Do I have a direct line to researchers developing a COVID-19 vaccine? Nope. Do I know something you don’t know about what the outgoing or incoming U.S. federal administration is going to do with regards to vaccine distribution? Nuh-uh. Do I have a crystal ball? (It had to be asked.) No, I do not (we wish!).

Am I nevertheless going to plan my return to Europe for 2021? Yes, I am.

Here are 11 tips I think will make planning your return trip to Europe in 2021 easier, safer, and less expensive than you’ve been imagining it could be.

Related: 11 Tips for Traveling to France in 2021 (Pass Sanitaire, Covid Testing, ete.)

Tips for a safe and Cheapo trip to Europe in 2021

1. Go with a friend

When we get sick or are injured at home, we all need someone who will advocate for us with health care providers when we can’t advocate for ourselves. While we Cheapos do love a great solo adventure, during these times of COVID-19 I’m opting to travel with a buddy. Then, if I get sick or injured, my buddy will be able to make sure I receive the treatment I require and vice versa.

This was already a good point to consider pre-COVID-19, but now planning for the worst is the only sensible way to travel.

Visiting Athen’s Acropolis helps the local economy — and is an open-air attraction. Photo: dariosusanj

2. Plan to visit places that rely on tourism

This has been a crazy hard year for most of us. But for nations whose economies rely primarily on tourism, this year has been especially difficult.

That’s why I’m heading to Greece. Not only has the nation suffered a TKO to its tourism industry, its primary source of income for the great majority of Greeks, but Greece has also provided asylum for more refugees per capita than most other EU nations.

And besides, after the year we’ve had here in the U.S., heading to paradise for my first trip outside the U.S. since the pandemic began seems like a pretty good idea.

3. Go during the off-season… for several reasons

Is there even still an off-season, with so many employees telecommuting and the majority of students studying remotely now? Yes, there most certainly is.

Even if students are attending class virtually, the majority of families who have taken any holidays in 2020 have done so during school breaks. That means the off-season is still when most schools are in session, so avoid planning travel for Thanksgiving week, the winter holidays, or June through August.

Why does off-season travel matter in the first place? That’s when the fewest people will be traveling, so you are less likely to find yourself seated beside a center-seat companion on airplanes, less likely to sit back-to-back with other guests at outdoor restaurants and cafes, less likely to have neighbors in the hotel room across from yours, and so on. Fewer fellow travelers almost always translates into cheaper room rates and flights, too.

Having fewer people to jostle around has always been a treat during the off-season, but during these COVID-19 times having more space to move and sit and eat is more than a bonus. It’s now a health consideration, too.

4. Buy trip insurance for peace of mind

You most likely won’t need to purchase travel insurance to protect you from expenses associated with rescheduling or altogether canceling your flights, because many airlines are including that in their airfares these days (of course, if the ticket you buy doesn’t include it, we always recommend purchasing it).

But medical evacuation and repatriation insurance are a must. Should you become ill or injured overseas, you may need to be evacuated in order to receive proper medical care–especially if you’re hiking or otherwise exploring more remote areas. Repatriation insurance covers the cost of flying your body back home, should you die while traveling abroad.

Of course, we hope you will waste your money on this and never have any need for it, but having it in your pocket is a necessity… just in case of the very worst-case scenario actually happening to you during your trip.

For more information on this topic, read our post on travel insurance.

JFK to Madrid in June… for under $500 nonstop? You could book it now and cancel if need be.

5. Book your airfare now for deals

We have no idea (though some speculate) how airfares will be impacted by COVID-19 or anything else over the course of 2021. We do, however, know how airfares are looking right now, and they’re cheap.

Really cheap.

We found round-trip September airfares from SFO to ATH with only one layover for as low as $687, and round-trip airfares as low as $603 for flights with two layovers. That’s less than we paid to fly to Greece in 2004.

6. Book a window seat to reduce risk

Studies have shown that the greatest risk of contracting COVID-19 during a flight is derived from the people sitting two seats ahead of you, two seats behind you, and two seats to either side of you. So, if you select a window seat, you’ve just reduced your risk by 25% simply because there are no seats to one side of you. According to this article from MIT Medical:

… Whatever your airline’s middle-seat policy may be, when it comes to the risk of contracting an illness in flight, a window seat may be your safest bet. Having a wall on one side automatically reduces your number of close-proximity contacts. A window seat also protects you from the inadvertent close contacts that can occur when other passengers are hoisting bags into overhead bins at the start of a flight or crowding aisles to deplane after landing.

