Essential guide to Dubai hotels restaurants book your Dubai holiday

Given our location in the Arabian Desert, Dubai enjoys a warm climate year-round. The winter months from October through to May are the mildest, with average temperatures ranging from around 20 degrees centigrade to the mid-30s. During the summer months of June through September, the weather heats up, with averages from high-30s to mid-40s. This is when Dubai’s plethora of indoor attractions and facilities come to the fore, making Dubai a year-round destination.

Dubai is a very tolerant, cosmopolitan and multicultural city. Its residents are made up of more than 200 different nationalities – all living together harmoniously. Demonstrating a heritage of rich Arabian hospitality, Dubai is a very welcoming city. Just when visiting any foreign destination, the local customs and culture should be respected. Being largely a Muslim country, it is recommended to dress modestly, particularly within the workplace. The work week runs from Sunday to Thursday, with Friday and Saturday being the weekend. The usual business hours are adhered to in most private enterprises, but government buildings may close around 2.30pm each day.

Dubai is the region’s biggest business hubs, with its central global location playing a vital role in its importance within international commerce. Business travellers should not take offence if, when meeting with professionals of the opposite sex, they are not offered a handshake. To avoid any awkwardness, the best advice is to wait for a hand to be offered to you. It’s worth remembering that Muslims are required to pray five times a day as part of their faith. Most of the time this will go unnoticed by business travellers, but it’s worth bearing in mind when planning your meeting schedule.

A relatively new tourist destination, Dubai was gaining popularity in recent years until the global economic crash of 2008. Dubai is essentially a desert city with superb infrastructure, liberal policies (by regional standards), that became popular for its excellent tourist amenities. Just 5 h from Europe and 3 h from most parts of the Middle East, the Near East, and the subcontinent of India, Dubai makes a great short break for shopping, partying, sunbathing, fine dining, sporting events, and even a few sinful pleasures. It is a city of superlatives: for the fastest, biggest, tallest, largest and highest, Dubai is the destination. It has the largest immigrant population in the world. The weekly day off is on Friday. Note that, since September 2006, a harmonised weekend of Friday and Saturday has been adopted for the public sector and schools.

Dubai's main airport is the Dubai International Airport. You can also enter Dubai by using Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) in the nearby emirate of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) in nearby Abu Dhabi. Frequent visitors from countries granted automatic visa on entry may wish to purchase an e-gate card to speed up immigration formalities and save passport pages. The e-gate card office is situated in the upstairs foodcourt area of the terminal 1 departures concourse. The card will cost AED 200. Note: If you intend to buy an e-gate card in Dubai, you must have entered UAE via Dubai airport.

Terminals 1 and 3 are directly connected to each other via the airside (no immigration needed for transfer), while Terminal 2 is located at the other end of the airport. Terminals 1 and 3 are models of modern airport design, but Terminal 2, despite the recent renovations, is still reminiscent of developing world airports, with long check-in lines, queue-jumping and every other passenger checking in 70 kg of luggage. Shuttle buses between the three run every 20-30 min. However shuttles to Terminal 2 are sporadic at best, so a 30 min taxi ride may be your only option. A low-cost option for traveling to Terminal 2 is to catch the metro to a nearby station, such as GGICO metro station, and from there catch a taxi to Terminal 2.

Dubai's only international road border is with Oman at Al Wajajah. Expatriate residents of Oman will require an official permit to exit Oman by road. Visitors do not require the permit. There is an OMR 3.000 charge per vehicle to exit Oman and, if returning, retain the charge receipt as it will be required to reenter. Ensure that insurance is valid for the UAE (preferably before commencing the journey). Temporary UAE insurance can be purchased at the border for a premium price.There are also road borders between the neighbouring Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Oman at the Al Burami Oasis which divides the sister cites of Al Ain and Al Burami, Oman.

Giorgio Armani's first hotel opened in 2010 in the world's tallest tower, Dubai's 828-metre Burj Khalifa, amid much fanfare. Built on the first 39 floors of the dart-shaped skyscraper, the resort is part-residences, part-hotel - although the same brooding style underpins everything. Sharp lines, neutral tones, stone and mahogany predominate: you can almost smell the masculinity. The best rooms have vast balconies overlooking the Dubai Fountain, another record-breaker with water that shoots as high as 150 metres into the air.

The hotel sits at the furthest point of the islands' outer frond (accessible via a long drive or a shorter boat ride), lending it an air of honeymoon-friendly seclusion. This despite its large size: 64 rooms, 26 suites and four villas in large Moorish-stylemansions. But One&Only The Palm is best known for its restaurants, fronted by chef Yannick Alléno of three-Michelin-starred Le Meurice in Paris. They are STAY (the acronym for Simple Table Alléno Yannick), which aims to show that fine food need not be pretentious; the international restaurant Zest; and 101, a bar-restaurant-lounge that simply sings St Tropez. Price rating: 5/5

Connect seamlessly from the airport to your meeting using Dubai’s state-of-the-art transport system. You’ll find a string of public taxis awaiting your arrival and, being a relatively small city, you can expect to be at your hotel or remote office in under 30 minutes. They accept most major credit cards, and will soon be wifi-enabled for passengers to stay connected on the go. You can alternatively use apps such as Uber or local-based Careem to hire a taxi. Alternatively, jump on the Dubai Metro.

The Red Line runs through the heart of the city along the arterial Sheikh Zayed Road. Stations serve the primary business hubs, such as the World Trade Centre, host to many of the city’s big conventions and exhibitions, and the Dubai International Financial Centre (hop off at Financial Centre station). The line continues all the way south to Jebel Ali and is being extended to eventually serve the World Expo 2020 site. To make the most of Dubai’s public transport system, purchase a prepaid NOL card, which can be used for the Metro, Tram, buses and taxis. NOL cards can be purchased from any of Dubai’s Metro stations and selected bus stations.

