Many students feel the urge to go abroad after having worked hard on their Bachelors degree, to see something else than their ‘normal’ environment but feel obligated to finish their master thesis first. After all, they don’t want to postpone their start into the working life as this means that there will be another one or two years without income.

A great solution for this problem is the possibility to do their Masters degree abroad. This enables students to break free from their ‘same old’ surroundings and gives them the possibility to explore new cultures and countries, but also continue their studies. Going abroad is also a great opportunity for students to broaden their horizon, meet new people and maybe acquire interesting new contacts with companies that they might have never considered before. Students that consider this option face a whole range of obstacles, though, amongst which is the problem of choosing the right university and the right Masters course.  Students often start an extensive search on the internet and most of them are overwhelmed by all the possibilities and opportunities out there.

For this purpose, Masters search engines like masters-and-more.co.uk might be the right tool in creating and shaping their future. They give a good overview of available possibilities in different countries, provide an extensive collection of different Masters degrees and will provide good tips for finding, applying and financing a Masters degree.

As you can see, if you want to go abroad after your Bachelors degree you will find plenty of possibilities to combine adventurous and exciting experiences in foreign countries with your intellectual development. Don’t hesitate taking the step because it might be one of the most memorable times of your life!

Photo: Egon Häbich  / pixelio.de

Currently under construction, the Expo Village, exhibition area of Expo 2015 (which will focus on the issues of healthy and safe nutrition for this edition), will cover more than 1 million square meters and will stand close to the recent exhibition center Fieramilano in Rho-Pero and a few kilometers away from Malpensa Airport. Nevertheless, the Expo area will be perfectly connected to the historical centre of Milan via public transport. In little more than 15 minutes from one of the various hotels in Milan you can reach Piazza del Duomo and visit the main tourist attractions of the city.

Near Milan Cathedral, for example, are the Sforza Castle and its large surrounding park; Piazza della Scala, named after the famous Teatro alla Scala; the Pinacoteca di Brera, an art gallery displaying art from the last thousand years; and the striking Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci held in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

The Royal Palace overlooking Piazza del Duomo, is a cultural centre where exhibitions of international importance are organized and presented continually (among the latest: Picasso, Hopper, Dali, Cezanne), and always on Piazza Duomo is the Museo del Novecento, a recent exhibition space with a selection of nearly 500 works of Italian art of the 20th century.

Not far from the Duomo, on Corso Venezia, is the Museum of Natural History, while nearby the Università Cattolica (UCSC), a few metro stops away, you can visit the Museum of Science and Technology, with halls dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions, reproduced in actual size.

A few minutes’ walk from Piazza Duomo, you can plunge in the legendary Fashion District, including Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga, Milan’s luxury shopping streets. Here are the showrooms of the best Italian and international designers, like Armani, Valentino, D&G, Versace, Chanel, Hermés, Gucci, and Prada, but also the most prestigious jewelry brands such as Rolex, Bulgari and Cartier.

And in the evening you can head towards Via Brera and its fashionable bars, to have a drink and participate in the Milanese ritual of happy hour. For dinner, instead, you can opt for a restaurant in the Navigli area, which is Milan’s nightlife hub. Last but not least, the city also offers very trendy discos for night owls. The most popular are situated near the Garibaldi station and Corso Como, and include Hollywood, Loolapaloosa, Shocking Club, and Toqueville 13.

Photo: Martin Fels / pixelio.de

Many Brits are avalanching their way to success on the UK slopes. Dry slopes are popular in the UK and there are many locations throughout that offer and specialise in giving beginners the chance to put on their skis and experience the holiday of a lifetime indoors. From snowboarding, skiing and sledging, there is a wide range of facilities and equipment available to rent in most ski resorts.

With heavy snowfall in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over the past few years, the UK has developed into a hotspot for skiing. Go on the piste in the Lake District during the winter season when there is real snow on British soil. Many people pack up their skis, rent a holiday home in the area and head to the top of Catstyecam or Helvellyn. Many migrate to Wales during the winter season and head to Brecon, a great location to whiz down the slopes in the Welsh country. Durham is also a hotspot for skiers and snowboarders alike with the ski slope on the Swinhope Moor in the Weardale area being one of the more popular skiing locations for Brits now! For as little as £20, you can find yourself storming down the taraine of the mountains and hills here. Make sure you pack your goggles – believet it or not, you can still get sunburnt and it protects your eyes from the snow shilst you ski!

In terms of health and safety whilst having the time of your life on the slopes, make sure you wear a protective helmet – whether you are indoors or outdoors, the worlds best or worst skier or snowboarder, you are bound to fall over at some point. High altitudes and high speeds mean that if you were to have an accident, you could get seriously hurt. Wearing a helmet is heavily recommended whether indoors or outdoors as it immediately reduces the risk of head injury.

