What’s the most amazing thing about the travelling sites is that most o the time they do have lots of surprises for those who are planning fun trips to this or that point of the world. This websites provide daily updated information on new discounts and special offers that will help travelers to organize their holidays with pleasure and to avoid the stress which is caused by the limited pocket and timing.

In addition to discounts, some of the “virtual” travelling agencies provide their clients with the opportunity to receive bonus miles from this or that airlines, e.g. for € 1 you spend on the trip as a program participant, you might get 1 mile as an encouragement. And in the period when the amount of the travelers is the least or most you might also get some more bonus points. Just keep in mind all of this is being done in case of buying tickets from a specific airline company.

After you got the idea of how to organize a cheap trip, it’s time to turn to the places which are worth visiting if you’re having a break during June.

Milan, Italy

Getting a ticket to Milan during the summer time might sound to be too difficult, but in reality it isn’t. You just need to find the proper travelling agency and most likely you will also get some discounts if you will travel by the local Italian airlines.

In the most important cultural, industrial and business center of Italy, tourists can visit the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, which houses a fresco by Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, the Catholic Cathedral Duomo di Milano, Brera Gallery, the famous medieval Sforza Castle and many other attractions. Gourmets can taste delicious Italian cuisine with a Milanese accent, a kind of fusion cooking directions: traditional Italian and international (Bice restaurants, Ulmet, Pacific Milano Restaurant, Don Carlos), Tuscan (Assassino), Japanese (Nobu Armani).

Fashionistas and inveterate shopaholics can come to the delight of the local shopping in local stores (La Rinascente), boutiques (Vicini, Baldinini, Roberto Cavalli) and outlet stores (Biffi, RJ, Griffes Diffusion). Here you can buy almost everything, especially during the summer sales when the prices are the lowest.

Geneva, Switzerland

Here the main tip to save on your trip is to book your ticket couple of days in advance to your trip. This way you will be able to save from 10-20% on your trip.

The refined beauty of Geneva, superbly situated on the banks of the Rhone River and Lake Leman (Lake Geneva), its beautiful parks, museums and monuments of history and architecture fascinate tourists from all over the world. The main attractions of the city – the Palais des Nations, Town Hall, the Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Saint-Germain, Museum hours Patek Philippe, the highest in Europe, Jet d’Eau fountain in the lake, and some other cool spots. Shopping center in Geneva is simply awesome.

Let’s say that there’s even a shopping district on the left bank of the Rhone with plenty of antique and jewelry shops, pastry shops, bookstores and watch shops, boutiques and shopping malls. This means that you can always get back home with a list of souvenirs which will remind you of this beautiful place. The best restaurants in town offer excellent mixture of European and traditional Swiss cuisines. It’s worth to try roulette, fondue, the famous Swiss cheese and all sorts of seafood dishes.

Paris, France

Paris looks to bit a little bit more luxurious place to stay in. But if you’re not running short on your money, then you can also save them. What do I mean? Well, nothing strange. The thing is that if you will stay in one of the 3 to 4 star hotels of the city for more than 3-4 nights, then most of the time you’ll get a chance to have lots of surprises, including even free night stay offer.

It’s one of the most beautiful and romantic cities on earth, the most “fashionable” capital of the world. “Holiday, which is always with you”. Paris is literally composed of museums and attractions. Its historic center is decorated with the famous Notre Dame. On the right bank of the Seine is the Louvre, the Tuileries Gardens, the Museum of Impressionism, Champs Elysees and the Place de Gaulle, the Arc de Triomphe. The symbol of Paris – Eiffel Tower – is situated on the left bank of the Seine. Here are the Pantheon, the Sorbonne, Luxembourg Gardens and the Champ de Mars.

Another “landmark” of Paris – the refined French cuisine: blue lobsters at Le Bristol, branded duck in La Tour d’Argent, oysters in La Cagouille, famous cakes at Laduree. The true gourmet will enjoy Paris.

As for the shoppers the famous Galeries Lafayette, boutiques of Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc., and the outlet stores in Paris will turn your trip into an unforgettable event.

A whole week in Europe and specifically in its coolest cities – what else is needed to escape from the daily routine and dull reality? Changing conditions and new thrills make the most effective rest. All of this is also true in case of the short rest.

