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Baseops.Net

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  1. Niamey, Niger - Grand Hotel was a dump! Stayed one night, thank god! We were in the bungalows, which left a lot to be desired. The air-conditioner worked well, but the bathroom was disgusting. One crewmember found a camel spider in his room when he turned his lights on. On a good note, the food at the grill was very good. I had the brochettes of steak, they were excellent. You pay for the food and drinks separately, I guess everyone has to make their own money. Bring cash, credit cards of any kind are NOT ACCEPTED!!
  2. Merrakech, Morocco - Sheraton was only10 minutes from the airport, this hotel has excellent pool and restaurant. 2 bars with normal and professional action. Cabs can take you to the souks for shopping and seeing the sites. Only falls w/in per diem in summer and fall.
  3. Mombasa, Kenya - Travellers Beach Hotel was nice. Stayed in Mombasa for two nights, awesome place, definitely a recommend. The primary place you will get set up by the Embassy Rep there is the White Sands Resort, which is even better. We drank there and went to take pictures, but they were full so we stayed at the next hotel over (Travellers Beach Hotel), which was great. $85/night which included breakfast and dinner. A good place to hang out is about a 400 shilling($5) cab ride away is Pemba Disco. Safe for Americans, but watch yourselves around some of the clientele. For shopping, go to the Akamba Wood Factory. Only about 10 mins from the airport, and it is where all the beach vendors buy their stuff wholesale, and you can walk around all the huts and take pictures of the workers doing all the carving. There are two stores in the compound. One is for tourists, and one is for wholesale, which they will not let everyone into, and definitely won't tell you about unless you ask. If you tell them you work with the American Embassy that should help get you in. Either way, the prices are 1/3 of the tourist store, but are sold by different vendors, and prices aren't negotiable. Nairobi, Kenya - Nairobi Serena hotel was a Palace! (254-2-)725111 The hotel is very nice with internet access in every room. It has 24 hour room service and the resturant is open most of the day. Breakfast is free if you include it in the price of the room. For other places to eat they have the Carnivour which has really good food. Numerous cafes all over Nairobi. They have plenty of bars around. One place called Florida 2000 is all hookers and maybe a place to avoid. The best place we found was the Pavement. Awesome place filled with peace corp and embassy people. We rented two vans with drivers and they took us around 24 hours a day. Crime is very bad here, recommend geting a taxi or a van on the outings. The drivers hooked us up with places to go and see and places to avoid. The vans were about $100 a day but worth it. They have open markets every Tues and Fri to get your African trinkets. A lot of haggling but good price. Great place to visit for a few days
  4. Djibouti - Djibouti itself resembles a landfill. There is garbage everywhere. The rooms on the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors are nice at the Sheraton Djibouti (253 25 1287phone /253 35 5892 fax) ...what one would expect from a Sheraton. They are $120 per night and include breakfast. However, the rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors are heinous. There are roaches in the bathroom as well as roaches in the small refrigerators that are in the rooms. Some of the toilets work and some don't. When I turned on my shower the bidet also came on. Shower shoes are a must. An added bonus is the odor in the hallways and rooms. It was a cross between a locker room, cat urine, and rancid milk. These rooms go for about $70 and do not include breakfast. There is a bar. Mixed drinks and beer are $6 a pop. The bar also serves finger foods with a killer hot sauce. There is also a restaurant downstairs. It is a little pricey but not too bad. The Mer Rouge is a fairly good restaurant about 10 minutes away by cab. This is not a place you want to bring the family to for a vacation. Heads up -- as of Dec 02 crews were having to stay in the marine compound, NOT being allowed to go downtown due to security. Expect fuel delays - rumors of a contract dispute/work stoppages with the fuel guys. This is a "gas and go" kind of place.
  5. N'Djamena, Chad - Novotel hotel was decent. Overall, it was better than expected. Beer and food at the pool restaurant was very good- the pizza was impressive! The rooms were livable and the a/c worked nicely. They do accept the gov\'t credit card. There is a business with internet, but they opened late and we didn\'t get to use it (the only way around to check weather and NOTAMS). Do NOT take any pictures- they say you can be shot, especially around the Presedential palace.
  6. Yaounde, Cameroon - The Yaounde Hilton was a dump! There's a nauseating smell in the air, inside hotel, and your room (I think it was the locals). The rooms are clean and free of insects, however, the water IS NOT potable and the water color is light brown. Two nights were spent here, the first night the water ran clear after 15 minutes; the second night the water stayed light brown. Disgusting!!! The restaurant in the hotel is suitable. There is at least something on the menu an American will eat. Bring bottles of water from the jet for consumption and brushing teeth. Do not consume drinks with ice cubes. I highly recommend you do not leave the hotel due to force protection issues unless you are with embassy staff. Do not use your personal credit card anywhere .. only use the GTC. The drive from the airport (FKYS) to the hotel is 30 minutes at night (no traffic) and up to an hour during the day (traffic). Your bus driver and other drivers on the highway are going to scare the living daylights out of you. Enjoy. Bring a Verizon world-wide cell phone, it works better than the Iridium. The hotel only has internet in a business center with limited hours. It is extremely slow and will take up to an hour to download crew IMT papers at a cost of about $60. We tried using the hotel fax and business center fax for crew IMT papers, but they never worked. The embassy might be able to hook you up with this.
  7. Boscome Down RAF, Salisbury, UK - Boscombe Down is just SW of RAF Lyneham. Slightly smaller base, but much bigger town. Kings Head Inn had probably the best pub in town, packed every night, good food. Rooms were average, no broadband or wi-fi internet. After the pubs close go to the Mill across the street from Kings Head or down a few blocks to The Church. Another decent place to stay was the White Horse Inn. No pub there, average rooms, but the have free wi-fi. Brize Norton RAF, United Kingdom - (Oxford and Burford Englang) Randolph Hotel or Old Bull Bed and Breakfast were fantastic! Well kept secret!! Stopped in there returning from ONW and OEF. RAF VC-10, C-17, L1011 base just north or Oxford. The Brits took excellent care of us. Best I've ever seen. Incredible weather shop and superb ground flight support. First trip we stayed in Oxford at the Randolph Hotel smack in the middle of the university area and street market. It's about 300 years old (with modern upgrades of course), expensive, and has a sweet pub downstairs. Walking distance to several pubs and restaurants. Even better though was the second time we showed up and Oxford was booked so we stayed at a couple small B&Bs (Old Bull and others. You would think it would suck to be split up, but when the town has one main street we where all really close together. The Hotels where also very old but up to date and excellent. The pubs where great and the restaurants outstanding. Nothing for the club scene, but a great place to wind down from the deployment and get some good British ale and food. Kiloss RAF, United Kingdom . http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafkinloss/ Avbl 24/7, 9000' runway, ILS. Regular gas stop for USN P3's, etc. More golf and whiskey than a man could ever want! Mountains and some sking in winter, if it snows. If peace and quiet is on your list, there's a whole lot here. The area is called the Moray Firth. There is another base at Lossiemouth to the east, fast jet (Tornado). Some local accommodation in Forres (2 miles) http://www.forres-net.co.uk/. More available in Elgin or Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands. That's Inverness as in Loch Ness, monster and all. Regular flights from Inverness to London daily. Manchester, England , United Kingdom - Manchester Airport, Central England is a really great stopping off point in Europe. The airport is open 24 hours and has the most sophisticated navaids in Europe, full ILS 10,000ft runway, 24 hour ATC etc, it handles mainly civil traffic like Prestwick and Shannon with Royal Air Force, Saudi Air Force and Israeli Air Force all using facilities for transit. 20 mins flying time from Mildenhall, UK. 24hr Ground handling agent is likley to be Servisair, freq 130.6. They will not accept hot cargos. Local billeting is provided at The Manchester Airport Marriott Hale Barns 44 (0) 161 904 0301 which is just 3mins away. It offers superior accommodation with many rooms overlooking charming landscaped courtyards, there is a distinctive restaurant, vibrant bar with a really great Irish American ambience and a relaxing cocktail bar. The hotel also features a purpose built leisure club with gymnasium, sauna, steam room, swimming pool and whirlpool. The Romper is a traditional English Pub, great food and a selection of great British Beers which is about 5 minutes away from the airport and the hotel. ~Radisson Hotel Terminal 2 Manchester UK was a Palace! A fantastic hotel, great food and great great people. We got fantastic overnight rates and the service people on airport were superb, better than USAFE at Mildenhall. Would well recommend for overnight or fuel and go. Really efficent. We just walked in off the apron fantastic ! ~Cotswold Gateway Hotel (phone: 01993822695) was a nice hotel. 