But how do you do it without breaking the bank? Considering that average nightly hotel rates during Thanksgiving in New York can reach well above $500 per night, getting a deal is no small task.

Good news, Cheapos, we’ve been keeping an eye on hotel prices for Thanksgiving’s big-ticket nights (Wednesday, November 27th through Sunday, December 1st) and were pleasantly surprised by the number of affordable hotel options still available.

Let us preface this by saying that hotels in New York, by and large, aren’t always cheap. In fact, during peak times the rates have a tendency to become fairly outrageous. Fortunately, our editors have scouted out dozens of budget hotel options that are central, cheap, clean and perfect locations to explore this wonderful city.

Hotels for an affordable Thanksgiving in New York

Here are four of our favorites that have availability and reasonable rates for this Thanksgiving holiday. Note: Rates quoted are based on double occupancy for searches conducted on Thursday, 10/10/19. Rates will likely increase as we get closer to the holiday.

#1: The Jane Hotel

113 Jane Street in Greenwich Village / West Village
Thanksgiving Weekend Price: From $125

Perk: Charming neighborhood and free bicycles for guests

From our review: “Part SRO (Single Room Occupancy) and part hipster den, the Jane Hotel is a beautiful beast, a glammed-up flophouse in a gorgeous ‘hood. And best of all for visiting Cheapos, the Jane offers twin rooms with shared bath for low prices.”

Staying in the West Village is a treat that will usually cost you a bundle. If you’re looking for something that’s a little bit quirky and fun, The Jane might be for you.

Pod 51 Hotel makes a fun and affordable Thanksgiving stay.

#2: Pod 51 Hotel

230 East 51st St. in Midtown East / Murray Hill
Thanksgiving Price: $189

Perk: In the heart of Midtown near the subway

From our review: “The two-star Pod Hotel is an appealing and affordable option in the heart of Midtown East, offering well-designed (if tight) rooms with seriously low rates.”

The rooms might be really tiny but they’re also well-designed with a modern look. If you don’t mind sharing a bathroom, you’ll have a great location near Grand Central Terminal and the United Nations. The famous Fifth Avenue stores and holiday window displays are also a quick stroll away.

A clean and comfy room at Seafarers & International House.

#3: Seafarers & International House

123 East 15th St. Broome Street in Union Square / Gramercy
Thanksgiving Price: $102

Perk: Near Union Square’s holiday market

From our review: “The Seafarers and International House is run by the Augustana Lutheran mission as, officially at least, a sanctuary for sailors and sojourners… In addition to its great location, a stone’s throw from Union Square, and affordable rates, the Seafarers and International House provides a friendly — if undeniably religious — atmosphere.”

Rooms might be basic, but with an incredible location like this for such a cheap price, we’ll happily hop on board!

Which one would you choose, Cheapos? 

Are you headed to New York this Thanksgiving? Tell us about your hotel! Also, if you’re planning a visit, be sure to read our previous post on the best spots to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The post 4 Cheap New York City hotels for Thanksgiving visits appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

This lovely small city located just 30 minutes north of Marseille dates back to 123 BC and is the historic southern home of the French upper crust.

Aix-en-Provence has a lot going for it. The city boasts over 300 days of sunshine each year (but be wary of the weird and windy mistral season in late winter and early spring), a full calendar of cultural events and activities throughout the year, an excellent collection of museums and galleries, and a thriving population of students canvassing the cafes and bistros.

But Aix also doesn’t stray too far from its well-heeled past: It’s expensive. If you’re planning a visit to Aix — and we think you should! — we have a few suggestions for ways to do it on the cheapo.

Location: Be central, but don’t overdo it

Aix isn’t a big place. Most of the “big draws” share a convenient truth: They’re located either in Aix’ Centre Ville or a very short walk away. If you expect to visit the morning market at Place Richelme, order a cafe crême from a surly waiter at Les Deux Garcons, or go on a photo-binge of the many fountains in Aix, you’ll be spending your time in a fairly compact area.

As a result, it is not necessary to try to book a room smack dab on the Cours Mirabeau – many less expensive options abound less than a 10- minute walk away. Save your money – you’ll need it.

Tips for cheap hotels in Aix-en-Provence

Avoid paying for your breakfast at your hotel, unless it’s complimentary (even then, make sure you compare rates for rooms that do and don’t include breakfast to see the difference). Part of the joy of Aix en Provence is being outside for meals at all times of the day. We can hardly think of anything better than a fresh baguette from a local boulangerie and a coffee while sitting in one of the city’s many squares.

If you’re visiting during any month other than July and August, don’t obsess about booking a hotel with air conditioning. While it can warm up during the day, it cools down at night and you won’t need it.

If you need Wi-Fi access while traveling, make sure that you’re clear whether this is provided by the hotel for free or if it’s an additional charge. Most of the hotels we recommend on EuroCheapo tend to offer free Wi-Fi access, but it does vary by property. Know before you book.

Also, keep in mind that if you plan on staying “inside the ring” of Centre Ville, you’ll likely be staying in a very old, potentially historic location that hasn’t changed much in many, many years. What this adds in charm might also mean it lacks in certain amenities. For example: elevators. In general, the further you stray from Centre Ville, the more modern the hotel will be.

The view from the rooftop of the Hotel du Globe.