You just need to keep in mind that making a positive life and helping to sustain its rapid pace is the best way to avoid stress when getting back to the routine life.

Reason number 10. To meet new people

It does not matter who they are, these people – neighbors on the floor in a hotel or a couple of local office workers who log in a bar every evening. New acquaintances – an important reason to go away from home. You will be able to meet very different people and see a completely different life that you were not able to imagine. The new dating opportunities… Sometimes life can change greatly because of the chance encountered on the street of an unexplored city.

Reason number 9. To try new food

Most of us eat all the same food every day. Eggs for breakfast, a piece of meat with a side dish for lunch and a plate of dumplings for dinner. People are so conservative, that even in the most varied buffet people try to choose dishes, closest to what they eat at home. It is for this reason, it’s best book a hotel with only breakfast and every day to learn new and unusual tastes, perhaps even long-known products. For fruits and vegetables, which are eaten the place where they grow, differs greatly from the ones imported. Seafood caught in Northern pale in comparison with the frozen is something awesome. And this is not to mention the huge variety of alcohol, which is not always possible to try in your own country. And certainly, to drink beer in English pub is more proper than at home watching television.

Reason number 8. To learn flexibility

Travel always happens something that violates your plans. It can be forgotten in the last hotel your wallet and an unexpected pouring rain, while you were going to enjoy a walk in the fresh air. In any case, you have to urgently devise a way out of this situation. And  to do everything to get some  pleasure from your trip. For a man accustomed to ply on the route home-work-restaurant (bar)-home and will need a flexible working exclusively in solving problems.

Reason number 7. To buy new gadgets

Let’s be honest: men love shopping no less than women do. The only difference is that you do not prefer shoes and clothing shops, but visit places where they sell all sorts of gadgets, electronics or sports clothing and equipment. No real man would miss the opportunity, once in Japan, having a trip to Akihabara. And making a list of desired purchases when you travel to America or Europe, carries the stronger sex, no less than women’s choice of clothes. In addition, a separate pleasure is left for packaging (and sometimes pre-purchase) of all these high-tech stuff, ranging from digital cameras and ending with GPS-navigators, or watch for diving.

Reason number 6. To achieve goals

To visit an unknown place – not such a simple task as it might seem at first glance. Even if you buy ready-made tour via an agency (what self-respecting man should not do, if it is not a beach holiday in Turkey or Egypt), would still have to deal with the choice of the city or the hotel, preparing documents for visa application and the settlement of workers’ issues at the time of your absence. If the trip is organized completely independently and involves visits to several places, the very trip planning becomes extremely fascinating puzzle with many unknowns that need to be solved optimally.

Reason number 5. To test themselves

Even if in everyday life you have to avoid any complications and always have a careful planning, the journey always causes some contingencies. And this is good because teaching is one of the true masculine qualities: adventurous and enterprising. No matter what task you will solve for the first time: in any hotel stay or how to explain to a completely unfamiliar language. With each trip self-confidence will grow, and selected places will be increasingly elusive and interesting.

Reason number 4. To make yourself more interesting

The more you travel, the more interesting things are happening to you and all the more amusing things you can tell the others upon your arrival. And the stories will satisfy everybody’s taste- for severe male company, and for the enthusiastic girls that want to cheer. And besides, getting acquainted with the culture of different countries, you enhance your education and development, which also makes you much more interesting person. Agree that the phrase “Oh, dude, we had yesterday such a cool time to get drunk in …” and “Beer here is very similar to real English ale …” sound somewhat differently.

Reason number 3. To rate your hometown

Everything is better when in comparison. Admiring the most amazing and fascinating beauty of the world, you will sooner or later find yourself on that you are longing for the traditional snowdrift at the door. Spending time away from your native city, you’ll appreciate more what you have. And even a simple matter of talking “where you come from” will waft pleasant memories of home. And you will want to return. And if not, you will have the chance to find a better place to live.

Reason number 2. To gain self-confidence

There are many ways to do so, ranging from battle classes and ending with using all of the ways of earning large sums of money. But the best option – it is to put themselves in unusual situations, from which have come unscrewed. And the journey is the best opportunity to do this. Even a simple, to get oriented in one of the major international airports (take at least Bangkok), would require initially unlimited concentration. With experience, you can even travel alone through Japan by train or dare to go down to the most intricate subway in the world, the Tokyo one.

