Europe String

As much as I love taking pictures when I travel, I hate lugging around big equipment. I usually travel with a compact digital camera, and I never bother with a tripod.
Although I’m still able to get great shots most of the time, the problem I most often encounter is camera shake, which leads to blurry pictures. My husband’s solution to this is to use the top of my head as a camera stand (affectionately referring to me as his ‘bipod’), but what’s someone like me supposed to do when there’s no one shorter around to pick on?
I was amused to …read more

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Ski Republic wants to change the face of ski rental in French resorts. They make big promises such as great equipment, friendly service, good prices, and no more smelly boots.
I haven’t had a chance to try out their service first-hand, but Ski Republic has definitely piqued my interest. Their website is very user-friendly and comprehensive, and if their service delivers on its promises, it sounds like a great place to rents skis and snowboards in France.
Right now Ski Republic is running a 2-for-1 rental offer, so their rates are extremely affordable. If you find yourself near one of the resorts …read more

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Looking for a great gift for the budget travel enthusiast in your life? A gift subscription to Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine might be just the thing. For only $12 you can get someone a year (10 issues) of the glossy travel mag, chock full of beautiful pictures and great travel ideas.

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From Consumer Reports Money Blog:

If you used your credit, ATM, or debit card for foreign transactions, you could be eligible for a refund of some of the currency exchange fees you paid, according to the proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought against Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, seven major banks, and affiliated companies. But you must file your request by May 30.

The settlement applies to anyone who spent time (and money) abroad between 1996 and 2006. Learn more here, and get your money back!

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I was browsing books on Amazon (I do this a lot, given that I live in a place without easy access to giant English-language bookstores) and noticed that Rough Guide is about to come out with The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget. I want! I’m a huge fan of Rough Guides, so this sounds fabulous to me.
But then I noticed that it’s not coming out until April 2008. Hmmmm. I guess you could pre-order it for someone as a Christmas present? But that would be a lot of delayed gratification. OK, I’ll let you know if I come …read more

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Before I book a hotel, apart from checking aggregators and other travel service providers, I always check virtual tourist. I value fellow tourists’ reviews a lot more than information written by those who have been paid to write glowing reports.
Lately, I have started checking Lonely Planet’s Bluelist, as well.
Check out these recommendations and see for yourself how Bluelist can help a lot in your travel planning:

Best Youth Hostels in Europe
Dream Destination Europe
How Do You Afford It?
Classic Local Backpacker Banter
Europe Is…

Best Things About Bratislava
Rome and its Precious Family Jewels

And when you get back from your travels, share your knowledge and …read more

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Knowing the local language might help you get better prices because you can give this ‘I am foreign but I live here‘ vibe. Unless you have the extra moolah to enrol in a language course before your trip, the only way you can speak the basics of another language is if you take the time to teach yourself.
Reading a phrase book will not get you far. The next best thing would be to MANGO.

Mango is a FREE enterprise language learning course that is available online.  They have eleven courses, 100 lessons available on Beta release.

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Earlier this week, during a working visit to Barcelona, I was able to try out the Barcelona Student JetPack which Tarkan sent to me from the UK.
So before I announce the winner of the Barcelona Student JetPack Giveaway Contest, I am going to examine its contents minutely and share with you my thoughts:
‘Don’t Forget’ Checklist has a couple of interesting items which some of you may never even think of including in your own list. With this, apart from the basics, you will not forget to pack your contraceptive and your whistle/rape alarm. In my opinion, these …read more

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In my opinion, Lonely Planet should slash their Marketing budget. The money they save on that should just be used to slash down the prices of their books.
Why?! Because backpackers / budget travelers are like walking advertisements of Lonely Planet.
I see them reading their copies everywhere… on the steps of that famous landmark, waiting for the next train, lining up outside the museum, having breakfast at the corner bakeshop and hanging out at the local bar, among other places.
I think I have seen more budget travelers with Lonely Planet Guidebooks than any paid advertisement of Lonely Planet.
Just a suggestion.
Anyway…  …read more

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Some tourists are stupid. Some of them (okay, okay, I could probably write WE hehe) pay for twice or even thrice the usual amount. Others are easily tricked into paying to see an insignificant establishment that not a single soul who know any better would even pay a centavo for.
Of course, unsuspecting tourists only realize that they have been had only in the end… after the money has disappeared into someone else’s pockets and they become part of a stupid-tourist-stories exchanged between dubious characters who are out there to pry on, well, stupid tourists.
Some are kinda obvious …read more

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