text:
Tilburg

Tilburg is a large city in southern Netherlands. It started to grow during the Industrial Revolution, when wool factories were set up, thus making it the wool city of the Netherlands. Because wool was treated with urine during processing, employees had to bring along a full bottle to work every morning. This gave the Tilburgers their nickname of Kruikezeikers. Tilburg has about 215,000 inhabitants (2017).

History
Tilburg already existed in the late medieval period, when there was West-Tilburg and East-Tilburg (which is now in Oisterwijk). The lordship was known as Greater Tilburg, of which it was first Oisterwijk also with it, later it was Goirle. It was a part of the Bailiwick of 's-Hertogenbosch. Around the late 15th century, Tilburg contained a castle and Herd Places. These small places, streets with houses along it and agriculture between those streets formed the structure of which would once become the city of Tilburg.

Going further to the 18th century, slightly the first herd places became filled. In 1809, Louis Napoleon gave Tilburg city rights, after centuries of neglecting by the Dutch politics due to the catholic background of the city. However, the King William II, had found his nice place in Tilburg, and gave the mission to build a palace. Three weeks before completion in 1849, William II died. The palace is still standing as one of the few who survived the Mayor Becht's destructive urban renewal in the 1960s.

The city expanded rapidly in the coming century, from being not much more than a village, to one of the largest cities in the Netherlands. The industrial revolution meant that hundreds of looms were standing in the city, filling the rest of the former herd places. Wool and textiles from Tilburg were very known at the first half of the 20th century. These times gave Tilburg the name of Kruikenzeikersstad (Jars-pissing-people city).

As the Second World War was over, Tilburg shortly retained this position until halfway the 1960s. Since then, the economy would implode, that did not happen due to government money to attract Tilburg for modern industries. Many monuments have not survived the renewal terror from Cees Becht in the 1960s. Beautiful historical buildings have made place for wider roads and gray flats. Also the train station was a historical one, but isn't anymore.

Tourist Information: VVV Tilburg, Spoorlaan 434a, 013-5323720.

By train
Tilburg is connected to the rest of the country by a twice an hour Intercity service, bound to both Eindhoven and Breda - Rotterdam - The Hague.

A second intercity goes twice an hour from Roosendaal-Breda to Tilburg and goes further 's-Hertogenbosch-Nijmegen-Arnhem-Zwolle. Trains in the Netherlands usually drive from 05:30/06:00 up to 00:00.

Intercity trains will drive in the night on Friday and Saturday nights from and to Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Breda/Rotterdam/The Hague from 00:00 to 04:00.

By car
Tilburg is connected by highway only from Breda (with Belgium, Rotterdam-The Hague) and Eindhoven (Limburg, Ardennes, Rhine-Ruhr). To Waalwijk, it goes partially on a highway, and that is also for the city of 's-Hertogenbosch (!), which is not recommended for travelling fast and safe. From Turnhout it is the small road via Ravels, Poppel and Goirle.

By bus
Flixbus serves the city. Breda and Eindhoven may have more intercity bus connections, both of them can be reached by train. Regional buses go from Waalwijk, Efteling, Oosterhout and Turnhout to Tilburg.

 * Efteling with 169 or 137
 * Oosterhout with 127
 * Turnhout with 450 (De Lijn)
 * Waalwijk with 137

By boat
No scheduled ferries come along the Wilhelminakanaal, but if you have a private boat, you can reach it from Eindhoven and the Meuse on the Wilhelminakanaal.

Get around
Tilburg has three railway stations, and around ten city bus lines, going through all of the city, so every neighborhood is connected easily with the city centre. Some night buses drive through Tilburg, but not in every neighborhood.

Buses are operated by Arriva (Bravo).

Tilburg is a very bicycle-friendly city, and has, like many other Dutch cities, red bicycle lanes. Bicycling might be faster than driving in a car or bus, and brings you much closer to many places. On the Heuvel, Pieter Vreedeplein and at the train stations are bicycle parkings.

See
Tilburg heritage is both historic and industrial of nature. The Oude Markt (Old Market) is a good place to start sightseeing, with the 1828 Heikese church and its 15th-century tower as the main point of interest. There are many churches in the city, and the 19th-century neo-gothic Heuvelse kerk (devoted to St. John) is another one you'll easily spot when exploring the town centre. It sits on the cosy Heuvelplein, where you'll also find outdoor terraces and an 1852 neo-classical statue of Dutch King William II (died 1849). William II enjoyed Tilburg and spent a lot of time in the city. Streets, schools, and the local professional soccer team are named after him.

Do
Tilburg is home to two concert halls: the Concertzaal in the Schouwburg Tilburg at the Louis Bouwmeesterplein 1, and 013 (being called after the net number) at Veemarktstraat 44, which gives more pop music.

 * Dierenpark de Oliemeulen; Reitse Hoevenstraat 30, a small zoo existing mostly of reptiles, insects and birds of prey.
 * Efteling, a theme park, is close to Tilburg. It's the largest among the Benelux countries, and it's comparable with Tivoli Gardens (Copenhagen) and Disneyland Resort (Paris).

Three cinemas are known well throughout Tilburg. All cinemas have movies in English, while Cinecitta has many movies in French, Spanish and Italian languages.

 * Football: Willem II were promoted in 2024 and now play soccer in Eredivisie, the top tier. Their Koning Willem II Stadion (capacity 14,600) is 2 km south of the railway station.
 * Football: Willem II were promoted in 2024 and now play soccer in Eredivisie, the top tier. Their Koning Willem II Stadion (capacity 14,600) is 2 km south of the railway station.
 * Football: Willem II were promoted in 2024 and now play soccer in Eredivisie, the top tier. Their Koning Willem II Stadion (capacity 14,600) is 2 km south of the railway station.
 * Football: Willem II were promoted in 2024 and now play soccer in Eredivisie, the top tier. Their Koning Willem II Stadion (capacity 14,600) is 2 km south of the railway station.

Learn
Tilburg has one university, known as Tilburg University, since its name is in fact in English! There are dozens of English-language only programmes. 8% out of 13,000 are foreign students. It specialises in Social sciences, Economy and Law. Unlike many other universities, it is not owned by the government (Rijksuniversiteit).

There are also other schools with the bachelor/master system, such as Avans and Fontys. Also they offer many programmes in English. For the younger travellers: there are also secondary schools (American: High Schools) which offer a largely English-language programme.

Buy
Tilburg is not that one shopping city, it has even been worse in the past, though. Now there are more chains of shopping since the opening of the renewed Pieter Vreedeplein. There are shops in the Heuvelstraat, the Pieter Vreedeplein, the Pieter Vreedestraat, the Emma Passage, the Stadhuisplein and also the Schouwburgpromenade. Because Tilburg is not seen as a tourist city, there are no souvenir shops with products dedicated to Tilburg.

Emma Passage and Piusplein

 * Gianotten Mutsaers, for many books, as well as English books and dictionaries. Includes a cosy café as well.

Heuvelstraat

And many clothes and fashion shops
 * Apple Premium Reseller
 * H&M, Swedish clothes brand
 * HEMA, small-size department store, known for their smoked sausages sold at the entrance.
 * Hudsons Bay.
 * Zara, clothing shop from Spain.
 * Vodafone, T-Mobile and Hi, for mobile telephones and issues with the telephone.

Pieter Vreedeplein

 * Mediamarkt, a chain of electronics stores. Also here it has many Blu-ray discs and games, but also things for the kitchen etc.
 * The Sting, Tilburgish brand of clothes, also is throughout Europe now.

Eat
Restaurants in Tilburg are mostly concentrated on the Heuvelplein, the Piusplein, the Oude Markt and in the back area, towards the train station. Different shops in the city center provide food, mostly for lunch to eat on multiple places. There are supermarkets selling lunch to eat en route such as AH to go (near the central train station) and places where you can eat en route as well as inside, such as Bakker Bart (in the Heuvelstraat).

Splurge

Drink
Because Tilburg University had several undergraduate and graduate schools, this college town boasts lots of places where people congregate for a drink. Cafés to drink are allowed to be opened until 04:00, where in the last hour before closure time, only may come people out and not in. To neutralize the effects of alcohol, the municipality decided that bread-selling shops, shoarma/kebab tents and equivalent places are allowed to open up to 05:00. These opening times mostly will only be applied on Friday and Saturday nights.

A typical drink for Tilburg is the Schrobbelèr. This is a liquor with an alcoholic percentage of 21.5%, and is an herbal (and bitter) liqueur, although sweeter than most bitter liqueurs. The drink is sold throughout the year, more popular during carnival. It's sold in many restaurants and liqueur stores, also national stores in the city, for example in Café Tribunaal.

Most out and about places are in and around the city center, in three areas, all of them within a 1-km radius:

 * Heuvel and Heuvelring, with the city's most discos and some restaurants.
 * Korte Heuvel, which is a small street, packed with nice and cosy cafés.
 * Piusplein — a residential area with one McDonald's and several cafés and restaurants.

You can visit a traditional beer brewery in Berkel-Enschot (just east of Tilburg) at the Trappistenklooster. The brewery is now owned by the big brewer Bavaria, so it's not that traditional anymore.

Internet
In the Netherlands generally, mobile internet via your mobile phone may cost no more than €3.50/Mb, and from July 1, 2012 the law allows no more than €0.90/Mb.

Internet and Wifi locations: At the central library on 10, Koningsplein (King's Sq), there's internet, with payment. At the McDonald's, free WiFi at four locations: Piusplein 75, Zuid at Mina Krusemanweg 4, West/Reeshof at Aphroditestraat, and (December 2011) at the Kreitenmolenstraat, close to Udenhout and Oisterwijk. The uppermost floor of the V&D offers paid WiFi, at Heuvelstraat 33, at the La Place.

Post
Since the modernizing of the post system, no post office will (ever) serve Tilburg (anymore). To send post, you have either to do it via small points in supermarkets, unmanned, which are faster than the previous offices, and mostly open for longer hours too, since the shops where they are also keep open until 18:00, 20:00, 21:00 or even 22:00 on some days and on some Sundays too. To find a location, you can go to a web site of PostNL:. Type in: Tilburg and click at Postkantoor van PostNL.

