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Argentina travel guide

Active vacation in Argentina

Active vacations are excellent ways to visit a country, especially if you enjoy working out or walking in nature. Summer (December to February) is a good period to enjoy some trekking in Argentina . Some of the treks are easy to handle but it’s advisable to be fit and used to trekking.

There are some very interesting treks in Argentina that almost anyone can do:

  • Glaciar Torres and Lago Torres, El Chalten, Argentina in Patagonia: it offers beautiful views of the peaks of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy all along the trail.
  • Lago and Glacier Piedras Blancas, El Chalten, Argentina in Patagonia: the first part of the climb is demanding but then you arrive at a clearing with excellent views of the town and valley below.
  • Fitz Roy, El Chalten, Argentina in Patagonia: is a challenging hike but definitely worth the views.

After you’ve decided which hike to try, make sure to search for the airlines that fly to Argentina and book the ticket into a large airport, close to the start of the trail. Once you figure out the transportation, look for cheap Argentina hotels . Don’t forget to pack your trekking gear. You can rent tents and sleeping bags once you get to Argentina, though.

Also, consider buying travel insurance which covers the type of activities you plan to do. For example, if you want to climb on a glacier, you might realize that some policies don’t cover such an activity.

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Categories
England travel guide

Both Yorkshire Pudding & the Sandwich Hail from England

There are, of course, plenty of great reasons to visit England. It’s an easy first foreign destination for Americans, because a common language makes it accessible. There are typically lots of options on cheap flights to England because of the many international airports serving London alone.

But as a recent article about food named after cities points out, if you’re a foodie then you could do worse than make a pilgrimage to England to visit the birthplace of Yorkshire pudding and the sandwich.

Yes, the sandwich.

Just by the name, you probably could assume that Yorkshire pudding had something to do with the area of England called Yorkshire – and you’d be right. Yorkshire pudding dates from the 1700s and isn’t a dessert, despite what the name suggests. I’ve had enough mediocre Yorkshire pudding in my life that I’d be wary about trying it again, but perhaps if it’s served in Yorkshire it’s better? One can only hope.

And then there’s the sandwich. This picnic and lunchtime staple gets its name from the Earl of Sandwich in 18th century England, who didn’t want to take a break from gambling to eat and asked for a servant to bring him a bit of beef between two slices of bread. Voila, the sandwich was born.

Whatever brings you to England, whether it’s a food pilgrimage or just the need for a good helping of fish and chips, be sure to research your options for hotels in England before you book. The country is well-known for its plethora of B&Bs everywhere, many of which serve as a budget-friendly option to more expensive hotels.

photo by alexbrn

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Croatia travel guide

From Croatia to Rome

When you’re making a tour of Mediterranean Europe, it makes sense to include both Croatia and Italy on your list. There are some similarities between the countries, especially when you’re comparing the Croatian coastline with Italy’s Adriatic coast, and if you’re already in Croatia then it’s absolutely worth it to get over to Italy for a little while. Croatia remains cheaper overall as a tourist destination than Italy, so if you’re traveling on a strict budget it’s a good idea to spend more time in Croatia – but there’s only one Rome in the world, right?

There are many choices when it comes to getting to Italy from Croatia (and vice versa), and if you’re on the Croatian coast you can definitely look into the overnight ferries. They’re economical if you’re already in the cities from which they depart, and if you have the time to spare. Flying between the countries used to be more cost-prohibitive, but with the number of discount airlines that have cropped up in recent years it can be a really inexpensive trip.

There are more options on discount airlines on flights to Milan, but you can often find cheap airfare to Rome on airlines that aren’t even considered “budget carriers.” Many will offer one-way fares and last-minute specials, so it’s always worth checking. This is especially true if you’re further inland in Croatia and closer to an airport like the one in Zagreb than a port city.

If you time your visit right, you can save money on a visit to Rome by avoiding the more expensive hotels in Rome and opting for hostels instead. Even outside the high season, you’ll likely pay more for a Rome hostel then you paid in Croatia, but you’ll still get a good deal on a bed and be able to save money for more fun things like food and attractions.

And speaking of attractions, you probably don’t need to be told about all the things to do in Rome – it’s home to so many famous sights that you probably already know what you want to see there. But besides the Colosseum, Forum, and Vatican City there are all kinds of churches, museums, and historic attractions that are less well-known but equally interesting. Many of the lesser-known sights come with cheaper entry fees and shorter lines, too, so you won’t waste your vacation standing in line and you won’t spend all your travel budget on admission prices.

photo by thelastminute

Categories
travel guide Vietnam

Foodies Flock to Vietnam

Vietnam is heaven for anyone who loves trying exotic dishes, who delights in the discovery of delicious and low-cost eats, and who lives to sample new street food. The food in Vietnam is delicious, healthy, and cheap and is an excellent way to better understand the culture. As Anthony Bourdain says, “If you miss the street food experience? You’ve missed everything.”

First stop on your culinary tour should be Vietnamese spring rolls, then try some pho (soup with noodles, spices, veggies and meat) and then move on to bahn mi, baguette with pickled carrots, daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, meat, pate and mayo.

You’ll find street food pretty much every where you look in Vietnam, from the fish market in Nha Trang to the streets of Saigon. Don’t be shy about trying new things – prices are so low (around $1 US for a heaping bowl of pho) that you can sample a lot; if you don’t like something you can afford to buy something else. And despite outward appearances, street food stalls are often more hygenic than some touristy restaurants, especially because the food is made right in front of you and never sits around for long.

