DP Travel : Madrid, The Capital That Rocks

The Madrid City Travelogue, Brought To You By DelhiPlanet Travel

Country: Capital Of Spain as well as the capital of the autonomous community of the same name (Comunidad de Madrid). It is Spain’s largest city, with a population (city) of 3.228 million (July 2005) and 5.843 million (metropolitan area).

National Carrier: Iberia. Other Spanish Airlines are SpanAir and Vueling.

Local Language: Spanish is the official language of Madrid and the whole of Spain. Spanish is the second most spoken language by native speakers however there are mild differences in the spanish spoken in Spain and other Latin American countries.

Time Zone: Spain is in the Central European Time Zone. Central European Standard Time (CET) is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1). Like most countries in Europe, Summer (Daylight-Saving) Time is observed in Spain, where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour; 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2).

Best Time To Visit: The best time to visit Madrid is from March to June, that is spring time. Summers in Spain are hot and sultry while winters are very cold. Another good time to visit Madrid is between September through early November when the weather is nice and cool.

Best Place To Stay For Youths:

Los Amigos Backpackers Hostel, is the main hostel in Madrid dedicated exclusively to the backpack travellers and 100% oriented towards their specific needs. It is quite centrally located and offers most of the facilities needed by backpackers. If you’re travelling during backpacking season, i.e between May to August then do book in advance.

Cat’s Hostel has an old palace like setting and the entrance to the hostel is situated in a road that runs parallel to the most important and best known street in terms of the Madrid night scene. The hostel has a Cave Bar and is quite lively in the nights.

Description:

Madrid can be described as a city that is always bustling with energy. The culture of Madrid is dominated by its religious and royal history. Enormous, monolithic cathedrals and churches are plentiful in Madrid, as well as medieval architecture, although nowadays Madrid is just as much a cosmopolitan city as Berlin or London, and it’s bustling nightlife is proof of this fact.

There exists a famous adage known as “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch”. Well, in the city of Madrid it is possible to spend the night hopping from one club to another, and end up drunk with a bunch of people while partying on the street. All this without spending a single penny. Many clubs in Madrid invite club goers in for a free drink after which one has the option of staying on or leaving. So if you’re low on cash then just keep hopping from one club to another while enjoying all the free drinks. Madrid has a very active nightlife and possibly it also has the largest number of bars per capita of any European city.

Must See: Madrid has some amazing places which are definetly worth checking out, the most popular amongst these are:

• Palacio Real: The Royal Palace of Madrid (Spanish: Palacio Real de Madrid) is the official residence of the King of Spain. King Juan Carlos and the royal family do not actually reside in this palace, instead choosing the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela, on the outskirts of Madrid. However, the Palacio Real de Madrid is still used for state occasions. The palace is owned by the Spanish state and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional agency. The palace also has the distinction of being the largest royal palace in Western Europe in size, with over a combined area of over 135,000 m² and more than 2,800 rooms. The Palace is a major tourist attraction although most of the areas of the palace are cordoned off and there is always a lot of security here ( Catch a glimpse of the palace in our video below).
• The Real Madrid Football Stadium: If you are a football fan then Madrid is the place to be in. It is well-known for it’s famous club Real Madrid and the football stadium of the club is definetly worth a visit. In the off-season the stadium is like a museum and visitors can check out the history of the club, the stadium, the trophies, player potraits and even buy some authentic stuff at the store. The tour costs around 10 euros and includes the chance to walk around the field, visit the player dugouts, dorms and press rooms (Catch a glimpse of this ground in our video below ).
• Gran Via: Gran Vía (literally “Great Way”) is an ornate and upscale shopping street located in central Madrid. Literally, “Broadway“, Gran Via is one of the busiest avenues in Madrid, and is what you could call “Downtown” or the heart of the city. It is in a way very similar to Times Square in New York City and is definetly worth a visit at any time of the day.

