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Ethiopia

Travelers to Ethiopia (Amharic: ኢትዮጵያ ʾĪtyōp yā) experience a country divided into two: in the north and east the focus is on cultural heritage, while in the south there are several national parks and lakes in the area of the East African Rift with their flora and fauna as well as the habitat of several indigenous peoples.

Ethiopia is Africa's third-most populous country (after Nigeria and Egypt), oldest independent country and one of only two never colonised by a European power, save for a short Italian occupation in the 1930s and 1940s.

Cities

 * (Finfinne) — capital of Ethiopia and one of the biggest shopping cities in Africa
 * (formerly also known as Nazret or Nazareth) — popular weekend destination near Addis
 * (Aksum) — home of ancient tombs and stelae fields, in the far north
 * — monasteries on the islands of Lake Tana and the beautiful Blue Nile Falls nearby
 * — the second largest city; in the east
 * — some of East Africa's only castles
 * — ancient walled city near Dire Dawa
 * — home to 11 astonishing rock-hewn churches
 * — a town in the Tigrayan Highlands in the north

Other destinations
Ethiopia is ranked with African countries the likes of Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia for preserving and maintaining its national parks as tourist attractions. The southern and south-western parts of the country are home to stunning natural beauty with a huge potential for tourism. The northern parts features cultural and religious attractions.

 * Rift Valley lakes — seven lakes that are a popular weekend getaway for Addis residents, great for birding, water sports or relaxing at the luxury resorts
 * — spa town due to hot springs (filwoha)
 * and other Omo Valley tribes
 * (near Hawzien) — tens of churches you can hike to
 * — a salt desert with several volcanoes including the active Erta Ale and the colorful Dallol
 * — spa town due to hot springs (filwoha)
 * and other Omo Valley tribes
 * (near Hawzien) — tens of churches you can hike to
 * — a salt desert with several volcanoes including the active Erta Ale and the colorful Dallol
 * — a salt desert with several volcanoes including the active Erta Ale and the colorful Dallol

 * See also: the Ethiopia section of the UNESCO World Heritage List and the list of Ethiopian National Parks.

History
Ethiopia is one of the oldest independent nations in the world, and the second Christian state (since at least AD 324, with Armenia the first, at AD 301). It has long been an intersection between the civilizations of North Africa, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. For example, Ethiopia is the place of the first Hijra (615 CE) in Islamic history, when the Christian king of Ethiopia offered refuge to those fleeing from Mecca and sent by the prophet Muhammad. Uniquely among African countries, Ethiopia was never colonized, maintaining its independence throughout the Scramble for Africa onward, except for five years (1936–41) when it was under Italian military occupation. During this period, the Italians occupied only a few key cities and major routes, and faced continuing resistance until they were finally defeated during the Second World War by an Ethiopian-British alliance. Ethiopia has long been a member of international organizations: it became a member of the League of Nations, signed the Declaration by United Nations in 1942, founded the UN headquarters in Africa, was one of the 51 original members of the UN, and is the headquarters for, and one of the founding members of, the former Organisation of African Unity and the current African Union.

Ethiopia was historically called Abyssinia, a word related to Habesha, the native name for the inhabitants. In some countries, Ethiopia is still called by names cognate with "Abyssinia", eg, Turkish Habesistan, meaning land of the Habesha people. The English name "Ethiopia" is thought to be derived from the Greek word Αἰθιοπία (Aithiopia), from Αἰθίοψ (Aithiops) "an Ethiopian", derived from Greek terms meaning "of burnt (αιθ-) visage (ὄψ)". However, this etymology is disputed, since the Book of Aksum, a Ge'ez chronicle first composed in the 15th century, states that the name is derived from 'Ityopp'is, a son (unmentioned in the Bible) of Cush, son of Ham, who according to legend founded the city of Axum.

People
Ethiopia's population is highly diverse, consisting of more than 80 ethnic groups. The largest ethnic groups are the Oromo (34% of the population), the Amhara (27%) the Somalis (6%) and the Tigrinyas (6%). The largest religious affiliations are Christian (63% of the population – comprising 44% Ethiopian Orthodox and 19% other denominations) and Muslim (34%). Ethiopia once had a large Jewish community known as the Beta Israel, but most of the Beta Israel migrated to Israel in the late 20th century, and only about 12,000 remain in Ethiopia today.

Terrain
Much of Ethiopia is a high plateau with central mountain ranges divided by the Great Rift Valley, but there are low-lying lands in the eastern and westernmost parts, with the lowest point being the Danakil Depression, 125 m (410 ft) below sea level. The highest point is Ras Dejen (Ras Dashen) in the Simien Mountains, 4,620m (15,157 ft) above mean sea level. The geologically active Great Rift Valley is susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Ethiopia is landlocked – the entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993. The Blue Nile, the chief head stream of the Nile, rises in Lake Tana in north-west Ethiopia. Three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean.

Climate
The predominant climate type is tropical monsoon, with wide topographic-induced variation. As a highland country, Ethiopia has a climate that is generally considerably cooler than other regions at similar proximity to the Equator. Most of the country's major cities are located at elevations of around above sea level, including historic capitals such as Gondar and Axum.

Addis Ababa, the modern capital, is situated in the foothills of Mount Entoto at an elevation of around, and experiences a healthy and pleasant climate year-round. With fairly uniform year-round temperatures, the seasons in Addis Ababa are largely defined by rainfall, with a dry season Oct-Feb, a light rainy season Mar-May, and a heavy rainy season Jun-Sep. The average annual rainfall is around. There are 7 hours of sunshine per day on average, 60% of the daytime hours. The dry season is the sunniest time of year, though even at the height of the rainy season in July and August there are usually several hours of bright sunshine a day.

The average annual temperature in Addis Ababa is, with daily highs averaging throughout the year, and overnight lows averaging. A light jacket is recommended for evenings, though many Ethiopians dress conservatively and wear a light jacket even during the day.

Most major cities and tourist sites lie at a similar elevation to Addis Ababa and have comparable climates. In lower lying regions, particularly in the east of the country, the climate can be significantly hotter and drier. The town of Dallol, in the Danakil Depression in the east, has the world's highest average annual temperature of.

Pollution
Air quality in cities and along roads can be very poor because of emissions from badly maintained diesel vehicles and dust. Anyone sensitive to this should consider wearing a dust mask as is popular in many Asian countries. Pollution from plastic waste is severe in many areas of the country. Piles of discarded water/soft drink bottles line the sides of most roads and open areas with only the main tourist areas making any effort to keep their areas clean.

Time and calendar
Ethiopia uses the Ethiopian calendar, which dates back to the Coptic calendar 25 BC, and never adopted either the Julian or Gregorian calendar reforms. One Ethiopian year consists of twelve months, each lasting thirty days, plus a thirteenth month of five or six days (hence the "Thirteen Months of Sunshine" tourism slogan). The Ethiopian new year begins around 11 September (in the Gregorian calendar), and has accumulated 7–8 years lag behind the Gregorian calendar: thus, for the first nine months of 2023, the year was 2015 according to the Ethiopian calendar. On 12 Sep 2023, Ethiopia celebrated New Year's Day (Enkutatesh) for the Ethiopian year 2016.

In Ethiopia, the 12-hour clock cycles do not begin at midnight and noon, but instead are offset six hours. Thus, Ethiopians refer to midnight (or noon) as 6 o'clock. Airline timetables are based on the 24-hour clock and use the Gregorian calendar. To avoid confusion, we use the 24-hour format in all our Ethiopian listings.

Tourist information

 * Visit Ethiopia website

Talk

Amharic is the first official language and lingua franca of Ethiopia. It is a Semitic language related to Hebrew and Arabic, and if you know either one you'll recognize some cognates. In all parts of the country, everyone speaks Amharic to some extent, no matter what their first language may be. The language is written in the Ge'ez script.

In big cities, many people under 40 speak some English. (English is the primary foreign language taught in schools and both the British Council and the EU have helped in providing textbooks.) In rural areas, find local school children to translate for you for a fee that could be next to nothing. (Ethiopians have a distinct way of speaking English. Because it is heavily accented, it might be a bit difficult to understand it at the beginning. However, when you get used to the way they pronounce some English words, it will become fairly understandable.) Older Ethiopians, especially those from the Tigray region or Eritrea (which was once a state of Ethiopia), may speak Italian, while other elders may speak Russian or Cuban-accented Spanish due to the influence of the former Derg regime.

In the Tigray region of north Ethiopia, Tigrinya, the lingua franca of neighbouring Eritrea, is the primary language, also written in Ge'ez. In the middle highlands regions Oromifa or Afaan, Oromo is widely spoken. Oromo uses a Latin alphabet. In the Ogaden region of Western Ethiopia, located mostly in Somali regional state (near the border with Somalia and Somaliland), Somali is common, and is written in a Latin alphabet; Arabic is also common, with a Yemeni influence. Towards the border with Djibouti, French becomes slightly more common.

Visa requirements
All visitors must obtain an entry visa, except for nationals from Djibouti and Kenya, and foreigners in transit at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport for 12 hours or less to catch an international connecting flight and who do not leave the airport or pass the Immigration Desk. Visas-on-arrival are also available to citizens of all African Union countries.

E-Visas are available to short-term visitors of all nationalities for tourism and business. The application is straightforward and takes only a few minutes to complete. You need to upload a scanned passport-style photo. Turnaround time might be within hours. You will receive an email welcoming you to Ethiopia. The official website to apply for E-Visa is https://www.evisa.gov.et – do not submit your application to any other similar looking website. E-Visa is only accepted at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Upon landing at the airport go to an immigration area and you will see a sign for E-Visa. You may need a printed version of your E-Visa, indicate a place of residence (hotel) and a phone number, which may be foreign.

You must indicate your intended place of residence and contact number to get a visa. Nothing appears to be checked, so in practice any hotel address and phone number should suffice. However, if you're unable to provide some address and phone number, they refuse to process the visa documents.