Property for Sale Caribbean And Bermuda Luxury Real Estate

Currently available to buy off-plan, this contemporary three-bedroom penthouse forms the most luxurious offering in the second phase of Beach Enclave's Long Bay development in Turks & Caicos. Designed by Jacobsen Arquitetura and expected to be completed by 2021, the property makes the most of its prime beachfront position with three separate outdoor living spaces large enough for dining and lounging accessed by the grand master suite, master suite and open-plan living/kitchen area.

A further bedroom can be found at the rear of the apartment with all three bedrooms offering en suite bathrooms. Located on the western shore of the Turks & Caicos island of Providenciales, all Beach Enclave owners have access to range of services and amenities including a full-time butler, housekeeping, yoga classes, watersports, a fitness centre, pool, private chef, boat charters, tennis courts, villa provisioning, concierge and on-site restaurants.

If, like many superyacht owners, you’ve spent years exploring the Caribbean by superyacht and have the best scuba diving spots sussed, know where to find the best beaches and have visited all the best Caribbean party spots, perhaps it is time to think about putting down firmer roots in the islands.

But where and what to buy? We’ve rounded up the best luxury properties for sale across the Caribbean – click through to find your dream vacation home.

Half Moon Bay, Antigua

Antigua’s established marinas, quiet coves and calm waters make it a superyacht magnet during the Caribbean season and a new development, in one of the island’s most picturesque bays, offers some of the most exciting real estate opportunities in decades.

Less than eight nautical miles from English Harbour there are just ten villa plots for sale at the 132-acre Half Moon Bay estate, which will also be home to a brand-new Rosewood hotel (pictured).

Two of the plots were previously owned by the prestigious Mellon family and are being sold as individual estates. The Mellon Estate is the largest land parcel available and sits at the highest point within Half Moon Bay.

While the Rosewood Estate has views of the coral sand beach and will offer easy access to the amenities on offer at the Rosewood Half Moon Bay. A further three sea cliff plots are set on a separate bluff and have dramatic panorama views. The remaining five Half Moon Bay estate plots are more than two acres each and sit at the heart of the sheltered bay.

Each new owner will be able to design and build their new home and they will also enjoy a full complement of bespoke Rosewood services. For those that miss out on one of the larger plots a further 44 Rosewood branded residences will also sit alongside the hotel.

Source: https://www.boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-life/property/amazing-caribbean-properties-for-sale-now--31713

See Italy Like Oprah How to and the Obamas According to Their VIP Guide News

From the late Marlon Brando's privately owned retreat to Richard Branson's island, former president Barack Obama is doing life after the White House in style, much to the chagrin of his successo. Sure, Italy may be a favorite tourist destination, and you may have even visited more than once, but we guarantee you’ve never experienced it the way the Obamas and Oprah have.

On seperate travel tours (though we wouldn’t put it past them to travel together), both the Obama family and Oprah experienced Italy like true locals thanks in large part to the kind folks at Access Italy.

منذ أواخر عهد مارلون براندو المملوك للقطاع الخاص إلى جزيرة ريتشارد برانسون ، كان الرئيس السابق باراك أوباما يقوم بحياة بعد البيت الأبيض بأسلوبه ، مما أثار استياء نجاحه. بالتأكيد ، قد تكون إيطاليا وجهة سياحية مفضلة ، وربما تكون قد قمت بزيارتها أكثر من مرة ، لكننا لم نختبرها أبداً بالطريقة التي يمتلكها كل من أوباما وأوبرا.

في جولات السفر المنفصلة (على الرغم من أننا لم نكن لنجعلها تسافر معًا) ، فقد عايشت عائلة أوباما وأوبرا إيطاليا مثل السكان المحليين الحقيقيين بفضل الأشخاص الكبار في شركة.

Related: Inside the Luxurious Italian Estate Where Barack and Michelle Obama Vacationed

 Access Italy tour guide Barack Obama Oprah Winfrey
Courtesy of Access Italy

“Access Italy provides unique access to venues that are hardly accessible to the public,” Simone Amorico, co-founder of the exclusive tour company, explained to Travel + Leisure. Through Access Italy tours, guides provide both local and authentic experiences that make “clients feel like they are immersed in the Italian culture," he said.

And it’s because of this unique approach that Oprah named it her “favorite” tour operator. And, although there’s no way to confirm this, we’d love to think she called up her friends Michelle and Barack to personally recommend the service too.

Related: Barack Obama's Tuscan Bike Tour Will Inspire Your Next Italian Getaway

So why did Oprah love her experience so much? According to Amorico, Oprah took part in the tour company’s truffle hunting excursion in Umbria. She also visited the "Godfather" house in Sicily (yes, the very same one featured in the movie), and even visited the offices of the mayor of Rome and checked out its breathtaking views over the Roman Forum.

Five Things to Do in Sorrento

Check out these five things to do on your next vacation to Sorrento. 

While Oprah certainly gets the best of the best wherever she goes, it turns out that you can have the exact same experience as the queen of daytime television. “We treat every client like a star,” Amorico said.


For example, the tour company often arranges cooking classes in a private home with a Roman family alongside an expert Italian chef. They reportedly did something similar for the Obamas. Though their travel itinerary technically needs to remain a secret, it’s rumored that the former first family enjoyed gelato making in one of the oldest gelaterias in Rome.

Related: Michelle Obama Shows Us All How to Dress for an Italian Vacation

The company, Amorico explained, hires top tier drivers and guides who they train themselves to ensure the highest level of quality and attention to detail across their tours. And those tours, all of which are private, include a behind the scenes Vatican tour, a gondola ride in Venice, a private dinner on a Roman rooftop with musical entertainment, truffle hunting, and wine tasting in the most exclusive Barolo wineries, or even a boat excursion off the Amalfi Coast. With each package the group will also book your hotels, transfers, make restaurant suggestions, take care of ticketing, and throw in 24-hour on-call service.