5 minute cab ride from the air terminal. RAF operations provided ride to hotel, but had to cab it back next day. Charlie's Taxis can drive right up to the terminal. Hotel is basically a B&B with breakfast included. Rooms OK, but attached pub is top notch. Mildenhall RAF, United Kingdom - Besides the BX and chow hall, there is the Galaxy Club which isn't bad but make sure you are carrying your club card. Off base is the Smokehouse and the Bird in Hand hotel . Not much in the room at the "Bird" but it's close enough to base to walk and eat cheap. If you need to check email or phone home cheap go to the Community Center next to the Galaxy Club. If you venture off-base Newmarket has some decent shopping, hit the small grocery stores for local beers (we actually found French wine that came in a can). ITT can be helpful but tend cancel lots of trips. ~Bird in The Hand is totally unacceptable. I dont know how it ever got on billeting list. Don't allow billeting to send you to this motel. Rotting carpet and paper thin walls are a few of the amenities they pride themselves on. Only two places to eat on base: BX food court and the chow hall. There are two sets of billeting. The crappy ones are across the street from the chapel and the club. The decent ones are down the street from there. The base is divided into two parts (ops and support side). Everything is within walking distance. If you go off-base the Bird-in-Hand and the Smokehouse have good traditional English food and are about 10 minutes walk. The rooms are decent. "The Bell" which is located in Thetford is 45 minutes away and puts a dent into your crew rest. All the places off-base seem to have a Pub associated with them and the food is usually good. If in Thetford experience "The Hungary Horse", it's like Denny's and a Pub put together. If you are stuck there for a while, there is a shuttle bus to RAF Lakenheath as well as Heathrow airport. Catch the bus at the Pax terminal. The ride is about 2 hours and it's free. From the airport catch the "tubes" to downtown (a day pass is 5 pounds! ). Buses also run from Mildenhall to Cambridge also 5 pounds. ~The on-base officer's quarters (new building) were pretty nice. You can expect a TV, VCR and a stocked snack/wet bar. For good Chinese, go to the Dragon House restaurant in Mildenhall village. As far as the bar scene goes, you'll need to head to New Market, Cambridge, or Norwich. In New Market, the place to be is DeNiro's, especially on a Thursday night (Ladies' Night). DeNiro's will have a ton of women and drinks for a pound (just the drinks are a pound, the women are probably more expensive!) There are two dance floors--club music upstairs and a mix of top 40's, 80's pop and 70's disco downstairs. In Norwich check out Chicago's. You'll find a much better selection of music, and a much older crowd on the dance floor. For a happy medium between the two places go to Life, in Cambridge. The bar is in an alley and a little hard to find so ask for directions, but the women are younger than in Chicago's and the music is older than in DeNiro's. Important note: Bring nicer clothes. The bars won't let you in in jeans or T-shirts, and if you wear khaki's you'll stick out as an American. We wore black slacks and shoes. Your last requirement will be a car (and if you are in Mildenhall longer than a day or two, it is a REQUIREMENT) The rental places next to the hotels will charge you far too much money, but if you look in the ads in the back of the base magazine (The Marauder) you'll find some good deals. We used Fair Deal rentals to get an old Ford Escort for 150 pounds for a MONTH. Hey, it ran! On the weekends, you can get good deal trips to Scotland, London, Amsterdam, or Paris, through ITT. We were able to spend a weekend in Edinburgh,Scotland for £128. (Airline Tkt and Hotel Stay). Have Fun! ~If you're at Mildenhall for more than a few days, you're going to want to be in Cambridge -- about a 30 minute drive from base. The University Arms (hotel) is right where you want to be. It's on Parker Piece (where soccer (football) was invented), across the street from several pubs, including the Regal, the largest pub in all of England. (The smallest pub in England, the Nutshell, is in Bury St. Edmunds, also about 30 minutes from base.) Everything in Cambridge is within walking distance, and to keep you from getting lost there are maps posted everywhere. If the weather's nice (rare), grab a sandwich at one of tons of sandwich shops, and go for a punt on the river. ~Billeting: While the rooms were adequate, they were extremely hot; there was no way to shut off the heat. Check in and check out was unacceptably slow. It took us over 45 minutes to check in a crew of 10 and 8 pax. Check out was very slow too. There were three windows, but only two were being used. The third had no line and was for "check in" only. We showed 30 minutes late because of slow check out procedures. ~Avoid ON BASE like the plague. On base quarters are mandatory due to "wing commander". You will be doubled up 0-5 and below. Crew rest is out the window. One double bed, one mini single. You can arm wrestle for it. Stay away! ~If you end up staying off base in Cambridge the Holiday Inn (0800 897121) was excellent. Within walking distance of everything. We got the gov't rate and all the associated paperwork from the slow folks at Billeting before we went down there. Since we landed late and were all very hungry, my A/C stopped the crew bus at the Kabob Stand right off base about 1/4 mile past the Smokehouse as you head toward the town of Mildenhall. This Kabob Stand is open late and has kick ass food. You get a TON of meat, veggies and fries for about 5 pounds. Great post-pub-crawling food. The town of Mildenhall is OK. Their is some good Indian food and a couple of cool pubs like the Tigers Head if you are stuck in the area.If you are stuck there and want to get to Newmarket/Cambridge, a bus shows up over by Mickey's Tea Bar over by the BX on a semi-regular basis. A bus schedule is posted there. It's only a couple of pounds. A shuttle to London/Heathrow leaves at o-dark-thirty from the Pax Terminal and you can go free if there is space available. Check with the pax terminal/billeting folks for the info on this. ~Just reinforcing the FACT that on base here is the absolute pits...two to a room, small, and dirty...avoid like the plague...worst RON I have ever been on...wish I would have brought a tent...get the point? We had reservations and they still tried to put us in open bay barracks...that's right...crew of eight with three O-4's in open bay barracks... I had to hold my breath, scream, and make threats to get what we got. Tell your command to cough up the extra cash for overnight in Shannon, Ireland instead...Mildenhall blows. ~Deniros or Pacinos in New Market are good Dance clubs on Thurs and Sun nights. There are also several other bars in New Market. Mildenhal taxis will take you there and back for 30-40 pounds. ~There is a brand new "clothing optional" club called Cellar Bar on Napier Street in Cambridge--perfect for anyone going to or returning from the sandbox!! It's open from 8:00 P.M. until late. ~Mildenhall update submitted by Billeting Manager, 11/21/06 -- "I'm the lodging manager at RAFM, your review of my property is outdated and I thought I'd give you an update. Building 402- the one with the common bathrooms and showers has been closed since November of '05. It never was a true 'open bay' facility as reported. All of the rooms were furnished with 2 single beds. The Bird in Hand is under new management and they have renovated their rooms, so they no longer have 'rotting carpets,' paper thin walls are however just part of British construction. Most of the buildings on RAF Mildenhall were built 25 or more years ago on a two pipe system. That unfortunately means that they either the heat is on or off- very little individual control. Every guest room has a radiator on the wall with a valve to adjust waterflow through it. It's always been that way, I guess the contributor couldn't figure it out. We've remodeled our front desk completely well over a year ago and it rarely takes 45 minutes to check in a crew these days. We do try very hard to accommodate." ~Apr07 Update - Smokehouse is closed down. Lakenheath RAF, United Kingdom - Cambridge has a market 7 days a week. And I have noticed (until war) that a lot of people were being put up at the Crown Plaza hotel. NICE 4 star at least. Make sure you get a rental car or something cause the base taxi service to there SUCKS. Bury St. Edmunds has some good places to eat and drink and is closer than Cambridge or Norwich. Bury even has pizza hut. It's market days are Wednesday and Saturday. Leuchars RAF, Scotland, United Kingdom - The Sporting Laird Hotel (44)01334-475906 had an absolutely wonderful staff and owner! Remember to bring the co-owner (a yank) peanut M&M's. She can't get them there. The rate can include both a gourmet dinner and full breakfast. It falls well within the per-diem and allowable hotel expense rate. The hotel is located in the heart of St. Andrews, and is only a 200 yard (2 or 3 iron) from the Old and Ancient course. Unless you have a registered handicap and a confirmed reservation, you will have to play on one of the newer courses. The address is Mo. 5 Playfair Terrace, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9HX. The folks at transient alert at Leuchars will be more than helpful getting you a round-trip ride and putting your jet to bed. Prestwick, Scotland, United Kingdom - Recently diverted into Prestwick as Mildenhall was below mins. Prestwick Intl was ecstatic to have us as they are trying to drum up more business for their FBO's. Greer Aviation(44 (0) 1292 511034) met us at the jet and did a great job of supporting us. Bert Greer went well out of his way to get us set up in the hotel, help us get fuel on the jet, and file our flight plan as we were leaving. We stayed at the Thistle Hotel in Irvine about 15 minutes from the airport. Nice enough place with a decent bar stocked with good beer and a good selection of Single Malt Scotches. They also threw in free breakfasts or lunches on top of it all. The hotel was about a 10 minute walk to the town of Irvine and the train station. It was about a 30 minute ride to Glasgow and another half hour ride to Edinburgh. Overall, great place to go if you need to divert due to the typical UK weather. Reading, United Kingdom- Renaissance Reading Hotel 0118 958 6222 / FAX 0118 959 7842 was a nice resort! Stayed at the Renaissance for the Farnborough Intl Trade Show. Reading is SW of London - about a 45 min train ride. It is also about a 45 min bus ride to Farnborough if you ever get there in the future. Nice hotel, very friendly staff. There is a sauna, indoor pool, etc. A 10 min walk to the Oracle - the largest outdoor shopping/dining area in the UK. Their version of the San Antonio river walk. Lots of restaurants, clubs, pubs and a movie theater. There is also a university in town. Don't wear sneakers or you won't get into most clubs. The prices are high - and laundry is outrageous in the hotel. There is a Laundromat a block from the hotel. Waddington RAF, United Kingdom - Ibis hotel was decent. A great TDY location! If able, stop here rather than Mildenhall of Lakenheath (it is about 70 miles NW). The Brits keep their E-3's here along with a couple other heavies. 9000' runway--ASSR is incorrect for taxiway widths. West parallel has extra pavement on each side which has doubled the width to around 120' wide. Obstacles are also incorrect in Flip as most of the low obstacles are not there (I don't know if someone took a chainsaw to all of the trees or what-but they are gone). Call Waddington Base Operations and they will fax you a list--nothing major a few trees half a mile from DER. The local town is Lincoln, which is a decent size town with a large college. Lincoln has hundreds of pubs and clubs that could come right out of the 17th century. It has one of the largest cathedrals ever built and a big old castle holding the Magna Carta here, all dating back to the 12th Century. Great food everywhere. We ate at Brown's Pie Shop and Crust's Steak House downtown Lincoln and the food is awesome. Multi-course meals brought out with everything you could ask for available to you. Lots of great Pubs, notably Jumpin Jacks -a dance joint with lots of eye candy, Chicago Rocks for cheap English Beer, and Walkabout -an Australian themed bar with good beer and crowd. Too many other pubs to mention. Lodging is not bad. The place to stay is the Courtyard Marriott downtown Lincoln. Right next to the river and all of the restaurants and pubs. Great rooms with all of the amenities. The Ibis is ok but too far from everything. 5-10 pound (9-18 USD) taxi ride to downtown--just stay downtown. Call and they will meet government rates. Lodging on the base is adequate but it follows Brit Military customs. Officers in one building with their own chow hall and dress code, Senior E's in another, and junior E's in a third building. Kind of far from town (10-15 miles) and not worth it. HOT--FOR GUARD TANKER UNITS! UK AWACS need boom tankers to deploy TDY to RAF Waddington, UK. If Units can cover own transient and hotel costs then they will pay for your fuel to train with them. If interested contact Sqn. Leader Moss, 23 Sqn. RAF Waddington email: opswad@globalnet.co.uk or telephone: 0044 (UK country code) 1522 726707. I was told that Active Duty cannot do this since there is some agreement between governments that active duty can only give gas during war times.
