Europe String

Yesterday we looked into the budget skiing destinations of Slovenia and Slovakia. Today we’ll check out the conditions in Bulgaria and Austria.
Bulgaira’s government is putting some money into its ski resorts in the hopes of attracting more tourists. Right now, beginners and less advanced skiers will probably find the area more to their liking. There are three resorts: Borovets, Pamporovo and Bansko with Borovets being the largest. There are good ski schools and the lifts are modern, so this might be a good location if you are looking to try your feet at skiing, or have a large group …read more

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Looking to strap on the skis and hit the slopes for your winter holiday? Skiing the Alps is probably a pinnacle moment for most skiers, but there are ski-able mountains across the continent, and some of these destinations are more affordable and less crowded. Check them out – snow may or may not be included.
The Tatras in eastern Slovakia are an excellent example of undiscovered slopes with good amenities. Snow can usually be found as early as November, and the slopes cater to all skill levels. Beginners and intermediate skiers should hit the High Tatras, while those looking to …read more

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Warsaw is usually overlooked by its more colorful cousin, Krakow. However, the city is interesting with a great combination of restaurants, nightlife and history. The main sites are quite walkable and the Old Town (completely destroyed during World War II and reconstructed) is remarkable. That’s where you’ll find the “history;” much of the rest of the city is more “modern” (built following WWII) and is of that interesting Communist-era architecture form. It is worth a walk around both parts to get a real feel for the city, plus the people are quite open and friendly. Warsaw still isn’t up …read more

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European Heritage Days are a joint promotion between the Council of Europe and the European Commission to promote cultural experiences across Europe. What this means for the lucky visitor is free access into numerous sites, as well as a peek into buildings and other places not normally open to the public. This year, 49 countries will help spread the message about Europe’s cultural diversity in conjunction with the European 2008 Year of Intercultural Dialogue campaign.
Dates and events vary, but most are held sometime in September. In the Czech Republic for example, the theme is Monuments in the Landscape and …read more

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When budgeting for your trip to Europe, food is often the most difficult item to factor in. Airfare and hotel prices are set and web searches will reveal the prices of many attractions you may want to visit. But food? Unless you are an uber-planner, who knows where you’ll be eating every meal and what you’ll be in the mood for? Enter the Economist magazine and their Big Mac Index.
Stick with me for a moment; this is information straight from the Economist’s  website on what the Big Mac Index is and seeks to do: Burgernomics is based on the …read more

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Welcome to Fun Time Fridays – a new weekly city review article. Here, we’ll share tips on budget things to do, go, see and stay in a variety of European cities. We also hope to kick off your weekend with a new destination to dream about. First up: Prague!
While not as cheap as it was in the ‘90’s, Prague can still be an affordable destination. The city is compact and if you are staying in a centrally located hotel and like to walk, you could avoid city transportation costs. From the airport, get to the city center by taking …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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Are you a big traveller? A recent report from Eurostat, an organization that collects information and statistics on a wide range of issues across the European Union found that, for the most part, Europeans are a travelling bunch.
The study covers the year 2006 and looked at what percentage of the population went away for four days or more. They also spilt the information between domestic and foreign trips. On average, about four out of 10 Europeans travelled abroad that year. For the most part though, more trips were made in-country than out. Exceptions include Luxembourg, where only 1 percent took …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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Here’s a jumbled round-up of recent airline/airfare news:
Ryanair. We wrote about them in our Airfare Alerts 2 post. They’ve always been a bit persnickety but have now announced they won’t be honoring any tickets booked through third-party websites. That means if you’ve booked a flight on Ryanair through BravoFly, V-tours, Opodo, Atrapalo or OTBeach, you’d better contact them, or Ryan Air directly, to find out the status of your ticket. And apparently, Ryanair won’t be an option anymore or these, or other multiple booking sites.
Best Fares has a cool consolidator sale running. Offered deals are pretty good, especially if …read more

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