Oct 5, 2007
$999 (plus whopping fees and taxes) can take you to Russia. Though the weather there is frigid, a winter trip is an important cultural experience
In an earlier post this week, I cited a short winter period, from December 1 to 11, when $999 can buy you an air-and-land package to Cairo. For a longer time during the winter, $999 (plus whopping fees and taxes) will buy you a trip to Russia -- and though few people may want to brave the frigid temperatures at that time, those hardy souls who do make the trip spend considerably less than they would at any other time of year. And needless to say, the cultural life of the country (the Bolshoi Ballet, other theater, opera, the un-crowded Hermitage Museum, the un-crowded Kremlin, and other lightly visited attractions) is best viewed and experienced in winter.
The trip is purchased from a long-established Russian specialist, Eastern Tours (tel. 800/339-6967; www.traveltorussia.com), which offers its classic Russian itinerary combining Moscow and St. Petersburg for $999 per person in November through March. The same trip is $1,299 per person in October and April.
That price covers roundtrip airfare from New York and a week in Russia. It begins with three nights' lodging in St. Petersburg, during which time you get an included city tour and visits to the St. Petersburg Ballet and the Hermitage, one of the world's greatest museums, up there with the Louvre, Vatican, and the Met in New York. Following an overnight ride on the "Red Arrow" train from St. Petersburg to Moscow are three days and two nights in the Russian capital, including a guided tour, visits to Red Square and the Kremlin, and a trip to the famed Moscow Circus.
Unfortunately, $999 isn't the final price you pay per person. Even seasoned travelers used to the unavoidable taxes and fees (usually associated with plane tickets) that end up tacking up to $250 onto the price tag of most trips, will be in for a shock by the massive charges -- due largely to high departure taxes and Visa fees -- involved with a trip to Russia: up to an additional $640. That doesn't make this deal any less of a bargain -- you'd have to pay that $640 in governmental and airline fees even if the trip itself were free -- I just wanted you to be prepared for the wallop that comes in the fine print.
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The trip is purchased from a long-established Russian specialist, Eastern Tours (tel. 800/339-6967; www.traveltorussia.com), which offers its classic Russian itinerary combining Moscow and St. Petersburg for $999 per person in November through March. The same trip is $1,299 per person in October and April.
That price covers roundtrip airfare from New York and a week in Russia. It begins with three nights' lodging in St. Petersburg, during which time you get an included city tour and visits to the St. Petersburg Ballet and the Hermitage, one of the world's greatest museums, up there with the Louvre, Vatican, and the Met in New York. Following an overnight ride on the "Red Arrow" train from St. Petersburg to Moscow are three days and two nights in the Russian capital, including a guided tour, visits to Red Square and the Kremlin, and a trip to the famed Moscow Circus.
Unfortunately, $999 isn't the final price you pay per person. Even seasoned travelers used to the unavoidable taxes and fees (usually associated with plane tickets) that end up tacking up to $250 onto the price tag of most trips, will be in for a shock by the massive charges -- due largely to high departure taxes and Visa fees -- involved with a trip to Russia: up to an additional $640. That doesn't make this deal any less of a bargain -- you'd have to pay that $640 in governmental and airline fees even if the trip itself were free -- I just wanted you to be prepared for the wallop that comes in the fine print.
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There's now a website for counter-culture bus tours designed for adventurers of all ages
When it comes to touring the world by escorted bus, I'm not aware of any company other than Green Tortoise, of San Francisco, that actually places bunks aboard its buses and brings down your travel costs in that manner. I wrote about Green Tortoise (operating mainly in the United States) in a July post.But a number of bus companies in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Western Europe, claim to offer exceptionally cheap, "counter-culture" bus tours designed for youthful types. They earn that title by making use of van-like vehicles, young tour leaders, and guesthouse accommodations for overnight lodgings on fixed itineraries; or by offering "hop on, hop off" patterns that let you tour at your own pace, stopping to inspect areas that most interest you, and then re-board the next day's bus.
The most popular services in the British Isles, Europe, and North Africa are
now all gathered together in one site at Radical Travel (www.radicaltravel.com). It represents, for instance, the famous Shamrocker Adventures (www.shamrockeradventures.com) of Ireland, and Haggis Adventures (www.haggisadventures.com) covering Scotland, England and Wales. Radical Travel also links directly to the Europe-wide service Busabout (www.busabout.com), which offers both "Busabout Adventures" of set itineraries in Spain, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Morocco, and Egypt as well as the "Busabout Explorer" hop-on/hop-off service. This is a pass valid for the entire operating season (May to October) on your choice of a series of loops covering Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Austria.
The hop-on/hop-off cheap bus model has spread to many other English-speaking countries popular among backpackers. The hop-on/hop-off bus service in Australia is called the Oz Experience (www.ozexperience.com); in New Zealand you're looking for the Kiwi Experience (www.kiwiexperience.com); and in South Africa it's the Baz Bus (www.bazbus.com). All are exceptional opportunities for the right kind of traveler.
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What hath God wrought! That all-powerful Google now provides travel information on your own simple cell phone
It's another amazing breakthrough by Google -- one with particular relevance to travel -- and yet I haven't heard it discussed by anyone, and especially not by people in the travel world.
Using your own simple cell phone -- not a costly iPhone or Blackberry or fancy upgraded device, but simply an ordinary, $29 cell phone sold by Sprint or Motorola, maybe issued free when you signed up for a plan -- you can access all sorts of important travel information from Google in the course of a trip. You can get the weather, find local restaurants, get directions, check on flights, and even translate foreign phrases.
The key to it all is Google's unique, six-digit phone number -- 466453 -- which you type in AFTER you've posed a question in the messaging section of that junky little phone. Click on messaging, then type a brief question into the phone, then type in 466453, press "send," and voilà! Google provides the answer.
You can either use full words and phrases or learn Google's syntax shortcuts. For example, you can type either "weather chicago" or simply "w chicago" and either way you'll get the current weather for the windy city along with the two-day forecast.
