Tips Archives - My Travels: the hard truth https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/category/tips-en/ by Giulia Lamarca Thu, 17 Sep 2020 11:37:36 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.3 166387044 Tikitis https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/tikitis-en/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tikitis-en https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/tikitis-en/#respond Thu, 17 Sep 2020 08:43:10 +0000 https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/?p=16061 Tikitis is the new search engine for education, training and sport and in this article I really want to tell you about this new reality.

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TIKITIS

“The new search engine for education, training and sport”

tikitis

Have you ever had to look for something and not be able to find it easily?
Of getting lost on the Internet without being able to reach the information you want?
Have you ever been in a new city and want to do sports and just do not know where to do it?
Or of having to choose a school or a course but not being able to have all the information you need?

To date, it is said that with the internet we can find any information, but in reality sometimes it has become really difficult.
To me it is something that happens very often.

Months ago I had the opportunity to meet Tikitis, a company that really wants to solve this difficulty and wants to allow everyone to find correct information through its portal.

In this article I really want to talk to you about this reality and why we have chosen to collaborate with them.

Who is TIKITIS

TIKITIS is a search engine that helps you find a school, a course, a sporting activity to do in your city and find detailed information on them.

Tikitis is a mediator between the user and the company and aims to help you understand and make the best choice for your future.

Each school and activity on the portal has a descriptive sheet that allows you to find all the information you need to be able to choose the path and activity that is right for you.

Tikitis is active from kindergartens to schools, high school up to universities, evening schools and many specialized courses such as cooking, art, theater, music, languages, fashion courses are also present on the portal.

Why joining Tikitis?
The true question is why not!

Joining Tikitis allows you to take advantage of many active offers for both school and sports courses.

Furthermore, registration is free for users.

As travelers, a search engine that allows us to move better in the city we do not know is a great advantage.
Imagine you want to go for a tennis match in a city where you don’t even know where the historic center is, imagine the sports fields.

Thanks to Tikitis you can both find it and understand if it is suitable for your needs and you can also take advantage of some discounts if it is active.

TIKITIS put INCLUSION at its core

The decision to partner with Tikitis and to write this article arose from their ability to think and include everyone.

Many times, when it comes to search engines, schools and sports, the same companies forget and do not pay attention to providing useful information for people with disabilities and special needs.

Even when this information can be found online, it is very often incomplete, incorrect or of little use.

When we spoke with Tikitis, they immediately told us: “We would like to have particular attention on this issue and also provide information on the accessibility and feasibility of places and schools or sports companies on our portal”.

This stance made us fall in love with their idea, because nowadays it is increasingly difficult to find real information on the accessibility of a place.

We will try some places and activities together with Tikitis and we will take you with us, to let you know how they work “in the field” and let you discover all the advantages.

Meanwhile, you can browse their platform by clicking HERE and let me know what you think HERE

See you soon in the next article.

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]]> https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/tikitis-en/feed/ 0 16061 Interrail https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/interrail-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=interrail-2 https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/interrail-2/#respond Wed, 26 Feb 2020 15:30:27 +0000 https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/?p=15264 Interrail ... one of our favorite trips! Here is a HOW-TO-USE guide for Interrail starting from your questions! Have a nice trip!

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INTERRAIL

INTERRAIL GUIDE

Here we are…

You will probably already know everything about this trip because we made a (almost) daily vlog and in case you missed it, HERE is the first episode of Vienna.

In this article we want to talk to you about why we did an Interrail (three times), give you some useful and practical information on how to organize your trip. If instead of reading, you prefer to listen and “see” our advice, watch our video above! (Italian only, sorry…)

This year we collaborated with Interrail who provided us with tickets for our adventure because we believe this is one of the most fun and low-cost ways to visit Europe, as a couple, with friends and even with family.

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PRACTICAL GUIDE

What is Interrail?

The Interrail is a train ticket valid in 33 countries in Europe which will therefore allow you to travel freely throughout Europe.

There are two main tickets:

  • Global Pass: valid throughout Europe
  • One Country Pass: valid in only one Country

How much does Interrail cost?

