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About the county

Also known as the Republic of Hungary or Hungarian Republic, Hungary is a landlocked country located in Central Europe and bordering Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Budapest is the largest city and also the Capital of Hungary. One of the key reasons why Hungary is popular is its hospitality to tourists. Also one can find an ideal mix of history and modern day in Hungary. While Hungarians proudly stick to their old Magyar Tradition they also keep them abreast with current fashions across the world. Most visitors flock to see Budapest, a truly world class city situated on River Danube which enchants everyone with love and music. The city is a blend of culture and outstanding beauty making it the right place for tourists. The city has been a paradise for writers, musicians and artists who were greatly influenced by this graceful city. If you travel west in Hungary Lake Balaton is popular with tourists. Local cuisines include halászlé (fish soup) with pasta and goulash (gulyás) soup.

Population & Languages
The population of Hungary is Roughly 10 million and the official language being spoken is Hungarian.

Electricity
The voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. The types of plugs used are Round pin attachment plug and “Schuko” plug and receptacle with side grounding contacts.

Geographic Location
Hungary is a landlocked country located in Central Europe and bordering Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. River Danube and River Tisza divide the country into three large regions. The country is strategically located astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin .

Climate
The climate of Hungary can be termed as Temperate with hot summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature of Hungary is around 9.6 °C. The maximum temperature in summer can be 43 °C and as low as -30 °C. The summer average is 26 to 36 °C and winter average is 0 to -16 °C.

The best way to get around is to buy the Welcome cards or the city passes which allows the customer to access unlimited bus facility in many cities of Germany. It also gives special offer on certain tourist attractions. For flexibility one can rent-a-car or go for chauffer driven cars. Along with the rent, VAT of 16% is payable. Car insurance should be available before hand in case of any accident. The speed limit within the cities is mostly 50kph and 100kph on the highways.

Nine stars

The nine stars of Southwest Germany comprise of Baden-Baden, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, Mannheim, Pforzheim Stuttgart, and Ulm. They are considered to be some of the beautiful cities of Europe. Each of the cities play a vital role in the culture of Germany. Baden-Baden has few of the finest resorts and also has Europe’s second largest opera and concert hall. Freiburg is known as the historic city center and is famous for cobblestone mosiacs, open streams and ancient alleys. Heidelberg has world famous castles and Germany’s oldest university. Karlsruhe has the famous museum Center for Art and Media. Look out for various amusements along the Nectar river of Heilbronn. Pforzheim is the capital for watches and jewelry. Stuttgart is famous for theatres and opera. Ulm is the birth place of Albert Einstein and is also house to the world’s tallest hurch spire.

Site Seeing

Paris, the city of love, is a massive city with many attractions in reachable distance thanks to the highly efficient public transport system. It boasts of more than 80 museums and 200 arts galleries. A trip to Disney land and the magnificent Eiffel tower will make the trip worthwhile. The attractive tourists spots are the Arc de triomphe which spans over the tomb of an unknown soldier, the forbidding gothic architecture of the Notre Dame cathedral, the picturesque Sacre Coeur, to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Moulin Rouge and boat tours along the Seine. Get the Carte Musees-Monuments pass, which gives access to 70 monuments and museums.

Shopping
Although service tax is included in the bill, a humble tip won’t cost much. An extra dollar can be
given as tip to the waiter. A tip of $2 can be left for the bus drivers.

Electricity
220-volt, 50-cycle AC current.

Getting There
The national airline that operates here is Air France. Many low-cost airlines, too, provide services from UK. Paris-Charles de Gaulle also known as Roissy-Charles de Gaulle is the major airport of France, which is 23km away from the city. Coaches, taxis, limousines services are provided at the airport. The railway facility provided by the airport, claims to reach all the terminals within eight minutes. These trains run 24 hours. The other airports that offer flight services are Paris-Orly, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon and Toulouse. Ferry and cruise trips can be made from ports such as Atlantic, North Sea, Mediterranean, and Havre.

Like any other country Hungary has its own customs too. It is customary to handshake. It is customary to make the toast and return. It is customary for guests to offer gifts to the host of ameal. Smoking is prohibited in most public areas. But travelers can smoke in long distance trains. Casual dress is acceptable in most places and formal for special occasions. Tipping up to 10 to 15 percent is customary for all services including restaurants, bars, clubs, taxis etc.

