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I’m Heading To Sarajevo This Month: What Shouldn’t I Miss In The Best City To Visit 2012?

by Anil Polat | Oct 12, 2012 | Travel, Travel Unravel | 12

airport departures Well over 25,000 of you voted Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina as 2012’s Best City to Visit in my annual tournament held each March. And now, as promised, I’m heading to see Sarajevo to see it myself, visiting the capital city for the first time. While I won’t know the exact dates of my visit for a few more days, that gives me just enough time to get your personal recommendations. Many of you enthusiastically voted for and wrote me passionately about Sarajevo – so I want to hear what you think I shouldn’t miss while I’m there?

What should I see, do, and importantly – where and what should I eat and drink in Sarajevo?

You may or may not have an idea how I travel but the essence of the question for those of you who have been and live there is what do you love about Sarajevo? I look forward to reading and appreciate your responses in the comments below. Also, in a few days I’ll post my arrival details and hope to do a meet up or two when I’m in town so we can share a cup of…well, you tell me!

From Horizon To Horizon: The Sight Of How Much Oil There Is In Azerbaijan

by Anil Polat | Oct 11, 2012 | Green, Pictures and Video | 4

azeri oil cargo train

On the 90 minute drive back to Baku, Azerbaijan from Gobustan National Park in that same country, my driver and partner in honesty abruptly slowed down on the dusty highway. He pointed right and said in Azeri, “oil”. Stopping, I hopped out of the car, doing my best to get all of this freight in a single futile shot; thwarted at every angle I pointed my camera lens. Back to back cargo trains went from one horizon to the other, transporting the petrol fueling Baku’s rapid expansion.

Oil is something Azerbaijan has ample amounts of. Despite being just the 114th biggest country in terms of area, Azerbaijan has the world’s 19th largest oil reserves. (Recently discovered deposits moved the country up from 22nd since I was there 6 months ago.) On top of that Azerbaijan is sitting on 5% of the world’s natural gas. There is so much combustible commodity in the country that many neighborhoods along Azerbaijan’s east coast have oil rigs right in the middle of them. Large pipes form oil veins across the langscape in a sight so bizarre I didn’t even think to take pictures – something I regret as I can only now describe what I saw. There is so much gas one mountain has been ablaze for 50 years and it makes you just slightly uncomfortable whenever someone tosses a lit cigarette butt on Azeri soil.

The consensus of what the oil is doing to Azeri life seems somewhat divided based on age. The older, pre-Soviet generation, are generally positive about the wealth and government-proposed changes ahead. A national healthcare system, public universities, and oil stipends (similar to those found in several Gulf states like Bahrain) have all been talked about. On the other side are the estimated 25% of under 25s, who argue not enough is being spent outside of Baku, and much more money goes unaccounted for.

Despite all the opinions though one thing was evident to me – Baku is transforming into a place much like the concrete jungle of Dubai. Where it goes from there isn’t quite clear but no matter the destination, it undoubtedly will be riding the back of oil freight trains.

Book Frequent Flyer Flights For Family And Friends Directly Rather Than Transferring Miles To Save Money

by Anil Polat | Oct 5, 2012 | Air, Money | 0

airplane window One way to bump up your frequent flyer mile earning is to use points from friends and family members who may not have any intention of using them. You can also be generous and share you own miles, which makes for a great, inexpensive travel gift. But rather than outright transferring them to someone else’s frequent flyer account, you can save on fees by simply booking the flights directly for your friend or family member.

Transferring Miles Can Cost You $100 Or More In Fees

When the amount of miles you’ll be gifting aren’t enough for an outright upgrade or free flight, you’ve got little option other than having them transferred to another account. Such transfers carry fees ranging upwards of $100 or more per transaction, generally making bulk mile transfers more sensible (e.g. $100 for 10,000 miles instead of $100 for 1,000). You can however get around transfer fees altogether when you book for another person directly, something the airlines don’t really advertise you can do.

Call Your Friend, Get Their Flight Details, And Book

I recommend giving the airline mileage programs a call, instead of booking online, when searching for reward flights. Generally it takes less time and somehow those agents find you many more flight options than are available through their websites. In the case you’re booking for someone else, have them come over, or at least call you with their flight details. It’s just like booking for yourself, except it’s not you who’s going to be traveling. Get your friend or family member’s flight dates (spread over 3 days for departure and return as allotted reward seats may not be available), birth date, and passport number. Also, don’t forget their seat and meal preferences for good measure.

