<BR>USEFUL INFORMATION:<BR>
GET IN
By plane
The largest air travel hubs in Europe are, in order, London (LON: LCY, LHR, LGW, STN, LTN), Frankfurt (FRA, HHN), Paris (CDG), and Amsterdam (AMS) which in turn have connections to practically everywhere in Europe. However, nearly every European city has direct long-distance flights at least to some destinations elsewhere, and other smaller airports can make sense for specific connections: for example, Vienna (VIE) has a very good network of flights to the Middle East and Eastern Europe, while Helsinki (HEL) is the geographically closest place to transfer if coming in from East Asia.
By train
The Trans-Siberian Railway from Beijing and Vladivostok to Moscow is a classic rail journey.
By ship
It is possible to get in to Europe by passenger or freight (cargo) ship. The Man in Seat 61 is a good starting point. See also Ferries in the Mediterranean.
By thumb
The most easy and cheap way to travel in Europe is Hitchhiking. You can find more information in this site: Hitchhiking in Europe
GET AROUND
There are no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the Schengen Agreement. Likewise, a visa granted for any Schengen Agreement signatory country is valid in all other countries that signed and implemented the treaty.
These countries are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland (voted in, but not yet formalised, nor implemented). Note that not all EU members have signed the Schengen treaty and not all Schengen treaty countries are members of the European Union. At some airports, airlines will still insist on seeing your id-card or passport. Travel to and from a Schengen Agreement country to any other country will result in the normal border checks.
By train
The Inter Rail (for Europeans) and Eurail (for everybody else) passes offer good value if you plan on traveling extensively around Europe (or even a single region) and want more flexibility than cheap plane tickets can offer.
As of 2006, Eurail covers the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Ireland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey.
The most notable omissions compared to Inter Rail are Republic of Macedonia, Morocco, and the United Kingdom.
The most extensive and most reliable train travel planner for all of Europe is the one belonging to the German railways (DB)
By plane
Dozens of budget airlines allow very cheap travel around Europe, often much cheaper than the train or even bus fares for the same journey. Currently the cheapest flights are offered by low cost airlines such as airBerlin, Centralwings, easyJet, HLX, Ryanair, SkyEurope Airlines and WizzAir, with the lowest fares usually found on routes which go to or from cities in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary. All of these flights should be booked on the internet well in advance, otherwise the price advantage may become non-existent. Always compare prices with major carriers like British Airways, LOT or Lufthansa! Only in very few cases prices are higher than € 80 on any airline when booking a month or more ahead of time (except on very long routes e.g. Dublin - Istanbul). You should also make sure where the airport is located, since some low cost airlines name very small airports by the next major city, even if the distance is up to two hours drive by bus (e.g. Ryan- and Wizzair's Frankfurt-Hahn, which is not Frankfurt/Main International)..
Passengers Rights
European Union (EU) Regulation 261/2004 of 17. February 2005 gives certain rights to passenger on all flights, schedule or charter and flights provided as part of a Package Holiday. It only applies to passengers flying from an EU airport or from an airport outside the EU to an EU airport on an EU carrier.
European Airline passengers rights
Denied Boarding
If: you have a valid ticket
you have a confirmed reservation
you have checked in by the deadline given to you by the airline
Then you are entitled to a compensation, which is:
* €250 if the flight is shorter than 1500 km
but only €125 if it is delayed less than 2 hours
* €400 if the flight is between 1500 km and 3500 km
but only €200 if it is delayed less than 3 hours
* €600 if the flight is longer than 3500 km
but only €300 if it is delayed less than 4 hours
and a refund of your ticket (with a free flight back to your initial point of departure, when relevant) or alternative transport to your final destination.
The airline also have to cover the following expenses:
* two telephone calls or emails, telexes or faxes
* meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time.
* hotel accommodation if you are delayed overnight.
Usually they will give you a prepaid phone card, and vouchers for a restaurant and a hotel.
Refund for delayed flight
If your flight is delayed 5 hours or longer you can get a refund of your ticket (with a free flight back to your initial point of departure, when relevant).
By bus
Eurolines connects over 500 destinations, covering the whole of the continent and Morocco. Eurolines allows travelling from Sicily to Helsinki and from Casablanca to Moscow.
Touring (German variant of Eurolines), Sindbad (Polish), Lasta (from Serbia), Linebus (Spanish) and National Express (from the UK) are other options.
For longer distances, travelling by bus often isn't any cheaper than flying with a low cost airline. It's only worth considering if you travel at short notice, have heavy luggage, or are keen on reducing your travel-related CO2 emissions.
By ship
The Baltic sea has several lines running between the major cities (for example Gdansk, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga etc). Most ships are very large, paralleling Caribbean cruise liners in size and in service. This is also true of the Mediterranean Sea where a large number of ferry's and cruise ships operate of the coast of: Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Southern France to Corsica, and across the English channel.
Besides ferry connections to and from the UK and other countries, there are also various ferries on the larger lakes and for crossing rivers. Furthermore, there are several regularly running cruise-lines on the larger rivers like the Rhine or the Danube.
Boating excursions within Europe, particularly along the scenic rivers and between many of the islands in the Mediterranean , are an excellent way to combine travel between locations with an adventure along the way. Accommodations range from very basic to extremely luxurious depending upon the company and class of travel selected.
