In today's travel news, we can tell you about new Spanish environmental zones. We can certainly understand the idea of green zones, but we can't help but wonder why it has to be so complicated. Couldn't there be a common European system? In other news, it's time to write letters to Santa Claus, Finnair is collaborating with Roxette, and Apollo is opening a major sports hotel in Africa. We can also report on a survey on how Swedes finance their trips abroad.
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Spain introduces new environmental zones
Since last year there is an environmental zone in Barcelona which prevents many types of vehicles from entering the city centre during periods of elevated air pollution. Rules have also been tightened in Madrid, as of 1 November 2018. Now only eco-labelled cars can enter the 'Madrid Central ZEZ' zone, and other zones are also restricted.
Since 27 July 2018, Spain has a system of eco-labels with four different categories/colours. The categories are based on the amount of emissions and the year of registration or EURO class of the car. Detailed information is available in the Green-Zones app.
Time to write letters to Santa Claus
Did you know that Santa's post office is located in Finnish Lapland? If you want to get a letter out on time, it's best to start writing now, according to the House of Lapland. Every year around 500,000 letters arrive from all over the world, most of them written by children. If you also want to write to Santa Claus, the address is: Santa Claus, Santa Claus' Main Post Office, Tähtikuja 1, 96930 Arctic Circle, Finland. Santa's post office is located in Rovaniemi and is open to the public throughout the year.
Finnair collaborates with Roxette
Aircraft noise weakens sweet and salty flavours, while enhancing umami and bitter flavours. To create the optimum in-flight dining experience, Finnair has enlisted the help of Per Gessle and Tommy Myllymäki and is introducing Hear the Taste.
The soundscape is based on Roxette's hit song The Look, but has been adapted by Finnair to highlight the flavours of each dish. The experience will be available to all Business Class travellers on long-haul routes from Helsinki until February 2019.
How Swedes finance travelling abroad
Many Swedes prioritise travel when they have money to spare. Half of Swedes finance their holidays with existing savings, while one in five Swedes have a special "travel amount" that they set aside each month, according to Ticket's latest Sifo survey. Five per cent have parents who pay and three per cent buy the trip on their credit card. This is how Swedes finance travelling abroad (five most common answers):
- I use existing savings (51 %)
- My salary usually covers the cost (29 %)
- I set aside a certain amount every month, which I use for travelling (18 %)
- I start saving a few months before booking (15 %)
- I use money I got back from the tax refund (15 %)
Apollo opens Africa's largest sports hotel
After great success with the Apollo-owned sports hotel Playitas and La Pared on Fuerte Ventura, Apollo now takes the next step and opens Aqua Vista, with the ambition to create North Africa's best sports hotel.
Aqua Vista - powered by Playitas i Hurghada, Egypt, is one of Apollo's best-booked hotels and has now developed its sports and fitness infrastructure. The hotel includes a newly built 50-metre Olympic pool, Africa's largest hotel gym and tennis courts and offers many types of instructor-led training sessions.
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Ama de casa says:
Ooo... I completely missed the part about environmental zones - thanks for the info!
Have to go to Madrid soon because our passports are expiring. You can apply in Madrid and then pick it up here at the consulate in Torrevieja.
The alternative is of course to go to Sweden and fix it, but I wouldn't mind looking around in Madrid - it's been a long time now 🙂.
Thanks again for the info - I guess our 2006 Toyota is not environmentally friendly enough to move freely in Madrid 😉.
Have a great start to the week!
PS: Why are Swedish passports only valid for five years? And for some countries it's only 4.5 because it has to be valid for six months after arrival, even if you only stay for one day... Very strange! And annoying...
19 November 2018 - 8:39
Helena says:
But it's good that we could give you some tips 🙂 How long are other countries' passports valid? I have no idea ...
19 November 2018 - 14:04
Emma, Sol som sol? says:
Haha, just like Ama, I have also missed the environmental zones. And our passports also expire!
