That latter stretch (shown as a solid green line on our map) skirts the south coast of Mallorca, affording good views of Cabrera along the way. Cabrera is nowadays a nature reserve, but during the Napoleonic Wars it had a terrible reputation as a prison island. Those who were sent there were condemned to live like savages on the barren terrain of Cabrera.

Map © hidden europe

Later in the journey, the ship runs up the great inlet that signals arrival in Maó. This really is the way to arrive in Menorca. It is splendid.

Exploring the Balearic Islands

We rate that Sunday journey from Palma to Maó as one of the finest short ferry routes in the Mediterranean. It is just a pity that it runs but once a week. The operator is Acciona Trasmediterranea, the leading shipping company on routes from the Spanish mainland to the Balearics and Canary Islands.

From Maó, it is possible to continue with another Acciona Trasmediterranea ship back to the mainland at Barcelona. On the Valencia to Palma and the Maó to Barcelona sections (both shown as green dashed lines on the map), sailings are several times each week. It is merely Palma to Maó that runs only weekly.

Back to the mainland

The journey we commend here (effectively from Valencia to Barcelona via the islands) is one of many creative itineraries available to travelers around the Balearic islands. Maó is a great place to stop over for a couple of nights. So we suggest taking that Saturday evening sailing from Valencia on the Albayzin which will have you in Maó by early afternoon Sunday. Then take the mid-morning boat Tuesday from Maó on to Barcelona to arrive back on the mainland that evening.

It makes a perfect 72-hour island tour, and a fine chance to relax in the middle of a longer European trip. The one-way fare for the full circuit from Valencia to Barcelona via the islands is €138.50.

Other options

Other ferry routes around and between the islands are shown on our map as dotted lines. There is another useful shipping operator apart from Acciona Trasmediterranea. That is Balearia, who use the port of Denia on the Costa Blanca as the mainland hub for their operations.

The post Valencia to Barcelona by Ferry (via Mallorca and Menorca) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

While they’re definitely worth shelling out for, there are a few different options to sift through. Here’s our Cheapo guide to choosing the Seine river cruise that’s right for you… and your budget.

Bateaux Parisiens

With departures from both Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, the Bateaux Parisiens offer the most basic of the “bateaux mouches.” With pre-recorded audioguides detailing the sights along the one-hour trip, it’s a perfectly fine and basic way to experience Paris from the water. Just be sure to go later in the evening or night when there are slightly fewer groups crowding the docks.

At just €13 (€14 from Notre Dame) and €5 euros (or €6) for children, it’s not a bad choice, even if it can feel a bit over-the-top touristy at times.

Vedettes de Pont Neuf

There’s something about having a real human commentating that makes this company seem a bit more interesting, even if the poor commentator might still not have every English conjugation under their belt. The one-hour tour offered by the Vedettes de Pont Neuf are a bit less of a cattle call than the Bateaux Parisiens and leave centrally from their dock off the Pont Neuf. While passing by all of the same monuments, the boats have the added advantage of ending up back at the Pont Neuf, smack in the center of the city.

Deals on their website might allow you to score tickets for €8 instead of the normal €13 ticket price. Pre-buy if possible!

We love the Batobus for its hop-on-hop-off service. Photo: AndyRobertsPhotos

Batobus

My pick for exploring the river, the Batobus is Paris’s water taxi, taking tourists from major attraction to major attraction. Its eight stops include the Musée d’Orsay and the Jardin des Plantes, meaning you can get off and wander a bit before hopping back on to the next dock. Or just grab a spot on the deck and watch the city go by. You can stay on all day if you want! And there’s no pesky commentary in several languages to distract you.

Tickets start at €15, but Groupon can be your friend here!

Canauxrama

While the Seine is the main aquatic thoroughfare in Paris, don’t forget the canal which runs through the east of the city, meeting the river by the Bastille neighborhood. The trendy area is worth a visit from the Canauxrama, the slow-moving cruise that passes through the old lochs and even underground, while offering commentary in several languages. Kids love watching the water rush in and out as the boats pass up and down the canal.

While canal cruises cost €16 for a 2.5 hour cruise, online tickets are reduced to €13.50. For further savings, try Groupon, which regularly discounts the boat tickets up to 50%.

Your favorite way to cruise?

Do you have a favorite way to see Paris by boat? Share your experience with us in the comments section.

The post Paris River Cruises: Which bateaux mouches is the best deal? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Time to think

We are not talking posh cruises here, but thinking rather of the regular ferries that ply the seas and inshore waters of Europe. Boats are a chance to take time out and think. We love boat trips.