Though it can perform tricks useful in all walks of life (providing sports scores, stock quotes, dictionary definitions, movie times, the answers to basic questions), most of Google's mobile services seem custom-made for the traveler. Write "flight" followed by any flight number and it will give you updated flight information. Write "145 yen in usd" and it will convert currency on the fly. Write "sushi 10023" and it will list Japanese restaurants in Manhattan. You can also "translate hello in french," find out "2 us pints in liters," or learn about weather and delays at "lax airport."
To get directions, simply write "new york ny to philadelphia pa" (or use zip codes: "10018 to 19095"). Your cell phone, accessing Google, will give you distance, estimated time, and step by step driving directions.
You can even personalize the service by setting a local zip code so it will automatically find nearby results without having to bother with that step. When it comes time to travel, change the "saved location" to the zip code of your destination and then all you need to do while there is type in "pizza" and it will steer you to the nearest parlor.
Of course, unless you bought free text messages with your cellphone service, you will pay for each query, but at 10¢ a pop, that's still cheaper than directory assistance, and a whole lot handier. You can also find much more information and a list of search features available via Google mobile, at www.google.com/sms(the best source of advice) or www.google.com/mobile (less handy).
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Using your own simple cell phone -- not a costly iPhone or Blackberry or fancy upgraded device, but simply an ordinary, $29 cell phone sold by Sprint or Motorola, maybe issued free when you signed up for a plan -- you can access all sorts of important travel information from Google in the course of a trip. You can get the weather, find local restaurants, get directions, check on flights, and even translate foreign phrases.
The key to it all is Google's unique, six-digit phone number -- 466453 -- which you type in AFTER you've posed a question in the messaging section of that junky little phone. Click on messaging, then type a brief question into the phone, then type in 466453, press "send," and voilà! Google provides the answer.
You can either use full words and phrases or learn Google's syntax shortcuts. For example, you can type either "weather chicago" or simply "w chicago" and either way you'll get the current weather for the windy city along with the two-day forecast.
Though it can perform tricks useful in all walks of life (providing sports scores, stock quotes, dictionary definitions, movie times, the answers to basic questions), most of Google's mobile services seem custom-made for the traveler. Write "flight" followed by any flight number and it will give you updated flight information. Write "145 yen in usd" and it will convert currency on the fly. Write "sushi 10023" and it will list Japanese restaurants in Manhattan. You can also "translate hello in french," find out "2 us pints in liters," or learn about weather and delays at "lax airport."
To get directions, simply write "new york ny to philadelphia pa" (or use zip codes: "10018 to 19095"). Your cell phone, accessing Google, will give you distance, estimated time, and step by step driving directions.
You can even personalize the service by setting a local zip code so it will automatically find nearby results without having to bother with that step. When it comes time to travel, change the "saved location" to the zip code of your destination and then all you need to do while there is type in "pizza" and it will steer you to the nearest parlor.
Of course, unless you bought free text messages with your cellphone service, you will pay for each query, but at 10¢ a pop, that's still cheaper than directory assistance, and a whole lot handier. You can also find much more information and a list of search features available via Google mobile, at www.google.com/sms(the best source of advice) or www.google.com/mobile (less handy).
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Labels: cellphones, websites
Oct 4, 2007
Passenger-carrying freighters are plentiful for relaxed travelers with time to burn
What's going on with passenger-carrying freighters, ask a great many readers? Are they still around? Answer: more than ever. The increasing use of computer-operated, automated equipment has reduced the size of crews, opening up more cabins for use by passengers. And the additional revenue is highly valued by the freighter companies, which now offer numerous sailings each month of these lengthy, 30-day-and-longer itineraries to exotic ports of the world.
The major recent change has been in price. Since tariffs are usually calculated (by the freighter companies) in euros, the dollar price has risen sharply over the years. While once there were some cabins available for about $100 per person per day, the usual minimum rate -- based on my own review of recent charges -- is about $140 a day. For that, you get the run of the ship, you dine with the officers, and wander about through long, lazy days, perhaps writing that novel you always had within you.
The best way to obtain a partial glimpse of the options is by accessing www.freighterworld.com and then filling out a form to receive a free copy of the bi-weekly, glossy, six-page newsletter ("Freighter Space Advisory") published by Freighter World Cruises, Inc. (180 South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101-2655, phone 800/531-7774 or 626/449-3106), one of the largest of the passenger brokers for the 21 largest lines operating freighters. Although the newsletter writes up only three or four sample opportunities out of the dozens available (see the website for many more), its photographs and maps are tremendously instructive. Keep in mind that most passengers (except for that occasional novelist) are in their 60s and 70s, and that departure dates are estimates requiring that you be able to board the ship on a day of their choosing (obviously, you must have time to burn). Twelve are the maximum number of passengers taken aboard each ship.
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The major recent change has been in price. Since tariffs are usually calculated (by the freighter companies) in euros, the dollar price has risen sharply over the years. While once there were some cabins available for about $100 per person per day, the usual minimum rate -- based on my own review of recent charges -- is about $140 a day. For that, you get the run of the ship, you dine with the officers, and wander about through long, lazy days, perhaps writing that novel you always had within you.
The best way to obtain a partial glimpse of the options is by accessing www.freighterworld.com and then filling out a form to receive a free copy of the bi-weekly, glossy, six-page newsletter ("Freighter Space Advisory") published by Freighter World Cruises, Inc. (180 South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101-2655, phone 800/531-7774 or 626/449-3106), one of the largest of the passenger brokers for the 21 largest lines operating freighters. Although the newsletter writes up only three or four sample opportunities out of the dozens available (see the website for many more), its photographs and maps are tremendously instructive. Keep in mind that most passengers (except for that occasional novelist) are in their 60s and 70s, and that departure dates are estimates requiring that you be able to board the ship on a day of their choosing (obviously, you must have time to burn). Twelve are the maximum number of passengers taken aboard each ship.
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An addendum to my recent comments on the advice in "user-generated" travel websites
I have read with great interest the response of readers to my recent slam at "user-generated" websites. But it seems to me that hardly anyone has dealt with the fact that these users are not making comparative judgments, but are issuing their critiques or applause based solely on their experience of one hotel -- repeat, one hotel -- in the community they have visited. Unlike a guidebook writer, the traveler sees only one hotel; he or she does not traipse to twenty hotels in the same price range to get an idea of what the standards are in that particular city.
