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Sustainable travel

 * See Responsible travel for the economic and cultural impact/sustainability of travel.

This travel topic on Sustainable travel deals with how to best avoid negative impacts on the global and local natural environment while traveling and how to best preserve the places you visit for future generations to enjoy.

Understand
"We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road—the one less traveled by—offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth."

- Rachel Carson

Travelling can be fun, and it broadens the horizon. Seeing some place on TV is one thing, but being there in person can give deeper insights and understanding that go beyond prejudice and cliché. For others, travel is a necessity either for business, to visit friends and family or for myriad other reasons. However, travel can also be harmful to the natural environment of the places travelled to as well as (mostly through CO2 emissions that know no border) the world at large. Any responsible traveller must want to ensure future generations can enjoy the world the same way they did and thus everybody should contribute their share in preserving historic sites, and reducing harm on nature. Obvious things like switching off the light when you leave a room probably don't have to be mentioned here, but there are a few other things, that you should keep in mind.

As much of the environmental impact comes from transportation, one way to lessen impact is to travel shorter distances, another to travel more seldom. On one extreme, visiting New York, Singapore and London, each over a weekend, requires several long-haul flights. Instead there might be a neighbouring country you don't know well, also with fine sights, reachable by rail, or even places next to your home that you never visited (cf Staycation). You could also save days off (or arranging work or study at the destination) for less frequent longer stays. Staying gives you a chance to study your destination well in advance, to really get to know it while there, and allows you to live more like the locals (perhaps with locals, e.g. in a rented room in someone's home) instead of in a hotel, and thus with much less of an environmental footprint.

One concept related to sustainable travel is slow tourism: take your time to experience your environment when travelling. By car or rail you often learn little about the country you are rushing through, and even less when flying over it, while by bike or on foot you will see much more, and probably more frequently interact with locals.

Prepare
Before you leave, unplug all electronic devices that don't have to keep running. Not only does this save money and electricity, it also eliminates the risk of lightning strike destroying your appliances, TV or the likes. If you can and it's feasible, turn off power entirely. When leaving home for a larger period of time, consume your frozen and refrigerated food, thus you won't have to keep the fridge plugged in, saving both money and electricity. Furthermore, refrigerated or frozen food does spoil after some time, so eating it before you go is the best way to ensure this does not happen. Turn off the main water supply and drain the pipes – they can't freeze and leaks won't flood your house that way. Depending on how your heat and hot water system works, you might wish to switch it off entirely, but subzero frost or just moisture can do damage, so consult an expert.

Get in

As a rule: don't use cruise ships and don't fly, if you don't really, really need to. In most cases, cruising is the worst and flying isn't far behind as the least environmentally-friendly way of getting to wherever. Also, just flying from one place to another is the surest way to miss everything interesting in between and being in port for a few hours is no substitute for spending the time needed to experience the culture and hospitality of a place.

And do you really need to get that far away to experience something new? Exploring the places close to home can be quite interesting, too.

If you want to go far, do not go often, but prepare well and stay a longer time instead. If you are travelling for your job or for similar reasons, use the opportunities to stay for a holiday before or after, instead of always doing separate trips for that.

Get around
"We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis...if solutions within the system are so impossible to find, then... we should change the system itself."

- Greta Thunberg

Walking, cycling, rail travel (including urban rail) and bus travel minimize emissions per distance and passenger. Electric trains are almost always less loud and emit less pollution. When you must ride a car, consider ride-sharing, or low-emission vehicles. While most populated regions in Europe and East Asia have great public transportation (countries with the most public transportation users are centered around developing countries with poor systems, i.e. in Latin America), travelling the United States without a car or in any African country is more of a challenge. Don't fly unless there is absolutely no alternative (e.g., rail transport). General aviation has an enormous environmental footprint. Occasionally aircraft may actually consume less fuel per person than a car with only one person in it, but both are highly inefficient. Some types of ship travel (notably ferries) are environmentally responsible ways to travel, while others (notably cruise ships) are among the filthiest ways possible to travel.

Cycling is the most efficient form of transportation in terms of energy use per passenger kilometer (yes, this includes walking). If you are comfortable on a bike and the local environment allows it, a bike is a superb way to see urban and rural areas. One big benefit of a bike is that it is slow enough to let you see landscapes you are driving through, but fast enough to enable you to go large distances, also to places with little other transport. If something interests you, finding "parking" for a bike is rarely a huge problem, and less interesting stretches can often be skipped by taking the bike on a bus or train.

Avoid taxis if there is public transport. In most European and many Asian cities there are public transportation lines running throughout the night. Although a taxi wastes less manufacturing resources and parking space than a private car, it still shares their other drawbacks. While the taxi business in some countries (such as Sweden) is an early adopter of green fuels, even such a taxi is much less efficient than the tram – and most taxis run on gasoline. Look for the way back to your hotel/hostel before heading out to avoid having to figure it out in the night (or having to find a taxi). If your mobile device works in the local network or you are sure to have Wi-Fi, download the local public transit app to check connections. Many of those apps even offer updates in real time.

Inner-city car traffic is one of the most inefficient (and often unpleasant) ways to get around. The fuel consumption of all cars goes up in city-environments as a lot of energy is wasted in repeated brake-acceleration cycles (even for hybrids and electric cars that have regenerative braking). You also contribute to congestion, which in turn has effects on fuel and land use. Other modes of transport might not only save the environment, but also time and money.

Also when driving on the road, the engine is most efficient when working steadily. Avoid unnecessary overtaking and driving near the vehicle in front. Choose days and times of day when the traffic is reasonably light and take a break when other traffic gets on your nerves.

When boating, efficient vessels are to be preferred. Slow, "hull speed" boats usually consume much less fuel than speedboats, at least when not driving near full speed (watch the waves: causing waves is what draws power) – and of course nothing beats sailing, rowing or paddling in terms of "green" motive power.

When good infrastructure is not available, consider leave no trace principles. The principles about not causing erosion are valid also when the infrastructure is good.

See
Research your destination beforehand — some places (both natural sites and human structures) cannot cope with the current stress of the number of visitors, making for crumbling steps or trampled flora. Consider avoiding a visit to such places. There are often equally nice less known alternatives.

Once at the destination, and this should go without saying; seeing means just that: seeing. Don't take anything from a place that you shouldn't. "What's the harm in taking one small stone/flower?", you might ask; multiply by a couple of thousand or even million and you have your answer. This is especially true for vulnerable ecosystems such as Arctic and subarctic regions where plants can take centuries to grow a couple of centimeters or coral reefs where the stroke of a swim fin can cause harm. Instead take a photo of that flower. Often your smartphone camera can do – avoid using throw-away cameras, which produce worse quality. Respect all local prohibitions and taboos on taking pictures.

The use of live animals as tourist entertainment can be harmful, as performing animals are sometimes held in captivity in unhealthy or miserable conditions. Even in their natural habitat, whales and dolphins may flee boatloads of sightseers in the same manner they flee predators, disrupting feeding or normal activity. Wildlife in the wild is best viewed at a respectful distance.

Do

Take all your trash with you, or throw it into the bins provided. If the local bins are full or emptying may be costly (as when the sight is away from cities), ignore the bins and carry your waste out regardless. Avoid using excess packaging in the first place and consider leaving the packaging at home, using your own instead. Even seemingly "natural" waste like banana peels can take decades to decompose and cause major harm to ecosystems. Cigarette butts are effectively the filter – which is plastics. To say nothing of the stench and ugly sight of slowly rotting biological waste.

Unfortunately many attractions and activities will bombard you with tons of fliers, brochures, advertising and the likes when all you wanted is a ticket. If you can, politely decline them and if you have an "online ticket" only print what you actually need to print (read the fine print, regulations differ widely from "we accept the QR code on a display we can scan" to "print all fifteen pages and have photo ID handy or we will treat you as if you had no ticket at all"). If there are brochures or maps of e.g. a museum or park at the entrance, try and keep them in pristine condition so that you can hand them back upon leaving. Don't take more than one for your group and try to use digital alternatives over paper when possible.

Skiing in some areas can damage trees which in turn exposes the soil to (often catastrophic) erosion. If skiing is not permitted somewhere, there are usually very good reasons for that. The same goes for many other sports and driving with motor vehicles in the terrain.

Eat
Local food should go over imported food. The point of travel is to get to know other cultures, so step out of your comfort zone and try the local food, prepared by locals in a restaurant owned by locals. If you can't for the life of you live without a certain product from "back home", bring it with you on your trip in (note restrictions on some food) or try and find a local replacement. You'll save money and reduce the harm done through imports. If you are retiring abroad and find you can't stand the local food, you should ask yourself whether your new home is right for you after all.

In some countries "novelty" foods are offered that often include endangered species; examples include turtles and their eggs, shark fins, whale meat and various types of monkeys. Do your research beforehand to avoid those foods, and on the other hand, to learn which local dishes you can eat without problems.

In general food served on ceramic dishes with real forks and knives is better for the environment than the same food served on throwaway dishes or in disposable wraps. Take particular care when it comes to Asian restaurants, as they often use disposable chopsticks. Just keep a pair you are comfortable with and leave the ones you are provided with unopened, so they may be used by the next customer.

If you have some utensils, you can make your own snacks from what you buy on the market (or supermarket), not resorting to ready-packed things with extensive one-portion wrapping. While a local restaurant or a bunch of bananas may be the best alternative, you do not always have (or want) that option. If you need dispensable bowls or spoons (because there is no water for washing the dishes, or whatever), you can wash suitable packages and dispensable spoons from when you could not avoid them, and throw them away only after the later use.

Drink

If the tap water is unsafe to drink, try buying bottled water in larger quantities. Not only will you (usually) save money, but there will also be less damage to the environment through packaging and transportation. If you want to reduce the weight you carry, leave the large container in the hotel and take a smaller bottle with you that you refill once you're back in your room. Do take into consideration that people tend to sweat – and drink – more in hot and humid weather, especially when they're not used to it. If you travel in a high income country, tap water can actually be safer to drink than bottled water regardless of what advertising may have led you to believe. The Wikivoyage article on water spells out the details.