A few of our recommended budget hotels in Aix

Here are three hotel suggestions we have for your next trip to Aix. Each property is recommended based on its combination of location, price, amenities offered and if we think it represents a good deal.

Hotel du Globe

74, cours Sextius

Located in the center of Aix en Provence, this two-star offers 46 rooms with a private bathroom, air conditioning, cable TV and free Wi-Fi. Its location on Cours Sextius means you’ll be steps from the Fontaine de la Rotunde and the rest of central Aix without overpaying.

Rates start at $85 per night.

Hôtel Vendôme

10, Cours des Minimes

Just a stone’s throw from the city’s historic center and Pavillon Vendôme, Hôtel Vendôme offers simple but comfortable accommodations, complete with air conditioning, private bathrooms and free Wi-Fi. A homemade breakfast served daily will cost you extra.

Doubles start at $85 a night.

We like the Provence style touches in the rooms at Hotel Artea.

Hôtel Artea

4 boulevard de la République

The three-star Hôtel Artea sits in the heart of the city, with easy access to the Grand Theater de Provence and the Fontaine de la Rotunde. Air-conditioned, en suite rooms are bright and clean, and some are lent extra charm thanks to exposed ceiling beams.

The hotel also offers free Wi-Fi, a lounge bar and breakfast for an extra fee.

Rates for a double room start at $82 a night.

Hôtel Saint Christophe

2 Avenue Victor Hugo

Every stay at Hôtel Saint Christophe is unique because each room features its own vibrant personality. The Art Deco-style hotel offers air-conditioned, soundproofed rooms with free Wi-Fi in a central location near shops, restaurants, and the train station.

You can book a double room starting at $104 a night.

Des Augustins has a very central location.

Des Augustins

3, rue de la Masse-angle cours Mirabeau

If you absolutely, positively must be inside the ring, the Des Augustins will put you next to the Cours Mirabeau without wiping out your entire budget. The Des Augustins is housed in a former 12th-century convent and offers the “best” location of our picks.

Rates start at $116 per night for doubles.

Hotel de France

63 Rue Espariat

The Hotel de France is located so close to La Rotonde at the western end of Cours Mirabeau that you can practically feel the fountain’s mist. Ok, that might be a tad much, but you get the picture: This hotel is all about location, yet manages to offer moderate prices even during peak season.

This three-star property has 27 rooms, each with flat screen TV and free Wi-Fi. Breakfast is an extra fee, but you’ll be surrounded by cafes and plentiful other options to start your day off in style.

You can score a double for rates as low as $116 a night.

More suggestions? Ready to find the perfect hotel in Aix for your budget? Head to our hotel page for Aix en Provence, for more hotel picks and budget travel tips. And if you’re planning to visit Avignon as well, read up on our favorite cheap hotels there.

The post Cheap hotels in Aix-en-Provence, France appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

If you have been lucky enough to count yourself among the more than 17,000 American students who study abroad in France each year, perhaps you’ve returned with some of these tell-tale signs of a semester or two abroad…

Related: 12 tips for studying in Paris.

1. You dressed better than any other time during your college experience.

Blame it on Celio. Call it the “France Effect”. Whatever the reason, you emerged from your time abroad with more style than you went into it, and happily engaged (perhaps with carefully rehearsed surprise) in conversations about “how different you look” upon your return.

Bonus points: You returned with an accent. (Well, everyone else heard it, but you…)

2. The word “Monoprix” makes you nostalgic.

The glorious Kmart-meets-Macy’s-meets-Shop Rite hybrid that is Monoprix always tugged at your heart. From apartment supplies to that very dependable bottle of ridiculously cheap but not-too-shabby red wine, Monoprix provided for just about everything.

3. You took a drawing or painting class that had nothing to do with your major. And it was HARD.

What’s more “French” than drawing live nudes? Well, probably drawing them with skill and earning the respect of your classroom peers. Hallelujah for pass / fail!

4. You developed a deep affection for Clairefontaine notebooks.

Sure, the graph paper took a little getting used to, but once you did, there was no turning back. Too bad they’re so expensive back home.

5. You still have a copy of L’Etranger in your possession.

Camus was pretty much the James Dean of study abroad students in France. The Coke to Sartre’s Pepsi.

6. For a period of time, you smoked. And you preferred Gauloises Blondes to Gitanes.

Wait, you smoked? Well, a bit. Enough to know how to order the Gauloises Ultra Lights at the tabac. (Wait, was it “ley-jay” or “ley-gere”?) Hopefully, you also learned how to quit!

How about a little civilized television? Photo: Alatele fr

7. You never felt comfortable watching those French TV talk shows featuring prominent actors, writers, intellectuals and politicians sitting around a table discussing culture in front of a live audience.

What were they saying? And why was the audience laughing? Even when your French improved and you could better understand what was being said, their formality and civility mystified.

8. You bragged about transit strikes.

Mom, dad, friends back home… they heard (but probably didn’t understand) how you were inconvenienced by transit strikes. I mean, you had to walk to class! Your trip to Nice was delayed! And yet, you learned to shrug it off. Ça m’est égal!

9. You developed a bias for either Lonely Planet or Rough Guides.

The Montague and Capulet’s of the guidebook world, the two rarely co-existed in personal libraries abroad. Bonus points for Let’s Go Guides. Extra Bonus Points for Berkeley Guides.

