Nov 21, 2007
Lackluster tour operators create the appearance of a competitive price by omitting a hefty fuel surcharge from advertised prices
Several Internet tour operators offer marvels of pricing in their air-and-land packages to Europe. And when you proceed to actually book their packages, the final sum to pay is only slightly higher than the advertised price. That final sum has been increased by only a small amount for taxes and landing fees.
A number of less able tour companies create the appearance of competitive prices by excluding from their advertised price the far-more-hefty fuel surcharge that all airlines now impose for a trans-Atlantic crossing. When you book the packages of these scamps, you suddenly discover that the actual price is at least two hundred dollars more than you earlier anticipated.
Don't fall for this less-than-punctilious approach to pricing. Look immediately to learn if the fuel surcharge is included in the price which attracted you to the package. It's an important element of the cost of your trip.
Write and read comments about this post.
A number of less able tour companies create the appearance of competitive prices by excluding from their advertised price the far-more-hefty fuel surcharge that all airlines now impose for a trans-Atlantic crossing. When you book the packages of these scamps, you suddenly discover that the actual price is at least two hundred dollars more than you earlier anticipated.
Don't fall for this less-than-punctilious approach to pricing. Look immediately to learn if the fuel surcharge is included in the price which attracted you to the package. It's an important element of the cost of your trip.
Write and read comments about this post.
Thanksgiving break
This blog will go silent from Wednesday afternoon through Monday morning. Have a good holiday weekend.
Labels: holidays
Another way to overcome the low value of the U.S. Dollar against the Euro
Pick any popular area, where tour buses prowl and hotels and restaurants charge a premium. Now shift your gaze slightly north, south, east, or west and you'll find an area that is undoubtedly just as attractive yet far less trammeled and, hence, less expensive. It almost goes without saying that, as with any strategy that takes you off the beaten path, this also offers you a chance to have a more unique and rewarding travel experience away from the madding crowds that infest the most popular areas.
Here are a few illustrations to prove the point. Millions of visitors descend each year upon the beaches and towns of Provence, yet relatively few venture further east along the Mediterranean coast to France's Languedoc region, also full of sunny beaches, roman ruins, mighty castles, fine wines, and pastel-washed medieval towns.
For every hundred tourists who drive the Ring of Kerry and kiss the Blarney Stone in Western Ireland, maybe ten head just north up the coast into County Clare, famed for its traditional music and dramatic landscapes--and perhaps only one or two of those might continue up into County Sligo, where postcard towns surround roofless abbeys and forlorn Celtic tombs top windswept hills.
Most visitors to Andalusia stick to the popular western half of the region along the Costa del Sol of the Mediterranean coast and the inland cities of Seville, Cordoba, and Grenada; few discover the charms of the eastern, Atlantic Ocean half of the region: the pueblos blancos string of whitewashed hilltowns, the ancient border town Jerez de la Frontera whence comes the world's sherry supply, pilgrim routes through stunning national parks, and the ancient city of Cadiz -- at more than 3,100 years old, the longest-settled human city in Europe.
In Germany, consider the castles of the Neckar River rather than those of the Rhine River, the towns of Franconia rather than those of Bavaria. In Switzerland, explore the eastern Appenzell region rather than following the crowds to Interlaken and the Berner Oberland to get your taste of the Alps.
This strategy of setting your sights just off-kilter from the tour bus routes can also work by degrees. Central Italy is a perfect example. Take Tuscany, a justifiably popular region, but a place where most tourism focuses on Northern Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, and Lucca) and the Chianti/Siena region of Central Tuscany. That leaves the Maremma in Southern Tuscany relatively unspoiled, discovered mainly by German bicycling groups.
But perhaps you're an old Italy hand who feels all of Tuscany is overcrowded and overpriced. Move one degree further out and to the east and cross the border from Tuscany into Umbria, a region that features many of the same attractions (medieval hill towns, Renaissance art, Etruscan ruins, picturesque vineyards) but is not nearly as popular and, hence, not nearly as expensive.