Saw that for those of us who live here, you can buy those zone labels for €5 at Correos: https://www.correos.es/ss/Satellite/site/servicio-1363199662458-productos_az/cOrg=Servicios_C-cidOrg=1363199638905-detalle_de_servicio-sidioma=es_ES
I agree that why should each country invent its own wheels? Sometimes it is actually good with the EU, that it is equal in terms of traffic rules and the like.
About the food on the plane, does that mean you have to sit and listen to Roxette while flying? Thanks, I'd rather eat something tasteless.
And yes, I knew that Santa lived in Rovaniemi (or at least has an office there, because he does live in the North Pole!) and that you can write to him there. I think they actually answer all the letters if you leave a reply address. Do you think e-mail works? Well, at least if you write to Swedish Santa: tomten@posten.se
The mailing address is:
plots
173 00 Tomteboda
And they were the ones who sent a message back.
Rovaniemi charges for this, I see: https://verkkokauppa.posti.fi/PublishedService?theme=9&pageID=18&freePage=2002&hsCtaTracking=149845c7-c0d0-46fc-a489-d250b88eff88%7C9d0808aa-b9b5-49a2-8cad-2f7bf8c3c120
It was very interesting what you wrote today that made me read even more! Thank you very much!
19 November 2018 - 9:23
Helena says:
Wouldn't it be good to have a common system in the EU? I mean, every city can have its own rules, but why not the same stickers??? Soon we'll have the whole box full 😉 Great info on the Swedish plot! Thank you so much! 🙂
19 November 2018 - 14:06
Emma, Sol som sol? says:
Then you get a fine from the police because the window is full and you can't see. But of course, people drive with so many strange things dangling from the rear-view mirror that they don't care. As long as the right label is there.
Then comes the next thing: do we really need a label? The licence plate should be able to tell you everything about a car, really. Just read it and up comes the relevant information for those who have access. Coordinate that instead of spending money and energy on a label.
19 November 2018 - 14:14
Ditte says:
I have read a lot here in Spain about environmental zones and saw via a BBC programme that other countries and "popular" cities with old city centres are also considering this. I think it is good to limit car traffic in the city centre, but it is also important to offer good public transport and there is plenty of it in Madrid. Assume that commercial traffic is allowed to drive. It remains to be seen how it goes. In Stockholm, a "ring line" is planned in the future to remove some of the car traffic in the city centre.
19 November 2018 - 9:49
Helena says:
I agree that it is good if there is good communication! But I think it is perhaps even more important that the rules are not too difficult to understand. I think most people can accept rules like this, if it's just clear what you can and can't do. And if every country in Europe has its own sticker system, then there will be a lot of stickers 😉.
19 November 2018 - 14:09
Liniz Travel says:
Interesting news as always!
Have a great week.
Hugs
Lina
19 November 2018 - 10:11
Helena says:
Thank you very much Lina!
19 November 2018 - 14:40
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
We have also discussed the issue of environmental zones and various other different rules for traffic within the EU. A lot of things are to be standardised, so how difficult can it be to have the same rules throughout the EU.
We travelled by car to Berlin a few years ago and found out about the eco-label just as we were leaving. That time it went well anyway, but it's not easy.
19 November 2018 - 12:55
Helena says:
Isn't that right? It should at least be possible to agree on the same eco-labels?
19 November 2018 - 14:40
Rolle o Carina says:
Yes, now it seems to be "Poppis" with environmental zones 🙂 ðŸ™'
And we are travelling for the BingoLotto win 🙂 .
Take care.....
19 November 2018 - 16:05
BP says:
Air pollution is different in different countries. Stockholm does not have any zones, but it does have a ban on studded tyres on various streets. So making a system for countries within the EU is perhaps a little difficult. Our car would probably not make it either.
Glad you were able to tip the AMA:-)
19 November 2018 - 21:36