Travel Tips – Culturista Life

10 Best Destinations for your Easter Holidays

13 Feb 201913 Feb 2019Posted in Travel TipsTagged destinations, easter, LondonLeave a comment

The Easter holidays are coming up and with many having days off, they look for the best destinations for a quick trip. Any city you visit in Europe is a good choice, but the following destinations are the best and most popular ones for that time of spring.

1.Budapest, Hungary

If you want to relax during your Easter holidays, then visit Budapest. Besides the beautiful buildings all around the city, you can visit the Széchenyi or Gellért Thermal Baths. The city is known for its thermal baths and during the night you can even party in some of them.

Where to go: Parliament, Széchenyi Baths, Chain Bridge, Danube Cruise

2. Berlin, Germany

The weather is getting warmer in Berlin, and it is ideal for someone to explore this beautiful city on foot without freezing. You can explore the parks, walk around town and of course go shopping. At night, you can visit the local bars or restaurants, as well as the clubs. Berlin is famous for its unique and all-style clubs. But before visiting, check the entry requirements.

Where to go: Reichstag, Museum Island, Berliner Dom, Berlin Wall

3. Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon is magical in the summer, but also incredibly hot. It would be much better to visit in spring and fully enjoy what the city has to offer.

Where to go: Torre de Belem, Tram 28, Alfama, Bairro Alto

4. London, United Kingdom

Similar to Berlin, London is such a big city with so many things to see, that is better to visit during warmer months. It is probably the best time to visit since the pound has dropped and everything is a bit more affordable. Prepare your tour plan carefully, so you do not end up going in circles, as I did.

Where to go: Warner Bros Studio Tour, Piccadilly Circus, London Eye, Big Ben, Kensington Gardens

5. Barcelona, Spain

One of the most popular destinations in Europe right now. Barcelona´s visitors keep increasing by the year and in combination with the perfect weather and delicious seafood it is a must city to visit.

Where to go: Güell Park, Gothic Quarter, Church of the Sacred Family

6. Prague, Czech Republic

A gorgeous historical city for a weekend. The incredible architecture, along with the castles and palaces, will give you a fairytale vibe. The Old Town is not particularly big, so in order to fully enjoy it, you should explore it on foot.

Where to go: Charle’s Bridge, Old Town, Astronomical Clock, Kostel Panny Marie Pred Tynem

7. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I can give you so many reasons to visit Amsterdam, but you are probably already convinced. Besides the great weather all year long, Amsterdam will amaze you with its unique culture and artistic vibe.

Where to go: Red Light District, the Canals, the Van Gogh Museum, the Royal Palace

8. Athens, Greece

The capital of history is ideal to visit in the spring since the weather is at its best. The graphic alleys of Plaka, the country´s deep history, the excellent food and the sights will definitely not disappoint you.

Where to go: Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

9. Rome, Italy

The city that you will go back to. Rome is one of the best destinations for April and May since the weather is great. That will allow you to go around and enjoy all the sights and get some amazing pictures.

Where to go: Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Pantheon

10. Vienna, Austria

It is not random that Vienna is one of the best cities in the world to live in. The cutting-edge art scene, the enchanting nature and unique architecture make Vienna an experience you cannot miss.

Where to go: Schonbrunn Palace, Belvedere Museum, MuseumsQuartier, Hofburg – Imperial Palace

15 Must-Have Travel Apps

5 Feb 20195 Feb 2019Posted in Travel TipsTagged free, travelapps, traveltipsLeave a comment

Convenience is everything. With phones being the ´´extension´´ of our hands we are always on the look for new apps that will make our lives much easier. Travelling can also be a pain, as you may have a problem finding the right transportation, ATM or pharmacy or creating the best itinerary. These next free apps will help you get organized for your next trip.

1. Visit A City

The BEST app for creating your own itinerary. You simply choose the city you want to visit, add all the sights you want to see and the app will create a timeline of the best route for you based on your starting point (hotel or airport). The app also has basic information about currency, food, transportation and other tips of each city. What makes it even more convenient is that you can download your completed plan and use it offline or use it from your computer.

2. Uber

The top app for getting a safe ride. You write your current location and desired destination, and then all available uber taxis around you will appear. You choose the one you want, and then you complete your payment.

The app is great to use since it is fast, reliable, cheaper than regular taxis and most of all safe. You just create an account, pay and receive a receipt at the end.

3. World Around Me

Probably one of the best apps you will need during your trip, especially if you visit a new place. First of all, you need to add the city you are in or simply open your GPS.

The app will find your location and then you can check the categories and find what it is you are looking for, such as restaurants, bars, banks, ATMs, parks, museums, art galleries, petrol stations, hotels, all means of transportation, doctors, hospitals as well as churches and shopping malls.

Once you have selected what you want to find, hold your camera at eye level and the choices around you will pop up, showing you the distance of anything you need to find.

4. XE Currency

An app that should always be in your phone, especially if you are a frequent traveler, which provides you with reliable exchange rates. XE Currency is perfect for shopping and other expenses you are in a country that has a different currency.

