Mini Travel Guides

France has to be the best places to visit in Europe for Matisse fans; actually it is probably the only place to visit for Matisse. Not only was this very famous and popular artist born in France, but not surprisingly there are a few out-of-the-way museums that have great collections of his art. So, if ’seeing Matisse’ features in your Europe travel planning considerations, here are two museums you could think about including on your itinerary.

Henri Matisse was born in the northern town of Cateau-Cambrésis, in the region known as Nord-Pas-de-Calais. In November 1952 Matisse himself established the Matisse Museum by a donating to the Department a significant number of his works. He also set out the way in which his art should be displayed. Today, the Matisse Museum is located in the Fénelon Palace (below), and has the third largest collection of the artist’s works in France.

Musée Matisse in the Fénelon Palace, Cateau-Cambrésis

This northern museum is within easy reach of Paris by road and rail – and the museum even offers a discount on the entrance fee to visitors on presentation of their rail ticket. Besides a permanent exhibition, the museum also arranges temporary exhibitions. Until the end of May 2010, there is an exhibition that focusses on Lydia Delectorskaya, Matisse’s muse, sometime model and secretary.

One of the galleries in the Musée Matisse, Cateau-Cambrésis

From the north to the south of France, and located on the outskirts of Nice is another Matisse Museum. Henri Matisse lived in the city of Nice from 1918 until his death in 1954. Matisse started the ball rolling by donating a few of his works to the city of Nice in 1953. Further works were donated to the city’s growing collection by his wife and heirs. In 1963 the Matisse Museum opened its doors to the public in an Italian style villa.

Originally the Matisse Museum shared the very stylish building with the archaeology museum. Then, at the end of the 1980s, the archaeology museum was relocated to a Gallo-Roman site right next to the villa; the Matisse Museum was modernised and had some substantial additions by other donors including the French state.

So whether you are visiting the south of France, or passing through the north of France, there is a Matisse Museum within easy reach.

La Villa des Arenes, Musée Matisse, Nice

So the European skies have been terrorised recently by an Icelandic volcano, shutting down many of Europe’s biggest hubs and grounding many traveller’s itineraries to a halt.  I’m feeling quite lucky, as only a week before the mayhem I flew back into Edinburgh.  But I’ve seen the upset faces on the television, have been hearing the stories of packed trains, and I can imagine it’s not at all ideal for many.

It reminds me of a very powerful lesson about travel and European travel planning specifically:  don’t plan so much. Some things you just can’t do anything about.

I’ve so often arrived in a city with a list of Europe travel tips miles long (welcome to my line of work), only to find out I have arrived on a holiday weekend where nothing except touristy cafes are open.  Meh.

I’ve taken buses to out-of-the-way attractions to find they are only open on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9-11.  It is Wednesday afternoon and I leave on Thursday.  Uhm, ok.

But my favourite European travel memories are the places that weren’t on the agenda.  That hidden cafe with the amazing chocolates.  The waffle place with fresh strawberries.  The street mural I found when I got lost in the medieval town centre.

Stop agonising when what you want to see on your holiday is closed.  Take your eyes off that to do list for a minute and look  up:  check out the architecture.

Europe’s an amazing place, but so many people rush through it so quickly and get so frustrated by its weird quirks and turns, they all but miss it.

Image by martepics

Roma Pass is an all encompassing tourist card sponsored by the Rome City Council and the Ministry for the Arts and Cultural activities, in collaboration with ATAC, the public transport company.  It offers exciting opportunities to check out the cultural and archaeological heritage of Rome in a cost effective manner.

Graphic by Roma Pass

Priced at €25, the pass includes a host of possibilities to design your own Rome sightseeing itinerary. The Roma pass offers the following benefits -

• Free entry to the first two museums/sites of your choice (you can choose from 40 museums/sites included in the offer).
• Discounted entry to the remaining museums/sites.
• Free public transport on trams, buses and metros within Rome.
• Discounted on-call 24*7 multi-lingual medical service for tourists.
• The Roma Pass kit includes a Rome map and a Rome guide detailing the museums/sites and public transport connections throughout Rome.

The Forum in Rome by mauricedb

Now, the question arises whether you should go for the Roma Pass? When Europe travel planning you have to work out what Rome attractions you plan to visit and and decide for yourself.

• If you use the card effectively in an organised manner, like visiting the Colosseum (€12) and Galleria Borghese (€8.50) as the first two sites, you will notice that the pass has almost paid for itself.
• A three day public transport card costs €11, if purchased separately thus making this pass all the more attractive.
• The pass  provides direct entry to the first two museums/sites thus helping you avoid long queues at the ticket counter. At the remaining sites, you need to present the pass at the respective ticket counters for the discounted ticket purchase.
• With the pass, you avoid the hassle of purchasing travel tickets every time you travel using the city’s public transport.