If there is a deposit on your can/bottle, return it. Chances are it will be reused or recycled that way. When there is no deposit, the material may still be reused if you use waste bins specifically for glass or metal. Plastic bottles (even if they are recycled) are less often reused than glass bottles, making them more ecologically damaging. Of course this only applies if you (can) return the bottles and they are indeed reused. Melting down a glass bottle and casting a new one uses more energy than the same process does for plastic bottles, but glass bottles usually are washed and refilled more times before that happens. For glass bottles, try to avoid breaking them. Glass shards are dangerous to both people and animals and they remain dangerous for a long time.

Local alcoholic drinks are usually both cheaper and better than the standard imported fare. When in Kentucky drink local whisky instead of imported vodka, when in Nicaragua drink local rum instead of wine that had to travel halfway around the globe to get to your table. Naturally, the same goes for non-alcoholic drinks. Avoid "prestigious" bottled waters from exotic destinations, especially when good, clean water is available locally.

Sleep

Consider what standard is necessary for you. Five star hotels in an otherwise less developed environment usually need a lot of resources and may have a big impact on local nature. They are also more likely to import (next to) everything, leaving much less money in the local economy than more modest or locally owned accommodation. When out in the wilderness, try to stick to the rules of leave-no-trace camping. Camping can be an environmentally friendly way of accommodation even if you visit a big city; look beforehand whether there's a camping site accessible by public transport at the outskirts of the city.

If your hotel lets you, dry and reuse your towel as long as you're comfortable with it. This might require some firm but polite insistence in some places, but even using the same towel twice instead of once reduces the need to wash towels by 50%.

When you travel in places where electricity is not centrally provided (very remote destinations and some third world countries in general), hotels with solar panels on the roof are to be preferred over those with a diesel fueled generator. Not only are they much cleaner environmentally, the solar panels are silent whereas a generator is not, so will have better nights and brighter days in a hotel with solar-based backup electricity.

Flora and fauna
If you ever had to fill out a customs or immigration declaration in countries such as the US, you might have stumbled over questions regarding visits to farms or contact with fresh soil. This has a very serious reason: Seeds and plant disease of all kind can easily be carried around in the nooks and crannies of hiking boots. As some invasive species or plant diseases can have devastating consequences (a soil-borne fungus has all but exterminated the once dominant Gros Michel variety of bananas for instance and similar things might soon happen to the now dominant Cavendish), you should really avoid carrying them under your feet. So clean your boots as thoroughly as you can, especially when you're about to board a vehicle of some kind that will carry you (and your boots) hundreds of kilometers away to some region unaffected by whatever is on your soles.

While a certain amount of wildfires are healthy or even "natural" in certain climates, humans are both the main cause and the only thing that can prevent the most dangerous and destructive wildfires. Every year, fires consume untold amounts of valuable property as well as natural forests and sometimes wildfires even take human lives. Do not smoke in the forest during the dry months: Cigarette butts are a common cause of wildfires, matches thrown away too early are also a risk. Under certain circumstances even a piece of glass can become a lens and thus cause wildfires. In short: Don't litter. If you make a campfire, make sure that local rules allow it in the time and place you intend to, and keep to the rules of fire safety described in the article. Also keep in mind the old saying "The bigger the fool, the greater the fire".

Travel in developing countries entails getting up close with local fauna, even if you stay in a mid-range hotel in a major city. If you can't handle the thought of geckos or spiders in your dwelling, maybe those places are not for you. For the record, both are (for the most part) harmless to humans and keep the most dangerous animals there are in check - mosquitoes. When trying to control pests stick to the less harmful methods. DDT is right out, but check drawbacks also of the alternatives. Let animals you don't know live (unless they are an immediate threat to life and limb), because many of them are threatened and some of them may be protected by local law. Use nets around your bed to keep the risk of tropical diseases like Malaria to a minimum. Where mosquitoes don't carry dangerous diseases, try to keep chemicals at a minimum, using long sleeves and untreated mosquito hats and mosquito nets as appropriate.

Buy
Take care what you buy and buy local whenever and wherever possible. The tacky souvenir you buy at the airport for twenty dollars may be available at the local market for five bucks and there will be more money going to the common people rather than some corrupt government official taking their cut. A surprisingly large amount of "authentic" souvenirs will be made in China (even in places about as far as you can get from China!), which is not what you want unless you actually are in China and even then, there can be a huge difference between tacky throwaway crap and stuff you would genuinely enjoy having on your mantelpiece.

Being eco-friendly by buying local does however not mean that products made from rare or "exotic" species are OK — quite the contrary. In addition to often being illegal under local law, you incentivize the hunt, unsustainable collection and even possible extinction of those organisms and as many of those are protected by international agreements such as CITES or prohibited under the law of your country of origin, they will likely be confiscated by customs and you may be in for a heavy fine or even a prison sentence.

Economic issues
Tourism can be both boon and bane to the local economy. On the one hand, tourist dollars can lift rural communities out of poverty and the dependence on varying harvests or the ups and downs of world market prices for cash crops. On the other hand, tip heavy tourists can severely distort local wages and if a waiter at a cocktail bar can make more in tips on one good evening than a doctor does in a month, young people will wonder whether they should even study to become a doctor in the first place.

On another note, the more "developed" the tourist infrastructure of a place, the more money will end up in the hand of multinational investors, with the locals getting surprisingly low paying jobs in luxury and all-inclusive resorts if that. Not all foreign investment in tourism is bad or evil, and the investors often do have a genuine long term interest in keeping the nature and culture of the place they invest in intact and the tourists coming, but more often than not, soulless hotel complexes built with little regard to local architecture destroy the very "authentic unspoiled exotic place" feeling they are trying to sell to tourists.

Often (not always) the dividing line is between speaking the local language and not speaking the local language. If you are in a tourist facility where everyone speaks your language and you have no contact to the locals beyond the cocktail bar, you are unlikely to perceive the problems inherent in mass tourism. If on the other hand, you stay in a small guesthouse where you talk to the (local) owner on a daily basis and take a tour with a local guide trying to make ends meet, your trip will likely be both more rewarding to you and better for the local economy.

CO$2$ emissions
Traveling, or transport in general, is one of the biggest sources of global carbon emissions (26% of global CO2 in 2004), the cause of climate change.

By choosing a different mode of transport, you can alter your CO2 contribution significantly. According to a Union of Concerned Scientists analysis, buses, trains and ferries are almost always less environmentally damaging than cruise ships, planes or cars. The amount of greenhouse gases emitted depends on how great a distance is travelled and how many people are travelling in the same vehicle, as well as the fuel used – for electric vehicles the way in which electricity is generated. Also with public transport, the percentage of seats (not) taken are an important factor. However, using a less popular service running anyway will not cause additional emissions (and it running may avoid several people buying a car).

The Union of Concerned Scientists developed a set of tips for travelers in the United States based on their analysis.

Walking and cycling are the greenest options. A couple traveling on a bus (motor coach) will generate nearly 50 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than they would driving a fuel-efficient hybrid car. On the other end of the spectrum are big SUVs and first-class flights, especially general aviation, that generally pollute the most. A passenger occupying a first-class seat is responsible for twice as much carbon dioxide pollution as one in a standard coach seat. A large, inefficient SUV emits nearly four times the greenhouse gas of a highly efficient hybrid. If electric cars or hybrids are not available, those who rent a car should consider an efficient conventional car, which will cut pollution and fuel costs. Many car rental agencies now offer both efficient conventional vehicles and low-polluting hybrids. Consider the type of trip you are taking, as hybrids have little advantage where you can keep a steady speed, but can minimize the losses of constant braking and accelerating in an urban area (where a fully electric car would be ideal).

For couples and solo travelers, a nonstop coach flight almost always beats an average car. Air travel is often assumed to be the worst option for vacation travel, but auto pollution can add up, especially when vacationers drive long distances or travel with few passengers. If traveling alone or with one other person, vacationers are usually better off flying direct in coach than getting behind the wheel. This is especially true for trips of more than 500 miles.

When flying, consider taking a train for at least one leg if there is no direct connection between your home airport and your destination. For example, instead of flying indirectly from Amsterdam to Antananarivo, take a Thalys train to Paris and then a direct flight to Antananarivo from there.

Also, vacationers should schedule their trip wisely. Sitting in traffic eats up gas, which means more greenhouse gas are emitted. Altering vacation schedules to avoid peak travel periods can save consumers time and money – and cut pollution. The sweet-spot for a modern sedan car, is usually around 90km/h, which gives the greatest number of kilometers per liter of fuel. It is often lower for a SUV. Allowing extra time for your trip can reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions.

Of course this study fails to mention Amtrak, which is comparable in efficiency to buses on most routes. On other continents there are different low-emission options available, like extensive rail links, coastal ferries, etc.

title: Sustainable travel


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Ecuador

Ecuador is a country on the Equator in northwestern South America. Several places in the country have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Galapagos Islands and the cities of Quito and Cuenca, which lie in the Andes that run from north to south through the country. The Ecuadorian Andes are also home to some of the highest active volcanoes such as the Cotopaxi.

Cities

 * - the second highest capital in the world (after La Paz) and second largest city in Ecuador with a well preserved colonial center. Its weather is generally spring-like all year long and relatively unpredictable, changing rapidly.
 * - the central city of Ecuador. Special celebrations during Carnival time.
 * - city at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano which used to be active until a few years ago. There are also many hot spring mineral baths.
 * - The third largest city in Ecuador and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site.
 * - the country's largest city, with its largest port.
 * - town of 100,000 inhabitants halfway between Quito and the northern border.
 * - the oldest colonial city.
 * - small town one-and-a-half hours north of the capital; famous for its Saturday market of indigenous crafts and livestock.
 * - gateway to Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest peak, as well as Sangay National Park.