By plane
Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa is the main hub for Ethiopian Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance and one of the most successful and reputable airlines in Africa, offering superior service on international flights to US carriers like United Airlines. The airport also hosts Lufthansa, Sudan Airways, Kenya Airways, Turkish Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Egypt Air and fly Dubai. There are daily flights from Europe, the United States, Asia, and many African cities including Accra, Bamako, Brazzaville, Cairo, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Khartoum, Harare, Johannesburg, and Nairobi. From the U.S., there are direct flights from LAX, Newark Liberty, O'Hare International Airport and Washington, D.C., stopping over at either Dublin or Lomé. Bole's international terminal, Terminal 2, is said to be the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. Terminal 1 serves domestic and some regional (Djibouti, Nairobi, Khartoum, etc.) destinations.

Other international airports are in Dire Dawa, Mekele and Bahir Dar.

By car
Although more expensive than public transport, this is a good way to explore Ethiopia. There are few rent-a-car services in Ethiopia outside of Addis Ababa so you may prefer to depend on the services of touring companies that offer cars and 4x4s complete with driver.

Border crossings from neighbouring countries include the border village of Metema to get in from Sudan.

From Kenya the border town is Moyale. The road from Kenya to Ethiopia through the town of Moyale is much better and well maintained. On the Kenyan side of Moyale the road is horrible and is known for banditry so be careful and make sure you have plenty of time, at least 24 hr, to travel from Moyale to Nairobi. However, the road is being rebuilt and paved, with large sections already finished and the remaining sections were expected to be finished around early 2015.

By bus

 * Public transport brings you to the border. With the Sudan or Kenya crossings, you just walk to the other side. If you arrive at the border towns late at night, try not to cross the border in the dark. Wait in the town and do your travelling in the morning.
 * Buses that cover some distance start in early morning. This implies that if you arrive during the day you would be stuck at least until the next morning.
 * From Gedaref (Sudan) catch a bumpy bus or truck (700 Sudanese pounds) to the border. The Sudanese side consists of several small villages and a tiny town. In Ethiopia you could find better, but basic, accommodation. Buses leaving for Gonder dry up by mid-afternoon so you must either arrive early at the border or spend the night in Metema (around 50 birr).
 * From Djibouti you can take a small bus to the border (2-3 hr) where you will find buses to Dire Dawa. This road is a dirt track and the trip takes at least half a day, at nightfall the bus uses to stop and you resume travel the next day. From Ethiopia into Djibouti, a bus leaves supposedly around midnight (buy tickets during the day at the office in the centre of Dire Dawa). This arrives at the Djibouti border in the morning where you change onto a different bus to get to Djibouti City. It is a good idea to take a tuk-tuk to the bus station as hyenas wander the streets of Dire Dawa at night.

By train
A train service between Addis Ababa and Djibouti City serves passenger trains taking roughly 12 hours for the whole trip.

The dilapidated but historical Chemin de Fer train station in downtown Addis Ababa is in the Kazanches neighbourhood near the and may be of interest as a relic of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway that began service in 1890 during the reign of Emperor Menelik II. The new line does not serve the historic station.

By plane
Ethiopian Airlines is reasonably priced and has fairly comprehensive domestic services. Flights are often overbooked, so it is essential to reconfirm your tickets at least a day in advance and show up at the airport on time. If you forget to reconfirm, they may assume you aren't going to show up and give away your seats. Flights are frequently cancelled or rescheduled so allow extra time if transferring to an international flight.

Tip: As at 2020 Ethiopian Airlines has a mobile app that enables you to book and pay by credit card. The app is well designed but its reliability depends on the reliability of the mobile/wifi coverage in your location. If an Ethiopian ticket office is nearby its often easier to go there. If you have booked your international trip to Ethiopia via Ethiopian Airlines you will get a 60% discount on domestic flights. Even if you have arrived on an airline other than Ethiopian, you can still get the discounted prices by having proof of an international reservation with Ethiopian regardless of whether you have flown the flight or not. So you can get the discount by booking a refundable (eco flex) or cheap flight to a neighbouring country for the future and quoting the ticket number when booking domestic flights. You need to have proof of your international ticket or reservation as you are often asked for it.

Chartered flights (both to serviced airfields and "bush flights") are available from Abyssinia Flight Services, on TeleBole road, just down the street from the airport. Helicopter service is available from National Airways, Abyssinia Flight Services, and certain government-owned companies.

Parking at Bole airport costs 5 birr and is payable in cash only to the parking attendants on arrival.

By bus
Ethiopian buses fit into one of the following categories: the ubiquitous minibuses or matatus (typically Toyota Highace vans that room up to 14 people) that operate throughout the region; small to large sized passenger buses called "Higer bus" (named after the manufacturer) that often travel between regions ("1st level" to "3rd level" indicating the class); luxury buses (Korean modern standard buses) going between the main cities, and the large (often double-jointed) red Addis Ababa city buses.

There is a comprehensive network of cheap Higer buses along the major roads, although these are slow and basic. Buses travelling shorter distances generally leave whenever they have filled up with passengers (in practice, these means once an hour or so); nearly all long-distance buses leave at dawn (06:00 or twelve on the Ethiopian clock). Buses do not travel at night; they will stop before sundown in a town or village with accommodation for the passengers, or, between Dire Dawa and Djibouti, just in the plain countryside. Between some cities (e.g., Adama and Addis Ababa), minibuses will run after the larger buses have stopped for the night. Everyone on the bus must have a seat by law – this prevents overcrowding, but often makes it difficult to catch a bus from an intermediate point on a route. If planning to travel by bus, keep in mind that almost all the vehicles are old and very dusty and many secondary roads are bad. The main roads are now at very good standard most places. Ethiopians do not like opening the bus windows, so it gets hot and stuffy inside by afternoon. If you like fresh air, sit as close to the driver or one of the doors as possible, as the driver keeps his window open and the conductor and his assistant often have the door windows open. It can be risky riding the minibuses and Higer, as they are a leading contributor to Ethiopia's position among the most dangerous places in the world to drive. The drivers often do not use mirrors and simply disregard the possibility of oncoming traffic when changing lanes.

The bus stations usually open around 05:00. If you are catching an early morning bus, you should get to the station at 05:00. They are very chaotic first thing in the morning, and many buses will sell out of seats before they leave with the dawn about 06:00. To make things easier and less stressful, you can often buy a ticket in advance. In Addis, find the correct window at the bus station the day before you wish to travel and buy your ticket there. (You will need help finding the window unless you can read Amharic, but there are usually people around who will help if you ask.) The ticket will be in Amharic, but there will be a legible bus number written on it somewhere. Simply find that bus the next morning at the bus station. In smaller cities, you can often buy your ticket from the conductor when the bus arrives from its previous trip the afternoon before you travel. Even if you already have a ticket, arrive early and claim a seat as soon as possible. If you don't have a ticket, you will have to ask people to show you the correct bus (unless you can read Amharic). In this case, don't waste time trying to buy a ticket from the window or from the bus conductor—push your way on board the bus and claim a seat! The conductor will sell you a ticket later. Medium-sized backpacks can usually be squeezed under the seats, but large packs and most luggage will have to go up on the roof. Claim your seat before you worry about your luggage. Luxury buses however have a really professional approach with both numbered seating and dedicated luggage compartments under the bus. Anyone assisting you with your luggage, including the person passing it up to the conductor's assistant on the roof, will expect a small tip (around 2-3 birr).

On several routes (Addis - Dire Dawa, Bahardar - Addis) you may also find informal traveller cars with no fixed departure; when looking around at a bus station you may be approached by somebody who offers you a faster connection by going with a private car; this is more expensive than the normal bus but also much faster. You'll be handed a phone number to call for an appointment. These cars may leave before sundown or travel even at night.

 * Selam Bus

By taxi
Little ride hailing app works in Ethiopia.

By car
A good way to tour Ethiopia is by car. You can take small aircraft to expedite your tour, but you will see more of the scenery if you travel by car. Reasonably priced touring companies include Galaxy Express Services, NTO , and Dinknesh, as well as Ethiopia Safaris and Journeys Abyssinia with Zawdu. They can take you off the beaten track so you can see the beauty and attractions of Ethiopia. Most car rentals mandate that the car comes with an Ethiopian driver, but a few companies rent cars for self-drive, such as NTO and ABC Car Rental. Cars will need to be picked up and dropped off in Addis. Expect to pay around $100/day for a self-drive SUV that is permitted to drive freely around the country. As of 2018, is it no longer necessary to convert to an Ethiopian driver's license, nor is an international driver's permit (IDP) required, as Ethiopia is one of the few countries that is not a signatory to either IDP convention. Driving on your foreign license and on a tourist visa is fine. All cars will be manual transmission, and despite the prices, don't expect a new vehicle.

Nevertheless, hiring a car is quite expensive, although hiring a car with a driver is typically not more expensive than self-drive. Drivers pass on their costs for spare parts and need to increase the price if fuel rises. A driver guide's credentials should be checked such as tourism license, insurance, engine (external and internal). Before accepting a contract, it is also a good idea to quiz the driver-guide about tourism routes. When driving to the "deep south" of Ethiopia also check the license plates, because the authorities in the south check in and log "3" plate tourism cars, take the names of the passengers and passport number. They need a letter from the tour company to show the agent is bona fide on some routes and parks. Petrol costs 21 birr a litre (US$ 0.70, Jan 2020). Make sure to check the pump is zeroed before re-fuelling starts. There are several highways in Ethiopia, some of these are in good condition:

Road 1: Addis Ababa-Asmara via Dessie and Mekelle

Road 3: Addis Ababa-Axum via Bahir Dar and Gonder

Road 4: Addis Ababa-Djibouti via Nazret (Adama), Awash and Dire Dawa

Road 5: Addis Ababa-Gambela via Alem Zena and Nekemte

Road 6: Addis Ababa-Jimma via Giyon

Road 48: Nekemte-Gambela National Park via Gambela

TAH 4 to the north: Cairo via Khartoum and Bahir Dar

TAH 4 to the south: Cape Town via Gaborone, Lusaka, Dodoma, Nairobi and Awasa

TAH 6 to the east: Djibouti via Dessie

TAH 6 to the west: Ndjamena via Darfur

By bicycle
Road conditions vary considerably around Ethiopia; some roads are smoothly sealed while others consist mostly of large stones. Accommodation is cheap and available in almost every village (although these "hotels" usually double as bars and brothels). Food and drink are also easily available. You will attract considerable attention (it is not uncommon for whole schools to empty out as the children run after you). Be prepared to have stones and sticks thrown at you, especially in the south.

