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If you are bored of the same old faces in the expat world that surrounds Lan Kwai Fung in Hong Kong Island, then why not jump on the star ferry to Kowloon and explore some of the bars facing the harbour. You are more likely to bump into locals and will still be served with a smile, just at a fraction of the cost.
In Sydney, get a Sydney Pass. We had unlimited travel on buses, including the two explorers (Sydney and Bondi), trains and ferries for A$110 each, allowing us to see what we wanted at our own pace.
The first option would be air travel - there are several flights from Kansai Intl (KIX) to Sapporo (New Chitose - CTS). Flights depart at 16:45, 17:55, and 20:50. The price is 39,900 yen (US $335 at today's rate).
Another option is taking a ferry and train combination from Osaka to Hokkaido. Unfortunately, the ferry takes a lot of time - 19 hours one way, plus a couple of hours for the train. So flight seems to be the best option here.
More options and detailed flight schedule:
www.flightpedia.org/japan/flights-from-osaka-to-sapporo-osaka/
Travel to Boston after a day or two enjoying the peace and tranquility of Truro, Cape Cod. Then jump on a ferry from province town and enjoy the landscape and rugged coastline of Massachusetts - watch out for the whales out at sea...
You'll be speechless as you enter the glorious Boston Harbour - watching the fantastic skyscrapers get bigger and bigger on the horizon! It's a must!
The Istanbul-Bodrum ferry is an ideal way to travel between Bodrum and Istanbul, offering excellent views of the Aegean coast and Greek islands on the way, and a dramatic entrance into the heart of Istanbul.
More like a cruise liner than a cross-channel ferry, it has a swimming pool, fitness centre and restaurants. The ship leaves Istanbul on Fridays and Mondays, and Bodrum on Sundays and Wednesdays (Istanbul-Bodrum is about 24 hours, Istanbul-Cesme is 17 hours). The midweek sailings stop in Çeşme on the way. Prices are about £50-70 per person sharing a two-berth or double outside cabin, meals not included.
Website www.denizline.com/eng/index.html
Telephone: +90 216 444 3369
There are many ferries and high speed boats departing from Rafina to Mykonos daily. The journey is faster than taking the ferry from Piraeus.
Buses to Rafina from Athens depart at Pedion Areos at the junction of Patision and Alexandras avenue every half hour.
www.hellenicseaways.gr
www.bluestarferries.gr
www.in2greece.com/blog/2007/06/greek-ferries-information-and-ferry.html
The Observer picked this place as top of its list of places still peopled by hippies (which should come as a relief for those who live on the Sunshine Coast) but only listed float planes as a way to get there. Which is fast and fun but not very environmentally friendly. Slower and gentler for all concerned is the BC Ferry service. It is also considerably cheaper: note that there is not a direct service from Vancouver - change at Swartz Bay from the ferry from Tsawassen.
Buquebus offers ferries to/from Buenos Aires and Uruguay (Colonia, Montevideo) in combination with coach transportation within Uruguay. Very easy to book online, very reasonable rates (my roundtrip ferry/bus fare was less than $100). The ferry is comfortable, as are the buses. For pictures and full description go to www.travelmusings.net
This is a five minute crossing of the River Tyne between North and South Shields which presents a panorama of cranes on the banks of the mighty Tyne. They stand like giant preying mantis etched on the western sky, looking bereft. The ships which were once their prey are gone, now made in warmer climes where the workers can be paid less. The lovely wee ferry provides a glimpse, an echo, of more heroic times when a worker took pride in wages earned by real skills.
And to the east lies the North Sea, as cold and uninviting as it sounds. Yet still the trawlers venture out of the mouth of the Tyne in search of the mighty cod, and Norway beckons, inviting the Geordie to embark on a yet more arduous ferry journey to frigid fjords where they can languish on the latitude of an Arctic circle.
Take the metro from the centre of Newcastle to North Shields then follow the Pedestrian Ferry signs to the River Tyne. Upon disembarking take the metro from South Shields back to Newcastle. The Day Saver ticket on the metro covers the cost of the ferry.
Children love this adventure, and a great pint of ale can be had at the Alum pub by the ferry at South Shields.
Ferries are Condor (2.5 hours from Poole on the cat or 9 hours from Portsmouth on the slow boat):
www.condorferries.com
Cheapest flights last year were with Aurugny (50 mins from Gatwick):
hwww.aurigny.com
I have used speedferries for all my car trips to France over the last 3 years. They sail Dover-Boulogne, which doesn't seem to get affected by strikes and so on as much as Calais, and it is 20 miles further along on your route too. The prices are always very cheap and the crossings are generally very punctual and uncrowded. After putting up with the other ferry companies for years, they are a refreshing change, and I'd wholeheartly recommend them.
Spain is a one-hour ferry ride away from Africa. We were a little worried about our safety, but we thought that maybe we could take the ferry across, walk briefly on African soil, and take the next ferry back to Spain. We talked it over and decided to go for it.
