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June 10, 2016 by Chase Vandros

Train Journeys Around the World that are Worth the Experience

Train journeys still evoke nostalgia of the bygone era when travelling by train used to be the most feasible mode of transport across the vast landmass of Europe, Africa and America. Steam engines, in fact, became the symbol of the age of industrialization and heralded the modern age. It fuelled the spirit of exploration and adventurism in the 19^th and early 20^th century. New lands were discovered, mountains were conquered, wild deserts were tamed, colonies were established, large scale industries developed and great wars were fought between the rival European powers. Train lines and steam engines played a pivotal role in this dynamic period of world history.

Today, despite the advent of jet travel, trains still remain a lucrative option. Travellers who believe in the notion that the journey is as important as the final destination, can still enjoy some memorable, life-time train journeys across the planet. Check out a few such stunning train journeys from around the world recommended by HolidayMe (EN|AR) that are worth the experience!

Glacier Express, Switzerland

Switzerland is renowned for one of the most scenic train journeys – the Glacier Express! This seven-hour ride from Zermatt to St. Moritz, passes through striking landscape featuring lofty craggy mountains of the Swiss Alps, pine-filled slopes, beautiful green meadows, and fields of bright yellow sunflowers, which add to the charm of this special train journey.

Hiram Bingham Orient-Express, Peru

Peru is an interesting destination that is shrouded in mysticism. Its hidden Inca sites and colonial cities are a sight to admire. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu is the country’s greatest attraction. Enjoy a world-renowned train journey with the famous Hiram Bingham Orient-Express. This train operates between the city of Cusco and the stunning ruins of Machu Picchu. On the way, savour scenic landscapes, a delicious brunch, as well as a four-course dinner!

The Ghan, Australia

The Ghan is the lifeline of the Red Zone of the vast Australian heart. This railway line is also the main connection between Australia’s highly urbanised South, the vast resource-rich North, and the massive Central Zone also known as ‘Red Zone’. This Adelaide to Darwin journey takes three days, and includes a four-hour stop at Alice Springs and Katherine, which gives travellers an experience of a life time in Australia’s famed outback.

Tranzalpine, New Zealand

Tranzalpine highlights New Zealand’s beautiful landscape during its four-and-half-hour journey between Christchurch and Greymouth. The journey includes sights of stunning green meadows and farms of Canterbury, beautiful rivers, viaducts, tunnels and the vast stretch of dramatic alpine scenery.

Rocky Mountaineer, Canada

Rocky Mountaineer is one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. This two-day train journey from Vancouver to the beautiful resort town of Banff, is one of the top highlights of Canada. Relish delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner on-board while admiring the stunning alpine landscape comprising of deep blue lakes, snow-capped mountain peaks, green meadows and pine forests.

The Grand Canyon Railway, USA

Grand Canyon Railway highlights the triumph of human engineering over difficult landscape. Today, a journey on the vintage 1923’s Pullman’s vintage coaches and the observation coaches of 1950s is a testimony to human endeavours. This 2-hour-15-minute journey from Williams, Arizona, to Grand Canyon National Park, offers a rich insight into the region’s history and the time when USA was expanding in the Wild West.

Maharajas Express, India

Maharajas Express, the famous Indian luxury train, debuted in 2010 and joins the established list of renowned luxury trains in the country such as Palace of Wheels, Deccan Odyssey and the Golden Chariot. This new train takes you to some of the most popular destinations of India, like Udaipur, Jaipur, Ranthambore, and Agra. Delicious Indian and continental meals complement these highly luxury coaches that make you feel like royals from the bygone eras!

Danube Express, Europe

Danube Express is Europe’s only international luxury train that travels between Budapest and Istanbul. The train passes through stunning landscapes of Eastern Europe which includes the beautiful Budapest, the picturesque Transylvania countryside, mystique forests and villages, and finally reaches the land of orientalism – Turkey’s crown jewel Istanbul.

The Royal Scotsman, Scotland

The Royal Scotsman highlights the bygone era of British supremacy and the glorious history of the British Empire. The train starts from Edinburgh and during its multi-day journey, travels through the famous Scottish Highlands, glens, forests, green valleys, streams and castles, and more. Period furniture, plush woodworks and a very formal and classy ambience recreate the bygone era’s traditions.

“There’s something about the sound of a train that’s very romantic and nostalgic and hopeful.” –

Paul Frederic Simon

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May 24, 2016 by Chase Vandros

How to Get Around Los Angeles

Planning a trip to Los Angeles? L.A. is one of the most desirable vacation destinations in the world. A city well known for its massive traffic jams and expansive freeways, getting around Los Angeles can be a headache. Whether you are going to enjoy the sunshine, the surf, Hollywood, or Disneyland; here are some tips on how to get around Los Angeles.

