Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for european union
Airline Complaints in the EU
By Linda Tancs
As US travelers know from reading this blog, air travel complaints and statistics for US travel are readily available from the Aviation Consumer Protection and Enforcement bureau. Ever wonder about the EU equivalent? The European Union Transport Commission publishes a list of aviation authorities in one convenient document.
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Culture Capital Marks 25th Year
By Linda Tancs
Happy New Year, readers! 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of Europe’s Capital of Culture program. Sharing the spotlight this year will be Germany’s Essen, Hungary’s Pécs and Turkey’s Istanbul. Emphasizing a spirit of cooperation among this year’s honorees, an opening ceremony in Pécs at Széchenyi Square will take place on 10 January. In Turkey, university theatre groups from Europe and Turkey will convene during the year to showcase Istanbul’s standing in the arts community. And in Essen the cultural kudos kick off with the grand opening of RUHR.2010 and Ruhr Museum on World Heritage Site Zeche Zollverein. Amidst the celebrations the European Commission will likewise commemorate its silver anniversary of cultural diversity recognition with a celebratory event and strategic conference on 23 and 24 March in Brussels to mark the event, to look back at the achievements of the past 25 years, and to reflect strategically on its legacy and impact.
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The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.
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Rail Group Investigates Value for Money
By Linda Tancs
Anyone who has traveled by train in Britain (whether short- or long-haul) has experienced those heart-stopping fares. I’ve often wondered why rail travel is so darned expensive–or is it just my imagination, coupled perhaps with a bad exchange rate? Apparently, my thoughts are well justified. The watchdog group Passenger Focus has released a report this month analyzing such variables as local travel, long-distance travel, comparative rates in other countries and value for money perceptions. Among the many findings: Londoners have a low perception of value for money, soft factors such as cleanliness of trains and well-lit stations inform overall perceptions as well as pricing, and continental comparisons illustrate a general comity among frequency of service although journey speed is more highly rated in continental Europe. Generally speaking, Britain fares (no pun intended) better with pricing for advance bookings than with restricted or unrestricted day returns. Want to learn more? You can download the 38-page report.
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Of Gladiators and Chariots
By Linda Tancs
You know the old expression, “everything old is new again.” Now that applies to gladiators and chariots, too. In Rome, city representatives are contemplating an authentic re-creation (read: no puppet shows) of gladiator battles at the Colosseum, less commonly known as the Flavium amphitheater, in an effort to bring ancient Rome back to life. In another resurrection planned for over a decade, the O2 in London will present Ben-Hur, complete with its signature chariot scene made famous by Charleton Heston, in September. Presumably the show will tour Europe if all goes well in London.
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Routes Follow European Theatre
By Linda Tancs
The Culture Programme of the European Union sponsors a European Route showcasing the European architectural aspects of theatre buildings around the EU. First to open was the German Route in 2007, exploring German theatrical architecture from the 17th to 19th centuries, including the half-timbered summertime theatre in Neubrandenburg, Frederick the Great’s private theatre in Potsdam, Gotha’s palace theatre and the much-copied 19th-century style playhouse in Meiningen.
A recent addition to the theatre trail is the Nordic Route, celebrating the historic theatres of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Visitors to Sweden will enjoy the theatre barn, a staple of Swedish cultural traditions, the oldest of its kind located in Hedemora. Historic stage sets and props await visitors to Halden, Norway, site of an Empire-style theatre built by townspeople in the 19th century. Saved from demolition in the 20th century, the Elsinore Theatre in Aarhus, Denmark is the oldest playhouse in the country preserved in its original form.
By 2009, five routes will connect culturally significant properties from Italy to Norway. The three additional routes to open are the Italian Route, the Emperor Route (covering Austria and the Czech Republic) and the Channel Route (linking the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK). Novelist Oscar Wilde regarded the theatre as the greatest of all art forms. See if you agree.
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Open Skies to Advance Competition
By Linda Tancs
Lower transatlantic fares and flight availability. Sound good? That’s the premise behind the US/EU Open Skies agreement, set to take effect in March 2008. Under the agreement EU airlines will be able to fly to any city in the U.S., and U.S. airlines will be able to fly to any city in the EU. Will this have any effect on competition, or will outside factors (like fuel costs and gate rentals) set the game rules? Stay tuned.
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