Travel plan idea blog

Where would you stop on the Tans-Siberian & Trans-Mongolian Railway?

I'm certain I'll have to buy a book or get a travel agent's help or take an organized tour (or maybe more than one of those three) but first I'll ask here for advice on the Trans-Siberian Railway, specifically the Trans-Mongolian branch. I would choose the Mongolian branch because I have never been to Mongolia.

Where would you stop, stay, and explore on a Trans-Siberian / Trans-Mongolian trip? According to Wikipedia, these are the stops (I don't think the rivers are actually stops but you could stop as close as possible if the river was something you had to see (and not just looking out the train window).

Moscow
284 Yaroslavl
289 Volga River
957 Kirov
1436 Perm
1816 Yekaterinburg
2144 Tyumen
2706 Irtysh River
2712 Omsk
3332 Ob River
3335 Novosibirsk
4098 Krasnoyarsk
4101 Yenisei River
4516 Taishet
4520 Baikal Amur Mainline junction
5185 Irkutsk
5642 Ulan Ude
Branch off from the Trans-Siberian line (5,655 km from Moscow)
Naushki (5,895 km, MT+5), Russian border town
Russian-Mongolian border (5,900 km, MT+5)
Sükhbaatar (5,921 km, MT+5), Mongolian border town
Ulan Bator (6,304 km, MT+5), the Mongolian capital
Zamyn-Üüd (7,013 km, MT+5), Mongolian border town
Erenhot (842 km from Beijing, MT+5), Chinese border town
Datong (371 km, MT+5)
Beijing (MT+5)

Now the first thing is that I'll be doing this during my summer vacation so I'll have time. 20-30 days seems about right but it could be more or less.

As long as I'm in Russia I know I want to see St. Petersburg and Moscow. Irkutsk and Lake Baikal are also supposed to be must-see spots.

Ulan Ude is a Mongolian border town that some tours visit and Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia's capitol. I don't actually know hwy the tours would choose Ulan Ude and not visit other border towns.

I'm not desperate to visit China but the train does go to Beijing. I've never been there and the flight from there to Seoul would be nice and cheap.

Driving from Jersey to Florida on Thanksgiving

Got this email asking for help - it's a long shot but maybe a few of you know something about driving from the New York / New Jersey area down south:

I'm going south from NJ to FL with a one night stopover. Last year I believe I was advised to take 95 S to 495 via 295 after the Baltimore tunnel (895?) due to some construction and then get back onto 95. It's confusing when you don't go there frequently. Is that still best? I'm leaving very, very early Saturday morning after Thanksgiving.

I hear that sometimes it is quicker to take 78W out to 81S, then take that to 77S then 26S and meet up with 95 right before Florida. It avoids the major metropolitan areas. Also a pretty scenic drive. It depends on when you'll be passing Baltimore/DC but I'm not sure if there's ever a good time to pass that area...

Anyway, I was planning on passing DC area around 10 AM or so. Is taking 295 still a good option? I'll check out 78W - 81S idea since it might save me some Sunday Thanksgiving bottlenecks.

295 past the BWI parkway is under construction, but it's still an option. Someone said that if the idea is to keep moving then 50 to 301S to 95 is an option. The 81 to 77 to 26 to 95 is going way out of the way (by over 100 miles, or so) and traffic on I-81 can be tough, too.

Maybe I’m leaning toward taking 301 S just after the Del Mem bridge and meeting up with US-50 near the Ches Bay bridge and then split back off on to US-301 S near Crofton, Md and take that down to I-95 (meets up north of Richmond) to miss most of the mess in the DC area.

I dunno – I need help!

Have you ever used Greyhound - If so how was it?

Submitted question: I'm looking at what it will cost to see my parents in the Nashville, TN area over Christmas. I'm traveling from New Jersey. It's pretty depressing to look at the discounted prices even 5 months out. Anyway right now Greyhound is far and away the cheapest but they say the trip is 25 hours long. If anyone has every used Greyhound for a trip in that length range, how was it?

I've collected a few responses. Please add your comments below if you can help.

Response #1: Of course my suggestion is to either take a cheap flight or train ride to your destination. But if you have no choice but to take the bus for budge reasons, here are tips I picked up after riding Greyhound on a consistant basis.