Private Car
If you want the convenience of your own car but don’t want the stress and headache of driving in Los Angeles’ notorious traffic try a private car. Blacklane’s LA car service will allow you to relax in the cushy seat of a luxury sedan while navigating the streets and freeways of this expansive mega city. The freedom of a car but without the headaches of driving allows you to go where you please and Blacklane’s sleek Mercedes cars make sure you get there in style (a must when in L.A.) and even if you are stuck in traffic, wouldn’t you rather be sitting in the back seat of a car reviewing your Instagram or taking a nap?

Bicycle
Want to feel the beach breeze and stay in shape while traveling? Why not get around Los Angeles on a bicycle. Biking Los Angeles is a fun way to explore this city on your own terms. Los Angeles has many bike lanes and is adding more, these include downtown commuter routes and beach-side park routes. You can rent bicycle from a private shop, or if you just need for a single trip you can check out Los Angeles’ newest bike-share program. Don’t forget to bring your helmet and have fun enjoying the streets, beaches, and alleys of Los Angeles.

Public Transport
Los Angeles is not known for its public transit but the locals know all about it. Los Angeles’ public transport network includes light rail, subway, and buses. This allows the commuter to get to pretty much any corner of this vast city at a bargain rate via public transport. With seven different lines the metro rail system is your best bet. You can take all the way from downtown to Culver City, Pasadena, Koreatown, North Hollywood, or East L.A. If you want to get to the airport there are frequent buses from Union Station to LAX. Next time you are in Los Angeles maybe give public transport a try.

So are you eager to check out Hollywood’s hottest nightclubs with the style and convenience of a private luxury car, or maybe you want to impress the hipsters with your bicycle skills? Whether you are taking the bus to Chinatown or Hollywood Hills, there are plenty different way to get around the City of Los Angeles making it one of the easiest and most exciting cities to travel to. I hope our tips will help you in finding your way around this major city. Enjoy your next trip no matter how you get around Los Angeles.

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April 22, 2016 by Chase Vandros

Things to do in Ealing for Kids

Whenever you are traveling with your family you want to make sure that wherever you happen to go that there are going to be plenty of things that you can do with your children.

Keeping the kids entertained and happy can sometimes be a challenge for you, especially when you go to a big city like London where they may not have a big interest in historical sites or art galleries. You want to make it your job to find fun places to go with the children. If you are staying in the Ealing area of London, here are a few things to do in Ealing for kids that the whole family might enjoy:

Play Outdoors – There are a number of London‘s best parks right in the Ealing area that your family can enjoy. If you are visiting the area in warmer weather in the spring or summer, you can go to parks such as Acton Park, Bedford Lakes Country Park, Boston Manor Park, Brent Lodge & Bunny Park and many others. All kinds of parks provide you with great places for the kids to run around and enjoy the outdoors in the open space. Many of the parks include all kinds of activities for the kids to get involved and have areas where you can pack a lunch and picnic to enjoy the whole day.

Theme Parks – Kids of all ages (and many adults as well) enjoy being able to go to a theme park to spend the day. There are several theme parks that are within easy distance of Ealing so you can plan to spend the day at one of them. Among the most popular in the area include Legoland, which is about fifteen miles away from Ealing, Chessington World of Adventures, which is about eleven miles away and Thorpe Park, which is about twelve miles away. All offer all kinds of rides, games and adventures for children big and small and promise to give the whole family a day of fun and smiles

Museums – While going to the museum may not be fun for some children, there are a number of museums in and nearby to Ealing that can appeal to the entire family. For kids that love vehicles and racing, a visit to the London Motorcycle Museum in Greenford could be just the thing. You can also spend some time at the London Transport Museum to see the history of transportation in London. Other museums in the area include Gunnersbury Park Museum and the London Museum of Water and Steam, both of which can be fun and entertaining for kids and adults.

Once you know you are going to be traveling to Ealing and have found some things you can do with your children you are going to want to look for a good place to stay for the family. Of the hotels in Ealing in Acton you will want to consider staying at the Holiday Inn London West. The Holiday Inn London West can provide you with just the size room that you need, all of the amenities that you and your family require, excellent service and much more to make for a fun family trip.

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April 19, 2016 by Chase Vandros

Need To Fly? Offset Your Carbon Footprint With These Easy Steps

Most of us want to see more of the world. But if you’re determined to do it the green way, you may be restricted to only a few of the marvellous places this planet has to offer. However, there are ways you could offset your carbon footprint if you find it’s necessary to fly. And there are also a few things you could do to reduce the impact on the environment of your flight.