When you give the airline mileage program operator a call, let them know you’ll be booking for someone else (United Mileage Plus operators almost always ask, the others, not-so-much) and proceed with the booking. Although you’ll still be liable for the taxes (depending exactly how generous you want to be) you don’t have to pay any mileage transfer fees on top of them.

Works On The Big Airline Alliances But Funnel Your Miles To Maximize Them

Travelers looking to make the most of their frequent flyer miles (no matter how much you fly) should accumulate your miles in one place – preferably in the three most flexible major airline programs. Using United Mileage Plus or KLM Flying Blue, for example, you can use your miles on all of their partner airlines, which doesn’t always work in reverse. I’ve booked flights for friends and family using my miles on all three of the major alliances (Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam) – actually more than I’ve used for myself – avoiding additional transfer charges by using this method. You’ll end up saving $100 or more on reward flights for others, no matter who ends up paying the final booking bill.

Answers To Your 7 Most Commonly Asked Schengen Area Visa Questions

by Anil Polat | Oct 4, 2012 | Advice | 166

rhodes fethiye ferry

The Schengen Area, a collection of 25 European countries which maintain open borders with each other, makes traveling between those nations a straightforward matter. Though since I’ve written my primer, What Is The Schengen Zone And How Do Schengen Area Visas Work?, many of you, especially those close to the 90 day limit, have been sending me questions.

A lot of those questions tended to repeat, so I collected the answers to the most frequent Schengen inquiries I received, in case you’ve been wondering the same things. Though it’s worth mentioning if you plan to stay in Europe for more than 2 months, I’d recommend a quick look in case you’re not asking these Schengen questions (yet).

1. How Long Can I Stay In The Schengen Area?

6 month calendar

The Schengen Area, sometimes called the Schengen Zone, allows those with visa-waivers and standard travel visas (if required of your nationality) to stay 90 days out of every 180; collectively in the Schengen member states. This is where most people unnecessarily complicate things – you get 90 days in every 180 total in the entire Schengen area (for example: 45 days in France, 10 in Iceland, 35 in Slovakia). If you’re already in the Schengen, count back 90 days on a calendar, then 89 days forward (today counts as number 90) – there’s your 180 days. Now, count the number of days you are or will be in any country that’s part of the Schengen area, making sure it’s 90 or less.

2. Is The European Union The Same Thing As The Schengen Area?

tower bridge london england

Although it’s easy to confuse the two, it’s important to note that the European Union (EU) and Schengen Area countries don’t completely overlap. For example, the United Kingdom and Ireland are both EU nations but not a part of the Schengen Area. Norway and Iceland are the opposite, they signed the Schengen Agreement in 2001 however are not members of the EU. And there are European Union states outside of Europe altogether, like, French Guiana (in South America) which is not part of the Schengen Area.

Here is the official map of Schengen members (and EU countries).

3. What If I’m A Dual Schengen Area Member And Some-Other-Country Citizen?

Strangely, many of your who are dual citizens of one country inside the Schengen Area and one from outside of the group, aren’t using your Schengen-member passports upon entry into the zone. One of the rules of traveling with two passports is to (almost) always use your home country passport when going there.

And, if it so happens that country is a part of the Schengen Area and you want to travel to a member state, use that passport for entry. However if you haven’t done that – so as not to hurt the standing of your non-Schengen passport within the Area – you can leave for a few days and re-enter with your Schengen member passport.

4. What Happens If I Overstay My Schengen Area Visa?

window bars

Well, like overstaying any travel visa, it depends; primarily on three things: your nationality (and corresponding visa), length of overstay, and what you did while you were there (e.g. find employment or learning onamonapia Italian). Generally speaking a modest overstay of a few days in the Schengen Area, while carrying fines and a possible ban, aren’t especially likely to invite either. Member states tend to vary in their strictness and it’s like playing the delinquent lottery with every passport control officer.

5. Can I Overstay Just A Little Bit – I’m Having Fun!

chorizo granada spain

I know drinking wine in the morning, smoking legal marijuana for lunch, then eating socialist pasta with Per Gessle at dinner is addictive – plus a sleepy Greek passport control officer is unlikely to bother counting your 94 days in Europe while his economy collapses around him…so should you overstay? No. One more time. Don’t. Why take the risk of being banned for 2-5 years for a few extra days of eating paella? Ok, I get it – Spanish food could convince me to break international laws as well – but you’ve got good alternatives. Save your criminal activities for more ambitious goals, like opening a casino in the middle of nowhere.

6. How Can I Legally Extend My Stay In The Schengen Area?

You’ll want to focus on one country within the Schengen Area to file for a visa extension as the rules vary. There is some information from the experts in my live chat about Spain on extending your stay in that country and Nomadic Matt suggests that Sweden, France, and Italy have the easiest procedures. Call around to a few embassies to see what makes sense for you – before you leave for the Schengen Area. Also, keep in mind I’m not talking about work permits or residency visas. Extended travel visas nearly always prohibit you from working inside a given country.

