Budget Travels’ top 10 budget destinations and a Gadling twist

by Jamie Rhein on

As you may have noticed, Gadling’s been busy this month with budget destinations. Each one we’ve found deal worthy from personal experience. Budget Travel magazine has picked top 10 budget destinations for 2009. The variety is such that anyone should be able to find a deal to his or her liking whether it’s a particular city you’re after, or a whole country. Instead of presenting them in a rated fashion, the magazine lists them according to what makes them list worthy.

Each of the suggestions offers details that range from what to do to where to stay and describes exactly each place was chosen to highlight.

Throughout the past few years, we’ve had personal experiences with these destinations ourselves. Here are the destinations with a Gadling blogger’s angle. Some bloggers are alumni and others are current.

Closer to Home

Tumbling Currencies

  • Budapest, Hungary–Erik’s first visit to Budapest was after college where he found the architecture and the women sublime.
  • Reykjavik, Iceland–The economy has helped make it a bargain. Although Brook Silva-Braga didn’t talk about Iceland’s economy in this post of his, he did give a close-up look at a pretty wild and fun camping experience.
  • Mexico– If you’re going to be driving in Mexico, Kelsey gave the tips on how to survive the experience. She and her husband drove the length of Mexico from north to south

Major Events and Anniversaries

  • Berlin–Iva headed to Berlin in June 2008 and offers her first impressions. The anniversary is the 20th year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
  • Vancouver, B.C.–Ember Swift who spent some time at Gadling blogging about her travels in a band, spent time in Vancouver riding the SkyTrain. The upcoming Olympics have the city going through some additions that will add to the traveler’s experiences.

Before They Become Overrun

  • Cambodia–For a perfect way to see Cambodia, Erik suggests a boat trip from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, one of the most interesting trips he has had.
  • Panama–Kent’s version of Panama is from the unusual perspective of the cockpit. He was there during the riots in Panama City earlier in 2008.

Perhaps you’ve have your own ideas of budget destinations, and we have more on the way.

Gadling Take FIVE: Jan. 10– Jan. 16

by Jamie Rhein on

First, where ever you are, I hope you’re toasty warm. Man, is it cold in Ohio!

Hopefully, you’ve been inspired to travel by our budget travel series this month. There are two more weeks to go. Thanks to Jeremy’s post, I’ve hooked into the idea of checking out Puerto Rico, a place I haven’t been. In regards to those cities where I have traveled, I have a stash of new ideas.

For more budget travel ideas, here are five more posts. Two are about people who have unconventional methods for seeing the world.

Budget Travel: Montreal

by Tom Johansmeyer on


Summary: You don’t have to dash off to Europe to soak in the sights and sounds of a different culture. Montreal is much closer, less expensive and if you’re in a jam, they’ll even break into English for you! Just 45 minutes by plane from New York or Boston, and pretty easy from just about everywhere else in the United States, you’ll have an endless amount of festivals, local attractions and hidden gems just waiting to be discovered.

Don’t let the cold discourage you. Though Montreal is nestled within our northern neighbor’s borders, the temperature in January is a seemingly unreasonable -6 degrees Fahrenheit. Don a coat and hat, though, and it’s manageable. If the empty streets surprise you, step below the surface, and explore the city’s second, underground world à RESO.

As you plan your trip up to Canada, take a close look at what’s going on in Montreal when you plan to head up there. While the basic museums and theaters will always be there, the city has a thriving festival scene that lasts through the winter and rotates quickly all year long. Every time you go, you’re likely to see something different.
Getting in: If you live in the northeast, the flights are easy. Continental has a shuttle to Montreal that can cost below $300. If you’re aiming at Montreal from farther away, Air Canada, Continental, Delta and other airlines fly in regularly. Crossing the Atlantic? You can do so non-stop from London, Paris, Amsterdam and others.

The trip into the city from Pierre Trudeau Airport (it used to be called Dorval) start at around CD$25 and can reach CD$60. Fortunately, you can solve the problem with public transportation. You’ll save plenty of cash to pour into your shot glass when you hit the bars downtown, but it can take close to a half hour to get into the city … and then you still have to get to your hotel.

Once you’re in the city, stick with public transportation. You won’t have to worry about parking, and the subway is clean, fast and efficient. It actually stops where you would want to go. Also, without a car, there’s no need to warm the vehicle up for five minutes before you pull out of your space.

Where to Stay: You have plenty of choices. Skip the newer part of the city, and settle into one of Old Montreal’s stylish boutique hotels. You won’t accumulate any points with the hotel chains you normally call home, but your trip will be unique. If you’re going to Montreal, you have to go native.

