www.jazsa.com

We all want to travel Europe on a cheap budget these days.

Budget and discount price airlines have sprung up in almost every European country in the last few years - all of them fighting furiously with each other to offer the best value cheap airfare deals. But do we really benefit from these discount European travel prices or do the drawbacks of trying to travel Europe cheaply outweigh the advantages? Do the budget low price airfares blind us to the extra hassle that the cheap price might be hiding? Lets look at some current cheap European travel deals and see what we find.

Almost every European country now has at least one no frills budget airline. Easy Jet and Ryan Air are becoming well known and popular in Great Britain and in Ireland. Germany has four or five low cost airlines and cheap airfare specialists. Meanwhile, in Sweden, SAS have just launched their own budget offshoot called Snowflake.

At first glance the fares that these airlines charge can seem ridiculously low; Ryan Air have given their flights away almost for free in the past - although you still have to pay the airport tax of around twenty UK pounds. But where’s the catch? Is there a catch? Can you really travel Europe by air without spending a fortune?

Here’s the deal if you want to travel Europe on a cheap budget:

Firstly, the low fares airlines in Europe nearly always use out of town provincial airports - often about forty or fifty miles from the respective city centres. This can add up to two hours of travel time to your journey at each end. You also have to pay for the bus or train connection to get from your airport to the city centre. Make sure you add this price in to the cost of your ticket when comparing prices between cheap airfare deals and the prices charged by the mainstream airlines. In most cases the main airlines fly you into the city centre airport and thus cut your travel time and the cost of any extra transport.

If you’re unlucky enough to miss a flight then you could literally be stuck in a very rural airport overnight with all the food outlets closed down and no way to get back to the town or the city.

Secondly, you only get what you pay for. The European budget airlines may offer no in-flight service for food and drinks. Or, if they do, they will charge you for it at a premium rate. Coffee, sandwiches and beer may be very pricey indeed. To be fair, many of the flights are only of an hour or two’s duration so snacks and drinks may not be such a big deal.

Thirdly - figure out the total travel time and compare that to the costs. For example: it takes five hours to go from the very centre of Glasgow in Scotland to the very centre of London by train and it costs around twenty five UK pounds each way.

Now - you might pick up a cheap flight from Glasgow to London, only to find that both of your airports are forty miles from the city centre. That immediately adds three hours to your travel time, not counting the waiting around at the airports, baggage handling and all the extra hassle that goes with it. You will also have to pay separately for the bus or train journey from airport to city centre and vice versa. Unless your airfare is extremely cheap you might well spend more money in the long run for a less comfortable journey. Check it all out carefully in advance if you can.

Fourthly, the quoted cheap airfare ticket prices are only for APEX travellers. You might have to pay a lot extra if you need to change your flight time. Cheap airfare prices are also usually only available if you buy well in advance - buying the day before or on the day will add a big premium to the price. The baggage allowance is also on the mean side - often no more than 15kg or 20kg per person. Any more than that and you will face a very hefty premium on your cheap price ticket.

In summary - you can travel Europe cheaply by choosing your discount airline package carefully. But do try to weigh up all the extra hidden costs as you compare flight ticket prices. You should also factor in the extra travel time that arriving at a provincial airport may bring.

Please remember: Don’t get too hung up on it all!

Travel in Europe is fun - however you do it.

Gary Hill is a travel writer based near Edinburgh and Scotland. He travels widely in Europe and can give great advice and tips on European travel.
You can read much more about how to travel Europe cheaply on Gary’s website. You’ll find more detail about the discount airfare packages available and about the routes that the various budget airlines fly.
Travel in Europe can be great fun but it helps to get good quality advice before you go.

The website also has details of how to organise an Ireland Golf Vacation and on planning your dream wedding location.

Share This

First of all remember cheap is not always best. Spend as much as you can afford, the trick is to try to get a quality safari at a reasonable price. Don’t believe all you are told. I recently met someone in Arusha who had decided to take a two day safari to Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara. He managed to get a very good deal. The plan was to set off at 8 am sharp and returning the next day at 6 pm; he was also guaranteed window seat.

The following day he arrived at the safari company office in downtown Arusha. The safari set off at 10 am and they broke down on the way to the National Parks - twice. The passengers had to get out and push the rather old safari vehicle to get it going again. The car was full resulting in one person not having a window seat. The following day they returned at 8.30 pm as the car was only able to return at a very slow speed.

If time is not an issue spend a day or two in Arusha looking for the right deal for you. To be rushed for time is not conducive to finding a good deal.

IF you are to spend more than one night in the Serengeti - try to ensure only one night is in the Seronera Valley. This valley is the central Serenegeti and has a high concentration of game year round. Operators get lazy and just send all their clients to this area. To have at least one night in the northern Serenegeti or Southern Serengeti will make the safari more exciting. Which Area of the Serenegeti will depend on what time of year it is and where the migration is heading? If the operator tells you otherwise consider changing operators - there are many in Arusha.

Tarangire is a good park in the dry season - make sure you are camping inside the Tarangire [a little extra cost for a campsite inside the National Parks] and make sure you travel to the wilderness area of this most underrated park. If it is the rainy season then don’t bother with the Tarangire at all.

It is not all location either. If you are staying in lodges then the more expensive the lodge the better the experience. Small lodges in remote parts of the National Parks can be expensive but the quality of safari makes the expense insignificant.

