Wikivoyage:Tourist office/Archives/2015/September

Refugees in Munich
At the risk of sounding like a bloody racist, I have to ask this question.

I just read from today's Helsingin Sanomat that central Munich, Germany is pretty much packed with refugees right now. The railway station, two exhibition centres, a school gymnasium and an industrial hall are full of refugees.

Now I've got nothing against refugees on a personal or ideological level. My question is a practical one. The situation will only concern me after nine months, in May 2016.

I plan on visiting Munich for BoundCon 2016 in late May 2016. I don't mind if I see refugees everywhere, but is there a chance that the whole BoundCon 2016 event in Zenith, Freimann, central-northern Munich might get cancelled because of the refugee situation?

Asked by: JIP (talk) 20:30, 7 September 2015 (UTC)
 * I do not think you should concern yourself. The numbers are small compared to the number of people that use the rail system on a daily basis. Also the German authorities are being very efficient moving people on to reception camps around the country. Yes you will see smaller groups around various towns but it should not hinder events and general travel arrangements. --Traveler100 (talk) 20:35, 7 September 2015 (UTC)
 * Thank you! That's all I needed to know. JIP (talk) 20:41, 7 September 2015 (UTC)
 * (edit conflict)The situation is likely to be resolved (one way or the other) by May 2016. Part of the reason this situation is in the media right now is that there was very little time to plan. By May 2016 more than half a year will have passed, making for sufficient time for (semi)permanent arrangements. Probably some will already be put in place for Oktoberfest, as the reigning party in Bavaria has recently grumbled about that. Hobbitschuster (talk) 20:42, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

I propose we rapidly archive this topic (with the consent of User:JIP of course, as the question has been answered sufficiently to the asker and I personally don't want a question that tends to draw political discussions we have gladly avoided around here for the most part. What do y'all think? Hobbitschuster (talk) 20:44, 7 September 2015 (UTC)
 * I am very much in support of this. It seems very likely that by May 2016, the refugee situation will have settled, and as long as I can get to BoundCon 2016, I'm happy. JIP (talk) 20:51, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

Possible station code?
For the purposes of a Wikipedia infobox, would a code printed on a New Jersey Transit Rail Operations ticket be considered a station code? For example, Secaucus Junction is printed as SEC JCT, and New York Penn Station is printed as NYP NYP. Are these their station codes? Thanks! (This is for the commuter rail system in New Jersey, United States.)

Asked by: 67.82.214.29 00:11, 7 September 2015 (UTC)


 * NYP is indeed the station code for New York Penn Station. I don't know the answer to your question about Secaucus Junction, and a quick web search didn't turn up anything. Ikan Kekek (talk) 00:20, 7 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Is there anything to indicate that NJ Transit issues station codes? Amtrak makes up its own codes (like NYP for Penn Station), which aren't the same as the standardised IATA luggage tags used by the airlines. NYP is Amtrak http://www.amtrak.com/northeast-train-bus-stations but Secaucus is not; http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=TrainStationLookupFrom&selStation=38174 is the 'official' page for the station, but lists no codes. K7L (talk) 03:52, 7 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Two points: First this is technically the wrong place to argue this (the pub would've been better), second station codes, at least universally recognizable ones are an exception rather than the rule. Sure, Deutsche Bahn has some codes for their stations, but they are not easy to remember and mostly used for internal communication only. Some train stations of course have IATA codes, but that is another thing still Hobbitschuster (talk) 09:45, 7 September 2015 (UTC)


 * This likely is posted here only because Wikipedia's reference desk lists this page for travel-related enquiries. IATA does reserve a few ranges (Qxx, Xxx, Zxx) for non-airports (so the air-to-bus transfer at White Plains for NYC might use - Penn Station). Amtrak ignores the IATA tags and arbitrarily assigns its own (which don't match, but confusingly are the same three-character length and format); VIA mixes both approaches (so each station has a valid IATA code (like XBR) and some other code issued by the national passenger carrier). This can get the same station three codes, so Montréal Central Station (CN) is "Via: MTRL, Amtrak: MTR, IATA: YMY" where the 'yummy' IATA tag is left over from a long-since-closed downtown airport.  I wouldn't call something arbitrarily made up by VIA or Amtrak (like NYP for Penn Station, NYC) "universally recognisable" in the same manner as IATA or ICAO, which are international standards. K7L (talk) 16:10, 7 September 2015 (UTC)