10. You still have nightmares about French class.

Just when you think they’re through… What do you mean, I have to present a report on Maupassant in front of these serious looking French students? BAM! – You wake up in a cold sweat from another one.

11. You wouldn’t have changed a thing about your experience.

Schmaltzy? Yes. And, sure, not all of it went exactly as planned. But your time abroad shaped you in profound ways and took you several steps closer to where you are today. Super legeres and all.

More signs that you studied abroad?

What other tell-tale signs point to a student who studied abroad in France? Share your “signs” in the comments section below.

The post 11 Obvious signs you studied abroad in France appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Matt stopped by to talk about his new book, “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day”, which is published by Penguin and hits bookstores this week.

Obviously, our Cheapo interest was piqued by his title. Can you really travel on $50 a day? Matt sat down for four Cheapo questions:

1. When did you decide to quit your job and start traveling the world? Did you have a plan for how long you’d travel?

I decided to quit my job in health care administration in 2005 when I met some backpackers while in Thailand. They inspired me to take time off from work and and see the world. After that trip, I came back home and quit my full-time job.

A year later, I finished my MBA and left to do my round-the-world trip. It was supposed to only be for one year but I came back 18 months later and knew I didn’t want to stop. I headed back out on the road and I’ve been going ever since.

2. How long do you typically stay in one place when you’re on the road? Do you have any favorite European destinations?

There’s no rhyme or reason to how long I stay in a place. It varies a lot depending on if I like a place, how expensive it is, and what I have to do next. I might stay in one city for two weeks and the next one two days. It all depends on how much fun I’m having.

Lately, my schedule has become a bit more rigid as I work in my travel around conferences. But for the most part, everything is done on a whim.

One spot that is a very underrated in Europe is Romania. That’s a beautiful country filled with nice people, few tourists, cheap prices, and wonderful countryside. Too few people visit it.

3. In your new book, “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day,” you mention several ways to save on travel. Could you share some of your best tips?

A few things you can do that can have a big impact on your budget are:

First, be flexible. The difference of a few days can mean the difference of hundreds of dollars on flights, cruises, hotels, etc.. The more rigid you are about where and when you have to travel, the less likely you are to find a good deal.

Secondly, try to avoid the “main attractions” of the world during high season. Paris is wonderful, but in the summertime, it’s crowded and expensive. Consider visiting Eastern Europe, which is cheaper and less busy and coming back to Paris at a later date. For every hot spot in the world, there is a place equally as good that is half the price.

Lastly, consider signing up for branded travel credit cards. These cards offer large sign up bonuses that will give you tens of thousands of free miles – often enough for a free round-trip ticket to Europe. If you aren’t using one of these cards, you’re leaving a lot of free money on the table.

4. What are the three most important items you pack, aside from clothing, a passport, money and a smartphone or computer?

A lock, deodorant, and a good book.

That’s some sweet-smelling and practical advice, Matt. Thanks for stopping by!

The post 4 Cheapo Questions for Nomadic Matt appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The quick backstory

Code-named “CheapoSearch” when we first took it live five years ago, our hotel search engine lets readers quickly see room rates for all of the hotels we recommend on EuroCheapo (as long as they have online booking – which some of them don’t). Easy-to-use filters let you narrow down your results by location, user rating, price and accommodation type. In our results we display room rates from a range of hotel booking websites, showing you the lowest rate out there.

This new upgrade

Lately we’ve been dreaming up a bunch of new features that we think will make hotel research more efficient. This new upgrade centers on trying to make EuroCheapo as easy to use as possible. These new features include:

More hostel inventory: We expanded the volume of hostels in our search results to include those we feel are a cut above the rest.

Display both dorm and private room prices: Rather than making dorm rates hard to find, we now show them alongside private room rates for hostel results.

Show room type information: To minimize the amount of back-and-forth clicking within our search results, we now display room type info (with rates) directly within search results. Now you can quickly find the specific room type you’re looking for — for example, two twin beds rather than one queen.

Highlight our hotel reviews: The heart and soul of EuroCheapo are the hotels we visit, recommend and review. In order to feature these hotels (and our reviews) more clearly, we simplified the design to make our “Editor’s Picks” stand out more.

Give it a whirl

But enough of the descriptions. The best way for you to experience the new CheapoSearch is to go ahead and search away. You can test it on this page by using the big blue hotel search box in the top right corner or by doing a search on our homepage.

Go on – kick the tires a bit. Try Paris. Or Rome. Maybe Amsterdam? But compare some dates, use the filters and see what gorgeous (and cheapo) hotels we have in store. Also, we love getting your feedback and suggestions on what you think should be improved or added. Please send an email our way to let us know what you think.

And remember, next time you’re looking to book a hotel in Europe, CheapoSearch is ready to help out!

The post CheapoNews: Announcing a big upgrade to our hotel search engine! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

When we last chatted with Tim back in June at the Travel Blog Exchange conference in Keystone, CO, he was hard at work wrapping up the latest edition of his book, The World’s Cheapest Destinations. We had plenty of questions for him then – as we do now – and love his perceptive, er, perspective on travel. We think you will, too.

Question 1: We’ve been fans of yours for years and appreciate you participating in our Q&A series. Can you first let our readers know a little about you and what led you into such an expansive travel writing career?