By train
The long unused railway system has been reinvigorated with a new Chinese-built standard gauge line from Addis Ababa to Djibouti City that opened in 2018. While this line is primarily intended for freight transport, it also enables both domestic and international passenger transport.

See

 * Huge obelisks in Axum
 * Historic routes, churches and mosques Lalibela, Axum, Gondar, Harar
 * Volcanic lake Danakil Depression and Erta Ale
 * Rift Valley lakes Wonchi crater lake, Langano, Tana
 * National Parks such as Menengesha
 * Churches, including many beautiful ones in Addis Ababa
 * Rock-hewn churches in Lalibela
 * Castles in Gondar

Itineraries

 * Northern historic circuit. A loop from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar on Lake Tana, to Gondar, then Axum, and Lalibela, and back to Addis. Other stops can be included, such as Simien National Park, Adwa and nearby Yeha, Hawzien and Mekele. The circuit can also be done in the opposite direction. Destinations can be reached affordably by domestic airlines but you may want to consider taking the bus journey from Addis to Bahir Dar to experience the awe-inspiring and switch-backing descent from the highlands deep down into the gorge of the Blue Nile and back up again and for the abundant wildlife you'll see on this stretch of the road. A new paved road is in place and has, in synergy with the Luxury bus companies, turned this gruelling bus trip into quite a decent trip (March 2015).

Do
For where to go to see Ethiopia's wildlife, all images taken by Wikimedia Commons user Charlesjsharp have precise geolocation information [1]
 * Tribal region safari in the Lower Omo Valley
 * Trekking in Dodolla, Bale Siemien Mountains National Park
 * Bird watching in Rift Valley lakes
 * See the gelada ("baboons") at Debre Sina near Addis Ababa
 * White water rafting in the Omo River
 * Attend a traditional coffee ceremony.
 * Visit an azmari bet (azmari bar) to listen to azmari musicians and singers.

The images can be found in galleries of mammals [2] and birds [3] etc.

Money
Local currency is the Ethiopian birr, denoted by the symbol "Br" or "ብር " (ISO currency code: ETB). Wikivoyage articles use birr to denote the currency.

It is one of the more stable African currencies. There are 100 santim to the birr and coins of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 santim circulate, together with a one birr coin. Banknotes of Ethiopia come in values of 1-, 5-, 10-, 50-, 100 and 200 birr.

Foreign visitors to Ethiopia are not supposed to import nor export more than 200 birr.

There are ATMs in most towns, even smaller ones. Dashen Bank, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and Awash Bank are your best bet for finding an ATM that takes Visa, MasterCard and Chinese cards. Don't expect foreign Cirrus or Plus cards to work. The ATMs are not always reliable, so try another and have a back-up plan for cash.

Opportunities to use credit cards (Visa and MasterCard) are increasing in Addis Ababa, but remain rare elsewhere.

Changing cash
Any commercial bank in Ethiopia can exchange cash. The rates are the same everywhere and are set by the central bank daily. There are hundreds of commercial bank branches in Addis Ababa, including in the Sheraton and Hilton hotels, and in the corner of the baggage claim hall at the airport. Most cities and towns that tourists visit will have at least one commercial bank, except for villages in the Omo valley. Many hotels will convert US dollars to birr at the front desk. Because of forgeries in circulation, banks might not accept US dollar notes printed before 2002, or torn or very worn notes. It is illegal to change money on the black market but the rates are better than offered by the banks: when the official rate was 28, the black market rate in Addis Ababa was 30 and in Lalibela 32. Ask anyone and they find someone willing to change hundreds of US dollars.

It is essentially impossible to exchange the birr outside of Ethiopia due to currency controls, and it is illegal to remove more than 200 birr from the country without permission.

US dollars, euros or pounds sterling are the best currencies to carry, in that order. It is best to bring US dollars with you into the country. High denomination notes are preferred ($50 or above) - you will often get a better exchange rate for them. You can only bring in a maximum of USUS$3000. You may find it best to keep most of your cash in your home currency and take out what you need daily. Additionally, since ATM machines dispense money in birr, it may be easier to simply withdraw money from the ATM as needed. Prices are extremely low in Ethiopia and a US dollar will go a long way.

Banks no longer accept travellers cheques.

US dollar
In cities like Addis Ababa and to a much lesser extent Dire Dawa, the US dollar is mostly accepted. In some shops in Addis Ababa the prices will be written in birr and USD. Some ATMs in Addis Ababa give out both US dollars and birr. Most hotels in Addis Ababa accept US dollars. All airports in Ethiopia accept US dollars.

You cannot obtain US dollars in Ethiopia through legal means unless you have a flight ticket to leave the country. This means that if you need dollars (e.g. to get a Djibouti visa) and don't have a flight ticket to leave Ethiopia you will need to either change money on the black market (not recommended) or ensure that you have enough US dollars on you.

Costs
Ethiopia is relatively cheap for tourists, compared to other African countries.

To stay at a 5-star hotel in Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Nazret, Bahir Dar, Gondar and Awasa costs on average 3,000 birr per night (as of 2020). On the other hand, budget double room around the country is 250-1000 birr per night.

Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Adama/Nazret have the most expensive prices in the country. Food is also expensive if you buy it in those city's centres.

You need about 1500 birr per day for hotel, food, lodging and transport. In Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa you can need 2500 birr per day (as of 2020).

Tipping
In Ethiopia tipping is common in hotels, restaurants and bars. One is also expected to tip car park attendants whether hired by institutions or self-assigned. In some restaurants it is customary to tip any dancers, and this is usually done by sticking the paper money on the forehead of the dancer.

Eat

Injera is ubiquitous in Ethiopia. It is a spongy, tangy-tasting bread made from the grain teff, which grows in the highlands of Ethiopia. It looks and feels akin to a crepe or pancake. It's eaten with wot (or wat), traditional stews made with spices and meat or legumes. Popular wats are doro (chicken) wat, yebeg (lamb) wat and asa (fish) wat. Pork is rare in Ethiopia as the Ethiopian Church prohibits the consumption of pork by its followers.

The injera sits directly on a large round plate or tray and is covered with wat placed symmetrically around a central item. The various wats are eaten with other pieces of injera, which are served on a side plate. Injera is eaten with the right hand - rip a large piece of injera from the side plate and use it to scoop up one of the flavours of wat on the main platter. Eating with the left hand is considered disrespectful, as it is the hand traditionally used for personal hygiene and is thus considered unclean. Another popular injera dish is firfir: fried, shredded injera. It can be served with or without meat or with all sorts of veggies.

If you prefer vegetarian food, try the shiro wat, which is an oily bean stew served with injera. Shiro is common on Ethiopian "fasting days", in which devout Ethiopians eat an essentially vegetarian diet.

One of Ethiopia's most famous dishes is tibbs or tibs, spicy beef or lamb fried in butter (nitre kibbeh). Tibs comes in several styles, most commonly "chikina tibs", fried in a sauce with berbere spice, onions, bell peppers, and tomato; and zil-zil tibs, a more deep fried breaded version served with tangy sauces. Equally as famous is kitfo, minced meat spiced with chilli. You can have it raw (the locally preferred way, but there's a risk of getting parasites), leb-leb (lightly cooked) or fully cooked. It comes with a local cheese, ayeb, and spinach. In the Harar region, you can find kitfo derivatives including camel meat. Many restaurants that serve kitfo include it in their name (e.g. Sami Kitfo, Mesob Kitfo) but typically serve a wider selection than just raw meat.

For the pickier visitor, almost every place in Ethiopia also serves spaghetti, thanks to its short lived Italian occupation, but not as Italians would know it. Italian restaurants are common, as are so-called "American style pizza and burger" places that have little in common with American pizzas and burgers. There is continued demand for more American-style dining in Ethiopia, not only from expats but from Ethiopians as well. You will find westerners or western-raised Ethiopians everywhere in the capital and can be very helpful.

Common spices include berbere, Ethiopia's national spice which includes fenugreek; mittmitta, another piquant spice; and rosemary, which is used with almost all meat in the country. Most local meats are of poor quality and are stringy and tough even when cooked perfectly. Luxury hotels and restaurants will often import meat from Kenya which is of much higher quality.

Drink
Ethiopia is the historical origin of the coffee bean, and its coffee is among the best in the world. Coffee is traditionally served in a formal ceremony that involves drinking a minimum of three cups of coffee and eating popcorn. It is a special honour or mark of respect to be invited into somebody's home for the ceremony. Ethiopians tend to drink their coffee either freshly brewed and black, very strong, with the grounds still inside; or as a macchiato, Ethiopia's popular form of coffee.

In preparation for the ceremony the coffee beans are roasted in a flat pan over charcoal. The beans are then ground using pestle and mortar. The coffee is brewed with water in a clay coffee pot and is considered ready when it starts to boil. Coffee in Ethiopia is served black with sugar; some ethnic groups may add butter or salt to the coffee but will generally not do so with foreigners. Beware, after drinking coffee in Ethiopia, you will find yourself always disappointed with the quality of coffee when you return home. In Ethiopia the coffee is so fresh as it is usually roasted the same day as it is consumed. You will dream about coffee for weeks after leaving Ethiopia.

Tej is a honey wine, similar to mead, that is frequently drunk in bars, in particular, in a tej beit (tej bar). It strongly resembles mead in flavour though it typically has a local leaf added to it during brewing that gives it a strong medicinal flavour that may be off putting. It is considered manly to consume this beverage.

A variety of Ethiopian beers are available, all of which are quite drinkable. Many breweries that were formerly owned by the Ethiopian government are now owned by Western beverage companies like Heineken (Harar beer) and Diageo (Meta beer). The nationally ubiquitous beer is St. George, or "Giorgis" named after the patron saint of Ethiopia, which is a light lager similar to American beers that has been brewed in Addis Ababa since 1922. Ethiopian breweries rival many microbreweries in the west and most beers are sold for under USD1.

