Budget Travel: Mexico

by Brenda Yun on

Spring Break is upon us, and for most college kids, March means two things: basketball and getting your color back on some tropical beach. When I think Mexico, I think drugs and girls gone wild, but there’s something about Mexico that really draws a crowd in March and continues through the summer until late October. As Mexico continues to rank among the top spring break hot spots (this year being no different), what is a Gadling guide to budget travel without a little love the country across our southern border?

According to an MSNBC Travel article published earlier this month, Cancun is the most popular party place, followed closely by . Cancun, oft coined as the “Party Capital of the World,” has long had a reputation of being a hot party-all-night atmosphere, so it’s natural that this year the city is seeing no change in the flock of tourists to its beaches.
The same goes for Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos. In fact, according to L.A. Times travel blogger, Jen Leo, roundtrip flights between Los Angeles and Cabo San Lucas are a mere $220 each.

A typically fun Mazatlán is now drawing a record number of spring breakers because it’s now the final destination of the “Maz Party Bus” that leaves from various college campuses in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. For just $299, StudentCity.com is providing an unbeatable package that includes roundtrip transportation to Mazatlán on a luxury motor coach complete with bathrooms, reclining seats, TV’s and DVD players (two nights are spent on the bus), a five-night stay at a resort in Mazatlán, and two free meals per day at participating restaurants. The price is pretty tough to beat.

But Mexico is not just fun and games, you know. Budget Travel and the L.A. Times both love Mexico’s cultural cities like Oaxaca, which rarely see the likes of Cancun partiers, and traveling to this shopping and chocolate haven can be just as cheap as getting to the Mexico’s beaches. Even the neighboring towns of Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta see low numbers of tourists and have some pretty awesome, high-quality silver jewelry for pennies. If you want to escape the rowdy ruckus of Mexican parties and tequila shots, just hop on a local bus, travel along the coast, and you’ll find an untouched beach that you could very well experience all for yourself.

Let’s face it though: Mexico is the type of travel destination best experienced with others. It’s not for the solo traveler, nor for the early to bed, early to rise types. Traveling with friends is both the key to happiness in Mexico as well as the key to saving money, too — lots of it.

Budget Travel: Liverpool, UK

by Annie Scott on


Summary: Liverpool. It’s not London, and that’s why it’s not nearly as expensive. But with the old-timey glamor of Albert Dock, a history rich with music, maritime lore, and football (soccer) glory, and a proximity to Chester and Port Sunlight Village, Liverpool is no second rate vacation destination. It’s a first rate European city and an exciting place to visit!

Getting in: The John Lennon International Airport is where it’s at. If you can’t get straight there from where you live, find a trip to Amsterdam, then EasyJet it over to Liverpool. It may take you out of your way, but the savings will likely be worth it, and taking a train from London with all your luggage is a major pain after a long flight. Plus, a layover in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport can be a pretty good time! Check out the facilities/amenities here.

Where to stay: Gadling recommends that you stay at the Britannia Adelphi Hotel. This places you just uphill from all the best shopping and dining, near the train station (which you’ll need if you want to take day trips), and walkable to Albert Dock and the city’s cathedrals. The prices are reasonable and the rooms are lovely. There’s also a Marriott nearby if you are looking to cash in points.

What to see: Liverpool’s blue collar roots are well disguised in the trendy City Centre area. We recommend a walk down Bold Street to get you started with shopping, especially the trendy Karen Millen shop. While you’re there, you can eat a very cheap, delicious, healthy vegetarian meal at the exquisitely painted Egg Cafe (and gallery).

Ready for a pint? Head up to the Philharmonic Pub for a classy, relaxed atmosphere, and, if you can, catch whatever’s playing that night at The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall across the street! Note: The locals don’t say the “H” in Phil*H*armonic, and they will make fun of you if you do — that, or have no idea what you are talking about.