Travel between the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Scotland is possible through Smyril Line whose fairs can be cheaper than flying.
By thumb
Ridesharing (Carpooling, Hitchhiking) is a common way of travelling in some parts of Europe, especially former Soviet countries. It is a pleasant way to meet lots of people, and travel without spending too many euros. Don't forget to check out the tips for hitchhiking.
"Especially former Soviet countries", in these countries you often will have language problems, don't hitchhik in ex-Yugoslavia for Example from Croatia to Serbia (you could get big problems with nationalists). From Croatia to Slovenia it's no problem. It's better to take train or bus in Moldova and the Ukraine. In western Europe specially in the Netherlands and Germany it's easy and fast to hitchhike (trains and buses are very expensive).
LANGUAGES
There are several linguistic groups widely recognised in Europe. These sometimes (but not always) coincide with cultural and historical connections between the various nations, though in other cases religion is considered a more significant distinguishing factor. Multiligualism and the protection of regional and minority languages are recognised political goals in Europe today. The Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the Council of Europe's European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages set up a legal framework for language rights in Europe.
Romance languages
Romance languages are spoken more or less in south-western Europe, as well as Romania and Moldova which are situated in Eastern Europe. This area consists of: Andorra, Italy, Portugal, France (excluding parts of Nord and Alsace), Spain, Romania, Moldova, French-speaking Belgium (Wallonia, partly Brussels), French-speaking Switzerland (Romandy), Italian-speaking Switzerland, Italian-speaking Croatia (part of Istria), and Romansch-speaking Switzerland. All Romance languages are principally derived from the Roman language, Latin, as designated.
Germanic languages
Germanic languages are spoken more or less in north-western Europe and some parts of central Europe. This region consists of: Norway, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Dutch-speaking Belgium (Flanders, partly Brussels and the German-speaking areas east of Wallonia), Austria, Hungary (the City of Sopron), Slovakia (Bratislava; former "Pressburg"), Liechtenstein, 68-74% of Switzerland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Luxemburg, Poland (areas in Silesia), Pomerania, East Prussia, France (Alsace-Lorraine, and Nord-Pas de Calais), the Swedish-speaking municipalities of Finland, and the Alto Adige and South Tirol in Italy.
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages once stretched across western and central Europe and into Anatolia, but today they are largely limited to the western fringe of the Celtic nations: Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. The Continental Celtic languages, including Gaulish and Celtiberian, died out by the sixth century; only the Insular Celtic languages—the Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Manx) and the Brythonic languages (Welsh, Breton, Cornish)—have survived into modern times.
Slavic languages
Slavic languages are spoken in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. This area consists of: Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, regions of Saxony and Brandenburg in Germany (Sorbs), the Republic of Macedonia, Northern Greece, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the territory of Transnistria, and Ukraine.
Uralic languages
The Uralic languages are divided into three main groups, two of which have representatives in Europe. The Finno-Permic languages are spoken in Finland, Estonia, and parts of Sweden, Norway, Latvia, and European Russia while the Ugric languages are spoken in Hungary and parts of Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Siberian Russia. These two groups comprise the Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic language family.
Turkic languages
Turkic languages are spoken as the main language in Turkey and Azerbaijan and as a minority language in parts of Cyprus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Russia, Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Ukraine, the Caucasus, and in Turkish diaspora communities in several other European countries (most notably Germany, Sweden, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands).
Baltic languages
Baltic languages are spoken in Lithuania and Latvia. Estonia's national language is part of the Finno-Ugric family even though it is a Baltic state geographically.
Other languages
Outside of these seven main linguistic groups one can find:
* The Greek language, one of the oldest European languages spoken in Greece, Cyprus, and parts of Turkey, Albania, Georgia, Armenia and Italy, and in Greek diaspora communities in several other European countries (most notably Germany).
* The Ossetic language, an Iranian language spoken in North Ossetia-Alania and South Ossetia (or Ossetia, a region on the slopes of the Caucasus mountains on the borders of Russia and Georgia).
* The Armenian language, an Indo-European language is spoken in Armenia and around Eastern Europe with a variety of dialects.
* The North Caucasian, a group that includes ethnic groups throughout the Caucasus region (both North and South). North Caucasian languages are divided into two main branches: Northeast Caucasian and Northwest Caucasian. This group includes Abkhaz, Chechens, Ingush, Bats, and a number of other smaller ethnic groups that reside in the Caucasus.
* The South Caucasian, or Kartvelian languages, a group that includes the Georgian language.
* The Maltese language, a heavily Romanticised Semitic language, is spoken in Malta. Unlike other Semitic languages, Maltese is written in the Roman alphabet.
* The Basque language is spoken in the Basque Country, i.e. parts of southern France and northern Spain.
* The Albanian language, which, like the Greek language, forms its own independent branch of the Indo-European language family with no close living relatives. Major Albanian-speaking communities outside Albania live in Kosovo (Serbia), the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, and southern Italy.[27]
* The Mongolic branch of the Altaic phylum is represented in Europe by the Kalmyk language, which is spoken by the Kalmyk people in Kalmykia, a constituent republic of the Russian Federation.
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