http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20825
Most people coming from Britain will arrive at JFK Terminal 7. There is a free bus to take you from there to the relevant stop on the JFK Airtrain, where you buy a $5 ticket to take you to Jamaica Station or Howard Beach Station. The Airtrain is a bit like London's Circle Line, i.e. it goes round and round, so check that you are going in the right direction. You'll get to Jamaica Station or Howard Beach eventually but it saves time to go the right way. At Jamaica or Howard Beach Station buy a ticket (machines or booth) and take the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) into Manhattan, from where you can take the New York Subway to all parts of the city. Buy a one, two or seven day Metrocard at the Subway station and you'll save money on single trips, both on the subway and buses.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20825 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20806
Don't hesitate to try the bus system or subway. Both are inexpensive, intuitive, quick, and user-friendly.

Full report at www.travelmusings.net]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20806 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20695
If you get a rail/sail ticket, you can travel from the Hook of Holland to any Dutch station for just over £100 for two of you, which is excellent value.

Because of this ferry service, the Netherlands have now become my place for a quick getaway. Much easier than travelling there by Eurostar.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20695 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20678
We found that there are shortcomings to the promised service that spoiled the experience. These included no answer on the internal phones, very slow restaurant table service and an air conditioning system that didn’t work in our cabin.

But the real issues were to follow:
The overnight service from Madrid to Paris stopped en route during the night, the power went off and back on several times.
The breakfast table service was chaotic, only two waiters were struggling to cope with passengers demands. We decided that this may be due to the impending arrival in Paris and so abandoned the restaurant.

Confused about the lack of information we found (with the assistance of another passenger’s sat nav) that we were still 100 miles from Paris. No one from the company had bothered to let any of us know the train was running more than two hours late!

No staff from the so-called first class train hotel made their faces seen until our passports were returned at 10:00am; the train finally arrived at 10:30am. Some passengers also missed their Eurostar connections.

I have looked at the Elipsos.com website and cannot find any ‘contact us’ or ‘feedback’ links for me to use to complain about their failed service and communication standards.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20678 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20612 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20612 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19953
In hindsight we should have booked first class tickets a day or two before. First class does not cost that much more (Train fares are very cheap compared to UK fares). When we bought our tickets on the day of travel, the first class tickets were sold out.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19953 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19924
Narita may be accessible but Tokyo’s city centre is anything but from Narita. A little known gem of trivia is that the two are almost 2 hours apart (!); and a taxi (of any kind) is ruinously expensive (over £200). Important tip then: if you’re not a CEO, take the train. It’s quicker, infinitely cheaper and unsusceptible to the horrors of Tokyo traffic.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19924 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19921 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19921 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19911 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19911 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19909 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19909 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19853 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19853 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19718 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19718 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19671
Virgin trains offer a great first class service with very attentive staff. When making this journey I often plug my laptop in to the socket at my seat and catch up on some work or just sit back and enjoy the English countryside. A much more stress-free trip than a visit to Heathrow for a one-hour flight!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19671 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19663 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19663 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19657 www.virgintrains.co.uk.

Money saving tip one - don't buy a fully flexible ticket. Instead, go to the ticket counter at Euston and buy a saver single or return for your journey. It's unlikely the train will be full (especially 1st class) and you will save a lot of money on your saver return.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19657 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19646 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19646 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19643 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19643 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19617
There are buses to take you to the chateaus from Tours Gare and cost around 49 euros per person for a full-day tour- you'll visit Chenonceau, Amboise then Chambord which is quite a lot in one day.

While I would recommend a full day for each of these attractions, if you haven't the time it's a great day for the whole family and no need to drive or hire a car. Lunch is usually at Amboise which has lovely cafes, nothing really really gastronomic but good for lunch.

You can probably organise tickets for the chateaux pick-up via SNCF (gare) or www.tourevasion.com for more Loire Valley activities]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19617 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19556 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19556 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19551
Each MTR station has lettered exits. There is always a map in the station and using this can help you find the correct exit. Or just ask the office you are visiting for the exit number. If you are revisiting, write the exit number on any business card you get - but not while you are in the meeting. It's a bit of an insult to write on a business card.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19551