But, much as it might be temping, you can’t just wander the streets eating 24 hours a day. Luckily, like street food, everything else in Vietnam is quite cheap too. Cheap hotels in Southeast Asia put moderate hotels in the US to shame, and if your tastes run to the more basic accommodations, you can score a clean, comfortable no-frills room in a hostel for less than the cost of a fast-food meal at home. Flights to Vietnam will be your biggest expense, but once here, you can live – and eat – like a king on a very small budget.

Photo by Flickmor

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Germany Things to Do

Take a Last Minute Munich Trip for Oktoberfest

Despite its quiet beginnings – at least relatively speaking – the famous Oktoberfest celebration will mark its 200th year when the festivities get underway later this month. In other words, if you’ve been looking for a reason to head to Germany and see how you look in leiderhosen, this could be an ideal year to do just that.

If you’re lucky enough to already be in a major European city like Edinburgh, that means you have easy access to cheap flights to Germany – and since airfare is typically the biggest line item on a travel budget, being able to get there for a fraction of the cost of most flights is a huge incentive. Accommodation can be a bit tricky in Munich during Oktoberfest, as the cheapest and best places book up quickly well in advance of the start of the party, so if you haven’t already booked a bed somewhere you might be forced to pay for something that’s a bit more expensive than you ordinarily would. But on the bright side, when you save big on airfare you can afford to spend a bit more on your hotel or hostel room.

For those of you who are more inclined to buy a package deal whenever possible, there’s probably still time to sift through the Oktoberfest deals out there to see if one suits your needs. Again, it will likely cost more than if you booked the entire trip yourself, but if you have money leftover after buying your plane ticket you might still come out ahead. Depending on the deal, you might just get accommodation and entry into an Oktoberfest tent – in some cases you might also get airfare, so you’d have to make sure it was a better deal overall than you could get if you bought the flight separately.

Before you land in Munich, be sure to read this Oktoberfest travel guide so you’ll have all the background on what to do and see – not to mention what to expect and how to behave – at Oktoberfest this year.

photo by uLe @ Dortmund

Categories
Alaska travel guide

The Northernmost Hotel in the Americas

Many who come to Alaska don’t make it much farther north than Anchorage. Some with a little more time and ambition find their way to Fairbanks. But only a very small number continue farther north, all the way up to the north slope. Here they will find the unique town of Barrow, and with it, the northernmost hotel in the Americas, the appropriately named “Top of the World Hotel”.

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Croatia travel guide

Croatia: Getting There is Half the Battle

Croatia has been on the tourist radar for some years, but despite the alluring pictures of stunning blue waters, beautiful beaches, and Roman ruins it still hasn’t been completely overrun by people visiting on a European tour. There’s every reason to include Croatia on your next trip to Europe – the great bargains being only one – that it’s frankly a little surprising that more travelers don’t visit Croatia each year.

Of course, European vacationers have been enjoying Croatia’s gorgeous coastline for longer than it’s been called Croatia – this part of the world has been extremely popular as a holiday destination since Roman times (note the proximity of those Roman ruins to great sea views), and now with all the travel deals you can find out there it’s even more appealing if you’re coming from further away.

As mentioned, Croatia is a pretty good bargain for budget travelers, with the many cheap hotels in Croatia and even cheaper hostels, and once you’re in the bigger tourist destinations you’re doing well. But getting around in Croatia is still a little bit of a challenge if you’re used to the great network of rail lines throughout most of Europe. Among the many options for how to get to Croatia from Italy, for instance, the train will only take you so far before you have to switch to a bus or rent yourself a car.

One of the cheaper options these days for getting to Croatia from elsewhere in Europe is simply to fly. If you’re already in Europe you can find excellent deals on cheap flights to cities like Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik on carriers like Ryanair, Germanwings, and easyJet. And if you’re coming from outside Europe, your best course of action may be to find the best deal you can on cheap flights to Europe and then look for one of those budget carrier flights from there into Croatia.

Yes, it can be a little more challenging to get to Croatia than it is to get to places like France or Italy, but since the prices once you get there are still so great it’s worth the effort.

photo by Michael Caven

Categories
travel guide

Fall Vacation in Valencia

Fall is the best time to plan a vacation in a large city. The crowds are gone and the prices are lower than during the peak travel time. And the weather is just lovely.

Spain is an excellent destination for shoulder season traveling. Summers are scorching hot which makes fall the perfect time to pack your walking shoes, camera and start exploring the cities. Also, big cities tend to be expensive year-round but outside the peak travel season some of the prices do go down. Plus, you can always stay in a hostel and buy the food at the market instead of eating out in a restaurant.

Flights to Spain are not hard to find and there are quite a lot of budget carriers serving the cities. If you plan to visit Valencia, a round-trip flight from London in mid-September starts at £104 (on Ryanair).

With the flight figured out, it’s time to look for accommodation. Since shoulder season traveling is all about saving money, look for cheap hostels in Valencia . Beds in dorms start at €12 per night and if you prefer a private room, beds start at €20 per person per night. You can easily find hostels located close to the train or bus stations, which allows for great mobility while you are visiting the city.

And now let’s take a look at the highlights of Valencia . Don’t miss visiting the City of Arts and Science, The Barri del Carme neighborhood – located in the old city – , The Mercat Central, or the Lladró Porcelain Museum and Factory. Plan for some walks along the river and do try the local cuisine.

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