• -go outside: The Norwegians love outdoor activities… so join them and wander in Oslo’s parks for free.
  Use public transportation not taxis. Start by getting the shuttle train in from the airport. You can buy a 24 hour pass for the public transportation system. You should also look into the Visit Oslo Pass. The Oslo Pass will give you free admission to more than 30 museums and attractions in Oslo as well as free public transportation and ferry rides for the duration of the pass. There are discounts on dining and shopping
• Walk!Oslo is a compact city, so it’s easy to get around to most sights by walking… and walking is certainly affordable. Wander Karl Johans Gate (Street). Admire the Norwegian Parliament, the University, and the Akerhus Castle.
• Visit the National Gallery and see Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” for free – but don´t go on Monday, as the museum is closed.
• Another picturesque place that won´t cost you a dime for entrance fee is the fish marked, Laksen Fisk and Vilt. It’s a great place to get a cheap lunch. Pick up some smoked salmon, cooked fish or prawns, get some bread or lefse (Norwegian flat bread… kind of like a tortilla) from a bakery or supermarket. Affordable Oslo on a platter…
• Eat ethnic:If you’re looking for a cheap meal in a restaurant, your best bet will be to go ethnic. Indian, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are cheaper than those offering European fare. If you do want Norwegian fare, look for a restaurant called Dovrehallen. It serves up traditional and cheap Norwegian food, hings like stews and boiled or fried fish. It’s a bit out of the way, a brisk walk from the Domkirch, but then you’d expect to have to look for a cheap restaurant in Oslo.
• Visit the Vigeland Sculpture Park: it contains more than 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland, and the park is pretty to walk in. You’ll be sharing it with lots of Norwegian families.
• For small change by Norwegian standards, you can rent a sled and try the Korketrekkeren – The Cork Screw. The sled rental is about US$10 (60 Kroners) and you can sled down the bobsled run from the 1952 Winter Olympics.

Although Oslo might well be one of the most expensive European cities you still can have a lot of fun here for relatively little money. Just watch your steps and your wallet and make the most out of your visit – the right mindset is so much more important than a fat checkbook!

Oslo Fjord Sightseeing Cruise

Foto: Stock.chng: ciruz

Here are some I liked: If you own a big dog and like stylish accessories, you will probably love the Petego collapsable pet travel kennel. Gray and black heavy duty material, unusual form and easy to put in the car, it folds down to a small disk when not in use. There is a downside though: it´s not for us who have kids (three in my case) as it goes on the back seat.

If you are looking for a crate that fits in the trunk of the car, a good choice is the Extra Large Guardian Gear Collapsible Crate . It is easy to handle and doesn´t need much space for storage when you don´t use it.

Since it comes in four sizes it is a good choice for owners of medium and small sized dogs ass well.

Another foldable kennel that gets rave reviews from dog owners and comes in no less than seven (!) different sizes is the Midwest Canine Camper Double Door Soft Sided Crate Prices at Amazon start at less than 25 US$ currently. The only drawback: the material is not made for chewers and gnawers (like our border collie, who will tear apart anything he can get between his teeth…)

Bed and Breakfasts – in general there are two reasons you might want to look for this kind of acomodation. The first: usually they are good value – cheaper than a hotel room or an apartment. And second: it´s a great way to get into contact with locals. In some places a complete and homemade breakfast is inluded in the deal – the tips about local points of interests come free with it.

But what if you are traveling a non-english speaking country? The term Bed and Breakfast is known pretty much internationally nowadays, espcially if you are loking on the Internet. But what if you are already on the move?

You can go into a tourist office almost anywhere and ask for a B+B, and they will know what you’re talking about…. but what if you’re in a car searching for a room?

If you’re driving down the autobahn in Germany you should be looking for a sign that says “Zimmer” or “Zimmer Frei”. OK… maybe you’ll be going too fast on the autobahn to see anything, but this is the term you should be looking for in Germany, …and Austria and Switzerland as well. And don’t be fooled by geography. In some parts of northern Italy, where there is a heavy Tyrolean influence, you may also be looking for zimmers.

One last thought about those “Zimmer Frei” signs… I think every traveler has a story about someone who thought that “Zimmer Frei” meant a free room. No… What it does mean is that there is a room available. And if you see a sign that says “besetzt”, it means no vacancies.

In France if you want a Bed and Breakfast, you will most often be looking for a “Chambre d’hote”. Though you could also be looking for a “pension” or a “gite”. A gite is generally a rural place; it could even be a whole farmhouse. The owners like to rent gites by the week, but you can always stop and ask if you can rent a room for a night or two.

In Italy look for “affittacamere”, especially in the Cinque Terre.

