Travel News Monkey

How to stretch your dollars on a European vacation is by far the favorite topic of discussion for would-be American tourists to the old continent. So here are our two-pence to the same discussion.

Booking early is a great idea as flying to Europe from the US is a major expense. Early bookings entail discounts such as students’ tickets. For example: In a recent search on StudentUniverse.com, which tracks student fares, a round-trip ticket between Chicago and London started at $736 if you departed May 21 (and stayed for a month). Delay the trip by one week and fares jumped to $1,067.
These discounts ought to be availed while there are seats left. The period till the end of May is ideal to seek discounts as summer travel from the US to Europe is not that high.

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Catherine Mack has written a great piece in the Guardian about the charming hideouts that still exist in Ireland. As Catherine says “The mountains, lakes, rivers and islands are all there for visiting, and there are many people who have set up extraordinary sustainable tourism businesses, just waiting to open their doors to you.”

Read more of the piece here.

The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) has stated that music festivals outside the UK are a cheaper proposition than attending such festivals in the UK. Better weather conditions abroad mean that holiday-makers can look forward to cheery times and good music and can do without carrying bulky raincoats.

If you are a music buff, you could do well to track the progress of your favorite bands as they do the circuit of Europe. Catching them play on the continent not only gives you a chance to see new places, you will also be paying less for the tickets. But do not forget to take out some travel insurance before you leave.

One of the fallouts of the collapse of the iron curtain has been that the nations of East Europe have a wonderful medical system in place. Citizens of Western Europe where medical care can have a person paying through his nose are being increasingly lured by the cost-effective yet world-class medical care in countries such as Hungary.

A sub-sect of medical tourism is dental tourism and Brits have taken to it whole-heartedly. They are providing great business for dental clinics such as VitalEurope which is based in Hungary with more than 200 Britons visiting the clinic in February alone.

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While it is important to get some travel cover by taking out travel insurance, it is equally important that you do not get swayed by the lure of cheap travel insurance. If you do take out cheap travel insurance, chances are that you will get service commensurate with the price. So be careful when taking up insurance offers that are bundled with banking, credit cards, and holiday packages. Be sure to ascertain the exact nature of cover offered. Good places to shop around for travel cover in Britain include Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and the Post Office.

The cost of travel cover for a one-way trip to Europe purchased over the internet is around £5 while if you buy it from a reputed firm like Greenbee that deals in quality comprehensive policies, you may have to shell out £20. Family contracts and annual policies are alternatives for saving money.

Travel cover insures you against illnesses, accidents, medical treatment, and you can also come back home in the case of an emergency.

Read more here.

Some places seem to have it all in terms of weather, food, and fun. Algarve in Portugal is one such place and to its beautiful beaches you can also add a lot of history. Located on the southwestern tip of Europe, the place is land’s end for Europe. The next landfall is New York across the Atlantic. It was around these parts that the European age of discoveries first began around 500 years back.

The cliff-top chapel where Henry the Navigator once prayed still exists and overlooking the fort that Francis Drake sacked are the waters where Lord Nelson battled the Spanish Armada. The Algarve region has a 60-mile coastline and offers a wide range of beaches that cover peaceful translucent lagoons at the Ria de Alvor to the bustling surf of places like Bordeira and Arrifana.

European tourists discovered Algarve in the 70s’ and since then over-commercialization because of lucrative tourist money has taken the charm away from the central beach area. However; the Algarve has a hidden “wild west” that has escaped the trials of excessive tourist traffic. The beach at Martinhal is a favorite with windsurfers; the south westerlies make surfing quite a challenge. You can also go hiking up the Sagres and Saint Vincent. There is also a beautiful stretch of pale sand sheltered from the south westerlies; this triangular patch is protected by the rising capes of the two hills. Apart from some of the best surfing in Europe, the north coast of Portugal offers a getaway to those who wish for some seclusion.

The Ria de Alvor is a beautiful blue lagoon situated on the edge of the town of Alvor. This once quaint fishing village has some nice eating places and a waterfront where you can enjoy barbecues of a large number of fish such as bream, bass, and cuttlefish. Bathers, shellfish gatherers, boaters, yachtsmen, and a number of seabirds share the beach and the sea. As you move towards the city of Lagos, you begin to get a feel of what it must have been like in the old days when Portuguese sailors ruled the waves. The town still has its river mouth fortress and a network of old narrow cobbled streets that play host to the young and spirited during summertime. The area is filled with bar-hoppers and surfing enthusiasts during summer.

The city is brimming with examples of culture and Portugal’s maritime history, both exciting and poignant. The art galleries and open air concerts of the city beckon tourists and well as locals. There is also the church of Santo Antonio, adorned with intricate woodwork and coated with gold leaf looted from Brazil. There is also a 15th century building that is supposedly the site of the first slave market in Europe, a place where Africans were traded as slaves. South from Lagos is the Costa d’Oiro which has several cozy coves hidden amongst sandstone cliffs; a great place for a romantic twosome.

Electoral and sectarian violence in Kenya have forced several European nations to issue travel advisories regarding travel to Kenya. Italy has stated that while it considered Malindi safe for tourists, the lifting of its advisory would also depend upon the course of action decided jointly by other nations of the EU.

Italy’s ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Pierandrea Magistrati is on a fact-finding tour of Kenya and his input will be crucial in deciding if and when Italy reviews its travel advisory for Italian nationals in Kenya.

Newspaper and television reports of violence in Kenya have given Europeans the impression that the entire country is in turmoil whereas the fact is that the violence-affected parts such as Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu are quite far away from Malindi and the coastal areas.

The situation is particularly grim for Malindi which is entirely dependent on the approximately 30,000 Italian tourists for its economy.

Lithuania is fast gaining reputation as a tourist destination that offers stunning scenery, imposing architecture, and great food and drinks at low cost. Forests, sands, lagoons, and the Baltic invite visitors who were deprived of enjoying all that Lithuania had to offer during the Soviet era.

The Dead Dunes, once home to fisher folk now house remains of their residences buried under the shifting sands. The unique Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage site, attracts tourists in droves and is well-connected via a scenic route to Klaipeda. Klaipeda is the third-largest city in Lithuania and its only port. The route is lined with beautiful Scandinavian-style houses, fishing villages, and quaint hotels. Lithuania is trying hard to attract British tourists. It has in its favor great outdoors, good food which is exceptionally cheap, bars, and five national parks that cover diverse fauna and flora.

Read more about what to expect on a visit to Lithuania.