Portugal, Germany & the Netherlands

The Portuguese team will be based in Opalenica, just west of Poznan, Poland. They will be staying at the Remes hotel. With a spa, a nightclub, bar/lounge and a health club, they’re more than likely to enjoy the stay.

The German team will set up camp in Gdansk, Poland. Their home will be the Dwor Oliwski Hotel. This 17^th century manor is equipped with an indoor swimming pool, a gym, massage rooms, a sauna and a solarium.

The Netherlands, while playing all of their matches of the first stage in Ukraine, chose Krakau, Poland as their base. It might have something to do with the beautiful Sheraton Krakow Hotel. This spacious hotel offers the Dutch all-stars everything they need, from gyms to saunas and much more besides.

Although staying in Poznan, Gdansk and Krakow, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal will play the first three matches of the first stage in Lviv and Kharkiv. If you want to be part of this football fun, Lviv is definitely the place to be.

Hotel recommendations for these games:

The Buhta-Vikingiv Lviv

This 3 star hotel is just a few minutes away from the city’s cultural attractions, standing in the shadow of the Carpathian mountains. But more importantly, it’s only 10 kilometres away from the Arena Lviv stadium.

Old Town Apartments

For your home away from home, try renting an apartment here. Located in the city centre, this is an ideal base for the football summer. Of course, free wifi is available, so you can keep up with all the important football news.

Fan Camp Lviv

For the real die-hard fans, there is the Fan Camp, located in Lviv. Situated in the forest, the campsite territory is divided in different zones, for fans of each nationality. Renting a tent comes with 2 camping mats and 2 sleeping bags.
Showers and toilets are accessible on-site and drinks and snacks are available throughout the day. Restaurants, breakfast areas and of course a big screen for the football matches are all provided.
There are three lakes nearby where you can relax and unwind in between matches; with sunbeds and sports facilities, it’s all there!

Spain & Italy

The Spanish national team will play all three games in Gdansk, Poland. Their hotel will be an hour and a half drive from the city. The Mistral Hotel in Gniewino provides the team with fitness areas, a whirlpool and massage therapists.

The Italian team chose Wieliczka in Poland as their temporary home. The Turowka Hotel & Spa is the lucky place to welcome the team. A spa tub, beauty salon and designer toiletries will sure please the Italian stallions.

Spain and Italy will play in Gdansk and Poznan, two big Polish cities. Be part of it and stay in one of these (or both!) great places.

Hotel recommendations for these games:

Lezno Palace Hotel

The Lezno Palace Hotel in Gdansk offers several excellent facilities such as a shoe polishing service (you have to look sharp!) and a sauna…hot stuff.

Villa Pascal

If you’re on a budget, there’s no better place to stay than Villa Pascal. This hotel is located in a quiet district of the city, only 50 metres from the beach. Car parking, internet access and a restaurant are all provided here.

Hotel llonn Poznan

Hotel llonn Poznan is a modern three star hotel with a restaurant and a sauna. The hotel even offers party rooms to celebrate the football victories!

Activator Camp Gdansk

Last but not least, you can also choose to stay at the Activator Camp Gdansk. Close to the PGE Arena, this camp is good way to meet other supporters and football fans. Meet up at the common barbecue grills and play a game of football.

France & England

The chic and sophisticated Hotel Stary in Krawkow will certainly suit the English team. A number of museums, Krakow Zoo and the Collegium Maius are all within a five minute walk, but somehow we think the boys will be more inclined to enjoy the hotel bar.

The French choose to stay at a training facility called The Kirsha Training Facility in Donetsk. Instead of steam rooms and saunas, they get consulting rooms and medical offices. I guess they’ll do anything to avoid going home early again….!

If you want to bend it like Beckham, go to Donetsk and Kiev!

Hotel recommendations for these games:

Partner Guesthouse Baseina Kiev

This small intimate hotel offers a variety of high end services. For instance, you can order a limousine to arrive at the stadium in style. Save some room in your limo for the guests you will take with you to the hotel’s own nightclub. The rooms even have kitchens, where you can cook your own winning meal.

Kozatskiy on Antonova Kiev

Another good budget hotel is the Kozatskiy on Antonova Kiev. This newly renovated hotel even offers some of the luxuries that the football players have, such as a sauna, a bar and a transfer service!

Kiev Rent Apartments & Kreshchatyk Guesthouse Apartments

Convenient for groups, Kiev Rent Apartments and Kreshchatyk Guesthouse Apartments Kiev offer great accommodation for short and long term stays. Both places are situated in the city centre, within close range of Kiev’s cultural attractions. More importantly, both are only a thirty minute walk from where the magic happens: the Olimpiysky National Sports Complex.

Are you getting excited about the championships yet? Why not let us know your plans during the European Cup!

Visiting London without travelling on the tube is a bit like going to a restaurant without ordering an entrée. The London Underground is one of the oldest and best working public transport systems in the world, carrying over 3 million passengers every day.