It may be a simple hop on a ferry from Calais in France to Dover in England – where shipping stalwarts P&O bring cruise ship luxury to a 90-minute journey which in good weather is a sheer delight. Those famous white cliffs at Dover are quite something. (Read our previous post about P&O’s ferry service from England to France.)

Or it may be the long haul, such as the weekly voyage with the Smyril Line vessel Norröna from Denmark to Iceland. Depending on the time of year, the voyage to Iceland takes two or three days.

Shipping links

Europe is a continent that has been shaped by its maritime heritage and shipping links. Ferries are still a major component of the continent’s transport network, taking heavy freight off crowded highways and allowing discerning travelers a chance to swap the rush of modern life for a few quiet hours on board a comfortable ship.

For many island communities, of course, ferries provide lifeline links to the wider world. And, at this time of year, the weather is quick to remind us of the fragility of those links. This week, for example, shipping services from the Scottish mainland to Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides have all been heavily disrupted by storms.

Ferry schedules

Sadly, there is no comprehensive guide to Europe’s passenger shipping and ferry routes, but the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable (ERT) does cover more than just trains. Each monthly edition of this wonderful book includes details of several hundred ferry routes in European waters.

For the majority of these routes, the ERT gives the full schedules but for a few routes it is no more than a tantalizing hint of a connection. The vessels of Bumerang Shipping, the ERT advises, sail irregularly from Yalta (in the Crimea) to Novorossisk (in Russia). The timetable tracks the twice weekly sailings of Siremar to Stromboli, and it waves the flag for the Virtu catamaran to Valletta.

Back in the more familiar waters of western Europe, the ERT gives the schedules for most major ferry routes. But still there are gaps. There is simply no space to include small routes of real character. Kintyre Express runs a year-round passenger link between Campbeltown in Scotland (on the Mull of Kintyre) and Ballycastle (in Northern Ireland). This is a route to clear the head. Life jackets are compulsory as the 11-metre RIB speeds over the North Channel on its two-hour run. Not for everyone, perhaps, but it’s certainly an antidote to the deadening boredom of air travel.

A taste of the sea

On longer journeys around Europe, an overnight hop on a ferry makes perfect sense. Here is our pick of a handful of long routes that run all year round. These are all routes run by leading shipping operators with vessels that offer every possible creature comfort.

Each of these five routes feature in this month’s ERT. But they are just five of a vast range of maritime connections that help keep Europe on the move:

Oslo (Norway) to Kiel (Germany):
Every night — 20 hrs — Color Line — ERT Table 2372

Hirtshals (Denmark) to Bergen (Norway):
Thrice-weekly overnight service — 19 hrs — Fjord Line — ERT Table 2237

Rotterdam (Holland) to Hull (England):
Every night— 12 hrs — P&O — ERT Table 2245

Stockholm (Sweden) to Tallinn (Estonia):
Every night — 16 hrs — Tallink Silja — ERT Table 2475

Civitavecchia (Italy) to Barcelona (Spain):
Nightly ex Sundays — 20 hrs — Grimaldi Lines — ERT Table 2520

The post Traveling by Ferry in Europe: Down to the seas again appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

It has, in truth, been incredibly relaxing and perhaps there’s a lesson or two in here for Cheapos planning summer trips. We’ve not used a single plane on our spring tour of western and central Europe, sticking instead mainly to trains, with just the occasional journey by bus or boat thrown in for good measure.

Wander around Santa Margherita Ligure's harbor. Photo © hidden europe

Seduced by sunshine

But the secret of not merely surviving but actually enjoying such long trips has a lot to do with making the most of each overnight stay. Cast back to Palm Sunday early this month, and we experienced one of those glorious days that are just too good to be spent entirely on the move.

We left Florence shortly after midday, taking slow trains via Lucca through blossoming western Tuscany. We then tracked north up the coast, but by 3 p.m. realized that this sparkling spring Sunday was one made for lingering by the sea, so we alighted at Santa Margherita Ligure.

Santa Margherita Ligure

This is a gem of a small town, tucked into the coast of the Riviera di Levante. The previous stop on the train line up the Ligurian coast is Rapallo, which has been celebrated as the perfect Ligurian resort. Some might argue that Portofino, so very much smaller but often dreadfully overcrowded, has the edge.

A walk through town. Photo © hidden europe

While devotees of this stretch of coastline tussle over the competing merits of Rapallo and Portofino, we think the best option is Santa Margherita Ligure, which lies halfway between the two.

Exploring the area

Within 20 minutes of having alighted from the train, we had checked into the Hotel Laurin and were soaking up the Ligurian sunshine on a splendid private terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. “Life,” we thought, “doesn’t get much better than this.”

