Continue reading Nida: Lithuania's cutest holiday town

Nida: Lithuania's cutest holiday town originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Travel then and now: Travel to the USSR and GDR

Travel then and now: Travel to the USSR and GDR originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Schengen and the disappearance of European passport stamps

Schengen and the disappearance of European passport stamps originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"I would propose that Ryanair replace the CEO with a probationary cabin crew member currently earning approximately €13,200 net per annum," Capt Fischer has written in a letter to the Financial Times, which reported Mr O'Leary's comments last week.

"Ryanair would benefit by saving millions of euros in salary, benefits and stock options," the captain said, and there would be no need for approval from the authorities.

Don't piss off Ryanair: Disgruntled pilot transferred to Lithuania originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Photo of the Day (6.12.2010) originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Trade Mocked

Trade Mocked originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Adventure Tourism Development Index rates top adventure destinations

Adventure Tourism Development Index rates top adventure destinations originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When asked the to respond to the statement, "I would like to go to visit this country if money were no object," Canada ranked number one in a recent global survey conducted by Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brand Index.

Where was the U.S. in the mix of 50? Number 10. Harump!

Steve Stephens, the travel editor for the Columbus Dispatch offered up these tidbits last Sunday and provided the ranking for the other top five choices plus provided some reasons for the results.

From 2nd to 5th in that order:

• Italy
• Australia
• Switzerland
• France

What's your guess for number 50? No, it's not Nigeria.

Continue reading Top travel destination countries? Canada is number one and Nigeria is. . .?

Top travel destination countries? Canada is number one and Nigeria is. . .? originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 28 May 2009 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

USAToday

International Value Destinations originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 17 Jan 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Where on Earth, Week 41: Frank Zappa Monument, Vilnius, Lithuania

Where on Earth, Week 41: Frank Zappa Monument, Vilnius, Lithuania originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Last week, Martha's recap left our Amazing Race traveling pals in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. That's where this episode started off since the teams stayed here for a night of R&R at the Hotel d'Ville.

Although the people of Burkina Faso were described as "warm and kind" by one of the teams, that's not the general feeling the teams are now having towards each other. Their determination to win the race has heated up, so no one is chit chatting or making nice whenever the teams' paths cross.

"Our eyes are full of fire and we're going to use our fire [to win] " explained Rachel when the teams found out that their next leg was to Vilnius, Lithuania.

Everyone seemed peppy with this news. "I heard they make some great pastries," said Ron, as he and Christina headed off in a taxi to find out how to get there.

Continue reading Amazing Race Season 12, Recap 5

Amazing Race Season 12, Recap 5 originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've ever ridden public transport, you know that brain-dead feeling that washes over you as you sit down and succumb to the boredom.

A novel program in Vilnius, Lithuania aims to make productive use of this period of mental lapse by injecting some forced education into the commute.

Passengers, whether they like it or not, are subjected to a two-minute language lesson during which phrases are repeated over the trolleybus intercom in Lithuanian, Polish, and English. The phrases are also written on signs posted within the trolleybus so that passengers can learn some of the grammar as well.

"Learning by Moving" is a three-year program sponsored by the Soros International House and is in response to an EU mandate that every European should know at least two languages.

What a great idea! If things go well in Vilnius, the program is expected to move on to other Baltic cities where other captive students will have to endure this repetitive rattle until they too learn how to say "shut the F up!" in three different languages.

Language Bus: Get on the Bus and Learn! originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 03 Jun 2007 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Thinking of renting a car and driving through Europe this summer? Want to come back alive? Well then, there are a couple of countries you should probably avoid--mainly those located in the Baltics.

According to a recent EU report, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia had the highest number of per capita vehicular fatalities in 2006. Lithuania led the charge with 223 deaths per million inhabitants. Latvia took second with 177 while Estonia grabbed the bronze with 152.

A deeper analysis of the report in the Baltic Times wasn't able to provide a clear answer as to why driving in the Baltics is such a dangerous ordeal. The paper did point out, however, that alcohol wasn't entirely to blame. Only 14.8 percent of Lithuania's fatalities were drunk driving related. Spain, on the other hand, holds the dubious honor of having the highest percentage of drunk driving fatalities: 29.5 percent. France and Portugal follow closely with 28.8 and 27.8 percent respectively.

Hmm... I might be wrong here, but I'll bet those three countries consume more wine per capita than anywhere else in Europe. Heavy beer drinking countries like the Czech Republic and Austria, on the other hand, experienced only 4.8 and 5.9 percent of fatalities due to drunk driving.

So, where are the safest roads in Europe? Malta with 25 fatalities per million inhabitants followed by the Netherlands (43) and Sweden (49).

Europe's Red Asphalt: The Most Dangerous Roads in the EU originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 08 May 2007 08:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I've done a fair bit of traveling through the Baltics but had never heard anything about this fantastic cross-covered hill in Lithuania. It wasn't until I was surfing through EnglishRussia.com last night that I learned about this place. Alas, one of the great tragedies of travel is learning about something you missed while abroad. Damn!