1) Try to schedule taking Peter Pan bus as much as possible. It's the same company but Peter Pan buses have better and more comfortable seats (leg room is important).

2) Try to enter the bus somewhere in the middle of the line, never early. Reason being, if you get in the bus too early, you can't control who you sit next too. If you enter the bus somewhere in the middle, you have a decent shot at picking an OK person to sit to.

3) iPod, cd player are a must. Make sure you have enough music to pass the time properly.

4) People who pick YOU to sit next too, they can have body odor, or eat fried chicken and wipe their hands on their shirt to clean.......in the process smell like greesy fried chicken for the entire lenth of your trip.

To combat this, carry an orange in your backpack/jacket pocket. Peel the orange slowly durning your trip if someone sitting near you smells. Each time you peel the orange, the citrus scent will mask most of these odors.

5) Finally, don't sleep on the bus. Even prior to that horrific Canadian Greyhound story, I never felt it safe to sleep on those buses. If your trip is 20 hours, try to sleep\nap prior to you leave on this trip and stay awake the whole time.

Response #2: took it when I moved from San Fran to NY in '02. Did it b/c shipping my stuff with greyhound was the cheapest way back then. My horror story is that my bus broke down in the middle of the Utah desert on a 95 degree day, and we had to wait 3 hours standing around an exit ramp for a replacement bus to pick us up. But besides that, the rest of the ride wasn't bad. For about 80% percent of the way, I could get my own seat, so there weren't any smell issues, and I didn't see a lot of sketchy people, though I watched my backpack like a hawk. I remember staying in a hotel in Chicago, where I met a nice Tibetan family from the bus. Still, I'd keep looking for a cheap flight.

Response #3: I've taken buses all over and not just greyhound - I often take the "Chinatown bus" from D.C. to NYC when I visit family - that costs as low as $15 each way.

On Greyhound I've done countless ~4 hour trips, as well as Nashville to DC, Vegas to LA, and the Ironman Seattle to Denver which topped out at 50 hours. I don't mind them at all - I don't get bored very easily (music, reading, or just space out for hours at a time) and I find Amtrak prices just offensive. Flat out absurd. $110 one way D.C. to Penn? Gimme a break. I've also ridden all over the country via craigslist "rideshare" including from Denver to Vegas with a guy who turned out to be an amazing person and from San Fran to Denver with a raging hippie who was driving all the way to NY State.

I've never had any problems with travel (knock on wood) and enjoy the aberrations that buses or rides with random people tend to bring. Plus since I don't have any kids, I have little to lose. That said, if you have the coin - train rides are always preferable since they're faster and you can get bombed in the cafe car.

Response #4: What they don't tell you when you buy your tickets is that you aren't reserving a spot on a bus. You're buying the right to ride that bus, or a bus after that to your destination. If the bus is full at your connection, sorry next bus isn't for 6 hours. Oh, and we wont tell you what gate ahead of time, that way all the people that show up right before then can beat you to the line when it is announced.

Response #5: I had a "one and done" experience with greyhound and mind you this is only from Albany, NY to Port Authority, NYC which is a 2 hour 30 min ride tops.

I could not stand how crammed in it was and the type of crowd that was on the bus. Some really really weird people on the bus. Crying babies for the whole ride. I ditched my ticket for the way back and opted for Amtrak instead. I could have just had a one time bad experience but I've heard from other people, they haven't faired too much better.

Look into how much an Amtrak ticket would cost you but, because I really wouldn't wish a 25 hour greyhound trip on anyone.

Anddd...to add to that, there was an article maybe a month ago about a guy getting decapitated on a greyhound bus trip. Obviously that's pretty extreme, but it's not suprising.

So I did some research for you. Looks like you can fly round trip for about $300, not including car service to Newark or Phily airport if necessary. You could also rent a car and drive yourself down there. Anything is better than a 25 hour Greyhound bus trip.

OK, add your comments if you have anything to share.

Did anyone notice train day?

Apparently May 10th was train day in America. Who knew?

This article talks about how trains are supposed to help many of our environmental problems. In addition to learning that I missed train day, I also learned that Greenpeace offered BA passengers free train tickets to protest the increasing number of short-haul flights the airline was offering out of the UK.

The rest of the article talks about just how environmentally train travel is as well as the cost. I wonder if train travel will get a more positive response from our readers than carbon credits.