And they’ll even throw in tennis lessons, like they did with Ben Stiller as he prepared to film "Zoolander 2," because as it happens Amorico was a top tennis champion in the United States years ago.

As for his favorite tour, Amorico said it will “always remain the Vatican but in a special way,” because they have special access to unique rooms and the ability to visit the Sistine Chapel after hours.

Of course, the tours are for everyone, not just the rich and famous. According to Amorico they are great for “couples and families but also grandparents with grandchildren.” As he said, Italy is perfect to visit any time of year, but the spring and fall are particularly stunning seasons. And hey, as an added bonus, you never know who you’ll run into along the way.

Source: http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/obama-oprah-italy-tour-company

Free travel guide to Cannes France Condé Nast Traveller

Cannes has long been associated with the glamour and pizzazz of its annual film festival, when hordes of star-spotters, starlets such as Sharon Stone and Cameron Diaz and paparazzi descend on this small seaside town. Year-round, Cannes is an exuberant and lively seaside destination, with a good choice of luxury hotels, gourmet dining and pretty, if busy, beaches.

لطالما ارتبط اسم "كان" بجمال ومهرجان مهرجانه السينمائي السنوي ، عندما تنحدر جحافل من نجوم النجوم ، نجوم مثل شارون ستون وكاميرون دياز والباباراززي على هذه المدينة الساحلية الصغيرة. على مدار العام ، تعتبر مدينة كان وجهة ساحلية نابضة بالحياة وحيوية ، مع اختيار جيد من الفنادق الفاخرة ، وتناول الطعام الذواق والشواطئ الجميلة ، إذا كانت مشغولة.

مكان الإقامة

WHERE TO STAY

3.14 HOTEL
5 rue Francois Einesy, 06400 Cannes(00 33 4 92 99 72 25)
http://www.3-14hotel.com/
Located just off La Croisette, the hotel was known as Hôtel Savoy until 2004. It has 96 rooms, 15 suites, three restaurants and a bar located on the roof terrace.

HOTEL DE MOUGINS
205 Avenue du Golf, 06250 Mougins(00 33 4 92 92 17 07)
http://www.hotel-de-mougins.fr/
Only a 10-minute drive from Cannes' city centre, Hôtel de Mougins staff-to-guest ratio of 2:1 ensures immaculate service. The style is upmarket Provençal farmhouse with floral fabrics, white-painted furniture and stone floors. The 51 rooms are set in a landscaped garden.

HOTEL DU CAP EDEN ROC
Boulevard Kennedy 29, 06601 Cannes(00 33 4 93 61 39 01)
http://www.edenroc-hotel.fr/
Set in 25 acres of gardens and dating from 1870, this chic hotel could be mistaken for a private château. It has a wonderful position on the tip of the Cap d'Antibes peninsula between Cannes and Nice. Ask for a room with a sea view over the Mediterranean and the îsles de Lérins. Closed from mid-October to April.

HOTEL LA VILLA TOSCA
11 rue Hoche, 06400 Cannes(00 33 4 93 38 34 40)
http://www.villa-tosca.com/
The hotel, formerly known as Touring, has recently been renovated. Situated on a calm pedestrian street, it has 22 rooms, some with sunny balconies.

HOTEL THOMAS
19/27 route de Valbonne, 06100 Le Cannet(00 33 4 93 69 80 70)
http://www.hotelthomas.fr/
This is a very friendly hotel with an hourly shuttle into the film festival. The restaurant, Chez Alphonse, is situated on the top floor, with a terrace providing a good view over the bay of Cannes. The swimming pool also holds a nice view over the city.

IMMOSOL VACANCES CANNES
20 rue Latour Maubourg, 06400 Cannes(00 33 4 93 94 50 00)
http://www.immosol.fr/
If you rather have a bit more privacy than in a hotel, Immsol Vacances Cannes offers a wide range of flats and villas to stay in, from three nights to one month.

INTERCONTINENTAL CARLTON
58 La Croisette, 06414 Cannes(00 33 4 93 06 40 06)
http://www.cannes.intercontinental.com/
This vast, belle époque hotel has the perfect location in the centre of La Croisette - 800 metres from the Palais des Festivals and within walking distance of every deluxe boutique. The hotel has 338 rooms, including 36 suites, three restaurants and two bars, a lavish health club and a casino. To Catch a Thief, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, is just one of the films featuring the hotel.

LA COLOMBE D'OR
Place Géneral de Gaulle, 06570 St-Paul-de-Vence,(00 33 4 93 32 80 02)
http://www.la-colombe-dor.com/
Many of the great names of 20th-century art, like Matisse, Braque and Léger, used to pay for their rooms in this great hotel with paintings that are still on display. The hotel is made up of 16 rooms and 10 apartments, and its restaurant is superb (). It is essential to book for dinner.

MAJESTIC BARRIERE
14 La Croisette, 06407 Cannes(00 33 4 92 98 77 00)
http://www.lucienbarriere.com/
An imposing seafront hotel, facing esplanade Georges Pompidou. The decor ranges from neo-Egyptian to Louis XIV. The Majestic has 305 rooms, the legendary Fouquet's Bar on its premises and an A-list clientele, including Sharon Stone, Kate Moss, Robert De Niro and Michael Jackson.

HOTEL MARTINEZ
73 La Croisette, 06406 Cannes (00 33 4 92 98 73 00)
An immaculately restored Art Deco hotel from 1929. For a hotel with 404 rooms, the Martinez feels remarkably intimate and has faultless service. It has a lovely, two Michelin-starred restaurant, La Palme d'Or, and a luxurious new Givenchy spa opened in 2003, incorporating eight treatment rooms and a sauna. £

http://www.cntraveller.com/guides/europe/france/cannes/where-to-stay

How can a pre-existing medical condition impact my travel insurance premium?

