Let’s face it. The year 2009 is one that the travel industry really wants to forget. Most people have canceled their travel plans altogether, or scaled their trip plans way back due to the economy. That all makes sense, but I get the feeling that most of those people don’t realize that if they went to Asia they could have an excellent and even slightly luxurious trip, assuming they went to one of the right places.
Flights are very cheap this year too
For people living on the West Coast of the US, and especially for people living on the East Coast, it’s natural to assume that flying to Asia is incredibly expensive. But it’s really not. You can always find cheap flights to Asia, though perhaps not to every destination in the continent.
If you want to have the cheapest possible vacation having the highest possible standards, just keep your eyes peeled for cheap tickets to India. It’s best to fly to either Mumbai or Delhi, though occasionally there are great deals to other cities as well. Once there just spend a couple days in the big city to get acclimated, and then head out to somewhere less hectic. You can find spas and retreats and historic towns and nearly any kind of accommodation imaginable, and it’ll cost about 75% less than it would back home.
Planning the cheapest possible trip
Even if you don’t go to India you can still find great bargains. Think about Southeast Asia, and especially Thailand. There are plenty of cheap Bangkok hotels if you look around. It’s possible to get a decent hotel there for around US$10 per night, though if you go during the peak wet and humid season (April and May) you’ll want a place with air conditioning, and that will cost a bit more. Still, for around US$30 you can get a place that looks like it should cost at least $100 if it were anywhere else.
Once in Thailand you can take a cheap bus to Cambodia or Laos or Vietnam, and those countries are a bit cheaper than Thailand, though they also don’t have quite the tourism infrastructure that Thailand has so it’s not quite as easy to visit.
If you circle up to Hanoi, where you can get hotel rooms for around US$10 and you don’t need air conditioning, you are a short flight from Hong Kong and Macau. You can find plenty of cheap hotels in Hong Kong, though not quite as cheap as in Bangkok. You’ll spend at least US$25 per night there, and quite a bit more if you want something really nice. The trick about Hong Kong is you want to stay on the Kowloon Peninsula instead of on Hong Kong Island. There is way more to do on Kowloon and prices are much more reasonable.
I’m one of those with plenty of German relatives, so I’ve been there more times than I can count, and in fact, my brother has lived there for more than a decade now. So for me, Germany is an easy place to visit and it feels like I’ve got the tricks figured out, but sometimes I forget that most of the best advice for first-time visitors is not obvious at all, so I thought I’d share some with you.
Finding the best deal on flights
When you start looking into flights to Germany you might not realize that this almost always means flights to Frankfurt. Lufthansa, one of the world’s largest airlines, is based in Frankfurt and it’s by far the largest airport in the country. In fact, Frankfurt serves more international destinations than any other airport in the world, just to give you some scope of the thing.
So you’ve probably heard how great Berlin is and you might be tempted to look into a flight directly there, but if you are coming from more than one or two countries away, you’ll probably have to switch planes in Frankfurt anyway. Depending on your connections this might actually be slower than taking the train from Frankfurt to Berlin, and it might cost more as well. If your flight in is late in the day you’ll be happy to know that hotels in Frankfurt are actually quite affordable, especially the ones near the airport itself or near the train station in the center of town.
Fly directly to Berlin or not?
If your main goal is spending time in Berlin, you are a wise traveler, as for my money it’s one of the coolest cities on the planet and very easy to visit. But should you book a flight to Berlin or just to Frankfurt and then take the train the rest of the way? This isn’t always an easy question to answer. Flights all the way to Berlin usually cost around US$100 more than flights only to Frankfurt, but sometimes you can get them for around the same price.
If the Berlin flights are more then you’ll have to consider your options. The train journey between the cities is around 4 hours, and normal one-way fares are around €111 per person, but you can sometimes get the promotional fare that is only €29 per person on the slower trains. If your layover is more than 2 hours then this could get you to the center of Berlin faster than the flight, plus you get to see some nice countryside on your way.
