Month: May 2016

Birmingham is one of the UK’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities, blending history and contemporary culture in a busy, diverse and multicultural mix. If you’re planning to visit the city soon for a business trip, read on to find out how to make the most of your time in the city.   Getting from the airport to the city centre Birmingham International Airport is very well connected to the main city centre the easiest way to get into the city is by train. With trains running regularly from within the airport complex to Birmingham New Street, you can expect to be in the main city centre within 15 minutes or less. If you’re visiting the National Exhibition Centre, this is connected directly to the airport and is just a short walk away within the centre complex. The Birmingham Business Park is also located a short three miles away from the airport, and is best reached by car or taxi.   If you’re heading into the city, there are ticket offices to purchase fares, or you can also buy a ticket using the automated machines available. From Birmingham New Street, you can catch connections to other parts of the city easily. As well as the train, regular buses and shuttle buses also operate to and from the airport, and some hotels have dedicated shuttle buses for guests. If you prefer a taxi, these are readily available outside the airport, and you can also organise your own car hire from here too.   Getting around Birmingham Birmingham is one of the UK’s biggest cities, and is well covered by a public transport system including buses and trains. There are eight main train lines that run across the city, which are ideal for getting to the main attractions and areas across Birmingham, including the University, shopping areas, and entertainment. Taxis are also widespread you’ll be able to find taxis from the main train stations including Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Moor Street, as well as from larger venues such as the National Exhibition Centre or any of the arenas. For visitors to Colmore Business District, located on Colmore Row, both Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations are within a few minutes walking distance.  With the area located just off the main road, it is also easily accessible by car. Aside from public transport, driving around the city is very easy you can find car hires almost anywhere you go. There are plenty of paid car parks around the busiest areas of Birmingham, so finding a nearby parking spot is not too difficult. Pay attention to street signs indicating parking restrictions though you could end up with a fine or even get clamped if you’re parked incorrectly!   Evening entertainment Colmore Business District has a fantastic array of bars, restaurants and cafes throughout the area, making finding somewhere to relax at the end of the day straightforward. Head to the Old Joint Stock Pub & Theatrefor a round of drinks or live entertainment, or if you prefer fine dining, the Michelin starred Purnell’s is located around the corner from Snow Hill station. You’ll also find a lot of cafés, both independent and well known chains, offering an ideal spot for daytime refreshment whenever you need it.   Outside of Colmore, Birmingham is a vibrant city with a lot going on all through the year, so you’ll always find something enjoyable in the evening. The city has two main arenas the Barclaycard Arena and Genting Arena which host a wealth of live events all year round, including major performances by national and international pop stars, comedians, as well as other performers.   The city also has a fantastic heritage of theatre and live dance performances, with a number of great venues to catch a live performance, including the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, New Alexander Theatre and Birmingham Hippodrome.You’ll find some great national touring performances on here, as well as regular contemporary events performed by the city’s own varied artists. As well as these bigger venues, there are also several smaller independent spaces that show off some of the most inventive contemporary culture in the city.   For the health and fitness conscious For a fast fitness solution close to the business area, Health du Vin is a local hotel with a fitness centre, spa and treatment room, available to guests and visitors. If you’re staying longer in the city, there is no shortage of options to help you stay fit and healthy in Birmingham from the fantastic Yoga Sweat studio, which offers a perfect place to get sweaty, flexible and strong with a regular schedule of classes, to over a dozen different large gyms across the city.   Try the Easy Gym (Corporation Street) for a great mix of workouts with a personal trainer and group classes, with affordable day pass options available. There are also several gyms which feature pools and saunas Bannatyne’s (Priory Queensway) boasts an 18m heated pool, sauna and relaxation lounge, and you can purchase a pass for a swim session or class at any time.   If you’d rather run, the main city centre can often be a difficult place to navigate as it has a lot of road traffic instead, head out to the canals to enjoy a scenic run alongside the waterfront. Retail therapy The perfect place to get your retail therapy fix, Birmingham has some truly brilliant shopping, with something for every budget, taste and need. For big brand fashion, homeware and gadgets, head to the Bullring, located within and around New Street station and home to hundreds of brands under a single shopping complex from fashion brands like Selfridges and Forever 21, to technology shops including The Apple Store, Bose and more.   There’s also a dedicated section for restaurants, so you don’t need to worry about getting peckish mid-shop pick up a burger at Five Guys, enjoy a relaxing meal at Jamie’s Italian or fuel up with a healthy juice from the Fuel Juice Bar. But there’s much more to discover beyond the Bullring..