Now you’re on Hope Street. You might notice that at either end of the street, there is a giant cathedral. Visit both! The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (Roman Catholic) looks a bit like a spaceship, or like it might impale any falling angels, but is quite lovely inside. The Liverpool Cathedral (Anglican) is even grander, and definitely worth a tour (you can see all of Liverpool from the top), or at least a stroll through the lovely, probably-haunted graveyard. Hope Street also runs into Mount Street at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts where you can catch — or pick up fliers for — all kinds of local music, theater, dance, and more. LIPA was started in 1996 by Sir Paul McCartney and has been spitting out West End stars and more ever since!

If you’re a soccer fan, don’t miss a tour of the Liverpool Football Club museum and stadium. Ask at your hotel for transportation arrangements.

And naturally, if you’re a Beatles fan, don’t miss the Magical Mystery Tour! The tour is run by primary school classmates of The Beatles, and is funny, informative, and a great way to see a lot of Liverpool. It ends at the infamous Cavern Club, which is still alive and well.

Another great way to see Liverpool is the Yellow Duck Marine Tour. The guides on the duck boats are hysterical, and they take you around Albert Dock, where you can also visit a lot of Liverpool’s chicest clubs, the Tate Liverpool, the Merseyside Maritime Museum, or just get your caricature drawn for a couple of pounds.

Lastly, if you want to get that posh British feeling, take a day trip to Chester. You can get there by train in about 45 minutes and spend the whole day eating crumpets, perusing parfumeries, and walking the wall that covers the entire perimeter of the city. Better still, stop in Port Sunlight Village on your way down. The village itself looks like something you might see in miniature form in a store-front display around Christmas, and it is home to The Lady Lever Art Gallery — a gallery you can totally do in a couple of hours which happens to be my personal favorite throughout the entire world. Don’t miss the basement full of Masonic artifacts.

A trip to Liverpool is worth your time, and, especially in comparison to London, really easy on your wallet!

Budget Travel: Renting a vacation apartment

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Pssst. I’ve got a secret. Did you know you can stay in some the world’s most beautiful and unique accommodations, located in the best neighborhoods and do it all for rock-bottom prices? Surprisingly enough, it’s not some hidden boutique hotel chain or Priceline deal. I’m talking about vacation apartment rentals.

The beauty (and the hassle) of renting an apartment when traveling is you get to do it yourself. Sure, you have to scour the web for a place you like, make the arrangements with the owner and then clean up after yourself when you leave. But for the independent, budget-minded traveler, there’s no better way to go. Not only does your money go further on nicer accommodations, you often get a great sense of what it “feels” like to be a local. That’s not to mention the perks of staying places with beautiful balconies, giant floor-through lofts with 20 foot ceilings and bottles of free champagne waiting for you when you arrive (I’ve experienced all three).

And in 2009, renting your own apartment has never been easier. Sites like Homeaway, VRBO and Craigslist put a worldwide database of vacation rentals right at your fingertips. But how do you go about your search to find a good place? And how do you make sure the owner you’re dealing with won’t just take the money and run?

We’ll take a look in Gadling’s Budget Travel guide to vacation apartments…
Where to Look
As we mentioned before, the three best sources for finding a vacation rental are Homeaway, VRBO and Craigslist. All have their respective advantages and drawbacks. Interestingly enough, VRBO was purchased by Homeaway in 2006, so the two are basically an extension of the same site, though slightly different. So which is best for arranging your trip? Let’s take a detailed look at each site.

VRBO
Vacation Rentals by Owner, or VRBO for short, was among the first sites on the ‘net to offer property owners a resource to promote and advertise their rental properties worldwide.

  • Benefits: VRBO has one of the widest selections of vacation properties of any site on the web, covering everything from major urban areas like Chicago and Barcelona to quiet countryside retreats. VRBO also recently began to note properties/owners that accept credit cards, meaning you can leave a deposit or pay in advance for many properties without the hassle of sending cash. Each listing offers a series of pictures of the apartment along with its amenities and anticipated price per night or week. Considering a multitude of good experiences we’ve had with the site in countries from Spain to Italy to Japan, we would have to recommend the site’s enthusiastic and friendly property owners as one of the biggest advantages.
  • Disadvantages: Although VRBO has an extensive database, in some cases it doesn’t offer nearly as many units. A search of rentals in Barcelona, a popular vacation rental city, turns up around 100 properties, whereas Homeaway lists nearly twice as many in the city center. The site’s layout can also be a bit confusing. Although you can sort rentals within a respective area or city by the number of beds and how many people it sleeps, it can be difficult to navigate.