Attractions
Budapest
* Castle Royal Palace
* Fisherman’s Bastion
* Matthias Church
* Gellért Hill
* Chain Bridge
* The Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum
* Parliament Buildings
* Statue Park
Eger
* Eger Castle
* Szépasszony Valley (Valley of the Pretty Woman)
Lake Balaton
* Hévíz
* Keszthely
The Danube Bend
* Esztergom
* Szentendre
* Visegrad

By Air – The national airline of Hungary is Malv which operates flights from more than forty cities across the world. Other international airlines operating from Hungary include Aeroflot, Air France, British Airways, easyJet, KLM, Lufthansa, Sky Europe, Swiss, United Airlines and Wizz Air. Ferihegy Budapest International Airport (BUD) is the biggest airport which is like ten miles southeast of Budapest.

By River – There is a daily hydrofoil service run by MAHART connecting Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest in the months of April to October.

By Rail – The country is part of the extensive network of trains connecting the European cities. Hungary is connected to 16 European cities and there are 47 international trains daily to Budapest by direct rail link.

About the county

Officially known as the Republic of Iceland, is located in north-western Europe. It comprises of the island of Iceland and its outlying small islands in the northern Atlantic Ocean between Greenland, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, and the Faroe Islands. Iceland’s glassy glaciers, hot thermal springs, spectacular geysers, active volcanoes, lava fields, stunning waterfalls and snow-capped mountains, indeed makes it the original ‘land of fire and ice’. Iceland is a very large island with a unique landscape which is rugged and colorful with black lava, red sulfur, hot blue geysers, rivers, waterfalls, bays, fjords and green valley. The capital of Iceland is Reykjavík which is also the largest city of Iceland. Nearly half of Iceland’s population lives around Reykjavík. The popular tourist attractions are centred also centred on this city. The most famous attraction is Gullfoss double-tiered waterfall which is set off with an outstanding rainbow and hot springs of Geysir. People might wonder what one can do in Iceland. If you hear the list you will be amazed that there are so many things to do and see here. From watching whales to chic fine dining, hiking, seeing Europe’s largest glacier Vatnajokull, fishing in rivers, horse riding, rafting, exploring the landscape on a snow scooter, shopping designing wear, Summer Solstice Festival, visit island of Grimsey to cross the Arctic Circle, visit medieval farm at Stong and what not, the list is endless.

Population & Languages
The population of Iceland is only 299,388 and the official language being spoken is Icelandish. English, Nordic languages, German are also widely spoken.

Electricity
The voltage is 220 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. The types of plugs used are Round pin attachment plug and “Schuko” plug and receptacle with side grounding contacts.

Climate

The climate of Iceland can be termed as temperate with damp and cool summers and mild and windy winters. The highest temperature recorded was 30.5°C (86.9°F) on 22 June 1939 at Teigarhorn. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -38°C (-36.4°F) on 22 January 1918 at Grímsstaðir and Möðrudalur.

Local Customs

Like any other country Iceland has its own customs too and normal courtesies should be followed. Handshaking is customary. Visitors are invited to homes when on a business trip and normal courtesies should be observed. The people pay careful attention to their appearance and, as for most Western countries, casual wear is widely acceptable. Service charges are included in the bills most of the time and tips are not expected.

Attractions
Reykjavik Attractions – Hallgrimskirkja Church, National Museum of Iceland, Botanical Gardens and the Einar Jónsson Museum

Travel

By Air – The national airline of Iceland is Icelandair which operates to many internationsl destinations such as Amsterdam, Baltimore, Boston, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Halifax, London, Minneapolis, Orlando, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm and Washington, plus other destinations in the summertime only. Other international airlines operating from Iceland include Air Greenland (website: www.airgreenland.gl) and Iceland Express (website: www.icelandexpress.com). Other, predominantly Scandinavian, carriers also operate services. Some airlines like Condor and Corsai, operate flights during the summertime. Flights also operate to the Faroe Islands and
Greenland during the summer months. Major airport is Keflavik International Airport (KEF) located at 31 miles south of Reykjavik.

About The Country

The summers are warm and the winters are moderate with some snow. May and June are the sunniest months. Weather changes quite frequently from cloudy to sunny and vice versa. If planning the visit during the summer, lightweight woolen or cotton clothes are recommended and jacket for spring and autumn. Always carry raincoat for that untimely showers. Incase of emergency call 999 or 112.