Planning to visit Amsterdam for business any time soon? Before you head over to this culturally-rich European city, find out how to make the most of your trip with some key pointers on how to get around, what to discover in the city, and some of the best unexpected treats around Amsterdam.   Getting from the airport to the city centre Amsterdam boasts one of the best public transport systems in Europe, and this includes getting to and from the airport. The fastest and easiest connection to the city centre from Amsterdam Schipol Airport is via train a direct one runs every ten minutes from the platforms within the airport’s own arrival plaza.   Simply head down to platform 1 or 2 and fetch yourself a ticket from one of the yellow ticket machines. Or buy ahead of time online, from the airport website. If you’re heading to the main business district in Zuidas, you can catch a direct train, straight from the airport, and be there within 8 minutes. But make sure that you have a ticket before you board a train as you could get fined 35.   If you’re travelling directly to your hotel or another conference venue, an Airport Shuttle bus might be your best bet. These run from the airport every 10 minutes and go to over 100 hotels throughout the city you can buy a ticket at the Arrivals 2 plaza, or at the Connexxion Shuttle Desk in Arrivals 4.   Some hotels also provide their own shuttle service for guests, so it’s worth enquiring beforehand so that you can plan ahead of travelling. Especially if you’re on a tight schedule while you’re there.   Lastly, if you want to splash out on some extra comfort and privacy, finding a taxi (or limousine, even) is easy as pie. Expect to pay around 45 or more for a trip into the city.   Getting around Amsterdam As one of the biggest financial capitals in Europe, the Financial Mile aka Zuidas is home to many of the main conference venues and national and multinational headquarters, and is easily accessible by direct train to Zuid Station. If you’re visiting Het Seriaad, another popular business location and conference venue, you can access this directly by tram, with lines 7 and 17 running to the Postjesweg stop.   If you’re working in the main city centre, then you will instantly find that Amsterdam is a very cycle-friendly city. Driving by car around the city is rare and generally met with disapproval, while over a third of all journeys are made on the seats of the million+ bikes that populate Amsterdam.   This goes for both work and leisure. For most locals, the daily commute is made by bike. Visitors to the city can rent bikes from 8 a day, and there are plenty of cycle paths to ensure safe (and scenic) cycling. You might be surprised to see that despite the masses of cyclists on the streets, hardly anyone wears a helmet this is mainly because there is far less traffic on the streets, posing very little risk of an accident.   While cycling is a fantastic way to see and experience the city up close, trams and buses are a fast and efficient way to cover ground quickly. You can purchase paper tickets that are valid for specific durations from 24 hours up to 168 hours, or buy a 24 hour card for 7.50, which can be used for unlimited travel on any tram, metro or bus. They cover almost all areas of the city and run very frequently.   You’ll need to remember to check in and out with your ticket when you get on or off any public transport. And purchasing tickets is a breeze; at any tourist desk, station or at selected machines.   If you’re travelling beyond Amsterdam or want to travel by car, then it’s possible to hire a car from any of the main hire providers, directly from the airport. While driving in the city centre is difficult, for Zuidas and other locations outside the main city, there are ample parking provisions.   Local eateries and bar hotspots Amsterdam’s café culture is world renowned, and you’ll find plenty of great eateries and bars where you can soak up some of the vibrant city atmosphere. There’s also a really diverse range of cuisines around from the city staple of French fries liberally topped with mayonnaise, ketchup or curry sauce, and much more.   For some of the best French fries in the city thick cut, crispy and freshly made head to a tiny cult eaterie, Vleminckx, (Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx Voetboogstraat 31, Amsterdam) near Spui. Open every day until 6pm, this place serves nothing but fries, with a delicious list of toppings to choose from.   For great beer, head to De Zotte(Raamstraat 29, Amsterdam) a busy bar that’s a favourite with locals and visitors alike. It serves up a wholesome range of Belgian beers, as well as a simple but filling menu of steaks, tarts and savoury snacks.   It’s not just fries and beer though. There’s a growing interest in healthier options, with plenty of vegetarian and health-conscious offerings on the menu. One of the coolest city spots is SLA(Utrechtsestraat 10HS) with three branches across the city, you’re never far from a delicious smoothie, salad or a slice of guilt-free vegan cake. You’ll also find wi-fi hotspots in many of the cafes and bars across town, making them ideal places to catch up with emails and a refreshment during the day.   Evening entertainment In search of something to help you unwind and relax after a busy day in the city? Amsterdam has a vibrant and varied nightlife scene, with plenty to discover, whatever your tastes.   Melkweg(Lijnbaansgracht 234A,1017 PH Amsterdam) combines a theatre and cinema under one roof, where you can find a range of contemporary culture including live music, dance performances and the latest popular and independent films on the silver screen.  ..