Homeaway
Homeaway, along with VRBO, is among the biggest and most extensive vacation rental sites on the web, covering 120,000 rentals across 118 countries. In addition to purchasing VRBO in 2006, Homeaway also owns a number of other properties including VacationRentals.com.

  • Benefits: much like VRBO, Homeway has an extensive, searchable database of properties worldwide. However, Homeaway really sets itself apart from VRBO in the search features, which are much easier to navigate. Users can select properties by categories such as number of bathrooms, type of property (villa, apartment, house, etc) as well as location type (near the beach, mountains, ocean). We’re also big fans of the clean layout and easy to read pricing options, something VRBO doesn’t always get right.
  • Disadvantages: as far as we can tell, Homeaway provides no information about whether owners accept credit cards, which can be a real drag to discover when you arrive but certainly not a dealbreaker (PayPal is always a good backup).

Craigslist
In addition to being one of the world’s leading places to sell your couch, pick up a date and scalp your tickets, Craiglist is also a good backup resource for urban-minded vacation renters. To take a look for yourself, click on the “Vacation Rentals” link under the “Housing” section.

  • Benefits: Craigslist really shines for urban areas. If your trip will bring you to one of the world’s bigger cities, you can bet Craiglist will have a couple vacation rental listings that might suit your style. The less stringent screening requirements mean you’ll also find temporary and more fun/unusual properties that are not always listed on bigger sites like Homeaway or VRBO. Take that as a good thing or bad thing as you will.
  • Disadvantages: the constantly updating information and postings on Craigslist also make for one of its biggest negatives. Though you can occasionally strike the jackpot, rentals on Craiglist can be hit or miss, especially if you’re looking to find something in less developed/touristy country. The site also doesn’t really screen its posters, so you’ll sometimes have to be careful of the odd scam. It’s also a bit annoying to realize that “Vacation Rentals” in Craigslist terms sometimes means those living in the city (not visitors) causing some confusion.

The Process
So how exactly do you go about renting one of these apartments anyway? And how do you know you’re not just wiring funds to some shady guy waiting to take your money and run? Here’s a few tips to ensure you find the vacation apartment of your dreams:

  • The initial search – part of the fun (some would say annoyance) of vacation apartments is you can find a place that matches your style of travel. If there’s a particular neighborhood you’ve heard you would prefer or you have specific requirements, run through a search to see what’s available and average prices. Want to find a bohemian pad in Barcelona’s Barrio Gotico? Perhaps something off Las Ramblas is more your style? Use the search filters to narrow to apartments in your preferred area. Don’t forget to ensure you find a place that’s big enough to fit your group, or somebody might end up on the couch (not that it’s a bad thing).
  • Check the calendar – rentals on both Homeaway and VRBO include an availability calendar (not always current) listing the dates the place has already been booked. Check your required dates to see if the place is free – if it looks booked up, best keep looking.
  • Make contact – all three sites will offer a contact form to get in touch with the property’s owner if you’re interested. VRBO and Homeaway have extensive submission forms where you can add details on the length of your stay and number of guests. One of the keys of making contact is also to remember you’re dealing direct with the owners. Make sure to be courteous and even if you have a wild kegger planned, don’t mention it in the note, it’s not going to help your case for the rental. Finally, contact multiple properties at once – you’ll have a better chance of hearing from someone and locking something down.
  • The deposit – Congrats, you found a place and it’s free for your trip! Now you need to reserve. It’s fairly standard to put some portion of your bill down in advance as a deposit, typically by a money service like PayPal or in some cases by credit card. Don’t be afraid of passing along money – both Homeaway and VRBO extensively screen their owners and offer guarantees up to $5,000 if it turns out your deal was a scam. If you’re really concerned, consider using a credit card, as you’ll have better luck disputing charges if something goes awry.
  • The arrival and stay – your trip is here and you’ve arrived at your destination. If possible, try to arrange a meetup in advance. Whenever possble I try to get the owner’s mobile phone number and have a backup plan – it can be a real hassle to show up in a strange place and discover you missed your meetup and can’t get in touch. Try and look the place up on a map beforehand as well – apartments in Europe are notorious for hidden entranceways and strange side door entrances.
  • Be respectful – one of the keys to any successful relationship is trust. Consider it as if the owner has given you a key to their own home (sometimes they literally have) and treat the property with respect – this isn’t a hotel room. And unlike a hotel, don’t forget your rental will frequently come with neighbors as part of the deal – get too noisy and you might just get a complaint or two, so take the rabble rousing down the street to the bar.

