Faster Rail Service Start Between Paris & Barcelona

After months of delays, Rail Europe finally began new high-speed rail service between Paris and Barcelona. The first of the new route's double decker TGV trains took off from both the Gare de Lyon station in Paris and the Barcelona Sants station on Sunday.

Sponsored by SNCF, France's state railroad, and Renfe, the Spanish rail operator, the direct service takes under six and half hours on trains that can run speeds up to 320 kilometers, or 200 miles, per hour.

Passenger can choose from two daily trips leaving from each station. The speedier service should increase train travel during the day, on route that is busier with overnight travelers, said Melanie Albaric, a marketing manager at Rail Europe, the largest distributor of Europe train tickets in North America. Two more daily trips from each destination are planned by March.

The route is typically busier with overnight passengers. Two more daily trips are to be added by March, according to Seat61.com, a website that offers information and resources on European railways.

One-way tickets start at 136.10 euros (about $192) for comfort/economy class and € 177.00 (about $250) first class.

Source & Photo : The New York Times, Dec 18, 2013

Kelonggaran Membawa Cecair ke dalam Pesawat

Kesatuan Eropah akan mula mumudahkan peraturan berkaitan cecair, aerosol dan gel kepada 28 ahli Negara Kesatuan Eropah (E.U) secara berperingkat bermula akhir Januari 2014 dan dijangka melupuskan terus peraturan tersebut menjelang 2016.

Pada 2009, Kesatuan Eropah sebelum ini ada menyatakan tentang peraturan berkenaan ini dilupuskan tetapi mereka memandangkan mesin-mesin untuk memeriksa beg bagasi untuk bahan cecair letupan masih belum diperolehi.

Buat masa ini, penumpang hanya dibenarkan membawa bahan cecair menaiki kapal terbang sekiranya ia disimpan di dalam bekas yang bersaiz tidak melebihi 100 mililiter dan dibungkus di dalam beg lutsinar.

Peraturan tersebut diwujudkan 3 tahun lalu selepas pihak berkuasa Britain berjaya membongkar sebuah plot untuk meletupkan beberapa buah kapal terbang oleh bahan cecair letupan yang ditemui di dalam beberapa tin minuman ringan yang diseludup masuk ke dalam kapal terbang.

Peraturan itu melarang penumpang membawa minuman wain bersaiz besar atau botol-botol minyak wangi semasa menaiki kapal terbang.

Implikasi dari peraturan ini menyebabkan masa tambahan yang diperuntukkan untuk pemeriksaan telah memanjangkan barisan di bahagian pemeriksaan keselamatan di kebanyakan lapangan terbang.

Rujuk notis larangan melalui website MAS : http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/content/dam/mas/master/en/pdf/book-plan/LAG-FAQ-21_MAY_2007.pdf

Copy from The New York Times :

The European Union will begin lifting restrictions on liquids, aerosols and gels at airports in its 28 member countries in phases, beginning in January, with the goal of completely eliminating the ban by January 2016. “What is happening in January is a small first step,” Dale Kidd, press officer for Transport at the European Commission in Brussels, said in a telephone interview.

The initial change will affect only passengers transferring at European Union airports. After Jan. 31, passengers can transfer with liquids, including duty-free bottles, purchased at airports or on aircraft outside the union. The liquids will be allowed on aircraft if they are sealed in special duty-free bags and subject to screening using new liquid explosive detection equipment.

“Currently, the bottles are seized, even if they are in duty-free bags,” Mr. Kidd said. If the first phase proves effective, detection machines will be used to screen all liquids, ultimately replacing restrictions completely. “But nothing is changing for small containers,” he said. Passengers will continue to be able to bring small (up to 100 milliliters, or 3.4 ounces) containers in a one-liter resealable plastic bag, and any liquids needed during the trip for medical or special dietary requirements, like baby food.

