European Destinations

Brussels is not THAT boring.  Hasn’t anyone seen the movie En Bruges?  (Now that city… ) Europe A La Carte apologies for Trip Advisor’s conclusion that Brussels is the most boring city in Europe.

Rain, rain, everywhere, but not a drop to drink.  Budget Travel covers the latest floods in Venice and Rome.

Do you love Amsterdam?  Well in case you need some convincing, here are four reasons.

Christmas Markets!  Gimme your Christmas Markets!  This edition from Eurocheapo is all about Vienna.

Travel Tips

Oh man, do I know this feeling.  Do you feel like a lab rat when you fly?  Here are some tips to deal.

Yawn.  Am I really traveling?  Vagabondish covers what to do when you DONT experience culture shock.

Where to find WiFi in Europe– a pretty cool directory to get you started.

Budget Deals

If you’re visiting the UK first, then traveling around you might want to check out these: Cheap Flights from the UK to Cypress

Don’t know what to buy your budget concious traveler?  Plane tickets are nice.  So are euro rail passes.  Ok need something cheaper?  Try these suggestions from EuroCheapo.

Question: How Cheap are Flights to Europe?  Conclusion:  Seriously Cheap.

From TravelZoo:

$399 & up — Fly to Iceland and Scandinavia (Roundtrip)

$219-$269 — Spain, Ireland & Italy from New York City

$238 & up — Europe on Sale this Winter

$178 & up — American Airlines Slashes Fares to Europe

Next Roundup: December 21st.  Submit your post now.

Pics:

Rain in Rome

Bored in Paris

Christmas in Paris

Post from: Europe String

This summer, when I was living in Madrid, my husband contracted Mumps. An unusual affliction, and before we knew what it could be, we were both panicked at what the softball sized lumps on his jaw could be. We both spoke a little Spanish, enough to do almost everything we needed in daily life. This wasn’t daily life. Suddenly I was presented with medical vocabulary I had never heard or studied before. What’s the word for swollen? Or allergies? Or insurance card?

At almost the same time, Pocket Comms were created.

They are a series of cards that use cartoon pictures to represent common things: including medical emergencies.
The great thing about these cards?  They work.  The UK police department has been testing them out with citizens who don’t speak English.  Normally, they’d have to wait for an interpreter, while the suspect got away.  With these cards, they can flip to card and have the victim point to things like: what happened and what the suspect looked like.

If you’re traveling and don’t speak the language, you can probably get by.  But, I know for my husband’s medical emergency, having a way to communicate would have been extrememly helpful.

What do you think?  Would you use these cards?  Well here’s your chance to find out.  The folks at Pocket Comms have very generously offered a free Pocket Comms to one of our readers.  Comment to enter and next week, we’ll pick a winner!

Post from: Europe String

European Destinations

End of the Parisian café? Let’s hope not: Au Revoir, Café?

Ok so what café should I go to?  Budget Travel tells us: Paris: Restaurants and bars to visit pre- or post-Louvre

EuroCheapo really knocked it out of the park this week with these three posts:

• Madrid’s Ghost Town: El Escorial
• Berlin: Berlinale Film Festival, Feb 5-15, 2009
• Bruges cheap souvenir: Lace

Ah Central Europe with its Vienna and Germany and Austria countryside.  Uncornered Market takes us on a tour: A Central European Eye

Travel Tips

What the heck do you pack anyway? Matt tells us his strategy: What to Pack on Your Trip

Sick of Airports? Darren at Travel Rants, well… rants : Five Things I Hate About Airports

Wondering what to get your travel savvy family and friends?  Well make sure it’s green:
21 Gift Ideas for Green Travelers: 2008 Holiday Shopping List

Love the water?  Love natural hot water spas?   Here’s a roundup of European spas:  Getting into Hot Water in Europe

Budget Deals

Not so much of a deal, as a warning:  beware flaky airlines for your 2009 summer travel.  RyanAir predicts more bankruptcies.

Prediction:  Travel will continue to decrease through 2010.  The good news?  More travel deals for independent travelers.

Airline deals from TravelZoo:

$335-$477 — Ireland from Across the U.S. (R/T), incl. Taxes

$219 & up — Explore Spain: Amazing Air Deals, Tips & More

$198 & up — London: Top Airfare Deals and Tips

Next Roundup: December 14th. Submit your article now.

Post from: Europe String

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.

Post from: Europe String

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!