4 years traveling by bike

I admire people who can travel for years at a time. This couple traveled for 4 years.

Age 62 and 48, Pat and Catherine Patterson sold everything but their home and 2 bikes. "Fifty-seven countries, four continents and almost four years later, the Pattersons look back on their journey as something no less than life-changing."

4 years of vacation had better be life changing!

Their inspiring moment seems more like a lucky one that could have easily ended badly to me. A guard told them to empty their bags and follow him into a room while crossing between Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry. They refused. I would probably have ended up in jail or something worse but they got lucky.

Apparently they could tell from his passport that he was older than anyone in the local village so they decided to be nice to them.

Sure they have a cool story to tell, but I don't see that event encouraging others (unless they were also born in 1939 or before and wan to count on the same luck).

Anyway, I guess most of us will only ever dream of traveling for 4 years.

Eurostar: London to Paris in just over 2 hours!

Eurostar trains that go through the Channel Tunnel are now even faster, and it was recently announced that the journey from London to Paris has been reduced to a little over two hours. I took the train from Paris to London through the Channel Tunnel about ten years ago, and the journey took around three hours. I thought that was amazingly fast - much faster than flying, if you take into account check in time and traveling to and from the airport, etc.

Brussels is even closer by rail from the UK – the journey takes just under 2 hours. Trains on the Paris/Brussels routes reach speeds of around 186 mph, although in April, a train went from Paris to London in just over two hours, at a record-breaking speed of up to 200 mph.

And Eurostar recently moved their London base from Waterloo to St. Pancras station, meaning that travelers can now make connections throughout England, Wales and Scotland. St. Pancras describes itself as the most romantic place to meet, drink and dine in London, which seems a bit unlikely, although the station does boast Europe’s longest champagne bar.

The cost of converting the rather run-down station into a major European travel hub was around 1600 million dollars and the station was ceremoniously opened by the Queen in November 2007. (The Queen recently celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary – perhaps she enjoyed a glass of champagne at the bar)

St Pancras is actually a beautiful Gothic style building, which was alarmingly close to being demolished, for many years. It was originally designed to be a luxurious hotel and will once again become a hotel some time in 2008. The building’s interior has featured in movies such as “From Hell” and “Batman Begins” as well as a Spice Girls rock video. This site has some great photos of the interior and the architectural detail.

The Eurostar isn’t the fastest train in the world – that honor goes to the Maglev train that runs between Shanghai airport and downtown and reaches an amazing 267 mph. There are also plans to develop high speed trains in many other countries – Russia, South Africa and Argentina.

And the slowest train in the world? That title seems to belong to the famous Glacier Express train in Switzerland, which averages a leisurely 22 mph – although the scenery is so spectacular, that nobody minds.

Guest entry by Mancunian

OK planes & crowded trains

This New York Times article says that Thanksgiving travel was relatively painless for most Americans yesterday. Well at least the flyers. If you were stuck in traffic you probably knew that was coming anyway...

But traffic in America is nothing compared to traffic in parts of Asia. In China, where tons of people live, one traveler said this about May "golden week":

"The problem is that everyone goes at once," says Jiang, a 41-year-old medical equipment supplier. "It's impossible to get a ticket. And even if you do, it's way too crowded. It's crazy."

The picture that goes with the article is pretty crazy but I actually saw the same thing (people climbing into a train through the windows) in Italy when we were in Assisi and trying to get a train to Perugia for a peace march (this was right after 9/11/2001).

In Korea everyone travels for Chuseok (kind of like Thanksgiving) and Seolnal (Lunar New Year). It's normal for a 5 hour drive to turn into a 15 hour drive or worse on either of these holidays.

China - Tibet high altitude rail link

I have always wanted to go to Tibet – not just because it is a fascinating destination in itself, but part of its appeal lies in the fact that it’s difficult to get there. A handful of other places have the same almost legendary allure – Easter Island, Zanzibar and Timbuktu. At least one other reader of this site has been lucky enough to go to Tibet.

You can already fly into Tibet (or Katmandu) and Air China now has a direct flight from Beijing to Lhasa. And the Chinese government plans to build another airport near the Indian border – at 14,000 feet it will be one of the world’s highest.

