Ferry details

To really catch the flavor of Scotland, it’s good to take a boat or two during your travels. The high season sees augmented schedules on many routes, as well as one or two unusual ferry links that only run in the peak season. Here’s the gen on five fine Scottish ferry trips for this summer.

Bicycles are carried for free on all five routes mentioned here. Cyclists should always mention the need for bike space when making a booking. For foot passengers advance booking is possible, but by no means essential on most of the routes mentioned below. The one notable exception is Route 5 (to Jura) where seats must always be booked in advance.

1. A Viking voyage: Shetland to Orkney

We were blessed with good weather when we sailed from Lerwick in the Shetland Islands to Orkney. It is a perfect journey for a mid-summer evening, when you can expect superb views of Fair Isle. It is a route that runs year-round, but during the high season the frequency rises from twice to thrice weekly. Departures this summer are at 5.30 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Lerwick.

Single fare: £17.10
Crossing time: 5 hrs 30 mins
Cars carried: YES
Operator: NorthLink Ferries

The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry cruising through Oban Bay. Photo: Ian Britton

2. Island hopping: Kennacraig to Oban

The bus journey from Kennacraig (a small port towards the northern end of the Mull of Kintyre) takes less than three hours and is a very fine ride through stunning Highland scenery. But there is another option. During the high season, there is a twice-weekly ferry from Kennacraig to Oban. It stops at the islands of Islay and Colonsay, affording along the way very fine views of Jura. The service operates until late October.

Single fare: £15.45
Crossing time: 6 hrs 25 mins
Cars carried: YES
Operator: Caledonian MacBrayne

3. Away from Kintyre: Campbeltown to Ardrossan

As last year, Caledonian MacBrayne are running an occasional service from Campeltown (at the southern end of the Mull of Kintyre) to Ardrossan (on the mainland south-west of Glasgow) until late September 2014. The Saturday sailing from Campbeltown is really one for early birds (it leaves at 7am), but in good weather it’s a fine way to see the Firth of Clyde. It skirts the south coast of Arran, making a stop at Brodick.

Single fare: £9.80
Crossing time: 3 hrs 40 mins
Cars carried: YES
Operator: Caledonian MacBrayne

4. Out to the Outer Hebrides: Oban to Castlebay

There are plenty of boats to the Outer Hebrides, with Caledonian MacBrayne offering a good range of services from Oban and Ullapool (both on the mainland) as well as from the port of Uig on the Isle of Skye. But there is one sailing in particular in the current schedules which warrants attention this summer. The Thursday morning sailing from Oban to Castlebay (on the island of Barra) takes an unusual routing via the islands of Coll and Tiree.

Single fare: £14.25
Crossing time: 6 hrs 45 mins
Cars carried: YES
Operator: Caledonian MacBrayne

The view from the Jura Passenger Ferry. Photo: bazzarrgh

5. The back route to Jura

There was a time when the only way to Jura was via the island of Islay. But nowadays there is a seasonal direct service to Craighouse on Jura from Tayvallich on the mainland. It’s not cheap, but this community-run venture gives fast access from the Scottish mainland to one of the remotest parts of the Inner Hebrides. The service runs twice daily from Mondays to Saturdays except Wednesdays. There is also one run on a Sunday. The route operates until the end of September.

Single fare: £20
Crossing time: 1 hr
Cars carried: NO
Operator: Jura Passenger Ferry

The post Island hopping in the summer: 5 memorable Scottish ferry journeys appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

It is not the first time that a European city has deployed a cable car to speed travelers over a river. The Kölner Seilbahn has been whisking passengers across the Rhine for over half a century, along the way affording magnificent views of Cologne’s fine Gothic cathedral.

But a cable car is a first for London, giving visitors to the city another option for crossing the river. Though, of course, they are already spoiled for choice. London has its landmark bridges, plus tunnels and ferries aplenty, so–while we wait for the cable car to be completed–we have been taking a look at London’s top five river crossings.

1. The London Millennium Footbridge

This is the perfect link between St. Paul’s cathedral and the growing cluster of attractions on the south bank of the river: Tate Modern, Bankside Gallery and the Globe Theatre. The footbridge, which opened in 2002, is airy, light and elegant.

2. The Albert Bridge

Compared to the youthful Millennium Footbridge, the Albert Bridge is a real veteran of the river. Opened in 1873, the bridge connects Chelsea with Battersea Park. It looks for all the world like a suspension bridge, though it fact it is not. It just oozes Victorian grace and is a great spot to linger at night. Traffic is always light. Just now, the bridge is closed for refurbishment, but this prettiest of London bridges will reopen later in 2011.

3. Greenwich Foot Tunnel

This is a decidedly oddball way to cross the Thames. Near the preserved Cutty Sark ship on the Greenwich riverfront is a brick building with a glass dome that many visitors mistake for public toilets. Actually it is the entrance to a foot tunnel under the Thames that opened in 1902. The northern end of the tunnel is in Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs, from where there are super views back across the river to Greenwich. And just in case you are wondering, the Isle of Dogs is not an island at all.

4. The Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf Ferry

This is the only one of our top five river crossings that you have to pay to use. The ferry connects the Hilton Docklands Hotel (on the south bank of the river) with Canary Wharf. The boat shuttles to and fro between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. on weekdays. At weekends, it starts at 9 a.m. We think this little ferry hop is at its spring and summer best late afternoon or early evening, when the sun to the west really shows off Canary Wharf architecture at its most dazzling.

5. The Woolwich Free Ferry

Free, just as the name says! Operating day-in, day-out since 1889, the Woolwich Free Ferry is a London institution. Services run from 6 a.m. till 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The Woolwich Free Ferry carries vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

Your favorite Thames crossing?

If you have thoughts on your favorite Thames river crossing, be it by tunnel, ferry or bridge, why not share them here? Within Greater London alone, there are more than 50 options from which the traveler can choose.

The post London’s Bridges, Tunnels and Ferries: Top 5 ways to cross the Thames appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The liner is not only a service to tourists but also another means of transport for locals of both cities as well as business people who would like to try an alternative to trains and cars. Ship passengers don’t have to worry about parking spaces or grumpy cab drivers—the liner takes passengers from city center to city center. Plus, the murky waters of the famous Danube afford great views along the way.

The cheapest one-way ticket costs €15 on weekdays and goes up to €17 on weekends and holidays. Kids up to two years old travel for free, and there’s a 50% reduction for children under 12. Twin City Line is also wheelchair-accessible and accepts dogs and bikes.

For the month of April, 2007, the line is offering a child-free-with-parent special. The offer is valid for all routes but can only be reserved by telephone: +43 1-588-80. For more information, please email twincityliner@ddsg-blue-danube.at.

The post Vienna-Bratislava by Boat appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.