Because of the lack of diplomatic relations with so many countries to the East, El Al has a very limited number of flights that go Eastbound from Tel Aviv, and most of those flights (Beijing, Bangkok) take very circuitous routes to avoid flying over countries which are technically at war with Israel including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

So if you were going East-West, Tel Aviv is almost never the best place to do it.

That means that the number of possibilities to use El Al and connect in Tel Aviv is miniscule, and although there IS an international transit route through Ben Gurion airport, I've never seen anyone use it.

One possible use would be for tourists who wish to visit a combination of Israel and Jordan.

They might connect through TLV on their way to Amman, for example, then go overland back to Israel, and fly home through TLV.

Geographically, it might make sense if you are travelling from Johannesburg to St. Petersburg; there don't appear to be any direct flights between those two cities, yet they are both serviced by El Al (with a transfer in Tel Aviv).

Well all airlines have a home hub out of which they operate, and sometimes other hubs.

This means that it's very common to fly between two cities on the same airline via one of these hubs.

If you don't understand why anybody would want to fly via a hub rather than a direct flight, there are many reasons including frequent flier points and cheaper tickets.

So my answer is any two cities serviced by El Al would be such city pairs, and quite possibly other airlines too.

I have a friend from Australia who some years ago wanted to visit Israel and Russia on the same trip.

So they did a transfer at TLV.

SO it does happen.

But I would expect that it is not a hugely common thing.

But even so I would expect that a bunch of folks do it every day.

As others have noted, it might make sense going North/South.

I recently travelled from Johannesburg to Bucharest via Israel.

I think it probably was a relatively cheap way to make the trip - first leg with El Al, second leg with Wizz Air -

but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it:

El Al is pretty bad, and it was a pain to 1)

get subjected to 40 min questioning in Johannesburg airport before getting on the flight to Israel (maybe less likely if you're not a man travelling alone) 2) have to transfer terminals and go through security again at Ben Gurion.

(FYI, my trip wasn't as a result of finding the cheapest or most convenient flights - it was because I already had a return flight to Israel booked from Johannesburg and then moved the outbound flight one week earlier to get a work trip to Bucharest in.)

Question: In the airport in Tel Aviv (Ben Guirion) I noticed a sign for "international transfer passengers".  This piqued my curiosity... is there actually a "city pair" (with both cities outside of Israel) where it would make practical sense to change planes in Tel Aviv?  I can't think of any pair like that.

International transfer in Tel Aviv?

Any two cities served by El Al could be a possibility, but it is rare for anyone actually to use the international transit route. Tourists visiting a combination of Israel and Jordan, or travelling from Johanesburg to St Petersburg might use it, but geographically this usually doesn't make sense.

Although Tel Aviv is unlikely to be used as a transit hub for East West travel, it may be useful to transit there for North South travel. Moreover, Tel Aviv will act as the transit hub for any two of its away hubs.

Tel Aviv is an unlikely hub for East West travel.

Tel Aviv may be a useful hub for North South travel, eg Johannesburg to Bucharest.

El Al may have away hubs in cities it serves and thus travel between the two would be frequent and Tel Aviv would be the transit hub.


Be careful about trusting the Google Maps walking route, as it wants to send you over Connaught Bridge, which doesn't have pedestrian footpaths!

If you use streetview , you can see the lack of footpaths, but also a handy bridge that Google neglects to show...

Instead I'd suggest using OpenRouteService to plan the route, which uses OpenStreetMap data which does include the bridge .

That suggests a sub-2km, 20 minute walk,along the dock side, and over the pedestrian bridge:

The two DLRs are typically very quick and easy - I have walked it, but in the winter, or at night you wouldn't want to.

Just get on a DLR to Canning Town, and the next one out to the airport shouldn't be more than 10 or 15 minutes later

The postcode for the ExCeL center is, funnily enough, E16 1XL (perhaps where it gets its name).

Plugging that into the Journey Planner , gives you a 32 min walk.

Google Maps suggests a slightly different route , taking 47 minutes.

So yes, it's walkable :)

I'd take the longer Google Maps one, personally, as you get to see more of the Docklands.

I also was intending to go to the dev days, and bought the plane ticket and two nights at Premier Inn as a consequence.

Fortunately, CodeKen2011 filled that hole, and I wondered the same as you - looking at the map it wasn't completely clear whether I could walk it, and Google maps disclaimer didn't reassure me.

As Gagravarr points out in a comment on Joel's answer, there is a foot bridge which goes underneath the road bridge.

It is actually quite pretty down there.

I do remember walking from a nearby overland train station to City Airport several years ago.

But East London is rapidly changing these days, so I can not say whether it is still possible today.

Question: I was intending to go to a conference at ExCeL in London Docklands, leaving via London City airport. It seems a very walkable distance between the two, but from Google Maps I can't see if it is practical. Many airports disallow or strongly discourage walking. Will I have to get a taxi, or fiddle around with two DLRs (Docklands Light Rail) (if it's running)? And if I can walk, what route should I take?

Is it possible to walk from ExCeL to London City Airport?

travel.stackexchange.com/users/36/Tom Hawtin - tackline

The two DLRs are typically very quick and easy. It is possible to walk, but not usually practical at night or in winter. You could use OpenRouteService  to plan the route, which uses  OpenStreetMap data which  does include the bridge .

You can walk from ExCel to London City Airport, however it is best not to do it in winter or at night. Use OpenRouteServer to plan the route, rather than Google Maps.


A friend recently did this, flying from LON (London) to SYD (Sydney).

I went shopping with him and found a hard-shell suitcase.

They're surprisingly light, and Samsonite has claimed theirs is "strong enough to stand on" .

We then removed his harddisk drive.

This is the most valuable and most fragile part of the computer.

It's also feasible to do the same with the sticks of RAM and other parts, but the harddrive is the critical bit.

This was packed in an anti-static bag, and bubble wrapped, and I believe he actually took it on his carry-on to make sure he had it safe at all times.

Aside from that, you check the suitcase in just as per normal.

I'd perhaps put some jerseys or other clothes in the suitcase with the computer to try and give it just that extra bit of protection, and to prevent it from sliding around too much if it's not an exact fit.

I personally would take some precautions.

First of all, make a backup of your data.

Leave on in your home and take another one with you so that you can use it in your destination place.

Then when transporting a desktop computer, the most fragile part is almost always the hard disk drive.

So I would dismount it if possible and take it into your cabin luggage.

You could also do this for other sensible parts like for example other drives, the processor, or the RAM bars.

This I would pack into anti-static bags and take it into the cabin.

The tower itself you can put into protected pc transporting bags like this one .

This bag will be checked so that you can't smuggle and weapons or drugs.

But you shouldn't normally fear that this will damage your computer.

And last but not least, you could also think about sending your computer with a carrier.

I quote this from a message board:

Send it via a Secured Carrier, RPS(Royal Packaging Service), Which Delivers Things in the most pristine state Possible.

Door to door Service, White glove care.

But i warn you, Its pricey.

15lb = $200/USD.

I must take George's comment to an answer because it's too important: depending on the kind, the heatsink may need to be removed.

Apply common sense / guess the centre of gravity.

If it looks like this: it very likely will cause no problems.

If it looks like this: you definitely do not want that bumping around.

I've shipped the kid's gaming computer twice on an airline.

Both times it was partially disassembled on arrival.

With a huge heatsink for the chip, it must look suspicious to the uninformed at TSA.

Had to rebuild it both times.

Third time, FedEX - same thing.

Depending on the size of the case and your level of pain tolerance, it may also be possible to take it as carry-on luggage.

I've done that twice now, although with a small flat desktop PC (that is within hand luggage size regulations), and aside from being taken aside at security for explosives screening (which involved me opening the case) and actually carrying the thing around, it was easy enough.

Obviously the safest solution is to not check it -- instead bring it as a carry-on.

I've done this.

If the computer is within the weight and dimension limits of your carrier for carryon luggage, then there is apparently no reason why you can't bring it with you onboard.

I think I would fill it with packing peanuts and then wrap it in fleece filts, then of course take out the hard drive.

I would then pack it into a hard bag and I'll make sure that the desktop has no space to slide around.

I think the best way is just disassemble your PC parts like Motherboard, HDD, Power Supply etc and leave the casing.

You can buy new casing and reassemble to that new casing from your new destination country.

This is most safest easiest way.

Because you no need to worry about parts being not broken or anything during travel.

Question: On an upcoming trip, I will be taking a desktop computer and monitor as checked luggage (on a United/Continental flight). What should I be aware of when doing this? What needs to be done to properly protect all the components? Are there any airline policies I should be aware of?

Flying with a desktop computer (as checked luggage)

You should take precautions to protext the components, especially the hard disk drive, which is the most fragile part. You might be able to take it as carry on luggage, disassemble it or fill it with packing peanuts, or you could send it via a good carrier.

Care needs to be taken when transporting a PC by air. The most important thing is to remove the hard drive. The PC may also be carefully packed, maybe carried on board by hand. On the other hand, it may be safer to send it by secure carrier.

Some precautions need to be taken when transporting a PC by air. The most important is to remove the hard drive.

The PC can be carefully packed and maybe carried onboard as hand luggage.

An alternative is to send it by secure carrier.


It is very difficult to answer since there are hundreds or thousands skis resorts in the Alps.

But to narrow down the potential candidates, I would focus on very small ski resorts in Austria.

The reason is quite simple, smaller resorts are generally cheaper than big resorts and Austria is generally way cheaper than Switzerland, and cheaper (at least concerning ski resorts) than France.

If had to recommend a single location, it would be Laterns in Vorarlberg, Austria.

The first sentence of the homepage says that it is one of the cheapest ski resorts in all of Austria.

This ski resort also offers a good opportunity called Vormittagskarten mit Rückvergütung .