Photo: Seelax  / pixelio.de

Volunteering is a social contribution you offer to aid organizations or to institutions directly. Most of the organisations only function with the support of national and international volunteers. There are different kinds of volunteer programmes that embrace various branches. Although everybody will likely have eco and permaculture projects in mind when talking about “sustainability”, there are lots more. Life skill programmes or social work in orphanages have an especially large impact on the life of the people you volunteer with. You have the chance to show them what a better world would look like. It does not matter if this refers to natural conservation, education, health care or other future perspectives. Volunteers take over a role model and can pass on positive thinking and hope.
As a volunteer abroad, you will leave your comfort zone and will discover a world, you have never dreamed of before. It will surely be filled with colourful cultures, stunning landscapes and new friends, but also you will encounter poverty, sickness and dirt. In that time you spend volunteering abroad, you will learn a lot about the world you are actually living in. Suddenly, you are in the middle of all the problems which always seemed to be so far away from you. But you will learn to deal with them. This will test your personality, but this challenge will have an utterly positive effect on your own existence too.  It will definitely open your eyes and change the way you were used to see all things in your life before. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes” (Marcel Proust). Eventually, the sustainability you are trying to create as a volunteer abroad is going to reflect on your own life. The changes you have worked on during the programme, the people you have met and the heartwarming experiences you have made will last more than a holiday and will affect your way of life.
For volunteer travels worldwide have a look at Studentsgoabroad.com

Photo: Margit Völtz  / pixelio.de

Abu Dhabi is inviting the world to come along and enjoy some great and unique tourist attractions. So for those looking for some great fun in the sun, what are the key things to do in Abu Dhabi? With a hot and sunny climate, Abu Dhabi has a wide range of great experiences and activities on offer, with a great mix of traditional old and modern new attractions, to meet the needs of the both the extreme brigade and the culture vultures!  For those looking for a cultural destination the UAE is a great place to visit, and from the moment you step off the plane you get a great sense that you are ‘exploring’, and you have arrived somewhere ‘different’, a fact immediately conveyed to you when you witness the local Arabs in their traditional dress before you have left the airport.
Abu Dhabi has plenty on offer for those seeking culture and tradition.  Step back in time and enjoy the fun of haggling and bartering for goods in the traditional souks, or take in the splendour of the amazing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, a recently built mosque, one of the world’s largest, with capacity for 40,000 worshippers.  Get an insight into traditional Arabian hunting methods with a visit to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, or visit the Heritage Village where you can see a reconstructed traditional oasis village.   Step right back in time with a visit to the 200 year old Al Maqtaa Fort. For those wanting to get out and enjoy the sun, the famous Abu Dhabi Corniche is great place to take in the sea views, the impressive Abu Dhabi sky line which now includes Capital Gate, the world’s furthest leaning tower (some 4 times more ‘leaning’ than the Tower of Pisa!).  At 8km in length, the Corniche is a great place enjoy walking, cycling, skateboarding, café culture and people watching, or relaxing in the adjacent parks and on the beautiful beaches!
Thrill seekers in the city can enjoy speed boat rides, helicopter and sea plane panoramic flights, stand up paddle boarding and freediving.  Numerous tour operators in the city offer a wide rnage of day trip and tours including day tours to Al Ain and nearby Dubai (about a 2 hour journey by road), as well as more adventurous tours into the dessert for 4×4 and camel riding experiences. Those looking to escape the summer heat can enjoy ice skating, shopping, the cinema and bowling, and of course a huge choice of great restaurants.  The city is home to two rooftop revolving restaurants, treating diners to great 360 degree ‘moving views’ of Abu Dhabi while they eat.
Moving onto some of the larger, more modern and recent additions to Abu Dhabi’s tourist attractions.  Yas Island, which is about a 20 minute drive from the centre of downtown Abu Dhabi, is home to a host of new great attractions.  The recently opened Ferrari World theme park breaks many world records, including being the world’s largest indoor theme park.  Ferrari World is home to numerous great attractions and shows with something for all ages.  Two of the major attractions within the park include the world’s fastest roller coast, Formula Rosso, where visitors accelerate in their ‘F1 Ferraris’ up to an amazing 240kmh (almost 150mph) and the Fiorano GT Challenge where two Ferrari themed roller coasters race against each other.
The end of 2012 will see the grand opening of Abu Dhabi’s latest great attraction, Yas Waterworld, right next to Ferrari World.  Another record breaking attraction, this 15 hectare ‘state of the art’ waterpark, based around the story of the young Emirati girl Dana, and her search for a legendary pearl, will feature the world’s largest surfable sheet wave, the world’s first roller coaster with incorporate on board water and laser special effects, and the world’s first hydromagnetic-powered tornado!
Also on Yas Island you have the famous Yas Marina circuit, home to the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the location for lots of fun motoring activities including dragster driving, karting, performance driving and F1 passenger rides. Yas Marina itself is also a place to go and play, where you can take a sea plane flight or have a try at Stand up Paddleboarding. For those willing to travel a little further afield there are two great options.  A few hours drive away, or a short flight from the city, you have the Sir Bani Yas Island nature reserve, home to thousands of roaming animals from around the globe, and a large population of the famous Arabian Oryx.  Activities on the island include snorkelling, kayaking, mountain biking, sailing, horse riding and wildlife safaris.  Those wanting to stay in the island can enjoy the luxurious Desert Islands Resort and Spa.
The Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort is another unique Abu Dhabi option, a luxurious resort built right in the middle of the Liwa dessert, in the Empty Quarter region of Abu Dhabi. Activities on hand here include 4×4 desert safaris, camel riding, traversing the huge majestic sand dunes and archery. The above gives just a taste of what is on offer in the region, Abu Dhabi is a travel experience.  If you are like me you will leave with strong memories of a great journey, the strong smells of the incense burners, the distant sounds of the calling to prayers from the mosques, the gentle lapping of the warm waves on the shore, the stunning skyline from the kayak, the warm winter evening, the hustle and bustle of the souks, the soft hazy sunsets,…..  I’m ready for another visit!

