Friday 25 December 2015

Christmas layover cheer

40+55 Star
Perchance you find yourself travelling over the holidays, with a layover on Christmas, we are sending along this little bit of cheer. Make the most of whatever you have, wherever you are.

Merry Christmas!

creative commons image, click for source info

Saturday 12 December 2015

Layover bucketlist: Downton Abbey

Highclere Castle, aka Downton Abbey
Yes, you can visit Downton on a layover.

That's good news for fans of the acclaimed television series, many of who have "visit" Downton Abbey on their bucketlist. As real fans, they know they can't actually visit a place that doesn't exist (that's more than we can say about the tourists who flock to wrong village in search of Downton Abbey).

If you are an independent traveller, or just have lots of time, you can visit many sites on your own (see Best Stops on a Downton Abbey Tour: Put Yourself in the Picture at These Downton Locations).

If you have less time, such as being in London on a layover, there are several Downton Abbey tours you can take that will ease your access.
'Downton Abbey' Town and Country Tour from London
'Downton Abbey' and Highclere Castle Tour from London
'Downton Abbey' TV Locations and Blenheim Palace Tour from London

No time for a scheduled tour?

A few private tour options:
Private Tour: 'Downton Abbey' TV Locations Tour of London by Black Cab
Private Tour: 'Downton Abbey’ Film Locations Tour by Private Chauffeur

 ... and for the serious fan:
Private Tour: 'Downton Abbey' TV Locations Tour of London and the Cotswolds by Black Cab Including Highclere Castle

Related resources
American tourists flock to wrong village in search of Downton Abbey
Discover the real Downton Abbey at Highclere Castle and Bampton
Downton Abbey film locations
Best Stops on a Downton Abbey Tour: Put Yourself in the Picture at These Downton Locations
London attractions: Highclere Castle
London Layover Ideas and Things to Do in London


Wednesday 2 December 2015

An Amsterdam layover - 3 stories

Homonument
The pink granite Homonument in Amsterdam
creativecommons image ianloic on Flickr
How I Experienced the Best of Amsterdam in…8 Hours? - LandLopers
Matt's frank account of his short Amsterdam visit a few years ago is refreshing, including his take on the city's ill-named, but historically significant, Homomonument.
I’m not necessarily proud of the fact that I only spent a few hours in Amsterdam, but that was the plan from the beginning. But that limited amount of time allowed us to focus and to enjoy the city in a way more leisurely travelers don’t. So without further ado, here are my recommendations for experiencing a slice of life in Amsterdam when you have less than a day. [read Matt's story]

Amsterdam | NL - Oxie on the Go
Oxie (aka Oksana) shares details on everything from her Uber experience and Airbnb stay, to city pass and Van Gogh Museum visit. Helpful info.
Amsterdam has been on my bucket-list for quite some time now simply because of the rumors of its beauty! So when I found out that I had a 28 hour layover here on my way home, you can only imagine how thrilled I was! Even though I only made it into Amsterdam at 4 pm (16:00), the whole trip was literally a blessing! It’s always a bonus to... [read Oxie's story]

How NOT to soend your layover in Amsterdam - WanderTooth
Katie and Geoff lept at the chance to have a layover in Amsterdam, but in retrospect would have done it much differently. Good lessons for us all:
We stopped in Amsterdam on our recent trip to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania by timing our flights to have a 10-hour layover. On our way there. This was a bad call, and not something you should do. Here’s why. Having never been to the city, we jumped at the chance to spend a layover in Amsterdam, not really considering we’d be coming off a 9-hour trans-Contilantic (trans-contilantic = trans-continental + trans-Atlantic), compounded by a nine hour time difference. Sometimes we’re I’m stupid like that. The city is set-up for layovers, so theoretically a layover in Amsterdam shouldn’t be a problem. Our bags were checked through all the way through... [read Katie and Geoff's story]

Related resources
Layover Ideas and Stuff to Do in Amsterdam
Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport (AMS) transportation guide
The Netherlands: Schiphol Layover - TripAdvisor
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Airport Schiphol - closed for renovation, reopens summer 2016