Jauntsetter – Travel deals for New Yorkers

by Annie Scott on

New York, New York. You wanna be a part of it … but sometimes you need to get the heck out of it.

Good news! There’s a website called Jauntsetter that has travel deals specifically for New Yorkers. They know we’re too busy to find them ourselves, and that if no one hands us a deal we might just not go anywhere. I mean, we can get any food you can imagine, and there’s always some part of the city to explore. We can convince ourselves that this is all we need.

But it’s not! New York City is not the whole world, and those of us with the means to see the world should do it! It’s important to the international perception of America, important to our appreciation of our own country, and to each and every one of our personal growth. The more America knows about the rest of the world, the stronger America is in so many ways.

So, if you live in New York, check out the weekly updates on Jauntsetter.com. This week, for example, they have great international deals, as well as $200 flights to LA and New Orleans and great Sundance accomodations. Our pick of this week? San Juan, Puerto Rico for just $189!

Bookmarked. Thanks, Brian O’Neal, for the tip!

Budget Travel: Minneapolis, Minnesota

by Josh Lew on


Minneapolis. What comes to mind? Prince’s purple jumpsuit, Francis McDormand’s accent in the movie Fargo, the Mall of America and six months of winter.

Perhaps the larger of the Twin Cities (Saint Paul being the smaller) is not on the tourist map, but it often gets props for being a nice place to live. (Forbes called it most affordable city to live well. The Minneapolis suburb of Plymouth was rated the best place to live by CNNMoney).

So it’s a fine place to live. But why visit?

First, there is the food…then the live music, the art, the coffee shops, and, of course, the fact that Minneapolis is second only the New York in number of theater seats per capita.

Bring your coat (and if your ears are delicate, a hat as well) during the winter, but don’t expect ice fishing weather from April to October. That is when the city’s lakes, trails, and outdoor events make it a budget traveler’s dream destination.


Get In
It will soon be cheaper to fly to Minneapolis. Southwest will be launching flights to and from Chicago Midway in March. From Chicago, you can get a connection to any city in the US that Southwest flies. That will drive down airfares to MSP, once a stronghold of Northwest. Names like Megabus, Greyhound and Amtrak are also players in the transit game. Minneapolis sits in the cross-hair made by Interstates 35 and 94. It is reachable by car in a day from virtually anywhere in the Midwest.

Getting Around
The bus and train system is better than average for a mid-sized city, but still far from perfect. This is a driving city, especially if you want to take advantage of outdoor activities. Summer is bicycling weather and most of the urban destinations are within pedaling distance of one another. Buses and the new light rail system both allow bikers to bring their wheels on board.

What to do
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is free every day and often holds special events and exhibits. The nationally famous Walker Art Museum has free admission on the evening of the first Thursday of every month (with plenty of events and activities on offer). The adjacent sculpture garden is open year round, but is mainly a summertime attraction. The Como Zoo (actually in Saint Paul) does not charge for entry and is known for its polar bears and penguin exhibit. It is also free to peruse the art galleries in the growing hipster hot-spot of Northeast Minneapolis (Nordeast).

Theater prices can vary greatly. The Orpheum and Guthrie put on world-class stage productions, but tickets are highly priced unless you luck out in the rush line. There are plenty of other professional theaters and live music venues. These vary in size from a few thousand to a few seats. City Pages (print version is free at pretty much every restaurant, coffee shop and bar in the city) has a complete list of weekly events plus a collection of liberal editorial rants and naughty adverts in back. There is no better source for what happening and what’s cheap each week.

What to do (summer)
An evening stroll around Lake Harriet or Lake Calhoun, capped by a stop at one of the neighborhood bars or cafés in the area, is a pleasant (and cheap) way to spend a few hours. If you are on the prowl, such a trek can easily be seen as a chance to check out some attractive joggers. If that’s too low-brow, there’s the Shakespeare in the Park series during the summer and $2 movies at the historic Riverview Theater near the Mississippi River Road.

Where to Eat
Ethnic eateries line University Ave in St. Paul (from the State Capital to Snelling). These offer a filling, good meal for under 10 dollars. There is a similar strip in Minneapolis on Nicollet Ave. Sandwich shops, bistros, and cafes offer cheap fare throughout South Minneapolis and near the University of Minnesota.

