To date, I already visited the city of Barcelona on 2 occasion (both were 1 week stays), and I still believe that there are many attractions which are yet to be explored. I will definitely revisit soon, since I simply fell in love with the place. If you are planning to visit Barcelona (or thinking about it) here are some cool tips from a travel junkie.
Highlights:
Visiting the old part (Barri Gothic Area) of the city is a must-see, yet in my opinion, the best parts of Barcelona are its contributions to 20th Century architecture.
One must definitely visit all monuments left by famous 20th-century architect Antonio Gaudi; Parc Guell, Casa Miro, Casa Batlo, and most of all, the famous, unfinished Sagrada Famiglia Cathedral.
Other definite monuments to be seen are the Palau de la Musica, The Maritime Museum, Picasso Museum, The Olympic Complex, and for the best nightlife of all, the Olympic Village.
Day Trip Suggestions:
I would typically suggest a trip to Salou, where one finds the magical theme park of Port Aventura. We spent 2 nights in the resort which adjoins the park, and booked this directly via the Internet . When I tried booking via my agent it was going to cost me 15% more. Hence, simply book this yourself since its very easy to do so.
Arriving to the destination, is very easy since the resort and the theme park has a station located only 100m away from it. Whilst, Port Aventura may not be as large as DisneyLand Paris in size, I personally feel that it has a certain atmosphere of adventure which the Parisian park lacks.
Other day trips worth considering are a visit to the wonderful Montserrat Mountains, as well as a visit to beautiful seaside resort of Stiges. You may acquire very advantageous day trip packages which include transportation, museum entrances, and lunch at the Tourist Information Office.
Obtaining Literature
Besides buying a good guide book (DK has a very colorful and informative guide), I would suggest that you would log onto the Barcelona Tourist Information office website, and contact them asking for some literature. For a very small charge (probably less than 3 Euros), they will send you very useful maps and guides which will definitely help you in planning your trip.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Best Ski Resorts in Europe
Tourism has been a booming industry for the past few decades and ski resorts have seen a surge in interest, but where are the best places to go in Europe to make the most of the snow and the nightlife?
For many people Val D'Isere remains the first choice. This area in the French Alps has become so popular with foreign visitors that you'll be hard pushed to find a bar or shop where the locals don't speak English.
The ski area is first class, as are the facilities away from the slopes. Of course, it's sheer popularity may put some holiday-makers off. If you're looking for a quiet week away then Val D'Isere may not be right for you.
St Anton in Austria is less well-known but also has a wonderful ski area. So great, in fact, that it recently hosted the World Championships. This provides a great platform for both skiing and snowboarding.
The Zermatt resort in Switzerland is another contender for the title of the best ski resort in Europe. It benefits from fine Alpine scenery, matching the sort of scenes that you might expect if you've ever seen any film footage of Switzerland.
Set in the centre of Europe, Switzerland is of course highly accessible for Europeans, but has recently been proving very popular with tourists from all over the world.
Many people are put off Switzerland and Austria because they believe that prices can be prohibitive. Whilst it's certainly true that both countries have some very expensive resorts, such complaints can be applied to many European ski resorts. Equally, if you shop around you can still find some bargains in terms of both travelling to your chosen destination and making the most of your stay there.
There are plenty of great articles available online reviewing and describing the many European ski resorts, but this will hopefully have given you a taster of the finest resorts around.
For many people Val D'Isere remains the first choice. This area in the French Alps has become so popular with foreign visitors that you'll be hard pushed to find a bar or shop where the locals don't speak English.
The ski area is first class, as are the facilities away from the slopes. Of course, it's sheer popularity may put some holiday-makers off. If you're looking for a quiet week away then Val D'Isere may not be right for you.
St Anton in Austria is less well-known but also has a wonderful ski area. So great, in fact, that it recently hosted the World Championships. This provides a great platform for both skiing and snowboarding.
The Zermatt resort in Switzerland is another contender for the title of the best ski resort in Europe. It benefits from fine Alpine scenery, matching the sort of scenes that you might expect if you've ever seen any film footage of Switzerland.
Set in the centre of Europe, Switzerland is of course highly accessible for Europeans, but has recently been proving very popular with tourists from all over the world.
Many people are put off Switzerland and Austria because they believe that prices can be prohibitive. Whilst it's certainly true that both countries have some very expensive resorts, such complaints can be applied to many European ski resorts. Equally, if you shop around you can still find some bargains in terms of both travelling to your chosen destination and making the most of your stay there.
There are plenty of great articles available online reviewing and describing the many European ski resorts, but this will hopefully have given you a taster of the finest resorts around.
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