So far so yeah yeah yeah…but there’s more to be found below the surface. Since the opening of the first tube line in 1863, a number of stories, rumours and incidents have been brewing underneath the streets of London.

London Tube trunk line (1)

As today is the 11th, how fitting that we’ve dug up 11 fascinating facts about one of the world’s most famous transport systems. Let’s dive right in:

1. Escalation

What runs around the garden without moving an inch? Think about it for a bit….
Similarly, the Underground system’s 409 escalators travel a distance equivalent to two trips around the world every week.

London Tube escalators (2)

2. Filthy habits

No shit, Sherlock: in terms of asphyxiation, travelling on the tube for 40 minutes is the equivalent to smoking two cigarettes.

Shadows: rebellious (3)

3. ‘Underground’ music

The Underground is a good place to stumble on musicians busting out tuneful tunes to the delight of passers by. Following in this spirit, Julian Lloyd Webber is rumoured to have been the London Underground’s first official busker.

Easily distracted - Julian Lloyd Webber (4)

4. Dead centre

Bubonic plague swept through England in 1665, and was especially rife in urban areas. Aldgate Station, on the Circle and Metropolitan Lines, is built on a massive plague pit, where more than 1,000 bodies are buried.

Aldgate Station (5)

5. Fast food

Swimming, travel and THC all give us the munchies, and for this reason the tube system is choc-full of vending machines dispensing all kinds of marked-up goodies. Whilst Kit Kats and Monster Munch hold their own on the shelves, the Cadbury’s Whole Nut chocolate bar is by far the biggest seller.

Wholly nuts, Batman; can you break a tenner? (6)

6. Famous catchphrase

Falling between the platform and the train can sometimes be a mild inconvenience. For centuries the English puzzled over the riddle of how to prevent this type of accident. The answer finally came from an unlikely source when, in 1968, the phrase “MIND THE GAP” originated on the Northern Line.

Class war goes underground (7)

7. Close for comfort

The walking time between two underground stops in central London is never more than 10 minutes, and is sometimes a lot less. In fact, the shortest distance between two adjacent stations on the underground network is only 260 metres. The tube journey between Leicester Square and Covent Garden on the the Piccadilly Line takes only about 20 seconds, but costs £4.30.

Walking: cheap (8)

8. In plane site

Many tube stations were used as air-raid shelters during WWII, but the Central Line went one better and was actually converted into a massive aircraft factory that stretched for over two miles, with its own railway system. Its existence remained an official secret until the 1980s.

Central Line aircraft factory (9)

9. Hidden corners

There are several unused stations down there. For instance, Down Street Station was used by Winston Churchill and his cabinet during the Second World War. The British Museum also has an abandoned tube station, lying on the Central Line between Tottenham Court Road and Holborn.

British Museum Underground Station, 1937 (10)

10. Ancient heritage

How does a tube line celebrate its birthday? Drop by to find out next year, as the Metropolitan Line marks its 150th. Having opened on 10^th January 1863, this is the oldest tube line in the world.

The Metropolitan Line (11)

11. Grapes of wrath

Next time you walk into a tube station, keep your eyes peeled for roguish fruit. Green grapes are particularly notorious offenders, causing more accidents on the London Underground than banana skins. Just like Marvin, remember where you heard it.

Marvin (12)

Well, Marvin brings our journey to an end. Thanks for riding it out with us, and we look forward to meeting again further down the line. How many puns can you fit into one paragraph? More to the point, do you have any curious facts to add to this list? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

And if you want some useful info about London’s wider transport system, there’s a comprehensive article about it here.

As the say in France, buona sera!

 Thanks to:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

I’m really good at leaving stuff behind – I’ve fished my money out of the bin more than once, I’ve dropped my debit card several times, and I regularly used to lock my keys in the car.
That said, I’ve never left anything at the airport without being forced to, so this little list of gems is very much on the amusing side.

Unclaimed Baggage Center (1)

Here are some of the strangest items filling the shelves of the Unclaimed Baggage Section:

A Canada goose

This one makes more sense than you might think: after all, geese can fly on their own – they don’t need to use aeroplanes for that. However, stuffed geese don’t move so freely, and this full-sized stuffed bird is still stuck at the Unclaimed Baggage Center Museum.

Canada Goose (2)

13th century bronze plaques

These genuinely ancient bronze plaques hail from Nigeria. They were originally hung in King Oba’s palace, in the Benin kingdom. We all need a change of scene now and again.

Bronze Plaque (3)

A full suit of armour

I’ve turned up to parties without a bottle of wine, but never to a joust without my suit of armour. Okay, this was just a replica of a 19th century suit…but still has the potential to ruin someone’s re-enactment.

Suit of armour (4)

An aeroplane

Inception luggage: a plane within a plane? This remote controlled aeroplane measured approx. 1.5 x 2.4m…not the kind of thing to fall out of your pocket.

Remote controlled airplane (5)

A rattlesnake

This venomous snake was found alive and kicking (metaphorically). Fortunately it was found a suitable home before anyone came to any harm.