Costs vary based on age, duration of your Pass and travel class.

An example?

7 travel days available within 1 month for an under-28 in 2nd class: € 251

15 consecutive travel days for an adult in 2nd class: € 443

There are really many combinations of trips and days available, so I recommend you look directly on the SITE for the Pass that best suits your next holiday!

 

7 travel days within 1 month? What does it mean?

Since the ticket is valid on all trains and throughout Europe, it does not count the number of trains you will take, but the travel days.

A travel day is from midnight to midnight and during this time you can take an unlimited number of trains.

So in this example you will have, within a month of time, 7 travel days during which you can take all the trains you want.

Can everyone do it?

Yes, there are no age limits.

There are different age groups and different discounts.

  • Youth: 12-27 years old
  • Adults: 28-59 years old
  • Children: 4-11 years old
  • Senior: 60+ years old

Children up to 4 years travel for free (but be careful when booking as it is sometimes necessary).

Children (4-11 years) can only buy the pass together with an adult Pass and each adult can bring up to a maximum of 2 children for free.

Reservations are required?

Reservations are not usually required, but be careful! Reservations are required on some trains.

For example, on high-speed, night and international trains, reservations are almost always required and have an additional cost!

How much does the booking cost?

When requested, the booking has a variable cost based on the route and type of train.

It starts from a few euros up to a maximum of about € 100 for the sleeping long-distance night trains in first class.

On average we paid about € 10 for reservations.

How do I make the reservation?

To check the trains, understand if a reservation is required and make a reservation, I recommend downloading the Interrail app.

You can download it here:

IPHONE iOS

ANDROID

It is very easy to use, it also works offline and you will have all the information you need to organize your trip independently.

Alternatively, you can make a reservation at the station ticket offices.

However, you can only buy a ticket for national trains or trains departing from that Country.

For example, you cannot book a train that leaves from Germany and arrives in France if you are in Denmark.

How do you fill in the Interrail?

It is really easy! You just have to write the day and month of travel, the city of departure and destination together with the time.

Then you must present the Pass and the document you used to request it to the ticket inspector when requested.

Do night trains count as 2 travel days?

No, even if you leave and arrive the next day, night trains count as one travel day as long as you leave after 7 p.m. and arrive after 4 a.m. the following morning. Otherwise you will be forced to report two days of travel.

Are there other discounts included in the Interrail?

Yes, with Interrail you can access other discounts and discounted rates.

I recommend you read this page for all the detailed information.

 

What are the advantages of visiting Europe by train instead of by plane?

We have asked ourselves many times, and even if the plane is faster on paper, you must always add the waiting times, the time to reach the airport, possible damage or misadjustments with wheelchairs …

In short… if we talk about Europe, very often the train is the fastest, cheapest and the greenest solution!!

You can read the information in more detail HERE

ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ON TRAINS

Unfortunately, I must admit that it is not always easy to request assistance to board the train or reserve an equipped seat during an interrail.

Difficulties:

  • sometimes ticket-office staff cannot assign a specific seat at the time of booking or cannot “see” the available seats.
  • from the APP it is not possible to report or book assistance.
  • on trains without a reservation, it would be necessary to contact assistance a few days before, which makes it a bit of a contradiction with the “adventurous spirit” of Interrail.

Fortunately, especially in northern European countries, many trains have a platform built into the train used directly by the train staff.

This makes the climb very quick, even without the station staff.

In addition, the staff is always very willing to “block” (if available) the equipped seats as soon as you get on board.

So I suggest you find the equipped car by looking for the wheelchair symbol on the side of the train and go there.

If, on the other hand, you have to have assistance, you must contact the ticket office to request assistance for all your trains. I am not sure about the timing, since each Country has its own regulations, but I would certainly recommend you at least 24 hours in advance.

We have already reported these difficulties to Interrail and I want to clarify that it is not an Interrail problem, but it is currently impossible to integrate and communicate with all national and private railways in Europe from an external APP and that is why at the moment it is still a bit difficult to plan the trip when a person needs assistance at the station.