That Santa Margherita stopover was utterly memorable. We wandered around the yacht harbor, went over to Portofino by boat and returned on the local bus. We explored cliffs and coves, enjoyed a splendid dinner of local fish at Trattoria dei Pescatori and were quite sad when, just after lunch the following day, it was time to leave Santa Margherita Ligure and head north towards the Alps.

Twenty-two hours in Santa Margherita were enough to make us realize that we had stumbled upon somewhere special. We shall most certainly return.

Connections

Santa Margherita Ligure is served by direct Trenitalia InterCity trains from Genoa (35 mins), Milan (2hrs 15mins) and Pisa (2hrs). There are regular boat services linking Santa Margherita with both Rapallo and Portofino, both hops taking about 15 minutes.

Santa Margherita is also a good base for exploring the Cinque Terre coast. Local trains from Santa Margherita to the Cinque Terre villages take an hour. During the summer season there are also direct boat services from Santa Margherita Ligure to the Cinque Terre villages.

The hotel we chose at Santa Margherita, the Laurin, is a very comfortable family-run hotel on the waterfront an easy 15-minute walk from the railway station. Rooms are from €70. The Ciana family who run the Hotel Laurin are a long-established family of hoteliers. In 1897, Gaudenzio Ciana who ran a hotel in Novara moved to Santa Margherita Ligure and opened a hotel there. 115 years later, the Ciana family are still in this idyllic spot on the Ligurian coast and, as well as the Hotel Laurin, they also have a handful of other properties in and around Santa Margherita Ligure. The Hotel Laurin is marketed under the Best Western brand.

The post Ligurian Diversions: Santa Margherita Ligure appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But for many journeys by boat to and from Britain there are some credible alternatives which deserve a look. This week we explore shipping routes across the North Sea.

Dutch Flyer

Stena Line offer twice-daily sailings from Harwich to Hoek van Holland (a Dutch port that Brits still colloquially refer to as “The Hook”). One of the two services is by day, the other an overnight crossing. The ferry terminals at either end of this shipping route are well served by trains, so this makes an excellent rail-sea route linking London with Amsterdam, Rotterdam and northern Germany.

A Dutch Flyer ticket from just £39 allows you to travel from London Liverpool Street (or more than 160 other train stations in eastern England) to anywhere in the Netherlands. The fare covers the rail journey to Harwich, the 7- to 8-hour journey on the ship and then the onward train ride from Hoek van Holland to any train station on the Dutch network.

This really can be tremendous value. Rail fares in the Netherlands can be pricey, but with the Dutch Flyer ticket you effectively get onward travel within the Netherlands at no extra cost. Travelers using the overnight ferry option will need to pay a modest supplement for cabin accommodation.

Directly to Denmark

A prime choice for travelers bound for Scandinavia or the Baltic region is the DFDS service from Harwich to Esbjerg. The 18- to 19-hour crossing is a real chance to relax. Fast trains to Harwich from London connect with the late afternoon departure of the ship. From Esbjerg there are convenient same-day train connections on to Copenhagen and Hamburg.

One-way fares for the ship start at £49.

By ship from northern England

If you are based in Scotland or northern England, it is a long haul down to Harwich to catch a boat across the North Sea. But there are three long-established daily shipping routes direct from the North to the continent. All three are overnight services.

They are:

1. With DFDS at 5 p.m. every afternoon from Newcastle (North Shields) to Ijmuiden on the Dutch coast. DFDS lay on a connecting coach service which will speed you from Ijmuiden to the middle of Amsterdam.

2. A 6:30 p.m. P&O Ferries ship from Hull to Zeebrugge in Belgium, perfectly placed for access to Flanders. A bus collects foot-passengers from the ship in Zeebrugge for a shuttle transfer to Bruges railway station.

3. A second P&O Ferries daily departure from Hull, this one at 9 p.m. bound for Europoort in Holland. P&O offer real cruise-ferry luxury on this route. This route offers a choice of onward bus connections from the Dutch port of disembarkation: a direct express coach to Rotterdam and one to Amsterdam.  You can link onto the Dutch rail network in both cities with same-day onward connections to destinations across central Europe.

Our view is that these North Sea shipping routes offer an imaginative way to make journeys from many parts of Britain to the eastern Alps, the Rhine Valley, central European capitals and much of eastern Europe. They are all certainly a lot more fun than shuffling through long lines at airport security.

The post From Britain to the Continent: North Sea Ferries appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

1. St. Peter Line to Russia

The news last week that over 60 ships were trapped in thick ice in the Baltic for some days is probably no great incentive to go and book some ferry trips. But Baltic spring ice does melt–eventually–and this year sees some interesting new options for Baltic travel by ship.