Budget Travel: Why and how to hostel

by Brenda Yun on

Call me crazy, but if I were ever given the option between staying in an expensive hotel, a mediocre one for half the price, or a hostel for one-tenth of the price, unless I were bedding down in a really hot guy, I would take the hostel any night of the week. The reason: hostels are the most affordable option, allowing you to spend more on what really matters – the experience of traveling and exploring the world.

Let’s face it: with the economy as it is and our wallets thinning as they are, it’s easy to see the advantages of staying in a hostel, but it might be harder to actually follow through. As a single, independent young woman, I have no problem sleeping in a dorm – or even a cheap room of my own so long as I save myself the dough to spend on other travel expenditures. However, if you’re attached or have a family, there is little to no appeal to stay at a hostel, right?
Wrong. I’ve traveled long and far across the globe and pretty much only stayed in hostels, and I have met the most committed couples and families in these places who have made it work. They too understand the end value of cheaply bedding down for a night or two. Depending where you are in the world, you can save between $10-100 per night per person if you opt to stay in a hostel. You may be sacrificing 50% of comfort during the 8 hours you stay there, but imagine what you could do with the money you saved! My cousins often stay in dingy places and then dine in the best restaurants on the same vacation. Their philosophy: who cares where they put their heads at night so long as it’s in a (preferably safe and quiet enough) room? They’re still getting the same experience when the sun is up.

So hopefully I’ve tackled the “why” (why stay in a hostel) sufficiently. Let’s move on to “how.” There are so many different options available to travelers nowadays, so how do you find the best hostel for your needs wherever you are in the globe? In some parts of the world, searching for a hostel is as simple as a Google search. It’s the 21st century, the world is flat, and even if you’re traveling to the middle of nowhere, a good hostel will have some sort of information available to you somewhere on the world wide web. If you’re looking in a hostel in an urban center, if a hostel doesn’t have a website, it’s not savvy enough and it’s not worth your time. Opt for a place where you can see some photos and seasonal (if not specific) rates. Some hostel website even allow to reserve a room (for a minimal 10-20% processing fee) through the internet.

As for searching for hostels in certain parts of the world, like Latin America, it’s even easier with hostel networks like Hostel Trail, which provides photos and unbiased but honest reviews of hundreds of hostels scattered about Mexico, Central and South America, as well as some of the Caribbean. Hostelling International, Hostels.com, Hostel World, and Hostel Bookers are the best worldwide hostel networks, and are perfectly good places to start your search if you’re at a loss.

Perhaps the best way to find a great hostel in your travel destination is by word of mouth – gathering information from people who have recently traveled to where you are going. Some of my best experiences came straight from a friend who had just been to where I was going. If you get a good tip, ask for as many specifics as you can – even ask for names of people who work there or for worthwhile excursions.

In fact, many of the best hostels have a guestbook where travelers offer helpful tips for where to stay in nearby cities or where to eat or what to see in the town you’re in. The greatest thing about hostel living, is just how personalized travel can be. There are, of course, some pretty bad places, but others can really make your trip a memorable experience.

