Travel News Monkey

Even though the majority of travelers from the US to Europe are keen to spend, the fact that the dollar these days is worth around 50 cents in Great Britain is a bit of a dampener. There are always a few things that tourists can do to get maximum mileage out of their hard-earned money. For example, you should give a wide berth to the currency exchange companies found near airports, hotels, and tourist spots.

These businesses are not only not up-to-date with the latest exchange rates, they also charge a fee for offering you local currency; a better alternative is to convert from American banks if you are using their credit cards or ATM cards.

Organizing meetings and conferences brings its own headaches, but this is a delectable one – choosing between historical cities, beautiful towns, or rural places. It seems Germany wins hands down as the destination of choice. It was followed by France, Austria, and Spain.

North Americans have quite a few travel options when it comes to flying to Europe. Prices for early summer trips to Europe are under $600. What’s more, travel within Europe is quite cheap and convenient. Eurolines links all parts of Europe and is ideal for budget travelers. US Airways is offering a round-trip to Berlin, Frankfurt, or Munich for $491 inclusive of fuel surcharge; the offer is valid till June 17.

An excellent piece on the do’s and don’ts if you plan to travel to Europe and spend some time there. It even expostulates on the merits of a backpack versus a suitcase. Borne out of personal experience, it has some valid tips like getting some dollars exchanged to euros in advance and packing flip-flops for the hotels.

Eurostar has taken the lead in coming up with a plan to cut carbon emissions and getting “green”. The train operator that links England with the rest of Europe through the English Channel promises to reduce CO2 emissions by 25% per passenger by 2012. Eurostar CEO Richard Brown pointed out that a high-speed train journey is 10 times greener than flying. Environmental group Friends of the Earth has welcomed the move by Eurostar and said that it favors a reduction in the number of short haul flights.

In a development that surely has the bosses at British Airways breathing a sigh of relief the cabin crew of British Airways has agreed in overwhelming numbers to the new pay contract. 76% of the cabin crew has voted in favor of an agreement on pay, sick leave, and pensions.

Ryanair plans to take advantage of the relaxing of rules through the “open air” policy between America and the EU. The company wishes to start a discount airline that will fly from the existing Ryanair bases in London, Dublin, and Frankfurt. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary feels that the new airline will be functional in three to four years. Oh yes, the starting fare will be around $12. It remains to be seen how Ryanair performs in this already super competitive market, though till date it has had an excellent business record.

The opening up of Eastern Europe after the fall of the iron curtain has piqued global interest in this region. There is a lot of up-to-date literature available on the best places to visit in Eastern Europe and the things you can do there. These include Frommer’s “Eastern Europe” , the DK Eyewitness Travel guides on the “Czech & Slovak Republics,” “Cracow” and a “Top 10 Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast.” Read more