Month: October 2016

Best cities to celebrate Halloween in Europe

October 28, 2016

Edinburgh, Scotland

To get into the right mood, be part of Edinburgh’s dark side haunted walking tour, to explore the mysteries, murder and legends of Edinburgh. Isn’t a castle the right place for Halloween? Visit Edinburgh Castle to feel the spooky atmosphere. Experience Scottish Whiskey during the night at the Scotch Whiskey Experience. Another great place for whiskey, beers and burgers is the Holdyrood 9A. Don’t forget to make a reservation in advance; this restaurant is always packed.

London, England

The creepiest locations in London are the Greenwhich Foot Tunnel, Hunterian Musuem or the pub, Old Queen’s Head. Of course, you can do a Ghostbus tour or a Halloween walking tour,similar to Edinburgh and Dublin, but you could also visit a sinister stately. Many of London’s theatres offer a ghostly tour during Halloween. The Sky Garden in London hosts a great Halloween Party with an exceptional view over London.

How to fly for 10€ in Europe? 5 Steps helping you to get the best deal!

October 24, 2016

by fastenurseatbelts

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Who doesn’t know flight deal websites such as Skyscanner, Expedia or Kayak? Wonder why they always show you much lower prices than the airlines? In the end, you still pay a higher rate than the airline rate. Well, that’s because of their hidden charges, such as insurance or booking fees. I’ll never forget the day my grandmother booked a flight. She called me in confusion, when she booked a flight she did not recognize, and ended up purchasing insurance, which cost her around 80€/month for the next 12 months. If you are quick enough, you can still withdraw from the contract. If no then you owe them 80€ per month, for the next year. Read the next five steps carefully so that you avoid to waste your money!

Don’t listen to the booking myths

No one can guarantee you that flights are cheaper on a Tuesday or Thursday evening, or if you book three months in advance. Unfortunately, there is no algorithms for cheap flights! Consider the following points to fly cheaper than everyone else.

Don’t miss a flight sale

Before you start to compare flight deals, check Holiday Pirates or My Holiday Guru to find the latest flight deals. Even if there are no current offers, check the latest ones. Subscribe to the newsletter of your favorite airlines. Personally, I really like flying with Ryanair. The last time, Ryanair sent me a newsletter, I booked a return flight from Cologne, Germany to Bergamo, Italy for 10€.

Use Google Flights

Honestly, Google Flights observes the whole flight network and shows you the best deals for the destinations from your airport. So if you are not sure where to go to, Google Flights shows you where you can go with a low budget. Furthermore, if you have a specific route, it displays you the low-priced dates. Sometimes, it makes more sense to take the more expensive flight the morning of the next day than paying less in the evening before. Eventually, it will be costlier to fly in the evening and book a hotel for one additional night. However, as I have mentioned, hidden charges at the beginning, Google flights displays the exact rates of the airlines. If you want to book the flight, it will lead you to the airline’s website, which does not suggest any fraudulent dealing.

Set your fare alert

Do you still have time? Are you not sure if you already found the best fare for you? Don’t worry! You can still set a fare alert, which will let you know when the flight price drops. sends AirefareWatchDog you an email when the price drops. For new error fares, check ErrorFareAlerts. Error Fare Alerts will inform if a “0” is missing in the price. The app, Hooper, also predicts a fare and lets you know when you should book it.

Discount your ticket

Search for voucher codes before you book your low-cost ticket. Cuponation, Voucher Codes, Coupons or Retailmenot offer promo codes for flights. If you are lucky, you will find a discount code for your flight and save money.

TOP activities in Amsterdam – Must do’s!

October 17, 2016

by fastenurseatbelts

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Canal Cruise

I met such nice people on my cruise with Rederij Paping! The cruise felt like a picnic with friends. Everyone can bring their own food and drinks, and sit together around a table. Paap, the captain, made us feel very welcomed on his boat, and gave us blankets so that we did not freeze during the tour. His guided tour through the magnificent canals of Amsterdam was like a story telling, and the 90 minutes passed so quickly that I was sad when I had to leave the boat. Paap, who is a local, could answer every question about Amsterdam. He did not just show us the center of Amsterdam, but also the wonderful surroundings of Amsterdam. He also offers private tours, and an Amsterdam Light Festival cruise. A cruise with Rederij Paping should definitely be on your list when you visit Amsterdam!

If you want to be your own Capatin, and explore Amsterdam’s canals on your own, rent one of Sloepdelen’s electric boats. It is so easy to rent them, just book the boat online, start the boat with your smartphone and discover Amsterdam yourself! You don’t need a boating license and the boats are for up to 12 persons. It is not that difficult to drive the electric boat but you should feel comfortable enough to do it on your own.

