Wikivoyage:Tourist office/Archives/2015/August

Trains in Austria

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Miscellaneous#trains_in_Austria

Hi!

We will stay next week in Austria (Judenburg/styria). I'm a railway enthusiast, so I want to take some pictures of locos and railcars (austrian federal railways an private railway companies). Where are interestic and old locomotives running? Does anybody know some nice photo points? No museums or tourist trains please!

thx

Andy

Asked by: Rail12345 (talk) 09:41, 8 August 2015 (UTC)

Hiking in the Dolomites (North Italy)

Hello, We are a family, coming to hike in the Dolomites near Cortina. We would appreciate recommendations about one-day hiking options in this area. Thank you! Asked by: Itamarm10 (talk) 19:59, 8 August 2015 (UTC)

Cortina d'Ampezzo, right? The linked Wikivoyage article isn't terribly detailed, but the Cinque Torri are mentioned at the end, in the "Go next" section. I haven't visited that region of Italy, so I couldn't give personal recommendations of hiking routes, but try looking through this list of trekking possibilities in the area, and maybe contact Cortina Turismo if you'd like more information than they have up online. Buon divertimento! Ikan Kekek (talk) 20:13, 8 August 2015 (UTC)

I haven't been to Cortina, but in Sudtirol, and I can suggest a trip starting from Lake Braies: a small alpine lake. some info. I hope to have been helpful. --Lkcl it _(Talk) 16:51, 11 August 2015 (UTC)

is there a cruise you can take from galveston tx to san diego ca?

Asked by: 76.181.222.82 12:21, 9 August 2015 (UTC)

Through the Panama Canal? I'd be very surprised if any were regularly scheduled. However, let's see whether anyone else knows of such a cruise. Ikan Kekek (talk) 12:44, 9 August 2015 (UTC)

There's a whole category of w:Category:Panamax cruise ships which might be small enough to fit through the canal (there will also be a "New Panamax" size, since as of 2014 work is underway to enlarge the canal) but not all ships fit, and not all ships which could fit use the canal for more than just repositioning cruises. Island Princess is Panamax, although its destination appears to be Alaska and not San Diego. Texas to California could likely be done more quickly on Amtrak or by motorcar, as [1] indicates "Fort Lauderdale to US west coast" as taking up to sixteen days. K7L (talk) 03:57, 11 August 2015 (UTC)

You can always try and piece it together yourself, including by freighter travel (though as the US has excellent freight railroads there probably isn't any ship doing the whole trip). Another option is getting to San Juan del Norte by boat and than taking Ruta del Tránsito before heading back up....somehow Hobbitschuster (talk) 07:43, 11 August 2015 (UTC)

are there any cruises for the public on a sailing ship?

Asked by: 76.181.222.82 16:37, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

I guess there are. It would however probably depend on where you want to sail from and where you would like to stop en route. Hobbitschuster (talk) 16:39, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

I cannot give any exact examples, but it depends on how a "cruise" is defined. Short cruises of a couple of hours up to a day where you more or less can see the coast all the time probably do exist (I think I've even seen some ads for such cruises) but nothing comparable to say week-long cruises in the Caribbean. ϒpsilon (talk) 17:13, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

Oh yes if money is no object. Check out companies such as Windstar Cruises and Star Clippers. --Traveler100 (talk) 19:03, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

Island Windjammer Cruises is another company specializing in sailboat cruises. These are going to be expensive as the number of passengers you can pack on a sailboat, even a large one, is much smaller than on a typical cruise ship. --Xuxl (talk) 14:52, 13 August 2015 (UTC)

At least Star Clippers is mentioned in our article about Cruise ships. For short coastal cruises, I know of at least half a dozen such vessels over here (in Helsinki, Turku, Västanfjärd, Mariehamn and Nystad), I suppose such are available in most parts of north Europe and at many locations elsewhere. If you are young (up to 25?) there are plenty of possibilities to go quite cheaply on voyages in spirit of the Tall Ships Youth Trust/Sail Training Association. Whether the latter count as cruises is an open question, but at least you should get real sailing on those vessels. For people not counted as young the chances to get on those ships are smaller, but some get a significant income from letting also older people on board (at least I think I have seen such ads e.g. for the Russian big school ships, such as Mir and Sedov). --LPfi (talk) 20:41, 11 August 2015 (UTC)

We have an article on Hitchhiking boats, not sure if it will be useful to you. Pashley (talk) 22:22, 11 August 2015 (UTC)

Hohe Wand

Asked by: 89.144.214.98 08:59, 15 August 2015 (UTC) how to get to Hohe Wand (lower Austria) by train or bus??? Thanks!--89.144.214.98 08:59, 15 August 2015 (UTC)

