Istanbul transit fares increased

by Meg Nesterov on

Travelers visiting Istanbul this winter will pay extra to get around on public transportation. The transit authority has just put a fare hike in effect on the trams, metro, bus, and ferry lines, the first in a year and a half.

A single-leg token (jeton) will now cost 1.75 TL (about ($1.25), up from 1.50, but Akbil (smart ticket) carriers will pay 1.65 TL and .85 TL for transfers. Ferries between the Asian and European sides or along the Golden Horn will cost 1.75 TL, using a token or Akbil.

Read on for more info on the Akbil and how to use mass transit to get to Istanbul’s Ataturk airport.An Akbil (smart ticket) is a small electronic button-like device that can be loaded with money at any major transit station or tram stop, and provides discounted transfers within an hour and a half of your first ride. The Akbil can be shared amongst multiple people, though only the discount will only apply to one passenger.Travelers can purchase a new Akbil with a 6 TL refundable deposit at major transit centers, though Taksim Square is the most reliable place to purchase one. Look for the booth that says “Akbil Satış Noktası” (Akbil sales point) rather than newsstands which may only allow recharges). There’s been talk of phasing out the Akbil in favor of the new RFID Istanbulkart but instituting the card into the system has caused delays and the card can’t currently be purchased.

While Istanbul’s transit system is not nearly as extensive or convenient as any many other European cities, most tourists will at least use the handy tram line during their travels, which connects many popular areas from Taksim Square (via an additional transfer from Kabatas on the funicular train) to the Old City sights including the Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar. It is also possible to take public transit to the Ataturk airport if you have time to spare: a tram ride to the end of the line at Zeytinburnu connects with a metro line to the airport and takes a little over an hour (note: you can also transfer at Aksaray but it involves walking a few blocks, difficult with luggage).

A few additional kurus (cents) for a ride may not mean a lot to travelers, but with the dollar down 11 percent in the last 5 months, you’ll want to save your lira where you can.

Dutch coffee shops face crackdown

by Sean McLachlan on

Is it the beginning of the end for Dutch tolerance of weed? The recently elected conservative coalition has promised a number of controversial measures, including curbs on immigration, banning Islamic face covering, and of more interest to travelers, cracking down on legal marijuana smoking.

The Netherlands has been a destination for pot smokers ever since marijuana was made legal in the 1970s. The experiment intended to allow the use of soft drugs like pot while clamping down on hard drugs like heroin. It has had mixed success and as the political pendulum has swung to the right in recent years, more and more curbs have been put on the coffee shops where customers can buy and smoke pot. Magic mushrooms were banned recently, and some towns are restricting coffee shops or even closing them all down. There are currently about 700 coffee shops in The Netherlands, compared with 1,200 at their peak.

Now the coalition government wants to make all coffee shops into private clubs, effectively getting rid of the drug tourists. The question is, will this work? Common sense dictates that where there’s a demand, there will be a supply. Coffee shops might get around the law by offering temporary memberships or international memberships, or allowing members to bring guests. The measure would also not stop illegal sales of drugs. What it will do, however, is reduce the number of people coming to The Netherlands specifically to smoke their vacation away. While some of the bigger and more established coffee shops will no doubt survive, it looks like the industry is in for a bad trip.

[Image courtesy Tyson Williams via Gadling’s flickr pool]

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Send your stuffed animal to Paris with Furry Toys Tours

by McLean Robbins on

Sure, we at Gadling talk a lot about travel – but travel for yourself, your loved ones, and your friends. What about sending your stuffed animal on a trip? Tour company Furry Toys Tours is aiming to change that, offering special Paris tour packages just for the special furry loved ones in your life. When you consider a recent survey by British company Travelodge reported on MSNBC that shows up to 35% of adults still sleep with a stuffed animal or “lovie,” well, this may be a potential gift for more people than you think.

