itravelnet.com Newsletter

June 2008 Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:31:00 +0000

Welcome to the itravelnet.com monthly newsletter - a summary of what's been happening on the site in June.

James Clark - editor itravelnet.com

Travel Blog - Notes from the Editor

---- Iceland as a Transatlantic Stopover ----

Most people may never consider visiting Iceland as it is seemingly so out of the way. What many people may not know though is that it's possible to visit Iceland as a stopover trip if you are flying between North America and Europe.

Iceland as a Transatlantic Stopover

---- Travel the world as a spy ----

If you are looking for a job where you are paid to travel the world, then perhaps a job as a spy is for you.

Here is a compilation of secret service departments around the world and how to go about getting a job as an international man (or woman) of mystery.

Travel the world as a spy

Featured Travel Sites

---- She Went Of Her Own Accord ----

If you like cheesy pun making, then you'll love She Went Of Her Own Accord. The site revolves around making a pun around a place name, eg:

My wife's gone to the Caribbean.

Jamaica?

No, she went of her own accord.

You can contribute by adding your own joke. I have added one for Dubai:

shewentofherownaccord.com

May 2008 Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:42:00 +0000

Welcome to the itravelnet.com monthly newsletter - a summary of what's been happening on the site in May.

James Clark - editor itravelnet.com

Travel Blog - Notes from the Editor

---- OpenSkies is open for business ----

OpenSkies is a subsidiary airline of British Airways that has been set up to take advantage of the Open Skies agreement between the US and Europe.

OpenSkies is open for business

---- The Tomb of Sir Richard Burton ----

In the leafy suburbs of Southwest London is a small parish church cemetery that has one of London's most remarkable tombs. The tomb is of Sir Richard Burton and his wife Isabel.

Burton Mausoleum - St Mary Magdalens Mortlake

The Tomb of Sir Richard Burton

---- European Bus Passes ----

A Eurail or Interrail pass is often the first thought when it comes to getting around Europe with a travel pass. While a bus pass may not get you to as many places as the train, it's a far more economical option and thus a worthy consideration with the current value of the Euro.

European Bus Passes

Featured Travel Sites

---- Fancamp Vienna 2008 ----

Euro 2008 Austria-Switzerland kicks off on June 7. While our English friends could care less this year (England failed to qualify), it's a good time to be visiting Europe as there is always a party atmosphere on game days.

If you are planning a last minute trip to Vienna, accommodation will be hard to find. Fancamp Vienna has been set up to accommodate the influx of visitors expected.

There are 3000 beds available in Vienna at "an excellent price".

fancamp.eu

---- One Bag ----

A guide to packing light. Travel with one bag (a carry on bag) and save time and hassle of checking in luggage.

onebag.com

---- Flight Club ----

At Flight Club, you find other travelers online to hang out with on the plane, at the airport, or afterwards.

flight-club.org

---- World Taximeter ----

International taxi fare calculator. The site currently supports calculations for Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Boston, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prague, Rome, San Francisco and Toronto.

worldtaximeter.com

April 2008 Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:39:00 +0000

Welcome to the itravelnet.com monthly newsletter - a summary of what's been happening on the site this month.

James Clark - editor itravelnet.com

Travel Blog - Notes from the Editor

---- Singapore Airport Budget Terminal ----

Singapore Changi Airport is world renown for its award winning facilities. It is the home of Singapore Airlines and it is a major air travel hub of Asia.

Budget airlines though are not interested in such facilities that add to the cost of a cheap flight. To cater for the low cost airlines of Asia that might not otherwise consider Changi's gold plated airport, Singapore Airport opened a budget terminal in March 2006 to accommodate budget airlines.

Singapore Airport Budget Terminal

Singapore Airport Budget Terminal

---- Pink Dolphins of Sentosa Island ----

A popular attraction of Sentosa Island is the Dolphin Lagoon, home of Sentosa's Pink Dolphins. These dolphins start off life grey then become pink as they mature.

A Pink Dolphin becoming pink

Pink Dolphins of Sentosa Island

---- Tiger Airways Terminal - Melbourne Airport ----

Tiger Airways Australia has its home base at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. A budget airline like Tiger would seemingly be more suitable for Melbourne's other airport, Avalon, which is operating as a secondary low cost airport on the European model. Tiger have their own budget terminal at Tullamarine (terminal 4), separate from the main 3 terminals.