However, recently another option has become available – a train from various cities in China. Visiting Tibet recently became a lot easier when in July 2006 the first rail service between Lhasa and the outside world was opened. The railway line – a masterpiece of engineering – stretches around 2,500 miles between Lhasa and China’s capital city Beijing and the journey time is around 48 hours.

The line runs through mountain passes of up to 16,000 feet high and large parts of the terrain traversed by the line are frozen all year round. The highest station on the line is at Nagqu at an altitude of around 15,000 feet on the Tibetan plateau.

To increase the comfort of passengers, the cars have oxygen supplies for the thin air and filters in the windows protect against UV rays. A state of the art high-tech cooling system helps to keep the rails frozen. Hopefully, all this is quite safe – although a man has died on board the train! Of course he had heart problems and was traveling against medical advice...

Despite the rail link, Tibet still isn’t the easiest place to travel to. You need various permits from the Chinese authorities, and you will almost certainly have a problem with altitude sickness. Here's something on health and politics (there's more but it's a year old).

This article talks about ticket prices and has phone numbers for ordering tickets. The page is in English so presumably travelers can order their tickets in English over the phone...

What next, I wonder? Other amazing engineering feats are being planned around the world including a tunnel from Europe to Africa and maybe one day, a tunnel under the Atlantic Ocean.

If I ever make it to Tibet, I promise to post some photos on here!

Guest entry by Mancunian. Related entry: Nepal & Tibet trvael plan.

Pebble Beach's 17 mile drive in California: The Lone Cypress, Pacific Ocean views, Del Monte Forest

Pebble Beach Resorts has an interactive map of the 17 mile drive. They promise you "Nature’s treasures" which include black cormorants, brown pelicans, California sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, and wildflowers.

There are also a few "emerald fairways" such as The Links at Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach Golf Links.

But people really drive to see The Lone Cypress:

(from bdinphoenix on Flickr)

Wikipedia does a nice job describing the drive and has useful information on costs ($9 per car, free for bikes and walkers, no motorcycles allowed).

Disneyland Paris - a Success Story

Next year, Disneyland Paris celebrates its 15th anniversary � a gamble by Disney that many said at the time would not work. However, since its opening in 1992, Disneyland Paris has become the most popular tourist attraction not only in Paris, but the whole of France. The lines at the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower may still be long � but far more people visit Disneyland Paris than these two institutions. The park attracts around 50 million visitors a year and in 2002 Disney introduced a �fast pass� system with timed reservations for popular rides, to help deal with the crowds.

Disneyland Paris occupies a site covering about one fifth of the size of Paris itself, about 20 miles from the center of Paris. The Metro does not run to the park, but local high-speed trains run frequently from all parts of Paris to the park; the journey time is about 45 minutes from central Paris. The hotels in the park have regular shuttle bus service to and from both Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. Northern France does not have the climate of California or Florida � consequently the park closes during the winter; it is open from March to October.

The park is based firmly on the two Disney theme parks in the United States, one of the few differences being the colors of many of the buildings � they are decorated mainly in pastel colors rather than bright colors; this supposedly being more �European�. Otherwise the general layout is fairly similar to Disney�s Magic Kingdom in Orlando � although quite a bit smaller - with Cinderella�s castle being the natural focal point.

As with the two parks in the United States, there are five �imaginary lands� in the park which are: Main Street USA, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Discoveryland. Each one offers a themed selection of rides, shows and shopping � each one designed with Disney�s high standards and attention to detail.

There are several other sections of the park � an area called �Walt Disney Studios� which offers movie-themed rides and shows as well as a behind the scenes look at many aspects of the movies. There is also a popular area called Disney Village, which is a collection of restaurants with various themes. Admission to Disney Village is free and the highlight here is undoubtedly �Buffalo Bill�s Wild West Dinner Show� complete with cowboys, Indians and spectacular horsemanship. Rounding off the areas is the resort�s very own golf course, complete with club house.

One attraction unique to the park, and firmly in line with the European aspect, is the Manchester United Soccer School. The school opened in 2004, and gives children a chance to learn and play soccer based on the training at Manchester United � one of Britain�s most famous and respected soccer clubs.

The Blue Ridge parkway

Now that summer is well and truly here, your thoughts may be turning to your next vacation. If you live along the east coast, you are within fairly easy reach of one of America�s most celebrated and scenic highways. Stretching for almost 500 miles through Virginia and North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Parkway offers the chance to experience some of the country�s most spectacular mountain scenery.