Cope
Tilburg is home to two hospitals:
 * 1) St. Elisabeth Ziekenhuis Tilburg, Hilvarenbeekse Weg 60, Tel:(31-)013 539 1313
 * 2) Tweesteden Ziekenhuis Loc. Tilburg, Dr. Deelenlaan 5, Tel:(31-)013 4655655

There are five police stations in Tilburg:
 * 1) Inner City police station: Stationsstraat 22, for the centre and the southern part
 * 2) Leijdal police station: Ringbaan Zuid 498a, for Tilburg southeast and Hilvarenbeek
 * 3) West/Reeshof police station: Karel Boddenweg 9, for everyplace west of the 'Ringbaan West'
 * 4) Wilhelmina Park police station: Wilhelminapark 6, for the northern half of inner Tilburg
 * 5) Tilburg North police station: Brucknerlaan 18, for everyplace north of the Wilhelminakanaal

Go next

 * Breda
 * Eindhoven
 * 's-Hertogenbosch

title: Tilburg


text:
Tilcara

Tilcara is a pleasant town (pueblo) in Jujuy in Argentina. It is the tourist centre of the world heritage site Quebrada de Humahuaca, and in addition to having its own sights to see, it makes a good base for day trips to other towns in the area.

Understand
Tilcara is the major touristic centre of the Quebrada de Humahuaca and the archaeological centre of Argentina. It exhibits Spanish colonial architecture combined with local elements as well as Precolumbian archaeology. The population is mainly indigenous as is typical to northern Argentina, comprising of Kolla Indians. The original language of the Kolla remains unknown (possibly Cacan). Later Inca occupation brought Quechua toponymy but otherwise Quechua did not hold as it did in other parts of the north. Nowadays the only language spoken is Spanish. Some interracial tensions exist between white settlers and the indigenous population but these do not hold for tourists who are warmly welcomed. The area is relatively poor compared with Buenos Aires and Patagonia. Nonetheless, it is much richer than nearby Bolivia which attracts many Bolivian immigrants to settle in the area.

By bus
Regular buses come to the from Jujuy Capital and Humahuaca.

On foot
You can hike between Pucarama and Tilcara, and see the hills at Maimará and the Cerro Paleta del Pintor a little further.

Get around
By foot.

See

The town features further museums http://www.tilcarajujuy.com.ar/museos/museos.htm.

Do

 * Rent a bike and explore the surrounding countryside. Bike rental shop located across the street from the tourist office. They're disorganized and have irregular opening hours, but are friendly people. AR$8 per hour, or AR$30 for the day.
 * Rent a bike and explore the surrounding countryside. Bike rental shop located across the street from the tourist office. They're disorganized and have irregular opening hours, but are friendly people. AR$8 per hour, or AR$30 for the day.

Buy
Lots of interesting shops and friendly souls to guide. Most items are in indigenous Andean style pursuing a long tradition dating back to Pre-columbian times.

Money
The only bank in town (Macro) does only change money for clients. There are some unofficial exchange offices around the plaza, try Arte Andino, or ask at the tourist information just beyond the bridge after the entrance. Rates are usually about 10% off, especially since the pesos are very volatile.

Eat
Make sure you try out some of the local Andean specialities very different from normal Argentinian cuisine. Some typical dishes are quinoa, papas andinas, llama stew, empanadas jujenas, sweetened pumpkin, sopa de mani (peanut soup) and a spicy tomato spread. Several local restaurants specialize in Andean food. Some also feature live music shows of local music.

 * La Pena is a little cafe on one corner of the square. They serve an excellent round tamale and rich, strong coffee in  unique delicate, elegant cups with thin walls and a very pretty light brown coffee colored glaze. (They do not sell the cups.)  The cafe also hosts music and poetry fests.
 * The very touristy looking place on the corner as you pull into Tilcara, with a woman's name, has mediocre food, service and dining.

Sleep

 * Hotel de Turismo Belgrano 590, next to the tourist office. Government-run hotel located between the bus station and the central square. Good value. Cable TV, heaters, strong hot water, bidets, most rooms have balconies with views. WiFi, but only in the lobby areas, doesn't reach most rooms. Hearty buffet breakfast is better than most. Singles from 100 Pesos.
 * Hotel de Turismo Belgrano 590, next to the tourist office. Government-run hotel located between the bus station and the central square. Good value. Cable TV, heaters, strong hot water, bidets, most rooms have balconies with views. WiFi, but only in the lobby areas, doesn't reach most rooms. Hearty buffet breakfast is better than most. Singles from 100 Pesos.
 * Hotel de Turismo Belgrano 590, next to the tourist office. Government-run hotel located between the bus station and the central square. Good value. Cable TV, heaters, strong hot water, bidets, most rooms have balconies with views. WiFi, but only in the lobby areas, doesn't reach most rooms. Hearty buffet breakfast is better than most. Singles from 100 Pesos.

Go next

 * Salinas Grandes de Jujuy - a large salt flat not to be confused with the much larger Salinas Grandes in the Pampas area of Argentina. It is located more than 3500 metre above sea level and the road leading there is as scenic as the salt flat itself. You can take a taxi from Tilcara for a day tour which does not cost much.
 * Humahuaca - the local urban centre similar in style to Tilcara but much larger.
 * Purmamarca and the Cerro de siete colores - the most celebrated natural attraction of the Quebrada.

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

title: Tilcara


text:
Tillamook

Tillamook is the county seat of Tillamook County, near the Northern Oregon Coast. It is the gateway to the Three Capes Scenic Area which is the coastline between the mouth of Tillamook Bay in the north, down to Cape Lookout in the south.

This article contains information about both Tillamook proper and the surrounding Three Capes Scenic Area.

Understand
Tillamook is a dairy town located inland from the coast near the shores of Tillamook Bay. It is the largest city in the area, and most famously home to the TIllamook County Creamery Association who make Tillamook Cheese. Although the area's dairy farms were established as far back as the 1850s, the TCCA was founded in 1909 and built the first cheese factory (still located at the current site) in 1949. While only a fraction of Tillamook brand products are still produced at this facility as the TCCA has grown over the years, it remains at the core of the city and regional economy.

Outside of Tillamook, outdoor recreational opportunities abound in the bays and the sea. The coastal communities of Oceanside, Netarts, and Cape Meares become hotspots for summer getaways, although off-season visits can be enjoyable with a different (chilly and wet) vibe.

By car

 * US 101.svg U.S. Route 101, Oregon's coastal highway, enters Tillamook from the north and south.

 * OR 6.svg from US 26.svg The best route to Tillamook from Interstate 5 is to take I-405 in downtown Portland to U.S. Highway 26, which connects to Oregon Route 6 about 20 miles (33 km) west. I-5 traffic from the south can also take Oregon Route 217 at Tigard to Highway 26.

By bus
The Tillamook County Transportation District (TCTD) Route 5 connects Tillamook to Portland (at Union Station and the Greyhound depot) twice in each direction per day. One-way fare is $15, and round-trip fare is $20. Route 3 comes to Tillamook from as far north as Manzanita and Cannon Beach, and Route 4 comes from as far south as Lincoln City.

By car
It is possible to get to some areas using the bus, but it would be impossible to tap into the full potential of the area without a car.

By bus
TCTD's Route 1, the Tillamook Town Loop, makes 12 trips around town per day, leaving the 2nd & Laurel Transit Center hourly at quarter past the hour from 7:15AM to 6:15PM. Fare is $1.50.

See

 * Three Arch Rocks
 * Three Arch Rocks
 * Three Arch Rocks
 * Three Arch Rocks
 * Three Arch Rocks
 * Three Arch Rocks
 * Three Arch Rocks
 * Three Arch Rocks

Fishing
Many Oregonians enjoy crabbing, fishing and clamming in both Tillamook and Netarts Bays as well as the local rivers. The Wilson River is renowned for salmon and steelhead fishing, and other nearby coastal rivers like the Trask, Tillamook and Kilchis rivers have plenty to offer as well. The Barview Jetty on the north side of the Tillamook Bay inlet is known to have consistent surf fishing. Deep sea charters and guide services are readily available in both Tillamook and Garibaldi.

Crabbing and fishing can be done from shore, but it is also possible to rent a boat and any other gear you need on site to increase your opportunities in either of the bays. It is recommended to ask about the local conditions at a sporting goods store or somewhere similar. They can offer some advice about whether any money or time invested would be well spent, and point you toward rental boats and equipment if needed.

Other recreation
Kayaking around Netarts and Tillamook Bays is common, and allows for opportunities to explore areas that are difficult to access otherwise. Keep track of the tides, and be cautious near the inlets of the bays, as swift currents can easily pull you out to sea.

Warm weather often brings paragliders and hang gliders out to Oceanside, which has a spectacular view from its launch point. Watch them soar above and land on the beach front, or drive up to the launch point high above and see how it's done. If you have equipment (and training) of your own, it's a great place to soar.

The nearby Tillamook State Forest and Sand Lake Recreation Area (see Pacific City) have a multitude of areas to ride all-terrain vehicles. Rentals are not common, but can be arranged.

Buy
Even within the beachside villages, Tillamook and the surrounding area don't have a whole lot to offer in the way of touristy trinkets. Tillamook has a Fred Meyer and Safeway for any routine purchases and groceries, but visitors should take note of the seafood and meat options that are available. Of course, Tillamook's dairy products can be purchased at thousands of grocery stores in the U.S., but other quality food products of the region don't have quite the same reach.

Eat
As with the rest of the Oregon Coast, the Tillamook area has a focus on fresh seafood at many establishments. Tilamook proper has fast-food options along U.S. Route 101 if you just need a quick bite.

Sleep
Tilamook has a couple of hotel options, but most visitors would probably prefer to stay in the beach villages of Netarts, Oceanside, or Cape Meares. Each of which have their own selection of inns and rental cabins available to suit your needs.