This means you can pay for a ticket in the morning and then as soon as you've had enough snowboarding you can give it back

and then you will receive some money back.

As a beginner this might be a good choice.

Laterns is not the only ski resort that offer such tickets.

Nowadays it is quite common in the Alps (or at least Austrian Alps).

A lot of ski resorts also offer perks if you're a student or in military service.

So don't forget your student card if you have one.

Just one thought to start off.

If you are a beginner, bad slopes can be a disadvantage ...

I would have a look at Germany, and more particularly the Allgäu region .

You have some smaller resorts over there, which are a bit cheaper than resorts in Austria.

In the French Alps, places like Chamrousse and Saint-François-Longchamp are not too expensive.

The last one is a very nice place for beginners.

Look for a flat and do some self-catering to beat down the price.

Northern Italy, with the exception of South Tyrol (Alto Adige), should not be too expensive either.

Here I am thinking about Lombardia but also the Trentino.

If you want something really cheap, I would not go to the Alps.

Czech Republic or the Tatra mountains could be a good choice.

I can recommend Livigno in northern Italy.

It is a tax free zone so everything is a bit cheaper than in the rest of Italy.

It is close to the swiss border.

The skiing is probably boring for the advanced but there are lots of smaller slopes for the beginner.

They also have a sleigh track which is fun and easy regardless of your skiing skills.

Arguably cheapest ski resort in alps are in Slovenia.

Kranjska gora or Vogel do not offer so much than others in austria, but still if you a beginner it Will be just ok.

Of course for 30-40% less money: Info about Kranjska gora

Switzerland is definitely more expensive but I am not sure Austria is necessarily much cheaper than France.

It's going to depend a lot on the resort and there are many small and even quite a few large but less famous resorts in France where accommodation and the like are somewhat cheaper.

I don't know their ski resorts but you could consider Italy, Germany or Slovenia as well.

To reduce cost, you need to consider a few things:

Prices vary a lot, it's more important to see what you can find than settle on a country or region from the get go.

Lesser known villages at lower altitude and accommodation

that's a bit far from the lift/slopes

are usually markedly cheaper, even in the same area.

And beware of spending more on transport just to save a few euros. Restaurants, services and even groceries are usually expensive in resorts, go for self-catering and shop in the valley to save money (that's easier with a car obviously).

Don't worry too much about ski pass prices.

Even large resorts offer cheaper “beginner's passes” that only cover a few slopes or even free lifts and this should be more than adequate for you (but you do need to check if there is something like that, it does not exist everywhere).

Don't buy an expensive weekly pass either, you are probably going to get tired quickly or want a day off from skying (bad weather is also a possibility).

Just buy passes for a few hours or half a day when you feel like skying.

Renting equipment is also going to be an important part of your budget

but I don't know any shortcuts there.

Also, you asked about the Alps and they certainly offer some very good resorts and breathtaking landscapes but as an absolute beginner, other lesser known areas (Vosges, Pyrenees, Massif Central, Jura, Black Forest, Ore Mountains, Tatras…) could be cheaper and easier to reach for you.

Several resorts offer skipass for free (usually during the beginning and last weeks of the seasons) if you book accomodation with them.

Depending on the weather / luck that can be a great (or lackluster) deal.

Here is the offer from Livigno https://www.livigno.eu/en/skipass-free Offer from Val di Sole: http://www.valdisole.net/EN/Free-Ski-Weeks/

Previously I have seen such offers form Bromio http://www.bormioski.eu/ ,Madonna di Campiglio

http://www.campigliodolomiti.it and Les Arcs http://www.lesarcs.com but can't find anything about that on their webpages currently.

Maybe they will publish that later in the season.

You can also write them and ask if there will be such offers in spring 2017.

Question: I'm a total beginner. Where should I go if I want to start skiing at the minimum price? Don't worry if the slopes are bad/small/too easy, if there is snow and it's cheap, that's good.  I am only interested in Alps as I am going to travel through the French Alps and Switzerland, and perhaps some part of Northern Italy.

Which is the cheapest ski resort in the Alps?

Small resorts are usually cheaper than large ones, and Austria is generally cheaper than France and Switzerland. Laterns  in Vorarlberg, Austria is a good choice. In the French Alps, places like Chamrousse and Saint-François-Longchamp are not too expensive. Northern Italy shouldn't be too expensive, with the exception of South Tyrol (Alto Adige); Livigno is a good resort to try. Slovenia is probably the cheapest in the Alps, although you could find other affordable resorts with beautiful scenery in lesser known areas (Vosges, Pyrenees, Massif Central, Jura, Black Forest, Ore Mountains, Tatras…).

Austria is considered a good destination for beginner skiers that is not too expensive. However, France, Italy, Germany and Slovenia may have something to offer. Away from the Alps, the Czech Republic, Pyrenees, Vosges Mountains and Tatra Mountains may be a good choice.

Austria is a good place for ski beginners and not too expensive compared to other places in the Alps.

Ski destinations in the Alps include France, Italy, Germany and Slovenia. Other areas are the Czech Republic and Tatra Mountains.

Good ski areas away from the Alps may be good for beginners and cheaper. Examples include the Pyrenees and Vosges.


There are probably well over a hundred real castles converted to hotels in Europe - maintaining a castle is expensive, so most people who own one need to monetize it somehow.

Here's a German site that lists 40 castles and palaces converted into hotels in Germany alone...

The question is: how historical do you want it to be to count as "real"?

Older than 200 years?

Older than 500?

A pretty solid candidate would be Burg Wernberg in Bavaria: first documented in 1280, never substantially destroyed and rebuilt (which is the case for a great many old castles).

However, the historical past is not all that exciting (the castle seems to have changed hands a lot, but was never involved in big historical events).

For a medieval castle - a '10 story ominous looking castle' in Ireland, I remembered watching Alex Albrecht of Diggnation, talk about how he stayed in one (3 min in to video)

he found on Celtic Castles .

Note that Irish castles don't have moats.

Annoyingly he doesn't say which one, but certainly the website claims to be the biggest Castle booking website in the world, so I'd hazard a guess that it'd be a solid start :)

It includes bookings for castles in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and French Châteaux.

There's a hostel called Albergue Juvenil Castillo de San Servando in Toledo (Spain) which is in a castle.

I have tried it

and it's the definitely the most beautiful hostel I've ever been to.

Check the website for additional information.

Sure, I don't imagine they're cheap though.

A quick Google threw up heaps of sites.

It's important to note that often stately homes or chateau are described as castles.

To me a castle has a moat and a bridge such as Leeds Castle (not actually in Leeds) staying in one of these might be a little more difficult.

Here are the first three links most of them are in UK though some are in France.

Also there is the ruins of the castle in middle of lochleven which you could probably hide out in overnight without too much issue.

Carbisdale Castle in the north of Scotland is actually a youth hostel .

I stayed there for a few pounds back in the 1980s and it was a cool place.

It is currently closed for refurbishment until 2012, but dorm beds in Scottish hostels are around 20 pounds.

It is not a very old, it was only built in 1907, but it looks and feels like a much older building.

It has its own railway station very close by, admittedly it is a bit out of the way.

A castle?!

Pfwah!

For $70,000 you can have a whole European country for a night!

(Though it's not clear if you get to sleep in the castle )

Another option is Oxford castle which was largely destroyed during the English Civil War, but what was left was made into a Gaol.

It remained a Prison until 1996 and was subsequently converted into a luxury boutique Hotel .

I have a recollection of staying in the Grand Hotel in Brussels Belgium, that was a converted castle.

(But this was decades ago.)

Most western European countries feature castles with owners that need to defray the cost of their upkeep by providing "bed and breakfast" type services to visitors.

Check with local travel agents for prices and availability.

There are quite a few castles in Germany where you can stay overnight.

As far as I know some castle owners rent out some of the many (converted) rooms in the castle just to cover the costs they have with maintaining such a building.

Here is a list from for hostels in a castle .

Sorry, not many pictures on this page, but you can still look up the castle name on flickr or google images.

Here is a french castle hotels website .

I looked around on this website, there is some Renaissance-era castles, but I didn't find any medieval-era castle at first glance.

BTW, in french, castle is translated as "château", if you want to search google or something.

Yes it is possible.

Especially if you are in a group.

Before I had children I organized a annual board-game event in a castle with friends.

We were able to rent a castle for around 1000 Euro per weekend, which with around 30 people became quite affordable.

I cannot provide you with a link, because they don't have a website.

But I found them by asking while walking through the Ardennes in Belgium.

The location was also brilliant because of its name

"Ny" (Monthy python lovers will know what I mean)

If you are not in a large group, I also know Cortils Castle , which offers self catering accommodation.

If you would consider Cortils, I can recommend to arrive late on a moonless night.

It gives an erie touch to your arrival.

Other castles which offer accommodation are: Chateau de bonne esperance (Bed & Breakfast) Chateau de saint nicolas (French) Vaeshartelt Maastricht the Netherlands

I am not sure to understand what you call a castle (it was built in the middle ages?

It is fortified?).

However, there is a French chain of hotels called Relais & Châteaux that is a worldwide network of so-called "charming hotels" and in particular, castles.

I could not find a way to filter the results by the type of residence, but there are not that many (still about 200 residences in Europe and from a vague scan, I would say 50 are castles).

There is another chain of the same kind called Châteaux & Hôtels Collection but it seems to have fewer castles and mostly located in France.

Awhile back I've been to Italy and stayed at: Castello Di Carimate from that time

it only seem to have improved.

Question: I spent a night in a jail converted to a hotel in Switzerland, and it made me wonder if there is a real castle converted to an hotel in Europe.  And with "real" I mean the castle should have a historical past, and NOT a castle built recently or a hotel with a 'castle' look on the outside but on the inside it looks like a common hotel.  In short, I want to feel that I was brought back to the castle age if I stay in the hotel.

Is there any way to spend a night in a European castle?

