Regarding the recent flooding in the South Island, tourists with travel plans in the near future do not need to panic. The latest information we have is as follows: 1. The water levels in the high-water areas of Lake Wakatipu and Lake Wanaka in Queenstown have reached their peak, and the weather has cleared up. This week is expected to be mostly sunny, with no more rain predicted, so the flood risk has been alleviated. Businesses along the shores of Lake Wanaka have resumed operations. The famous Wanaka Tree will remain partially submerged for a while longer due to the still-high water levels. Queenstown is experiencing clear weather, and recent photos show that while the water levels are high, the risk of flooding has diminished. 2. The South Island highways, which were previously closed, have started to reopen. State Highway 72 has resumed traffic, although there is heavy congestion, so travelers should allow extra time if using this route. 3. There is still flooding at the Rangitata Bridge section of State Highway 1, but once the water recedes, traffic will be able to resume. There is also flooding at the intersection of State Highway 1 and State Highway 79. The Timaru District Council has stated on social media that there is no risk of the recently reopened bridges on State Highway 72 being closed again. 4. The goal is to reopen State Highway 6 on the West Coast before Christmas, but this is entirely dependent on the weather conditions. If the weather remains favorable, the road repair progress will be normal, but if there is another heavy rain, it will affect the repair schedule. Therefore, travelers planning to visit the West Coast of the South Island around Christmas and New Year's need to closely monitor the road repair progress. The New Zealand Transport Agency's update on December 10th at 4pm: SH6 - The past two days have been sunny, and road repair progress has been smooth. The agency has been working to clear the landslide section between Fox and Franz Josef towns, aiming to reopen the Hokitika - Makarora section before Christmas. The Whataroa - Harihari section, which has suffered the most damage, is still closed due to multiple landslides, and the agency is striving to reopen it before Christmas ?
New Zealand Q&A
It used to be smooth to pick up the car in advance no matter where, but this time at Hertz at Oslo Airport, I arrived more than an hour in advance and was told that the car had not arrived and I couldn't pick it up early. They asked me to pay extra to change the car or wait for an hour to complete the procedures. I ended up waiting for an hour. Ten days later, I had to go to Iceland and arrived three hours in advance. I was afraid of encountering the same situation, so I wanted the customer service and the car rental company to communicate the situation. The customer service asked me to cancel the order and place a new one, but I had to email the car rental company to explain the situation. However, I did not receive a reply from the car rental company in Iceland. Fortunately, picking up the car in advance in Iceland was not a problem, and I was upgraded to an SUV with 4-wheel drive for free. So, I have a good impression of Iceland this time, but a very bad impression of Hertz at Oslo Airport. They not only make things difficult and charge for miscellaneous items, but they have already charged me three times ?
Norway Q&A
The enthusiasm of the people of Sicily, Italy, is a passionate and unrestrained one. In Rome, the enthusiasm you see is a refined routine. For example, when you go to a restaurant, the waiter will recommend two special dishes for the day. When you ask what they are, he will tell you about the volcano beef and swan roasted fish... The prices are all on the menu. Each dish is about 25 euros, not bad, right? When you're halfway through the meal, they will bring you a glass of ice wine, telling you it's complimentary, and shake hands with you... As for the swan roasted fish, they will enthusiastically ask if you need help opening it. I firmly say no, but they will still help you open it as if they didn't hear me... Let's talk about the bill. When you pay, they will tell you it's 293 euros, plus a 10% service charge, and fish is charged by weight (the fish is at most 1.5 pounds, and the beef is only the size of a fist, definitely not 2 pounds), and the water before the meal is 10 euros. Also, when taking a taxi, make sure to use the meter... And there are a lot of pickpockets there, so be careful of women wearing scarves. Even if you put your bag in front of you, it won't help. They will use the scarf to block your line of sight... They usually work in groups... Even so, Italy is still very, very beautiful. It feels like walking in a historical museum, and shopping is also very enjoyable... Wishing friends a pleasant journey ?
Italy Q&A
Return and inspection of the car
1. Prepare the checklist provided by the rental company before
2. Rental agreement, insurance documents, deposit receipt
3. Wash the car before returning it, both interior and exterior. Otherwise, you may be fined up to 500 Swiss francs for car washing (e.g. in Switzerland)
4. All photos taken when picking up the car
5. Return the car with a full tank of gas. Otherwise, you may be charged for refueling, which can be expensive
6. Take a photo of the fuel gauge
7. Take photos of any potential scratches to avoid being overcharged
8. When the car is inspected, make sure to check what is written and any associated fees. If there are any objections, resolve them before signing. This can be a stressful time, especially if you are in a rush to catch a flight, and you may overlook certain issues. It can be difficult to resolve them once you have returned home
9. The deposit refund will depend on the rental company checking for any violations, parking tickets, or toll charges. It may take 1-2 months to receive the deposit refund, and there will be no notification. The charges will be automatically deducted
Additional information: Some gas stations offer automatic and manual car wash services. Both require self-operation.
Automatic car wash: Drive in, the brushes will automatically clean and dry the car. The cost varies from 10-29 Swiss francs, depending on the size of the car. Advantages: Quick, approximately 10-20 minutes. Disadvantages: Expensive, and the car may not be thoroughly cleaned. Vacuuming requires coins, approximately 1 franc for 10 minutes
Manual car wash: Advantages: Cheaper, more thorough cleaning, and can help identify any issues. Disadvantages: Tiring, limited time with the car wash hose, need to purchase car wash detergent. Indoor vacuuming requires renting a vacuum for approximately 1 franc for 10 minutes ?
Switzerland Q&A
I just returned from Sweden in August, and I have had many appearances before, including developed countries such as Australia. In theory, there should be no problem at all. I am now worried that the Zhongzhi Visa Center is playing tricks. I was supposed to submit my documents on September 1st. At that time, the staff checked the child's documents first and said there was no ticket pre-order. The child's other documents were all qualified. I actually bought the ticket, but I was confused and didn't print it. I told her I would go to the lobby to print it and come back in ten minutes. She said that even if it was a supplementary document, all three people had to upgrade to VIP, and each person had to pay an additional 250 yuan. I thought it was not worth it and said I would come back another day. So I made another appointment on September 5th. I checked the documents at home many times and thought there should be no problem before I went. As a result, after the staff checked all our documents, they said the photo was not qualified, and the proportion of the face in the photo was too large. I said I took it when I applied for a Swedish visa in July, and most importantly, the staff who checked the documents a few days ago said that everything was fine except for the lack of a ticket pre-order, and they even asked me to paste the child's photo on the application form. Why did they say the photo was not acceptable this time? Isn't this finding fault for no reason? I was particularly angry at the time and argued with them. The staff asked for approval from their superiors, but they said that the result of today's review was final, which was simply unreasonable. Both my partner and I went to take photos again, but the child did not go. In the end, we had to go to the school to pick up the child and take photos, which was simply trying to find ways to charge extra fees, shameless to the extreme. I don't know if they have submitted our documents as required, because based on the situation of submitting documents twice, I think the conduct of the staff of the Zhongzhi Visa Center entrusted by the embassy is really not commendable ?
Switzerland Q&A