U.S. carriers have already begun applying for safety dispensations, and the industry, along with electronics manufacturers, are pushing for action on the matter prior to the upcoming holiday travel season.

Checking Facebook on Norwegian. Photo: kkoukopoulos

What about European low-cost carriers?

These U.S. research findings are likely to influence carriers around the globe, including European airlines. While the continent lags behind its North American counterparts in offering in-flight Wi-Fi services for passengers, this change may provide just the boost needed for airlines to consider offering or upgrading on-board internet service. Currently the only European low-cost airline I am aware of offering broadband connections for mobile users in-flight is Norwegian – which it does for free!

The BBC reports that EU countries are in the process of legislating changes allowing for satellite access to faster internet service for airline passengers, which may improve on-board connectivity as soon as 2014.

The in-air use of cellular phones for calling, still largely an unpopular idea with air travelers, is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and will not be affected by the aforementioned change. EU fliers are already allowed to make mobile calls in-flight if their carrier has appropriately outfitted their planes for the service; one of the few airlines to have done so (and charging a premium for it) is Ryanair.

Yet if, as the BBC projects, internet streaming both increases in popularity and speeds up dramatically, the use of VoIP services such as Skype may circumvent current regulations and unleash across the friendly skies a new wave of anger over appropriate airborne telephone etiquette.

The post Will European budget airlines be affected by FAA changes on personal electronic devices? appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

In addition to the more common free newspapers handed out on the tube, Cheapos can now get their hands on all sorts of other literature without spending a penny. It’s common knowledge for Londoners, but visitors to the city are often none the wiser. So here’s a quick run down of the city’s free publications available to you:

Daily Newspapers

Metro and City AM are free morning newspapers handed out at Tube stations from Monday to Friday. Metro is available nationwide, while City AM is London only and has more of a financial and city focus.

The Evening Standard accompanies most Londoners home in the evenings and is handed out at tube stations from 4 pm, Monday to Friday. Look out for the ES Magazine, which comes with the paper on a Friday and contains lots of London-centric weekend lifestyle reading.

Magazines

Tuesday: Time Out

The absolute staple for Londoners, Time Out has been going since 1968 and its success has been such that you can now find it in other destinations such as New York, Barcelona and Melbourne. It started out life as a paid for publication, but in September 2012 became free. A bitter sign of the times for the publishing industry, but on the plus side – great news for Cheapos!

The magazine is totally London-centric, including everything from features with musicians, book reviews, neighborhood focuses and, of course, extensive entertainment listings for the week ahead. Pick one up at tube and rail stations in zones 1 and 2 on Tuesday mornings, or at museums, cinemas and theaters across the city – see a full list of distribution points here.

Wednesday: Stylist

One for the ladies – Stylist is the hugely successful younger sister to Shortlist Magazine (see below). Distributed at tube stations on Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings, pick up a copy to get your weekly fill of beauty, fashion, travel and lifestyle news for free.

Thursday: Shortlist

The original publication from award-winning publisher Shortlist Media, this weekly mag is aimed at a predominantly male audience, with the latest gadgets, health, tech, sport, fashion and grooming advice, but the excellent journalism and quirky features make it a good read for women as well. Pick up your copy on Thursday mornings at tube stations.

Friday: Sport

Sport-lovers can get their fill of news, interviews and analysis, as well as a look at upcoming events with this free sport-themed publication. Distributed at tube stations every Friday morning, it’s an informative and lighthearted read to welcome in the weekend.

Monthly magazines

Escapism

A relatively new kid on the block, Escapism is the UK’s first free glossy travel magazine and it’s doing a good job of rivaling the more established paid-for titles. While the content mainly serves as inspiration for your next trip, UK-based exhibitions and news are also featured in the magazine and accompanying website. The features are well written and the photography is great; a nice little pick-me-up on a drizzly London morning. Find Escapism at most zone 1 and 2 tube stations, as well as at UK airports and Eurostar terminals on the first Wednesday of every month.

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No surprise, then, that many Europeans develop a certain geographical myopia. Look beyond the capital cities and — particularly as you move away from Europe’s Atlantic littoral — the gap between Europe and the New World becomes a veritable chasm.

The United States in the European imagination

North America is the terrain of movies. The real America, the communities beyond the cinema screen and the newsreels, hardly feature in the imagination of many Europeans and, insofar as they do, they seem rather scary places — we remember Columbine and Sandy Hook. The U.S. is a far-off land and one that many of us who live in Europe feel uneasy about.