Like a lot of your readers, I took off on a round-the-world “trip of a lifetime” and had trouble stopping. My first trip was 20 years ago though, with my now-wife, and we circled the globe two more times, teaching English along the way and in my case, getting some toes in the door with editors as a travel writer.

I kept at it as a part-time writer for many years before finally quitting my day job and becoming a full-time travel writer and publisher last decade. I added a site here, a blog there until one day I woke up and realized I was a real business owner.

Question 2: Congrats on the success of “The World’s Cheapest Destinations.” It must be fascinating to see how budget travel has evolved since its first edition. What have been the biggest changes since the book’s initial publication?

The first edition came out 10 years ago and I’m quite embarrassed now when I look at it. The book is a lot better and meatier now.

The main changes in the world of travel though all stem from one trend: far more travelers. Every place is more crowded with tourists than it used to be, except for a few holdouts like North Korea, and while you can still quite easily get off the beaten path if you want, the flood of images on the web means there are fewer unknowns out there. Everything is easier and more organized.

There’s also 100 times more information about 100 times more places than a decade ago, which overall is probably a good thing. The world is wealthier overall, which is also a good thing, even if it does mean prices have inched up in some of our favorite places.

On the negative side, it saddens me to see four travelers sitting silently around a table, all exchanging messages with friends back home and posting status updates. Sometimes that goes on for a half hour, nobody talking to the person right across from them. There’s less experiencing, more sharing. Less reflection, more blabbering. Get the photo, upload, move on.

People seem unable to let go and just be in the moment, in the place, without immediately connecting to the home they supposedly left behind.

Question 3: Let’s talk Europe. You cover a lot of ground in this book and we’re interested in the trends you see shaping up across the continent. What destinations do you think should be on a Cheapo’s radar these days? Why?

My big destination change this time was removing Turkey and adding Slovakia. Turkey’s still great and I’m heading there later this year, but it’s definitely gotten more expensive as the economy has taken off and more cruise ships dock there—especially Istanbul. A decent value still, but not a great one for backpackers.

In Slovakia you can still feel way ahead of the curve. It’s beautiful Olde Europe with castles and historic architecture, plus surprisingly good wine in addition to the good beer, but it gets a tiny fraction of the visitors of the Czech Republic or Hungary. The main drawback is, because there aren’t many backpackers, there aren’t a lot of hostels and cheap day trip tours.

Although I’ve had Bulgaria in the book from the start, I was relying on third-party info and interviews. I finally made it there this past year and was blown away. It’s as cheap as some places in Asia and Latin America, with incredible scenery and excellent food. I’m itching to go back again and do some longer hiking trips, staying in mountain huts that are priced like hostels.

Cheapness depends a lot on exchange rates too, of course. Hungary felt less expensive this time I visited than it did four years ago, almost entirely because the dollar was stronger.

Question 4: What’s the next big trip for you and how are you doing it on the cheap?

I took my family to southeast Asia last summer, moving around as backpackers for three weeks, and it wasn’t hard to do it on the cheap there. Our budget was $150 a day and for that we really lived it up in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Nice hotels, three daily restaurant meals, frequent massages, etc. In the near future though I’m doing a lot of writing trips for articles, things where it’s not all on my dime. I’m doing a biking trip in Portugal in May though and am curious to see how prices there are looking during the ongoing crisis.

In the summer I’m moving back to Guanajuato, Mexico with my family though for two years and will be doing most of my travel the second half of the year there and in other spots in Latin America. I find Mexico quite affordable if you are in the interior rather than at the vacation resort areas.

I’ll probably get to Ecuador, which is another place you don’t have to try very hard to travel on the cheap. And oddly enough, they even use the U.S. dollar.

Sounds fantastic. Thanks for stopping by, Tim, and good luck with all your upcoming travels!

The post 4 Cheapo Questions for Tim Leffel of Perceptive Travel appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But what we really love are lists. Big honking end-of-the-year recapapaloozas that rehash what we learned in the past 12 months and what we’re hoping for in the year ahead.

So we thought we’d reach out to our travel industry friends to ask them what they learned about travel in 2012, and to see if they had any tips for traveling in the coming year. Here’s what they told us:

Choosing a destination

“You really can have fun anywhere. I went to some awesome places this year—Dubai and Oman come to mind—but one of my best memories from the road in 2012 was having a steak dinner in Bentonville, Arkansas. It’s definitely not the most glamorous destination, but the trip reminded me that travel’s about the experience not the passport stamp.”

Paul Brady is an editor at Huffington Post Travel, and he really, really loves Uruguay. Keep up with him on Tumblr.

“I didn’t need to hire a security detail to safely visit Afghanistan”

Matthew Klint has traveled over 200,000 miles and visited over 90 countries the last five years. He writes for UPGRD.com and has been featured in the New York Times, USA Today and on NPR.

Terri Fogarty is ready to go to Wales. Above, Beddgelert, North Wales. Photo: A Roger Davies

“In my mind the must visit destination is always Paris… but if you are looking for something different, then go to Wales.  It is beautiful, easy to get to and the people are very friendly.”

Terri Fogarty is the Co-founder of EuropeUpClose, written by Europe travelers for Europe Lovers. You can reach her on twitter @europeupclose

“Tourist infrastructure is expanding very quickly right now in Haiti. There are new hotels and exciting initiatives in the works, with a very dynamic young tourism minister directing traffic. Bradt has just published a Haiti guide by Paul Clammer, which should get more people excited about the country.”