Other destinations

 * - Gateway to the northern Oriente and up-and-coming mountain town -- still has sleepy small-town feel.
 * - Small beach town.
 * - A lesser visited city to the north of some of the most popular beaches in Ecuador.
 * - A cosy and authentic Andean village though easy accessible.
 * - A small Andean city famous for its Carnaval celebrations.
 * - Excellent bird watching in a cloud forest setting.
 * - World-famous surfing beach and beach hangout.
 * - Beautiful small ocean side city, access point for Machalilla National Park, and Isla de la Plata "Poor Man's Galapagos".
 * - Amazon rain forest town frequently destination of downhill bicycle rides from Baños.
 * - An Andean travel route that encompasses Quilotoa volcanic crater lake, Zumbahua and Chugchilán. Quintessential Andean landscapes and cultural experiences.
 * - Beautiful beach and boardwalk, swamped with Guayaquileños during holidays.
 * - Amazon rain forest town famous for some of the best white water rafting and kayaking in Latin America.
 * - Popular for expats living and retiring, and famous for its legendary older inhabitants whom claim to have some of the longest lifespans in the world.

National parks

 * – a
 * – a
 * – a
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Understand
La República del Ecuador ("Republic of the Ecuator") was one of three countries (the others being Colombia and Venezuela) that emerged when the Gran Colombia federation fractured in 1830. Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999.

Ecuador's mainstream culture is defined by its Hispanic Mestizo majority and like their ancestry, it is traditionally Spanish heritage, influenced by different degrees of Amerindian traditions with African elements.

Tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands. Ecuador has a total area of 283,520 km2 and is bisected by the Equator, for which it is named.

Ecuador is a major exporter of oil, bananas, flowers, seafood and artisan crafts.

Visitor information

 * Ecuador Travel website.

Visas
In general, citizens of most nationalities were allowed to enter Ecuador without a visa and stay for a period of 90 days in a chronological year. Visa requirements apply, however, to citizens of Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, India, Iran, Libya, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Phillipines, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen. Citizens of the following countries can enter with their National ID card: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Ecuador requires that Cuban citizens receive an invitation letter prior to entering Ecuador through international airports or frontier admission points. This letter must be legalized by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and comply with certain requirements. These requirements are designed to provide an organized migratory flow between both countries. Cuban citizens who are US green card holders should visit an Ecuadorian Consulate to obtain an exemption to this requirement.

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates. A round/onward trip ticket is needed to prove the length of your stay.

By plane
Quito's Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) is in the Tababela parish, approximately 30 km (20 mi) to the east of Quito. For travellers with very early departures or very late arrivals from the Quito airport, and those who are not staying in Quito but carrying elsewhere should consider looking at accommodations in Tababela or Puembo for the convenience of not needing to make the journey to the city for accommodations.

Another port of entry is Guayaquil (GYE), which has a modern airport that includes the typical amenities such as restaurants and duty-free shopping. The airport is located north of downtown.

The Galapagos Islands are one of the Ecuadorian provinces and have two airports, one of which is on Baltra and the other is on San Cristobal. Aerogal, Tame and LAN all offer flights to the Galapagos; all the flights are through the Ecuadorian mainland with no international flights.

The Quito airport charges an international departure tax of US$40.80. The tax is US$26 from Guayaquil. This tax is already included in the cost of the flight.

By car
Driving into Ecuador is discouraged. It is preferable to enter by airplane or boat because of the frontier issues with neighboring countries.

From Colombia
The primary crossing between Ecuador and Colombia is at Rumichaca near Tulcán and Ipiales. The border crossing at San Miguel (near Lago Agrio) in the Amazon region is discouraged due to security issues and entrance/exit complexities.

From Peru
There are two places to cross the border with Peru, though Huaquillas (near Machala gets the vast majority of the tourist crossings, has been shady and relatively dangerous, but a clean up may have improved security issues. Macara has a border crossing but is not recommended due to security issues.

By boat
Since Ecuador is situated on the coast and has some very large rivers, a boat ride can be a nice way to get around. Especially in the rainforest a boat ride can get you to places you usually wouldn't be able to go.

By bus
Intercity buses travel to almost everywhere in Ecuador. Many cities have a central bus terminal, known as a terminal terrestre, where it is possible to buy tickets from the various bus lines that serve the city. Long-distance buses typically cost US$1-2 per hour, depending on the distance and the type of service; groups may be able to negotiate discounts. Buses are frequent along major routes, and are also used for transporting cargo/packages.

Reservations or advance purchases usually aren't needed except during peak periods such as holidays. The bathroom on the bus, if any, is usually reserved for women. However, it is permissible for men to request that the bus make a stop so that they might relieve themselves. The bus rides themselves are often quite beautiful, through mountain views in the clouds. These altitude changes cause many of the same ear pressure problems which are associated with an airplane ride.

The bus driver will stop along the way to board additional passengers, and load/unload cargo. Buses will also board vendors selling affordable drinks and snacks at stops, which is helpful on long hauls. Many buses arrive at their destination with passengers standing in the aisle. There are a few first class buses, called "Ejecutivo", which cost a little more than the regular buses. They are generally more comfortable and safer.

Some of the major long-distance bus companies in Ecuador:

 * Transportes Loja
 * Cooperativa de Transportes Occidental
 * Cooperativa de Transportes Andina
 * Cooperativa de Transportes Internacional Reina del Camino
 * Flota Imbabura
 * Cooperativa de Transportes Loja Internacional
 * Cooperativa de Transportes Baños
 * Cooperativa de Transportes Turismo Oriental
 * Cooperativa de Transportes Patria
 * Cooperativa de Transportes Interprovincial Loja

By car
It is possible to rent a car in the major cities such as Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca, where car rentals are generally located outside the airports. Ecuadorian roads are well maintained throughout in cities but poorly maintained in the countryside.

However, Ecuador’s driving laws are few and rarely (if ever) enforced. However the law in is very strict on speeding (30 km/h over the limit) or driving without a license. Both offenses will have the police take you directly to jail where you will spend 3 nights in jail as the standard sentence. Be sure to carry your original license with you (your license from your home country is sufficient as long as you are a visitor. No international license is required unless your native language is not written in Latin characters, such as Chinese or Japanese only.

If you rent a car, it is highly recommended that you get a car with high ground clearance.The speed bumps in each town and village are very tall. In fact, they are not called "topes" (bumps). Ecuadorians call speed bumps "muros" (walls). Therefore, a car with high ground clearance is recommended, or you may be paying for very expensive undercarriage repairs. A 4x4 vehicle is better and necessary to explore the beautiful back areas of the country and to bring you to areas that you won't get to on a bus or in a normal rental car..

You can rent well-equipped, off road capable vehicles complete with hardened suspensions, snorkels, winches and other accessories.

Over the past 10 years, Ecuador has invested heavily in its road infrastructure with roads in fantastic condition and where safety is becoming more of a focus and priority. That said, like anywhere else in the world, there are different driving styles, customs, courtesies and unwritten rules of the road. A good motorcycle or rental agency will cover these in a detailed briefing before you head out on the road so that you understand what to expect.

By motorcycle or scooter
It is possible to rent daily or weekly motorcycles or scooters. Rates range from $29-$225/day for 150cc-1050cc machines respectively. Note that some travel insurance will not cover injuries or evacuation from 2-wheel vehicle accidents. The same warnings apply as with navigating my car.

Make sure the agency provides insurance, and you know who pays if the bike is damaged or stolen. It is advisable to take a bike in with you at a hostel or hotel rather than leaving it outside.

By taxi
Taxis are widely available. Taxis are generally yellow and have the taxi license number prominently displayed. Taxis in Quito have meters (fares under $1 are rounded up to the minimum fare of $1). Agree upon a price before getting in or ask the driver to use the meter (often cheaper than a negotiated rate); short trips generally don't cost more than $1 or $2, and you generally shouldn't end up paying more than $10 per hour, if that, for longer trips. Evening rates are often double. As with any country in Latin America, (or the world for that matter), don't ride an unlicensed taxi. It's a great way to get kidnapped.

By plane
Domestic flights between major cities on the mainland cost $50-100 one-way, and there are sometimes roundtrip promotions for about the same price. Flights between the biggest cities are in jets, and some of the smaller cities are served by prop aircraft. The domestic airlines in Ecuador are:

Most of the airlines in Ecuador offer excellent service and relatively new planes. You can buy domestic air tickets from agents or directly from the airlines - some sell tickets online and you can buy them at the airport or ticket offices for those who don't.
 * Latam Ecuador
 * Tame
 * Avianca Ecuador(formerly Aerogal & VIP)
 * Saereo
 * Ecuair

By hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is possible in Ecuador. A lot of people drive pick-ups which you can easily throw your backpack into if they give you a lift.

On roads not frequently serviced by buses, cargo trucks may take on riders or hitchhikers, either to ride in back or in the cabin. In some cases the driver charges the going bus fare, in others he may simply be taking on a rider for the company and refuse a fare.

By train
After much neglect over decades, the government has decided to rebuild and restore the railway infrastructure and the snazzy website of Tren Ecuador is clearly aimed at the international tourist above and beyond all else. There are relatively affordable short trips (often including food and a guide or other extras), and the lavishly expensive "tren crucero" (roughly: cruise train) that does most of the four-day, four-night Quito - Guayaquil trip in a restored steam train, though some stretches still have to be done by bus. At US$1650 per person (based on double occupancy) this is certainly not a cheap option, but it can be a worthwhile way of seeing the country.

Talk
Spanish is the official language. Amerindian languages (especially Quechua) are generally spoken in the more rural, mountainous villages. English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants and other businesses that cater to high-end travellers. Ecuadorians are friendly and generally tolerant of foreigners who attempt to speak Spanish but make mistakes.