There are over a hundred such castles in Europe, often offering bed and breakfast-type services to defray the heavy cost of the castle's upkeep. Chateau de bonne esperance and Chateau de Saint Nicolas in France, Castle Vaeshartelt in Maastricht in the Netherlands,  Albergue Juvenil Castillo de San Servando  in Toledo, Spain, Burg Wernberg  in Bavaria, Germany, Carbisdale Castle  in the north of Scotland and Oxford Castle in England are possible options.

Westen Europe appears to have a large number of castles that offer tourist accommodation. Notable examples can be found in Germany, France, the UK and Scotland.

Many countries in Europe have castles which offer accommodation for tourists.

Castles in Bavaria, Toledo, Scotland and Oxford offer accommodation.


Do not pack the suit!

why spend time ironing/pressing the suit at the hotel/accommodation while you can carry them as they are with you?

Put them in a travel suit bag, something like this: Once in the plane, ask a cabin crew member to hang it for you, in every plane there is a coat compartment and they will be happy to do that for you.

This is what I would do as a frequent business traveler.

Many airlines do not count this among the cabin luggage allowance, so your allowance will not be affected.

It doesn't directly answer your question, but I usually prefer to wear the suit and pack the other clothing, at least on short flights.

Try Youtube , you have tons of videos that shows how to do it.

The "best" is subjective, it depends on your suit type, your packing skills, etc.

My method is a combination of clothing that does not show creases, like skirts that have creases as part of the design of the fabric, or do not crease, with wearing the parts that do not pack away small.

My favorite travel skirt is of thin silk which packs away very small, two of them in the space of one T-shirt, it does not crease on packing and can even be washed and hang out in case it does get dirty underway.

If I need my nice jacket, I will wear it onto the plane, take it off before sitting down and place it on the coat hook on the seat in front of me.

If possible I cover it with my rain jacket, otherwise I will be very careful with drinks and food.

I try to get a window seat with a normal row of seats in front of me, so I do not have to put everything in the overhead lockers.

For those items of clothing that need it, the old trick of hanging the items in the bathroom while taking a shower might be enough.

Better bring clothing that does not need much.

This method works for me, who does not often need nice clothing while traveling and certainly not for business meetings.

I had to take a suit backpacking to a wedding in Iran this year.

I was introduced to the Skyroll Garment bag , which I was allowed to use as carry on OR checked luggage on several airlines.

The bag unrolls to have my shirt and suit inside, and has pockets on either end for accessories and shoes.

Very impressed with it, and there was virtually no creasing after a couple of weeks in the bag!

I always pack using the rolling up method: Starting with underwear and socks, I then roll

t-shirts round them until I have a roll that I flatten.

Around that I roll work shirts, and then finally any suits I am taking.

This ensures there are no tight folds or creases on anything other than underwear and t-shirts.

Very straightforward, and once you reach the hotel, you simply hang them up.

While many flights have coat compartments, especially for business class, as a very frequent flyer I find them very inconvenient, sometimes having to wait for my suit bag to be delivered back to me, sometimes having it come back creased, and once not come back at all.

The following is what I do whenever I am travelling and have to carry 1 or more suits in my luggage.

Spread the jacket facing you on a flat surface.

From the inside of the jacket reach out for one of the arms and pull it towards you, such that its now inside out.

Stuff

the inside out arm into the other arm (again from the inside), this has folded your jacket into a vertical half.

Ensure that the arms are not crushed in, but neatly tucked into the other arm.

Also ensure that the jacket is folded along the centre vertical stitch that runs along the back.

Put the jacket aside and fold your trousers neatly and place them on the lower half of your jacket.

Fold everything else you can and place over the trousers like undershirts, t-shirts or a bath towel (if you carry them).

Ensure that you do not use any clothing item that has a zipper, button, hook etc, as they may leave imprints on the jacket.

You can now fold the upper half of the jacket to meet the lower half, such that the other clothing items have formed a padding in-between.

This can now be put into your luggage.

As far as possible, keep this package at the very top.

Once you reach your destination, ensure to unpack immediately.

In case you notice some creases, run the shower at the highest temperature you can and hang the jacket (on the curtain rod, maybe).

The steam from the hot shower will ensure that the crease disappears.

Of course ensure there is not water splashing on your jacket.

Question: When traveling for business purposes, it is often necessary to pack formal clothing, often within a small carry-on bag. What is the best way to compactly pack a suit (and other formal wear) in a standard piece of luggage with minimal creasing and folding?

What is the best way to pack a suit to reduce creasing?

It would be better to carry the suit rather than spending with ironing/pressing it at your destination.

The two best options for travelling with a suit are place the suit in a suit bag and carry on as hand luggage or wear your suit and pack other items.

Instead of packinga suit in your suitcase, carry it on in a suitbag as hand luggage.

Pack your non-creasing items and wear your suit on the plane.


We do it from Peru side.

You have to go to Puno port and buy one of the excursions they sell that could be just for a lake trip or you can stay one night with a family in Taquile or Amantani islands.

That option is very recommendable.

You also have the option to talk with a fisherman and negotiate a better price, but my advice is to buy a tourist excursion, because it's not expensive and nobody there speaks English so you may end up visiting a beach or going to Bolivia because of a misspelling.

"Can I see anything special?

" You will see how these people live every day without electricity and some other comforts of modern life.

Besides the trips from Puno the other popular boat ride on Lake Titicaca is to go to Isla Del Sol , an island on the Bolivian side.

You can either do a day trip from the Bolivian town of Copacabana close to the Peruvian border, or stay on the island in one of the numerous basic guest houses.

You can easily spend a day walking around the island and go swimming.

There are some Inca ruins as well

but I did not find them very impressive.

Photo credit Peter Hahndorf

The boat ride itself is about an hour from what I remember, and it does help if you have a sunny day when visiting the "Island of the Sun"

Very possible.

Last year, with a friend, we bussed from La Paz, Bolivia in the early morning to Puno , Peru, on the west side of the lake.

By mid afternoon we'd checked into our hostel and booked and were on a trip to the Uro Islands on the lake .

We had a storm on the lake as we were leaving the islands, which added to the dramatic landscape and scenery.

For a description of the tour and my trip, I did a write-up on a blog page .

I should point out that once on the islands, I've never felt like I was in such a tourist trap as much as that moment.

They're very cool, and worth seeing, but you really felt like you were

(And you literally were!)

trapped on an island with pushy sellers.

I did a 2 days boat tour with a home stay on Lago Titicaca this February.

The boat leaves Puno at around 9am and we arrive at Taquille Island about 2.5 hours later.

Taquille Island looks like a very peaceful paradise where the community leads a very simple life.

The altitude will start weighing on you as you climb towards the middle of the island if you haven't been acclimatised yet.

We had lunch on the island and it was delicious.

They plant quinoa locally there and we had quinoa soup as a starter followed by fresh fish from the lake.

Around 2 pm or so, we started to climb down to the other side of the island where our boat was waiting for us.

Another hour of boat ride

and we reach the peninsula where we have our homestay.

I got to live and experience living as the local people in this region as well as embracing their culture.

There was a dance at night and you will have dinner with your homestay family.

I recommend you bring a Spanish dictionary or at least learn some Spanish words.

Given my limited to non existent Spanish, I was forced to communicate with the homestay family by flaying my arms around and pointing at things around me.

On Day 2, we say goodbye to the family and leaves at 8am to Uros, the floating islands.

That took around 3 hours by boat.

The floating islands made of reeds looks out of this world, it's quite a sight to behold.

After landing on one of the man made island, a local will give you the history and how it was built.

After that, it's another hour by boat to Puno, we also had lunch on the boat.

We were back in town by 12:30 to 13:00.

Visting and living on the island is probably the best and most rewarding experience if you are visiting Puno and Lake Titicaca.

I am visiting Lake Titicaca next week and will be taking a tour offered by All Ways Travel .

I chose them based on the recommendations from my friends who have taken Lake Titicaca tours with them.

Lonely planet and other travel guide books also recommended them.

Again, I am yet to go there

so take my advice with a pinch of salt!

Question: Is it possible to do a boat tour on  Lake Titicaca ? Where should I start? And are there roundtrips possible? Is it recommened to do a boat tour there as a tourist? aAnd can I see anything special?

Boat tour on lake Titicaca?

It is very possible to do this from Puno in Peru or Copacabana in Bolivia, close to the Peruvian border. Excursions could be just for a lake trip or you can stay one night with a family in Taquile or Amantani islands (Peru) or Isla del Sol (Bolivia). Visiting the islands is a rewarding experience where you can see how these people live every day without electricity and some other comforts of modern life.

Boat trips on Lake Titicaca are available from Peru and Bolivia. The highlight of the trip is seeing the way of life of the local people.

There are two main points for departing on a boat trip on Lake Titicaca: Puno in Peru or Copacabana in Bolivia.

The main interest of the trip is seeing the way of life of the people living there.


Yes, but it depends on 2 things : Your destination country law, and your home country law.

Here is an example : Indonesian couples wants to get married in Singapore.

The following rules apply :

They have to apply their notice of Marriage at

Registry Of Marriage Singapore At least one of them has to be physically present within Singapore for a minimum of 15 days before the date of notice of marriage.

Both of them should not have married before and each of them have to bring one witness.

Full details can be found at ROM FAQ website After they married in Singapore, the marriage itself is legal (almost) worldwide, however Indonesian government does not accept the marriage certificate as legal document.

In the order to make it legal, the couple has to get a translation of their ROM certificate and reference letter in Singapore's Indonesian Embassy, and within 1 year they should report to Indonesian Civil Office back in Indonesia (You can't just report in Indonesian Embassy)

Trivia : A lot of Indonesian married in Singapore before 2009 because Indonesian law did not allow different-religion marriage, and then reported their marriage back in Indonesia.

