Dec 7, 2007
Indulge in a winter wonderland of free activities at the greatest national park east of the Mississippi
In a recent post, I exhorted you to get out there and enjoy some of the bounty of our national parks this winter. I've since discovered that the gateway town to at least one park, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee at the Great Smoky Mountains, goes all-out to entice wintertime visitors with a week's worth of amazing free events, workshops, and guided hikes.
Pigeon Forge's annual Wilderness Week (Jan 12-19 in 2008) brings some 100 experts to town (or out of the local woodwork) to conduct free-of-charge lectures on subjects from local Civil War sites to regional biodiversity, workshops on everything from birding by ear to nature photography, and lessons as disparate as fly fishing and mandolin or dulcimer playing. There are also six to ten daily guided hikes offered in the park ranging from 11-mile mountain treks to in-the-field photography-shooting workshops to evening Owl Prowls. And to repeat: the best part is that all of it is free of charge.
For more information and precise schedules, contact tel. 800/WINTERFEST or www.mypigeonforge.com/winterfest-wilderness.asp.
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Pigeon Forge's annual Wilderness Week (Jan 12-19 in 2008) brings some 100 experts to town (or out of the local woodwork) to conduct free-of-charge lectures on subjects from local Civil War sites to regional biodiversity, workshops on everything from birding by ear to nature photography, and lessons as disparate as fly fishing and mandolin or dulcimer playing. There are also six to ten daily guided hikes offered in the park ranging from 11-mile mountain treks to in-the-field photography-shooting workshops to evening Owl Prowls. And to repeat: the best part is that all of it is free of charge.
For more information and precise schedules, contact tel. 800/WINTERFEST or www.mypigeonforge.com/winterfest-wilderness.asp.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: american south, parks
The basic tips for living cheap in European hotels are so important in these days of a weak dollar, so I'll repeat them again
Here are ten tried-and-true formulas (you may have heard of some, but not all):
1. Ask for a room without private bath. At more modest tourist-class hotels, this is the quickest and easiest way to get a room at a bargain. If you don't insist on having a private bathroom attached to your bedroom and are willing to make do with one down the hall (usually shared with one or two other rooms), you can often save 20% to 30%. Almost all "bathless" rooms in Europe have at least a sink in the room, and some even have a shower (just no toilet).
2. Bargain. European hotels always post the highest rate they can legally charge, even though that peak charge is asked only during the highest of high season, or when holidays, major festivals, or trade fairs book the city solid. At any other time of year, you can get the room for much less -- and if things are particularly slow, you can even get a discount on the going rate in low season. After all, they'd rather rent you a room for 10% less than their asking price than let it stay empty that night.
3. Opt out of breakfast. Hotels in Europe routinely add €5 to €10 per person to room rates to cover the cost of a breakfast that usually consists of little more than croissants or rolls, butter and jam, coffee, and juice. You can get the same thing -- and freshly made, not packaged -- from a corner café for half that amount and get the benefit of rubbing elbows with the locals on their way to work. Ask if you can opt out of breakfast for a reduced rate.
4. Check the hotel website. Many hotels will post web specials, last-minute sales, or discount packages on their sites, especially in low season. It's always worth Googling your intended hotel's name and city to find its website; even if there are no discounts listed there, at least you'll get to see photographs of the place and a locator map.
5. Try an online booking service. Even if a hotel doesn't bother posting web specials on its own site, there's a good chance you can get a room for less than the advertised rack rate by going through an online booking service and taking advantage of their bulk discount. Two in particular stand out: www.venere.com and www.booking.com. Both specialize in Europe and, unlike the major booking engines, tend to include a lot of smaller, family-run, two- and three-star hotels.
6. Lodge the whole family in one room. Asking the hotel to place an extra cot or two in your room for the kids will only add 15% per bed to the rate -- far less than booking a second room.
7. Pay cash. Many hotels, especially the cheaper mom-and-pop joints, will shave 3% to 5% off the price if you pay in cash -- essentially, they build the fee the credit cards charge them into the room rates, and are honest enough not to charge it when they won't be paying that fee.
8. Pick a "matrimonial" bed. This tactic is admittedly getting a bit hoary, as it only applies in some small, generally one-star hotels where they still charge a higher fee for a room with two twin beds than one with a single "matrimonial" bed (of a size ranging somewhere between an American double and a queen).
9. Stay in residential neighborhoods. In Europe, inexpensive hotels tend to cluster around major train stations, but these are often bland, dirty, unappealing locales, whereas if you were to stay in a hotel that's in a pleasant residential area, you could save money while also experiencing a living, breathing, genuine side to the city few tourists get to see. Just be sure you're near a subway stop or major bus line and are no more than a 15-minute ride from the sights you came all this was to see.
10. Consider a different lodging option. There are many alternatives to hotels these days, from B&Bs to rental villas, most of which cost less than a traditional hotel while often offering a more interesting cultural experience (such as staying on a working farm or home-swapping). Go to "Search this Blog" at the upper right-hand corner of your screen, and you'll find a number of hotel alternatives that I've mentioned in past blogs.
Write and read comments about this post.
1. Ask for a room without private bath. At more modest tourist-class hotels, this is the quickest and easiest way to get a room at a bargain. If you don't insist on having a private bathroom attached to your bedroom and are willing to make do with one down the hall (usually shared with one or two other rooms), you can often save 20% to 30%. Almost all "bathless" rooms in Europe have at least a sink in the room, and some even have a shower (just no toilet).
2. Bargain. European hotels always post the highest rate they can legally charge, even though that peak charge is asked only during the highest of high season, or when holidays, major festivals, or trade fairs book the city solid. At any other time of year, you can get the room for much less -- and if things are particularly slow, you can even get a discount on the going rate in low season. After all, they'd rather rent you a room for 10% less than their asking price than let it stay empty that night.