In Paris, for instance, the user never realizes that there may be superior hotels in the same price category as the one they have used. Or, they are unaware that the hotel they have used is greatly superior to other hotels in the same price category. Though they are able to say that they enjoyed or disliked a particular hotel, they are never able to make a comparative judgment, which is the task assigned to the writer of a travel guide and is of enormous value to the traveler.
Isn't it important for a traveler to know that there are superior hotels to the one that traveler chose -- and at no extra cost? As someone who devoted a large portion of his life to walking the streets of Europe, looking at one guesthouse and hotel after another in order to find several that I might recommend, I'd be interested to read comments on this point.
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In Paris, for instance, the user never realizes that there may be superior hotels in the same price category as the one they have used. Or, they are unaware that the hotel they have used is greatly superior to other hotels in the same price category. Though they are able to say that they enjoyed or disliked a particular hotel, they are never able to make a comparative judgment, which is the task assigned to the writer of a travel guide and is of enormous value to the traveler.
Isn't it important for a traveler to know that there are superior hotels to the one that traveler chose -- and at no extra cost? As someone who devoted a large portion of his life to walking the streets of Europe, looking at one guesthouse and hotel after another in order to find several that I might recommend, I'd be interested to read comments on this point.
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Labels: websites
In case you were worried, it will now be possible to wear mini-skirts on all further flights of Southwest Airlines
The management of Southwest (www.southwest.com) has just issued an abject apology to the young woman who was prevented from boarding a Southwest flight because she was too skimpily dressed (in a mini-skirt). Turns out the decision to bar her was not based on company policy, but was simply the impulsive act of an officious flight attendant (who happened also to be female). Let's all hope that what appeared to be an attempt by an airline to enforce moral judgments, was nothing of the sort. We have enough people attempting to curtail our liberties without the airlines entering the act.
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The Queen Mary 2's ten-night sailing from (and back to) Brooklyn on December 10 is surely the best cruise bargain around
For this ultra-posh vessel, with every conceivable amenity, a price of $998 per person for inside cabins is a powerful lure. Leaving from Brooklyn, New York, on December 10, and returning there on December 20, the giant ships spends two full days simply at sea heading south, and then stops at a fairly interesting assortment of Caribbean ports on the next five days (Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Thomas), before spending a final two days at sea heading north back to Brooklyn. You can book it at that rate from www.vacationstogo.com, or by phoning tel. 800/338-4962.
And incidentally, the $998 price includes all port charges, which normally add a substantial cost to offers like this. You simply pay $998.
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And incidentally, the $998 price includes all port charges, which normally add a substantial cost to offers like this. You simply pay $998.
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Two foreign firms are the source of particularly meaningful tours for Americans
Two tour operators -- one Canadian, one Australian -- are operating the kind of sensible group tours to exotic destinations that most thoughtful and/or educated people crave. And although most Americans are unaware of them, their tours are fully available to Americans and are booked each year by many thousands of our fellow citizens.
They are: GAP Adventures (www.gapadventures.com), of Canada; and Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com), of Australia. Although I've reviewed some of their offerings in previous blogs, I think it's both useful and important to pause at this point and summarize the general features of their programs. Each one offers scores of departures to scores of destinations -- more than we could ever possibly discuss. And therefore it's important, at some point, that you access their websites and familiarize yourself with what they do.
Both are so alike in their approach, they're like twins. Both confine their groups to a maximum of 15 persons and an average of 10. But each offers so many departures each year to each of their destinations that thousands of persons travel with them. Both of them accompany each group with a skilled tour leader who works mainly for the love of travel, and with no thought of earning the kind of income that would cover a mortgage or other debts -- in other words, their tour leaders simply subsist on their salaries and are idealists in the best sense of the word.
Accommodations on each tour are simple, without frills; the effort is to use locally-owned lodgings, including private homes. Transportation from place to place is primarily by public means and never by motorcoach. Some facilities of the tour need to be purchased on the spot, and tour participants are therefore asked to bring a specific amount of money for "local payment" to small businessmen who deal in cash. And finally, the tours of GAP and Intrepid do not include air transportation to the starting and ending points, which remains the responsibility of participants. Each tour is a travel adventure, and each is priced at a level far below what you would normally pay.
I think you'll sense the excitement of GAP Adventures or Intrepid Travels when you scan their websites. What a pity that we apparently don't have any like organizations in the United States! Though TrekAmerica operates somewhat similar camping tours, it doesn't have the worldwide ambition of a GAP or Intrepid.
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They are: GAP Adventures (www.gapadventures.com), of Canada; and Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com), of Australia. Although I've reviewed some of their offerings in previous blogs, I think it's both useful and important to pause at this point and summarize the general features of their programs. Each one offers scores of departures to scores of destinations -- more than we could ever possibly discuss. And therefore it's important, at some point, that you access their websites and familiarize yourself with what they do.
Both are so alike in their approach, they're like twins. Both confine their groups to a maximum of 15 persons and an average of 10. But each offers so many departures each year to each of their destinations that thousands of persons travel with them. Both of them accompany each group with a skilled tour leader who works mainly for the love of travel, and with no thought of earning the kind of income that would cover a mortgage or other debts -- in other words, their tour leaders simply subsist on their salaries and are idealists in the best sense of the word.
Accommodations on each tour are simple, without frills; the effort is to use locally-owned lodgings, including private homes. Transportation from place to place is primarily by public means and never by motorcoach. Some facilities of the tour need to be purchased on the spot, and tour participants are therefore asked to bring a specific amount of money for "local payment" to small businessmen who deal in cash. And finally, the tours of GAP and Intrepid do not include air transportation to the starting and ending points, which remains the responsibility of participants. Each tour is a travel adventure, and each is priced at a level far below what you would normally pay.