Bike tour

Feel like a local and explore Amsterdam on a bike. Honestly, this was one of the most fun activities I have done. You will see so much of Amsterdam in just two hours and the bikes from Yellow Bike are so comfy and easy to ride! Amsterdam is a bicycle city for sure!

Red Light District Tour

A totally different tour compared to the other tours is the Red Light District tour, offered by 360 Amsterdam. Before you start the tour, you are welcomed with a typical Dutch tasting to feel ready for the tour. During the 1,5 hour walking tour , you will see the beautiful ladies working behind the windows, Amsterdam’s night scene and sex clubs. The Red Light District tour will be in Amsterdam’s oldest area. You will learn things about Amsterdam, which you have never heard before!

Shopping

Like every city, Amsterdam has Zara, H&M and so on. If you want to see small individual shops, go to the following streets: Reestr., Hartenstr., Berenstr., Wolvenstr., Runstr. and Huidenstr. .
Don’t worry if you don’t see dozens shops at first sight. They are spread all along the streets. These unique shops sell clothes, accessories, art, gifts, furniture and beautiful flowers. In between you will see several small cafes and restaurants, which are worth visiting, too! Winkel 43 for example has the best apple pie with cream!

Food

Don’t forget to visit one of Amsterdam’s supermarkets. I went to a supermarket called, Marqt! It is a total new experience with all the local products. I bought chocolate sprinkles as a souvenir for my brothers.

Foodhallen is an indoor food market with different types of restaurants. Whether you like to eat Italian, French or Asian food, everything is there. I ate a burger with chips and drank a cider. It was so delicious! Foodhallen just opened a year ago.

Puccini Bomboni sells the best chocolate in town (but also the most expensive).

Flower Market

Those who love flowers, you have to visit the flower market. You will find so many types of flower bulbs, which you can buy for your garden at home.

Westerkerk Tower

See Amsterdam from above and enjoy the gigantic view for only 7,50€!

Have you already met Mr. Jordaan in Amsterdam? If not, have a look!

October 15, 2016

by fastenurseatbelts

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It took me only 10 minutes by tram to get to the most beautiful neighborhood, Jordaan, in Amsterdam. After a 4 minute walk across quaint little bridges and canals, I arrived at the hotel, Mr. Jordaan. Why it’s called Mr. Jordaan? In honor of the hotel’s pre-owner who knew everything about the neighborhood Jordaan and passed his knowledge to today’s employees.

1^st impression of Mr. Jordaan

When I was in front of Mr. Jordaan, I did not expect that the marvelous canal house was a hotel. Entering in the world of Mr. Jordaan, I was impressed by the interior design. Mr. Jordaan did not look like a typical hotel, it looked like a home. The staff treated me like a member of the Jordaan family. Behind every wall is a little treasure so that you can explore the hotel during the stay and get surprised every day.

The room

Well… What should I say… It is difficult to describe if you have not been there… Have you ever felt so amazed that it is difficult to put that experience into words? That’s why I recorded my room in the penthouse suite with a stunning view above the neighborhood. The room was not very big but all in one it was very comfortable, exciting, quiet, lovely, modern, different and fascinating. You will see that the interior designer paid so much attention into detail that there is nothing to complain about! See more in the video and images below.

Perks

As if it is not enough to live in such a wonderful place, you also have water, tee and all types of coffee for free during your whole stay! Furthermore, you get two plastic bottles to refill your water whenever you want and you find “to go” cups next to the coffee machine. The WIFI works very well at the hotel so if you are on a business trip or addicted to the internet, you do not have to worry about it! Additionally, the hotel provides a 24/7 Whatsapp service. So wherever you are or whatever you need, just text them and they will help you. On my way out, I saw that Mr. Jordaan offers tours or bikes for an affordable price. For those, who want to read more about Amsterdam, feel free to use the travel magazine in your room.

Breakfast

Depending on what rate you book, you have breakfast already included. If not, you have the option to book it one day in advance and get a discount of 2,50€. If you have not booked it in advance you will pay 17,50€ for the breakfast. I really liked the breakfast because it has everything that I like such as boiled eggs, muesli, fruits, yoghurt, cheese, ham, salmon, jam, Nutella, bread, croissants and chocolate sprinkles. But I read that vegans could not really find something for breakfast and some expected a larger selection for the price. Try it yourself! You will not be disappointed! It is very tasty and if it is not your thing, you could still go to one of the dozens cafes around the hotel.

Location

You will not find any better location than this one. It is just a one-minute walk away from the famous Anne Frank house, five to Damstraat and ten to the Rijksmuseum. The tulip museum, cheese museum and the best apple pie with cream in town are just 5 minutes away by foot. Jordaan is the most attractive neighborhood in Amsterdam with its beautiful canal houses, quirky little shops, art studios and loads of authentic Amsterdam bars & cafés. If you want to know more about what to do in Amsterdam, read this article.