Ethiopian wines, both red and white, exist but are generally considered undrinkable by foreigners.

Sleep
There is a wide range of accommodation in Ethiopia. Staying in tourist areas generally results in a broader range of choices, but watch out for tourist prices. It is acceptable to bargain with the hotel owner, for they usually tend to charge you "faranji" (foreigner) prices at first, which are often twenty times the local rate. You won't be able to bargain down to local prices (close to nothing) but you can bargain down a lot. This is not true at the government run "Ghion" chain, and the fancier private chains as well, where prices for foreigners are fixed. (Bekale Mola, for example).

Guest houses are common in Ethiopia. These vary from large homes with a number of bedrooms to small hotels and essentially operate as a "Bed and Breakfast". Some have shared baths, other have private baths. The best ones have generators available to deal with power outages as well as internet service and satellite TV. The good ones tend to be clean and they treat you like family. They are much cheaper than the brand name hotels and you will get more exposure to the local culture. If you tip well you will be treated like royalty.

In the north, in every city (Axum, Lalibela, Bahir Dar, Gondar) one can find hotels, from overpriced ones such as the government-run Ghion chain hotels to cheaper ones. Smaller places on the major roads offer cheap places if you do not mind the most basic rooms. A tourist town like Debark that serves for trekking the Simien Mountains also offers a range of rooms, with the most popular being the Simien Park Hotel (25/30 birr), where you could also pitch a tent for 20. It meets the normal standards for food, electricity, water, cleanliness and hygiene.

In the south, all the cities (Shashemane, Wondo Genet, Awasa, Arba Minch, Jinka...) have decent, cheap hotels. The most basic rooms start at 15 birr for a single and 20 birr for a double. Many of them don't have hot water and electricity all hours of the day, so you should schedule time for a shower in advance. There are also three fairly expensive resort hotels on the shore of Lake Langano. In the smaller villages in and around the Omo valley (Weyto, Turmi, Key Afar, Dimeka, Konso, etc.) there are usually few (very basic) or no hotels, but if you are travelling through the valley to see the tribes, there is always a campground or a restaurant that offers beds. If you camp out at one of these villages, you should hire a guard to watch over your stuff overnight.

Work

Most of the following applied to Ethiopia until the 2021 civil war. Check current conditions after the war ends.

At least until 2021, Ethiopia had one of Africa's strongest economies. Unemployment was low, and with a rapidly growing economy, Ethiopia was becoming more and more interesting as an expat destination.

In the big cities, especially Addis Ababa:
 * There was a high demand for IT professionals.
 * Many start-up companies searched for individuals with computer networking and consulting backgrounds.
 * Addis Ababa has the most NGOs in Africa, and possibly among all third world countries. They are reputed for providing generous salaries to their employees.
 * Many expatriates work in NGOs and small start-up IT companies.
 * Compared with other African cities, Addis Ababa has a high number of big, medium and small sized computer training schools, and governmental and private learning institutions. Many students who attend hope to obtain an IT or consulting job, in the very scarce job market of the city.

Some people have a desire to do some sort of charitable work while in Ethiopia. There are many opportunities to volunteer in and around Addis Ababa. Organizations such as Love Volunteers and Projects Abroad offer a range of volunteer projects including teaching English, caring for children and healthcare. Many non-profit organizations produce goods that they sell to help fund their efforts. Most locals at hotels and guest houses can point you to them. Abebech Gobena Yehetsanat Kebekabena Limat Mahber is a great example. Missionaries of Charity started by Mother Teresa of Calcutta have a centre near Sidest Kilo in Addis Ababa.

Many visitors bring donations to Ethiopia. Although most anything is appreciated, there are things very difficult to get in Ethiopia that make great donations. Soy formula for orphanages is a great example as lactose-intolerant babies need this to thrive and it is hard to find in-country. High quality soccer footballs (what would be considered cheap footballs at USD10-15 in Western countries) are hard to find as well. Deflate a football and you can get over 30 in a large bag. You will be seen as a hero when you give them away at orphanages and schools.

Stay safe
There are many ongoing inter-ethnic conflicts. Borders between ethnic regions tend to be high-risk areas. In addition, many groups are in conflict with the government.

Due to the general security situation, expect a heightened security presence. Be prepared for checkpoints, having your identity and travel documents with you. As anywhere, take care to respect road blocks (even if they appear unattended), remain calm and follow instructions.

Communications and availability of food, water and other necessities can be disrupted. Have a contingency plan.

Landmines are a threat in some regions.

See also War zone safety.

Stay healthy
Don't drink the tap water. It's full of parasites, and hotels generally recommend guests not to drink it, nor to eat salads and uncooked foodstuffs that are usually washed in tap water. This applies to ice as well – unless it is distilled, or you are at a reputable Western hotel like the Sheraton, Radisson Blu, or Hilton. Bottled water for drinking is available almost everywhere in small, medium and big bottles – popular brands are Yes (flat water) and Ambo (sparkling water). Make sure you drink enough, especially when the weather is hot.

Consult a doctor before going to Ethiopia about what vaccinations against infectious diseases you should consider. The risk of malaria is low to non-existent in the capital and the highlands, but high in the lake regions and lowlands. Doxycycline for malaria prevention is cheap in Addis.

If you get sick, go to one of the big private hospitals, e.g., Korean, Hayat, St Gabriels.

A large part of Ethiopia is at a high elevation. In those areas, people unaccustomed to breathing in thinner air may have a hard time moving around at first. It is advised to allow yourself a few days to acclimatize to the air. See altitude sickness.

Respect
Ethiopians are very proud of their culture, identity, and country. Avoid criticizing their cultural lifestyle, especially their brand of Christianity (Ethiopian Orthodox). Avoid all contentious religious discussion, or you may risk all good will and hospitality you could have been afforded. Rather than argue about the merits of Orthodoxy or Islam, it's best to ask friends to explain their customs, festivals and beliefs and to listen with respect.

The Ethiopians' relationship with the Westerners is generally free of racial animosity. However, there is considerable suspicion and even xenophobia toward foreigners in the countryside. Ethiopians can be short-fused if they feel they are not treated as equals.

It is a sign of respect for men to avoid eye contact with women. If you are a foreign man, maintaining a formal distance from women will be seen as good manners. If you meet a woman who is with a man, ask the man's permission before talking to her. Likewise, if you're a foreign woman in public with a man, don't be upset if Ethiopian men address all questions to him. They will do this not to slight you but to show respect. This will be the case on public transport and in restaurants.

It is very important to remove your shoes when entering a home.

Telephone
The country code for calling Ethiopia is 251. The city code for Addis Ababa 011 (or 11 from outside Ethiopia).

Mobile
Ethiopia's connectivity is among the worst in the world. The mobile telecom network uses GSM (as in Europe/Africa), operated by Ethio Telecom (ETC) and has limited 3G (1x EV-DO service) and 2G (CDMA) service. There is good voice coverage into small cities. Per March 2015 this seems to have improved drasticly and now both calls and roaming works great (at least around urban areas).

For all travellers, having a mobile phone is a must. It is cheap and easily available. Satellite phones and VSAT devices are heavily restricted or illegal without hefty fees and licenses.

There are only a few stores renting SIM cards. However, purchasing a SIM is inexpensive, and can be done anywhere that sells phones. The best spot is to buy it at a Ethio Telecom shop to not get ripped off. On March 2015 a SIM card cost 15 birr. The system requires the seller to take a photo of you and your passport information to activate your SIM. You'll have to sign an agreement that you will not commit any crimes with your phone. All local stores will have calling cards you can purchase to call internationally. For domestic calls, phones are topped up with a prepaid card, available in denominations of 2000, 500, 100, 50 and 25 birr and smaller.

In general calls, SMS' and roaming is quite cheap.

Internet
Ethiopia is one of the least connected cuntries of the world. As of 2022, internet penetration in Ethiopia is 25% of the total population and internet service is extremely limited. There are numerous internet cafes in Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Nazret, Bahir Dar, Gonder, Awasa and other cities; however their speeds are often dial-up at best, and some operate illegally. In Addis Ababa, connection speeds are more than adequate for performing tasks such as checking e-mail most of the time. A typical internet cafe will have a dozen computers using one "broadband" (actually 3G mobile internet speeds from 128 kbit/s) connection. ADSL is available, but expensive, and reserved for enterprise customers most of the time. At the Addis Sheraton, the internet connection rivals that of most Western hotels, but costs USD30 for a 24-hour connection. Ethiopia's international connection is unstable: On bad days, even a broadband connection will only deliver dial-up speed, because the whole country's traffic is running via an undersized backup satellite connection. The government has announced plans to roll out 4G LTE service.

To use the Internet costs 0.25-0.35 birr/min in the bigger cities but outside the cities it usually costs more than 1 birr/min. Watch out for computer viruses: most computers or flash disks in use are infected.

Outside of bigger towns, it is harder to find a working Internet connection and the charge per minute is often much higher than in bigger towns.

Ethiopia is deploying an internet filter, to access blocked sites, use a VPN or use the free, open-source TOR Project. Personal use of VoIP services such as Skype is legalized.

Mail
Ethiopia has one of the most efficient postal services in Africa. Many attribute this success to the extensive network of Ethiopian Airlines. However, mail does not get delivered to your address. You are required to buy a post office box. Once you get a post office box, the flow of your mail will be consistent.

Newspapers
English language papers include Capital and The Reporter each costing 5 birr.

title: Ethiopia


text:
Etna (California)

Etna is a town of 716 people (2016) roughly to the west of Yreka on Highway 3 in Siskiyou County in Northern California. It's at about 3500 feet in altitude in the verdant Scott Valley. In addition to more natural beauty than is healthy, Etna also features a gas station, grocery store, hardware store, second hand store, a bar, a theater (stage), a public swimming pool, and seven churches. Etna used to be a gold mining and timber town. Timber production has slowed, which many locals blame on environmentalists. Farming is another common occupation in the area.