Alex Robertson Textor is a London-based travel writer and editor with a developing interest in destination branding. He endorses local culture, independent travel, modern design, and good food with unbridled enthusiasm. Follow him on Twitter @textorian

“I don’t think countries currently in turmoil in North Africa or the Middle East are going to be truly ready for floods of tourists by the end of 2013, but I’d like for travelers to be poised to visit as soon as they are ready. There’s nothing like an influx of tourism money to help rebuild a place, not to mention the ‘humanizing the unfamiliar’ factor, which is always a huge bonus.”

Jessica Spiegel is a freelance travel writer, social media consultant, and TBEX Community Manager with a soft spot for Sazeracs, footy, anything Italy-related, and cities with bad reputations. Read more at JessicaTravels.com.

“Avoid Vegas.”

Paul Bennett is the Founder of Context Travel, a network of scholars and specialists who lead walking seminars for small groups in Europe, Asia and N. America.

Taking a reading break at Shakespeare & Co. in Paris. Photo: Dhammaza

Slowing down

“Try and build some spare downtime days into a trip. Plan it so that you’re doing something big every day and you’ll end up resenting it. The ‘mooch around, do some laundry, sit in a park and read a book day’ is a key part of making the ‘all-action, world class experiences’ day special.”

David Whitley is a UK-based travel journalist who has written for the National Geographic Traveller, the Guardian, Telegraph, Independent and the Sunday Times. Follow him on Twitter @mrdavidwhitley.

“Stop worrying, just travel. Whether I’ve been traveling as a blogger or for my day job, I have the bad habit of being ‘on’ constantly. Interviewing people, taking cards and information, looking for a deeper story. When I went on my honeymoon in September, my husband made it clear that there would be none of that happening in New Zealand. It was a valuable lesson in just being in that place at that time without worrying about a story.”

Annemarie Dooling is the Senior Community Editor at The Huffington Post and blogs her tales of travel and personal growth at frillseekerdiary.com. 

“There were a few [things I learned this year]: that the profession of ‘travel writer’ probably won’t exist by the time I’m a grandpa age; that I really prefer traveling alone; that I’m glad I don’t give a [expletive] about—or really have much of an opinion about—’brands’ like hotels and such but that the destination and people in that destination make the story; and that I’m afraid of elephants.”

David Farley is the author of “An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church’s Strangest Relic in Italy’s Oddest Town” and Contributing Editor at AFAR magazine. Read his personal blog at www.dfarley.com.

“A sense of urgency when booking is not always needed. I mean, round-trip fares to Hawaii from the East Coast have been below $500 since the end of summer (which is, frankly, insane). While you do sometimes have to ‘ACT NOW!’ on a deal, you can often find airfare sales lingering for a stretch.”

Mike Barish is the Executive Editor of ShermansTravel.com and a fine teller of jokes. Follow him on Twitter @mikebarish.

“Once you reach 30, the weekend trip to Europe is much harder than you think it is. Also, second visits can be much more rewarding than first visits.”

Grant Martin is the editor in chief of Gadling.com. Specializing in consumer travel, the airline industry and logistics, his travels have taken him far and wide around the world and he now contributes to Gadling from Chicago. Follow him on Twitter @grantkmartin.

Better let the cat out of the bag. Photo: Kishimoto

Packing

“I am evermore enamored with Ziploc bags when I realized how great they are for consolidating (and shrinking my packing). I’ve started leaving them in my suitcases so they’re readily available for socks, bathing suits and even workout gear.”

Suzanne Russo is EuroCheapo’s Listings Editor and frequently blogs for our guide to NYC. She’s also a freelance writer, director of the San Francisco-sponsored, New York literary pub crawl, Lit Crawl, and constant wanderer.

“Always carry an antibiotic. I was just sick in Panama and couldn’t get one without going to a doctor.”

Johnny Jet travels over 150,000 miles and visits 20 countries each year. He and his website have been featured in the USA Today, The New York Times and other publications and he recently hosted “Hot Spots 2012” on the Travel Channel.

“Pack light and take only cabin luggage. Not only do you save a small fortune from not paying the airlines’ checked bag fees, but you also reduce your check-in time (most often just check-in online) and you also remove the stress and the time wasting of having to wait for your luggage after the flight.”

Martino Matijevic is the Founder and CEO of WhichBudget.com, a flight search engine based in Nice, France, and can be followed on Twitter @whichbudget.

Travel agents, like this woman in Botswana, still come in handy. Photo: Andrew Ashton

Preparing for a trip

“There’s still place in this world for decent travel agents. Trying to independently sort flights, transfers and hotels can take up a lot of time, and travel agents have access to clever systems that can often do all this stuff for less than you would pay for separate online bookings.”

Laura Porter is the About.com London Guide and can be followed on Twitter @AboutLondon.

“Learn how to count in the local language! It makes it much easier to purchase things like food and drink, and the locals are often friendlier and more willing to help if you can show a willingness to speak their language, no matter how rusty you are!”

Ian Cumming is the Co-Founder of Travel Massive, the biggest travel industry meetup in the world. Learn more about him at AussieIan.net.

“Ask for details about ‘free Wi-Fi.’ My wife and I stayed in an apartment where the Wi-Fi signal barely reached us from a router across the street.”