The official site of the manucipality (in German) mentions bus (run by Partsch company) departing from Wiener Neustadt to Hohe Wand (Maiersdorf Mautstelle) on working days. One can then access the plateau via several hiking paths. Or you can take a train to Grünbach am Schneeberg and walk along the blue marked path (Grafenbergweg). It will take about 1.5 h to reach Wilhelm Eicherthütte. Hope this helps. Danapit (talk) 10:50, 15 August 2015 (UTC)

Belgium

I'm planning on visiting Belgium next summer on my annual InterRail trip. I've already planned that I can reach Brussels in far less than a day from Stockholm, and Pörtschach am Wörthersee in less than a day from Brussels. This requires skipping pretty much every major city in Germany on the way to Brussels and instead going via Paris.

Now my question is, which city in Belgium should I visit? What I want to experience in Belgium is the famous cuisine, with the stewed mussels and French fries (or should I call them "Belgian fries"?) and Belgian beer, and also if possible, Tintin, because the comic was invented in Belgium and not in France. I've been told Brugge/Bruges is a more interesting city than Brussels. It's further away, but the difference is merely an hour or two. I'd also like to see famous architecture and museums. Churches and other religious life don't interest me, I find them completely boring. I also never visit the local night life in foreign cities, preferring to go for a few beers at some local pubs and then go to my hotel to sleep.

Asked by: JIP (talk) 18:56, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

I liked Antwerp a lot. I cannot compare to other cities since it is the only place in Belgium where I've spent more than a few hours. Fine beer and plenty of pretty old buildings. No doubt mussels since it is a coastal city.

Does language matter for your planning? In some areas, French is the main language; in others, Flemish. This may not matter since many Belgians speak both and some speak good English as well. Pashley (talk) 20:40, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

Antwerp, Brugge and Brussels are the most interesting cities for me. Leuven is charming too, but small. When they are in season, mussels are everywhere, like fries. All major cities are well accustomed to foreigners so I wouldn't worry about the language. JuliasTravels (talk) 20:57, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

Getting around Belgium shouldn't be all that hard from what I've read. After all, this tiny country has FOUR high speed rail lines... Hobbitschuster (talk) 21:54, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

You're right; it's a small country, and getting around is especially easy if you're heading to major cities. With an IC high speed train it takes less than an hour to get to Bruges from Brussels, but I'm not sure the interrail-ticket allow it ;-) JuliasTravels (talk) 22:03, 18 August 2015 (UTC)

If you're interested in Belgian comics, the "Centre Belge de la bande dessinée" (Belgian Comic Strip Centre) in central Brussels is a must. [2]. And there's a lot more to Belgian cuisine than mussels and fries: see here [3]. generally, don't dismiss Brussels; it's home to some great architecture and museums (e.g. Musée Magritte [4] or the Atomium [5]) Xuxl (talk) 14:40, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

Brussels seems to be my best bet so far. I've only got three days to spend in Belgium, it's too little time to see more than once city. The museums and architecture mentioned above alone seem to make Brussels much more interesting than Brugge or Antwerp. Also, I speak French only somewhat passably (although I can read it to a good degree), and Flemish is a completely foreign language to me (although it's so close to German, which I speak fluently, that I can make out some basic things in writing), so speaking English all the way through seems to be the best option. JIP (talk) 18:51, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

Does the global broad brush rule of thumb that native speakers of French are worse at English than native speakers of Germanic languages apply for Belgium as well? Hobbitschuster (talk) 21:37, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

Generally true, although Brussels is a bit of an exception as a very international city due to the presence of the European Union and NATO Headquarters. On the other hand, native speakers of French in Quebec tend to speak pretty decent English, so it's more a question of early exposure to English than anything inherent to having French as a first language. --Xuxl (talk) 09:40, 20 August 2015 (UTC)

As well as Brugge I would highly recommend Ghent. The historic buildings around the old inland harbour are very interesting, the The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb painting is a must see (even if religious) and there is a good selection of restaurants. As mentioned, Leuven has a nice centre with some impressive architecture and some great places to eat. Note that Belgium is really two countries, my personal preference is for the Flemish half but if you are looking for TinTin then you would be better off visiting at least one of the major French speaking towns. As you say the beers are a must and do not miss eating Stoofvlees. --Traveler100 (talk) 13:27, 20 August 2015 (UTC)

Go (baduk) equipment at Seoul airport?

I will likely have a brief stop (a few hours to a day) in Korea on an upcoming trip. Neither time nor budget is conducive to a longer stay, though I'm tempted. I play Go (baduk in Korean) and would like to pick up a portable board — not something cheap that the average tourist place might have, though not a collector's item either.

