My old college bff sent me a link to an article entitled ‘How to Travel Around the World for $418.’
I was intrigued.
According to the piece, Steve Kamb was interested in traveling around the world (I will raise my hand to this as well) for as little money as possible (ummm, ditto). The difference between myself and Steve, however, is that he actually took the time to figure out how to do it. For $418. His travel includes 35,000 miles, four continents, nine countries, and 15 cities. He’ll be flying to The Rock Boat on Jan. 6th, according to his current itinerary, and finishing off in Buenos Aires around Nov. 30th.
So how is he doing it for $418? It’s all about the miles, people. Keeping them. Tracking them. Using them properly. To be honest, it seems like a ton of work, but hey, if it got me a trip around the world for that cheap, I’d be down to do a little number crunching and get myself a rockin’ trip like he did.
Check out the link for Steve’s full itinerary and exactly how he managed to work his miles.
Thanks for the link, Shawnie! Bis bald, my friends!
A security official demonstrates a full-body scan at an airport in Hamburg
It’s not a totally new story— there are now 385 full-body scanners at 70 U.S. airports, with another 1,000 scanners planned by the end of the next year. There has been an uproar. People are mad. They feel defiled. They feel like this is American and what happened to our civil liberties? I mean, you’re practically naked on those things!
I know how my dad feels. He sent the family a long email on his sentiments—and they weren’t happy.
Me, I’m not sure where I fall in this argument. I’m all for things that will make me and other people feel safe when traveling. But to be honest, I’ve been on many a plane since 9/11, and I haven’t once felt unsafe.
And that was before full-body scanners.
So what’s the impetus? What’s the point in taking such drastic measures? And now with all this backlash, the Transportation Security Administration said today that they would reconsider the policy on passenger screening, although no immediate changes will be made. So what message does that send, exactly? We think this policy is important enough to use in the first place, but now that some people are complaining about it, we take it back?
What are your thoughts on the full body scan? Will you be getting one this Wednesday, one of the busiest travel days of the year for the U.S.? Click here to read a discussion on the NY Times about it.
Bis bald, friends! I’m headed upstate for Thanksgiving day and then to Jersey the day after for second Thanksgiving. Have fun wherever you’re headed!
There comes a time in your life, my friends, when you realize that you cannot possibly afford to take every single fantastic trip offer that finds its way into your dreams.
This is, unfortunately, one of those times. With all the trips for this year over, I’m looking forward to next year, but at the same time starting to think—at what point should I be putting this travel money towards something else? Something important. Something like a house. Or a new computer. Or any of the other myriad of grown-up ways that I could spend that money.
Anyway, I digress. I can’t afford to take this trip, even if it seems like a great offer, but maybe you could. Thank you Frommer’s newsletter for sharing this interesting deal with me:
Gate 1 Travel is offering a five-night trip to Costa del Sol, including round-trip airfare from NYC, for a starting price of $729 (if you depart on Dec. 28 your price will be $729, other dates include mark-up fees). The fee also includes the choice of two tourist/budget-class hotels, daily breakfast and airline fuel surcharges.
If you’re still looking for New Years Eve plans, it’s definitely worth checking out.
Heading to catch a flight? Expect to spend some time with airport security first.
There was a piece in the WSJ today about how certain European air officials are accusing the U.S. of imposing “useless and overly intrusive travel security measures.” These officials called certain practices “redundant” and “burdensome,” and even, in some cases, a violation of travelers’ privacy.
Now yes, I’ve complained about airport rules before. The lines are long. The fees are insane. The people can be rude. But the one thing that you won’t hear me complaining about is the security. Sure, it’s annoying to have to wait in a long line and take your shoes out and pull your laptop out of its case and occasionally be pulled over for a random search (yes, this has happened to me more than I care to remember), but I feel much better knowing that every single person around me is being held to the same standards of the search before boarding the same plane that I am getting on.
