Month: May 2015

Madrid is such a beautiful and cultural-rich city and it is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year. If this city looks appealing to you and you want to visit it in the near future, then there are a few things you should know about its transport system. For example, Madrid has over 100 bus lines. This is a number that might scare you, but you must know that even if it is well developed, it doesn’t mean it is too complicated. So, if you learn a few tricks and what you shouldn’t do when traveling around Madrid, then things will become clear and easy. Leave that frightening maps away and focus on these 3 most important things you should know about transport in Madrid.

Airport transfer services in Madrid

The first thing you should know as a tourist in Madrid is how you will get from the airport to the real city. Besides the public means of transport that you can find in any other big city, here you can also choose between the mini-van shuttle services and hiring a driver. At first, you might think that you are no queen or president, so why should you pay someone to get you there in all this comfort? Well, you can choose the cheapest car and the comfort itself should be a good reason for you to do this. Forget about buying tickets and running so you won’t miss the bus, which might be really cramped. It won’t feel like a holiday if you have to run with all your bags and your suitcase. This is why you should choose between these two.

If you have enough money, then renting a car with a driver is indeed a good idea. You can choose the level of comfort and the facilities you want the car to have. Even better, if you want to feel like you belong to some royal family, then you can decide on having your personal driver for your whole stay here. He will tell you for sure lots of interesting unknown things about the city and will gladly take you on a sightseeing tour. Feel like a star for once in your life and enjoy the trip to its best.

Of course, there is also a low-priced way, which is the best to choose if you still want to feel comfortable, but with less money. Getting to your destination on a mini-van is cheaper on daytime and prices start at 7 euros per person, which is way more affordable than hiring a driver. But you can still imagine yourself being the queen, or the president on your way to the city. You have air-conditioning here too and a lot of space for you and your friends or family. People usually say this is the best airport service so far.

Car rental

Another suggestion would be to rent a car in Madrid. Even if it might sound luxurious, it is pretty affordable, especially if you don’t want the expensive ones. If you are on a business trip, then this is a must do for you. Even if the public transport here is really well established, in matter of jobs, you really have to be there on time and you should look fresh, not exhausted and sweaty from the bus trip. If you are here just for the holiday, then this is a good idea in case you want to visit the surroundings of Madrid. It is like a cheaper alternative to the driver services. The only difference is that you will have to drive here.

Even so, parking in this big city can really become a problem. This is why I recommend you to go for renting only if you are in one of the two circumstances above. Also, if the hotel you are staying in offers parking facilities, a rent-a-car service is a good idea.

Taxi Service

There are a few things you should know about cabs before you go to Madrid. For example, you should remember not to look for the yellow cars, because here taxis are white colored and they usually have a red stripe.  Besides knowing the phone numbers, the stations and how to ask for a taxi call at your hotel, you should also be aware of the fact that you have to pay at least 2 euros to get one.  And don’t forget that some stations have an additional payment of about 5 euros, but it differs from location to location.

Taking a cab isn’t extremely expensive in Madrid, but it isn’t the cheapest method either. Payment differs on weekdays, during rush hours and also on the speed. Sounds quite complicated, right? But it still is a better way to move around the city, even in large groups for which there are these “Euro taxis”, also available for disabled people with mobility problems.

Even if there are a lot of things to remember, these are really useful pieces of advice that might get you out of trouble whenever you want to call for a taxi. This way, you can pay attention to the way the driver acts with you and you can make a complaint every time you notice something with regards to the bill or the driver. You have to get the receipt from the driver and fill a form at the tourist information center. You are allowed and you should get his personal information like his ID number and also the plate number. So stay focused to avoid being tricked.

Travelling around Madrid might seem quite difficult. In reality, it is just a piece of cake. You just have to remember a few things and you are easily going to handle any situation you may encounter. Don’t give up on your trip just because you feel like you won’t be able to carry it off. Choose the transport mean that best fits you and your wallet and make sure you relieve all your stress in this beautiful city. Go back home feeling proud that you managed to understand Madrid’s streets and its complicated traffic.