Reason number 1.  To ensure diversity of the world

One of the most pleasant moments of travelling is to return home. Recalling the trip, or looking at pictures of it, you begin to see the world differently, understanding that the place where you are, is just a tiny piece of a puzzle in a huge picture of the world. You may find that you enjoy the city, which, as you thought you hated in the beginning, or that a country in which you have always dreamed of visiting, disappointed you. Or you will miss formerly disgusting dishes. In any case, you will have a proper picture of the world, which does not depend on other people’s tastes and preferences. And you will gain the opportunity to choose.

Now tourists traveling to India, have not a lot of choices on which train to travel –they have to choose between  traveling on conventional trains, in the cars packed with the Indians, chickens and bags of belongings, or on luxury trains, the tickets for which are too expensive.

New car designers are working on now, are provided with ergonomically designed seats and toilets, wide beds, and leave more  free space for passengers’ feet. In addition, they will be adapted for traveling people with different disabilities.

The windows in the carriages will be wider to allow tourists a better view, and young boys and girls, who will be trained to be hospitable and communicative  with foreigners, will be selected as tourist guides. Special booklets will tell visitors about new Indian trains. This booklets will be distributed to agencies in major cities of Europe, USA and South-East Asia.

Let us remind that the state of trains in India today leaves much to be desired.  Train-involved accidents are frequent here, and many of them go back to the root time of English colonization. However, trains are the most common high-speed, but not too reliable transport in this country. Therefore, the vast majority of local residents are traveling by train. Trains are overcrowded and many Indians climb on the roofs of cars, which often leads to tragic consequences afterwards.

Thus, in late January 2009 as a result of the railway incident in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, 6 people were killed and 200 wounded. Many young people on their way to the recruiting station, sat directly on the roofs of cars of express, on route from the city of Allahabad to the city of Faizabad. The tragedy occurred because of the fact that people were swept away from the wagons by overhanging tree branches.

Illustrative is the statement by the Minister of Railway Transport of India, who in 2004 took no responsibility for accidents, which are constantly taking place in one of the largest systems in the world of communications. He said that the fate of 13 million passengers using trains every day, is in the hands of the god of machines Vishvakarman. “Indian Railways are under the authority of God Vishvakarman. Therefore, ensuring the safety of passengers is his duty, not mine “, – said Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav during his visit to his native city of Patna in eastern India.

Now the American pilots are strictly forbidden to rest during the flight. And the Administration of Federal Aviation is set sharply against the annulling of the ban on sleeping, because, according to officials, the picture of a captain who has fallen asleep at the controls does not contribute to the favorable health state of the passengers. However, doctors, whose opinions are referred by the pilots, believe that a nap is the best remedy for fatigue.

The pilots often spend on flying considerably more time than it is recommended for optimal performance by scientists. Thus, according to aviation rules that are in force now in Europe, the pilots are encouraged to work for 14 hours a day, while doctors insist on 13. At the same time, according to the results brought by the European trade unions of pilots of civil aviation, the main reason of 15% of all crashes occurring in the world is the tired condition of  the pilots. Under the existing rules, pilots spend in flight too many hours, which increases the risk of a tragic outcome of the flight five times.

Jim Makoslan, general secretary of the British Association for the pilots of civil aviation claims that a very small number of specialists of narrow profile really understand how pilot flights negatively affect the body after several time zones, too early and late flights and many other factors that consider to be a part of  the pilots’  daily life.

The confrontation of airlines administrations and the pilots union is not resolved by peaceful means, and the pilots decided to talk about their problems to passengers, whose security depends on the degree of airliner pilot fatigue. Pilots will take to demonstrations across Europe and plan to distribute about 2 million leaflets which will describe the situation. How these events will affect the schedule of European flights is still unknown, but the chances of delay and cancellation of flights is very high.

The cheapest of all the ski resorts are following:

1. Poiana Brasov, the average cost of all that is necessary for the full rest, including the use of lifts, rental equipment, food and drinks, stand sat about $300.