In 2005, the Parkway celebrated its 70th birthday and it remains the country�s longest designated scenic highway attracting well over 20 million visitors every year. Driving the Parkway is enjoyable during the summer months, but fall is also a wonderful time to visit with the endless vistas of fall colors visible around every turn.

Construction on the Blue Ridge Parkway began in September 1935, although it had been in the planning stages for several years before. The Parkway was conceived partly because the recently established Shenandoah and Smoky Mountains National Parks were already attracting many visitors.

It was also decided that such a huge construction project would provide much needed work for the many thousands of builders and architects out of work because of the recent depression, as well as provide employment to local families in the traditionally poor region of Appalachia. The increasing use of the car led to the idea of a highway linking the two parks, as well as passing through stunning scenery.

Conditions were difficult for the construction crews because of the remoteness of the location, the often extremes of weather � snow in winter, unbearable heat in the summer -and the lack of any good paved roads to bring equipment in. As land was gradually purchased, construction of the road took place in sections, and continued right up until the 1960s.

One of the most demanding sections of the road to construct was the Linn Cove Viaduct, a 1240 feet elevated section of the road which skirts Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, and is still considered an engineering marvel today.

The 469 mile road was officially designated on September 11, 1987 � over 50 years after construction first began. Today the National Park service maintains the entire length of the road as well as much of the surrounding countryside.

Driving the parkway is an experience to be savored � maximum speed along the 2 lane road is 45 mph, 35 mph in many places. Most drivers take longer than they think, as there are so many places to pull off the road and admire the spectacular view or the �scenic overlook� as they are known. There are virtually no gas stations, motels or restaurants along the road to detract from the beauty of the surroundings � when you want to get back to civilization, you simply take the next exit.

In Search of Sherlock Holmes

Perhaps no other literary figure is so firmly associated with their surroundings as the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Think of Holmes and you conjure up a vision of 19th century London, at the time the largest metropolis in the world, with its gas-lit foggy streets, the rattle of the hansom cabs and the piercing shriek of a policeman�s whistle. Parts of London have changed little in the hundred years or so since Holmes and Watson walked the streets and there are many reminders of Holmes� life.

Of course, anyone interested in following in the footsteps of Holmes should begin at 221B Baker St - perhaps the most famous address in the world. If you arrive in Baker Street by Underground railway, you can admire the walls of the Metropolitan Line platforms which are decorated with colored murals depicting scenes from several of the Holmes stories.

The writer GK Chesterton suggested a statue of Holmes almost 70 years ago and his vision was recently realized. A 9 foot bronze statue of Holmes � complete with pipe - was recently unveiled outside the Marylebone Street exit of the station, designed by the English sculptor John Doubleday.

The site of 221B is today a small but fascinating museum which recreates the suite of rooms that Holmes and Watson occupied for many years. Visitors to the museum are met by the great man himself, or by Holmes� landlady, the long-suffering Mrs. Hudson. Inside, the sitting room and bedrooms are faithfully reconstructed as depicted in the books, complete with Holmes� odious chemical experiments, Persian slipper full of tobacco, and bullet holes in the walls.

The other unique reminder of Sherlock Holmes is the pub that bears his name, on Northumberland Street, just around the corner from Charing Cross station, one of London�s busy rail terminals which features in many of Doyle�s stories. The upstairs rooms of the pub contain a reconstruction of Holmes� sitting room, originally exhibited at the Festival of Britain in 1951 and moved to this spot soon after.

If you need a break from all that sightseeing, you can sample excellent English food and drink in the pub at �Mrs. Hudson�s Pantry� or simply admire the extensive collection of Holmes memorabilia.

However, if you really want to dine in style, one of Holmes� favorite places to eat, which is mentioned in several of the books was Simpson�s on the Strand.100 years later, this celebrated restaurant still serves some of the best traditional English food in London and is well known for its superb roast beef. Carvers dressed in white still wheel joints of meat over to your table, where they lift silver covers to carve the beef in front of you. It�s a memorable setting to round off any trip to London.

