Tag: Cheap Travel
Las Vegas Hotels for Every Tax Bracket
by Eva Holland | 03.11.09 | 12:52 PM ET
Over at the Los Angeles Times daily deal blog, Jen Leo has a breakdown of Vegas hotel bargains by price—and the low end starts at just $6.25 per night. The list ranges from less than $10 to a little over $100 per night, and there are some surprising deals. The Excalibur for $24 per night? That’s about how much an off-strip hostel bunk will cost you, too. (I know which one I’d choose.)
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Yahoo! BuzzThe Low-Cost Carrier Craze, by the Numbers
by Eva Holland | 03.10.09 | 11:02 AM ET
Ah, the low-cost carrier: love the concept or hate it, you’ve got to admit it’s brought the sky within closer reach for millions of budget-conscious travelers. (Like AirAsia says, “Now everyone can fly.”) LCCs have been with us for 60 years now, but most folks associate them with the explosion of new (often European) carriers in the ‘90s. With the phenomenon still showing no sign of abating, even in these troubled times for the airline industry, the Independent’s Simon Calder has a fun by-the-numbers breakdown for your inner stats geek. My favorite number of the bunch? 120—“The distance, in kilometres, from the centre of Frankfurt to Hahn airport, which Ryanair and IATA describe as ‘Frankfurt’.”
‘Le Sandwich’ on the Rise in Paris
by Eva Holland | 03.09.09 | 12:45 PM ET
Good news for Paris-bound travelers on a budget: tough times mean the lowly sandwich—never a French staple—is becoming more and more readily available. Writes This Just In’s Meg Zimbeck: “The French are finding it increasingly difficult to justify the time and expense of a sit-down lunch. Restaurant groups say that the sit-down trade has plummeted by about 20 percent, while ‘le sandwich ne connait pas la crise’—the sandwich knows no crisis.” The blog post includes a list of tasty (pear-walnut-Roquefort sandwich, anyone?) and affordable bakeries where you can get your budget lunching started.
South America: Sticker Shock at the Border?
by Eva Holland | 03.03.09 | 11:39 AM ET
I’ve heard more than a few stories of shoestring travelers in South America getting burned by three-digit entry fees that they didn’t see coming. Luckily, BootsnAll has come to the rescue, with this detailed breakdown of existing visa and reciprocity fees for Americans. The article also includes a few hints and (legal) workarounds to reduce the number of fees you wind up paying. Gracias!
Budget Tips from the Twitterverse
by Eva Holland | 03.02.09 | 12:13 PM ET
Well, the Daily Beast may have declared that Twitter jumped the shark this week, but that didn’t stop me from collecting a few good travel tips and deals from the micro-blogging site—all in 140 characters or less, of course. NewYorkology notes that the Restaurant Week that won’t die has been extended yet again. The Snow Junkies offer up 54 ways to get discounted lift tickets in March. Jaunted points out that a round-the-world ticket from Virgin Atlantic can now be had for less than $3,000 (and asks: “Who’s in?”), and finally, in more good flight news, Conde Nast Traveler’s Wendy Perrin writes: “Experts I’ve been interviewing for my May column for @CNTraveler say airfares to Europe will remain supercheap throughout the summer.”
This Just In: Britain Doesn’t Have to be Expensive
by Eva Holland | 02.26.09 | 4:27 PM ET
Sure, London can be one of the world’s most expensive cities, and the pound has offered a punishing exchange rate with most other currencies over the past few years. But, having done the “starving student” thing there in my grad school days, I’ve always believed that the U.K. remains a prime destination for travelers on a budget. For every pricey West End stage production there’s a free, world-class museum, and for every swank celebrity-helmed restaurant there’s a tasty meal in a cozy pub. Don’t believe me? Here’s proof: 10 free cultural gems, courtesy of the Guardian, and, from the Independent, the country’s 50 best cheap eats. Both are good lists—the Guardian’s in particular gets bonus points for avoiding the best-known London freebies, like the Tate Modern, in favor of more obscure (and more geographically diverse) cultural institutions.
‘World’s Brainiest Tour Operator’ Now (Sort of) Affordable
by Eva Holland | 02.26.09 | 2:36 PM ET
For all the high culture addicts out there, good news from Arthur Frommer: British tour operator Martin Randall Travel has been spotted advertising in Harper’s, which means, as Frommer writes, “that tours with profound intellectual content will henceforth be marketed to the American public; the ‘dumbing down’ of travel may be significantly slowed through this effort.” The guidebook mogul figures the shifting exchange rate, which has made Britain much more affordable for Americans in recent months, is behind the unprecedented stateside marketing effort. The tours still aren’t for shoestringers—the all-inclusive packages hover around 300 pounds per person per day—but, as Frommer notes, they’re cheaper than comparable college alumni tours, and thanks to the sliding pound they’re within easier reach than ever.