3. Opt out of breakfast. Hotels in Europe routinely add €5 to €10 per person to room rates to cover the cost of a breakfast that usually consists of little more than croissants or rolls, butter and jam, coffee, and juice. You can get the same thing -- and freshly made, not packaged -- from a corner café for half that amount and get the benefit of rubbing elbows with the locals on their way to work. Ask if you can opt out of breakfast for a reduced rate.
4. Check the hotel website. Many hotels will post web specials, last-minute sales, or discount packages on their sites, especially in low season. It's always worth Googling your intended hotel's name and city to find its website; even if there are no discounts listed there, at least you'll get to see photographs of the place and a locator map.
5. Try an online booking service. Even if a hotel doesn't bother posting web specials on its own site, there's a good chance you can get a room for less than the advertised rack rate by going through an online booking service and taking advantage of their bulk discount. Two in particular stand out: www.venere.com and www.booking.com. Both specialize in Europe and, unlike the major booking engines, tend to include a lot of smaller, family-run, two- and three-star hotels.
6. Lodge the whole family in one room. Asking the hotel to place an extra cot or two in your room for the kids will only add 15% per bed to the rate -- far less than booking a second room.
7. Pay cash. Many hotels, especially the cheaper mom-and-pop joints, will shave 3% to 5% off the price if you pay in cash -- essentially, they build the fee the credit cards charge them into the room rates, and are honest enough not to charge it when they won't be paying that fee.
8. Pick a "matrimonial" bed. This tactic is admittedly getting a bit hoary, as it only applies in some small, generally one-star hotels where they still charge a higher fee for a room with two twin beds than one with a single "matrimonial" bed (of a size ranging somewhere between an American double and a queen).
9. Stay in residential neighborhoods. In Europe, inexpensive hotels tend to cluster around major train stations, but these are often bland, dirty, unappealing locales, whereas if you were to stay in a hotel that's in a pleasant residential area, you could save money while also experiencing a living, breathing, genuine side to the city few tourists get to see. Just be sure you're near a subway stop or major bus line and are no more than a 15-minute ride from the sights you came all this was to see.
10. Consider a different lodging option. There are many alternatives to hotels these days, from B&Bs to rental villas, most of which cost less than a traditional hotel while often offering a more interesting cultural experience (such as staying on a working farm or home-swapping). Go to "Search this Blog" at the upper right-hand corner of your screen, and you'll find a number of hotel alternatives that I've mentioned in past blogs.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: accommodations, europe
If you make the booking by December 17, you can fly anywhere across the country for $49-to-$99 on Southwest Airlines
I rarely write about the airfare sales of Southwest Airlines because a) they're usually picked up by other blogs, b) are almost continuous in nature, and c) are sometimes of only marginal value compared to the normal Southwest price structure.But Southwest's current offer of a $49-to-$99 price to anywhere is something else. And it's a system-wise sale that, for some reason, Southwest isn't headlining on its main menu page -- and therefore hasn't been caught by the usual suspects. Go instead to www.southwest.com/hotfares/hotfares_air.html for details, and you'll be among the few people in on the secret.
Essentially, Southwest is bringing down the price for a one-way ticket to $49 to $99 anywhere Southwest flies for travel though March 7. The catch? The fare only applies to flights on a Tuesday or Wednesday, so a weekend escape is a bit out of the question.
Other rules: you must book 14 days in advance and by December 17, and there are blackout dates of Dec 21-22 and 26-30, Feb 15, and Feb 24. Taxes and fees may add up to $17.40 to the final cost, and flights in or out of Orange County, CA, Washington, D.C-Dulles, and Hawaii are not included. (Also, if you want to fly into New York City itself and not Islip out on Long Island, you better travel by Jan 7, which is when subsidiary ATA's service to LaGuardia airport ends.)
Fares do not include federal excise tax of $3.40 per takeoff and landing, airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9, and government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $5 one-way.
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Windjammer Barefoot Cruises is communicating again -- and the news isn't good
Ever heard of the "Coconu Telegraph" (found at www.coconutelegraph.com)? It's a little-known Windjammer website that often carries items that don't appear on its main website (www.windjammer.com,). A current press release is awfully discouraging:
Dear Shipmates,Write and read comments about this post.
We are contacting you about an important change to your upcoming cruise. We regrettably must inform you that S/V Legacy will not sail the week of December 8th, 2007. Unfortunately we have been unsuccessful in our attempts to overcome the vast difficulties and roadblocks that have hampered our operation of late; with enough time for this cruises to sail. We are and will continue to endeavor to bring Windjammer back and offer the great vacation we all want and deserve. We truly apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.
If you choose to reschedule, we will gladly re-accommodate you on a future sail date, past April 2008. If you are unable to re-schedule your cruise for a later date and decide to request a refund, please know, that in time, we will issue you a complete refund of your paid cruise fare.
Regrettably, Windjammer Barefoot Cruises will not be able to cover any air or hotel costs incurred and associated with this or another sail date or ship. We are also unable to cover any air costs if you request a cruise refund, unless air was booked with Windjammer directly.
Please contact our Customer Service line at 1 (800) 327-2600, if you chose to reschedule your cruise. Otherwise, we will process your refund in full.
Once again we are truly sorry for any inconvenience this matter has caused you. We hope you will be able to re-schedule your cruise.
Labels: windjammer
Dec 6, 2007
From the responses to my recent post about the high cost of passports, one thing is clear: the expense prevents some families from traveling
The responses to my recent post about the $97 cost of a U.S. passport (see "Two U.S. Senators have recently questioned the high cost of a U.S. passport, seeking answers as to why such a weighty charge is assessed") have created something of a record for me: 28 often-lengthy comments to date, with more still coming in.