That’s not to say that there might not be some redundancies in the system, and that’s not to say that there isn’t ever any corruption, but at the end of the day I still say— if you’re going to give up something that’s redundant within the system, don’t make it within the security system.
In the article the British Airways chairman, Martin Broughton, is quoted as having said, “America does not do internally a lot of the things they demand that we do,” and calling on British authorities not to “kowtow to the Americans every time they want something done.” But the article doesn’t specify exactly what these “things” are that we don’t do here in the airports security-wise. We take off our shoes, too, Mr. Brougthon. We take our laptops out of our bags, Mr. Broughton. If you could be more specific, I know I’d certainly be interested to know what it is that we aren’t doing here (and if maybe we should be).
In case anyone out there was actually worried about the airlines (I mean, why would a company need to charge for crazy things like toilet usage if it was actually doing ok?), it appears they are actually doing okay. The third quarter results are in and—shockingly—the airlines actually made money off of us (insert gasp here).
Here’s the breakdown:
U.S. Airways: $420 million profit
United: $387 million profit
Continental: $354 million profit
Delta: $363 million profit
AirTran: $36 million profit
Southwest Airlines: $205 million
JetBlue: $59 million
And while I can’t imagine how much money it takes to actually keep an airplane in tip top shape (and believe me, we want them in tip top shape!), I still can’t help but wonder if all the wacky fees we’ve been hearing about as of late are really necessary….
I know, I’ve been absent lately—AND I haven’t blogged about my fantastic Oktoberfest/Salzburg trip yet. But I promise, it’s coming soon! As soon as I can figure out how to whittle down all of the amazing photos I have…hmmm.
In the meantime, though, who amongst us hasn’t dreamed of quitting our jobs for a while and traveling around (I assume if you’re reading this blog, it’s because you’re interested in travel). I came across this article in the NY Times today and had to share. Lots of people do lots of talking about taking time off of work to travel (myself included), but Sherry Ott and her two partners actually did it, and they have created a company, Briefcase to Backpack, to help you figure out how/if you can do it as well. If you’re serious, and you’d really like some help figuring out how to go about taking the trip of your lifetime, hit up one of their classes. And then let me know how it goes 🙂
Bis bald, friends! And my next post WILL be about Oktoberfest!
Consumer Reports had an interesting little tidbit today about the hazards of traveling via cruise line [and no, I’m not just talking about the possibility of boarding a toilet of the sea cruise].
According to the article, “After more than a week of the company providing virtually no updates and no media interviews, on Friday visitors to the Cruise West site were told in blunt terms that all operations were ceasing as of Saturday the 18th and that only the line’s Danube Cruise, scheduled to depart on Wednesday, will operate.”
Poor sad cruise travelers. Luckily for us readers, though, we can learn something from this melodrama. So without further ado, here is the gospel according to Consumer Reports for what you can do to protect yourself if a big-ticket vacation provider such as a cruise line or tour operator suddenly goes bust:
*Book all travel purchases via credit card (good information in general, actually, as it’s ALWAYS easier to dispute a wrong charge or dropped travel plan if you purchased it on a credit card other than with debit or cash)
* Consider travel insurance for every travel purchase, especially for things like cruises. And go for the independent travel insurance companies, as opposed to the “third-party” offers that some cruise lines or tour operators offer. If that cruise line or tour operator goes bust, you coverage could go bust as well.
* Lastly, when booking something like a cruise, Consumer Reports suggests using a reliable, unbiased travel agent (you can find a good one through the American Society of Travel Agents).
Bis bald, friends! Only three more days until I’m Munich-bound!
Now, I’ve only used hotels.com once before [to book our hotel in Rome, which, if you’ll remember, we ended up LOVING], so I’m not an expert, but I think I would tentatively recommend it to friends.
Anyway, Hotels.com has just launched its 2010 Hotel Price Index, a bi-annual report from the site that reveals average hotel prices in major cities around the world based on actual Hotels.com customer bookings. The first report, just released, shows that “global hotel prices are rising; nevertheless, prices are still low.”
