Here is the image for this weeks trivia.

In what city is this statue located?
Best of luck to everyone!
-Hans

PS. If you have an image of somewhere in Europe you think would be good to use for Travel Trivia Thursday, send it to hans@autoeurope.com

The Louvre located in Paris, France originally opened in 1793 and contains over 400,000 works of art. On average, 15,000 people visit the museum every day. The most popular works there are the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. While it would be easy to dedicate an entire years worth of blog posts to the Louvre, let’s take a look at some lesser known museums that may spark your interest!

The Tate Modern Museum in London, housed in a former power station is Britain’s national museum of international modern art. Opened in 2000, it enjoys visitors from all over the world who wish to see modern art styles such as abstraction, expressionism, constructivism, cubism, and pop art. This museum contains works by such artists as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Claude Monet.

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Brussels, Belgium is a unique look at musical instruments throughout the ages. For a five euro admission fee, you get a head set, which automatically plays the instrument you are looking at when you walk close to it. Hundreds of instruments that you’ve probably never heard of fill these halls. There is also a restaurant on the roof that offers fantastic views of the entire city! A must see for fans of all kinds of music.

If you’re like me and get distracted by shiny things, a visit Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens, Austria will take all day! Set in a “cave” format, you can wander through the rooms set up to provide you with beautiful displays, light shows, and information about crystals. People from all walks of life enjoy this breathtaking museum. The gift shop allows you to take home a wide variety of beautiful crystal ornaments, jewelry, and other pieces of art.

For those who are young at heart, the Nuremberg Toy Museum in Germany will be just what you are looking for. This high quality collection covers hundreds of years of toys, focusing mainly on the past two centuries. Different floors offer various themes such as wooden toys, dolls and doll houses, tin toys, vehicles, toy train sets, steam engines, technical toys and the high-tech toys of today. The museum also host collectors meetings, as well as seminars and puppet shows.

Of course there are many more clever fun museums, but we can’t list them all. Whatever museums you decide to see, a rental car in Europe is a great way to tour the country!

Do you know of any fun museums we could add to this list? If so leave a comment and tell us about it!

Nuremberg
For hundreds of years, Christmas markets have been one of the most popular German traditions, held right alongside Munich’s famous Oktoberfest. German cities such as Stuttgart, Munich, and Hamburg hold world famous Christmas markets; but one that stands out is held in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg. Nearly two million visitors flock to this beautiful city to observe the nearly 400 year old tradition of the Christmas market that is held there. One of the great things about the Nuremberg market is that the city has made a serious stance against the commercialization of the month long event, keeping the focus on family activities and displays. There are usually around 200 candlelit booths where local vendors display their holiday oriented food, crafts, and gifts. If you have a sweet tooth you won’t be disappointed, as you will find an ample variety of ginger bread men, sweet mulled wine, and German chocolate. There is even a special children’s market with some old fashioned rides for the kids to enjoy, while parents can partake in baking, candle making, and wreath making demonstrations.

Vienna
As if the city of Vienna needed an excuse to be more beautiful, every year they host one of the most popular Christmas markets. You will find a cornucopia of wooden toys, delicious treats, as well as the delicious traditional Christmas punch. Like most cities with Christmas markets, you will find many fine musical performances throughout the festival. This world famous market is not open as long as others, beginning December 12th and ending on the 22nd. Try taking your car rental in Vienna over to some of the surrounding towns, as they offer smaller versions of these beautiful festive decorative celebrations.

Brussels
Every December Brussels’ Grand Place, (main square, where the town hall is located) is decorated in beautiful lights and the central plaza is filled with lighted trees and an original animated nativity scene. The market contains more than 200 stalls and has more of an international flair than other Christmas markets. While you can get your fill of all kinds of food from around the world,  the traditional Belgian food is what many come for. Things like Belgian chocolate, Belgian waffles, gingerbread, cookies and beer keep visitors flocking back year after year. Once you have had your fill of delicious decadent treats, you can visit the skating rinks. There is even a kids rink to keep parents happy. A car rental in Brussels is a great way to get where you need to be this Christmas season.

Prague
Prague’s Christmas market definitely takes has a more laid-back approach to this celebration. Peruse the intimate market in search of homemade Czech-made products like wooden toys, beautiful crystals mined nearby, custom jewelry, as well as traditional European sweets. You can even purchase live fish, which is the traditional cooked up fresh for Christmas Eve dinner in the Czech Republic. The songs of Czech school children fill your ears and laughter fills the air at the petting zoo for children.  The city of Prague is a great place to spend the holidays!

Whichever city you decide to travel to, a car rental in Europe is a great way to get around and see the sights at your own pace!  Do you have a favorite Christmas city?  Leave a comment and let us know!

This weeks question relates to the photo below.


Q. In what city was the above photo taken?
Hint: Government officials are often seen buzzing around these buildings.

Good luck!
-Hans Ericsson

Brisbane, Australia is a popular travel destination for all kinds of travelers, as it is very close to the Great Barrier Reef. There is ample fishing, diving and sunbathing on the coast, while a trip inland will bring you to beautiful nature preserves with lakes and trails just waiting to be explored. The city also offers a plethora of fantastic modern restaurants and boutiques, and is an international hot spot for all kinds of music. Nearly 2 million call Brisbane home, and judging by the cities many offerings, it’s easy to understand why.

If you would like to see Sydney, it is about a 12 hour drive from Brisbane.  With a rental car in Australia, you can make the trip in style and comfort, and really take it at your own pace.  The coastline has many great destinations to see, and it makes for a scenic drive.  But once you arrive in Sydney, you will discover even more.

