If you've always wanted to visit the remote Atlantic islands known as the Azores, there is what sounds like a great deal available now with TravelZoo http://www.travelzoo.com. You can spend a week on the island of Terceira in a four star hotel with breakfast and transfers and flight from Boston for just $499 per person, double occupancy.
This price applies to certain dates from October through December, and if you want to go from January to April the price goes up by only $100. The package must be booked online by July 28.
I have not visited the Azores, but at this price I am tempted. If they are anything like Madeira (and I suspect they are, since both are Portuguese,) they are well worth a visit. Madeira has perhaps the scariest airport I have ever seen, but the airport in Terceira looks a lot tamer since the island is less mountainous.
Attractions on the island seem to be mainly of the outdoor variety--hiking, horse riding, etc., but there is also a town with some old Portuguese colonial architecture of note.
Thursday, 20 July 2017
Wednesday, 5 July 2017
More Fall and Winter Savings
You can save big on travel to Europe this fall and winter if you are willing to book ahead. My favourite tour operator, Gate 1 http://www.gate1travel.com, has some great prices for short trips to various parts of the continent.
For example, an eight-day trip to Vienna, Budapest and Prague starts at less than $1200 U.S. with air fare from New York in late October. This includes first-class hotel breakfasts and two dinners, transportation between the cities by coach and some sight-seeing.
Norway is noted for being one of the most expensive countries in the world, but you can enjoy a five-day scenic coastal cruise during a 10-day trip from New York for as low as $2200 U.S. per person in January. You should be aware that you may not actually be able to see much during the cruise, since days are very short in such northern latitudes.
There are a number of other interesting sounding trips to destinations in Western, Central and Southern Europe at prices that are hard to believe--there are even options for Israel and Morocco. I know from experience that the hotels Gate 1 uses are nice but may be somewhat remote from city centres, but I think it is worth it for the price.
Land-only rates are also available, as are other gateways. To get the low prices, you need to book by July 21.
For example, an eight-day trip to Vienna, Budapest and Prague starts at less than $1200 U.S. with air fare from New York in late October. This includes first-class hotel breakfasts and two dinners, transportation between the cities by coach and some sight-seeing.
Norway is noted for being one of the most expensive countries in the world, but you can enjoy a five-day scenic coastal cruise during a 10-day trip from New York for as low as $2200 U.S. per person in January. You should be aware that you may not actually be able to see much during the cruise, since days are very short in such northern latitudes.
There are a number of other interesting sounding trips to destinations in Western, Central and Southern Europe at prices that are hard to believe--there are even options for Israel and Morocco. I know from experience that the hotels Gate 1 uses are nice but may be somewhat remote from city centres, but I think it is worth it for the price.
Land-only rates are also available, as are other gateways. To get the low prices, you need to book by July 21.
Monday, 19 June 2017
Fall Savings with KLM
KLM http://www.klm.com, the Royal Dutch airline, has some very good fall fares for travel to Europe and beyond. They are especially intriguing because they include a free stopover in Amsterdam, a very interesting city.
For example, you can fly to Bucharest, Romania and back for as little as $865 Canadian, or to Tehran, Iran for just $1059. Prices are from Montreal and include tax, but you must book by June 22. Similar deals are available from other North American gateways for cities in Europe and beyond.
I was tempted by the fares to Tehran until I read about the difficulty of getting visas to go to Iran, especially if you travel on an American, British or Canadian passport. I have flown KLM to the Middle East a few times, and enjoyed the free stopover on the return in Amsterdam. It was nice to come back to familiar food and cooler weather after time spent in Egypt or Turkey.
Amsterdam is also a city where almost all the locals speak English, which makes getting around easy for North Americans. In fact, many people in Europe speak English now, which can make it harder than ever for us English speakers to learn other languages. We have to seek out rural areas and smaller towns in order to be forced to use the local language.
For example, you can fly to Bucharest, Romania and back for as little as $865 Canadian, or to Tehran, Iran for just $1059. Prices are from Montreal and include tax, but you must book by June 22. Similar deals are available from other North American gateways for cities in Europe and beyond.
I was tempted by the fares to Tehran until I read about the difficulty of getting visas to go to Iran, especially if you travel on an American, British or Canadian passport. I have flown KLM to the Middle East a few times, and enjoyed the free stopover on the return in Amsterdam. It was nice to come back to familiar food and cooler weather after time spent in Egypt or Turkey.