Culture
Most of the locals prefer speaking English here. Handshaking is customary. Irish are social people and are good at having a lively chat even with strangers. People live in great harmony and make great friends. Foreigners are welcomed with warmth and are made to feel at home. Guests are never sent back empty stomach as food is always served at any time of the day, to the guest. Most of the locals come from an agricultural background. Dinner is considered to be a meal of importance as it is the time when the whole family gets together and eat. One can dress casually when out on the streets except women are expected to dress formally at social gatherings and at fine restaurants. Smoking is banned in public places.

Shopping
Many towns organize flee markets at least once a week, which is worth checking out for cheap goods. Belfast is the shopping capital of Ireland; most of the stores open up early and close early too. On Thursdays, shops remain open till 8 in the night. Value Added Tax of almost 17% is charged, which can be reclaimed later. So if the visitors buy anything from the stores remember to check if the store operates the Retail Export Scheme, which would require the passport and filling of the Tax Free Shopping Form by the sales person. If the restaurant bill doesn’t includes any tax, leave behind a 10% tip to appreciate their service. Giving a tip to the porters and hair dressers is customary here.

Electricity
The voltage in Northern Ireland is 240V, 50AC.

About the county

Portugal was a world power in 15th and 16th century but was reduced to rubbles during an earthquake in 1755, Napoleon’s Invasion and Brazil’s Independence. Sharing the Iberian Peninsula with Spain and bordering Atlantic Ocean by both west and south coast it is popular for its long and varied coastline, sunny climate and the charming towns makes it a traveler’s paradise. Lisbon is the capital of Portugal. The best thing about Portugal is that despite being a part of modern Europe one can still find the rural dwellings which has stood by time and has preserved its traditions. While modern architectural marvels like high-rise resorts dot the coast in the Southern province of the Algarve, Lisbon on the west coast on the other hand is a crowded city home to many fine tourist resorts. If you want to go back in time you have to just travel few miles north or east where you will see scenic countryside still resemble medieval villages and towns of earlier centuries.

Population & Languages
The population of Portugal is roughly 10.6 million and the official language being spoken is Portuguese. Mirandese is also second officially language spoken in some parts of Portugal.

Electricity
The voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. The types of plug used are round pin with attachment and “Schuko” plug and receptacle with side grounding contacts.

Geographic Location
It is located in Southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Spain in north and east and borders Atlantic Ocean by both west and south coast.

Climate
The climate of Portugal can be classified into two. It is oceanic in the north and Mediterranean in the south. It is also one of the warmest countries of Europe. The average temperatures in the mainland are 13°C (55°F) in the north and 18°C (64°F) in the south. Summers are hot and dry. Winters are cold and wet. Spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit Portugal.

Stockholm – The biggest city and capital of Sweden and is one of the most beautiful cities of the world. The old town is a treat for your eyes and a walk around city’s waterways and parks is an experience to cherish. Most visitors prefer walking around on foot and visit the medieval part of Gamla Stan. The city is basically constituted by archipelagos which are outstandingly scenic and can be explored by cruises.

Gothenburg – it is the second biggest city of Sweden. Not to be missed attraction in this city is Liseberg, a world class amusement park. It is home to popular museums like Ostindiska huset, Konstmuseet and Sjöfartshistoriska museet.

Vadstena – The Renaissance castle Vadstena slot & klosterkyrkan.

Visby – Port of Visby, ruins of Drotten, St Nicolai, St Lars and St Carin, cathedral of St Maria and Gotlands Fornsal historic musem.

Oland – Fort of Graborg, Eketorp museum and ruins of Borgholm Castle.

Travel
By Air – It is well connected to the rest of the world by air. Many international airlines serve Sweden apart from its national airlines SAS. The other airlines are Air Canada, Air France, Aeroflot, British Airways, Finn air, Lufthansa, Ryan air etc.

By Sea – The ferries connect Sweden with other destinations such as New Castle, Copenhagen, and
St. Petersburg etc.

By Rail – Trains connect Ostend, Sweden to London. It is also connected to Denmark by Eurostar
train.

By Road – Visitors from UK can drive to Sweden through Demark or Germany