Travel in Budget

Plr Travel Articles asked:


Visiting London on a budget may seem impossible but it can be done if you choose traveling options off the beaten path. High tourist season is typically early April through late September. If you can opt to vacation there from early October through late March, you are likely to find less expensive airline tickets to and from London.

Once you’re in the Square Mile, you’ll have unlimited options for having fun, sleeping cheap and eating well without spending a wallet full of Euros. Typically, the second most expensive aspect of traveling abroad is the hotel stay, second only to the airfare to get there. Depending on the time of year you travel and your comfort level, your options are wide open.

Consider a home exchange. There are many home exchange facilitators, you can run a web search to find one you like. Members will pay an annual fee, usually $50 to $100. Most house swaps are offered in 1 week increments with a minimum of 2 weeks and you don’t necessarily swap your house with the same family whose house you will stay in. You might stay in a London flat while the family of Londoners stays in a home in Thailand while the Thai family stays in your home. Other than the annual fee and possibly a small swap fee, typically under $100, this is a free stay. Of course, you have to be comfortable with a group of strangers in your home while you’re away.

Summer holidays in London, while airfare will be at its peak, can still be cost efficient if you don’t mind staying in a university dormitory. Many universities throughout Europe, including in London, rent out their empty rooms for about $100 per night during summer and other school breaks. You won’t find perks like room service or even a private bath, but the price is right if you just need a place to lay your head.

Religious or not, you can rent a basic, clean room at one of the many convents and monasteries in the London area. You aren’t required to participate in any religious activities and nearly all convents and monasteries will rent to ye of little faith, no faith or a different faith.

As for fun and sightseeing, avoid the rental car and driving around town; strap on some comfy shoes or rent a bike instead. No need to search for a tiny parking spot or learning to drive on the opposite side of the street and you can stop to smell the roses whenever you like. Start each day in a different direction and go wherever the wind takes you.

Public transportation is an adventure on its own and can take you all over the city and even into the countryside. Take the London Underground rail system or a double decker bus for a few pounds. London is also working on an above ground rail system to help facilitate transportation.me great eating deals include take out (called “takeaway”) meals. The Value Added Tax (VAT) can be 10% or more on dine in meals. VAT isn’t charged on takeaway. The added bonus is you get to choose the view or find a great place to eat and people watch.

Eat un American. Try picking up a late afternoon lunch at an ethnic or vegetarian restaurant. You’ll not only find some great deals but you’ll enjoy a wonderful new dining experience.

Follow or ask the locals. Employees at petrol stations (gas stations), grocery stores and your hotel front desk will likely know some out of the way dining establishments that offer great food for the budget minded.

Understand that budgeted travelers should be flexible and consider their trip an adventure. You might find a hotel, with reliable quality, to be worth the extra money. Dining at a pub might be great for the locals but you may not have the tolerance for fish and chips. Get out there and have fun.



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Al Terry asked:


Watching a visitor enter New York City for the first time has always been the equivalent of watching a deer in the headlights. The fast pace, noise and traffic just seem to startle my friends when we go into the controlled recklessness flowing through the streets of Manhattan. Growing up right near New York it has always been my playground, and perhaps something I took for granted as I was younger. There is no question in my mind New York is the best city and offers the most and best of whatever your desire be. If great food is your forte, well the best chefs thrive in the alleys, nightlife? The city has the best you will find and you will continue to find new hot clubs, concerts? almost every artist considers New York their favorite venue, sports? Come on the Yankee’s and the Mets The Giants and the Jets? Oh, and lets not forget New York Broadway Theater, the best musicals, plays and shows anywhere!

So with so much to do it is no wonder why friends become lost and a bit overwhelmed by New York’s addicted charm, and if I was not there to guide them they would probably just sit in the car wondering where to go. Most people think a trip to New York is going to hit the wallet pretty hard, but believe it or not a great time can be had on a small budget if you are willing to go a bit off the beaten path.

My first recommendation would be a nice, safe and inexpensive place to stay. The going rate for an average hotel room in Manhattan is around 300.00, not chump change, especially when you are use to paying about 80.00 for a decent room. A couple important factors to take into account here, you want to be safe, you want a well lit area and you want to be near transportation. Lets not forget, you are a stranger in the largest city in the world, a dive in a questionable neighborhood is out of the question for a family vacation. So where in the world are we gonna find something which covers such bases? The New Yorker Hotel is my favorite place to stay, built in the 1930s the rooms have a very unique style and cost is in the 100.00 dollar range. Located near the Javis Center and Madison Square Garden you are in the heart of Manhattan entertainment. The location is close to Times Square and on top of everything you have the major connecting trains for cheap transportation to any location. Close to all the popular Theaters makes The New Yorker a great choice for Broadway junkies.