However you need to keep the following in mind, so that you can take the full advantage of this card -

• The Roma Pass is valid for three days starting from the day of activation up until the midnight of the third day. This means you have to plan your visits to the sites/museums within this time. Also the free public transportation will be valid within these 3 days only.
• The card has to be validated at the point of entry to the first site/museum that you are visiting or the first use of the public transport system – whichever occurs first.
• The form overleaf the card has to be filled with your name, surname and the validation date.
• The Roma Pass does not work in the Vatican since it is a separate country.
• Almost all museums remain closed on Monday in Rome.

Roma Pass can be bought online at the Roma Pass official site. It can also be bought in person at the various Tourist Information Points in Rome, the train stations, participating sites/museums and some news stands.

Roma Pass is an all encompassing tourist card sponsored by the Rome City Council and the Ministry for the Arts and Cultural activities, in collaboration with ATAC, the public transport company.  It offers exciting opportunities to check out the cultural and archaeological heritage of Rome in a cost effective manner.

Graphic by Roma Pass

Priced at €25, the pass includes a host of possibilities to design your own Rome sightseeing itinerary. The Roma pass offers the following benefits -

• Free entry to the first two museums/sites of your choice (you can choose from 40 museums/sites included in the offer).
• Discounted entry to the remaining museums/sites.
• Free public transport on trams, buses and metros within Rome.
• Discounted on-call 24*7 multi-lingual medical service for tourists.
• The Roma Pass kit includes a Rome map and a Rome guide detailing the museums/sites and public transport connections throughout Rome.

The Forum in Rome by mauricedb

Now, the question arises whether you should go for the Roma Pass? When Europe travel planning you have to work out what Rome attractions you plan to visit and and decide for yourself.

• If you use the card effectively in an organised manner, like visiting the Colosseum (€12) and Galleria Borghese (€8.50) as the first two sites, you will notice that the pass has almost paid for itself.
• A three day public transport card costs €11, if purchased separately thus making this pass all the more attractive.
• The pass  provides direct entry to the first two museums/sites thus helping you avoid long queues at the ticket counter. At the remaining sites, you need to present the pass at the respective ticket counters for the discounted ticket purchase.
• With the pass, you avoid the hassle of purchasing travel tickets every time you travel using the city’s public transport.

However you need to keep the following in mind, so that you can take the full advantage of this card -

• The Roma Pass is valid for three days starting from the day of activation up until the midnight of the third day. This means you have to plan your visits to the sites/museums within this time. Also the free public transportation will be valid within these 3 days only.
• The card has to be validated at the point of entry to the first site/museum that you are visiting or the first use of the public transport system – whichever occurs first.
• The form overleaf the card has to be filled with your name, surname and the validation date.
• The Roma Pass does not work in the Vatican since it is a separate country.
• Almost all museums remain closed on Monday in Rome.

Roma Pass can be bought online at the Roma Pass official site. It can also be bought in person at the various Tourist Information Points in Rome, the train stations, participating sites/museums and some news stands.

After really enjoying my visit to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum when I was in Glasgow for the day in early February 2010, I resolved to return to the city soon. True to my word, I was back in Glasgow for three nights in April 2010.  I always ask for tips on the Europe a la Carte Blog, Twitter and Facebook when I’m doing my Europe travel planning.  I’ve compiled the Glasgow attractions tips I received below and added my own.

Hanging heads at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum

Facebook Tips

Marty L Wooten The Burrell Collection.  (You can see that I followed Marty’s advice and  spent a couple of hours at the Burrell Collection.)

Me at the Burrell Collection

I’m looking for tips on the best Leeds attractions for my visit to the city next month. I’m co-hosting the Travel Learning Camp in Leeds on 22 April with  Darren Cronian, editor of Travel Rants.  I thought this was an ideal opportunity to spend a couple of days exploring Leeds.  My accommodation host is the Leeds Hilton located in the city centre, close to the railway station.

Clarence Dock Leeds by Paul Stevenson

I always like to ask for tips from locals and other visitors before visiting Europe destinations.  I know I’ll find some great Leeds sightseeing ideas on  Darren’s other blog My Life in Leeds but I prefer to use a variety of sources when Europe travel planning.

I’ll collate the Leeds travel tips, either from blog comments or tweets (with links to contributors sites/Twitter stream) into a Europe Travel Tips ‘n’Tweets post after my visit.

You can follow my #leedstrip on Twitter box below.

Tweet Tips

@benjilanyado Hopefully something in here from my Twitrip to Leeds will help?

Struggling with all the Europe travel tips you’ve found to come up with the perfect itinerary? Then how about a tour of an old European trade route: The Amber Road.

The Amber Road was a prosperous trade route that runs along the eastern portion of Europe. There’s some disagreement on where the name comes from, as the trade route appears to have existed before the time when amber was found and heavily traded in this area of the world.

