Posts Tagged ‘Museum’

Free Attraction – The First Human in Space

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first Human Being in Outer Space in the Vostok 1. He With this being the 50th anniversary of the first human to orbit the Earth, one of the best places to go to see what Russian Space Travel was like back then is at the Memorial Museum of Space Exploration under Monument to the Conquerors of Space in Moscow. Although there are more artifacts at the Star City Cosmonaut Training Facility just outside Moscow, the Memorial Museum of Space Exploration is very convenient to get to, open to the public and very Cheap.

The Memorial Museum of Space Exploration is under the huge statue dedicated to flight in Cosmonaut Alley. Cosmonaut Alley was constructed in 1964. To celebrate the Soviet Union’s achievments in space. Here you will find Statues to several Causmonats as well as a statue of the “Chief Designer,” Sergey Korolyov who remained nameless until after his death. The centerpiece is a Vostok Roket on top of a 100 meter titanium exhaust plume. The gigantic base has a mural carved into it depicting all of the contributions made by the Soviet people comulating with Yuri Gagarin Stepping into his spacecraft. Enterence to the park is free and it is one of several Free Attractions in Moscow. To see more free attractions in Moscow, go to http://www.nonrevwebsite.com/cheapeurope/Moscow.html#Attractions  .

The Memorial Museum of Space Exploration is an awesome underground complex with the complete history of Russian Space exploration, The museum has a large collection of rockets, capsules, satalites, rovers, space stations, even Lika, the first dog in space. It goes back to the beginings in the 1900s when Konstantin Tsiolkovsky mathematically described how to escape gravity and use multi-stage rockets fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to travel to the stars before the Write Brothers Flew an Airplane. This museum is very new, reopened in 2009, and is very reasonable, around $3. You will not be disappointed by its 85,000 objects at this attraction. To see more information on the Russian Space Museum and other attractions in Mocscow, go to http://www.nonrevwebsite.com/cheapeurope/Moscow.html#Attractions  .

So celebrate the first human in space by going to the Memorial Museum of Space Exploration. With so much to see and do, you could make a whole day of it. And while you are in Moscow, you can see the other Free Attactions.

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TAXI TIPS, How to Avoid getting Ripped Off

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

  Taking a taxi can be a convenience or waste of time and money. There are several rules as well as scams when you get into a cab, especially in a foreign country. Here are a few.

  Many taxi drivers lie and say they can’t break your larger notes and you’ll end up grossly overpaying. If your cab fare is $10 and all you have on you is $20s, there is nothing you can do if he doesn’t have change. Many cash machines give large bills like 50 Euros which just makes the situation worse.  The solution is to get money at cash machines close to the hotel. Then cash any large bills to small ones and then always carry some small bills with you. At the end of the trip, you can always use them for tips. 

Many drivers will short change you, say goodbye and rush you out of the cab. Stay in the cab, get your cash, and count it until it you are satisfied with the numbers.

 Many taxis charge higher rates at night time. Don’t think it’s a scam if the evening ride back from the restaurant costs more than the afternoon ride to the restaurant.

Dishonest drivers may take the great circle route to jack up your fare. Have a city map and pretend to follow along with your progress. Ask the driver which route he’s taking. Act engaged in your routing. I layed over with a Captain who had a huge boy scout compass. When he pulled it out, it made everyone one think twice about the directions you gave him.

These are some one the scams that happen with taxies. There are hundreds of more that befall unsuspecting travelers. It is so prevalent these days. Thousands of travelers lose hundreds in currency a day. To see more scams, go to Scams At NonRevWebsite.com . And to see travel advice, go to Advice at NonRevWebsite.com .

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Sting Operation in Rome at Restaurants

Friday, August 28th, 2009

THE ROME REPORT: written by Liza Salvatore (Roman historian/Papal scholar)

You can get fined in Rome if you have the  wrong Reciept for your meal.

Look to see if the restaurant is giving you an official receipt known as a ricevuta fiscale which has the proprietor’s social security number, etc. IF it does not, it means that they are not paying taxes on what they have charged you so don’t feel obligated to leave anything more than a few coins. I would suggest in any case that you get a “ricevuta fiscale” an official receipt because you are in danger of being caught in a sting with the Guardia di Finanza who may think you are colluding with the restaurant to help them avoid paying income tax. YOU are required to have a ricevuta fiscale when you walk out of a restaurant, a store, a coffee house and may be asked to provide it if the Guardia di Finanza is spot checking.

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Tipping in Italy

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

THE ROME REPORT: written by Liza Salvatore (Roman historian/Papal scholar)

Generally, Italians leave about 5% tip on their bills for a tip in a trattoria or average restaurant, but this depends on wether there is “pane e coperto– bread and cover” already added to the bill or if they have charged your group a “servizio”. The bread and cover should no longer be charged as it was done away with when the currency changed from the lira to the euro BUT almost all restaurants still do it and Italians don’t challenge them because they want to return to that restaurant again. You decide if you want to challenge the “pane & coperto” charge. If you do so, do it in a “gee, I thought it had been done away with” and see what they say.

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Ripped Off in Russia

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

After our flight was cancelled, we had an extra day in Moscow so we decided to go to Lenin’s Tomb. It is open Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday and Sunday, 10 to 1 and is free to enter. After getting our brief on when we would leave the next day, we headed of to the Metro to start our journey. We got to the entrance 15 minutes before it ‘closes’ only to have the guards tell us no more visitors for the day. We asked them about the time and they just shrugged their shoulders. The tour guides were circling around us like sharks.