On the Trail of the Da Vinci Code

First there was the book, and now the movie. The phenomenal success of Dan Brown's hugely popular book has meant an increased number of visitors to the places mentioned in the book. Visitors come in search of secret codes, conspiracy theories and possibly the final resting place of the legendary Holy Grail itself.

Much of the action in the movie (and the book) takes place in Paris, London and Scotland. One of the most famous art museums in the world, the Louvre plays an important part in the book, when a corpse is discovered in one of the museum's many galleries. Before the victim has breathed his last, he somehow has time to leave a series of clues pertaining to the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, and ultimately proving the existence of perhaps the biggest conspiracy in history.

I remember visiting the Louvre many years ago when I first went to Paris and trailing around endless corridors to find the Mona Lisa. Not because I particularly wanted to see it - I just felt I couldn't go to the Louvre without seeing the most famous painting in the world! The Mona Lisa aside, the museum is so huge it would take weeks to do justice to it. The best way to approach the Louvre is to decide what interests you - Egyptian, Renaissance, or Oriental art, etc - and concentrate on that. You can always go back there.

In London, two sites that play a prominent role in the Da Vinci Code are Westminster Abbey and the Temple Church. Westminster Abbey needs little introduction as it is one of London�s most popular tourist attractions and can be crowded, especially at weekends and holidays.

Temple Church is a fascinating place, tucked away in a maze of alleyways and courtyards that comprise London�s legal quarter. The church dates from the 12th century and was built by the Knights Templar who feature in the movie. One of the highlights of the church is the series of life-size stone effigies of nine knights.

The Da Vinci Code has its exciting climax at the historic Rosslyn Chapel just outside Edinburgh, Scotland (link) another must-see site for Grail seekers and conspiracy theorists. Rosslyn Chapel dates from the 15th century and is famous for its mysterious carvings � the stone arched roof is decorated with various symbols such as five pointed stars, squares and flowers.

The other famous feature of the chapel is the ornately carved column known as the �apprentice pillar�. Legend has it that the Grail lies hidden in a secret chamber under the chapel floor or in the apprentice pillar itself � a theory yet to be proven.

In Search of Robin Hood

If you plan to visit the UK this summer, and your travels take you outside London and the usual tourist spots, an underrated and fascinating place to visit is the Midlands town of Nottingham.

The city of Nottingham, in the East Midlands has always been the place most associated with the famous outlaw, Robin Hood. Today, several streets, buildings and public places are named after Robin Hood and his outlaws, most notably Maid Marion way, a wide boulevard named after Robin�s sweetheart, which runs through the center of the city.

Every year, the city hosts a Robin Hood festival, with singing and dancing, games, traditional food and drink, and of course an archery competition. In 2006, the festival runs from July 31st to August 6th. And the city really does boast a full time �Sheriff of Nottingham� whose job is to promote tourism in the city, especially with regard to their most famous resident.

If you visit Nottingham and are interested in the legend of Robin Hood, the place to begin your visit is at the �Tales of Robin Hood� a sort of Disney style ride through the medieval world of the outlaws. The ride is complete with sights, sounds and even smells of the time. The amusement park also offers the ever popular medieval banquet which is definitely not for the shy and retiring type - here you are expected to leave your table manners and your inhibitions at home as you eat from wooden bowls with your fingers, entertained by jesters and musicians.

Nottingham has a castle too, perched on an outcrop overlooking the city and the distant countryside. At the entrance to the castle, there is a bronze sculpture of Robin firing his famous bow. Parts of the castle date back to the year 1068, and the cliff that the castle is perched upon is a warren of secret passageways. The king at the time Robin lived, King John, also used the castle as a prison for the unfortunate citizens who were captured by the Sheriff of Nottingham � perhaps for not paying taxes, among other things.

Not far from Nottingham, you can still visit Sherwood Forest, where Robin supposedly spent his days hunting the king�s deer, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor and practicing his archery skills. Today, Sherwood Forest is not as wild and extensive as it must have been back in the 12th century, but it still consists of 450 acres of oak and silver birch. The entire forest is strictly protected by the estate of the Thoresby family, and its protection is overseen by the county of Nottinghamshire.

There is a visitors� center at the edge of the forest, which has an exhibition on Robin and his life as an outlaw in the forest. There are also miles of secluded and beautiful walking trails which take you deep into the forest. Not far from the visitors� center is a famous huge oak tree measuring over 30 feet around, known as �Robin Hood�s tree�. The tree is reckoned to be around 800 years old, so it certainly would have been there when Robin was around � although to date nobody has discovered any initials carved into the tree that would settle the matter.