Where to stay in Berlin
More great news comes from the fact that there are plenty of cheap hotels in Berlin. In case you aren’t familiar with the geography and history of the place, Berlin used to be divided into a West Berlin and East Berlin, from 1961 until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. The West was slightly bigger than the East, and it’s also much more expensive, and less fun as well. Unless you prefer a 4-star hotel, check for places in the former East, hopefully in the Mitte or Prenzlauer Berg neighborhoods. There are also loads of hostels in Berlin, mostly in those neighborhoods, and they tend to be high quality and affordably priced. Many Berlin hostels also have private rooms so you can save money while getting many of the benefits of staying in a place with a large communal area full of other travelers.
Sometimes travel planning is all about a destination. You know where you want to go, and you start looking up information about what to do there, where you should stay, and what kinds of deals you can get on a plane ticket. But sometimes you just need a vacation - somewhere, anywhere, it doesn't matter where, just get me on a plane ASAP. If that's the kind of mood you're in, you're going to benefit from the kinds of travel deals that those of us who are destination-driven can only dream of.
See, the travel industry knows which places are popular, and they understandably charge us more to get there and stay there. It might be annoying, but each one of us would do the very same thing if we were in their shoes. And really, the number of places around the world where they're routinely charging more to fly there and sleep in a hotel is a pretty short list when you think about it, given all the possible destinations around the world. So think of it this way - by making less popular destinations less expensive, the travel industry is helping you get off the regular tourist trail a little bit. (You can thank them later.)
Okay, so you're desperate for a vacation and you're not really particular about where. The first thing to do is consult your favorite online booking engine for its last-minute deals. Even if you're not necessarily planning a trip this weekend, seeing the list of destinations which have deals running right now may help give you an idea of some of the places where you're more likely to find deals in general. And hey, if you happen to find really cheap tickets and you're free this weekend, all the better.
Assuming you really can't get away on a moment's notice like that, the next thing to do is set up email alerts in your aforementioned favorite online booking engines for a few of the destinations you found on the last-minute deals lists - plus a few more you might be interested in. These alerts will send you notices when the prices on flights to your chosen destinations go down by whatever amount you set. That way, you're ready to pounce on a great deal, even if it's only available for a really short amount of time.
Once you've bought airline tickets to whatever place you've decided to go, again assuming it's not a last-minute deal, you can now go back to those online booking engines and do a hotel search for a place to stay. Some of them will let you set up an email alert for hotel rooms, too, so if you've got a little while before your trip you might try that approach. Otherwise, you'll need to search a few places to find out what the array of options and prices is for the kinds of hotels you're hoping to stay in.
If you're really a bargain hunter, you don't want to overlook using Priceline to book your airline ticket, hotel, or both. The research you've done in the steps listed above will serve you well when you visit Priceline, because you'll know what the going rate is on the things you want to buy and will therefore have a better shot at offering a good bid price. But even beyond that, there are often promotional codes available that can knock even more off of an already-low Priceline rate - so be sure to see if there's a Priceline coupon you can use before you hit the "book" button.
Exploring our town's local attractions is something that most travelers don't typically take the time to do. Either we figure we'll always have time to do it later, or we don't consider our city's sights worthy of our precious free time. Another thing many travelers skip is visiting places that are close to home, even if they're not even the same country. A perfect example of this is how many Americans overlook Canada as a holiday destination.
Nevermind that Canada is entirely different country, thereby qualifying you for "travel" cred (for pete's sake, Americans even need a passport to go north of the border these days) - we're more likely to jet off to far-flung European cities or make a bee-line for a Mexican beach than we are to plan an entire vacation in Canada. This is despite several reasons why Americans should go to Canada, not least being the fact that there's no language barrier!
I just spent 12 days in British Columbia myself, having not crossed into Canada for something like seven years, and am just now recognizing how much I've missed. Thankfully for me (and for anyone else who's forgotten there's a whole 'nuther country up there), there's no time like the present to visit Canada.
From many American cities, it's easy to get cheap flights to Canada, no matter what part of the gigantic country you're hoping to visit. For instance, flights from Chicago to Toronto are plentiful no matter what time of year it is, and frequent enough that you don't even need to worry too much about booking months in advance to get the best deal. Basically any major airline hub that's in the northern part of the United States is going to have good deals and frequent departures to Canadian cities throughout the year.