  8. Moron AB, Spain -If you're coming to Moron, you're either going to war or supporting some contingency (ie some AEF swap out or in and out of a stage) or you won't be here for very long. Regardless, life's going to suck while you're on base. There is no such thing as staying off base (since there's nowhere to stay). If you know you're going to be here 30 days or more, call in EARLY to the Hotel Frontera (DSN: 314-722-8098, Commercial: 011-34-95-584-8098) and reserve a room. The reservations clerk is in from 0830 to 1630 Local time (it's Z+2 here) Mon - Fri best I can figure. Call then, it seems only he has any clue what's going on. If you're here less than 30 days and if you're less than a Colonel, you'll be staying in the contingency dorms. And boy do they suck. You could be piled up as much as 5 to a room if it's really busy, the bathrooms are communal down the hall, and if you're very lucky you'll have a phone in your room. There's a lounge on each floor with a TV and VCR. Bring some reading material. This base is supported by Rota, so there's an NEX as opposed to a BX. The hours are 1000 to 1800 Local. They have some of the same stuff you'd find in a regular (but tiny) BX or shopette. There's a tiny gift shop with not a whole lot in it, and a couple of ATM's next door (one for real money and one for potatoes). They're hardly ever working so don't count on them. Go to the Hotel Frontera (across the street past the club) and ask the front desk to change your money for Pisetas. Sometimes they run out so good luck to you. If the base is busy, then the club will be busy with a thousand jet lagged aircrews. Wednesday is karaoke night...drink up. If you have the burning desire to break free of the chain gang for a while, you have some good options. 1)Make friends with someone who has a car, find a designated driver (BAC limit is .05 in Spain) and drive carefully. 2)Rent a car of your own. Go to the Hotel Frontera and you'll find a bunch of flyers for rental cars. Get a big Volkwagen van and a designated driver and drive carefully. 3)Go on one of the many trips offered by MWR. They have everything from Bullfights in Sevilla to dinners at different castles to misc. shopping trips to different little towns around southern spain. With a car of your own, you can of course do that yourself. So here's where to go. You've got to go to Sevilla. It's a large and very old city. There are some really beautiful sights. And then there's the Spanish women. Wow (all apologies to the female crew members out there but I speak the truth). I've heard the men were good too if that means anything to you...my attentions were elsewhere. There are tons of little shops, and some really tremendous restaurants. Look for La Isla. It's 5 star all the way around -- everything is delicious. Better yet get a guide from the Hotel Frontera called "The Tourist" or something like that and find your own rockin' joint. If you need someone who speaks english find the Irish Pub by the Cathedral and have a Guiness (just as long as you're not driving). Catch a bullfight if you can. Or at least take the tour of the bull ring. It's like $2.50 for a 25 minute tour in Spanish and English. The bull ring is on the river by everywhere you need to go. Be careful, a large group of people recently (Jun 01) got held up at gunpoint and robbed. Stay in well lit, well populated areas and you should be allright. But to be on the safe side, carry a little bit of cash in your front pocket, throw it one way and run another. If you just want a quick dinner off base, go to La Rameria (known as Pepe's to us). It'll cost 2000 Piseta's or so ($10) and it'll be laden with pork and fried etc. But it's very good. Make sure you tell Pepe to cook your food more if it needs it... undercooked pork = bad. Or go to El Arahal (out the gate to the left and make the first left - bear in mind that you need to make a left turn like you would in New Jersey ie turn right then hang a hard left). If you're really out for an adventure, go to Ronda. You'll find thousands of shops and restraunts and on the edge of town will be a sheer rock cliff dropping off probably a thousand feet. It's very senic, and very old, and not cheap so bring money (credit cards are taken most everywhere). If you want to go the safe, sane way, go through El Corinil (sp?). If you want damn near an hour of hair pin turns, car-wide roads, insane opposite direction traffic, and thousand foot drops (without guard rails), go towards Moron and hang a right at the chicken (it'll all make sense when you see it), and stay to the left at the fork in the road. Oh, and hang on for dear life and for god's sake don't do it at night. Other points of interest, Rota is about 3 hours away, Gibralter is about 3.5 hours, Caliz is 2.5?, Portugal is 2.5, Granada isn't too far, and neither is Malaga. They all have thier own sights and attractions. Go see do because the base itself sucks. One thing, bring your ID and a copy of your orders if you want to be let back on to the base or find a comfy spot in a sunflower field (sunflower field, contingency dorms... hmmm tough choice). ~Try to stay in the Hotel Frontera, but if you're just passing through you'll likely be put into the contingency dorms at 3 or 4 to a room. Free movies at the base theater, usually Wed, Fri and Sat. For grocery shopping, go into Moron, exit at the 9 o'clock position from the second circle. Champion is a large store on the left. For a great meal, go out the gate, take the first left (towards Arahal). Go 4 or 5 miles to Arahal, turn left at the gas station and the restaurant will be immediately on the right. It's called El Rincon de Antonio, and has excellent Shrimp and Calamari, and anything else seafood. Also find a restaurant called La Pela in Utrera if you can! ~One "must try" restaurant about 15 minutes from base--Pappillons. Basque chef whips up exquisite treats. Try the sauted mushroom appetizer before moving on to the terragon filet mingon. Finish meal with fine selection of deserts. Let your hostess with the mostest (she speaks great english) recommend some truly wonderful spanish wines (most of 'em cheap). A+ food and cozy atmosphere. Go w/group of 6-8 max and be sure to call ahead for reservation. Any of the stage managers will have the phone number or check with the front desk at the Hotel Fronterra. Also, for a quick bite before stepping to the jet go to the Spanish Cantina next door to the ops building. Great cafe con leche. Excellent hot chicken or pork sandwiches with cheese pack well for the flight too. Pick up a couple bottles of their exclusive label house wine (something like $6 for two of them). Good stuff. ~The Hotel Occidental Sevilla was a Palace! (Phone: 900 200 529). If off base, the stay in Sevilla was great. However, if you plan to walk down town (towards the Cathedral) than take a buddy. There were plenty of 13-18 yr olds on mopeds getting rowdy, and they like to throw objects at visitors. Also, the schedule (ie. eating, shopping, avoiding extreme heat) in Sevilla is a little awkward and I recommend living during the hours of 1400-0600L, plus this schedule will keep you on track if heading back to the states (UTC+4, or 5). As for Moron AB, all I can say is FOLLOW UP multiple times. The Euro Net flight plan system will fail you here, so get your clearance early. Moreover, the base has a lot of turnover in its personnel, so expect some delays and unanswered questions. It seems like a constant state of learning for everyone, so be prepared for glitches that could put you behind. MAY 2008 Update - Just got back from Moron AB and the contingency dorms have been renovated. It might be a building by building basis, but the rooms we had were mostly singles (standard hotel bed), while some had bunks (you still had the room to yourself, but there weren't many people at the base). We had our own bathroom, TV with built in DVD, and mini-fridge. While the NEX still has the same limited hours you can still buy beer in the hotel lobby up the street. Also, Spain is now on the Euro system (which kinda sucks with the current exchange rate!) but dollars still work on base. Palma Mallorca, Spain - Hotel Gran Melia Victoria (32)971732542 / (32)971450824 was a great hotel located across from the marina and halfway on the hotel, bar, and shopping strip. Disco next to the hotel. Nice pool and under perdiem rates including breakfast. Usual Spanish late night dining and partying all around. British and German tourist spot. Rota Spain - El Duque hotel - Brand new and right on the water in downtown Rota. Playa de la Luz PH(956) 810500 FAX(956) 810606 [email: hpl@cdz.servicom.es ] is also a sweet resort, right on the beach - with a beach-bar just a block away on the water, but not really within walking distance to downtown rota. For both of these, the hotel pays your cab fare from Navy Rota (about 500-600pts = two free beers!) La Consuela, Eds and El Pesebre are good places to eat. There's a tobacco shop around the corner from the Irish pub in the downtown square that sells rather fresh Cubans (most of the shops get a little stale). The Montecristo number 4s are good. Restaurante Los Argentinos has outstanding food, fantastic service, and very reasonable prices. It's just a 5 minute drive from the main gate. The address is Avenida Principe de Espana, 74. For dinner try the sangria, solomillo de ternera, and Montecillo wine. For dessert go with the tiramisu and cafe con leche. Parillia Baileys is the BEST steak in town hands down. ~Hotel Duque de Najera 34 956 846 020 was sucky. A few updates for Rota as of 1 Feb 05. The Duque is loud and not very aircrew friendly. Good for overnights and short stays. Front desk personel are very unhelpful and somewhat rude. The rest of the staff is excellent! If you are coming here to be a stage manager I would suggest the Espadana apart-hotel or the Playa de la luz. If you are working the night shift you will not get any sleep in the Duque! The Espandana has kitchenonettes, separate bedrooms and a jacuzzi. Much quieter! If you are coming here to enter the (C-5) stage, plan on staying on base (billiting, Navy lodge) for the most part except during busy times. Billeting is firm on putting crews on base. Seville, Spain - Alphonso XIII (9540917000) was fantastic! They will give govt rates if you ask. Falls within hotel allowance. 45minutes from Moron and 1.5 hrs from Rota. Part of Westin Hotel Group. For great steaks go to the Parilla Argentina Atahualpa. The address is Salado 9 in Sevilla. They have great food and great service. The solomillo al pimiente is fantastic. Zaragosa, Spain - La Goya is a 4 star hotel that is very nice. Under per diem rate as of 1998. Right in the center of Zaragosa, lip crawling distance from the downtown nightlife. Multiple bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants all around the hotel. Only 4 blocks from the historic Pillar (pee-lar) Church. Taxi from Zaragosa AB is about $30. Reccomend "La Fuentes" restaurant, incredible Spanish food at great price $10-14. Then hit all the bars on your way back to the hotel making sure to hit the "La Cucca Racha" flaming cockroach. Hotel Boston is not as close to the Tubes, but the best hotel in town with a great breakfast. Staff can guide you to some great restaraunts and make reservations for you. Stayed at the Hotel Boston in downtown Zaragosa. Nice room with King-sized bed and A/C! Apparently they have Free in-room ADSL Internet service now (sure wish my LM told us that while we were there instead of on the plane flying home!). Great FREE breakfast (coldcuts, cheese, fresh fruit, breads, scrambled eggs, sausage, chorizo, freshly squeezed juices, coffee, etc.)! 10-15 minute walk to the Cathedral of Pilar ( Online Map ). Unfortunately, Google doesn't have a good map online but the folks at the Hotel Boston's front desk are GREAT and will give you a map with your destination circled. FOOD - Great Greek food, Döner Kebaps, and an Irish Pub (serving Guinness) just NW of the Avenue de Independencia (main road just SW of Cathedral with the big round-abount). Small "LIDL" grocery store across street from hotel - snacks, drinks, etc. to keep your room stocked. Remember that the main restaurants don't open for the dinner hour until 2000-2100L. $$$ - Perdiem is currently (July 2005) about $80. You could easily spend this if you go out clubbin' every night. Otherwise, food and sightseeing is inexpensive here and you could walk away with some jingle in your pocket. ATMs abound in the old part of the city (just SW of cathedral).
  9. Bratislava, Slovakia -Danube Hotel is an excellent stay directly on the Danube River. Most rooms have a wonderful view of the river or the old castle. Everything you need to see in Bratislava is within walking distance of the hotel. Bratislava may well be one of the best secrets of the former East. Beer, wine, food and lap dances are incredibly cheap and all done with a gourmet touch. Fifteen to 20 minutes from the airport and an excellent breakfast is included. The "Danube" hotel gets an excellent rating.
  10. Prestwick, Scotland - The Marine Hotel is almost like a Mecca for golfers. Located directly on the Royal Troon Golf Club, which hosts the British Open about every 7 years, it has great views of the course and the bay. You can play the course everyday except Wednesday, which is member's only day. The "proper attire" rules are very strict- no shorts, collared shirt, no cargo-type pants, must have golf shoes. Price to play is about $400. Well worth it to play one of the most famous courses in the world. If this is too much, play the municipal course about 5 miles away- 3 different courses, one being the Darley (rated as one of the 5 toughest courses in Britain). The hotel is very nice and has lots of British Open memorabilia. Food is very good and breakfast is included with your room. Greer Aviation (one of the best FBO's I have ever dealt with) will set up the trans. The only down side is the rooms do not have AC. My name is Colin Gordon and i am the flight supervisor for Ocean Sky FBO in Prestwick Airport, Scotland (EGPK) We currently look after US Military Herks/C5's/C17 and various other aircraft in the American forces when they are routing through Prestwick. We would be absolutely delighted to look after the crew/pax and aircraft on any visit. Ocean Sky offers DESC fuel to all the visiting units. We have all the necessary equipment in this aviation business to cater for you guys. We have our own fuel, GPU's, Large aircraft steps, Maintenance platforms, fantastic facilities for the crew/pax to relax in whilst transitting. We have free wired/wirless internet, large airside VIP lounge and crew lounges with large TV's, Confrerence rooms, kitchen facilities etc. I have already established some good contacts within the US Mil whether it be AF,Army or Navy. Ocean Sky Prestwick are the only true H24/7 FBO on the airfield. Ocean Sky support whole heartedly, the missions you guys do and we would like to see more of you guys in Prestwick, Scotland with Ocean Sky. My company details are as follows: Name: Ocean Sky Prestwick (FBO) Tel: +44 1292 478961 Fax: +44 1292 479616 email: pikops@oceansky.com SITA: PIKOSXH. "2" on the high marks given Greer Aviation, we stopped there overnight and they were awesome, they got us a tee time on short notice and even negotiated 1/2 price greens fees! They had complimentary snacks in the fridge when we landed and good boxed lunches ready for us when we left. Top notch customer care! We stayed at the Ramada in Prestwick, typical euro hotel, small rooms (no AC), but it was clean and within stumbling distance of the bars. The pub that was a church (ask a local they will know what you are talking about) has good food and a great selection of single malt scotch. Try the Hagis with neeps and tatties...out f###ing standing! Prestwick is great place to stop!
  11. Bucharest, Romania - the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza was a Very nice place! Staff is very friendly and all seem to speak English. Asked for room upgrade and was nicely rewarded- ended up in the Presidential Suite! Room was very nice-actually it was 3 rooms. The hotel staff recommended a Serbian restaurant across the street. Had a huge menu, the food was awesome, nice cold beer, and one waitress was absolutely beautiful!! Went downtown to Planters and Downtown, two clubs. Beautiful women at both places! Be aware of the Gypsy hookers and kids- protect your pockets!! Great RON!