See

 * Loma Alta, a 2428-hectare cloud forest.
 * Tigua, for its bright paintings.
 * The village of Calderon is known for its folk art.
 * Agua Blanca, an indigenous territory of the Manta.
 * Chimborazo, highest peak in Ecuador.
 * La Mitad del Mundo on the Equator
 * South American wildlife

Do
The capital Quito, is a city with a lot of history where you can walk in downtown, enjoying the beautiful colonial buildings. There is also the "Teleférico" (cable-car) which takes passengers from the highest mountain in Quito to see the whole city from the sky. Admission is $8.50 per person (November 2010). There are many welcoming cafes as well as many dancing clubs open every weekend, often until 05:00.

In Guayaquil, an excellent place to visit is the Malecón 2000, which is very similar to Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois, offering food, shopping, boat rides and a beautiful view of the river. Except for electronics, prices are quite low; however, almost everything sold with any sort of brand name is a knockoff. This area is very well patrolled and quite safe. For a real adventure, it is possible to visit the more authentic, less expensive, and far more dangerous Bahía or "Informal Market". It is not advisable to visit it without a native. It is possible to purchase a knockoff of almost anything here. Pirated video games and movies also abound; it is possible to purchase game systems modified to play such games as well. Make the proprietors prove to you that any movies or games you might purchase actually work before buying though. In the Bahía, it is necessary to haggle for all items.

Baños is the perfect city for the outdoors or extreme sports enthusiast, offering rafting, mountain climbing and backpacking excursions of all sorts. It is possible to get an English speaking guide. Be sure to get all the necessary vaccinations, as it is possible to get some nasty infections from prolonged exposure to the water. Baños also offers a public hot spring mineral bath, which only charges $1 admission. Other, more expensive baths also exist, but are fed from exactly the same water. It is best to arrive at these baths as they open, as the water is freshest and cleanest then.

Ibarra -and the whole Imbabura province- is about a 90-min ride from Quito and offers many tourism activities such as community tourism, adventure tours (rafting, swing jumping, kayaking, trekking, etc.) and indigenous visits. The most recommended places in Imbabura to visit are Ibarra, Otavalo, Intag and Cotacachi.

The north of Ecuador offers the best beaches, including Bahia de Caraquez, Manta, Crucita, San Jacinto, and San Clemente. They offer very inexpensive hotel accommodations, great food and friendly people.

Ecuador is perhaps the most bio-diverse country in the world. The Galapagos Islands are justly famed for their wildlife, but there is also lots to see on the mainland. Ecuador has over one hundred different types of hummingbirds. Good places to see them include Cuyabeno Wild Life Reserve, Mindo and San Luis de Pambil.

Montañita Town: On the coast, 3 hours from Guayaquil, this is a growing town with many particularities which makes it great to visit: Goog Beach and incredible surroundings, the people, incredible nightlife, and surf. There are many people who live in the town permanently from all over the world. See warning at the top of this article.

Volunteer
Many people who visit Ecuador choose to give back to the community by volunteering. The U.S. Peace Corps alone has more than 200 volunteers in Ecuador at a time. From conservation projects to building houses to teaching English, there are many ways to help development in Ecuador. You can choose to volunteer through a third-party organization that arranges accommodations and connects you to a local organization to volunteer with. The other option is to volunteer directly through a local NGO. This will take more time and research but can also be significantly cheaper.
 * Fundacion Bolivar Education is a volunteer foundation based in Quito, the capital city, and has many volunteer projects through all Ecuador's regions including the Pacific Coast, Amazon, Andes and Galapagos Islands. Volunteers must be 18 years or older, and can volunteer in any of the following categories: Children and Youth, Health, Environment, Teaching, Gender, Elderly, Development and Animal Welfare.  No previous education or organization experience is needed.  Students, families, senior citizens and groups from various schools, universities or programs are all able to volunteer with Fundacion Bolivar Education.  Host families or hostels are available accommodations to choose from.  Packages are also available for those who to volunteer but also travel throughout Ecuador.

Cinema
One way to work on your Spanish skills is to go to a movie. Films in modern theaters cost about $3 to $4 in the larger cities, less in smaller towns. Foreign films are typically shown in the original language with subtitles - ask to verify.

Spanish classes
Quito is a great place to learn Spanish, the accent in Quito is soft and clear and easy to understand. Quite a few private Spanish academies exist, they offer one on one and group courses with personalized programs that focus on grammar but also in helping to improve speaking and communication skills in a short period of time. Quality varies greatly, so check reviews online and speak to current students before enrolling.

You can also check the list of schools that are certified by the Ministry of Education of Ecuador. This certification ensures that the Schools fulfill quality standards and that they work with professional teachers. You can find the complete list of certified Spanish Schools here.

Students who want to learn Spanish for longer periods and in big groups might consider the programs of two Ecuadorian universities which offer semester length Spanish as a Second Language classes for foreigners. University study is ideal if you are serious about learning Spanish and have the time to complete the full program. Successful completion of a university Spanish program may also allow to continue studying at that university or even to earn a degree. On the other hand, if you wish to learn Spanish while enjoying being on the beach, then Montañita is the best place to learn.

Formal university study
While all universities in Ecuador can admit foreign students, most have onerous entry requirements and will not admit students for just a semester or two. Two universities -- Universidad San Francisco and Catholic University -- stand out for extending a welcome to foreign students, who can choose to study for a semester or even complete a full Bachelor's or Master's degree. ''Be sure to inquire about enrollment (matricula) costs which are usually above and beyond normal tuition. Obtain a student visa, if needed, before you enter Ecuador to study.''

 * Catholic University of Ecuador
 * Universidad San Francisco de Quito

Money
Ecuador adopted the United States dollar ("$", ISO currency code: USD) as its currency in 1999. Other types of currency are not readily accepted.

Ecuador has its own coins. These are exactly the same size and weight as American coins, and both are accepted. U.S. dollar coins are widely used, and preferred to $1 bills. American bills are used for higher values, Ecuador does not print any itself.

Coins in Ecuador are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 centavos. Ecuadorian centavo coins are equal to U.S. coins in value (1 centavo (penny), 5 centavos (nickel), 10 centavos (dime), 25 centavos (quarter dollar) and 50 centavos (half dollar)).

Many merchants examine large bills ($10 and above) carefully to make sure they aren't counterfeit. Frequently, businesses will not accept $50 bills or $100 bills at all. One must usually go to a bank in order to break $100 bills. Outside of tourist areas and Quito, many merchants do not keep large amounts of money on hand, so getting change for bills large and small may be difficult. This is especially true on cheaper buses. Take lots of one and five dollar bills with you; you will also want to bring the newest possible bills. Worn bills are often regarded with suspicion, and it is not uncommon for a merchant to ask you to pay with another bill if the one you handed them appears old or worn.

Banking
Credit and debit cards are accepted at many places that cater to tourists as well as at some upscale shops. However, many places charge a commission for their use as reimbursement for what the banks charge them. You may be asked to show your passport when using a credit or debit card.

Automated teller machines are widely available in major cities and tourist areas. Most claim to be tied in with major international networks, in theory making it possible to withdraw money from foreign accounts. Depending on the transaction fees charged by your bank at home, ATMs offer very good exchange rates. You may have to try quite a few different machines before receiving money. Banco Austro is the only national bank chain that doesn't charge a withdrawal fee. Banco Bolivariano doesn't charge with Revolut card whereas Banco de Guayaquil, Banco del Pacífico and Banco Pichincha charge $1.50-4.50 (December 2018). The others typically charge $1 or more per transaction. Avoid using ATMs on the street as their users are frequently targeted by street thieves. Hotels or other places with a guard nearby are your best choices. Many banks limit withdrawals to $300 per day. Banco Guayaquil allows $500 per day.

Traveler's checks can be exchanged at some banks for a reasonable fee (usually not more than 3 percent). They are also accepted at some hotels that cater to tourists, although it is difficult to use them elsewhere. There is often a surcharge added to use traveler's checks.

Tipping
Bars, restaurants and hotels include a 10% service charge in the bill, so tipping is not required. In the case of restaurants, it is customary to leave some spare change in reward for good service. Some restaurants that don't include the service charge will include a small piece of paper along with the bill, in which the client can specify a tip (approx. 5-10%) if they are paying with credit card.

Shopping
Prices vary widely in Ecuador. Costs at upscale hotels and restaurants seem to be close, maybe 10 percent less, to what they would be in the United States. Outside of tourist areas, costs are much less. It is possible to get a meal at a clean restaurant for under $2 or to pay less than $10 for a clean but basic hotel room.

Even though Ecuador is a very beautiful country, it does not know how to sell itself very well. In Quito, a very famous tourism site is El Mercado Artesenal, where many souvenirs can be found but after a thorough look around, you will realize that there is a bit of redundancy in the items - everyone is basically selling the same thing. Therefore, after buying a few main items it becomes difficult to find much more variety. Almost everything that can be bought has a price that can be bargained. If you are not a native, they will try and get higher prices out of you, which is why it is recommended to go with someone who is either fluent in Spanish or native to bargain more effectively.

Eat
There is a lot of variety as to what is typically eaten, depending on the location. In the Sierra, potatoes almost always accompany lunch and dinner, and in the coast rice is popular. Soup is also a big part of lunch and dinner. Breakfasts often consist of toast, eggs, and juice or fruit. Batidos, or fruit shakes, are popular breakfast items or snacks. Especially on the coastline, Ecuadorians make a variety of breakfast meals based on green or sweet plantain and yuca, such as bolonoes, empanadas, patacones, corviches, muchines, pan de yuca, humitas and others. They are cooked with either cheese, pork or fish. They are very filling and inexpensive meals.

Restaurants run the gamut in terms of menu, quality, hygiene, hours and price. Basic meals cost less than $2, or it is possible to pay close to U.S. prices in the tourist areas, especially for food from the American chains.

If you're on a budget, your best bet for a good and local meal is to order an almuerzo (lunch) or a merienda (dinner). These normally consist of a soup, a meat main course and a dessert for $1-2.

More expensive restaurants (say, ones that charge $4 per meal or more) often add a 12% sales tax and a 10% service fee.

Coffee or tea (including many herbal varieties) is typically served after the meal unless you ask for it sooner.