Must Do: Well, now that you’ve seen the cool places it’s time to get involved and enjoy the spirit of the city. When in Madrid make sure to do the following:

• Watch Flamenco: Flamenco is a Spanish dance form, which involves a lot of body movement, extreme foot tapping as well as intricate hand and footwork. There are many clubs in Madrid, where you can get a chance to watch some Flamenco. At most places an entry fee is charged which covers one complimentary drink and around 30-45 minutes of dance. Although you might get a chance to see some flamenco action in Mexico and other Latin American countries it won’t be anything like it would be in Madrid, as the dance form originates from Spain (Watch some flamenco action in our video below ).
• Go Club Hopping: As described earlier, Madrid has an amazing night life and unless you’re coming to Madrid from Ibiza or Barcelona you wouldn’t want to miss the action. One must visit the Palacio Gaviria which is a club that was earlier a palace (Checkout some hot club action in our video below ).
• Get Your Potrait Done: Have your portrait drawn in the Plaza Mayor. Generally very good quality and the prices are very reasonable.

Madrid in Pictures: Catch our exclusive video of this amazing city.

DP Travel: Brussels, The Land Of Chocolates And Beer

The Brussels City Travelogue, Brought To You By DelhiPlanet Travel

Country: Capital Of Belgium. Brussels is pronounced as Bruxelles in French.

National Carrier: Brussels Airlines, flying your way.

Local Language: Brussels is officially bilingual, French, and Dutch, although French, mother tongue of the majority of the population, is the lingua franca and the most widely used language in Brussels.

Time Zone: Like the Netherlands operates a winter and summer time. In the winter it is 1 hour ahead of GMT(i.e 4.5 hours behind IST) and in the summer it is 2 hours ahead (i.e 3.5 hours behind IST)

Best Time To Visit: The best time to visit Brussels is from May to October. Weekends and holidays have the best entertaining events. The weather can be unpredictable but the temperatures are mostly mild(Between 10°C to 25°C). Shops are closed on Sunday’s: this will be your best moment to stroll around the old city or to enjoy the beautiful parks.

Best Place To Stay For Youths:

Youth Hostel Van Gogh(CHAB), near Brussels North Station is one of the best youth hostels in the city. It has a very lively and relaxed atmosphere and is famously known as the place where the great artist Vincent Van Gogh used to work.

The Sleep Well Youth Hostel also located centrally very close to the famous Grand Place is a very clean hostel with cheap rooms and good facilities. It however doesn’t have too much of an atmosphere and is too silent a place for a youth hostel.

Description:

“Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.“

So goes the line from the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Well, if you’re in Brussels the capital of Belgium and the European Union, this famous rhyme would go something like this:

“Beer, beer, everywhere,
And not a smell of stink;
More than 2000 types of beer,
What on earth should I drink.“

Belgium is to beer what France is to wine: it is home to one of the greatest beer traditions in the world(Austria and Germany being a few of the others), and Brussels is a great place to sample some of the vast variety on offer. A special drink only found in Brussels is the so-called “half-en-half” (”half and half”). It’s a mixture of white wine and champagne.

Right after beer comes comes chocolates. Brussels is chock full of chocolates and is a place where you can taste some of the best chocolates in the world. Other than beer and chocolates, brussels is home to some magnificient architecture with grand place being it’s major tourist attraction.

Must See: Brussels has some amazing places which are definetly worth checking out, the most popular amongst these are:

• Grand Place: The Grand Place was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998. It is actually the central market square of Brussels. It is surrounded by guild houses, the city’s spectacular Town Hall and the Breadhouse. The square is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels next to the Atomium. (Check it out in our video below.)
• Atomium:The Atomium was built for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair (Expo ‘58). The 103-metre (335-foot) tall Atomium monument represents a unit cell of an iron crystal (body-centred cubic), magnified 165 billion times. Nine steel spheres 18 metres in diameter connect via tubes with escalators as long as 35 m, among the longest in Europe. Windows in the top sphere provide a panoramic view of Brussels. Other spheres have 1950s exhibitions. The structure was closed to public in 2004 and 2005, and reopened in February, 2006 after a massive renovation.
• The Waterloo Battlefield: Famously known as Napolean’s last battle, this battlefield lies about 12 kilometres SSE of Brussels, and 2 kilometres from the town of Waterloo. One can see the battlefield exactly like it was on June the 18th of 1815 when Wellington faced Napoleon for an ultimate battle that changed Europe’s face forever. Visit the Lion Hamlet and experience the new animation: Battlefield Tour.