There are plenty of hotels within walking distance of just about every attraction in Old Montreal, and downtown is only a subway ride away.

  • Step into Les Passants du Sans Soucy, and you’ll see immediately that you are not in a typical hotel. The lobby doubles as an art gallery, where you can see (and purchase) the work of Canadian artist Jacques Clement. The exposed brick throughout the property heightens the charm, and the dining room is far from institutional. This is a home away from home.
  • The Hotel St-Paul is Montreal’s design attraction. The guestrooms emphasize the property’s commitment to style, and the interlocking bathrobes demonstrate that no detail is too trivial to the staff. I’ve stayed at the Hotel St-Paul, it will be at the top of my list on my next trip north.
  • Tourisme Montreal has plenty of deals at properties across the city right now. Some have rates as low as CD$139 a night and offer a second night at half price. The “Sweet Deal Winter” program makes it clear that the locals know how hard it can be to attract southern neighbors when a warm day is above zero.
  • If you prefer the predictability of a major chain, give up Old Montreal and book a room downtown, where you’ll find major presences by Marriott, Hyatt, Sheraton and other dependable brands.

What to See:

  • Montreal’s art galleries must not be missed. Skip the museums and walk up and down la rue St Paul Ouest. If you like what you see in the window, step inside. Some of the galleries are operated by the artists themselves, so you’ll have a rare opportunity to talk to the creators.
  • When the winter cold is too much for you, step into a subway station. These aren’t mere portals to the city’s public transportation system: they are gateways to a second city that lives beneath the surface when winter strikes with its characteristic ferocity. Enjoy the shops and restaurants that come to life when the world above goes quiet.
  • Get a hot dog – the best dinner under CD$5. The misnamed Pool Hall isn’t home to felt-covered tables any more, but they do have the best dogs in the city. Sound like a local: a hot dog with everything on it is “all dressed.” You’ll find this joint on la rue St Denis, but if you aren’t paying attention, you might miss it. When in doubt, ask one of the natives. They’re helpful.
  • Through the beginning of March, take advantage of the city’s festivals, such as the All-Nighter, Wine and Dine experience and Celebration of Light. If you don’t make it out to Montreal until later in the year, you’ll still find some festival in progress. July (for those who plan ahead) brings both the Fantasia film festival and the Just for Laughs comedy festival.

Stay warm; that’s your first priority. If you choose your stops wisely, Montreal can be a great city at any time of year. Don’t plan to spend too much time along the city’s harbor, but you can follow the locals to the city’s underground city. Brave the cold and enjoy the empty streets, or follow the masses below. Either way, Montreal is the best winter destination that never would have come to mind.

10 more ideas for traveling cheaper in 2009

by Jamie Rhein on

Even though the economic forecast seems to drone on and on as being gloomy, here are more tips for how to travel cheaply. With the beginning of a new year, start using some of these tips and you might find out that travel in 2009 can be less expensive than you thought it might be.

One of my mantras is “Don’t assume.” That means, don’t assume something is expensive until you check out all possible angles. I’ve been surprised over and over in my life how travel is doable and affordable.

1. Plan ahead AND wait until the last minute– I do both. Planning ahead, helps me save for a trip and have enough time to do research. Waiting until the last minute has landed me deals I didn’t expect like cheap tickets to a traveling company Broadway play and to see David Sedaris. I sat in great seats for a fraction of what the people around me had paid. Some theaters offer discounts on the day of a performance. That’s how I bought $25 dollar tickets to Avenue Q. Sometimes, certain days at certain times will be cheaper. Call a theater box office and ask.

2. Buy an Entertainment Book– If you’re going to be traveling to a particular city in the United States, consider buying that city’s Entertainment Book. An Entertainment Book, typically sold by clubs as fundraisers, can be purchased directly from the Entertainment Book website. If you buy one for the city nearest to where you live, there will be a deep discount for the second city purchase–or for both. The book contains coupons for restaurants, movie tickets, museum admissions, art events and other local attractions. After one purchase, the book often pays for itself. It’s also a great way to find out places to visit that you may not have thought of before browsing its pages.

3. Pack snacks – When you travel, pack snacks. Think about buying them ahead on sale and storing them so when you’re heading out the door, you have snacks on hand. That will help you stay fed while seeing sites without spending more money than you planned on. Plus, this will save you time since you won’t have to figure out what or where to eat. When my daughter and I were in Denmark the first part of December, my Danish friend had snacks on hand everywhere we went.

