Airline & Holiday Information

Archive for February, 2010

Once you arrive in Manchester either through a cheap flight or on public transport the city is possibly one of the easiest cities in the UK to navigate. Manchester itself boasts an extensive city transport network, in addition to out of town services coming into the city.

Trams, also known as the Metrolink, operate through the city centre.  These are currently on two routes but there are plans to expand this. One line runs from Piccadilly to Eccles, the other between Altrincham and Bury. Tickets can be bought from machines for travel on the Metrolink but the service is relatively expensive.

Metroshuttle is a free bus service that runs through three routes around the city centre covering most of the major areas. Bus stops for this service are located at all major train stations and car parks dotted around the city.

There is an extensive bus service in and around Manchester, with more than one operating company, but due to congestion it may take a long time to go a very short distance. Most bus services are relatively cheap and you pay the driver for the journey as you get on. There is a selection of all day travel and weekly bus passes available, so if you are making more than one journey it may be worth asking about this option.

Driving or taking a taxi is another option, but again due to congestion this may not be the most practical solution.  Car parking in Manchester is very expensive.  Seeing the city on foot is the best way to view all of the sights at leisure.  Boards with street maps are dotted around the city to help with navigation.

Kizhi Island is situated on Lake Onega in the Russian Republic of Karelia. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most popular, and spectacular, tourist destinations in Russia. The entire island, which is itself 7 km long and 0.5 km wide, serves as a museum for some of the oldest and finest wooden structures in Russia.

These wooden structures are spread across the island and include simple village homes, chapels, windmills, barns, boat houses and traditional saunas. The main architectural attraction, however, is the magnificent Transfiguration Church. The church is one of the tallest log structures in the world, ornately decorated with 22 domes. The nearby Intercession Church is smaller but no less impressive. Both structures date back to the 1700s.

A museum of Russian wooden architecture also exists in Kizhi, as does a reconstruction of a traditional peasant village. There is plenty to see and explore on the island so arriving early is a good idea.

For visitors, getting to Kizhi Island is all part of the experience. Most tourists will make the trip to the island from Petrozavodsk. Hydrofoils and ferries run passengers from Petrozavodsk to the site several times a day, while taking a helicopter is another option. In winter, if the lake freezes, travel by snowcat becomes a possibility.

Overnight trains run from St. Petersburg to Petrozavodsk, arriving in the morning. As no tourist accommodation exists on Kizhi Island, visitors should generally plan the excursion as a daytrip. Guesthouses can be found in nearby villages if looking to stay in the area for more than one day.