  12. Trondheim, Norway - Hotel Britannia Tel: +47 73 80 08 00 Fax: +47 73 80 08 01gave us excellent acomodations and plenty to do and see nearby. Good nightclub right across the street. Plenty of shops within walking distance. Plan on spending all your perdiem. Local beer is $50 a case in a grocery store and $7 a bottle in bars. Whoppers are $6 each. Hotel Britannia Website. Orland MOB, Norway - The local area has lots to see. There is a WWII German gun emplacement and a manor that has portions dating back to the 1100's in nearby Austratt. Only a 55 minute boat ride from Trondheim. Watch out though, beers on the local economy are usually about $7! Hotel Kysthotell (phone: +4772513300/fax +4772513301) was decent. About 5 minutes from the base located on a Marina with lots of boat action to see. Beds are small and rooms are clean. Service is good and folks are friendly. Great breakfast in the morning included and they open early if you ask. Dinner across the street at the other hotel's restaurant. Wi-Fi in the lobby overlooking the marina, what more could a modern warrior need.
  13. Vokel AB, Netherlands - Holiday Inn, Eindoven was a palace! We stayed at the Holiday Inn in Eindoven, NL. The hotel was great by European standards. The staff bent over backwards to do anything we asked. Everyone spoke English. The little hotel bar was great and you are easy walking distance to the pub district for a little more entertainment. The train station was right across the street. You should be able to find the hotel # on Holiday Inn's website. What an overall great experience. I am thinking of taking my wife there on vacation. Loved it.
  14. Aviano, Italy - Park Hotel, Pordennone, just a nice hotel, but location is awesome. Easy walk to lots of good places to eat and train station is a 3 minute walk away (Venice is a 1 hour train ride away) It would be a crime to not stay at the Due Leoni ("two lions") while at Aviano. In the town of Sacile, this place has the best cappucinos around. The hotel is nice with a restaraunt right behind it called the "cellini." If you are in a rush, right next door is a fast pizzeria. Closer to Venice than Pordennone and the Park Hotel - 5 minute walk to train station and 1 hour to Venice. Avoid the Hotel Minerva like the pague. Hotel recently recertified by Aviano billeting. Certification revoked last year because there was no air conditioning and general condition of beds and rooms. Our crew was the first crew put up there. When we checked at at 0600 it was 82 degrees in the lobby and the rooms we had on the 3rd floor were even hotter, with, you guessed it, no air conditioning. Additionally, we had a couple guys that had to sleep on the floor because there were springs poking through the mattresses. When I contacted billeting in the morning the billeting manager told me point blank that I was lying. ~The rooms and location of the Oliva (0434-666-111) hotel are okay (due to location mostly) and you must pay extra if you want room with air in it. Don't bother with the refrigerators though as they won't keep Jack S... cold. Great location for awesome food though with a place called Tussci's in between the hotel and the base. Tussci's is also a hotel and is much better than Oliva but is more remote. Oliva's staff is very helpful and can direct you out the front door and down the street to a place called Mario's with really great food. Stay away from BeFed's however as it's pretty cheesy with overpriced food and beer due to high numbers of USAF folks. Never ever stay at the Hotel Doimo located on the main road through Aviano just past the train tracks to the left. This hotel has been certified by the billeting on Aviano and is absolutely a dump. The rooms where small and crappy and all the rooms smelled bad. I can't imagine why they certified that place. We went to billeting the next day and they seemed kind of pissed we even suggested the place was horrible. There is a new restaurant in Aviano on the main road past the turn for Olivia's and just to the left called Cassabianca. This had the best food around, it was excellent. The owner who we got to know very well over the several days was superb. We ate just about everywhere except for the place called Tsussie's I think that's how it's spelled, and Cassabianca was the best. I hadn't ever tasted food like this before, the best thing I thought was the fillet with green pepper sauce. The best steak fillet I had ever eaten anywhere and that's saying a lot. Brindisi (San Vito AB), Italy - Hotel Minerva is located about 5M south of St. Vito AB and 15M North of Brindisi. Rooms are typical Italian fare (bring your own towels and wash cloths), but some are equiped with small ovens, stoves, refrigerators, and even dinner ware. The Windsurfer in Brindisi is a great place to manga on the seafood and pasta. Located port side, it offers tasty eats and a cozy atmosphere. Later, hang out at the Church Irish pub, a short 1M walk from the restraunt, for some live music (Fridays) and all the Kilkenny and Guiness you can handle. If you want to venture out. Drive down to Lecce!! It is well worth it. Great food at the Caledonia restaurant with Irish/American style cuisine. Then head over to Route 66, American Bar for an outstanding time!! If hot Italian university chicks don't appeal to you then stay away from this place! These places get BUSY, so show up early! Capadichino, Italy - If doing the Rome trip, bring pants if you want to get into the Vatican. Naples NAS, Italy - The standard overnight downtown at the Grand Terminus is very nice and right smack dab in the middle of the action, although loud and close to the train station. . However, a little extra of drive down the coast to the Holiday Inn at Pina Timare is an absolute Godsend for the weary crewmember. It's got a huge pool and rooms that overlook the Med. If you've got the time and the energy, make the effort. Don't be fooled by Alisud. These guys always try to book you at the Terminus - the Santa Lucia is much nicer, under per diem or right at it. Right on the water and about 7 restaurants right across the street at the harbor. Other option is the Jolly Hotel. Not as nice but close to a great restaurant named the "7 Soldi" - Ask the front desk how to get there. Great hole in the wall. ~Santa Lucia Hotel was great. Close to the harbor and fine restaurants. ~Holiday Inn Centro Direzionale Esola 39-081-22-50-111 was nice. About a 15 minute ride from the Naval Station at Naples. Good room, nice bar, excellent restaurant with buffet. Handy to some other cafes, good for short stay, don't know about night life from here. ~Nesis hotel was barely decent. The hotel appears to be new and is nice, but its in the ghetto. There is no decent food within walking distance. A train track and station is next door. No one got a decent nights sleep. Sigonella NAS, Sicily (Catania), Italy - A bit of a drive to the coast but the Catania Sheraton is a primo overnight. Slightly on the outskirts of town, but taxis or a pleasant walk along the Med are more than acceptable to find the action. Treat the Sig Inn as if it has the Plague, stay away!!! Navy ATOC can hook you up nicely on your inbound call. Hotel Baja Verde is right on the rocks of Sicily, near the Sheraton. Resturant hours are Italian. Nice rooms especially if you cna get one overlooking the pool. Happy Place (yes-thats the name) is a little bit different in that its fully furnished apartments/condos. Good pizza place right next door, but quite a ways from Catania--good for a min turn night. The New Year's Eve celebration in Cattania is outstanding. I've never seen anything like it and will not forget it. Hands down, the best New Year's I've ever had. If you have the opportunity to be TDY at Sig over New Year's, you are very much in luck. Long drive from NAS Sig to Hotel Albergo Airone PH:095 7081819 in Zafferana Etnea, but the view was killer! Hotel is located on the side of Etnea. Rooms are a little sparse and 1st floor is noisy, but hotel food was killer!! Great coffees!! One meal comes with the room per day. More of a B&B than a hotel. Not much English spoken here. Cost about $50.00 US a night. About an hour's drive from Sigonella NAS, Excelsior Palace Terme is located in the community of Acireale (awchee-ray-ah-lay). This place IS a Palace. Truly fabulous bar/lounge and lobby areas. Rooms only have Italian stations but who cares. Nearby community has local family-owned pizzarias and gelato stands. Take a local bus to the community of Taormina (tow-or-meena) for a cultural experience of Greek and Roman ruins. ~The Central Palace (decent) is fine for those who are stuck in the 1970's. This place is the hotel that time forgot. They took care of the vintage decor though... looks good for its age. Phone was rotary.. not good for calling cards sometimes. Had nice storm shutters for those mid-day crew rests - no light getting through them suckers. The front desk people genuinely did not seem to care so much as long as they got your Gvmt Travel Card. Sig Inn (nice resort) is not bad because of its location to NAS 1 - NEX, Subway, etc. Local bars are close (currently 0100 curfew) and also a decent continental type breakfast. Excelsior Grande (A PALACE) was excellent. Had a computer with internet in the lobby for email, etc. Very nice altogether. Restaurant was very nice! The marble encrusted rooms were excellent! ~I have to take exception to your reference to the Sig Inn as the plague. Sure they have towels that compare well with paper, and the place is no where near down town. But if you are on a short ground time, or everybody has been there before, or you just want to lounge out at the pool and drink, the Sig Inn is great. They are (by far) the closest to the base which takes a lot of stress off the pre-departure SOE. Also they are right across the street from a base with class six, BX, gym, etc, and right next door to several nice (and reasonably priced) Italian restaraunts. The folks at the Sig Inn - at least my last two times there - opened up the bar for us at 1:30 am until 4 am (We were a C-5 crew of 20). They have a great pool with swim up bar and have many local bikinis present in the summer, and if you are lucky to have a room on the back side of the hotel you have a spectacular view of Etna. They also offer a free breakfast with Cappucino on request. Also for Sig - I like the Excelsior as my second choice, or if you are going to be there a while and want to go down town, and they have free breakfast as well. The Central Palace has pluses and minuses. It is a little noisy because it is right down town. On the other hand it is right down town where all the shops, bars and restaurants are. It is a little hike to the beach. But no free breakfast. ~Excelsior Grand Hotel 39 095 74 76 111(voice) / 39 095 53 70 15 was fantastic! This is the place all the "Enduring (Buswait)Freedom" crews wanted to be sent if they were to go downtown. In the heart of Catania, the Excelsior Grand is very luxurious. The rooms are spacious, Quiet (despite being streetside) and the bar/restaurant are great. ~Galatea Sea Palace (095 7116902 / 095 277320) was nice. If they send your crew up the coast, this is the place to stay! The view is incredible! The rooms are clean and quiet. They also include a refridgerator (not a mini-bar)and a kitchenette with stove! The restaurants (2) are really good and the front desk has beer available after hours! This is a local resort hotel, and we saw 2 weddings booked there during our crew rest. ~If you stay downtown Catania, avoid the Jolly Hotel Catania! (There are 2 Jolly hotels, one on the coast and one downtown)I'm not sure how the one on the coast is, but this one had the smallest rooms and elevators I've ever seen in Europe! The 3 elevators are rated to hold 4 people, but it's cramped with 2 (I'm not joking). My room had a bad mildew smell because the minibar had been defrosting and leaking water on the rug for months. Forget sleep. The rooms have metal "roll shades", but it's very noisy even with ear plugs. The breakfast was good though. ~The serenade of jack hammers and drills at the Sig Inn provided all the charm and ambiance of a root canal at the dentist’s office. What the jack hammers and drills were actually doing is a mystery. The place hasn’t had an improvement in 10 years. I won’t call the place a dump though, that would be an insult to dumps. The heating system was not working. Luckily, it was only 40 F outside and I suppose it could have been worse. There were several crew members who awoke to Italian Workers (Oxymoron if there ever was one) with lit cigarettes dangling from their lips trying to fix the heaters in there rooms. Just walked in, while we slept. I am still waiting for my onions to reappear from my lower intestines. ~Excelsior Grand Hotel was awesome! Headed down to LICZ on an OST turned Rescue Bird/MRT. Stayed at the Excelsior Grand after a hair-raising ride in an Italian- driven van from Base-Ops at Sig. I agree with the other reviews of the Excelsior posted here.. I'd mainly like to add my 2 cents about a fantastic place we found to eat there... a Tratoria (spelling is off.. someone who knows Italian, please correct me) just about 3 blocks from the hotel. Directions: From the front of the hotel, walk straight out past the fountain to the street. Turn right and walk down that street about 2 city blocks, looking for a red/pink neon sign on your right (this is a bar we hit after dinner for a short time, and it's a good landmark from down the street). Continue to the NEXT cross street and turn right. Walk about a block, looking up, for a red and white sign for the restaurant. Impressions: This is definitely a locals' establishment. The service is outstanding, and the food is almost twice as good as that! For the meager price of 25 Euro per person, you get a huge appetizer buffet (brought to your table by a team of waiters), a second course (pasta course), a main course (I had the grilled fish.. excellent), a dessert course (ours was something like tira misu with some fresh fruit), a bottle of table wine, a bottle of water (with or without gas), and a sampling of after-dinner liquors (ours were a cinnamon and a lemon). I have never walked away from a TDY meal feeling so completely satisfied and somewhat intoxicated. Hope this'll help the other crew dogs out there. I have a few things to add in regard to our many a stays at the Excelsior Grande over the last few months. The customer service sucks. There are no ironing boards or irons in the rooms. They charge 10 euros for the service. There are no washing machines or dryers. I brought this to all the management staff and got a repeated condescending attitude of "this is not like the states, we do not carry such things in the rooms". This is just for starters. Next, The hotel restaurant is overpriced, overcooked and understaffed and as rude as hell. All food and drinks in the bar area are overpriced and the service is slow. Do not spend the time in these areas. I do believe the Americans have worn out there welcome with the staff at the hotel. The chinese resturant out the door and to the left is great. It took 10 minutes to eat and the ladies are very nice. Food was good and 5 euros. Also, for eating hit the following cafes, it is cheap. 2 euros. Go out the door and walk past the fountain. Take a left at the street and walk 200 meters. The cafe is on the right on the corner. The next one is down the same street another 200 meters. This street runs left to right and it is the main market area. Tons of people walking. The cafe is on the left corner of this street. A lot of people to watch here. Hope this helps, try the Sheraton and see if they will be more appreciative of US. ~Saw previous comments on NAS Sig's billeting...must have been the old quarters. The newer Q's on NAS II were all ranks and were a very nice suite. You got a nice kitchenette, couch, TV w/DVD player and a separate bedroom. Some of the best I've seen in 10+ years. NAS II is the ops base and NAS I is 10 minute drive with the community stuff (NEX, Commissary, etc.) Both are pretty close to some great local eateries. Don't go right out the gate at NAS I...an Irish pub in Sicily?!! Go up towards Mt Etna (20 minute drive) to Motta, some good small restaurants. Taormina is a great destination about 1 hour away and has a lot to see and do. Vicenza, Italy -If you go on this TDY, make sure TMO puts you on business class on the way over. The JFTR authorizes higher than coach for travel days over 14 hrs with departure/arrival point OCONUS. They won't tell you this!