I think you'll sense the excitement of GAP Adventures or Intrepid Travels when you scan their websites. What a pity that we apparently don't have any like organizations in the United States! Though TrekAmerica operates somewhat similar camping tours, it doesn't have the worldwide ambition of a GAP or Intrepid.
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Labels: tour companies
Oct 3, 2007
EuroCheapo has just dramatically improved its ability to find ultra-cheap lodgings for your next European trip
It's been around for quite some time. But prior to now, its hotel search engine was limited to surveying the prices offered by various individual low-cost hotels. Now, EuroCheapo (www.eurocheapo.com) has been modified to search other hotel search engines as well (like those of Venere.com, Booking.com, and HostelWorld.com). After doing so, it sends you to the particular source -- either the hotel itself or another comprehensive search engine -- that has the best rates for the dates of your stay.
The results of the change were quite remarkable on several recent test runs. For a two-night stay in Rome starting Nov. 6, EuroCheapo found 266 hotels with vacancies starting at $53 a night for a hostel, $67 a night for a B&B (both near Termini rail station). For the same nights in Paris, a search turned up 216 possibilities, leading with a $53 hostel between the Opera and Montmartre and a $76 room in a hotel in the Latin Quarter.
You're still want to compare EuroCheapo's results with price searches on the established aggregators -- notably Kayak.com, Mobissimo.com, Sidestep.Comiand TravelAxe.com. However, its focus on the value-for-your-money-end of the lodging market, and honest editorial take on each property, make EuroCheapo and its new price search feature a welcome addition to the online hotel hunt.
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The results of the change were quite remarkable on several recent test runs. For a two-night stay in Rome starting Nov. 6, EuroCheapo found 266 hotels with vacancies starting at $53 a night for a hostel, $67 a night for a B&B (both near Termini rail station). For the same nights in Paris, a search turned up 216 possibilities, leading with a $53 hostel between the Opera and Montmartre and a $76 room in a hotel in the Latin Quarter.
You're still want to compare EuroCheapo's results with price searches on the established aggregators -- notably Kayak.com, Mobissimo.com, Sidestep.Comiand TravelAxe.com. However, its focus on the value-for-your-money-end of the lodging market, and honest editorial take on each property, make EuroCheapo and its new price search feature a welcome addition to the online hotel hunt.
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Labels: accommodations, websites
"We must stop meeting like this." Some dates and places where you and I can talk
A number of readers have inquired about the times and places of scheduled personal appearances by me, so that they can show up to debate various travel issues. Here, apart from trips for non-lecturing purposes, is what's in my book for the next six months:
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- Wednesday, October 24, 2007, at noon: I'm the lunchtime speaker at the yearly convention of International Living in the Sheraton Hotel & Convention Center of Panama City, Panama (there will probably be a fee to attend this talk).
- Wednesday, November 7, 2007, at 7p.m.: I will be appearing with my daughter, Pauline, to address an audience attending the JCC Book Expo of Greater Washington, D.C., in Rockville, Maryland.
- Saturday, November 17, 2007, at noon: I'll be addressing the South Florida Travel Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and will be joined by my daughter in that presentation.
- Thursday, November 29, 2007, at 7p.m.: My daughter and I will be addressing the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, Education Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW, Washington, D.C.
- Tuesday, December 4, 2007, at 6p.m.: I will be speaking to a gathering of undergrads at the College of Arts and Science, New York University, in an auditorium yet to be designated.
- Saturday and Sunday, February 9 and 10, 2008, times to be announced: My daughter and I will be appearing for morning and early afternoon speeches at the Los Angeles Times Travel Show in Long Beach, California (and will probably be presenting our Sunday radio show direct from that event).
- Saturday, February 23, 2008, from noon to 1 and from 2 to 3: My daughter and I will be delivering speeches at the Boston Globe Travel Show in Boston.
- Saturday, March 1, 2008, from noon to 1 and 2 to 3: We'll again be appearing to speak about travel, this time at the New York Times Travel Show, Javits Convention Center, New York City.
- Saturday, April 12, 2008, from noon to 1 and from2 to 3: We'll be appearing at the Atlanta Travel Expo in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Labels: arthur
Throughout the fall and winter: two full weeks in Croatia are had for under two grand, including airfare and most meals
Though the best travel deals can come from any source, there's something to be said for tour companies run by ex-pats who specialize in their home region and enjoy close relations with the local suppliers they use. One such company is Travel Time (tel. 800-354-8728 or 718-721-1132; www.traveltimeny.com), founded more than 30 years ago by a Croat now living in Queens, New York.What makes it an even more useful resource is that independent packages to Croatia -- bundling airfare and hotels -- are hard to come by; most companies only sell fully escorted tours. Travel Time, however, offers a whole slew of packaged deals that take in the best of Croatia. If you have two weeks (that's 14 full nights in Croatia) and $1,990 to spare, you can explore the entire Dalmatian Coast, the country's stunning southern Adriatic coastline strung with island chains, lined by secluded pebble beaches, and peppered with gorgeous historic cities.
This area was once part of the Roman Empire, and the entire historic center of Split is actually converted from the ruins of Emperor Domitian's royal palace. The ancient palace's rooms are now houses and shops, its roofless corridors and open spaces now serve as city streets, and the emperor's mausoleum was converted into the cathedral. Split has become a glamorous, club-dotted hangout for various jet-setters. And as for the island of Korcula, it's renowned as the probable birthplace of Marco Polo (Venice conquered much of this coast in its glory years, and among the spoils of war were captured sailors, including young Polo). Dubrovnik, anchoring the coast's southern end, is a postcard medieval town of red rooftops curling into the sea along a spit of land.
That $1,990 per-person price is good from November through March excepting Dec. 21-31 (October trips tack on $500) and includes roundtrip airfare from New York, Newark, or Boston (departures from other cities add anywhere from $50 to $250), three nights each in Split, Hvar, Korcula, and five nights in Dubrovnik. What makes it an even better bargain is that it includes airport transfers, the ferry tickets to connect each destination, all breakfasts, and, amazingly, all dinners as well.