Alive Alive-O Dublin may be small in size compared to other capitals, but it never lacked for stature. It’s influence on the world of commerce is considerable. Google, Facebook, Hubspot, Paypal, Microsoft, Yahoo and Airbnb, these are just some of the global giants who have chosen Dublin as their European headquarters. Business travellers from all over the world travel to Dublin to attend conferences and corporate events and to meet their industry peers.   But What Does Dublin Offer to the Business Traveller? The good news is that Dublin is a very vibrant, friendly city, full of character and full of characters, from the buskers of Grafton Street to the fruit & veg stalls of Moore Street. The Georgian architecture has a timeless elegance and you won’t find any tall skyscrapers casting shadows. Like every other city on the planet, Dublin hosts a myriad of hidden treasures that lie undiscovered by the business travelling masses. Local bars, places to eat, and even a decent place for a run, all of which you might not find in your convention welcome package. So here are some personal highlights of Dublins Fair City…   Getting from A to B If you’re heading to a conference, chances are it will be fairly central in the city with the Convention Centre  or the RDS being two of the most popular corporate venues in the city. At a stretch you might need to head out towards the Citywest Business Campus. The good news is Dubin is a fairly compact city and heading out towards any of these venues from Dublin Airport is no big deal. If the postcode address of your hotel is an odd number, then you’ll be staying north of the Liffey. If it’s an even number, you’ll be heading south of the river. You can pick up a taxi right outside the main exit from the Arrivals terminal. Hailo and Uber are gaining in popularity. To be honest, these days there is no shortage of taxis in Dublin. With extensive bus/taxi lanes running through the narrow city centre roads to alleviate traffic congestion, and a miriad of one-way traffic streets, it’s probably best to take this route rather than renting a car. The quickest and most direct way through the heart of the city is the Luas (local tram system) or if you heading along a coastal route, the DART train. As mentioned above, Dublin is pretty compact, in fact it’s tiny compared to the likes of London, and you’ll notice loads of people seem to commute by bicycle these days. If you want to keep your carbon footprint down, then hop on a Dublin Bike to move from your hotel to your conference venue.   A Bite to Eat First thing’s first, if your time is in short supply and you just want to prepare for a client meeting, then here’s a link to the 10 best places where you can grab a coffee and get free Wifi. If you’re looking for pub grub then you won’t go wrong at Doyle’s pub where the furniture and décor haven’t changed in decades. It’s good food though and conveniently located just across the street from the bus stops at Trinity College. If you find yourself visiting clients in the IFSC (International Financial Services Centre), then a quick trip into The Harbourmaster is a must. The lunch and dinner menus are epic and great value for money, and if you’re incredibly lucky to have a bit of sunshine, then you can sit outside by the dock. For those that prefer something lighter, then Chopped has a few locations around the city one of which is in Ballsbridge just a short walk from the RDS. This café lists an array of healthy options on its menu, and you can create your own salad.   Evening Highlights If you have time to unwind in the eveing, then sure a stroll around Dublin can be very relaxing. If you find yourself in the vicinity, stop off for  a pint in the city’s oldest pub The Brazen Head or the ever popular O’Neill’s, which is just around the corner from The Central Bank, but that’s what all the tourists do. For a truly authentic and timeless pint pulling experience, where you’re likely to bump into the a few larger than life characters, try Neary’s pub. There is never a dull moment in this type of old-school pub where music and TV have no place and conversation is considered obligatory. Sure it would be rude not to. You’ll find this bar right by the back door to Ireland’s most famous theatre, The Gaiety. And while you’re in town why not indulge in a bit entertainment in O’Donoghues where there is live traditional music seven nights a week.  But if, on the other hand, you’d prefer to taste some locally brewed ales then check out The Porterhouse in Temple Bar, where there’s an ever-changing menu of beers to sample.   Be warned however that the cobbled streets of Temple Bar, while hosting some interesting pop up art shops and contemporary galleries, turns into something of an endless street party after hours. Some may enjoy the craic, but for serious business travellers, it’s might be best to avoid the throngs, and instead stroll down the nearby Georges Street and into a quiet snug in the Long Hall pub for what is quite possibly the best pint of Guinness in Dublin.   Keep Active Phoenix Park, is one of the largest walled city parks in Europe and it’s the perfect location for a morning or evening run if you’re staying nearby. The wide expanse of greenery, the local wildlife and crisp morning dew air make this park something of a Mecca for locals that want to get their jog on. If swimming is more your thing, then you can pay a small fee to make use of the swimming pool and sauna at the Mespil located only five minutes from both St. Stephen’s..