Best Underground Transit In the World Is…

by Iva Skoch on

…apparently London’s, but this is a list compiled by Virgin, a British company, so go figure. Anyone who has ever spent more than two seconds in London’s tube during rush hour must question their sanity.

Don’t get me wrong, I think London has a great and extensive subway system but during rush hour it is a nightmare – packed and no air-con. Plus, it costs 4GBP (about $8) for a single ride, unless you buy an Oyster Card, their version of a pass which is well-worth it but still very expensive.

Anyway, here is Virgin’s Top 11 Underground Transit Systems in the World:

  1. London
  2. Paris
  3. Moscow
  4. Madrid
  5. Tokyo
  6. Seoul
  7. New York
  8. Montreal
  9. Beijing
  10. Hong-Kong
  11. Sao Paulo, Brazil

Out of all of these, my vote goes to the Paris and Hong-Kong subway systems. New York’s is relatively cheap ($2) and easy to navigate, but geez, it looks, smells and operates like something from a third world country!

Up the Seine Without a Paddle: Pros and Cons of Houseboating in Paris

by Martha Edwards on

Last year, weary from hostels and trains, I met my mother in Paris. Though we’re not ideal travel partners, she was footing the bill so I couldn’t refuse a stay aboard a houseboat on the Seine River that she had rented. It was impeccable–the summer home of a wealthy businessman and his gorgeous girlfriend–and though boats can be cramped and uncomfortable, this one was amazingly luxurious.

Here’s what’s great about staying on the Seine: Though the boat was permanently moored, the location couldn’t have been better — we were right across from the Tuillerie Gardens. The boat itself was amazing. And we didn’t have to spend too much money on restaurants, since we had our own kitchen. Plus? The look on peoples faces on the tour boats as they motored by us–enjoying wine and good food on the top deck–was pretty priceless.

Here’s what’s not so great about staying on the Seine: Said tour boats cruise the river all freaking night, using flood lights to illuminate the city and loudspeakers to explain what attractions are passing by. And the smell on the river was … um … ripe at times. The were also a group of people who actually lived under the stairwell near the boat, not to mention people fishing in the river constantly (and, if you’ve seen the Seine, you’ll know it is not a fishing river.) We feared the fishers were actually nearby restaurant owners, hence another reason to enjoy having a kitchen.

All in all, it’s a nice stay if you can get it. Though at 2000 EUR for a week, I’d be hostelling it if it wasn’t for mum.

Lessons in Futility: Eradicating Parisian Rudeness

by Neil Woodburn on

Parisians are notorious for being rude to tourists and are consistently ranked some of the rudest people in the world according to various surveys.

Filed under the category of “too little too late,” Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë has launched a promotional campaign trying to eek some friendliness out of his fellow citizens. The first ever Paris Tourist Day on July 9th, for example, featured a push to get taxi drivers to smile more and even speak some English. In addition, the city has printed up brochures titled “Charter for the Parisian and Visitor.”

The hilarious thing about this brochure is that it is not only directs Parisians how to act accordingly, but it is also tells tourists how to do so as well. I’m assuming that this is the result of some Parisian rationalizing that he wouldn’t be as rude if only tourists were more civil and polite themselves.

So, for what it’s worth, here is the Charter in its entirety. Let’s see if both sides live up to the promise.

Charter for the Parisian and visitor

As an ambassador of my country, I will share my culture

Commitments of the Parisian
– I will take the time to give information to visitors. I will make use
of my foreign language skills to reply to them in their language.
– I will recommend to visitors things I appreciate about Paris.
– I am proud of my city, the number one tourist destination in the world.

Commitments of the visitor
– I will experience the Parisian lifestyle.
– I will take advantage of my stay to try French products.
– I will respect the city and use public transport.

France’s Visitors Equal Its Population

by Jamie Rhein on

Here is an interesting fact I came across. The number of people who visit France each year is equal to its population. Each equals 60 million. [source: National Geographic Traveler] Of the visitors, here are some statistics about Paris, the city that is partly responsible for the visitor bounty.:

  • number of people who visit the Eiffel Tower: more than 6 million
  • number of people who visit the Louvre: more than 5 million

In an aim to get more people to come to Paris, July 9 is the first ever Tourism Day in Paris. Visitors will receive a commemorative bracelet and a map to find participating venues.There are also other events of note that coincide. One of them is the Paris Cinema International Film Festival, July 3-14, where over 300 films will be shown. For information about both, check out Parisinfo.com where you can find all you need to know about travel in Paris and travel deals.

The Price of Gas Around the World

by Justin Glow on

The next time you pull into the station for a fill-up, keep this in mind before you curse the prices: People elsewhere have it a lot worse than we do in America (and we tend to gripe about it the most, it seems!). Take Asia for instance — Hong Kong averages a whopping $6.30 per gallon, with Seoul, South Korea, not too far behind. Europe also pays well above what we do in America. London, Berlin, Oslo, and Paris are all well above $6 a gallon. On the low end of the spectrum, places in the Middle East like Kuwait City and Tehran, Iran, pay under 79 cents for their gas. Big surprise there!

The lowest, however, is reserved for Caracas, Venezuela. 17 cents per gallon! [via]

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