RVing on the Cheap
by Eva Holland | 02.20.09 | 9:51 AM ET
Over at Gadling, Anna Brones Alison Brick has dug up a way to go RVing for just $24 a day. The catch? You have to be headed either to or from Mesa, Arizona, where Cruise America’s headquarters are located. Check out the “Rolling into Arizona” and “Rolling out of Arizona” sections on the company’s Hot Deals page to see where the discounted vehicles are currently available; you’ll need to apply three days in advance, and all rentals are first-come, first-served.
Ryanair Joins the Cruise Game
by Eva Holland | 02.18.09 | 11:09 AM ET
The king of low-cost carriers has joined forces with Costa Cruises and will now be offering discounted bookings with the Italian company through the Ryanair website, the Telegraph reports. “Ryanair and Costa Cruises will reduce the cost of traditionally expensive cruise holidays and bring greater choice to those looking to beat the recession and take advantage of these great value cruise holiday packages,” said a representative for the Irish airline.
There’s no word on whether Costa will start nickel-and-diming passengers as a condition of the deal. Charges for the lounge chairs on deck? Pay-by-weight at the buffet? A steadfast refusal to offer assistance, compensation or even a refund of the measly 15 pounds you paid for your ticket after a last-minute cancellation by the airline? (Not that I’m bitter.)
Las Vegas: Cheap and Quirky Edition
by Eva Holland | 02.12.09 | 5:37 PM ET
Photo by Eva Holland In spite of the recent plunge in room prices, “cheap” isn’t necessarily the first word that comes to mind when you think of Vegas—“jaw-dropping excess” might be closer. But beyond the high-roller tables, celebrity-helmed restaurants and designer clothing stores, there are bargains to be found. The Traveling Mamas recently posted a handy list of “free or cheap” Las Vegas activities, and it includes some more unexpected fare, like the Broadacres Swap Meet or the Pinball Hall of Fame.
I visited Las Vegas for the first time this summer, and with the exception of a close call at the Jimmy Choo store in Caesars Palace (where a part of me tried to argue that happiness is, in fact, a $600 pair of boots) I managed fairly easily to keep a grip on my wallet. My favorite Vegas freebie? The collection of vintage neon signage on Fremont East, where the glory of the good old days (sort of) lives on.
Rolf Potts on the Rewards of Shoestring Travel
by Eva Holland | 02.10.09 | 11:52 AM ET
Frequent World Hum contributor Rolf Potts is the lead-off hitter in the Guardian’s new, budget-focused special issue, with a thoughtful essay about bagpipers in Havana, beer and dumplings in Prague, and how traveling on a budget led him to discover both. He writes: “Ultimately, the charm of budget travel has always been less about saving money than making the most of my time on the road. Traveling cheaply has forced me to be engaged and creative, rather than to throw money at my holidays and hope for the best. Freed from a rigid, expense-laden itinerary, I’m more likely to be spontaneous, embrace serendipity and enjoy each moment of my journey.”
Other worthy reads in the issue: Guardian deputy travel editor Tom Robbins test-drives seven major budget hotel chains in seven nights, and Carole Cadwalladr checks out one of those discount supermarket holiday packages we blogged about awhile back.
Buyer Beware: Worst. Deals. Ever.
by Eva Holland | 02.05.09 | 1:54 PM ET
Here’s an unexpected bit of fun (not to mention a refreshing dose of honesty) from travel discount aggregator, DealBase.com: a collection of the very worst non-deals in their system. Check out this Special Rate for Government Associates at a Denver hotel, for instance; as DealBase’s trademark “Deal Analyzer” points out, this “special rate” actually tacks on an additional $94 per night, or an unlovely savings rate of -171 percent. (Given that the “deal” is for government only, maybe we can call it a political protest of some sort?) DealBase is a relative newcomer to the online bargain-hunting scene, and it’s nice to see that it brought its sense of humor to the party.