Camping is available at Cape Lookout State Park (see above).

Go next

 * Tillamook State Forest, with hiking trails and a visitor center with a footbridge over the Wilson River.
 * Manzanita and Seaside have a bit more of a typical beach town vibe 1-2 hours northbound on U.S. Route 101.
 * Pacific City and Lincoln City are the next stops southbound on U.S. Route 101 on your way to the Central Oregon Coast.

title: Tillamook


text:
Tillamook State Forest

Tillamook State Forest is a state forest on the Northern Oregon Coast.

History
The area of the Tillamook State Forest has been a valuable natural resource to the inhabitants of the area for many thousands of years. The wood and bark from the Western red cedars was used for a variety of purposes including shelters and basketmaking. The natives would travel the rivers and trade the resources of the forest with the tribes on the coast, within the valley, and at the Columbia River.

The area has been burned by multiple large fires throughout the decades including the infamous Tillamook Burn. These were a series of fires starting in 1933 that burnt vast portions of the forest. It was replanted from the 1940s until the 1970s.

Back in the 1800's there were multiple reported fires as well including one that possibly burned most of the Oregon Coast.

The area was likely a rich source of furs for the early trappers and Fort Vancouver. Once the abundance of fur bearing animals ceased to exist and the land sharing treaties expired, the focus was then moved to the wood industry. Railroads were brought in and lumber mills were installed to take advantage of the vast supplies of timber. Once the Chainsaw, trucks, and highways were available the railroads were no longer as profitable and often went unused. The timber is still an important part of the current economy as well as providing habitat for a large variety of creatures.

Landscape
The Tillamook Forest is a temperate rainforest in the Pacific Coast Range dominated by mountains, valleys, and ravines.

Flora and fauna
Douglas Fir with interspersed Grand Fir, Western Red Cedar, Alder, Big Leaf Maple, and Hemlock.

Climate
The climate is much wetter than that of the inland valley due to the mountain ranges and orographic precipitation. The area is still susceptible to Summer heat waves

Get in
From south of Portland, take OR-217 North toward Beaverton. Highway 217 ends at Highway 26. Merge onto Highway 26 West and continue on that road for the next 16 miles. Highway 26 breaks off into a two way fork. Take the left fork onto OR-6 and continue down that road for the next 50 miles. The park is on your right. Turn into the park and you'll find a bridge. There are recreational areas on both sides of the bridge, the closest being to your immediate right. The campgrounds are over the bridge and up the road about 100 yards.

From the north - take I-5 south to 405-south (which is just north of downtown Portland). Take the exit to 26 West and follow the directions above.

Fees and permits
There are no fees charged for day use.

Do

 * Jones Creek resides in Tillamook Forest, 23 miles east of Tillamook. Highway 6 runs directly by the park. There is also a large day-use area right next to Wilson River. Jones Creek flows into the Wilson, and there are several paths to hike on that skirt the water's edge.
 * Jones Creek resides in Tillamook Forest, 23 miles east of Tillamook. Highway 6 runs directly by the park. There is also a large day-use area right next to Wilson River. Jones Creek flows into the Wilson, and there are several paths to hike on that skirt the water's edge.

Stay safe
Many people jump off Wilson River Footbridge and the nearby rock into the river below. The depth of the water varies greatly and it can be difficult to judge how deep it is. Therefore, you can never be sure that there isn't something under the surface of the river where you jump. Take extreme caution and jump at your own risk! Just in case, it is good to have someone with you.

title: Tillamook State Forest


text:
Tillsonburg

Tillsonburg is a town of about 16,000 people (2016) in Southwestern Ontario, about 50 km south-east of London.

Understand
Tillsonburg serves a regional tri-county area of 225,000 people at the convergence of Oxford, Elgin and Norfolk counties. The industrial base has become quite diverse during the decline of the once prominent tobacco industry. The area is home to several branch plants of major US-based automotive suppliers. There are many service-related industries.

The area also has a strong agricultural community with cash crops, hog farming, milk production, tobacco, ginseng and various tertiary crops (including watermelons).

Popular Canadian country musician Stompin' Tom Connors wrote a song entitled "Tillsonburg".

 * Tourist information is available at the Annandale National Historic Site (see below).

History
The area was settled in 1825 by George Tillson and other immigrants from Enfield, Massachusetts. A forge and sawmill were erected and roads built which led to the establishment of this small community, originally called Dereham Forge. The settlement was on the Big Otter Creek.

In 1836 the village was renamed Tillsonburg in honour of its founder. It was also in this year that the main street, Broadway, was laid out to its full 100-foot (30 m) width. Because the village was predominantly a logging and wood product centre, the street was built to accommodate the turning of three-team logging wagons.

The mid-19th century proved to be the first step in the industrialization of this municipality. A water system was devised to not only supply pure water for domestic use, but also to provide water power to such industries as a sawmill, planing mill, grist mill, spinning mill, pottery and a tannery. Many of these new establishments were either owned, started, or financed by George Tillson.

In the 1920s, major enterprises included milk production, manufacture of shoes, tractors, textiles and an increased production of tobacco.

Get in
From Hwy 401, exit 218, south on Hwy 19 (Plank Rd); or from east or west, via Hwy 3.

TGO Transit connects Tillsonburg to Woodstock and Ingersoll, with onward service to London.

Passenger train services are provided by Via Rail stations in nearby Ingersoll or Woodstock.

The town is served by the Tillsonburg Municipal Airport, 7 km north of the town in Southwest Oxford Township. It receives no scheduled or charter passenger flights.

Get around
There is no transit system.
 * Why Wait Taxi & Delivery, +1 226-641-6340
 * KTN Taxi, +1 519-688-3900

See

 * Weekly Country Music Jamborees late May to early Sep, north of town at Casey's Park on Highway #19 north of Mount Elgin.
 * Weekly Country Music Jamborees late May to early Sep, north of town at Casey's Park on Highway #19 north of Mount Elgin.
 * Weekly Country Music Jamborees late May to early Sep, north of town at Casey's Park on Highway #19 north of Mount Elgin.

Do
Lake Lisgar, a small lake in the centre of town, has been rehabilitated and is home for the Tillsonburg Rowing Club and the Lake Lisgar Water Park.

Buy
The town has a very active and developing downtown core area which includes the Tillsonburg Town Centre mall, built in 1980, and big box stores. All of the major Canadian chartered banks have branches in the town and there is also a credit union. The town is served by three grocery stores: Sobeys, Zehrs and Metro.

 * Tillsonburg Farmers' Market operates Saturday 8AM-noon from April to October at the Station Arts Centre.

Go next

 * Stratford, Ontario, a picturesque town that hosts the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, is about an hour's drive north of Tillsonburg.
 * London, Ontario, is north-west of Tillsonburg.

title: Tillsonburg


text:
Tilos

Tilos  is a small island in Greece.

Understand
Tilos is in the Dodecanese island chain next to Rhodes in the southeastern Aegean Sea, approximately 20 km off the southwest coast of Turkey. Within the small territory of 65 sq. km, Tilos with 350 residents and its 16 uninhabited islets are gifted with an abundance as well as diversity of wildlife and flora species living within 16 different biotopes that warranted its registration as an EU Special Protection Area, Natura 2000 site and its inclusion in the Corine Biotopes Project for the special protection of certain flora and an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.

History
The island territory was once part of Asia Minor. Fifteen million years ago, the dust from a volcanic eruption on the Aegean island of Kos spread over the territory that was to become Tilos creating areas with a porous environment in hillsides for many avian species to easily hollow out shelters for nesting and breeding.

The territory broke off from the continent approximately 7 million years ago carrying the ancestors of modern day wildlife, some species of which are rare on the European continent (e.g. Pistacia terebinthus palaestina [terebinth or pistachio tree], Coluber jugularis [whip snake]). Human populations date back to Minoan, Mycenean and Dorian cultures approximately 3,000 – 1,000 B.C..

The zenith of the island was reached during the Middle Ages when the Byzantine monastery of St. Panteleimon was built in 1470, ancient castles and fortresses were built by the Knights of St. John and Tilos thrived as an ancient trading center, specializing in herbal oils and medicines for which the island became well known. In Greek mythology, Tilos island derived its name from Tilos, the son of the sun god Apollo and Alia. He is said to have cured his mother from illness with herbs collected from the island. Wild herbs and flowers still thrive throughout the countryside, such as sage, chamomile, thyme, oregano, and a floral carpet of color blankets the island in spring with yellow marguerites, red poppies, and blue lupins.

Flora and Fauna
Tilos has more than 125 wild bird species (one quarter of which are included in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive); 378 documented plant species [unofficial estimate exceeds 1,000], including 28 different types of orchids, 8 of which are classified as rare; six mountains reaching 654 meters in height which are dotted with 7 ancient castles and hundreds of Byzantine chapels; 19 beaches, which are accessible by road or only by sea or on foot; and an underground network of freshwater springs that nourish the entire island including the fertile agricultural valley of Eristos to the south. Tilos is surrounded by the blue Aegean which is populated with the critically endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal, Bottlenose and Striped Dolphnis, tuna, whales and priority marine habitat types such as the pseudo-steppe with grasses and annuals [Thero-Brachypodietea].

Services

 * Police: +30 22460-44222, 71111
 * Port Authority: Telephone: +30 22460-44350, 71205
 * Medical Office in Megalo Horio (including ambulance): Telephone +30 22460-44210, 44219, 70883
 * Post office: (Livadia) Telephone: +30 22460-44249
 * There is a branch of the Co-op Bank of the Dodecanese in Livadia with ATM.
 * Public phones take the standard Greek phone card, sold at the Post Office and at some kiosks and markets. There are a dozen or so of these public card phones around the island.  Cell phones generally work.

Get around
There is a bus service in Tilos which gets you around the islands paved streets quite well. Schedule is posted on the main square and in the menus of most restaurants. Fares 1.20 Livadia-Eristos, short distances 0.60 (2009).