If you don't have two weeks to spare, there are pared-down versions of the same deal available: you can do an 11-night trip visiting just one of the islands (Hvar or Korcula) between time spent in Split and Dubrovnik starting at $1,690 per person, or just spend a week in Dubrovnik from $1,090 per person.
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Oct 2, 2007
$999 can take you to Egypt for a week -- but for only a blink-your-eyes-and-you-miss-it moment
There's a tiny window of opportunity -- a tiny one -- when you can limit your costs to an affordable level for one of the indispensable trips of anyone's lifetime: to Egypt. The ancient civilization of Egypt is so vital to view, so memorable and instructive, that every person should experience it at some point. And yet despite the low costs of Egypt itself (a remarkably cheap country for room and meals), the tour-packaging industry has made hardly any effort at all to bring about the kind of bargain rates created for numerous popular destinations.
That absurdly limited period of time is December 1 to December 11, when Sunny Land Tours (tel. 800/783-7839; www.egypthotdeals.com) charges only $999 per person for round-trip air on Egyptair between New York and Cairo, round-trip airport-to-hotel transfers, and five nights at the quite elegant, 300-room Oasis Hotel near the Pyramids, with buffet breakfast daily and a half-day city tour of Cairo including the Egyptian Museum. The price goes up to $1,149 for departures in January, and to $1,299 in November, February and March.
Except for Sunny Land's air-and-land package limited to five nights in Cairo (and don't bad-mouth that short a stay; five nights in Cairo is itself an exceptional cultural and historical opportunity), all other packages to Egypt combine 3 or 4 nights in Cairo with 3 or 4 nights visiting the extraordinary antiquities of "upper Egypt" (Aswan, Luxor, AbuSimbel), for a price of $1749 or $1870 per person. On its "Budget Cruncher" program, Misr Travel, the more-or-less official, state-owned tour company of Egypt (tel. 800/223-4978 or 212/332-2600; www.misrtravel.org), offers October-through-February departures on Egyptair round-trip to Cairo, three nights at the Movenpick Pyramids Hotel in Cairo, sightseeing tours in Cairo, the Pyramids, and the exotic Khan al Khalili Bazaar, and a three-night Nile cruise (full board) to and from Upper Egypt, for $1749 per person, double occupancy. Another Egypt specialist, Travel Egypt (tel. 877/778-3497; www.travelegypt.com) of Alpharetta, Georgia (of all places), brings you round-trip air (from November through March), three nights in Cairo, round-trip overnight sleeper train to upper Egypt, and a three-night Nile Cruise, for what works out (air plus land) to around $1,870 per person.
Far better than any of these, if you have the time, is the program staying for 10 nights in Egypt, and yet costing only $1730 per person, from Djoser Travel (tel. 877/356-7376 or 484/595-0480; www.djoserusa.com), the distinguished Dutch company doing business in the U.S., consisting of round-trip air between New York and Cairo, 9 nights at four-star hotels in both Cairo and upper Egypt (Aswan and Luxor), one night on a sleeper train to upper Egypt and a return flight from upper Egypt to Cairo, and the lecture services of a licensed Egyptologist at various points. Same arrangements from Miami or Los Angeles: $1950.
Try the Djoser tour if you can; but if you can leave between December 1-11, book the $999 Cairo Super-Saver from Sunny Land Tours. That's a small enough investment for the Pyramids and the Sphinx, the Khan-al-Khalili Bazaar, the relics of Tut, mummies of the Pharaohs, and so much more, in this fascinating capital city.
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That absurdly limited period of time is December 1 to December 11, when Sunny Land Tours (tel. 800/783-7839; www.egypthotdeals.com) charges only $999 per person for round-trip air on Egyptair between New York and Cairo, round-trip airport-to-hotel transfers, and five nights at the quite elegant, 300-room Oasis Hotel near the Pyramids, with buffet breakfast daily and a half-day city tour of Cairo including the Egyptian Museum. The price goes up to $1,149 for departures in January, and to $1,299 in November, February and March.
Except for Sunny Land's air-and-land package limited to five nights in Cairo (and don't bad-mouth that short a stay; five nights in Cairo is itself an exceptional cultural and historical opportunity), all other packages to Egypt combine 3 or 4 nights in Cairo with 3 or 4 nights visiting the extraordinary antiquities of "upper Egypt" (Aswan, Luxor, AbuSimbel), for a price of $1749 or $1870 per person. On its "Budget Cruncher" program, Misr Travel, the more-or-less official, state-owned tour company of Egypt (tel. 800/223-4978 or 212/332-2600; www.misrtravel.org), offers October-through-February departures on Egyptair round-trip to Cairo, three nights at the Movenpick Pyramids Hotel in Cairo, sightseeing tours in Cairo, the Pyramids, and the exotic Khan al Khalili Bazaar, and a three-night Nile cruise (full board) to and from Upper Egypt, for $1749 per person, double occupancy. Another Egypt specialist, Travel Egypt (tel. 877/778-3497; www.travelegypt.com) of Alpharetta, Georgia (of all places), brings you round-trip air (from November through March), three nights in Cairo, round-trip overnight sleeper train to upper Egypt, and a three-night Nile Cruise, for what works out (air plus land) to around $1,870 per person.
Far better than any of these, if you have the time, is the program staying for 10 nights in Egypt, and yet costing only $1730 per person, from Djoser Travel (tel. 877/356-7376 or 484/595-0480; www.djoserusa.com), the distinguished Dutch company doing business in the U.S., consisting of round-trip air between New York and Cairo, 9 nights at four-star hotels in both Cairo and upper Egypt (Aswan and Luxor), one night on a sleeper train to upper Egypt and a return flight from upper Egypt to Cairo, and the lecture services of a licensed Egyptologist at various points. Same arrangements from Miami or Los Angeles: $1950.
Try the Djoser tour if you can; but if you can leave between December 1-11, book the $999 Cairo Super-Saver from Sunny Land Tours. That's a small enough investment for the Pyramids and the Sphinx, the Khan-al-Khalili Bazaar, the relics of Tut, mummies of the Pharaohs, and so much more, in this fascinating capital city.