The first one came up informing us that for 500 rubles each he can get us in. Apparently there is an agreement that when no more visitors are allowed in for free but before the tomb closed, tour guides could get us in. We said no to his offer and he puts on the pressure like a good con-man saying I hope you can come back tomorrow. When we leave and look for another way in, we are approached by anther saying we are very late but for 1200 rubles he can get us in and give us. I tell him the other guy would do it for 500. He said his price includes a tour of all the other 4 graves including Yuri Gagarin, Stalin, and Brezhnev. This is interesting because we have 10 minutes until it closes and this tour seems longer than 20, yet the guards won’t let us in just to see Lenin. I start to see the scam.

Next he says for 700 Rubles he can let both of us just see Lenin and we agree and he sets the hook. As we get closer, the guide looks at his watch and the starts running this is to see how bad we want to get in. As he runs, he says we are very late and tries to bid the price up saying historical facts along the way. He then says for 900 rubles we can get more information. We say no then he passes another guide and they exchange words. We go a little farther and he says we cannot get in because we are too late.

So if you are going to Lenin’s Tomb make sure you get there at least 30 minutes before it closes. Otherwise you will be charged 1200 Rubles, around $40, to see something that is for free. Also, be careful of the guides and know some are ‘hyper-capitalistic.”

See more tips like these at NonRevWebsite.com

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Top 5 ways to get ripped off in Prague

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Prague is a city rich in history and known for its bohemian atmosphere and reasonable prices. Unfortunately, the breaking away from the Soviet Union has created an environment where some establishments are taking capitalism to the extreme at your expense. Here are some of the ways unscrupulous restaurants try to inflate your bill.

Dinner is a great example. Many restaurants provide set meals for a fixed price. These are great ways to save money on meals when you travel while enjoying local dishes, but there are tricks they use to get you to pay more.

1) First, shop around until you find a complete meal with beverages. They may be difficult to find but they are well worth your time.

2) Next, talk with the person at the door to clarify exactly what is provided in the meal. This will tell the staff you know what you are ordering.

3) Then, don’t order anything else of the menu. Even asking for a glass of water will increase your bill because they may charge double or triple the normal price and you will have no idea until you have taken a sip and committed to pay.

4) What ever you do, don’t eat from that basket of bread if it is placed in front of you. This is the oldest trick in the book and tells you to be careful of the staff for other deceptions. What they do, but things on your table that is not included in the fixed price meal. If you take a bite, you bought it. The most lucrative for them is to put a large basket of bread on your table. You take one small slice of bread and surprise, you just bought the entire $5 basket.

5) Verify what is included if they have a picture of a meal. You may see a huge meal described in the native language with an entrée, side, and drink and notice that it is very reasonable. Then as you order from the picture, the wait staff will ask if you want sides and a drink. When you get the bill, you will find it is double what you thought you would pay because the picture was showing off the entrée and sides were extra.

So remember, find the best fixed meal, clarify what you are getting, don’t order off the menu, make sure what you eat is what you ordered, and check what is included in the picture. Follow these rules and you will enjoy your meals in Prague.

See more tips like these at NonRevWebsite.com

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Great Deals on Food In Moscow

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Even though Moscow is not the most expensive city in the world, it fell to number 3, finding reasonable prices for food is difficult. Finding cheap food in Moscow is almost impossible, except for those who look very, very hard, or read my posts.

Several people told me about Yolki Polki so I made a mental note to find it and looked for other cheap restaurants. Unfortunately I did not find many others. The good news is it is a chain and has several locations in Moscow. What’s even better was this is traditional food, not fast food with no culture.

First we ordered Broche, or beet soup. I have to admit, it was the best I had ever had. (Stand by on that, I have another layover and I am up to the challenge to find a better one.) Next was the meat and cabbage pie. Not bad but a great value for the price. Finally we had the chicken scures. To wash it down, we had a Russian beer. Again, I have to admit, the beer was very good.

The final price came to 600 Rubles which is around $20. We could have kept that under $15 very easily, but we were hungry and had a very persuasive waitress. Would I recommend this to friends? Yes, and I am. Enjoy this great restaurant as you save money on food in Moscow!

To find more information on tips around the world, go to http://www.nonrevwebsite.com/

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The Free Musee Jean Moulin – Fighting for Freedom

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

Back in World War II when France was invaded, several people were trained by the British and air-dropped back into occupied territory. Jean Moulin was one of them. This museum is dedicated to him and his efforts to free his countrymen.

The museum is on top of the Gare Montparnasse Train station which makes it very accessible. The Museum goes through the life of this resistance fighter from his actions during the invasion to when he was interrogated, tortured, and killed. It gives a great view of life in Paris during Wartime. Lest we forget.

The Museum is connected to the French Resistance Museum connected by a theater which gives perspective of the normal Frenchman in World War II. If you want to get an idea of how the War really was for those who lived under the thumb of Nazis, or understand what occupation of your country would be like, this is where you need to go. If you are a history buff, or a military enthusiast, you need to go her to see what underground war is like as well as fighting for your country when Democracy is gone.

See more free attractions like this at the Paris section of NonRevWebsite.com. To see more free attractions from around the world, go to NonRevWebsite.com

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