Last Chance to Get to Greenland on the Cheap

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Okay, it’s not at the top of many people’s travel lists. Who thinks about Greeland? Well, I do, and I’ve wanted to go for a while. Hurtigruten is pretty sympathetic to this fact and has a new deal that makes it pretty easy to get it to one of the most remote destinations in the world … but, you have to act fast. This deal expires on August 31, 2009, and space is limited.

Hurtigruten’s new ship, MS Fram, has 318 berths and takes its guests around a seascape that hasn’t changed in 5,000 years. On land, much is frozen in time as well, with Hurtigruten’s passengers able to move among villages that have seen little of what the rest of the world would call progress. Eqip Sermia Glacier, icebergs in Disko Bay and Jakobshavn Ice Fjord (a World Heritage Site) are on the itinerary, as well as guided walking tours of Inuit towns, such as Qeqertarsuaq, Ukkusissat, Itelleq and Ilulissat.

Curious about the deals? Check them out after the jump.

“Three Countries – One Deluxe Ship” – a At a savings of 64 percent to 67 percent ($8,667 to $13,117 in savings), the voyage starts in a European country and ends in New York (by way of Canada). Along the way, you’ll explore one of the world’s most remote destinations (Greenland), and guests on the 18-day voyage aboard the MS Fram are treated to a unique historical perspective as they are joined by Benedicte Ingstad, the daughter of the famed explorer Helge Ingstad. Ms. Ingstad joined her parents, Anne Stine and Helge, on their expedition to L’anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland in 1960, where they discovered and excavated what is believed to be the “Vinland settlement” of Leif Eriksson from around AD 1000 – 500 years before the Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” of North America. Other highlights include visits to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: L’anse Aux Meadows, Red Bay (provisional World Heritage list) and Gros Morne National Park. The September 22 departure ranges from $4,249 to $7,249 and include flights from New York/Newark, one night hotel in Copenhagen.

“25% Off + 2 Hotel Nights” – This deal results in a cost savings of $1,990 to $5,745 per person and comes with a pretty hefty perk: two free hotel nights in Copenhagen, Denmark. Guests will have a chance to poke around the medieval city. And, the stop in Denmark stretches the 8- and 15-day Greenland sailings into 10- and 17-day vacations. The reduced prices for the four August and September departures are $4,597 to $15,862 per person.

“Go Solo And Save” – Interested in checking out Greenland on your own? Solo travelers can pay the same rate as if they were sharing a cabin, a savings that can reach 47 percent ($3,065 to $19,034 off brochure prices). Single passenger prices are $6,129 to $21,149.

Road trip tip: How to sleep comfortably in your car

by Jamie Rhein on

I have slept in a car once on a road trip. When I drove from Odense, Denmark to Paris where people are smiling more than when I was there, my friend and I pulled off of the road somewhere to sleep. We could have been in France. I can’t remember. What I do remember is that it was not comfortable. We were in a Peugeot station wagon, so space wasn’t the problem, but we didn’t have enough bedding and it became light too soon. By the time I finally fell asleep, there I was waking up again.

Yesterday’s video road trip tip was about how to stay awake while driving. This one is about how to sleep comfortably. After watching this video you might think why get a hotel room when there’s a Walmart parking lot? Sleeping in a Walmark parking lot is a budget travel idea for sure. This video has demonstrations and some great ideas. The main idea is to plan to stay in your car.

Gadling’s guide to Summer music

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Summer. Music. Could any two words in the English language possibly go so well together? There’s just something about warm weather that makes you want to be outside, bare feet touching soft grass and dirt underfoot, hands in the cool night air, eardrums fluttering to the vibrations of a strumming guitar.

And aside from Summer, what could go better with music than travel? Whatever your favorite genre, this season is prime time to catch some of the best live performances you’ll see all year. So what if nothing good is playing near your hometown? Jump in the car or book that cheap plane ticket. Music is just the excuse you’re looking for to get out on the road. From the smallest local city festivals, to the giant multi-headliner events now dotting the country (and the world), it’s time to start making some travel arrangements to catch your favorite band.

We won’t pretend to list out every music festival and event going on this summer – there’s way too many. But we’ve been to our fair share of good ones – and we know what’s worth the trip. Grab those earplugs and stop making those Free Bird requests, Gadling is bringing you our picks of this Summer’s best music events, both in your backyard and around the world.
International Festivals
There are some music events so incredibly epic, bringing together so many great bands, and unique performers in such unique settings, that they’re worth a trip halfway across the globe. That’s not to mention peculiar quirks of the local crowd. What better way to meet the locals than your shared love for Metallica? The international festivals below are definitely worth your money’s worth:

