A Few New Deals in Europe
March 23rd, 2007 Posted in Cheap Europe Travel, Destination reports, Travel bargainsIn the March/April issue of Transitions Abroad (and in International Travel News) there’s a helpful piece for Europe travel godhead Rick Steves: What’s New in Europe 2007.
Some of it is just about, well, what’s new: museums opening back up, Venice under construction, and the like. There are some tidbits on how to save money here and there though and with the euro worth $1.34 as I write this and the pound worth close to $2, you’ll need every bit of help you can get in that department.
In London, the Oyster Card gets you discounted rates on buses and the Tube. You pay 3 pounds to buy it and then load it up with credit. It brings the bus rides down to 1 pound and the Tube rides down to 1.5 pounds from a staggering 4. (Yes you read correctly: a ride on the Tube in central London can cost as much as a cab from the airport to your hotel in many of The World’s Cheapest Destinations.)
Steves says the $23 Roma Pass in Rome is probably too good to last, so snatch it up. It gives you three days of public transportation and your choice of two sites—where you can walk right in without waiting in line. They even throw in a map.
In France there’s a flat rate international postage box that’s $40 for all you can stuff into it, regardless of weight. Public buses along the French Riviera are a flat $1.70, no matter how far you go.
Many discount flights land in Bratislava, so he suggests using that to get to Vienna, 75 minutes away. (That might get you to the Czech Republic cheaper too.)
“In Stockholm, as long as the current left-wing government has its way, Sweden’s national museums will remain free.”
And a note related to one of the cheap spots a ferry ride away from Europe: in some welcome news, “Restorations in Tangier [Morocco] are taking place on a grand scale. The beach has been painstakingly cleaned, pedestrian promenades are popping up everywhere, and gardens bloom with lush, new greenery.”
Rick Steves has built up quite an empire and some say he has single-handedly transformed parts of Europe by encouraging legions of followers to flock there in his guidebooks and on his PBS show, but he’s generous with his time and information, he still travels with one carry-on bag, and still stays in small, independent hotels. So he’s okay in my book.
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2 Responses to “A Few New Deals in Europe”
By Craig on Apr 4, 2007
If you’re looking for a great discount on an European escorted tour you might check out cheapertravel.com All of the leading escorted tour companies to Europe are discounted.
By world travel on May 7, 2007
So I guess they mean that as long as they give us permission to travel, they can impose whatever restrictions they feel like on how, when, or where we are allowed to travel, or what papaers we need?