European Health Card
Thanks to the European Union agreements, free transit extends to free medical assistance within the member states. This way, citizens of EU countries can make use of needed health services via the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) under the same conditions as people insured in the visited country, sometimes fully free, sometimes in need of a co-pay, depending on the country. The card is a personal and non-transferable document with validity in the following countries:TIP: click on your country to be taken to the official national site of the health department, and to obtain your EHIC Countries which are part of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. Countries which are part of the European Economic Area (EEA): Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, As part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Switzerland Special conditions: United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) With this card, you will have the right to receive medical assistance in your temporary stay in any of the above mentioned states. This card cannot be used when you move to the new country (for that, you’ll need the S1 form) or if your goal is to obtain some special medical treatment. For the latter, the Health Services should need to write a favorable report in your home country. Some of the covered benefits include providing services for existing or chronic illnesses, pregnancy or childbirth. It is important to know that: ⇒ It is a free card to obtain. Generally, the EHIC validity extends to TWO years, you can request it via the internet, and it usually takes about 10 days to get to your home. ⇒ It does not guarantee free services, as the healthcare system varies from country to country. It guarantees that you will be treated equally, with the same rights, as the locals. ⇒ It is not an alternative to travel insurance, as it does not cover private healthcare, specific travel requirements / benefits, lost or stolen property, flights delays, repatriation, etc. ⇒ Hundreds of millions of Europeans use this card. ⇒ If you ask for the EHIC, your local authority is obliged to provide you with one or, failing that, with a provisional replacement certificate if the card is not immediately available. If you are unsure about your rights, you can contact Your Europe Advice. How to recognize the cards? The front of the cards look the same in every country – like the main picture in this article. The back changes from country to country. If you are curious about the design, please click here to see more. Here are some examples: Do you need a travel insurance? Upcoming article on why you may need one:)
The StopOver WiFi
Landing in a foreign airport, you have no data. Can’t find any WiFi, and when you find it, you can’t connect – there is no way. You have a long stopover. You need to contact someone. You wanna tell your beloved ones that you arrived safely. You can’t find the directions to your new place… Does this sound familiar to you? It seems like we just found a solution! Anil Polat, blogger and tech-smart traveller (also a computer security engineer) had the awesome idea of recording all data from all airports’ WiFi from around the World, and their passwords, to make them accessible to anyone who clicks on the following map. Isn’t it interesting? He created an interactive map so people can collaborate and update passwords, so the map is constantly up to date. As I write this, I read that the last time this happened was only three days ago! The map presents over a hundred airports all over the World, and all you have to do is to click on the little planes, to get the data to connect to its WiFi. For those of you who are thinking how can I read the map if I am offline?, he also came up with a solution! You can download it ahead of time, so you can use it being offline. This guy thought of everything! Or so it seems! He also developed an app, for both Android and Apple. If interested in downloading it, it’s USD1’99. This is one of the examples that he put on his website (the image is his): What do you think? Here you’ve got some ideas to use that time during your stopovers… Enjoy!! Movies on travel and adventure …and some tips to read before boarding!! 9 tips for when you’re onboard the plane
Black Friday
What is Black Friday? Black Friday refers to the fourth Friday of November -right after the well-known holiday of Thanksgiving– in which Christmas shopping commences… yes, in November. This nowadays’ worldwide known day leads businesses to offer remarkable discounts, to finish the year with a raise of sales. Origin The terminology Black Friday was born in Philadelphia, in the United States of America, and has slowly spread like a virus all over the world. In the last decade, it has been the most important sales day of the year. Back in the 60’s, in Pensilvania’s main city, traffic police used the expression Black Friday to describe the multitude and chaos that shopping brought to that day. Some others give its origin to the cash register, as numbers went red before that day, and right after, they would go back to black. More modern versions have tended to relate the name of this day with the unfortunate demises of some shoppers due to the crushing of the mass. In many foreign countries they have opted to avoid translation, afraid of being misinterpreted when not understanding the meaning. Expansion Year after year, the movement becomes bigger, expanding to more categories, to previous and subsequent days. Stores will put their offers up on Friday, may expand it to the weekend or even the entire week. As expected, this event will also take place in the travel industry. This week, I am sure that you will find great travel deals! Travelling Airline companies and hotel chains also join this major deal-day, sometimes offering up to 80% discount in their products. Some of the ones that I would recommend checking are the following*: Ryanair Easyjet Vueling Canaryfly Bahía Príncipe and Booking ([icon icon=icon-arrow-left size=14px color=#000 ]do not forget to use my code, you’ll get a refund of 15 €!) Stores Set in Spain at the moment, I will recommend you some of the commonly known stores (many of them with worldwide or continental reach). El Corte Inglés is one of the pioneer Spanish businesses to participate in Black Friday. Renown store, also with its own brands, that offers a wide variety of products. Some of their most interesting discounts can be found in their technological merchandise. Photography, video and travel lovers will always be grateful. 😉 Other stores: MediaMarkt Carrefour Decathlon Online shopping Amazon is one of the most prestigious worldwide online stores, innovator with its promotions year after year. It has already been offering discounted prices the entire week, including Cybermonday next week. This year, they have also done a countdown, offering products for only 20% of their original price!! Tips Be careful with scams and with compulsive shopping. The best tip would be to focus on what you actually need or want (and no, «everything» should not be an option). Check prices before the big day so you know it is a real offer. When you are buying online, check the veracity of the website, its certificate and the little lock for security; also, check conditions, minimum purchase if it applies, and date of arrival. Now, enjoy the discounts and make this day useful! [clear] *No content or brand have been sponsored.