Except at places that cater to foreigners, it is the custom not to present the diner with the bill until it is requested. While many servers are used to rude tourists, rubbing your fingers together isn't as accepted as in Europe although it's not considered downright rude as in the United States. The best way to get the check is to tell your server "La cuenta, por favor."

Smoking is allowed in most restaurants, but the law explicitly prohibits smoking in closed areas, so it's a good idea to ask for a non-smoking section, or ask if the restaurant allows smoking.

Locro de papa is a famous Ecuadorian soup with avocados, potatoes and cheese.

Ceviche is a common dish found on the coast. It is a cold seafood cocktail that is usually served with "chifles," thin fried plantains, and popcorn.

Encebollado is a hearty fish soup with yuca, also found on the coast: A tomato-fish soup filled with chunks of yucca, marinated vegetables with "chifles" thrown in for added crunch.

In the Highlands, Ecuadorians eat cuy, or guinea pig. The entire animal is roasted or fried and often served skewered on a stick.

Empanadas are also a common local food that are usually consumed as snacks in the afternoon. The most common varieties of this filled pastry are cheese and/or chicken.

Bollo Made of milled sweet plantain with peanuts and albacore. This is a very typical dish in the Ecuadorian Coast.

Bolón Made of minced plantain with cheese or pork. It is eaten at breakfast with coffee. It is consumed mostly in the coast in the Manabí province.

Drink
Bottled water is very common and is safe to drink; it comes con gas (carbonated) and sin gas (non-carbonated). Water from the tap is unsafe to drink. Even Ecuadorians generally only drink bottled (or boiled) water.

Coffee is widely available in cafes and restaurants, and also sold in bean form. Tea is also common, usually with a good selection including herbal.

Fruit juice is plentiful and good, and you will often have many options: piña (pineapple), mora (blackberry), maracuyá (passion fruit), naranja (orange), sandía (watermelon), naranjilla (a jungle fruit), melon, taxo, guanabana, guava, etc. If you'd like it made with milk, sort of like a less-frozen milkshake, ask for a batida. Note that often juices are served lukewarm.

Aguardiente, often made from fermented sugar cane, is the local firewater. If possible, have some ground freshly into your cup from the sugarcane.

Sleep
There are many low-cost hostels throughout Ecuador. Often, the hostels in smaller towns are actually privately owned homes that welcome travellers. As with most things, natives can help you find an excellent hotel at a very low price ($6-14). Large groups will be able to bargain for lower prices. Air conditioning is an amenity which often comes at an extra cost of a dollar or two a night.

Ecuador is also home to an increasing number of Eco Lodges, including many renovated, traditional haciendas.

Haciendas of Ecuador

Motels vs hotels
A quick word of caution; in Ecuador a "motel" is not the same as what one normally finds in the United States. The term motel in Latin America usually refers to a place of accommodation where the rooms are rented on a short term basis, typically for romantic assignations. Hotels, by contrast, are places of accommodation for travelers and are typically family friendly. Many hotels will not permit persons who are not registered as guests to go beyond the reception area. This is for the safety of both the guests and hotel staff and also to protect the hotel's reputation in what is still a culturally conservative and Catholic country. So visitors looking for a place to enjoy the physical company of another, will often use motels. Also privacy is something of a premium in Ecuador, with children often living at home until they are married. For this and other practical reasons, couples, even married couples desiring a little intimacy, sometimes rent a room at a motel. These motels are common in Ecuador and do not carry the social stigma that used to be associated with so called "no tell motels" in the United States or Canada. The quality and price of motel accommodations varies, sometimes drastically, with most being clean and well kept. Rooms are engaged anonymously with the tariff and any associated charges usually being paid on a cash only basis.

Stay safe

Tourists should use common sense to ensure their safety. Avoid problems by not flashing large amounts of money, not visiting areas near the Colombian border, staying away from civil disturbances and not using side streets in big cities at night. Probably the biggest threat in most places is simple thievery: belongings should not be left unguarded on the beach, for example, and pickpockets can be found in some of the more crowded areas, especially the Trolébus (Metro) in Quito, in bus terminals and on the buses themselves. Buses allow peddlers to board briefly and attempt to sell their wares; however, they are often thieves themselves, so keep a close eye out for them. Hotel personnel are generally good sources of information about places that should be avoided.

You can always ask tourist police officers, police officers or in tourist information centers for the dangerous regions.

Ecuador offers great opportunities for hiking and climbing; unfortunately, some travelers have been attacked and robbed in remote sections of well known climbs and several rapes have also been reported, so female hikers and climbers need to be extremely careful. Travelers are urged to avoid solo hikes and to go in a large group for safety reasons.

Stay healthy
Ecuador is widely considered to be a developing country and health hazards are a significant issue. Of the most significant are foodborne illnesses, though they can easily be treated with digestive drugs such as antacids or antidiarrheals.

Bottled water is key in Ecuador if you don't want to get sick. This doesn't only apply to foreigners who don't have the stomach for Ecuadorian food but also Ecuadorians who know that if they don't boil their water or drink it from the bottle that they can get very sick. As a result, it can be purchased almost everywhere (even in the most remote places) for well under $0.25-0.50. Water bottles are sometimes provided by hostels and hotels, which can be used for brushing teeth.

It is advisable to receive a typhoid vaccination, and possibly a yellow fever vaccination, depending on your specific area of travel.

Outside the major cities and tourist areas, malaria can be a problem along the coast during the rainy season.

Ecuador has a high altitude terrain in many regions, which may cause altitude sickness or breathing difficulties for some travelers. It is recommended to acclimatize slowly and avoid excessive physical exertion in high altitude areas.

Respect
The common greetings are "buenos días", "buenas tardes" or "buenas noches", (Good morning, Good afternoon, and Good evening, respectively). It is usually complemented by a handshake, between men, and by a kiss on the cheek between women or between a man and a woman. "Hola" is the most common greeting between friends and acquaintances. As in most Latin American countries, it's considered normal and polite to stand quite close to the other person while talking.

If you speak Spanish with Ecuadorians, take note of the difference between the two forms for the pronoun "you": the informal "tú" and the formal "usted". It's customary to address older people and people with whom you're not familiar with "usted". Ecuadorans are generally forgiving of non-native speakers, but use "usted" when in doubt.

Among many other cultural idiosyncrasies, in the Sierra regions it is considered impolite to use a downward-facing palm as a reference for the height of a person. Instead, the hand is held on its side, and the measurement taken from the lower edge to the floor. Gesturing with the palm down is appropriate for animals only.

When motioning for someone to "come here", it is impolite to motion your hand with the palm facing up. Instead, use a downward swipe of the hand with the palm facing down.

Acceptable clothing varies by region of the country. In the mountainous Sierra region, including Quito, clothes are usually warmer because of the weather. On the coast, meanwhile, more casual clothes predominate.

Internet
Internet cafes can be found nearly everywhere in the major cities and in many of the smaller ones. Cost is from $1 to $2 per hour in the large cities, and the better places have high-speed access. In some cafes, restaurants, and hotels you can find free Wi-Fi access, most of them protected by passwords; in most cases, you just have to ask for the password.

Telephone
For most visitors, the easiest place to make phone calls is an Internet cafe, most of which provide VOIP service at reasonable rates. You can call the United States for about $0.10 per minute and Europe for a bit more. Avoid making a phone call through an operator; the cost for an international call can be $3 or more per minute. For calls within Ecuador, it is possible to use a telephone cabin. This is an entire storefront filled with telephones. Generally, you are assigned a booth by the proprietor, you make your call, then you pay as you leave. Calls within Ecuador are more expensive than domestic calls in most countries, but not unreasonable, except for calls to cell phones, which generate most of their revenue by charging the caller. Also, call prices increase depending on the distance of your call within Ecuador, based on city, province, etc. Visitors making an extended stay should consider purchasing a cell phone. Most are sold on a prepaid-call basis, and phone refill cards can be purchased in all but the smallest towns. It is also possible to get a modern GSM cellular phone "unlocked" so that it will function in Ecuador (you can take your own phone, if it compatible with GSM 850MHz), however, this should be reserved for emergencies as the cost of actually making such a call is usually exorbitant (about $0.45 per minute).

Radio and television
Radio and television are available in Spanish except in some of the particularly remote areas. English-language movies usually are shown in the original language with Spanish subtitles. Many hotels have cable television that may include English-language stations and premium movie channels that feature subtitled movies in their original languages.

Newspapers and magazines
Spanish-language newspapers and magazines can be purchased on the streets of cities but can be hard to find elsewhere. Some hotels catering to foreigners may have a small selection of English-language reading material.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Ecuador


text:
Edale

Edale is in Derbyshire. Edale is the name of the valley of the River Noe and the name used by most people for Grindsbrook Booth, the settlement where the only train station in the valley is located. It is the southern terminus of the Pennine Way, a 268-mile long-distance walk to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland. Its railway station provides a quick and direct public-transport route to the heart of the Dark Peak countryside from Manchester or Sheffield.

By bus
There are no buses along this valley. The nearest bus route is from Sheffield via Hope to Castleton, a few miles away over the ridge. (And a lot more miles if you confuse it with Castleton near Rochdale on the edge of Manchester.)