Unless you’re traveling during prime tourist times or in a big group, you will usually find a bed/room available for you. If there’s a contact number or email, feel free to use it. In third world countries hostels range between $5-10 a night (sometimes less!), while in first world countries you should expect to pay between $12-30 per night. Dorms are not half so bad either, just bring some earplugs, as your bunkmate may have a serious case of sleep apnea. Otherwise, have fun, and let me know if I missed any important tips!

Budget Travel: Hotel deals at Hotwire

by Tom Johansmeyer on

How well do you handle the unknown? If you don’t have the stomach for it, avoid Hotwire. Now, if you don’t mind taking a bit of risk, you can save a fortune by using this website to book your next hotel in the United States (or a limited list of international destinations). I’ve used Hotwire several times, and the vast majority of my experiences have been great. The one that wasn’t (only one) had nothing to do with Hotwire; I was just disappointed with the hotel.

Hotwire is one of the many bargain travel websites that is fighting to carve out some turf on the web. Unlike the others, it delivers some amazing prices. You just don’t know where you’re going to stay until you pay for the rooms. Using Hotwire, you enter the city where you want to stay, proximity to neighborhoods or local attractions and the caliber of hotel you prefer. Star ratings are assigned to each property to help you judge quality, and they are based on Hotwire user feedback. As a reference point, the website does tell you the types of property that are commensurate with a particular rating. So, the process isn’t completely blind, but you still don’t know where you’ll hang your hat.

I used Hotwire three times last year to book hotels in Washington, D.C. I stayed at Capital Hilton, Hilton Washington and the Hotel Helix. My experiences were generally positive with all three.

At the Washington Hilton, I had to walk a lot farther than I expected from the subway station, which is apparently a common problem. The staff at the front desk saw my tired, sweaty face and said, “Yeah, most of the websites make the hotel seem a lot closer.” Immediately after that, he ran to get me some moist paper towels to help me cool off. The hotel itself was excellent, particularly at a discount of more than 70 percent. I also booked the Capital Hilton through Hotwire and had no surprises at all. Again, I saved more than 70 percent and was thrilled.

The Hotel Helix was a bit disappointing. In my opinion, it should have been rated a full star lower than it was, and I left feedback on Hotwire to caution future users. Hotwire itself wasn’t the problem. The rate was fantastic, and I was able to save some money on a trip with little lead time. But, I just didn’t like the hotel. Why do I say this? It happens, and you need to know that flexibility is necessary. Sometimes, you won’t be thrilled with your room. That’s just the risk involved with Hotwire.

Now that you know the good and the bad, let’s talk about money. It’s routine to save more than 50 percent of a hotel’s regular rate using this website (at least in my experience). Hotwire is able to do this by finding the unsold inventory at hotels around the country and bargaining for deep discounts. In the hotel industry, a room-night is a perishable commodity. If you don’t fill Room 437 on March 16, you can’t save it for later. Sometimes, it’s better to get something than nothing. Also, the hotels don’t can avoid implicitly devaluing their rooms through the blind process. This is the service that Hotwire provides to hotels … and to you.

The deals vary. If you are looking for a great room during peak season, you’ll probably be disappointed. But, if you have reasonable expectations, they’ll probably be exceeded. On a recent search, I found hotel rooms for under $150 in downtown Boston for mid-March (at a property given 4 ½ stars). I also found sub-$100 rates in Paris (four stars) and London (four stars, as well) for the same period.

After you book one of these great deals, don’t forget that you have an obligation when you get home. Just as you read the reviews before taking your step into the unknown, many will follow you. Help them out as others helped you. Hotwire will send you an e-mail asking for your feedback on your stay. All you have to do is click the link and complete a brief survey.

Do it.

You can go as long or short as you like, but people will read – and rely on – your review. If you have booked a room using Hotwire, you probably will again, and you’ll read the reviews. So, participate in the process. It’s what you want everyone else to do.

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