In Portugal Bed and Breakfasts are “pensao”. You can also look for “dormidas”… It is more common to see them called that near the seaside. Or you might just see “quarto” which means room.

Looking for the word “room” in the local language is a good idea. As we said, it’s “quarto” in Portugal. In Spain it’s “cuarto” or “habitacion”. In Italy it’s “camere”. In Croatia and Slovenia it’s “soba”.

In Spain, B+Bs are known as “casa rural”. They are generally situated in the countryside and smaller towns more than in cities. They may also be called “casa particular”, though that term seems to be more used in Cuba.

Scandinavia has wonderful Bed and Breakfasts. They’re incredibly cheap considering prices in Scandinavia, but they can’t advertise. At tourist information offices in Sweden and Norway, ask for a “rom” or “hus rum”. In Denmark the term is “vaerelse”.

Out in the countryside of England, you might find “farmhouse B+Bs”. In Italy the same type of places are called “agriturismos.”

You should check the language dictionary or lodging section of a good guidebook and see what they tell you about what Bed and Breakfasts are called in the country you’re visiting.

Other names you can be looking for are (are you ready?):

In French speaking countries: “gites du passant” or “gites d’hotel or “hebergement chez l’habitant”

In German speaking countries: “Gästezimmer“ or „Zimmer zu vermieten“

In Dutch speaking countries: “gastenkamer” or “kamers met ontbijt” or “logies met ontbijt”

In Italian speaking countries: “camera presso l’abitante” or “camere in case private”

In Spanish speaking countries: “habitaciones“ or „se alquila habitacion“

The list really does go on and on… but if you have an idea what words might be on that sign in the window, you will have no problems finding a bed and breakfast. If all else fails… just say you’re looking for a B+B… the term has gone global. You can wander into a tourist office and ask for a Bed and Breakfast, and you will probably find just what you’re looking for.

Foto: stockx.chng: Ayla87

First of all: Spain is a developed country in the middle of Europe, so you will be able to buy about everything over here. You might not find the selection you are used to, but from camping gear to equipment for water sports everything is available.

What to Bring on a Sightseeing-Trip in Spain

The most important: bring comfortable shoes! Nothing can ruin your vacation like sore feet, so if you plan to do sightseeing you will most likely walk A LOT! In my experience the most practical footwear for trotting asphalt all day are sneakers, my favourite (= most comfortable) brand being New Balance. But any shoes you are comfortable in walking all day are fine.

You should adapt yourself to a certain degree to the Spanish dress code. A tank top and flip flops are not an appropriate outfit for visiting a church or a museum. Actually in the eyes of a Spaniard this kind of clothes is fit for only one place: the beach. Even simpler restaurants will require you to wear a shirt (t-shirts and decent shorts are fine for a simple place); if you go out for dinner you should dress up a little. The same applies if you want to visit a classical concert, the opera or a theater: the Spanish like to dress up and in general pay a lot of attention to their appearance.

In summer it can get very hot, so bring light clothes, or buy them in Spain – there are a lot of shops to explore! In spring and autumn there might be rain, the northwest of Spain gets a lot of precipitacion from the Atlantic – they say that the rain is an art in Santiago de Compostela… Winters can get very cold in Central-Spain, be prepared for snow if you plan to visit a place above 800 metres (2400 feet) of altitude. At the coast winters can get quite windy with wind speeds up to 120 km/h. Even if the temperature normally is well above freezing point, you will get cold very fast, so bring warm clothes.

What to bring for hiking trips

There is plenty of opportunity to go hiking in Spain, one of the most famous tours being the Camino de Santiago, a increasingly popular pilgrimage that leads 800 kilometres (?? miles) from the french border to the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela. Shirley MacLane has done part of the way and wrote a book about it:The Camino : A Journey of the Spirit but the most famous novel about the “Camino” is Paulo Coelho – El Camino de Santiago / Paulo Coelho to Santiago de Compostela

There are plenty of National Parks and Natural Monuments that are perfect for hiking as well, at National Park “Picos de Europa” in Northwestern Spain there are peaks of more than 2000 metres (6500 feet) of altitude at less then 30 kilometres of the coast.

If you want to do serious hiking you will need good equipment. In the Picos de Europa for example, weather conditions can change from one minute to another and you might get into a snow storm or heavy fog even in summer. Solid hiking boots that cover the ankles and a light but warm jacket are a must. If you plan to camp (only allowed in designated camping sites) you want to bring a wind prove tent and a fairly warm sleeping bag.