Amsterdam is also a city where almost all the locals speak English, which makes getting around easy for North Americans. In fact, many people in Europe speak English now, which can make it harder than ever for us English speakers to learn other languages. We have to seek out rural areas and smaller towns in order to be forced to use the local language.
Monday, 12 June 2017
Moscow Hotel Deals
There are some amazing deals this summer on Moscow hotels, provided you don't mind taking the Metro. I checked the price of one where I stayed about 10 years ago, the Maxima Irbis in northwest Moscow near the Botanical Garden. For dates later in June on http://www.tripadvisor.com, I found that double rooms with buffet breakfast going for as little as $46 per night. In 2007, I paid about $160 for a room and breakfast at the Irbis.
Maxima Hotels http://www.maximahotels.ru is a small chain with several other hotels in the same area offering similar prices. I liked the low-rise character of the Irbis, in a similar neighbourhood of low-rise buildings. I wonder if this is one of the parts of Moscow where many of the older low-rises are set to be demolished and replaced with much taller buildings. That would be a shame, because these neighbourhoods boast lots of small parks, playgrounds and green space for the inhabitants.
If you prefer to be near Izmailovo Market on the east side of the city, the Beta Hotel Izmailovo has double rooms for just $41 a night. I stayed at its neighbour Alfa Hotel Izmailovo in 2011 and found it pleasant and nostalgic, with a space exploration theme and Soviet-era ambiance including enormous public rooms and floor ladies who handled your room keys. Please check my former blog, http://www.yourtravelwriter.blogspot.com, for longer reports on the Irbis and the Alfa.
I check prices for similar dates in Florence, Italy, another city I have visited recently and could find little for less than $200 per night. So for savings this summer, go East.
Maxima Hotels http://www.maximahotels.ru is a small chain with several other hotels in the same area offering similar prices. I liked the low-rise character of the Irbis, in a similar neighbourhood of low-rise buildings. I wonder if this is one of the parts of Moscow where many of the older low-rises are set to be demolished and replaced with much taller buildings. That would be a shame, because these neighbourhoods boast lots of small parks, playgrounds and green space for the inhabitants.
If you prefer to be near Izmailovo Market on the east side of the city, the Beta Hotel Izmailovo has double rooms for just $41 a night. I stayed at its neighbour Alfa Hotel Izmailovo in 2011 and found it pleasant and nostalgic, with a space exploration theme and Soviet-era ambiance including enormous public rooms and floor ladies who handled your room keys. Please check my former blog, http://www.yourtravelwriter.blogspot.com, for longer reports on the Irbis and the Alfa.
I check prices for similar dates in Florence, Italy, another city I have visited recently and could find little for less than $200 per night. So for savings this summer, go East.
Friday, 9 June 2017
Savings with Holland America
Holland America http://www.hollandamerica.com is offering some unusually good deals on cruises this summer and fall. One such is a 15-day North Pacific crossing from Vancouver to Yokohama, Japan with stops in Alaska and two other Japanese ports. The price for an interior cabin starts at just $2461 Canadian per person, which works out to about $1856 U.S. including port taxes, or not much over $100 U.S. per day.
They also have an interesting option for Alaska cruising, a 7-day round trip sailing from Vancouver that starts at $1349 Canadian including tax, or about $1000 U.S. In addition to the low price, the round trip aspect means you don't need to pay extra for air fare from or to Alaska. In addition, they provide some interesting itineraries in Pacific cruises such as Japan, Taiwan, the Phillipines and China.
Of course, port excursions and tips are extra, but some of these prices still seem amazingly good. I sailed with Holland America just once, in the Caribbean, and liked the ship, an earlier version of today's Nieuw Amsterdam.
They also have an interesting option for Alaska cruising, a 7-day round trip sailing from Vancouver that starts at $1349 Canadian including tax, or about $1000 U.S. In addition to the low price, the round trip aspect means you don't need to pay extra for air fare from or to Alaska. In addition, they provide some interesting itineraries in Pacific cruises such as Japan, Taiwan, the Phillipines and China.