Nearby is the tiny village of Edwinstowe, where the most picturesque and unspoilt part of the forest lies. In the ancient Parish Church of St Mary�s, according to a local legend, Robin supposedly married Maid Marion. And two of the most famous members of Robin�s band of outlaws are supposedly buried nearby � Little John�s grave can be seen in the village of Hathersage; and Will Scarlett is laid to rest in nearby Blidworth.

And one of the things you absolutely have to do if you visit Nottingham is to have a drink in England�s oldest pub, �Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem�. The pub dates back to the year 1189 and is literally built into the chalk cliffs under the castle walls. Named for the crusaders who supposedly visited here on their way to the crusades in the Middle East, the pub features not only good traditionally-brewed beer, but ancient furnishings and oak beams, and the occasional piece of chalk filling into your drink. Perhaps it doesn�t take too much imagination to picture Robin and his men slaking their thirst with flagons of ale after yet another encounter with the sheriff.

One of the Best Addresses in Paris

It's long been one of the most desirable and sought after addresses in Paris. Nothing particularly surprising in that - except that its residents are all very much dead. Pere Lachaise cemetery has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in the City of Light, attracting as many visitors annually as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame.

Pere Lachaise opened its doors, so to speak, in 1804 at the request of Napoleon. At that time, Paris was growing rapidly in population and was desperately short of burial space. Skeletons protruding from burial grounds could actually be seen by people passing by in the street and there were also problems with the stench of corpses.

Nicholas Frochot, an urban planner, purchased an area of land that originally belonged to Louis XIVs confessor, a man called Lachaise. Frochot arranged to have the body of the celebrated French playwright, Moliere, moved to the cemetery. Thus, Pere Lachaise became the resting place of choice - for those who could afford to prepay.

Today, some of the cemetery's many famous residents include the artist Pissaro, the composer Chopin, the singer Edith Piaf and the writer Oscar Wilde. One notable tombstone has the name of Alice B. Toklas on one side, and that of Gertrude Stein on the other.

Perhaps the most famous grave is that of the rock star Jim Morrison, who died in mysterious circumstances in Paris in 1971. His most famous lyric "no one here gets out alive" seems particularly apt. To find Jim's final resting place, simply follow the graffiti and the arrows that can be found in the vicinity of his grave. One of the most visited graves is that of the French journalist, Victor Noir. Legend has it that rubbing a certain part of the statue on top of his grave will help to increase fertility.

Many famous and influential figures from French life can also be found here, such as Baron Haussmann who was almost single-handedly responsible for changing the face of Paris, with his grand boulevards and avenues. And fittingly, Frochot, the man who was largely responsible for the success of Pere Lachaise is also buried here.

Pere Lachaise sometimes feels more like a park than a cemetery. Its more than 109 acres are beautifully laid out on sloping ground, with wide avenues dividing up the different sections. Many graves are elaborate and spectacular monuments, with tall columns, stone chapels and fanciful carvings. Many nearby office workers take their picnic lunch in the cemetery and it makes a great place to escape from the noise of the city for a short while.

Despite its famous residents, Pere Lachaise cemetery is situated in the rather unfashionable 20th arrondisement - a melting pot for Paris's new immigrants. The closest metro stops to the cemetery are Gambretta, Menilmontant or Pere Lachaise. The cemetery is open daily from around 8am to 6pm and admission is free. You can buy a basic map either in the cemetery itself, or purchase a better one at one of the nearby newsstands just outside.

Traveling by train from New Delhi to Agra & Taj Mahal

The train from New Delhi to Agra (where the TajMahal is located) has been cut 40 minutes with the introduction yesterday of a 95mph-train. The trip now takes just under two hours. New Delhi to Agra takes more than four hours by road.

I'll be working on a travel plan for India to take advantage of the new fast train and I did cover the topic not too long ago if you want to read more about train travel in India. I also briefly covered transplants & medical tourism in India a while back.

Recommending train travel in India

Here's an article that recommends getting around India by train and gives us an idea of what to expect. I was interested to learn that crime is rare thanks to 8 policemen on overnight trains and that there are four train accidents/year. I wasn't surprised to learn that train travel is inexpensive in India.