And the comments make many intelligent points, both pro and con. One reader likes the heavy general burdens placed on passport applicants because they discourage child molesters from leaving the U.S. with an abducted child. If those burdens really did have that result, we'd all be happy.
But one unavoidable conclusion stands out: a charge of nearly $100 per person works an unacceptable hardship on families with four and more children. The need to pay out several hundreds of dollars for children's passports is simply an unsupportable burden that prevents many families from even contemplating a road trip to Canada, let alone a lengthier trip. There is no reason why the price couldn't be reduced for large families, and doing so would have no impact on security issues.
Members of Congress should be enlisted to persuade the passport authorities to create a family document issued at a reasonable charge. There simply is no basis for creating a class of people who can't travel because of the high expense of passports.
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And the comments make many intelligent points, both pro and con. One reader likes the heavy general burdens placed on passport applicants because they discourage child molesters from leaving the U.S. with an abducted child. If those burdens really did have that result, we'd all be happy.
But one unavoidable conclusion stands out: a charge of nearly $100 per person works an unacceptable hardship on families with four and more children. The need to pay out several hundreds of dollars for children's passports is simply an unsupportable burden that prevents many families from even contemplating a road trip to Canada, let alone a lengthier trip. There is no reason why the price couldn't be reduced for large families, and doing so would have no impact on security issues.
Members of Congress should be enlisted to persuade the passport authorities to create a family document issued at a reasonable charge. There simply is no basis for creating a class of people who can't travel because of the high expense of passports.
Write and read comments about this post.
Our Sunday "Travel Show" is now heard in Los Angeles and San Diego, adding a potential radio audience of thirteen million people
The travel broadcast that my daughter Pauline Frommer and I present over station WOR 710 AM in New York City from 12 to noon on Sundays, is now also carried by more than a hundred other stations in most of the major cities or radio markets of the United States. But we have never had a major (and loud) station in Los Angeles and San Diego -- until now. Starting December 2, and now for every Sunday to come, we are transmitted by a big talk station in Los Angeles (KGIL 1260 AM) and on talk radio in San Diego (540 AM), which together broadcast to a population that exceeds thirteen million persons.
We hope that readers of this blog who live in southern California will also tune in to the above frequencies and, better yet, phone in comments about travel to Pauline and myself (you make those calls, toll-free, to tel. 800/544-7070). The program (called "The Travel Show") is heard in southern California from 9am to 11am on Sundays.
Here's your chance to either argue travel, agree about travel, alert others to various developments or new services in travel, and take whatever other stands you find important. We'll be delighted to hear from you.
Write and read comments about this post.
We hope that readers of this blog who live in southern California will also tune in to the above frequencies and, better yet, phone in comments about travel to Pauline and myself (you make those calls, toll-free, to tel. 800/544-7070). The program (called "The Travel Show") is heard in southern California from 9am to 11am on Sundays.
Here's your chance to either argue travel, agree about travel, alert others to various developments or new services in travel, and take whatever other stands you find important. We'll be delighted to hear from you.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: radio
At last! A comprehensive bicycling website enables you to book reasonably-priced cycling tours of Europe operated by local, low-cost companies
The high cost of bicycle tours is a problem that has caused much anguish. Despite the fact that it is your own two legs that provide the transportation, a bicycle tour -- as offered by U.S. companies -- invariably costs far more than an escorted motorcoach tour of the same areas. For some inexplicable reason, the bicycle tour companies take an elitist tack, making use of the most upscale lodgings and meals on the tours they operate. Even when they don't, they claim that the need to supply two tour leaders (one to cycle ahead of the pack, the other to cycle at the rear) and one "sag wagon" (carrying luggage, as well as exhausted participants who don't want to continue cycling) elevates their costs to stratospheric heights. The result is that most of the leading bicycle tour companies are as elegant as they come, charging $500 and $600 a day for their tours. That's why it's helpful to know about BikeToursDirect (tel. 877/462-2423; www.biketoursdirect.com), which represents overseas (not American) bike tour operators whose low overhead and frequent departures allow them to offer prices as much as 70 per cent below U.S. levels. Their self-guided (without escort) tours start at less than $750 a week (including hotels, breakfasts, route information, luggage transfers, and bikes), and their guided tours (including support vans, dinners and guides) start at less than $1,050 a week.
You'll be impressed by the company website's many features, and especially those that invite you to insert your preferences and instantly receive recommendations of the best tour for you. The company's 2008 program includes new tour itineraries through Poland (five different routes), along the Danube, into the Loire, from Amsterdam to Bruges, and on many other interesting roads.
So here's your chance to beat the system, using modest two-star and three-star hotels, dispensing with the group, the leaders, and the sag wagon -- bicycling through Europe on your own, as you were meant to do.
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Labels: cycling, europe, websites
For a truly authentic experience of Costa Rica, turn to Bells' Home Hospitality
If you honestly want to learn about the non-touristic life of a vibrant Central American nation, you will dispense with all the standard tours and itineraries. For you there will be no zip-lines over trees of a rain forest, no mule rides up the Arenal volcano, no resort all-inclusives on the Guanacaste coast. Instead, you'll stay in the heart of a residential suburb of San Jose, Costa Rica, interacting with the hosts of the private home in which you'll be, and with other Costa Ricans of the vicinity. You'll use public transportation to reach the downtown sights, and on those occasions when you wish to visit other towns, beaches and natural wonders of Costa Rica, you'll again simply board a public bus.
