Busabout: another way to tour Europe

by Jamie Rhein on

I’ve done the Eurail pass travel frenzy for a month and similar rail pass travel in Japan–that time for one week. They were great for making a lot of ground without spending the extra money once I paid for the passes, but they weren’t particularly cheap. There’s another way to go city to city in Europe if you’re on a budget and a backpacker.

“I Want Adventure” and “I Want to Hop-On Hop Off” pops up on the Busabout’s splash page. Designed for the “independent traveler,” Busabout bus trips allow riders to tailor trips to what they want to see with 10 country, 30 city options, and in the time frame they want. You can travel to all countries or just a few. Unlike a train where you’re left to your own devices, Busabout trips have tour guides that point out the good stuff along the way and give you tips on what to see when you get off. When you head out for some exploring, you can also leave your gear on the bus, depending on which option you’ve picked.

The Web site is equipped with Lonely Planet online guides to help you plan your journey. You can start anywhere you want in the network and break your trip up into sections. Depending on the trip options, whether you choose from the Busabout Explorer, Eastern Trekker or Busabout Adventures, you could travel for a few days or months. (Go to each one to see what’s offered.) From the pictures of travelers, it also looks like this would be a terrific way to meet folks. One group is clinking beer glasses. Another is on bikes. Busabout recommends that you book as much of your journey ahead, but you can change your booking if needed. Cancellations need to be within 24 hours for a full refund. There is also help with finding accommodations and a system where you can book ahead while you are on the bus.

A technology feature I find interesting, particularly for parents who have high school age students or sons and daughters in college who are heading off alone, the Busabout system keeps track of where people get on and off the bus. If you haven’t heard from Junior or Juniorita for awhile, the company may be able to give a possible location. Last place seen–Paris.

Thanks to Intelligent Travel for pointing this company out. Spend some time poking around Busabout’s Web site and you’ll be imagining all sorts of possibilities. If this company comes up with trips for families, I say they are REALLY onto something.

Flying to Europe? Try this NWA 20% off code

by Grant Martin on

In case you still haven’t booked your springtime Europe travel, now might be a good time to do it. Northwest Airlines just published a discount code for 20% off all Europe bound flights in April.

You have to be a NWA frequent flyer in order to cash in on the deal — but it’s fairly easy to get a free number on the website. After that you have to plug in that frequent flyer number plus the reference code PR029 into the E-Cert option on the booking page in order to activate the discount.

No word on whether Northwest Airlines will still be Northwest Airlines by springtime with all of this merger talk, but you don’t have to worry about that. Whether NWA gets bought out by Delta, United, Dubai or Beijing, they’ll still fulfill their obligation for all flights reserved.

Travel must be booked by March 3rd and take place between April 6th and 20th.

Travel tips: Don’t keep your money in one place

by Anna Brones on

Losing your money or your credit cards can be the most stressful of events when you are traveling; stuck in a foreign land with no cash equals no fun. Room safes fail, money belts get stolen, and you can quickly turn into an unhappy traveler. An excellent way to deal with this problem is to spread your money around; never keep it in just one place.

A great article over at Hole in the Donut covers the most unusual places to stash your cash. Some of the recommendations:

-Snip a few stitches in the hem of the window drapes and slip some bills into the fabric.

-Carry duct tape with you so that you can put some money in a plastic bag and tape it under your dresser… or even the toilet tank.

-If you have a shower in your hotel or hostel room, take down the curtain rod and hide some cash in inside the hollow tube.

The most creative is of course the Brief Safe, a pair pf pre-dirtied men’s underwear that have a secret pocket where you can put some bills or other small valuables. You can buy a pair or even build your own thanks to Justin’s DIY project.

Will the Open Skies agreement drive down the cost of transatlantic travel?

by Grant Martin on

This year’s Open Skies agreement, the deregulating measure slated to open up competition in the transatlantic market, is set to unfurl at the end of next month.

Airlines from the left and right side of the pond are already preparing for the demand. Traditional airports like London‘s Heathrow will now be opened up to all bidders (depending on available slots), which in turn will open the door for smaller carriers to break into a formerly tight market.

On the surface, this looks good for passengers. Any increase in supply should result in a lower overall price, right? That’s what we’re hoping for. What we don’t want to happen is for the recent spike in oil prices to counteract the new supply, which is unfortunately what many industry analysts are predicting. There is still hope, however. If we could get some major Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) involved in the fray, supply would go through the roof and the legacy carriers would be forced to compete in a fair market.

It’s kind of like the Southwest Airlines effect in the US. Whever SWA starts service to a hub, a miniature fare war starts among the carriers and prices to that destination equalize. Now all we need is a transatlantic discount carrier to do the same thing. Any volunteers?

Read more at a related BBC article here.

Train to Machu Picchu reopens

by Iva Skoch on

Peruvians ended two days of protests against new laws allowing more development near historic sites. Rail service to the Inca ruins at Machu Picchu reopened and the nearest regional airport at Cuzco also reopened. The airport had been closed since Thursday when protestors stormed the facility and piled rocks and trees onto roads, according to AP.

Local leaders protested two laws, originally approved late last year, that permit the construction of new hotels and restaurants near historic sites. Last week, lawmakers ratified the disputed laws, and then modified them three days later to let regional governments decide whether to apply them.

I can’t believe they want to develop the area more. I hope developers are not planning to replace the old train with some sort of highly efficient high-speed train. Hmmm. what would the Incas do?