Dollar Rent a Car

I always wonder how travel troubleshooters get their answers where us normal folk can not. Here's a story about someone who was badly mistreated by Dollar Rent a car and then couldn't get anyone in customer service to talk to him.

The troubleshooter got Dollar Rent a Car to admit its mistake and issue a refund, but I wonder what percentage of people like you and I would be able to get the same results.

Children should sit in the back

An important article for those who travel by car with children from Earthtimes:

A research sponsored by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the American Academy of Pediatrics and State Farm, stated that children were safer in the rear seat of a car in the event of a car accident as compared to the front seat. In fact, possibilities of getting injured in a crash were significantly reduced if a child sat in the back seat and duly used the seat belt. States like Illinois have gone a step ahead in ensuring children�s car safety by introducing booster seat laws along with specific seat belt laws for children.

Train travel

Here's an interesting story about a train ride but will I have a chance to take it before it's too late?

Portland & Western Railroad, which operates the state-sponsored excursion train, because the Explorer makes its last run between Linnton and Astoria on Monday, Sept. 20. Service is scheduled to resume in May 2005 for one last season, so if you've intended to make the trip, now's the time to buy tickets, at 800-872-7245.

No, I don't get any money for this endorsement (and this sin't really an endorsement since I've never taken this train) but I've been on a few train rides, and I firmly believe that train travel is better than car travel. And on this train ride, you can elarn about history and see bald eagles.

Motorcycle traveling

Traveling by motorcycle is getting more popular:

It's a whole different way to travel, suggest their friends Danny Prentice and Debbie MacKenzie, who also live in New Richmond.

"If you're going with a car, if you're going to Charlottetown (for example) you'll hit the fastest highway to go to Charlottetown. When we're on the bike we'll hunt for all the old side roads and see a lot of different things we wouldn't see if we were in the car," explains Prentice, who works for Via Rail. "On a bike you'll try the longest way, find the longest way to get there. You're in no rush."

Kind of reminds me of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:

You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it, you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer, and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing, the same stuff you walk on. It's right there, so blurred you can't focus on it, yet you can put your foot down and touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousness.

Now I haven't ridden a motorcycle since I was a kid on the back of my Uncle's Harley, but all this talk about freedom, and relaxation makes me want to learn how to ride. I doubt my wife would be happy about that.

Bus travel in Korea

My wife and I are getting on a plane to Malaysia in a few minutes. This morning we were several hundred kilometers away from the airport visiting her parents. We initially wanted to fly because we ahve a 7 hour flight in fornt of us and adding a four hour bus ride didn't sound so great.

Tickets were too expensive though and we took the bus. It was fine. Intercity buses in Korea are clean, comfortable, on time, cheap. I have no reservations about traveling by bus in Korea.

Drive safely July 4

For my American readers celebrating July 4th by driving to a barbecue or something. Predictions are that 300 people will die in driving accidents this weekend. Some safety tips (nothing new but forgetting the little things can be a big deal) include seat belts, watching out for other drivers, no distractions (cell phones, CD players, etc.), follow the speed limit, and of course no drinking and driving.

Also, despite high gas prices, be prepared for heavy traffic. July 4th travelers are expected to reach record numbers this weekend. Travel safe!

Traveling by train and bus in Thailand

When I went from Bangcock to Hua Hin, I took the bus. We went to Bangcock's Southern Bus Terminal, so a window with "Hua Hin" written in English and got our tickets for 128 baht each. The trip took around three hours. It was loud; the TV was on and the volume was cranked. There wasn't much leg room, a bit less than flying economy. There was almost no room overhead for luggage, so it either goes on your lap or in the storage compartment which is out of sight. They give you a water bottle but you have to bring your own food. There were no bathroom breaks.

From Hua Hin to Bangcock, we took the train. It was 300 baht each. It took over four hours (almost five). There was no TV, but it wasn't quiet because people talk and trains make their own noise. There was a lot more room overhead for luggage which was nice. The train stops to let food vendors on, but you have to bring your own drink. The bathrooms get quite dirty.

Overall, while the bus was less comfortable, it was much faster and cheaper. Also, there are many more buses than trains so the schedule is often more convenient.