  15. Dublin Ireland - Finnstown Country Inn and Golf Club ($112 per night). 10 miles south of the city near Casement Aerodrome. Under the per diem rate. Bring your clubs. Have dinner in the Hotel. Take a cab to downtown Dublin (10 punts per trip = $14 US). Go to the Temple Bar area. The girl/dude ratio is 6/1 in Dublin. All the pubs close at 1130 and everyone makes a MAD rush for the discos. You must be precise about this timing or your screwed and won't get in for some time (no joke). Keep a close eye on your watch no matter how piss drunk and make a dash for "Club M". This is the sweetest place in town where the chicks go and the liquor flows. Enjoy. Fitzwilliams Hotel 00353-1-478-7000 is a palace, located in the pedestrian area at the end of the Temple Bar area in Dublin. Hotel has really thick bathrobes. It also has a high flow water shower for thorough carcass scrubbing. ~The Davenport Hotel (phone: 353 1 6073900) was a palace! Hotel arranged by Embassy (congressional lift), so probably above per diem (150 euro). 3 minute walk to Trinity College and 10 minute to pub district. Breakfast not included, but good bar and restaurant in Hotel. Limerick, Ireland - Limerick Ryan Hotel 061-453933/061-326333 was decent. We flew into Shannon International (EINN) on our way back from OEF. DAO can arrange transpo from the FBO to the hotel as well as hotel reservations if you ask them. The hotel was fine. It is a 15-20 minute walk from O'Connell Street (which is where several pubs and restaurants are). Durty Nelly's has good food but that's about it. It's a tourist trap for Americans. The pub in the bottom of the Old George Hotel is a good time. If you have the time, Bunratty Castle and the Cliffs of Moher are nice to visit. The people are all very friendly. The only problem children were our own. ~Clarion Hotel Limerick (phone: 061 444 100) was a nice hotel. Hotel arranged through DAO (congressional lift). $165 per night free broadband, breakfast included. One block from Dolan's Pub which has good food, but a slightly older crowd. ~The Limerick Hilton was awesome! It was about a 25 minute drive from the Shannon Airport but our handler arranged for a 'pathfinder' to lead us to the hotel. They ended up putting our whole crew on the 'Executive Floor'. You needed your room key to access the floor on the elevator and the floor was complete with it's own lounge with free breakfast, free beverages throughout the day, and a free cocktail hour at night! The cocktail hour had beer, wine, and some liquor. Our rooms were very nice and were decked out with free bottled water, sparkling water and cookies when we arrived. The gym was nice as was the pool (they are both billed as a spa/fitness club but you get free admission as a guest on the executive floor). They require swimming caps to use the pool, which you can purchase there if you forget to pack yours! Pubs and clubs are everywhere and are all within walking distance of the Hilton. For some sightseeing check out Bunratty castle, its about a 20 minute drive from the hotel. Shannon Ireland - Limerick-Ryan Hotel (353-61-453-922) was decent. Shannon is a great place for an RON or gas and go. Great service from Shannon FBO (353-61-475-444) Radio Freq 131.675. The hotel rooms are average, clean but older. They are recarpeting the rooms. Nice pub at hotel and breakfast was included. It's about a 20 minute bus ride from the airport. It's very convenient to Limerick, short cabride to town. Many PUBS to visit, Disco's start after the Pubs close down on the weekends. Bunratty Castle is a neat place to visit and you can grab a pint of Guiness at Durty Nelly's right outside the castle. Aircrews heading towards the US, make sure you contact Shanwick Oceanic (121.7) 45 minutes prior to engine start to work your oceanic clearance. Clarion hotel was a palace! Great hotel right on the river. Numerous pubs within 5 blocks. Doolans Pub is three blocks from the hotel. Full service bar and complementary bfast in the morning. Various restaurants nearby also. May 2009-U.S. Alliance was an awesome FBO. Declean was the man & made sure all of our needs were met. He even hooked us up with a last minute tee time & arranged to have a vehicle bring us. Stayed one night in The Strand Hotel in Limmerick...used to be a Hilton in 2008. Free breakfast high-speed internet & right across the bridge from downtown with ample places to get your Guiness fix. For excellent Fish & Chips go to The Golden Grill (the consierge will point you in the right direction) When you check out, the hotel gives you a 20 Euro voucher good to use @ the Duty Free shop in the Shannon terminal. Declean hooks you up with a ride to the jet & will ferry your crew back and forth to the Duty Free shop. If you are the AC, you are entitled to a "Captain's bottle" for gettiing gas, good for one bottle of booz up to 15 Euro in the Duty Free shop. Sweet!
  16. Keflavik NAS, Iceland - (Jul '09). Kef/Reykjavik is awesome. The only problem we had is we landed too early (1600L) on a Saturday, and had to depart early the next afternoon. The FBO (South Air) will hook you up with rental cars and hotel. Ask to stay in the middle of thie city. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Reykjavik (clean and very nice) which was about a 10 minute drive to city center, they have a sister property that is downtown. Don't expect to go out til around midnight though, bars didn't have lines forming til about 0200, and the FBO dude said they go until aroung 0700. Lots of good nightlife to be had all around the downtown area. Definitely recommend as a RON during the summer months. Here is the current (Sept 06) story with Kef. Its CLOSED...at least the Navy side of the base. I used to run 3 weeks deployments to Keft in the late 90's. The Navy has packed up shop and left town. Its really a shame to see so many empty buildings. When we landed there we parked on the mil ramp...we were the only plane (or vehicle for that matter) on the base. An Iceland airfield guy met us at the plane. He works for the FBO on the civilian side of base. They will provide fuel, trans, flight planning (take your charts along with you) computers. The had a bus take us off base to the Hotel Kef. Not a bad place, but nothing special either. Not worth the $$$ that is for sure. Within walking distance of a few good bars and restaurants. Cafe Duce has excellent food and the bar in the hotel is not bad either. If you have the time then catch the bus to Reyk. If you cant have fun there then you are doing something wrong, but bring your Visa and a bankroll b/c it is gonna cost you. Like I said before, if you are expected the red carpet, don't. A heartbreaking tale actually considering this place was great in its prime. ~NAS Keflavik has been handed over to the locals as of 9/30/06 due to base closure. There are no military to worry about, so things are looking up. We stopped here and found excellent services from South Air (www.southair.is). They were waiting in a line as we pulled up with fuel, power & our IMT package in hard copy, floppy disk and CD ROM. For those hercs heading home against the wind, this is a quick and easy stop. We didn't RON this time, but I've got to believe it's better with no crappy Navy billeting to worry about. ~I read the other comments about NAS Keflavik being a bad place to RON. If you are looking for a night of hell raising, then maybe this is true, but if you are looking for a clean, decent place to stay the night as you cross the Atlantic, this place is fine. We landed on Sunday night (NAS is closed on Sundays) and were parked on the civilian side of the airfield. Had a very attractive Icelandic young lady meet us at our plane, and transport us (she even helped with the bags) to the FBO. The civilian FBO is as nice as any in the States...full service. They will take care of your flight plan and wx needs. Another taxi brought us to the NAS side of the airfield, and right to the BOQ. The BOQ front desk is staffed by several more attractive Icelandic young ladies. Rooms were very clean, and had all the stuff (many cable channels) in the states. All on the base were very courteous.... I didn't detect any of the "anti-American" sentiment (at least not till we flew over France). Typical exchange with Subway, Wendy's, etc.. One place that stood out, was JavaLava coffee house located in the exchange. Very Starbucks-like atmosphere (although quite small)...had the Hippy-looking, ungroomed owner and characteristic young blonde gal working the register. Both were very nice, and coffee was noteworthy. RON at KEF ain't that bad! NOTES for aircew: Kef Baseops has very specific "preferred routings" going east and west - check their gouge book and file exactly how they want - or you will be copying down a lengthy clearance while holding # 1... Also, they want Estim. Time at each significant Longitudinal Line. Last thing, Navy ATOC can prepare box lunches for you and the pax - call ahead DSN, or by radio inbound -Other notes of interest the box lunches prepared by the Navy chow hall are shitty and are packed with low quality food. Do yourself a favor and get food from the shopette (if you have time) and take it with you. One bright spot is the Lava Java in the shopette complex-good coffee/warm drinks. Iceland - Offbase: The fishing village of Keflavik is worth a visit. For the best food in town try Cafe Doos on the northern end of the main street (there's only one main road). Cafe Doos serves a soup of the day in a bread bowl--absolutely fantastic. They also serve some great fish and lamb meals definitely worth the $$$. If you like seafood go to the "Rain" (pronounced "Raun") try the lobster bisque! On Friday and Saturday, after 2200 the Rain converts into a European Night Club that rocks and is complete with hot viking chicks. I was surprised at how crowded the place got (100+ folks). For those of you looking for a something a little more risque. Try the strip club called "Casino". This place is hard to find. No advertisement and its in the industrial area above a hardware store. Its about two blocks up the road from Cafe Doos. Very pricey, $10 cover, but the girls are VERY hot. Iceland can really rock on weekends! Friday and Saturday nights in Reykjavik are outstanding! But be prepared to spend some bucks. Kaffi Reykjavik has been a real hotspot for some years. The raging does not start till late however. 11PM at the earliest. By 2 AM, the place is in full tilt. A beer here will run $7-9. Pretty steep. Hard stuff is a touch cheaper. Try priming up on base with the cheap beer before hitting the town. Also, the U.S.O. has a van service on Friday and Saturday night. I think its about $10-12. It leaves at 10PM and RTB's at about 3:30AM. The van will drop you off in Downtown Reykjavik, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the bars. The Glum Bar and Astro's are other good spots. Downtown, stay at the Hotel Blue Lagoon. Bathrobe and free ticket to enter the hot springs that bubble up through the lava rocks. Like staying on an outpost on the moon. Dinner/Breakfast provided by the hotel, gratis. Don't rent a car to do downtown Rejkavik (don't waste a trip if it's not Friday or Sat night either). Talk to the taxi van dude who can arrange to chauffeur you to/from Keflavik and stay with you the whole night (no kidding). For 8 dudes, we tossed in $20 bucks a head for this sweet service. Definitely see the strip clubs here but BRING U.S .singles. The smallest paper bill denomination for stuffing your sweetheart is worth a whopping $7 (yikes). Lots of Norwegian and Icelandic hotties. It looks like you've already got some good gouge on Reykjavik. The only thing to add would be visit the restauraunt called "The Pearl". Its looks like a big silver dome and is visible from almost anywhere in the city. It will be on your left as you take highway 41 from Keflavik to Reykjavik and sits up on a hill. Anyway, the food is absolutely fantastic and the entire restauraunt rotates on a dias so your view is just stunning. VERY pricey, collared shirt required, but well worth it. Contrary to the previously published note that you cannot stay off base while at Keflavik, you can. The Blue Lagoon runs about $80.00 a night... within per diem rates... and is very nice. It does have a sulfur smell to it because of the geothermal lake out back but you get used to it fast. The hotel will pay for the 20 minute taxi ride to the hotel. The staff is super nice and the rooms are nice for European standards. If you get in early enough or coordinate in advance, they will cook you a fantastic meal for a reasonable rate. You can end your day in the 8 person hotel jacuzzi. In the morning, they will drive you out to the Blue Lagoon for a "thermal swim." This is wonderful. You swim around in a 95 degree thermal lake that is thoroughly relaxing. If you are in town for a couple of days, you can hire the taxi for about $20 a head and they will drive you to Reykjavic and wait on you. They will take you to anywhere you want to go in the city and are very knowledgable on all the hot spots. The hotel can also arrange fishing trips and several sight seeing trips. This is the place to go if you are going to RON in Iceland. All I had to do was ask billeting if it was OK and they said "we don't care where you go." They have the number for the Blue Lagoon also. One more point to make and a big one: Purchase your beer on base. The hotel runs about $5 a bottle for beer. Just remember - your finance may not pay for off-base billeting without a Non-A Slip! ~There were no rooms on base so we were able to get rooms at Hotel Keflavik for two nights. They tried to send us to Reykavik for the second night, but when we threatened to go to the hotel next door, they suddenly had rooms for us. There is a nice restaurant in the hotel and a fitness center. The hotel is right in the middle of Keflavik so you can easily walk places. Free internet access is available on the second floor of the hotel. Definitely take a cab to the Blue Lagoon ($7 to get in).
