Cheap Vacations; International
Breaking all the rules of Cheap Vacations in the past, but just to let you know that you can travel the world for cheap, too.
For years, our travel group, the Miserettes, has had a budget of $1,500 for a trip to Europe and it is doable. Here’s how.
Airfare is the most expensive item, so go to these websites and set alerts when a flash sale or a price drop occurs, www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.kayak.com, www.tripadvisor.com. On a recent flash sale, I was able to get a round trip airfare from Washington, DC to Paris, France on September 20-27, 2016 for $445.60 on Icelandic Airlines. We also got a bargain basement airfare from Atlanta to Washington, DC.
One of the perks of this flight is you get to visit Iceland even if for a few hours, another check off the bucket list.
On our recent trip to Great Britain, we used our airline points to pay for our airfare. Many credit cards will give you a bonus of 50,000 miles to sign up and spend a specific amount within a few months. A round trip airfare from Atlanta to London was 60,000 miles and you had to pay some fees and taxes, but still under $300 round trip. Use the credit card site to do your shopping and get a mile per dollar, those miles do add up.
If you want the easy way out, you can go to a website such as www.expedia.com or www.travelzoo.com and buy a package which will include airfare and hotel.
To get the cheapest airfare or packages, the peak time for cheap travel is between January and March 31, although sometimes there are specials into May. This past Monday, Expedia had a trip to Rome, Italy next March including round trip airfare and hotel for a week for $921 per person. The hotel was located in the best part of Rome where you can walk to many famous sights, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and my favorite square, Piazza Navona. You have probably seen all these places in movies.
Try to be in Rome on Wednesday, because you may attend an outdoor mass at the Vatican and see the Pope as he is driven around the square before his sermon. Even if you are not of the Catholic faith it is a life time experience you will never forget.
You must have a passport to travel outside the United States even on a cruise now and will cost $110. The easy way to get one is go to the Jasper County Courthouse Superior Court office where they will assist in filling out the application and take your picture for $10. To protect this most valuable passport, buy a neck or waist pouch to wear on your trip.
Your Jasper County Library system has numerous travel books to help you plan your trip, suggest hotels, sights to see. Rick Steves travel books are excellent for the budget traveler, giving you cheap sleeps, eats, and tours.
Major cities have many free walking tours. You just pay the tour guide what you think the tour is worth. To see the offers just go to the websites that advertise Free Walking Tours. You may have to make reservations for some of the more popular ones. In September, we are staying in a Rick Steves suggested hotel in Paris. Keep in mind that thousands know about him from his PBS series and you will need to book early to get these hotels.
You will never be the same when you see the moon shine on the other side of the world