7. Book your accommodations now for deals

As with flights, there is no sure-fire way to know what will happen to hotel room rates in 2021. But many hotels are offering deals to encourage travelers to book now so they can have a sense of how many guests they might expect to serve, so they can entice travelers to take advantage of the lower rates, and quite frankly so they can determine if they can even keep their doors open.

Nevertheless, most of these hotels are still offering complete refunds if you cancel within forty-eight hours of your arrival date, so you win if you go and you win if you don’t. Check the full details before you book.

Search for hotels in Europe on EuroCheapo.

Where will you go when it’s safe to ravel again? Photo: Unsplash

8. Pack these items for extra safety

• A roll or two of toilet paper
• Hand sanitizer
• Disinfectant wipes
• Disposable protective masks
• Cloth face coverings
• Disposable safety gloves
• Ballpoint pens

If you’re in the habit of getting off the beaten path quite often, you have probably long been in the habit of packing your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Continue to do that, even if you’re planning to stay primarily in urban areas when you return to Europe. Then, pack disinfectant wipes so you can wipe down high-traffic areas in your hotel rooms and at outdoor cafes, along with a supply of disposable masks that’s double the length of time you plan to be away.

So, if your trip will be for 14 days, pack 28 disposable masks. Here at home you use cloth face coverings and wash them after each use to limit your environmental footprint. Continue that practice by taking a few cloth face coverings with you when you travel, but in case you take one of your cloth face coverings off at a cafe to eat and then one falls onto the ground while you’re affixing it to your sweaty face before entering a shop, you want to have a back-up. (You definitely do not want to get stuck having to stay outside of a place you really want to enter and may not have a chance to return to simply because your mask fell on the ground or you left it behind and now you have no face covering to protect others and yourself.)

Though there’s not much use for disposable gloves if you are able to wash your hands, you may find yourself somewhere where you won’t be able to count on washing your hands before eating. What if you lose your hand sanitizer or it falls out of your bag and there is no sink available to wash your hands? That’s when the disposable gloves will come in handy. Just make sure you are smart about how you remove them.

Finally, bring at least three ballpoint pens with you so you always have your own to sign hotel guest registries and credit card receipts.

9. Take these precautions everywhere you go

Washing your hands often, wearing a protective face covering, and staying 6+ feet away from others isn’t just good advice for when you are around others back home; it’s good advice everywhere. Though you may be enchanted by your surroundings, always remember to keep your mouth and nose covered and keep a safe distance from others as you explore Europe.

And if you feel unwell while overseas, stay in your hotel and avoid potentially exposing others to your illness. If you test positive for COVID-19 while abroad, isolate yourself from others for 10 days, plus three more if your symptoms have not resolved themselves within seven days of starting your 10-day isolation period.

It will be a bummer to have to stay in your hotel room watching local television shows and reading the 99 books you brought with you on your e-reader, but that’s what must be done in order to be a good global citizen during these times of COVID-19.

Driving through Spain. Photo: kentwang

10. Stay safe while renting a car, and riding a train or ferry

Rent a car. Rent a car. Rent a car. (Seriously, rent a car.) Wear your mask when you initially enter it and for the first few hours of driving it, wipe it down with your disinfectant wipes, and drive with the windows down for the first few hours.

Just as you would here at home, wear your protective face covering when you fill your rental car’s tank with petrol, and apply hand sanitizer to your hands before removing your mask or putting your hands on your steering wheel once you’re back in your vehicle.

If you’re going to take the train (who doesn’t love the trains in Europe?), splurge on a couchette/sleeper car. You can wipe it down with your disinfectant wipes, wear a mask for the first few hours you are in it, and if the window opens you can open it up to get air circulating while keeping the door to the couchette closed so as to restrict air flow from the main cabin.

If you’re traveling to a country like Greece where you would typically use ferries to move from one island to another, consider staying on the mainland and solely using your rental car for transport, or fly among islands instead of taking ferries. Even if you can find sufficient space on a ferry to keep yourself and others safe, simply standing in the crowd waiting to board the ferry could be unnecessarily risky.

Search car rentals throughout Europe here.

