TRAVEL AND HOTEL

Potential Security Issues

The profile of the Winter Olympics makes it a target for potential terrorist or anarchist demonstrations, as well as those of other special interest groups. The torch relay, which began on the 30th of October last year (yes, that is a massive run!), has already been marred by minor demonstrations. However, these certainly were not on the scale of Beijing’s Olympics and the Tibet issue, which went off relatively undisturbed.

Do look out for demonstrations, which can quickly turn violent with the help of crowd mentality. There will be around 6,000 security personnel on hand in the Olympic vicinity to keep eventgoers safe. Don’t skimp on the travel insurance, however – an upgrade often costs less than you think it would, and is a sensible precaution in the current international climate.

Potential Logistical Issues

We already mentioned that the opening ceremony and high demand events have been booked solid for some time. If you have made any travel plans on the basis of attending these particular events, you may want to rethink them. Logistics-related travel insurance claims can only be paid if outside circumstances prevent you from fulfilling your hotel booking (or other bookings), not because of failure to plan ahead.

You’ll also want to make sure that your online travel insurance policy, or your car rental insurance policy, covers everybody who will be driving your rental car. After Manhattan, Vancouver has the highest population density in North America – so you can imagine the traffic around the Olympics time!

About the country
One of the Europe’s smallest sovereign states is The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The north part of the country is blessed with greenery and hills. The Ardennes provides great scenic view. The country is small and all the tourist attractions are within reachable limits. It snows during the winters in Luxembourg, but isn’t as cold as its neighboring countries and the summer is warm which comes in May and lasts till September. Incase of emergency dial 112 or 113.
Culture
Generally handshake is used to greet people. Although majority of the locals speak English, Letzeburgesch is the national language of Luxembourg. French and German is also spoken by many Luxembourgers. When appearing as a guest at someone’s house, it is a good practice to bring along gift or flowers. People are expected to dress in smart casuals, but it would be best to turn up in formals when attending social functions, or clubs. It’s not advised to smoke in public places.
Shopping
Crystals and porcelains of Villeroy and Boch are very famous and the earthenware pottery from Nospelt is a shopper’s must have item from Luxembourg. VAT of 15% is applied to all items purchased other than that from campground, hotel, and restaurant, which charge 3%. Tipping is exempted.
Site Seeing
The capital, Luxembourg is a place to be. Stay for a day or tea to explore the city. Village of Viaden has a cliff top castle which is a famous landmark.
Taxis can be hired to move around the city. They charge 10% extra from 10 pm to 6 am and if hired on Sunday, an extra 25% extra will be charged if hired for the whole day.Accommodations
Luxembourg has many luxurious hotels, most of which are located in Lux City. Other options are guesthouses which are beautifully decorated with flower and plants.
Travel
The national airline which operates here is Luxair. There are flights from London to Luxembourg every hour. The Luxembourg airport is at a distance of 5km from the city and it takes about 20 minutes to reach there. There are provisions such as duty free shops, bank, tourism information and car hire for the passengers.Eurostar provides a fast railway service from London, Paris, Belgium, France or Brussels to Luxembourg. Bookings can be made via telephone and £5 fee is charged for telephonic booking. Check out for offers which are provided on some of the routes. To travel within the country, Inter-Rail pass can be bought which gives the offer of unlimited train travel for 29 countries of Europe.
When driving on road, it is recommended to take the train or ferry service when passing the channel between Dover and Calais. Check out for vacancy before hand especially during the rush hours. While driving, drivers should stay on the right side and there are strict rules for drinking while driving and seat belt.