The Association for Airline Passenger Rights, a nonprofit advocacy group, has said it would like the United States to follow the European Union’s actions. The current policy “makes us feel safer, but it is not actually doing anything to make us safer,” said Brandon M. Macsata, executive director of the association. “Ending the ban would allow the agency to focus on more pressing potential security threats.”

Henry H. Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst for the consulting firm Hudson Crossing, said the United States government is taking a cautious approach for now and may wait until changes in Europe and possibly elsewhere have been implemented before responding. “I think in this case, the T.S.A. is happy to be the laggard rather than the early adopter,” he said. “But there is a need for balance between security and common sense.” People will stop flying if it becomes too difficult, which will harm the economy, Mr. Harteveldt said. “But unfortunately, there are people out there who can do harm,” he said.

Ross Feinstein, press secretary for the T.S.A., said in a statement: “Developing technologies, in cooperation with our E.U, and international partners, that would ultimately allow the relaxation of limitations on liquids, aerosols and gels in carry-on bags remains a long-term goal.”

Sumber ;

The New York Times, 28th Nov 2013.
http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/28/e-u-eases-rules-on-liquids-on-planes/?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=2
Utusan Malaysia, 13 Oct 2009  :
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=1013&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Luar_Negara&pg=lu_11.htm

Air France to increase KL-Paris frequency

Happy faces: (From left) Air France-KLM general manager Jurriaan Stelder, French Ambassador to Malaysia Martine Dorance, Roux, country manager Estee Ng and employee Angie Ng posing for a photo during the press conference.

 

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians appear to be increasingly drawn to the world’s most romantic city as proven by the popularity of Air France’s Kuala Lumpur-Paris route.

Air France KLM senior vice-president Patrick Roux said that since the route’s launch in April, the response to the service had been “extremely positive”.

“Due to growing demand, Air France will increase its capacity to 35 business seats, 24 premium economy seats and 250 economy seats from January 2014.

“From June 2014 onwards, Air France will also increase the route’s frequency to four times a week from the current three flights a week,” he told reporters at a press conference here yesterday.

Roux said customers can also look forward to additional seat space, more comfortable seats and better technological devices during their flights.

“The direct flights have created greater economic opportunities, reflected in the increasing demand for travel between the countries,” he said.

Air France-KLM currently offers 17 weekly flights from Malaysia to Europe, including seven with KLM codeshare partner Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to Amsterdam.

The airline serves 15 destinations in eight Asian countries – India, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Source : The Star, 13 Dec 2013

Dengan Basikal Aku Menjelajah -Documentary at TV Al Hijrah

Taking a rest at Tundra

 
 


























Memang menjadi satu impian saya untuk sampai ke Norway salah satu dari Scandinavian country. Namun Saudara Zahariz telah pun terlebih dahulu membuat ekspedisi pengembaraan dengan menggunakan sebuah basikal. Rakaman ekspedisi solo ini dirakamkan sendiri oleh beliau tanpa krew produksi.

Saksikan rancangan menarik ini hanya di Tv AlHijrah bermula 3 Nov 2013 setiap Ahad, 8.30mlm


Nota dari Saudara Zahariz

 

 

 

Teaser :

http://tvalhijrah.com/Rancangan/Majalah/Dengan-Basikal-Aku-Menjelajah.aspx

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j9fDXGjDx4 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_j9fDXGjDx4 

 

Photo atas kebenaran tuan Zahariz

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tahniah Saudara Zahariz. Inspirasi kepada yang lain.

St Jude Storm -UK Transport Operators Prepare for Worst Storm in 5 Years

Weather Warning for Travelers to UK: Affected London's Heathrow Airport & Schiphol Airport

Britain is bracing for hurricane-force winds and flooding starting Sunday Oct 27, 2013, with forecasters predicting the worst storm in 5 years will sweep across England and parts of Wales.

UK’s Met Office had issued an amber alert for high winds in London, southern England, Wales, a large part of the Midlands and southeast. The wind speed may exceed 80mph in places.

