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So you can now get to your destination cheaply after seeing our Top 10 Tips to Cut Travel Costs. But what about the post travel part, after you’ve arrived and your ready to go, go, go? Here are 10 more tips on saving when you finally reach your vacation destination.

1. Stay in One Place: Many times we try to squeeze it all in, so to speak, and visit not only the city we’re staying in but nearby metros too. These vacations often lead to stress, missing out on important sites and events, not to mention add hundreds to your bill. If you’re visiting a European city, trust us, there is plenty to see in a week or two, so go the distance and see everything you can – in one place.

2. Rental Car Woes: Although they might seem like a good idea at the time, rental cars mean fees, gas and if an accident occurs, possibly some unforeseen cash flow or injuries. Don’t tie yourself down with a rental car. Go by train or plane as often as possible. Most of Europe is connected by wonderful and easy to navigate train systems. Plus, you can often get a flat rate pass, like the European Global Pass, where a first class ticket that costs $675 and is good in 18 countries for 15 full days.

3. It’s Ok to Go Low: In Europe there are so many options on places to stay. Sure a 5 star hotel has insane amenities but really, how often do you plan on being in there? Probably long enough to study the back of your eyelids for awhile before heading back out. Try a lower grade hotel or hostel. Just because they may not offer the same thrilling amenities doesn’t mean they don’t have equally as good atmosphere, furnishings and customer service. If you’re staying for a longer period, it might be smarter to opt for an apartment rental too.

4. Meager Meals: Of course vacation is a time to indulge but with all the sides and wine that go along with European cuisine, your wallet might be begging for mercy in a matter of hours. When it comes to breakfast and lunch, try to be thrifty.  Check out a buffet or snack stand where prices will be much less than a sit down meal. For every sit down dinner you eat, have a cheaper meal at a pub or café.

5. Get Your Walking Shoes Ready: Walking is a great way to burn off those extra vacation meal calories, get in some healthful exercise and see the sites in an up close and personal manner. It also saves a few bucks where you might’ve previously opted for the train or bus and when on a budget, every penny counts! Also, avoid taxis at all costs because some drivers may try to charge more for a tourist that doesn’t know the language or currency.

6. Note Discounts and Use Coupons: If you are traveling with your family and you see a restaurant with a sign that kids eat free on Tuesday’s, note it and come back with your brood. If you’ve got coupons, don’t be scared to use them! Again, if you are traveling with children, most kids will be too hyped to sit down and eat so ask for a doggie bag to take along so you don’t have to stop again and pay for another meal.

7. Do as the Locals Do: They live here so they know the best places to go for a discount. For example, if you come into Venice, it is highly unlikely that you will see a local taking a 45 minute gondola ride across the canal for $85 a pop. You are more likely to see them hoping aboard the gondola ferry for a low $0.75. For a handful of bucks, you can check out all of the gondola ferry routes and pocket the other $80 you would’ve spent on the latter.

8. Choose Sites Carefully: Although you may really want to see the Mona Lisa, do you really want to waste hours in line for a fleeting glimpse or spend double the cost for admission? There are many sites that are equally as interesting and leave you with time and money to spare. Try a cheaper walking tour of the main sites instead.

9. ATM Access: Like everyone trying to make an extra buck, many banks, credit card and traveler check companies, and currency exchange commissions are charging additional fees dubbed “conversion fees.” You can avoid these ungodly fees by getting your cash from an ATM as often as possible.

10. Leave Panic at the Door: Don’t come to your destination in a panic about going over budget. If you spent the extra few bucks to take a cab, it won’t affect your lifestyle. A few months from now you’ll have forgotten where the extra money was spent, but you will probably regret griping over your stacks the entire time. Set your budget, try to stay within in your means and even if you go a bit over, take it easy. It is vacation after all!