Tiger Airways Arrivals - Melbourne Airport

Tiger Airways Terminal - Melbourne Airport

---- Multi leg flights and low cost airlines ----

The typical low cost airline operates on a point-to-point basis. Costs are kept down as there are no bags to check through to another flight, and no waiting for connections due to delayed flights.
Multi leg flights and low cost airlines

Featured Travel Sites

---- AltFrankfurt.com ----

AltFrankfurt.com is an electronic picture book, a "Golden Book" of images of the beautiful Old City of Frankfurt am Main in Germany, once Europe's largest preserved medieval city.

altfrankfurt.com

---- BoltBus ----

BoltBus is a low cost bus service operating in Northeast USA. Book early enough and you can get a ticket for 1 dollar. Destinations currently served are New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston.

boltbus.com

---- Live Air Traffic Control ----

LiveATC.Net provides live air traffic control (ATC) broadcasts from air traffic control towers and radar facilities around the world.

liveatc.net

---- V Australia ----

V Australia is the new airline broght to you by Richard Branson and the Virgin Group. It will initially fly from Sydney to Los Angeles from December 2008. It is the first new airline to take advantage of the open skies deal between the United States and Australia. Previously only Qantas and United were allowed to operate between the two countries.

vaustralia.com.au

March 2008 Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:30:00 +0000

Welcome to the itravelnet.com monthly newsletter - a summary of what's been happening on the site this month.

James Clark - editor itravelnet.com

Notes from the Editor

---- Long Neck Women - Chiang Mai ----

The long neck women are from Burma/Myanmar but many live as refugees in Thailand. The long neck women are known as Padaung, a sub-group of the Karen tribe.

Long Neck Woman

Long Neck Women

---- Koh Samui Airport ----

Samui Airport (USM) is the airport of Koh Samui, serving domestic and international destinations. Samui Airport is a privately owned airport, built and owned by Bangkok Airways.

Koh Samui Airport

Koh Samui Airport

Featured Travel Site

---- Heathrow Terminal 5 ----

After much hype and publicity, Heathrow Terminal 5 opens this on March 27 for the flying public. British Airways is the sole tenant of the massive new terminal which took six years to build and cost £4.3bn.

terminal5.ba.com

---- TripAdvisor's 2008 top 10 Dirtiest Hotels ----

TripAdvisor has compiled a list of the dirtiest hotels in the US and UK, as chosen by their members.

tripadvisor.com/DirtyHotels

---- St. Patrick's Festival ----

On the 17th of March every year it is not uncommon to see people with green hair staggering around with a green beer in their hand. Yes, St. Patrick's Day is coming. Irish descendants and expats put on their own celebrations but the biggest party of course is in Ireland.

St. Patrick's Festival is Ireland's official celebration for Ireland's national holiday - St. Patrick's Day.

stpatricksfestival.ie

---- JohnnyJet.com ----

JohnnyJet.com is a weekly travel newsletter/directory that has been online since 2000, which in internet years is a long time.

The weekly newsletter features the travels of Johnny Jet, AKA John DiScala. This guy flies alot, and he is still as passionate about flying as when he started out.

johnnyjet.com

February 2008 Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:25:00 +0000

Featured Travel Sites

---- Sleeping in Airports ----

If you are really on a tight travel budget or have a flight that leaves at a ridiculous hour in the morning sleeping at the airport might be a better option than paying for accommodation.

Sleeping in Airports was put together by Canadian Donna McSherry in 1996 and now has over 5000 reviews of airports that readers have slept (or tried to sleep) in.

Reviews including the best and worst around the world. Tips for sleeping comfortably and safely while grounded, articles, news and other strange places to sleep.
sleepinginairports.net

---- Megabus.com ----

Megabus.com offer bus and train fares (megatrain.com)in the UK for prices from one pound and up. Given how expensive travel around the UK can be, this is a great deal if you can plan trips in advance. They have also launched a bus site for US travel as well.
megabus.com

---- Unusual Hotels of the World ----

Unusual Hotels of the World list some truly unique hotels. From underground hotels, undersea lodges to tree houses and igloos.
uhotw.com

---- Escape Artist ----

Huge resource directory on living overseas and long term travel advice.
escapeartist.com

January 2008 Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 04:09:00 +0000

Notes from the Editor

---- The World's Best Airport Names ----

Nepal have announced plans to name an airport after Sir Edmund Hillary and his climbing partner, Tenzing Norgay. Lukla airport will become Tenzing-Hillary airport.

It is a common tradition worldwide to name an airport after a local hero. Here is a list of some of the best airport names in the world.