11. Embrace the outdoors

If you don’t absolutely have to go inside shops, museums, and exhibits, skip them altogether this time around. Instead, enjoy the outdoor offerings of the place you’re visiting. For instance, although the Benaki Museum and Acropolis Museum are brilliant, during my 2021 return to Athens I will focus solely on visiting Lykavittos; the Parthenon; Hephaestus; other archaeological finds and architectural remains that can be enjoyed in open spaces; beaches; mountainous regions where we can hike to our hearts’ content; and the abundance of outdoor markets, cafes, and gardens.

Final thoughts

There’s no reason to fear returning to Europe (assuming those of us with U.S. passports are admitted…!) in 2021. Simply be smart about it and take every reasonable safety precaution, just as you would right here at home. Safe and joyous travels to you!

Your tips?

Planning a trip abroad in 2021? How do you plan to stay safe?

The post 11 Tips for Planning Your Return Trip to Europe in 2021 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We’ve also compiled a list of the best books on Barcelona, so Cheapos can pick something up to read on the train or in your hotel room to get a deeper understanding of one of Europe’s greatest cities.

Altaïr
Gran Via Corts Catalanes, 616

This is THE spot for travel guides, travel novels, travel gear and meeting fellow travelers in Barcelona. Like all the shops on this list, most of the books here are in Catalan or Spanish, but you’ll also find some English goodies. Altaïr’s bulletin board allows travelers to meet other folks who are globe-trotting solo and want company.  I always marvel at their listings, and I have a friend who has gone on several exotic voyages after meeting people through the Altaïr board. You never know!

Laie
Pau Claris 85

There are quite a few branches of this bookshop around the city. A favorite of mine is on Pau Claris under Cafe Laie. Here’s how you visit: browse the bookshop, purchase a title that catches your eye and read it upstairs over a cup of coffee.

FNAC

Pl. Catalunya 4

A biggie and definitely not indie, but it’s still worth mentioning because of their enormous selection of English titles and frequent special events. You want a best seller for the beach? You’ll find it here. Also, FNAC is easy to locate. It’s right on Plaza Catalunya in the center of town. Apart from books they’ve got music, technology, a cafe and a convenient concert ticket sales counter. Plus, check their calendar, because they often put on art exhibits, offer free concerts, and invite authors to read at the store.

Garb a book off the shelf and then head upstairs to the cafe at La Central. Photo: Garret Ziegler

La Central
Elisabets, 6

An exceptional choice for books on art and hipster guides to the city is La Central. With several stores in Barcelona and Madrid, count on spending at least a few hours flipping through their offerings. I recommend the shop in El Raval.

Recommended Barcelona Reads

Now that you know where to get your guides, novels, and non-fiction, it’s time to grab a book off the shelf and read up on Barcelona. Here are a few titles I recommend in a more or less chronological order. Leaf through these publications listed below before or during your trip to Barcelona to get a deeper look into the city.

Start with: “Cathedral of the Sea” by Ildefonso Falcones for some page-turner historical fiction.

Then try: “Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafónto to get an idea of what the Gothic Quarter and Tibidabo were like. Again, this is high-drama fiction and a best seller.

Next up: “As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning” which is a beautifully written biography by Laurie Lee.

Finally some classics: Hemingway’s “Fiesta: The Sun Also Rises”, Orwell’s “Homage to Catalonia”, a must-read, and Richard Wright’s “Pagan Spain” for another view.

The post Barcelona’s best bookshops, and a reading list for travelers appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

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.

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.

During a holiday luncheon with some Parisian friends while in New York, we Americans were allowed a rare glimpse into what the French find striking about our own culture, from tipping to the color of our money.

Money, money, money

My French friends first discussed the differences in money issues. Why are American bills all the same color? How much do you tip a cab driver? Why are telecommunications so expensive?

They marveled at the things that we take for granted (after all, the euros do feel like Monopoly money to us sometimes).

At the end of the meal, willing but frustrated with trying to calculate the absolutely un-Parisian gratuity, they just said, “Tell us what we owe,” and the bill was settled by the American locals at the table.

Fashion

Far from being pretentious fashionistas, the smartly-dressed couple did comment on the fashion sense, or often lack thereof, among Americans walking the streets. Why were people wearing such goofy hats and earmuffs? Why were there so few lingerie stores? Where in the city does one find nice affordable clothes? Wasn’t this a fashion capital of the world?