Rattlesnake (6)

A Tibetan Dung Chen

It’s hard to imagine how a 3m horn can be so easily overlooked, but stranger things have happened at sea. Personally, I can’t say I’ve ever stumbled on an enormous brass instrument, that makes a sound like Brian Blessed, just lying around the departure lounge.

Dung Chen (7)

A violin from the 1770s

Following a tragic oversight, this centuries old instrument now resides in the Unclaimed Baggage Center Museum.

Violin 1770's (8)

A diamond

A ring, containing a 5.8-carat diamond, was found packed in a sock. Hopefully this particular escapade proved a valuable lesson for someone with one bare foot.

5.8 carat diamond ring (9)

A Barbie doll

Sounds innocent enough, but this particular doll had a secret. A woman bought the Barbie from the Unclaimed Baggage Center for her daughter. In a fit of…something…the girl then pulled the head off her Barbie, unleashing $500 in rolled-up notes.

Barbie (10)

Hoggle from “Labyrinth”

Yes, Hoggle. Another doll, this time slightly less attractive, and with apparently more fidelity issues. Hoggle is now a permanent part of the Unclaimed Baggage Center Museum.

Hoggle (11)

Ancient Egyptian artefacts

A decent hoard of objects, dating back to 1500 B.C., were left in a Gucci suitcase. Items included a mummified falcon and a shrunken head. Presumably too attractive a money-spinning opportunity, the artefacts were offloaded by Christie’s auction house in the ’80s.

Animal Mummies (12)

A naval guidance system

Clocking a value of about $250,000, this piece of equipment was never claimed by its careless owners, but was returned to the Navy by the friendly people at the Unclaimed Baggage Center.

Naval guidance system (13)

A camera for a NASA space shuttle

I hate it when I leave my space camera behind….it’s a good thing there’s lovely people at the Unclaimed Baggage Center to return expensive items like this back to NASA.

NASA camera (14)

What a hoot. And as a special bonus, here’s an additional list of ten items left on London’s public transport system. If any of these items belong to you, you might be able to locate it here:

1. A Samurai sword
2. A prosthetic arm
3. A coffin
4. A stuffed fox
5. A puffer fish
6. A lawnmower
7. A park bench
8. World War 2 gas masks
9. A home vasectomy kit
10. A pair of breast implants

That’s all, folks; thanks for sticking around.

Thanks also to:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14

Known as the Night of Fire, Sant Joan (San Juan in Spanish) coincides with the summer solstice, which marks the turning of the calendar. It’s a hugely popular event in Barcelona, celebrated with lots of merriment, fireworks, bonfires and music.

Parties rage well into the morning, in all corners of the city as well as on the beach. This is a time when the Spanish hold festivities to rival the Dutch Queen’s Day. Personally I’ve been part of it, so I can say from experience that it’s pretty nuts.

I’d definitely love to go again, but this isn’t about me; it’s about you. Thanks to the fabulous generosity of Andante Hotel we’re offering you the chance to win 2 nights for 2 people in Barcelona over Sant Joan.

Andante Hotel enjoys a fantastic location close to many of Barcelona’s major tourist attractions. Las Ramblas and Port Vell are a five minute walk away, so you can easily walk to Barceloneta Beach, the Aquarium, and Plaça Catalunya from here.

Inside, the hotel is completely brand new, sleek and modern, and has attractive facilities that include a rooftop swimming pool, solarium, and an on-site gymnasium.

As Sant Joan is pretty much an all-night festival, you’ll check into Andante Hotel on 23^rd June, and then join in the revelry that night. You’ll need the following day to recuperate and perhaps also take in some of Barcelona’s incredible attractions.

You’ll check out on 25^th June with a pocketful of stories to take home, and maybe even some photos to back it up.

So, once again: how on earth are you going to win this fantastic prize?

Sant Joan celebrates one of Spain’s most popular saints. Believe it or not Sant Joan (St. John the Baptist to some of us) is the patron saint of, amongst loads of other things, French Canadians. Here’s a question: if you were a saint, what would you be the saint of? Giraffes? Discounted cleaning products? Have a think about it.

1. ‘Like’ us on Facebook
   
2. Leave a comment on this post telling us what you’d be the saint of. You can leave your comment using your Facebook or Twitter account.

These special conditions apply:

• the voucher is valid for 2 nights in a double room
• check-in on 23rd June; check-out on 25th June
• you must be a fan of our Facebook page
• we’ll announce the winner on Monday 28th May 2012

Remember that there are plenty of people in our office who would rip my arm off to get at this prize, so make sure you’re in it to win it and don’t be selfish: share and share alike. May we all have a wonderful approach to summer.

Most tourists coming to Netherlands have Amsterdam at the top of their list. Many have Amsterdam as the only thing on their list. True, there’s loads to see in Amsterdam, but there’s also plenty of attractions just outside the city. These hidden gems are often no more than an hour away and can easily be seen and enjoyed in a day.