Don´t forget good quality sunglasses (you might even need them in winter) and a hat to prevent insulation. A water bottle is also useful, as you always have to bring water. When planning a walk through an arid landscape bring closed shoes ( no sandals), not so much because of snakes (you might encounter them, but usually they try to get away from you) but because of the vegetation that very often consists in thorny bushes and spiky grasses. There might be the occasional scorpion here and there as well.

What to bring for a beach vacation

A towel, a bikini, lots of sunscreen and a good book!

Used to the comfort and security of life of the polish upper class she finds herself thrown into the harshest of conditions. There is no comfort whatsoever for the deported, they are forced to work in a mine and even later, when conditions improve a little, the discrepancy to the life Esther lost in Poland must have been overwhelming.

Despite of all this, the spirit of the book is very matter of fact, the story doesn´t get lost in self pity or complain. Esther Hautzig is eleven when they have to settle in a far off corner of the Siberian steppe and she recalls the arduousness’s of getting used to the total lack of comfort and security, she talks about families being ripped apart and people dying like flies. But in midst of all this hardship she is able to find beauty and friendship.

The Endless Steppe is not so much travel literature. It is a book about courage and optimism in the harshest of circumstances, about values and composure. And along the way you get to know a not so widely known aspect of the history of world war II – and the vastness and beauty of the Siberian steppe.

More about books: The Smart Travellers Guide to Armchair Travel

Kilauea Caldera is the youngest and most active volcano on earth. The landscaping is breathtaking with its hardened lava and dozens of craters. The park has 140 miles of hiking trails and is open to the public for camping. The park is over 333,000 acres of land so plan to stay a while if you truly want to explore the park. If you don’t have a lot of time, you should plan to at least drive through the park. It is worth the hour or so that it will take you to see everything. The volcano erupts regularly, so in most cases you will get to see some sort of lava flow. However, don’t expect to see eruptions spewing into the sky like in the movies. The flow is fluid and constant, not nearly as dramatic as Hollywood depicts.

The terrain changes so frequently due to the ever changing lava flow that it makes it difficult to follow maps, however the most up to date versions will be available at the visitor’s center. The map can be used for driving as well as hiking. The park has a hotline that tells you what is happening with the volcanoes that day and where to best view the lava flow.

Unlike the rest of Hawaii the weather can change very quickly in the park. The temperatures can be about 15 degrees cooler here than in Kona, so plan to dress appropriately. The park can have blistering heat from the sun’s reflection off of the lava flow. It can be hot and steamy one minute and change to a chilly downpour of rain with little or no warning.

Practical information:

If planning to visit the volcanoes you should be prepared and dress appropriately. Wear hiking shoes or boots; bring sunscreen and a hat. The heat can cause dehydration quickly so carry lots water and other fluids. Always follow the signs and stay on the trails. Fatalities do happen here at HAVO, the most common are due to people wandering off and getting lost in the park and people getting too close to newly formed lava paths. These lava flows can collapse causing injuries, or even worse, death.

If and when the lava reaches the ocean, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid permeate the air. These gases are toxic. Every one should be careful, especially pregnant women, young children and people with upper respiratory problems. The smell of sulfur is strong in the air.

A daily update about volcanic activities in the park can be found here

Whether it’s magnificent hiking trails you seek, or simply marking visiting a volcano off of your to do list, HAVO is sure to please.

2. You can´t die without having witnessed the sun go down in Death Valley

3. San Diego: eat seafood and enjoy the view form the terrasse on top of the building at “Georges at the Cove”. If you feel like devouring the worlds best (and biggest) burger, there is a place in San Diego as well: “The Neighborhood”.

4. The Joshua Tree National Park in South-California: the park got its name from the Joshua Tree, its beauty consists in the variety of landscapes: bizarre rocks, wild flowers and stuning desert scenery

5. Seafood in Santa Barbara: visit “Brophy Brothers” if you feel like the freshest seafood to be found.

6. One of the prettiest beaches at the famous Highway No. 1 is Pismo Beach north of Santa Barbara. It is big enough to drive your surfboard with the car right up to the waves.

7. Eco-friendly hotel in San Francisco: “The Good Hotel” is located centrally in SFs Soma District and offers modern rooms for about 65 Dollars

8. Experience Chinatown: if you really want to get to know Chinatown, book a tour with Shirley Wong-Torres, learn about chinese tea-ceremonies and visit a fortune-cookie-factory

9. Visit the Napa Valley by bike: besides experiencing the landscape first hand from the saddle of your bike you have the possibility to try some of the best vines of napa Valley

10. Not cheap but special: the Art-Hotel “Casa Madrona” in Sausalito. If you are looking for a romatic hideaway – here you go!

San Francisco Hotel Deals:Go here for best prices!