Unfortunately, any medical condition, no matter how minor or severe, will need to be disclosed in your travel insurance application. So ailments such as anxiety and depression will all need to be notified to the insurance provider. You should work on the basis that any health issue for which you have previously consulted a doctor or other professional and/or for which you have ever taken medication is to be regarded as a pre-existing condition.

Insurance providers often regard pregnancy as a medical condition for the purposes of travel insurance, and this means it can sometimes be difficult for women to obtain travel insurance in the later stages of pregnancy

 luggage
How will an insurance provider assess an application given my condition?

When seeking out a policy that covers you for pre-existing conditions, you need to be prepared to answer a lot of questions about your personal medical history, and the insurance provider may require very detailed answers to these questions. They will want to know what medical conditions you have experienced, how severe these conditions have been, how they have affected your day-to-day life, when you last experienced symptoms, what medication you have taken etc.

Don’t be tempted not to disclose a particular condition, or to downplay how severe it is, as this could lead to a future claim being refused. Remember that the insurance provider will be able to access your medical records in the event of a claim, and so it’s likely that any non-disclosure will be identified.

Once you’ve provided all the necessary information, the insurance provider will decide whether to offer you insurance, and if so, on what terms. For someone with a pre-existing medical condition, the insurance provider may decide to:

Offer cover on standard terms in spite of your condition
Refuse to cover the pre-existing condition, but offer cover on standard terms for any new issues that may arise when on holiday
Offer cover with other restrictions or special terms
Offer cover with a higher excess
Offer cover that includes the pre-existing condition, but increase the normal premium, perhaps by a significant amount
Decline your application outright
Where you’re travelling to could also affect the insurance provider’s decision. Most of North and Central America (including the United States); China and Hong Kong; and European countries such as Greece, Malta, Spain and Cyprus, are known for their very expensive medical care. These countries all have a high level of private health care, therefore it costs more to receive treatment.

As mentioned above, an insurance provider can refuse to accept your travel insurance application if you apply with a pre-existing condition. Travelling abroad without travel insurance is not recommended, due to the high costs you can be saddled with if you do fall ill, so you need to do everything possible to try and obtain insurance in spite of your condition. In the event you have been advised not to travel it will be very difficult to get any type of cover without approaching a specialist provider.

If you cannot find an insurance provider willing to offer cover, then your last resort option might be to contact a charity that is related to your condition. For example, a cancer charity may be able to help you find an insurance provider willing to offer cover to people living with a terminal condition.

One final word of warning, whilst the European Health Insurance Card allows UK citizens to obtain a certain level of access to medical treatment in most European countries, this is not a substitute for travel insurance. So whether you are travelling to Europe, or further afield, you still need to make every effort to obtain suitable travel insurance.

Source: www.comparethemarket.com/travel-insurance/content/how-can-a-pre-existing-medical-condition-impact-my-travel-insurance-premium/

European Officials Infuriated by Alleged NSA Spying on Friendly Diplomats

Edward Snowden might have vanished from sight since he supposedly hopped a flight from Hong Kong to Moscow on June 23. But the explosive leaks from the former NSA contractor were in plain sight this weekend, when revelations emerged that the U.S. had allegedly bugged E.U. diplomats in New York City, Washington and Brussels. The news ignited splenetic fury from European politicians, who say the allegations could sour their trade negotiations with Washington. “It is shocking that the U.S. should take action against its nearest allies comparable to measures taken in the past by the KGB in the Soviet Union,” European Parliament President Martin Schulz told reporters at Brussels’ military airport on Sunday, adding that he felt “like the representative of an enemy.” The story broke Saturday on the website of Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine, which has a longer account of the details in its print cover story on Monday. To E.U. officials, however, even the sketchy outline was scandalous enough.

The magazine alleges that among Snowden’s documents is proof that the NSA planted bugs in the offices of the E.U.’s mission to the U.N. and in its embassy in Washington, and that the agency hacked into the E.U.’s computer network, allowing the U.S. to eavesdrop on closed-door meetings and to read internal e-mails. “An NSA document dated September 2010 explicitly names the Europeans as a ‘location target,’” says Der Spiegel’s article, whose first byline is Laura Poitras, the New York filmmaker whom Snowden initially contacted in January, saying he had information to leak. It also says the U.S. hacked into the communications system at the Brussels headquarters of the European Council, a highly secured building where leaders gather for summits, and where each of the union’s 27 member countries has offices. To some E.U. officials, that detail might come as little surprise: five years ago, E.U. security officers traced suspected telephone hacking back to the NSA offices in the headquarters of NATO in Brussels, according to Der Spiegel.

Cairo Protesters Demand New Egyptian Revolution

In the upscale Cairo suburb of Heliopolis, about a 20-minute walk from the presidential palace, the rally was in full swing. “We swear to the blood of the martyrs,” the marchers chanted as they moved toward the palace. “A new revolution from the start!” That, as much as anything, captured the mood of Sunday’s wave of national protests against President Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood organization. After a year under Morsi, preceded by a generally unhappy 15 months of postrevolutionary military rule, the protesters — angry about a weak economy, deteriorating security and rising Islamism — want a reset. In terms of sheer numbers, Sunday’s anti-Morsi demonstrators had to be pleased with the turnout — in the hundreds of thousands. The figures equaled and possibly exceeded some of the highest peaks of the original revolution against deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak. Tahrir Square, on the edge of downtown Cairo, was packed to the point where crowds extended all the way across two bridges to the other bank of the Nile. And the crowds in Heliopolis were equally massive completely covering the district.

50 Best Android Apps for 2013

From high-end Android handsets like the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 down to low-cost prepaid phones, you’re not getting the full value unless you load up your phone with some great apps. We’re here to help with 50 app recommendations, from news and weather to productivity and task management. Everything’s in order of price, starting with free apps and moving from lowest to highest.