My sister did it, so it's possible.

The bureaucratic hoops she had to jump through to get the marriage recognised at home were however significant, not because of unwillingness by authorities but mostly because of the amount of paperwork that had to be signed, countersigned, and sent back and forth between the Hague city hall, Las Vegas city hall, and herself multiple times before all the right stamps and signatures were on all the right forms in all the right places.

She probably spent more money on stamps and phone calls to get her Dutch marriage certificate than she'd spent on the marriage ceremony itself.

That depends completely on the laws concerning marriage in your home country.

I'd say that in most countries it is possible, but there may be varying documentation or other requirements (and restrictions) for the marriage to be legally accepted.

Ask whatever authority is beaurocratically responsible for marriages in your country; they should know best.

There may also be travel agencies that offer marriage abroad as a package deal

(I know this is very common in Japan).

That's probably the safest option (if safe is what you want).

Yes you can.

However, if you want the marriage to have force in your country of residence there might be some requirements.

Get into contact with a registry office in your home country, they will be able to inform you about requirements and procedures.

It has so far not been pointed out that at least in some countries you can not get married (or give notice of a marriage) if you do not have a certain special "marriage visa.

This depends on the regulations of the country where you would want to marry (and

you and your significant other's citizenships) so a general answer is out of scope but a prime example is the UK:

The Standard Visitor Visa documentation clearly states:

you can’t: -

[...] - marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership

instead you have to apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa Notice

can also be given to the home office when you give notice of the marriage with an extended notice period, with possible adverse consequences for your immigration status if you try to get married on the wrong type of visa.

The complete set of UK Immigration Rules is presented here .

I did it, my wife and I live in Israel and got married in New York.

All we had to do was get an apostele (stamp) from New York State and register with the ministry of the Interior back in Israel.

The only complication was getting her divorce decree translated from Hebrew to English and notarized.

Thankfully we found a notary in NY who read Hebrew and could help us with the paperwork.

Of course what country you are traveling too and what countries you are citizens off may make a huge difference.

But in general most western countries recognize each other's marriage and divorce decrees.

The answer is: absolutely!

There are multiple destinations that can do this while you travel.

The possibility of this depends on the laws of the country and province(state) that you will want do this in.

For example in most states in the United States is usually performed by an official like a judge and requires some sort of documentation, registration, and possible wait time.

That, however, is not necessarily true for all states and in state like Nevada

it is possible to get married in a drive thru and yes it's just as official as others.

Since Israel doesn't have a civil marriage so a quite a few people from Israel travel to Cyprus to get married.

If you are a citizen of country A, and travel to country B, it would be up to country B whether they marry you or not, and up to country A (and any other country in the world) whether they recognise the marriage or not.

I would first enquire with your local registry office (even if it isn't the one that you are a citizen of)

- in many places, they will be very knowledgable about anything having to do with marriages, and often they will be helpful.

Even if it is just because it makes their job a bit more interesting :-)

And they are nearby obviously.

Next step would be the registry office of the country that you are a citizen of, to make sure the marriage will be recognised.

And then you need to ask in the country where you want to get married.

As an example, if you wanted to get married in Germany, one of the two spouses must be a resident in the district of the registry office, which would make it impossible for two travellers to get married.

Two foreigners would be no problem, as long as one is resident in Germany, but getting married while travelling would be practically impossible.

Question: As a traveler getting married while traveling must be the ultimate experience. Can you actually legally get married while traveling?

Can you get married while traveling?

This is certainly possible, but it will depend on the laws in your home and destination country. Most countries recognise each other's marriage and divorce laws, but you should get in contact with a registry office in your home country, who will be able to inform you about requirements and procedures. You may also need to get an apostele (stamp) and/or a marriage visa from your destination country.

Many people have got married abroad. It is, however, considered important to check regulations before going ahead. It may be a good idea to arrange it through a travel company that offers marriage packages. Finally, it is important to check what visas are reuired.

You can get married while travelling but it depends on the country you are from and where you want to get married.

Many people have done it with no problems.

Travel companies may offer marriage packages. Check what visas you might need.


I did some research, and it looks like there are (at least) three major carriers that offer affordable pre-paid SIM cards with data plans: Virgin Mobile Vodafone Telstra

I don't have enough rep to upvote Enchanter Thunderbirds answer , nor comment, but I did the calcs and Woolworths Mobile prepaid sims

( http://www.woolworthsmobile.com.au ) are the best value as at April 2013.

You end up with the same talk time as amaysim which is the other cheapo, but you get more data.

Way more data.

I was there for a month and had over 4GB left.

The sim is $2 and the top up is $29 ish.

You can get them from any Woolworths supermarket or the smaller ones (used to be Bi LO shops).

Easy peasy.

The Woolworths sims also use the Optus network which isn't too bad even in regional areas

(I was at Scott's Head, NSW for 2 weeks and had no issues).

savvymax and lebara-mobile are two smaller providers.

lebara-mobile is good for calling overseas, savvymax credit does not expire.

they don't work in the outback.

2 years ago, I got a Vodafone SIM card with a prepaid 1GB / 1 month plan and a SIM-locked 3G USB stick for 100 AUD.

There's probably a similar plan available without the hardware for less money.

I got it in a phone store in downtown Sydney, not sure about the airport.

Reception varied a lot, of course; I sometimes had to make do with GPRS speed, but didn't get a signal only where one would expect that (i.e. in the outback or national parks).

Note that activating the card had me going through a fairly complex online registration process

(IIRC you could use the card itself for that) which required a valid Australian post address (I used the hotel's without any problems).

As was mentioned already the major two carriers in Australia are Vodafone and Telstra.

Also there are two smaller ones like Virgin and Optus.

While the smaller carriers offer some times cheap plans, their coverage is lacking.

When I was in Australia in October 2011 I decided to go with Telstra.

I don't remember exactly why, but maybe because they were cheaper.

Data plan was an important factor for me

and I was very happy with their service.

I bought the sim for 30AUD which you get back as balance on your account.

For the same amout I bought a plan that included data & call minutes.

The plan was similar to what they call now Pre Paid Cap Encore, which means you get $250 credit calls (which run out quick because of high minute tariff) and 500MB of data.

You can see additional details here: http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/prepaid/prepaid-offers/ Don't be tempted to buy the sim at the airport from Vodafone -- at the city they cost less.

I am using Woolworth mobile.

It gives you $250 credit, another $250 credit for optus mobile only, 5G Data and 45 days expiry.

You can check it by yourself.

Question: I'm arriving in Sydney on Friday for a week.  Ideally I'd like a pre-pay simcard for text and data (I need to check my stackexchange sites of course ;)).  However I have no idea of what companies or options exist, and what would be the best for a traveller in terms of moderate data usage.  Also, is it possible to buy these at the airport on arrival?

Prepay simcard for data in Australia

The three main carriers with affordable pre-paid SIM cards with data plans are Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and Telstra. Woolworth mobile, savvymax and lebara-mobile are three smaller providers; lebara-mobile is good for calling overseas, savvymax credit does not expire. While they somtimes offer cheap plans, their coverage is lacking.

Major mobile providers are Vodafone, Virgin Mobile and Telstra. There are, in addition, smaller providers, such as lebara and savvymax, that may have cheaper offers. However, their coverage is lacking. A final service provider is Woolworth.

The major mobile carriers in Australia are Vodafone, Virgin Mobile and Telstra.

Smaller mobile providers include lebara and savvymax. They are sometimes cheaper but coverage is lacking. There is also a Woolworth's sim.


There is indeed very little information about this online.

A question asked prior to 2003 on the site 'www.h2.dion.ne.jp' (no longer online): Q: Do shinkansen trains have power outlet sockets for running laptopcomputers?

A:

Generally, no, although the latest 700 series trainsrunning on JR West Hikari Rail Star services do have power outletsockets.

Wikipedia confirms that the most 700 series models have power outlets for passengers.

Hikari 546 is a N700 which have power outlets.

Hikari 470 is a 700 which most likely have power outlets.

Max Toki 329 seems to be an E4 series which is not likely to havepower outlets.

Only the N700 trains between Tokyo and Osaka have Wifi, and you still have to pay for it before you board the train using one of the Japanese carriers like Wi2 or Hotspot

I can verify that the N700a trains have power sockets for the seats at the ends of the cars.

Look at the bottom of the side wall under the window near your feet.

Plugged in right now, actually :-)

The E5 and E6 series used in northern Japan (Tohoku Shinkansen; Komachi, Hayabusa, some Hayate) have a pair of 100V outlets for the front row of each car, and a single outlet beneath the window on the other rows on each side.

Note that since the seats rotate, there are also two outlets behind the back row of each car, although they would be inconvenient to access.

For online resources, this Japanese page has a list.

The train names might survive Google or other machine-translations.

Sitting on a Kodama now and can't find any unfortunately, for future reference.

Question: Do the Shinkansen trains have wifi? How about electrical plugs?  If it depends on the train, these are the ones I'll be taking:   Hikari 546 (Hiroshima->Shin-Kobe)  Hikari 470 (Shin-Kobe->Tokyo)  Max Toki 329 (Tokyo<->Niigata)   I'd also accept as an answer an online resource where I can look all this up (I failed to find one on my own).

Are there electrical plugs and/or wifi in Japanese shinkansen?

The 700 series models, including the Hikari 470 and 546, have power outlets for the seats at the end of the cars. The E5 and E6 series used in northern Japan have a pair of 100V outlets for the front row of each car, and a single outlet beneath the window on the other rows on each side. N700 trains between Tokyo and Osaka are the only ones with Wifi, which you have to pay for before boarding. Kodama trains do not seem to have sockets.

A number of Japanese trains have power outlets for passenger use. However, the Kodama train does not. WiFi is only available on the N700 trains from Tokyo to Osaka and it is a paid service.