Get in

 * By Air The nearest airport is in Medford, Oregon. From the airport, travel south on the I-5 for roughly 45 minutes until reaching the exit for CA-3 in Yreka. Travel west on CA-3 (following the sign for Etna & Fort Jones) for roughly 25 miles. You'll pass through Fort Jones after about 12 miles and Greenview after eighteen.
 * By car From the I-5 exit at CA-3 in Yreka. Travel west on CA-3 (following the sign for Etna & Fort Jones) for roughly 25 miles. You'll pass through Fort Jones after about 12 miles and Greenview after 18.
 * By foot From the Pacific Crest Trail, hike to Etna Summit. At the top of Etna Summit there is some radio gear, a small parking lot, and a road. Follow the road down the mountain. It will lead you directly to downtown Etna.
 * By bus The nearest Greyhound stop is in Yreka. The Greyhound drops off in Yreka, but it doesn't pick up in Yreka.
 * By train The nearest train station is in Dunsmuir. From Dunsmuir travel north on the I-5 for roughly 45 minutes until reaching the exit for CA-3 in Yreka. Travel west on CA-3 (following the sign for Etna & Fort Jones) for roughly 25 miles. You'll pass through Fort Jones after about 12 miles and Greenview after 18.

Get around
Etna is small enough to walk around the entire town. To go anywhere else it's easiest to have an automobile. Hitch-hiking is not difficult and fairly well accepted in the area.

See
Scott Valley is a place of amazing natural beauty.

Do
There's plenty of hiking and camping around.
 * Go camping-- Etna is surrounded by national wilderness. Inquire at the Forestry Service building in Greenview about getting a map.
 * Hike to Johnson's Waterfall-- From the public pool, cross the street and walk past the baseball field & scrap metal. From there follow the path going towards the right (when facing the mountains). You'll want to have crossed the small creek before having climbed too far. Once you've crossed the creek at its low, shady crossing, simply follow the path up. After roughly thirty minutes, you should reach Johnson's Waterfall, which is surrounded by granite outcroppings and offers a view of Etna from the mountain. It's a place of great beauty, and there's room enough to pitch a tent or spread a picnic blanket near the waterfall.
 * Hike the Pacific Crest Trail-- The easiest way to get to the PCT is to take Sawyer's Bar Road to Etna Summit. From there it's possible to hook up with the PCT.

Swimming

 * Swimming at the local pool-- The pool is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day and costs less than $2 to swim in. It's across the street from the high school.
 * Take a swim in Etna Creek-- From Collier Way turn right onto Main Street in downtown. Main Street turns into Sawyer's Bar Road. Travel down Sawyer's Bar for a couple miles and you'll see places to pull over. The creek runs parallel to Sawyer's Bar Road. Ask a local for thoughts on the best places to swim. Watch out, it's cold.

Eat
Etna's old drug store is now owned by a pizza place called "Denny Bar". This historic building used to house the old high school.

Sleep

 * There is a small motel on Collier Way.

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

title: Etna (California)


text:
Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park is the second largest of Namibia's game reserves (after Namib-Naukluft National Park). It spans 20,000 km² in the Four-O region. The park surrounds the dry Etosha salt pan. The waterholes surrounding the pan attract animals, particularly in the drier winter months, because it is a source of water in a very dry land.

Understand
Its name means "big white place", referring to the Etosha Salt Pan.

All facilities inside the park are run by Namibia Wildlife Resorts, a company owned by the Namibian Government.

History
The park is over a hundred years old. And one of the most famous in the world.

Landscape
The park surrounds the Etosha salt pan an arid and dusty area - which is entirely dry for most of the year - it may only fill with water on one or two occasions throughout the year. The waterholes and boreholes that surround the pan attract a great deal of wildlife during the dryer months - as the only source of water in this harsh landscape.

Flora and fauna
There is lots of wildlife here that is easy to see. Springbok, Black-faced Impala, Zebra, Giraffe, Warthog, and Wildebeest will be hard to miss even driving along the main roads.

Elephant and Rhino are often seen in the bush and waterholes. There are a healthy populations of cheetah, lion and leopard for those with a keener eye on the shadows.

There are around 100 other species of mammals in the park. Jackals, hyena, dik-dik, steinbok, to name but a few.

There are no buffalo in the park, as there is simply insufficient water to sustain them.

Get in
The options are to take your own vehicle (hire or owned), to join a tour, or to fly on a charter.

Visitors are not permitted to walk in the park outside of a vehicle (except in the enclosed camping/hotel areas) on foot. Although it is possible to fly to one of the camps or lodges and take day-safari trips from the lodge.

If you are driving, the B1 from either Oshakati or Tsumeb) brings you to the park's eastern gate at Namutoni. The C38, from Outjo bring you to the park's southern gate.

Safari companies operate from Windhoek and Swakopmund and offer tours of varying length in Etosha. Old maps might show the western part of the park as 'closed for private travellers' but this is no longer true.

Fees and permits
Entry fees are $80 per person per day, and $10 per vehicle per day.

The process to enter is bureaucratic. You fill in the paperwork at the gate, fill in your entry details, and then take it to an administration office at the camp to pay. You can buy multi-day tickets as long as they are for consecutive days. You can expect this process to take up to an hour during the busy season by the time you wait at the gate and again queue at the administration office. Credit cards and cash are accepted. You will need to show this paperwork each time you enter and exit the park.

Get around
As mentioned above, you need a vehicle to get around the park. The roads are all well-graded gravel, so there is no need to have a four-wheel drive. Since the dust generated by traffic is damaging to the environment, the speed limit is 60 km/h (37 mph). Crossing Etosha from east to west takes the better part of a day.

Be careful when driving on gravel roads especially when braking as there is very little traction available and one can skid very easily. There is fuel available in the camps and at just outside the park gates. All the fuel stations accept credit and debit cards.

See

 * Animals! Throughout the park, particularly at watering holes, of which there are many.
 * Rest Camp watering holes At all three rest camps, there is are watering holes just outside the perimeter fence. At night they are lit with flood lights and visitors can sit and watch as the animals come down to drink, flirt and occasionally fight well into the night. They are ideal places to wander down to with a sundowner after getting back from a days game spotting. Visitors are not allowed out of the rest camps after sunset so the waterholes provide the opportunity to continue watching the animals after dark.

Do
What else to do then see the wildlife! From every hotel there are possibilities to do a game drive, be sure to bring your binoculars as some animals (like lions or cheetahs) can only be watched when distance is kept. Also when close to animals be very quiet, most animals will be scared by the slightest noise.

The best time to easily see a lot of wildlife is in the afternoon around 15:30, be aware that the gates are closed to the park and to the camps at sunset. During the dry season the waterholes viewed from each of the camps offer good wildlife viewing. Wildlife tend not to come to the waterholes during the wet.

Buy
A good map that has all the water holes that tells you where to see the animals you may want to see. You can also download from the parks site before you travel.

Eat
Food is available at restaurants and kiosks in the camps. However, stocks are limited, and it's a monopoly provider. So you won't starve, but you will be paying a little over the odds for below par food. Also the opening hours are around mealtimes, so if you get into camp mid-afternoon hoping for some lunch you may be out of luck.

Sleep
There are five designated rest camps for visitors, enclosed by walls and fences. Namutoni, Halali and Okaukejo have camping, and most offer petrol stations, pools and shops for those things you forgot. The gates for camps open at sunrise and close at sunset. You are not allowed outside of a camp during night. Bush camping is not permitted. All lodges and campsites inside of the park can be booked through Namibia Wildlife Resorts.

There is other accommodation available near the park gates. This is often superior in quality and better value. You can take game drives into the park - but you should factor in the time taken to enter the park. Up to 10-15 km from the South Gate there are a number of lodges (Eldorado Lodge, Etosha Safari Camp, Etosha Safari Lodge, Taleni Etosha Village) along the C38 highway. Only a few hundred meters from the North Gate next to the D3646 highway is the location of the Etosha King Nehale lodge.

Onguma is a separate area to the east of the park, offering accommodation and wildlife of its own.

Stay safe
Stay in your car; wild animals can be dangerous. There are plenty of picnic spots around the park where one can alight from your vehicle, but these are not all fenced so be on the lookout for animals. If you are concerned about breaking down within the park, you can take the number of one of the tow-out services, or the numbers of rest camps. The main road through the park sees regular traffic, but some of the loop roads are very lightly trafficked. Stay to the main routes if you are concerned.

At night, jackals may walk around your campsite, they will usually flee when they see you but be careful, some jackals carry rabies.

Although all campsites are fenced, do not sleep outside, especially not on the benches surrounding the waterholes. The fence is not high there and not really an obstacle for a lion.

Etosha is in a low-risk malaria zone. You should take medical advice before you travel and appropriate precautions.

Go next
Northeast of Etosha the Caprivi Strip offers more game parks and is en route to the Victoria Falls. On the way is the town of Tsumeb, where you can stop to visit the Tsumeb Museum, home of interesting mineral specimens such as dioptase from the local Tsumeb Mine, as well as the Helvi Mpingana Kondombolo Cultural Village for exhibits on various Namibian villages and ways of life. Two unique features about Tsumeb are that in the surrounding area are three sinkholes with uncharted depths due to subterranean laterite cave systems at the bottom, and secondly that the presence of the largest meteorite in the world, Hoba, weighing in at about 60 tons, is located in a site developed for tourism about 40 minutes southeast of the town.

You could stock up and stay overnight here, too, since it's a long way across the Central Plateau.

title: Etosha National Park


text:
Ettlingen

Ettlingen, tucked between Karlsruhe and the Black Forest, is a small city with a history dating back to the Roman Empire.

By train
KVV tram lines S1 and S11 run to Karlsruhe every 10 minutes or better, connecting to long distance trains at the central station (Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof). Tickets are €2.20 to the central station and points south, and €2.80 to anywhere else in Karlsruhe. There are several stops in Ettlingen, of which Ettlingen Stadt is the most central. Some trams end at this station; during off hours, two-car trains will often detach here, with only the first car continuing south.