  17. Budapest, Hungary - Marriott (on the river) is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed at. The rooms are immaculate and the service is outstanding. Most rooms look out over the Danube and upon the Royal Palace. As far as eats, I ate at many places and did not find a single bad one. You will eat like a king and the eating is cheap. If you're paying more than $1 for a beer or $10 for dinner even at the finest restaurant in town(complete with tuxedoed staff and four piece chamber music), you're being taken. A caution about the Metro in Budapest. A new ticket is required to be validated everytime you change trains. There are no gates or signs, you just have to know. If you get caught without the proper tickets (which we did), it's a hefty fine, and pleading ignorance does no good.
  18. Souda Bay NS, Crete, Greece - The Kriti Hotel is okay, but about a 15 minute walk to the waterfront and it is a typical small euro hotel. For your lodging reservations here, they need faxes for ALL personnel staying. Also, you need to arrange for your transportation to and from the base -- "Spa Tours" handles the buses. There is a Holiday Inn right downtown - but book early, it fills quick. Samaria Hotel is a typical european hotel....small rooms and beds. Hotel is about 1/4 mile from the Med, which has some great bars and restaurants. You can book rooms through "SPA tours" or the Navy Base Ops/ATOC. Both numbers are in the IFR Sup. The Best Western Hotel (Ph: 0821-27100; Telefax: 0821-27105) is located right in the Old Venetian Harbor section of Chania, a town close to Souda Bay NAS. Rooms are typical small European. Have a small fridge to keep the extra box lunch cold overnight. Water is good. Kydon Hotel was decent, the location is the best part. Right near the water with small fishing boats right outside the front door. Right next door is an outstanding Restaurant/Cafe where the "Locals" eat--Not tourists! More food than you can eat for about $10-15. The Bus ride from Souda takes about 30 minutes, but it's close to the clubs/pubs/restaurants in town so crew dogs can "walk" back to the hotel (no taxi fees). Great Hotel with large rooms and great beds (unlike most Euro-trash hotels). Located 5 min walk from city harbor. Newly redone. Larger rooms with a great view. Excellent location and accommodations for RON. Billeting on base will make all hotel arrangements for you! If you fax over a crew list with names they will have your room keys waiting and check in will take all of 10-seconds -- more time to hit the bars and eat Gyros! ~Royal Sun Hotel was a nice resort. Spent a few days there waiting on DIP clearance snafu. Very nice hotel, beautiful view of Town of Chania from the surrounding hills. Short taxi cab ride to the waterfront. All rooms nice, half have their only private balcony facing toward the downtown. Rooms small but adequate, with small fridge. Hotel food is good, there's a bar to fill your beverage needs. ~Rodon Hotel was okay. Nice rooms, funky shower set up. Down the hill from the Royal Sun, this Hotel does not compete. Kitchen is for breakfast only, times limited to 8-10 AM. A bar upstairs serves drinks only in the evening. Showers do not have curtains, and showerhead is hand held, awkward. There's a toilet in the shower-room, and its impossible to keep from getting everything in this little room wet with shower water. Barking dogs next door very annoying for those on the eastern side of the hotel. ~Akali hotel was decent. Mattresses are hard but the comp breakfast is great. Some rooms do not have a shower curtain. It is in easy walking distance to all the restaurants down by the water. ~A good bar for clothing optional entertainment is the Moulin Rouge, it is about a 5 minute walk from the harbor. ~If anyone goes to Souda for the first time they HAVE TO go to Elmundos and have themselves a Elmundo's special. All the good bars are down at the harbor. The Clic is ok, and there is a place called The Fun Pub, have to have a Flaming Lamborghini there. Catch a cab to the harbor (or walk if close enough) and have fun. Key note about Souda, as with other places, DO NOT WONDER OUT ALONE. Day or night. Many people have been robbed at gun point at 1300hrs. And some have had there heads kicked in for $20. A good place to eat is The Road House. There are several nice eateries down by the "harbor", Taxi drivers know where everything is. ~Go to Ela restaurant down in the harbor area, just up the street from El Mondo bar. Wonderful food and extensive menu with great prices, way cheaper than anything in the harbor. ~New info on the Aphrodite jewelry shop. They are no longer in business with the exception of their merchandise that is available on base at Souda. . Best food at the best price in town is just up the street from Elmundo's and the FunPub at "Ela". Don't get roped in by one of the street hawkers to eat, they're much more expensive and not nearly as good. Best Western Porto Veneziano 30 28210 27100 was a very nice hotel. I was just in Souda and your current gouge is not correct - Kydon Hotel is a dump and Porto Veneziano is probably the best easily avail (we stayed at both). Best Western Porto Veneziano is a great hotel. On the water, nice full breakfast, and very close to the harbor of pubs and restaurants. Spa Tours will not book this one but there really is no advantage to using Spa Tours. You can book on line via Best Western or call the hotel directly. A great place to eat, especially after the pubs is Rondevous, (in Greek it looks like "Panteboy"). It is across from the back entrance to Click club. Great food for very little money. ~The Santa Marina Plaza ( www.santamarina-plaza.gr ), a 5 star boutique hotel, built on the beach of Aghia Marina Chania. It is located at a mere 8km west of Chania city Centre. As it is under the same ownership with Kriti Hotel, the quality of service and the understanding of the specific needs of the military niche, coupled with 5 star construction and amenities make for an unforgettable stay. DO NOT STAY ON BASE AT NAS SOUDA. Navy Lodging is worthless there. We showed up in the middle of the night and the temps were in the mid-80s. Not A/C units were running and 1/2 of our rooms didn't even have fans. My loadmaster was trapped in his bathroom for 3 hours because a door handle fell off while he was taking a dump. Uncomfortable beds and thread-bare sheets were not helping with crew rest eaither. Nothing on base is open between ~1900 - 0700 - you can't even get a cup of coffee. Kick, scream, cry, lie . . . do whatever you have to to get off base here. We stayed at the Best Western Porto Venezian and as it says above it's a good deal, just small rooms. Update August 2009 - C-9 Crew pulled into Souda for a couple days, round robin between the desert. NAS Lodging mostly under construction/remodeling so they put us at the Royal Sun which is now under USG contract to provide overflow and long term TDY rooms. You have to pay and check in at the BQ desk and then a bus takes the crew/pax to the hotel where you get your key. Repeat for checkout. Not too bad of a place. A/C worked okay, mattresses/sheets worn (beats the tents in Al Udied), and food/drinks on the top floor with wireless internet. Breakfast for the crew at anytime with prior arrangement with management. Food's okay and then can do menu stuff for to-go-crew lunches. 7-8 Euro cab ride to town and most cabbies know where the Royal Sun is, but grab a business card before you leave. Visit the open air market and try back alleys for better cafes and shops.