A number of models of Japanese train have power outlets for passenger use, including N700 and the E4, E5 and E6 series.

Only N700 trains from Tokyo to Osaka have WiFi and you have to pay for it.

The Kodama train definitely does not have power outlets.


Technically, they are not permitted in-flight.

Bluetooth is a form of wireless communication, and all wireless communication is banned during airborne operations by the FCC and the FAA.

As mentioned by @AnkurBanerjee in this post , FAA Advisory Circular 91.21-1B covers this regulation.

Yes.

Short-range Bluetooth devices including typical headphones, keyboards and mice have been allowed on flights for some time.

(Probably since airlines began to provide and sell Wi-Fi internet access.)

There have been recent developments that expanded the use of personal electronic devices, Wi-Fi, and short-range Bluetooth during all phases of flight.

The FAA news items below discusses this expanded use but makes mention of both previous and continued allowed use of short-range Bluetooth devices.

I've not been able to find specific documents regarding individual airline policies around short-range Bluetooth, but I would imagine any airline that provides Wi-Fi internet connections during flight should have personnel that allow short-range Bluetooth devices.

It should be noted that particular airlines, aircraft or even individual personnel on a particular flight may not be fully informed of the latest procedures and the finer points involved in the guidelines.

There may be different policies on flights that do not provide Wi-Fi internet connections.

While it may be possible to provide airline and plane-specific documentation to plead your case, it might ultimately be best to respect the airline employee's instructions.

There are some Bluetooth devices that have abnormally longer-range capability so it might pay to verify that your device falls in the short-range category (generally 10-15 meters or a bit more than 30 feet maximum).

It is fairly safe to say most popular Bluetooth devices are short-range.

I should also mention that contemporary devices should allow you to set the device in airplane mode (which turns off all cellular and wireless communication features) but then selectively re-enable separate features that are allowed, like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

My advice in either case get yourself a pair of wired headphones if you are travelling by plane because while not on the list of forbidden devices the flight crew can ask you to turn them off anyway they have this discretion.

My children got bluetooth headphone for Christmas.

I just called Southwest airlines and was told that they will be allowed to use them on the flight as long as they are connected only to an iPod or MP3.

They are not allowed if they are hooked up to a phone.

So I will have to use my wired ones, but they can use the bluetooth ones if they choose.

According to eHow.com (but there is no reference to airline/regulation organisation), you CAN use Bluetooth devices on a plane.

It just has to be AFTER they say you can use electronic devices (i.e. not when taking off and landing).

Just to be safe, you could get a pair that support both Bluetooth and a wired connection like the Tenqa REMXD Bluetooth Headphones

: They come with a wire with dual 3.5mm plugs to connect your music player to your headphones or they can be wireless.

It's your call.

And they're only $39 .

No problem with bluetooth transmitting devices (including headphones), except the obvious switching off during landing and takeoff.

I've been able to use mine, without objection, on several flights (United and others...).

Bluetooth headsets are generally allowed, just not during takeoff and landing.

Since they only transmit signal within a few metres, and on a different frequency range than the plane equipment, they don't interact with the equipment and are perfectly safe.

Question: I have a United Airlines flight this week and I would love to listen to an Audio book for the duration.  Unfortunately my only working pair of headphones are bluetooth.  I've looked on United's web page for prohibited items but see nothing about bluetooth devices.  Does anyone know if bluetooth is banned on United flights?

Are bluetooth headphones allowed on flights in the US, particularly on United Airlines?

Technically, they are a form of wireless communication and banned by the FCC and FAA during airborne operations. However, short-range Bluetooth devices including typical headphones, keyboards and mice have been allowed on flights for some time. Normally they will be allowed if connected to a laptop, iPod or MP3 player rather than a smartphone, but not during takeoff and landing. It may be better to use wired headphones when travelling by plane, since the flight crew can ask you to turn them off even if they are not on the list of forbidden devices.

There is some debate about whether Bluetooth devices may be used during a flight. However, they are certainly not allowed during take off and landing. They must also not be connected to a phone. As cabin crew have the right to ask you to switch them off, it is a good idea to have some wired headphones.

Bluetooth devices are not allowed during flights.

Bluetooth devices are allowed during flights except during take off and landing. They must not be connected to a phone.

Cabin crew may ask you to switch off Bluetooth devices so be prpepared and get some wired headphones.


The longest non-stop (by Wikipedia source) flight is Newark to Singapore on Singapore Airlines flight SQ21 which is and 18 hour 50 minute flight of some 15,345km.

However for single flight number, allowing stopover , things are hard to research.

Not many websites list tables of distances by flight number.

So I resorted to thinking of a route and then looking on the airline websites to see if it was one flight number or split over two flight numbers.

I suspect the longest route that could be a single flight number and have a stopover would be Northern Europe to Australia.

So I searched on several airlines for flights.

I found a few contenders (but no definitive answers): NZ1 and NZ38, both on Air New Zealand fly London to Auckland with a stop in Hong Kong in 26 hours and 40 minutes.

A distance of 18,463 km.

QF320 on Qantas and BA15 on British Airways fly London to Sydney with a stopover in Singapore.

They both take 22 hours and 50 minutes.

QF1 on Qantas goes from Sydney to London, again stopping in Singapore and is 23 hours and 25 minutes.

From Wikipedia : Newark - Singapore ( Singapore Airlines ) flight number: SQ 21 , 15,345km (9,535 miles, 8,285 nautical miles) from 18 hr 40 min to 18 hr 50 min, aircraft: Airbus A340-500 , first flight - 29 June 2004

Second place: Los Angeles - Singapore ( Singapore Airlines ) flight number: SQ 37 , 14,114km (8,770 miles, 7,621 nautical miles) from 17 hr 20 min to 18 hr 05 min, aircraft: Airbus A340-500 , first flight - 3

February 2004 Third place (surprisingly only by distance, but not by time) Sydney - Dallas ( Qantas ) flight number: QF 7 , 13,804km (8,578 miles, 7,454 nautical miles) 15 hr 25 min, aircraft: Boeing 747-400 , first flight - 16 May 2011 Third place by time: Los Angeles - Bangkok

( Thai Airways International ) flight number: TG 795 , 13,309km (8,270 miles, 7,186 nautical miles) 17 hr 20 min, aircraft: Airbus A340-500 , first flight - 28 September 2006

Since the two answers so far will no longer be valid soon , I thought it is time to add a new answer: Singapore Airlines is cancelling their nonstop flights from Newark to Singapore and from Los Angeles to Singapore.

So the longest flight will be Sydney - Dallas by Qantas (QF7).

The longest flight by flight number (including stops) would be Korean Air's flight 062 from Guarulhos Gov Andre Franco Montouro (GRU) in Sao Paulo, Brazil to Incheon Intl (ICN) in South Korea via Los Angeles International (LAX).

It is 28 hours and 35 minutes.

According to this CNN article , the record has been broken because of the COVID-19 outbreak: On March 14, French airline Air Tahiti Nui flew the longest ever scheduled passenger flight by distance -- transiting 9,765 miles across the world from Papeete, in Tahiti, French Polynesia, to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport.

This one off milestone was a direct consequence of the coronavirus-induced US travel restrictions.

This route usually involves a scheduled stopover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

But when an airplane stops over in the US, all passengers must alight the aircraft and proceed through US Customs and Border Protection before they're allowed to advance on with the next leg of their journey.

Current restrictions rendered this part of the journey untenable, so instead, flight TN064 just carried straight on, departing at 3 a.m. local time from Papeete airport and arriving in Paris at 6:30 a.m. local time on March 15.

This is a scheduled flight, but a one time deviation from the schedule (though the situation may continue to be like this in the near future).

Air India Flight 173 from New Delhi to San Francisco is the world's longest flight.

It covers over 15,000 km (9,300 miles) en route, over the Pacific Ocean in about 15 hours.

This is from Flightaware :

The Wikipedia page has now been updated as well.

Since 15 October 2016, Air India Flight 173 from New Delhi to San Francisco started flying over the Pacific Ocean.

Tailwinds over the Pacific Ocean helped in reducing the flight time by 2 hours, despite increasing the total distance by 1,100 km.

This also made AI 173 the world's longest flight by actual distance flown, with total distance traveled being over 15,100 km (9400 miles).The return flight AI 174 however still flies over the Atlantic Ocean, to take advantage of tailwinds in that direction.

Air India therefore advertised this route as around the world flight, as it departs over Pacific and returns over Atlantic.

Some other interesting articles and videos on AI 173: Air India taking advantage of tailwinds Air India now operates the world's longest routing (sort of) Official statement by Air India captain Rajneesh Sharma

Here is an update for 2016: Early on 3 March, Emirates flight 449 made history when it touched down in Dubai from Auckland.

The Airbus A380 covered an estimated 9,000 miles between New Zealand’s largest city and the airline's hub, making it the current longest non-stop scheduled commercial flight by a distance.

The Independent Here is what we can look forward to in the coming years: Qatar Airways Flight 921 from Auckland to Doha, which will be the longest flight in the world, will be flown with a Boeing 777-200LR when it starts 2 February 2017, overtaking Emirates' spot with their Auckland-Dubai flight.

Wikipedia Singapore Airlines revealed plans last year to bring back its Singapore-New Jersey service in 2018.

The flight will apparently cover some 15,300km (9,500 miles) in 19 hours.

Question: For example, JQ151 from Sydney to Christchurch is around 3 hours.  NZ1 however, is about another 7 to Hong Kong.  Will need a regular flight number to verify.  Definition is longest in terms of flight time / distance (they should be linked, logically?).

What is the longest passenger flight (with a flight number) in the world?

Singapore Airlines flight SQ21 from Newark to Singapore is an 18 hour 50 minute flight of some 15,345km, and the longest non-stop flight listed on Wikipedia. However, this flight has been canceled and restored in the past. Other contenders include multi-stop flights between London and Sydney with a stopover in Singapore, or the first flight of the Airbus A340-500.