In theory, this sounds like a great holiday gift – a “Flat Stanley” type adventure for your precious stuffed animal. The company was founded after being inspired by Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 movie “Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain“. In the movie, Amélie secretly steals her father’s garden dwarf and sends it travelling the world (thanks to her friend who works as an airline steward). Shortly after the dwarf’s disappearance, the father starts receiving mysterious pictures of it in various locations around the world.

The company website suggests the tour as a way to “reward your cuddly toy, or play a trick (but also offer a wonderful gift) to your kid, partner or friend.” Perhaps for someone who doesn’t own a special toy this might sound like a good idea. But as a writer who also has a furry friend – we’d be livid if someone who purported to be a “loved one” removed our bear without our consent, particularly to send them on a multi-day European jaunt. So … um, perhaps you should ask before doing this.

Your furry friend will enjoy an extensive Parisian tour with optional four-day extension packages, and enjoy photos taken in front of sites including La Tour Eiffel, Les Champs Elysées, L’Arc de Triomphe, La Cathédrale Nôtre Dame and more.
Packages include 30+ photos for Paris Essentials Tours, printed to 9x13cm, glossy, with a white border taken on a 10m pixels digital camera, and will also be saved on CD for further editing. The website promises that photos will also include pictures taken during your cuddly toy’s daily life in Paris, aside from sight visits (relaxing at home, recreational activities) as well as daily e-mails and pictures to keep you updated on your furry toy’s journey. Furries will also be posting on the Paris Furry Toys Tours Facebook Page daily (go social media!). Your friend will also bring back a little Parisian souvenir and the official and personalized Furry toys Tours traveling certificate edited on premium paper.

Friends will begin their tour on the Monday following their arrival and will be returned via a secured and insured parcel. Basic tours cost €100.00 with extra extension tours starting at €50.00, and additional furry friends are allowed to accompany the journey for a reduced fee of 50% off.

What do you think, readers? Is this a holiday gift you’llbe purchasing for you or your children anytime soon? While the trip sounds fun and well-organized, we’re not sure we want to part with our furry friend for that long – or risk the wrath of a loved one if we “borrow” theirs.

We do, however, love this disclaimer: “We carry a fully non-discriminative policy and can accommodate for all kinds of furry friends, no matter their age, species, race, colour, gender, nationality, condition, as well as religious beliefs and practices.”

Photo of the Day (11.2.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on
How often can you claim that you’ve drifted between two continents in one afternoon? Welcome to the Bosphorus; the liquid body that officially separates Europe & Asia. At a maximum width of 3,420m, it’s the world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation and its shores are home to the 5th most populous city in the world.

This photo, titled “Bosphorus Sunset” comes from Flickr user roxie88. I love the raw quality of this image; the off center and out-of-focus ship, the subtle lens flares. It’s natural, captivating, and preserves what I imagine to be a very special sundown.

If you left your professional camera at home & snapped some quick, unpolished snapshots from incredible places, we want to see them! Upload them to our Flickr group and it could be our next Photo of the Day.

Stockholm hotel starts cellphone check-in and room unlocking trial

by Scott Carmichael on

Swedish lock maker Assa Abloy may not be the first to develop a cellphone based hotel room key system, but with their live trial this month, they are the first to actually get a system in place.

Their technology allows hotel guests to check-in to the hotel, and use a special mobile phone to unlock their room. The system relies on a Samsung mobile phone with a built NFC chip, which uses the same kind of technology found in RFID credit cards.

During the trial, select customers of the Clarion Hotel in Stockholm will be given one of the phones, and after four month test period, the results will be evaluated.

The idea of completely keyless entry is interesting – but I’ve also had very good results with ATM style room key dispensers, especially since they can provide a key in under 30 seconds. As with all mobile phones, I’d hate to arrive at night, only to discover the the app has crashed, or that the battery has died. After the jump, you’ll find a video clip showing the system in action.

[Via: Engadget]