Bargain Deals in Iceland

by Neil Woodburn on

Iceland is one of my favorite places on this planet. It’s also one of the most expensive. And that’s why any time I hear about budget travel or cheap deals in this wonderful country, I happily share the find.

And so, just in time for the upcoming Iceland Airwaves Music Festival (October 17-21) the Guardian has interviewed five locals in search of cheap eats and other bargains–such as enjoying free espresso at 12Tónar, an independent music store.

One of the more unique discoveries I came across in this article was a recommendation to visit MulaKaffi Restaurant and try some slátur. Icelandic cuisine is notorious for its oddity and slátur is no exception. Rather than try to describe it myself, I’ll simply quote the words of local musicians Gunni and President Bongo: “…like haggis, involving all the “other” bits of meat. It literally translates as “slaughter,” and is also a slang term for a man’s genitals. The blood sausage, fat and oats sown into the stomach of a sheep – is boiled, cut down and fried, and then sugar is sprinkled on top.”

Mmmm… I’m sure the sugary topping really makes this dish extra yummy!

Dumpster Diving: The Cheapest Way to Eat While Traveling

by Neil Woodburn on

Food can become a considerable expense if you are a backpacker exploring the world with a limited budget. If this is your style of travel, you might consider becoming a “freegan.”

A freegan is a vegetarian who eats for free. And how does one eat for free? Dumpster diving, of course.

The freegan movement is a relatively new one, despite its roots stretching back to the very first bum who pulled something out of the trash, gave it a sniff, and then wolfed it down. Today’s freegans are a little more cultured and refined, according to Erika Hayasaki, who recently studied their lifestyle for a Los Angeles Times feature article. She claims that most of the dumpster divers “are often college-educated people from middle-class families” who are simply rebelling against capitalism and waste. Or, for the purpose of this post, just looking for a meal while thumbing their way to Dublin.I slightly get the point. I certainly spent some time in my youth digging through grocery store dumpsters in search of melons to throw off of tall buildings. The amount of food that these places throw away is staggering and I was always amazed at how fresh some of the items looked. They never looked fresh enough to actually put in my mouth, but I can certainly see how others might want to do that–be it a statement against consumerism or simply to save a buck.

For those of you considering freeganism to supplement your hunger during your budget travel jaunts, you might want to check out Meetup.com–a site that offers dumpster-diving tours in Seattle, Houston, LA, and England. And, if you’re really serious about this, Hayasaki also suggests Freegankitchen.com, a recipe site that promises “gourmet meals from the dumpster.” Mmmmm…

GADLING TAKE FIVE: Week of September 29–October 5

by Jamie Rhein on

How exactly does one pick just five posts to highlight out of a week’s worth of post bounty? Impossible, I say. Particularly since we have one more blogger on our team who has been a writing fiend ever since he started posting on Monday. Blogger Grant Martin has an eye and ear out for cheap travel and the bizarre story like Delta Requires Two Seats for Conjoined Twins.

Then there is Leif Pettersen’s last post on his hilarious series My Bloody Romania. He’s back in Minnesota thinking that everywhere he goes smells like french fries. I’ll miss Leif’s missives here, but more can be found at his blog Killing Batteries.

We’ve had a week of dabbling into science and technology with posts on a man-made island (Neil), space travel (me), and forays into the mysterious like the Loch Ness Monster (Catherine). Kelly’s travel read picks have also started again now that she’s back from Australia. There are five new One for the Road gems.

Here are my five posts if I must pick five–and I must. It’s “gadling TAKE FIVE,” that’s why.

This coming week, watch for another Where on Earth post. Brett’s wild about Gozo, Malta, the place he featured for this go round.

$1 Bus Rides to Major American Cities

by Neil Woodburn on

I’ve spent many hours of my life in transit to San Francisco. Back when I was a student in college, I’d make the six hour drive from Los Angeles in my car. My only cost was about $15 for gas. I was quite proud of this and never thought I’d be able to make the journey for any cheaper.

I am happy to now be proven wrong by a company called Megabus.

Megabus currently operates in 21 cities across America. Sure, Greyhound services a lot more places, but do they sell seats for just one buck? Nope, I don’t think so.

Megabus does, however. As long as you book early enough, tickets cost just $1. And no, there aren’t $50 worth of taxes added on like budget airlines tend to do; just a 50 cents per reservation fee. That means I can make the six hour trek from Los Angeles to San Francisco for an incredible $1.50. Another buck will get me to Las Vegas, and yet another will get take me all the way to San Diego.

This, folks, is a great deal!

Budget Fares from New York to Egypt

by Grant Martin on

Airfare Watchdog is reporting the latest in a string of strange USA-LON-XXX flights that are remarkably cheap for this time of year. This week, the Egyptian port of Sharm el-Sheikh is on sale from New York City for the paltry sum of about 600USD.

Availability appears to be anywhere between November and March, and AFWD has created a series of handy dandy links to help you search throughout an entire month of availability. The trick with booking this flight is to be flexible. Most dirt-cheap tickets are going to require a little bit of leeway on your part — leaving on a weekday or flying out of your way to get to where you need to be. Just remember that you’re getting a steal on airline tickets and any deal you can work out and book is a gift.

Another thing to remember is that deals like this often don’t last long. Gadling readers searching for this fare on Wednesday may already be too late; often times you may have a few hours to research, book and confirm your tickets. I won’t advocate making any snap decisions on international travel, but it may be a good idea to check the cancellation policy on your favorite booking engine’s FAQ. Many have a clause where you can cancel a ticket within 24 hours without penalty. That way you can book a ticket for you and your girlfriend from work right now and ask for her permission when you get home.

Trans-Atlantic legs appear to be mostly on British Airways, a oneworld alliance member earning you miles on American, British, Cathay and Quantas among others.

With regard to Egyptian travel, you can pay for a visa at the border (nifty postage stamp visas that you can paste into your passport yourself) for a reasonable price. Sharm el-Sheikh is a fabulous city at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula well known as a tourist destination and home to excellent scuba diving and western hobnobbery.

Don’t forget your Cipro.