There are also a few car and motorbike rentals. Watch out, some of them don't cover any damages to the vehicle if you drive on sand roads, which are half of the roads of Tilos ;-) Shop around for the best prices.

Do
Eco-tourism and Agriculture

The island economy is primarily based on eco-tourism and also agricultural farming of fruits, vegetables, and citrus, olive, almond and pear trees. Island eco-tourism features 6 principle island walking paths that vary in distance and degree of ease or difficulty; Byzantine era churches with original frescoes; autumn and spring donkey rides through the countryside to a seaside picnic on the beach; a visit to the Harkadio Cave in Messaria which is the archaeological site of the discovery of Neolithic tools, fossils and the bones of deer and dwarf elephants that inhabited Tilos in 7,000 B.C.; the magnificent 15th century monastery of St. Panteleimon at the west end; and bird watching, especially during the island’s three year LIFE Nature Project which is designed to increase the population of three threatened wild bird species.

Eat
Almost all Restaurants on Tilos are open in summer only and are catering mainly for tourists. Some of them even serve tinned food, and there is not much real greece left here... There are a few exceptions if you look hard enough.

title: Tilos


text:
Tilton

There's more than one place called Tilton:

United States of America

 * Tilton (Illinois) - a village in Vermilion County, Illinois
 * Tilton (New Hampshire) - a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire

title: Tilton


text:
Tilton (New Hampshire)

Tilton is a small city in the state of New Hampshire in New England that offers numerous hotels, places to eat, and gas stations. Primarily a bedroom community and service center it sits at the junction of both north-south and east-west highways and is the gateway to the NH Lakes Region.

By car
Tilton is located off of exit 20 on I-93 Styles Bridges Highway. Exit 20 gives easy access to the main shopping area on the east side of the town. Exit 19 can also be used (Northfield) though this is a northbound exit only. Exit 19 will give you easier access to the town center and attractions that lie to the west of I-93.

Eat
The usual national/international chains also have locations in Tilton.

title: Tilton (New Hampshire)


text:
Timaru

Timaru is a city of 28,900 as of June 2023 on the South Island of New Zealand, on the east coast at Caroline Bay. It is a seaport and the second largest city in the Canterbury region, and is about halfway between Christchurch and Dunedin. Caroline Bay has a popular sheltered beach and recreation area.

By road
Timaru is on State Highway 1,, or a two-hour drive, south of Christchurch. Coach services operate from Picton, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Get around
Bus services connect the suburbs to the city centre. Taxi or rental car are other means of transport for tourists.

Oddly, SH 78 in Timaru, is the country's shortest state highway at just a mere 900 metres! Why it exists is still quite a mystery.

Do

 * Mountain biking and cycling – The Timaru area has a number of trails and routes throughout the back country and city.
 * Golf - There are a number of golf courses within the area.
 * Mountain biking and cycling – The Timaru area has a number of trails and routes throughout the back country and city.
 * Golf - There are a number of golf courses within the area.
 * Mountain biking and cycling – The Timaru area has a number of trails and routes throughout the back country and city.
 * Golf - There are a number of golf courses within the area.
 * Mountain biking and cycling – The Timaru area has a number of trails and routes throughout the back country and city.
 * Golf - There are a number of golf courses within the area.

Go next
South to Waimate, Oamaru, Moeraki Boulders and Dunedin. Go inland to Geraldine, Fairlie, Mt Cook, the Southern Lakes (Tekapo, Pukaki, Wanaka and Wakatipu) then down to the adventure capital of the South Island, Queenstown. Head north to Christchurch.

Geraldine, a town on the inland scenic route with a thriving arts and culture community nestled at the foot of soft rolling hills and bisected by the tranquil Waihi River. The pretty main street with its venerable trees, gardens and historic buildings is always bustling with visitors and locals alike.

Peel Forest, a short distance from Geraldine is a small, sparsely inhabited settlement village that is an oasis of beauty and tranquility set amid the dense virgin native forest. A popular recreational area offering many outdoor activities.

Pleasant Point, an ideal place to explore Maori rock art, sample the tastes of the award winning Opihi vineyard, or experience the town’s museum and railway with its fully restored steam locomotives with the world’s only Ford Model T railcar.

Temuka is a small town blessed with several rivers, walkways and an extensive collection of trees creating a green and tranquil haven for campers, sportspeople, travelers and locals.

title: Timaru


text:
Timberlands

Timberlands is in Southern Arkansas, one of the United States of America.

Cities

 * — Birthplace of former President Bill Clinton, as well as a stopping point for travelers between Dallas and Little Rock.
 * — Quiet college town in the southwest, home to Southern Arkansas University.
 * — Small city between Little Rock and Pine Bluff; home to celebrated local restaurant, The Mammoth Orange Cafe.
 * — The largest city in the region
 * — Small city between Little Rock and Pine Bluff; home to celebrated local restaurant, The Mammoth Orange Cafe.
 * — The largest city in the region
 * — The largest city in the region

State Parks and Historic Sites
This part of the state has a plethora of sites where the region's rich history can be taken in. This was the region where the Arkansas component of the American Civil War's Red River Campaign took place. The sites listed below are not near any specific destination town and are in extremely rural locations. Most sites are open daily.

Do

 * Enjoy a small town festival at Governor Conway Days in Bradley with a parade, car show, and children's games.
 * Stop by Emerson for the Purplehill Pea Festival and the World Championship Rotary Tiller Race in June.

Go next

 * Central Arkansas
 * Choctaw Country
 * Delta
 * North Louisiana
 * Piney Woods

title: Timberlands


text:
Timbuktu

Timbuktu (also Tombouctou or Timbuctu) is a Tuareg city on the Niger River in the country of Mali.

Understand
"My father can read big words, too. Like... Constantinople and Timbuktu."

- Dr. Seuss, 1963

Its long history as a trading outpost that linked black Africa below the Sahara Desert with Berber and Islamic traders throughout north Africa, and thereby indirectly with traders from Europe, has given it a fabled status. Combined with its relative inaccessibility, "Timbuktu" has come to be used as a metaphor for exotic, distant lands. It was once the capital of the Mali Empire, and home to Mansa Musa, the king of the Mali Empire who is regarded as the richest person in history.

Today, Timbuktu is an impoverished town, although its reputation makes it a tourist attraction, and it has an airport. It is one of the eight regions of Mali, home to the local governor. It is the sister city to Djenne (also in Mali). Timbuktu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. In 1990, it was added to the list of world heritage sites in danger, due to the threat of desert sands. A program was set up to preserve the site and in 2005, it was taken off the list of endangered sites only to suffer immeasurable damage at the hands of Islamist militants in 2012 and early 2013, destroying an undetermined amount of the area's cultural heritage. Fourteen of the Sufi mausoleums smashed by extremists were reconstructed by 2015, but much of the city remains damaged.

It was one of the major stops during Henry Louis Gates' PBS special Wonders of the African World. Gates visited with Abdel Kadir Haidara, curator of the Mamma Haidara Library together with Ali Ould Sidi from the Cultural Mission of Mali. It is thanks to Gates that an Andrew Mellon Foundation Grant was obtained to finance the construction of the library's facilities, later inspiring the work of the Timbuktu Libraries Project. There aren't any practicing book artists in Timbuktu although cultural memory of book artisans is still alive, catering to the tourist trade. It is also home to an institute dedicated to preserving historic documents from the region.

The city is in stark contrast to the rest of the country's cities, because it has more of an Arabic flair than of an African. The streets are made of sand (except one), and one has often to go down to get into the houses, because of the sand which has leveled the streets higher than the entrances of the houses.

By car
You can come in a 12- to 24-hour trip by car from Mopti or have a hard 4x4 experience from Gao through the desert.

By boat
You can catch one of the many tourist pinnaces from Mopti (or slightly further downstream if the water level is low) they take 3 days to get there and are comfortable (at least mine was). During tourist season there will be plenty of people waiting to go so you can club together to hire one of the pinnaces. At night you will be camping on the shore and there will likely be a cook on the boat, they even have 'toilets' at the back. There are also local boats running up and down stream regularly but they are a little more cramped, but probably a lot cheaper.

Get around
There are taxis, camels and donkeys, and not much more, but you can easily walk from one end of the city to the other in under an hour. All the mosques are in the old town, which can be walked across in just a few minutes.

See

The three mosques of Djinguereber, Sidi Yahya and Sankore makes up of what have come to be known as the University of Timbuktu. They are closed for visitors during prayers and have time to time been completely off-limits for non-Muslims. All three are within a short walk of each other.

The Western explorers who were the "first" to find Timbuktu all have their houses preserved and commemorative plaques are visible on each of them. Alexander Gordan Laing, first Westerner to make it there and René Caillié, first Westerner to make it there and back among others. Most of these houses are private homes nowadays.

You can also hire a Tuareg and camels, however the "sunset tours" are too short to really appreciate the surroundings as the Tuareg camps are only a few hundred metres away from the edge of town. However it is interesting to visit one of the camps (usually just a small family group) and see the sun set over the desert. Even if you don't visit the camps it is worth walking to the dunes on the edge of the town just to see them. A tour over several days will however be fascinating. You may even go to do the 40-day trip to the salt fields. Negotiate with the Tuaregs, and not so-called "guides".

It is not a bad idea to take a child as guide, it prevents you from being hassled as much.

Don't forget to visit the tourist office so you can get your passport stamped with a Timbuktu stamp.

Buy
Take some salt along as well as the Tuareg sabres or knives. You'll be pretty hard pressed to get away from vendors selling all the same "unique" necklaces, earrings, knives and other handicrafts, so make sure to drive them down to a good price. A fair rule is to offer about a third of the first price they quote, then haggle so you pay half their first price. They are used to this and so always start at a high price. However, the things they sell are generally of good quality and great for souvenirs.

There is a shop (called 'objets artes boutique' or something similar) that sells the souvenirs to the sellers you see around town. If you head north from the Hotel Colom the road forks; take the left fork and about 100-200 m down the road, on the left hand side, is this shop. Prices are 6-10 times cheaper here, you cannot bargain but you may get a small (5-10%) discount for buying several items.