Cypriot-owned St. Peter Line last year launched a thrice-weekly service from Helsinki to St. Petersburg and back. And next month the company expands its offering with twice-weekly sailings from Stockholm to St. Petersburg (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) and a weekly departure from Tallinn to St. Petersburg (on Sundays).

2. Brittany Ferries to Bilbao

French operator Brittany Ferries has long been one of the most adventurous operators in the Western Channel with a raft of routes linking England and Ireland with northwest France. Later this month, the company opens a new service from Portsmouth to Bilbao in Spain, so reviving a long established ferry connection that abruptly disappeared when P&O pulled off the route last September.

Last Saturday, Brittany Ferries also reinstated its Poole to Cherbourg service. This is a very useful short link from England’s south coast to Normandy’s Cotentin peninsula. At the moment, Brittany advertise sailings just to October, so the long-term future of the route is still in doubt.

3. Maltese Connections

Virtu Ferries are one of several operators serving the Maltese market. The company had a welcome dose of free publicity in late February as Virtu’s smart white catamarans were featured on many news reports as the vessels evacuating foreign workers from Libyan ports. Virtu operates a year-round fast-ferry link between Pozzallo in Sicily and Malta. This year the company will also offer a Saturday catamaran service from Catania to Malta, starting on May 7, 2011.

Virtu’s latest Australian-built catamaran hit the headlines in September 2010 when it encountered Somali pirates on its delivery voyage to Malta. Virtu prides itself on speed, and reports say that the pirates were easily outpaced.

4. Scotland-Northern Ireland: Kintyre Express

Not for many years has there been any direct ferry link across the North Channel between the Mull of Kintyre (in western Scotland) and Northern Ireland. The last operator to offer a service was the splendidly named Argyll & Antrim Steam Packet Company which turned out to have rather flaky finances, and the service stopped in 2000.

Now Kintyre Express will fill the gap with a new fast passenger ferry from Campbeltown to Ballycastle. Services start on May 27, 2011. The route will be operated by fast RIBs with a heated cabin, so the 90-minute crossing is surely going to be a whole lot more fun than the average ferry journey. We reserve judgment on whether this is an inspired idea by Colin Craig, the man behind Kintyre Express, or whether perhaps it might be the balmiest idea in the history of European ferry transport.

We hope it is a great success, but Kintyre Express really needs to get its act together in terms of publicity and having a functioning online booking system on its website. This new ferry link creates a raft of new travel opportunities allowing visitors to Kintyre and Islay to make an easy hop over to the most beautiful part of the coast of Northern Ireland. The Antrim Glens and the Giant’s Causeway are both within easy reach of the Ballycastle ferry terminal.

The post European Ferries: 4 interesting new options for 2011 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Despite all of the stereotypes, from an historical perspective, Sweden was not a hotbed for Viking activity. During the Viking Age, the majority of the Swedish population stayed home and farmed. Of course, there were still excursions, many heading east towards Russia instead of west towards what are now Ireland and the United Kingdom.

However, remains of the Viking past can still be found throughout certain areas of Sweden, and a few places just outside of Stockholm make for great day trips.

Birka

One of these is the island town of Birka. A two-hour boat trip leaving from Stockholm’s City Hall (Stadshuset) leaves daily during the summer. The boat trip itself is worth taking, as you wind through Lake Mälaren. Along the way, guides—usually dressed in traditional Viking garments—give a historical look at the Viking Age, the areas surrounding Stockholm, and of course Birka.

The island’s history

Birka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, tends to be described as the first town to be founded in Sweden, around the mid-800’s. It was short-lived, however, being inhabited for only about 15 to 20 years before the Vikings moved on. That means that no one has been living there for well over a millennium, and that very few visible archeological markers (including houses) exist. This is mostly because Birka’s buildings were made of wood, and wood has a hard time withstanding the harsh Swedish winters for 1,200 years.

Though no historical buildings exist, there is now a small museum as well as several models of Viking-style buildings which are fun to wander though. But it is the Viking burial ground that really stands out. The Vikings created large burial mounds for their dead. On Birka, these mounds can still be seen protruding from the ground throughout the island.

Free tours

Free guided tours are offered, usually given by an off-duty archeologist, and are a great way to learn more about the Viking history, as well as the community on Birka. The tour ends on top of the highest hill. The strategic importance of the island becomes obvious as you look out at Lake Mälaren and its islands.

Because of Sweden’s Right to Public Access law, visitors are allowed to wander all around the island. This provides a wonderful opportunity to picnic. If you do decide to wander, be sure to close all gates behind you. There are sheep on the island, and while some wander free, others are kept in large fields.