  19. Ramstein AB, Germany - For things to do while deployed to Germany, check out: www.letsgo-europe.com. If at all possible try NOT to stay at Sembach - bare conditions with sparse food/entertainment opportunities. For billetting on-base at Ramstein, make reservations early. They separate aircrews from Duty Pax. Transpo is LESS than helpful - especially if you have Duty Pax... A good hotel in downtown Ramstien Village is the Ramstienerhof-- the food is the best I had in 5 rotes to Germany and the owners are very cool. SchlossCafe Hotel in Landstuhl - Nestled in a quiet area just under the Castle and under your per diem rate (which is $105 US right now). Location is key, Barbarosa Hof / Hotel Zep is decent and very near Riverside (about 1 klick or less); Wed. is ladies' night at Riverside - lots of talent. For a good time, take a cab/drive to St. Martin Platz in K-town. Good pubs are the Hannen Fas, Markthalle Cafe (German hotties, but don't look like an American or you won't get through the door). Good Irish bars are Thirsty Nellies and The Harp. Ask about the Irish House which is on your way to Sembach out of K-town. Live Music, good spot. Good restaurants: il Cappricio in Ramstein, St. Martins in K-town. "Alt Landstuhl" is a great restaurant for the finer German cuisine (not cheap). Hotel Christine (06371/9020) is located in Landstuhl, this hotel is very nice. Huge rooms with kitchen and huge bathroom. Make sure you ask for the rooms up the hill, they are the newer ones. Three great restaurants located right next door, Chinese, Greek, and Italian. ~If you stay on base, eat at the German Cantina. It's a little hard to find, but get directions from the Prime Knight staff. It's in one of those buildings right next to prime knight. Good food and beer and very reasonable. The Dorint Hotel is **** and is a contract hotel for Ramstein. The drive is about 20 minutes downtown by crew bus. UDrives are very hard to get from Transportation. Van rentals on base by the gas station for about $100.00/day. There is one Rest. about a 10 min walk down the hill, Joe's Road House. Pretty good American/German food and the kitchen stays open til 0100. Nice pool, get your code and good directions. Walking distance to the FCK soccer stadium, if a game is on GO! ~Buy liquor across from Prime Night Billeting at the Canadian or Britain liquor store. It is located in a regular office building, just ask billeting receptionist how to get there. You can buy liquor without paying U.S. taxes and save alot of money. Everything kind of hard liquor there. They work normal day time hours and close around 1630 daily. ~Prime Knight was a Dump. While we thought the on base stuff was survivable but far from nice, wedid enjoy a day in K-Town. The highlight for places to eat/drink at was the Spinnradl in thepedestrian part of the town. True the menu was somewhat limited but hey it was very authentic and very good. Excellent cigar selection as well was reported by our crew (I don't smoke). ~Pirsch hotel was nice. Guessing game as to if you will get a closet sized room or a large one. But rooms are descent. Summers used to be bad due to no AC in the DE. But last time I was here they had individual fans in the rooms. The restaurant downstairs is awesome and so is the help. They have a night for just about every kind of schnitzel you can think of. Try something other than the same ol' jagerschnitzel. And say hello to Yyvone for me. ~St Pauleshof hotel - the drive to the hotel is not bad, 20 min tops. An Italian couple run the cleanest hotel I have ever stayed at! Quiet and out of the way is no problem with no transpo. The hotel owner DROVE us back to base to get a rental car. They bent over backwards to make our stay pleasent. The eating options are scarce, BUT, the restaurant has great food! Party drill is back down to Landsthul..... ~American Hotel was a dump! It's a new hotel off the beaten path and very happy to see you show up (Contract Hotel) however there's no where to go without a cab and most importantly you better not be tired because there's some sort of Rod and Gun club in the woods across from the entrance. It sounds like a firing squad's in the woods while you try to recover from a 24 hour day! ~Hotel Christine - (+49) 06371 - 9020 Compared to other hotels in the region, I found the Hotel Christine to be a palace! Service is what sets this hotel heads and shoulders above the rest. For Example: Amenities like a free shoe-shine machine just up from the lobby ensures that we all looked our best. They also have a coin operated laundry and a secured parking garage. It is a wi-fi hotspot so you can buy time and use your 802.11 pocket PC or wireless laptop. There is also a terminal in the lobby where you can purchase a card that gives you time on the terminal. The breakfast was served from 0530-1000hrs. Everything was fresh and the cook was highly skilled. The restaurant (The Cockpit Lounge) was fantastic. Serving everything from German food to some of the best Prime Rib I have eaten anywhere. Service was great and there are several different areas where the crew gather for a drink or meal. The decorum was aviation driven and the ceiling fan was unique (a prop from a DC-6). This is definitely not a GI bar, but more of an upscale atmosphere where you can where a flight suit, jeans, or a suit and tie and still fit in. The Hotel Christine is a must if you are staying in the Ramstein / Landstuhl area. (I have heard that the news anchors and other celebrities stay there from time to time, so you never know who you will see at the bar in the evening.) ~Stayed in the Hotel Europa a week, rooms are typical European style but the breakfast buffet every morning was outstanding. The hotel staff is very friendly and helpful too. The hotel is about 5KM from the gate and within walking distance of several nice restaurants/pubs. Rhein Main AB, Frankfurt, Germany - What a dump? The Terra Hotel is right next to a dump. Heaven forbid you get the room on the side of the dump when the wind is blowing in. Or when the trucks start to roll at 5am with a 8am wakeup. We stayed one night then pleaded to stay on base. Thank God they had rooms. What a dump!!! We had a temporary delay in Frankfurt, I got the whole group of us (14) rooms at the Frankfurt Main Sheraton. It is right at the airport - connected to the terminal right above the USO office. I talked them down to the gov rate and it was worth it. Plush rooms, fantastic service, even a bathrobe in your room! Just got done with a week of TDY there (01-01). Here's the scoop. Billeting was on base. Prime Knight is not bad, 2 to a suite (living area, shared bath, each with private bedroom -- used to be family housing, free laundry downstairs). Places on base to eat: Avoid the bowling alley like the plague!! The food is overpriced and VERY average. Rocket Club seems to be ok. Zepplinhaus (Z house), the consolidated club was the best of the bunch. Cheap and good. Ask for a U drive. We had no problems getting 2. Rhein Main will be open until 2005 and they literally have nothing to do. AMCC support was outstanding from start to finish. OFFBASE EATING: You MUST go to the resturaunt called ZAGREB, over in Morfelder/Waldorff. OUTSTANDING German and Balkan food, plus it's cheap! Dinner is finished off with a complimentary hot toddy. This place rocks!! About a 30 DM taxi ride from billeting. Taxi to the Frankfurt International Airport costs about 35-40 DM. There is a very good 24 hour German restaurant in the train level of the airport. Also a Mickey D's (24 hours). You can catch a train into Frankfurt or elsewhere (Wiesbaden, Mainz, etc.) We took a train to Rudesheim, a city on the Rhine river. It was the middle of winter, so the town was dead, but looked like it would rock in the summer (drinking wine or beer overlooking the river). Decided the best way to get into Frankfurt (or Sachsenhausen) was to take a cab . 50 DM got you! downtown in about 20 minutes. Taking a cab to the airport, then buying a group train ticket (good for up to 5 people on trains and subways for 24 hours -- 14 DM) was cheaper but took 90 minutes to get downtown. Sachsenhausen is the bar district. Try a bar called Das Eiserne Hahn (The Iron Chicken), and ask for Heike! Very friendly to Americans. When you get kicked out of Sachsenhausen and need some late night grub, take a taxi across the river to Shooters, and Australian pub open till 4 am. I know, who drinks Fosters in Germany, but hey, you can get a plate of fries for cheap. If you're looking for people watching places, try Gotheplatz, it's the equivalent of Times square in Frankfurt. Lots of restaraunts, shopping, etc.I can't tell you how many times I've gone to the Irish Pub and seen a familiar face from AMC. Not the place to go to experience German culture, but if you don't speak the lingo, it's certainly a great place for a crazy time with all those cute british and irish nannies in Germany. Of course after the bars close at 2am you can go across the street for a Donner Kabob to grease up you stomach lining and slow the absorption of booze into your system. ~Hotel Domizile was A Dump: If a feather falls at the opposite end of the hallway, your door is closed and you are asleep with your TV on, CAN YOU HEAR IT???? Only if you are staying at this place. While the staff was very helpful and friendly, the place has more echo's than your favorite cave does! You are about 10-15 minutes from the train station (by foot) but that does count as your exercise for the day. There is a very good restaurant though just off the main drag one block up from Hotel D. though on the right side just past the grocery store. This place is awesome for great authentic German food and beer and wine...wow. ~Esprix hotel was decent. For those of us old enough to remember the hotel on base (back when RM was a REAL base) you'll be in for a shock. The place was gutted and now sports very nice rooms, cable TV with CNN & BBC, and a restaurant downstairs. The balconies have been torn off for insurance reasons, and check-in takes some time since the hotel also caters to civilian travelers. The hotel offers free transport to the civilian side of the airport so you can hop a train downtown with little fuss, and the hotel is RIGHT off base so your options for entertainment increase 10-fold with a 200 yard walk to the gate. ~Down the street from the Domizil Hotel, and around the corner from the Terra hotel is a great Turkish place called the "Orient Restaurant" of all things. Great Doners, and anything else you would want. The staff is also very friendly, and very cool too. ~Holiday Inn - Sachsenhausen real nice. First off, Trans at Frankfurt sucks. We had to make three phone calls and waited 45 minutes to get taken to the hotel. While waiting we were able to have a 50 cent beer from the T-tail Stage Snack Bar. On the backside, they neglected to pick up our crew chiefs. The Holiday Inn- Sachsenhausen was very nice since it was conference center. The breakast was about $9 and all you could eat and you could get beer with breakfast. Euros can be purchased at the front desk for a nominal fee. Right outside the hotel is a bus stop which you can take downtown. For 7 Euro, 5 people can ride on one bus pass. We arrived on Sunday and downtown was dead. For -135 guys, AMCC will not prefile for you. However, the computer in the mission planning area will let you file your 1801 on-line which was cool except it will reject your plan in you have to many letters for the equipment codes. Before you leave you must get a brief from the Stan/Eval guys downstairs on the SID's and n oise abatement. TACC flight planned the SID off 18 with the close-in turn. At 170K fuel load we were barely able to fly the procedure so do the one that takes you out farther. Also, the Sky Cops want a copy of your flight orders for some reason. ~Must try Corner Steak House (directions listed in billeting guide in rooms). Great steaks cooked on hot lava rocks at your table. Prices about $15 for 7 oz. fillet. ~(07/03)Rhein-Main is trying to be the hub it used to be, but without the base support structure to make it happen smoothly. Most Middle East bound duty pax now pass through here via commercial entry through Frankfurt Main Airport across the ramp. USO is located in Terminal 1, Hall C, downstairs at Frankfurt Main. They can get you a mil bus or cab to base. If traveling alone or in small numbers and will RON for the rotator the next day, either spend the $15 Euros for the cab to AF billeting at RMAB (bldg 340) or check out the Sheraton mentioned above. Expect Contingency Billeting on base (think Moron AB, Sp = 6 bunks/room, community showers, no trans support on base, and a bag drag from hell. It's probably worth it to stay at the Sheraton and cab it to base the next morning (claim it per the 24 hr billeting rule). ~Update 10/05 -- Rhein-Main is now officially closed to AMC traffic. Ramstein is now the AMC hub with Spangdahlem as the contingency/overflow base. Spangdahlem AB, Germany - Terra Ventura Hotel ++49(0)6565/9 25-0 fax ++49(0)65 65/9 25-105 was a decent hotel. Stayed here for 40 days while in Spangdahlem. Hotel was very friendly with desk clerks that can tell you where to go at night. Rooms are not all that big with bathrooms being smaller. Has a restaurant and a bar. The restaurant is ok with service being decent at best. There is a pool and a spa. There are good clubs nearby in Bitburg and Trier with Frankfurt being and hour to hour and half away. Stuttgart, Germany - Copthorne (0711)7210 is an excellent Hotel located 10 minutes away from the airport. The Base ops guys called and got us reservations and the hotel provides a shuttle. Numerous restaurants and bars inside the actual hotel, getting to downtown Stuttgart is easy. Do not take a cab, exit the hotel and go left on the street in front. There is train station there and it will cost you 3,70DM about $1.50 to get downtown. ~I was stationed at Ramstein for 2 years and the Copthorne was a "kill" to get tdy. Right next to but not part of the hotel is a Sauna complex as big an indoor football field. Maybe 15 different kinds of saunas. Upscale and very clean, like only the Germans can make it. Best part about it...TOTALLY NUDE! You got it. 30 something crowd drankin' and swingin' it every night. Friday the best. Adult DisneyLand if there is one. Love those Germans. Great eats also at the Irish Bar. ~The Millenium was a palace (Hotel formerly called the Copthorne). Super nice digs under per diem! Free deluxe breakfast! Cold beer in the room! Highly recommend this fine establishment! ~Hilltop Hotel, Robinson Barracks DSN 422-7193 FAX 0711-896527199 is a nice hotel. For on base lodging close to the airfield, stay at Kelly Barracks (DSN 421-2815). Kelly was full, so we stayed at the Hilltop Hotel on Robinson Barracks, about a 30 minute cab ride (about 45 Euro) from Stuttgart airfield. Nice place with good rooms and suites. Rooms have DVD players and international access phones. Continental Breakfast in the Lobby. To get downtown from Robinson Barracks, ask someone where the chapel gate is...it's a small walk-in gate close to the nearest city bus stop. From there, take the 57 bus to Pragstattel train station (about 5 minutes/2 stops downhill from Robinson Barracks). From Pragstattel station take the U5 or U6 trains downtown. Trains run about until midnight...after that you're taking a cab back for about 20 Euro. If you travel in a large group, be sure to mention this to the bus driver and get a day pass ticket, good for travel all over Stuttgart on both trains and busses. Be sure to order the Apple Strudel at local restaurants to soak up all the Weissbier. ~The Millennium Hotel and Resort was awesome! (PH 49-711-721-1050 FAX 49-711-721-2931) The hotel is part of a resort complex featuring restaurants, bars, cinemas, spas (yes, its nude-only), and shopping areas. 20% discount for military at the spa. Only a 15 minute drive from the military side of Stuttgart Airport. Coordinate transportation (bus) through baseops (we used Hofmann Co. and they are allowed on base and the flightline). Taxi's aren't permitted on base. Right behind the hotel is a train station that can get you downtown. Ask hotel staff for a map. Wireless Internet, business center to print IMT papers. Do not request services outside the hours of airfield operation or the Germans will get pissed! (wet and dry ice requires cash). ~Eat at the Block House restaurant. Great steaks for 15 euro. You will not be let down! It is at the Bahnhof. All trains lead to it. http://www.block-hou...bh/en/home.html Heidelberg, Germany - The Heidelberg Marriott Hotel is on the Neckar River and easily within walking distance of the downtown/castle area. Free Wifi and a Concierge Lounge with free breakfast, snacks and booze during certain hours. Munich, Germany - Munich Park Hilton was nice! Parking at Munich is at general aviation ramp. Contact the American Consul Munich for rooms/transpo. 30 min drive to hotel/downtown. Service at airport is good, AF 15 or Form 44 required for landing fees, etc. Check out the hoffbrauhouse...a must when in Munich. Park Hilton is nice but $$$, if they could get away with it they'd charge you for breathing. ~Kempinski Airport Hotel (49) 8997820 was a nice place - right at or slightly above perdiem depending on the Euro. Very nice suite like air conditioned rooms. Breakfast included. Munich airport has a very large shopping area with a large variety of shops. Subway station right in the terminal for easy access to downtown Munich. Air Brau restaurant in the airport shopping area has their own home made brews and large menu. Nurnberg, Germany - Le Meridien Grand Hotel 011 49 (0)911 2322-0/-444 was a very nice hotel. Very nice! Right downtown/across from the subway/train station. Just a couple of blocks from old town. About 2 hour train ride to Munich, but also lots to see in Nurnberg--known for great knackwurst (hot dogs/sausage), Lebkuchen (cake-like cookies), and Nazi war crime trials. Nurnberg is in Bavaria--good beer! The hotel will lay out a complimentary breakfast spread if you are leaving early. Holiday Inn City Centre 49-911-242500 was great. Nurnberg is a beautiful city in Germany. The General Aviation folks provided good service. The Holiday In City Centre was a very nice hotel. It is in the old town; a quick walk to all the sights, shopping, and restaurants. They have an excellent breakfast buffet that you might be able to negotiate into the roomrate. Two floors have free internet terminals and the rooms have internet hookups. Great food everywhere. If you tire of brats and krauts try the Italian. 'Spaghetteria Della Nonna Cafe Bar' is excellent. It is found at 7 Luitpoldstrasse street (0911) 2358464.