We gave them our opinions and suggestions, trying to convince them that in America you can leave the house without getting dressed to the nines, and they were in awe. After having purchased a few sets of fleece pajamas at Old Navy, they started to see the perks of living Stateside.

Food

After discussing how delicious pancakes were and observations on the general availability and size of food in America, the Parisians did wonder a few things. Do Americans eat vegetables? Is everything really deep-fried, as it would seem?

Why do you call them “appetizers” when they are actually “entrées” in French and you call them “entrees” when they are “plats” in French? It seemed to them as if American cuisine were deliberately messing with their heads.

But they weren’t complaining.  On the contrary, they were elated to have a real hamburger, to enjoy crispy bacon, and to discover that in fact they could order delivery to their apartment whenever they wanted. In Paris, the idea of delivery isn’t as widespread as in New York, and far less variety exists.

It was at this point, imagining having all sorts of cuisine at their front door that they started asking about moving to America…

The post Europeans in the US: Seeing things from their point of view appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

As of today, the US dollar is stronger against the euro than at any time since April 17, 2006. This morning the euro was trading at US $1.23, a remarkable drop from its high on December 3, 2009, when the euro hit $1.51.

The financial implications for Americans traveling in Europe now or heading to Europe soon are very real. Simply put, you’ll spend the same amount in euros, but spend a lot less in dollars.

Take, as a very basic example, a hotel room that costs €100 a night. In December, it would have cost $151. Today the same room costs $123. That’s a savings of $28 per night. Now, multiply that sort of savings by every night in a hotel, every meal in a restaurant, every trip on the Metro — and you’ll see how this can really add up.

There are winners and losers in every currency fluctuation. The high euro of the past several years has been great for Europeans visiting the United States, but not so great for the European travel industry, which has seen a sharp decline in American tourists visiting Europe. With a suddenly stronger dollar, Americans will regain spending power that we haven’t seen since 2006. Hopefully, this will inspire more Americans to travel abroad while also benefiting the local economies.

Taking advantage of the exchange rate

Will the dollar continue to get stronger against the euro? Of course we can only speculate. It’s been so many years since we saw it this strong, however, that our instinct is to try to take advantage of these rates now, lest they don’t last.

Americans traveling abroad right now are already taking advantage of the strong dollar with every purchase and ATM cash withdrawal. For those preparing to head over in the next couple of months, it would make sense to “lock in” the exchange rate by pre-paying for anything you can right now in euros. (Unless, of course, you think the dollar will continue to get stronger. If that’s the case, disregard the rest of this post and pay as you go!)

Many (if not most) parts of a trip are paid for during the trip. Hotels, for example, are usually paid for upon check-out. Food is paid for several times a day — and hardly ever in advance! The same goes for most incidental charges.

However, there are some ways you can take advantage of the exchange rate now by pre-paying in euros. These include:

1. If you’re going to buy euros from your bank, do it now.

This is a funny “tip,” as we usually tell readers not to spend much money at all on pre-buying euros. “Wait until you get to the airport, then hit the ATM!” we cry.

However, it is a good idea to have some euros in your pocket upon arrival — after all, the airport ATM could theoretically be out of order. Buying euros from American banks can be an awkward, time-intensive, maddening affair — and you could end up paying a fee or not getting the best exchange rate. However, if you already are planning on going to the bank for some euros before your trip, go now!

Side note: For visitors to almost any European destination, we recommend arriving with just enough euros to get your group into town and get something to eat, if necessary. Once there, head for an ATM.

2. Book any European-based flights between cities now.

You probably won’t see big savings on US to Europe flights anytime soon, as carriers have cut back on the number of flights in order to drive up ticket prices and recoup some recent losses. However, if you’re planning to take European-based low-cost airlines between cities in Europe (which is a budget-friendly, if not environmentally-friendly way to get around), you can pay for those flights in euros and should book them now.

These include flights on Ryanair, Air Berlin, Germanwings, WizzAir, and many others (which we cover in our budget flights guide). Given the dollar’s strength against the British pound ($1.42 yesterday, the lowest since March 2009), this also holds true for booking easyJet flights in British pounds.

