InsideOut Travel—Briefs and Tips

New "birds" and locusts descending on an airport—travel is getting downright apocalyptic! Well, don't get apoplectic, there are good deals to be had and some good book projects where you can either read about other travelers or share your own stories. "And when the seventh son of the seventh..." oh, never mind, just enjoy.

Europe from a Backpack
Mark Pearson, a 23-year old business student, came back from his time abroad with some good stories and realized he probably was not the only one with some tales to tell. So, he convinced his professor, Martin Westerman, to co-edit what became “Europe from a Backpack.”

"Budget guidebooks tell you the facts," says Pearson. "This book actually invites you to see, taste and experience Europe's most intriguing sites, from sneaking into Rome's Coliseum to running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain."

The 58 previously unpublished essays take readers on a real backpacking ride through Europe. Although some stories may not impress as much as others, there’s something for everyone—from searching for underwear in Portugal to traveling on a train to the wrong Frankfurt, these stories give readers a taste of what it’s like to be a backpacker.

For anyone thinking about taking off for a while, add this one to your summer’s reading list. And, he's looking for submissions for upcoming titles, so, check it out: more >>

Living in an Easyworld.com
EasyHotel.com wants to meld the best of budget travel and the privacy of a real hotel room. Imagine the barebones comfort of a private dorm room—with a private bath and shower. The first easyHotel is slated for the Lexham Gardens area in London W8. Once the opening date and the date when bookings can be made are known they will be announced at www.easy.com. Each room will contain at least one double bed and will measure at least 90 square feet—starting at £5 GBP but averaging somewhere around £30 GBP ($55 USD) for an overnight stay dependent on extras and booking time. Not only is the Easy franchise targeting other expensive cities like Tokyo and Paris, but officials say that everything from airplane flights (www.easyjet.com) to men’s grooming products (www.easy4men.com) are due to get “easier” soon. Good news for budget travelers, to be sure.

Window Seat Press Looking for Stories
Every traveler has at least one story about a bus ride that was especially exotic, boring, or hellish. Put yours to paper, keep it between 750 and 4,000 words, and, you could earn some money. Multiple story submissions will be accepted—even if you don’t get any stories accepted, think of writing out your (mis)adventures as free therapy. Publication is scheduled for June 2005. See: www.windowseatpress.com/Submissions.htm

Not So Nice in Nice
Every summer, the Nice airport witnesses the arrival of thousands of tourists and the city’s beaches fill up with sun screened visitors. This year, a large group of unexpected guests have invaded the Nice airport.

Although the Italian locusts, or Calliptamus Italicus are not expected to pose any threat to air traffic, the Nice chamber of commerce, which runs the airport, has called in exterminators to get rid of them before they can reproduce.

In October 2000, the airport was paralyzed for nearly five hours when an army of snails marched onto the tarmac, leaving behind slippery secretions that made landings a tricky business. more >>

New Bird in Thai Skies
Thailand's third low-cost carrier, Nok Air, started flying from Bangkok to the northern cities of Udon Thani and Chiang Mai, and the southern city of Hat Yai, on July 23. Nok, which means “bird” in Thai, will offer 20 daily flights until October when it will start service to Phuket.

Thailand is already serviced by two budget carriers. Thai Air Asia, a joint venture between Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia, began flights in February, while One-Two-Go was established last year by Bangkok-based Orient Thai Airlines.

Don’t Leave Home Without It
Leave your debit and credit cards at home, here’s a new and better option: pre-paid travel cards. The card is rechargeable and you can use it like a credit card at stores and hotels, or to pull cash from an ATM.
"This [pre-paid card] isolates your funds for you. If your debit card was stolen, folks have access to your checking account," said Roger Piskos, senior vice president at National City Bank, which sells the Visa TravelMoney card.

Another advantage over debit or credit cards is that travel cards usually offer an emergency travel-assistance hot line. With the card in hand, you’re only a free call away from medical referrals, transportation help, language translation and other services.

American Express TravelFunds cards, which you can load with US dollars, British pounds, or euros, also offers similar protections. As the French song goes: “Le plastique, c’est fantastique.” more >>

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Briefs

Just the Facts

Avoiding Khao San Rd.