By car
Take the Ettlingen exit (47, "Karlsruhe-Rueppurr/Ettlingen") from the A5 autobahn, immediately south of the A8 interchange.

Get around
Although Ettlingen has expanded over the years, the area of greatest interest is compact and easily explored on foot. Bus service to the outlying districts (mostly residential and industrial) leaves from the west side of Ettlingen Stadt tram station.

See
The old city, spanning the Alb River, dates largely from the 1700s, following its near-total destruction in the Nine Years' War. Today it's a mixture of classic architecture and modern shops, retaining its charm and pleasant to walk around. Points of interest are marked with blue plaques in German, English, and French.

Go next
Take the tram north into Karlsruhe, or south to Bad Herrenalb and Ittersbach.

title: Ettlingen


text:
Eufaula

Eufaula is a town of 2,766 (2020) in the Green Country region of Oklahoma.

Get in
Like many suburban and rural destinations in the United States, a car is essential for travelling to Eufaula. If you are not looking to drive the entire way, or simply can't drive the entire way, there are airports a few hours away by car in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

title: Eufaula


text:
Eugene

Eugene (population 173,000 in 2019) is a city in Oregon at the southern end of the Willamette Valley near the confluence of the Mckenzie and Willamette rivers. It is best known for being the home of the University of Oregon.

Understand
Citizens of Eugene are environmentally aware people who love their coffee and their microbrews. Residents range from arch-conservative Republicans to militant anarchists. However, overall the population is typical Pacific Northwest, i.e., leaning toward a greater degree of social responsibility, respect for nature, and diminished consumerism. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon, aka "The Fighting Ducks". Eugene was the second home to the rock band the Grateful Dead, and author Ken Kesey, a U of O grad, lived in nearby Springfield, leading some to see this city as a "hippie Mecca".

Along with neighboring Springfield and surrounding towns, Eugene forms part of the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area.

Saturday Market has been continuously in operation since 1970, rain or shine and claims to be the oldest open-air market of its type in the United States.

By plane

 * Avelo : (Burbank)
 * American Airlines and Skywest dba American Eagle: Dallas/Ft Worth and Phoenix Sky Harbor. Flights from Portland and Seattle are operated by Alaska Airlines as a codeshare partner).
 * Alaska Airlines: (Seattle-Tacoma, Los Angeles and San Diego)
 * Allegiant': (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Oakland, Phoenix/Mesa and Santa Ana, CA. Seasonally from Los Angeles and San Diego)
 * Compass Air dba Delta Connection: (Salt Lake City & Seattle-Tacoma)
 * Southwest Airlines (Burbank, Denver, Las Vegas, Oakland, San Jose CA and seasonally from San Diego)
 * United Airlines & Skywest dba United Express: (Denver and San Francisco)
 * United Airlines & Skywest dba United Express: (Denver and San Francisco)

Additional domestic & international connections are made in Chicago O'Hare, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City depending on the airlines you choose.

There is no public transportation (Lane Transit District (LTD) buses) to/from the airport, so you'll have to hire a cab, shuttle, or rent a car. The nearest public transit available is the 95-Junction City bus line which has a stop from the terminal at the intersection of Airport Rd. and Highway 99.

Portland International Airport, is the next closest airport with commercial service, located north. It is common for travelers to fly into Portland at a more competitive airfare and rent a car to drive to Eugene. If you do not plan to rent a car, Groome Transportation offers regularly scheduled shuttles from Portland International Airport into town (See By bus in the below).

By train

 * Routes stopping in Eugene:
 * Amtrak Cascades operates between Vancouver, BC and Eugene via Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Everett, Edmonds, Seattle, Tukwila, Tacoma, Lacey (Olympia), Centralia, Kelso (Longview), and Vancouver, WA, Portland, Oregon City, Salem, and Albany.  There are two round trips daily along the portion between Vancouver and Seattle, four round trips daily along the portion between Seattle and Portland, and two round trips daily along the portion between Portland and Eugene.  No train departures travel the whole length of the route. Additional service between Vancouver and Seattle, and between Portland to Eugene are provided on the Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach.
 * Coast Starlight operates daily between Seattle and Los Angeles. Stops include Tacoma, Portland, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Dunsmuir, Redding, Chico, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, San Francisco (Emeryville), Oakland, San Jose, Salinas, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys, and Burbank. Between Seattle and Eugene, it makes the same stops as the Amtrak Cascades, except it skips Tukwila and Oregon City.
 * Coast Starlight operates daily between Seattle and Los Angeles. Stops include Tacoma, Portland, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Dunsmuir, Redding, Chico, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, San Francisco (Emeryville), Oakland, San Jose, Salinas, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys, and Burbank. Between Seattle and Eugene, it makes the same stops as the Amtrak Cascades, except it skips Tukwila and Oregon City.

Travel time by destination and route:
 * I-5.svg I-105.svg From Interstate 5 (I-5) Eugene and Springfield are accessed from exits #189 ("30th Ave South Eugene") through #196 ("Randy Pape Beltline SR-569 Eugene-Springfield") along I-5. To get to downtown Eugene from the north, exit at #194 and go west on Interstate 105 or go east on SR-126 to Springfield from the same exit. From the south, downtown can be reached via Franklin Blvd (Hwy 99) at Exit #192. There are five exits along I-5 to reach Eugene and Springfield.
 * Portland, OR (via I-5 for ): 2 hours
 * Seattle, WA (via I-5 for ): 5 hours
 * Medford, OR (via I-5 for ): 3 hours
 * Sacramento, CA (via I-5) for ): 7½ hours
 * San Francisco, CA (via I-5, 505 & I-80 for ): 9 hours
 * OR 126.svg OR-Hwy 126 passes through Eugene as W 11th/10th Ave and through Springfield as Main St/'A' St. A bypass highway of OR Hwy 126 bypasses around Springfield in the north from Main & Pioneer Pkwy east of Springfield, becomes I-105 west of the I-5 junction at Exit #194 and continues into W 7th & Jefferson west of downtown Eugene as Interstate 105.
 * Florence, OR (via Hwy 126 for ): 1 hour
 * Bend, OR (via Hwy 126 for ): 3-4 hours
 * Boise, ID (via I-84, US 20, and Hwy 126 for 446 miles (718 km))ː 7.5-8 hours
 * OR 99.svg OR-Hwy 99 goes from I-5 at Exit 192 and passes along the north side of the University of Oregon as Franklin Blvd, across downtown as 6th / 7th Ave and continues northwest as "Hwy 99" to Junction City  where it splits between OR 99E.svg & OR 99W.svg. Going south SR-99 goes along I-5 to Exit #188 ("SR-58 Oakridge Klamath Falls"), through Goshen as Franklin Blvd and runs parallel along I-5 as a separate road for  through Creswell and Cottage Grove and merges back into I-5 at Exit #170 in Veatch.

 * Corvallis, OR (via SR-99 & 99W for ): 55 minutes

By bus
Intercity buses stop in front of the University of Oregon School of Law, across street from Hayward Field, at 1515 Agate St and/or the Amtrak Station on 433 Willamette St. Some may have additional bus stops in other parts of the city to or in Springfield. Check schedules and tickets:

 * Cascades Point/Amtrak Cascades Thruway goes up to Portland via Woodburn, Salem & Albany. Additional stop at the Hayward Field (1515 Agate St) on the University of Oregon campus
 * Cascades Point/Amtrak Cascades Thruway goes up to Portland via Woodburn, Salem & Albany. Additional stop at the Hayward Field (1515 Agate St) on the University of Oregon campus
 * Cascades Point/Amtrak Cascades Thruway goes up to Portland via Woodburn, Salem & Albany. Additional stop at the Hayward Field (1515 Agate St) on the University of Oregon campus
 * Cascades Point/Amtrak Cascades Thruway goes up to Portland via Woodburn, Salem & Albany. Additional stop at the Hayward Field (1515 Agate St) on the University of Oregon campus
 * Cascades Point/Amtrak Cascades Thruway goes up to Portland via Woodburn, Salem & Albany. Additional stop at the Hayward Field (1515 Agate St) on the University of Oregon campus

By bike
Eugene has an excellent system of bike routes, and has bike friendly streets, and its bike paths allow you to ride along rivers, mountain trails and through covered bridges.
 * Bicycle rentals are available from Bicycle Way of Life.

See

 * Autzen Stadium at night.jpg
 * First or Last Friday Artwalk. Popular art walk in downtown with all the local galleries participating. Free
 * First or Last Friday Artwalk. Popular art walk in downtown with all the local galleries participating. Free
 * First or Last Friday Artwalk. Popular art walk in downtown with all the local galleries participating. Free
 * First or Last Friday Artwalk. Popular art walk in downtown with all the local galleries participating. Free
 * First or Last Friday Artwalk. Popular art walk in downtown with all the local galleries participating. Free
 * First or Last Friday Artwalk. Popular art walk in downtown with all the local galleries participating. Free
 * First or Last Friday Artwalk. Popular art walk in downtown with all the local galleries participating. Free
 * First or Last Friday Artwalk. Popular art walk in downtown with all the local galleries participating. Free

Do

Outdoors
Eugene is a great city for outdoors enthusiasts and cyclists. There are many well-maintained hiking trails, and there are bike lanes on most major roads.

Events
Eugene Weekly is a good source for 'what's happening' in the area.

Bars
Eugene's main bar scene is centered around Broadway and Olive St (the "barmuda triangle") in downtown. Alternatives can be found in the Whiteaker neighborhood (Blair Blvd), which is experiencing a brewery renaissance of sorts, and around the UO campus. Expect crowds every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, especially during the school year when college students fill the streets.

Breweries
Eugene has a thriving brewery scene, largely in the Whiteaker neighborhood, northwest of downtown.

Coffeeshops & teahouses
Eugene has an excellent variety of coffeeshops.

Wineries
The wineries of the Willamette Valley pride themselves in offering a relaxing and inviting experience for guests from downtown Eugene tasting rooms to vast countryside vineyards.