The World's Best Airport Names

---- When can you say you've been to a country? ----

Can you say you have been to a country if you only spent a few hours in one of its cities? Changing planes at international airports doesn't count (of course), but what about a weekend or day trip to one place? Technically you can, but do you?

When can you say you've been to a country?

Featured Travel Site

---- Postcrossing - The Postcard Exchange Project ----

Postcrossing is a project that invites people to exchange postcards (real paper ones, not electronic) from random places in the world. If you send a postcard, you'll receive at least one back, from a random postcrosser somewhere in the world. It is free to participate.

Postcrossing.com

December Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 02:05:00 +0000

Notes from the Editor

---- Fly from London to Australia with Low Cost Airlines ----

Low cost airlines have now covered just about every short haul route possible and are now looking at inter-continental long haul flights. It will soon be possible to fly from the UK to Australia one stop, just like the traditional scheduled airlines.

Fly from London to Australia with Low Cost Airlines

Featured Travel Site

---- NORAD Tracks Santa ----

Track Santa's movement as he makes his way around the world from Christmas eve at NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command). Track Santa live with the help of Google Earth as he makes his way around the world.

www.noradsanta.org

November Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 08:09:00 +0000

Notes from the Editor

---- Eurostar moves to St Pancras ----

On the 14th of November London's Eurostar terminal moved from Waterloo to St Pancras. Eurostar began operations in 1994 but it has until now never been able to travel at high speed when in Britain. A new tunnel was dug under the east of London to enable high speed train travel all the way to the English channel.

St Pancras Clock Tower

Eurostar moves to St Pancras

Featured Travel Site

---- St Pancras International Train Station ----

St Pancras International Train Station. The unique London landmark and new home of Eurostar re-opens after a £800 million restoration.

stpancras.com

October Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:05:00 +0000

Notes from the Editor

---- The New Dubai - Projects completed or under construction ----

Here is a list of notable projects that are completed or currently under construction in Dubai. It is not an exhaustive list but it gives you a general idea of the scope of construction going on at the moment. Most of these projects contain the words "world's" and "largest".

The New Dubai - Projects completed or under construction

Travel News

---- Airbus A380 ----

After years of delay the Airbus A380 entered into commercial service on the 25th of October 2007.

The maiden commercial voyage of the Airbus A380 was with Singapore Airlines, the first airline to receive the superjumbo. The first flight, coded SQ380, took off from Singapore Changi Airport at at 08:16 a.m. local time and land at Sydney seven and a half hours later.

Sydney Morning Herald News Report:
A380 lands in Sydney

Official Airbus A380 delivery website:
a380delivery.com

Youtube video - Time lapse video of an A380 being built.
Airbus A380 in 7 minutes

Youtube video - Airbus A380 evacuation drill - 873 people in 77 seconds.
Airbus A380 evacuation

Featured Travel Site

---- Expedition 360 ----

On the 6th of October Englishman Jason Lewis and the Expedition 360 team became the first to circumnavigate the world on muscle power. This journey started in 1994, back when the internet was in it's infancy (no hotmail or blogs back then).

All travel was by human power (no motors or sails). This included bicycles, in-line skates, kayaks, swimming, walking and a pedal powered boat.

expedition360.com

September Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 02:27:00 +0000

Notes from the Editor

---- Children's Railway - Budapest ----

The Children's Railway in Budapest is an interesting curio left over from Hungary's Communist past.

Formerly known as the Pioneers' Railway, everyone working on the railway is a child, except for the engineer (the train driver).

Children's Railway - Budapest

Featured Travel Sites

---- Airline Meals ----

The webs largest site about airline catering. Thousands of photos of airline menu trays from all over the world. Readers can send photos and reviews of their own inflight meal experiences.

airlinemeals.net

Travel Articles

---- Discover the real Canaries ----

Away from the nightclubs, sun-loungers and draught lagers is a world of stunning architecture, rural idylls, delicious cuisine and fiestas just waiting for you to discover it. What follows is a brief guide to the islands...

Discover the real Canaries

August Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 04:33:00 +0000

Notes from the Editor

---- Mt. Rigi - Switzerland ----

Mt. Rigi in central Switzerland is a popular day trip from Lucerne. With a round trip ticket you can sample three forms of transport in a land that excels in transport.