4. Ask for water– Whenever we travel, if we’re stopping at a fast food place, I always ask for a cup of water. Water is free. If you’re traveling on Amtrak, ask for ice. The ice is free and when it melts, you’ll have water. I received that tip from a woman who was traveling with her family from California to New York. She said buying water on the train is expensive, but the snack bar hands out ice for free.

5. When ordering at a restaurant, share– If you are traveling with another person, or as a family, figure out which items you can order to share that will give everyone something he or she wants to eat but will cost you less money. Yesterday, my son and I were eating at the Barn Restaurant at Sauder Village in Archbold, Ohio. I noticed that the sandwich plate was $4.99. For $3.99, you could add on one trip through the soup and salad bar. Instead of ordering him the soup, I ordered everything for myself, gave him the soup that came with meal and we shared items from the salad bar and the sandwich. The restaurant was amenable to this arrangement.

6. Ask for the best hotel deal at the front desk before you check in–In November, we stayed at the Millennium Hotel in downtown Cincinnati. When we were checking in, I was lamenting that we had an Expedia reservation since I found out that there were better deals if we had gone through the hotel directly. My dad, who was with us, asked the hotel clerk what he might throw in to sweeten our stay. We were given four continental breakfast vouchers. The breakfast was great. If we had paid, it would have cost us $10 a piece.

7. Don’t assume how expensive travel might be without checking first–This summer I was pleasantly surprised how inexpensive it was to take the train the New York City on Amtrak. I thought the train would have been more expensive than it was. Two weeks ago my mother snagged an airline ticket to LaGuardia for $166. This summer, the same ticket would have cost her almost $400.

8. Don’t assume you won’t be able to use frequent flyer miles for a flight–My daughter and I went to Denmark from Columbus for 50,000 miles each using Northwest frequent flyer miles. I thought we wouldn’t be able to get those tickets until I checked.

9. If you have a discount card, don’t forget to use it– AAA is one of those cards I keep forgetting to use for other things besides our car and hotel deals. Two days ago, I was at the Libbey Glass Factory Outlet Store in Toledo, Ohio and saw that they give 10% off for AAA card holders. I saved $1. Hey, it’s something.

10. Go to places on days when there is a discount or a free day– Just today, when we were in Findlay, Ohio at Wilson’s, a family-owned hamburger joint that has been around since 1936, I found out that if you go in on a Saturday with your Wilson’s mug between 7–11 a.m., you can get a free cup of coffee. If we had gone to the Barn Restaurant on Monday night, my son would have eaten for free.

Speaking of coffee. When you travel, bring your travel coffee mug with you. Truck stop type places often will charge you less money if you bring in your own cup.

Top 10 stupidest laws you could encounter abroad


Travel deals abound for the holidays: Go for that dream vacation

by Jamie Rhein on

The downward slide of the economy is creating an upswing of excellent opportunities for less expensive travel. Because people are holding off on making their holiday plans, the travel industry is cutting prices to attract customers. That’s true whether you are into luxury travel or the budget version.

That’s the buzz as reported in this article from The New York Times. Reading the article is like a trip to the travel candy story.

Want a ski vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming? Other places in the Colorado Rockies? There’s a deal. How about a luxury beach vacation in Bermuda? To St. Lucia? Perhaps Las Vegas entices you. Or Miami. What about Aruba, Mexico or the Cayman Islands? The article outlines details about each.

Sure, you have to have some money in order to plop down dough for a plane ticket and a hotel room in the first place, but bargains range from free nights, and are along the spectrum of several dollars to 30% off. One popular reduced rate offer is that if you stay in a hotel on the actual holiday, the holiday is free. That means if you’re in the hotel for Christmas Day, Ho! Ho! Ho!, Santa has brought you a present.

The hitch is you have to bookend your free night with nights you are paying. Still, bring out the spiked eggnog and give yourself a toast to your good fortune on at least one day of the year. Many deals also apply for Thanksgiving.

The article points out one adage that I’ve also found to be true. Don’t assume a trip is beyond your means unless you check first and check often. If you can wiggle around dates and desires, a vacation could happen.

A couple years ago, we flew to Ft Lauderdale, Florida for much less than it would have cost to drive there, about $160 per person RT from Columbus. I just happened to check airfares on a whim about this time of year and was pleasantly surprised. Our hotel room, complete with an efficiency kitchen, was $75 per night. That flight costs about $100 more today, but I bet the room rate still holds. Ft. Lauderdale does not hit tourist season until after the holidays. If a bargain could happen for us, it could happen for you.