Japan Spends Millions in Order to Be Cool

Just as Washington shuts its stimulus chest, and with the economies of Europe tightening their purse strings in times of austerity, Tokyo’s wallet is suddenly very fat and visible. The object of its lavish spending this time is culture. Japan’s upper house gave final approval on June 12 for a $500 million, 20-year fund to promote Japanese culture overseas. Called Cool Japan, the multidisciplinary campaign is designed to plug everything from anime and manga to Japanese movies, design, fashion, food and tourism. Overseen by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the campaign will woo private investors later this year to hit an eventual target of $600 million. It’s unfortunate that the name of a campaign to showcase creative originality strongly echoes Cool Britannia, the pop-cultural flowering that took place in the U.K. in the 1990s, but it’s early days for Tokyo’s own soft-power push. Naturally, there’s a bottom line. Creative content, says Mika Takagi of METI’s international-economic-affairs division, will “help sell goods.” One inspiration, she suggests, is South Korea. In 1998, according to METI, the South Korean government invested $500 million into a cultural-promotion fund. Fifteen years later, its artists dominate the pop-music charts in Asia, its television and movie titles are top sellers throughout the region, and the whole world knows a South Korean rapper named Psy. Even better, South Korean goods — think of Samsung phones or Hyundai cars — have become global successes, with an image that’s modern, young and fun.

Dubai: 10 Things to Do Introduction

Forget the seven-star property, the world's tallest tower, manmade islands, underwater hotels and buildings that spin like a Weeble with an inner-ear infection, what the city of Dubai really knows how to create is headlines. This little fishing-village-that-could has built an entire tourist industry out of piquing people's curiosity. Its unstoppable, finely tuned PR machine has managed to overcome every downside (how often do you hear that Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq are right next door?) to make the city a must-see location. And that's despite the fact that the region is full of sunny locales that have a lot more to offer — Jordan, with its millennia-old civilization, the Red and Dead seas, incredible desert landscapes and the glories of Petra — but generate a lot less interest. That being said, Dubai has its virtues, so if you find yourself with 24 hours in the city, you'll have no shortage of things to do.

Welcome To Barcelona Tourist Guide 2013 Barcelona Travel Guide

This site offers tourist information, all you need to know about Barcelona, one of the most beautifull cities in Spain.

You will find travel information: accommodation, hotels, visitor attractions, museums, monuments, sightseeing, tourism, photo gallery, tourist tips, travel activities, rates, climate information, tourism events, restaurants, shopping, night life, city maps, beach area, golf, weather, hotel discounts, deals, reservations, tourism guide, images, Barcelona airport info, main tourist spots, the main sights, travel news, photos, festivities, gastronomy, travel packages, nature parks, cheap rooms, travel advice for your vacations, practical information and much more. Your Barcelona city travel and tourism guide.

Transport From The Barcelona Airport To The City Centre - Barcelona Airport 2013

Barcelona International Airport (IATA: BCN, ICAO: LEBL), also known as El Prat, is a major transport hub and fields flights from all over Europe and beyond.

Terminals
There are three terminals, A, B and C, all within fairly easy walking distance of each other. Terminal B is used by Spanish carriers (Iberia, Spanair, Air Europa, Vueling) and their partners (eg British Airways). Terminal C is smallest and used for all domestic flights, including the Puente Aereo (Air shuttle) to Madrid. Terminal A for all other flights. A giant new south terminal was open in 2009.

Transport from the Barcelona Airport to the city centre
The airport is only about 10 km away from the city center. Airport transfers can be arranged for groups, taxis are available but expensive (€20-30 to the city center). A cheaper and often faster option is the half-hourly RENFE C-10 suburban train line calling at Sants (20 minutes), Passeig de Gràcia (25 minutes) and Estació de França (30 minutes) in the city center. A single ticket is about €2.20, but an under-advertised fact is that you can use the T-10 ticket (€7.20 for ten trips, including all bus and metro transfers made within 75 minutes) instead. You can buy a T-10 from the ticket vending machine at the airport station.

Alternatively, the Aerobús A1 line stops between Terminal A and Terminal B and travels along Gran Via to Plaça Catalunya. Buses depart every 6-9 minutes, the published journey time is 35 minutes (although can take considerably longer during rush hour) and costs €4.05 one-way. Buses are heavily air-conditioned in summer: have something extra to wear during the journey. Aerobuses stop running at midnight, but you can catch a Nit Bus night bus service instead (Nit Bus N17, between 22.00 and 05.00. The ride from Plaza Cataluña to Airport El Prat takes about 40 minutes).

Duty-free shops
Open from 6/6:30am to 9:30pm (few to 10pm). Shops are numerous and some are hard to find elsewhere in the city. Most shops are before the passport control; only one or two are afterwards.

Tax-free shopping refund. Office closes at 10pm without compromises. After that time checks can be only processed by mail: complete your tax-free forms with your passport data and addresses, stamp them with the custom office (a window next to arrivals gate door; they don't ask to see your purchases); put them into envelope you were given in the shop and wait for several months.

Cafes
Cafes, pre-security check. Limited options, sub-standard fare. Food at Ars is awful and not cheap. Pans & Company have almost no hot meals.

Cafes, post-security check. Numerous options, all close something between 10pm and 11pm.

Parking
Costs €1.35/hour, €9.45/day, €6.75/day from the 6th day.

Luggage lockers
Baggage storage is €4.60 per day for a large locker that easily fits 2-3 serious suitcases. Left-hand end of Terminal B, behind the Ars cafe.

Departure gates
Poorly conditioned at ground level (at least gate #57, sector A, after 11pm).

WiFi
Available throughout the airport, operated by KubiWireless: €7.5 for 45min, €9 for 1 hour, €15 for 24 hours.

Low cost carriers operating to Barcelona
Air Berlin, Monarch Airlines, Jet2.com, ClickAir (a discount subsidiary of Iberia), Vueling, WIZZ Air, easyJet, Ryanair (only on nearby Girona and Reus airports), Blue Air, Sterling Airlines, flyGlobespan, Transavia among many others.