Bells' Home Hospitality (+ 506/225-4752; www.homestay.thebells.org) was founded in 1990 by Marcela and Vernon Bell, two outstanding pioneers in Costa Rican tourism. They give close personal attention to the needs of their clients, and answer a phone number which you'll be given for inquiring about any and all aspects of Costa Rican life.
In turn, the hosts of their "homestays" are carefully chosen to be people willing to share the life of their households with their guests, exactly as if the latter were members of the family. You'll participate in family activities, meet relatives and friends, involve yourself to the extent you choose, and get a native's view of Costaricana. From your phone calls to the Bells, you'll get tips on places to go and things to see, on shopping and transportation, and you'll experience Costa Rica as you never would in any other way.
The rates are breathtaking: for a single room (occupied by one person): $30 a night. For a double or twin room shared by two people: $45 a night. Always with breakfast included for everyone in your party.
For a room with private bath, add $5. To be picked up at the airport on arrival, add $15 for the first person, $5 for each additional person. And you can arrange to have dinner with the family for an extra $7 a meal, paid directly to your hosts.
The Bells' are among those occasional treasures you find in travel, whose services are actually priceless. They have marvelously transformed the nature of the Costa Rica travel experience for thousands of Americans.
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Bells' Home Hospitality (+ 506/225-4752; www.homestay.thebells.org) was founded in 1990 by Marcela and Vernon Bell, two outstanding pioneers in Costa Rican tourism. They give close personal attention to the needs of their clients, and answer a phone number which you'll be given for inquiring about any and all aspects of Costa Rican life.
In turn, the hosts of their "homestays" are carefully chosen to be people willing to share the life of their households with their guests, exactly as if the latter were members of the family. You'll participate in family activities, meet relatives and friends, involve yourself to the extent you choose, and get a native's view of Costaricana. From your phone calls to the Bells, you'll get tips on places to go and things to see, on shopping and transportation, and you'll experience Costa Rica as you never would in any other way.
The rates are breathtaking: for a single room (occupied by one person): $30 a night. For a double or twin room shared by two people: $45 a night. Always with breakfast included for everyone in your party.
For a room with private bath, add $5. To be picked up at the airport on arrival, add $15 for the first person, $5 for each additional person. And you can arrange to have dinner with the family for an extra $7 a meal, paid directly to your hosts.
The Bells' are among those occasional treasures you find in travel, whose services are actually priceless. They have marvelously transformed the nature of the Costa Rica travel experience for thousands of Americans.
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Labels: accommodations, costa rica
Dec 5, 2007
Is anybody dumb enough to pay $3,750 to join a "travel club" that promises discounts on your next vacation?
I'm hearing about "travel clubs" that charge a hefty initiation fee -- as much as $3,750 to join, followed by a continuing $200 per year to keep your membership active. And what do you get for those payments? You get the right to book travel at discounts that are often no better than those widely announced in various media.
Have any of our readers had experience with any such clubs? Have you attended group presentations at which their benefits were discussed? Have you, yourself, joined? And if so, what benefits were you then able to receive?
Because this is such a contentious issue, I want to be certain of the facts before rendering a final opinion, and will be reporting back after I hear from a representative number of readers.
Write and read comments about this post.
Have any of our readers had experience with any such clubs? Have you attended group presentations at which their benefits were discussed? Have you, yourself, joined? And if so, what benefits were you then able to receive?
Because this is such a contentious issue, I want to be certain of the facts before rendering a final opinion, and will be reporting back after I hear from a representative number of readers.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: tips from readers
Round-trip airfares to London for January/February departures have sunk to $337 from New York, $447 from Los Angeles, including fuel surcharge
The deep winter is the optimum time for visiting Britain's capital. And the sharpest rates for doing so (airfare only) are from 1-800-FlyEurope (www.1800flyeurope.com). I've tested all the cut-rate carriers (like Canada's Zoom Airways), all the major airfare search engines, all the "aggregators," and no one presently has fares to match what 1-800-FlyEurope is offering: $337 round-trip from New York, $447 round-trip from Los Angeles, with intermediate prices from other gateways. Even that miracle-working new Danish website, Momondo (www.momondo.com), doesn't come remotely close to what 1800flyeurope is offering.
Am I missing something here? Though there may be some miscellaneous taxes that these prices don't include, they do include fuel surcharge, and those other figures can't add that much. I'd be grateful for our readers' comments, which will immediately appear under this post.
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Am I missing something here? Though there may be some miscellaneous taxes that these prices don't include, they do include fuel surcharge, and those other figures can't add that much. I'd be grateful for our readers' comments, which will immediately appear under this post.
Write and read comments about this post.
In this holiday season, is it acceptable for travel writers to salivate over trips costing several thousands of dollars a day per person?
What is it about travel journalists that they rush to write up all the absurdly-expensive travel facilities offered to a tiny number of near-billionaires? Why do they breathlessly report about pancakes with caviar selling for $700, or hotel suites costing $4,000 a night? Are they, and the publications they represent, the current-day equivalent of the court of Louis XIV? Or are they really rather ridiculous in their uncritical preoccupation with the expenditures of rich playboys?
Usually in this blog I quote from recent issues of the travel section of The New York Times for examples of this envious adoration of riches. But that malady isn't limited to the Times. In this weekend's edition of USA Today (November 30), in Section D dealing with "Destinations and Diversions," the editors head their page one coverage with the description of a pub tour costing $10,500 per person. Sharing page-one honors is another article talking about a worldwide, three-week scavenger hunt costing $9,900 for airfare and accommodations (and no other expenses) alone. Turn to page 2 of the same issue and you find a recommendation for the Oberoi Vanyavilas near Jaipur, India, charging $872 a night for a double room. Turn to page 3 and you find a lengthy description of the San Ysidro Ranch in the San Ynez mountains of California, where room rates start at $795.