Where to Drink
Nordeast is one of those hip artsy neighborhoods. Though its desirability is growing, there are still plenty of spots catering to the “I’m hip and creative but rather poor” crowd. Lots of these have live music or events on the weekend evenings (and good people watching every night of the week). If you are looking for some fun of the beer-in-a-pitcher variety, virtually any venue on or near the U of M campus will do.

Minneapolis offers a genuinely laid back trip. Cold weather or warm, there is plenty going on. And no, not everyone talks like Francis McDormand in Fargo.

More Budget Destinations on Gadling

Budget travel – Amsterdam

by Scott Carmichael on

Summary: Amsterdam may not be the first city to pop up on your wish list if you are looking for a budget destination, but the city has several great reasons to visit if you want to keep spending to a minimum.

For starters, the city has one of the best public transit systems in the world, and you’ll be close to a tram, bus, train or metro stop within walking distance almost anywhere in the city. Amsterdam also has an amazing (and affordable) selection of food from all over the world.

Getting in: Of course, the toughest part of picking Amsterdam as your budget destination is going to be getting there (assuming you are leaving from the US). European readers have quite a few more options, including low cost carriers, rail and even by sea, but from the US you are limited to just a couple of airlines, and none of them can be categorized as “low cost”. Your best bet is to keep an eye on an airfare prediction site like Farecast.

One thing to keep in mind is that Amsterdam is surrounded by several other European cities. If you manage to find a cheap flight to Dusseldorf, Brussels or even Paris, you can check the train prices to Amsterdam on the site of the Dutch International rail service. If you book far enough in advance, you’ll often find one way tickets for as low as €19.
The good news is that hotel prices in Amsterdam are almost always low, so you don’t have to plan your trip around affordable hotel availability. Just like any other major city in Europe, you’ll want to stay clear of Amsterdam during the high season of June through September.

Once you land at Schiphol Airport, a train ride to the downtown area costs just under €4 and ticket machines take all credit cards and their display can be switched to English. The train ride takes just 20 minutes. One word of advise when you are on the train – always keep a close eye on your luggage, and never open the train window for people standing outside who appear to want to ask you a question, pickpockets and luggage thieves are very active on this train line.

Where to Stay: Amsterdam is quite weird when it comes to hotels; You won’t find many chain hotels, but the city has 100’s of small independently operated hotels. Despite being one of the largest cities in Europe, Amsterdam has just one Hilton and one Starwood hotel (if you don’t count their locations at the airport).

Of course, this is actually a good thing for folks traveling on a budget. In Amsterdam you’ll find plenty of very affordable hotels, without having to settle for a hostel or other shared accommodation’s. All hotels in Amsterdam charge a 5% tourist tax, but their quoted prices include sales tax (just like all other published prices in Holland).

Some good examples of these cheap hotels are (all prices based upon a January stay):

  • The HEM hotel is located about 20 minutes from downtown and is a fair distance from most attractions. This modern 216 room hotel is surprisingly upscale considering rooms go for as little as €27 a night (prepaid rate), which includes your own bathroom, free Wi-Fi and breakfast.
  • The Art Gallery hotel – this 13 room hotel has one and two person room options, as well as several “deluxe” rooms. Sadly, deluxe does not offer a massive upgrade, it just means you get your own bathroom and shower. That said, a one person room (with a single bed) goes for just under €30 a night, which even includes breakfast. All rooms have their own TV as well as a coffeemaker. The hotel has free Wi-Fi access for all guests. One thing to keep in mind, is that the hotel will charge a 3% surcharge for all credit card payments, so it may be wise to reserve the room with a card, and pay for subsequent nights in cash.
  • Hostelboat Anna Maria II – Not only is Amsterdam one of the only cities in the world with 1000’s of house boats, it is also one of the only cities in the world with several house boat hostels. The Anna Maria II has 10 bunkbeds, and several shared bathrooms. Beds start at just €25 a night, but be sure to read the reviews as not everyone will actually fit in the cramped quarters. A list of other houseboats can be found here.

Thanks to its public transport system, you can stay almost anywhere within the city and its suburbs, and always be within 5 minutes of some form of transport. This also means you won’t have to bother with renting a car or spending extra money on a cab.

What to See: When you are in Amsterdam, you’d have a hard time not finding things to do. The city has some of the best museums in the world, as well as plenty of free attractions and of course some stunning architecture, both historical and modern.