Mt. Rigi - Switzerland

Featured Travel Sites

---- Flight Memory ----

Flight Memory enables you to easily keep track of where you have flown and then easily produce maps showing your flight routes.

flightmemory.com

Travel Articles

---- The Great American Road Trip ----

The notion of the great American road trip is etched into popular mythology. It conjures romantic thoughts of open roads stretching into epic landscapes, Route 66, Kerouac, vast expanses of cactus-studded desert, Easy Rider...

Travel Articles

July Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 04:52:00 +0000

Notes from the Editor

---- Staying in a Japanese Capsule Hotel ----

Tokyo offers a wide range of accommodation options, but nothing is as quirky as a capsule hotel. The first capsule hotel opened in Osaka in 1979 and they can now be found in major cities across Japan. The capsule hotel idea has not taken off anywhere else though which makes for a unique Japanese accommodation experience.
Staying in a Japanese Capsule Hotel

Featured Travel Sites

---- Literary Traveler ----

If you have been to Paris in the last few years you may have bumped into someone with a copy of The Da Vinci Code in their hands as they retrace the key scenes in the book through the city.

This type of travel activity is not new though. People have long been visiting destinations from books or visited places that gave their favourite writers inspiration.

Literary Traveler provides travel writing featuring writers and the places that they have travelled. The site also includes a wide variety of literary tours.
literarytraveler.com

---- Alptransit ----

The new Gotthard rail link is currently being tunnelled through the Swiss Alps. In a country already full of amazing engineering wonders, this one will top them all.

AlpTransit Gotthard is creating a flat rail link for future travel through the Alps. At the heart of the new transalpine rail route is Gotthard Base Tunnel. With a length of 57 km, the world's longest tunnel should become operational at the end of 2016.
alptransit.ch

---- Oz Bus ----

Did you know that you can travel from the UK to Australia by bus. Ozbus is an overland bus service that travels from London to Sydney, going through 20 countries in 12 weeks.
oz-bus.com

April Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 02:42:00 +0000

Featured Travel Sites

---- New Seven Wonders ----

Vote for the New Seven Wonders of the World. A global vote is being held to pick the world's 'new' seven wonders. It is the largest international poll ever conducted. The poll is being organized by Zurich based New 7 Wonders campaign.

Every voter has to pick exactly seven sites, which organizers say should help prevent too much skewing in favour of local sites.

The New 7 Wonders of the World will be announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 07.07.07

new7wonders.com

---- England Rocks ----

I have known that England rocks for quite a while, but now it is official. England Rocks has been put together by Enjoy England, the domestic marketing arm of VisitBritain. The website lists Englands impressive rock heritage with the help of Google Maps. Places that are of pop cultural significance are marked on the map. You can plan a Beatlemania pilgrimage or see the London home of Jimi Hendrix.

england-rocks.co.uk

February Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 09:43:00 +0000

World Press Photo has released their annual photo of the year.

World Press Photo is run as an independent, non-profit organization with its office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where World Press Photo was founded in 1955.

www.worldpressphoto.org

January Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 23:08:00 +0000

Feature Travel Sites

Help VA fly

Virgin America is a new low cost airline by British entrepreneur Richard Branson (Virgin Group). It is based in San Francisco and it was scheduled to start operations by early 2007.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) tentatively rejected Virgin America's airline application due to its ownership structure.

Virgin America have launched a site with a petition in support of Virgin America.
http://www.letvafly.com

While you're waiting around for Virgin America to get off the ground, you can help name their aircraft.
Name Our Planes

Virgin America website:
Virgin America

Teddy Tours Berlin

Send your teddy on a week's holiday including a guided tour of Berlin, picnic in Berlin's central park (Tiergarten) and comprehensive care by a qualified physiotherapist.
Teddy Tours Berlin

May Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (itravelnet) — Sun, 21 May 2006 18:10:00 +0000

Feature Websites

This month while wandering the streets of Melbourne I met an Englishman who is currently cycling around the world with his cousin. Ben Wylson and Jamie Mackenzie left the UK on the 6th of April 2005 and they plan to visit every continent without flying.
Free Wheels East

They are cycling in association with Practical Action, a charity that "helps people to use technology in the fight against poverty".
Practical Action

Travel Trivia

The 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino Italy has been like a rebranding exercise for the city. More commonly known in the English speaking world by its anglacised name of Turin, Olympic broadcasters and news outlets opted with the original Torino.

Whether this sticks post games remains to be seen. Will the cities most famous artefact from now be known as the Shroud of Torino?

Across Europe there are many more place names that are known by their English names. Test your knowledge of European city names here:

European City Names