Most of us have seen Sydney in films such as The Matrix, Finding Nemo, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, but the city is more than just a backdrop for high quality cinema. Art culture is alive and well in Sydney, as visitors from all over the world flock to see the operas and symphonies held at the Sydney Opera House, marvel at beautiful paintings and sculptures at The Art Gallery of New South Wales, and visit the science and technology based Powerhouse Museum. Thrill seekers can test their nerves on the Bridge Climb, which means strapping yourself on and walking across the Sydney Harbor Bridge! You can also take a rental car in Sydney over to the majestic Blue Mountains, for hiking. There is even a cable car set up to take you across miles of gorgeous forest for those just looking for a view.

There’s lots happening in Australia, espically in the next 6 months! Our events calendar only can show you a small portion of what’s going on, but with a little research, you will find there’s lots more to do and see!

Have questions?  A good story? Some priceless first hand travel advice? Then please leave us a comment and let us know!

-Hans Ericsson

New Zealand has a lot to offer. It’s about as large as Great Britain but has a population of around 4 million, which means it’s a great place relax and see the country at your own pace. Getting around is easy with a car rental in New Zealand, as the roads are efficient and fun to navigate, whether its on the coast, or in the mountains. If you want to travel from the North Island to the South Island (or vice versa) it’s easy, and many people do this daily.

Fans of delicious food won’t be disappointed. The country’s cuisine style is influenced from Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Polynesia, Japan and Vietnam. More traditional New Zealand food consists of lamb, pork, venison, salmon, crayfish, bluff oysters, mussels and scallops just to name a few. There are also more than 900 Asian restaurants throughout New Zealand. This food of course goes great with the wine of New Zealand, which has recently enjoyed success on a global level.

If you like outdoor adventure, you will be overwhelmed with the massive amount of activity available! Some activities that are popular here include hiking, climbing, biking, swimming (dolphins optional), sky diving, and hang gliding, just to name a few. You don’t have to be into extreme sports to take advantage of the landscape however. The country boasts miles of coastline and inland lakes for world class fishing, as well as some very impressive challenging golf courses.

As far as activities and events in New Zealand, you won’t have trouble finding nightlife with the amount of clubs in larger cities like Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland. In December alone the White Water Rafting Festival, The Festival of Lights, and several mountain bike races are already scheduled. Whatever your interests, you are sure to find people with similar tastes here. If you’re lucky you may be able to catch a Flight of the Conchords performance.

Ever been to New Zealand? If so, leave a comment with some travel tips!

Here is the image:

What is the name of this famous landmark and where is it located?

Good luck to everyone!
-Hans

Relax, I’m only kidding!

To say that the election of Barack Obama changes America’s perspective in the world is a massive understatement. This is good news for those of us who want to travel abroad because for some reason, Americans have a bit of a bad reputation. Having family in Germany and Austria, traveling to the region is something I try to do whenever possible, however with the recent economy “changes,” it has been difficult to make it happen. This is the time to travel. Gas prices are down, taxes are soon to be lower for most Americans, and our global image has improved. As I have written about before, the mountains in Europe are legendary. I thought I would share this amusing anecdote with you today.

I went on a ski trip to Austria in 2005. We had a flawless flight, and after a short stop in London, I landed as scheduled. I picked up my rental car in Vienna (a sweet Mercedes-Benz) and headed off on what should have been a 3 hour drive to Klagenfurt, to see some of my family before hitting the slopes over in Innsbruck.

I stopped in a small town called Poggersdorf for gas, as I was nearly out. My German is pretty good, and I chatted with some locals about the weather, or so I thought. As it turns out I was using a very inappropriate German word, with out my knowing it. They failed to point this out. I decided to check out the area and found myself in an area called Pubersdorf. When I started making conversation in this location, one of the locals commented on how rude I was acting, and asked me to leave. I was dumbfounded. Was there some kind of difference in Poggersdorf and Pubersdorf that I was unaware of? I simply could not figure it out. I managed to get lost trying to find the highway, due to the fact that I did not have a GPS rental in Austria. I had no other option but to go into the store I had just been kicked out of. As I entered, the owner rolled his eyes and before he could kick me out again, I asked in English, “Why are you so angry with me?” He immediately started laughing very hard. Apparently he thought that I was someone else. When I met my cousin for the first time, I understood why! He looked just like me! We ended up being the best of friends, and I look forward to seeing him again.

Florence has long been referred to as the “cradle of Renaissance” due to the number of its amazingly beautiful monuments, statues, and architecture. The most popular destination and most well known site in Florence is by far the Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as The Duomo. To be quite fair, the Duomo is far too beautiful for me to even begin to describe. Feel free to look it up, and try to imagine being there. It’s overwhelming, and that is only one of the many beautiful buildings in the city.

The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of the city of Florence, and is another building that will impress. There is a perfect replica of Michelangelo’s David in the front of the building. After checking out that, you can head on over the Academia Gallery and see the real thing! Also don’t forget to walk across the Ponte Vecchio which is an old bridge. The most incredible thing about the Ponte Vecchio is the stores that are built on its edges. They are held up over the river Arno by some very well designed stilts. It’s quite a sight.

Florence is a centrally located city. This is great, because once you’ve had your fill of the city, you can take advantage of the area with a rental car in Florence. In just an hour and a half drive, you may find yourself relaxing on a beach on the Adriatic Sea, near the city of Livorno. Maybe you will head south and find yourself cruising in a sailboat on Lake Trasimeno. Whatever you decide to do while on vacation, you can always see more with a car rental in Italy!

I could tell you more about Florence, but I’m beginning to get dizzy, so I must digress.

This week’s question relates to the photo below:

What is the name of this famous Bavarian castle, and where is it located?

Best of luck to everyone and lets keep those guesses coming. Again, I won’t post any answers till Friday afternoon. Good Luck
-Hans Ericsson