PERSONAL ADVICES

1) “Accessible” itinerary

If you have a disability or in general need assistance, I recommend an Interrail to northern Europe.

Where?

Austria, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium are certainly the Countries where we have found a better railway service, comfortable and cleaner trains, often we have seen the lift integrated into the train.

2) “Beginner” itinerary

For those who want to experience Interrail for the first time, but are an inexperienced traveler or with a limited budget, we recommend the One Country Pass formula, which will therefore give you free access to trains in one Country only.

It is simpler because the routes will be shorter, generally without a reservation and it will be easier to organize your trip.

3) Recommended itinerary

We actually would know what to recommend, because it depends a lot on what you want to see and what your travel style is.

You can make a touch and get away and then travel almost every day by visiting many cities or moving less, making longer routes to better taste the capitals of Europe.

We have always booked our trip and our destinations on-the-road, occasionally changing the route because we had not found a seat on the train or we slept on the seats to save money for a few nights.

CONCLUSIONS

There are really a lot of combinations that you can experiment with and it’s a fun way to explore Europe with friends or making friends along the way.

Let me know your experiences and tag me in your photos around Europe with Interrail.

See you soon and the next article.

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]]> https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/interrail-2/feed/ 0 15264 Where to eat in Singapore https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/where-to-eat-in-singapore/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=where-to-eat-in-singapore https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/where-to-eat-in-singapore/#respond Thu, 26 Sep 2019 10:00:39 +0000 https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/?p=15417 Where to eat in Singapore? Are you in Singapore looking for a restaurant, a street food or a nightclub? Read here and find out where to eat in Singapore.

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WHERE TO EAT IN SINGAPORE

Not sure where to eat in Singapore? Are you trying to understand what to eat in Singapore or which are the best restaurants in Singapore? Or are you more street food people?

Here we are in one of the articles I wrote with more pleasure!! Before starting, I recommend you read my Singapore article HERE in case you have not already, to get an overview and a clearer idea of the city and watch my video on YouTube below.

You must know that one of the things we love most about our travels is trying typical foods and restaurants in every city we visit!!

We love both looking for the most famous and acclaimed restaurants by other travelers, and wandering and discovering ours.

Singapore has a very high variety of food and restaurants to offer. You can choose from street food to starred restaurant and even 5 stars street food, if you really don’t know how to choose!!

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I highlighted the neighborhood or area so that you can orient yourself better and I divided them according to category. I hope this list can be your starting point for a culinary tour through the streets of Singapore.

  1. Street Food
  2. Restaurants
  3. Night Life
  4. Romantic Restaurants and Chic Places
  5. Pastry and Sweets

STREET FOOD IN SINGAPORE

  • Yum Cha: perfect for dumplings in Chinatown

  • Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant: the best place to eat real dumplings! Close to Little India
  • ChinaTown Complex and ChinaTown Street Markets: not only cheap Chinese street food
  • Telok Ayer Market: in the heart of Downtown stands this hawker center, perfect for a traditional lunch at the foot of the skyscrapers.
  • Tiong Bahru Market: another hawker center and a market on the ground floor.

RESTAURANTS IN SINGAPORE

  • Little Farms: they are small places that I found in a subway station that sell green and healthy food. Useful if you want to change a little.
  • Maccha House: Japanese cuisine inside the Orchard Central shopping center.
  • Liang seah street: a street in front of Bugis Junction full of clubs and restaurants… you have to come here.
  • Man Fu Yuan Restaurant: is a Chinese restaurant inside the Intercontinental hotel at Bugis Junction. The place is very nice, more expensive than the average, but well worth it. I particularly recommend dishes with shellfish: they are really delicious
  • Eng Hoon street: a nice street near the Tiong Bahru Market, full of restaurants. We ate at Merci Marcel, a really good French restaurant.