Durant Imboden is the founder of EuropeForVisitors.com, a resource for unbiased information about European travel and cruising.

“[Take] a class. I like to incorporate travel with classes in general, which gives an energetic sense of purpose in a place, and an immediate social outlet if traveling alone. Me? I want to take harmonica or dulcimer lessons in Appalachia, like the Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.”

Robert Reid is the US Travel Editor at Lonely Planet and can be followed on Twitter @reidontravel.

Ask for a hand. Photo: Niiicedave

Flying

“Forcing the TSA to give you a hand pat-down is not only your legal right, but it’s also a fun way to get back at them for all the indignities they cause you. Under certain circumstances, it’s also a decent surrogate for a sex life.”

Jason Cochran has worked at Budget Travel, AOL, and the New York Post and was awarded Guidebook of the Year by the Lowell Thomas Awards. Read more at www.jasoncochran.com.

“Always make sure you have a few films downloaded to your iPad for when the inflight entertainment conks out, there is nothing available that your kids understand or there isn’t anything good on.”

Sam Daams founded the independent travel community Travellerspoint, along with his brother Peter. Follow Sam on Twitter @samdaams.

“Flying business or first class is better than flying coach, but all business/first class isn’t created equal. Save your pennies, miles, or upgrade credit for when it really counts—and that’s not a couple hour flight up and down the coast.”

Mary Jo Manzanares is the Conference Director of TBEX. Follow her on Twitter @MJManzanares.

On the rails

“I didn’t know about this because I often wait to finalize my travel plans until right before departure, but Czech Railways offers significant discounts — about 25% off — if you buy tickets at least three days in advance. For a quick $50, I think I can get organized.”

Evan Rail is a frequent contributor to the travel section of The New Times and the author of two Kindle Singles, “Why Beer Matters” and “In Praise of Hangovers.” He lives in Prague.

Paris is more fun with the kids. Photo: Pilgrimgirl

Family on the road

“Travel more with family. I often times travel for work and that means solo. I’d like to get my wife, son and newborn (due in May) on a few trips. With two kids that might mean day trips to the Jersey Shore or Long Island.”

Andrew Hickey is the former Brooklyn Nomad, current social media manager at G Adventures and all around nice guy. Follow him on Twitter @andrewmhickey.

“My wife and I just had identical twin daughters a few weeks ago.  I am a father with three kids under the age of three. With that in mind, my travel resolution for 2013 is to spend at least six months out of the country.”

Sean Keener is the founder and CEO of Bootsnall.com, the one-stop indie travel guide.

Sleep deprivation

“The best travel lesson I learned in 2012 is that against my better judgement, I actually do need sleep!”

Lee Abbamonte is the youngest American to visit every country in the world. He is a travel writer who appears regularly on TV, web and the radio and can be followed on Twitter @leeabbamonte.

“However hard I try to stop it, I will always be one of life’s very grumpy victims of jetlag. Stop fighting it and just let it be.”

Kevin May is the Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of Tnooz, a global provider of news and analysis for the travel industry.

Looking down over Croatia. Photo: AliSmiles

Just go

“I’m going to return to my expat mode, and enjoy staying still for the first part of the year. Living in a foreign country offers a wonderful balance between discovering new customs and cultures, while still maintaining a sense of stability.”

David Lee is the Founder and Editor in Chief of GoBackpacking.com, an online guide to independent travel.

“Since it’s been a year and a half since I last left the United States, my travel resolution for the new year is to use my passport.”

Brendan Linard is an intern at djddz.com and for some reason an avid fan of the Golden State Warriors.

“Take my work to another city. I’d like to move to another city – whether it’s somewhere complementary to New York like (San Francisco), or a completely differently lifestyle (like Spain), and essentially keep doing the work I do. I just need a break from New York!”

Alisha Miranda is a Digital Content & PR Consultant based out of New York City. You can read her travel tips on Tumblr and follow her on Twitter @makeshiftalisha.

“Instagram is fun, but if I’m uploading photos of my cats, I’m not traveling. I need to be more familiar with ‘Valencia’ the city than the filter.”

Tom Meyers is the editor of djddz.com.

What did you learn?

Share your travel lessons from 2012 and resolutions for the new year in our comments section.

The post What We Learned About Traveling in 2012: Tips from writers around the Web appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

If your answer is “well, I’m not sure just yet” and you’re wondering if a spontaneous getaway could still be in the cards, we’re right there with you. We’ve been madly searching through our 10 most popular cities on EuroCheapo to see if any still have reasonable rates and the results are fascinating.

But first, our methodology and a necessary disclaimer:

To trying to establish where the deals are, we used EuroCheapo’s hotel search engine to compare “normal” hotel rates for this time of year (i.e., winter), with hotel rates for one night in a double room on New Year’s Eve.

Specifically, we wanted to know whether room availability plummeted in each city on New Year’s Eve and by what amount, how much availability remained in our two main cheapo price categories (under $100 and $100 – $200), and whether the hotels that do have availability for New Year’s Eve are centrally located.

That said, in general we consider “cheap” rates to hover around $75 – $100 / night. But New Year’s Eve gets special treatment and expands our definition a bit and we’re considering centrally located hotels for less than $200 to warrant a look.