Happy piggy bank photo courtesy of Wikimedia.org

1. Cut out Cookies: No, we aren’t talking those gooey goodies. We’re talking the files stored in your Internet Browser that record you’re every move. Unlucky for you, these little blighters allow websites to know where you went and how much you spent right down to the last penny. What this means is that if you purchase a plane ticket for $100 from Paris to St. Tropez and go back to the same site for the return ticket, the website could check out your history and raise your next quote.

2. AAA All the Way: If you are an American and travel frequently, join the American Automobile Association pronto. Not only can will they act as your own little private concierge, booking hotels and helping with vacation planning, they also offer deep discounts depending on where you are headed.

3. Honeymooners Beware: Since many honeymooners are young and new to travel, companies will try to take advantage of this and the fact that you’ve probably just encountered a large sum of wedding money that you’d like to splurge with. Don’t share the good news until after you’ve finalized all of your plans. You still might get that complimentary upgrade, just at a cheaper price.

4. Newsletter Noise: Although some can’t stand junk mail, newsletters make good noise in your inbox! By subscribing, you can save time and money since most offers are discounted and come in package form. You can even find one focused on your own needs whether you are a student, senior or large family.

5. Plan Ahead with Your Passport: Do not wait until the last minute to apply for or renew your passport! For the most part, they take roughly six weeks and in the USA cost $67 for renewal or $97 for a passport virgin including all fees. Don’t get stuck in a jam where you are paying an additional $60 for a two week turnaround plus overnight delivery costs. Plan way ahead when it comes to your passport. Heck, get it before you even have a glimmer of where you’re going so that its one less thing to worry about while planning your trip!

6. Plan Ahead with Your Vacation: It’s as simple as the early bird gets the worm. Book six months to a year in advance and reap the benefits.

7. Go Off Season: Travel companies aren’t stupid. They know most people travel during the summer months; therefore they raise prices to make a little extra profit. Even just a week past summer will see a significant difference in prices. So spare yourself the extra change and travel off season.

8. It Never Hurts to Ask: Once you’ve arrived at your hotel, be sure to ask about special perks such as upgrades and complimentary eals or services. Save the asking for management who will want to make you happy enough that you’ll come back for more sans extra fees. 

9. The Road Less Traveled: Most of us go to a major metro to hop a plane. However, we never stop to think that most cities have more than one airport. Usually these smaller airports are significantly cheaper because of the slight inconvenience finding your way outside of the city. In the best case scenario you can save hundreds on flights by taking the road less traveled. On the same note, go for a low-cost carrier. Even though you, again, be a little inconvenienced without leather seats and personal TVs, you’ll have more to spend once you arrive at your destination.

10.  Shop Around: Don’t just use those big name sites that claim they have it all because in reality, they don’t. You’ll never see what’s out there and what you can save if you don’t take the time to shop around. Compare hotel prices on sletoh.com to make sure you get the best deal.

Many travelers stay in hostels or budget hotels, especially young ones. They also remain extremely unprotected in most cases. Take for example the horrific July 2000 fire at Childers hostel in Australia that tragically took the lives of 15 young travelers.

In an effort to stop these types of misfortunes from happening to others, UK based company, FlareBrands Limited is now offering the 3-in-1 FlareSafe. This tiny device fits easily in any backpack yet provides powerful smoke detection, flash light power and a sonic alarm.

The LED flashlight comes with three settings. The full-beam produces an astounding 20 meter beam for 10 hours. The half beam is softer and runs for 50 hours. And lastly, the SOS strobe runs for 100 hours and can be seen up to two kilometers away.

The smoke alarm has a 110-db siren that is loud enough to jerk even the heaviest of sleepers awake. Once activated, the flashlight will also click onto full-beam, which makes it a lot easier to find your FlareSafe and use it to find your way out.
The sonic alarm uses the same ear piercing siren as the smoke alarm signal. Its intent is to put off any attackers and the noise will also attract quite a bit of attention. Once the sonic alarm is triggered, the SOS strobe will pop on; making it near impossible for any sort of assailant to drag you anywhere that you don’t want to go.