Now that we have cut the cost of your stay more then in half, what about eating? Dinner in New York must cost and arm and a leg. This is very true, if you want some of the finest cuisine from a five star restaurant you can easily head toward Central Park and eat at the touted “Tavern On The Green,” but if you are just looking for some great food at a reasonable price there is always a special to be found. The trick to eating great and keeping within budget is to travel a bit further from all the neon lights and tourist sections of the city. New Yorkers are very friendly and helpful, so asking a few questions of where to find great specials and happy hours can easily have you discovering hot happy hours with delicious half price appetizers and drinks. Barrow Street Ale House located in the West Village offers dollar fifty import drafts and a forty cent wing special, with a fun environment. The ale house may not be five star cuisine, but come on, buck fifty imports and hot wings in New York City? I cannot think of anything better I would rather do.

The perfect room, full stomach and couple drinks for under ten dollars and the night is becoming alive all of the sudden. The club scene maybe something you want to hop into for a while, the New York Deejays are the best in the world and the dancing is nothing short of spectacular. The New York nightlife provides many events as well, such as, hot sporting events like Yankee baseball, Knicks basketball and Rangers Ice Hockey, boxing at the Garden is always a popular venue. If sports are not your ticket, the music scene can host everything from a major band at Madison Square Garden to a hot local jam band at The Wetlands. Broadway Theater is one of the largest attractions for visitors, and for your first time in the city it would almost be a crime not to go and check out at least one show.

New York events can sometimes be difficult to get a ticket for, especially if it is last minute. These tips will help get you a ticket and try to save some money. The best bet is always to purchase direct from the box office, but if you missed the boat find a New York ticket broker, the tickets may cost twenty to thirty percent more, however, you will be able to choose your seat and be safe from scalping or fake tickets. An inexpensive way to get a great seat is to simply go to the will call of the venue and see if anyone has canceled last minute. Many times tickets are held for performers or stage hands and the individuals they invited were unable to attend, making a great seat available at face value last minute. Avoid scalpers in New York, they are to risky and more times then not you will pay a lot of money and never enter to see the show. Try a New York ticket broker before even thinking about buying from the risky streets of the city. The last tip for finding that hard to get ticket, hop online and find a forum dedicated to the show you want to see. For example if you want to go to a Broadway show such as “Phantom Of The Opera” and it is all sold out, post to a group that is dedicates to the show on Broadway and ask if anyone will be going with an extra ticket. Now you have just got a great seat at face value and made a new friend on your New York vacation.



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Paul Hata asked:


Travel is meant to be enlightening and broadening to the mind, and there are few things that enlighten and broaden the mind as well as stepping off the beaten path and exploring those areas of the world where few tourists have ventured.

Another important benefit of this road less traveled approach is that these un-touristy areas tend to be less expensive, often considerably so, that the same old vacation.

When it comes to finding unique travel destinations, the world is literally at your disposal. There are so many places that see little tourist traffic, and they include some of the most beautiful, and most pristine, places on earth.

Not only can your off the beaten path travels help you save money, but they will allow you to meet some wonderful, fascinating and engaging people as well.

And after all, it is the people you meet while traveling, the friends you make and the things you learn that make travel such a rewarding experience.

Long after the last souvenirs are put away, you will still remember the children you encountered while hiking in the Himalayas, or the farmer you met while backpacking through Cambodia.

Travel should be much more than just a long list of theme parks and tourist destinations; it should be a way to learn about the world and your place in it.

You may be wondering what all this has to do with budget travel, but I assure you there is a connection. That is because these very places, the unspoiled parts of the world with the fascinating people and unique cultures, are often the most affordable.

The U.S. dollar is very strong against almost all of the local currencies you will encounter off the beaten path, and that means your vacation dollars can stretch further than you ever imagined.

For instance, in many parts of Central and South America, you may be able to stay at a lovely inn or a beautiful cottage for an entire week and spend less than you would spend for a single night’s lodging at one of those mega resorts in Cancun.

In addition, you will see sights the vacationers in Cancun never dreamed of, from the cloud forests of Peru to the rain forests of Costa Rica to extinct volcanoes and breathtaking mountain ranges.

In addition to cheap lodging, traveling in non tourist areas also provides the opportunity to save lots of money on food while sampling some unique local dishes and different types of cuisines.

Local restaurants and eateries in these far off places can be sources of great fun, and some fascinating food. Of course it helps to bring along a sense of adventure any time you travel, but that is part of the fun.



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