Europe String

If you insist on driving in Europe, do keep in mind the following pointers (a couple of which, I have already discussed previously) to keep your cost to the minimum:

Avoid paying a hefty amount by NOT using your mobile phone while driving;
Avoid paying even more money by observing the speed and alcohol limits;
keep the cost of fuel in mind. It may be more cost-effective to visit countries which has a more reasonable fuel price in Europe;

and…

should you decide to drive around and see Europe for more than 17 days, it would be cheaper if you LEASE A CAR.  You would …read more

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RyanAir has unveiled four new routes, two of which are from London Stansted to Deauville (France) and Pula (Croatia) and two more from London Futon to Fez and Marrakech (both in Morocco).
With tickets starting at £2.99 one-way (excluding taxes and charges), RyanAir will be flying to Marrakech four times per week and Fez three times per week.  Expansion to these routes will start on the 31st of October.
Both flights to Croatia and France will be served three times a week, priced at  £2.99 lead-in single fares.
Before you book, though, I strongly suggest that you check the corresponding taxes and charges first.  …read more

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Cheap Airline Tickets? Check
Unbelievably cheap accommodations? Check
Trusty old boots on your feet to take you around the city for free? Check

So, where else can you save?

If your accommodations include (as how it is in most of Europe) breakfast, you’d be saving your lunch money if you fill yourself up at breakfast time. In Germany, they sometimes even give you more than enough that you could prepare an extra sandwich for later. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Petit de Jeneuer in France.

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Depending on our own needs and priorities, we all have must-haves when travelling.  Apart from the obvious stuff like clothes, shoes and money, there are other things that others may not find useful but we just can’t go without. 
In my case, below is my Top Ten List of Must Haves when Travelling on a Shoestring in Europe: 

lightweight rain jacket – because…
duct tape – you’ll never know when you might need one; to repair ripped backpack, shoes that just gave up from too much mileage, etc.
a roll of toilet paper – budget accommodation options have taught me a lesson of always …read more

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As I mentioned on Flyaway, I have been following the adventures of the Frugal Traveler on New York Times.  For those who do not know, Matt Gross (aka the Frugal Traveler) is currently on his “Around the World in 90 Days on the Cheap” trip. 
IMHO, his idea of travelling on a shoestring with a budget of US$140 per day would not really qualify as “traveling on the cheap”.  But, then again, the term may be relative.
In any case, it’s a very interesting read.  However, if you need budget tips (in Europe, he’s been to Galicia, Bologna, Venice, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, …read more

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Pretend that I need to explain… 
Hitchhiking is when one solicits a ride by standing at the edge of the road, with the thumb extended.  This form of getting around is, obviously, one of the cheapest way to get yourself from one place to another. 
The thing is, there is a bit of risk involved.  You could be extremely lucky and meet a friendly local who could take you where you want to go. Or, you could get picked up by someone dangerous. 
When hitch hiking, it would be best to take some precautionary measures: 

Do not accept a ride in a car full of people
If possible, hitch for a ride …read more

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Last month, the site of CouchSurfing crashed and they lost their data and member profiles.  CouchSurfing is one of the (if not, “THE”) most popular site which offers Hospitality Exchange all over the world.  Many budget travellers have used its services to look for like-minded people who are willing to share their couches to strangers and sleep in couches of strangers.   This cheap accommodation alternative is only for the adventurous soul, considering the above conditions.
CouchSurfing has informed their users that they will be back this month. However, with the loss of data, I doubt if it would be that easy to build …read more

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A trip to Venice would not be complete without a romantic Venetian gondola ride down the Grand Canal.  It comes with a price, though. A 50-minute ride would cost around 45Euros per person (if you are lucky) and the price can only go up from there.
Budget travellers who would like to have that water-ride experience — minus the singing gondolier, tourist route, brocade seats, that is – could take the traghetto instead.  It’s  a public gondola ferry which costs less than 1 Euro.  Of course, for that price, you only get a quick ride between ferry points which basically, just …read more

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Now that the World Cup is over, other European cities are beckoning travellers by giving away a special offer for Autumn travellers.  London, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Venice, Munich, Lisbon, Berlin, Prague, Milan, Florence and Rome, with the help of Travelocity, are offering…
US$150 off when you book your flight and 5-night hotel at those cities mentioned above by the 31st of July. All you need to do is enter the promotional code: EUROTIME.  Travel time should be from October 1 through December 31, 2006.
Check out the details here.

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Want that official jersey for that World Cup team you are supporting?  Well, if you buy them in Germany, the official adidas jersey costs around 60Euros.  Of course, there are cheaper ones available, as well. It all depends on the cloth and the maker.  Believe me, you have choices galore.
However, if you want the one made by Adidas (imho, they have the best cloth), buy them AFTER the country you are supporting has lost.  The day after a team loses, the price of the shirt goes down.  However, if you are supporting France or Italy, you are out of luck.  …read more

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