My favorite part? The guy on the bear skin rug.

Seriously though, if I didn’t tell you this was done by a tourism board, would you have guessed? And this is why I love Europe. They are insane.

The site, coolcapitals.com also has 48 hour guides to each city, city overviews, deals and a contest to win flight and 4 nights hotel to one of these fine cities.

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Today I’m very pleased to announce that Ruthe won the book, and will getting it in mail shortly.  Let’s all congratulation Ruthe, and wish her the best of luck on her European travels!

Congrats Ruthe!

What do you guys think?  Should we do more of these types of contests on EuropeString.com?

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What’s the most expensive part of getting to Europe? Plunking down a cool grand to fly there. That is, until this week, when prices started hovering in the $400-$600 range.

That bears repeating. You can now fly roundtrip to Europe for under $600 from most major US hubs.  (Can I get a woo hoo?)

That’s enough savings to pay for a hostel for a month. Or it’s enough to cover flying to 3-6 cities once you’re there. Or enough for a 20 country Eurorail pass. If you’re traveling on a budget, this is a huge savings, one that you definitely won’t see everyday.

Grete Bigert from Scandia World Travel says, “These airfares are the lowest we have seen in quite a few years, in spite of the fuel surcharges”. Her company is offering a spring sale for $423 plus tax for LAX-Copenhagen with either SAS, AirFrance, Delta, Northwest, British Airways or Continental.

British Airways has also announced a 3 day sale to many European destinations that start at $200 (plus taxes/fees and excluding the week of Christmas).

Could we be entering a new era of truly cheap flights to Europe? Or is this a one time event? One thing is for sure, if you’re planning a trip soon, now is a very good time to fly.

How To Book Your Flight:

Scandia World Travel

British Airways 3 Day Sale

Travel Zoo European Fares

Can’t find the deal you need for your trip?  Send me a twitter @europestring and I’ll put my industry contacts to work.  Know about a great deal I haven’t mentioned?  Tell me, and it could end up here in next week’s This Just In.

Creative Commons Photo by Chunyang

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This summer I fell in love with Europe all over again. Since I first visited Barcelona, five years ago, I’ve had a crush on all things European. So when the opportunity to write for a Europe on a budget blog arose, I leapt at the chance. Luckily for me, it’s not just any site, but EuropeString.com, one of the top 50 travel blogs according to the latest T List. Luckily for you, it’s about to get even better.

We’ve made some changes around here, you’ll notice the new logo and colors, but we’re just getting started. What I’m really excited about, is the chance to share everything I know and everything that I can find about traveling in Europe, having an amazing trip and doing it all on a shoestring. This goes beyond generic advice about using hostels or getting a cheap flight. It’s about getting more out of your trip, discovering creative ways to stretch your budget and finding your own personal Pastel de Nata moment.

And I will be your guide. My name is Christine Gilbert. I am a full time traveler, writer and photographer, who most recently lived in Madrid, Spain. I also blog at my personal site Almost Fearless where I talk about the process of going from a Fortune 500 corporate manager to a freewheeling travel writer and vagabond. If you ever want to contact me, give me feedback (good or bad) or just say hello, you can reach me at christine.gilbert@gmail.com

Let’s Get Things Started Right

So in the spirit of a fresh start and new beginnings, I’m giving away a copy of Lonely Planet’s Europe on a ShoeString. All you have to do is comment on this post and you’re automatically entered. On 11/15/08 I will randomly pick a winner from those people who commented. How sweet is that!

So go, comment, and get a free guidebook. And welcome to the new EuropeString.com!

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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 put together a fabulous Airline Fees list that should aid you in the booking process. Or annoy you (how the heck can they charge me for THAT?!?) or allow you to figure out which airlines you want to avoid.

Are you a flashpacker? Wish you could be one? Want to know what the heck one is? Vagabondish explains.

