Schengen Visa explained

What countries are members of the Schengen agreement?

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden are all members of the Schengen agreement. As of August, 1 1998 travelers to these countries whose purpose of travel is tourism or business for stays up to 90 days may receive a visa for a short stay which is valid for all the above countries. A Schengen visa issued by an embassy or consulate of the above countries allows the holder to travel freely in all of these countries. However, visas for travel to Monaco and French Overseas Departments and Territories may only be issue by a French Embassy or Consulate.

How do I apply for my Schengen visa?

There are specific rules as to which country will issue your visa.·
If you will visit only one Schengen country, you must apply through the embassy or consulate of that country.

If you will visit several Schengen countries, you must apply for a visa through the embassy or consulate of the country which is your main destination·

If you will visit several countries but do not have a main destination, you must apply for a visa through the embassy or consulate of the country which is your first point of entry.

Other information:
If you do not need a visa for the Schengen country which is your main destination or first point of entry, please note that you may require a visa for other Schengen countries you visit. Apply to the embassy or consulate of the first country which does require a visa.

Each country has its own visa application form and requirements, which can vary greatly. Therefore, it is necessary to research requests on an individual basis to address the traveler’s specific documentation requirements.

For more information go to : Where to apply for a Schengen Visa

Carry-on confusion to end for air travellers

AIR travellers in Europe will now be able to view the same list of items banned from carry-on luggage as airline staff after the European Union amended laws.

Previously, this list had been available only to staff for security reasons. The public were only able to see an amended list which created confusion. Some for travellers were barred from getting on flights because they had items on the secret list.

The new air travel security rules, which took effect this week, require governments to maintain a single, public list of banned carry-on items.

The issue was highlighted in the case of German traveller Gottfried Heinrich who was ordered to leave a plane in Vienna in 2005 as he was carrying tennis racquets, "allegedly prohibited items," according to the advocate general. Heinrich took the case to court in Austria which has referred it to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. EU Advocate-General Eleanor Sharpston had urged the European Court of Justice to annul the EU law on the carry-on items lists, saying it was illegal to maintain a list that travelers could not consult.

Air Malta marks 35 years of service

Air Malta started flying operations with two wet-leased Boeing 720Bs from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), operating its first flights to London and Rome. The first routes were London, Birmingham, Manchester, Rome, Frankfurt, Paris and Tripoli. Air Malta now serves about 50 destinations with something like 200 weekly flights to Europe, North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Air Malta was set up with the primary aim of establishing, maintaining, developing and operating air transport services to and from Malta and so, through the carriage of passengers, freight and mail, serve the national interest. Of course, it still fulfils these aims and has grown to become one of the most important Maltese organisations not only assisting the tourism sector but also providing businesses that operate in this country with a wide distribution network abroad. Studies have shown that the airline today generates about 25 per cent of the total expenditure by tourists and accounts for about seven per cent of the Gross National Product.

For the full article, follow this link: Air Malta marks 35 years of service

Cyprus and Malta adopt the euro

Two Mediterranean island states, Cyprus and Malta, have begun using the euro, joining 13 other countries. The countries' leaders made symbolic withdrawals of euros from cash machines just minutes into the New Year.

Major bank branches opened for a few hours in Cyprus despite the New Year holiday. The Maltese celebrated the euro's arrival with fireworks.

Cyprus and Malta have added just 1.2 million people to the number of Europeans using the single currency. But they will have equal voting rights with the other 13 eurozone members at the European Central Bank.

Benefits in joining the Euro zone

Malta is already enjoying a tourism boom, with double-digit growth expected this year, largely due to the arrival of low-cost airlines. But it is also planning to become a magnet for hi-tech investment. Several pharmaceutical companies have established research centres in Malta to develop generic copies of patented drugs. And the German airline Lufthansa signed an agreement in 2007 for Malta to maintain and overhaul its planes.

The Finance Minister, Michalis Sarris, has said the euro will benefit consumers and businesses alike because of the eurozone's low inflation, low interest rates and large market.

For the whole article, please visit: Cyprus and Malta adopt the euro

London : Paris in 2hrs 15 mins

The new St Pancras International train station has opened its doors to the public for the first time.

The first Eurostar service to Paris from the £800m station will leave at 1101 GMT.

A special carbon-neutral train will carry the new route's very first passengers during its two hour and 15 minute journey.

The first passenger train for Brussels departs at 1106 GMT, with the first arrival from the same city pulling into St Pancras at 1109.

St Pancras will house upmarket shops and what its operators say is the longest champagne bar in Europe. The elaborate gothic hotel at the front of the station, vacant since the 1980s, will open as a five-star hotel and apartments in 2009.

The new route will cut journey times to Paris by 20 minutes to two hours and 15 minutes, and to Brussels by 25 minutes to one hour and 51 minutes.

The last Eurostar train left London Waterloo at 1812 GMT on Tuesday.

For the full article visit:
St Pancras Eurostar service opens

Airline websites 'are misleading'

At least 200 European airline websites are misleading the consumer, a study by the European Commission has found.

Websites are failing to show taxes and charges, and refusing to advertise the lowest fare prominently, according to the report.

The Commission has refused to name any airlines involved in order to give them time to improve their service.

Last month, a Spanish watchdog said it had found misleading information on seven websites, including Ryanair's.

In response to the Commission's findings, Ryanair called on it to widen the investigation "to cover the real scandal of unfair fuel surcharge increases being levied by British Airways, Air France, KLM and Lufthansa," it said.

For full article visit :
Airline websites 'are misleading'

Malta most recommended destination for UK singles

Malta is the most recommended short-haul destination for singles in the UK, according to a poll of British travel agents carried out by leading trade magazine Short Breaks and Holidays 2007.

The result is seen as highly significant by the Malta Tourism Authority, which has been trying to promote Malta among a younger generation of traveller in the UK.

Read the full article at:
Malta most recommended destination for UK singles

What is your carbon footprint?

A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.

A Carbon Footprint is made up of the sum of two parts, the direct / primary footprint and the indirect / secondary footprint.

1. The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane).
2. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use - those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown.

Click here to find various carbon calculators (including flight calculators) to calculate your footprint and find ways to offset it.

Responsible Tourism

Responsible Tourism is a tourism management strategy embracing planning, management, product development and marketing to bring about positive economic, social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

For tourism operators it is about providing more rewarding holiday experiences for guests whilst enabling local communities to enjoy a better quality of life and conserving the natural environment.

Guidelines to reach 5 key objectives:

* To protect the environment – its flora, fauna and landscapes
* To respect local cultures – traditions, religions and built heritage
* To benefit local communities – both economically and socially
* To conserve natural resources – from office to destination
* To minimise pollution – through noise, waste disposal and congestion

Converting Currencies

As explained before, when travelling to a foreign country, always check the currency of your destination. Therefore you'd need a rough estimate of the exchange rate. Sometimes even when booking a hotel online,the prices may be denominated in foreign currency.

Here are 2 links which help you out:

1. The currency cheat sheet for Travelers is the most useful tool you can take with you on your next trip. Just print the FXCheatSheet for your next destination, it's small enough to fit in your Wallet and help you figure out the prices in your home currency.

2. The 164 Foreign currency converter is the Web's most popular and free currency converter.