Our blog
Posted 15 Feb 2016
by Adele Youngs
Je t'aime, Paris!
We've just celebrated Valentine's Day, and what city is more synonymous with love than Paris? Undoubtedly battered and hurt by the awful events of 2015, Paris now needs our love as it recovers.
Indeed, there is strong evidence that it is already doing so - occupancy levels are up and our requests for the City of Love are getting back to normal levels.
We're not alone in this. Paris recently overtook London to become the number one city destination in the world:
Source: Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index℠ (CBI)
The difference between this and other surveys is the way that the scores are calculated. In this case, the bi-annual survey spoke to over 5,000 people in 10 countries and analysed data based on six key indicators.
In their words: "Simon Anholt, an independent government advisor and the creator of the Index, comments, “Our survey was conducted before the November attacks in Paris – but, if past experience is anything to go by, such attacks do not change people’s perceptions of the city in any significant or long-lasting way. There may be a temporary change in people’s behaviour towards Paris – but the attacks do not affect the reasons why people might admire the city’s beauty, cultural life, opportunities, etc. and this is what CBI measures.”
The study evaluates the power and appeal of each city’s image, giving a holistic and detailed perspective based on six key dimensions:
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Presence (the city’s international status and standing)
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Place (its physical outdoors aspect and transport)
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Pre-requisites (basic requirements, such as affordable accommodation and the standard of public amenities)
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People (friendliness, cultural diversity, how safe one feels)
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Pulse (interesting things to do)
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Potential (the economic and educational opportunities available)
Paris shows one of the largest score gains overall, surpassing Sydney and London to take the number one spot, having previously fallen from first in 2011 to third in 2013."
For more information on the survey in full, visit http://www.gfk.com/insights/press-release/paris-wins-back-most-admired-city-from-london/.
For more information on tours to Paris and France, just contact us!
Have a Merry Christmas, you will!
Posted on 18 December 2015
These are not the elves you are looking for....
Regular blog readers will know that we usually have a festive video with lots of singing and dancing elves (see the links below for our Christmas 2014 video, for example). We know that some of you will be disappointed at the lack of these elves this year, but we hope that our video below explains what has happened.
And, because we like to give presents, go below the video on this page if you want to make your own Star Wars crawler video (we know you want to!).
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all at Live Travel and Tours!
Posted by Adele Youngs
30 October 2015
Tomorrow, it will be Halloween and so, in honour of things that go bump in the night, here is our pick of some of the best scary locations and monster attractions in Europe PLUS our very own Halloween tribute video.
PARENTAL ADVISORY WARNING - Due to the spooky contents below, children or people of a nervous disposition are advised NOT to read this blog post OR watch our special Halloween video!
Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle - If you are looking for ghosts, look no further than Edinburgh Castle, said to be one of the most haunted spots in Scotland. The Castle plays host to many ghosts, including a headless drummer boy who only appears when the Castle is about to be attacked and a piper who disappeared in the tunnels between the Castle and the High Street. Reports include sightings of the spirits of French prisoners from the Seven Years War and even the ghost of a dog wandering around the Castle's dog cemetery.
Edinburgh Ghost Tour - Prepare to be scared as your ghostly guide spirits you off to explore the darker side of this historic city. Walk the streets of Edinburgh by night, hear the ghoulish tales of the city's murky past including tales of witchcraft, grave-robbing, plague, torture and more!
Visit Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh. Explore this maze of underground streets and spaces with a costumed character who will tell you all about the Close's myths and mysteries.
York
York Terror Trail - Discover the untold secrets of the city of York, the many faces it has shown to the world and the weapons it has used. Explore the back streets and hear the many tales of horror, battle and murder spanning thousands of years throughout the history of York.
London
Jack the Ripper Tour - after dark, why not try a Jack the Ripper walking tour in London, on a journey through the very streets where the infamous Whitechapel murders occurred...
Harry Potter Studio Tour - just north of London, visit the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio tour to see how the tale of modern day witches and wizards was created for the silver screen.
The Tower of London - also known as the Bloody Tower, the Tower was the prison of Sir Thomas More, Sir Walter Raleigh and the future Queen Elizabeth I, and the execution place of Lady Jane Grey (British sovereign for 9 days), Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, Henry VIII's second and fifth queens as well as many other "unlucky" guests...
Salzburg region
Schloss Moosham - Approx 1.5 hours from Salzburg, the medieval Castle of Moosham (also known as the Witches Castle) is one of the 10 most haunted destinations in the world. During the Salzburg Witch Trials of the 17th century thousands of people were accused of witchcraft, imprisoned here and tortured. Over 100 were beheaded and it is rumoured that their tormented souls still roam the dungeons. Others claim that the Castle was the lair of a werewolf in the early 18th century. Many visitors claim to have heard voices and experienced strange sensations while touring the Castle.
Nuremberg
Medieval dungeons - Located in the cellar vaults of the Old Town Hall, the Medieval Dungeons of Nuremberg were used during the 14th century to hold prisoners awaiting trial or execution. A guided tour will take you through the very bare cells and into the 'chapel', used as a torture chamber to extract confessions! The municipal court itself would decide on the method of torture to be used....
Rothenburg
Medieval Crime Museum - Offering an insight into the intricacies of law, Rothenburg's Museum of Medieval Crime has many horrors on show in its vaults. Learn about the some of the more unpleasant details of jurisdiction, correction methods and the death penalty. Discover the history of witchcraft and witch-hunting in Bavaria. Recommended for those of a bloodthirsty disposition!
Night Watchman Tour of Rothenburg - Explore the dark alleyways and squares of Rothenburg as you accompany the Rothenburg Night Watchman on his rounds of the city. Reciting tales of the city's dark history, the Night Watchman will reveal to you how the people of the city lived during the Middle Ages. Soak up the atmosphere of another age.
Paris
Opera Garnier After Hours Tour -The Opera Garnier is the largest opera theatre in the world with enough staging for 450 performers. Made famous by Gaston Leroux in his novel, The Phantom of the Opera, it is a sumptious building to visit. You can also visit when the Palais is closed to the public. Lose yourself in its silent corridors, be amazed by its rich architecture and the abundant décor.
Paris Catacombs - The Catacombs, which form a veritable labyrinth beneath the very heart of Paris, were created in the galleries of the former quarries whose stone was used to build the capital. Situated twenty metres below ground, the ossuary contains the remains of approximately six million Parisians, transferred there gradually between the late eighteenth and mid-nineteenth centuries as graveyards were being closed because of the risk they posed to public health.
Ireland
Dunluce Castle - Dunluce Castle, located on the rocky Northern Ireland coast, has stories about ghosts, mermaids and of how, one stormy night in 1639, the castle kitchens fell into the sea... Visit at your peril!
The Dublin Ghostbus Tour - Join Dublin's tour of terror and discover a world of terrifying histories, ghostly events and untold horror as you tour some of Dublin's most haunting sights. Will you play a hand of cards with the devil in the haunted museum? Have you the nerve for grave digging in the haunted graveyard? And what of Christ Church Cathedral's Crypt? Be prepared for the supernatural.
Music and sound effects courtesy of www.freesfx.co.uk and www.purple-planet.com