What do I need to get a permission to enter the White House of Moscow? Is it even possible to visit it as a tourist?
--Motorolakzrz (talk) 06:02, 10 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Do you mean the Kremlin? Central Moscow has all of our information on the sights there. Powers (talk) 21:06, 10 September 2015 (UTC)


 * There is (or used to be) a white house in Moscow as well. Yeltsin engaged in some coup-like shenanigans there. A bit of detail would aid in answering the question... Hobbitschuster (talk) 22:38, 10 September 2015 (UTC)
 * w:White House (Moscow) is a building about 3 km west of Kremlin and it's the parliament of Russia. Moscow seems to be halfway districtified, and the info about the White House should be in Moscow Outskirts, but unfortunately there is none. Also, the web site of the Russian government doesn't seem to have any information about visiting the parliament itself. Tripadvisor users report that you cannot go and visit the place as a tourist (only see it from the outside). You can get in touch with their press service and information department to get a definite answer. ϒpsilon (talk) 04:33, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

Pheasant in Belgium
When I was at a special German evening at a restaurant here in Finland, where we ate German food, drank German beer and spoke in German for the whole time, I mentioned that I'm planning to go to Belgium next summer. Someone said I must try eating pheasant there. Is pheasant some kind of special national dish in Belgium? Are there any recommendations where I could eat it? At the moment I'm strongly favouring Brussels, the capital of Belgium, as my destination city. Are there any restaurants serving pheasant there?

Asked by: JIP (talk) 21:10, 17 September 2015 (UTC)
 * Strange. I don't think you should particularly look out for pheasant dishes in Belgium. It's true that pheasant meat is somewhat more easily available in Belgium than it is in the Netherlands, for example, but it's not a national dish or anything like that. Also, pheasant season is in winter, so in summer few restaurants will serve pheasant dishes. You'll find plenty of places serving general Belgian cuisine though. Perhaps your friend just happened to eat pheasant in one of them and liked the dish? JuliasTravels (talk) 20:10, 18 September 2015 (UTC)

Buying Australian wine in Singapore
The Wikivoyage guide to Singapore tells me that careful shopping at supermarkets will enable me to purchase basic Australian wine label for under $20. I don't know much about wines, but I am in Singapore next week and I plan to buy some good Australian wine. Can someone help me with a guide to what I should be looking for and what I can get?

Asked by: Ravikiran (talk) 13:32, 18 September 2015 (UTC)
 * http://www.australianwineguide.com/ might be a good place to start. My favourite wines are from Henschke - I can recommend Johann's Garden from their moderate price range. I'm also partial to Wolf Blass wines. --TrogWoolley (talk) 10:01, 22 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Thank you! Based on this recommendation, I was able to buy Wolf Blass Red Label Shiraz Cabernet. I also picked up a Jacob's Creek Riesling. Will see how it goes! Ravikiran (talk) 05:47, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

Which of these cities are best?
At this moment of my life, depending on what decision my girlfriend makes, I may or may not be looking to take off from my hometown, to experience something new and leave the past behind. The local airport only has one carrier, Allegiant, and they fly to several cities, there's a list at www.allegiant.com, and I would be flying out of the PGD airport in Punta Gorda. As an alternative I could fly out of RSW in Fort Myers or take a Greyhound bus, but I prefer to take Allegiant if I can (and no I do not work for them; although I do know people who are on the airport authority board I assure you I am not posting this to tout them). So my question is, does anyone know anything about the cities Allegiant flies to from Punta Gorda, and would anyone recommend any of them? Basically I would be looking for somewhere where I could get a job and survive without being on government programs; if this is the course I take my credit will be destroyed and I will have nothing but a little clothes, my Bible, and maybe a laptop, but if I break up with my girlfriend I need to leave Charlotte County and get a breath of fresh air somewhere else. Not just to get away from her, but to get away from everyone. Because I'm kind of a public figure in town (don't worry, I would not be breaking any laws by leaving) and not only do I not want to go through that but I don't want to see the rumors people will make about her because they will hurt me. Not that any of that is anyone's business, but... Just, if you'd be so kind, tell me what you know about the cities Allegiant flies to, please and thank you. Asked by: 71.3.175.90 21:12, 26 September 2015 (UTC)