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Taking the road less traveled reveals America at its most scenic
If, like me, you were bored to tears this summer by the sheer monotony of driving the nation's Interstate highways -- every exit encrusted with a nearly identical cluster of fast-food outlets, chain motels, and gas stations -- you might want to consider taking a different route this fall. When it comes time for the long Thanksgiving weekend or a simple road trip to visit family, try the back roads instead. They can make the process of getting there nearly as much fun as the destination itself and are well worth the extra hour or two of travel time.Finding the most scenic and historic roads-less-traveled has never been easier thanks to the revamped Web site of the National Scenic Byways Program (www.byways.org). Part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Byways Program bills itself as a "collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States." In conjunction with state authorities and organizations, it has since 1992 designated 126 roads in every state (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico) as scenic byways, and funded more than 2,000 projects to help preserve and promote them.
Some of these officially designated byways are famous: the Blue Ridge Parkway along the spine of the Appalachian's Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and North Carolina, Historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles, or the Big Sur Coastal Highway (Route 1) in California. Others deserve to be better known, like the Great River Road following 2069 miles of the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Mississippi, or the gorgeous Natchez Trace extending from Nashville, TN, to Natchez, MS, following a trail that's been in continuous use for more than 8,000 years: first by ancient Indians, later by colonial traders, soldiers, and settlers.
In addition to the text descriptions of the route and its points of interest, each byway contains sections of photos, interactive maps, itineraries lasting anywhere from a few hours up to a day or two, a useful calendar of events, and thematic essays. Though it can -- and probably will -- be improved by additional information in future updates, Byways.org is an invaluable resource: a free, one-stop guidebook to some of the prettiest and most historic roads in America.
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Labels: roadtrip
On your next visit to New York City or Chicago, don't fail to sign up for a free-of-charge "greeters program"
It's obvious that on a visit to any big city, your most valuable asset is a resident cousin or friend who can show you around. If you don't have access to such a treasure, your next best asset is the "greeter program" operated by New York City and Chicago.
New York's Big Apple Greeter program (www.bigapplegreeter.org) was started by New Yorker Lynn Brooks in 1992. It has since grown into an army of 300 volunteers who can serve as that friend-of-a-friend in town and help orient new visitors to the city and their choice of neighborhood -- and it doesn't cost a dime.
It's important to stress that this isn't a tour guide service, and these greeters aren't paid. They are simply New Yorkers willing to volunteer their time -- typically two to four hours to help newcomers settle in. Depending on your needs and interests, this may take the form of lessons in how to untangle the subway system maps and master the cross-town bus transfer, or a stroll around the East Village, Upper West Side, or any other neighborhood you've longed to explore, your greeter pointing out favorite shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants and sharing the kind of local history and knowledge that there's little room for in a guidebook.
You must submit a request for a greeter at least three to four weeks in advance of your visit, and must be staying in New York for at least two nights. You only get one greeter per visit and, especially during the busiest times of year, they may very well run out of volunteers for your dates.
The program has been such a success it has spawned a sister program in
the Windy City: Chicago Greeter (www.chicagogreeter.com), for which advance notice from the visitor can be as little as seven business days. Note that the site contains appreciations from visitors who have used the service, like a California couple who wrote this about their greeter: "Gerry should be given the keys to the city. He has to be the best possible goodwill ambassador. Our tour of the Cultural Center and historical locations was terrific and he used his in-depth knowledge of the city to educate and entertain us for almost 5 hours. The Chicago Greeter program is a wonderful idea." -- Jim and Mabel, Valencia, CA
Shouldn't other U.S. cities create their own greeter programs?
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New York's Big Apple Greeter program (www.bigapplegreeter.org) was started by New Yorker Lynn Brooks in 1992. It has since grown into an army of 300 volunteers who can serve as that friend-of-a-friend in town and help orient new visitors to the city and their choice of neighborhood -- and it doesn't cost a dime.
It's important to stress that this isn't a tour guide service, and these greeters aren't paid. They are simply New Yorkers willing to volunteer their time -- typically two to four hours to help newcomers settle in. Depending on your needs and interests, this may take the form of lessons in how to untangle the subway system maps and master the cross-town bus transfer, or a stroll around the East Village, Upper West Side, or any other neighborhood you've longed to explore, your greeter pointing out favorite shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants and sharing the kind of local history and knowledge that there's little room for in a guidebook.
You must submit a request for a greeter at least three to four weeks in advance of your visit, and must be staying in New York for at least two nights. You only get one greeter per visit and, especially during the busiest times of year, they may very well run out of volunteers for your dates.
The program has been such a success it has spawned a sister program in
the Windy City: Chicago Greeter (www.chicagogreeter.com), for which advance notice from the visitor can be as little as seven business days. Note that the site contains appreciations from visitors who have used the service, like a California couple who wrote this about their greeter: "Gerry should be given the keys to the city. He has to be the best possible goodwill ambassador. Our tour of the Cultural Center and historical locations was terrific and he used his in-depth knowledge of the city to educate and entertain us for almost 5 hours. The Chicago Greeter program is a wonderful idea." -- Jim and Mabel, Valencia, CA
Shouldn't other U.S. cities create their own greeter programs?
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Labels: chicago, new york city
Oct 1, 2007
Hip hostels are opening all over and resembling boutique-style hotels but at backpacker prices
Hostels were once the almost-exclusive domain of penny-pinching backpackers in their late teens willing to put up with rough sheets, noisy cot springs, crowded dorms, inadequate shared bathrooms, and an avalanche of rules in exchange for a cheap bed. But over the past 15 years or so, hostels have been giving themselves a makeover and appealing more to young families, seniors, and budget-minded 30-somethings looking for a bargain.