To those who say that even Umbria has already been discovered and is on a par with Tuscany, I say: continue out yet another degree, looking east into the regions of The Marches and, a bit to the south, Abbruzo. The hill towns and wineries continue, but the majority of tourists have turned back to seek out Rome or the Cinque Terre. These areas of Central Italy are still almost entirely yours to discover -- and at prices far below those of the Chianti in Tuscany.
Write and read comments about this post.
Here are a few illustrations to prove the point. Millions of visitors descend each year upon the beaches and towns of Provence, yet relatively few venture further east along the Mediterranean coast to France's Languedoc region, also full of sunny beaches, roman ruins, mighty castles, fine wines, and pastel-washed medieval towns.
For every hundred tourists who drive the Ring of Kerry and kiss the Blarney Stone in Western Ireland, maybe ten head just north up the coast into County Clare, famed for its traditional music and dramatic landscapes--and perhaps only one or two of those might continue up into County Sligo, where postcard towns surround roofless abbeys and forlorn Celtic tombs top windswept hills.
Most visitors to Andalusia stick to the popular western half of the region along the Costa del Sol of the Mediterranean coast and the inland cities of Seville, Cordoba, and Grenada; few discover the charms of the eastern, Atlantic Ocean half of the region: the pueblos blancos string of whitewashed hilltowns, the ancient border town Jerez de la Frontera whence comes the world's sherry supply, pilgrim routes through stunning national parks, and the ancient city of Cadiz -- at more than 3,100 years old, the longest-settled human city in Europe.
In Germany, consider the castles of the Neckar River rather than those of the Rhine River, the towns of Franconia rather than those of Bavaria. In Switzerland, explore the eastern Appenzell region rather than following the crowds to Interlaken and the Berner Oberland to get your taste of the Alps.
This strategy of setting your sights just off-kilter from the tour bus routes can also work by degrees. Central Italy is a perfect example. Take Tuscany, a justifiably popular region, but a place where most tourism focuses on Northern Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, and Lucca) and the Chianti/Siena region of Central Tuscany. That leaves the Maremma in Southern Tuscany relatively unspoiled, discovered mainly by German bicycling groups.
But perhaps you're an old Italy hand who feels all of Tuscany is overcrowded and overpriced. Move one degree further out and to the east and cross the border from Tuscany into Umbria, a region that features many of the same attractions (medieval hill towns, Renaissance art, Etruscan ruins, picturesque vineyards) but is not nearly as popular and, hence, not nearly as expensive.
To those who say that even Umbria has already been discovered and is on a par with Tuscany, I say: continue out yet another degree, looking east into the regions of The Marches and, a bit to the south, Abbruzo. The hill towns and wineries continue, but the majority of tourists have turned back to seek out Rome or the Cinque Terre. These areas of Central Italy are still almost entirely yours to discover -- and at prices far below those of the Chianti in Tuscany.
Write and read comments about this post.
You can sleep and eat affordably in Europe by staying in small towns within a hour (or less) of the famous, expensive towns
Here's a strategy that will let you thumb your nose at the mighty Euro; here's a way to overcome the increasingly-weak level of the U.S. dollar: By staying in towns within an easy radius of the major European cities you wish to visit, you can cut your hotels costs -- and even some of your meal costs -- by two thirds.
You simply need to find a neighboring city to the famous one you would like to tour that lies within about an hour's commute by public transportation (and where prices are significantly lower enough to justify the extra time and expense of taking that train ride into the major city for a couple of daytrips).
For example: rather than paying through the nose for a room in crowded and costly Venice, try staying instead in the lovely university town of Padua (Padova in Italian), a half hour away.
Padua boasts a fresco cycle by Giotto arguably greater than that in Assisi, the famed Basilica of St. Anthony (complete with Donatello sculptures) -- and it's just 30 minutes by trip from Venice herself, so you can visit the city of palaces and canals on a daytrip or two but leave behind the high prices of its hotels and dinners each evening. As a bonus, Padua is less than an hour by train from other Veneto highlights, including the Palladian villas of Vicenza and Verona (the city of Romeo and Juliet, which has an ancient Roman amphitheater hosting outdoor opera performances).
Now it helps if the neighboring inexpensive town has attractions in its own right that make it an interesting place to explore--for example, I would never recommend staying in dull and dreary Mestre rather than Venice, even through it lies closer to Venice than does Padua.