So where are the deals? Read on…

Amsterdam

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Getting, um, “festive” at Dam Square‘s beer tents. For a calmer scene to view the fireworks, pick a bridge over one of the city’s many canals.

Typical hotel availability: 324 hotels; 229 for under $100; 201 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 39 hotels (12% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 8 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: No deal. With only 12% of the normal hotel inventory available on New Year’s, the hotel options are sparse and are primarily located far from the action.

Barcelona

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Stuffing grapes into your mouth on Las Ramblas as the clock strikes midnight.

Typical hotel availability: 561 hotels; 500 for under $100; 239 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 242 hotels available (43% of normal availability); 15 for under $100; 180 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: Deal. No stranger to offering travelers low rates all year long, Barcelona still has plenty of rooms for budget travelers on New Year’s Eve. We recommend the Hosteria Grau in El Raval, where rooms are $170.

Berlin

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Germany’s biggest party, between the Victory Column and Brandenburg Gate, attracts more than a million visitors. Yowza.

Typical hotel availability: 605 hotels; 509 for under $100; 237 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 40 hotels available (7% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 13 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal? This is a toss up. Everyone seems to want to be in Berlin for New Year’s Eve – and we don’t blame them! – but this really drives down hotel availability. However, of the limited number of hotels that are available for under $200, several of them are in Kreuzberg and other fun neighborhoods, which sounds like a great place to be. So, okay…DEAL!

Florence

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Line the banks of the Arno to take in the city’s fireworks display.

Typical hotel availability: 461 hotels; 327 under $100; 296 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 76 hotels available (16% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 11 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: No deal, since nearly all available hotels are located outside the center of town. But again, one small exception: the Hotel Globus, which is one of our Florentine faves, is available for $234 on New Year’s Eve. Sure, that ain’t super cheapo, but it’s the best deal in the city on New Year’s Eve.

London

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Catch the royally impressive fireworks display at the London Eye on the South Bank.

Typical hotel availability: 714 hotels; 90 for under $100; 596 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 206 hotels available (29% of normal availability); 1 under $100; 28 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: No deal. Sure, there are a couple dozen hotels that can be snagged for under $200, but nearly all of them are located on the outskirts of the city. This would make getting around town after midnight a frustrating (and pricey) experience for even the most patient Cheapo.

Madrid

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Once again, stuffing your mouth with grapes (it’s just a thing in Spain).

Typical hotel availability: 451 hotels; 407 for under $100; 169 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 261 hotels available (58% of normal availability); 93 for under $100; 173 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal? Deal, deal, DEAL! There are tons of fantastic budget gems available in Madrid on New Year’s Eve. Have a look at the Cason del Tormes in the The Puerta del Sol where rooms start at $120.

New York

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Ryan Seacrest. Times Square. Laughably humungous crowds.

Typical hotel availability: 232 hotels; 2 for under $100; 77 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 23 hotels available (10% of normal availability); 24 hotels available; 0 for under $100; 0 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: Seriously? Let’s put it this way: An 3-star hotel in the Lower East Side (that shall not be named) that is usually $88 / night is charging $348 / night. And that’s the best deal we can find.

Paris

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Watching fireworks sparkle around the Eiffel Tower.

Typical hotel availability: 1,035 hotels; 153 for under $100; 930 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 233 available (22.5% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 16 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal? Deal. Sure, the number of available hotels shrinks dramatically on New Year’s, but there are still more than a dozen to choose from in central Paris for less than $200.

Rome

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Huge crowds, live music, fireworks and parties throughout the city, centered in Piazza del Popolo and near the Colosseum on Via dei Fori Imperiali.

Typical hotel availability: 1,068 hotels; 709 for under $100; 566 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 484 hotels available (45% of normal availability); 9 for under $100; 203 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: Deal. Rome’s hotel inventory is much less jarringly affected by New Year’s Eve rate spikes, compared to many of our other popular cities. Want to be a stone’s throw from the Colosseum and be in the center of the action? Have a look at the Hotel Paba, which still has rates for $198 on New Year’s Eve.

Venice

Iconic New Year’s celebration: Music and fireworks in St. Mark’s Square, then join locals to watch the sunrise and take a dip at Lido Beach.

Typical hotel availability: 325 hotels; 259 for under $100; 164 for $100 – $200
New Year’s Eve availability: 42 hotels available (13% of normal availability); 0 for under $100; 2 for $100 – $200

Deal or no deal: No deal. But there’s a hitch: one of the two available hotels for less than $200 is the Locanda SS. Giovanni e Paolo (say that three times fast), which is one of our Editor’s Picks, housed in an 18th century palazzo and has rooms for $183 on New Year’s Eve.

Where will you be for New Year’s Eve, Cheapos?

Let us know your plans! Tell us where you’ll be and what you’re up to!

The post Deal or No Deal: Cities that still have hotel deals for New Year’s Eve appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But we do have four or five days that are wide open and free for a quick jaunt elsewhere. So we turned to one of our new favorite flight search sites, Dohop.com, to see what the options were on Saturday, January 5th in the land of low-cost carriers. Ideally we’d like to pay well under $100 to head to either Rome, Berlin or Barcelona.

After a few searches, we had a winner: $60 for a one-way ticket on Ryanair from Paris (BVA) to Rome (CIA), a full 45% cheaper than the next cheapest price on easyJet. Seems awfully good, right?

