- transport
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I have to use a wheelchair for any distance, so we took it on the bus into Seville (from campsite at Dos Hermanos, nearby). I managed the few steps on but my husband had to jam the wheelchair at the top of the rear exit. At a stop it fell out causing consternation to the driver/passengers and embarrassed giggles from us! But on the way back, we inadvertently got on the wrong bus, it stopped at a campsite - but one in the countryside outside Seville, everyone gesticulated at us to get off, we tried to explain it was not our 'camping' and several passengers conferred, then explained that we were miles from where we ought to have been. They told us to get off at the last stop and that the driver would show us a phone to get a taxi. But to our surprise and gratitude the driver just left his route and drove us all the way to our campsite. What a great guy!
Dos Hermanos Camping, south of Seville, bus stop across road, shops etc nearby.
The central train station of Verona, Porta Nuova, is situated in the very centre of the town. It is a long walk to all the major historic sights of the town and to most of the hotels as well. Very dodgy looking people hanging about, so don't stay there too long, and watch out when crossing the road: the drivers are maniacs.
For departures or arrivals information see www.trenitalia.it/en/index.html
You do not need any season tickets for the buses on the Cote d'Azur. They are already absurdly cheap to us folk living in rip-off Britain. It costs just 1 euro 30 cents to take the 2 hour bus journey from Nice to Cannes, with lots of wonderful stops en route (including Graham Greene's Antibes). For 90 pence you cannot go much further than 5 stops in Britain, but for the same 90 pence you can go from Nice all the way through Monte Carlo (the bus stops just yards from the harbour with all the millionaires' yachts) and on to Menton just a mile short of the Italian border.
Don't try to take an angkot (public transportation) personally, unless you are accompanied by local people.
There are a lot of foreigners in Bogor. But, for local people, they are sometimes seen as "cash cows". So please be careful.
Dublin's public transport, while still inadequate, has seen major improvements in recent years.
Dublin's DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) is a suburban train system that goes from Malahide (north Co. Dublin) to the city centre and then south to Greystones in Co. Wicklow.
Arrow suburban train services serve western suburbs (one line to Maynooth in Co. Kildare and one line to Kildare Town).
The LUAS is a modern tram system with two lines both serving the southern suburbs.
DART information: www.iarnrodeireann.ie/dart/home;
Arrow information: www.irishrail.ie;
LUAS information: www.luas.ie
The cheapest way to travel from Dublin Airport to the city centre is on Dublin Bus routes 41, 41B & 16A (continues to southern suburbs). Adult fares from Eur1.80 one-way.
Timetables, route and fare information: www.dublinbus.ie
A serendipitous experience is to find a green bus at Victoria Station that looks appealing as to its destination, hop on and see where you land.
I've been in St Albans and through the Kent countryside and have seen parts of England and its heritage I might have never considered or known.
Victoria Coach Station
The old port of Santorini originally could only be reached by the long winding set of steps down from Thira. All 888 of them, or 588, but lots! The locals came up with an easy way for seafarers to go up to the town of Fira: use mules to carry people up and down. Today the tourist and charter boats bring tourists in who ride the mules up to Fira for their short stay on Santorini.
One can get to the old port (it is worth a visit) by walking down (which we did). The choice is then to either take a mule ride back up or take its modern equivalent, the cable car. We chose the cable car for the views, speed and smoothness. Both the mules and the cable car cost. One can also think about walking back up... but I recommend against it.
Follow the signs to the steps or the cable car station in Fira. The cable car is 3.50 euro per person each way;
www.theplaka.com/thira/oldport.htm
We booked a private airport transfer with from Prague and the driver took us around city and explained everything. Great introduction. When we were picked up from the hotel on our way home we enjoyed another great ride. They were both superb, pointed out places of interest that we passed and were interested in our experiences of Prague.
tel: UK: 0131 208 0620; Prague: 420-234697486; USA: 214 329 9025
e-mail: info@prague-guide.co.uk;
www.prague-airport-transfers.co.uk
A day travel ticket for all zones in Berlin (A,B,C) costs only 6 euros (tickets for fewer zones are slightly cheaper). For this you can travel to Tegel (and the other airports) and as far out as Potsdam - 19 miles from the centre of Berlin.
