Travel Tips » Transportation

Give way rules are changing in New Zealand

Vi — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:00:05 +0000

There are road rule changes if you are planning trip to New Zealand this year. You probably heard about right-hand rule in New Zealand. From 5am on 25 March 2012 this rule will be obsolete. The new rule will be in force: vehicles turning left will then have right of way over those turning right. This applies at cross roads, T-intersections and driveways where both vehicles are facing each other with no signs or signals, or the same signs or signals.

On NZ Transport Agency website you can find details of new rules, illustrations and explanations. Hopefully it will reduce confusion for tourists travelling in NZ and it will be less accidents on roads of New Zealand.

Give way rules are changing in New Zealand is a post from: Travel Tips

Where to buy train ticket in India

Vi — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:00:59 +0000

Train in India

You most likely will use train if you are planning trip to India. I should disappoint you if you are hoping to get train tickets when you’ll be in India. It is better to buy tickets in advance ff you want your trip to be without hassle. During my preparation I find out that tickets on some routes were sold out even two months in advance. So don’t wait till last minute.
The next question: where to buy these tickets? There is railway tickets reservation system (IRCTC) funded by Indian Government but is not very user friendly. Also you need to have Indian phone number as otherwise you won’t be able to register there.
The best site to make your tickets reservation is Cleartrip which is created with IRCTC association but looks much easier to use and there more search options which helps you faster to find tickets you need.
I hope this will help your trip planning and enjoy India.

Where to buy train ticket in India is a post from: Travel Tips

New Zealand departure tax [2012 update]

Vi — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:00:43 +0000

I am glad to announce that travellers will have less departure tax to pay in New Zealand airports in 2012 comparing with last year, so travel experience to New Zealand is getting less annoying. In the second half of last year Dunedin airport joined Auckland and Christchurch airports and replaced departure fee passenger service charge (PSC) of $12.78 each way which is now included in ticket price.

At the moment four airports (Queenstown, Hamilton, Rotorua and Wellington) still have departure taxes you need to pay in airport “to receive a cheerful little sticker on their boarding pass”(*). Here is table with current departure tax at airports in New Zealand (in yellow color are marked changes from previous year):

Name of Airport	Arrival fee NZ$	Departure fee NZ$	Where to pay
Auckland airport	12.50	12.50	included in ticket price
Christchurch airport	12.50	12.50	included in ticket price
Dunedin airport	12.78	12.78	included in ticket price
Hamilton airport	-	25.00	at airport
Queenstown airport	-	25.00	at airport
Rotorua airport	-	25.00	at airport
Wellington airport	-	25.00	at airport

As you can see from this table your total payable tax can go up to $NZ37.78 if you are arriving to Dunedin ($NZ12.78 passenger services charge) and departing from Wellington ($NZ25.00 departure fee). But if you are doing opposite your total taxes would be only $NZ12.50, i.e. arriving to Wellington ($NZ0.00 passenger services charge) and departing from Christchurch($NZ12.50 passenger services charge). For one person may be it is not big saving, but for families or frequent fliers it can make difference.

Also you should know that at Hamilton and Rotorua airports there are domestic departure tax too, not only international departure fees. You need to pay a $5 departure fee on domestic services out of these airports.

* quotation from Wellington airport website http://www.wellington-airport.co.nz/html/airportinfo/charges.php

New Zealand departure tax [2012 update] is a post from: Travel Tips

What is a road train

Vi — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:01:56 +0000

You probably already heard about road trains if you are planning go to Australia. But as always it is better to see once then thousand times to read about it.
But lets start from other countries before heading to Australia.
In the United States, trucks are limited to two trailers (the length limit is 19.2m (63 ft) end to end) on public roads. In less populous states it is allowed three trailers.
In Finland, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and some selected roads in Norway trucks with trailers are allowed to be 25.25 m (82.8 ft) long. Elsewhere in the European Union, the limit is 18.75 m (61.5 ft).
In Canada road trains (or Long Combination Vehicles) may be up to 38 m (125 ft).
But largest and heaviest road-legal vehicles in the world are in Australia.

53.5 metres (175.5ft). That’s the maximum allowable length of road train on public roads. How big it is? For example the regular bus is about 12-13 meters (40-43ft) long. So just imagine 4 buses standing in one lane to get impression how long road trains in Australia are. But on private mines there are even longer road trains.

What is a road train is a post from: Travel Tips

What is size of your bag

Vi — Sat, 21 May 2011 04:01:45 +0000

Airlines become more and more strict about luggage you are taking with you. They restricted weight for check-in and carry-on luggage.