In the centre of Arusha is TTB - the Tanzania Tourist Board. A nice clean air-conditioned office; it has two desks and two very helpful staff. There is a notice board here that heralds recommended safari companies who are looking for extra people to fill a safari vehicle. This is the place to start your hunt for the bargain safari.

Ask at the TTB for recommended safari companies and where to find their offices. Also the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Office is next door - there is a very nice lady here who can also help by pointing you toward the right companies.

Once you start to look for a safari, you will be noticed. Noticed that is by the ‘fly-catchers’. These are pleasant young men who make a living by guiding tourists to safari companies; they then get commission. It is best to avoid any temptation you have to make a deal with these young fly-catchers. They have eyes set upon the commission only and a quality safari is seldom purchased on the street. You will also be pray to the ‘others’ who sell curios. It can be an overwhelming and panicky situation the first time you are exposed to an onslaught of flycatchers and the others. Remember as westerners we enjoy the luxury of a huge personal space - in Africa this is an alien concept so up close and personal is the way to do business.

Being nasty does not work. All negotiations and conversations should be carried out with good humour and to enjoy yourself is the order of the day.

Low season is the best way to get a luxury safari at budget prices. Low season is through the long rains. However, it does not rain for the whole of the time and in recent years the rains have been very sparse indeed. The few tourists and low prices make any safari a pleasure at this time of year. Each park has something special to offer in every season.

Another way to make money go further is to travel to some of the amazing places in Tanzania, such as Uru Village on Kilimanjaro, or the Usambara Mountains, Pangani, the Southern Pare Mountains - these areas have no big game and no park fees. They are easily reached on local transport, have reasonable budget lodges or home-stays on offer. For a very little money you can live for a time in Africa proper - where there are very few or no other tourists for miles. What a way to experience Africa and get to know the Tanzania people. Take a rest from lion spotting it can become very tedious for many people after the first few prides where as exploring the Usambara or Pare Mountains could take you all your life with two days never the same.

For information on these or any issues pertaining to Tanzania see http://www.tanzania-info.co.uk for cultural and safari information http://www.betheladventure.co.uk help make the world a better place through responsible tourism.

Share This

Travel can be a time and resource intensive activity. There are many things that can go wrong, and often do, but careful planning, prioritizing and goal setting can reduce the number and severity of most problems that may creep into your travel experiences. Learning how to set and prioritize your travel goals will take you a long way towards creating travel plans that will fit into your life and are more likely to bring you wonderful memories.

Treat Travel and Vacations Like Any Other Goal Driven Area of Your Life

Travel and vacations can be a major financial expenditure in anyone’s life, and should be treated as such. Therefore, goals should be set before you plan your travel. Details such as how many coutries you want to visit, the number of cities do you want to visit, which tourist attractions you would like to experience, how do you plan to travel, and in what style do you plan to travel, should be asked before making your travel plans. Typically, the longer your vacation and the more places you choose to travel to, the more important it is to set your travel goals.

How Do You Create Your Travel Plans and Goals?

If you plan on making your travel goals successful, they must be specific and measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and have a fixed time span. A specific and measurable travel goal would include the destination, method of travel, what you plan to do, and who you plan to go with. The more specific you can get with the travel planning details, the better you can successfully plan a budget for your trip. An example of making specific plans would be: “I will travel within my budget, with my girlfriend to New Zealand for a bike touring vacation lasting two weeks within the next six months.”

To make your goal action oriented, it should contain the verb of your choice of action. In the previous example the “I will travel within my budget” implies action, states intent, and indicates the type of preparation and planning required to carry out the task.

Your travel goal should also be realistic. When stating the goal, the two most important questions include, “Do I have the time and the money?” For many people, finding the money to travel, is easier than finding the time to travel. In our time-starved society today, it is a rare occasion that most people can afford to take the time off to take an extended vacation longer than 2 weeks. Other obstacles that can pose a challange include physical stamina, knowledge of the language and customs, and social/political unrest. If you have a bad heart, and don’t know any of the native languages in Afghanistan, it may not realistic to plan a winter trek through the eastern mountains of Afghanistan.

The last part of your travel goals is that they should also be time constrained. Most people may say, “I want to go to Japan some day.” However, it isn’t enough of a motivating factor to complete your goals. You should say “I will go to Japan by October of next year.”

Now You Should Prioritize Your Travel Goals

Once you have created clear goals for your vacation, it’s time to prioritize them. This process is purely personal and based upon your own life situation. You can prioritize your goals based on time, by taking shorter trips now, and longer trips when your job situation changes, or taking more expensive trips now and less expensive trips later. You may prioritize your goals based upon your current and future health, where you take your trekking trips when you are physically in shape, and take your energy isn’t as high.

Of course your life may take a turn in a completely different direction than expected, and in that case, you may need to adjust your goals. Even for huge life changing events, going through this process will give you a better chance at succeeding in your travel plans. Once you have taken the time to make them and write them down and make them clear, you can focus your time and energy into making them happen.

Careful planning and goal setting creates better focus so you know how to make your travel plans happen. Once you have set your goals and made your plans, you can begin to look for resources that will help you with your travel budget. Look online for prices, destination information, and other types of information that will help you reach your vacation goals.

Copyright 2006 B Hopkins

Learn how to travel to your favorite destinations at a fraction of the cost other people are paying. Get this information packed resource before it’s gone: http://instanttravelnews.com/resources/budgettravel1 (A http://drivetraffictomywebsite.com creation)

Share This