3. Book any train journeys now.

Which brings us to another favorite point, book your train journeys directly with the European railways and not through a US-based agent. Companies in the US often charge expensive prices for passes (like the Eurail), which are designed only for Americans — and sold in dollars, which won’t be affected by the changes in exchange rates.

Instead, book point-to-point train tickets directly with the national rail Web sites, be it the SNCF (France), Trenitalia (Italy), Deutsche Bahn (Germany), etc. For much more on this subject, please see this post on booking directly and this for booking an SNCF ticket in French!

4. Ask if you can pre-pay for your hotel.

This request may be greeted with outright laughter, but it’s worth a try.

Most hotels, especially budget-friendly hotels, will only let you pay for your room upon check-out. This is done for a number of reasons — it’s how their reservation agencies work, they may not be able to make a charge for a service not yet performed, it’s too much of a hassle to refund if you cancel, etc. (Most hotels, however, will ask for a credit card number to guarantee your room and will charge it only if you cancel.)

However, you could always ask if the hotel can charge you in advance in euros for your stay. Hey, it’s worth asking!

5. Pre-book airport transportation.

We recommend taking local transportation from your arrival into town. This usually means a train, bus, or subway, most of which will not be able to be pre-booked. However, sometimes you need something more dedicated, like a private shuttle bus, car service, or taxi.

There are numerous companies that offer ground transportation from European airports to city centers or even hotels. One budget-friendly option is Terravision, which runs comfortable low-cost buses from the airports of major cities. Pre-booking these fares, in euros, could save you.

6. Pre-book tickets for tourist sights and museums.

Finally, think of the major attractions that you plan to visit during your trip. You may be surprised to find that many of these offer online pre-booking in euros. From tickets to the Uffizzi in Florence to tickets up the Eiffel Tower in Paris, you can buy them online in euros, and then skip the line.

Some words of caution: Make sure that you’re buying directly from the museum or attraction and not through a third-party company that will be tacking on a commission. (Double check the URL of the site. Also, check out the prices on the “official” Web site and make sure it’s the same price you’ll be paying.)

Also, don’t overdo this. Travel should be fun and spontaneous. Nothing crushes spontaneity as quickly as an overbooked trip, dictated by an overzealous to-do list. (For more on this, read this controversial essay on visiting “Paris without the Louvre.”)

Foreign transaction fees

It’s important to note that many American credit card companies now charge “foreign transaction fees” (up to 3%) for purchases made with foreign companies, even if made from the United States. For much more on this, see our post on fees for ATM withdrawals and credit card purchases in Europe.

Final note

Of course, if the dollar continues to grow stronger against the euro, you could find yourself in Europe with an even more advantageous exchange rate than today’s. In that case, you would have benefited from NOT pre-booking anything. Only time will tell.

Either way, one thing is for sure: Travel to Europe hasn’t been this budget-friendly for Americans in many years. If you’ve been putting off that trip, consider this your wake-up call! Happy travels.

Other ideas?

Do you have any other ideas for ways that Americans traveling abroad can benefit from the suddenly stronger dollar? Please tell us about it in the comments section below.

The post 6 Ways Americans heading to Europe can benefit now from a stronger dollar appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

“Ask Arthur Frommer: And Travel Better, Cheaper, Smarter,” published in March by Wiley Publishing ($19.99), reworks the most helpful of these dispatches into a 512-page budget travel encyclopedia. Flipping through the book is a trip in itself, and reading the book from cover to cover is sure to be an education in the art of budget travel.

Art lessons

“Ask Arthur Frommer” offers up Art’s tips-of-the-trade in an easy-to-follow structure. Throughout, Frommer pushes the idea that technology has changed the way we travel, granting us new-found independence, flexibility, and opportunity to see the world.

Frommer clusters his advice by topic, in sections such as “Airfare,” “Cheap hotels,” and “Transportation.” We were happy to note the attention he pays to less mainstream destinations (hello, Riga!) and his suggestion to open up to “alternative lodgings” like hostels. (Full disclosure: We were also quite happy to see references to both EuroCheapo and our sister site, EuropeanHostels.com on his blog and in this book.)

It’s well worth noting that while Frommer has been around the globe (his landmark book, “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day,” debuted in 1957), he’s no technophobe when it comes to his travel know-how. At 80, he’s still an active traveler, and frequently writes about emerging technologies, new travel trends, airfare comparison sites, and travel meta-search engine.