Nearby airports
Some low-cost carriers, notably Ryanair, use the airports in Girona, nearly 100km to the north, or Reus, around the same distance to the south, instead.

For Girona Airport: The Barcelona Bus service runs a shuttle bus from Estació del Nord in Barcelona to Girona Airport and this ties in with various flight times. A one-way ticket costs €12 and a return ticket costs €21. The journey takes approximately one hour and ten minutes.

For Reus airport, the easiest way is to take the train from Barcelona Sants station to Reus and then the local bus to the airport. The train costs €6.45 and then the bus costs €2. This takes roughly about an hour and a half.

Barcelona Top Ten - Barcelona Top Ten Tourist Attractions

For first-time visitors to the city, we offer a list of the most popular museums, sights and tourist attractions in Barcelona. Find out the famous places to visit, from the Sagrada Família to the Barcelona FC Museum. This is the highlights that you can’t miss. The top ten tourist attractions.

Main sights and attractions

Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia ('The Holy Family') is a massive Roman Catholic basilica under construction in Barcelona. Construction began in 1882 and its formal title is Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. Originally designed by Antoni Gaudí (1852 – 1926), who worked on the project for over 40 years, devoting the last 15 years of his life entirely to the endeavor, the project is scheduled to be completed in 2026. On the subject of the extremely long construction period, Gaudí is said to have remarked, "My client is not in a hurry."

Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
The Casa Batllo is a building restored by Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol, built in the year 1877 and remodelled in the years 1905–1907; located at 43, Passeig de Gràcia, part of the Illa de la Discòrdia in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia. The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), and indeed it does have a visceral, skeletal organic quality. It was originally designed for a middle-class family and situated in a prosperous district of Barcelona.

The Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera (Catalan for 'The Quarry'), is a building designed by the architect Antoni Gaudí and built during the years 1905–1910, being considered officially completed in 1912. It is located at 92, Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district of Barcelona. Hosts a large exposition of Gaudi works, covering Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlio, not only La Pedrera itself. The exposition is a good place to start your exploration of Gaudi; it reveals many hidden details for the art novice.

Gothic Quarter | Cathedral - Santa Maria del Mar
The Cathedral of Santa Eulàlia (also called La Seu) is the Gothic cathedral seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Barcelona, Catalonia (Though sometimes inaccurately so called, the famous Sagrada Família is not a cathedral). The cathedral was constructed throughout the 13th to 15th centuries on top of a former Visigothic church. The Gothic-like façade is from the 19th century. The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in Barcelona.

The Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar is one of the most representative examples of Catalan Gothic architecture, it features a sombre but beautiful interior. The upsweeping verticality and lightness of the interior are especially surprising considering the blocky exterior surfaces. Built between 1329 and 1383, it was once was home to a Christian cult in the late 3rd century. The church is dedicated to Saint Mary of the Sea, since the quarter where is located (Born) was dedicated to the jobs related to the sea.

La Rambla - Boqueria Market
The Barcelona Rambla is a street in central Barcelona, popular with both tourists and locals alike. A 1.2 kilometer-long tree-lined pedestrian mall in the Barri Gòtic, it connects Plaça Catalunya in the center with the Christopher Columbus monument at Port Vell. La Rambla can be considered a series of shorter streets, each differently named, hence the plural forms Las Ramblas (Spanish) and les Rambles (Catalan).

The most well-known public market in the city is the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, or simply La Boqueria. Located along the La Rambla, Barcelona in the heart of the city, It is both a tourist attraction and a functioning food market. The market consists of a series of open sheds, built in 1853 under the direction of architect Mas Vila. Though the building dates from the 19th Century, a market has existed in the same location since the 12th Century.

Port Vell - Maremàgnum
Montjuïc | Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya - Poble Espanyol
The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is a museum of Catalan visual art located in the Palau Nacional, built for the 1929 World's Fair. Situated on the Montjuïc hill at the end of Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, it was rehabilitated for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The museum was located in this building in 1990, when the Catalonian Museum Law reunited the collections of the former Museu d'Art de Catalunya and the Museu d'Art Modern, and declared it the national museum. The new museum thus combined Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and the 19th and 20th century art collections.

The Poble Espanyol was built in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exhibition as the pavilion dedicated to art. It is one of the few monuments that belonged to an International Exhibition that can still be visited. From the beginning, it was conceived as a real "village" in the middle of a city, with a surface area of 49,000 m2. The aim was to give an idea of what might be an "ideal model" of a Spanish village containing the main characteristics of all towns and villages in the peninsula.

Gràcia | Park Güell
The Park Guell is a 17, 18 ha wide garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of el Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, Catalonia. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built in the years 1900 to 1914. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí". The park was originally part of a commercially unsuccessful housing site, the idea of Count Eusebi de Güell, whom the park was named after. It was inspired by the English garden city movement; hence the original English name Park.

Palau de la Musica Catalana
The Palau de la Musica Catalana (Palace of Music), opened in 1908, is one of the most important works of Barcelona art nouveau. The architect commissioned for the job was Lluis Domenech i Montaner, one of the greatest exponents of Catalan Modernismo. The construction, decorated with scultures, mosaics and stained glass by the finest artists and artisans of the time, is perhaps the best example of the synthesis between architecture and decorative arts that characterised this artistic movement.

Futbol Club Barcelona Stadium - Barcelona FC Museum
One for fans, the museum at Camp Nou is always packed and features displays of pictures, posters, jerseys, boots and balls, as well as offering a tour of the huge stadium.

Barcelona Tourist Card - Barcelona Card: Freedom of Movement

Free transportation all around the city. Discounts in main tourist attractions such as museums, restaurants, shops, leisure activities, facilities... Everything is easer with Barcelona Card, the best way to visit, taste and enjoy the city.