Must Do: No visit to brussels is complete without a taste of it’s wide variety of beer. “Wide Variety“, what kinda of count classifies a variety as being wide, you might ask. Well how about 2000, that’s right 2000 different kinds of beer and all of these are available at one place in brussels. A place called the Delirium Cafe. This place has a 500 page drinks menu that is only given on special request, it has over 2000 different kinds of beer and the menu contains beers from more than 50 countries. You can also taste the beer in different kinds of glasses which are displayed all over the place. And don’t worry about being a non-alcoholic, some of the beers like the floris strawberry beer don’t taste like beer at all. A few drinks at the delirium cafe and you would realise how pathetic the quality of beer is in India, it’s amazing how Vijay Mallaya makes so much money selling a beer like Kingfisher.

Also don’t forget to try the belgian waffle topped with chocolate sauce at anyone of the shops at the grand place. While on your way back do remember do buy loads of amazing chocolates from shops like Leonidas, Passion Chocolat, Pierre Marcolini and Wittamer.

Brussels in Pictures: Catch our exclusive video of this amazing city below.

DP Travel: Amsterdam, The City Of Freedom

The Amsterdam City Travelogue, Brought To You By DelhiPlanet Travel

Country: Capital Of Netherlands, pronounced as Nederland in Dutch.

National Carrier: KLM, Royal Dutch Airlines

Local Language: Dutch

Time Zone: Like the UK the Netherlands operates a winter and summer time. In the winter it is 1 hour ahead of GMT(i.e 4.5 hours behind IST) and in the summer it is 2 hours ahead (i.e 3.5 hours behind IST)

Best Time To Visit: Well for this city anytime is the Best Time. The peak tourist season however is in the months July, August and the best weather is found from April to October.

Best Place To Stay For Youths:

The Flying Pig Hostel, Amsterdam is one of the best backpacker hostels in the city. It has a very lively and care free spirit and the bar at the basement is the place to be on Fridays and Saturdays. If you love meeting new people from all across the world, then flying pig is the place to be. It has 2 major locations in the city, uptown and downtown in addition to a beach hostel. Checkout more details on www.flyingpig.nl.

Description: The Free City, The Cycle City, The City of Sex and Drugs, Heaven, these are probably a few of the titles that one would give a place called Amsterdam. Known all across the world for its liberal outlook and open culture this city draws millions of tourists ever year just for of it’s way of living. They say that the dutch love “Gezellig(heh-ZEL-ick)” things and places. A gezillig environment is one that allows good times to happen. It’s like a vibe. A gezellig place is cozy and inviting, for example: A two hour leisurely meal with friends is quite gezellig but eaiting a Big Mac on your lap in a car is not.

While everyone likes coziness, the Dutch gear their whole lives towards or in other words they live and enjoy every moment of their life. If you still don’t feel too excited about this place, then you probably need to know about some of it’s tourist attractions. Let’s check them out:

Must See: Amsterdam is a city that is a mix of modernity and culture. One hand you have a state of the art biometric recognition system at the airport, while on the other you see cycles as the most common mode of transport. Amsterdam has more than 1 million cycles and the highest cycle theft rates in the world. You would find families going out together on cycles, businessmen going to work on cycles and even good looking woman wearing skirts and high heels riding cycles (Checkout Ski-Epic for pictures on Amsterdam- the Cycle City). While in Amsterdam you can checkout some of it’s world famous museums which attract many tourists from all over the world.

The must visit museums are the Van Gogh Museum(you’ll easily be able to identify a van gogh painting after a visit to this place), the Heineken Beer Museum better known as the Heineken Experience, the Sex Museum(Lots of porn here right from the early 19th century to the present day) and the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. If you love beer, then do go for the Heineken Experience. Here for a 10 euro ticket you get to see the entire history of Heineken and an overview of the Beer Making process. Plus you also get three glasses of beer and a souvenir, all if which is included in the cost of the entry ticket.