  • Sonar Festival – Barcelona, Spain (June 19-21) – the cutting edge Sonar Festival, hosted in one of Europe’s most dynamic cities, brings together multimedia art and music for three days of decidedly high-tech fun and dancing. This year’s festival features big names like M.I.A. and Justice. Did we mention the city is on a beach for when you get tired of the party?
  • Glastonbury – Glastonbury, England (June 27-29) – Glastonbury has long been known as one the one the premier festivals in England, if not the world, offering a huge lineup of some of pop music’s up-and-comers as well as established superstars. This year promises a similar showing, featuring hip-hop star Jay-Z, singer songwriter Leonard Cohen and bands like indie-rockers The National marquee acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Q Tip and Bruce Springsteen
  • Gnaoua Festival – Essaouira, Morocco (June 26-29) – if your musical tastes run towards the more esoteric and global, consider a trip to Morocco’s Gnaoua Festival, held each year in the lazy seaside village of Essaouira. Gnawa is type of music indigenous to Northern Africa, characterized by its soulful chanting and acrobatic dancing. As if a visit to the whitewashed town of Essaouira wasn’t reward enough, you’ll bear witness to some of the most amazing musicians from across sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Roskilde Festival – Roskilde, Denmark (July 3-6) – Denmark is not exactly a hot spot when you think of great musical events, but the annual Roskilde Festival is proof the Danes really know what they’re talking about. This year brings yet another killer lineup including uber-rockers Radiohead and Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, Lucinda Williams, and many others.

U.S. Festivals
Alright, so the Spanish music festival is out of your budget this year. That’s not a problem really – live music is practically a birthright of American citizens, guaranteeing that each summer you’ll find a heap of great musicians touring at a concert hall or ampitheater near you. To help you figure out what to check out, we’ve broken down some of our favorites based on geography: East Coast, West and Central. Take a look:

  • EAST COAST – All Points West, New York, NY (July 31- August 2) – brought to you by the same team that pulls together the annual Coachella Festival in Indio, CA, New York City’s All Points West Festival is now entering its second year. Much as you’d expect from a sister festival to the excellent Coachella, All Points West brings in top-notch talent like the Beastie Boys and MGMT to a gorgeous waterfront park facing the Statue of Liberty.
  • CENTRAL – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, TN (June 12-15) – many people wondered what was going on when a new festival was first announced in 2002 on a 700 acre farm in Tennessee. But the detractors have long since been silenced by Bonnaroo, now one of the country’s most famous music festivals. 2009 brings yet another eclectic and stellar lineup headlined by Bruce Springsteen, Snoop Dogg, Phish and Wilco.
  • CENTRAL – Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL (August 7-9) – consider Lollapalooza as the grandfather of national music festivals. It’s been around longer than just about every other major Summer festival around, originally created by Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell way back in 1991. The fact Lollapalooza no longer tours the country each Summer also works to your advantage – the festival now permanently resides in wonderful Summer climes of Chicago. Headliners this year include Depeche Mode, Kings of Leon and The Killers.
  • WEST – Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, CO (June 18-21) – you know you have a good thing going when your festival has been ongoing for 36 years. That’s exactly the advantage of the long-running Telluride Bluegrass Festival, a celebration of a distinctly American musical style nestled in the scenic heights of the Rocky Mountains. This year’s lineup includes a diverse roster of performers including David Byrne, Elvis Costello as well as old favorites like Jerry Douglas.

Ready for an encore? We only had space to list a few of our favorite summer musical events here. What did we miss? Have a favorite festival you think we should know about? Leave us your thoughts in the comments and there very well may be a Summer music roundup “Part II” in the near future.

5 study abroad destinations you’ve never considered (but should)

by Aaron Hotfelder on

“I hate when people who have just studied abroad try to talk me into doing the same thing,” a college friend of mine once told me. “Yeah, that is annoying,” I told him after I had just returned from a semester in Morocco. “But you really should.”

Studying abroad is not only a great opportunity to have some fun and learn about another culture, it’s a chance to take a giant leap outside of your comfort zone, an experience which author Michael Crichton once aptly described as “not always comfortable, but… always invigorating.”

Now, I’ve never been one to disparage others’ study abroad destinations– hell, buy me a plane ticket to London or Sydney and I’ll be there yesterday– but some places are better than others at challenging preconceptions, destroying prejudices, and introducing you to a previously unknown corner of the world.

Here are five study abroad destinations that will help you do just that:

5. Ghana Ghana is rapidly becoming West Africa’s most popular tourist stop, thanks in large part to its political, economic and social stability. Home to idyllic tropical beaches, wildlife sanctuaries featuring elephants, hippos, and monkeys, and dozens of cultural festivals every year, Ghana makes an appealing and unique study abroad destination for any student.

The University of Ghana, located near the capital Accra, is the country’s most prestigious university, and classes are taught in English, the official language of Ghana. Opportunities to learn foreign languages abound, however, as Ghana’s people speak dozens of languages including Twi, Ga, and Hausa. Just don’t expect anyone to understand you when you get back.