Movies on travel and adventure
There are so many, and I am already imagining the part two to this post. But until then, here are my 9 + 5 movies on travel and adventure. For families, pairs or solo travelers. To be inspired, to learn, to be entertained and to keep in mind… and not make the same mistakes others did before us! To the solo traveler Eat, pray, love *[introspective journey] I used to have this appetite for food, for life… and it’s just gone Story about a female traveller and her journey to find herself when she knows something is wrong, and is in search of something different. I wanna go someplace where I can marvel at something Based on a true story, it narrates Liz Gilbert’s (Julia Roberts) journey to self-discovery. She had everything one typically dreams of: stable and successful job, a nice house and a husband; but she feels unfulfilled, lost and unhappy. After ending her marriage, she kisses goodbye her comfortable house and risks everything, to go on a journey throughout Italy, India and Indonesia, to find herself. Your life is changing And that’s not a bad thing Click to see more info about Eat, Pray, Love on IMDB. 127 hours [*contains delicate scenes for sensitive public] An adventurous cyclist takes a journey through the desert, unannounced and under-ready, and he becomes trapped amongst the beauty and tough scene that surrounds him. Based on a true story, this movie narrates the solo adventure of Aaron Ralston, played by James Franco. It catches the attention of the solo traveller, especially because it does not only show the fun side of it and the opportunities of growth, but also the consequences of not taking precautions and being cautious There is no force on Earth more powerful than the will to live Clicl to see more info about 127 hours on IMDB. Wild If your nerve deny you, go above your nerve Reese Witherspoon plays the role of a woman who travels solo for over a thousand miles, after living terrible moments in her personal life. Harsh story, pain, and a strong woman who fights for self-improvement and overcoming difficulties. What if I forgive myself? What if I was sorry? But if I could go back in time, I wouldn’t do a single thing differently. What if all of those things I did were the things that got me here? Click to see more info about Wild on IMDB. The Way Tom (Martin Sheen) receives a phone call from France, to communicate him that his son, an adventurous young man who was doing the Camino de Santiago by himself, died during a storm. Tom travels to France to pick up his son’s remains, and ends up living a great adventure, and understanding (maybe too late) why his son loved traveling and adventure so much. A movie that moves you. You don’t choose a life, dad, you live one Click to see more info about The Way on IMDB. Into the Wild Happiness is only real when shared A young man (Emile Hirsch) who has family problems and frustrations, finishes university and decides to leave everything behind, to hitch-hike to Alaska, where he hopes to find the meaning of life and to reencounter with Nature. He disappears, even changing his name, to reclaim freedom, playing with his own death. Based on a true story, such of Christopher McCandless. Worth seeing. Happiness is only real when shared Click to see more info about Into the Wild on IMDB. To the one who believes in it’s never too late The big year Most people wake up one day and realize they didn’t do everything they wanted to Three men in crisis: mid-life crisis (Owen Wilson), work-life crisis (Steve Martin), and the no-life crisis (Jack Black), decide to embark the adventure of their lives, participating in an anual competition of bird-watching. They will compete, explore, get to know each other and make some dreams come true. The year to do all of the things we never could This is my year, I’m gonna make my mark Click to see more info about The big year on IMDB. The Bucket List – (…) we’re supposed to make a list of all the things we wanted to do in our life before we kick the bucket – We could do this. We should do this Two terminally ill men become friends and decide to face cancer in a different way: accomplishing their bucket list before the final day, embarking themselves into a trip together. It is very interesting and wonderful to see how two completely different men (a millionaire and a mechanic) get united to make their dreams come true. Find the joy in your life Click to see more info about The Bucket List on IMDB. The secret life of Walter Mitty Life is about courage and going into the unknown This movie, whose main character is played by Ben Stiller, is a remake of such of 1947 under the same name. Walter is a shy employee in an publishing company, who dreams about being the hero of amazing adventures… until his dream comes true – an extraordinary adventure, better than any he could have ever imagined. I love mysteries. There are parts that you think can’t connect, and then in the end they do A very inspiring, eye-opening movie: any person can reach their dreams. 🙂 Stop dreaming Start living Click to see more info about The Secret Life of Walter Mitty on IMDB. Crocodile Dundee My first trip anywhere In the land down under, in the Australian outback, lives an eccentric crocodile hunter considered a hero in his area. Where a man thinks on his feet, speaks with his fists, and lives by his wits. A New York reporter decides to visit him to document his life, and once in Australia, she convinces him to accompany her to New York. The Australian then enters the biggest adventure of his life. A legendary figure about to encounter a world more treacherous than any he has ever known I loved watching this movie when I came back from Australia. His accent is authentic, they play a bit with the typical topics,