The Barcelona Tourist Card gives you discounts in museums, attractions, shops, ...and free travel by public transport. You decide whether you want a card that is valid for 2, 3, 4 o 5 days. The card will not be valid until it is stamped with the time and date the first time you use it. The card is valid once per attraction and entitles you to unlimited travel by metro, bus and tram.

The Barcelona Tourist Card can be bought in many hotels, tobacconists and newspaper stands, and the establishments that offer discounts on presentation of the Barcelona Card are identified with a sticker.

What advantages does it have?
2, 3, 4 or 5 consecutive days card.
Free public transport: metro, city buses (day and night) and FGC city and suburban train network, trams, train to the airport and Renfe trains zone 1.
Over 80 discounts at museums, culture venues, entertainment, leisure attractions, night-time venues, shops, restaurants, other services and unusual means of transport.
Includes free offers at Las Golondrinas, CosmoCaixa, Torre de Collserola, Mirador de Colom and 12 museums.
With the purchase of your Barcelona Card, you will receive a guide in three languages (català/spanish/english o french/german/italian) which includes:
Information about the discounts and the free offers.
Information about Barcelona's main sightseeing areas.
General map of the city.
Map of the metro network.
Prices
Barcelona Card. 2 days child - 25.00€
Barcelona Card. 2 days adult - 29.00€
Barcelona Card. 3 days child - 30.00€
Barcelona Card. 3 days adult - 35.00€
Barcelona Card. 4 days child - 32.50€
Barcelona Card. 4 days adult - 40.50€
Barcelona Card. 5 days child - 37.50€
Barcelona Card. 5 days adult - 47.00€

Italy Travel Guide Hotels Restaurants

While you can visit most tourist attractions and museums in Italy without a reservation, there are a few that you will want to book in advance to avoid long waits and a few where reservations are mandatory. These are the top sites and museums that you should buy tickets ahead for and where to buy them. By clicking on the link you'll find out more about each attraction. Most museum tickets can be bought on Select Italy.

Uffizi Gallery in Florence
The Uffizi is one of the most important museums in the world for Italian art, especially the art of the Renaissance. It's one of Florence's most visited attractions and visitors without ticket reservations can spend a long time in line. See Uffizi Information and How to Buy Tickets or buy Uffizi Gallery tickets from Select Italy.

Palazzo Vecchio in Florence
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's city hall, is one of the city's most famous sights. Most of the medieval building is now a museum. Reservations to visit the interior of Palazzo Vecchio are mandatroy. Palazzo Vecchio Museum Information

Palazzo Vecchio can also be visited on a guided tour through Select Italy.

Roman Colosseum
Rome's ancient Colosseum is one of the most visited sites in Rome and ticket lines can be very long. There are several ways to avoid the ticket line - see our Tips for Buying Rome Colosseum Tickets or buy a Colosseum and Forum pass in advance from Select Italy.

Borghese Gallery in Rome
Rome's Borghese Museum is housed in the gorgeous Villa Borghese mansion in the Borghese Gardens. It houses masterful marble sculptures by Bernini among other treasures. To visit the museum, reservations are mandatory. See Museum and Ticket Information or buy Borghese Gallery tickets in advance through Select Italy.

Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums, in Vatican City outside Rome, are a top attraction for visitors to Rome and Vatican City and entrance lines can be very long. The vast complex is the largest museum complex in the world and includes the famous Sistine Chapel. By buying tickets in advance or booking a tour you can skip the ticket line and get in quickly. Here's how to book tickets and tours for the Vatican Museums or buy advance tickets for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel through Select Italy.

Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of Tuscany's top tourist attractions and it can be crowded, especially in summer when the wait to climb the tower can be as long as four hours. You can avoid the line by booking tickets ahead from Leaning Tower of Pisa online ticket office.

Last Supper in Milan
If you want to see DaVinci's famous masterpiece, the Last Supper, in Santa Maria della Grazie church in Milan you'll need to book two to three months ahead. To help preserve the painting, a limited number of visitors are allowed to enter for a time period of 15 minutes only. Here's how to see the Last Supper. Last Supper tickets or guided tours can also be booked through Select Italy.

Doge's Palace Secret Itinerary Tour
Visitors to the Doge's Palace in Venice can see more by booking the Secret Itineraries Tour, Itinerari Segreti, that includes parts of the palace that are off limits during the regular tour. On the tour, you'll enter secret passageways, prisons, and the Bridge of Sighs. The Secret Itineraries Tour is available only with a reservation. There are currently 3 English language tours a day. Tour and booking information or book Secret Itineraries of the Doge's Palace through Select Italy.

Barcelona Travel Guide Hotels Restaurants

All the essential Barcelona tourist guide and travel information to arrange your trip is on this one website. www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com was born out of a personal love for the city and a desire to share 20 years worth of knowledge of Barcelona Spain with you. In doing so, we've concentrated on answering your most important questions on transport, activities and attractions, and accommodation.In addition to essential Barcelona tourism information, you will also find dozens of time and money saving tips from local people - information hard to find anywhere else. These special tips will make your Barcelona city break that much more special.

Barcelona Spain - location in Europe
To help you find your answers as quickly as possible your Barcelona tourist information has been grouped into 2 main categories:

1) If you've already made your decision to come to Barcelona then I recommend you go to the top of the page and type in your question into the search bar. This search bar will search every page on our site (of which we have several thousand pages) and present you with the answers to your questions. This is the single quickest and easiest way for you to find answers to your questions. Alternatively you can search through our menu on the left hand side. Please be aware however that we have many more thousands of pages that we can't put links to on the left menu and you are more than likely going to miss what you are searching for this way.
2) If you need help in making your decision whether Barcelona is the right destination for you we recommend you visit our photo Barcelona map that has over 500 photos of the top Barcelona tourism attractions linked directly to the map. Using the interactive map will show you first hand the most important landmarks and attractions - it's almost as if you were walking around the locations for yourself. I've also included guide notes to give you information on each of the sites and areas.Barcelona Tourist Guide - "The Easy Way To Plan Your Trip"

Page Content
All the essential Barcelona tourist guide and travel information to arrange your trip is on this one website. www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com was born out of a personal love for the city and a desire to share 20 years worth of knowledge of Barcelona Spain with you. In doing so, we've concentrated on answering your most important questions on transport, activities and attractions, and accommodation.