By telephone
The area codes for Eugene and Springfield are 458 and 541. 10-digit dialing is required throughout the region, i.e., the 541- or 458- area codes must be dialed with all numbers.

Sleep
The Eugene Hotel, whose large sign is a prominent feature of Eugene's skyline, is actually a retirement community.

Go next

 * The Central Oregon Coast and Florence are just one hour west on OR-126.
 * Bend is a 2.5-hour drive east of Eugene using OR-126 to get to US-20.

Outdoor recreational areas
If you have access to a car, there are different outdoor recreational opportunities available within an hour's drive from town.

 * and Meditation Pool (Wall Creek), take highway 58 to Oakridge, left on Union St, right on 1st, or so to a left turn on Forest Service Road 1934. Meditation Pool is on your left after about  (trailhead, about  walk to the pool), Blair lake is all the way at the top. Be sure to detour near the top when you see a road going off to the left marked by a trail marker (picture of two people hiking) for a spectacular view. Blair lake has campsites and hiking, Meditation Pool is a warm spring.
 * and Meditation Pool (Wall Creek), take highway 58 to Oakridge, left on Union St, right on 1st, or so to a left turn on Forest Service Road 1934. Meditation Pool is on your left after about  (trailhead, about  walk to the pool), Blair lake is all the way at the top. Be sure to detour near the top when you see a road going off to the left marked by a trail marker (picture of two people hiking) for a spectacular view. Blair lake has campsites and hiking, Meditation Pool is a warm spring.
 * and Meditation Pool (Wall Creek), take highway 58 to Oakridge, left on Union St, right on 1st, or so to a left turn on Forest Service Road 1934. Meditation Pool is on your left after about  (trailhead, about  walk to the pool), Blair lake is all the way at the top. Be sure to detour near the top when you see a road going off to the left marked by a trail marker (picture of two people hiking) for a spectacular view. Blair lake has campsites and hiking, Meditation Pool is a warm spring.

title: Eugene


text:
Eulo

Eulo is a small town in South Western Queensland. The town centre is a few kilometres from the Paroo River, and it is the second largest town in Paroo Shire after Cunnamulla.

Get in
Eulo is 60 km from Cunnamulla on sealed road. The road is mostly single lane sealed, with a wider gravel verge. You have to pull off to the side for oncoming traffic, or pull off the road entirely for road trains. Nearest car rental and daily scheduled air travel is in Charleville.

Get around
The town itself only consists of a few houses and shops. Most of the heritage trail can be walked. You will need a car to get out to the mud springs or the Paroo.

Connect
There is free Wi-Fi at the Eulo Queen Hotel. There is no Optus or Vodafone mobile reception in Eulo.

Go next
The Currawinya National Park is just to the south of Eulo. The turnoff is to the left just beyond the Paroo River Bridge. The other side of the park is Hungerford. Continue west 200kn or so Thargomindah, or take a day trip to the opal fields at Yowah.

title: Eulo


text:
Eurasia

Eurasia is a landmass that consists of two continents, Asia and Europe.

The distinction between the two is to some extent arbitrary. The Urals are considered to be the border between Asia and Europe. Regions such as the Caucasus can be counted as part of either and some countries such as Russia and Turkey are partly in both, with Turkey's largest city Istanbul being the only city to straddle two continents. There are some other locations where the border is clearly marked, such as Europe & Asia border monument in Yekaterinburg.

Of course the two have always been linked; see Silk Road for the historic trade routes or Trans-Siberian Railway for probably the most famous overland trip between the two continents today.

title: Eurasia


text:
Eureka

Eureka is a city in Humboldt County, California. With a population of slightly over 25,000, it is the largest coastal city on the West Coast of the United States north of San Francisco and south of Portland and the center of the California North Coast (Redwood Coast). The timber industry gave the town its early wealth. Now, with logging in decline, it retains the charm of that era with older Victorian buildings and the feel of an old-fashioned working town.

Situated on the shores of Humboldt Bay, Eureka provides an urban environment in this rugged corner of California with a quaint but lively city center, thriving arts scene, and variety of shopping and dining options without the hectic rush of other major cities in the state. It also serves as the gateway to Redwood National Park and Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which are home to the world's tallest trees.

By car
Most visitors choose to travel to the Redwood Coast by car to enjoy the picturesque scenery.

 * US 101.svg is the primary route through Eureka and the region, linking it with the San Francisco Bay Area to the south and Oregon Coast to the north. Driving time from the Bay Area is four to six hours through the spectacular scenery of Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, including an option to traverse the scenic bypass of the appropriately named Avenue of the Giants (State Route 254) which is surrounded by towering coast redwoods. Driving time from the Oregon border is two hours, with a connection to Portland (about 7 hours) via U.S. Route 199.
 * California 299.svg connects with I-5.svg in Redding (about 3 hours).
 * California 255.svg connects the city with the Samoa Peninsula via the Samoa Bridge and is an alternate scenic (and longer) route to neighboring Arcata.

By plane

 * is served by Skywest Airlines as United Express to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Denver, and by Avelo to Burbank. The airport is located in the town of McKinleyville, about north of Eureka.  Ground transportation includes the HTA county bus, on-call shuttle, taxi, and car rentals.

By boat
As a port city, Eureka has facilities to dock yachts and other private water vessels, most notably at the Woodley Island Marina.

By bus
Eureka Transit Service (ETS) and Redwood Transit System both run service within town, with the latter linking neighboring towns as well.

By car
Eureka is fairly easy to navigate by car, with most of the city arranged in a grid pattern. In Downtown, numbered streets (1st to 15th Streets) travel in a west-east direction, while lettered streets (A to Y Streets) travel in a north-south direction. U.S. Route 101 also goes through downtown as local streets rather than a freeway, with northbound traffic carried by 5th Street and southbound traffic carried by 4th Street.

Rental car services are available in town and at the Arcata-Eureka Airport.

By foot
Old Town and the waterfront area are compact enough to be navigated on foot, although a car or public transit is recommended for areas outside of downtown.

Stay safe
Due to its small population, Eureka and the surrounding area are very safe with low crime rates. Normal travel safety precautions should be exercised.

Humboldt County is the center of the U.S. marijuana industry and many illegal operations are in the surrounding rural areas. Some are well-guarded and armed. As a result, while it is unlikely a traveler would encounter one, avoid anything that may seem suspicious when outside the Eureka urban area.

When venturing into the surrounding forest areas and wilderness, stay on marked or well-traveled paths and take extra water and maybe a portable charger with you. Due to the dense vegetation, it is easy to become lost or encounter aggressive wildlife and cell phone reception may be spotty or nonexistent.

Go next

 * Arcata - Arcata is a college town immediately to the north of Eureka and home to Humboldt State University. As no chain stores are allowed within city limits, the numerous shops, restaurants, and art galleries are all locally-owned, with most centered around the downtown plaza.
 * Trinidad - A charming beach town about 20 miles north. Numerous rock formations jut out of the surrounding ocean just off the beaches of town, the largest being Trinidad Head which offers hiking trails and views.
 * Redwood National Park - 40 miles north, this national park complex preserves the largest concentration of old-growth coast redwood forest which include the world's tallest trees. Numerous hiking trails and campsites are scattered along turnoffs of Highway 101, which runs through the park. Four visitor centers (of which the Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center is closest to Eureka) provide maps, park information, souvenirs, and services.
 * Fort Bragg - A seaside town roughly 130 miles south, Fort Bragg is also another former logging town which offers historic and natural attractions such as the unique Glass Beach and Skunk Train.
 * Ukiah - The other regional center of the North Coast, albeit located inland about 150 miles south of Eureka. Home to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the largest Buddhist temple in the Western Hemisphere and numerous wineries in the vicinity.

title: Eureka


text:
St. Louis County

St. Louis County is an area in the St. Louis Area of Missouri. Its current boundaries were set in 1877, when St. Louis City split off to become an independent city separate from any county. It is the most populated part of the St. Louis area, though it has fewer sites of interest than the City. It mostly consists of suburban residential areas.

By plane

 * is the largest airport serving St. Louis, with annual passenger traffic of approximately 13 million people. The airport is 14 miles northwest of the city center and is directly served by the MetroLink light rail line. A 2-hour MetroLink transfer ticket costs $4 from the airport. Uber vehicles are not allowed to pick up at the airport, although they may drop off passengers.

Get around
For the most part, public transportation in St. Louis County is not a viable option. Bus routes are slow, sparse, and infrequent. So unless you are willing to do a lot of waiting and walking, you need a car.

However, a few central locations are located near light rail (MetroLink) stops, particularly the Delmar Loop, downtown Clayton, and the Galleria shopping mall. MetroLink is a fast, comfortable, and relatively frequent way of getting around.

Neighborhoods and regions

 * Delmar Loop/University City - Located just north of Clayton and beginning at the northwest edge of Forest Park/Washington University is this culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse neighborhood of St. Louis. One of the more liberal areas of the region, it is a popular area for college students and post-graduates to live and interact. "The Loop" (a.k.a. Delmar Blvd) itself is one main street of storefronts, restaurants, hotels, music venues, bookstores, and one of the greatest independent movie theatre- The Tivoli.
 * West County - Includes most areas west of Clayton, especially upper-class neighborhoods like Frontenac, Ladue, Huntleigh, Town and Country, and Creve Coeur. The area has one of the highest concentrations of wealth in the Midwest, and home to two of the most upscale shopping areas in St. Louis Region - Plaza Frontenac and the St. Louis Galleria.
 * North County - Home to Lambert International Airport, the site of historical flights by Charles Lindbergh, and Boeing. This area contains many small subdivisions of post-World War II ranch-style homes, housing ethnically diverse populations. Towns include Ferguson (which experienced rioting in 2014), Florissant (founded in the late 1700s), and Hazelwood.
 * South County - A residential area, which is mostly white but less wealthy than West County. Towns like Affton, Bayless, Brentwood, Webster Groves, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Crestwood provide a nice small-town atmosphere great for families. It is home to the appropriately named South County Mall.
 * South County - A residential area, which is mostly white but less wealthy than West County. Towns like Affton, Bayless, Brentwood, Webster Groves, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Crestwood provide a nice small-town atmosphere great for families. It is home to the appropriately named South County Mall.