Now I have no objection to people enjoying themselves, or even splurging on a mildly expensive accommodation. But there comes a time when over-spending for transitory pleasures becomes nothing short of vulgar in a world where so many people are in need. The holiday expenditures recommended by a New York Times or a USA Today could finance operations for hundreds of children suffering from cleft palates ($250 pays for one such operation in an underdeveloped country; see The Smile Train). The monies charged for an around-the-world trip in luxury style would finance a year's college education for a young person without funds.
In a holiday season where we are supposed to pay heed to human suffering, is it right to salivate over the vulgar excesses of super-rich tourists?
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Usually in this blog I quote from recent issues of the travel section of The New York Times for examples of this envious adoration of riches. But that malady isn't limited to the Times. In this weekend's edition of USA Today (November 30), in Section D dealing with "Destinations and Diversions," the editors head their page one coverage with the description of a pub tour costing $10,500 per person. Sharing page-one honors is another article talking about a worldwide, three-week scavenger hunt costing $9,900 for airfare and accommodations (and no other expenses) alone. Turn to page 2 of the same issue and you find a recommendation for the Oberoi Vanyavilas near Jaipur, India, charging $872 a night for a double room. Turn to page 3 and you find a lengthy description of the San Ysidro Ranch in the San Ynez mountains of California, where room rates start at $795.
Now I have no objection to people enjoying themselves, or even splurging on a mildly expensive accommodation. But there comes a time when over-spending for transitory pleasures becomes nothing short of vulgar in a world where so many people are in need. The holiday expenditures recommended by a New York Times or a USA Today could finance operations for hundreds of children suffering from cleft palates ($250 pays for one such operation in an underdeveloped country; see The Smile Train). The monies charged for an around-the-world trip in luxury style would finance a year's college education for a young person without funds.
In a holiday season where we are supposed to pay heed to human suffering, is it right to salivate over the vulgar excesses of super-rich tourists?
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Labels: fat cats
Weeklong Caribbean and Hawaiian cruises are being discounted by 70% for many dates this coming January
Cruise operators claim the Caribbean has recovered, that bookings are strong for cruises of the tropics. 'Taint so. If you'll go to VacationsToGo.com (www.vacationstogo.com), and click on "90-Day Ticker" listing imminent departures of Caribbean cruises, you'll find numerous 7-day sailings for $499 per person, representing a 70% discount off the brochure price. In fact, if you'll go to the cruises of the Hawaiian islands offered aboard the Pride of Aloha and Pride of Hawaii, you'll find imminent, 11-day and 7-day cruises discounted by 73% off the published rate (which brings their price down to $799 and $849 from a published level of $2,929 and $3,199).
VacationsToGo.com isn't the only discounter to feature such reductions, but I find that its listings are clearly set forth and easily understood. It is also a major company that has, to the best of my knowledge, a reliable record. Note that numerous, pre-Christmas sailings in December are also heavily discounted -- but because the time for booking those is so short, I haven't drawn attention to them.
Care for a week of stuffing yourself on six-meals-a-day? Book a Caribbean cruise.
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VacationsToGo.com isn't the only discounter to feature such reductions, but I find that its listings are clearly set forth and easily understood. It is also a major company that has, to the best of my knowledge, a reliable record. Note that numerous, pre-Christmas sailings in December are also heavily discounted -- but because the time for booking those is so short, I haven't drawn attention to them.
Care for a week of stuffing yourself on six-meals-a-day? Book a Caribbean cruise.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: caribbean, cruises, deals
Dec 4, 2007
How suburban London guest houses can save you big money
The savings generated by a decision to locate yourself a half-hour away from the center of London, can often save you as much as $900 in a single week. As proof of that, you might want to go to the website of the charming Avalon Cottage (www.avalon-cottage.com) in the Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, literally 30 minutes by subway from central London.
For other low-cost digs in the very same charming area, consult www.visitrichmond.co.uk, and click on "stay." You'll find 32 properties whose rates go down to as little as £25 ($50) per person, including breakfast -- and that kind of price can no longer be found in central London.
The advantage of staying in a nearby town less than 30 minutes away is also found, as I pointed out in a recent blog, near the hideously-expensive Venice, with some of the highest hotel and guesthouse prices of Europe. This awesomely beautiful city of canals is chock-a-block with tourists in every month other than November through February, and its rates when it is full are fearsome. In a response to my blog, a reader wrote of the charm of historic Padua, less than 30 minutes from Venice, and pointed out that he often took the 7:30am train to Venice from Padua, arrived at 8am, spent the entire day touring Venice at his leisure, and then returned to Padua in early evening for dinner. The savings from such a course can literally amount to hundreds of dollars less than you'd pay for room and meals in Venice.
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For other low-cost digs in the very same charming area, consult www.visitrichmond.co.uk, and click on "stay." You'll find 32 properties whose rates go down to as little as £25 ($50) per person, including breakfast -- and that kind of price can no longer be found in central London.
The advantage of staying in a nearby town less than 30 minutes away is also found, as I pointed out in a recent blog, near the hideously-expensive Venice, with some of the highest hotel and guesthouse prices of Europe. This awesomely beautiful city of canals is chock-a-block with tourists in every month other than November through February, and its rates when it is full are fearsome. In a response to my blog, a reader wrote of the charm of historic Padua, less than 30 minutes from Venice, and pointed out that he often took the 7:30am train to Venice from Padua, arrived at 8am, spent the entire day touring Venice at his leisure, and then returned to Padua in early evening for dinner. The savings from such a course can literally amount to hundreds of dollars less than you'd pay for room and meals in Venice.