Another good idea is to get a postcard and post it, it will have the Timbuktu postal stamp on it. The Post office is down the main street south of the roundabout. The staff in there will give you the right stamps, you can sometimes buy postcards from there or from the many street vendors. Just don't expect to receive the postcard too soon; it can take over a month to get through to many Western countries!

Eat
There are bars and restaurants around, including one on top of the Grand Marché. There is also a patisserie opposite the post office.
 * Cat (see above)

Drink
Avoid drinks prepared from local tap water. Drink only bottled water from shops; if you must drink tap water, boil it first.

A variety of "Western" drinks are available for purchase, sometimes at hotels from the counter. Coca Cola, original, diet or zero will make you lose liquids more quickly than you consume the drink, but the original version of the drink can help to replace sugars. Fanta is also available, but can be harder to find than Coke.

Keep drinking lots of water and carry a bottle with you at all times, even on short trips. Timbuktu can be extremely hot all year round and there are no bodies of water to cool off in.

title: Timbuktu


text:
Timbuktu (region)

Timbuktu is a region in Mali named after the largest city within the region.

Cities

 * in the desert to the north.
 * - A mainly Tuareg settlement, based near Essakane where the Festival in the Desert used to be held.
 * - in the far north of the department (some 700 km North of Timbuktu)
 * - in the far north of the department (some 700 km North of Timbuktu)

Understand
Even though Timbuktu is the largest department in Mali, it is largely empty. The majority of Timbuktu is nothing more than empty Sahara Desert. The main towns are all concentrated in the south along the Niger River. The desert areas are largely the domain of the Tuareg.

Get around
The towns in the south can be accessed by bus/taxi. However as the desert to the north requires a 4x4 or a camel, you will probably want a guide who knows what they are doing.

See
The city of Timbuktu itself is the main attraction in the department.

Stay safe
If you are heading into the desert to the North there is usually considered to be a threat of bandits in addition to the risk of getting stranded. Be sure to register your itinerary and expected return date with the tourist office in Timbuktu.

title: Timbuktu (region)


text:
Timeshares

A timeshare is a type of vacation lodging usually located on or near a resort facility. They are very similar to vacation condominiums (see second homes); however, a timeshare is not sold as a single property. Instead timeshares are sold in weekly time slots or intervals and the timeshare unit is shared among potentially 52 different owners. Timeshares have been sold as fixed weeks, floating weeks, rotating weeks and most recently as vacation clubs or memberships as well as point based systems.

The fine print
While the format of these transactions varies, they typically involve the purchase of one room or suite in a resort for a week a year, either on a long-term basis (30-99 years) or as actual registered (deeded) ownership in perpetuity. The costs are high: $18,000 (US dollars, 2006) or more up-front, followed by HOA (homeowners association) or maintenance fees of $500/year and up, which continue for as long as the voyager owns the timeshare.

The lawyerly details of what you get very widely:
 * A deeded property indicates that you legally own a fractional interest in buildings or land, supposedly in perpetuity, including all liabilities.
 * A "right to use" is not ownership; it's a long-term lease, paid up front, which continues decades into the future. It is often used in countries like Mexico where local law restricts foreigners from buying land.
 * Another variation is to sell ownership not in the actual land (one "home week" in one specific room type, in one specific resort) but to sell an interest in the company or trust that owns or operates the resort.

The actual results vary just as widely:
 * Fixed weeks were the original model, ownership of the same week each year at the same property. Most "legacy timeshare" properties – independent properties built by developers twenty or more years ago, sold off as individual timeshares and turned over to homeowners associations with no further involvement by the original promoters and no further sales effort – fall into this category.
 * Rotating weeks (sometimes mislabeled "flex weeks") move each owner to a different week each year on a fixed schedule. Sometimes this lands in high season, sometimes this lands too far off-season to be of use, but in theory each owner get a prime time slot at least some of the time.
 * Floating weeks are slightly more flexible; prospective owners buy a week a year in a specific season without committing up-front to specific dates (which can be chosen each year, subject to availability).
 * Vacation clubs, memberships and point-based systems are offered by large chains with multiple properties; the buyer gets a certain number of "points" which may be redeemed for accommodation each year anywhere in the chain, but more desirable times and locations cost more points.

If you have time in a timeshare which you don't intend to use, there may be a few options:
 * Some operators may be willing to rent your rooms to other voyagers, if the property is still advertising short-term hotel stays.
 * You may be able to swap places with another traveler using a home stay network or hospitality exchange model if the location is desirable and the rules of your timeshare permit.
 * Companies like Resort Condominiums International (RCI) and Interval International (II) act as brokers of timeshare exchanges, again subject to the rules of your timeshare.

Nonetheless, there is a risk – if what you are holding is simply a bad deal, no one will want to buy out your position and you will be left paying costly annual maintenance fees for a holiday property which you never use.

Then there's the question of what happens if the company operating these schemes goes bankrupt. In some of these schemes you still hold a property deed (with attendant liabilities of ownership), in others you may be left with nothing.

The promoters of these various schemes are quick to point out that these are most often cheaper (and less maintenance-intensive) than buying a full second residence, such as a cottage. A more meaningful comparison would be between timeshares and hotels or other rentals. If you're staying at the same place (or a property in the same group) for a week a year, every year, for a decade or more, you might break even on a timeshare. Maybe the rooms and facilities are better or more spacious than the standard rental you'd get for the money, but don't trust the promoter's comparisons.

Conversely, if this goes badly you may be stuck with a unit which no one wants to buy and which continues to accrue annual maintenance, property tax and HOA fees even when you're not using the facility. At worse, this is worth less than nothing – a liability instead of an asset – and you might not even be able to give away your ownership stake in a problematic timeshare property. The original promoter is under no obligation to take this back, even for free. There are plenty of elderly folk locked into €450–900/yr maintenance payments for timeshare holiday homes which they no longer use and are unable to sell.

Pitfalls
A timeshare contract is a complex real estate transaction with many pitfalls. Don't sign one without expert advice.

For the traveller, a timeshare can be inflexible in that it represents a commitment to vacation at the same place (or a venue under the same ownership) one week a year, every year. This can be awkward in years when the traveller doesn't have a week free, can't afford to take a trip or would prefer to vacation elsewhere. A last-minute cancellation is likely to be difficult or impossible if there is a change in plans. Timeshares also carry a high up-front cost as they must be purchased in advance, not merely rented.

It's also difficult to predict whether a hotel which was a good place to stay this year will retain the same standards and the same market position in the future. Sometimes a property is renovated and upgraded, with a corresponding increase in prices; sometimes a property or destination goes into decline through years of neglect. Some once-popular vacation destinations have even become ghost towns. If what you got is a club membership, the decay can affect all the premises of the company – it may have financial difficulties or it may have stopped trying to attract new customers, or lures them under a new name.

Even if a property gets a major facelift or renovation, the owners of the timeshare will have to pay for that work in higher HOA/maintenance fees. Disbanding an association or converting an existing timeshare building to another purpose (such as apartments or condos) later may be awkward or impossible due to the fragmented ownership structure; it's difficult to get all owners to agree to a single course of action.

Like any other bet on the real estate market, the value of an individual timeshare may rise or fall over time. A timeshare should not be considered an investment; the resale value is far lower than the prices the original high-pressure salespeople promoted when the project was launched, if the timeshare can be sold at all. It can also be all but impossible to get out of some of these arrangements – even if a person is sick, elderly or bankrupt (and therefore unable to travel) the terms of the contracts vary widely on whether the promoters are under any obligation to voluntarily allow the unfortunate owner to leave the scheme.

Dubious tactics have been used to hard-sell timeshares. One unsolicited pitch claims the victim has won something for free – such as travel or accommodation – but with a few nasty surprises in the fine print; the offer contains more hidden charges than a "Nigeria 419" advance fee scam and the price of the supposed "freebie" is that the voyager is forced to sit through a lengthy, high-pressure sales pitch. These pitches may be packed with spurious claims that timeshares will inevitably increase in value and be easy to get out of at any time – which often isn't true.

In some cases, there are waiting lists of hundreds of people attempting to get out of unfavourable timeshare arrangements. To add insult to injury, some unscrupulous vendors advertise 'We can get you compensation for your timeshare' and then re-victimise the hapless voyager by subjecting them to yet another high-pressure sales pitch for yet another timeshare. In some cases, aggressive "hot room" tactics by which prospective victims are plied with alcohol and subjected to several hours of intensive sales pressure do violate local law. If you have been missold, have been told you cannot exit the scheme or you want compensation you can get legal advice, though that can cost money and there are no guarantees as to the outcome of legal action.

For the owners of hotels and resorts, timeshares represent a locked-in market and a lucrative source of capital. This may explain the eagerness of promoters of these schemes, as well as some of the high-pressure sales tactics. For the voyager, however, an unused timeshare may become a burdensome ongoing expense; in some cases, maintenance costs have increased 400% over the life of the contract.

If you must buy, it's usually cheaper to buy from a fellow voyager who is no longer visiting the property and looking to sell instead of buying directly from the original promoter.

title: Timeshares


text:
Time zones

Time zones and daylight hours affect travellers in many ways. Watches and smartphones may show a time different from the local one, friends may call in the middle of the night as it is afternoon at home, and the sun may rise at wall clock times you wouldn't expect. The official local time affects opening hours, but for outdoor activities you may need to also consider when it is morning or noon according to the sun. This article discusses most of those issues. Below is also a list of countries, regions, and territories grouped by time zone. For extreme sunrise and sunset times, occurring in the far north and south, see also Midnight sun.

Understand
"Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore So do our minutes hasten to their end"

- William Shakespeare, Sonnet 60

Although many time zones have descriptive names used by people in them, they are least ambiguously identified by their relationship to UTC (Universal Time, Co-ordinated). GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is nearly synonymous, named after the Royal Observatory located in the Greenwich area of London, but its definitions have varied over time and may vary slightly by context.