Much of the Canadian travel focus is going to be on British Columbia for the near future thanks to the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver in 2010 - but if you're not interested in either a wintertime visit to Canada (let's face it, it can be chilly up there even in the summer!) or a trip to BC during the Olympic chaos, the good news is that Canada's an enormous country with lots more to discover. Two of the most-visited cities in Canada are, in fact, not even in or near British Columbia.
Montreal is the second-largest city in the French-speaking province of Quebec, and the combination of a European-feeling city plus a foreign language will make just about any American feel like they're getting a European vacation for half the price (not to mention a lot less jetlag). There's no shortage of shopping, museums, and great restaurants, but the city also embraces that outdoorsy spirit Canadians are so famous for. And finding good deals on flights to Montreal isn't too difficult, especially if you're in the northern part of the U.S. already.
For a city that could feel even more international but that still has English as its official language, head straight for Toronto. Canada's largest city is famous for its international feel, and a walk through its bustling and beautiful city center may make you feel like you've visited several countries in just a few hours. With vibrant Chinese, Greek, and Italian communities (just to name a few), the culture and cuisine of Toronto is impacted in all the right ways. And again, flights to Toronto are plentiful from any U.S. state that borders Canada.
There are countless more reasons Americans should head north of the border for their next vacation, but we hope at least these few will get you thinking about Canada next time you're planning a trip.
Once the travel bug bites you, chances are you want to visit as many countries as possible. And the ultimate experience for any traveler is to embark on traveling around the world. It takes a lot of planning and a lot of finances as well, but you don’t need to break a bank or win the lottery to be able to afford it.
The recession is dreaded by the hoteliers (and pretty much everyone in the travel business) but for the travelers, it’s the best time to look for bargains. The easiest way to start planning your round the world vacation is by checking out which continent was hit hardest by the fall in room rates. Over all, the prices fell by about 10% (compared to last year) but some cities have seen about 20% drop in room rates this year compared to last year. Also, many hotels have special offers for their guests, which include free nights or free services.You can start by looking up cheap flights to Europe . The old continent is filled with beautiful cities, some more interesting than the other. If you are looking for the cheapest vacation spots, Vienna is one of the capitals which were hit quite hard by the recession and the hotel prices are low (the average room rate went down 20% in June 2009 compared to last year). But Vienna is not the only capital which is both beautiful and affordable. Amsterdam and Prague are also good choices for the budget traveler.
And if you always wanted to visit Italy and never though you could afford it, why don’t you book a flight to Italy this fall? Even Venice seems a bit too calm right now, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the beautiful city. And you might find that cities which used to be very crowded and noisy last year are starting to be more relaxed and a bit less expensive this year.
Now that you have soaked up Europe’s old charm, you can look for flights to South Africa . The best time to go on a safari is from May until October, which means there’s still plenty of time to plan such a trip. It’s a unique experience and definitely something any traveler should consider doing once in a lifetime. Seeing the big cats in their natural habitat cannot be compared with anything else in the world.
After a week in the wild, you can hop on yet another continent. Flights to Australia are cheap and easy to find, especially during spring. No matter what region you plan to visit, the whether is warm and there are plenty of things to do. And although it does sound cliché, the me-in-front-of-Sydney-Opera-House photo is something you should consider. And so is cuddling a koala.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. While I was just starting kindergarten when the wall came down and I have no memories of the event, I have studied enough history to know about and understand the symbolic significance and power of this event. Then, the wall served as the dividing point between East and West and communism versus capitalism. Today, what’s left of the wall has become a tourist attraction.
While many people may be on the quest to get a deal on a flight to Berlin to be a witness to some of the festivities and events that will be happening in order to commemorate the falling of the wall, there are countless travelers who have already made a remaining section of the wall a tourist hotspot.
In an article by Reuters, “Former Iron Curtain oddity now a tourist hotspot,” discusses how a tiny village of about 50 people called Moedlareuth has preserved a 100-meter section of the Iron Curtain—not to give a physical reminder of the days before the wall went down—but as a way to attract tourists to the small hamlet that has been nicknamed “Little Berlin.”