London’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s biggest aviation hub, expects an impact of flights –the storm likely to cause disruption to flights at Heathrow including cancellations.

Travelers should check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport.

The UK’s MET Office  has issued an amber alert for high winds in Wales, the East and West Midlands, the South West, London and the South East and the East of England.

A yellow alert warning of heavy rain that could lead to surface water flooding and disruption is in place across much of northern Wales and northern England.

An amber warning means "be prepared", while yellow means "be aware". No warnings are currently in place at the top red level, which means "take action".

Source from BBC UK

Travel warnings include:

·         South West Trains have advised people not to travel on Monday with most services not running until at least 08:00 GMT to allow Network Rail to check lines. A reduced timetable will be in operation, with some trains limited to speeds of 50mph

·         East Coast will operate a revised emergency timetable on Monday, with trains stopping at Peterborough until 10:00 GMT, and limited to speeds of 50mph afterwards

·         First Great Western and Virgin West Coast main line are also running an amended service until 10:00 GMT and 09:00 GMT respectively

·         First Capital Connect and C2C said services are unlikely to begin until 09:00 GMT. Greater Anglia, Southern and Gatwick Express have said services on Monday will not run until it is declared safe to do so

·         London Overground will not run a service on Monday before 09:00 GMT, while First Great Western has warned of extended travelling times and Southeastern said it is likely to start running services late

·         Airports including Heathrow and Gatwick are warning of possible disruption to flights, advising passengers to check with airlines

·         Airlines operating in and out of Heathrow have been instructed to reduce their schedules by between 5% and 20% between the hours of 06:00 GMT and 22:30 GMT, leading to about 60 flight cancellations. It is not yet clear how many of those will be short-haul or long-haul flights

·         EasyJet has warned passengers there could be disruption to flights on Monday. It said no trains would run to Gatwick, Southend, Stansted or Luton airports before 09:00 GMT

·         Eurostar said it will not be running trains on Monday until 07:00 GMT, with early services from London and Brussels subject to delays. It expects to run a full service after 07:00 GMT and passengers are advised to arrive at the scheduled time

·         Several ferry companies have also cancelled services, including some English Channel and Irish Sea crossings

·         Several bridges including the M48 Severn Crossing, the A249 Sheppey Crossing in Kent, and the Tamar Bridge which joins Cornwall and Devon are closed. There also are plans to shut the M4 Severn bridge and the Queen Elizabeth II bridge on the M25 on Monday morning, with traffic directed through the tunnel part of the crossing

·         The Highways Agency is advising motorists to check the weather forecast and road conditions before they travel

Europe Greenest Continent based on EPI

5th June is World Environmental Day. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) released by Yale University every two years measuring performance of national governments related to environmental policies. The latest EPI released in 2012 shown that Europe leads the rest of the world in being green.

Of Top 10 Greenest Countries, 6 are from Europe :

1. Iceland
2. Switzerland
3. Costa Rica
4. Sweden
5. Norway
6. Mauritius
7.  France
8. Austria
9. Cuba
10. Columbia

Total of 163 countries are judged according to 25 indicators. Sadly none of Asian countries has made it to top 10 list.

Malaysia Airlines celebrates the spirit of 1Malaysia with 30% Discount on Fares to Europe

I have send an e-mail to Malaysia Airline and just received an e-mail from Media Relations, MAS today. :

Malaysia Airlines Celebrates the Spirit of 1Malaysia  

with 30% Discount on Fares to Europe

Subang (15 December 2011): Malaysians have an excellent opportunity to start 2012 with a bang by enjoying a 30% airfare discount for travel on Malaysia Airlines from KL International Airport (KLIA) to its five destinations in Europe namely London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and Istanbul.

All they need to do is plan and travel together in groups of three, six or nine friends and they must be from at least three different Malaysian ethnic or cultural backgrounds to enjoy a fantastic European holiday, 1Malaysia style!