UTC is also sometimes called Z or Zulu time. A time may be written as e.g. 21:45Z with the Z indicating UTC. The "Z" is for "zero", and "Zulu" is the two-way radio pronunciation of "Z". It comes from the nautical system in which each time zone was assigned a letter.

Time zones east of UTC and west of the International Date Line are specified by the number of hours ahead of UTC (e.g. UTC+4); zones west of UTC and east of the Date Line are specified by the number of hours behind UTC (e.g. UTC-6). Crossing the Date Line going eastward, clocks are turned back a full 24 hours, and vice versa in the opposite direction. The total span of time zones covers more than 24 hours because the Date Line jogs westward and eastward to keep certain national island groups on the same calendar day, although they are not within a single time zone. While when observing "sun time", the sun is at its highest at noon, the political time zones can be stretched out or biased to differ even a few hours from this. Often the only thing that matters is wall clock time, but in areas where you'd prefer indoor activities in the hottest hours, or where daylight hours are few, check times of the hottest hours, the hours with most UV-radiation, or times of sunrise and sunset, depending on your needs. If you don't have these times available, note that the sun moves 15° of longitude by hour, so 30° east of Greenwich, the sun is at its highest at 10:00 UTC; if the time zone is UTC+1, that's 11:00. The hottest time is usually the hours after noon. Darkness comes soon after sunset near the equator, while real dusk comes half an hour after sunset at latitudes of 60°.

Sunrise and sunset can occur at vastly different times than you might be used to, varying from east to west across each time zone. As such, it might be a good idea to check sunrise and sunset times for the time of year you'll be travelling to your destination. As an example: in the American Eastern Time Zone, Boston and parts of Maine and New England, see daybreak around 4:45–5:45AM in the summer and sunset by 8PM, but in the western edge, Indiana Michigan, sunrise isn't until 6:30AM and it isn't dark til 9:15–10:15PM. Another example is Vorkuta in Russia, where sunrise and sunset annually average out at 4:40AM and 4:40PM – with "yesterday" sunrises in May and July. In western Spain, China, and Alaska, daylight averages from 8:30AM to 8:30PM.

Travel across time zones
You need to take some care when planning trips that cross several time zones, e.g.,
 * Your "body clock" may experience some stress as you tell it to meet business appointments, tours and other obligations during hours when you'd be asleep if at home. See Jet lag.
 * You may miss an important obligation, or connections with scheduled transport, simply by not understanding what will be the correct local time – or a different time used in your timetable – as you travel.
 * Crossing the International Date Line can cause confusion about on what date you'll arrive:
 * Starting a 12–15 hour flight from the U.S. west coast to Japan or Hong Kong in late evening can land you there in the morning two calendar days later.
 * If starting the reverse course by midday, you may, in a way, travel back in time, as you land earlier than you started. For example a typical flight from Sydney to LA will take off at lunchtime and land early in the morning on the same calendar date!
 * Even just crossing from one time zone to another can be confusing, as you still may arrive before you left, such as when flying from Minsk to Warsaw. You don't even need to fly, or travel east to west. The same happens when taking the north-bound bus from Utsjoki to Tana. Crossing from Kirkenes south to Murmansk Oblast (from November to March), you instead lose two hours, in addition to the travel time.

If your travel has time zone complexities or possible impacts on your health or comfort, consult an expert as you plan it.

If you're in another part of the world, family and friends should be aware of the time zone issue when contacting you. You don't want them calling you in the middle of your night, even if it for them is the time they are used to calling.

Jet lag
Jet lag is a mismatch between your body clock and the local time wherever you are. It's caused by rapid travel across time zones, and compounded by the fact that long hours spent on a plane can cause you to sleep too much, or not enough, possibly at the wrong time. Flights from east to west, where you gain a few hours, are usually a bit easier, as most people find it easier to stay up a little later than to go to bed earlier. A rule of thumb is that you recover about 1 hour difference per day. You may find that on your way out, you are fine after just a couple of days, but you will really notice the recovery period on your way home. At that point your body clock will be really confused and it will take a while for it to sort things out.

You can aid the process a bit by trying to operate on your new local time as early as possible, and spending the daylight hours in your new time zone outdoors the first few days. If you're going to land early in the day, try to sleep on the plane so you arrive refreshed and ready for a full day of activity. Conversely, if you're going to arrive near the evening, try to stay awake on the plane so that you'll be tired when you arrive and can get a lengthy sleep.

Political time zones
As can be seen on the map above, some time-zones seem to defy logic and were mostly drawn by national or regional governments to make commerce and administration easier. This can have strange consequences, most notably in the case of China which "should" span five time zones but for political reasons observes the same (Beijing) time in all its territory. To complicate matters, in the restive province of Xinjiang, Beijing time is used by ethnic Han, but UTC +6 is used by ethnic Uyghurs. Departure times of long distance transport are given in one time zone (usually that of the departure point, although the Trans-Siberian railway used to run on Moscow time throughout Russia). On international waters, ship time is decided by the captain (to avoid unnecessary hassle); some Baltic ferries claim to use local time, while what they use is ship time, which corresponds to time at the departure port (with some confusion at arrival). Sir Sandford Fleming, inventor of time zones, was a railway man as rail travel was the advance that made standard time zones necessary. Some railways published schedules with disclaimers like "all times are X time" even before time zones legally existed. Stations sometimes had a clock showing railway time while the town hall or church showed a different "local time" a few minutes off – some stations in Central Europe had a row of clocks for different lines.

The time zones (and the International Date Line) often snake around political boundaries; Chicago lags a full hour behind Thunder Bay because the latter is on Ottawa's side of a provincial boundary. There's a 21-hour time difference between the Diomede Islands, a mere apart but separated by the International Date Line. Visiting the Aroostook Valley Country Club? By the time you get to the 19th hole, you may be wondering where that extra hour went... as the clubhouse was built in New Brunswick as a measure to circumvent Prohibition, putting it an hour ahead of the same course's pro shop in Maine.

Another odd time-zone border lies in Europe where (also mostly due to political reasons) going west from France lets you stay in the same time zone – when you should have to change from Central European time (UTC+1) to UTC or even UTC-1 – but going north from France to Great Britain you will have to change time-zone to GMT (UTC).

A bunch of odd time zones also exist in Australia where the central states and territories of South Australia and the Northern Territory are meant to follow UTC+9, but instead, they follow UTC+9.5 to minimise the difference and disruption when going to the eastern states. Unusually, the outback New South Welsh city of Broken Hill, is completely situated in New South Wales, 30km away from the SA border, follows ACST, and not AEST. And worst of all, there are small towns scattered across the middle of nowhere in WA close to the NT border. The problem here is, that some choose to follow AWST (UTC+8) or ACST (UTC+9.5). There's no discrete border between these time zones, and as such, you could be turning your watches back and forth by 1.5 hours frequently in these areas. And finally, in the Gold Coast-Tweed Heads (Qld-NSW), during summer, you may unexpectedly cross the border, you might have travelled an hour ahead or behind. Daylight Saving Time can further complicate matters.

A handful of time zones differ from UTC not by full hours but by (usually) some other multiple of 15 minutes. North Korea adopted UTC+8:30 briefly (which differs from South Korea's UTC+9 by half an hour) only to drop it just as abruptly during a 2018 thaw in relations; both moves were deemed political by some. Newfoundland island (UTC-3.5, summer UTC-2.5) differs from its neighbours St. Pierre and Miquelon (UTC-3 year-round), Cape Breton (UTC-4, summer UTC-3) and Blanc Sablon (UTC-4 year-round); continue into Labrador and Newfoundland time returns, only to fall back to Cape Breton's time zone somewhere between Red Bay and Cartwright.

Daylight Saving Time
In many jurisdictions, local time is set forward by an extra hour in summer to "shift" daylight hours to the end of the day. This is known in the UK as British Summer Time (BST, GMT+1) and almost anywhere else as Daylight Saving Time (DST) or with "Daylight Time" appended to the name of the local time zone.

Born as a wartime energy conservation measure, the adoption of DST is inherently political and its abolition (as proposed by the European Union for the near future) just as political. Most tropical countries see absolutely no need for DST, keeping standard time year round. Southern Hemisphere countries have opposite summer and winter to the Northern Hemisphere. There is no universally agreed point of the year to change from standard to daylight saving time, leaving wild leaps and fluctuations where one country has already changed and the other has not. Sometimes, one subnational jurisdiction (like Saskatchewan or Arizona) politically chooses to not use DST at all; tee off at the 9th hole of the Gateway Cities Golf Course in North Portal, Saskatchewan and the ball rolls into the cup in Portal, North Dakota an hour later. Sometimes, one country makes a political decision to start daylight saving time early during a conflict or an energy crisis; the US did this during the 1973-74 oil embargo, leaving the Thousand Islands briefly in two different time zones and disrupting TV/radio broadcast schedules. If you travel during that time or call home, inform yourself of the local time at both your destination and point of origin.

In temperate northern countries, DST usually starts late March or early April and ends late October or early November; exact start dates (and times) vary by country (but are harmonized across EU). Equatorial nations typically use no DST; southern nations will use dates that match their local summer. It's not unheard of for an individual subnational jurisdiction – or even a piece of one province – to opt out of a DST scheme in effect in the rest of the same nation. Due to the nature of daylight saving time the difference in time zones may vary during the year as one country doesn't have daylight saving time while the other does, or both have it but start at different times. However due to increasing commerce and international communication via the internet and other nearly instantaneous modes, there are increasing efforts to harmonize those things, especially among direct neighbors or political entities with good relations with each other.

Sports and time zones
Sports fans notice the impact of being in a different time zone any time they plan to view or listen to a live broadcast of a sporting event. For example, someone from the East Coast of the United States who is on the country's West Coast would watch a game three hours earlier per local time than they would while at home. By contrast, Super Bowl Sunday is actually Monday afternoon in Australia.

