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Yea, that’s not a phrase you see so much nowadays. However WorldHotels is running a deal for those paying in US dollars. From now until the end of August, you can pay your hotel bill in USD at a 1-1 Euro exchange rate. That means if the hotel costs 150 EUR, you can pay 150 USD. That’s a savings of about 40% seeing as the current exchange rate of 1 USD equals .66 EUR. With the deal, you are paying 150 EUR for a roughly 225 USD room. Most of WorldHotels rooms are around 150 EUR a night.
Hotels participating …read more

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As a follow-up to the night train post, here’s another option for those looking to combine transport and hotel: ferries.
Obviously, this option is a bit more limited. I haven’t found a boat to whisk me from Prague to Barcelona. But if you are on the outskirts of the continent, this might be a handy, cost-effective and interesting way to move about. Let’s start south, near Italy and Greece. Many moons ago I took an overnight ferry between the two countries, and it was quite excruciating. Sixteen hours and I wanted to cry with boredom. Sleeping really didn’t occur. After …read more

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What are your travel hotel requirements? Hotel? Pension? Apartment? Hostel? Campsite? How about a pod?
CitizenM opened their first hotel at the end of June in Amsterdam. They are targeting the luxury budget market with their pod hotel room concept. In a 14 square meter room you’ll get an extra-large king-size bed, a wall-to-wall window, an LCD television with free movie channels and free WIFI Internet. They are touting their super bed and bath linens and their down-to-earth, friendly style. The hotels are specially built to their specs; in a style they call “Industrial Flexible Demountable.”
Prices however, aren’t the cheapest. …read more

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There’s a whole host of companies out there offering package holidays to destinations all over the world. These can run the gamut between simply arranging your airfare and hotel to the whole shebang: airfare, hotel, tours, guide, meals and more. Which you chose (or don’t) depends on your previous travel experiences and how comfortable you feel landing alone in a foreign country. We used Go-today twice to visit London and Pairs about 5 or 6 years ago and found it a great way to get an “approved” hotel plus airfare at a really good price. Now, we went to …read more

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Hostels can be an excellent way to save money on that annoying accommodation expense. Traditionally seen as a place for young backpackers, hostels today come in all shapes and sizes, many with en-suite private rooms. I’ll be honest, I’m not a hostel person. I’m old and need my sleep and prefer it without other people in the room. I don’t mind shared bathrooms, but appreciate having a place of my own to relax. I usually opt for pensions, guesthouses or B&Bs that are smaller, not directly in the city center (I’d rather mix with locals than tourists) but close …read more

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This is a two for one folks…save time AND money. I know, it’s hard to believe. Night trains (or buses) are something to consider for a number of reasons. If you are moving about Europe, transporting yourself takes up valuable sightseeing hours. Annoyingly enough, you will need to sleep at some point. And not to state the obvious, but you will be buying a transport ticket and you will be paying for a hotel room so combine the two and take an overnight train.
There are a variety of ways to do this. If you are planning train travel in …read more

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Back in November I spent time in Munich looking for an apartment. While here we stayed at a couple hotels that we really liked. The first was Hotel Uhland , an adorable old art-deco place a couple steps away from the Oktoberfest Wiese. It’s also just one subway (U-bahn) stop away from Munich’s main train station, which is pretty convenient if you want to wander around the city, see the sights, or day-trip to somewhere else.
We found the staff to be friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was on the good side of average for hotels in the area and …read more

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Don’t you just love it when you stumble across a great travel value? That’s how I felt while we were staying at the Hotel Austria Wien in central Vienna – what a find! The staff was welcoming and helpful, the rooms were modern, clean, and quiet, and even breakfast was included in the completely reasonable rate we paid. And the location was great, too, in a neighborhood full of restaurants and shops, and just a short walk to the central pedestrian area.
A double room with private bath goes for EUR 109 – 150. You can pay less if you stay …read more

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You can get to most tourist destinations by foot. The city is flat and relatively small. Walking from one tourist site to another would be good for your health and your wallet. Plus, you’ll really see everything in detail.
There’s a wide range of budget hostels which would fit any Budget Traveler’s budget. As far as I can remember, the Flying Pig is the most famous of these budget hostels. For the cheapest option, look for a dorm room (obviously, you need to share your room with other travelers) in a youth hostel.
Several budget airlines …read more

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Should you be heading this way, check out the following links for some tips on how to have a great time with the Catalonians (the way I did above!) without breaking the bank:

Get a Barcelona Student JetPack
Shop at Zara and/or Mango
Follow Diego’s tips on how to find cheap accommodations in Barcelona
Avoid the tourist traps and look for cheap eats
Visit the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art on a Wednesday
Get Free Drinks at Port Olimipico
Watch Opera at the Liceu for only 50% the price
The lazy ones can take the bus

If you bump into me, make sure you say hi!

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