Post from: Europe String

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

Post from: Europe String

I find guidebooks to be best for the “constants:” Landmarks, museums and other sightseeing adventures. For hotels, restaurants, and other establishments that can easily change; I’ll usually research that online. Plus, many guidebooks send people to all the same sights. Their “hidden” treasure or “off the beaten track” gem quickly becomes the next tourist hot spot post-publication. I hiked the Cinque Terre in Italy last May and was shocked at all the copies of Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door I saw being carried along the trail. Now, Rick Steves is my personal hero, and I totally recommend his books – but let’s face the facts. If he has recommended it, you know people are gonna go.

Lonely Planet is another series I find to be honest and useful. They are geared towards the independent traveler, so have good tips on finding your way, yourself. Let’s Go is another classic budget traveler bible. However, they are REALLY budget, so if you are looking for perhaps a more upscale hotel or nicer restaurants, they may not be the best choice for you. Arthur Frommer’s first book Europe on $5 a Day made him the budget travel king. While his books are still worth looking at, I find sometimes he wanders a bit off the budget track.

Do you have a guidebook you wouldn’t dream of traveling without? Tell us about it!

Photo credit: Nataliej@Flickr

Post from: Europe String

Budget your trip before you leave. This can be difficult as you often don’t know exactly how much everything is going to cost, but you can get a rough figure. We discussed this last month. But figure out how much spending money you are willing to spend for the entire trip. This is for items like food, souvenirs, entry fees, etc., NOT hotel or airfare. Say you want to spend 500 USD for your 5 day holiday. That’s 100 USD a day. Put that hundred bucks where it is easily accessible and put the rest of your money out of sight. When the 100 USD is gone, you are done for the day. Have extra at the end of the night? Congratulations, you can splurge the next day OR bring home a little extra.

On a related note – you can help yourself budget for your next holiday, this holiday. Save the receipts for EVERYTHING you buy; even if it’s just a bottle of water or quick snack. Write down what you bought ON the receipt. Even if it seems clear to you at the time, by the time you get home and start looking at your pile of papers; it won’t seem so simple. If you don’t get a receipt, carry a small notebook to write down what you bought, or write it down on the back of another receipt. When you get home, you can go through all the receipts and identify your buying habits. Knowing how much you spent on one trip, and knowing WHAT you spent the money on, will help you to budget for the next holiday.

Photo Credit: thothe92@Flickr

Post from: Europe String

Generally speaking, one of the worst places to get foreign currency is at a “no commission” exchange shop. Sure, they don’t charge commission, however their exchange rates are usually horrendous. The best is with the “right” debit or credit card. And in between are traveller’s checks, and don’t forget the pre-paid cash cards we’ve talked about.

For the most part, using your Visa or Mastercard while abroad is a good choice because the exchange rate will be quite close to the bank’s. What you need to be aware of is how much the bank will charge you for each overseas transaction. You need to find out your bank’s commission, which is what they will charge every time you withdraw money or pay for something. That fee applies to both credit and debit cards; as does the “cash withdrawal charge” which is obviously charged when you withdraw money or take a cash advance. With debit cards, you need to be aware of the so-called “privilege of using your card overseas” fee and watch out for higher interest rates on your credit card; some companies begin charging interest (often higher than your normal rate) when the charge is made; NOT at the end of the month like normal. As every bank has different policies and fees, you’ll need to make a call to find out exactly what unexpected charges may show up on your bill.

Cash is handy to have, especially when you first arrive. Exchanging at the airport should always be your last resort; however you can order money in the needed currency ahead of your trip and have it sent to your home. Leave plenty of time to do this. In the UK, the Post Office offers this service. Your bank may offer a similar service as well. Traveller’s checks offer a certain degree of security, and sometimes they will be accepted where credit cards are not. Be aware of the commission charged and the exchange rate offered before you hand them over.

Travelex is a good source for money info and I like their budget calculator. It has a list of countries with sample prices for things like snacks, sodas, hotel and meals. It also has a suggested currency “mix” for each country; giving advice on how much of your money should be cash, traveller’s checks, etc. I checked it out for the Czech Republic and it was maybe a little low, but for the most part fairly accurate.

Photo credit: Kiki99@Flickr

Post from: Europe String

On the 7th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania; our thoughts go out to the friends and family of those who lost their lives on this tragic day. We also remember, and thank, the families of the rescue personnel involved in trying to save people’s lives and in the line of duty, lost their own. We thank them for their valiant efforts, and hope for peace in the hearts of all those who wish harm to innocent people.

Photo Credit: Savethedave@Flickr

Post from: Europe String