Global sporting organizations tend to schedule events according to when they would be viewed live in the U.S.A. and Europe. This happened with the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, when the swimming finals took place in the early morning.

UTC+14

 * Kiribati Line Islands

UTC+13

 * Kiribati: Phoenix Islands
 * Tokelau
 * Samoa
 * Tonga

UTC+12:45

 * New Zealand: Chatham Islands

UTC+12

 * Fiji
 * France: Wallis and Futuna
 * Kiribati: Gilbert Islands
 * Marshall Islands
 * Nauru
 * New Zealand
 * Russia: MSK+9 — Anadyr, Chukotka, Kamchatka, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Yuzhno-Kurilsk
 * South Pole
 * Tuvalu
 * Wake Island

UTC+11

 * Australia: Norfolk Island
 * Federated States of Micronesia: Kosrae, Pohnpei
 * New Caledonia
 * Papua New Guinea
 * Russia: MSK+8 — Chersky, Khonuu, Kuril Islands, Magadan Oblast, Srednekolymsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Zyryanka
 * Solomon Islands
 * Vanuatu
 * Australia: NSW, Vic, ACT and Tasmania (DST)

UTC+10:30

 * Australia: Lord Howe Island

UTC+10

 * Australia: Australian Capital Territory, almost all of New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
 * Federated States of Micronesia: Chuuk, Yap
 * Guam
 * Northern Mariana Islands
 * Papua New Guinea
 * Russia: MSK+7 — Birobidzhan, Khabarovsk Krai, Vladivostok

UTC+09:30

 * Australia: Northern Territory, South Australia, Broken Hill (New South Wales), Blackstone, Irrunytju, Warakurna, Wanarn, Kiwirrkurra, and Tjukurla (Australian Central Standard Time)

UTC+09

 * Indonesia (eastern): Maluku, Papua
 * Japan
 * Palau
 * Russia: MSK+6 — Blagoveshchensk, Chita, Yakutia
 * South Korea
 * Timor-Leste
 * North Korea

UTC+08:45

 * Australia: Eucla, Cocklebiddy, Madura, Mundrabilla and Border Village (Also known as Australian Central Western Standard Time)

UTC+08

 * Australia: Western Australia (Australian Western Standard Time)
 * Brunei
 * China: While China should geographically be in several time zones the Central Government has declared Beijing time to be official in all of China even as far west as Tibet. While this makes travel a lot easier, it leads to sunrises at 09:00 and other strange things.
 * Hong Kong
 * Indonesia (central): Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, East and South Kalimantan
 * Macau
 * Malaysia
 * Mongolia (most of the country)
 * Philippines
 * Russia: MSK+5 — Irkutsk Oblast, Ulan Ude,
 * Singapore
 * Taiwan

UTC+07

 * Cambodia
 * Christmas Island (Australia)
 * Indonesia (western): Java, Sumatra, West and Central Kalimantan
 * Laos
 * Mongolia (Hovd, Uvs, and Bayan-Ölgii)
 * Russia: MSK+4 — Abakan, Barnaul, Gorno-Altaisk, Khatanga, Krasnoyarsk, Kemerovo, Kyzyl, Norilsk, Novosibirsk, Tomsk
 * Thailand
 * Vietnam

UTC+06:30

 * Cocos Islands (Australia)
 * Myanmar

UTC+06

 * Bangladesh
 * Bhutan
 * British Indian Ocean Territory: Diego Garcia
 * Kyrgyzstan
 * Russia: MSK+3 — Omsk Oblast

UTC+05:45

 * Nepal

UTC+05:30

 * India
 * Sri Lanka
 * Heard Island and McDonald Islands (Australia)

UTC+05

 * French Southern and Antarctic Lands
 * Heard Island and McDonald Islands
 * Kazakhstan
 * Maldives
 * Pakistan
 * Russia: MSK+2: Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Orenburg, Perm, Salekhard, Tyumen, Ufa, Yekaterinburg
 * Tajikistan
 * Turkmenistan
 * Uzbekistan

UTC+04:30

 * Afghanistan

UTC+04

 * Armenia
 * Azerbaijan
 * Georgia
 * Mauritius
 * Oman
 * Réunion
 * Russia: MSK+1 — Astrakhan, Samara, Saratov, Udmurtia, Ulyanovsk
 * Seychelles
 * United Arab Emirates

UTC+03:30

 * Iran

UTC+03

 * Bahrain
 * Belarus
 * Comoros
 * Djibouti
 * Eritrea
 * Ethiopia
 * Iraq
 * Kenya
 * Kuwait
 * Madagascar
 * Mayotte
 * Qatar
 * Russia: MSK — most of the European portion, including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, etc. MSK traditionally had been used on all railways throughout Russia including Udmurtia
 * Saudi Arabia
 * Somalia
 * South Sudan
 * Tanzania
 * Turkey
 * Uganda
 * Yemen

UTC+02

 * Botswana
 * Bulgaria
 * Burundi
 * Democratic Republic of the Congo (eastern)
 * Cyprus
 * Egypt
 * Estonia
 * Eswatini
 * Finland
 * Greece
 * Israel
 * Jordan
 * Latvia
 * Lebanon
 * Lesotho
 * Libya
 * Lithuania
 * Malawi
 * Moldova
 * Mozambique
 * Namibia
 * Palestinian territories
 * Romania
 * Russia: MSK-1: Kaliningrad Oblast
 * Rwanda
 * South Africa
 * Sudan
 * Syria
 * Ukraine
 * Zambia
 * Zimbabwe

UTC+01

 * Albania
 * Algeria
 * Andorra
 * Angola
 * Austria
 * Belgium
 * Benin
 * Bosnia and Herzegovina
 * Cameroon
 * Central African Republic
 * Chad
 * Republic of the Congo
 * Democratic Republic of the Congo (western)
 * Croatia
 * Czech Republic
 * Denmark
 * Equatorial Guinea
 * France
 * Gabon
 * Germany
 * Gibraltar
 * Hungary
 * Italy
 * Kosovo
 * Liechtenstein
 * Luxembourg
 * Malta
 * Monaco
 * Montenegro
 * Morocco (year-round)
 * Netherlands
 * Niger
 * Nigeria
 * North Macedonia
 * Norway
 * Poland
 * San Marino
 * Serbia
 * Slovakia
 * Slovenia
 * Spain
 * Sweden
 * Switzerland
 * Tunisia
 * Vatican City

UTC

 * Burkina Faso
 * Bouvet Island
 * Canary Islands
 * Cote d'Ivoire
 * Faroe Islands
 * Gambia
 * Ghana
 * Greenland (northeastern)
 * Guernsey
 * Guinea
 * Guinea-Bissau
 * Iceland
 * Ireland
 * Isle of Man
 * Jersey
 * Liberia
 * Mali
 * Mauritania
 * Northern Ireland
 * Portugal
 * Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
 * Sao Tome and Principe
 * Senegal
 * Sierra Leone
 * Togo
 * United Kingdom
 * Western Sahara

UTC-01

 * Azores (Portugal)
 * Cabo Verde
 * Greenland (east)

UTC-02

 * Fernando de Noronha (Brazil)
 * South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
 * Trindade and Martim Vaz (uninhabited islands) (Brazil)

UTC-03

 * Argentina
 * Brazil: Brasilia, Rio, São Paulo, Fortaleza, Maceio, Recife, Salvador, etc.
 * Falkland Islands
 * French Guiana
 * Greenland (central)
 * Saint Pierre and Miquelon
 * Suriname
 * Uruguay

UTC-03:30

 * Canada: Newfoundland (most of Labrador, except Forteau and Red Bay, is UTC-4)

UTC-04

 * Anguilla
 * Antigua and Barbuda
 * Aruba
 * Barbados
 * Bermuda
 * Bolivia
 * Bonaire
 * Brazil: Boa Vista, Campo Grande, Manaus
 * British Virgin Islands
 * Canada (Atlantic Standard Time): New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, most of Labrador, a small portion of eastern Quebec. Québec does not use Atlantic Daylight Time.
 * Chile
 * Curaçao
 * Dominica
 * Dominican Republic
 * Greenland (west)
 * Grenada
 * Guadeloupe
 * Guyana
 * Martinique
 * Montserrat
 * Paraguay
 * Puerto Rico
 * Saba
 * Saint-Barthelemy
 * Saint Kitts and Nevis
 * Saint Lucia
 * Saint Martin
 * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 * Sint Eustatius
 * Sint Maarten
 * Trinidad and Tobago
 * Turks and Caicos Islands
 * U.S. Virgin Islands
 * Venezuela

UTC-05

 * Bahamas
 * Brazil: Acre
 * Canada (Eastern Standard Time): Nunavut, most of Ontario, most of Quebec. This zone runs from Anticosti (63°W) past Thunder Bay (so westward to 90°W), to include most of Canada's population and the entire beaten-path Windsor-Quebec corridor.
 * Cayman Islands
 * Colombia
 * Cuba
 * Ecuador
 * Haiti
 * Jamaica
 * Mexico: Quintana Roo
 * Panama
 * Peru
 * United States of America (Eastern Standard Time): Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Michigan except extreme northwestern counties, Indiana except the southwest and northwest corners, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, eastern Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida except western part of panhandle.

UTC-06

 * Belize
 * Canada (Central Standard Time): Manitoba, Saskatchewan except for the region around Lloydminster, part of north-western Ontario. Saskatchewan does not use daylight time, except in Lloydminster.
 * Chile: Easter Island
 * Costa Rica
 * Ecuador: Galapagos Islands
 * El Salvador
 * Guatemala
 * Honduras
 * Mexico
 * Nicaragua
 * United States of America (Central Standard Time): Wisconsin, Illinois, the southwest and northwest corners of Indiana, western Kentucky, western and middle Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, north and east North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, middle and eastern Nebraska, most of Kansas, Oklahoma, most of Texas, part of western Florida(panhandle).