  • Heineken Experience – The Heineken Experience is the home of the famous green bottled beer. This former factory has been transformed into a 4 level exhibition about Heineken, and shows the history of their products and explains the production process. At the end of the tour, you can enjoy two free cold and fresh drinks at the World bar. Admission to the museum is €15. Younger visitors will be thrilled to hear that the Dutch can legally sell alcohol to anyone over 16.
  • Rijksmuseum – The Rijks Museum is the Dutch national museum and houses some of the most important Dutch art in the world. Works by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals are on display here. The museum is currently being renovated, but the most popular exhibits are still on display in the Philips wing of the complex. Admission is €10 per person.
  • Hortus Botanicus – The Hortus Botanicus is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world. Several of the gardens are outdoors, but the indoor greenhouse is perfect if the weather does not cooperate. Admission to Hortus is €7 per person.
  • Bike rental – As soon as you arrive in Amsterdam, you’ll notice that the primary mode of transportation for many people is the bike. In fact, most of Amsterdam has dedicated bike paths, bike traffic lights and bike storage facilities almost everywhere you go. The only thing more popular than the bike, is bike theft. If you do rent a bike, always be sure to lock it, and never ignore the optional bike insurance. Bike rentals will run you about €10 a day with an additional €4 for insurance. When possible, use one of the many secured bike facilities in the downtown area.
  • FloraHolland Aalsmeer flower auction – If you have ever purchased a bunch of flowers at the local store, then chances are they passed through the Aalsmeer flower auction. This facility is the largest plant and flower export location in the world. If you find yourself awake early in the morning, you can make your way to Aalsmeer (just outside Schiphol airport). Admission is free.
  • The Red Light district – No visit to Amsterdam is complete without a stroll through the famous Red Light District. It is not an attraction I’d consider walking through with kids, but if you are on your own, or with adults, it is quite an eye opening experience. In the “RLD”, you’ll encounter the working women behind their windows, waiting for customers, as well as numerous sex shops, sex clubs and many bars and restaurants. I’d highly recommend staying clear of these bars, as they tend to mainly cater for tourists and other visitors who don’t mind overpriced food and beverages.
  • Gassan Diamond Tour – As one of the diamond capitals of the world, Amsterdam has quite a few diamond attractions. One of the most popular (and free) attractions, is the Gassan Diamond Tour. Gassan is a fully operational diamond factory and the tour gives you a behind the scenes look at how they transform rough diamonds into jewel quality rocks.
  • Central Amsterdam Library – The Central Amsterdam library is conveniently located close to the main train station. This 6 floor facility offers plenty to do for members and non member guests. It may even be a great place to start your trip as the 6th floor offers a fantastic view of the city skyline. The library is open daily from 10am till 10 pm.
  • Festivals and events – There is one thing Amsterdam is very good at; festivals. There are several major events that take place in the city. Koninginnedag is the national Dutch celebration for the birthday of the Queen (in fact, the day is the birthday of the previous Queen). Queens day is a totally insane celebration day, and a national holiday. The Amsterdam Gay Pride parade is one of the largest in the world, and the 2009 event is being held from July 31st – August 2nd 2009.
  • Shopping in Amsterdam – the city center of Amsterdam is full of souvenir stores, department stores and almost every other kind of store under the sun. As with most downtown stores, many of these shops cater for tourists, and have their goods priced as such. For a more authentic shopping experience, you may want to grab a tram and head towards the Waterlooplein market where you’ll find everything from second hand clothes to cheese, nuts and fruit.
  • Vondelpark – Most big cities in the world have at least one large park, and Amsterdam is no different. The Vondelpark is a large park with everything from wooded areas to public lakes, an outdoor theater and several public bathrooms. Many parts of the park are accessible by bike, so if you have rented a bike, I highly recommend taking it for a spin the park. During the summer months, you’ll always find something fun going on in the park.

If you plan to visit more than 3 or 4 attractions in Amsterdam, you may be better off with the Amsterdam Tourist Agency “I Amsterdam Card“. This all-in-one card offers free museum and attraction admission, free public transit usage as well as a free trip on one of the many canal boats in the city. The card starts at €33 per day, up tp €53 for a 3 day card. Make sure you run the numbers, and purchase the card as soon as you arrive at the train station.