We drove the rental car from Malaga to Algeciras and parked it in an all-day lot (for 19 euros). There are two ferries. One takes an hour to cross, and the other takes two and a half hours. We boarded the faster ferry (two adults for 102.30 euros) and waited for the departure. The ferry sat for an hour before finally leaving. As it turned out, that was the best thing that could have happened to us. While we were waiting to leave, we started talking to a man named Habibi and his wife and eight-year-old daughter, they were on vacation from their home in Birmingham, England, to visit his family, who still live in Tangier, Morocco. We asked Habibi for a private guide, two hours later, when we arrived in Tangier, we helped carry their luggage to the parking area where they were met by Habibi’s brother.
To our surprise, Habibi sent his wife and daughter with his brother and told us he wanted to join us to see Tangier. Using his cell phone, he reached one of his old friends Benny, a licensed guide who picked us up with his air conditioned car.
They drove us all around the city highlights and up into the hills to see the mayor’s home and the king’s palace. He talked a man with camels into letting us ride on them. Then we returned to the city where he led us through the oldest part, the Kasbah, Medina and Berber Souks. We visited a famous hotel where American and English actors stayed while filming in the area. He spent the entire day and most of the evening showing us the city he grew up in and obviously is still in love with.
We had such a great time that our new friend had to remind us that the last ferry back to Spain leaves at 11pm. He and his Guide/drove us back to the ferry building, made sure we got our passports stamped, walked us to the boat and made sure we were safely aboard before they left to join their families.
The last ferry back was a slow one and took two and a half hours to make the crossing. We drove the rental car back to our resort. Thanks to Habibi, we had a wonderful time visit.
Three weeks on and the book I bought for the flight remains unopened. I couldn't drag my eyes from the window on the day and I've not got the dream out of my head since.
Fly north to St Vincent if you can - I flew from Trinidad - and you'll be captivated by the Grenadines, floating in the clearest, bluest ocean you'll ever see, long before you land. A friendly taxi driver will soon get you to Kingstown, check ferry times and probably suggest breakfast at Cobblestones restaurant. It's good advice!
Don't rush to the ferry; amble, soak up island life - chill and connect.
Soon the Bequia Express ties up and discharges passengers with efficient chaos. Climb aboard for the one-hour crossing - and relax!
Bequia's silhouette crystallizes into an intricate, green paradise, as Admiralty Bay embraces the returning ferry. Port Elizabeth grows from hillside specks and soon you'll see its streets merging seamlessly with the tree-lined, restaurant-fronted beach.
Someone's already suggested going to Sweden for the day, but the interesting thing to me is that many Swedes buy their alcohol in Denmark, because it's fiendishly expensive in Sweden. So on the ferry, there's all these Vikings trundling around trolleys stacked up with crates full of beer or returning the empties. I tried some Swedish beer and it seemed quite good to me, but if nobody can afford to drink it, then it occurs to me from this, that living in Sweden must be like living in hell... still, notwithstanding the price of alcohol, it was quite good fun there.
Between Elsinore and Helsingborg.
Nelson is a small but vibrant town and is the gateway to BC's Kootenays region of lakes and snow-crested mountains. Great to visit in the summer, for canoeing, long ferry rides around the massive lakes, also skiing in winter. Great music festivals also - lots of artists, great food
It costs 1.3 lira (50p) for one journey on the modern funicular between Taksim Square and Kabatas and it is much better than taking a taxi. The trams and the ferry costs the same amount and the ferry, crossing from Europe to Asia, is a must.
Taksim Square, Istanbul.
Being a maritime city, what better way to travel than by boat?! Take one of the regular ferries from the centre (by the fountains) and see the new docks developments, The SS Great Britain and The Matthew before getting off at the Nova Scotia pub for a pint of proper cider (or whatever you want!).
www.bristolferryboat.co.uk;
www.ssgreatbritain.org;
www.novascotiahotel.co.uk
Zip across the bay to this small town for great views, lots of cheap restaurants and welcoming people.
Take the catamaran from the ferry terminal to the left of Praca de Commercio facing the sea.
The many ferries crossing the mouth of the Tagus are very relaxing and offer both excellent views and great tanning possibilities. I tried the one from Praça do Comércio to the South bank and back and the one from Belém which is a convenient way of getting to the Caparica beach just round the corner from landing.
Along the waterfront - various places.
I took the ferry to Sweden and back again, and I think that flying to a place for a "green" vacation is a contradiction in terms. Obviously crossing the Atlantic or Pacific requires a flight, but to really be kind to the planet, travelling surface is the way to go. If you have to fly, you should make sure that you are staying for a long time. Hopping on a plane for a week holiday is about as ungreen as it gets.
You can take the ferry in Newcastle and come back via Harwich for a nice round trip;
www.scandlines.com
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