Tag: European Union

Greece is experiencing monetary chaos above its $400bn liability, with progressively more costly re costing and a repeatedly relegated credit ranking. The credit marking of Greece has been let down to scrap position, a menace stage that will currently compel many strong economic giants to stop booking Greece flights and to discontinue spending in the country’s financial situations. As a result, the capital of Greece, Athens has still smaller amount of money to reimburse its massive debts and the most dangerous thing is that this financial disorder will extend to other European Union nations and a few other nations as well.

Athens which is famed as the well liked tourists destination but now devoid of a firm tourism industry this Mediterranean nation will be on target for still more financial problems. The strikes against the government are going on which has affected the number of travelers to fall off who reserve Greece flights Many people who used to travel towards Greece in flocks and groups are avoiding coming there, and in return, the tourism sector of this nation is presenting great mark downs on the flights. So it is good time for the people who want to travel to Greece just to enjoy its perfect natural sightseeing as it will cost them quite less to reach there.

These fiscal crunches are faced by the nation just due to some mismanagement as the money has been over spent in numerous areas. These incorporated profit and promotion programs, the public division and government commissions, in addition to unprofitable efficacies, like Olympic Airways which is the state flag carrier and mostly used domestically and internationally as well for Greece flights that was ultimately privatized in 2008. Due to the demotion of its credit ranking to scrap, Greece could not safe the cash it requires from the open market to reimburse its loans and that is why had to go to the European Union and International Monetary Fund to rescue wealth.

Fear rises that this economic crisis will distress other countries as well who have a solitary European currency, the euro. As now the euro has dropped to the value one year low down in opposition to the US dollar due to this disaster. Numerous measures are to be taken by Greece to reduce its debts which include erasing civil servants’ additional benefits, putting ban on early retirement, freezing state pension, merging some state firms and selling stakes to others.

When you decide to go somewhere on vacations the first question you are faced with is how to organize your trip. At least, you need tickets and accommodation. However, if you are going abroad, the situation becomes more complicated. You will need visa, foreign passport and a little bit of information about a country you are coming to. The citizens, living and traveling inside European Union borders are in better position. They are free to visit any EU country without any additional document and visas. But lets imagine you have chosen a country where you need visa. Well, now its time to make some preparations for your trip. At first, whether you trust organizing your trip to a travel agency, or organize it by your own. If you choose the first variant:

Advantages

1) Convenience. You dont have to besiege embassy and wait in long queues. You dont need to worry about buying tickets and booking hotels.

2) Price. Sometimes travel agencies have special agreements with hotels and the price becomes cheaper. The same thing can be said about avia and train tickets.

3) Comfort in the country of destination you are mostly provided with transfer to hotel and the representative of the agency can solve any of your problems.

4) Your vacation is organized. You have a choice of excursions; youll be shown the best shops and the most interesting attractions.

Disadvantages

1) Unfortunately, not all the agencies can be relied on, some of them disappear with the clients money.

2) Some people dont like to be limited – by excursions, by return tickets or by the necessity of staying in the hotel theyve chosen.

3) Its not always cheap often the excursions, offered by the agency representatives are more expensive than in other places in the city.

If you choose the second variant, you should be prepared to some problems, but of course, this variant has its light sides too.

Advantages

1) You are free to choose there and when to go. You are free to change you hotel of your return ticket.

2) You are most likely to see the places, not shown to usual tourists.

3) Its a kind of challenge. Cant imagine your holyday without risk and adrenaline? So, this variant is for you!

4) You can seek and find a cheaper variant and not just accept what the agency offers.

Disadvantages

1) Once again risk. You are not quite safe when traveling alone in the foreign country. Nowadays you are not quite safe anywhere, but still

2) It causes some problems in the stage of organization getting a visa can be a trouble. Interview, invitation and a lot of documents all this can be inevitable. So, prepare to waste some time and nerves.

Anyway, the choice is yours.

As a responsible person, you understand the importance of being protected against any unforeseen circumstances. When you and your family decide to enjoy a two-week family vacation in Europe, you decided to invest in a travel insurance Europe policy for your whole family. The basic reasons for investing in a travel insurance Europe policy are:

Securing medical treatment for your family members, in case of a health emergency.

When you are travelling to Europe for a family vacation, you and your family members should enjoy a hassle-free vacation. But in case of a health complication, like food poisoning suddenly immediate medical attention and hospitalization is required. Here if you have a travel insurance Europe policy, your family members can get in a good hospital, where they would receive good medical attention and will recover quickly. Since you have invested in a travel insurance Europe policy, you need not worry about the extra medical expenses that you can incur. If you stay in any country that belongs to the European Union, it is advisable that you carry certain documentation regarding basic medical examinations that all of your family members have undergone. It would be a good idea to carry your European Health Insurance card, if you are a citizen of the UK. If you have not invested in a travel insurance Europe policy when you are traveling to Europe, then you have to bear the extra medical costs once one of your family members is admitted to a hospital for medical care. And your vacation is not going to be a nice one after all.