If you don’t know what to pack for your trip to London, then you should remember about its rainy weather and get your umbrella. Some knowledge on its transport and etiquette would also be really useful. Getting lost in this city is mostly plausible if we think how complex it is. That’s why this article includes a few things you should really know before boarding your plane.

The Tube

This is the most commonly used mean of transport, especially by London’s citizens. Its 12 lines cover the entire city and allow you to get almost everywhere around London without too many delays. These trains are grouped in 4 categories, depending on their direction: so we have the Eastbound, Westbound, Northbound and the Southbound. Make sure you always check the line to see if you’re going in the right direction. Also, when the train is coming, look at its front to see the last station where it stopped.

This entire system might seem too complicated, so don’t be afraid to ask for more details at the help center or at any ticket spot. Taking one of the free maps would also be really useful as it is easier to read and much more accurate than the ones on the walls. A piece of advice is to avoid the rush hours as much as possible, especially during the hot days. Also, water is a must have around those periods, because there is no air conditioning in the trains. Moreover, being the oldest underground in the world, there are a lot of renovation works going on these days, so you might want to check for announcements before you decide which line to choose.

Buses

Even if they are slower than the Tube, these are a cheaper way to travel around, especially in areas that are a little bit more far from the city center. Also, there is a lot more air in a bus rather than in the underground, which makes it better to ride in hot summer days. You cannot really say you’ve been to London unless you step in one of the red buses which became an icon for this city. It is like going to Venice and not riding one of the boats there.

You don’t need to buy a ticket because for both, the Tube and the bus, it is cheaper to buy an Oyster Card. Especially if you spend more than a couple of days there and you want to travel around to your heart’s content.  But, always remember that even if you can use the Tube pass to go by bus, this isn’t possible the other way around. You will have to charge your card with a certain sum of money for the Tube ride. Check out the help centers for more information.

In every bus station, you can find lots of information on which numbers stop there every time and which stop only if necessary. You should know that a bus won’t stop in every station as some aren’t obligatory. Usually, in a station like this, you have to signal the driver with your arm if you want to get on. Also, if you want to get off, there is a button you have to press and a red light will turn on somewhere in the front side of the bus. Just make sure you do this before the bus gets to the station because the driver won’t suddenly break if he had already passed by the station. These days, citizens signal their wish to get on/off the bus no matter if the station is an obligatory one or not, so make sure you will do the same.

Good Manners

London is a really busy city where people don’t like to interfere with the others around them and just want to get to their destination. There are a few unwritten rules that you should know before accepting the challenge to use public transportation here. If not, you might end up thinking that people in London are rude and know nothing about manners in public.

These are simple rules like always wait for the people to get off the train and then you can get on. Even if they might seem somehow weird or too simple to you, to them they are really important as the stations tend to get really packed.  Avoid looking straight into someone’s eyes and make sure you give your seat to someone who might need it more than you, only if you want to look polite to the others and if you don’t want to be yelled at. If there is an interesting newspaper somewhere on a seat, then you can have it, and you can leave yours as long as you don’t make a mess.

Even if it might seem like a complicated city to you, it still offers its tourists many options to move around. It also has one of the best and most complete transport systems in Europe. The prices aren’t that big either. For example, airport transfer services in London can be really cheap and there is a big variety for anyone out there. Just remember to always book in advance so you can get the discounts that most transport businesses offer, which can get up to 45% or more. Take a taxi, a bus, a train, a mini-van or rent a car so you can enjoy your trip without worrying about the tickets and your luggage.

Traveling around London and using public means of transport might become really confusing unless you know some rules: for example, raising your arm so you won’t miss the bus. Don’t worry too much if someone bumps into you and doesn’t apologize or treats you rude. Maybe he/she had a worse day than you had, given that you are in a holiday. Just make sure you are polite and always remember to charge and validate your Oyster card. Otherwise, you will only be traveling by foot.