The national carrier is offering this discount on Business and Economy class fares for this promotion covering air travel from 1 January to 31 March 2012.  

To enjoy these offers, Malaysians have to produce valid Malaysian passports and blue Malaysian ICs of the ‘muhibbah’ group members at Malaysia Airlines’ ticket offices to purchase their air tickets.

Each 1Malaysia group must travel on the same class and flights throughout the journey using this special offer which is available now until 26 December 2011.

Malaysia Airlines currently operates twice daily flights to London, daily flights to Amsterdam and Paris, five-weekly services to Frankfurt and thrice weekly to Istanbul.

– Ends –

Issued by Media Relations Unit/Communications Division, Malaysia Airlines, Subang

For media enquiries, please contact:

Ismadi Yusuff

Tel       : +603 7840 3884

Mobile : +6019 3074466

Email   : ismady@malaysiaairlines.com

Wish Destination : Istanbul, Turkey

Wish Destination this week is Istanbul,Turkey. Istanbul is the only city stand between two Continental. At one side is Asia, and the other one is Europe.

Why is Istanbul being listed in My Wish Destination ? I wish have fasting in a ramadhan here. Hearing 5 time chant though out the city might be the most exciting experience everyday. Most importantly it is the only Islamic country in Europe with more than 99% is Muslim. The best of all transport I can say is Ferryboat. Because it only cost around £5 from Europe to Asia!
.
The best area to go in Istanbul is Sultanahmet District

There is several place you can go in Istanbul but this is the most popular place that i pick.

List of 6 Top Attraction ;

1. Blue Mosque
2. Hagia Sofia
3. Topkapi Palace
4. Grand Bazaar
5. Suleymaniye Mosque
6. Dolmabache Mosque

1. Blue Mosque :

Don't get confuse. Travellers call it Blue Mosque, but Turk call it SultanAhmet Mosque.

2. Hagia Sofia :

Hagia Sofia

Hagia Sofia

-Hagia Sofia is among the world's greatest architectural achivement. First built as  church, the as mosque, and now serve as Turkish Museum.

3. Topkapi Palace :

-Built by Mehmet II as his main residence. Sultan Abdul Mecit abandoned Topkapi in favour of Dolmabahce.

4. Grand Bazar :

-Place to shopping for souvenir!


5. Suleymaniye Mosque :

Inside view of Suleymaniye Mosque

-This is most important mosque, both a tribute to its architect, the Great Sinan and to its founder Suleyman the Magnificient.
-Sinan, the imperial architect having built 131 mosque and 200 other building.

6. Dolmabache Mosque

Unique Things to Do ;

1. Cruise along Bhosporus Strait ;

2. Walking in Cicek Pisaji (wikipedia : can be described as a miniature version of the famous Galleria in Milan, Italy );

Picture from google

3. Enjoy your self at Taksim Square. "Taksim Square is a major shopping, tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul "-wikipedia

4. Hang out at Galata Bridge

Picture from Wikipedia

5. Experience Turkish Bath known as Hamam

These service include massage. Picture from Web 

Hope to be here one day..

*All the picture with watermark belong to my friend's album. Thank you for the permission. Other than that, its taken from the source stated.

Wee Walk : Byres Road, Glasgow.

Kali ini, tulisan saya lebih tertumpu kepada yang nak bercuti di Glasgow lama sikit terutama sanak-saudara atau rakan-rakan yang belajar disini.

Saya pilih Byres Road hanya untuk mereka yang nak jalan santai.
Di mana Byres Road, Glasgow, Scotland? ;

Kawasan Westend & City Centre

Sila klik untuk besarkan Peta

Byres Road terletak dikawasan West End, Glasgow dan mengikut rekod di internet, ia pernah mengalami banjir pada tahun 2001.

 Bus 'Sightseeing Glasgow' melalui Byres Rd. 

Antara tarikan utama yang hampir ialah ;

- Botanic Garden
- Universiti of Glasgow
- Hunterian Art Gallery
- Kelvingrove Park


Saya menggambarkan Byres Road sebagai kawasan 'shopping' kecil.