That said, here are many other cities where this tactic works well: stay in Haarlem rather than Amsterdam, Prato instead of Florence, Avila instead of Madrid, Chartres instead of Paris, and just about anywhere instead of London (I suggest Oxford).
Will this entail a different trip from one on which you stay in the big city and experience everything it has to offer, from hotels to nightlife? Yes. But it will also be a cheaper trip and, in its way, more rewarding since you will get to know two cities for less than the price of one.
Write and read comments about this post.
You simply need to find a neighboring city to the famous one you would like to tour that lies within about an hour's commute by public transportation (and where prices are significantly lower enough to justify the extra time and expense of taking that train ride into the major city for a couple of daytrips).
For example: rather than paying through the nose for a room in crowded and costly Venice, try staying instead in the lovely university town of Padua (Padova in Italian), a half hour away.
Padua boasts a fresco cycle by Giotto arguably greater than that in Assisi, the famed Basilica of St. Anthony (complete with Donatello sculptures) -- and it's just 30 minutes by trip from Venice herself, so you can visit the city of palaces and canals on a daytrip or two but leave behind the high prices of its hotels and dinners each evening. As a bonus, Padua is less than an hour by train from other Veneto highlights, including the Palladian villas of Vicenza and Verona (the city of Romeo and Juliet, which has an ancient Roman amphitheater hosting outdoor opera performances).
Now it helps if the neighboring inexpensive town has attractions in its own right that make it an interesting place to explore--for example, I would never recommend staying in dull and dreary Mestre rather than Venice, even through it lies closer to Venice than does Padua.
That said, here are many other cities where this tactic works well: stay in Haarlem rather than Amsterdam, Prato instead of Florence, Avila instead of Madrid, Chartres instead of Paris, and just about anywhere instead of London (I suggest Oxford).
Will this entail a different trip from one on which you stay in the big city and experience everything it has to offer, from hotels to nightlife? Yes. But it will also be a cheaper trip and, in its way, more rewarding since you will get to know two cities for less than the price of one.
Write and read comments about this post.
Nov 20, 2007
Enforcement of consumer rights has come to a virtual end at today's Department of Transportation
At the federal Department of Transportation, which enforces a great many regulations designed to protect our rights as aviation consumers, the Enforcement Division is down to a staff of 31, ten fewer than the already-pitiful group of 41 persons who used to perform that task several years ago. Meantime, the number of consumer complaints directed to the D.O.T. has soared this year to nearly 9,000, or just about 300 for each staff member able to investigate them. With only 31 persons on duty, the number of actual cases brought against the airlines and tour operators have fallen this year to 25. And thus, the said airlines no longer have any reason to show a sensitive regard for passengers' rights. They know that nothing will happen to them if they don't.
I have obtained these statistics from a recent article in USA Today. It appears that the Department of Transportation, under the current administration, is as non-functional as F.E.M.A. was at the time of Hurricane Katrina.
Here is another public issue to be addressed by persons having any interest in travel. Today, it is mainly when airlines and other travel companies have some fear of government action if they disregard the rights of consumers, that they will act to do right by the consumer; the consumer has become such a minor cog in the equation,
that commercial considerations will no longer serve to insure those rights.
If you are represented in Congress by persons sensitive to these issues, you should alert them to pay attention to next year's budget for the Department of Transportation. Does that budget include increased funds for expansion of the department's enforcement office? A member of Congress is entitled to ask those questions -- and should ask them. And an administration which occasionally makes a public point of its concern for the aviation public -- as the President recently did -- should take steps to expand the D.O.T.'s bureau of enforcement -- now that the flimsy nature of its consumer protection has been exposed.
Write and read comments about this post.
I have obtained these statistics from a recent article in USA Today. It appears that the Department of Transportation, under the current administration, is as non-functional as F.E.M.A. was at the time of Hurricane Katrina.
Here is another public issue to be addressed by persons having any interest in travel. Today, it is mainly when airlines and other travel companies have some fear of government action if they disregard the rights of consumers, that they will act to do right by the consumer; the consumer has become such a minor cog in the equation,
that commercial considerations will no longer serve to insure those rights.