Even if people have heard about Rome and its historical roads, Florence was actually the first city in Europe to have paved roads. Surprising, right? Once you get there, you will feel like in an old Roman movie, as if you are visiting one of the biggest museums in the world. Even if it is a rather small city, its historical road might make you regard it as a really imposing one. If you choose to visit the beautiful Florence, then there are a few essential things you should know about transport in this town.

Airport transportation options

Airport transfer services in Florence offer you 3 options to get to your destination. Getting a taxi cab for example is not complicated at all. Forget about the drivers that might fraud you just because you are a foreigner. Here you might not even have to call for one as the taxi stands are pretty much everywhere around you. Because there isn’t too much traffic, you will get to the city centre in no time and you will travel comfortably and in style.

You can also choose to go by train, but the Volainbus is by far the cheapest choice you can make. With just around 5 euros you can get to the Central Maria Novella station in less than 30 minutes on rush hours. Starting from 5:30 in the morning up to 8:30 in the evening there is one bus coming every half an hour. After that, they still come and go, but only once an hour. You can buy your ticket from the driver, so you won’t have to search for the tickets all through the airport.

Car rentals

Even if it is a small city visited by a big number of tourists, the roads in Florence don’t get that easily jammed. The reason for this is that most locals and foreigners prefer walking because the city centre isn’t too big. Even so, if your accommodation is out of the city, somewhere in the Tuscan countryside, then renting a car is advisable. Some of the villages around here might not have a train station, so it would be easier to just rent a car and forget about the public transport.

Even if your trip is a short one and you plan to stay here only a day or two, you might still want to go for driving yourself. Therefore, you will be able to plan your schedule the way you want to and go sightseeing wherever you want.

There are a lot of rent-a-car companies in the city center around the Central Maria Novella station, but you can easily rent one straight from the airport and drive on one of the highways nearby. One thing you should be aware of is using the right fuel to fill the tank when you stop at a gas station. This way, you won’t bring any damage to the car. If you aren’t sure, you can always ask one of the assistant at the station for help, which is better than paying extra for the loss.

Since the roads in the city center are part of the historical heritage, you aren’t allowed to drive there. Moreover, if you want to get to a hotel nearby the center, you have to tell them in advance, so that the hotel staff can announce the police to give you a permit. If you enter those restricted areas, the fines are really high and you have no excuse whatsoever. Because of this situation, finding a good parking spot near your accommodation place is not that easy. The solution to this is buying a map that shows all parking areas in the city or you can just hire a driver to escape from all this hustle.

Bus services

Most people here prefer taking the bus to move around the city as the routes cover most of it. Tickets can be bought almost everywhere around, especially at places marked with an “ATAF” sticker, such as bars, newsagents and coffee shops. You could also buy it from the driver, but it will be a little bit more expensive, somewhere around 2 euros.  Otherwise, they cost only about 1 euro and are available for 90 minutes. The date and hour is printed once you validate it so you can get off and on any bus within the time limit.

A bus usually has three doors. The back and front one are for getting on and the middle one for getting off. Make sure you will remember this. You don’t want to be shouted at for not going by the rules. Also, validating your ticket is a must do! The fine is really expensive and the inspectors won’t believe the “I didn’t know I was supposed to do that” part of your story. So risking a 45 euros fine isn’t worth it when the ticket is not expensive at all.

If you aren’t sure about the route don’t ask the driver about it because he has to focus at the road. You can go to any ticket booth and ask for maps and information which will be for sure more useful than what the driver knows. Or, if you think you might be on the wrong bus, try and ask people around you or look for any monitor inside or posters on the windows.

If you don’t like cars and buses, then you could also go for bike rentals. This is probably the best way to explore Florence on your own. You can also go for bike or Segway tours that are available for small groups and you can personalize it to your heart’s content. If you have enough experience, renting a scooter or a motorbike can also provide you unique and unforgettable memories. This is especially recommended to those who want to go for sightseeing outside the center. So, bikes are still the best way to move around the historical Florence and enjoy your trip at low costs and maximum fun.