UTC-07

 * Canada (Mountain Standard Time): Alberta, small eastern portion of British Columbia, both sides of Lloydminster, which lies on the Alberta–Saskatchewan border
 * Mexico: Baja California Sur: Chihuahua, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora. No Daylight Time in Sonora.
 * United States of America (Mountain Standard Time): southwest North Dakota, western South Dakota, western Nebraska, a sliver of Kansas, Montana, a sliver of Oregon, southern Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, a corner of Texas. No Daylight Time in Arizona, except for the Navajo Nation.

UTC-08

 * Canada (Pacific Standard Time): most of British Columbia, Yukon
 * Clipperton Island
 * Mexico: Baja California Norte
 * Pitcairn Islands
 * United States of America (Pacific Standard Time): Washington, northern Idaho, most of Oregon, California, Nevada

UTC-09

 * French Polynesia: Gambier Islands
 * United States of America: most of Alaska

UTC-09:30

 * French Polynesia: Marquesas Islands

UTC-10

 * Cook Islands
 * French Polynesia (France): Society Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Austral Islands
 * Johnston Atoll (US)
 * United States of America: Hawaii, and Aleutian Islands in Alaska

UTC-11

 * American Samoa
 * Jarvis Island, Palmyra Atoll
 * Midway Islands
 * Niue

UTC-12

 * Baker Island
 * Howland Island

title: Time zones


text:
Timișoara

Timișoara is a university city and industrial centre in western Romania, with a multicultural heritage due to its location in the Banat region and a history of ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity. Nicknamed "Little Vienna" or the "City of Flowers", it is known for its sizable historical urban core with wide-ranging architectural styles.

Understand
Romania's third largest city with a population of 319,000 (2011), Timișoara is the administrative centre of Timiș County, and is considered the informal capital of the broader historical Banat region (one of the eastern frontiers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now shared by Romania, Serbia and Hungary). It is the pre-eminent economic hub of the region, with a strong presence of automotive industry, and houses one of the most powerful IT sectors in Romania. Timișoara, like many other large cities in Romania, is a medical tourism service provider especially for dental care. There are about 40,000 students enrolled in the city's four public and two private universities, including international students from over 50 countries.

Along with Oradea, Timișoara is part of the Art Nouveau European Route. The city is designated as one of the three European Capitals of Culture for 2023.

History
Today's Timișoara was the site of a medieval city-fortress of Temes (recorded in Latin as Castrum Tymes), built by Béla IV of Hungary. In the first half of the 14th century the city, by then called Temesvár – referring to a vár (Hungarian for castle) on the river Temes (Timiș) – was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary for several years. In reality, Temesvár was merely adjacent to Timiș: As the city limits grew in later centuries, it expanded to the southern banks of the nearby river Bega (the course of which was also altered by engineering); the river that passes through present-day Timișoara is in fact Bega. In 1443, Hungarian general and leader John Hunyadi rebuilt the royal castle (today's Huniade Castle) and the walls, damaged in an earthquake, to defend from Ottoman expansion. After several attempts in the following decades, the Ottomans captured Timișoara, and from mid-16th to the early 18th century it was the capital of an Eyâlet (principal administrative division of the Ottoman Empire).

In 1716, Temesvár was conquered from the Turks by an Austrian army led by Prince Eugene of Savoy, subsequently becoming the capital of the newly established province – Banat of Temeswar (banate meaning the domain of a ban, a feudal title; however, this was just nominal as the province was not governed by a ban) and was developed into a fortified city of the Habsburg Empire. There are notable buildings such as the Military Casino from this period. After 1848 Temesvár was the capital of a separate crown land of the Habsburg Empire, and from 1867 it belonged to the Hungarian half of the Dual Monarchy. At that time, Germans made up the majority of the population. Gradually, the Hungarian population increased, and later also that of Romanians, so that in 1930 all three ethnic groups were represented roughly equally. In the second half of the 19th century the city prospered: in 1857 it was connected to the railroad network, in 1869 it got a horse-drawn tramway (electrified in 1899), and in 1884 it was one of the first cities in Europe to get electric street lighting. This era also brought a flourishing of culture. Many of the city's prominent buildings are from this period. The sprawling Habsburg fortress was dismantled in 1892, considered antiquated by that time, and incompatible with modern era city-planning. What is nowadays called "Timișoara Fortress" comprises all the separate remainders of the structure, such as the Theresia Bastion (named after the empress Maria Theresa), which have been preserved as a historic monument.

Since the end of WW1 the city has been a part of Romania. In 1920, the Polytechnic University was founded. The city grew rapidly, with mainly Romanians immigrating, while the number of Hungarians and Germans stagnated, the latter even decreasing sharply due to emigration after World War II and during the rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu (who tried to assimilate the minorities). The city became a center of heavy industry and manufacturing. In December 1989, a series of mass street protests in Timișoara started the Romanian Revolution that overthrew the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu, and marked the end of communist rule.

By train
The main railway station is Timișoara North railway station, located on Strada Gării 2, west of the city centre. There are direct trains daily from Budapest (a 5-hour trip) and Vienna (8 hours). There are numerous trains from Bucharest and most major towns in Romania. From Sibiu, for example, it is about 8 hours (73.50 lei, Sep 2018).

Direct trains from Belgrade have been discontinued but it is still possible to travel, with a simple change in the border town of Vršac. (The bus connection over the Serbia-Romania border does not run on public holidays, so check your calendar!)

By car
Belgrade (Serbia) is 150 km away (a 3-hour drive).

Budapest (Hungary) is 286 km away (a 3-hour drive).

By bus
The bus terminal lies 500 m to the west of the Gara de Nord railway station. Tickets are purchased directly from the driver, but there are timetables and an information desk inside the small hut by the entrance.

Every day there is a bus from Vršac, just over the border with Serbia, ~2 hours. From Vršac there are many buses further into Serbia.

It is also easy to share a taxi in the direction of the border (Cenad), leaving at Calea Torontalului.

By public transport
You could walk most places in central Timișoara, but there is a good transportation service including trolleys, trams and buses. The majority of buses and trolleys are new. The trams are old German models, but the travel conditions are quite decent. A major problem in Romanian public transportation is respecting a schedule. Timișoara makes no exception. Some of the tram and bus stations have digital panels which list the waiting times, but they're not always accurate. Route planner is available online.

There are two types of tickets, one for the three express lines (buses) and one for the rest of the buses, trams and trolleys. The prices for one ticket are around 3 lei and 1.5 lei respectively, and you can find them at press stands in almost every station. You can also buy passes for a day, a week, two weeks or a month, on one, two or all lines.

By taxi
In Timișoara there is no shortage of taxis. You can reach about any point in Timișoara by paying a fee of 15-50 lei. Don't negotiate with the driver and insist for the meter to be turned on. If you don't want to overpay avoid private taxis and call for a local taxi company (Tudo, Radio, Timișoara, Autogenn, Fan or Prompt). The taxis licensed by the City Hall have a distinctive oval black sticker on the backseat doors, while the pricier, probably scam taxis have a sign on the top of the car which only says 'Taxi' and doesn't mention the name of the taxi company. These taxis are twice as expensive, but they are also legal. If you see a taxi driver approaching and asking you for a ride, reject it, and search for a local company taxi.

By car
If you want to rent a car there are plenty of car rental companies. They offer good priced services and all types of vehicles.

By bike
Getting around the city is also possible by bicycle, and during rush hours with fair weather is far better than getting stuck in heavy traffic. There are also dedicated cycle lanes in some parts of the city (starting from the city center). However, be mindful of potholes popping up every now and then and be extra-cautious when sharing the road with cars, as some drivers tend to utterly disrespect anyone traveling on two wheels (be it a bicycle or a motorcycle).

Parks
Timișoara is known in Romania as the City of Parks.

Do
Enjoy nice coffee products in Piața Unirii (Union Square) or Piața Victoriei (Victory Square). Taste the week-end nightlife by dancing all night long at Club The Note or D'Arc, or their summer locations, River Deck or D'Arc terrace on the shores of Bega Channel. Eat a great pizza or pasta at Da Toni, eat tasty Romanian food at Club XXI, don't miss the cocktails at River Deck or Club The Note. If you like shopping, Iulius Mall is the place to visit. Enjoy a nice walk in the Botanical Park. Timișoara is a very cosmopolitan city and if you ask around you can enjoy all kinds of activities.

Buy
In Timișoara you can buy everything, from well known brands to Romanian products. The important shops are in the city center. If you want an authentic adventure visit Piata Aurora or the Brancoveanu shopping area, but be careful and keep a close eye on your valuables. Police won't help you at all.

Eat
If you want to eat in Timișoara, you can find places for every budget. Because Timișoara was and still is a very cosmopolitan city, the local cuisine is influenced by Italian, Serbian, Hungarian, German, Turkish and Arabic cuisine.

Cope
There are free public toilets underneath Piața Unirii.

Connect
Timișoara and its approach roads have 4G from all Romanian carriers. As of Aug 2022, city centre has 5G from Digi, Orange and Vodafone.

Go next

 * Deta (40 km south)
 * Jimbolia (45 km west) – a small town 40 km west of Timișoara on the border with Serbia; several interesting cultural and recreational attractions.
 * Arad (60 km north) – citadel, old town with Art Nouveau buildings, Cultural Palace; twelve trains per day, taking 50 minutes.
 * Lugoj (60 km east) – 1½ hours by bus.
 * Sânnicolau Mare (65 km northwest) – birthplace of Béla Bartók; 2 hours by bus.
 * Deva (155 km east) – There are eight trains daily, taking 3½ hours.
 * Szeged (115 km northwest) – largest city in Southern Hungary, famous for salami, paprika and sunshine; 1½ hours by bus.
 * Kikinda (70 km west) in Serbia
 * Vršac (75 km south) – Serbian border town; there are two trains per day from Nord Train station (1½ hr).
 * Belgrade (150 km southwest) – Serbian capital; via Vršac.
 * Novi Sad (150 km west) – another regional centre in the Pannonian Basin, sharing some of the architectural styles; its Habsburg fortress from the same period has been preserved

title: Timișoara