Other information included:
Cities that saw average prices drop this year:
Tampa, FL—down 11%
Sacramento, CA—down 4%
Seattle, WA—down 1%
Other cities where prices were still low included Chicago, Orlando, Honolulu and, internationally, Freeport in the Bahamas, Dublin and Madrid.
Could you sit like this on a 6-hr flight to California—or an even longer one?
I cringe at the thought of writing yet another news item about the airline industry, but this one is just too good to pass up.
According to Travel Weekly, the Italian manufacturer Aviointeriors has finally done it—they have created and patented a stand-up seat for airlines that, they say, are getting “strong interest” from carriers around the world.
The seats would force passengers to half-sit, half-lean with their feet on the floor. The distance between the front of the seat and the back of the next row would only be 23 inches.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for innovation—and apparently these seats would be offered to passengers at a discounted price. But still, I don’t think I’d fly in this seat for free.
Okay, you don't need this much money to visit, but still, it's the whole idea I disagree with.
This just in: If you’re planning on visiting the U.S. from any one of a number of places (Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, just to name a few), be prepared to open your wallets, and I’m not talking about the airfare.
According to this Yahoo news item, a new “tourist tax” will force travelers flying to the states from certain countries to pay a $14 “operational and travel promotion” fee if they do not (and they most likely will not) possess a U.S. visa.
What’s up, America? Why would we do this when we clearly state on the Statue of Liberty “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”
It doesn’t say “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses for a sweet discounted fee of only $14…”
What do you think? Is the tax going a little overboard? And where did they come up with $14, exactly?
In other news—I will be Munich-and-Salzburg-bound in only 16 days time. VERY exciting!
Do your Labor Day vacation plans include Costa Rica?
I cannot even begin to describe to you how in love I am with my Frommer’s newsletter. Every week, like clockwork, it arrives in my inbox and I excitedly click to open, eager to see what travel tidbits await me.
Today’s was titled “Hurricane Season Travel Tips + Airfare Deals + Wine Road Trip.” All three of these things had me at hello. When I clicked, though, I was drawn immediately to something different— 10 Last-Minute Labor Day Deals. Although some are still a bit pricey, there is one in particular that I might have considered, had I not just gotten back from a beach vacation last weekend and if I wasn’t heading off to Oktoberfest in Germany next month.
Here’s the deal:
Trip: San Jose, Arenal and Monteverde, Costa Rica Price: $549 per person plus airfare to get to Miami Deal: Trip includes flights from Miami, six nights’ hotel, a seven-day car rental with unlimited mileage, breakfast daily, and airline fuel surcharges. Other gateways are available for a higher price; other departure dates are also available throughout September and October from the same starting rate. And the best part of the trip is that you aren’t tied to any specific group. You’re free to explore and drive about at your own pace, with your car. This really sounds like a great deal.
If I were you, and perhaps had a bit more spare money at the moment, I’d hop on this one. Or at least check out the rest of the great Labor Day deals from the Frommer’s slideshow.
The chatty neighbor next to me on a flight makes me cranky, too—but I won't take it out on the flight attendant
Well by now it’s practically old news. Poor flight attendant Steven Slater (yes, I say poor, and I’m sticking to it!) had just about had enough of the crankiness of certain passengers when he decided to depart the JetBlue flight into Kennedy International Airport on his own terms on Monday. The story goes that after Slater asked a passenger to remain seated until the appropriate time to get his baggage, the passenger ignored him and continued to pull down his luggage, which hit Slater on the head. When Slater asked for an apology, the passenger cursed at him. So, an irate Slater took matters into his own hands. He got on the plane’s public-address system and cursed the passenger out, all but gave his resignation, then activated the inflatable evacuation slide at a service exit and slid out of sight.