 * According to Wikipedia, Allegiant flies from Punta Gorda to:


 * Akron, Ohio (beginning November 6, 2015)
 * Allentown, Pennsylvania
 * Asheville, North Carolina
 * Bangor, Maine
 * Cedar Rapids, Iowa
 * Cincinnati, Ohio
 * Columbus, Ohio
 * Des Moines, Iowa
 * Fort Wayne, Indiana
 * Grand Rapids, Michigan
 * Greenville/Spartanburg, South Carolina
 * Huntington, West Virginia
 * Indianapolis, Indiana
 * Kansas City, Missouri (begins November 13, 2015)
 * Knoxville, Tennessee
 * Lexington, Kentucky
 * Moline, Illinois
 * Niagara Falls, New York
 * Peoria, Illinois
 * Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
 * Plattsburgh, New York
 * Portsmouth, New Hampshire
 * Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina
 * Rockford, Illinois (begins November 4, 2015)
 * South Bend, Indiana
 * Springfield, Illinois
 * Springfield, Missouri
 * Toledo, Ohio
 * Youngstown, Ohio


 * Good luck to you.


 * -- AndreCarrotflower (talk) 21:49, 26 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Thanks! I know the list, I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about any of these destinations and had an opinion they'd care to share. Otherwise I'll just go whereever The Lord takes me. 71.3.175.90 22:17, 26 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Niagara Falls is within striking distance of my hometown of Buffalo. If that's the direction you choose to go, I can certainly help you with whatever you need to know. -- AndreCarrotflower (talk) 23:58, 26 September 2015 (UTC)
 * I would consider Cincinnati. Maybe not a major tourist destination but the economy is more active there than some of the other mid-west destinations and I have found the people and communities around the area friendly. As with many places on your list, you will find it a little colder in the winter though. --Traveler100 (talk) 05:33, 27 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Especially if you're planning a longer or even permanent stay, you probably should head to some of the larger cities on your list. They tend to have more job openings and vacant apartments to choose from. Check unemployment figures for the sector you plan to work in at the destinations. ϒpsilon (talk) 07:55, 27 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Indianapolis I can't speak for all of the other cities but I can happily help you with mine. —Justin ( koavf ) ❤T☮C☺M☯ 03:27, 28 September 2015 (UTC)


 * I can give you the scoop on Allentown. The Lehigh Valley is between Philly and NYC, so you have commuting options. The economy isn't the best, but there are a few big companies located here, depending on your industry. Mass transit is pretty much non-existant, so if you're coming without a car (or the means to buy one pretty quick) you're not going to do well. Foofish (talk) 02:53, 30 September 2015 (UTC)


 * Isn't there a bus from Allentown to Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan that takes about an hour and a half? Ikan Kekek (talk) 03:24, 30 September 2015 (UTC)

detail map of Ranthambore national park
is it possible to post the detail map of the Ranthambore national park? need to draw the biomes of the tiger in this park.

Asked by: moi


 * Maps, photos and such are first uploaded to http://commons.wikimedia.org, but copyrighted material may in general not be uploaded. When this is done, see How to add an image for how to embed the image into the article. ϒpsilon (talk) 09:48, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

weather in santa fe, new mexico in early december
what is the weather like in Santa Fe in early december? what is the weather like in Santa Fe New Mexico in early december?

Asked by: 65.88.88.70 20:54, 28 September 2015 (UTC)


 * w:Santa Fe, New Mexico -- AndreCarrotflower (talk) 20:59, 28 September 2015 (UTC)