last view of the City of Venice from here when on their way to confinement. If you are in Venice for your Italy vacation with a significant other make sure you take a gondola trip that will be going under this bridge under sunset. Legend says that lovers will be assured eternal love if they kiss under this bridge at sunset.

Venice is usually crowded with tourists in the summer months so if you can, visit during the off season. Or you can simply opt for a private gondola tour which may be more expensive but will be away from all the crowds.

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Vegas Shows are Big Draw for Tourists

Other than gambling, one of the first things that many people think of when they think of Vegas are the many shows that are available to watch. Vegas rakes in a fortune each year off the shows that are offered each and every night. There are major headliners and limited appearances that make the shows the wonderful draws for tourists and locals alike to spend a night out on the town and the shows, dinner, and ultimately the casinos.

The goal in almost every effort put forth by the casino parent companies is to get more bodies in the casinos. The more warm bodies that are warming the seats the more money that is filling the coffers. The casinos like to bring in the money and they are willing to spend a little in order to make a lot. The acts that are highlights in this city are well established for the most part and enjoy their celebrity, their fame, and most often for the headliners, the fact that there is some sort of permanence to their existences and they are not required to travel and spend countless hours on the road away from their families and loved ones.

You will find the ultra famous rubbing elbows with those who are barely known and occasionally some impersonators. In Vegas and most of them are only too happy to be living the life they’ve chosen in this great city of lights. If you have the opportunity to check out one of the many shows in Vegas I believe you will find that these shows are amazingly well put together and quite entertaining. This isn’t your small town little theatre or your community college stage. These shows are professionally done and in business to make money-and make money they do.

The shows bring in clients from all walks of life and financial backgrounds you will find the rich and famous sitting next to the middle class in the audience and all will be either laughing, crying, or cringing together. The shows are designed to elicit different responses from the audiences and to appeal to a wide cross section of the population.

If you are in the market for a Vegas show it is recommended that you book around the time or at the same time you book your hotel reservations in order to be sure you can get the tickets. Many of these shows sell out months in advance and for months at a time. The more popular the show the bigger price the tickets will demand and the bigger following the shows will have.

I also encourage you to take advantage of some of the free opportunities and events within the casinos where the shows you are planning to see occur in order to get an idea of the lay of the land before the time your show is scheduled to start. You should probably be early for the shows you wish to see and plan to stand in line a little while.

While shows are one of the biggest draws for people to visit Las Vegas and some people plan their entire trips just for the sake of catching one show, keep in mind that there are plenty more things to do in Vegas than simply watching a show or two. Take advantage of the many opportunities for entertainment that await you during your Vegas vacation.

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