Picture: Helga Hauke  / pixelio.de

One of the main reasons France has witnessed an increase in the number of tourists from the UK is thanks to the construction of the Channel Tunnel in the early 90s. As it is only a brief journey to the regions of Brittany and Normandy, these coastal areas attract a large number of British tourists every year. Many British tourists find themselves flocking further South, to Nice, Saint-Tropez and Cannes for example.

This diverse country offers everything from city breaks to beach holidays, as well as camping getaways and biking tours. There is something to suit everyone’s budget in the country and the French industry, such as it’s famous wines and cuisine, is something that clearly attracts more and more visitors every year. Wine lovers come in their thousands to the wine regions of Bordeaux in the Aquitaine. Tours are available from €8 onwards, so everyone can enjoy the vineyards whilst sampling the local specialities.

The city of Paris attracts many people after a romantic getaway as there are many deals available online to find a great deal on prices on restaurants, accommodation and nightlife. With its many tourist attractions to check out during the day, it is no wonder that in 2011, just under 80 million people visited the capital of France. The city of Marseille has also seen a recent increase in the number of visitors, as it was recently named the European Capital of Culture 2013. This coastal city offers hot weather and fine cuisine for those after a summer break. The large interest in the Tour de France has seen a large number of tourists visit France, especially during the summertime. With an excellent array of cycling routes available throughout France, those who like outdoor holidays find the country extremely attractive. Hiking, trekking and horse riding through the more rural regions is also very popular, as well as golf holidays.

France did suffer a drop in the number of skiiers last year, which is surprising as the Alps and the skiing resorts in France, have some of the best skiing conditions in the whole world. There are over 200 skiing resorts to be found throughout the country and with prices starting from €100, there is a ski resort to suit all budgets.

For more information on cheap holidays to France, visit the website www.affordable-france.com

Image: Bildpixel  / pixelio.de

After a transition period until the 1st of November 2012, fines of minimum €11 will apply to all drivers, who do not have unused breathalyzers available in their cars.

Prices for disposable breathalyzer kits are around €1.50 and are available in pharmacies and petrol stations.

What is the point of this duty?

With this action, the French government strives to reduce the damages caused by drunk driving and the rising number of fatal traffic accidents. The point of the breathalyzer kit is to give the driver an easy way to control and measure his alcohol level and thus, his ability to drive.

Auto Europe, a leading broker of car rental worldwide, puts great emphasis on the importance of safety and urges all drivers against drunk driving.

Through cooperation with partners, Auto Europe ensures the best service and good car rental offers with all the necessary equipment, such as a reflective triangle, safety vest, first aid kit and now breathalyzers in France.

In addition, extra equipment can be booked through Auto Europe. Book for example children seats, navigation system, ski racks and snow tires.

Bildquelle: mmechtley / flickr.com

The Louvre is a popular spot for visitors to Paris, and it’s easy to see why. There’s always great art and historical objects on show, amazing sculptures, and, of course, the Mona Lisa to take a peek at. And when you’ve finished exploring, sit outside by the picturesque fountains and glass pyramid to enjoy an ice cream or picnic.

Accommodation: If you are looking for an accommodation in the French capital, you can find the camping in Paris that you want with Outcamp.

Les Passages Couverts were built throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth century before any of the modern shopping malls which are in Paris. The passages are historic retail hubs, covered with glass roofs; a great place to enjoy a bit of shopping whilst also taking in some true Parisian culture.