If you are represented in Congress by persons sensitive to these issues, you should alert them to pay attention to next year's budget for the Department of Transportation. Does that budget include increased funds for expansion of the department's enforcement office? A member of Congress is entitled to ask those questions -- and should ask them. And an administration which occasionally makes a public point of its concern for the aviation public -- as the President recently did -- should take steps to expand the D.O.T.'s bureau of enforcement -- now that the flimsy nature of its consumer protection has been exposed.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: red tape
Because the airfare aggregators achieve such excellent airfare results, I'm testing your patience by referring to them one more time
I've mentioned this odd noun on several occasions -- aggregator -- but the function they perform is so very important that it deserves repetition. Too many travelers continue simply to visit the various airline websites--or the booking engines such as Orbitz, Travelocity, or Expedia -- and accept the prices they find. Instead, I say start your search with an airfare aggregator such as Momondo (www.momondo.com), Mobissimo (www.mobissimo.com), or Kayak (www.kayak.com), which perform highly complex searches on your behalf.
These meta-search engines canvass individual airline sites, booking engines both large and small, specialist travel agents, and airfare consolidators. Each then presents the results to you in lists that are highly customizable, allowing you to, say, choose to see only those flights that don't require a transfer, or leave only from certain airports in your area. You can also usually limit the results to certain airlines, or ask for a search that covers fares leaving or returning within a several-day window (often, if you leave a day earlier or later you can save big). It's like having a virtual assistant go and perform 250 individual web searches on your behalf -- a powerful tool indeed in the hunt for the cheapest airfare.
What's more, they also tend to be far more inclusive than the major booking engines, searching even the low-cost and no-frills airlines (the Southwests and Ryanairs of the world) that most booking sites ignore. Between this and the fact that the aggregators often find the same flight being offered for drastically different prices from different sources, I have found that you can often save up to 40% on your airfare.
These sites won't book the ticket for you; they merely ferret out all the going rates. It is then up to you to click over to the result with which you are happiest and commence the booking process.
Write and read comments about this post.
These meta-search engines canvass individual airline sites, booking engines both large and small, specialist travel agents, and airfare consolidators. Each then presents the results to you in lists that are highly customizable, allowing you to, say, choose to see only those flights that don't require a transfer, or leave only from certain airports in your area. You can also usually limit the results to certain airlines, or ask for a search that covers fares leaving or returning within a several-day window (often, if you leave a day earlier or later you can save big). It's like having a virtual assistant go and perform 250 individual web searches on your behalf -- a powerful tool indeed in the hunt for the cheapest airfare.
What's more, they also tend to be far more inclusive than the major booking engines, searching even the low-cost and no-frills airlines (the Southwests and Ryanairs of the world) that most booking sites ignore. Between this and the fact that the aggregators often find the same flight being offered for drastically different prices from different sources, I have found that you can often save up to 40% on your airfare.
These sites won't book the ticket for you; they merely ferret out all the going rates. It is then up to you to click over to the result with which you are happiest and commence the booking process.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: websites
A Hawaiian reader has responded to our report that the Mayor of Maui has set about to prohibit the operation of B&Bs or vacation homes
Fearing the inability of low-income or middle-income tourists to find affordable lodgings on the islands of Maui, Molokai or Lanai, I recently reported on the efforts by the Mayor of Maui (who also possesses jurisdiction over Molokai and Lanai) to prohibit the operation of B&B's in private homes or the rental of vacation homes. That edict has resulted in consternation and sorrow among the many operators of such low-cost lodgings, who point out that none of these islands has economy hotels sufficient to accommodate cost-conscious tourists.
In Molokai and Lanai, the only actual hotels are expensive four-star or five-star properties, and the elimination of B&B's and vacation homes will essentially restrict those islands to the rich. Yet, as hard to believe as it may be, it appears that the prohibition may become effective at the end of this year.
The operator of a Molokai B&B has written a touching post in response to that blog, which is available in full on our message boards:
In Molokai and Lanai, the only actual hotels are expensive four-star or five-star properties, and the elimination of B&B's and vacation homes will essentially restrict those islands to the rich. Yet, as hard to believe as it may be, it appears that the prohibition may become effective at the end of this year.