Do

 * - located in Fenton
 * - located in Chesterfield
 * - located in Chesterfield

University City
The Loop features excellent dining, and has everything from sidewalk cafes to upscale restaurants. This is a great street to walk and find something that appeals to your palate. Many ethnic restaurants, including Lebanese and Thai, are on the Loop.

Sleep
Hotels tend to be clustered near the Clayton business district, or near the airport.

For each of these entries, the municipality in which the hotel is found (example: Clayton) is written after the address.

Stay safe
The southern and western parts of St. Louis County are mostly well-off suburbs which are as safe as anywhere around. However, some of the northern suburbs, particularly those adjacent to north St. Louis City, have high poverty and crime rates. In University City, the area north of Olive Boulevard is best avoided, particularly at night. Further north, the suburbs of Wellston and Pagedale are very dangerous and should never be visited on foot. However, there is little reason for visitors to go to any of these areas.

Ferguson
In 2014, the suburb of Ferguson was subject to sporadic but considerably dangerous rioting, protesting, and other violence over the Michael Brown death. However, as of 2016 things are quiet again.

Kirkwood
Although most of Kirkwood is quite safe, the Meacham Park neighborhood (the area between I-44, Kirkwood Road and Big Bend Road) should be avoided after dark. Meacham Park has had a number of shootings. This small neighborhood is one of the few dangerous areas in the south or west of the county.

title: St. Louis County


text:
Eureka Springs

Eureka Springs is a quaint resort town in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, with eclectic dining and shopping, art galleries and local crafts. The massive Beaver Lake is just outside of town. It is a Victorian village and has a European look and feel, with Victorian cottages and homes on steep winding streets.

The entire city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and with good reason. Not many towns sprang up overnight like Eureka Springs. On July 4, 1879, the town was founded and named. By the end of the year, approximately 10,000 were living there. The attraction was the area's numerous cold water springs, thought to have healing properties. Naturally, this claim was fairly short lived, and when the boom busted, a town full of Victorian homes balanced precariously on limestone bluffs was left in the Ozark wilderness without much of an economic base. As a result, few new buildings followed, and those that were there were rarely razed or renovated. Dozens, if not hundreds, of Victorian homes have remained-- ranging from tiny cottages to elaborate mansions.

Today, the city is passionate about preserving this treasure. In the Spring of 2001, Eureka Springs was named one of 12 Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

You've never seen anything quite like it.

By car

 * Driving - Eureka Springs in remotely located in the Ozarks and the best way to get there is drive. You can travel south from Springfield, Mo or Branson, Mo. on US 65 to US 62 and then west. It is about 1-1/2 hours from Springfield and about 45 minutes from Branson. Eureka Springs is at the crossroads of US 62 (east/west) and US 23 (north/south), both are two lane highways and have curves and hills.

By plane

 * Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) 50 miles southwest (mountain miles - takes longer to drive in the Ozark hills)
 * Tulsa International Airport (TUL) 160 miles west
 * Springfield/Branson Regional Airport (SGF) 100 miles north

Get around
Because parking is limited, many tourists find it convenient to walk or take the trolley.

Access to the downtown historic district is somewhat limited to individuals with disabilities. Sidewalks are rough native stone and often steep.

Streets in the historic area are very narrow and the operators of large vehicles like RV's and one ton pickups will find manuvering through town to be a real challenge.

See

Eat

 * New Delhi Cafe, 2 North Main., Features American and Indian food. Live music Friday and Saturday nights. thenewdelhicafe.com +1 479 253-2525
 * Mud Street Cafe 22 G South Main Street, +1 479 253-6732. Great underground ambiance.

Sleep
There are many places to stay here that will fit every budget and need, but it is advised to make reservations several weeks in advance because Eureka Spring is a very popular tourist location.

Near
These are properties are located on Beaver Lake near Eureka Springs.

title: Eureka Springs


text:
Wikivoyage:Past events/Euro 2008

The European Football Championships of 2008 was held in Austria and Switzerland. Matches ran from June 7 – June 29.

Tickets
Tickets are on sale in March 2007. For more information ask your Nation's football association or go to the official tournament website.

Tickets are sold from 1 March till 31 March. There are several types of ticket packages. The first is by match, the second is follow your team for the first round (first 3 games), and the third and last option is following your team as long as it's in the tournament.

Ticket applications were analyzed in April 2007. As the number of applications per match exceeded the size of the stadiums and there was an overwhelming number of ticket buyers, UEFA held a random draw.

Around 20% of tickets for each game was distributed by the national football associations of the 16 countries that qualified for the tournament. This phase took place in February/March 2008 and after that the tickets are virtually sold out (i.e. they are only available from unofficial sources for a price around 20 times higher than the original one). However, it is reasonable to expect tickets to be available from touts at the stadiums right before the game as this happens on most tournaments like this. On the other hand, the price of such last-minute tickets is always impossible to predict.

Expect Emotions
"Expect Emotions" is the official tournament slogan as fans are set to experience joy, disappointment, relief and high tension up until tournament concludes on June 29. The final match will be played at the 53,000 seat capacity Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna and will feature Enrique Iglesias performing the Euro 2008 tournament anthem "Can you hear me?" It's guaranteed you will hear the fans throughout Vienna, as 53,000 rabid footballers cheer for their favorite.Yes!! The coming of Euro 2008 is one of the major international tournaments that everyone is emotionally waiting for.

Accommodation
UEFA EURO 2008 Accommodation Agency, Route de St-Cergue 9, CH-1260 Nyon 1, Switzerland, phone: +41 22 707 22 30 (email: [mailto:info@aa-euro2008.com] fax: +41 22 707 22 31
 * Hospitality Exchange Comunities

By air
Switzerland has a few airports : Zurich (in Kloten exactly), the most important, then Basel (its airport is outside Switzerland: in France, shared with Mulhouse) and Geneva. Then some other minors as in Berne, Lausanne, Lugano & Sion. To get directly to the Zurich airport by train the station is called : Zurich Flughafen. For Berne there is no direct fly connection but you can get there by train in 1 hour flying in Zurich or Basel airport. You can find cheap fly tickets to Switzerland, mainly in Geneva in Easyjet.

Each of the four Austrian host cities has its own international airport, though depending on where you're flying from it may be easiest to arrive via Vienna and continue by train to the other host cities.

By train
You can get into Switzerland easily by train. Check your trip in the official website of Swiss railways. There you can find time, trip, cost. From north you can reach easily Basel to get into Switzerland, from south you should reach Chiasso.

Austria is also well served by trains, and all four Austrian host cities have good national and international rail connections. Vienna is the largest hub of the four. The Austrian railways site (English version) is at.

By bus
Geneva and Zurich (in Switzerland) and Salzburg and Vienna (in Austria) are on the Eurolines bus network, with services to/from other major European cities. You can also get there with a private bus.

Get around
Switzerland has a very good train network, allowing you to travel almost everywhere by train. The Swiss train fares, however, are the most expensive in the world when comparing Euro per km. More information for trips inside or into Switzerland is available in the website www.ffs.ch. Don't forget that Switzerland is an Alpine country, not flat, and traveling a few kilometers through the Alps can sometimes take hours.

All 4 Swiss venue cities have tram systems within the city, and shuttle bus connections to the stadiums will be organized for EURO 2008, Swiss efficiency.

If you drive a car, be aware that the Swiss police will fine you for driving infractions in Switzerland, even if you live outside the country.

Three of the Swiss city venues (Basel, Zurich, Berne) are connected by a triangle of train and highway connections. For Geneva it will take many hours of time to get there from the other venue cities.

Host Cities
The following eight cities will be hosting all the matches for the tournament. For information about travel, accommodation, restaurants and other activities in the cities, please see the individual city guides.

Austria

 * Vienna Ernst Happel stadium, capacity 50,000. Will host Austria's three group matches, two Quarter-Finals, Semi-Final and Final.

 * Klagenfurt Worthersee stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.

 * Salzburg Wals-Seizenheim stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.

 * Innsbruck Tivoli NEU stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.

Switzerland

 * Basel St Jakob stadium, capacity 42,500 Will host Switzerland's three group matches (including the opening match and opening ceremony), two Quarter-Finals and a Semi-Final.

 * Berne Stade de Suisse Wankdorf stadium, capacity 32,000. Will host three Group Matches.

 * Geneva Stade de Geneve, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.

 * Zurich Letzigrund stadium, capacity 30,000. Will host three Group Matches.

Buy
Be aware that Switzerland is the most expensive country in the world. 4 of its cities - the 4 venue cities - are in the Top 10 most expensive cities in the world. So, take a lot of money with you. Don´t miss Switzerland; it is beautiful. Buy some Swiss souvenirs such as: Swiss chocolate, Swiss cheese, Swiss army knife, Swiss watch, Swiss fondue or open a new Swiss bank account.

Do
Visit the beautiful Canton Ticino in southern Switzerland. Canton Ticino is the heart of tourism in Switzerland, with Locarno and Lugano as top destinations known worldwide for their beauty. In June 2008 there will be sun; the region in the south of the Alps is the sunniest of Switzerland.

For EURO 2008, Canton Ticino will host the National Teams of Germany and Sweden. Germany will stay in Ascona, close to Locarno, in a top hotel, and training in the national Sport Center in Tenero-Contra. Sweden will stay in Lugano, in Villa Sassa Hotel, and training in Cornaredo Stadium, home of AC Lugano. For the month of May, Lugano will host the National team of Switzerland. Ticino will also host all the referees for the competition.

Ticino has good train and highway connection to Zurich, Basel and Berne. The official language in the canton is Italian.

Stay safe
Switzerland is one of the safest countries in the world, with the lowest crime rate in the world. There you will be safe.

Go next
Switzerland shares borders with Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein. Transportation from North and South are easy by Highway from Basel (North) or Chiasso (South). There are also good train connections inside Switzerland. Geography Switzerland, EU and Euro08 CC by nc Photos Switzerland

title: Wikivoyage:Past events/Euro 2008