Colorful Clogs (1)

Muiderslot Castle

Muiderslot Castle (2)

Just a twenty five minute drive from Amsterdam lies lovely Muiden. This old town is situated on the shores of the ‘Ijmeer’. Muiden is known for its medieval castle; the ‘Muiderslot’. This UNESCO-listed fortress was built in 1285 by Count Floris V. Being one of the oldest castles in the country, it has a long and vibrant history. Even Dutch ‘Shakespeare’, P.C Hooft, spent the majority of his life living at Muiderslot. In the late eighteen hundreds the castle was fully renovated, restoring its former glory. Today the site attracts tourists from all over the world.

There are several tours around the castle grounds.  For instance: follow the Knight’s Route to the Western tower, the highest point of the Castle. Discover Muiderslot’s seven centuries’ worth of history on the Historical Floor. Take the Tower Route for a tour of the Eastern Gate and Southern towers. Afterwards, go for a stroll through the Dutch Renaissance gardens and watch the owls, falcons, and other birds during live demonstrations at the Falconry. The castle also regularly hosts classical music concerts and theatre plays.

Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans (3)

If you really want to get down to the roots of Dutch culture, you will have to visit ‘Zaanse Schans’. Zaanse Schans is a municipality of Zaanstad that has been remodeled into an open air museum. Between 1961 and 1974 old houses, buildings and windmills were uprooted and brought to a designated area, now known as Zaanse Schans. Sights to see include the old windmills, a small clog factory and a replica of the first Albert Heijn grocery shop.  In one the five museums, you can gather information about the Netherlands, the Dutch and their unique culture. Don’t miss the cheese making demonstrations at the Catherina Hoeve cheese factory, where you can taste and purchase some of the best cheese Holland has to offer!

Volendam

Volendam (4)

North of Amsterdam you can find dozens of small old-style Dutch towns and villages. The most popular of these is Volendam. In this authentic village the old wooden houses are built on stilts and locals still wear their colorful traditional dresses. It’s very popular to have your picture taken in full traditional clothing. Volendam also has its very own music style; ‘Palingsound’ or ‘Eelsound’. Palingsound is a combination of typical Dutch sounds with pop music. Make sure to stop by the Palingsound Museum, a museum dedicated to this particular style.

Haarlem

Haarlem lies just west of Amsterdam. Actually, it’s the exact distance from Amsterdam as Harlem in New York is from the tip of Manhattan. Fascinating fact? I’m full of them. Here’s another: did you know that Haarlem shares a ‘friendship link’ with the world-famous English settlement of Derby?
Though only a fifteen minute train ride from the big city, Haarlem has a very different feel to it. The old city center revolves around the ‘Grote Markt’ – the big market. The market square holds a number of notable buildings such as the Grotekerk (or St. Bavokerk), the Vleeshal (literally, ‘meat hall’) and the city hall.

Haarlem - Grote Markt (5)

One outstanding feature of Haarlem is the Teyler’s Museum – the Netherlands’ oldest museum. This diamond in the rough holds a dazzling array of fossils, bones, and geological specimens, including a display on luminescence. A massive collection of scientific instruments, crowned by the world’s largest electrostatic generator, is perhaps the museum’s most impressive inclusion. The free audio tour makes it well worth the EUR 10 entrance fee.

For the finishing touch, end your day enjoying a beer in one of Haarlem’s many bars or cafés.

Bloemendaal & Zandvoort

If you’re visiting in the summer, the beaches of Bloemendaal and Zandvoort are two places you shouldn’t miss. You can catch a direct train to Zandvoort from Sloterdijk Station in Amsterdam. Alternatively, both Bloemendaal and Zandvoort can be reached on foot from Haarlem. Bloemendaal has seven beach pavilions, all organizing summer parties, making it a popular place with younger visitors.

Bloemendaal beach (6)

Zandvoort’s nine kilometer beach makes it a perfect place to enjoy a long promenade. It’s also great for sunbathing or for watersports like windsurfing. The Dutch don’t see a great deal of sunlight through the year, so these beaches can get crazy busy at the first hint of sun. Nevertheless, spending a day here is well worth it for a break from the city.

Zandvoort beach (7)

Keukenhof

Keukenhof (8)

This enormous flower park attracts over 850,000 visitors from all over the world each year.  Seven million bulbs are planted in different shapes and patterns, creating the most colorful site in the Netherlands and a true feast for the senses. Rent a bike and enjoy the beautiful sights and smells. Alternatively, hop on a boat to float alongside the bulb fields. Whatever you do, make sure to bring your camera because the Keukenhof is something you don’t want to leave out of your photo album.