5. WiFi Map

Free wifi for all. Wherever you travel, you can avoid some extra charges on your roaming. The app offers more than 100.000.000 free wifis in locations in America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Russia, and Africa, with their passwords and other comments.

6. SitOrSquat

When you visit a city and go around all day, you may find yourself looking for a public bathroom to use quite often. Everybody would prefer to find a clean bathroom as well. This app locates for you public bathrooms around you. The ones with green are the ´Sit´ ones, that are clean and recommended for you to visit. The less attractive toilettes are the “Squat” ones and colored with red.

7. Volo – Your Travel Journal

If you love organizing your trips and keep your memories in one place, while sharing it with others, then check out this app. While keeping a detailed itinerary of your travels, you can check what other travelers did on the same destination. The app is perfect for those you want to know hidden gems and get inspired by how others experience their travels.

8. Flush

Another bathroom finding app. What differs it from SitOrSquat is the fact that Flush is for people with certain needs or preferences, such as mums that look for changing tables or people that seek a more eco-friendly bathroom.

9. PackPoint travel packing list

For those organization freaks, PackPoint is the app for you. You have everything you will need for your trip in an app, so you never forget a thing. Making a packing list can take the stress of you, save you time and it will be less likely to forget necessities. The app has ready-to-go templates with any weather, occasion, and items.

10. Time Out

The ultimate guide for any city you visit. The Time Out app and website let you know about current events, what to do and where to eat in each city. You can also find out everything you need to know about hotels, sights, and nightlife.

11. Citymapper

The winning-award app for transportation. Accurate and easy to use. It will show you the best route depending on traffic, time and fee. The only negative is that it cannot be used in many cities yet. Among a few more, you can use it when visiting London, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Milan, Barcelona, New York, Los Angeles, and Mexico.

12. GoEuro

A very useful app for those that want to know the cheapest option for the next travel. You simply add your destination and the app will show you the prices and timetables of buses, trains and planes, allowing you to instantly compare prices and hours of travel. You can book your tickets and either print them or download them in your phone.

13. OpenTable

An online restaurant reservation service, that allows you to book tables online in any restaurant you want based on cuisine, price range, date and number of people. By booking a table online, you know you will skip any waiting lines or the impossible task of going around looking for a decent restaurant.

14. Prey Anti-Theft

Secure all your devices (laptop, tablet, phone) and protect your data. In case your phone is stolen, you can easily track it or even delete all your files so no one else has access to it. Most features are not free, but you can find a basic package without any charge.

15.Translate voice

Instant translation of any conversation. The app makes it so easy for you to communicate with locals from different countries.

5 Things you Should Avoid Touching in a Hotel Room

25 Jan 201925 Jan 2019Posted in Travel TipsTagged hotel, traveltipsLeave a comment

5 items you must not touch in a hotel room when you travel and you arrive at your hotel, you expect everything to be clean and pretty much perfect. Or at the very least to look decent. But you can never know how truly clean a hotel room is unless you have cleaned it yourself.

The truth is that hotels rooms are not really clean. If you have high cleaning standards, then you will definitely be disappointed. Cleaning services cannot spend over a specific amount of time in each hotel room (30 minutes). Just know you have every right to ask for someone to clean your room again, in case you find hair in the bathroom or stained sheets.

No matter what, there will always be some things that are filthy and full of bacteria since they are probably never cleaned.

Remote Control: Imagine thousands of people before you going to the bathroom without washing their hands and then touching the remote control. Statistically, the TV control has one of the highest contamination percentages of bacteria and possible infections, such as E-coli, than anything else in the room.

Light Switches: Same as the remote, it is a room item that everybody will touch during their stay. It is the first thing you open you enter a room and the last thing before you leave, and that is the reason why it is considered to be one of the most contaminated items in a hotel room.

Door knobs: Bathroom door knob? That was your first thought, right? Nope. Actually, the bathroom doorknob is the safest and most clean one to touch. When people usually come out of the bathroom, they have either washed their hands or had a bath. All the other doorknobs, however, have NEVER been cleaned before. Although they may not look dirty, they really are filthy.

Glasses and coffee cups: It has been found that maids, only rinse the glasses and cups and put them back to their place. They might be washed once per week or month. Definitely making it the most disgusting item in a hotel room. There are always exceptions, such as five-star hotels. Let´s hope.

Floor: By far, the dirtiest part of your hotel room. What happens is that the maids have one cleaning mop for all the rooms. So basically, without knowing it, they transfer bacteria from one room to another. Your room floor will never be clean since it has all the dirt from all the other rooms in the hotel.

What to do:

1. Use antiseptic wipes for the door knobs and remote. Many say it is better to wrap the remote in a plastic bag and use it without touching it at all.

2. Do not use any glass, plate or cup in the room. Bring your own bottles of water and order your coffee from the hotel bar.

3. Always have slippers with you in order to walk on the floor or even better shower with them. The best choice would be an extremely cheap pair of slippers (1-2 euros) that you can use once and then throw them out.