  20. Istres' (Le Tube AB) France - The Mercure Lancon is a nice place. The rooms range from decent to Honeymoon suite (complete with jacuzi shower tub). A must see on days off is the town of Cassis south east of Marseille (good scenery) which is a nice quaint town with a lot to offer. Also hit Aix-En-Provence and The Chateaunef du Pape wine country. We found a great pizza place in Lancon right around the corner from the Mercure (truckstop) hotel. It is a one man operation and the guy can cook a pizza in 2 minutes flat! The name of the place is Delice Pizza and the phone # is 04 90 42 93 00. He is Aircrew friendly but speaks only french. You can get a large pizza for 50 Franc (about $6.00) and you get two bottles of wine free with 4 pies. Hit Chateau Virant for Gold Medal Olive Oil. For wine, check out Les Baux and just outside of town is a place called Caves De Sarragon. Market-wise go to Les Isle le Sourge on Sundays (9-2). In Salon, Nostra Mama's has good deep fried Calzones and Au Trotter has good wood-fired pizzas. A must stop in downtown Martiques is Chez Lorenzos on Rue Ramada, he's aircrew friendly and will stuff you for about 100 Franc. For those trying to save money on per diem, outside Le Tube is a supermarket, and down the freeway from the hotel in Vitrolles is a Carrefore (French Super Walmart). Before you fly, got to Pierre's breadshop next to the ED market in Miramas on the way to the base. The best thing you can bring with you is a menu decoder/phrase book, the best $9 you'll spend... trust me ~For great steaks, try Chateau Barben. Slightly pricey, about $20/meal but well worth it. Its a short drive from the Mercure across the A7. A MUST do is the scenic town Cassis. The beach is rocky but the sights are unbelievable. Stroll down the promenade for great cafes and just grab a seat and watch the local talent. Definite stops should be Les Baux for shopping/castle ruins, Fontain de Vaucluse for the natural scenery and Aigues-Mortes, an incredible walled medievil city.
  21. Aalborg, Denmark - SAS Radisson was a palace! If you pass through Denmark, Aalborg treats you right! SAS Radisson is a 10 minute drive from the airport, and right in the heart of the bar district. Great service, fine rooms, wonderful breakfast each morning. Some of the friendliest most beautiful women on earth! If you are lucky enough to go to Aalborg - the best place to stay is the Raddison. Great staff, and they have a great breakfast in the morning. Just outside the doors is a casino, and the major bar district for Aalborg is within spitting distance. All the restaurants are great - no major ones to recommend. Copenhagen, Denmark - Copenhagen is a fun town. The Copenhagen Strand hotel was okay. Typical small Euro room with TV and phone. No clock, but internet access available for about $25 per day. Good free breakfast in the morning, but everything else is expensive. Lots of nice restaurants along the canals. Lots of good bars. LOTS of friendly, blonde women everywhere. A fun place to spend a few days, but bring your cash. A cup of coffee is $6 at the Starbucks equivalent.
  22. Prague, Czech Republic - Diplomat Hotel (420) 296 559 111 was nice. Good hotel, only three metro stops from down town... at $0.30 ride each way. They offer free breakfast and have a bar and go-kart track in the basement which makes for a lot of crew fun. Also, if you have time off try to take one or more of the walking tours of the city that meet at the astrological clock, or find out more information at http://www.praguetravel.cz/walk.html. This is a good tour and the price is the best. You can get three tours for the price of two. I recommend the pub tour for a good walk and an opportunity to meet other people visiting Prague. ~Hotel Hoffmeister www.hoffmeister.cz was a palace! Outstanding small luxury hotel. Room rates just above max lodging rates, but I talked Guido Fridel, the manager into meeting our rates. At the base of Prague Castle and just across from Old Town Square.
  23. Sofia, Bulgaria - Sofia Sheraton was fantastic! Hotel room was huge, restaurant, casino, and gentlemen's club all in the Sheraton. Casino and gentlemen's club run by good fellas from Kiev, just don't get crazy and no one will bother you. Don't buy the working folks drinks in the gentlemen's club without understanding the full price first. Great shopping and safe to walk around the city in pairs or larger groups.
  24. Chievres (Mons), Belgium - Mons is about a 25 minute drive from Chievres, Base Ops guys will give you two numbers for transpo...CALL U.S. MOTORPOOL! Belgium motorpool left us hanging. Holiday Inn-LIDO is decent, within walking distance to center square of town, which has numerous outdoor restaurants/bars. Lots of culture but little night-life. Make sure you file "IFPS Changes Accepted" in Rmks to help avoid the always painfull Brussells flow cntrl 1801 rejection. Base Ops DSN 314-361-5411 Fax 5573. ~Update to TDY gouge for Chievres, Belgium (MONS). (I am a pilot based here): Chievres is about 25 minutes from the nearest big city, Mons. There is very little support in the way of RON's. Transportation is EXTREMELY limited and you should bank on either trying to rent a car on base (Tues-Fri 9a-5p) at Sixth Rental or plan on taking a Taxi from the gate. Transient Alert or Trans should help you get to one or the other. NO PASSENGER TERMINAL. Do not plan to dump your pax off and leave, they will be stuck unless they have coordinated trans and Base Ops will keep calling the AC for coordination. Brussels is a 100 Euro Cab ride there and 150 Euro back if you think it is worth it. Prior coordination is critical. Not to be negative, but too many crews (with their pax) have been left at the gate thumbing for rides. If you are just looking for a gas and go, great place with top notch service, if you want to RON in the Brussels area, go to Charleroi (Brussels South). Good transportation to Brussels and good support from Signature Aviation. Mons nightlife is hit or miss, get here for a festival such as the DouDou and it is a party to remember. The scene picks up late and don't just hang out at the Grand Place, the "petite" Place just down the road (to the left of the McDonalds in the Grand Place) is much more active.
  25. Lajes, Azores - The rooms on base weren't bad, within walking distance to the gym, bowling alley, and BX. About 10 minutes from the front gate. Unfortunately, no AC, so in the summertime bring a basting brush cause you will roast. Talk to MWR to arrange a fishing trip. It was 50 bones per person, but it included a local guide who knew all the good spots, we haled in tons of fish, then he let us snorkel and swim in the Atlantic. On the way in to the Marina he cooked up some of the fish with this rice dish, it was incredible. If you want to go out to the towns, walk to the front gate, then pick up a cab. Trans won't do shit for you. The cab is cheap, and they take dollars, but negotiate the price first. Praia da Vitoria is the closest city. The food is excellent, and it is pretty scenic. Angra do Heroismo is on the other side of the island, but has some great historic sites, like old Spanish forts and cathedrals. If you are there during bull fighting season, do not miss it. They have a local fight ten minutes outside the gate, ask anyone on base for directions. Easy to walk to, but get there early, to find a good spot. Just don't get caught participating in it, they will hang you. ~Check out the Twins Pub in Angra - starts getting packes after midnight; 2 drink minimum and remember to hold on to ticket they will give you. If you lose it, you will be charged approx 50 Euro... Mostly 20-30 year old scene. Highly recommend the Barca Nova Restaurant in Sao Mateus. This place is nestled right on the coast and they have this dish which is baked inside a clay roof tile, which is like a fish stew with potatoes onions and just about any kind of seafood you want on it, totally outstanding! This place is open seasonally, so check with the Q before heading out. Lodging at LPLA wasn't too bad. Bldg 122 had nice Air Conditioned rooms - so I don't know if all of billeting was this way. Nice TV with VCR combo. Also a small gift shop in the Lodging office. Cheap wines!!! The Services/MWR magazine had tons of fishing and other water activities to do. I decided to take a jog around the base. Bad idea...place looks and feels like a MASH scene. We ate at Xisa Mar....atmosphere isn't really crew friendly, but the food we had was worth it - Approx $20 got a 10oz Portugese steak, 2 beers, tip, and water - and English menu. We paid 6 Euro for one-way taxi (call 2-3488). We passed by the Marina on the way home. Probably a much better choice and better scenery. SABORES DO CHEF RESTURAUNTE is the name of the 'newer' place that the chef from Pescador opened in Praia da Vitória. It's a little closer at just 10 minutes, and our crew of 12 really enjoyed it, much more than Pescador itself. Cab ride was 7 Euro from billeting, arranged through Philomena at the front desk. Santa Maria, Azores - We weather diverted to Santa Maria and experienced great service from the operations folks at the airport. They set us up at the Hotel 5 - which was a nice hotel. The hotel bus picked us up (it only holds 9 so they made two trips). Not much around the hotel but they have a fine restaurant and bar. We got checked in quickly and the restaurant stayed open late to feed us dinner. They put out a great breakfast buffet that is included with the room and even put it out based on our requested time. They then took us back to the airport. Our IMT was faxed to operations and they had it ready for us upon arrival. We needed to add a little more fuel and it was done very quickly. Not a bad place at all for a divert.
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