The standouts are three chains:
One of them, Meininger (www.meininger-hostels.com), currently runs six European hostels, most in Germany (Cologne, Munich, and three in Berlin) plus London, a seventh property opening this month in Vienna. The newest one features so many amenities -- each room comes with a private bathroom, TV, and telephone, and there's a lounge with free high-speed Internet access -- it actually qualifies as a three-star hotel. The rates, though, remain at hostel level, starting at €16 ($22) per person, including breakfast, in a room sleeping six to eight. You can choose to share a room with fewer strangers, but the price will go up: €19 ($26) for a bed in a room sleeping four to five, €23 ($32) in a triple, €28 ($39) in a twin, or €45 ($62) in a single. (Rates are roughly similar at the other continental Meininger hostels; the one in London charges a bit more, on a similar sliding scale from £13 to £45/$26 to $91.)
A rival to Meininger, both in London and Berlin, is Generator (www.generatorhostels.com), which clearly lives by the maxim that bigger is better. The self-billed "party king" of London hostels, Generator London sleeps an astounding 800 people (in rooms bunking from four to fourteen for £10 to £17/$20 to $35), a five minute walk from the British Museum. There are afternoon movies, 24-hour services including Internet and laundry, a travel agency, and a pub that stays open until 2am -- long after most London bars must close by law. The Berlin branch sleeps 900 near Alexanderplatz, with its own beer garden (naturally), a disco, pool tables, laundry, restaurant, and karaoke bar; beds run €10 to €30 ($14 to $41)
And finally, "Down Under," the name to look for is Base Backpackers (www.basebackpackers.com), a chain of funky hostels -- bars, rooftop BBQs, satellite TV lounges with pool tables -- aimed at the adventurous backpacker. It currently has eight locations in New Zealand and three in Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, and on the beach of Magnetic Island). Each one offers something a bit different. The Auckland location has a spa and sauna (NZ$5/$4 per hour each). One of the Base Backpackers hostels in Rotorua has a rock-climbing wall, the other sports thermal mineral pools. Per-person prices range from NZ$25 to NZ$30 ($17 to $21) in New Zealand, AU$26 to AU$32 ($21 to $26) in Australia.
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The standouts are three chains:
One of them, Meininger (www.meininger-hostels.com), currently runs six European hostels, most in Germany (Cologne, Munich, and three in Berlin) plus London, a seventh property opening this month in Vienna. The newest one features so many amenities -- each room comes with a private bathroom, TV, and telephone, and there's a lounge with free high-speed Internet access -- it actually qualifies as a three-star hotel. The rates, though, remain at hostel level, starting at €16 ($22) per person, including breakfast, in a room sleeping six to eight. You can choose to share a room with fewer strangers, but the price will go up: €19 ($26) for a bed in a room sleeping four to five, €23 ($32) in a triple, €28 ($39) in a twin, or €45 ($62) in a single. (Rates are roughly similar at the other continental Meininger hostels; the one in London charges a bit more, on a similar sliding scale from £13 to £45/$26 to $91.)
A rival to Meininger, both in London and Berlin, is Generator (www.generatorhostels.com), which clearly lives by the maxim that bigger is better. The self-billed "party king" of London hostels, Generator London sleeps an astounding 800 people (in rooms bunking from four to fourteen for £10 to £17/$20 to $35), a five minute walk from the British Museum. There are afternoon movies, 24-hour services including Internet and laundry, a travel agency, and a pub that stays open until 2am -- long after most London bars must close by law. The Berlin branch sleeps 900 near Alexanderplatz, with its own beer garden (naturally), a disco, pool tables, laundry, restaurant, and karaoke bar; beds run €10 to €30 ($14 to $41)
And finally, "Down Under," the name to look for is Base Backpackers (www.basebackpackers.com), a chain of funky hostels -- bars, rooftop BBQs, satellite TV lounges with pool tables -- aimed at the adventurous backpacker. It currently has eight locations in New Zealand and three in Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, and on the beach of Magnetic Island). Each one offers something a bit different. The Auckland location has a spa and sauna (NZ$5/$4 per hour each). One of the Base Backpackers hostels in Rotorua has a rock-climbing wall, the other sports thermal mineral pools. Per-person prices range from NZ$25 to NZ$30 ($17 to $21) in New Zealand, AU$26 to AU$32 ($21 to $26) in Australia.
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Labels: accommodations, hostels
Ho-hum. The price for an air-and-land package to London has dropped to $499, as predicted -- and it will go lower still
When I last reported about the benchmark price for a winter trip to London, as charged by the company that sets that benchmark Go-Today (www.go-today.com), it was $579 for round-trip air from a number of east coast U.S. cities and six nights with breakfast daily at a modest London hotel. So slow is the current travel market to Europe that it was obvious the price would come down -- and it has. Go-Today has just announced that a winter trip to the British capital, leaving between January 8, 2008 and February 24, 2008, and consisting of round-trip airfare and a room for six nights with breakfast daily, will be $499 per person. Expect further price reductions, or an extension of the period of validity for that bargain rate, as we move deeper into the autumn.
What's more, and equally important, the $499 price is available not simply from New York, but from an unusually large number of other cities: Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and of course Newark and Boston. Air-fare add on from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle and Tampa: only $40 per person more! (One wonders why they didn't simply set a uniform price from the entire U.S.A. to London.)
Because $499 covers everything but your lunch, dinner, and sightseeing costs, and because many of the best attractions of London are free of charge (the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Modern, many others), a trip to London remains affordable despite the weak value of the U.S. dollar, as long as you purchase your air and accommodations in this manner. We'll keep you up-to-date on further price reductions, as well as on the trans-Atlantic airfare price war that will undoubtedly break out with the start of winter. In the meantime, to book the $499 bonanza, go to the website or phone tel. 800/227-3235.
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What's more, and equally important, the $499 price is available not simply from New York, but from an unusually large number of other cities: Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and of course Newark and Boston. Air-fare add on from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle and Tampa: only $40 per person more! (One wonders why they didn't simply set a uniform price from the entire U.S.A. to London.)
Because $499 covers everything but your lunch, dinner, and sightseeing costs, and because many of the best attractions of London are free of charge (the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Modern, many others), a trip to London remains affordable despite the weak value of the U.S. dollar, as long as you purchase your air and accommodations in this manner. We'll keep you up-to-date on further price reductions, as well as on the trans-Atlantic airfare price war that will undoubtedly break out with the start of winter. In the meantime, to book the $499 bonanza, go to the website or phone tel. 800/227-3235.