Our fave Art encounters?

We really enjoyed passages where Art goes “off the keyboard” and gets truly expressive, even controversial, about the mainstream travel media.  He isn’t afraid to berate publications that kowtow to the luxury travel trade, and he names names. He’s also had it with out-of-touch editors defining “budget travel” as $250-a-night boutique hotels and (even more expensive) resorts. Go Art!

Throughout his career, Frommer has pushed his readers to do their own research, find real deals, and get closer to the cultures they visit. This book, compiling a half-century of real budget-travel advice, is a wonderful way to get started.

Have you read this book? Have a comment? Post it below.

The post Book Review: “Ask Arthur Frommer: And Travel Better, Cheaper, Smarter” appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

And while we have a number of the ol’ standbys on our list (did somebody say “less caffeine, more jogging, and only red wine instead of Weihenstephans?”), we’ve also put together some travel resolutions. Drum roll, please:

Ten resolutions for budget-friendly traveling in 2009

1. I resolve to travel more.

2. I resolve to understand my bank’s ATM and credit card fees before I go. And while I’m at it, I might even call my bank ahead of time to let them know it’s me who’s traveling, rather than my stolen identity.

3. I resolve to purchase my intra-European flights on low-cost carriers as early as possible to get wild and crazy deals.

4. I resolve to stop obsessing over the daily fluctuations of exchange rates.

5 a. I resolve to understand how much I’ll get charged before using my Blackberry abroad.

5 b. I resolve to just leave my Blackberry off while I travel.

6. I resolve to rely on my memory as much as my camera.

7. I resolve to break out of my own travel mode and welcome new destinations. (Extra credit points go to fellow Cheapo-in-Chief Tom Meyers, who blasts off for St. Petersberg, Russia, in 2 weeks…)

8. I resolve to be better about frequent flyer points and awards programs, regardless if I plan to travel a long or short distance.

9. I resolve to never take a taxi to or from an airport, no matter how tired I feel.

10. I resolve to always be in the process of planning my next trip, even if it means just reading up on the destination or looking at photos.

What are your New Year’s travel resolutions? Please add them in the comment field below!

The post 10 Budget Travel Resolutions For 2009 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Our guide includes articles on transportation in and around Brussels, reviews of 27 centrally-located hotels, and more. Stay tuned as we’ll be adding more stuff soon. In the meantime, we hope you’ll enjoy getting to know the city of diplomats, bankers, cartoons, chocolate, and a little guy Belgians like to call Manneken Pis.

As usual, let us know what you think!

The post New EuroCheapo guide: Brussels, Belgium appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Newspapers and magazines have been abuzz lately with articles about stretching the dollar abroad. Some of our favorites include The Seattle Times, Budget Travel Magazine, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily News, and the Austin American-Statesman. As pro-cheapo travelers, we’re happy to see so much interest in budget travel, although saddened to think that many potential travelers might feel discouraged and choose not to travel to Europe at all.

“Maybe next year I’ll get to Spain,” one of my friends told me last week. “I can’t afford it now.” Alas!

Pete, Meredith and I just returned from two weeks in Europe, traveling from Berlin to Brussels, and then Bruges. Yes, I was quickly struck if it helps one traveler save, it’s worth repeating!

1) Watch out for the small stuff!

Those little, incidental purchases got us, biting away at our budgets. Why? Because we spent without thinking. Cups of coffee, bottles of water, chocolate bars, little snacks, the newspaper… each only cost two or three euros, but they added up very quickly. I felt like I was leaking euro coins everywhere I went.

These are “invisible costs,” because you don’t remember spending the money and you don’t have anything to show for the purchases afterward. Some of these things, like water, you need. But you need to be smart about where to buy it. After draining my pockets of a week’s worth of euros, I got smart in Bruges and started buying water and snacks at a grocery store near my hotel. Who knew that Evian could be purchased for less than a euro per bottle? (Above, I’m doing a week’s worth of laundry in Brussels for about €5.)

2) Hunt for your meal

Each night, the three of us roamed the city, taking in the sights and sounds, but also looking for dining deals. In the end, because we were “on alert,” our dinners were surprisingly affordable. We converted menu prices into dollar amounts (not simply imagining a dollar sign in place of the euro!) and steered clear of the pricier eateries.