To boot, FlareSafe is extremely resilient. It is water resistant and made with top of the line military grade plastic. FlareSafe is also as light as a paperbook book and not much bigger than one either. It is a must have for any traveler who is inexperienced, unsure of how to ward off assaults or just wants to feel safe.
 

Archeologists are constantly finding new artifacts that hail back to the golden years of ancient Greece. While most of these are housed at the largest Greek museum, the National Museum of Athens, most of which is found in Piraeus, Attica and the Saronic Gulf isles reside in the Pireaus Museum.

It should be noted this museum is no shabby second to the one in Athens. In the Archaic, Classic, and Hellenistic ages, Pireaus was a political, cultural, military and commercial hub due to its strategic location along the Mediterranean. It was actually here, not Athens, where the potent Athens navy kept port.

The museum itself houses many artifacts including its prehistoric collection, pottery, bronze statues and a replicated classical theater.

The interesting and culturally rich museum was closed for a period for renovations and is now reopened with additional amenities like air conditioning for those sweltering seaside days.

Check out sletoh.com for great rates on hotels in Greece.

Photo of Greek artifact courtesy of Wikipedia.org

The last thing most of us want to do, especially if we plan on hopping a red eye, is to figure in travel time from the hotel to the airport before our flight. Now if you are in London, you don’t have to.

Yo! Company brand has recently introduced two hotels in both Heathrow and Gatwick airports that were inspired by Japanese capsule hotels.  These mini rooms have all that you need including a bed, Wifi connection and flat screen televisions at a low cost of £25 per hour.

These are also an excellent resource if you are the victim of a cancelled flight or if you simply have a few hours to spare.

If you love the seaside, than the Pembrokeshire Fish Week 2008 is right up your alley, err, waterway. The sunny community in West Wales is holding their annual festival this year from June 21 – 29. In short, participants will be able to take in the rugged Welsh coastal cliffs, traipse along the sandy beaches and sample local cuisine from the ocean below.

You will not go bored or hungry either. More than 150 events will transpire over the course of Fish Week including fishing trips, water sports, competitions, exhibitions, arts and crafts, crab catching, harbor tours, river boat cruises, cook-offs and one seafood extravaganza after another.

This year also holds promises of being better than the proceeding nine. A stimulating fish and shellfish class by British restaurateur Milford Haven, who has opened twelve FishWorks and is more notably visible on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, will be given on June 26. There are other new events worth a mention including a chowder trail, hovercraft trips into the ocean, learn how to fish from a kayak lessons and an adventure day dedicated solely to exciting water sports.

But the real brain behind the operation is the beloved sea. Discussions on the deeply rooted history of the local fishing industry and modern conservation efforts will also take place with high hopes of preserving the coastline for future generations and Fish Week’s.

There are also some truly charming places in Pembroke to stay and kick up your heels after a day by the sea.

The Lamphey Hall Hotel is a secret gem. It is a traditional, family run hotel and the loving aura is what really gives the hotel its country charm. Though it is known for its peace and quiet, (it was a rectory in a previous life) the hotel does have a bubbly little bar in the lush outdoor gardens.

The Cleddau Bridge Hotel is set a bit closer to Fish Week, less than a mile from the center of town. It is a wonderful place to enjoy the best of both worlds – the bustle of Fish Week intermixed with the tranquility of the hotel’s peaceful grounds that overlook the slow flow of the River Cleddau.

Photos of the Pembrokeshire Harbor and a little fisherman courtesy of Pembrokeshire.gov

If you have ever wanted to A) study art history or B) visit London, we have got the perfect combination for you!

London’s prestigious Courtauld Institute of Art is currently celebrating its 75th year. Located in the Somerset House, the gallery is one of the richest in the city, holding some odd 600 years of art history within its walls.

Courtauld is offering a one of a kind experience that most art history students would only dream of. From July 14 through August 8, 2008, they are hosting one week short courses that cover medieval through contemporary art. The best part is that after learning about a Manet, Monet, Van Gogh, Rodin, Degas, Rubens, Rembrandt or Michelangelo, you can simply walk down the halls of the Somerset House and see them with your own eyes. Talk about a once in a lifetime opportunity!