Alkmaar’s Cheese market

Alkmaar Cheese market (9)

Say cheese! And cheese is what you’ll get. Alkmaar’s famous cheese market is the only place where you can still witness the cheese weighing according to tradition. Every Friday 2,200 cheeses, weighing 13.5 kilos, each are stocked on Alkmaar’s Waagplein. The cheese traders then start their task of smelling, touching and tasting the cheese. A traditional ‘handje klap’ will determine the price and two carriers will carry the cheese to the trucks. It is not possible to actually buy the cheese, but fortunately the market stalls surrounding the spectacle offer all the Edammer and Gouda you’ve ever dreamt of.

The Hague

The Dutch government and parliament, the Supreme Court, the Council of State and Royal Residence of the Queen are all situated in The Hague. Besides this, 150 international organizations, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, are also located here.

The Hague- Court pond (10)

Take a stroll around The Hague’s narrow streets, get some ice cream at ‘Florencia Ijsfabriek’ and stop by the historic Binnenhof and medieval Ridderzaal, which now contains the Houses of Parliament and government offices. Shoot your pictures from the Lange Vijverberg, which runs alongside the Hofvijver (court pond). Finish the day with a walk on the beach and a cup of tea in the famous ‘Kurhaus’, a high-end hotel on the beach at Scheveningen.

Holysloot

Holysloot (11)

If you want to escape all the city fuss, try renting a bike in Holysloot. Holysloot is a small village and a true oasis of peace and tranquility. Holysloot is situated just north of Amsterdam, near the Markerlake. With only one main street, there’s not much to do but to hop on a bike and explore the beautiful landscape around Holysloot. Barns, cows and windmills – you will encounter all the Dutch stereotypes. There are several cycling routes for you to choose from: stick to the dykes and polders to go ‘au naturel’, or follow a livelier route that takes in some of the surrounding villages.

Madurodam, The Hague

Madurodam (12)

Not enough time to visit all that Holland’s got to offer? Miniature Park Madurodam might be the solution to your problems. Located just ten minutes from The Hague, this model village covers 1.77 square kilometres and holds a number of famous Dutch buildings and destinations. Madurodam was built in 1952 and has been visited by tens of millions of visitors ever since. Complete with moving trams, cars and airplanes, Madurodam gives you a good insight in the Netherlands. In addition, this park inspired Fernando de Ercilla to design Catalunya en Miniatura, one of the largest miniature parks in the world.

Dutch windmills at dusk (13)

So, we’ve lined them up…it’s up to you to knock them down! If you’ve visited any of these destinations, what are your recommendations? Have you been on any other day trips in the Netherlands? Leave your comments, tips and suggestions below!

View Day trips from Amsterdam in a larger map

Photo credits:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13

Just as running water doesn’t become stagnant, change keeps us fresh and invigorated. We’ve presented our site with the same design for long enough; it’s time we changed it up a little.

The point is not only to make it look more attractive for you as a user, but also to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. No matter what type of traveller you are, we want it to be simple and even fun to find the hotel that suits you best.

Diving straight in, you’ll notice quite a difference to the home page:

One of the major improvements to the website is the size and quality of the images we display. There’s no point you straining your eyes to try and get a feel of what a place is like – we let our pictures speak for us. This applies across the board; the new design includes the presentation of larger, higher quality photographs of cities, attractions and accommodations.

There’s now this interesting presentation of hotel choices on each ‘city’ page, with snippets of info for you to easily digest and choose from….or you can start your own search.

And if you want to book a hotel with us, you’ll certainly be able to do that too!
The booking process is made easier thanks to clearer buttons and guidance, and additional interactive functionality has been added to the ‘hotel location’ section:

If you open the map at the top, a useful widget allows you to select individual places of interest (such as museums, districts and conference centres) to be marked on the map. From this you can easily see the distance from the hotel to the point you selected.

On the hotel’s main page, the photos are given prominence to help you get a feel of the accommodation:

You can also filter on more factors, for example on review score:

It’s now easier to see what your discount is, and what it is based on (time of stay, percentage etc). Everything that’s included in the price is now shown much more clearly:

While we were messing about with all this ‘new design’ stuff, we also threw the logo and slogan into the mix, to see what would come out:

The new logo and slogan reflect the direction we’re heading in: clean, straightforward, and relevant. Our goal is to give you all the information you need without you having to go searching for it: basically, to make it as easy to book as possible.

What do you think about the new design? You can let us know via the comments field below, or drop by our Facebook page.

In the meantime, watch out for upcoming competitions and loads more city info on the blog.

Having covered Paris, Rome and Amsterdam in our ‘top blogs’ series, we’ve decided to keep up the momentum with one of Europe’s most fabulous cities: Berlin.
Berlin has so much to offer and teach; culturally and historically it’s one of our richest cities.

Around 80% of Berlin was destroyed during the Second World War. The separation of East and West didn’t do much to help reparation of the city, but more recently great buildings such as those on Museumsinsel have been restored to their former grandeur. That said, even two decades following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the dichotomy of the city is still apparent. Berlin has become a city full of secrets that draws tourists from over the world.