He even managed to grab a beer from the beverage cart before taking off to his home in Belle Harbor, Queens, where he was later arrested.
Unfortunately, as the NY Times article points out, this is just the latest in a string of violence and hostility between airlines and passengers. In fact, a new study by the International Air Transport Association that was quoted in the story found an increase in instances of disgruntled passengers and violence on planes, with the chief cause being passengers who refuse to obey safety orders.
So what’s the deal, people? I’m not saying every single flight attendant I’ve ever met has been all smiles and pleasantness (although, now that I really think of it, I can’t quite remember ever meeting a toxic flight attendant), or that sitting on a crowded plane with extra fees and no more peanuts is the best fun I’ve ever had either—but is that really the flight attendant’s fault? And why wouldn’t this man just stay. in. his. seat? If everyone else has to do it, why was he so special?
To add salt to the wound, a neighbor of Slater’s said that when he was not working, Slater was usually in California caring for his sick mother, as he had also done for his father when he was dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Now listen, I know there are two sides to every story, but I gotta say—this one is looking a little lopsided.
My favorite is the last quote in the piece from Slater’s neighbor and a former flight attendant. “Enough is enough—good for him,” she said in the piece. “If he would have called me, I would have picked him up.”
Touche Ms. Bavasso, touche.
Bis bald friends! And please, behave on those flights!
Get a nicer meal than this—it could be on your airlines tab
You learn something new every single day—at least that’s what they tell me.
Today I learned from thisNY Times article that in Europe, airlines are required to pay penalties of up to 600 euroes (approximately $750), when a problem occurs for a passenger and it is the carrier’s fault. That’s nice, right? Right. But what about this? They are even responsible for covering hotel rooms and meals when the problem is not their fault—ala the recent rumblings of a certain volcano that kept many people grounded at the tail ends of their European adventures.
Not too shabby.
The article points out another nice little catch as well. The law apparently applies to any European Union airline flying to or from a member state—including all flights departing from the European Union, regardless of the passengers’ nationality. So if you happen to be flying American, Delta, Continental, United or US Airways from Europe to anywhere else in the world, you too are covered by these laws, my friend.
Take a look at the article for more info on international flight rules and how to pursue a claim.
As a person who has just recently arrived back in the United States after a trip abroad to the fantastic, magical ancient city of Rome, this recent article in the New York Times really struck a nerve with me.
“As Rome Modernizes, Its past Quietly Crumbles,” the article boldly pronounces in its title. Excuse me? What now? I was just there, I thought when I first saw this. I never want Rome’s past to quietly crumble. There are still far too many people out there who have yet to make the trek to this place that is unlike any other, still so many people who have yet to be changed by said trip, like I was.
According to the piece, collapses this past spring at ancient sites have caused archaeologists to warn about other “imminent calamities” that threaten Rome’s architectural birthright.
Unfortunately disasters like that— the natural degradation of architecture that has lasted for hundreds of years—seems unavoidable, if we are to keep these structures untouched by modern ways of preservation.
But there’s also the little problem of certain people who feel that Rome would be best served with upgrades, like modern art museums, and spruces to make the city appear more “presentable” for a potential bid as the site for the 2020 Olympics.
It’s all a bit much to comprehend. In my own humble opinion (you know, as a traveler, and not someone who has any more specific ties to Rome than that), Rome is perfect as is—sans modern museums and spruces. I love the fact that there is hardly a subway system in place in Rome for the simple fact that the Romans want to preserve their underground integrity and the “city” that lay beneath the streets. What a novel idea.
All I can say, really, is that if Rome is to advance towards a more modern age, I’m certainly happy that I had a chance to see it in all its current splendor.
Need to use one of these? I'd hold it if I was on Ryanair.
While we are still on the subject of money, I received my Frommer’s newsletter today, chock full of fabulous info, like it always is—but there was one item in particular that really caught my attention.