Where to eat: When it comes to food, Amsterdam won’t disappoint. The city offers food from every corner of the world. Of course, like any major city, you’ll also find your fair share of restaurants that cater mainly to tourists. Avoid any restaurant that offers a tourist meal, as it is almost always overpriced.

The city has all the major US fast food chains scattered throughout the shopping district, but if you want some authentic Dutch fast food, then head on over to a Snack Bar for “patat met” (fries with mayo) and a “Kroket” (meat filled fried roll). At most of these snack bars, you’ll be able to get yourself a totally unhealthy, yet filling meal for about €4. If you prefer to put your own lunch together, check out a local grocery store (Albert Heijn is the most popular chain), this is especially convenient if you want some cheap beer and a sandwich. A six pack of beer, a loaf of bread and some fresh Gouda will run you about €10

Some other budget friendly places to eat are:

  • Skek – Skek is a fairly new restaurant in Amsterdam and is operated by one of the largest student bodies in the country. Food is served from early morning till late in the evening, and is a mix of traditional Dutch food and world cuisine. Their dinner menu offers a three course meal for about €18, but you’ll be able to get a decent lunch for as little as €3. Most beverages (including beer) are just €2. Students get a 33% discount on the entire menu. The restaurant also offers free wireless internet access.
  • De Keuken van 1870 – “The Kitchen of 1870” is another very affordable restaurant. For just €7.50, you can order from their daily changing menu lineup, and lunch starts at a reasonable €4.
  • Albert Cuyp Market – The Albert Cuyp market is held Monday through Saturday from 9 till 6, and offers almost 250 stalls selling anything from cheap CD’s to all kinds of food. Admission to the market is of course free, and you should be able to grab a very filling bite to eat for just a couple of Euros.

Other things to do include hopping on a train to visit other parts of the country. The Netherlands is small enough that you can reach 90% of the country by train within an hour. Around Amsterdam you’ll find cities like Haarlem, Volendam (a traditional Dutch fishing village) and The Hague (the goverment capital of the country).

9 reasons ’09 will be the year of the “YAYcation”

by Brenda Yun on

Christopher Elliot, over at Tribune Media Services, reported how 2009 will likely be the year of the “naycation.” While Gadling’s own writer, Tom Johansmeyer, agrees to some extent that this could be the case, I hope we might be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

So, the optimist/devil’s advocate that I am, I present to you 9 reasons this will be the year of the “YAYcation.”

  1. Obama: If The Economist‘s Global Electoral College is any indication of how the world feels about Obama, then it is a logical assumption that Americans can feel more welcome abroad. With Clinton as the new Secretary of State, and Obama’s openness to relations to formerly cold countries such as Cuba, we should explore some uncharted territory.
  2. The economy: The world’s ailing economy appeared to be Elliot’s main argument for the “naycation,” but I beg to differ. If the economy is so bad, then why not invest in an affordable trip abroad? Your money will go farther abroad than staying home and paying for steep electric and phone bills.
  3. No job? Might as well travel: My cousin lost his job at Wachovia a few months ago, is now engaged to his long-time girlfriend, and is planning a year-long globetrot. WHY NOT? Take advantage of your lost job and get lost in the world for a while.
  4. Disappearing wonders of the world: It’s not just global warming that is causing the world’s beloved wonders to disappear. I think some places in this world are becoming too trodden and destroyed by human contact. The Pyramids, Taj Mahal, and Machu Picchu are just a few of the places I’ve seen that simply no longer hold the same luster as before. People populate and flood these places on a daily basis, and we need to go there — now — to see them before they are overridden by tourism.
  5. New, great places to explore: There are several new world wonders like the Kremlin in Moscow, Aya Sophia in Istanbul, and the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany that are awesome places. But what about exotic countries like Mongolia, Slovenia, and Morocco? I’m ready to explore, aren’t you?
  6. Independent women travelers: No longer are men the only ones gallivanting around the world. Nowadays, there are more and more females traveling around solo, and women are muchless daunted by traveling abroad and the economy shouldn’t have anything to do with it.
  7. Cheap flight deals: Gadling blogger Kraig Becker summarized some fabulous travel deals for the new year. There are tons of great, cheap flights around the world, and it’s not that hard to find them anymore either.
  8. The world is flat: Thomas Friedman called it when he explained how the world is flat, and I can’t agree with him more. Your friends around the world are easier to contact (by email, text, Skype, or otherwise), making it so much easier to organize a trip to visit them and sleep on their couches. Or, if you’re daring and trusting, you can couch surf with perfect strangers for free.
  9. Virtual travel just won’t cut it: I am a huge fan of vicarious travel, but there comes a time when this kind of thing just doesn’t produce the same effect. Instead of playing Halo 3, for instance, I would much prefer getting out there into the wide open world and seeing the real thing with my own two eyes.