ROMANTIC RESTAURANTS AND CHIC PLACES

  • Spago, on the top floor of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, open to all, will allow you to enjoy the view from both sides of the hotel, therefore from both the bay side and the city side. I recommend it more as a bar for an aperitif than as a restaurant and, despite the exclusive location, the prices are still in the average of the other places. You better reserve a table!
  • Sunset dinner at Mount Faber: if you are looking for a place to have a romantic dinner you can take the cable car near the Vivocity station for Sentosa which will take you to the top of Mount Faber, the hill overlooking Singapore. They say that watching the sunset from here is fabulous.
  • Dinner on the Singapore Flyer: yes, you can have dinner while you rotate over the city on one of the highest panoramic wheels in the world. You will have two laps available (for a total of one hour), but hurry up because places are limited and you must necessarily book at least 24 hours in advance.
  • TWG Tea House: it is the most famous tea house in Singapore. It has a mold and a typically English appearance, but it is originally from Singapore and they are very proud of it!! There are tons of outlets and selling points around the city. Obviously to try for the 5 o’clock tea. Be careful though because there are some teas that cost more than 100 euros!!

NIGHT LIFE IN SINGAPORE

  • Clarke Quay: the best place if you are looking for nightlife. It is an entire complex of clubs and restaurants that comes alive and colors at night. You can find dishes from all over the world in a few meters and it is perfect for drinking even late at night!!
  • Haji Lane: perfect for an after dinner drink.
  • Another perfect area for after dinner is between Club street and Ann Siang Hill, right next to ChinaTown.

PASTRY AND SWEETS IN SINGAPORE

  • Flor Patisserie: recommended directly by a local girl, it is the perfect place to eat cakes and desserts near Chinatown.
  • Tong Heng Delicacies: if you are in Chinatown and prefer more traditional desserts, you can try this other pastry to tease yourself with new, small and delicate desserts.
  • Local kids also recommended Toast Box. There are not only toast, although of course it is their main course, and you can find them everywhere around, often in shopping centers. Recommended for a mid-morning breakfast or a quick lunch during your city tour.
  • Lady M: by now you know my passion for sweets and therefore I also recommend you to go to Lady M and take a slice of her iconic crepes puff cake. Good, but don’t go overboard!
  • If you visit Southern Ridges, they advised us to get an ice cream from Creamier Handcrafted, where, apparently, they make an excellent homemade ice cream.

CONCLUSIONS

Now do you understand why I decided to write a separate article on where to eat in Singapore? These are just some of the restaurants and places to eat in Singapore that we have tried or we recommend!

Now let me know yours HERE and tell me where and what you ate and, above all, I want your advice on where to eat in Singapore and all the comments on strange food and drinks that you have tried!

See you soon and the next article…

locali ad emerald hill road, singapore
ravioli cinesi a singapore
hawker center a singapore
dove mangiare a singapore, chinatown
dove mangiare a singapore
Giulia Lamarca guarda il menu di Lady M, Singapore

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]]> https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/where-to-eat-in-singapore/feed/ 0 15417 Accessible beaches in Italy https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/accessible-beaches-in-italy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=accessible-beaches-in-italy https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/en/accessible-beaches-in-italy/#respond Tue, 30 Jul 2019 12:09:28 +0000 https://www.mytravelsthehardtruth.com/?p=15990 In this short guide, we will deal with some tips to survive the summer heat and where to spend your holidays by the sea!
Read my article, preferably under the beach umbrella!

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ACCESSIBLE BEACHES IN ITALY

ELENCO DELLE SPIAGGE ACCESSIBILI

Hello everyone!
Many of you have asked me about accessible beaches in Italy and here is a small list. Some visited in person others confirmed by you!
To plan a vacation you need to have some information. That’s why a list of accessible beaches in Italy turns out to be an essential tool!

Don’t know where to go? Have you already booked but have no ideas of which beaches are accessible? In short, this article wants to give you the opportunity to plan your days of relaxation and fun by the sea!

August begins to approach and with it everyone’s desire to stop working and take a nice swim in the sea approaches.

So we all just want to hear about sun, beach and sea salt.