On the heels of my post the other day about how Spirit Airlines is charging for carry-on bags that don’t fit under the seats comes this, even more absurd update—Ryanair’s announcement that it is making a move to charge £1 (or approximately $1.50) for the use of the toilet on their planes.
Add this to the growing list of other things we already have to pay for on flights—extra baggage (or any baggage at all, in some cases), headphone usage, overhead carry ons, etc.—what will they think of next? Does an action like this by an airline company—which seems to be so desperate and made with complete disregard for its customers—deter you from flying with them, even if their flights might be a bit cheaper? Do you think this type of change shows that they are in no way concerned about customer satisfaction?
Heading off in one of these? It might be easier (and cheaper!) to just buy all new things when you get there instead of having carry ons.
A friend of mine over at Her Two Cents posted an interesting little morsel of information today about how Spirit Airlines is apparently now charging $45 for carry-on bags that are big enough that they need to be stored in overhead bins (one personal, under-the-seat-fitting carry on item is still allowed for free). Oh but wait, in an effort to appease us, it’s only $30 to carry-on if you book it online.
Given my prior (and only) experience on a cruise ship, when I first started reading thisNY Times piece about the popularity of couples getting married on the high seas, I thought I’d never in a million years be interested in something like that.
But then I kept reading.
Besides the fact that some of these couples then disembark on the cruise ship for their honeymoon WITH their family and friends still on board (not a fan of that idea), everything else seems like it could be quite the deal.
Consider this: According to the article, Norwegian Cruise Line performs more than 400 weddings annually, with prices ranging from $1,850 for an on board wedding to $2,450 for an on shore wedding by a canal in Venice, or other ports of call.
I mean, HELLO! Obviously you would need to buy the ticket to get to the departing port for the cruise line to begin with, but still, even with that expense factored in, it seems like a wedding on board a cruise ship is still WAY cheaper than what the average wedding is going for these days.
In fact, one couple in the article opted for a basic wedding package for 50 friends and family members that included the venue, an officiant from the local port of call, flowers, music, a strawberry and Champagne toast and an hour at the bar—ALL FOR $1,500! Then the couple got to stay onboard for an additional $5,000 for their honeymoon cruise. Too easy.
Now, I’m sure that planning a wedding on a cruise ship comes with its fair share of drama and issues, but what wedding doesn’t? In the end, it seems to me like having a wedding on board the very same cruise ship that is going to take you and your new spouse off to your honeymoon seems pretty romantic (assuming you don’t get seasick, of course).
Now this is the way to eat! When I first read this NY Times article, I immediately thought of the hidden bar in the East Village (Phone Booth? Telephone Booth? What was it again?) that everyone keeps trying to get me to go to. Apparently you go through a hot dog joint to the back of the restaurant and say some code into a telephone booth to gain entrance to this (probably not so anymore!) private bar.
You can’t make this stuff up, kids.
However, what Braden Perkins and his girlfriend Laura Adrian have created in Paris with their Hidden Kitchen seems infinitely more classy.
According to the article, the couple created their secret restaurant with the plan of offering up food once a month to “invite some cool strangers, get some cool people at the table, strike up a conversation and from that meet some new people.” Apparently these “cool” people loved the idea though, and passed the word on—the pair now serves two dinners a week to a small group of hungry travelers for roughly $100 each. And the menu—which they dubbed as “new American, pan-European”—changes every month.
A quick peek at their web site shows that their menu for March 26 included house-made linguine w/ radish leaf pesto, raw milk ricotta, shaved radish and crispy pancetta, as well as black olive encrusted pork roulade w/ roasted garlic and red wine barley risotto swiss chard and pickled beets.
And that’s just the “Amuse.”
Yum!
Sounds like the next time you’re in Paris, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try to book this place ahead of time if you’re interested in great food, good company, and a little intrigue.
Lucky for us, we can avoid the ‘Hey, I’m a tourist and I have no idea where I’m going’ look when searching for the hidden restaurant. NY Times writer Seth Sherwood hints, “Look for the building with the red door and small sign for a gynecologist’s office.” Thanks, Seth.