Wonders of Berlin

We previously gave you tips from our Berlin local, Lisa, as well as an alphabetical rundown in our Berlin A-Z. It’s now time to look beyond our knowledge and identify some expert Berlin bloggers. Besides English, we’ve also included German, Spanish, French, Dutch and Italian blogs, for a greater degree of variety.

So, without further ado, here’s our list of Top Berlin blogs:

Alternative Berlin is an inspiring site about street art and culture in Berlin. Urban art projects, squat houses and communes spill their secrets here.
The “Linda’s Ex Campaign” was developed by an artist who wanted to get his girlfriend back and wrote poignant love letters all over the city asking her to come back. The whole city was touched by the gesture, and people were eager to reunite the tragic couple. This instance illustrates the engagement of street art with Berlin’s citizens.

Bang Bang Berlin will give you loads of information about fashion, arts and the buzzing club scene in Berlin.

Berlin Cheese Cake is run by Emily Vanessa, a British girl who has travelled a lot and has been living in Berlin for 3 years. She publishes many Berlin recipes and photos of the city.

Das Berlin Blog is written by Aaron Wiener, an American journalist living in Berlin. His writing offers a fresh and intelligent view of the German culture and Berlin.

Slow Travel Berlin is a relevant website that aims to teach people how to travel in Berlin and encourages them to enjoy their journey as much as possible.  “Slow Travel encourages people to resist “Fast” Travel – the frustratingly frequent habit of speeding through all the best known landmarks of a city in 24 or 48 hours – then leaving again.”

Finding Berlin is an online magazine dedicated to Berlin and its culture. The authors of this website share photos, videos, city anecdotes, and urban art… everything that gives a fresh image of Berlin to visitors and residents alike.

Berlin Reified offers many lovely photos and lots of insider info. Sylee Gore, the owner of the blog, shares insights with a personal touch, making it a beautiful blog to share.

U Berlin is run by two native English speakers, Zoe and James, who share their experience and their life on this blog. There is no way to get closer to a  place than to get to know the people who live there.

I Heart Berlin is run by a group of local people who love the city – and you can see it through their blog. They want to share all the things they love about the city with tourists and other locals. As they say, “…if you visit or live in Berlin and want to know how to find the good stuff. From restaurants to shops, from theaters to art galleries, from concerts to party, from places to people”.

Foodie in Berlin is another great blog about food in Berlin. This one is run by Suzy, who was born in Kuwait and has been travelling a lot. Now she lives in Berlin. Suzy shares her likes and dislikes and of course her food passion. “Yes, I like to eat but not half as much as I like everything that goes with eating.”

Needle Berlin is a guide for people who would like to move to Berlin. You can find all the information you need, about costs (mobile phones, apartment), about neighborhood, about safety, about transport, about learning the German language and even more about films and books. As we can say: almost everything you’ll need to move in the best way.

Berlin Wall (1)

Generation Berlin is a funny and well-written French website about the life of Manon, a French expat in Berlin. Manon writes about her life in Berlin and the ups and downs that go with it.

Berlin-Blog covers a wide range of issues arising from Berlin life. Politics, lifestyle, art and culture all make appearances in this intelligent take on Berlin and the rest of Germany.

In Notes of Berlin Joab Nist, the owner of this blog, posts on all the notes that Berlin leaves everyday in the city. Guests can also submit notes that they have found around the city.

My Berlino is a useful website that shares a lot of relevant information about the city and events scheduled.

Berlijn Blog is run by Marjolein, a Dutch expat who lives in Berlin. She writes about her life in Berlin and what it’s like to live there. She also talks about restaurants, cool spots, parties, news and loads of other fun things that Berlin has to offer.

Reichstag (2)

Well, this is my list so far, but if I’ve missed something critical out of here, feel free to comment or send us an e-mail. We will review it and, eventually, add it to our list of favorite Berlin Blogs.

To place the badge on your blog (if you are one of the bloggers mentioned in this post) copy and paste the code below.

<a href="http://blog.easytobook.com"><img src="http://blog.easytobook.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/klein.png" alt="City Expert: Berlin" /></a><br /> by <a href="http://www.easytobook.com/">Easytobook.com</a>

Photos: 1, 2

April marks the beginning of Disneyland Paris’ 20th anniversary celebrations. The park opened its doors twenty years ago on 12th April, then still called Euro Disneyland.

Disneyland celebrates its 20th anniversary (1)

The festive opening was slightly overshadowed by demonstrations from local people. They were afraid the American theme park would become a symbol of America in France and encourage the unhealthy American brand of consumerism. In June of that year, a group of French farmers blockaded the roads to the theme park, protesting against the farm policies in the United States at the time.

All the family (2)

Fortunately for the free world, Disney joy continued to radiate and Disneyland Paris soon became the most popular theme park in Europe. To celebrate its 20^th anniversary, Disneyland organized a full year of celebrations and extended opening hours.

Disney Dreams! (3)

The Main event is ‘Disney Dreams!’ – a spectacular nighttime show with state of the art HD projections, fountains, fire, lasers and many more special effects. It’s the biggest show in Disney history and will be performed every night of the year.