New York’s Restaurant ‘Week’: Now a Money-Saving Misnomer
by Eva Holland | 02.04.09 | 9:58 AM ET
New York’s famous restaurant week—that heady few days in late January when Manhattan’s priciest meals become, er, somewhat less pricey—has been extended through to the end of February, making it more like Restaurant Month-and-a-Half. Semantics aside, though, we’ll take it. This is a great chance for more budget-conscious travelers to see the way the other side eats. So step out of the queue at Sbarro, book now at one of 150 restaurants, and you’ll land a three-course fixed-menu lunch for around $25 or an equivalent dinner for $35. (Via NewYorkology)
Hostel-Goers: Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite
by Eva Holland | 02.02.09 | 9:41 AM ET
A recent hostel-dwellers-have-scabies crack by one of my esteemed colleagues here at World Hum reminded me of that perennial fear for the regular hostel-dweller: bedbugs. Though in all my hosteling I’ve never been bitten myself, I do have friends who’ve had run-ins with the critters—and the aftermath was time-consuming, pricey and unpleasant.
Got bedbugs in your bunk? The Backpackers Guide to Bed Bugs offers some quick tips for hostel-bedbug triage; meanwhile, the Bedbug Blog (yes, there really is such a thing) offers everything you could ever want to know about an infestation, at home or abroad. And finally, this last link might set your hostel-going mind at ease: About.com lays to rest the myth that hostels are bedbug havens—turns out, you’re just as likely to come across them in hotels, too. (Feel better now?)
Italy on the Cheap
by Eva Holland | 01.30.09 | 10:13 AM ET
Photo by Eva Holland Jessica at Why Go Italy recently offered up her “must-see” destinations and activities in Venice. It’s a thoughtful, off-beat list—think “get lost” instead of “take a gondola ride”—and best of all? Most of her suggestions are free, or close to it. Meanwhile, Eurocheapo dishes on how to land a free, guided tour of Florence’s Duomo, courtesy of the city’s Center for Art and Culture.
Cheap and enlightening: what more can you ask for?
Is There a ‘Golden Rule’ for Budget Travel?
by Eva Holland | 01.29.09 | 4:45 PM ET
There are seemingly endless lists of budget-travel tips out there, covering everything from landing five-star hotel rooms at four-star prices, to hitchhiking and couchsurfing advice. Whatever definition of “budget travel” they cater to, most have something useful to say—but still, the sheer volume and variety left me wondering: is there a way to boil all of this down to a single piece of advice, one that’s useful for everyone aiming to save their pennies on the road? In other words, putting aside all the lists of commandments, is there a golden rule for budget travel?
Here’s the closest thing I can come up with: Be informed.
Canada: It’s Cheap Again!
by Eva Holland | 01.22.09 | 10:14 AM ET
Arthur Frommer points out that with everyone watching Europe’s two heavyweight currencies draw closer to parity, some other currency shifts have gone unnoticed. “We’ve been so focused on the Euro and the Pound,” he writes, “that most of [us] have failed to notice that the currencies of Canada and Mexico have plunged in value.” After rising to par last year, the Canadian dollar has dropped back to $1.25 per 1 US dollar, while in Mexico a single American dollar will now net you 14 pesos. The lesson here for American travelers? Head North. Or South. Either way, as Frommer says, “you now enjoy a bonanza.”
5 Money-Saving Resolutions for ‘09
by Eva Holland | 01.05.09 | 3:21 PM ET
‘Tis the season for budget travel tips. With the recession well and truly upon us, it seems everyone in the travel industry is looking for a money-saving angle. At About.com, Mark Kahler offers a list of helpful budget travel resolutions to kick off the New Year. My favorite is No. 5—“I will visit a National Park”—but all are practical.
(Via BlogHer)
Rock Bands Go CouchSurfing: ‘It Beats Sleeping in a Van’
by Eva Holland | 12.30.08 | 12:15 PM ET
It also beats “staying with crazy fans”—and, of course, paying for a motel room every night. So says Spin Magazine in a brief story on the latest CouchSurfing phenomenon: touring bands using the popular nonprofit travel site to line up post-gig digs.
According to Spin, more than 900 bands have joined the site. “We’ve never had any bad couchsurfing.com stays,” said the lead singer of The Shackeltons. “Everyone was so welcoming, and their places were nice and clean.”
Stocking Stuffers for Budget Travelers: The Christmas ‘Unlist’
by Eva Holland | 12.23.08 | 11:12 AM ET
In an unusual move at this time of year, Europestring‘s Christine Gilbert offers up the Christmas Unlist: 10 gifts not to buy for the European budget traveler in your life. There’s a lot of truth to her picks—and don’t worry, gift-list-lovers: she also offers thoughtful alternatives to her slate of no-nos.