And usually the weight of my carry-on bag was my biggest concern. But during my latest trip I noticed that budget airlines are become stricter about size of carry-on luggage and people are forced to pay for additional bag to be checked-in. As you know these fees are quite big, especially if you are paying it at counter in airport before your flight. Most confusing part is that different airlines have different requirement for luggage size. So if you flew with one airline a month ago and everything was fine it doesn’t mean your luggage measurements will comply with other company’s rules. So check these rules before you start packing as you bag may to big for your carrier.

Picture taken from www.bestraveltips.com

What is size of your bag is a post from: Travel Tips

Why you always should wear seat belt on the plane

Vi — Sat, 14 May 2011 04:01:38 +0000

I am frequent flier and every time I am on the plane I surprised how many people do ignore seat bell sign. I am not talking only about stewardess reminders to wear seat belt all the time during flight. People are not wearing their seat belt while seat belt sign is on during flight or during landing. Every year accidents happens because of turbulence with injuries or even deaths which could be avoided in most cases if people would wear seat belts. Latest accident happened yesterday in Hong Kong with 7 people injured.

Here is good example why you shouldn’t ignore signs:

and why you must wear seat belt during landing. May be it is the best landings, but for passengers who were sitting on the plane it wasn’t the best experience.

Like in the car seat belt is for your safety and most people even without thinking wear seat belts in the car. The same you should do on the plane. It is not a toy and you shouldn’t ignore the signs.

Why you always should wear seat belt on the plane is a post from: Travel Tips

Departure fee in New Zealand [update 2011]

Vi — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 04:01:44 +0000

UPDATE 2012 : check this latest update about departure tax in New Zealand.

A year ago I was writing how is annoying to pay annoying departure fee in New Zealand at last minute at airport. During this year in Christchurch airport (CHC) were done some changes. Since 1 July 2010 travellers have no longer been required to pay an international departure fee at Christchurch Airport before boarding their flight. This departure fee has been replaced by a Passenger Services Charge, consisting of $12.50 for both departing and arriving passengers, which is included in the airfare costs and collected by the airlines.

At the moment in two airports (Auckland and Christchurch) there are no surprise fees, but in other international airports in New Zealand you still need to pay departure fees “to receive a cheerful little sticker on their boarding pass”(*). Here is table with current fees at airports in New Zealand:

Name of Airport	Arrival fee NZ$	Departure fee NZ$	Where to pay
Auckland	12.50	12.50	included in ticket price	click for more info
Christchurch	12.50	12.50	included in ticket price	click for more info
Dunedin	-	25.00	at airport	click for more info
Hamilton	-	25.00	at airport	click for more info
Queenstown	-	25.00	at airport	click for more info
Rotorua	-	25.00	at airport	click for more info
Wellington	-	25.00	at airport	click for more info

As you can see from this table your total payable tax can go up to $NZ37.50 if you are arriving to Auckland ($NZ12.50 passenger services charge) and departing from Wellington ($NZ25.00 departure fee). But if you are doing opposite your total taxes would be only $NZ12.50, i.e. arriving to Wellington ($NZ0.00 passenger services charge) and departing from Auckland($NZ12.50 passenger services charge). For one person may be it is not big saving, but for families or frequent fliers it can make difference.

* quotation from Wellington airport website http://www.wellington-airport.co.nz/html/airportinfo/charges.php

Departure fee in New Zealand [update 2011] is a post from: Travel Tips

Don’t keep all your warm clothes inside checked luggage

Vi — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 04:01:43 +0000

Especially if you are flying from summer in South hemisphere to winter in the North or otherwise. Like recently I was flying from Australia (where it is summer at the moment) to freezing Europe.
When you are boarding plane in the country where outside temperature is +30 °C (86 °F) not many of us are thinking about what is waiting on other side of the World. Me either. But with so many canceled flights and delays you should expect your luggage won’t be able to reach your destination at the same time you’ll do. So it is better be prepared for unexpected, as it is not much fun to stand with t-shirt in freezing temperature.

Don’t keep all your warm clothes inside checked luggage is a post from: Travel Tips

Australian road conditions

Vi — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:01:11 +0000

It is big country and before heading into Australian outback it is good idea check road conditions as it can be long re-route in case some roads closure. Here is list of official websites where it is possible to check roads current status:

Have a safe trip!

Australian road conditions is a post from: Travel Tips

How big is your fuel tank?

Vi — Thu, 06 May 2010 04:01:41 +0000

When I was renting car in Europe, US or Canada, I never was thinking or wasn’t care how much fuel I can fill into car tank. Usually was no problem to find gas station near by. But in Australia is different story. Unless you travel on East Coast or South West near Perth in other places distances between gas stations (or roadhouses) can reach 400km. Once I rented camper van with which I could travel max 350km, so I needed to fill it up in every roadhouse, otherwise my trip could end up somewhere in the middle in nowhere. So always check what is range of your rented car and may be ask for spare fuel tank just in case, as it can be difficult to get help in remote places with not much traffic.

How big is your fuel tank? is a post from: Travel Tips