If you fancy a day out in the beautiful Bavarian countryside or even a day in Salzburg, then buy a Bayern ticket. It's valid on all regional trains in the whole of Bavaria and costs 18€ for one person and 25€ for up to five people. For travelling around in Munich in a group, buy a one-day or a three-day Partnerkarte, again valid for up to 5 people.
Available at all ticket machines in S-Bahn, U-Bahn and main stations.
This private airport transfer service will take 1-4 people into the city centre for about £12 (for 5-8, simply double it). There is a stand opposite international arrivals. Pay there and they give you a voucher for the driver outside. Don't get a taxi: at least Dick Turpin, the original highway robber, wore a mask.
If you're on a budget you could do worse than bus 119 from outside the terminal. It goes to Dejvicka Metro station, which is just four stops from Wenceslas Square. You can buy a transfer ticket in the terminal for about 30p. Make sure you validate your ticket in the machine when boarding the bus, or you will be travelling illegally and liable for an on-the-spot fine from the plain-clothes inspectors who target unsuspecting tourists.
In the international arrivals at Ruzyne Airport;
tel: +420 224 281 005;
email: cedaz@cmail.cz
The city of Luxembourg is served by an efficient network of buses. The main centre of the capital city is very compact and eminently walkable, in spite of the cliffs and ramparts which so characterise the old fortress city. There is no underground or tramway service. A ride on a City bus will set you back a flat fare of €1.50. This "billet courte-distance" (i.e. short distance ticket) is valid for one hour (or 10 km) from purchase on the whole of Luxembourg's public transport network, and also allows transits between city and country buses and trains. Readers might like to know that a block of 10 such tickets can be purchased in advance for the cost of €10.
www.autobus.lu (French language site)
tel: 352 4796 2975.
Krakow now has a fast train link (szynobus) between Krakow Balice Airport and the city centre. The journey form the airport to the main railway station in the city centre takes only 15 minutes, and costs only 3,8 PLN (= 0.65 GBP = 0.96 Euro = $1.2). The trains operates between 4am and 11pm. Initially there are 35 trips a day. Such a fast train link between the airport and the city centre is a first in Poland and eastern Europe. Isn’t it great?
miasta.gazeta.pl/krakow/1,35798,3371694.html (Polish news story);
Timetable: bi.gazeta.pl/im/8/3371/m3371348.jpg
Car hire is very cheap in Menorca and you can travel the island end to end easily in a day. The roads are very quiet but if you are not experienced at driving abroad, avoid the city centres. The road system is a bit weird because there is one main road running between the two cities and the minor roads run off this to the resorts, to get to the next resort you have to go back to the main road then down the next minor road, there are very few coastal roads but all roads were quiet.
The loveliest - and probably steepest - of Lisbon's funiculars, the Bica hauls itself up and down from the Bairro Alto to the Rua de São Paulo (look out for the arch with the inscription 'Ascensor da Bica'), through a neighbourhood all its own, situated in a steep-sided chasm. At the bottom, the Mercado de Ribeira has a lively fish and flower market in the mornings.
Between Rua do Loreto and Rua de São Paolo;
Metro: Chiado
The airport minibus is expensive by Hungarian standards and not a particularly good service. The standard of driving when we took it was atrocious and on our return journey, we were kept waiting & driven on a tour of the city while they tried to fill it up with other passengers.
Sintra is wonderful. If you have more time take the old tram from the terminus near the art gallery over to the coast - some good beaches there and a lovely run to them. Trams are infrequent, so plan!
Regular trains from Sete Rios station or Entrecampos station (Estação Rossio closed at time of writing)
Watch out for pickpockets - I know EVERYONE says this, but I used to live in Lisbon and I saw it happen time and time again on the 28 and 15 trams. - Especially by the ticket machines on the new 15s
The airport is a confusing maze of roads and is on the edge of a very fast through route (Segunda Circular) with crazy drivers, missing road signs, and other road signs that are just plain wrong.
Bad accidents on this road are very common. Parking is near impossible anywhere central, and even expensive hotel carparks are so small that getting in and out takes some serious precision driving.
If you're staying in the downtown area Metro, walking is all you need.
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