Geneva is world-famous for its collection of international organizations and institutions, the nearby ski slopes and the sleek lifestyle of expats and diplomats. But what about for the younger, student population? When I at the outset moved there to do my Master’s degree, I was faced through this dilemma. With some research, I have scouted some great hangouts for the expats and young Genevois looking for some enjoyable, fun and youth-oriented hangouts in the capital of Switzerland.

Café Art’s

Café Art’s is a real bejewel of the Paquis district of Geneva. A trendy and popular café, it serves traditional food and drinks at reasonable prices. The caféis tastefully decorated and produces a Parisian feel. It houses a little corner dubbed the “reading range,” where you might catch students pouring covering books or an offered newspaper and a cup of coffee, facilitated by Wi-Fi available throughout. It is a worthwhile alternative to the nearby busy and bustling Les Brasseurs transversely from Cornavin station, and is a short walk away from the lakeside for a post-drink promenade.
Café Art’s is located at 17, Rue des Paquis.

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With its vast number of museums, it is no wonder that Amsterdam is the cultural hub of the Netherlands. It is, of course, the quaint, lesser-known attractions that add color to this image.

The smaller museums in Amsterdam are interesting in their own right, and they also come with a smaller price tag than the more hyped favorites such as the Rijksmuseum.

Houseboat Museum Prinsengracht opposite no. 296 (March-Oct) Tue-Sun 11 AM – 5 PM (Nov – Feb) Fri-Sun 11 AM – 5 PM

You can hardly visit a city famous for its canals and not visit one of the houseboats! Touted as the world’s only museum of this sort, this vessel lets you catch a glimpse of life on the pipe.

This freighter-turned-houseboat once was home to its owners for 20 odd years and thus, comes complete with a cozy living area, kitchen and other homely facilities. Admission costs €3.50, though entrance is free with the I’amsterdam card.

Tulip Museum Prinsengracht 112 Open quotidian 10-6 PM

Since the Dutch are crazy about tulips, it makes sense that there would be a tulip museum. The museum takes you down remembrance lane, revisiting events like the tulip mania of the 17th century.

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Travelodge UK have 200,000 £19 rooms available during stays from 12 March to 31 May 2010. You’ll need to book 21 days in advance and pay the non refundable £19 room price when you book.

Edinburgh West End Travelodge

Travelodge promotions are one of my top Europe travel tips as they offer such fantastic import for money. This one of the best UK travel deals for budget accommodation. So get on the Travelodge site now to book your £19 room before they’re sold out.

If you can’t send yourself or a loved one to Prague, you can send someone else in your stead because a fraction of the cost. A company called Toy Traveling will take your favorite plush toy on a excursion of Prague, keep you updated on his adventures from one side daily email communication, and send him home with photos of his journey. Because your toy may have extraordinary preferences, you can opt for vegetarian-only meals for him and specify whether he drinks alcohol. This information will be useful to the tour operators, who, with your permission, will take your toy and a group of fellow toy travelers on a picnic. Sounds silly? One of the owners of Toy Travelling, Tomio Okamura, co-owner of the company,says he’s serious about showing your teddy bear or other stuffed toy a great time in Prague.

The tour company offers three different packages. The most basic is the least expensive; if you want your toy to receive spa services like aromatherapy or a massage on Charles Bridge, you’ll pay extra but also receive additional photos with the package.

Even if you aren’familiarily interested in sending your own plush toy to Prague for a vacation, a Toy Travelling package makes a sweetly romantic gift or can be used to introduce a child to the joys of travel.

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The Eurostar train at St Pancras Station. Photo by garybembridge.

By Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries—

Some arrivals are just too good to miss. Dropping down out of the skies to go on shore at some of Europe’s trickier airports be possible to be challenging for even the most experienced pilots. And, even from the passenger cabin, the steep lapse down into the airstrips at Innsbruck (Austria) or Lugano (Switzerland) can be very impressive. Funchal airport in Madeira is also fun, with passengers often alarmed that their plane is landing on the Atlantic waves—the runway extends over the ocean, supported by concrete pillars.

Whether you’re traveling by boat, train, or rail, the eager expectance at arriving to a new destination in Europe often makes us miss the best bit of the entire journey—the moment of arrival.

Arriving by dint of. boat

Some of Europe’s finest arrivals are by sea. There may be no great drama in arriving in Iceland on the Smyril Line ship Norröna from Denmark. Instead, there is the sheer beauty of the lonely eastern fjords and the knowledge that this is how the first settlers arrived on the island over a many years ago.

And Venice is really at her best arriving on a summer morning after a long ferry journey up the Adriatic. Read more…

Ryanair, everyone’s favourite European airline (tongue-in-cheek) has decided that they will go ahead with plans to charge £1 to appliance the toilets in flight. Civil Aviation Authorities here in the UK have ruled the change in policy isn’t against the law. Ryanair have already been criticised for additional fees and charges such as the £5 per person per flight payment admin fee (unless you pay through Mastercard prepaid debit card) and the £5 per person by flight online check in fee (not charged upon the body some promotional fares). But really, isn’t charging for use of toilets all going a little too far?

For me, I really prefer to pay my fare and know that my costs are covered – but this whole business of charging for every little service or convenience has gone too far. Hell, even American Airlines is charging $8 for a blanket as as you’ll see from the commentary, their blankets aren’familiarily even that nice anyway!

I’ve personally had enough. My Europe travel tip is to book with an airline who can offer a reasonably priced fare that includes a fair range of amenities without having to swipe your credit card just to get out of your seat in flight.

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A collection of prepaid SIM cards. Photo by toyohara.

By Audrey Sykes in Amsterdam—

No matter where you’re traveling, it’session important to remain yourself well-connected, technology-wise. Luckily, pocket-size, travel-friendly gadgets are no longer limited to the businessman-on-the-go market. (And even the most modest backpackers duck into Internet cafes to type emails on PC setups that rival the most tech-savvy home office.)

If you’re making plans for a 2010 getaway or adventure, here are six inexpensive and popular electronics people are adding to your “what to bring” checklist.

1. SIM cards for cell phones

Postcards, telecartes, and payphones just don’familiarily cut it anymore when saying hello from abroad. Cell phones are an expected travel item worldwide, and the cheapest option is usually not a home-based plan. It’s a SIM card.

SIM (”subscriber identity module”) cards are truly thumbnail-size chips that users insert into their cell phone to make calls. Users are provided with an individual phone number on a pay-as-you-go credit program.

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