The operator of a Molokai B&B has written a touching post in response to that blog, which is available in full on our message boards:
Molokai used to welcome about 120,000 visitors yearly, but when our largest hotel with 100 rooms shut down and Maui county gave control of our tourism marketing to Maui, we magically spiraled down to 50,000 visitors a year.Still another reader, a visitor to Maui, has written directly to me, as follows:
I'm sad that Maui is turning into a land of the rich and the locals are to service them. I can't afford the hotel prices on Maui when I go over for business -- I come home the same day. Maui is making lifestyle choices because Maui's real estate market is directly tied to the tourism marketing.
I read with disappointment today the mayor of Maui's stance on rental homes. For several years my family and friends have come to Maui to vacation. We rent homes, bring our children and their friends, and enjoy the great Island. We spend tons of money on rental equipment, food, entertainment and local arts, etc. We would never stay in the hotels due to the price of a room and the price of food.Write and read comments about this post.
This is a huge mistake and will drastically reduce the travel dollars spent on the Island. I will now take my money to Mexico and so will many of my friends. We will miss you Maui.
Labels: accommodations, hawaii
If you haven't yet equipped your car with a GPS device, you're missing out on the greatest motoring (and travel) advance since automatic transmission
Pardon me for seeming technologically backward, but I just experienced -- for the first time, two days ago -- the use of a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) device while driving. And I am still exhilarated by what it did.
We had landed at night, my daughter and I, at the airport of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and rented a car to reach our downtown hotel. When she slid behind the driver's wheel, Pauline whipped out her Garmin (a three by four inch little navigational box) and affixed it to the windshield. Quickly, the Garmin accessed a high-altitude satellite, figured out where we were, super-imposed our position over a map of the confusing criss-cross of airport-area highways, and directed us by arrow and spoken commands along the correct route to our hotel.
When a right turn or left turn or U-turn was needed, the arrow indicated that turn and a female-mimicking robotic voice advised us that the turn was coming up in such-and-such a distance. When we were within a few hundred feet of the correct turn, the voice again reminded us to make the turn.
In the midst of frightening traffic whizzing along an absolute jumble of both parallel highways and crossing highways, we found our way effortlessly to our hotel. The next morning, when Pauline had to appear on various TV programs broadcast from the Fort Lauderdale area, she used the Garmin to get correctly and almost effortlessly to all three stations within a total of two hours.
Pauline and her husband had bought the device (which is simply one of the many brands of GPS devices) through eBay, and I do not know how much they paid for it. On the internet, the Garmin sells (in its most modest version) for $219. Earlier this year, they took it with them on a trip to Scotland, where they also rented a car and drove to a number of locations. The Garmin worked perfectly even in that foreign country.
I assume that readers of this blog have already used some version of a GPS system for a number of years now, and I must seem a complete innocent in my enthusiasm for the comfort and efficiency it beings to our travel lives. But if you haven't used it, ask a friend who has one to demonstrate the device, and I'm willing to bet you'll rush to acquire a GPS for your own car.
Write and read comments about this post.
We had landed at night, my daughter and I, at the airport of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and rented a car to reach our downtown hotel. When she slid behind the driver's wheel, Pauline whipped out her Garmin (a three by four inch little navigational box) and affixed it to the windshield. Quickly, the Garmin accessed a high-altitude satellite, figured out where we were, super-imposed our position over a map of the confusing criss-cross of airport-area highways, and directed us by arrow and spoken commands along the correct route to our hotel.
When a right turn or left turn or U-turn was needed, the arrow indicated that turn and a female-mimicking robotic voice advised us that the turn was coming up in such-and-such a distance. When we were within a few hundred feet of the correct turn, the voice again reminded us to make the turn.
In the midst of frightening traffic whizzing along an absolute jumble of both parallel highways and crossing highways, we found our way effortlessly to our hotel. The next morning, when Pauline had to appear on various TV programs broadcast from the Fort Lauderdale area, she used the Garmin to get correctly and almost effortlessly to all three stations within a total of two hours.