Does anyone at Incheon International Airport that sort of thing? I have asked on the Go wiki Sensei's Library but had no reply there. Asked by: Pashley (talk) 15:17, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

I looked around at the airport's home page at Shop & Dine > Shopping > Gifts > Souvenir. There are many souvenir shops, probably only having the touristy version. Though there seems to be a place called ParkSsiSangBang with traditional Korean crafts and such, that may have more authentic go boards, but it's in the railway station across the street from the terminal, so you need to go through security and other controls on your way in and out. ϒpsilon (talk) 05:16, 21 August 2015 (UTC)

There are indeed some 'traditional Korean' tourist shops in Incheon airport. I don't know for sure, but I'd suspect that they do not stock Go boards. (It seemed to be more traditional crafts)

If you had a bit more time, then Insadong in Jongno could well have that kind of thing. It is only an hour travel from the airport. --Andrewssi2 (talk) 05:37, 21 August 2015 (UTC)

This guy found one in Seoul : https://www.flickr.com/photos/robgmsft/293081801/in/photostream/ --Andrewssi2 (talk) 05:58, 21 August 2015 (UTC)

panama canal

Asked by: 76.181.222.82 11:50, 22 August 2015 (UTC) are there cruise lines that leave FL and travel thru the panama canal to CA

Hi! As far as I understand such cruises do exist, although they are not very common. Cruise ships#Companies includes links to home pages of cruise companies (at least 2/3 of them are American and operate in the Caribbean and/or the Pacific) so you can go and have a look there if they have something you're looking for. Round the world cruises more often than not pass through the Panama Canal, so it may be possible to travel the leg between Florida and California on one of those. Another alternative would be Freighter travel, but this is far less glamorous than normal cruises though somewhat cheaper. ϒpsilon (talk) 12:04, 22 August 2015 (UTC)

I did a cruise from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego on Celebrity in 2000, and found the canal passage quite interesting. A simple Google search on the words panama canal cruise will show that a number of companies are still offering them. --65.94.50.17 03:53, 23 August 2015 (UTC)

CONNECT - Mobile Service Reception in Yangshuo

Talk:Yangshuo#CONNECT_-_Mobile_Service_Reception Answer this question?

Asked by: Brisdaz (talk) 00:43, 25 August 2015 (UTC)

places to visit in February.

i was planning to go for my honeymoon in the month of February. could you suggest me places i can visit during that time of the year. i reside in india so do not wish to plan my travel in india. Asked by: 115.97.243.71 11:56, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

Carnival in 2016 will be in February. In may countries in Europe and South America there are some interesting events, Venice and Brazil come to mind. Or New Orleans Mardi Gras. --Traveler100 (talk) 12:47, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

If you wish to travel in Asia, the cherry blossom season which Japan is famous for, apparently usually takes place in late January or early February on Okinawa. Also the first months of the year is, I think, the best time of the year to visit Southeast Asia. ϒpsilon (talk) 13:02, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

February is also a better than average time to visit Central America as it is still wholly within the dry season, guaranteeing little rain outside the Caribbean side, but the crowds are not as huge as they are during semana santa (Easter week) Hobbitschuster (talk) 14:58, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

Also, February is mid-summer in the southern hemisphere, so a good time to visit Australia and/or New Zealand. Pashley (talk) 17:16, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

New Zealand yes, but as I understand it much of Australia is uncomfortably hot in February, so proceed with caution. -- AndreCarrotflower (talk) 18:37, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

Starting from India, what about Sri Lanka? Nepal is also nearby, interesting, relatively cheap, and it is easy for Indians to get visas. However, February may not be the best time for that; the elevation is high enough it can get seriously cold. Or see Low-cost airlines in Asia for cheap flights to Southeast Asia. Pashley (talk) 19:08, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

I think that, if you want any specific suggestions, you'll have to indicate what kind of trip you're looking for. Which continent, roughly how long, beach holiday, cultural holiday, or are you interested in nature? A few pointers will give some idea.. I could think of 50 great places I'd like to visit in February, and that's just what comes to mind directly ;-) JuliasTravels (talk) 19:19, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

I happen to think February is a pretty good time to visit Walt Disney World. Powers ^(talk) 19:42, 27 August 2015 (UTC)

North Carolina crime statistics by city

there used to be a list of nc cities that showed info for each city such as crime rate weather etc. can not find it any more Asked by: Carltez (talk) 12:33, 31 August 2015 (UTC)

Your question really isn't travel-related, but the FBI is always the place to look for these kinds of statistics, and this is probably the chart you're looking for. Ikan Kekek (talk) 21:43, 31 August 2015 (UTC)