After your educational pursuits are done, you can walk out the door of Courtauld right into the center of London.

For more information on classes please see http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/index.html

There are also some wonderful hotels in the heart of the city, close enough to stroll to your daily classes at Courtauld.

5 Star
Draycott Hotel
The Montcalm
Blakes Hotel

4 Star
The Montague on the Gardens
The Egerton House
The Rubens at the Palace

3 Star
Corus hotel Hyde Park
Barkston Gardens Hotel
Commodore Hotel

2 Star
The Piccolino
Alhambra Hotel
Kensington Gardens Hotel

Photos of modern day London and Monet’s London courtesy of Wikimedia.org

Wondering where all the jet set will be going this year? You can flip open the latest copy of Conde Naste’s Traveler to the annual “It List” or just continue reading to get the scope on the places to travel in 2008.

Drum roll please… and the “2008 It List” winners are…

Mozambique, Africa: Located on the Indian Ocean side of South Africa, Mozambique has seen its fair share of disasters in the last decade. Now it is focused on rebuilding and has a bright future in tourism due to excellent scuba, fishing and sailing locations, not to mention gorgeous beaches.

St. Lucia, Caribbean: St. Lucia’s motto, “The Land, The People, The Light,” just about sums up this lush Caribbean paradise. It has been influenced by many cultures and its people are known for the friendly vigor. It is a typical tropical isle full of Botanical Gardens, volcanoes, sulfur springs, rain forests and of course the glistening ocean and white sand beaches.

Montenegro: Recently independent, Montenegro is moving full steem ahead with their new found freedom.  It is known for its deeply rooted culture and its mixture of European, Slavic and Adriatic influences. There are many medieval sites to see as well as beautiful bays, mountainous regions and prime location on the Mediterranean Sea.

Ecuador, South America: Ecuador is a dynamic place. It is one of only a handful of the Conservation International’s megadiverse countries. The infamous Galapagos Islands are considered a part of Ecuador and the country is noted for having an ethnically diverse human population too.  There is plenty of lively South American spirit running throughout cities along with beautiful architecture and pristine beaches including the favored Salinas beach.

Sicily, Italy: Although it appears that the boot shaped of mainland Italy is kicking Sicily away, its strategic location worked out for the best. It was a prominent seaport for centuries, considered one of the most beautiful places in Ancient Greece and is still regarded for its natural beauty; particularly the orange and lemon orchards that grace the countryside. It has its own culture that makes it unique from the rest of Italy and still holds much archeological importance today. Did we mention it’s surrounded on all sides by the sparkling Mediterranean too?

Oman: Located on the Arabian Peninsula, Oman holds some of the most dazzling sights your eyes could ever be hold. From the wadies to deserts to mountains to the beaches, it is a completely breathtaking, yet little known gem. Tourists can also step out of their element and join in exclusive activities like camel racing.

San Francisco, California: This laid back coastal town features a mild Mediterranean climate, unlike any other area in the US. It has a plethora of daytime activities like museums, art galleries and theatres. The evenings boast that California cool culture with a diverse night scene.  It is also big on skateboard culture and some of the best surf spots in the world belong to San Diego.

Hainan Island, China: This is the ultimate “green” vacation. This small island, just off of the southern coast of China’s mainland, features very little industry and very much green space and open, clear air. The island has built itself around tourism, is split into 8 sectors to make it easier for tourists and offers day trips to main destinations for a minimal cost. Or you can just soak up some sun on the largely uninhabited beaches.

Puerto Escondido, Mexico: This town is very close by another “it” place, San Diego. It was established about a century ago as a small fishing village and coffee shipping port. Once the freeway went in it was all over! The heart of Puerto Escondido beats with a fun nightlife full of bars, cafes, discos, crafts, cafes, stores, tours and scuba shops. There are also many beautiful beaches with access to tons of water activities.