When we think about environmentally friendly travel, walking and cycling spring to mind first of all. Public transport may come next. Perhaps a green car that runs on electric is your preferred mode of transport? If you can get to the airport by one of these modes of transport, you are already doing your bit to reduce the impact of your travel plans. Choose online or mobile check-in and you could be saving your travel documents from being printed too.

It’s not just the fuel from the plane that can harm the environment. Trash is also a problem on a plane. As you know, it is all collected in a single bag and disposed of at the terminal. It is rarely recycled. Much of the waste comes from the way the food is prepared. Plastic cups and plates are all harmful to the environment. However, many first class travel options include real cutlery, freshly cooked meals, and proper glassware. All this is reused on each flight, so you’re less likely to generate excess trash.

Flickr is the source of the image

When you arrive at your destination, there are still plenty of ways you can offset that carbon footprint of the plane. Hire a bicycle or use public transport to reach your hotel. Don’t forget there are many green hotels around the world too. Some of the best ones can be found in Mexico. Look for places that recycle their trash, and provide environmentally friendly laundry services. Germany is very hot for recycling. It is up to you to separate your own waste in the hotel room you stay at.

While you are on vacation, why not choose some excursions and activities that actively help the environment? You can choose wildlife preservation, or even a beach clean up. There are plenty of ways you can impact the environment in a positive way. It’s a great way to make up for having to take a flight. It’s not as hard as you may think to find these eco-projects. Have a look online to see what’s happening near to your favorite resort.

If you are concerned about the impact of flying on the environment, it is worth speaking to the airline you fly with. They are required to provide a statement about their efforts to reduce the damage to the environment. The figures for the amount of emissions can only ever be estimated each year.

Many people who love travel find they are taking several flights each year. That’s why it’s so important to find ways to offset the environmental impact. You can make some smart choices in flights. And there are always some clever ways of maximizing your time while you are away from home. You can do some good for the environment. Enjoy your next flight.

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April 17, 2016 by Chase Vandros

Lean manufacturing 101

Lean manufacturing is a concept that’s widely employed in the manufacturing world, but it came from a very simple idea. The philosophy behind it is that manufacturers ensure their customers do not have to pay for waste or mistakes, but for value. Therefore, companies are pressed to increase their service’s or product’s value to ensure they can gain maximum profit while keeping customers happy. Lean manufacturing is about driving up value and pushing for continuous improvement in manufacturing processes.

By implementing a lean manufacturing philosophy, companies can create corporate objectives and establish a sense of direction. Then, they can eliminate those processes that do not deliver value, while tracking any process improvements using reliable metrics to measure success. Doing so gives company executives a clear image of what’s working, and what needs to be changed.

Lean manufacturing has allowed thousands of businesses to remain profitable even while the economy has been in ruins, because it allows them to be cost-effective. Therfore, it’s safe to say that lean manufacturing methods are proven in that they can help companies to maintain economic viability no matter what.

Primary function

Companies that follow a lean manufacturing philosophy strive to eliminate waste as much as possible by examining production processes and constantly looking to improve them. There are five principles companies must adhere to if they wish to implement a lean philosophy: identifying value, value-stream mapping, creating flow, establishing pull and seeking perfection.

Main benefit

The biggest benefit of this philosophy is that it helps manufacturers to eliminate defects in their products. It’s said that the best way to streamline this process is to use more “pull” instead of more “push”. Essentially, it means that the later stages of production dictate what happens in the earlier stages.

Companies that don’t adhere to lean manufacturing principles may generate thousands of pieces at the early stage of the assembly line, before trying to push them along. However, it means that defects may not be discovered until many thousands of pieces have already been manufactured, which means those pieces are wasted. With lean manufacturing systems, it’s likely that defects will be picked up earlier, thereby minimizing the waste.

A big part of lean manufacturing in modern times is automation. Packaging systems / sträckfilmsmaskin gives workers more time to focus on what really matters in production. This helps to eliminate distractions too, which can be the downfall for any company.

Main considerations

Because lean manufacturing’s prevalent theme is waste elimination, the main task for managers is to identify areas of production where waste occurs. There are many reasons for waste, including inventory, overproduction, unnecessary production steps and so on. Managers and employees need to constantly examine production processes to see where improvements can be made.

Metrics to measure success

The key to lean manufacturing is establishing a set of metrics to identify trends and record progress towards the chief goal of waste elimination. In addition, metrics are needed to properly promote the lean manufacturing philosophy to all workers involved, so they can play a part in the improvement process and be rewarded for any good ideas they have.