The Pompidou Centre makes for a great cultural day out in Paris. With a myriad of modern art installations, a walk around this intriguing building will encourage plenty of interested discussion, whether you like the artwork or not! Even the elaborate and striking outer elevator into the museum is enough to get excited about.

The Cité des Sciences is Paris’ science museum, and is sure to engage big and little kids alike. With a planetarium, a giant cinema screen hosting 3D films and an exhibition inside a real submarine, this is a great place to explore with the family.

The Arc de Triomphe is another not-to-be-missed activity. Make your way to this traffic encased marvel by taking the underground, and once you’re there take in the grand sights and amazing architecture, sparing a thought for the lost soldiers it honors. Climb the many steps to the top, too, to find out more about the structure in the information centre, and lap up the amazing views.

Sainte Chapelle Church is obligatory for those who love church buildings and architecture in general. With some parts of the building dating back to the thirteenth century including its stained glass, and many newer parts restored in the nineteenth century. Look up when you enter; you’re met with a beautiful royal blue and gold star studded scene.

These are only a few of some of the cultural things to do in Paris; a few others include the Rodin Museum, seeing Notre Dame, the Musee de Cluny, the Catacombs…and much more! Paris is often seen as the place for a luxury short break, and yes, certainly it makes for an amazing weekend away, but there’s so much to do here that you could quite easily spend a full week or so here. And if you want to stay in a high quality property for a reasonable price, and make your way around this beautiful city at your own pace, why not try a self catered holiday apartment rental in Paris? There’s lots to choose from, so why not book yours now? You could be waking up in a comfy bed, enjoying a croissant on your balcony and exploring the streets of Paris in no time! Find an Parisian apartment rental at pureholidayhomes.com.

Picture: simo0082/ flickr.com

There is more to Šumava than nature, however. The region is home to beautiful towns featuring historical and cultural attractions. The town of Klatovy is a popular Šumava tourist destination. Klatovy is home to Černé Jezero, the largest natural lake in the Czech Republic. The lake’s surface appears black in colour, giving it a mysterious appearance. The town also features Velhartice Castle, constructed in the 13th century. The castle, which overlooks a romantic valley, grants tourists
the chance to explore its unusual defence system.

Prachatice is another of Šumava’s towns. The archaeological village of Netolice, located atop of St. John Hill, is where tourists can delight in beautiful views of Prachatice and its surrounds. The birthplace of Jan Hus, one of the forefathers of the Czech language and the first person to translate the bible into Czech, is situated in Prachatice.

The highlight of a trip to Šumava is National Park Šumava, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Covering almost 70,000 hectares, it is the largest national park in the Czech Republic. The park, in conjunction with the German Böhmerwald, is the largest forested area in Central Europe. The park is dominated by forest, streams, and glacier lakes. Tourists who choose to visit this natural attraction can spot deer and elk. Lynx are also sighted frequently.

For those who wish to get active in Šumava in the summer, the region offers a wide range of possibilities for bicycle riders, from short rides through quiet villages to strenuous journeys through the mountains. The most popular activity in the Czech Republic, however, is canoeing on the rivers of the Bohemian Forest. During the winter, Šumava offers outstanding facilities for both cross country and downhill skiing. The main skiing centre in Šumava is Špícák. Here, tourists will find downhill slopes for beginners and seasoned skiers. For the cross country skier, there are 120 kilometres worth of tracks, several of which lead into the quaint villages located at the very bottom of the Špícák Mountain.

Despite the fact that Šumava is not a well-known tourist destination, the region has various tourism facilities to cater for its visitors. It is rather easy to find suitable accommodation in this magnificent region and there is a right option for every budget; from comfortable holiday houses to luxurious hotels and from cosy B&Bs to beautifully situated campsites.

Image: flickr/donald judge

Travel insurance polices provide cover for a range of different risks, and the type required will depend on the nature of your trip. This will determine the likelihood of a risk occurring. It is well advised for someone going on a skiing trip to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy that will cover any hospital bills in the event of an accident on the slopes, for example.

Once a traveller is able to determine the type of travel insurance cover that they will need for their trip, they will be in a position to find the right insurance company to offer this. Many of the large, well-known insurance companies that provide travel insurance also offer other levels of insurance to cater to all a client’s needs. However, there are also insurance companies on the market that specialise in travel insurance alone. It is worth shopping around to obtain the best deal and even checking existing sources, such as credit card companies, to determine whether they can offer a suitable travel policy.

Travel insurance policies are available in a number of different forms, such as single trip, multi trip and annual. Working out which type offers the most benefit will enable a saving to be made.

Suitable coverage by a travel insurance policy is necessary for any trip to ensure that the insured person is not left out of pocket in the event of a risk occurring. Whether a traveler is the victim of theft, an accident or even if their flight is cancelled, there can be serious repercussions and a travel insurance policy help to reduce these.

picture: Betchaboy/ flickr.com