The Hill of Crosses (Kry?iu Kalnas) is located in North Lithuania near the town of Šiauliai--the fourth largest city in the country. No one knows why the custom started, but for whatever reason, the crosses began appearing in the 14th century. Over the years, devout pilgrims journeyed here to place their own cross on the hill--supposedly an act that would bring good luck.

The hill fell on bad times during the Soviet occupation and was actually bulldozed a number of times, and yet the crosses would spring back under the cover of darkness until eventually the godless commies gave up.

Today there are at least 50,000 crosses crammed onto this little hill and more are placed there every day. Wow. I will be sure to detour here on my next visit to Lithuania. In the meantime, join me in living vicariously through the photos on EnglishRussia.com.

Lithuania's Hill of Crosses (Happy Easter!) originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 08 Apr 2007 11:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

No, you haven't gone crazy -- Hannibal Lecter is still a fictional character. However, in the novel-turned-movie, "Hannibal Rising," the authors chose to set the serial killer's youth in Lithuania, a choice that the country hopes will boost tourism.

Enter Saules Kelias, an agency that's offering tours of "Lecter's native land." For only 100 euros ($131), you get a trip around Vilnius, a "Hannibal feast" (I can't imagine what they're serving) -- even a visit with Lecter himself.

The character was created for the 1981 book "Red Dragon," and made famous by Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs," a movie that was adapted from a book by the same name.

Would you take the tour?

Take The Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter Tour! originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I posted a few days ago about how enjoyable Moscow can be in the wintertime despite the horrific cold weather which is so legendary in the Russian capital.

The Russian winter, however, has regularly proved fatal to one type of traveler intent on reaching Moscow: the foreign soldier.

Most recently, it was Hitler's troops who fell to the ravages of winter just 41 kilometers outside of Moscow. Before that it was Napoleon's. Napoleon, however, accomplished what Hitler never could; he actually reached the Russian capital. He waited there for five weeks for the Czar to surrender (which he never did) and then hastily retreated as the worst part of the winter hit.

The result was catastrophic.

A fascinating article in City Paper (The Baltics States) retraces this failed military campaign and tells the story of how Napoleon marched into Russia via the Baltics with 500,000 soldiers--only to return a few months later during his winter retreat with just 40,000 remaining.

The account of this tragedy has recently resurfaced due to the discovery of a mass grave in Vilnius containing more than 2,000 of Napoleon's soldiers who had frozen or starved to death.

It was a horrific campaign through harsh lands and stark conditions. I've traveled the same route via train and suffered through equally as cold Moscow winters, but I simply can't imagine doing so on foot, across such great distances, with 19th century clothing and gear, and Cossacks shooting at me.

History, geography, and travel are indeed strange, and at times, horrific bedfellows. When you have the opportunity to combine all three together and understand their correlations, it makes for a very powerful experience indeed.

Retracing Napoleon's Russian Footsteps originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 12:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Every new calendar year brings about changes in the European Union which affect those who travel there regularly.

My favorite change is the addition of two more countries to Europe's non-smoking club. Ireland was the first country to ban smoking in public places a few years ago, followed by Italy, Malta and Sweden. As of the first of the year, Belgium and Lithuania have followed in their footsteps. France, England and Finland will "toughen up their restrictions" as well this year according to an article on EuroNews.net. Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Portugal remain the smoky stalwarts, and the place to go for all you nicotine fiends out there.

2007 also brings the arrival of two new countries into the EU: Bulgaria and Romania. It will be a long time before the Euro is officially accepted in these backwater, post-communist regions, but citizens rejoiced on New Year's with the realization that it will happen some time in the next decade.

Slovenians, on the other hand, celebrated New Year's by extracting Euros out of local ATMs. This small post-communist country, once part of Yugoslavia, is the first post-communist country to officially change over to the Euro. Nine other post-communist countries joined the EU in 2004 along with Slovenia, but only Slovenia has been able to meet the economic requirements necessary to switch over to the Euro. This is great news for travelers tired of changing currencies. The bad news, however, is that both residents and tourists fear this will result in an increase in prices. Considering Slovenia is already one of the most expensive post-communist countries to visit, this is not a welcome prediction.

Changes in the European Union, 2007 originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 07 Jan 2007 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Word for the Travel Wise (01/01/07) originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Don't let this happen to you.

You go out drinking in Lithuania to celebrate New Year's Eve and pick a bar that is on the other side of the street. This is very bad planning if you intend to get so knackered that crossing the street to return home becomes an insurmountable challenge.

Check out the above video of an unfortunate soul in Lithuania performing the crawl of shame after a night of too much drinking. It's a rather pathetic sight, but I've got to admit, I sure am impressed with his resolve.

Happy New Year's From Lithuania originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 01 Jan 2007 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Hawaiian - Mele Kalikimaka !
• Catalan - Bon Nada!
• Lithuanian - Linksmu Kaledu!
• Dutch - Gelukkig Kerstfeest!
  
• Persian - Krismas-e shoma mubarak!
• Spanish - Feliz Navidad!
• Swedish - God Jul!
• Korean - Sungtanul chukaheyo!
• Turkish - Neseli Noel!

Word for the Travel Wise (12/25/06) originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 25 Dec 2006 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.