2. Bulgaria Borovets, where the cost of holidays in the average is about $400 after the ascending rise of the fee. The resort became more expensive by 14%.

3. High Tatras in Slovakia, where the average cost is $421. Compared to last year prices have increased by 20%.

Also, it is noted that the major European resorts could also be a good choice for skiers. The cheapest of the major ski resorts in Europe is called La Thuile in Italy.

In addition, over the past year, prices in Courchevel, another famous resort, located in France, fell by 24 per cent.French resorts were succumbed to pressure caused by the Euros, significantly lowering the prices. Thus, Courchevel is now rated as one of the budget European ski resorts.

In the United States, the popular resort of Vail, Colorado has reduced prices by 11 percent; following it the rest here was cheaper than in Banff, Canada, and Verbier , Switzerland.

The prices of the ski resorts increased enormously recently. For example, in the Norwegian resort of Geilo, visitors were encountered with a 26-percent growth in prices.

The first stop can be made in Liria Palace in Madrid, which belonged to the Duchess of Alba. The palace has gathered a nice collection of works of art of Spain, Holland, Italy, Germany, France and Britain. Free tours are offered on Fridays from 10 am to 11 am.

In the picturesque Trastevere area of Rome on the West bank of the Tiber River festival Festa de Noantri will be held for eight days. The tourists who join this  fancy festival will be served tasty local cuisine free of charge, listen to outdoor concerts and watch the colorful religious processions.

In Germany, Leipzig,  famous car company “Porsche” offers people free trips to its plant. Guides explain and show the tourists how the birth of world-known cars as the Cayenne and Panamera is being done . The free tour also includes visits to the Museum of History of Porsche. For an extra fee you can have lunch in the canteen or order a test drive.

Fever of Friday’s evening in Paris is an entertainment for skaters. Fans of movies are going to the square Place Raoul Dautry – between the Montparnasse Tower and the metro station Paris-Montparnasse every Friday at 10 pm. Routes are different every week. But they always make up about 30 kilometers. By one o’clock all participants must return to the point of departure.

In Oslo, you can visit Sculpture Park, which exposes over 200 works of the renowned Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. The sculpture themes are various life circumstances and emotions of the people.

In Lisbon, the Gulbenkian Museum offers to admire the objects of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic, Asian and European art. The exhibition includes Japanese prints, Persian tapestries and European paintings from Rubens paintings to works by Renoir.

Company Sandeman’s New Europe offers a free walking tours to nine European cities – among them Paris, Madrid, London and Berlin. Recently, Prague has been included in the list of cities, where free tours are organized.

Zurich is known as an expensive city. However Fraumunster church can be visited for free. In the building of XIII century one can admire the stained-glass window, created by Alberto Giacometti, and five stained-glass windows of Marc Chagall.

The monument, dedicated to Frank Zappa is one of the cults of musicians of 60 years of the last century, you can visit in Vilnius. It is located in the area Uzupis, known for its artistic cafes, art galleries and open shops.

Finally, you can visit the factory which manufactures wooden shoes in Amsterdam. Visitors to the factory will be able to observe the way in which workers manually hew, and then paint this traditional Dutch footwear. Characteristically, the process of making shoes has not been changed since the XIV century.

The winner was a French Chateau de Bagnolet, from the Department of Beaujolais, which was built in the XIII century. Despite the antiquity of the structure and the obstacle in the form of the drawbridge before entering, there is a beautiful five-star hotel in the castle with a chic restaurant. Spanish Marques de Riscal from Rioja is created by the architect Frank Gehry in the avant-garde style. Guests of the hotel are offered a real wine therapy, and a relaxed atmosphere of the hotel is stressed by the ideal interiors. In the third place in the list of the best from the best is an Italian L’Andana hotel, formerly the residence of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The chef cook is famous Alain Ducasse.

The second three of the best opens with Spanish hotel called Read’s, located on Mallorca in the ancient villa. There is a very modern Vespasian hotel and spa resort. In the fifth place is a French hotel Les Sources de Caudalie, which is not far from Bordeaux. Health and rejuvenating treatments with wine bias and winner of Michelin stars- Chef Frank Salen are waiting for the visitors of the hotel. The second three of the best closes the Catalonian Peralada Hotel, which is ready to shelter not only lovers of wine, but fans of golf, beach holidays and long walks.