In Berlin, meal prices are fortunately already low, so this wasn’t a problem. In pricey Brussels, however, we checked out plenty of charming restaurants—most of them quite crowded—and hit the road as soon as we saw a bloated menu. €18 starter plates? That’s $27… I don’t think so! We took time every night to find affordable set-price menus, and usually found something for less than €15, which at about $22, was in our budget. Of course, you have to be careful to avoid tourist traps (like the rue du Bouchers in Brussels, pictured above), which lure you in with low set-price menus, serve mediocre food, and charge you like mad for every incidental item. It’s best to ask the locals.

3) Lighten up at lunch

This won’t be for everyone, but we chose to make only dinner a sit-down affair. In years past, when hotel hunting I would often treat myself to a nice relaxed lunch, sometimes accompanied with a little red wine. It was so euro. This year, I slimmed down, stopping for a quick sandwich or salad and a bottle of water. It was cheaper, faster, and dare I say, better for my afternoon hotel visits!

Pete and Mere did the same in Brussels. Pete lunched several days in a row at “Mer du Nord,” an outdoor oyster and fish soup joint on Place St. Catherine, where a bowl of soupe du poisson could be had for €3.50. (See photo.)

4) Take advantage of breakfast… or not!

Breakfast is another time to save cash. In all four of our hotels, in Brussels and Bruges, a buffet breakfast was included in the price of the room. Thus, we could fill up at breakfast, making the light lunch more bearable.

This is different in every city. In Paris, for instance, breakfast is rarely included and, when offered, is usually quite expensive for what you get. Rather than fork over the cash for a dismal hotel breakfast, head to a cafe or, better yet, to the grocery store or outdoor market.

5) Sleep cheap!

This seems rather obvious, as this is EuroCheapo, but come on, Cheapos, watch that hotel bill! When searching for your hotel, if you’re American, choose to see hotel rates in US dollars. (On CheapoSearch, prices show in dollars by default.) This will prevent you from momentarily pretending that the euro and dollars are “roughly the same.”

When choosing a hotel, consider a 1 or 2-star hotel over the pricier 3-star option. Fewer stars doesn’t mean the hotel isn’t good and clean. It could simply mean that it doesn’t have an elevator, ground-floor reception, or certain amenities (like hairdryers, TV, telephone, etc.).

In Brussels, we stayed at The Moon Hotel, a perfectly fine 2-star sleeper two blocks from the Grand Place. Our rooms weren’t fancy (they were, in fact, kind of “dormy”), but we slept peacefully knowing that we were paying a fraction of the rate that travelers across the square in the 3 and 4-star hotels were paying. In Bruges, the lady running ‘T Keizershof, a small 1-star hotel I visited put it to me best when she explained, “When you’re sleeping, we look just like one of those big fancy hotels.”

Serious Cheapos should also consider a room or a bed in a hostel, which can cost much, much less than a hotel. Travelers visiting a city for an extending period should look into apartment rentals, and adventure travelers might also consider couch-surfing for free.

6) Do free stuff!

We always recommend that travelers head straight for the visitors information center when they arrive into town. Conveniently, many of these are located very near the main train stations or main squares. There, you can pick up a list of free or cheap activities happening in town during your stay. In both Brussels and Bruges, I walked out of the visitor centers with stacks of information, maps, and walking tours.

In Brussels, I bought a guide to the city’s comic-book themed self-guided walking tour for €3, and spent the afternoon learning about the city for next to nothing. In Bruges, the woman working at the tourist office wrote down a list of free concerts happening that week that she thought I might find interesting. All of that information was free, and most of the activities were free, as well.

7) Budget flights and rail deals

Before you book that rental car or buy that Eurail pass, consider flying between European cities on Europe’s budget airlines. Using the newly launched CheapoSearch Flights, our guide to European budget airlines, you can find some seriously low prices. Not to be outdone, the national rail companies are starting to fight back, lowering their prices for train trips booked in advance through their websites.

Check out: TGV (French) rail website, Die Bahn (German) rail website, Trenitalia (Italy) rail website, British Rail website, Renfe (Spanish) rail, SNCB (Belgian) rail

Your tips

These are just a few of the tips we’d like to share following our recent trip. What advice do you have? Please add your tips, ideas, and suggestions below!

The post Tips for great travel despite the weak dollar appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.