In addition to essential Barcelona tourism information, you will also find dozens of time and money saving tips from local people - information hard to find anywhere else. These special tips will make your Barcelona city break that much more special.


Barcelona Spain - location in Europe
To help you find your answers as quickly as possible your Barcelona tourist information has been grouped into 2 main categories:

1) If you've already made your decision to come to Barcelona then I recommend you go to the top of the page and type in your question into the search bar. This search bar will search every page on our site (of which we have several thousand pages) and present you with the answers to your questions. This is the single quickest and easiest way for you to find answers to your questions. Alternatively you can search through our menu on the left hand side. Please be aware however that we have many more thousands of pages that we can't put links to on the left menu and you are more than likely going to miss what you are searching for this way.

2) If you need help in making your decision whether Barcelona is the right destination for you we recommend you visit our photo Barcelona map that has over 500 photos of the top Barcelona tourism attractions linked directly to the map. Using the interactive map will show you first hand the most important landmarks and attractions - it's almost as if you were walking around the locations for yourself. I've also included guide notes to give you information on each of the sites and areas.

This Barcelona tourism and travel information is updated daily and includes money and time saving tips from people living in Barcelona city so check back frequently for valuable updates.

If you have any questions about your trip take a look at our frequently asked questions section (FAQ) with hundreds of popular questions already answered it can help you quickly find the answers you need.

10 Food Swaps For a Healthier Cinco de Mayo

Use them instead of: Pickled jalapenos Why they're healthier: Mass-produced pickled vegetables are soaked in preservatives (such as sodium benzoate) and often contain added sugars and sodium. Raw jalapenos, on the other hand, are sodium-free and have just 4 calories per pepper—not to mention a fresher, spicier flavor. Plus, research has shown that raw peppers have a higher concentration of antioxidants, including capsaicin, a compound that gives peppers their heat and makes your body temperature rise, helping you burn fat and calories faster.

10 Food Swaps For a Healthier Cinco de Mayo

Mexican dishes are a crowd favorite, but they're often loaded with cheese and fatty ingredients. So we gathered recipes that use fresh vegetables, lean protein, and fiber-rich beans to get the same great taste with less saturated fat and calories. In general, you should aim for 30% or less of calories come from fat, and most of those calories should come from healthy unsaturated fat. All fruits and vegetables, due to their rich nutrient and fiber content, help to combat chronic inflammation, so make sure to include adequate amounts of these foods daily. Some types of fresh produce, however, are even more potent than others. Some terrific anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables to include in your meal plan include apples, berries, broccoli, mushrooms, papaya, pineapple, and spinach. So try one of these Mexican food recipes tonight!

Versailles Small Group Day Trip from Paris

Experience the grandeur of Versailles Palace and Gardens on a small group tour from Paris. With a maximum of only eight per group, this small group trip to Versailles ensures a more intimate experience. Hotel pickup from centrally located Paris hotels is included, taking all the guess work out of your trip. You can choose from a half-day tour (independent tour), either in the morning or afternoon, or a full-day tour (guided tour). On both the half-day and full-day tours you'll also be able to wander around the garden's groves and pools. If you visit Versailles on a Saturday or Sunday during April to October, you can see the famous fountain show in the gardens. The display is accompanied by music composed at the time of Louis XIV's court. Highlights Free hotel pickup and drop-off included Small-group tour by minibus Choice of morning or afternoon departure Recorded commentary by audio headphones All entrance fees included Half-day: Choose from a morning or afternoon departure from Paris. Your hostess will provide advice to help you plan your time at Versailles. An audio guide is available in 8 languages. Your tour of the Palace of Versailles will be independent without a tour guide. It includes free time to explore Louis XIV's fabulous suite of rooms, the grand Hall of Mirrors and the apartments of the Dauphin and Dauphine. Full-day: Your full day tour begins with a fully-guided tour of Versailles (1-hour) including the Royal Apartments, Hall of Mirrors, Queen's Bedroom and the Gallery of Battles. Enjoy lunch at La Petite Venise Restaurant. After lunch, it's time to explore the palace gardens and take a visit to the Queen's Hamlet, where Marie-Antoinette played at being a shepherdess in the 1780s. You'll then take a guided tour of the Grand Trianon (1 hour), a mini palace where Louis XV and Louis XVI liked to lead a quiet life outside the court of Versailles.

Normandy D-Day Battlefields and Beaches Day Trip

Take a poignant, memorable day trip from Paris to visit the Normandy battlefields and landing beaches of World War II. You'll visit famous wartime sites and the American cemetery, spend time on the historic beaches and gain invaluable insights into the wartime experience of the Allied soldiers and the French citizens they liberated.

Highlights
Fully narrated tour
Comprehensive tour by bus/coach
All entrance fees included
Lunch included
Your drive through the picturesque Normandy countryside takes you to the Caen Memorial, devoted to illustrations and films about the Second World War and the Normandy landings of June 1944.

After lunch at the Memorial, visit the Pointe du Hoc, a German defense position that was heroically taken by US soldiers during World War II. Continue to the American cemetery of Saint-Laurent, the final resting place of almost 10,000 soldiers. You will also have free time at Omaha Beach to reflect on the site's moving history and visit the Omaha Beach Visitor Center, which describes the American soldiers' operations on the famous beach in June 1944.

Before returning to Paris, stop at the Canadian Memorial at Juno beach and Arromanches to see the remains of the artificial landing harbor that was built by the Allies in less than 15 days.