Pauline and her husband had bought the device (which is simply one of the many brands of GPS devices) through eBay, and I do not know how much they paid for it. On the internet, the Garmin sells (in its most modest version) for $219. Earlier this year, they took it with them on a trip to Scotland, where they also rented a car and drove to a number of locations. The Garmin worked perfectly even in that foreign country.
I assume that readers of this blog have already used some version of a GPS system for a number of years now, and I must seem a complete innocent in my enthusiasm for the comfort and efficiency it beings to our travel lives. But if you haven't used it, ask a friend who has one to demonstrate the device, and I'm willing to bet you'll rush to acquire a GPS for your own car.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: tips
Nov 19, 2007
Go to Eastern Europe this coming year, and you'll be far less affected by the fall in value of the U.S. dollar
As soon as you cross the old boundary of the Iron Curtain, prices (and crowd levels) drop dramatically in every major city other than one (I'll get to that). While three-star hotels in major cities of Western Europe these days start around $120 to $150 (and quickly rise to $200 or more), the same quality of hotel can be had for $60 to $100 in places like Krakow, Ljubljana, Budapest, and Sofia.
In Eastern Europe, and despite the drop of the dollar against the Euro (which isn't used in the East), beer is usually priced at less than $1, rental rooms sleeping two go for $20 to $30, and full meals ring in at $10 to $15. It is a slice of the Old World as it was 20 years ago -- affordable, accessible, and just waiting to be explored.
Plus, compared to the millions who descend upon London, Paris, and Rome each year, a mere fraction make it to the glorious and well-preserved capitals, villages, and countryside of Eastern Europe, leaving it wide open for you to discover. Go castle-hopping in Romania rather than along the Rhine, tour the vineyards of Hungary instead of Tuscany or Provence, and you'll not only save money, you'll discover a whole side to Europe ignored by most tour companies.
You can explore 1,240 miles of Croatian coastline peppered by timeless fishing villages and dotted with 1,185 islands. Its Dalmatian Coast is anchored on one end by the medieval city of Dubrovnik and on the other by Split, its historic center actually carved from the remains of the ancient Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace.
In Krakow, Poland, you can bargain for amber jewelry and hand-carved chess sets in the ancient covered market on the main square. In Ljublijana, you can sit under a willow at a riverside café in the heart of town and enjoy a sandwich of garlicky salami while gazing beyond the baroque building facades to the city's miniature castle perched stop its hill. In Bulgaria you can wander the cobblestone streets of Plovdiv, sip plum brandy at a Black Sea resort, or pay just $15 to stay at the famous Rila Monastery, a grandiose medieval construction packed with painted icons amidst green mountains
I did mention one exception to this rule that Eastern Europe is cheaper, and that exception is Prague, which is still riding a 15-year wave of "must-see" status as a gorgeous and bohemian Eastern European capital. This unrelenting popularity has honestly made Prague pricier than Paris these days (not to mention more crowded). Prague is still a lovely and worthwhile city, but don't expect to find it a bargain by any stretch (also, know that the taverns are no longer filled with penniless intellectuals reading Kafka over an 80¢ beer; they're filled with crowds of tourists, fresh off the bus, paying $10 for their beer and looking around curiously for the penniless intellectuals reading Kafka).
Write and read comments about this post.
In Eastern Europe, and despite the drop of the dollar against the Euro (which isn't used in the East), beer is usually priced at less than $1, rental rooms sleeping two go for $20 to $30, and full meals ring in at $10 to $15. It is a slice of the Old World as it was 20 years ago -- affordable, accessible, and just waiting to be explored.
Plus, compared to the millions who descend upon London, Paris, and Rome each year, a mere fraction make it to the glorious and well-preserved capitals, villages, and countryside of Eastern Europe, leaving it wide open for you to discover. Go castle-hopping in Romania rather than along the Rhine, tour the vineyards of Hungary instead of Tuscany or Provence, and you'll not only save money, you'll discover a whole side to Europe ignored by most tour companies.
You can explore 1,240 miles of Croatian coastline peppered by timeless fishing villages and dotted with 1,185 islands. Its Dalmatian Coast is anchored on one end by the medieval city of Dubrovnik and on the other by Split, its historic center actually carved from the remains of the ancient Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace.