Get around

 * Train along the valley to Hope or Hathersage or Chinley
 * Walk or bus to Castleton or other nearby Peak District villages and towns

See

 * The surrounding hills

Do

 * Pitch a tent (campsite in the village centre) before you walk the hills.
 * Kinder Scout, rising abruptly on the north flank of Edale, demonstrates the contrasts of this area. The landscape to the south is attractive limestone, but north of Edale, this changes to a gritstone plateau, poorly permeable to rainfall and overlain by peat bog. The plateau is bounded by steep scarps, so there are great views on the way up (an excuse to catch your breath) and along the scarp edges. But the interior is dismal: if you go in search of the summit, you'll struggle through bogs and lose the view, all for the sake of a couple of metres extra altitude. The summit is marked by an OS triangulation point at ; you'll be past caring when you reach it.
 * If you're doing all 267 miles (429 km) of the Pennine Way end-to-end in a single sortie, then the usual direction is northbound to have the sun and weather at your back, and Day One is from Edale across Kinder Scout and Bleaklow to Crowden-in-Longdendale. There are two routes out of Edale, which can combine into a circular walk for hikers who are simply day-tripping. The traditional route is to ascend Kinder Scout immediately up Grind's Brook, then head northwest across the plateau. The alternative route, more scenic and less boggy, is west across the fields to ascend by Jacob's Ladder, then north along the scarp edge. The two routes meet at Kinder Downfall, from where you trudge on north gradually descending. The plateau is crossed by A57 but with no nearby facilities, so you continue north over Bleaklow before the last descent into Longdendale, with a zigzag around the reservoir to reach Crowden. The route is well marked and has boardwalks over the worst bogs. 13 miles done, only 254 to go. It's similar gritstone terrain all the way to Gargrave in North Yorkshire, where the route re-enters limestone scenery in the Yorkshire Dales.
 * Over Mam Tor or Hollins Cross to Castleton and the caves
 * Over Jacobs Ladder and past Edale Cross to Hayfield
 * Have an evening in the pubs after you have walked the hills.

Eat
Toasted teacakes and other light snack in the two cafes and bar meals in the two pubs.

Drink

 * Tea in the various teashops
 * Tea in the various teashops
 * Tea in the various teashops

Sleep
B&B in cottages or pubs as well as a few campsites

Connect
As of March 2024, Edale and its approach roads have a basic mobile signal from Three and Vodafone, and 4G from EE, but no signal from O2. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Castleton
 * Hayfield
 * Crowden-in-Longdendale
 * Sheffield

title: Edale


text:
Edam

Edam is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. Its main claim to international fame is Edam cheese. Edam is part of the Zaanstreek-Waterland.

Understand
This town with about 7500 inhabitants is located in the municipality of Edam-Volendam, some 20 km northeast of Amsterdam. Historically a chartered town since 1357, thriving on trade and agriculture, it has nevertheless remained relatively small. The town has nowadays grown together with neighbouring Volendam.

Get in
Edam is close to Amsterdam and some 25 km away from Schiphol International Airport. The main road to Edam is via the N247.

There is no train station, but from most major places in the country you can take a train to Amsterdam, Purmerend or Hoorn and take the bus from there. From Amsterdam you can take a regional bus to Edam, lines 110, 112, 114,116,117 or 118. From Purmerend you can take the 113 (to Volendam, but stops in Edam) and from Hoorn you can take the 114 (to Amsterdam, but stops in Edam). As Edam is situated on the banks of the IJsselmeer (IJssel lake) and has its own harbour, the village can be reached by boat.

A great way to get to Edam is by bike. There are many cycle routes that will take you there:
 * From Purmerend train station - Volendam Cycle Route (45 or 37 km).

Get around
Edam is best explored on foot or by bike. For bike rental, try:

See
Although Edam is small there are quite some things to see and do.

Buy
As Edam is home to a major kind of cheese, a piece of the real thing makes a good souvenir. You can buy it in several stores and of course at the cheesemarket.

Drink
De Harmonie Cafe is a wonderful music bar on Voorhaven situated on the canal.

Go next
Nearby destinations of interest include:
 * the adjoining village of Volendam
 * Hoorn, to the north
 * Marken
 * Monnickendam
 * Zaandam, with the famous Zaanse Schans

title: Edam


text:
Edathua

Edathua is a place in Kuttanad which a low lying wetland located in the Alappuzha district, Kerala, India.

It is situated 14 km from Tiruvilla town.

Understand
It is an ancient place. It is a very famous church in south India. Many pilgrims from all over India visit this place throughout the year. This is very famous and many people believe in the traditions and miracles. The bones of one holy man named Puthan Parambil Thommachan were bought here. He is from famous Shankarapuri Family. This family was baptized by St. Thomas.

Get in
It is 14 km west of Thiruvalla town on highways #6 and 12. The nearest railway station is Thiruvalla.

Get around
Taxi

title: Edathua


text:
Edava

Edava is in the state of Kerala in southern India.

Understand
Edava is a long expanded coastal village in Thiruvananthapuram district in the state of Kerala, India. Edava is located north of the tourist spot Varkala. It has cliffs, serene beaches and backwaters with its canals and lakes. The main beach areas are Odayam, Manthara, Vettakada and Kappil. Slowly the tourism develops on the seaside, so you will find some guesthouses, homestays and restaurants.

By car

 * 1 hour from Trivandrum; Edava is linked by state and national highways to all the major cities in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

By plane

 * The nearest International Airport is Thiruvananthapuram;1 hour.

By bus

 * State Transport Buses are available from Trivandrum via Varkala (direction Manthara Temple), or Kollam. Bus service available from Varkala or Kollam to many parts of South Kerala and Kanyakumari

By train

 * Edava railway station. The nearest main railway station is Varkala. Varkala is also connected by Rail Network. If coming from Trivandrum and Cochin, the better option will be coming by Train. Almost all trains passing by stops at Varkala. From Varkala Railway Station, Taxis and Auto Rickshaws can be hired. Edava is around 5km from Varkala Railway Station. (₹80-₹100 by Auto Rickshaw)

title: Edava


text:
Ede

The town of Ede is best known as an entry point to Hoge Veluwe National Park. And indeed, although the city will not be high on any traveller's list, it is very well-suited as a base to explore the Veluwe and the natural surroundings, which consist of forests and farmlands, dotted with villages. If you were thinking of taking a bike trip - an excellent part of your Dutch travels - this is a fine place to go for it. In 2019, Ede was home to 116,000 people.

Get in
Ede is easily reached by car, using the A12 (from Utrecht and Arnhem) and the newly finished A30 (from Amersfoort and Apeldoorn). The A12 can get quite congested during rush hours.

The city's main train station is called Ede-Wageningen, and has direct intercity connections to Utrecht (25 min), Amsterdam (1 hr), Nijmegen and Amersfoort, as well as smaller stations on those lines. The station is located 3 km south of the city center. Trains run roughly every 15 minutes between 05:00 and 01:00. A smaller station called Ede Centrum is located in the town centre and served by regional trains. It offers connections to the out-of-town intercity station and to Amersfoort.

Although less convenient for longer distances, the extensive network of bus lines can be useful to get to the Hoge Veluwe National Park, and to smaller, nearby destinations. To get to the park entrance, take bus 108 to Otterlo. There, change to bus 106 to Hoenderloo and get out at either the park's Visitor Centre or at the Kröller-Müller Museum. With some 160 different bus services in the region, it's best to plan any other trips through the national public transport trip planner on 9292OV.

With recreational bicycle and walking tours as one of the main attractions, bicycle lanes and walking paths are abundantly available. Major highways excepted, you'll generally find one along any street.

Get around
If you arrive by train, you'll probably end up on intercity station 'Ede-Wageningen', which is about 3 km (2 mi) south of the centre of town. From there, you can either walk, hop on a local train or catch a bus to the centre. Bus lines are good, not too expensive, and frequent (except at night). Of course, you could also take a taxi.

Hiring a bike is also a good alternative. Ede is generally flat, although the northeast corner of the town is elevated a bit, as it rises towards the heather fields and forests of the Veluwe. Bicycle lanes and paths in and around Ede, just like anywhere on the Veluwe, are excellent.

See
The town may not be of major interest, but it receives many visitors nonetheless. Many stay in the city as a base to explore the natural beauty of the Veluwe region, or more specifically the Hoge Veluwe National Park. A popular domestic short stay destination, this is one of the most extensive and interesting national parks in the country. At a stone's throw from town, the park's relatively extensive forests begin. Other parts of the park feature heathlands, desert patches with shifting sands, streams and small lakes.

The whole region played an important role in the country's liberation during World War II. As part of Operation Market Garden, Allied soldiers parachuted into the Ginkelse Heide close to Ede before marching on Arnhem. In Ede (like in neighbouring towns), several monuments were established in remembrance of World War II and the soldiers who gave their lives. The main one is the Airborne Monument on the Ginkelse Heide landing area.

Do

 * The main activities are obvious: bicycle tours and hiking routes are the area's main attraction, and the activity of choice for most of its visitors. There's a wide range of routes available from the Tourist Information Office and plenty of road directions on the way.
 * Performances are in Dutch, but if you can understand any of it, the Openluchttheater (open air theatre) can be a fun way to spend some time.
 * The yearly Heideweek festival taking place in the last week of August offers a week full of activities ranging from music to flea markets to folkloric events.

Buy
As a mid-sized Dutch town, Ede has a good range of standard stores, including several well-known fashion and department stores. The main shopping street consists of the Grotestraat and the following Maandereind. Friday evening, most shops in the centre stay open until 21:00 and most supermarkets are open until 21:00 on all opening days. On Sundays, opening hours are limited and many non-essential stores may be closed.

The main market is held on Saturdays (08:00-17:00), when some 50 stalls set up om the Markt along the Molenstraat. On Monday mornings (08:00-14:00) about 35 stalls can be found at the same spot.

Eat
Although you'll find establishments scattered throughout town, some of the cafes and restaurants are concentrated in and around three streets: Museumplein (just outside Ede Centrum railway station) The Parkweg, (close to the Ede-Wageningen main station) and the Marktplein on the northern end of the town centre.

Some of the most popular picks include:

 * Lokaalede.nl This website offers different kinds of food boxes with a wide range of locally produced products.
 * Lokaalede.nl This website offers different kinds of food boxes with a wide range of locally produced products.
 * Lokaalede.nl This website offers different kinds of food boxes with a wide range of locally produced products.

Drink
For any serious nightlife you're better off in Nijmegen, but if you're just looking for a good way to spend your evening, Ede does have a rather large number of nice cafés and bars. Your best bet when looking for cold beers and a chat is to head to the Museumplein, where you'll have a bunch of good places to choose from.