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Labels: accommodations, london
A battle has begun over the ability of cost-conscious travelers to enjoy Maui
The lawsuit has begun. And unless a state court dismisses the complaint on legal grounds unrelated to the merits, a trial will begin two weeks from now to determine whether the Mayor of Maui has the right to prohibit the operation of B&B's and the rental of vacation homes on that island (and on the neighboring islands of Molokai and Lanai falling under the jurisdiction of Maui).
To get the flavor of the controversy, go to the plaintiff's website, www.mvra.com, the Maui Vacation Rental Association, and you will learn how numerous B&Bs on the island have been left in legal limbo, their applications to operate a low-cost B&B left pending for six years. In all that time, apparently, the county authorities have passed on only seven applications, granting them all, but leaving the other seventy -- inexplicably -- in limbo.
All this time, as I gather from the contentious arguments on both sides -- the Mayor of Maui has had no problem granting authority to various Safeway Supermarkets and other national chains to open up in formerly residential areas of Maui. Various developers have no problem building new high-priced and high-rise apartment complexes, or new and large hotels. The operators of small retail businesses have increasingly been put out of business by the national chains. Yet quietly-managed, unobtrusive B&Bs are being snuffed out, leaving Maui a haven only for the wealthy.
I have now obtained the phone numbers of Maui residents who are following the legal proceedings on a day-by-day basis. The issue will be decided in the next few weeks, and I'll report about events as soon as anything noteworthy occurs.
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To get the flavor of the controversy, go to the plaintiff's website, www.mvra.com, the Maui Vacation Rental Association, and you will learn how numerous B&Bs on the island have been left in legal limbo, their applications to operate a low-cost B&B left pending for six years. In all that time, apparently, the county authorities have passed on only seven applications, granting them all, but leaving the other seventy -- inexplicably -- in limbo.
All this time, as I gather from the contentious arguments on both sides -- the Mayor of Maui has had no problem granting authority to various Safeway Supermarkets and other national chains to open up in formerly residential areas of Maui. Various developers have no problem building new high-priced and high-rise apartment complexes, or new and large hotels. The operators of small retail businesses have increasingly been put out of business by the national chains. Yet quietly-managed, unobtrusive B&Bs are being snuffed out, leaving Maui a haven only for the wealthy.
I have now obtained the phone numbers of Maui residents who are following the legal proceedings on a day-by-day basis. The issue will be decided in the next few weeks, and I'll report about events as soon as anything noteworthy occurs.
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Labels: accommodations, hawaii
As the price of a portable GPS drops to $149 at Staples, these travel devices become a near-essential for your next driving vacation
In my recent post recounting my belated discovery of the portable GPS devices that everyone else has used for years (I'm a late-comer to most technological advances), I mentioned that many brands could be purchased for just slightly more than $200, a hefty sum. That was before the Christmas-season discounts kicked in. All over the nation, outlets of Staples are now advertising prices of $149.99 for a Navigon 2100 portable GPS and $169.99 for a wide-screen Omnitech portable GPS (that used to sell for $299). As with everything electronic, those discounted rates will henceforth be the standard price, and never again will you need to pay those more inflated numbers.
For the life of me, I can't figure out why you'd need to buy the costlier versions of these devices, obtaining such inessential features as "traffic alerts" downloaded to your screen. And it's obvious from the pictorial representation of these devices that all of them are accessing the same basic maps and traffic illustrations.
But one thing is clear: a self-drive vacation will no longer be the same, and very soon, every such motoring vacationer will find their way from place to place with the aid of these astonishing "boxes." Keep in mind that you can also used the GPS for walking around an unfamiliar city, in addition to navigating unfamiliar highways and streets.
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For the life of me, I can't figure out why you'd need to buy the costlier versions of these devices, obtaining such inessential features as "traffic alerts" downloaded to your screen. And it's obvious from the pictorial representation of these devices that all of them are accessing the same basic maps and traffic illustrations.
But one thing is clear: a self-drive vacation will no longer be the same, and very soon, every such motoring vacationer will find their way from place to place with the aid of these astonishing "boxes." Keep in mind that you can also used the GPS for walking around an unfamiliar city, in addition to navigating unfamiliar highways and streets.
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If an expedition ship designed to sail in Antarctic waters could hit an iceberg and sink, what in the world are standard cruiseships doing there?
I had always thought that the expedition ships sailing to the Antarctic were specially designed to withstand collisions with ice. Most of them were former Russian icebreakers with so-called "ice-hardened hulls" -- meaning hulls hardened against the ice. Others had double hulls, and other features meant to make them unsinkable. And yet the MS Discover hit an iceberg last month, which punched a "fist-sized hole" in its hull -- and quickly filled with water and sank.
There will be investigations of the tragedy (which, luckily, resulted in no deaths) and we may soon learn the facts. Many of the adventurers who were scheduled to visit the Antarctic aboard the Discover have now applied to board other expedition ships going there this winter.
But I am left with the puzzling question: if a ship specially-designed to hazard the ice conditions of the Antarctic could sink, what in the world are the larger, standard cruiseships doing there? Currently, Antarctica cruises are scheduled for two giant cruiseships of the Holland America line, namely the Prinsendam and the Amsterdam; for the Azamara Journey of Azamara Cruises (owned by Celebrity Cruises), and for the Star Princess of Princess Cruises. Why in the world are such standard cruiseships hazarding the ice-filled waters of Antarctica? Has any public agency certified that their hulls are sufficiently strong to withstand collisions with icebergs of the sort that sank the Titanic (and the MS Explorer)?