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A major cruise broker -- www.cruisedirect.com -- lists "cruises to nowhere" of one night and two nights' duration, costing $119 a night and less
It's a frequent dilemma: you like to cruise; your spouse, partner, friend or companion doesn't, usually because they've never done it. Solution: take them on a one-night or two-night "cruise to nowhere" that simply leaves a port, sails over the horizon, and then lazily circles around until it's time to come back. Because the ship is moving so slowly, it hardly ever leans or pitches, and the entire ride is smooth as silk. Your friend's apprehensions are completely overcome. And the cost of the whole exercise is not much more than you would have spent on dinner and an evening out.
But where do you find these "cruises to nowhere"? Because they cost so little, offering such a small return to the broker selling them, most cruise websites fail to mention a single example. But one does -- and gives prominence to the offer. Go to www.cruisedirect.com, look for "Select a destination," scroll down, and click on "Cruise to Nowhere." For the month of October (as one example), you'll find 1-night cruises from Los Angeles selling for $129, 1-night cruises from New York selling for $119, 2-night cruises from Norfolk, Virginia, selling for $329, 2-night cruises from New York selling for $329, and so on. These are opportunities known to very few travelers -- even though they're cheaper than most dates!
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But where do you find these "cruises to nowhere"? Because they cost so little, offering such a small return to the broker selling them, most cruise websites fail to mention a single example. But one does -- and gives prominence to the offer. Go to www.cruisedirect.com, look for "Select a destination," scroll down, and click on "Cruise to Nowhere." For the month of October (as one example), you'll find 1-night cruises from Los Angeles selling for $129, 1-night cruises from New York selling for $119, 2-night cruises from Norfolk, Virginia, selling for $329, 2-night cruises from New York selling for $329, and so on. These are opportunities known to very few travelers -- even though they're cheaper than most dates!
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Staying on your own in a European home or apartment is what Untours regards as an "un-tour" -- a unique and rewarding experience
A great many Americans dream of renting an apartment in a tiny Greek town or a house in the Tuscan countryside but are intimidated by the details, worried about getting a lemon, or concerned about throwing themselves into an independent vacation where they don't speak the language or understand the local customs.
That's where Untours fits in (tel. 888-868-6871; www.untours.com). Founded in 1975, it supplies you with a private home or apartment in Europe for two weeks (usually in a small town, like an Alpine village), throws in a self-drive car (or train pass) as well -- and most important, provides you with a nearby local contact to show you the ropes. It's a far easier business than working with an international real estate broker to rent such a property, especially since most of the latter will require a lease of more than two weeks.
Untours' local rep will meet you at the airport to drive you to your new temporary home, show you the good local shops so you can start cooking in your kitchen, and give you guidebook-like literature to the region. The rest of your time, you're on your own, though your local "guide" remains on-call to answer questions and overcome emergencies.
Rentals are available in any of two-dozen of Europe's most popular cities and regions -- Provence (two weeks for $1,799, including both the home/apartment and a self-drive car) or Prague ($1,459 for two weeks of the same), Andalusia ($1,669 for two weeks) or Greece ($1,299 for two weeks), Switzerland ($1,399 for two weeks) or Sicily ($1,949 for two weeks). Also on tap are the slightly more expensive Barcelona ($2,269), Salzburg ($1,599), Tuscany (from $1,889), Paris ($2,169), Venice ($2,089), Leiden (from $1,369), and more. Those prices are per person based on double occupancy (though most of the rental units can easily accommodate three to six people), and do not include airfare to Europe, which is for you to arrange (best done by consulting an airfare aggragator like kayak.com, sidestep.com or mobissimo.com).
Untours has also recently started offering "Sampler" trips that allow you to split the stay between two destinations, spending one week in each -- take one week in Umbria, another in Rome ($2,189); or spend a week in a 14th century Bavarian castle followed by one on the Rhine River (from $1,792).
I've been following Untours for quite some time, have frequently met with its founder Hal Taussig, and have the highest regard for the organization and its program. They offer a sensible and popular method of living like a European resident, and thousands of loyal customers have repeated the experience time after time.
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That's where Untours fits in (tel. 888-868-6871; www.untours.com). Founded in 1975, it supplies you with a private home or apartment in Europe for two weeks (usually in a small town, like an Alpine village), throws in a self-drive car (or train pass) as well -- and most important, provides you with a nearby local contact to show you the ropes. It's a far easier business than working with an international real estate broker to rent such a property, especially since most of the latter will require a lease of more than two weeks.
Untours' local rep will meet you at the airport to drive you to your new temporary home, show you the good local shops so you can start cooking in your kitchen, and give you guidebook-like literature to the region. The rest of your time, you're on your own, though your local "guide" remains on-call to answer questions and overcome emergencies.
Rentals are available in any of two-dozen of Europe's most popular cities and regions -- Provence (two weeks for $1,799, including both the home/apartment and a self-drive car) or Prague ($1,459 for two weeks of the same), Andalusia ($1,669 for two weeks) or Greece ($1,299 for two weeks), Switzerland ($1,399 for two weeks) or Sicily ($1,949 for two weeks). Also on tap are the slightly more expensive Barcelona ($2,269), Salzburg ($1,599), Tuscany (from $1,889), Paris ($2,169), Venice ($2,089), Leiden (from $1,369), and more. Those prices are per person based on double occupancy (though most of the rental units can easily accommodate three to six people), and do not include airfare to Europe, which is for you to arrange (best done by consulting an airfare aggragator like kayak.com, sidestep.com or mobissimo.com).
Untours has also recently started offering "Sampler" trips that allow you to split the stay between two destinations, spending one week in each -- take one week in Umbria, another in Rome ($2,189); or spend a week in a 14th century Bavarian castle followed by one on the Rhine River (from $1,792).
I've been following Untours for quite some time, have frequently met with its founder Hal Taussig, and have the highest regard for the organization and its program. They offer a sensible and popular method of living like a European resident, and thousands of loyal customers have repeated the experience time after time.
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Labels: accommodations
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
