Amazing Deal in the Azores

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bargains on Ireland, China and River Cruises

Travelzoo http://www.travelzoo.com  is offering some unusual bargains for fall travel. For example, a six night trip to Ireland including air fare, hotels and a rental car goes for as little as $999 Canadian. The hotels are in small towns, providing an authentic taste of Irish life outside the capital. For an extra $99 you can add breakfast, which is likely to be a feast.

Having your own car makes it easy to explore off the beaten path, but remember that in Ireland you drive on the left, which can take getting used to. The low rate applies on certain dates in November and December.

A visit to China is an even better deal, eight nights for $698 Canadian including air from Toronto or Vancouver, internal travel and sightseeing, and luxury hotel with breakfast and five lunches. Visa fees and mandatory gratuities add an additional $225.

If river cruises are your preference, certain week long cruises in Europe from October through December are deeply discounted, to $999 U.S. per week per person. Taxes will add around another $200 per person, and air fare is not included.  However, all your meals and sightseeing while on the ship are part of the deal.

Book soon to get these great rates.

Blog or Ad?

The other day I came across a Facebook post about a blog that mentioned five tips for enjoying Paris on a budget. Had to read about my favourite topic and one of my favourite cities. Boy, was I disappointed.

The first three suggestions were okay, the usual advice about using public transit and sticking to the daily menu (menu du jour) in restaurants, preferably restaurants in non-touristy parts of town. I would have added that ethnic restaurants often offer better value than French ones.

However, the last two tips could have been written by an ad agency for a certain financial institution that I will not name. This is an increasing problem with travel blogs, the fact that they are sponsored or accept ads and therefore don't even pretend to be unbiased.

I'm not travelling or posting as much as I would like to at the moment, but with this blog you can rest assured that I do not accept ads or sponsorships. You may not agree with my advice, but it is as close to unbiased as I can make it. And if in future that changes, I'll let you know.

GUM at Night

This attractive late 19th century shopping mall right on Red Square in Moscow is decorated with lights at night. There aren't many bargains to be found there, but I did pick up some reproductions of old Soviet propaganda posters at a souvenir and book shop. And there is a good, inexpensive cafeteria on the top floor.

Peterhof

Peterhof, the summer palace of Peter the Great, is one of my favourite places in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg, Russia.

It's not far from downtown, and is a pleasant excursion from the city since it is surrounded by a large park and has lots of these fantastic fountains. If you are spending some time in Peter, as I did one summer, it is a good place to escape the traffic and noise of the city.

The best way to approach the palace is the way Peter the Great did, by water. There is a hydrofoil that serves Peterhof regularly in summer from the Embankment beside the Hermitage.

Decor in the Moscow Metro

Moscow's Metro has some of the most interesting decor of any such system in the world, and you can view it for just the price of a Metro ticket, around a dollar for a single ticket. The picture above is from Novoslobodskaya Station. Other stations with amazing decor include Komsomolskaya, Mayakovskaya, and Ploshchad Revolyutsii. All these are among the oldest and busiest stations in central Moscow, so if you want to photograph them without hordes of people, go early on weekend mornings.

Komsomol refers to the former youth organization of the Communist Party, Mayakovsky was one of the most famous Soviet-era poets, and the last in the above list refers, naturally, to the 1917 revolution. I haven't been able to determine the origin of "Novoslobodskaya" yet.



If you can't make it as far as Moscow, Montreal's Metro also has some interesting stations. I like the Berri-UQAM station downtown, with its mural on the history of the city. It's especially appropriate this year, our city's 375th anniversary and Canada's 150th birthday. Unfortunately tickets cost more here, $3.25 Canadian for a single ride.

Gethsemani Monastery

Gethsemani Monastery, near Peroslavl-Zalessky, Russia.

Assumption Cathedral, St. Sergius Monastery, Sergiev Posad

This beautiful cathedral is, I believe, the church where some of the action takes place in the film version of John Le Carre's "The Russia House." Sergiev Posad is another of the old Russian cities of the Golden Ring near Moscow, and one of the main pilgrimage sights for Orthodox Russians.

From an old Soviet-era guidebook, I just learned that St. Sergius is buried in another church of this monastery, in a silver sarcophagus that was donated by Ivan the Terrible. On another visit, a guide said that "Terrible" is a mistranslation of the word "grozny," which also means troubled or stressed. Interesting that Grozny is the name of the capital of Chechnya, which has certainly been troubled but has now, from what I have read, been mostly rebuilt.

Dog in Peroslavl-Zalessky, Russia

I love taking pictures of animals when I travel. They never object to being photographed, or need to fix their hair first. This one was at a small market in Peroslavl-Zalessky, a pretty town on the shore of Lake Pleshcheyevo north of Moscow.

The town is well worth a visit, with many beautiful monasteries nearby and some museums in town. It dates from 1152 and was the birthplace of Alexander Nevsky, a medieval Russian prince who defeated invading armies from Sweden and Germany. Nevsky was declared a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Peroslavl-Zalessky is one of the towns of the Golden Ring of old Russian cities near Moscow and is close to the better known Sergiev Posad (called Zagorsk in Soviet times,) a beautiful pilgrimage site for Orthodox Russians.

All Russia Exhibition Centre, Moscow

Now for something completely different, a shot of the entrance to the VDNKh, All Russia Exhibition Centre on the north side of Moscow. It's a very large park with a lot to interest those who are nostalgic for the Soviet Union, and there is a statue of Lenin to welcome you. The large entrance building is in the now much sought after Stalinist style. This was taken in September, 2015.

Venus in Florence

Here's the famous painting of the Birth of Venus by Botticelli, which you can enjoy at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It's not free, but admission is a mere 8 euros. I wish more museums in North America (other than those in Washington, D.C.) would copy this practice of keeping admissions affordable.

Savings in Cairo, Istanbul

Check out the Frugal Traveler column in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com) for some suggestions on ways to save on summer travel. It's a question and answer format, and my favourite question was about travelling to destinations that are often in the news for bad reasons--Cairo, Istanbul and Baghdad.

Lucas Peterson, the columnist, said that he found some great deals on hotels in the first two cities through http://www.hotels.com. Very good hotel rooms were going for $30 a night or less. I haven't been to Baghdad and would not go now (too dangerous,) but Cairo and Istanbul both have a lot to offer. And with such low prices, how can you resist? I've stayed at excellent hotels in both cities--the Mena House right next to the Pyramids in Cairo and the Pera Palas in Istanbul--the latter was the home of Kemal Ataturk for a time, and featured in Agatha Christie's book about the Orient Express. I don't think the Pera Palas is still a hotel, but the Mena House is.

Bernini Doors,Baptistry, Florence Duomo

One of the amazing free sights in Florence. Bernini's bronze doors with Biblical scenes on the doors of the Baptistry of Florence's Duomo. The lady in blue in the middle is my friend Gina Thomas.

San Marco Cathedral, Venice

Here's the entrance to St. Mark's Cathedral, the main church and one of the major attractions in Venice, on a cold day in January, 2017. Like most of the city's highlights, it's free. However, the exterior is more visually interesting than the interior.