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It’s pretty slick looking, if I do say so myself, and puts all the fab Travel & Culture blogs right at your fingertips. Did you look at the Channel’s demographics? 85% of you plan to travel in the US. I’m happy you are traveling, but I’m hurt you aren’t planning a European jaunt! But that’s okay; there are tons of really good stateside bloggers who have excellent ideas for some fun times across the US.

What else I like about this Channel is the blogs don’t just cover destinations. Traveling the Green Way is a blog everyone should check out before planning their next holiday to make sure they are going eco-friendly. If you like “stuff” The Travel Product Guide will keep you up-to-date on the latest must-have, on-the-road gadgets. And don’t forget Travel Photo Daily. Travel vicariously!

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These ideas pose interesting questions for budget travelers. While on the one hand budget travel can seem to be more eco-friendly: Using public transport, staying in smaller, locally owned accommodations; the proliferation of cheap airlines and the sheer amount of people traveling has a detrimental effect on the environment. Tourism is a source of growth in some of the world’s poorest and still emerging countries. We need to ensure that we support these efforts, all the while being responsible guests.

Logo courtesy of the World Tourism Organization

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While there are a number of categories (Best Cabin Staff; Best Airline Catering) we are going to focus on the Best Low-cost Airline group. UK-based easyJet grabbed the top spot in this category; with Virgin Blue in second, Jetstar Airways in third, Air Berlin in fourth and Southwest Airlines in fifth. It is good news to see that in this “worldwide” category, two European airlines ranked. For the European regional results, SkyEurope placed third.

For the Best European Airline overall, Lufthansa grabbed the top spot, with British Airways being chosen as Best Transatlantic Airline. If you are looking to fly in style, Cathay Pacific was voted as best First Class Airline. And who has the nicest flight attendants? Asiana Airlines.

Logo Courtesy of World Airline Awards

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This concept is new, so can currently only be accessed in the Amsterdam, Milan and Brussels airports. Since it is still their implementation period, they’ll be there for a trial three months. The Travel Stations plan to offer up-to-date, information on cities that the oneworld group airlines fly to. Tips on accommodation, restaurants and sightseeing, language guides and audio content can all be accessed, and then downloaded to your phone, laptop or other such device. For free. Yep, the information, which includes texts and photos can be accessed and downloaded for free. Twenty-eight destinations are included, as well as information on the oneworld partner airlines and their services.

The plan is also to roll out Charging Stations as well (currently in Amsterdam and Brussels) for those whose computers (phones, pda’s, etc.) may need a little mid-travel juice. If you happen to be in any of these airports, see if you can find a Travel Station and let us know what you think!

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You may have heard about the collapse of transatlantic budget airline Zoom. People were stranded on both sides of the Atlantic, with little or no assistance from the airline. About two dozen airlines have shutdown so far this year; and no airline is promoting a rosy outlook. In expectation of more collapses, International Passenger Protection is a UK insurance company that provides protection for its policyholders in case their travel company goes under. Policies start at 5 GBP for 30 days of coverage, which would provide you with replacement flights should your airline go bust while your policy is valid.

A British jury has found three men guilty in a plot that has drastically changed the way we all fly. In the summer of 2006, British authorities stopped a terrorist plan to blow up aircraft using liquid explosives. This led to a brief ban on bringing any type of liquid into the cabin, and the regulations, while they have been loosened, are still felt today. The men have been found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. The jury failed to reach a decision on the fate of four additional co-conspirators.

Airline ever lost your luggage? Well, some of them seem to be losing some more important items. United Airlines recently “misplaced” an unaccompanied minor that was under their care. The 10-year-old girl was allowed off the plane, unescorted, upon arrival in Dulles. Luckily, a kind stranger located her and brought her to a United ticket counter for help. And American Airlines lost a corpse, for four days, and then upon locating it – tired to charge the grieving widower to have the body flown to the correct location. After realizing it was their fault, the airline reversed the charge.

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