In most European countries, Guantanamo certainly gets more publicity than the entire state of California. Many Europeans would just not know who Harry Reid or Joe Biden are. But we all know who Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning are, and chances are that Europeans you’ll run into on your travels will regard both men with a certain awe for their courage and determination. That’s not to say we totally endorse what they have done, but their audacity in confronting totalitarian tendencies commands respect.

Travel with an open mind

The beauty of travel is that, for those who dare, it is a chance to meet people who think differently. Very differently. It turns one’s mindset inside out and gives it a thorough shakedown. Travel is a chance to confront the demons that frame our everyday life. We meet people whose take on the world is diametrically opposed to our own.

Only a small percentage of the residents of central and eastern Europe have ever crossed the Atlantic to visit the US. Those that have are invariably surprised to discover that the US is full of interesting landscapes populated in the main by mellow and interesting people.

Disconnect from everyday life

The trick of course is to leave your prejudices at home, but it takes something more. Discovery is about stepping out of your lifeworld and escaping from the frame of reference that shapes your thinking back home — escaping even from the web, social media and your regular news channels.

The choice that confronts travellers is stark. The connectivity and immersion in the web that gives texture to your everyday life might be the biggest barrier to appreciating the communities you visit. At one level, travel has never been easier. But real travel has never been harder.

The post Confronting Demons: Why Real Travel has Become More Difficult appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

This weekend’s New York Times features an excellent round-up of last-minute advice for would-be Olympic attendees, including some thoughts on hotels provided by EuroCheapo! The piece, part of the Practical Traveler series written by Michelle Higgins, includes advice covering all aspects of visiting the world’s largest sporting event. It includes:

Hotels

EuroCheapo’s editor Tom Meyers explains that it’s not hard to find a hotel in London during the Games, “it’s just hard to find a deal.” ‘Tis true — most hotel rates double during the Games.

However, cheaper options exist, including hostels, apartments and even camping.

Flights

Direct flights into London are still available, although expensive, running about 13% above last year. Fly.com suggests flying into another hub from the States, such as Berlin, and then catching a flight on a budget airline from there.

Tickets to the Games

A limited number of tickets are still available for certain events (including volleyball and gymnastics). However, budget travelers should consider the “freebies,” such as the marathon, which will pass through central London. Without tickets, you can still attend free screenings throughout town.

Read more in the New York Time’s article, “Last-Minute Tips for Traveling to London for the Olympics.”

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Mainstream versus the offbeat

All well and good, if you are staring at the Mona Lisa or the Taj Mahal. But we wonder whether Google Goggles will be quite so adept at recognising a particular spot on the Russian steppes, the Hungarian puszta or on a remote stretch of Scottish coastline. Catching the essence of landscape, and indeed of most places we visit on our European travels, is about more than merely accessing a gigabyte of data on major landmarks.

What makes a place tick?

Guidebooks are certainly going through a tough time – facing competition from the more critical travel websites. The more innovative publishers are reinventing their products for a web-wise generation. But appreciating a particular place (or even a whole country) needs more than just facts, data and listings.

So it is interesting to note that while the sales of print guidebooks decline, narrative travel writing has gone from strength to strength. The reading public evidently has a considerable appetite for well written prose that really helps us understand what makes a place tick. Iain Sinclair’s London Orbital gave us a completely new take on the M25 freeway that encircles London, just as Alice Albinia’s Empires of the Indus introduced us to 2000 miles of river and 5000 years of history, while Ian Thomson’s The Dead Yard opened our eyes to Jamaica.

The spirit of landscape

We still think it worth browsing a guidebook or two before leaving home. And casting an eye over some travel websites for information on accommodation and to get a feel for the range of reactions to a place is always helpful.

But for really getting under the skin of a region or country, some well chosen narrative travel writing is essential. Travel through southern Russia without a guidebook if you really must, but don’t so much as even think of venturing to the region without having read Philip Marsden’s The Spirit-Wrestlers. Here, we think, even Google Goggles might have met its match.

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Hosted at the Cantor Film Center in Greenwich Village, the two-day event featured panels, presentations, and readings featuring travel bloggers hailing from the US and abroad, some coming to town from as far away as New Zealand. The schedule was jam packed from mid-morning through late afternoon, allowing the more than 300 guests to learn from one another, compare notes, and discuss the intricacies of the travel blog industry with their peers.

In other words, it was the perfect weekend to throw a big party!

To celebrate the occasion, we collaborated with our friends from BootsnAll.com and invited all conference attendees to join us in the East Village on Saturday night for an evening of “anything goes.” What follows is a photo recap of an enjoyable, loud night in New York City.