Botanic Garden, di penghujung jalan Byres Rd.

Majalah 'Big Issue' dijual oleh 'homeless' sebagai mata pencarian yang sah. untuk bacaan lanjut tentang Big Issue sila klik di sini

Jadi terpulang kepada yang membeli jika mahu membayar lebih dari harga majalah GBP2.00.

Kedai Papyrus

Banyak barang-barang menarik yang boleh dijadikan hadiah di kedai Papyrus.

Antara barang menarik di Papyrus

Hillhead Library ni masuk percuma, bagi yang tinggal di Glasgow bolehlah mengambil kesempatan dengan aktiviti seperti Bounce and Rhyme, pinjaman CD, DVD, blu-ray dan pelbagai lagi. Pada yang berhajat meminjam buku, maksimum boleh pinjam sampai 12 buku dengan syarat ada kad ahli. hmm.. no wonder my wife selalu kata buku saya mengalahkan orang buat PhD!!

Hillhead Library 

Ini yang membuat kan saya kabur mata!! -lagi pun payah nak pinjam buku di Malaysia.

Hilton Hotel ->pada yang ada budget lebih

Waitrose

Waitrose ialah rangkaian supermarket yang bermula di England. Setakat ini di Scotland hanya ada 3 cawangan Waitrose (2 Edinburgh, 1 Glasgow).

Tips : jika susah nak cari parking di Byres Rd, boleh parking di Waitrose sekejap. Harga barang di Waitrose boleh kata lebih mahal sikit berbanding retailer lain.

Oxfam Bookshop

Menyusuri jalan selepas Hillhead Library adalah Oxfam Bookshop. Oxfam merupakan sebuah badan kebajikan. Maklumat lanjut sila klik di sini.


Tips : Banyak juga 'second hand books' yang menarik disini. Pada saya, kalau nak beli buku, kadang kala di internet lebih murah dari harga 'second hand books' sini. Saya selalu buat perbandingan harga, jadi saya tau. Maklumlah duit tak berapa ada sangat kan.

pharmacy Boots

Simpang menuju ke Library University of Glasgow

Saya & Abg Din selalu membeli donut disini sebelum pergi 'menoreh'

Haih.. mana-mana pun ada ni..

Hillhead Subway Station

Hillhead Subway Station salah satu station bagi Glasgow Subway.


Glasgow Subway berusia lebih 100 tahun merupakan yang ke 3 tertua di dunia selepas London Underground , dan Budapest Metro!

Grosvenor Cinema

Ashton Lane ialah lorong kecil yang antaranya terdapat Grosvenor Cinema dan Restoran Ketchup.

Saya bertanya di Kechup, dimaklumkan menu halal sudah dimansuhkan. 

Grosvenor Cinema sesuai juga untuk yang ada anak kecil atas 18 bulan. Ada juga slot tayangan 'watch with baby'. 

Ashton Lane

Masala Twist, Indian Cuisine yang ada menu  Halal  ;

Masala Twist

Yes, itu dia University of Glasgow

Bahagian ke selatan Byres Rd, kebanyakkannya pejabat 'property agents'. 

Kedai gunting rambut ini mengingatkan saya bagaimana saya berjimat. Jarang saya menggunting rambut di kedai memandangkan sekali perkhidmatan dikenakan GBP7.00.

Ini sudah seperti 5 kali gunting rambut di Malaysia. Seingat saya paling lama tak menggunting rambut di kedai ialah 5 bulan.


Sedikit info :
*solat - masjid/surau berhampiran -> Dawatul Islam . Sila Klik
                                                    -> Al-Furqan. Sila Klik
                                                    -> University of Glasgow (untuk solat Jumaat) . Sila Klik

*bus -> 44/44A, 16, 20

Boleh e-mail saya di senangtravel@gmail.com

"Enjoy your wee walk.."