In Krakow, Poland, you can bargain for amber jewelry and hand-carved chess sets in the ancient covered market on the main square. In Ljublijana, you can sit under a willow at a riverside café in the heart of town and enjoy a sandwich of garlicky salami while gazing beyond the baroque building facades to the city's miniature castle perched stop its hill. In Bulgaria you can wander the cobblestone streets of Plovdiv, sip plum brandy at a Black Sea resort, or pay just $15 to stay at the famous Rila Monastery, a grandiose medieval construction packed with painted icons amidst green mountains
I did mention one exception to this rule that Eastern Europe is cheaper, and that exception is Prague, which is still riding a 15-year wave of "must-see" status as a gorgeous and bohemian Eastern European capital. This unrelenting popularity has honestly made Prague pricier than Paris these days (not to mention more crowded). Prague is still a lovely and worthwhile city, but don't expect to find it a bargain by any stretch (also, know that the taverns are no longer filled with penniless intellectuals reading Kafka over an 80¢ beer; they're filled with crowds of tourists, fresh off the bus, paying $10 for their beer and looking around curiously for the penniless intellectuals reading Kafka).
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: bulgaria, croatia, eastern europe, poland, romania
You may want to file away the name of another outstanding low-cost hotel, for your next trip to New Zealand
Yet another promising style-minded budget hotel has made its appearance. This one, being based in New Zealand, is also deeply mindful of sustainable environmental practices. It's called Hotel SO (www.hotelso.co.nz), and it's based in Christchurch, on the South Island.
So many so-called stylish hotels use the high-design card to guarantee themselves plenty of media play in their first months of operation. Too many, such as the Hotel QT and the Dream in Manhattan, then hoist their room rates higher later on. So far, though, Hotel SO is truly affordable: NZ$69 (US$53) for a single and NZ$89 (US$68) for a double. Want housekeeping? You pay another NZ$15 ($11.50) per visit, so if you don't want it, you'll end up saving cash and detergent usage.
The hotel's creators, who wouldn't mind exporting their idea far and wide, have managed to come up with that low price, in part, by cutting down on the waste that other hotels consider part of their luxury standards. A small pod-style bathroom, wireless Internet, and the by-now-ubiquitous flat-screen TV, plus plenty of biodegradable shampoos, recycled paper products, and a well-insulated room that keeps the heat in, are all part of their formula. The hotel's designers have more than given lip service to green values; each room's electric system shuts down when guests are absent, and fixtures have been selected to draw minimal energy. Rooms also come with mood lighting which guests can adjust to alter the color according to their mood -- not much of a calling card, really, but certainly a nice trend.
It makes me wonder: If the big corporate hotel brands also adopted "green" policies and cut down on electric and water usage, would that also mean we could pay less for hotel rooms in the future?
Write and read comments about this post.
So many so-called stylish hotels use the high-design card to guarantee themselves plenty of media play in their first months of operation. Too many, such as the Hotel QT and the Dream in Manhattan, then hoist their room rates higher later on. So far, though, Hotel SO is truly affordable: NZ$69 (US$53) for a single and NZ$89 (US$68) for a double. Want housekeeping? You pay another NZ$15 ($11.50) per visit, so if you don't want it, you'll end up saving cash and detergent usage.
The hotel's creators, who wouldn't mind exporting their idea far and wide, have managed to come up with that low price, in part, by cutting down on the waste that other hotels consider part of their luxury standards. A small pod-style bathroom, wireless Internet, and the by-now-ubiquitous flat-screen TV, plus plenty of biodegradable shampoos, recycled paper products, and a well-insulated room that keeps the heat in, are all part of their formula. The hotel's designers have more than given lip service to green values; each room's electric system shuts down when guests are absent, and fixtures have been selected to draw minimal energy. Rooms also come with mood lighting which guests can adjust to alter the color according to their mood -- not much of a calling card, really, but certainly a nice trend.
It makes me wonder: If the big corporate hotel brands also adopted "green" policies and cut down on electric and water usage, would that also mean we could pay less for hotel rooms in the future?