Of course, port excursions and tips are extra, but some of these prices still seem amazingly good. I sailed with Holland America just once, in the Caribbean, and liked the ship, an earlier version of today's Nieuw Amsterdam.
Tuesday, 6 June 2017
Why Cheap Hotels are Better
There is a really useful article on the Website http:www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog about why you are better off opting for cheap chain hotels rather than their pricier counterparts. It refers to travel in the U.S., but I suspect the principle applies in many countries.
The basic reason cheap hotels are better is that they don't gouge you with extra fees for things like breakfast and internet, resort fees, and exorbitant parking rates. For example, hotels on the strip in Las Vegas may advertise low rates, but they add on average an extra $30 per night for resort fees. You pay the fees whether or not you use resort facilities. Hampton Inn, the lowest price branch of the Hilton family of hotels, usually offers free internet and breakfast buffet, and free parking except for city centres.
Fees to park at a hotel in the centre of a city may cost as much as $70 a day. You are better off staying in the suburbs and commuting, according to the article, rather than bringing a car into the city.
I would add that if you have the right kind of car, like a van or a Volvo with the driver's seat that lies flat, you can skip the hotel altogether and park in a Walmart or hospital lot, then commute into the city. (I have slept in small cars in Scotland and on the Cote d'Azur during Grand Prix week, and while it's not comfortable it beats sleeping outdoors.) Or, forget travelling in North America and head to Europe where you generally get more for your money (except in places like London, Paris, Switzerland and Norway.)
And speaking of Europe, airfare watchdog.com also is advertising some very attractive fares for fall travel, such as $393 Los Angeles to Brussels return in November on Delta.
The basic reason cheap hotels are better is that they don't gouge you with extra fees for things like breakfast and internet, resort fees, and exorbitant parking rates. For example, hotels on the strip in Las Vegas may advertise low rates, but they add on average an extra $30 per night for resort fees. You pay the fees whether or not you use resort facilities. Hampton Inn, the lowest price branch of the Hilton family of hotels, usually offers free internet and breakfast buffet, and free parking except for city centres.
Fees to park at a hotel in the centre of a city may cost as much as $70 a day. You are better off staying in the suburbs and commuting, according to the article, rather than bringing a car into the city.
I would add that if you have the right kind of car, like a van or a Volvo with the driver's seat that lies flat, you can skip the hotel altogether and park in a Walmart or hospital lot, then commute into the city. (I have slept in small cars in Scotland and on the Cote d'Azur during Grand Prix week, and while it's not comfortable it beats sleeping outdoors.) Or, forget travelling in North America and head to Europe where you generally get more for your money (except in places like London, Paris, Switzerland and Norway.)
And speaking of Europe, airfare watchdog.com also is advertising some very attractive fares for fall travel, such as $393 Los Angeles to Brussels return in November on Delta.
Saturday, 3 June 2017
Living and Working in Ukraine
I recently discovered an interesting blog produced by a young British couple who teach English in Odessa, Ukraine. They give detailed information on the cost of living (low) in Odessa, and on
finding jobs teaching English in the country. The blog is at http://www.whatkateandkrisdid.com
Most things seem to be quite inexpensive now in Ukraine, except for utilities in winter and imported goods. For instance, a pint of local beer goes for around a dollar, and a bus trip between Kiev and Odessa costs just $16. Salaries for teachers also tend to be low, but usually include furnished accommodation, which makes up for a lot.
It sounds like a good time to visit this fascinating country, provided you avoid the eastern part of this large country around Donetsk, where intermittent shelling is still occurring, from other reports I have read.
For more information on Ukraine, please refer back to the fall of 2010 in my original blog, http://www.yourtravelwriter.blogspot.com.
finding jobs teaching English in the country. The blog is at http://www.whatkateandkrisdid.com
Most things seem to be quite inexpensive now in Ukraine, except for utilities in winter and imported goods. For instance, a pint of local beer goes for around a dollar, and a bus trip between Kiev and Odessa costs just $16. Salaries for teachers also tend to be low, but usually include furnished accommodation, which makes up for a lot.
It sounds like a good time to visit this fascinating country, provided you avoid the eastern part of this large country around Donetsk, where intermittent shelling is still occurring, from other reports I have read.
For more information on Ukraine, please refer back to the fall of 2010 in my original blog, http://www.yourtravelwriter.blogspot.com.
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