Destinations

Eating in Osaka

Shopping for Bamba

Cigarette Smuggler

Lingua Franca

First Lesson in China

A Traveler's Life

Ayun Halliday

Health

Muy Bueno Care

English Spoken Here

Life, Death and Lava

When in Home

Around the World Tix

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	BRIEFS and TIPS

	New "birds" and locusts descending on an airport—travel is getting downright apocalyptic! Well, don't get apoplectic, there are good deals to be had and some good book projects where you can either read about other travelers or share your own stories. "And when the seventh son of the seventh..." oh, never mind, just enjoy. Europe from a Backpack Mark Pearson, a 23-year old business student, came back from his time abroad with some good stories and realized he probably was not the only one with some tales to tell. So, he convinced his professor, Martin Westerman, to co-edit what became “Europe from a Backpack.” "Budget guidebooks tell you the facts," says Pearson. "This book actually invites you to see, taste and experience Europe's most intriguing sites, from sneaking into Rome's Coliseum to running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain." The 58 previously unpublished essays take readers on a real backpacking ride through Europe. Although some stories may not impress as much as others, there’s something for everyone—from searching for underwear in Portugal to traveling on a train to the wrong Frankfurt, these stories give readers a taste of what it’s like to be a backpacker. For anyone thinking about taking off for a while, add this one to your summer’s reading list. And, he's looking for submissions for upcoming titles, so, check it out: more >> Living in an Easyworld.com EasyHotel.com wants to meld the best of budget travel and the privacy of a real hotel room. Imagine the barebones comfort of a private dorm room—with a private bath and shower. The first easyHotel is slated for the Lexham Gardens area in London W8. Once the opening date and the date when bookings can be made are known they will be announced at www.easy.com. Each room will contain at least one double bed and will measure at least 90 square feet—starting at £5 GBP but averaging somewhere around £30 GBP ($55 USD) for an overnight stay dependent on extras and booking time. Not only is the Easy franchise targeting other expensive cities like Tokyo and Paris, but officials say that everything from airplane flights (www.easyjet.com) to men’s grooming products (www.easy4men.com) are due to get “easier” soon. Good news for budget travelers, to be sure. Window Seat Press Looking for Stories Every traveler has at least one story about a bus ride that was especially exotic, boring, or hellish. Put yours to paper, keep it between 750 and 4,000 words, and, you could earn some money. Multiple story submissions will be accepted—even if you don’t get any stories accepted, think of writing out your (mis)adventures as free therapy. Publication is scheduled for June 2005. See: www.windowseatpress.com/Submissions.htm				Not So Nice in Nice Every summer, the Nice airport witnesses the arrival of thousands of tourists and the city’s beaches fill up with sun screened visitors. This year, a large group of unexpected guests have invaded the Nice airport. Although the Italian locusts, or Calliptamus Italicus are not expected to pose any threat to air traffic, the Nice chamber of commerce, which runs the airport, has called in exterminators to get rid of them before they can reproduce. In October 2000, the airport was paralyzed for nearly five hours when an army of snails marched onto the tarmac, leaving behind slippery secretions that made landings a tricky business. more >> New Bird in Thai Skies Thailand's third low-cost carrier, Nok Air, started flying from Bangkok to the northern cities of Udon Thani and Chiang Mai, and the southern city of Hat Yai, on July 23. Nok, which means “bird” in Thai, will offer 20 daily flights until October when it will start service to Phuket. Thailand is already serviced by two budget carriers. Thai Air Asia, a joint venture between Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia, began flights in February, while One-Two-Go was established last year by Bangkok-based Orient Thai Airlines. Don’t Leave Home Without It Leave your debit and credit cards at home, here’s a new and better option: pre-paid travel cards. The card is rechargeable and you can use it like a credit card at stores and hotels, or to pull cash from an ATM. "This [pre-paid card] isolates your funds for you. If your debit card was stolen, folks have access to your checking account," said Roger Piskos, senior vice president at National City Bank, which sells the Visa TravelMoney card. Another advantage over debit or credit cards is that travel cards usually offer an emergency travel-assistance hot line. With the card in hand, you’re only a free call away from medical referrals, transportation help, language translation and other services. American Express TravelFunds cards, which you can load with US dollars, British pounds, or euros, also offers similar protections. As the French song goes: “Le plastique, c’est fantastique.” more >> Send us the vaguest outline of any newsworthy tidbit you've heard or the link to a story (we'll include your name if we use it), to: editor@insideoutmag.com You can also send news items or press releases the address below: InsideOut Travel 815 Page St. #4 San Francisco, CA 94117 << home
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