Rakuda Ginza

Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

Salzburg is one of Europe’s most popular cities. Although relatively small, (population around 150,000) it has an abundance of sight-seeing attractions and provides tourists with an inspirational combination of mountain views and historic monuments.

The city of Salzburg is located in the Salzburg region of Austria close to the border with Bavaria, (Germany). Its name means “Salt Castle” referring to the deposits of salt in the area that made the city wealthy as a centre of the medieval salt trade and its beautiful white castle.

Salzburg is an incredibly beautiful city that has many outstanding examples of both Romanesque and Baroque architecture. Everywhere you look you will see reminders that this city was birthplace of Mozart. His memory is preserved and celebrated in several museums and through regular musical events that take place in the city.

The following, top ten Salzburg travel tips are for things to see and do within the city itself. All of them can be easily reached without requiring any transport

1. Above all else, do not miss visiting the Salzburg Castle
 Read more... (777 words, estimated 3:06 mins reading time)

Taxi travel tips from the experts at Safe Harbors.

If possible, pick your own taxi.
Have the address of your destination and hotel written in the local language.
If you call a taxi, wait for it indoors.
Compare the face of the taxi driver with the posted license.
When in a metered taxi, make sure the meter is activated.
When boarding a bus or limo, do so promptly.
Keep an eye on the loading and unloading of your baggage, especially if you are sharing a taxi or limo which makes an intermediate stop.

Many people absolutely dread long haul flights as they know that they will probalby reach their destination tired, cramped and cranky. This need not be the case however. The purpose of this article is to share some basic travel tips to help you minimise the impact of hours on a plane on your system.

Get to the airport early: Nothing is as stressful as having to race through immigration and security knowing that there is a possibility that you can get offloaded. The stress and agitation from running around the airport can easily turn you into a ball of nerves when (if?) you finally make it onto the plane. Make sure that you avoid situations like this by budgeting more than enough time for your trip to the airport.

Get the best seats possible: Study the configuration of the aircraft you will be travelling on before you travel (there are several websites where you can do this). It may be that there are certain seats with more legroom that you can request when checking in or that you can even reserve online.

Dress comfortably: You are going to have to sit in one position for a long time, the least you can do is to make sure that your clothes and shoes don’t make that harder than it already is. If you need to make a good impression on arrival you can stik a change of clothes in your carry on luggage.  Read more... (530 words, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)

Rio de Janeiro is the 2nd largest city of Brazil. It is a major tourist destination. However, there are things to consider when going to Rio.

Rio de Janeiro or “River of January” in English is Brazil’s 2nd largest and South America’s 3rd largest city. It is situated behind Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo. From the year 1763 up to the year 1822, it stood as Brazil’s capital city while under the Portuguese colony. It became an independent nation from the year 1822 up to the year 1960. Hence, from 1808 up to 1821 it was considered as the Portuguese Empire’s capital. It is also known as “A Cidade Maravilhosa” or “The Marvelous City” as its nickname.

Rio de Janeiro, or just Rio, is popular because of the vast natural settings, Samba and various other music as well as Carnival celebrations. There is also a wide array of tourist beaches like Ipanema and Copacabana paved with cream and black swirl-like pattern mosaic decorations or Pedra Portuguesa as it is most known for.

One of the most popular local attractions in Rio de Janeiro, apart from its unspoiled beaches, is the Christ the Redeemer or Cristo Redentor. It is Jesus Christ’s giant statue that lies on top of the Corcovado Mountain. Just recently, it was considered as part of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Other attractions include Sugarloaf Mountain’s cable cars or the Pao de Acucar, the Sambodromo, a permanent giant parade stand used during Carnivals and the Maracana Stadium deemed as the largest football stadium in the world.  Read more... (935 words, estimated 3:44 mins reading time)

Planning a vacation or going on business out of town? Whether this is your first trip or the fortieth, a nod to common sense and a few practical pointers will not only streamline your journey, but also enhance your experience by making it safer, easier and more fun.

Planning Your Journey
Be sure to familiarize yourself with your destination. The Internet is an excellent resource for researching the area you will be visiting, and many visitor centers will also send a welcome packet for a nominal fee – as well as answer any questions by phone. Things that you should know before you leave include: the address and specific location of your hotel, the exact route to get there and hotel check in time. Also be aware of any specifics you might need en route, such as money for cab fare or toll roads, and carry a decent map of the region in case all else fails and you get lost. A cell phone is always a good idea in case of complications as well – be sure to have emergency numbers handy to contact your family, employer, etc. if necessary.

Consider your transportation needs. Is this an extended stay? Will you need a vehicle to drive or does the area have adequate public services such as busses, subways and commuter trains? Familiarize yourself with available transport as well as related costs and be sure to keep a copy of the bus or subway schedules with you if you plan to ride instead of drive.  Read more... (1304 words, estimated 5:13 mins reading time)