But why travel the Amber Road? Well, here’s some of the fantastic sights you’ll see along the way:

• St Petersburg: The route starts in the western edge of Russia in the beautiful city of St Petersburg. There’s plenty to see and do, such as the stunning views, Russian cathedrals, and some really long escalators.
• Riga: Head south through Estonia and soon you’ll reach the gorgeous medieval town of Riga, a tourist delight.
• Gdansk: From Riga you’ll past into Lithuania and then curve along the coast of Poland, where you’ll reach a quiet port town of Gdansk (where we hear there is a great tourist office). Spend a few days here and just relax.
• Brno: The only way to go is South, so you’ll cross Poland and then head into the Czech Republic, where you’ll cross paths with my favourite Czech town, Brno. Beer, food, and endless scenery. What’s not to like?
• Ljubljana: After leaving the Czech Republic and crossing through the mountains and several countries, you’ll find yourself at the big city with small city charm, Ljubljana. (Just practice your spelling and pronunciation before you go.)
• Venice: If you manage to tear yourself away from Slovenia, it will be only to head to your final destination, Venice. Be sure to go now as it’s sinking back into the lagoon. But after such a long journey, floating along the canals in a gondola with a glass of wine seems the perfect cure.

Now’s the time to plan a summer holiday – why  follow not travel the Amber Road and visit some great Europe destinations en route?

Photo by Jonathan Gill

I visited Liverpool in February 2010 and asked for Europe travel tips about the best Liverpool attractions. So here are some ideas to help with your Europe travel planning so you can get the most out of you Liverpool visit.

Tate Liverpool at Albert Dock

Travel Tips

Zoe Dawes the Quirky Traveller says that the Slavery Tour is fascinating and the Walker Art Gallery has some great Pre Rafaelite art if that is your thing! I was born just up the road in Southport and wrote this article for GirlsGetAway which has some ideas for places to visit

Twitter Tips

@BudgetTraveller Hey Karen-visited Liverpool late last year and here’s some handy tips for you

@_emmajane _Tips on what to do and see at Liverpool Docks

@HoraceOflaherty The Cavern Magical Mystery Tour and Liverpool Museums & Art Galleries especially Lady Lever.

Your Tips

If you have any Europe travel tips on what to should see or do while Liverpool sightseeing, please leave a comment and I’ll add your tip to the post with a link to your site/blog.

I was in York for a two night short break in February 2010, courtesy of Visit York. I asked for York travel tips on the blog and Twitter, as I always like to have readers input into this travel Europe guide. Below you can read some tips ‘n’ tweets to help you plan your trip to York. If you have recommendations for great York attractions, please leave a comment and I’ll add your York travel tip to the post, with a link to your site/blog (if applicable).

York Minster

Travel Tips

Celia Don’t miss the Holy Trinity Church, the Yorkshire Museum Gardens and the restaurant-bar Biltmore. Ah and Castle Museum is also a must see!

A Lady in London I highly recommend a visit to St Martin le Grand church, lunch at J Baker’s Bistro Moderne, and tea at Little Bettys Cafe.

You can also read “Free or Cheap Sightseeing in York“ by Andy of the Europe a la Carte blogging team.

If you plan to visit a lot of York attractions you should look into buying a York Pass.

Merchant Adventurer’s Hall, one of my favourite York attractions

Tweet Tips

@colmhanratty Make sure to eat in Jamie’s Italian. Is nice and very reasonable.

@Célia Pedroso Don’t miss the Holy Trinity Church, the Yorkshire Museum Gardens and the restaurant-bar Biltmore.

I don’t think there is any doubt that flying is more inconvenient than ever – from terrorists to the rude & annoying airline staff that are just as bad as terrorists, it is a real wonder anybody bothers to fly these days. But yes – sometimes you have to. But in Europe, a lot of the time you can actually get around on train. Whether it’s a classic steam train or a scenic mountain railway, this IS the way to travel. Here are five reasons why my Europe travel tip would be to go by train:

1. I can use the toilet without paying. Since Ryanair seems to think there isn’t any sacred ground when it comes to in-flight fees, I’ll stick to the mode of transportation where using the toilets is free. I’m not saying that train toilets are always clean and roomy, but you can’t say that for airplane toilets either. Plus you can go to the loo when you need to on a train.

2. Admire the view. There’s nothing like watching the rolling hills go by or seeing the waves crash up onto the shore below the tracks. Train lines often go through some lovely European countryside – any train in Switzerland or Austria, for sure, but even the National Express East Coast here in Britain runs along a beautiful stretch of coastline.

3. Room to breathe. In pretty much all cases, trains have more room than airplanes. You can’t avoid the problem passengers who take up more than their fair share of the room, but you know? If you aren’t happy with your seat at least you can get up and walk around and stand in the galley for awhile.

4. No unwieldy trips to the airport. Most train routes depart from stations that are far more convenient to hotels and local attractions than the airport. Plus the airport experience leaves a LOT to be desired. Many train routes now have security measures in place, such as all the high speed routes in Spain, but it is a quick, efficient, and simple process.

5. Arrive more refreshed. Maybe it’s the air or maybe it’s just the overall experience, but I find I always arrive at my destination far more refreshed than after a disastrous in flight experience.

What’s your vote: train or plane?

Photo by matthew black