LIST OF ACCESSIBLE BEACHES IN ITALY

  • Sardegna
    • LITORALE IL POETTO Lungomare il Poetto Cagliari (CA)
  • Sicilia
    • OPEN SEA Via del Marinaio d’Italia Milazzo (ME)
  • Toscana
    • BAGNO MODERNO Lungomare Leopoldo II di Lorena Marina di Grosseto (GR)
    • SPIAGGIA TANGRAM Viale Italia Follonica (GR)
  • Puglia
    • LIDO PIZZO Contrada Pizzo Gallipoli (LE)
  • Marche
    • SPIAGGE DI NUMANA Viale A. Morelli Numana (AN)
  • Liguria
    • SPIAGGIA 20 RIVIERA Via Aurelia Finale Ligure (SV)
  • Lazio
    • STABILIMENTO ELMI Lungomare Paolo Toscanelli Lido di Ostia (RM)
    • VOGLIA DI MARE CENTRO FERIE SALVATORE Lungomare Europa San Felice Circeo (LT)
  • Friuli-Venezia Giulia
    • SABBIADORO 19 Lungomare Trieste Lignano Sabbiadoro (UD)
    • GABBIANO Lungomare Trieste Lignano Sabbiadoro (UD)
    • AUSONIA Lungomare Trieste Lignano Sabbiadoro (UD)
  • Emilia-Romagna
    • BAGNO EGISTO 38 Viale Giuliano Dati Rimini (RN)
  • Campania
    • BAGNO VARCA D’ORO Via Orsa Maggiore Castel Volturno (NA)
  • Veneto
    • SPIAGGIA DI NEMO di Jesolo (grazie Betty per il consiglio!!)
      It has a central walkway, deckchairs and raised beds, a lift and a J.O.B. chair, an accessible bathroom and ample parking. All free too!

MANY OTHER BEACHES

These are just some of the many accessible beaches,
I have decided to report here those seen by me or those seen by some of you.

HERE I put you the full list made by Heyoka that you can easily download and view while traveling.
So immediately put this “marine Bible” in your cloud and always carry it with you because in August a swim in the sea should not be denied to anyone!

In any case, I await numerous comments and advice to expand our list of accessible beaches in Italy and why not… even abroad!

If we all put in a little effort, we could have a very long and well-stocked list in a short time!

Write me HERE so I can update this list!

What do you need to get along at the beach with a disability

Obviously, if this article can help you go to the beach, I would also like to help you by telling you which small portable aids you might find useful for your vacation.


Some tips before going to the beach

The wheelchair is really the enemy on the beach.

The wheels sink and it seems to be on quicksand and it will be practically impossible to move independently, so from my experience in the field, I tell you that your best friend will be the mat.

With the beach mattress you can do many things, for example it can help you when the beds are not soft enough, when the sand burns too much and, last but not least, also in the sea (which is obviously the real reason why they put in trade this magical tool).

Double cushion case

For anyone who uses a pressure relief cushion with any cover, it’s a classic to stay on the wet cover after getting out of the water.
Well… it won’t do your B-side any good so change it if it gets too wet after a bath.

Do not leave the wheelchair in the sun, because, guys, after a while the fiber carbon and metal burn and you risk getting pretty burns if you don’t realize it! Certified by me, as usual I try them all to get hurt!

But also to put the wheelchair in the shade, if you have to leave it too far away, I recommend that you have a chain to tie it.
So get ready to tie the wheelchair under the umbrella!

Trust is good, but don’t trust is better …

Inevitable and necessary… wipes to clean the wheels full of sand.

Speaking of more serious accessories, for those who have an electronic wheelchair, it could be useful to equip yourselves with a small portable ramp during the holidays to counteract the smaller steps.

Some other means of aid can be electric wheels to help you push around.

RESORT ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYONE

This remains one of the most popular questions you ask me… to date I have only one answer, I hope with time to be able to provide you with a list.

The resort I know today is Battipaglia.

I leave you the link here to be able to go and visit www.sunriseresort.it

Please write to me HERE to tell me all the accessible resorts, hotels, villages and holiday homes you have visited! This list will be really useful to many!

HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAYS

This nice guide to countering the heat ends here, hoping to have made you laugh but at the same time helped.
I await your comments, let’s hope that by next August we will have covered at least all of Italy.

See you soon in the next article!

Icons made by Dimitry Miroliubov from www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC 3.0 BY

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