There are many contenders for the longest flight and the information is constantly changing. The record, however, for the longest flight is held by Air Tahiti Nui, Tahiti to Paris non-stop, as a result of restrictions preventing it landing for a stopover in Los Angeles.

There are many contenders for the world's longest flight and the information keeps changing as routes are stopped, started or modified.

The latest record for the longest flight is Air Tahiti Nui which flew from Tahiti to Paris non-stop as Covid-19 restrictions prevented it from landing in Los Angeles.


Venomous spider bites have not caused a death in Australia since 1979.

You are far more at risk getting into a car than being bitten by a spider in Australia.

Bites from red backs very rarely cause anything more than a little discomfort, but if you are bitten, always seek immediate medical help.

Anti-venom is widespread and you should not be far away from treatment in urban areas.

Snake bites are rarer still in urban areas.

Most snakes prefer the outback for their domicile, but snake bites can be more deadly.

There is an average of 2 deaths a year due to snake bite, but again these tend to be localised to the bush.

You can get snakes in urban areas but you are very unlikely to come across them.

Bottom line is, don't worry, you are more likely to be struck by lightening than you are to die from a snake/spider bite! References: Spider Deaths

- Australian

Museum Snake Deaths - Sydney University Road Deaths - Australian Government Lightning

Deaths - Australia First Aid

The biggest danger by far is from jellyfish.

Some will paralyze you and cause you to drown, while others merely put you into excrutiating pain for up to 30 hours .

Fortunately, jellyfish are easy to avoid: stay out of the sea, at least between October and May while you're north of Brisbane ( more detailed information ) -

no matter how urban the area, how hot you are or how inviting it looks.

So let's take an analytical approach; I've not done one of these in a while.

Let's say every animal in Australia was out to get you.

Now things like the sugar glider or a koala may have a nasty bite, but it's unlikely to be lethal.

So let's focus on what could end you.

Firstly, water-based.

There's sharks.

Box jellyfish.

Venomous fish like the puffer-fish.

However, these are seriously rare to see, and to interact with.

And if you're not going swimming, then you have no problem with them, unless you fall into a tank in the aquarium (try not to).

Next we have the amphibians.

Frogs are normally cool.

However, Aussie frogs have cane toads which are invasive, and can produce a venom toxic to humans.

Reptiles.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Saltwater crocodiles.

Mostly in the swampy areas near the sea up north, don't go swimming in the water.

There are signs everywhere, and yet you still get tourists going near the water and being attacked.

Sigh. Snakes.

Now, yes, Australia is meant to have eight of the top ten most poisonous snakes.

But in probably three months that I've spent in Aus in total, a fair bit of which was around farms, I've only ever seen one, and it was dead.

My cousins, however, who lived on a farm, lost two dogs to snakes, and had to shoot some others.

But it's extremely rare to get bitten, and even more so to die from a bite.

Spiders.

Actually, scratch that, let's just cover all the venomous animals.

There are venomous spiders, scorpions, octopus, jellyfish, molluscs, stonefish, platypus and stingrays.

Uniquely, Australia has more venomous than non-venomous species of snakes.

Again, however, bites are rare, and more so in urban environments.

Platypus.

Did you notice him in that last list?

One of the weirdest animals, they are mammals, have a beak-like .. beak, swim like a beaver, and although being a mammal, lays eggs (monotreme), and craziest of all, has a venomous barb just below the tail.

Try not to hug the platypus! Mammals.

Not many are a risk here.

Kangaroos could kick the * * out of you if you got too close and scared them.

Tasmanian devil could bite.

As could Koalas (they look cute and sleepy, but see two of them fight and you realise they have quite the temper!).

The ABRS maintains free online databases cataloguing much of the described Australian flora and fauna.

Impacts such as the illegal setting of traps in rivers affect animals such as the Australian platypus, along with lack of awareness each year an average of 2–5 Australians lose their lives to what is presumed a safe creature.

The key is understanding of Australia's diverse wildlife and fauna; what seems safe is often deadly.

Contrary to urban legend, white tail spiders do not cause necrosis.

Huntsman spiders are not venomous, though they're scarily big to some.

Goannas may be a risk if they mistake you for a tree (which does happen).

Cassowaries are capable of disemboweling you.

Sea squirts can be venomous: don't stick your fingers where they shouldn't go, or pick them up

(it's not good for them anyway).

Protip: don't go swimming with stingrays! :)

My wife still claims psychological trauma from the infamous geckos roaming around freely through urban areas (mostly in Brisbane), but I was rest assured that they are harmless - quite contrary to their menacing looks.

Question: Australia is known to have more than its fair share of deadly insects and animals. These would obviously be a concern when, say, you're off in the wilderness but is there any reason to be worried about anything in particular in urban areas? (Say, commonly found deadly spiders.)

When visiting urban areas in Australia, do I need to be worried about deadly insects / animals?

Venomous spider bites have not caused a death in Australia since 1979, and bites rarely cause anything more than a little discomfort. Snake bites are rare in urban areas, anti-venom is widespread and treatment should be available close to you in these areas. Car accidents are far more common and risky, but the biggest wildlife risk is from jellyfish, which are fortunately easy to avoid: stay out of the sea, at least between October and May while you're north of Brisbane.

Spider and snake bites are very rare in Australia and anti-venom treatment is available. However, jellyfish are a bigger risk so it is advisable to stay out of the water between October and May.

Serious spider bites are very unlikely in Australia: a car accident is a greater risk.

Snake bites are rare in urban areas and treatment is always available. A lightening strike is more likely to kill you than a snake bite.

The biggest danger in Australia is jellyfish so stay out of the water between October and May.


Coin lockers are a feature of most stations in Japan.

Depending on size and the station, lockers generally run for ¥200-300 JPY per day.

Lockers are of a few different sizes, but aside from very major rail stations (e.g. Tokyo), I think most lockers will not be large enough to accommodate a large roller bag like those used for checked luggage on airlines.

Here's a website that shows the different coin locker sizes.

The large size (117cm

x 43

cm

x

57cm ) should be able to hold anything an airline will accept as regular checked baggage, but costs 500 yen.

I remember using one of those at Ueno - you'll probably find them only at the major train stations.

Kyoto, at least does, as described here: JR Kyoto Station .

A Kyoto station map shows several coin lockers, but this document also describes a left-luggage office.

I took this bag to Japan and stored it in coin lockers at train stations in both Akihabara and Shinjuku (both in Tokyo): 26 inch roller bag (Amazon link).

According to Amazon, this bag is 26 inches tall, 11 inches long, and 15 inches wide.

(66cm x 28cm x 35cm).

I took a picture of it in a "large" sized locker.

This one was at the Shinjuku station, but the ones at Akihabara were the same size.

I would have had room to put a smallish duffle bag on top of it, and there was also room left over on the side, but (it may be hard to tell from this picture)

had my bag been packed any fuller and therefore had been even an inch fatter

, I don't think it would have fit.

This bag was too large to be used as carry-on luggage on my flight and had to be checked, but it did fit (snugly) into the locker.

The large locker in Shinjuku was 500 yen for 12 hours.

The one in Akihabara was (if I remember correctly) 800 yen for 24 hours.

You need 100 yen coins to use these lockers, so I made sure to save them when I received them as change (although I'm sure you could stop somewhere and ask for change).

Insert your luggage, insert your coins, close the locker, and take your key.

I assume you would have to insert more coins to free your locker if you stay over the allotted time, but I didn't test that theory!

As stated, the lockers are often too small for big bags, but most major train stations have manned counters that can accept luggage of any shape or size.

Ask around for nimotsu-azukari-dokoro (手荷物預かり所) or look for a "bag-with-key" icon on signs (not to confused with "bag-with-key-in-box", which means lockers).

I found the JR website gives you information about the facilities at each station, including whether there are lockers, how many there are of each size, how much it is, etc.

One

last thing:

The lockers I used at Morioka station last year didn't have a coin slot in the door frame.

Instead there was an electronic control panel nearby where you paid and were issued a paper ticket instead of a key.

An id (code number or barcode) on the ticket opened the locker door when you return.

Question: We will travel around Japan by train and will make a few shorter stops with only a nights stay so it would be handy to be able to drop the bags at the station while doing some sightseeing before checking to the hotel. Is this a "normal" feature of japanese train stations? Are storage facilities automated or manual and how much should we expect to pay for it?   ( photo  by Andrew Stawarz)

Is there luggage storage at train stations in Japan?

Coin lockers are a feature of most stations in Japan, and will usually cost ¥200-300 JPY per day depending on the size and location. Usually they are too small to accommodate check-in suitcase-sized luggage. Larger lockers cost 500 yen for 12 hours at Shinjuku, and 800 yen for 24 hours at Akihabara. For manned counters that accept larger pieces, ask around for nimotsu-azukari-dokoro (手荷物預かり所) or look for a "bag-with-key" icon on signs (not to confused with "bag-with-key-in-box", which means lockers).

Lockers are available at railway stations in Japan and the cost depends on how long you use them. Large bags, however, may not fit inside, in which case you should look for the manned luggage deposit. The JR website is recommended for finding out what facilities are available at each station.

Lockers are available at Japanese railway stations. They have different sizes but may not be big enough for large suitcases so look for the manned luggage deposit.

The cost of lockers depends on the length of time you use it. 100 yen coins are needed to operate the lockers.

The JR website gives information on facilities available at railway stations in Japan.


I believe this chart will be of use to you.

I used to wonder why they even bothered to have "No smoking" signs, but now I realise - Air Algeria, Cubana, Garuda, Iran Air and more still allow smoking in certain sections.

The chart is quite old, but my friend flew Cubana at the end of 2010 and confirmed that there was smoking onboard his flight then.