(Note: We’re missing the names and Web sites of many partygoers pictured in the photos. Please help us out by emailing us the names, Twitter handles, and Web sites of those not named. You can also post the information in the comments section below. When sending a name, please include the corresponding photo number. Many thanks!)

1. First start with an interesting conference full of fun attendees: Here’s the crowd lining up to get in to TBEX 2010 on Saturday morning.

2. Then wait about eight hours and usher everyone to a lounge in the East Village. We had chosen The Professor’s Loft.

3. Next, add personable hosts for the evening: Tom Meyers and Sean Keener.

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Budget Travel provides many good tips on where to eat, what to see, and what not to see (we appreciate that the magazine recommends skipping the Book of Kells in favor of exploring the grounds of Trinity College—there’s no need to spend extra Euros for a rushed, crowded experience, especially when there are plenty of free museums to enjoy in this town).

Here are some of the highlights from the article “Dublin on the Fly”:

Irish Pubs, People-Watching, and Day Trips

BT suggests hitting up the literary crowd’s favorite people-watching mecca, Metro Café, and the quintessential Irish pubs Library Bar and Neary’s. We especially like that they throw in some picks for vegetarian travelers, including the amazing-looking Café Fresh.

We also love that the magazine endorses a quick trip out of town. “Trip Coach” recommends a day trip to Howth, where you can soak in the picturesque cliffs and St. George’s Channel. “Trip Coach” also mentions Sandycove and Dalkey, cute seaside towns that are perfect for enjoying a cozy pint while looking out at the ocean. (We recommend day trips to Enniskerry and Newgrange in our Dublin city guide).
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A trip to Dublin isn’t complete without a visit to the Guinness Storehouse brewery, so we’ll be sure to follow BT’s advice and take the tour (tickets cost €15 and include a beer tasting plus a free pint) next time we’re in town.

But Don’t Forget the Freebies…

We’d love to throw in our own Cheapo cents and remind readers that the city is teeming with free activities. We’ve written about free admission to the Irish Parliament and the Dublin Castle. But there are many other Cheapo-friendly ways to spend a day in the city.

Don’t forget Dublin’s literary roots! There are plenty of unique little bookshops perfect for browsing or camping out over a copy of Ulysses for the afternoon. We especially like Cathach Books, which boasts a collection of rare Irish works, and The Secret Book and Record Store (because there’s nothing better than picking up an obscure, old-time record when you’re visiting a new city).

When the weather in Dublin is nice, take in the city surroundings with a nice walk along the river. Dublin’s Liffey Boardwalk is great for a scenic stroll. The boardwalk served as a commercial wharf before the O’Connell Bridge was built in 1795. Now, it’s a perfect spot for admiring the Liffey River. If you walk along the river’s left bank, the boardwalk will eventually bring you out near the Christ Church Cathedral in the city center.

Have any other Cheapo Dublin suggestions? Let us know by posting a comment below!

The post Dublin: “Budget Travel” tips and Cheapo hints appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Twitter for budget travelers?

So what does this mean for you, the budget traveler? Should you care? Do you really need to know about “tweets,” DMs and “followers”? Do you really want to introduce yet another social network into your daily routine?

Well, here is a primer to help answer a few of these questions and provide a proper introduction to Twitter… Cheapo-style!

The basics: what is Twitter?

Twitter allows members to send and read short messages (“tweets”) between themselves and other users. These tweets are text-based, frequently contain links to articles on other websites, and are limited to only 140 characters in length.

Twitterers are able to post tweets as frequently (or infrequently) as they like and on any subject they wish. As you might guess, there is a vast variety of subjects being tweeted.

Want to know if your cousin Larry just burned his coffee? No prob. Want to ask President Obama a question about the economy? Go for it. Interested in telling NBA great Shaquille O’Neal what to order at Dairy Queen and read other “random acts of Shaqness”? The list is endless.

Hmm… kind of sounds like Facebook’s status updates, right?

Well, sort of. One of the main differences is that anyone can “follow” someone else on Twitter without being approved Follow travel writers: If you have specific travel columnists, travel bloggers or other travel personalities you enjoy reading, look them up on Twitter. Most have a “Twitter presence” and reading their Tweets can add a fun, new dimension to what you read from them elsewhere.

—Only follow those who truly interest you: There’s a “beginner’s instinct” to build your list of followers by rapidly following others, but what’s the point? Twitter is most helpful and useful when you genuinely look forward to reading the Tweets being sent your way.