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There will be investigations of the tragedy (which, luckily, resulted in no deaths) and we may soon learn the facts. Many of the adventurers who were scheduled to visit the Antarctic aboard the Discover have now applied to board other expedition ships going there this winter.
But I am left with the puzzling question: if a ship specially-designed to hazard the ice conditions of the Antarctic could sink, what in the world are the larger, standard cruiseships doing there? Currently, Antarctica cruises are scheduled for two giant cruiseships of the Holland America line, namely the Prinsendam and the Amsterdam; for the Azamara Journey of Azamara Cruises (owned by Celebrity Cruises), and for the Star Princess of Princess Cruises. Why in the world are such standard cruiseships hazarding the ice-filled waters of Antarctica? Has any public agency certified that their hulls are sufficiently strong to withstand collisions with icebergs of the sort that sank the Titanic (and the MS Explorer)?
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Labels: antarctica, cruise
Dec 3, 2007
Though they have revolutionized travel on the Continent, European no-frills airlines are not always an unmixed blessing
Because of a certain something we normally don't consider (see my next sentence for the answer), American travelers must be incredibly wary before depending on the cut-rate European carriers. Most of them have baggage limitations so extreme that nearly anyone traveling abroad on vacation will find them a minefield of extra fees. Ryanair (www.ryanair.com), for example, sets a combined checked luggage weight limit of just 33 pounds. And even for that, you have to pay £5 to £10 ($10 to $20) per bag! If you go over weight, you'll be hit with another £5.50 per 2.2 pounds. EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), another major player, has similar prices and a limit of just 44 pounds (trust me -- it's a lot less than you think) before the extra fees start racking up at a rate of $12 per 2.2 pounds.
Think about that: most trans-Atlantic airlines -- your British Airways, your Deltas and your KLMs -- have a weight limit of about 50 pounds, and most Americans traveling abroad for a week or two use every ounce of that allowance. Then, too, many modern pieces of luggage, even when empty, can weigh 15 to 20 pounds by themselves. (How much does yours weigh? Maybe it's time to find out.)
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Think about that: most trans-Atlantic airlines -- your British Airways, your Deltas and your KLMs -- have a weight limit of about 50 pounds, and most Americans traveling abroad for a week or two use every ounce of that allowance. Then, too, many modern pieces of luggage, even when empty, can weigh 15 to 20 pounds by themselves. (How much does yours weigh? Maybe it's time to find out.)
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Labels: airlines
After years of withholding its fares from the major airfare search engines, JetBlue has finally agreed to appear. Hooray!
The first benefit of the new arrangement is a practical one. Consumers can now find out what JetBlue (www.jetblue.com) is charging at the same time as they're checking with dozens of other airlines. That makes shopping for airfare much easier, with fewer steps required to compare prices.
Second, it steps up the competition between airlines. Now, with all the big players' fares appearing in the same web window (JetBlue is now the eighth-largest airline in America), head-to-head price competition becomes a very real thing, with the marketplace deciding the victor.
JetBlue's agreement to appear in the major search matrixes does not mean, however, that the airline has completely joined the ranks. It still lacks baggage handling agreements with the major carriers, meaning if you intend to transfer from JetBlue to another airline, you'll still have to pick up your bags after the JetBlue leg and re-check them in for the leg on the other airline (or vice-versa). That's an important scheduling consideration if you're planning on using JetBlue to connect with an expensive, infrequent flight -- say, to Europe via JFK in New York.
Given a choice, I'd still book my JetBlue flights on JetBlue's corporate-owned website, because the airline's own website often grants booking bonuses (such as bonus frequent flier points) and slight discounts that aren't available elsewhere. But for price comparison purposes, the new agreement is good news that makes planning a trip easier.
The agreement leaves Southwest as the only major airline that declines to participate with the major internet search engines. Then again, with Southwest as profitable as it is, there's little incentive to allow its control over its bookings to wander very far from its own website. So on routes where Southwest is a player, you still have to troop over to its website to complete your price-comparison research.
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Second, it steps up the competition between airlines. Now, with all the big players' fares appearing in the same web window (JetBlue is now the eighth-largest airline in America), head-to-head price competition becomes a very real thing, with the marketplace deciding the victor.
JetBlue's agreement to appear in the major search matrixes does not mean, however, that the airline has completely joined the ranks. It still lacks baggage handling agreements with the major carriers, meaning if you intend to transfer from JetBlue to another airline, you'll still have to pick up your bags after the JetBlue leg and re-check them in for the leg on the other airline (or vice-versa). That's an important scheduling consideration if you're planning on using JetBlue to connect with an expensive, infrequent flight -- say, to Europe via JFK in New York.
Given a choice, I'd still book my JetBlue flights on JetBlue's corporate-owned website, because the airline's own website often grants booking bonuses (such as bonus frequent flier points) and slight discounts that aren't available elsewhere. But for price comparison purposes, the new agreement is good news that makes planning a trip easier.
The agreement leaves Southwest as the only major airline that declines to participate with the major internet search engines. Then again, with Southwest as profitable as it is, there's little incentive to allow its control over its bookings to wander very far from its own website. So on routes where Southwest is a player, you still have to troop over to its website to complete your price-comparison research.
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St. Thomas has been called "a shopping mall for cruiseships" in a recent survey of Caribbean ports
Kudos to National Geographic Traveler for speaking plainly about the current state of the Caribbean islands. If you read its story "Island Destinations Rated," you'll see the most startling comments imaginable on the relative success of various islands in preserving or failing to preserve their local culture and charm in the face of mass tourism. Opinions were apparently obtained from over 500 experts in sustainable tourism and historical preservation, who apparently were bursting to vent their upset.
