Vienna is the perfect setting for an historical story. You can truly sense the magnificence of a splendid capital that was the centre of empires. It is no wonder we usually associate it with Sissi, the Empress. Her true story has been told many times, whether in a fictional or in a documentary way. Why? … Continue reading Imperious Vienna
Travelling
The best
What is the best travel destination? The best restaurant, the best beach, the best ski resort, the best hotel…? Does it matter, really? Do people look to have fun and just appreciate things or show to others that they found “the best of the best”? After all, the purpose of travel is… well, travelling, really … Continue reading The best
On a tour
Six o’clock in the morning. Feels like a work day, but it’s actually a vacation tour. They want to sleep more, but the bus will be waiting for them at half past seven and they still have breakfast to take. It’s not a good idea to get late and awaken the angry side of people… … Continue reading On a tour
How to pack for travelling
Packing can be very challenging. You only want to take the absolutely necessary… but what is that, really? You want to take extra clothing with you in case something bad happens, but that will just add weight that could prove unnecessary. On the other hand, you don’t want to end up with only dirty clothes … Continue reading How to pack for travelling
Decoding travel information
Travelling is fun, but people should pay attention to some important information before leaving home. COVID pandemic has shown us that bad things can really happen and you should know what are your options and your rights. Booking and changes When buying a ticket or booking an accommodation, get to know the conditions of such … Continue reading Decoding travel information
Learning useful phrases before traveling – yes or no?
It is tradition for Guide Travel Books to include phrases in the native language of the destination country so people can learn them before their trip and use it, as this is considered polite. However, there are a few possible problems. One of them is pronunciation. Automatic translators, like Google Translate, can help you with … Continue reading Learning useful phrases before traveling – yes or no?
Planning a trip like a project manager – Budget
When planning a project, there are three dimensions you need to consider: scope, time, and budget. The previous articles were about the scope and time. This one is about the budget. One of the aims of doing a travel budget is to check if you have enough money and, if not, how you can adjust … Continue reading Planning a trip like a project manager – Budget
Planning a trip like a project manager – Time
When planning a project, there are three dimensions you need to consider: scope, time, and budget. The previous article was about the scope and this one is about time. Duration of the trip If you are planning a holiday trip, obviously you already know the duration of the trip: the time of your holidays. Therefore, … Continue reading Planning a trip like a project manager – Time
Planning a trip like a project manager – Scope
When planning a project, there are three dimensions you need to consider: scope, time, and budget. This article is about the scope, which, in this case, is the destination, how to travel and what to do. There are many reasons for choosing where to travel: for example, a friend’s recommendation, an item from your list, … Continue reading Planning a trip like a project manager – Scope
Cash or Credit Card
[Originally published on 18 March 2015] In Portugal credit cards (and debit cards) are the main mean of payment. On the other hand, Germans prefer to pay in cash [see "Why Germans pay cash for almost everything"]. People usually are big fans of credit/ debit cards because they are easy to use and prevent thefts. … Continue reading Cash or Credit Card
Being foreign in your own country
[Originally published on 5 May 2015] You know when you go to a big city and you take the subway from point A to point B only to find out you actually could have done it in a 5-10 minute walk? That’s pretty standard when you go abroad… for example, in London. Well, it happened … Continue reading Being foreign in your own country
Short travelling journey
[Originally published on 9 April 2015] This weekend I made a 150 km journey for family reasons. In such circumstances, people usually take the fastest route, which means taking the fastest means of transportation as well. I had three choices: going by car, by bus or by train. The fastest way was definitely by car. … Continue reading Short travelling journey
Interrail
[Originally published on 29 March 2015] When I was 18 years old I bought an interrail ticket and went discovering Europe with some friends. Well, actually it was only France, Italy and Switzerland. And San Marino and Monaco and the Vatican City. We did the interrail in the old fashion way: with a backpack and … Continue reading Interrail
Travels and Food
[Originally published on 5 June 2014] One time I went to Munich, Germany, and I was looking at the menu (everything was in German, of course) trying to figure out what to order. I wanted to play safe so I chose something that I understood was meat (from cow, I think). I was like “ok, … Continue reading Travels and Food
Best way to travel
[Originally published on 15 March 2014] The best way to travel depends on your preferences and, of course, your destination. If you live in Europe, want to go to USA and love to travel by train... well, you only get to travel by train once you actually get there. So, your choice is boat or … Continue reading Best way to travel
Living Abroad
[Originally published on 7 August 2012] Living abroad is basically the same as living in our own country: you need to find a place to live, go to groceries, pay our bills, find and job and stick with it, use the transportation system, make friends, get along with co-workers... However, it is also completely different … Continue reading Living Abroad
Misconceptions on Portugal
[Originally published on 9 November 2013] To be fair, everyone has misconceptions on most countries in the world. Like: in Europe we think that all Africans live in the middle of the jungle and then we get amazed when we discover they actually have cities and buildings. So, foreigns usually think two wrong things about … Continue reading Misconceptions on Portugal
Traveling abroad for the 1st time
[Originally published on 14 November 2013] People get all sort of excuses for not travelling: . It’s too expensive; . We have kids; . I don’t know foreign languages; . I don’t have time; . I’m scared; . It’s too complicated; . ... Well, most of the people just don’t want to travel, which is … Continue reading Traveling abroad for the 1st time
Tourists vs. Travelers
[Originally published on 6 November 2013] According with the Merriam Webster Dictionary: . a tourist is «one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture»; . a traveller is «one that goes on a trip or journey». So, the difference seems to be “pleasure”. A traveller just travels while a tourist travels for pleasure. But... … Continue reading Tourists vs. Travelers
TRANSLATION & TRAVEL PROJECTS 