In the seventh place is the Portuguese hotel Aquapura, located in the valley of the River Douro, where the oldest vineyards in Europe are located – here despite the epidemic of phylloxera, survived the vines, the descendants of the Phoenicians planted more grapes. In the eighth place is the French Chateau de Berne, which is hidden in 80 acres of woods and vineyards, on the 9th is again the Portuguese Casa da Calcada, which is famous for its wine production region Vigneaud Verde, and the tenth – Spanish Hacienda Zorita, one of the oldest wineries in Spain. Rumor has it that Christopher Columbus lived here at one time, but the tourists even without such legends will find things to do in the former Dominican convent at Salamanca.

The visitors of experienciasymas.com portal assessed the hotels, which drew their attention not only on tastings, excursions to wineries and haute cuisine, but also on the promotion of wine tourism and the professional level of staff.

1. Showing “thumb up” in Iran

In all the countries of Europe and the United States compressed fist or raised up thumb are completely innocent gesture, telling you that everything is correct, everything is going well, you are completely satisfied. But we should not express our feelings this way in Iran. It is considered a gross and obscene insult there.

Another familiar Euro-American symbol is “OK” when the thumb and index finger form a circle, it should not be used in Turkey and Brazil, because the locals will think you are comparing them with some intimate parts of the human body.

2.Touching your head in Thailand

In Buddhist countries, heads of human beings are sacred, as the soul lives there, and therefore, touching the head of even a tiny baby means to offend him. One should never refer to something with a finger. For example, in Malaysia it is considered to be very improper, and in the Philippines, local residents can allow themselves to point to objects and people only with eyes.

3. Calling Ireland, the British Isles

Each state has its own “taboos”. It is not necessary to discuss the Aborigines in Australia, dowry in India and human rights in China. Irish categorically do not like it when their land is called “one of the British Isles”. By the way, if you are not sure whether you can talk about something in a particular country, it is best to stay on neutral issues – the gastronomy and the beauty of the landscape.

4. Dressing as gauchos in Argentina

Some tourists can not resist the temptation to try on a national costume. However, before you dress like the locals, learn the laws of the country. Thus, for the wearing of batik in Indonesia you will have to pay a fine, and it is really quite improper to try on gaucho in Argentina, and go to the barbecue.

5. Entering the Japanese house in shoes

In Japan and other Eastern countries be prepared to take off your shoes before entering the temple or to any house. In the Land of the Rising Sun you will certainly be offered to replace street shoes with slippers, in which you can walk from front door to the living room. However, before you embark on the mat you will have to part with interchangeable footwear. Therefore, always wear clean socks!

6. Presenting bouquet of 12 carnations in Germany

Bouquet seems a perfect gift; however, one should be careful with them as well, because the flowers, their color and the number may have a hidden meaning. In Germany, Poland and Sweden a carnation is brought for the funeral. In Belgium, Italy, France, Spain and Turkey chrysanthemums are used for this purpose. In France and Austria, red roses mean romantic interest, and in Mexico, Chile yellow roses are a sign of grief and separation. An odd number of colors can bring misfortune in China and Indonesia, and in Germany, Turkey and India, as in Russia, by contrast, there should not be an even number of stems in the bouquet.

7. Confusing the name and the surname of the Chinese

The Chinese write their names and surnames not in the usual order, as it is customary in Europe and America: the name usually follows the surname, and therefore appealing to Lee Wong Chi “Mr. Chi” will sound just as absurd as if you call James Smith “Mr. James”.

8. Presenting alcohol to Muslim

Islam does not allow people to drink alcohol. And even if the Muslims drink, they do not do it publicly. Therefore, to give Muslims a bottle of cognac – means to show him his sin. And if the bottle is enclosed even in a luxury case made of pig skin, it will be an obvious insult, because dogs and pigs in the Islamic countries are considered unclean animals.