According to Answers.com : 1979: Cigars and Pipes banned on aircraft 1988:

Smoking banned on US Domestic flights under 2 hours 1990:

Smoking banned on US Domestic flights under 6 hours 1998:

Smoking banned on all US Domestic flights 2000: Federal law introduced banning smoking on all flights by US airlines.

I can't seem to find any information about when it was banned in the UK, other than the mid 1990s.

There is no overall law or treaty that bans smoking on all international flights.

See related links for information about which countries (most of them) have banned smoking on aircraft departing from their airports.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is the world's first public health treaty.

The FCTC entered into force on 27 February 2005.

The FCTC contains different measures designed to reduce the devastating impact of tobacco on health and economics.

As of January 2009, 168 countries have signed the treaty, and 161 countries have ratified the treaty, becoming Parties to the FCTC.

Nosmoke.org recognises that 2010 marked the 20 year Anniversary of smokefree U.S. domestic flights, and the ten year anniversary of smokefree flights in and out of the United States.

And according to the New York Times , smoking was ALWAYS permitted on the Concorde.

In addition, several flyertalk forums refer to attempts to start smokers-only airlines, although these ideas seem to largely have been all hot air, gone up in smoke, or flamed out...

Even if the airline permits it, local airspace laws may not.

For example, Australian federal law makes it a criminal offence to smoke in any aircraft while flying in or through Australian airspace.

It is also a criminal offence to disregard an instruction from flight crew (such as being asked to not to smoke or use an nicotine inhaler or electronic cigarette).

You may find your one act ends up breaking several laws.

In addition, some countries have treaties which ban smoking on flights between those two countries.

Again for example, it is illegal to smoke at any time on any flight between Australia and the United States, and if you do you may find law enforcement waiting for you at your destination.

For me as a flight attendant, my biggest concerns is not about the cigarette.

But the smoke.

Fire is on the top of the hazard list.

And we identify it by the smoke (and the scent).

We are trained to spot smoke, identify the source and to drop everything to handle it immediately.

So its not about the nicotine I just have to say it again one more time, any kind of smoke requires the crew to check and ensure that its not a hazard.

Fire is a life threatening hazard that can be identify by the smoke.

So forbidding e-cigarettes is not about the nicotine.

Its about the smoke you will produce :) Edit:I just found out about smokeless cigarette...

To be honest, I have no idea about this one.

I imagine if one passenger told me about it

I wouldn't know what to do to keep the policy on.

An e-mail from IATA revealed that not a single IATA airline allows smoking any longer.

The last one to allow it, Cubana, banned it in 2014.

EDIT:

The quoted article dates back 2009.

As e-cigarettes become more popular, this answer may be less acurate.

Electronic cigarette might be an option on some non-smoking non-US flights.

The best is to ask to cabin members :

Flight attendant: Would you like something to drink?

Me:

Yes, I would like apple juice, and may I ask you a question?

Flight attendant:

Sure Me: Is it OK if I use my nicotine inhaler on the plane?

[I then show them my pen-style e cig]

Flight attendant:

Nicotine inhaler?

I don’t know.

What is that?

Me: It’s a source of nicotine for smokers similar to nicotine gum or the nicotine patch.

It is completely legal on airplanes and not affected by smoking bans, but I always ask because sometimes when I exhale a mist may come out of my nose and mouth

and I don’t want other people to think that I am smoking.

The mist is just water vapor that delivers nicotine to my lungs.

May I show you what I am talking about?

Question: Do any airlines still allow smoking on-board international flights, or is this something that has been banned across the board everywhere? If this is because of fire hazard regulations, what about  e-cigarettes ?

Are there any airlines that still allow smoking on-board flights?

There is no overall law or treaty that bans smoking on all  international flights, but local airspace laws may not permit it and some countries have treaties banning smoking on flights between those two countries. An e-mail from IATA revealed that not a single IATA airline allows smoking any longer. Air Algeria, Cubana, Garuda, Iran Air and more still allowed smoking in certain sections until recently, and smoking was always permitted on Concorde.

The latest information states that no airlines now allow smoking. Cubana was the last airline to ban smoking in 2014. However, smoking was apparently always allowed on Concorde.

It seems that some airlines were reticent in banning smoking and smokingwas allowed on Concorde.

Latest information states smokingis banned on all airlines. It is also banned by treatise between countries. Cubana was the last airline to ban smoking in 2014.


For general communist architecture I would start at Alexander Platz and walk down the 'Karl-Marx-Allee' all the way to 'Frankfurter Tor' in Friedrichshain.

There is nothing super special there, but the street was used for the big parades and still has a bit of an 'East German' feeling to it.

As for bunkers, there are still many around, some of them from the World War 2 era, others from the East German times.

The site ' Untergrund Brandenburg ' (in German) lists many bunkers in Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg.

They have many photos, so if you find something you like, you get at least the name of the place and can research it further.

BTW, Hitler's underground bunker does no longer exist.

As for 'industrial complexes', I don't know any first hand.

The Berlin Branderburg film commission has a database of sites to use when you are looking for a location to shoot a film.

That should work for photos too.

Start on their search page , select an era like 'Sixties/East' and a style, or jump straight to their industrial buildings category .

If you want more communist architecture, go further east.

My favourite communist architecture in Berlin is definitely the Frankfurter Tor and the rest of the "Stalinallee ensemble" .

Frankfurter Tor: Thanks to Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons Stalinallee / Karl-Marx-Allee: Thanks to Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons Building on Stalinallee / Karl-Marx-Allee:

My own photo

I'm not sure if this is exactly what you mean by "Bismarck structures" though.

These are normally described as Stalinist architecture.

One amazing Soviet structure is the World War II memorial in Treptower Park , in the southeast of Berlin.

(There are several Soviet war memorials commemorating WW2; another is in the Tiergarten .

I haven't seen that one so have no idea

what's

it's like, but the Treptower one seems to be more well-known / renowned, in my experience.)

Many people seem to like the immense statue in the centre, but I personally find the friezes depicting the struggles of war very powerful and worth seeing.

This page has a lot of photos , some of which are: A frieze Overview of some of the memorial.

I don't think these photos nearly do it justice, but unfortunately I don't have any of my own I can upload.

The artwork in the friezes is astounding, and, even though you can view it as propaganda for the Soviet Hero, moving.

Nearby is Spreepark , an abandoned amusement park built in the Soviet era .

Since it's an amusement park, it won't have 'standard' Communist-era architecture, but is an amazing place to visit.

It is privately owned and fenced in, but ahem very fun to explore.

It's like being in a post-apocalyptic world:

ruined structures, trees, silence apart from the birds (it's in the middle of the forest!), rusting structures like roller coasters and other rides silently soaring through the trees.

Don't get caught inside.

Image from Wikipedia .

Take the brown U5 metro out towards Hönow.

Built by East Germany (the only major new line they built in 50 years, as it happens), the line's sole purpose in life is to serve huge housing complexes, which are about as Communist in style as it gets.

This thread on SkyscraperCity will give you some idea: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=482518 Search for "commieblocks" for plenty more.

You can book an "Underground Bunker Tour" here: Berliner Unterwelten .

There are several options to see bunkers or subway tracks that ran from east to west with underground checkpoints at the fromer border.

There is also the Gesundbrunnenbunker where you can book a tour.

And you can see the Flakturm in the Humboldthain near by.

Question: I am going to be in Berlin for a weekend and would like to photograph and tour some  Bismarck  structures, underground bunkers or any industrial complex. What are my options?

Communist architecture in Berlin

For general communist architecture, start at  Alexander Platz and walk down the 'Karl-Marx-Allee' all the way to 'Frankfurter Tor' in Friedrichshain to see the "Stalinallee ensemble", or see the World War II memorial in Treptower Park, in the southeast of Berlin. While Hitler's bunker no longer exists, you can book tours or view lists of underground bunkers from the WW2 era and East German times, as well as subway tracks that ran from east to west with underground checkpoints at the fromer border.

Frankfurter Tor and Karl Marx Allee are exmaples of communist architecture in Berlin. The city also features many bunkers and it is possible to book a tour of some of these, for example the "underground Bunker Tour". However, Hitler's bunker no longer exists.

A number of areas in Berlin are recommended for communist architecture, including Frankfurter Tor and Karl Marx Allee.

There are many bunkers in Berlin. You can book tours for some of these. Hitler's bunker no longer exists.


Nobody will be offended.

It is a common practice among children to search for amber or shells.

However I would not expect too much.

Amber can be easily mistaken with other rocks and if you ever find something it would be rather of a small size.

The beaches along the whole coast are easily accessible and I can hardly believe in the existence of hot spots.

No, no one is going to be offended; In fact, it is a common practice, as already mentioned.

Random facts:

The best time is just after the storm, especially during winter.

I've heard some people go early in the morning for a search.

Never underestimate the place.

Sometimes you can find a lot of amber in crowded-looking part of beach.

There are even some guys who dedicate themselves to searching for amber and then selling it to tourists.

Similarly to those with metal detectors searching for lost goods at mediterranean beaches.

You will generally find rather small pieces.

As I understand it, amber gets washed ashore and it is usually just little bits and pieces, probably nothing significant but a nice souvenir nonetheless.

Check Sopot beach .

It is mentioned at the site that it has some amber from time to time.

I believe you have the same chances of finding amber at any beach there.

Nobody will be offended if you look at a public beach and don't start digging large holes.

But be careful - after WW2, lots of unused ammunition was dumped into the Baltic, and sometimes fragments of phosphorous from incendiary bombs get washed ashore.

Those look very much like amber, except they spontaneously combust when they get dry and warm.

Quite a few people have suffered nasty burns because of this.

I'm not sure

whether that's a problem in the Gdansk area, but better be safe than sorry: if you find anything that looks like amber, put it into a bag, not your pocket, and don't leave it in your car unattended.