More Disney Dreams! (4)

During the daytime you can witness ‘Disney Magic on Parade!’, a daily parade that includes a special celebration train, with new Disney characters boarding each day.

Pluto hitches a ride (5)

A special surprise planned for the end of the year is the opening of a new ‘World of Disney’ flagship store. The huge new store will replace the current Disney store, which is located inside the park.

Disneyland store (6)

Inside the Disneyland store (7)

Especially for his fans, Mickey Mouse is taking the time to meet them all. Mickey will invite you backstage and show you around, and will even pose for a picture.

Mickey's wardrobe (8)

As these fabulous celebrations last all year, Disneyland Paris has decided to extend its opening hours. During the weekdays you can enjoy the park until 21:30 and at the weekend even until 23:00.

Mickey Mouse: before the gloves come off (9)

It might seem like you have plenty of time to line yourself up a trip to Paris, but a year flies by awfully quickly these days, and dancing cartoon animals are always worth travelling for. Trains run to Paris from all corners of the known (and unknown) world, and one thing Paris certainly has a plenitude of is hotels. Easytobook.com also offers a range of hotels in and around Disneyland Paris, so booking your trip couldn’t be easier. See you there!

Photo credits:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

The Big Apple is a massive city with a population of over 8 million people. It’s not too hard to get lost out here.

New York Streets (1)

You might be something of an agoraphobic, or maybe you’re sick of hot dogs, or perhaps you’ve made one of those South-East Asian arrangements where you eat at the same place you sleep. Whatever your motivation, you want to discover some of New York’s recommended hotel restaurants. Fear not – that’s exactly what we’ve been thinking about. As the Roman saying goes, “ciao down.”

1. Trump International Hotel & Tower

Trump International Hotel & Tower

Trumping right into first place thanks to its elegant décor, sophisticated service and excellent food is the Trump International Hotel and Tower. This 177m tall high-rise building has 44 floors, providing some spectacular views over Manhattan. The hotel is situated at 1 Central Park West on Columbus Circle between Broadway and Central Park West in Manhattan. Depending on how far you might stretch the term ‘claim to fame’, the building had its 15 minutes as the setting of the 2011 comedy crime film Tower Heist, which stars revered and accomplished thespians Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy.

2. The Gramercy Park Hotel

The Gramercy Park Hotel

Amidst the clamour of ‘unique’ claims throughout the city, the Gramercy might just have a leg to stand on. The hotel restaurant’s decor, created by Ian Schrager, is gorgeously novel and includes many beautiful paintings. There are also two awesome bars here: the Rose and Jade bars. According to popular narrative, Janet Jackson was spotted admiring the artwork in the Rose bar, Kid Rock was seen outside smoking a cigarette, and Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford had a business meeting there. Stop the press…

3. The New York Palace

The New York Palace

The New York Palace is home to a splendid restaurant called Gilt. This lavish area is accessed via an enormous door and presents a visually stunning environment, complete with carved ceilings, glittering chandeliers and a modern sculpture in the bar area. You can order dishes like spot prawns with avocado, coconut, and pomelo and suckling pig with olives, cardoons, and cipollini onions, as well as a wildly popular truffled grilled cheese inspired by television series Gossip Girl. The association here is that Gossip Girl is filmed at the hotel one or two days a month. Plenty of celebrities, royalty, and well-to-do guests stay at the Palace, especially in the VIP Towers section.

4. Mercer Hotel

Mercer Hotel

Do you want to eat and sleep in a place where a celebrity chef will serve unsurpassed food? Try the Mercer Hotel, situated in Soho. If you’d like to taste the creations of Jean-Georges Vongerichten or Daniel Boulud, this hotel restaurant was built for you! Dishes like black truffles and fontina cheese pizza ($18) or lobster sauteed in salted butter ($45) from Jean George’s Mercer kitchen are available 24 hours a day!

5. The Mark Hotel

Mark Hotel Dining Room

The restaurant of the Mark Hotel also offers meats from the renowned Jean-Georges Vongerichten. For latecomers, meals can be served until 1am, with treats such as a burger with black truffle dressing and brie still on the menu. The place is quiet in the afternoon and you can find proper tea service along with eclairs, currant scones with jam and clotted cream, and cucumber and cress sandwiches. Yummy!

6. The Mandarin Oriental

Mandarin Oriental New York's Asiate Restaurant

The Mandarin is a popular hotel where you can eat in the restaurant whilst overlooking Central Park. This restaurant, which serves modern cuisine with a strong Asian influence, is voted by Zaget as having the best view in New York. Before enjoying the food you can also go to the gym or swimming pool, which are both located on the 35th floor.

7. Four Seasons

Four Seasons New York restaurant

Four Seasons New York has a restaurant which is run by a French celebrity chef, Joel Robuchon. “L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon” is only open for dinner time through reservations, where it offers French haute cuisine at high prices. Menu items include roast Japanese hanger steak ($44 entree, $25 appetizer) or stuffed quail with foie gras and potato puree ($48 entree, $28 appetizer). Smart casual clothes are required, which means a well-pressed shirt and suit trousers with an optional tie, dresses for the ladies, and no giraffe costumes, please.