9. Drinking between toasts in Georgia and Azerbaijan

In Northern Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Union countries toasts are treated very seriously. In Scandinavia and Germany, when saying “Ska!” Or “Prost!” one needs to look into the eyes of those who lift their glasses. In Russia, foreigners are recommended to drink vodka in one gulp. And in Georgia and Azerbaijan, toasts can be pronounced for hours. However, little sip from the glass between the toasts is considered very impolite.

10. Inserting sticks into rice in Japan
If you have decided to take up hashi – chopsticks intended for food, you are to examine the many rituals associated with it. They should always be kept a little up; they cannot intersect or be used as a pointer. And the worst thing that can be done with hashi is to stick them upright in a bowl with rice. So, in Japan they do so only during the funeral rituals.

]]> http://www.travelvivi.com/10-fatal-mistakes-of-travelers/feed/ 0 http://www.travelvivi.com/travel-around-europe-by-train/ http://www.travelvivi.com/travel-around-europe-by-train/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:49:42 +0000 travelgirl http://www.travelvivi.com/?p=1002 If you intend to travel around Europe by train, then you should define your plans. Which countries will you visit? How long will it take to travel? Do you want to thoroughly explore one country or wish to see many of them? Only having answers to these questions, you can choose the most appropriate ticket.

Travel tickets for everybody
Tthere are train tickets for different expiration periods (for 3, 5, 6, 7, 14 days with unlimited number of trips). They are also divided depending on how many countries you want to visit. The exact price of tickets can easily be found on different sites online.

There are also other practical offers for travelers . For example some companies offer tickets which allow you to travel by train in the 21 European countries, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. You can choose from 15 or 21 consecutive days, 1, 2 or 3 month.

If will travel to only one or two countries, it is best to choose tickets, which apply for Germany and the Czech Republic, France and Italy, Denmark and Sweden, or in to other neighboring states.

Pay attention to local tickets, read the information at stations – often there are discounts for the weekend. Sometimes several people can travel with one ticket. So although such ticket is beneficial even for one tourist, it is possible to save heaving found other person at the station before the departure. For example, in Germany you can meet a young man who will come up and ask whether anyone has such a ticket. If you offer him to join, he will pay you a part of the ticket price.

Information for consideration
Always clarify if the ticket is valid for a concrete route. For example, many tickets can not be used on panoramic trains in Switzerland.

The travel ticket may not extend on very comfortable night trains, where places need to be reserved in advance.

Attentively look tickets’ validity period: it does not always start from 12 o’clock in the morning and ends at 12 o’clock the next night.

Read the terms: there can be pleasant surprises – an additional discount on some services for hotel accommodation, tours, free travel for another kind of transport.

When buying necessarily specify your age. For young people under 25 traveling is much cheaper.

Right to Choose
Now, when you got acquainted with tickets, think whether you need to buy them? Perhaps you will not travel so long in Europe, and therefore it is reasonably to buy a simple ticket from point A to point B? Take a sheet of paper and calculate: where will you go and how much does the ticket cost. Think maybe some points can be reduced, and in some places you can find a shorter route? Now sum the cost of tickets for all days of the supposed travel and compare it with the price of combined ticket. If you know in advance where you have to go you can save your money by paying the ticket 2-3 months in advance. If go to another country, look the prices of tickets on websites of national railways of both countries – often the cost can essentially differ.

1. Wild boars in Germany.
The recent couple of years these animals have become a real disaster for the German farmers. Not only those fang creations terminate harvest, they also often break into village houses and even attack people. You don’t need to look for the boars far away, since they can be found even in the gardens and parks of Berlin. However, to hide from civilization and to find the wildest ones you should set for the Central Franconia and walk with a rucksack on the back in the plains of Maine and Danube rivers. Here they can be found everywhere, like deer, and the local beer fans sitting in the tavern and drinking beer, like to tell stories about “Suuuuuuuuch a boar”, whom they came across just yesterday. There is a chance to add their stories.

2. Killer Whales in Spain.
Not less than the boars of German farmers, aid the fishermen of Andalusia suffer the “touring” whales-killers, significantly lessening the catch of trawlers. To admire the big sea mammals is possible while travelling along the hunting road of killer whales in Gibraltar bay, which is organized by the Society on protection of whales and dolphins. It is rather a rare performance, despite the fact that any person, who dared to cross the sea, met on his way the whales- killers, whales and dolphins. For the tourists not to suffer from monotony, the organizers of the trip also suggest seeing ancient Roman cities and diving.