The farming hamlet located about 300 km south of Berlin has become a prime destination for tourists searching for the remnants of the Communist era when East and West Germany were divided. In fact, in 2008, Moedlareuth saw 60,000 visitors and they are expecting a similar number of visitors to come in 2009. For young people like myself who don’t have memories of the wall coming down, like Huw Diprose in the Reuters article, they say that coming to a place where the wall still stands takes them back to the mindset of what it was like back when the Germany was still divided.
However, whether you have been researching cheap flights to Germany and looking to book one of the cheap hotels in Berlin to commemorate the falling of the Berlin Wall or not, fall is actually an idea time to pack your bags and head to Germany.
In fact, Smarter Travel recently rated Germany as one of their Top Five Off-Peak Destinations for Fall 2009. While summer may be the most popular time to visit Germany (along with the rest of Europe) autumn is in many ways a much better time to head to Germany. There are fewer tourists, flights are cheaper and many hotels have lower off-season rates.
In fact, the folks over at Smarter Travel even did a break down about how much cheaper flights to Germany are in the fall compared to the summer months (they cost about half as much). Plus, even if you aren’t headed to Germany for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, there is always beautiful fall foliage to enjoy in the Black Mountains and, well, lots of beer.
If huge historical events, cheap flights to Germany, and beautiful fall foliage isn’t enough to get you to hop on a plane, then maybe free flowing beer at Munich’s Oktoberfest will. In fact, my dad still tells stories about drinking out of huge, heavy steins of beer and literally swinging from the rafters of the tents (and spending the following several days hugged to the toilet) during Oktoberfest when he attended almost 25 years ago.
While you will see process climb slightly surrounding the dates of the festival, you can always opt to stay in Berlin hostels to save some dollars before heading to Munich (that way you can save your cash for all the beer drinking and merry-making).
Yes, this past weekend they held Lollapalooza in Chicago, once again, and it sounds like the weather and conditions at the concert were pretty miserable, especially for the height of summer. Normally you get a choice of cold and rainy or hot and muggy during the summer in Chicago, but this last weekend was evidently hot and rainy.
Not only was this a good weekend to miss in Chicago, weather-wise, but I really don’t care for those 50 bands per day festivals anyway. Typically there are only 3 or 4 I really care for so it’s much easier to wait for each of them to play a smaller venue, and often those 3 or 4 tickets still cost less than the one day festival ticket that also includes 46 bands that bore me.
Anyway, it looks like I’m heading to Chicago myself in a few weeks, and I do believe I’ll be staying at the Tremont Hotel for $89 per night, thanks to a deal I found on Travelzoo. It’s normally almost twice that price, and the best thing about it is it’s a boutique hotel with a great location near all the tourist attractions.
There are deals at plenty of other Chicago cheap hotels but most of the others I looked at are for places outside the city center. I don’t want to rent a car if I can avoid it, and Chicago is excellent for the fact that most of the attractions are all within walking distance of each other downtown, so I don’t even need to ride public transport in most cases.
It’s cheap to get there as well
I couldn’t let the summer go by without a trip to one of my favorite cities, and fortunately airline tickets to Chicago are cheap at the moment as well. I found a flight from Portland to O’Hare for $257 on Continental. Last summer this flight would have been at least $400, so the whole trip will be about half the price it would be if I had done the exact same itinerary last year.
The most frustrating part of travel this summer is that there are amazing deals out there everywhere you look, so even though I have a couple trips coming up, it still feels like I’m missing out on so much. By next summer the prices will probably be back to previous levels, so everything will feel like a rip-off when compared to 2009. Oh well.
The largest beer festival in the entire world takes place each year in Munich. Oktoberfest 2009 runs from September 19 to October 4 inclusive.
Where to stay
As you probably figured out by now, the festival is very popular among beer lovers and tourists, in general. So it’s not a surprise that the accommodation books up pretty quickly. And since Munich is not exactly the cheapest city in Germany anyway, your best bet is to look for Munich hostels located close to where the events take place. The more you wait to book a bed, the more chances to have to stay either far from where the festival takes place or in another city altogether.
Booking your flight
It is also advisable to start looking for airfare to Munich and compare the fares. It’s best to fly mid-week and, if possible, arrive couple of days before the festival begins. Book your flight in advance and be flexible in your approach.