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: accommodations, new zealand
If you're flying around Thanksgiving, print your boarding pass at home before going to the airport -- to avoid being overbooked and bumped
I can't absolutely guarantee you'll avoid those consequences by using your personal computer and printer to print out your boarding pass (many airlines permit you to do so). The airlines have a strange tendency to bump those passengers who have paid the lowest price for their tickets, regardless of whether they already have a boarding pass and assigned seat. But expert after expert has told me that in a period when airports will be jammed, and overbooking widespread, it's smart to do as I've suggested above (within 24 hours of your flight). And how can it hurt?
Other tips for the airport around Thanksgiving time: key in the 800 number of your airline into your mobile phone so that you can quickly phone reservations and get another seat if your flight is cancelled. Reserve a parking space at the airport through airportparking.com -- those places will also be jammed. Ascertain the average waiting time to clear security at your airport, and then add another half hour in planning your arrival at the airport -- go to waittime.tsa.dhs.gov for that information. And give some thought to flying on Thanksgiving day itself, early in the morning, when the airports and the planes are empty.
Write and read comments about this post.
Other tips for the airport around Thanksgiving time: key in the 800 number of your airline into your mobile phone so that you can quickly phone reservations and get another seat if your flight is cancelled. Reserve a parking space at the airport through airportparking.com -- those places will also be jammed. Ascertain the average waiting time to clear security at your airport, and then add another half hour in planning your arrival at the airport -- go to waittime.tsa.dhs.gov for that information. And give some thought to flying on Thanksgiving day itself, early in the morning, when the airports and the planes are empty.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: airports, holidays, websites
A new comparison site for policies of travel insurance is an unusually helpful service
Vacations cost so much money, and so many things can go wrong, that it's only wise to ensure that should accidents happen, you'll be able to recoup your losses or, at worst, be flown back home with a doctor at your side.
But there's no need to waste hours of time researching policies. One of the easier ways to find the right insurance policy for you is to turn to the Internet, where you now have, for the first time, two different comparison sites. Squaremouth (tel. 800/240-0369; www.squaremouth.com), like the better-known and longer-established InsureMyTrip.com (www.insuremytrip.com), canvasses a multitude of travel insurers based on criteria selected by the user, including the length of the trip and how much was spent booking it.
Interestingly, Squaremouth offers the following refreshing "zero complaint policy:" "If any one of our clients has a complaint against an insurance carrier that cannot be resolved to our satisfaction, we will remove the carrier from our site and no longer sell its products." The generosity of this promise may have something to do with the fact that many of the companies listed on its site are technically partners -- the site is technically an insurance agent for these other companies -- so it's easier to police them than it would be if there were no professional association.
The site also allows users to compare policies side-by-side in a grid format. Whenever I have tried its comparison chart, policies from as many as eight different insurance companies have been offered for my inspection. Although I can't proclaim it the best insurance site out there (InsureMyTrip.com should also be consulted), I can say Squaremouth is another resource worth including in your list of browser bookmarks.
Write and read comments about this post.
But there's no need to waste hours of time researching policies. One of the easier ways to find the right insurance policy for you is to turn to the Internet, where you now have, for the first time, two different comparison sites. Squaremouth (tel. 800/240-0369; www.squaremouth.com), like the better-known and longer-established InsureMyTrip.com (www.insuremytrip.com), canvasses a multitude of travel insurers based on criteria selected by the user, including the length of the trip and how much was spent booking it.
Interestingly, Squaremouth offers the following refreshing "zero complaint policy:" "If any one of our clients has a complaint against an insurance carrier that cannot be resolved to our satisfaction, we will remove the carrier from our site and no longer sell its products." The generosity of this promise may have something to do with the fact that many of the companies listed on its site are technically partners -- the site is technically an insurance agent for these other companies -- so it's easier to police them than it would be if there were no professional association.
The site also allows users to compare policies side-by-side in a grid format. Whenever I have tried its comparison chart, policies from as many as eight different insurance companies have been offered for my inspection. Although I can't proclaim it the best insurance site out there (InsureMyTrip.com should also be consulted), I can say Squaremouth is another resource worth including in your list of browser bookmarks.
Write and read comments about this post.
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