Traveling in a new country will never be easy, unless you know some tips about it. For example, it’s not enough to just know that Lisbon is the biggest city in Portugal and that it has one of the most important ports in Europe. Before packing and boarding your airplane you should do some more research on how you will get to your hotel and how much it will cost you. Unless you have plenty of money and don’t care how you will spend them, planning your trip is what you have to do. This is why this article will help you know more about transport in Lisbon so you can easily move around this big city.

Airport transfer services in Lisbon

Airport-city transfer in Lisbon is one of the best and easiest in Europe. Besides the classical ways like taxi cabs (which aren’t as expensive as in any other major cities) and buses, you can also choose to rent a car, or even better, you can just go with the metro. It’s usually a 20-minute journey because the airport is so close to the city. Make sure you open your eyes wide in the airport and look for the taxi vouchers usually available at the tourist informational desk.

Carris

Lisbon’s roads can get pretty packed. Unless you really have no other choice, driving through the city isn’t such a good idea, mostly because every hour there looks like a rush hour. Bikes aren’t such a good idea either because of its busy streets. Maybe this is why, Carris, the public transport company in Lisbon, has given its people and tourists a great diversity of choices at cheap prices.

Even though in 1872, the transport network wasn’t developed too much, its start was a really good one. From carriages pulled by animals such as horses to today’s trams and modern buses, this company made sure that they can satisfy everyone’s needs.

Public means of transport

If you want to explore Lisbon in a different and unique way, then you can choose to travel along Tejo River by ferry. This way you can cross from one side of the city to another in a very interesting way, not just by driving along a bridge, which tends to get pretty cramped at rush hours. Even if it might sound old fashioned, this means of transportation is still used among citizens that want to avoid traffic as much as possible and it also became a great tourist spot. So you might want to give it a try!

Even though you might not like going around the city by metro, you have to at least visit a station in Lisbon. It will be just like going to a museum of art. And this is not because it has a few words written on the walls, but because it actually is like a museum. Here you can find on display some of the most interesting contemporary pieces of art such as sculptures and paintings. These metro stations really are worth visiting!

You can also choose to travel by bus, electric train or funicular. Lisbon offers you great diversity when it comes to transport. Whether you like classical or modern options, this is the city for you to travel! In the Portuguese capital, the tickets are the cheapest you can find around Europe, so you can go and travel around to your heart’s content.

Transport cards

There are a lot of ways you can pay for public transport in Lisbon. Most of them are practical enough to keep you out of trouble and worries. Depending on how many days you plan to use the public transport for, there are special cards which you can load with credit at most stations. Usually, they offer amazing discounts, not just for your tickets, but also for museums, restaurants and even shops.

“Lisboa Card” is one of them. You get to travel around by bus, metro, trams, lifts and carries for free! You can also enter most museums for free and there is no need to recharge it. You can order it in advance and get it from the airport once you land. These types of cards that Lisbon offers are the easiest and cheapest way to travel around this beautiful city.

If you don’t plan to use public transportation that much, then you can go for Viva Viagen or Sete Colinas card with a minimum of 50 cents credit. Just decide on how many times you will travel by bus, metro, ferry or tram and just load it with money at most stations. You only have to remember to scan the card at each journey. It is cheaper than just buying tickets and you also get discounts if you load it with at least 5 euros.

Eléctrico 28

If you want to feel the history of this city, then you have to ride the tourist tram number 28. With just a 40-minute ride, you will get to experience Lisbon in a legendary way. And this is no joke! This became more and more aknowledged by the tourists that prefer a quiet ride through the historical streets of Lisbon. You just have to buy a 24-hour ticket at around 4 euros and enjoy the ride. It is cheaper than going by bus and this vintage tram takes you close to the majority of the tourist atractions. Also, you don’t have to worry that you will be waiting too much in the hot sun, because there is a tram at every 15 minutes.

Lisbon doesn’t seem such a big city now, right? Just as you have been told you before, once you get to know more about the place you are going to travel to, you will feel at home anywhere! Will the information you have, you will like to travel around this city without worries. Just remember that driving on its street will be too much of a burden, so you might prefer vintage trams.