Airport is bottom of the pops

TRAVEL

Simon Calder Author Biography

Simon Calder

Simon Calder is Travel Editor at Large for The Independent, writing a weekly column, various articles and features as well as filming a weekly video diary. Every Sunday afternoon, Simon presents the UK's only radio travel phone-in programme called The LBC Travel Show with Simon Calder (97.3 FM). He is a regular guest on national TV, often seen on BBC Breakfast, Daybreak, ITV News and Sky News. He is often interviewed on BBC Radio, particularly for BBC Radio 4’s You & Yours programme and BBC Five Live.

More articles from this journalist

Thursday 17 April 1997

Print
A A A
Related articles
Suggested Topics
Frankfurt airport has been singled out as the worst tourist facility in central Europe, narrowly beating a Sound of Music Tour of Salzburg.

The guide book publisher Lonely Planet asked the eight authors of its new Central Europe on a Shoestring for their highlights and lowlights of the region. The writers voted the Sound of Music Tour runner-up, not least for the antics of other participants: "Loutish youths skipping in the summer house chanting 'I am 16 going on 17', or manic Julie Andrews impersonators flouncing in the fields, screeching 'The hills are alive'."

In third place was the resort of Siofok on Lake Balaton in Hungary. Wine cellars in Vienna's popular suburb of Grinzing take a hit in fourth place. Lower down the order, the Warsaw branch of McDonald's and the Nowa Huta industrial complex put in appearances for Poland. Munich's Bierfest also rates a tourist health warning.

The writers' votes on central Europe's highlights puts Prague in pole position, followed by the Alps, Budapest and Czech beer.

Central Europe on a Shoestring, pounds 13.99, Lonely Planet. Simon Calder

Comments

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Top stories
One of the attackers captured on camera

'Sickening and unforgivable': Bloody attack brings terror to the streets of London

Ingrid Loyau-Kennett confronts one of the alleged attackers

Eyewitness gives extraordinary account of her confrontation with Woolwich attackers

News in pictures
World news in pictures
UK news in pictures
UK news in pictures
More stories
Sergio Garcia (left) offended Tiger Woods with his comments

Garcia fights for reputation as Woods slams 'hurtful' joke

Cheryl Cole is part of a new group of non-acting celebrities that have started to make the pilgrimage to the Riviera

Cannes Festival: And why are vous here?

       
Independent
Travel Shop
India and Shimla
 14 nights from only £1899pp Find out more
Prague city break
 Three nights from £199pp Find out more
4* Soreda hotel break, Malta
 Seven nights all-inclusive from £399pp Find out more
SPONSORED FEATURES

Get your summer started with British Military Fitness

BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes

Visit York Prizes & offers Business videos

Visit York

Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world

Military Fitness Prizes & offers Business videos

Enter the latest Independent competitions

Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.

Military Fitness Visit York Business videos

Business videos from commercial thought leaders

Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.

Military Fitness Visit York Prizes & offers
Independent Dating
and  

By clicking 'Search' you
are agreeing to our
Terms of Use.

Day In a Page

National archives: Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Newly unearthed papers reveal a shocking extra dimension to the constitutional crisis over monarch’s abdication
Sent down at the Old Bailey: A tour of the world's most famous court

Sent down at the Old Bailey

A tour of the world's most famous court
Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

The Hangover actor Zach Galifianakis’s date for his movie premieres isn’t arm candy  – it’s his 87-year-old friend who he saved from homelessness
British football scores an own goal

British football scores an own goal

Many managers barely survive a year in post. Martin Baker talks to experts who make a case for clubs using forensic business skills to find the best staff
James Lawton: Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again

James Lawton

Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again
Dylan Hartley: Northampton have spent the season proving all our critics wrong

Dylan Hartley talks tough

Northampton have spent the season proving all our critics wrong
Watch out Watford: Here comes the secretive Bilderberg Group

Watch out Watford: Here comes the secretive Bilderberg Group

A meeting of global power brokers in a Hertfordshire hotel is exciting conspiracy theorists, but what are they really about?
'The ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system': Microsoft finally unveils its Xbox ONE console

'The ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system'

Microsoft finally unveils its Xbox ONE console
Plenty of Fish dating site founder pulls 'Intimate Encounters' option to ward off sleazy men

Plenty of sleaze

Dating website pulls intimate 'hook-up' section to curb harassment
Inferno author Dan Brown 'honoured' to be invited to join the Freemasons

The Freemasons’ Code

Dan Brown reveals the message that told him door to the lodge is open
Not secure any more: G4S boss heads for exit at last

Not secure any more: G4S boss heads for exit at last

Nick Buckles survived the Olympics débâcle and a £5bn bid fiasco but a profit warning finally triggered his downfall
How to say ‘I’m a sellout’: Tumblr’s David Karp’s message of reassurance to his staff sounded very familiar

How to say ‘I’m a sellout’

Tumblr’s David Karp’s message of reassurance to his staff sounded very familiar
Why clubs are keen to take a stand

Why clubs are keen to take a stand

There's a real desire around the grounds for safe standing. But will the authorities listen?
In the end the fans decided Tony Pulis had made a pig's ear of the job at Stoke City

In the end the fans decided Tony Pulis had made a pig's ear of the job at Stoke City

Disillusion with a siege mentality and negative playing style made change inevitable
James Lawton: The James Hunt I knew is the subject of a new F1 movie

James Lawton: The James Hunt I knew is the subject of a new F1 movie

British driver was fascinating man whose epic duel with Niki Lauda in 1976 was typical of an era of glamour and glory – but also the ever-present threat of death