- public transport
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Public transport in Prague is cheap and Plentiful. What's more is that it goes on throughout the night. Night trams have numbers in the 50s. One thing worth knowing is that all night trams go through Lazarska/Karlovo Namesti (Charles Square). So, if you know that tram 56 goes past your hotel you can jump on any night tram and change here to your required tram.
Lazarska/Karlovo Namesti (Charles Square)
You don't need a car to get deep into the Alps during summer. Getting to Aosta from any of the airports in Northern Italy is a doddle on the train, and there's a great bus service that will take you up to Cogne. From there, walk or get the local bus to Valnontey for a great base for spectacular single or multi-day walks. Stay at La Barme for hearty, traditional evening meals.
www.trenitalia.com for train times to Aosta.
www.savda.it/orari_tariffe.htm for buses from Aosta to Cogne
www.hotellabarme.com - Hotel La Barme
Cicerone guide Walking in Italy's Gran Paradiso by Gillian Price has loads of great walks in.
The past week has seen the DLR train connection to London City Airport closed for line upgrades. Before setting off to the airport, it is wise to check online at www.tfl.gov.uk or www.londoncityairport.com to check for travel disruptions. There are replacement bus services in place but you should give yourself an extra half an hour if taking these to allow for delays and traffic
On a recent trip to Marrakech I became tired at being fleeced by all and sundry. This was especially true of taxi drivers who will use your geographical ignorance to charge more than you would pay for a similar length of trip in a London Black cab if you're not careful. And they tend to get quite aggressive if you have the neck to negotiate – even though you're doing so nicely. Thus I resolved to make a planned trip to Cascades d'Ouzoud (well worth it by the way) by public bus rather than taxi. In most ways this was a good way to travel – all Moroccans, no tourists, rooster in cage on roof, altogether much more interesting than a more tourist-oriented option.
What I discovered, though, is a vast difference in condition of buses. Some look quite together and well, if creatively, maintained. The one we got on was falling apart – and that's by Moroccan standards. It's typical to see some quite creative repairs on Moroccan cabs and buses but this thing had repairs on top of repairs to the point where it was hard to tell what was holding what together. It seems the same buses tend to do the same journey times day in day out. We were on the same bus on the way back two days later (it was later in the day but this made sense as it was the return leg of the journey). This time the dilapidation started to show up big time. The windscreen shattered, showering everyone at the front in glass and, ten minutes later one of the side windows fell out. Even the locals were a bit perturbed by the state of the bus in question! If this kind of thing worries you it may be best to go to the bus station a day before you plan to travel. Find the bus that's going where you are headed and talk to the driver or ticket man to ask if the same bus will be running at the same time the next day. If the bus looks sufficiently knackered that you don't think you can stomach a trip in it you can then change your plans accordingly.
In the end we all got back in one piece but it wasn't a trip of the feint of heart.
Getting around The Big Island on public transport is infrequent. If you don't drive and are on a low budget (which makes tours uneconomical)
then you aren't going to see the best of the Big Island.
Having said that the buses are free!
To get from JFK to Penn Station Manhattan:
Cheapest way: Airtrain to Jamaica Station and E subway to Penn station
Quickest way: Airtrain to Jamaica and then Long Island Rail Road to Penn station
Least stressful but long way: bus from terminal door to Manhattan
Most expensive and hair-raising way: TAXI
If possible fly to Newark instead - bus from terminal door to Manhattan is stressfree and quick and Newark is much less likely to have an excruciatingly long wait to get through immigration (unlike JFK).
Airtrain info: www.panynj.gov/Airtrain/
LIRR and subway info: www.mta.info/index.html
bus info: www.nyairportservice.com/
Traffic in Manila is probably the worst in the world - it is hell. If anyone complains about traffic in New York, Los Angeles, Rome etc, he or she should visit Manila because nothing compares to Manila traffic.
The reason why is simply because of the population almost doubling in the past 20 years. As a result, there are more drivers and more vehicles fighting for space on mostly old-narrow roads and highways. The saying "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere" applies if one were to drive in Manila.
Old and dilapidated vehicles such as jeeps, buses and tricycles add to the problems of congestion and pollution. Also, undisciplined drivers cause gridlock - U-turns on main thoroughfares make no sense. A modernization plan is needed where drivers can easily exit, cross a bridge over the freeway/highway and enter the other way. You'll know what I'm talking about once you're in Manila.
Pollution, such as smog, is a major issue in the city. Old vehicles belch fumes and smoke so avoid taking old public transport without air-conditioning and windows. Community efforts are gaining momentum to clean up so as to beautify the city. Streets are generally clean although certain sections in, around and outside Manila seem neglected, such as railroad tracks, rivers and, of course, the squatter areas in certain districts of Metro Manila.
Prague is generally a safe city, and violent crime is low. But pickpockets are a problem. Watch out in particular for groups who operate on the 'yellow line' (line B) at Mustek and Narodni trida stations.
It allows unlimited travel on the very accessible Metro and bus service for up to 3 days. Incredible value and makes getting around to the many sights very easy. We travelled a considerable distance from the centre outside the city walls to the Catacombs and back under our own steam.
Can be bought from tobacco/newspaper kiosks.
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