7. I’m On A Student Visa In The Schengen Area, Can I Stay 90 Days (As A Tourist) Once That Expires?

harry potter porto portugal

Another “it depends” and even when trying to provide a general answer I couldn’t because the rules vary widely. (Denmark for example lets you stay 14 days beyond your student visa but other require you to leave the Schengen Area prior to the visa expiration.) Most visa applications and documents found on embassy websites online will have the details of what you can and can’t do after your student (or other) visa expires. The best way to find out with certainty is to contact the embassy of the country who issued your visa.

With so many broad Schengen Area rules divided up into specific national details it’s easy to get a bit lost in trying to figure it all out. When in doubt though the best place to turn prior to your travels are the embassies of the Schengen countries you’ll be entering and exiting. If you’re already in the Schengen, call your nearest local embassy.

These are the 7 questions I’ve heard most; which ones have you come across in your Schengen searches and what advice would you have to those entering the zone?

Is Moldova Safe?

by Anil Polat | Oct 2, 2012 | Security, Travel | 12

orhei moldova

I routinely disregard the process of making anything more than highly-flexible yet primitive travel plans, however the one thing every traveler should prepare for is how to get from the airport (if flying in) to where you’re staying. That first introduction to a country is when you’re most vulnerable to scams, being overcharged, or at least being unnecessarily inconvenienced. When I read up on Moldova, before arriving in Chisinau from Tbilisi, Georgia, the reports and warnings were overwhelmingly negative and foreboding.

Avoid the police to the extent of walking across the street if you spot them (does anything look more suspicious?), don’t walk the streets at night…was Chisinau and the rest of Moldova really that dangerous?

Upon Arrival I Was Greeted By Exceptionally Helpful People

We like to think of crowded places as being more trustworthy than desolate ones like the Chisinau airport. (It only sees about 5.4 million passengers a year, not even putting it in the top 100 worldwide.) The directions staff from the Moldova Retro Hostel sent me seemed clear enough until I realized there wasn’t the specified express bus into the city. Apparently it doesn’t bother running all the time or in the middle of the afternoon. All I had to rely on were the 10 people or so lingering for a cigarette, who hadn’t been picked up in one of the many overstated Mercedes Benz outside.

There was also the single taxi driver asking any and everyone if they needed a taxi – I think every airport has their club of shady cabbies. Cigarettes burning to butts, a few people headed over to an unmarked minibus. The drivers couldn’t seem less interested in helping me, but a young twenty-something man with a vaguely Italian accent (common for Moldovan which is actually Romanian) let me know it was the correct ride. I confirmed this with a superficially honest looking little old lady.

The helpful guy actually rode on two extra stops to make sure I got off at the right place. I was waiting for him to ask me for a tip, or something to go wrong. It didn’t – and I found this type of proactive hospitality throughout Moldova.

Misconceptions About The Statistics

chisinau arch of triumph

Anecdotes can be reassuring but facts are telling – Moldova has an exceptionally high crime rate – but only for specific types of crimes, most of which no traveler will ever be involved in. According to Transparency International’s Annual 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index, Moldova ranks about 112th in the world, slightly more corrupt at the government level than Algeria. Human trafficking is also an ongoing problem in Moldova, though a report by the U.S. State Department shows there has been some recent improvement due to reforms enacted by the government.

Government bribery, being sold into the sex trade, and drug smuggling aren’t spheres of scandal any average tourist is likely to encounter. The biggest threat to travelers in Moldova is petty theft of unsecured valuables left in hotels and pickpocketing in crowded areas. (Which there aren’t too many of outside of loaded buses.) In terms of violent crime, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ranks Moldova in the top third of safest European nations.

Even the ultra-cautious United State State Department information page on Moldova is uncharacteristically positive, as is Bureau of Diplomatic Security (OSAC). Though I couldn’t find any reliable statistics on petty theft or pickpocketing, OSAC estimates it’s at rates you’d find in any major tourist destination.

There are a few common scams (if you’re a sucker for pretty faces brush up on those), theft from mail packages is not unheard of, and if renting an apartment lock up as burglary rates are higher than the European average. As for avoiding the police, none of the embassies I contacted told me it necessary to avoid the authorities in an extreme manner. (I never did myself.) Walking the main, lit streets, at night was never an issue and so long as you bring your common sense with you, you’re likely to find Moldova a secure place to travel.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More