Tourist Tax in America
texkourgan
30 August, 2010 08:28
Travelers to the USA may be looking forward to saving some money as the value of the dollar has diminished, but they will have to pay a new tourist tax first.
When?
On September 8th, 2010 the new tax will be initiated. The Travel Promotion Act was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010.
How much?
It is a $10 fee with a $4 administration fee equalling $14. It will only be collected once every two years. (More)
The Hotel Alternative
texkourgan
24 August, 2010 16:56
The excitement of heading to a new city and seeing the sights can occasionally be eclipsed by the cost of the adventure. One of the largest expenditures is the cost of housing whether it be a hotel, bed & breakfast, or condo. A hotel room may have a mint on the pillow, but leave visitors missing the sense of home. Several hotel alternatives are challenging this notion.
The convenience of a hotel and the comforts of a home can now be found through a variety of social networks devoted to resident's offering their own homes as short-term rentals. Sometimes called social B&B networks or peer-to-peer hotels, there is a growing market to rent a room in someone's home. The accommodations range from 5 star luxury suites to a spare couch in college dorm coziness. (More)
Guide for expatriates in Oslo, Norway
easyexpat
17 August, 2010 17:11
We are proud to launch our new city guide for expatriates in Oslo, Norway.
The city of Oslo lies on the southeastern region of Norway (Known as Norge, this section of Scandinavia lies to the northwest of Finland and its immediate neighbour, Sweden on Europe's most Northern peninsula.).
Oslo is Norway's capitol and the largest city (total area of 454 km2). There is a population of around 590,041. The city is also incredibly safe with one of the lowest homicide rate in the world.
The metropolitan area of Oslo accounts for 25 percent of Norway's gross domestic product. The region has one of the highest per capita GDPs in Europe.
Oslo is a global city, ranked "Beta World City"
(major world cities) in studies performed by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group
and Network in 2008. It has also been consistently named as one of the most expensive cities for expats (ECA) and one of the best cities to live in.
You will find the usual articles in our guide to prepare your expatriation to Oslo and manage your life once in there: Overview, Job, Passport, Visa & Permits, International Removal Companies, Finding Accommodation, Work, Benefits and Tax, Moving in, Education, Health, Practical Life (banks, transport, shopping...), Entertainment...
You can also discuss and share experience in Norway in our forum.
How To WWOOF around the World
texkourgan
05 August, 2010 13:15
What is WWOOF?
World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, or WWOOF, was created in England in 1971 by Sue Coppard. The idea of volunteer workers and organic farmers coming together in a symbiotic relationship seems like the perfect expression of modern organic farming. And indeed the idea has spread to over 6,000 farms worldwide. (More)
Rome guide for expats in French / Guide pour expatriés sur Rome en français
easyexpat
01 August, 2010 15:08
We have now fully manually translated our original guide in English into French.
Rome, the Eternal City (la Città Eterna), or Capital of the world (Caput Mundi in Latin,) is surrounded by seven hills. The Capitoline, Palatine, Viminal, Quirinal, Esquiline, Caelian and Aventine hills determine both the city layout and geography of the historical centre. The Tiber (il Tevere) winds south through the heart of Rome and derives from the Aniene River (l’Anio.) The Tyrrhenian Sea is located 24 kilometers east of the city centre. (More)