3. Elks and beavers in Sweden
There is no place in the world where there are so many elks as in Sweden, and in this “adventure of the day off” in the Northern woods, experienced representatives of the host country guarantee that the tourist will certainly see “the king of the forest” in the process of walking. We’ll say confidently that the guides just attract the elks by the horn, imitating their call. And afterwards, at sunset, they send the holiday-makers to the lake Scarson, in search of beavers. In the tour everything is foreseen to get back to the nature: living in a tent at the shore of the lake, swimming in a quick river, wood chopping for the fire, and berry peaking for the 100 % natural supper. But everything picked by the tourists is carefully checked, before putting into the common bowl.

4. Portuguese reptiles
Waterlogged territories and sandy beached at the mouth Sado, which is to the south from Lisbon, swarm with numerous slippery and cold-blooded inhabitants. Anything can be found here – tuberous Spanish turtles, spiked lizards, marmoreal tadpoles, spotty frogs from the Western Iberia and snakes from Montpelier. So those who like reptiles will enjoy a visit to these places. Voles, otters, bats, and polecats inhabit this place, besides – this is one of the best locations in Portugal to observe the birds and dolphins at the coast.

5. Butterflies in Croatia
Croatia is one of the locations, which has recently become quite popular among the naturalists and numerous groups, organized by the butterfly humane society and amateur entomologists. Observing those delicate creatures which live on the shores of turquoise lake and waterfalls in Plitvice‎ goes quite well with living in a comfortable hotel as well as sightseeing tours to limestone gorges of Paklenica and to the Velebit Mountains, which are rarely visited by usual tourists.

6. Biking with bisons in Poland
During a 7-day biking tour through the North-Eastern part of the country, you can see the variety of magnificent European bisons, the population of which was preserved and increased thanks to a significant contribution by the Polish Government. Tourists spend 3 days in the forests of Białowieża waiting to meet few in number bisons of the Old World. This forest is all that is left from the once large and wild woods covering the whole continent. A hike through the animal routes in bison reserve smoothly turns into travel on a flat-boat to the far Nariva swamps, known as Polish Amazon, to the natural habitat of beavers, otters, elks, and martens.

7. Taking a glance at the puffins in Iceland
Iceland is a country where a variety of sea birds lives. Try travelling to the Snaefellsnes peninsula where huge colonies of birds nest on the cliffs on the both sides of the peninsula and most of those birds are puffins. Get to the Miway Lake where geese and ducks live during the nesting season. It would also be of interest to see the Namaskard geysers and heavy coasts of the arctic Laxa River.

8. Dances with Wolves in Spain
About 3000 Spanish wolves inhabit the land with a mysterious name Sierra de Culebra. It is possible to get closer acquainted with them – while being on a safe distance from them – by being a part of the tour, which is organized by the local wild-nature specialist Julian. The travelers are accommodated in a rural hotel and are invited in the sunset and sunrise times to fancy the life of the wolf packs, which generally remains hidden from the eyes of the outsiders. Information about the current location of the pack is received from the forest-guards. The rest of the time can be spent observing wild boars, foxes and deer, which become a good dinner for the wolves if caught.

9. Turtle catching at the Azores Islands
From the seven kinds of known in the world sea turtles, 5 were found in the Azores islands. And, of course, the scientists-naturalists from all over the world come here to explore these graceful creatures. To join the exploring expeditions, and to become a real naturalist can also ordinary tourists. The scientific ship sails into the Atlantics, where the travelers guided by experienced scientists set traps for turtles and catch them. And then they measure, stick a label and let them free, as a true scientist should do. At the same time travelers study the routs of migration of turtles and contribute to the saving and keeping of the population. They can also admire the whales and dolphins, which can, also, be seen in the surrounding waters.

10. Observation of marmot in Switzerland.
In summer marmots graze grass on the flood plains of Switzerland. One stays on guard and whistles loudly if sees an eagle, after which the whole company actively gets hidden in the shelter. To watch them in the mountainous national park is rather an amusing thing. Chamois and elks also live there, and vipers live in the forests, so beware!