And thus, in rating the island of St.Maarten/St. Martin, NG Traveler opines: "The Dutch side is a mess; out of control high-rise and strip development." In talking about the former natural beauty of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the magazine states that "the pressure of up to ten cruise ships in a day (almost 2 million arrivals a year) erases that natural beauty. The native population is unfriendly, with a coldness that borders on outright hostility." And then the report proceeds to characterize St. Thomas as "a shopping mall for cruiseships."
As someone who visited St. Thomas two years ago, I can confirm that description. And readers of this blog will recall my many references to the damage that humongous cruiseships do when they dump several thousands of passengers at a time on a small Caribbean port.
In fairness to the Caribbean, it should be noted that numerous cities in the continental U.S. would receive similar advance comments from a band of experts in environmental protection. Imagine the comments that could be directed to St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, and numerous portions of New York, Boston or Hartford, CT. The difference is that the Caribbean relies heavily on tourism, and cannot afford to suffer such comments.
Among the destinations receiving many favorable comments was the little island of Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles. But for a startling assessment of most of the other islands, go to the website I've named above.
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And thus, in rating the island of St.Maarten/St. Martin, NG Traveler opines: "The Dutch side is a mess; out of control high-rise and strip development." In talking about the former natural beauty of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the magazine states that "the pressure of up to ten cruise ships in a day (almost 2 million arrivals a year) erases that natural beauty. The native population is unfriendly, with a coldness that borders on outright hostility." And then the report proceeds to characterize St. Thomas as "a shopping mall for cruiseships."
As someone who visited St. Thomas two years ago, I can confirm that description. And readers of this blog will recall my many references to the damage that humongous cruiseships do when they dump several thousands of passengers at a time on a small Caribbean port.
In fairness to the Caribbean, it should be noted that numerous cities in the continental U.S. would receive similar advance comments from a band of experts in environmental protection. Imagine the comments that could be directed to St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, and numerous portions of New York, Boston or Hartford, CT. The difference is that the Caribbean relies heavily on tourism, and cannot afford to suffer such comments.
Among the destinations receiving many favorable comments was the little island of Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles. But for a startling assessment of most of the other islands, go to the website I've named above.
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From now until December 20 many of the great ski resorts offer package stays in which the cost of lift tickets is, in effect, totally free
In the "early season" (from now until December 20), many of the great ski resorts offer package stays in which the cost of lift tickets is, in effect,
On a ski vacation, the charge for going up the mountain has become a major expense. Ski lift tickets have skyrocketed, and many top U.S. resorts charge in the neighborhood of $90 for that one item alone.
The way to avoid that expense is to ski in early or late season, purchasing an accommodations package in which the lift ticket is, in effect, thrown in for free. Vermont's Killington, the biggest ski resort in the East Coast, for example, offers early season (from now until December 20) packages starting at $83 per person per day, which include lift tickets and lodging. (tel. 800/621-6867; www.killington.com) for details.
That's just one example; every resort offers such packages, and the best will cost under $100 per person per day. Snowbird, the Utah resort which averages 500 inches of snow annually, has an early season deal, supplying lift tickets and lodging in a studio condo starting at $99 per person based on double occupancy and a three-night minimum stay, valid through December 20 (tel. 800/232-9542; www.snowbird.com).
The Seventh Mountain Resort, the closest accommodations to Oregon's Mount Bachelor ski area, offers one-bedroom condos for two adults starting at $129 per night, and includes two free adult lift tickets through December 21 (tel. 800/452-6810; www.seventhmountain.com). Maine's popular Sugarloaf mountain sells packages beginning at $79 per person based on two adults staying in a ski-in, ski-out hotel room or condo, or starting at just $69 per person based on quad occupancy (tel. 800/843-5623; www.sugarloaf.com).
In costlier Colorado, among Breckenridge's best early season deals is a four-night, lift-ticket-and-lodging package for $323 per person, based on four people sharing a two-bedroom condo (tel. 877/620-0942; www.breckenridge.snow.com). Never again, as the season proceeds, will you find deals quite as cheap. Can you and your friends go in December?
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On a ski vacation, the charge for going up the mountain has become a major expense. Ski lift tickets have skyrocketed, and many top U.S. resorts charge in the neighborhood of $90 for that one item alone.
The way to avoid that expense is to ski in early or late season, purchasing an accommodations package in which the lift ticket is, in effect, thrown in for free. Vermont's Killington, the biggest ski resort in the East Coast, for example, offers early season (from now until December 20) packages starting at $83 per person per day, which include lift tickets and lodging. (tel. 800/621-6867; www.killington.com) for details.
That's just one example; every resort offers such packages, and the best will cost under $100 per person per day. Snowbird, the Utah resort which averages 500 inches of snow annually, has an early season deal, supplying lift tickets and lodging in a studio condo starting at $99 per person based on double occupancy and a three-night minimum stay, valid through December 20 (tel. 800/232-9542; www.snowbird.com).
The Seventh Mountain Resort, the closest accommodations to Oregon's Mount Bachelor ski area, offers one-bedroom condos for two adults starting at $129 per night, and includes two free adult lift tickets through December 21 (tel. 800/452-6810; www.seventhmountain.com). Maine's popular Sugarloaf mountain sells packages beginning at $79 per person based on two adults staying in a ski-in, ski-out hotel room or condo, or starting at just $69 per person based on quad occupancy (tel. 800/843-5623; www.sugarloaf.com).
In costlier Colorado, among Breckenridge's best early season deals is a four-night, lift-ticket-and-lodging package for $323 per person, based on four people sharing a two-bedroom condo (tel. 877/620-0942; www.breckenridge.snow.com). Never again, as the season proceeds, will you find deals quite as cheap. Can you and your friends go in December?
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Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