Another good money saving tip is to look for flights into other large German cities. Airfare to Germany can be cheap if you know what to look for. Especially if you plan to fly during the festival, it’s best to book a flight into Berlin and then take the train to Munich. It’s not a bad idea to fly into neighboring Austria and catch a train to Munich from there.
About Oktoberfest 2009
If you want to see the official opening ceremonies, you need to secure a good spot in advance. Many visitors come from 9 a.m. to find a place although the official opening takes place at noon when the lord mayor of Munich taps the first keg of Oktoberfest beer.
As for the budget, you should know that there aren’t any entry fees. A liter jug of beer (32 fl oz) costs €8-9 but you probably won’t handle too many of those in a day. Of course, beer should be accompanied with good food so that also adds to the budget. And if you fancy trying out some fair rides, your budget should allow for such splurges as well.
Most of the beer tents open at 10:30 a.m. and shut at 11 p.m., but some are open past mid-night. You’ll be able to get beer from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. during the weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. during the weekends. The fair rides are also open from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. during the weekdays (and until mid-night during the weekend).
Every Thursday from noon to 6 p.m., Family Days take place. It’s the perfect time to save money on the fair rides, as well as on beer and food.
A while ago a good friend of mine told me “what [insert not-so-nice words] was I thinking to book my honeymoon in the middle of summer in Las Vegas?” She was probably thinking the same thing as I am: Las Vegas is cheap during summer although you need to be prepared for a hot experience (and yes, I’m talking about the weather…well, mostly!)
Vegas travel guide can surely shad some light when it comes to planning your trip. Do make sure to read about the weather. While the temperatures can easily get over 100F, there is no humidity so you will be able to walk from place to place. Which is great, isn’t it?
Now let’s tackle the getting to Vegas part. As you probably know, when you search for airfare to Las Vegas you’ll be bombarded with all sorts of deals which include the accommodation as well. If you are tempted, go ahead and have a look. After all vacation packages in Las Vegas can often save both time and money.
Now that you have the flight figured out, it’s time to find where to stay in Vegas . This is both an easy and daunting task. There are hotels, motels and resorts everywhere you look. For the sake of convenience you should start your search with the Las Vegas Strip Hotels . You are in the middle of everything and you will be able to walk from place to place (so no need to get a rental car). And yes, there are cheap hotels on the Strip as well. For example Circus Circus Las Vegas is both affordable and family friendly.
A trip to Las Vegas is not complete without seeing one of the popular shows . There are plenty to choose from but make sure to get the tickets in advance especially if you want to watch one of popular production shows. And yes, most of them are family friendly but you can find adults only shows as well.
And speaking about family friendly destination, the near-by Grand Canyon is the perfect place to explore on your vacation. On the way to the canyon you’ll be passing over Hoover Dam , a stunning piece of engineering and definitely a place worth visiting. You can easily plan to tackle both places during a day trip from Las Vegas. It’s advisable to avoid the weekends as both are very popular places to visit and they do tend to get over-crowded.
The Niagara Falls lie on the border between US and Canada. Each side offers a different perspective of the beautiful waterfall, so it would be nice to get a chance to visit both parts. The Canadian side tends to be more popular among tourists thanks to the many attractions and plentiful accommodation.
There are four airports serving the falls, two on each side. On the US side, the closest is Buffalo airport, located at just 30-40 min drive from the falls. Niagara Falls has its own airport but it’s small and served only by one carrier. On the Canadian side, the closest airport is John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, located about 1 h drive from the falls. Another choice is Toronto Pearson International Airport but it’s further away and you also have to consider dealing with the Toronto traffic on the way to the falls.
Niagra Falls hotels come in different sizes and for pretty much any budget. There are both cheap hotels and luxury ones to choose from on both sides. And the best part is that even cheap hotels offer at least some rooms with a good view.
You can easily get around the city without a car, so bring a good pair of walking shoes. Access to the falls is free and accessible. Of course there are also a number of tour boats which offer interesting experiences, including going to the bottom of the falls (and getting soaking wet). There are also several museums to check out if free time allows for that.
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