Stay safe
The Ede-Wageningen railway station is best avoided past midnight. Otherwise, Ede is quite safe. In the surrounding forests or heaths, there's a small chance of encountering wild boars. If you spot one, do not approach. Simply walk away.

Go next
The obvious next stop for more visitors is of course the Veluwe, but other historic cities and natural areas are just a short drive away.
 * Wageningen is an historic town just around the corner, with a cozy town centre and a small but nice museum. It was founded in 1263, and has a long history as the Dutch centre for agricultural research and development. It was the site of the official 1945 surrender of the German forces, which ended World War II.
 * Nijmegen lays claim to being the oldest city in the country, and this lively university city has the heritage to back it up.
 * Amersfoort has an impressive list of monuments and an excellent stop on your way back west..
 * Arnhem, known for its World War II background, and the old Hansaec city of Deventer are both pleasant cities packed with history.
 * Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park offers more nature, just a few kilometres west of town.

title: Ede


text:
Eden

There is more than one place called Eden:

Australia

 * Eden (New South Wales) — a town in New South Wales

United Kingdom

 * Eden Valley — a region in England

United States of America

 * Eden (New York) — a town in New York (state)

title: Eden


text:
Eden (New South Wales)

Eden is a town on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, approximately 230 nautical miles south of Sydney, and situated on Twofold Bay, close to the state border with Victoria. It's the southernmost major town in NSW.

Understand
Eden started life as a whaling community and remains a vital fishing town with a population of over 3000.

By boat
The fishing town of Eden is at the northern head of the large (3,100 ha) Twofold Bay. Entrance depth into bay is 36 metres. Width of bay is 5 km wide. Bottom sand. MHWS 1.6m. MLWS 0.3m. VHF Channels 16, port working channel 8.

Get around
Eden has a straight forward grid layout with a bustling main street running through the centre. Walking from one end (the main wharf) to the other (the Country Golf Club) will take you about half an hour. There is a taxi service to get you around and bus services to take you out of town. For water explorers there are a number of cruise boats ready to take you around the bay.

Do

 * Whale watching at appropriate times of the year particularly during May-November.

Mount Imlay National Park
is around south/southwest of Eden, but it is only accessible via unpaved roads. Its only attraction of note, Balawan, holds deep significance to the Indigenous Bidwell people.

Balawan can be hiked via the Balawan Summit Walking Track, which is return, but very challenging (rated Grade 5) – the birdlife from up the top of the hike makes it worth it.

Go next

 * Beowa National Park
 * SE Forest National Park

title: Eden (New South Wales)


text:
Eden (New York)

Eden is a township in Erie County, New York, part of the Niagara Frontier.

title: Eden (New York)


text:
Edenderry

Edenderry (Éadan Doire, "hill-brow of the oak wood") is a town at the east edge of County Offaly, with a population in 2022 of 7900. The main reason to visit is for boating along the canal.

Get in
Go Ahead Bus 120 runs hourly, daily from Dublin, taking two hours. It starts from Connolly railway station and picks up at other city stops including Heuston station, but not Busáras. Don't take 120B or 120F, these only run to Newbridge.

Bus 120C runs from Tullamore to Edenderry (1 hour) and Enfield, with five or six daily. Buses stop outside Town Hall and elsewhere along the main road.

By road from Dublin follow M4 to junction 9 at Enfield, then R402 into town.

Edenderry is linked by a spur to the Grand Canal, part of the navigable network extending to Dublin, Waterford, Limerick and Enniskillen. Check Waterways Ireland for current status of locks, moorings and so on.

Get around
The town is easy to walk round, but you need wheels for outlying sights. A bike would do.

See

 * Town hall was built as the market hall, and is now a courthouse. It is a handsome building of 1826 in O'Connell Square.
 * is a scrappy ruin, unstable and fenced off. It was wrecked in 1691 by Jacobite forces, defeated at the Battle of the Boyne and retreating towards Limerick, while James II himself scuttled back to France.
 * The canal is a scenic 1.5-km spur of the Grand Canal, with a footpath along its east bank. The Blundell family sought to keep the canal and those ruffian "navvies" away from town, but their lands passed to the 3rd Marquess of Downshire, who paid £692 for the spur. It boosted trade and growth of the town, as building masonry could be brought in more easily. It remains in use by pleasure craft.
 * is the prominent ruin of a Tudor mansion built over a Norman motte-and-bailey. There's an old graveyard and mausoleum adjacent.
 * Heritage Park and the Bog of Allen Nature Centre are across the boundary, see County Kildare.
 * rears up to the west: see Tullamore.

Do

 * Fishing in the canal is catch-and-release only.
 * Golf: Edenderry GC is 2 km northeast. White tees 5957 m, par 72, visitor round €30.
 * Greenway is a long-distance walking and cycling trail along the Grand Canal. The spur footpath needs refurbishment to match, and funding for this was announced in 2020.
 * Skydive at , home of the Irish Parachute Club. They offer tandem jumps and training, using a Pilatus PC-6 Porter and a Cessna 206. There's another village called Clonbollogue a few kilometres south in County Kildare.

Eat

 * Station House is a grill and bar in the old railway station.
 * Station House is a grill and bar in the old railway station.

Drink

 * Pubs along the main street are O'Donoghue's, Corner House, Larkin's, Molly's, Logan's and Bryne's.
 * Finbarr Cullen's has a Saturday nightclub.

Sleep

 * Edenderry is short of accommodation, with no campsite, caravan park or hotel. You might do better along M4, eg at Enfield.

 * Highfield Lodge is a B&B north of the golf course.
 * Highfield Lodge is a B&B north of the golf course.
 * Highfield Lodge is a B&B north of the golf course.

Connect
As of April 2021, Edenderry has 5G from Eir and Three, and 4G from Vodafone.

Go next

 * Mullingar has a fine cathedral and Palladian mansion.
 * Tullamore is best known for its two whiskey distilleries.
 * County Kildare just east is classic horse-breeding and racing country.
 * Dublin is the lively unmissable city just beyond.

title: Edenderry


text:
Eden Valley

The Eden Valley runs northward through the county of Cumbria from its source high on the fells at Mallerstang and enters the sea 91 miles later at Carlisle.

Understand
The river Eden runs through the Eden Valley. It is the main river in Cumbria and runs virtually the length of the county.Locally the Eden Valley tends to refer to the area between Appleby and Carlisle.

History
Cumbria, or Cumberland as it used to be known, is the northern-most county of England. To the north were the Picts (in Roman times) and later these border lands became home to the border reivers, and became known, in parts, as the "debatable lands.

Even though the river and its valley are far away from the main seats of government they still had their part to play in history.

Landscape
From the high fells around Mallerstang the valley runs through the fells towards Appleby-in-Westmoreland. From here the valley starts to broaden out a little until it passes Penrith to the East. There are some narrower gorges past this point until it approaches Carlisle and the open plains leading to the Solway Firth.

Geologically the valley changes from limestones and millstone grit around the headwaters through into Penrith red sandstone for the middle section. Tributaries from the East.Main one is the river Irthing

Tributaries from the west, rivers Caldew, Petteril and Eamont.The last one draining from the English Lake District National Park into the Eden.

Flora and fauna
Its source up in Mallerstang is amongst fells built on limestone and millstone grit. This is sheep country and they are everywhere. The dry stone walls run up and down the fells and the sheepfolds and pens are plentiful. As the river valley turns from hill lands to more mature grass and woods you start to see more cattle but you also get the large game estates with pheasant predominating. The fox becomes more plentiful with plenty of cover within the woods of natural broad-leaf and conifers.

Economy
The Eden Valley economy is dominated by tourism and agriculture. However, there are individual industries such as the Eden Valley mineral water company (known locally as "well well well'), and British Gypsum near Kirkby Thore.

There are also the landed estates where there is still considerable wealth, a good example being Corby Castle.

Towns and villages
The first major town at the head of the valley is Kirkby Stephen, just 10 km from the source of the river.

After this the valley is mainly farmland and small hamlets until the river reaches Appleby-in-Westmorland. Successive villages and towns include Penrith, Lazonby, Armathwaite and finally Carlisle.

Get around
Although public transport is very limited there is the option of using the Carlisle-to-Settle railway line which runs through the majority of the valley.

Road access is by far the most usual means of getting around. The M6 runs north–south and the valley can be accessed starting at junction 38 for Tebay, and running up to junction 44, Carlisle, just before the border with Scotland.

The A65 runs east from Kendal and can be used to access Mallerstang from the south. However the A66 from junction 40 on the M6 (Penrith) is the more usual way to access the valley.

Nearest airports include Blackpool, Manchester and East Midlands for commercial flights.

By train, the Carlisle-to-Settle line has already beem mentioned. However the west coast line between London and Glasgow has stops at Oxenhome (Lake District), Penrith and Carlisle.

See
Major historical events and attractions include:
 * Long Meg and her seven daughters, a stone circle close to Great Salkeld.

A tradition of dissent and violence, from Sir Hugh de Morville (murder of Thomas Beckett), through to insurrections including the Pilgrimage of Grace which led to 10 local men being hanged.
 * Pendragon Castle at Mallerstang, reputed to have been built by Uther Pendragon, the father of King Arthur.
 * The annual gypsy horse fair at Appleby.
 * Penrith markets
 * Lacey's caves near Little Salkeld

Do
Walk along the river at Armathwaite, through Coombes woods and view the river at its best.

Go gliding or fly a microlight from around the Cross Fell area

Fish the river Eden for Salmon

Eat
All the market towns have public houses which will serve good local food. Penrith has a reputation for having the most up market restaurants.

Sleep
With tourism being so important to the economy there are usually plenty of options to chose from.

Caravan sites
Typically farm based.

Hotels
At the upper end of the market there are some fine country house hotels such as the Appleby Manor, the Tufton Arms Hotel and Staffield Hall, near the village of Kirkoswold. A little further down the valley there is the Heather Glen hotel at Ainstable and the Crown hotel at Wetherall.

