How to instantly save 25% when shopping in Europe

by Jerry Guo on

If you’re a relative newbie to traveling around in Europe, here’s how to cut 10-25% off your shopping bill the next time you’re there. (And for the Canadian-philes here, you’ll save 7%).

The trick is getting a refund of the Value Added Tax (VAT). This is literally free cash that’s yours for the taking–though technically you paid the tax when you purchased your goodie. Europeans have to put up with the VAT, but as a tourist (assuming you’re not from the country you were shopping in), you’re entitled to a refund of the VAT.

To get your refund, you have to pick up a slip from the cashier when you pay for the item. Then you take it to the airport (or an office around town) where a VAT clerk will fork over the cash. There’s actually a huge company that handles most of the refunds, fittingly called Global Refund. One important point to keep in mind is you have to cash out your VAT slips in the same country–and not when you leave the EU. That means sometimes you’ll have to look extra-hard to find one of those Global Refund offices.
Here’s a break-down of how much you can save.

Country Value Added Tax Minimum Purchase Requirement
Belgium 21% 125€ or US$162
Canada 7% $200 CAN or US$160 *
Czech Republic 22% 2500 Czech Kroners or US$107
Denmark 25% 301 Danish Kroners or US$52
France 19.6% 175€ or US$227
Germany 16% 30€ or US $38
Italy 20% 155€ or US$201
Netherlands 6% or 19% 137€ or $178
Norway 24% 310 Norwegian Kroners or US$48
Portugal 19% 60€ or US $77
Spain 16% 90€ or US$116
Sweden 25% 200 Swedish Kroners or US$28
United Kingdom 17.5% 20£ or US$37

Best hotel bargain in the world: SeaCoast Inn

by Jamie Rhein on

According to the Trip Advisor’s 2008 Traveler’s Choice list, the best bargain hotel in the world is the SeaCoast Inn in Hyannis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. As logic would have it, it’s on the list as the best bargain in the U.S. is well.

So what makes this place in Cape Cod such a deal? Cleanliness of the hotel (just read the comments on the dirtiest hotels post), friendliness and knowledge of the inn keepers, and its location, location, location, according to the comments on the SeaCoast Inn Web site. One guest said they never used their car. A guest from Europe said that it’s similar to smaller hotels in Europe. For those Americans looking to go to Europe, but are put off by the lousy showing of the American dollar these days, perhaps staying here may suffice the need for a dose of European travel. If you can walk everywhere, think of the savings on gas as well.

My reaction when I saw the room rates was “Wow, that is reasonable.” The inn must be closed for the season right now since prices aren’t listed for the winter, but starting in the spring you can stay for as low as $68. The highest springtime rate is $108. In the summer the prices jump to $98–$148 which is not bad for a touristy area.

From the inn you can walk to the ferries that will take you to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. I’ve never been to Cape Cod, but the SeaCoast Inn’s Web site highlights several reasons why this would be a perfect place to take a family.

Thailand’s Phi Phi island, three years after the tsunami

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Over at the San Francisco Chronicle’s excellent travel section, Cherilyn Parsons visits beautiful Koh Phi Phi, Thailand, and asks, “Wasn’t there a tsunami here only three years ago?”

There was. On the day after Christmas, 2004, a tsunami ravaged the island of Phi Phi, driving tourists, and tourist dollars, away. For a year, most of the visitors to the island were backpackers who helped clean up the rubble, as documented in Brook Silva-Braga’s fantastic documentary A Map for Saturday.

Parsons writes that the island looks much like it did pre-tsunami, and that locals are trying to move past that sad part of their recent history. When she asks one hotel owner how business was affected by the tsunami, she gets her answer:

“‘How many nights you want stay Phi Phi?’

In other words, ‘Why should I dwell on my past when I can sell a room to help my future?’ That attitude was an answer.”

Here‘s the full article, and accompanying photo gallery.

Looking for danger? Head to Canada

by Aaron Hotfelder on

If I were to make a list of the safest countries on Earth, I’d probably put Canada right at the top. The Australian government, however, doesn’t agree.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is now advising Australian citizens, via its “Smart Traveller” website, to “exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in Canada because of the risk of terrorist attack.” Australian officials are also warning travelers to Canada of the risks of earthquakes, tornados, avalanches, and even tsunamis.

The site puts countries into five categories, from “Be alert to own security,” the lowest, to “Do not travel,” which speaks for itself, I think. Despite the warnings of possible terrorist attacks, Canada falls into the second safest category, “Exercise caution,” along with its neighbor to the south. (That’s the US, geography whizzes.)

Countries such as China, Belarus, Latvia, South Korea, and Romania fall into the safest category, while Afghanistan, Burundi, and (no surprise) Iraq are some of those deemed to be the least safe.

All this talk about government-issued travel warnings reminds me of what travel writer Cynthia Barnes once wrote about the U.S. State Department:

“[I]t’s my belief that the State Department is comprised of well-meaning ninnies. Like the father of a luscious 16-year-old, the State Department is happiest when we’re at home.”

How to get free wireless at any airport

by Jerry Guo on

So I’m sitting in the US Airways (I know I know) terminal at LaGuardia right now. And guess how I got online? Yep, I paid $7.95 to a company called Boingo, which supplies the wireless connection.

But now that I’m online, I just found a great little trick that lets you save that $7.95 and get free wireless Internet at any airport. Here’s all you have to do:

Add “?.jpg” after any website address. That’s it. For instance, if you want Google, just type in www.google.com/search?.jpg/.

Enjoy!