As was said earlier, it is recomended to search for amber right after the storm when you a lot of new stuff can be found at the beach.

But there are several special events - Amber Collecting World Championships

Here is a short video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwfODp64p4 Event dates for 2013: http://www.polawianiebursztynu.pl/artykul/53

Question: I've read that one can find  amber  easily in the beaches in Gdansk. I believe it, but how to get to those beaches? Will anyone be offended if I go there and spend one hour looking for amber?

Where can I go looking for amber in Gdańsk, Poland?

Nobody will get offended, and it is a common practice among children to search for amber or shells. Sopot Beach is a good place to look, and it is recommended to go early in the morning and especially after a winter storm. You can sometimes find a lot of amber in crowded-looking areas of beach, but the pieces are usually small.

Looking for amber on the beaches around Gdansk is a common practice and everyone is free to do it, although, in general only small pieces are found. The best time to search is said to be after a storm and also, perhaps, in the early morning.

Looking for amber on the beaches around Gdansk is a common ractice and nobody will be offebded if you do it.

The best times to look are after a storm and maybe also in the early morning.

Generally the pieces are small and found everywhere, even crowded beaches. Sopot beacj is recommended.


As can be seen from Wikipedia , the legality even in European countries varies greatly from country to country.

In Latvia, Estonia's neighbour, for example, pepper spray in canisters is classified as a self-defense device and can be bought and carried by anyone over 16 years of age.

Pepper spray handguns can be bought and carried without any license by anyone over 18.

Unfortunately there's no indication there of sources for Estonia, or Israel.

However, it does include the Czech Republic (Prague): In the Czech Republic, pepper spray is not classified as weapon and its possession is legal.

Moving to different sources, this site also has a list of countries and the legality of pepper spray, and it DOES have Israel: In Israel, OC(Oleoresin Capsicum) and CS(capsicum spray)

spray cans may be purchased by any member of the public without restriction and carried in public.

In the 1980s a firearms license was required for doing so, but since then these sprays have been deregulated.

I've travelled from Germany to Mexico (via Atlanta) and Australia (via HongKong) with pepper spray in checked luggage without any problems.

The TSA regulations say:

Self Defense Sprays

- One 4 ounce (118ml) container of mace or pepper spray is permitted in checked baggage provided it is equipped with a safety mechanism to prevent accidental discharge.

Self Defense Sprays containing more than 2% by mass of Tear Gas (CS or CN) are prohibited in Checked Baggage.

It's not allowed in carry-on baggage, of course.

Update: The same can of pepper spray was confiscated when I took it to Canada.

I declared it on the immigration form as required; otherwise I would probably have incurred a fine if it had been found in a random baggage check.

The customs officer told me that in order to be legal in Canada, pepper spray must be explicitly labelled as "for use against wild animals".

I could be wrong on this account

but I think that the only document that will allow you to carry pepper spray into a plane might be international law enforcement credentials.

Save that it will most likely to be confiscated during check-in.

Especially so in Israel.

Your best bet if you want to have it while you are in the country is to buy one locally.

Pepper Spray is prohibited in several countries, for example Singapore.

Reason why is that Pepper Spray not only can be used for self defense, but also to help committing crime.

You should carefully check the law in your country of destination.

Alternatively you can start invest some time to learn some self-defense martial art. :)

In Canada, many hikers carry bear spray , which is essentially a form of pepper spray to guard against black bears, grizzlies and other animals they may come across.

So that's legally permitted here.

From the article as well: Bear mace is legal across the USA.

It can be purchased even in Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts or Wisconsin, where standard pepper sprays are illegal.

Pepper spray is legal in all of those countries you have spoken, however in Germany and Canada it must be labeled for use in animal control.

In Canada and many other countries (ie.

Japan) pepper spray is legal to possess, but using it on people is an assault unless in extreme emergency.

Also note that many countries require that pepper spray is bought locally, one reason being that for example in portugal only 5% OC sprays are legal.

In my home country Finland pepper spray requires a license.

To get a license you must be Finnish and your occupation (ie .Bus

driver, hospital warden or a security guard).

If you want something for defence that is legal almost anywhere buy one of these:

http://www.mace.com/products/personal-defense/defense-sprays/stoppa-red-mk-3 Product mentioned above doesnt contain any kind of noxious substance, so it is legal in countries that have a tough firearms law, like UK.

It repels the attacker by spraying very thick orange coloured glue onto the attacker.

Question: I want to carry pepper spray with me when traveling for self-defense purposes only. Is there a way to be allowed to do that or is there any official document that allows me to safely travel with pepper spray? Also wanted to know whether this is allowed through airport security in cabin/checked luggage.  Currently the countries I am interested in are Israel, Prague and Estonia.

Is it possible to carry pepper spray for self-defense?

The legality depends on the country, and varies even between European countries. In the Czech Republic, pepper spray is not classified as weapon and  its possession is legal. Pepper spray is also legal in all of the countries you mentioned, however in Germany and Canada it must be labeled for use in animal control. It is prohibited in several countries, including Singapore. Check the law in your destination country to be sure.

Some countries allow pepper spray and others do not. It is considered a good idea to check your destination before travelling. Singapore, for example, prohibits pepper spray and in some countries you need a licence or the spray must be labelled for animal use.

Pepper spray is permitted in some countries and not in others. For example, it is allowed in the Czech Republic. They can be bought by anyone over 18.

Pepper spray is prohibited in some countries, like Singapore, so check destination before travelling.

In some countries pepper spray must be labelled for animal use and in others, like Finland, you need a licence.


I'm currently working in our Eindhoven office and can see the runway from here ;)

Hitchhiking is unlikely to work; there's no decent location to get picked up near the airport.

The A2 highway is close, yes, but there's no parking lot or something similar.

Furthermore, you're not allowed to walk on the highway itself.

You'd have to post on the on-ramp, but there's no room to stop there.

The train would be easy, and there are 7 buses per hour to the station.

Pick the 401 (22 minutes; it uses a reserved buslane so no traffic jams); the 103 takes a horrible detour.

Costs 3 euros one way, and you'll need coins for that.

There are actually 4 trains per hour to Amsterdam; two of them go to Central Station and the other 2 go to Amsterdam Airport (south of the city).

Depending on where you're going, either route is an option.

All trains stop in Utrecht, where you can transfer.

The cheapest is probably hitch hiking.

It's about 120km, and the A2 runs basically the whole way, but I've no idea how easy it would actually be to get picked up.

The easiest is probably taking the train.

During the day, there are 2 trains an hour from Eindhoven direct to Amsterdam Central, journey time of 1:20.

The ticket costs €17.50 for a single in 2nd class.

Alternately, there are 4 trains an hour (2 direct, 2 changing in Utrecht) which will take you to Amsterdam's Schipol Airport, journey time of 1:27 (with or without the change), at a cost of €18.00 single in 2nd class.

You can look up times and prices on ns.nl , which is the website of the Dutch Railways.

I was about to suggest the bus / shuttle service as well, but it looks like the locals already disagreed on this option :) If your trip is still a few weeks away and the train or bus is no option, you might try your luck by placing a listing on one of the rideshare sites: Ride 4 Cents (Eindhoven) carpoolworld.com (Netherlands)

Share your ride (Netherlands) liftshare.com search page

This question is pretty old but I came across it when trying to find some cheap way to travel from Eindhoven to Amsterdam.

If anyone would like to save some money I recommend group train tickets - the price drops from 20 to 7 euros per person and the great thing is that the group doesn't have to travel together, not even the same train, only the destination needs to be the same.

More info in this thread: Group travel in the train in the Netherlands, how does it work? .

Hitchhiking is by far the cheapest option.

I have had personal experience hitching across Holland both in and out of Eindhoven

and I've never wited much longer than 1 hour maximum for a lift pretty much anywhere in Holland.

When hitching my best advice is to always hitch from a petrol station, as that way you can talk to drivers to;

A:

determine if they're going the same way as you and, B: critically assess risk and not just take the first thing that comes along.

I believe the petrol station method is such an advantage it's worth either asking someone at the airport (also good hitching locations often) for a lift to the 1st service station on your way or even catch a taxi there.

If you are after specific hitching recommendations then you should check out http://hitchwiki.org/ (an excellent resource) and for Eidhoven in particular head here: http://hitchwiki.org/en/Eindhoven

When flying in, the bus they supply is only slightly more expensive than train tickets to Amsterdam, slightly less expensive than paying for the bus to the station and the train without a public transport chip card.

The time it is taking is also a bit less than taking the bus to the station and the train from there.

Better option next time is to fly to Amsterdam airport rather than to Eindhoven, as it is much cheaper and faster and not having to pay for the bus or train will make up for the difference in flight prices.

This comparison in prices held true over the last couple of years, I do not expect it to change by much as Ryan air seems to dictate that price level.

Question: What is the cheapest way to get from Eindhoven or Eindhoven airport to Amsterdam and back?

What is the cheapest way to get from Eindhoven to Amsterdam?

The train would be the easiest option, and there are two trains per hour travelling direct from Eindhoven to Amsterdam Central, with a journey time of 1:20 at a cost of €17.50 for a single in 2nd class. Four trains per hour travel to Amsterdam's Schipol Airport, with a journey time of 1:27 and at a cost of €18.00 single in 2nd class. Prices are significantly cheaper as group tickets, and the group does not need to travel to the destination on the same train. There are also 7 buses per hour to the station, or you could try hitchhiking or ridesharing.

Travelling by train is considered by far the best option of going from Eindhoven to Amsterdam The cheapest option, however, is hitchhiking. Ridesharingis another option to consider.

The train is the best option for travellingfrom Eindhoven to Amsterdam. There are regular trains and the ticket is not expensive. Group tickets are also available.

Hitchhiking would be the cheapest option from Eindhoven to Amsterdam.

Ridesgaring is another way of travelling from Eindhoven to Amsterdam.