Visiting Austria

Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. Modern Austria dates back to the ninth century, when the name “Ostarrichi” (Old High German for “Eastern Territory”) was first used in an official document.
The country is known the world over for its music: Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, and Strauß (father …

Visting Vienna, Austria

Vienna is Austria´s capital and has a population of ca. 1.7 million (2.3 million within the metropolitan area). It is also one of nine Federal States of Austria, the largest city in Austria, and its cultural and commercial center. It has the tenth largest population in the EU and was rated 2nd in quality of living by Mercer.
Vienna traces its origins back to 500 B.C.E. and was a Roman frontier …

Austrian Airlines Flights 87 and 88, New York-JFK Vienna and Return

A coffeehouse at 35,000 feet
Terminal 1 is the busy home to 16 airlines. I found Austrian’s check-in area quite easily and checked in without any waiting.  The agent invited me to visit Alitalia’s lounge, where I watched a Euro 2008 match with a glass of wine and a salad.
BOARDING
Austrian allowed early boarding for business class passengers and within minutes I was comfortably ensconced in my business class seat.  The crew …

Le Méridien, Vienna, Austria Review

If you want to feel more like a 21st century Kaiser, Le Méridien may be what you are looking for.  One of the first of the chain’s Art + Tech designs, the hotel features artwork that challenges you from the moment you enter, including a rug, with footprints from the hotel’s very first guests, hanging on the wall.
ROOMS
Don’t let the Art + Tech concept put you off.  The rooms are …

Extreme Road Warrior Part III

16 days later, I’m back.  (See Part I as well.)   I found a few things rather useful for those traveling on business and wanted to share these with you.

Skype Pro
Skype Pro is a relatively new offering that costs only $3 per month but offers many features particularly useful to the road warrior.  Most notable is the international traveler calling plan.  Users pay no per minute charges for calls to …

Extreme Road Warrior

I’m writing this from Hamburg, at least I think that’s where I am.  Sometimes trips can be just plain boring.  This one was most decidedly not.  In a 16 day whirlwind tour I would stay in seven hotels and would span 9 cities to cover, however briefly: Munich, Vienna, Munich (again), Hamburg, Flensburg, Sønderborg, Brugge, Düsseldorf, Bremen, and Bremerhaven.  Countries: Denmark, Germany, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
Normally my trips last …