Well, here’s where things unwind a bit.

To pass "security," watch this quick advertisement from FedEx. Grrrrrr....

Please just show me the price

Ryanair is a little touchy when it comes to showing their fares and routes on other flight search sites. While they appear in Dohop’s search results, clicking the “Go” button doesn’t link directly to the same result on Ryanair’s site, which would let you book the flight and move on with your day.

Instead, Ryanair requires partner search engines like Dohop, Kayak and Skyscanner to link to Ryanair’s homepage and then travelers must re-enter their search dates.

Okay, not a huge deal.

But before doing a search, you have to agree to Ryanair’s terms and conditions. Just to see that route and price you already saw elsewhere.

Okay, whatever.

But after agreeing to the terms, you have to first complete a “Security check” that grants you permission to use the site (funny, we thought agreeing to the terms granted us permission to use the site).

But click wisely, dear Cheapos, for this Security Check is also an advertisement and will quickly shoot you elsewhere if you click on its image. In my case, it was a giant kangaroo prompting me for a “hopping good” deal on cable TV services. When we stopped back the next day, the ad was for FedEx.

(Spoiler alert! The “security password” is “Ship with FedEx.” Are they going to send TSA after us?)

We entered the advertisement’s security words, but were told we made an error and included the wrong information. We were presented with a new Security Check and a more standard reCAPTCHA form to try again, but then received a 500 server message.

"€51.99" for the evening flight from Paris to Rome.

Getting a little bummed out.

We then clicked back to the homepage, re-entered our search for the third time, and—success!—saw our chosen route and rates.

Finally there it was: €51.99 to go from Paris to Rome. Not bad. Right? (We’ll dismiss the slight difference between $60 and €51.99, which is currently $68, as a currency exchange oddity.)

Too bad we’re not able to take the morning flight for €34.99.

Please just let me figure out how much this is “really” going to cost

Now the fun part: the small print.

Reading Ryanair’s fare details on their website, it shows a €6 web check-in fee. Can I get around the fee by checking in at the airport? Of course not. All travelers are required to check in via the web. And if you booked your flight through a call center or at the airport, you’ll need to pay €12 to check in.

What if you arrive at the airport having forgotten to check in online? [insert sinister laughter from Ryanair here] No problem! If there’s time to re-issue an “alternative form of Boarding Pass” Ryanair will do so, but you’ll be charged a Boarding Pass re-issue fee at the rate set in their Consolidation Table of Fees.

According to this chart, there is no re-issue fee if you booked via Ryanair.com. Ok, that’s nice. However, if you booked through a call center or at the airport, you’re getting charged €60. Not so nice.

Here’s a quick run down of the other charges you can expect, courtesy of the Consolidation Table of Fees and based on booking through Ryanair’s website:

• Booked with a credit card: 3% of total transaction value

• Priority boarding fee: €5

• Reserved seats: €10 (but higher on certain routes)

• Musical instrument: €50

• Flight change fees: €30 to €60, depending on the route and whether it’s low or high season

• Carry on baggage: 1 bag for free. All other bags must be checked.

• Fee for checking 1st bag under 15 kg (33 lbs): €15 to €30, depending on the route and whether it’s low or high season

• Fee for checking 1st bag under 20 kg (44 lbs): €25 to €40, depending on the route and whether it’s low or high season

• Fee for checking 2nd bag under 15 kg (44 lbs): €35 to €50, depending on the route and whether it’s low or high season

• Excess baggage fee per kilo if you exceed the limitations set above: €20 per kilo.

So what’s it really cost?

Our trip is for one person traveling with one carry-on and one large suitcase that weighs 50 lbs. So first, the easy part: Shove at least 6 lbs of the weight from the large suitcase into the carry on. No joke – figure it out.

Bam! We just saved €54 (6 lbs = 2.72 kilos. 2.72 kilos x 20 Euros per kilo over.)

Now the rest of the tally:

$68 ticket + €25 ($32.75 USD) luggage fee + 3% transaction charge ($3.02) = $103.77. As much as we’d like to avoid doing the “Ryanair sprint” and not get the worst seat in the house, we can’t rationalize paying an extra cost just to board the plane.

And while this final price almost satisfies our original goal of keeping the flight cost below $100, we can’t help but feel a little, well, gross after going through this whole process. We’d prefer to feel inspired while we plan our trips and right now we’re just feeling kind of stressed out.

Sure, we got a decent deal on the flight, but I guess we’ll have to leave our trombone at home, dare we risk yet another fee.

Has Ryanair brought you down?

Are you down on Ryanair or do you take a different view? Maybe we’re overreacting. After all, those flights can really be cheap. Tell us what you think, Cheapos.

The post Ryanair, we love you but you’re bringing us down appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Recently the flight gurus over at Kayak.com looked into the matter. By sifting through a billion (with a “b”) flight searches from January 2011 – December 2011, they were able to draw a few conclusions.

Here’s what they found:

Domestic flights

Booking 21 days prior to departure is approximately 8% cheaper than booking six months in advance.

International flights

Booking 34 days prior to departure is approximately 4% cheaper than booking six months in advance.

Day of week

And don’t forget, according to the experts, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days of the week to snag a deal.

When do you book?

Have you found the same? Tell us about your flight booking habits in the comments section.

The post When should you book international airfare? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.