8. St Regis New York

St Regis New York's Adour Restaurant

In 2008, internationally renowned by Michelin-star, the chef Alain Ducasse opened his new signature restaurant, Adour, at the St. Regis Hotel. The French restaurant has received critical acclaim for both its food and decor. It obtained three stars from the New York Times and has been nominated for a James Beard award for “Outstanding Restaurant Design”.

9. The Plaza

The Plaza New York's Oak Room

The Plaza features French furniture in a 19th century style. The Oak Room, the restaurant of the hotel, offers meals in a romantic atmosphere underneath an imposing chandelier. Cuisine is French, and dress code is haughty. Afterwards you’ll be able to choose from a selection of different cheeses for $22 or try tasty pastries from the pastry chef, Mallory Staley.

10. The Greenwich Hotel

Locanda Verde (2)

Owned by Robert de Niro, The Greenwich Hotel has an amazing Italian restaurant, the Locanda Verde, where you’ll be able to eat outside while taking a sunbath. The attractive menu includes dishes such as lamb meatball sliders and grandmother’s ravioli. Karen DeMasco, the pastry chef, is a real celebrity with her tasty lemon tarts with buttermilk gelato and ricotta panna cotta with huckleberries.

Porcine delights (3)

I think I’ve put on about 20 kilos since beginning this blogpost. These celebrity chefs have a great deal to answer for. Have you already been in one of these hotels? There must be some of your favourites we’ve missed out here – what else can we add to our list?

Thanks also to:
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Record breaking (1)

1. Packing heavy

Leslie Tipton in a suitcase (2)

Acrobatic Leslie Tipton holds the record for fastest time entering a zipped suitcase. In just 5.43 seconds Tipton folds herself into a suitcase. She achieved her record live on television on 14 September 2009 in New York.

2. Takeaway

Tony Hawks with his fridge (3)

Tents, sleeping bags – even a walking stick – people take all kinds of useful gear on their trips. But Tony Hawks brought something very strange. Hawks carried a fridge for over 1,650 km (1,025 miles), hitchhiking across Ireland between 6th and 30th May 1997. This particular feat, hotly contested though it must be, landed him a unique spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

3. Seasoned backpacker

John Waite (4)

Backpacking is not just for the young and restless. Living (and backpacking) proof comes in the form of John Waite; at 89 years of age he is officially the oldest backpacker in the world. John has been travelling around the world since his wife died in 1982. John travels light: with only one change of clothing he moves from country to country, staying at hostels and making new friends.

4. First steps

Baby with suitcase (5)

From the oldest to the youngest: British Vaidehi Thirrupathy was exactly 205 days old when she completed her journey in Antarctica, becoming the youngest person ever to visit all seven continents.

5. A dog’s life

Owney the dog (6)

It’s not just people who like to travel. The first known round-the-world trip completed by a dog is an honour that belongs to Owney – the world’s most travelled dog. In 1888 he wandered into a post office and was promptly adopted by the postal workers. He started riding the horse-drawn mail carts, and then moved onto the railways, ships and overseas cities. At each port of call, he got a token; the total number of tokens he amassed is estimated to be an impressive 1017.

6. Sailing solo

Laura Dekker (7)

The Dutch government didn’t want to let (then) 13 year old Laura Dekker sail off towards her attempt to break the world record as the youngest girl to ever circumnavigate the globe solo. But on 12 January 2012, she set the record straight! By then aged 16 years, 4 months and 1 day she became the youngest girl ever to sail around the world solo.

7. Air miles

Airplane (8)

The islands of Papa Westray and Westray are just 14 km apart; still Logan Air provides a daily service between the two. With a flight time of just two minutes, it’s the shortest commercial flight in the world.

The longest commercial flight is from Newark airport in New York to Singapore. At a whopping 18 hr 50 min, it’s the longest sit in the world.

8. Green wheels

Skateboard (9)

If you can’t afford the airfare, try skating your way to your destination. Rob Thomson skated from Leysin, Switzerland to Shanghai, China. It took him one year and 3 months to skate the 12,159 km (7,555 miles).

9. Des étrangers

Tourists (10)

It’s a good job the French are so famous for their hospitality. France is the world’s most visited country in the world, with approximately 76.8 million visitors each year. That’s about 345 million “parlez-vous francais?” per capita per annum.

10. Room with a view

Ritz Carlton Hong Kong (11)

Probably best to make sure you’re not afraid of heights before checking into the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. Located on the top of Hong Kong’s tallest building, the 488 metre tall International Commerce Centre, the Ritz-Carlton probably has the best panoramic views of Hong Kong.

Finish line (12)

Are you a record breaker yourself? Or do you have any embarrassing stories attempting to break one? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below!

photo credits:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12