Self-catering
For self-catering there are a good selection of properties available, for instance: Wetherall cottages, near to Great Salkeld and Tottergill farm towards the end of the valley.

Bed and breakfast
For B&B there is a wide range of choice from staying on a farm, such as Brow farm in Dufton to experiencing the luxury of Willowbeck lodge   near Carlisle.

Go next

 * Penrith
 * Alston
 * Castle Carrock
 * Carlisle

title: Eden Valley


text:
Edessa

Edessa (Έδεσσα) is a town in Central Macedonia, Greece.

By plane
Edessa has no airports. The closest airports to Edessa are the airports of Kastoria (about 75km away), Kozani (about 60km away) and Thessaloniki (about 90km away), the most busy of them is Thessaloniki's airport. You will need another means of transport to reach Edessa from any of these airports.

By train
There are regular trains from Thessaloniki and Florina to Edessa. Timetables and prices can be found on TrainOSE website. Be aware that you cannot buy tickets online for trains going directly to Edessa from Thessaloniki or Florina, so you will have to get tickets from either train station.

By car
Edessa is well connected to Thessaloniki and the other cities of Cental-Western Macedonia. It is connected to Thessaloniki (89km) via Giannitsa and the E85 highway. It is also near the Greece-North Macedonia border as Florina is 77km away, while Evzonoi are about 111km away from Edessa.

By bus
There are a lot of bus connections between Thessaloniki and Edessa. There are also two buses per day to/from Athens. These services are provided by KTEL Pellas and you can find more information about them on their website.

Get around
Edessa is a small city so you can get around on foot. There is no public transport.

Go next

 * Aridea thermal baths

title: Edessa


text:
Edfu

Edfu (also spelled "Idfu" and in other ways) is a town in Upper Egypt, 100 km south of Luxor on the west bank of the Nile.

Understand
Edfu is in an irrigated agricultural area, producing sugar cane and pottery. The reason to visit is the Temple of Horus, built from 237 BC. It became buried in deep sand and was therefore virtually intact (along with its inscriptions of royal history) when excavated in the 19th century.

By train

Trains from Cairo take 10 hr to Luxor then another two hours via Esna to Edfu, continuing to Kom Ombo and Aswan. There are 10–12 per day, so you should be able to avoid an early-hours arrival or departure.

By bus
Buses ply between Luxor and Aswan, frequency in 2020 is not known.

By boat
Cruise boats dock at the on the west bank. Caleche drivers await the boats: they will ask for LE200 round trip (as of Oct 2018), but try to get them below LE150—that is the whole caleche not per person! If the boat is allowing you 2–2½ hr ashore, do not accept a ride that will only wait for an hour at the temple.

By taxi
Tuk-tuks and taxis, if you can get past the caleche drivers, should not cost more than LE30. They are also available at the railway and bus station.

If you organise a long-distance taxi to get you between Luxor and Aswan, negotiate a stop-off in Edfu, and similarly in Esna and Kom Ombo. They are used to tourists doing that, so any protestation of the difficulty is just a bargaining ploy.

Get around
Walk or take a cab.

See

 * Tell Edfu, the mound next to the temple, is not much to look at but is archaeologically important. It is the earlier town and its temples, harking back to the Old Kingdom from 2800 BC.
 * Tell Edfu, the mound next to the temple, is not much to look at but is archaeologically important. It is the earlier town and its temples, harking back to the Old Kingdom from 2800 BC.

Do
Sound and light shows are sometimes staged in the temple.

Buy
There are small stores for essentials around the town crossroads. Anything near the temple is overpriced tourist tat.

Eat
There is a string of little eating places along main drag from the Nile bridge to the temple, and south along the river bank. You are probably best going wherever the nurses from the hospital are eating.

Drink
Mint tea is always a good choice in Egypt.

Go next

 * Kom Ombo, a riverside temple town, is 65 km south of Edfu on the highway to Aswan. Stop off at the Silsila royal quarries on the way—the best are on the west bank.
 * Esna, another riverside temple town, is 60 km north of Edfu on the highway to Luxor.

title: Edfu


text:
Edgartown

Edgartown is a town on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Edgartown is a picturesque village of stately buildings surrounded by natural beauty. It is the county seat. Edgartown also includes Chappaquiddick Island.

By bike

 * Martha's Vineyard Bike Rentals, 2, Dock Street, Edgartown, . Apr-Oct. Daily 9AM-6PM.
 * Martha's Vineyard Bike Rentals, 2, Dock Street, Edgartown, . Apr-Oct. Daily 9AM-6PM.
 * Martha's Vineyard Bike Rentals, 2, Dock Street, Edgartown, . Apr-Oct. Daily 9AM-6PM.

By car

 * A-A Island Auto Rental, Upper Main Street. Phone: +1 508 627-6800

See

 * Martha's Vineyard Museum, 59 School St. (Cooke and School Sts), Edgartown, Massachusetts. Open: Summer: mid Jun-early Oct, Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM; Fall: early Oct-mid Dec W Th F 1-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM; Winter: early Jan-mid Mar, Sa 10AM- PM; Spring: mid-Mar to mid-Jun, W Th F 1-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. Authoritative source for history and genealogy on the island. Excellent exhibits including the Thomas Cooke house, the Francis Foster Museum, the Captain Francis Pease House and Carriage Shed with coverage of whaling and Wampanoag history as well. Adm.: $7 adult, 6-15 years $4, under 6 free.
 * Martha's Vineyard Museum, 59 School St. (Cooke and School Sts), Edgartown, Massachusetts. Open: Summer: mid Jun-early Oct, Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM; Fall: early Oct-mid Dec W Th F 1-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM; Winter: early Jan-mid Mar, Sa 10AM- PM; Spring: mid-Mar to mid-Jun, W Th F 1-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. Authoritative source for history and genealogy on the island. Excellent exhibits including the Thomas Cooke house, the Francis Foster Museum, the Captain Francis Pease House and Carriage Shed with coverage of whaling and Wampanoag history as well. Adm.: $7 adult, 6-15 years $4, under 6 free.
 * Martha's Vineyard Museum, 59 School St. (Cooke and School Sts), Edgartown, Massachusetts. Open: Summer: mid Jun-early Oct, Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM; Fall: early Oct-mid Dec W Th F 1-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM; Winter: early Jan-mid Mar, Sa 10AM- PM; Spring: mid-Mar to mid-Jun, W Th F 1-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. Authoritative source for history and genealogy on the island. Excellent exhibits including the Thomas Cooke house, the Francis Foster Museum, the Captain Francis Pease House and Carriage Shed with coverage of whaling and Wampanoag history as well. Adm.: $7 adult, 6-15 years $4, under 6 free.
 * Martha's Vineyard Museum, 59 School St. (Cooke and School Sts), Edgartown, Massachusetts. Open: Summer: mid Jun-early Oct, Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM; Fall: early Oct-mid Dec W Th F 1-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM; Winter: early Jan-mid Mar, Sa 10AM- PM; Spring: mid-Mar to mid-Jun, W Th F 1-4PM, Sa 10AM-4PM. Authoritative source for history and genealogy on the island. Excellent exhibits including the Thomas Cooke house, the Francis Foster Museum, the Captain Francis Pease House and Carriage Shed with coverage of whaling and Wampanoag history as well. Adm.: $7 adult, 6-15 years $4, under 6 free.

Drink

 * Sharky's Cantina. 266 Upper Main St.
 * Sharky's Cantina. 266 Upper Main St.

title: Edgartown


text:
Edgecomb

Edgecomb is a city in Maine.

title: Edgecomb


text:
Edgeley

Edgeley is a town in the Coteaus and Plains area of North Dakota. It has a population of about 637 people. Elevation is 1,559 feet.

Understand
Edgeley is an agricultural community with wheat, corn, soybeans, sunflowers, barley, oats, potatoes grown in the area. Livestock, cattle and feedlots dot the countryside. In 2003, a wind farm was built with 41 wind-powered turbines generating electricity for the local power co-op.

Get in

 * By car: exit 258 from I-94, on US 281, about 38 miles south of Jamestown.
 * By plane: Edgeley Municipal Airport has a 3,600 foot runway.

Go next

 * Whitestone Battlefield located about 20 miles south and west of Edgeley. Here in 1863, US Cavalry troops, under the command of General Alfred Sully, engaged in a fierce battle with the Yanktonai and Hunkpapa Sioux Indians. At the conclusion of the Battle at Whitestone Hill, approximately 20 of Sully's men were killed and over 50 were wounded.

title: Edgeley


text:
Edgewood (Maryland)

Edgewood is a city in Central Maryland.

Get in
By car, US 40 passes through Edgewood and Interstate 95 passes near by (get off at exit 77, Edgewood). By train, there is a MARC station with southbound service for the morning commute and northbound in the afternoon/evening. The Harford County public bus can bring you from Bel Air and other parts of Harford County.

See
Flying Point Park (picnic, water access). Go to the east end of Willoughby Beach Road, then turn left.

The Melvin G. Bosely Conservancy is 350 acres of tidal marsh and wooded wetlands owned by the Izaak Walton League of America – Harford County Chapter. There are hiking trails mostly in wetland area. Access is from a small parking lot at the northeast end of Perry Avenue. The area is a component of the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center or Otter Point Creek Alliance.

Part of Aberdeen Proving Ground, known until 1971 as Edgewood Arsenal. Visitors must have a photo ID to enter. Persons who are not military or federal employees must register at the Maryland Route 24 gate.

title: Edgewood (Maryland)


text:
Edgewood (New Mexico)

Edgewood is a town in Central New Mexico, located east of Albuquerque on the other side of the Sandia Mountains.

Get in
Edgewood lies on Interstate Highway 40 about 20 miles east of Albuquerque.

The North Central Regional Transit District "Blue Buses" provides free bus service to Santa Fe (with stops in Moriarty, Stanley and Galisteo) Monday through Friday with routes that extend to connect the counties and communities of Santa Fe, Taos, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba.

title: Edgewood (New Mexico)