Must Do: Well for smokers and drinkers, there are plenty of options here and most of you would already know about them. If you don’t then just goto any of the coffee shops and you’ll find out(just don’t ask for any coffee, you could however ask for a hash brownie.). If you don’t smoke or drink but still wanna get high then try some hash and cannabis lollipops or some edible mushrooms. Ofcourse no visit to Amsterdam is complete without a walk across the famous Red Light District, just make sure you go there in the night otherwise you won’t see any red lights. The RLD as it is better known is quite a safe place just like the rest of the city and is well monitored by the local Police.

If you have some time on your hands, then do visit any of the huge roadside cafe’s where 100’s of people gather in the evenings and enjoy each other’s company while sipping on chilled beer. You would truly understand the meaning of gezellig when you are here. You could also rent a bicycle and cycle across the city. If you are here for a few days then spend some time at the wonderful Vondelpark, a visit here and you would realise why most europeans love the outdoors so much. If you are keen on getting a tatoo, then visit the world famous house of tattoos and get that tattoo you always wanted.

Night Life: Amsterdam has a very active night life with many restuarants, bars and clubs open till late in the night. Leidseplein is a lively square in central Amsterdam popular for its nightlife, restaurants, bars, cafes and coffeeshops including the world famous Hard Rock Cafe. Rembrandtplein is another major square of amsterdam named after the famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn. It has many terrace cafes, lounges and clubs. Escape at Rembrandtplein -11 is a giant club that hosts different nights and one-offs, and is one of the best clubs of amsterdam.

Amsterdam in Pictures: Catch our exclusive video of this amazing city below.

DP Travel: The Entrance To The Land Of Freedom, Schiphol Airport - Amsterdam

Amsterdam XXX, one of the very few cities in the world where one can experience true freedom. Nothing here is banned or illegal be it drugs, prostitution, abortion, euthanasia or gay-marriage. Everything is legal and very well monitored and controlled. Amsterdam certainly has one of the most liberal societies in the world and is paradise for a libertarian and anyone who believes in the concept of free will.

Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam is the main airport of Amsterdam and the Netherlands and is thus the entrance to this amazing land. Located 17.5 km south-west of amsterdam, it is one of the best airports in Europe and also one of the busiest. Just like the city that it represents, schiphol too is an airport with a difference. As a male one of the first things that you would notice at schiphol, is the urinal at any of the restrooms at the airport(restrooms,toilets,washrooms,loos are all referred to as WC around Europe. WC stands for Water Closet). Every urinal at the schiphol airport has an image of a fly imbossed on it, yes that’s right, a fly also known as mosquito.(Picture Below)

No, the Dutch are not crazy(if that’s what you are thinking). The fly is supposed to have a psychological impact on men who would unconsciously aim for it, thereby keeping the surroundings clean(the dutch are not crazy, just very cleanliness friendly). Schiphol Airport has big shops and supermarkets that are open even to non travelling visitors, it also has a museum inside the airport and also has it’s own mortuary. The Rijksmuseum at the airport, offers a small overview of both classical and contemporary art while the mortuary is used to handle deceased people before departure or after arrival. Since October 2006 people can also get married at Schiphol and go on their honeymoon directly.

Schiphol is one of the few airports in the world that boasts of an iris-scanning biometric system. Frequent fliers who visit the country often and are members of a frequent flier club can quickly go through immgration clearance using only their membership cards and their eyes.(Picture Below)

Schiphol deploys a one terminal concept, where all facilities are located under one single roof. The areas though, are divided into three sections or halls: 1, 2 and 3. To all of these halls, piers or concourses are connected. The airport is also connected to the city metro, that lies below the airport. Passengers can directly board the metro and reach the Central Station from where they can take a bus or tram to their destination.

Catch Schiphol and all it’s action in the pictures below(From Left:A Police Outlet at Schiphol, A Backpacker arriving at Schiphol, The Underground Metro).

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DP Travel: How To Plan a Backpacking Trip Across Europe, Part I

A New Month, A New Day and yes, yet another new start for DelhiPlanet. Welcome to the first post of DP Travel, the one stop shop for all your travel information needs. Beginning today DelhiPlanet is going to bring to you experiences from across the world. The party spots, the exotic locations, the beaches, how to get there, how to plan your trip and much more.

Life is a Journey, Go out and Explore.