Paris, France: One of the most romantic cities in the world, Paris is a great European culture capital. It holds the biggest art museum in the world, one of the largest monuments in the world and a fondness for wine and good food.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia.org

The mammoth hotel sites are like the socialites of the online hotel world – they are charming, easy to use and everybody knows their name. But all the same most of it is just a put on to exert a pull on the consumer. Apparently no part of the mega website is safe from this usurp, including the user review.

Travel Journalist Ed Hasbrouck breaks down the door into the fake user site world with his Practical Nomad Blog when he transcribes a discussion at the 2006 PhoCusWright marketing conference.

“Elias Plishner, V.P. of the interactive division of the McCann-Erickson advertising agency, boasted that, ‘We have an entire division in Singapore [where labor is cheaper than in the USA] devoted to seeding online forums and bulletin boards with targeted content’ for our advertising clients. Worse, these people are paid to spend months, in between assignments, creating profiles and posting ‘neutral’ messages to establish a credible online persona and background from which to post their secretly-paid advertising messages, such as to promote a newly-released movie.”

So all those times I thought I was looking at reviews from one genuine traveler to another on the megasites were hoaxes? Ouch! But not necessarily true for all travel sites. Many don’t want the spammers around but don’t know how to control it.
J.R. Johnson, CEO of VirtualTourist claims that they are “sabotaging our credibility. But what can we do?”

Well Mr. Johnson and the rest of you, there actually are some things you can do when trying to separate the phony baloneys from the real deal reviewers.

1. Anything that is an “A+! 100%!” review with no real opinion to back it up is probably a fake.

2. On the same note, no angry guest is going to take the time to leave a half assed message and then turn around and give the hotel a mediocre rating or a “second chance.” However, if they seem like a raving lunatic about how doomed the trip was because of the hotel, now that might have some truth behind it!

3. The review will also often have an experience that had happened at one point in time during their trip. If there is no specified point in time, there probably was not a trip.

So the bottom line is keep your eyes peeled for points in time as well as biases because real reviewers will have them while those creepy fakes won’t.

Photo of disgruntled user courtesy of Crystal Fithen.

Most travelers know that Switzerland is a pricy playground. But they also know that there are bargains at every corner in town, including the barns. By now you are probably wondering what I’m getting at here, mentioning barns and travel in the same paragraph. Well what I’m getting at is just that; staying in a barn during your travels!

Swiss farmers have seemingly become privy to the fact that their country is known for lofty prices so they have begun offering their unused barns as a cozy alternative in the phenom known as “Sleep in Straw” (Schlaf im Stroh) program. The program is backed by the accredited Swiss Farmers Association so it’s legit and can cut back the cost of a real Swiss vacation in a significant way.

The program is very straightforward. Swiss farmers often send their cattle to alpine pastures for the entire summer season. Once the steed is herded out of the barns, they are cleaned up and used as a country hostel for nature loving travelers. Depending on the barn you choose, they vary from a the most basic straw filled stalls to an oasis of rural luxury complete with heat, recreation rooms, picnic areas and separate horse stalls for each camper. Some even cater to guests with additional amenities like birthday parties, baggage transportation and private catered luncheons.

The best part? Most “Sleep in Straw” barns cost as little as 10 to 20 francs, including a breakfast of coffee, milk and bread.

Not really into roughing it? That’s fine. We have a few cow free favorites to choose from.

The adorable 2 star Hotel Beausite is a classic chalet charmer. Taking inspiration from the surrounding countryside, each room has an “Alp flower” design theme. There are also sundrenched terraces, beautiful Alpine gardens and hiking trails close by. A soak in the sauna will do just the trick after a long day of hiking and playing.

The Lugano Dante Center Swiss Quality Hotel is perfect for any city slicker who still wants to be caught up in the hustleand bustle of things in a new land. The Lugano is in the ideal location, a moment from the rail station, 200 meters from the lake, a stones throw from the pedestrian shoping area and smack in the middle of the historic old town sector.

Swiss Kiss photo courtesy of Lumise. Lugano Hotel courtesy of sletoh.com.