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If you need a travel guide to find more things to do, I highly recomend California from Eyewitness Travel Guides: it will give you a straight forward description of the state and all the practical information you will need!

More Travel Tips USA: The Smart Travellers to the US

Iñaki Uria had been warned: he had refused to pay the “voluntary revolutionary tax” ETA collects from thousands of Basque businesses, and several of his building sites had been burned down. Inspite of all this he didn´t want bodygards to protect him.

At his funeral a group of Basque businessmen made a statement to the effect, that they wouldn´t let this attac of the terrorist interfere with their business. “This is the best way for us to serve the Basque country” their spokesman said.

Iñaki Uria is the fourth fatal victim of ETA in 2008. In the entire country of Spain and also in the Basque Country itself this new ETA assasination has caused grief and indignation.

Looking for travel tips for Spain? Go Here!

2. One of my favourite South American writers is Chilean born Isabel Allende and while I really enjoyed reading her novels, her autobiographical work gives a deep insight in circumstances of life in Chile before and during the military coup. Those are the three volumes of Allendes work I enjoyed most: first of all Paula, of course, the book Allende wrote while keeping her dying daughter company. While she is mourning her predictable loss she lets her childhood pass by – you realize where she got the inspiration for the house of the spirit.

My Invented Country is not really a sequel to Paula but equally moving. The book I liked best though, was Life and Spirits, a book with alternating passages of texts and an interview conducted by one of Allendes friends, Celia Correas Zapata. Besides providing some more background about this wonderful writer, it also may be the most intimate book. Allende talks about what drives her to write, about her feelings concerning her daughter, her family and her second marriage with William Gordon. and you get a glimpse of her day to day life…

Although I already put a total of four books, I will put another one . So here we go:

3. My third choice is an easy one: one of my favourite places in the world is southern Patagonia with its vast empty landscapes and Francisco Coloane describes it to perfection. In Tierra del Fuego, the windbeaten terrain and the taciturn people who fight for a living under the most difficult circumstances come to life for the reader.

I hope you enjoy reading these books as much as I did!

Amsterdam is home to 51 museums – no more and no less. You won´t be able to see all of them (unless you plan to live here for a period of time), so you will have to make choices. Which are the museums you absolutely can´t miss?

1.The Rijksmuseum: Holland has a famous school of painters, mainly from the 17th century – Rembrandt, Vermeer are names that come to mind. A visit to Amsterdam wouldn´t be complete without seeing them. The Rijksmuseum is undergoing an important remodeling that is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010, but you still will be able to see 200 of the most important paintings. The Amsterdam Canal Bus Hop on Hop Off Day Pass and Rijksmuseum includes the entrance to the museum plus a ticket for the Canal Bus that runs along the touristic route of Amsterdam.

2.He might well be the most famous dutch painter, his sunflowers being a synonym for Holland: Vincent van Gogh. The Van Gogh Museum shows more than 200 paintings and 500 drawings of the unfortunate painter, who died in his and mentally ill.

3.The Stedelijk Museum is home of one of the finest collections of contemporary art in Europe. Malevich, Chagall, Mondrian and Picasso are just some of the artists you can see at the Stedelijk Museum.

4.The name Anne Frank stands for a dark period of European history – the Jewish girl who fled with his parents and sister from the horror of Nazi Germany and lived some years hidden in an attic in Amsterdam before she got deported to a concentration camp, where she died soon after. Her diary made her famous and it is a moving experience to see the place where she lived and experienced her first love, where she hoped for peace and finally got caught by the secret police. The Anne-Frank-House is one of the most visited places of Amsterdam, so it might be a good idea to make a reservation well ahead of time.

5.The Rembrandthuise is dedicated to another of Hollands most famous painters. Rembrandt lived in this house in the Joodenbreststraat for twenty years til 1659, when he had to leave due to financial difficulties.

6.Another synonym for Holland is the Heineken beer. The famous beer brewing plant at Stadhouderskade 78 stopped producing in 1988 and has been transformed to a museum, which now is one of the mayor tourist attractions of Amsterdam. If you are under the age of 18 you only can visit then place with an adult…
If you plan to visit the Heineken brewery, you might consider to get the Amsterdam Canal Bus Hop On Hop Off Day Pass and Heineken Experience. For one entire day it allows you to hop on and off the Canal bus, which passes by all the mayor sights, and it includes the entrance to the Heineken Museum.

7.If you travel with children a visit of the NEMO, the Cience Center is a perfect brake from too much art. The NEMO is a hands on place: it is forbidden NOT to touch…

Are you looking for more travel tips for Europe? Go Here!

I amsterdam Card – City Pass for Amsterdam