Protecting yourself and your family from when traveling

There is no family vacation that is smooth and hassle-free. There are quite a lot of tourists coming to visit Europe from all over the world. Therefore, confusion and chaos reigns supreme everywhere from the airport baggage counter to the hotel reservations. A very common problem faced by families when travelling during high-season, is that their baggage gets delayed when they are arriving; or in extreme cases their baggage gets lost. If you are covered under the travel insurance Europe policy, you do not have to worry about lost luggage. You will be fully reimbursed. If you are travelling using a travel agency and you do not receive the hotel rooms reservations that were meant to be allocated to you and your family, you can speak to the agency personnel and receive help from your travel insurance Europe policy.
Protection against trip cancellations.

You and your family members are all geared up to enjoy your vacation in Europe. But due to some travel exigencies like weather catastrophes in the area that you would be visiting, your travel agent cancels the trip. But you have already paid your travel agent a considerable amount of money. Your travel insurance Europe policy would help you to receive back the money that you paid.

Investing in a travel insurance Europe policy is a wise decision when you are going on a vacation to Europe.

Once upon a time travelling Europe was considerably more difficult for non-Europeans, unless various countries had agreements between specific countries, such as they commonly did with the United States (US). These days, the process of travelling Europe has been easier by the introduction of what is known as the Schengen area. This is, to some degree, comparable to the European Union (EU) area, but technically they are separate entities, since Iceland and Norway are members of the Schengen area, yet aren’t members of the European Union.

Another exception to the Schengen area is the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland (IR). Since immigration is a contentious issue in Britain, with thousands of immigrants attempting to arrive on British shores each year, the UK has decided to maintain their own immigration process, and only allow foreign nationals to visit the UK with a UK visa. In short, a Schengen visa alone wouldn’t permit access to the UK under any circumstances.

Fortunately, with the introduction of the Schengen area, which includes some 25 countries, including the Baltic States, it is possible to travel to all of these 25 countries with a solitary visa. The visa is valid for a certain amount of days, like with any visa. Typically with your first application, the visa will be valid for the exact amount of days that you are on holiday for, this naturally has to be proved with hotel reservations and flights, and usually they will give you an extra day on your visa, for if something were to go wrong. However, with subsequent applications, the authorities tend to be much lenient, and extend the validity of your visa anywhere from 6 months. Whilst you probably won’t be in Europe for 6 months, it is nevertheless an indication that if you abide by the rules of the Schengen visa the first time, they trust you on subsequent applications.

The process for obtaining a Schengen visa is quite the same as any other visa. You will need to prove that you have the necessary funds, and that you have reservations for both hotels and flights. Different consulates require different paperwork, and so this should be something that you clarify with the consulate. Which consulate to apply for, especially if you’re travelling to more than one country, can be confusing, however, this isn’t so. Any flight that is departing from a non-Schengen country will arrive at the airport, and you’ll have to pass through immigration, whereby your passport and Schengen visa will be checked thoroughly. Once you depart from one Schengen country to another Schengen country, no immigration process will be there, and therefore Schengen visas are not checked again. Only on the first country of arrival, and thus, wherever you intend to travel to first, this is the consulate in which you should apply to.

There are 4 prospective countries that may join the Schengen area quite soon. These are: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Liechtenstein and Romania. However, as of yet, unless you’re a member of a European Union country, you will require a separate visa for these countries.

When traveling or moving to Spain, you will want to get some basic information on Spain. There are fifty provinces in the country. The countries largest metro areas are Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga , Valencia, Seville, and Bilbao. Take some time to learn about the region where you will be staying. Reading travel magazines, newspapers and information online will help you get to know the area and culture.

Here’s some information on Spain: Passports and Customs

All of the documentation you will need to display to enter the country depends on your situation. If you are from a non European Union country you will need to show a valid passport to enter Spain. Even then, residents of some countries are required to show a visa.

If you’re a Resident of countries, which are members of the European Economic Community, you’ll need to show national identification documents. A few countries residents must still show a visa with these documents. Contact the Spanish consulate in your home country if you’re not sure what you need. They’ll help you find out what you need.

Becoming familiar with the rules of customs in Spain will save you time and stress when you arrive. For personal items, such as cameras, jewelry, video equipment and similar gear there are no customs charges. Be sure to ask for a receipt for these items at customs to justify your entry with them.

Customs charges and limits on some things apply when entering the country. The limits are on items such as perfume, cigarettes, and wine. If you’ve gone over the limit, you’ll need to pay additional fees. There’s no limit on the amount of money you can bring into Spain. This can be in either Euros or foreign currency.

You can bring your pets through customs, providing that you have the proper documentation. You’ll be asked to show a certificate of origin as well as a health certificate for your pet. You’ll also be mandated to show that the pet has had all necessary vaccines, especially rabies. Your veterinarian must sign the certificates.

Here’s Information on Living in Spain and Spanish Culture

There are variations in the food. Food represents the geographic cultural history of the residents. You’ll see the influence of the Moors in some of the spices used in Spanish cuisine, for example cumin and saffron. The cultural history of the countries peasants can be seen in the delectable soups and stews, as well as in freshly grown vegetables.

A popular dish in the Valencia region is Paella. The original recipe had its beginning in the Spanish Civil War. The original recipe consisted of rabbit, homegrown veggies, and rice. Paella is still popular in this region, as well as in other.