Admission and transportation

Adults will pay about 295 SEK for the boat ride to and from Birka. That includes admission to the museum and archeological site. Boats leave twice a day from Stockholm and return twice a day from Birka. Make sure to catch that last boat or you might end up stuck on the island. For more information on the activities on the island during the summer check out the Swedish National Heritage Board Web site.

The post Stockholm Day Trips: Viking history at Birka Island appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Here are three canal cruising options for Amsterdam:

Canal Bus: Hop-on, hop-off cruise

Amsterdam offers various cruise options for tourists, but Canal Bus stands out for its numerous benefits. This company offers canal cruises on three select routes, and passengers can hop on and off the boats at any of the 14 boat stops for the duration of the day. Because a number of popular attractions and shopping areas are scattered along these routes, it can be a rather scenic way of exploring Amsterdam’s most famous sights.

To get cruising, buy a Canal Bus day pass. The day pass will cost a not-so-Cheapo €20 for adults, €10 for children between 5-12, and €15 per person in a group of ten people or more (children under four get free admission). Tickets are 10% cheaper if purchased online in advance.

If you purchase the I amsterdam card, which offers free admission to a wide variety of museums (including the Hermitage, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Amsterdams Historisch Museum) and provides free unlimited public transportation, you’ll receive a 25% discount for Canal Bus passes.

Look for Canal Bus ticket shops at major tourist spots, including Central Station, Rijksmuseum, Leidseplein, Anne Frank House, the Amsterdam Tourist Information Offices, and the NZ Hollands Koffiehuis. Furthermore, you can also buy these passes at most hotels. The Canal Bus office is located at Weteringschans 26-1 hoog, and is open 8:30 AM – 6 PM.

Cheaper options: Blue Boat Company

If you prefer a traditional cruise tour to the hop-on, hop-off option, the City Canal Cruise operated by the Blue Boat Company is the cheapest choice. For €12, you’ll get a 75-minute journey along Amsterdam’s canals, complete with audio commentary.

As an added bonus, the canal cruise is free with the purchase of the I amsterdam card. Tickets are available at the boat docks, or online.

Holland International’s “Highlights” Cruise

Like the City Canal Cruise, Holland International’s 100 Highlights Cruise sails past many of the city’s most famous sites, including churches and merchants’ houses. Holland International’s one-hour cruise costs €12.50, and is also free with the i Amsterdam card.

The post Amsterdam: Canal cruise options appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The all-volunteer boathouse has been getting New Yorkers (and visitors) into the Hudson for 10 years, and an estimated 250,000 kayak trips have been enjoyed so far. The group provides several programs: kayaking lessons, three-hour kayak adventures up the Hudson, harbor tours, and the popular “walk-up kayaking.”

Free Walk-Up Kayaking

Between May and October each year, the group offers its free walk-up kayaking program. It’s simple: walk up to any of the group’s three boathouses, sign a liability waiver, put on a life jacket, and grab a kayak and paddle. You’re restricted to paddling inside the protected waters surrounding the boathouse (so lay aside your plans to head for Lady Liberty). The staff keeps a watchful eye on the kayakers.

Rules: Anyone who can swim is permitted to kayak. Children between 16-18 years may take a kayak out on their own, if a parent or guardian is present at the boathouse. Children younger than 16 may go out, but must be accompanied by an adult in a double-kayak.

Boathouse locations and hours

The Downtown Boathouse has three locations, each with their own hours:

Pier 40 at Houston Street and the Hudson River — 9 AM to 6 PM, weekends and holidays.

Pier 96 at 56th Street and the Hudson River — 9 AM to 6 PM, weekends and holidays. Also open weekday nights from 5 PM to 7 PM, June 16 through August 29.

72nd Street and the Hudson River — 10 AM to 5 PM, weekends and holidays.

For more information, visit the New York City Downtown Boathouse’s website.

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The liner is not only a service to tourists but also another means of transport for locals of both cities as well as business people who would like to try an alternative to trains and cars. Ship passengers don’t have to worry about parking spaces or grumpy cab drivers—the liner takes passengers from city center to city center. Plus, the murky waters of the famous Danube afford great views along the way.

The cheapest one-way ticket costs €15 on weekdays and goes up to €17 on weekends and holidays. Kids up to two years old travel for free, and there’s a 50% reduction for children under 12. Twin City Line is also wheelchair-accessible and accepts dogs and bikes.

For the month of April, 2007, the line is offering a child-free-with-parent special. The offer is valid for all routes but can only be reserved by telephone: +43 1-588-80. For more information, please email twincityliner@ddsg-blue-danube.at.

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