Europe String

A round-up of some interesting, informative and entertaining things I’ve come across lately…
Budget Monkey Travel (how fun a name is that?!?) has added to their Cheapest Countries to Travel list with Cheapest Countries in Western Europe to Travel. I was excited to see that my current number 1 “I want to go there” destination (Portugal) is number 2 on the list. Number 1 is Andorra, and where will be not be visiting anytime soon? Iceland.
Airline fees. Who can keep up with them and who even knows what the heck you are paying for anymore?!? The kind people at Kayak have …read more

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Preparing to book your flight? Night owls won’t like this, but booking the first flight of the day is often your best bet. There are less chances of it being delayed, because most likely the plane has been at the airport overnight. This means no late departures due to tardy incoming aircraft. Plus, if for some reason your flight is delayed, there should be more options for you to depart the same day. The first flight also gives you more flexibility should you need to change flights mid-trip.
Budget your trip before you leave. This can be difficult as you …read more

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No, we aren’t talking about the Emmy’s today, but the World Airline Awards. Yep, there seems to be an award for everything these days, and why should the airlines be left out? The Awards are presented by Skytrax, who conducts the World Airline Survey. This survey measures over 35 different aspects of passenger satisfaction with an airline and is supposed to evaluate a ‘typical’ travel experience. More than 15 million people were polled worldwide – 95 different nationalities, in fact.
While there are a number of categories (Best Cabin Staff; Best Airline Catering) we are going to focus on the …read more

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As if it wasn’t already all over the news, and a simple Internet check couldn’t confirm it; it’s official – airfare prices have gone up. American Express Business Travel has released new data revealing that airfare prices did indeed rise in the second quarter of 2008. The group tracked average fare paid for one-way travel in a variety of fare types including first class and economy, unrestricted and discount fares across hundreds of domestic and international routes.
Their survey found international airfare reached its highest price in nearly a decade. They reported an 11 percent increase from fare prices from …read more

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Europe by train is an enduring ideal in many people’s minds. But don’t overlook another option – the bus.
Eurolines is probably the most well-known inter-Europe bus company. They have 500 European destinations, and are especially good if you are looking to travel further east or in countries where the inter-country rail links aren’t as good. They offer online booking, however it is through the local Eurolines operators and the websites aren’t always in English. They also have a Eurolines Pass which gives you the option of 15 or 30 day unlimited travel between 40 destinations. You can book as …read more

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I was recently in Copenhagen and was amazed not only by all the bikers, but also by how well the city caters to these riders. Every major street has a sidewalk, bike lane and car lane. All three “users” are extremely respectful towards the others and seemingly move about in contented harmony. Copenhagen has an excellent free bike program in which a 20 DKK deposit allows you to tool around the entire city center. It’s not the only European city though offering this economical, eco-friendly and healthy way to see the sights.
Paris’ program was well-publicized when it came into …read more

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Whenever I return from a trip, I’m always infected with a new travel bug. The main symptom is that I immediately start searching for a new place to go. Recently returned from a long weekend in Copenhagen and that means I’ve been spending a lot of time on various websites, and have seen some pretty good deals. In case you too are beginning to feel the travel bug bite – here’s some medication.
If it’s a taste of Italy you are in the mood for check Europe Destinations. They have a Rome-Florence-Venice package starting at 635 USD that includes roundtrip …read more

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Setting your budget before you even book your trip is a good way to get a handle on how much you can afford to spend, and then targeting destinations that will give you the most bang for your buck. Let’s look at all the expenses that go into your holiday. Note, this is not meant to depress, but inform you – remember, knowing is half the battle!
Think about what you’ll need to buy before you even leave your house for the airport. Do you have a passport? Do you need new luggage; this can include suitcases, carry-ons or even …read more

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Know you want to go somewhere and what you want to do, but not sure exactly where to go, and a destination that will fit your budget? A new website is hoping to inspire you.
TravelMuse is a family travel orientated website that offers many of the typical travel site goodies of destination guides, articles, theme travel tips, etc. but they also have a “Find Inspiration” feature that lets you input your vacation desires and it outputs a selection of trip ideas.
From the home page, it seemed much of what they do and recommend is US-based travel, so I wasn’t …read more

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It’s time for another edition of fabulous moneysaving travel tips!
How do you get from the airport to your hotel? Not by a taxi, folks, please choose public transport. Most cities have decent bus, metro or train links from their airports to the city center. Information on how to do it can often by found on the city’s tourism bureau website, but if not simply search “airport city transport Prague” or some other such phrase. Not only will you save yourself a decent chunk of change, you’ll also be beginning your education on the city’s public transport system.
We’ve written about …read more

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