Alex is turning her quarter-life crisis into the trip of a lifetime
Today my dad sent me this article in an email with the subject line: “Your next blog?”
My first thought was ‘Wow, my dad actually reads this blog?!’
Then I read the article, and my second thought was, ‘This girl is my new hero.’
While tons of mid-20-somethings entertain wild fantasies about quitting their mundane jobs and traveling around the country, continent or globe, very few actually take that next step. Maybe it takes a hard-to-ignore incentive like Alex’s to actually muster the courage to go ahead and do it.
Now, we’ve all had our “classic tale of boy breaks up with girl, girl moves in with parents in an attempt to regroup,” (as Alex calls it in the article) type of situation (or at least some version of it. I know I have.) For Alex, things got extra difficult when her parents’ house, the one she was currently living in, went up in flames, along with all of their possessions. Right before Christmas.
To make a long story short, on top of her already-mounting troubles, Alex couldn’t find a job (she had just earned her master’s in art history), but she was lucky enough to have a friend, Luke, who was as adventurous as she was (and also was unhappy with his job). Together, they decided to throw caution (and steady paychecks and 401(k)s) to the wind and take off on an e-adventure of sorts. The pair departed on March 20 for their exploration of North America, fueled completely by suggestions from the followers they are garnering from their web site, their Twitter and Facebook accounts, and YouTube and Gowalla.
It won’t be all fun and games on the road for Alex and Luke, though. They plan to update their site regularly, and perform a weekly travel program with a puppet show aimed at kids.
What do you guys think? Could you see yourself using social media this way to fuel something you really want to do, like traveling?
I never did enough research back when I was a student to jump on the discounted student travel bandwagon, but I wish I had. There are tons of companies out there, like STA Travel, that offer great prices for students who want or need to travel.
Turns out, I may not have missed my chance. According to thisNY Times piece, student travel agencies are actually looking to nonstudents and older travelers to share in the discount fun.
The down side? According to the piece, discounted trips seem to be an appeasement in an economy where travel costs are rising. In fact, according to the article the average ticket for the most popular spring break travel itinerary with a Saturday departure and Sunday return is $418, which is up $57, or 16%, from last year.
Good thing I have no plans to travel with the student break crowd this year.
Remember back in the day when terror alerts and colors charts were just things that government officials talked about, and not something we had to deal with on an every day basis—especially when traveling?
Yesterday I had to take a train from Penn Station to have lunch with my dad. As the hoards of people stood around impatiently waiting for their trains to be called, a policewoman started blocking off an area surrounding a deserted black bag. Of course in this era of ‘See Something Say Something,’ people are scared any time they see a bag without an owner.
So, I’m in love with the NY TimesFrugal Traveler (or, more accurately, my goal in life is to be the frugal traveler). Anyway, his blog in the Times today about booking a flight the frugal way has some great hints and tips and websites to look into if you’re jet bound soon…..check it out.
How exciting! I have high and mighty plans for this undertaking, let me promise you that much, and I’m so excited that I finally forced myself to start the blog.
When I was just a baby, my parents were living in Nuremberg, Germany, and they became enthralled with those tiny little statues called Hummel’s. There was one in particular—the Weary Wanderer. Growing up I would come to look for the one-shoed gal in every new location we moved to: Germany, North Carolina, Albany, Newburgh…she followed me everywhere. My mom would say to me, “That’s you, my weary wanderer. One of these days she’ll belong to you.”
So here I am today, on the eve of 27, and with LOTS of wandering left to do. Which leads me to here, to this blog. It is here that I hope to share my travel trials, tribulations and teachings. And I have LOTS to learn! I live in Manhattan currently, but I have wider dreams that I hope will take me to far away and exciting places.
I guess all that’s left to say, for now, is bis bald…see you soon!