On that note let’s start with the inaugral post, where we are gonna tell you everything you need to know about planning A Backpacking Trip Across Europe. Just like Scotty,Cooper, Jenny and Jamie in the movie Eurotrip(shown above, ofcourse you need to much more careful than they were.)

1. Discuss the Idea: Europe may be the second smallest continent on the planet but it is one of the most fascinating lands in the world. Add to that, it’s remarkable infrastructure and unity and you have a perfect place to vacation and enjoy yourself. After all, which other continent do you know of that allows you to travel to more than 10 countries on a single visa and a single currency. A Euro Trip thus becomes a must have experience. So the first step in planning a euro trip, is to discuss this idea with your closest friends. Form a group of 2-4 adventurous,outdoor, travel loving people and start saving up for this once in a lifetime experience.
2. Decide when to visit: The next step is talk about the period of the year when you along with all the people of your group, would be able to spare time for this adventure cum vacation. The best time of the year to visit europe is between May-September. At this time the weather in most places of europe is pleasant and there are a lot of events that one can attend. The events range from pulsating sporting action(Wimbledon, F1 racing) to beer fests(Oktoberfest) and concerts to wild parties (in places like Ibiza). If you’re a delhiite then june is the best time, as it’s hot to be in delhi around that period.
3. Finalize the Countries and Cities: Now comes the most important part of the planning process, deciding on the list of places and cities that you would like to visit. The whole of Europe is quite huge with more than 40 countries and most likely you won’t be able to cover all of them if you’re on leave from work or a short term break. Don’t try to do too many places as then you would only be travelling most of the time. If you are a first time visitor to europe then you might just want to see the schengen states and a few eastern european countries.
4. Work out the Visas that you need to Get: If you’ve reached till here then the chances are that you are quite keen and serious on this trip. So now get ready to apply for the all important visas that could make or break your plan. For Travelling purposes you can think of europe as being divided into 2 parts, Schengen and Non Schengen. The Schengen countries are those which are a part of the Schengen Agreement, for these countries you get a Special Visa using which you can goto any of the schengen states. Currently there are 15 west european countries under schengen with more to be added soon. For the non-schengen states on the other hand, you need to have a separate visa for each place. For Ex: If you wish to travel to germany,netherlands,spain and france just one visa of any of these places is sufficient as they are all schengen states. However if you wish to travel to turkey,bulgaria and poland, then you need to get 3 visas, one for each place. Checkout the schengen office for more information on this.
5. Decide the exact dates and the Travel Itinerary: Next you need to decide on the exact dates of your travel and a detailed travel itinerary. Not only would you need to book your air tickets based on this info, you’ll also need it to get your visa. If you’re taking a break from work, then leave around a weekend so that you can get those 2 days for your journey. Your Travel Itinerary should contain information regarding the country and city that you would be visiting and the number of days at each place.
6. Work out your Budget: A Backpacking trip is actually a budget trip, and since europe is a popular backpacking destination so there aren’t too many problems that you would face with regards to accomodation and transport. So it’s important to work out a suitable budget for the trip and the fun starts when you really have to stay within that budget. A budget trip would involve you staying in a hostel, using public transport at all times and a lot of walking. Although planning and going on a Euro Trip is slightly expensive but it’s the best way to learn the value of money.
7. Start Collecting the Documents required to get your Visa: Now starts the hectic process of applying and getting your visa. This is supposed to be the scrariest and most confusing part, but it’s quite easy if you follow a methodological approach. Start collecting information on the documents needed for a visa of the country you wish to go to. Once all of them are in place, submit your application at the visa application center. If you are in Delhi and need to apply for the visa of a schengen state then goto the VFS site of that country. For Ex: VFS Netherlands if you’re going to Amsterdam,Utrecht or Rotterdam. Similarly there is VFS Belgium if you’re going to brussels, VFS Germany for Munich,Berlin,Frankfurt and so on. Your visa application form needs to be submitted at the appropriate center along with all the required documents. If there exists no VFS branch for the country of your interest then look up the information on that country’s consulate in India.

Well that’s all for Part 1, stay tuned for Part 2. That’s where your plan would become a reality and no one would dare say Scotty Doesn’t Know.

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