10 tips for making a trip more affordable

by Jamie Rhein on

I read about a couple who bought a sailboat when common sense might have told them not to in this New York Times article awhile ago. Their kids were heading to college, and the economy had begun its rapid trip south. According to the couple, they have no regrets about the boat purchase.

The experiences they’ve had with their kids and friends on the boat have added to their good memories bank. Okay, sure they must have been rolling in dough to start off with, but they do have a point. As the author Rob Lieber pointed out, one doesn’t have to buy a boat to experience the benefits of a splurge.

I’m not advocating splurging at every turn in life, but sometimes acting solely on common sense can make life feel tight and without pleasure. In my mind, a splurge worth making involves travel because of the memories one gathers in the process.

One of the great things about travel is that there are so many aspects of the splurge where costs can be controlled. Making memories may not cost as much as you think if you plan right and alter your thinking about what a trip should look like.

Here are some ideas I’ve thought of to help balance out worthwhile travel with a budget in mind. I’ve used them on several occassions.

1. All meals don’t have to be worth writing home about. Head to a place that has good food, but nothing fancy–a place where locals on a budget might eat. Eateries like these tend to have the best stories anyway. Consider the places you’ve eaten a real find.

2. If you’re eating at a pricier place for the experience, browse the menu for the least expensive option and that’s what you will order. Or order the appetizer that sounds the most filling and buy the cheapest glass of wine to go with it. It will feel special and you can buy something cheaper later to fill you up.

3. Another way to afford more expensive food is to plan for the meal to be the main event for that day and pair it with a cheaper activity like a free walk in a park or an inexpensive museum. Many museums have free admission days. Find out when.

4.. On the day you spend more money at a museum, head to a cheaper restaurant, or buy fixings for a picnic lunch in a park. Mix it up. Have an expensive day followed by a cheaper one.

5. Sure it’s wonderful to sleep in luxury, but if you’re on vacation in an exciting place, think about how little time you’ll spend in the hotel. Two years ago when we went to Ft. Lauderdale, we stayed at a 1960s style bungalow two blocks from the beach at a substantial savings. We had access to the same beach as the people in the pricey rooms in beach front property. Also, we had a wonderful time talking with the proprietor who came to Ft. Lauderdale to open a motel to make his dreams come true. Much more interesting than a corporate style place with fluffy pillows and an overly priced mini bar that we wouldn’t use anyway.

6. Stay in a place that has free breakfast. Don’t eat that hardboiled egg or fruit for breakfast, but take it along with you for lunch.

7. Think about adjusting the time you spend in an expensive location. Instead of a five-day vacation, pair it down a day. One night less cuts down on the cost. Plus, if you plan out your trip according to the things you most want to see, you’ll leave feeling full and not like you didn’t have enough of a travel meal. Isn’t it better to eat something than nothing at all?

8. Also, think about the places where you have family and friends and combine a vacation with a visit. We’re fortunate to have friends in several places so we pair visits with them with exploring those sites we haven’t seen before. The extra time with our friends is always time worth spent and makes our destinations all that more sweet and memorable. Plus, the people who live in a place know its heartbeat much more than a guidebook does.

9. Decide how much money you’ll spend on souvenirs before you go. An item you buy on the road is part of memory making but you don’t have to go nuts about it. In this case, you’ll be doing as I say and not as I do. Our house looks like a store run by Unicef. You could buy stuff out of our house and I wouldn’t notice.

10. If you have children, make their souvenirs part of this budget. On a trip to Disney World, each of my kids could only spend $15 tops. That cut out a lot of options and arguments. My daughter didn’t buy anything, and my son bought a small stuffed animal which cost $12. The limit helped us corral him through the gift shops at the end of each ride.

No matter what the economy is up to, with planning and adjustments in expectations, travel still remains one of the best deals around. I’ve never regretted it–there are some souvenirs I’ve regretted, but never the trip. The memories I’ve collected are priceless.