—Ask questions: Don’t be afraid to ask a question or request travel advice. We recently were looking for a budget hotel in Los Angeles and posted a Tweet asking for suggestions, and within minutes several Twitterers provided helpful recommendations. Tweet-o-rific!

—Share the love: Similarly, be on the lookout for Tweets where you can add helpful feedback or offer advice. It’s a two-way “Twitter Street,” and since we joined we’ve enjoyed the sense of community that builds over time from others in our network.

—Get airline info: Follow your preferred airlines for updates and offers for last minute deals.

—Stay in touch: Twittering makes it easy for the folks back home to follow your adventures abroad. Of course, you run the risk of overdoing it. But your followers may appreciate the chance to travel with you. Also, Twittering on the road permits you to ask your followers for rapid-fire advice on, say, a restaurant in Madrid.

—Get organized: For those who become hooked, consider using a Twitter “client” such as TweetDeck. These websites help manage your Twitter account, create individual groups, and make Twittering feel more organized and less manic.

A Few notable travel twitterers

twitter.com/eurocheapo – Surprise!
twitter.com/budtravel – The editors of BudgetTravel.com
twitter.com/jenleo – Updates from the LA Times travel blog editor
twitter.com/wendyperrin – Conde Nast Traveler’s very own Wendy Perrin
twitter.com/soultravelers3 – Updates from a family of three traveling the world
twitter.com/SEKeener – Follow Cheapo-friend and co-founder of BootsnAll.com, Sean Keener, while he travels throughout Australia
twitter.com/samdaams – Pithy updates from Sam Daams, the co-founder of Travellerspoint.com

Do you Tweet?

Do you have recommendations for using Twitter? Are there other travel Twitterers you enjoy following? Do you agree that Twitter can be helpful, or do you find it a waste of time?

Tell us in the comments below!

The post Tech advice: Twitter for budget travelers appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

For those who are looking to save a dime but stay in touch, here are a few suggestions and tips to consider.

Staying in touch: The basics

It’s no secret that one of the easiest way to touch base is via email. But if you don’t want to pay excessive roaming fees for your Blackberry or iPhone, and prefer not to lug your personal laptop around when you travel, what do you do?

First of all, scrap plans to use hotel-owned Internet terminals or pay-per-minute internet access cards (unless they’re free of course). Instead, head to an Internet cafe. These cafes have spread like crazy around the Continent and make it quick and cheap to access email accounts, check in on social networking sites (like Facebook and MySpace), and update Twitter.

Other Web Options

However, sometimes “quickie” web cafe visits are not enough, especially on longer trips. Sending e-mails and messages to your family and friends is wonderful, but you’ll probably also want to actually speak with them. A great solution is the Internet phone service Skype. Skype lets you call other Skype users around the world for free.

All you need to make a Skype call is an Internet connection and a headset. You then “dial” another Sype user, like you would on an instant messenger, and once the connection is made you can speak for as long as you like–for nothing. For a small fee you can also place a call to a land-line or mobile phone.

Using Mobile Phones Abroad

The obvious downside to Skype is that you’re reliant upon an Internet connection to make the call. One way to solve that problem is by using a mobile phone.

Mobile phones, of course, not only let you keep in touch with those back home but also help you connect with people you meet on the road. They also allow you to call hostels and hotels from the road, check on museum hours, and in emergencies, call for help. Yet, cell phones are never the cheapest option.

For Americans, one complicating factor is that most mobile phones run on a network that isn’t accessible in Europe and, furthermore, most American phones can’t be “unlocked,” allowing you to swap out SIM cards. Thus, you can’t simply buy a new SIM card for your phone abroad. You’ll have to either rent or buy a new phone when you arrive, or, if your phone does work in Europe, pay additional fees for foreign coverage (either an incremental monthly fee or an expensive per-minute fee).

Fortunately for non-Americans, it’s much easier. Most foreign phones can have their SIM cards replaced with cards purchased at convenience stores (and sometimes right on the street!). The cards come with their own phone number and rechargeable minutes.

One Other Consideration

Thanks to technology, it’s easier and more affordable then ever to stay connected while traveling. At the same time, you should at least consider staying “unconnected” while traveling through Europe. After all, will your mobile phone be a helpful tool or just a distraction?

What do you think?

Do you stay connected when traveling? Do you take your mobile phone? Rent a phone abroad? Chat in Internet cafes? Tell us below!

The post Calling Home: Cheap tips for staying in touch while traveling appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.