4. State of Chiapas, Mexico More Central American than Mexican, the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico is home to the charming colonial highland town of San Cristóbal de las Casas, headquarters of the left-wing Zapatista revolutionary movement. (A game: First one to find a wall without the group’s initials EZLN spray-painted on wins a peso.)

After a recent visit to San Cristóbal, the New York Times travel writer Matt Gross raved: “San Cristóbal was a city that had me joyously roaming its streets from morning till night. In fact, these lanes, paved with hexagonal stones, may have been the most roamable I’ve seen.”

Many more attractions await just a few hours away: the spectacular Mayan ruins at Palenque, the beautiful (and tremendously fun) waterfalls called Misol-Ha and Agua Azul (pictured above), and the fascinating town of San Juan Chamula, with its massive Sunday market and colorful church where worshippers drink (and burp) carbonated beverages on a pine-needle-covered floor to keep the evil spirits away. Yeah, that’s what I said.

The University of California – Davis has an interesting summer program in Chiapas on Indigenous Literary and Social Movements. Check out the details here. (And check out my guide to Chiapas here.)

3. Denmark Copenhagen, the Danish capital, is a perennial contender for the world’s “most liveable” city (if not its most affordable) and it’s easy to see why. The people are friendly and beautiful, the city is gorgeous and green, and the weather is not as bad as you think. English is widely spoken, and the University of Copenhagen has been named one of the world’s top 50 universities.

“I studied abroad in Denmark when I was sixteen,” says Gadling blogger Sean McLachlan. “It gave me an incurable case of wanderlust. Cute girls, bars open to teenagers, topless beaches– yeah, Denmark was a good place to be sixteen in.”

2. Ecuador

I’ve already sung the praises of Ecuador elsewhere (see my should-have-been-award-winning guide to the country here) but it bears repeating: There is simply no other country in the world that packs this much diversity into such a small space. The Andes Mountains, the Galapagos Islands, the Amazonian jungle, the beautiful, historic (and fun!) city of Quito, and the seaside surf town of Montañita– they’re all within a country smaller than the state of Nevada.

1. Morocco Despite being located only eight miles from Spain, Morocco is worlds away in terms of culture, language, and cuisine. Casablanca might be North Africa’s most cosmopolitan city, while two hours south, Marrakesh offers travelers one of the world’s largest markets and the spectacular Djemaa el Fna (see photo below), a massive square that comes to life at night with snake charmers, impromptu boxing matches, magicians, and some of the best street food you’ll find anywhere.

Other highlights include the cool hill town of Chefchaouen, well-known for the kif that grows in its surrounding fields (and where your waiter just might offer you some to smoke); the imperial city of Fes, home to the world’s oldest continuously operated university and the mesmerizing medina of Fes el Bali; and the gritty port town of Tangier, where travelers just off the boat from Spain first arrive– and are confronted with eager (and persistent) taxi drivers and guides.

Classes are usually taught in English or French, with plenty of opportunities to learn Arabic. (Go on, give it a shot.) And as a bonus, if you do study abroad in Morocco, you will almost certainly be invited to a Moroccan classmate’s house where you’ll be able to eat some delicious home cookin’ and experience some of that famed Moroccan hospitality.

Problem with using credit card in Europe? Try these

by Jamie Rhein on

This read by Ed Perkins of Tribune Media Services reminded me of a problem I had in Amsterdam this past December. When trying to buy a train ticket at one of the kiosks with my credit card, I was asked for a pin number. If I have one, I can’t know it. I ended up going to a booth with a person to buy the tickets with Euros since the ticket kiosk didn’t take cash (I don’t think, or why wouldn’t I have done that?). I had hoped to use the kiosk since that would have been faster.

According to Perkins, credit cards issued in the U.S. don’t have chip-enabled cards like European banks are using. This can create problems once in awhile for those of us trying to use an American bank issued card. However, unless you are at a place like a kiosk where a swipe is required, and there isn’t a person involved in the transaction, you shouldn’t have a problem because the credit card should be able to be used without a pin.

  • If the clerk or waiter asks for a pin, let them know that the card is good with a signature on the back and I.D.
  • If the person still doesn’t want to use the credit card, ask to see the manager and see if that works.

Perkins suggests having a debit card as well so that if needed, in a pinch, you can get money out of an ATM, however don’t use the debit card to get money at other times or you’ll be dinged more in fees than if you had used your credit card.

In my case, I did use my credit card two times without trouble. Once at the Pancake Bakery in Amsterdam and the other time paying for tickets for the canal boat ride in Copenhagen. The rest of the time I used cash. I would have used my credit card (and cash) more on my last day in Denmark but I was PICK-POCKETED! Robbed! So sad. On the upside of that experience, I spent less money. [Smarter Travel]