Top ten hostels in Europe Staying in a hostel in Europe is a rite of passage for budget-conscious travelers making their way around the continent. This is particularly the case for budget-conscious younger travelers. Here are ten hostels across Europe that either receive particularly high user-review grades or are notorious enough in one or another way to be noteworthy. St. Christopher's at the Winston, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Långholmen, Stockholm, Sweden. Good Bye Lenin, Krakow, Poland. Balmers, Interlaken, Switzerland. Meininger, London, United Kingdom. Oops! Hostel Archi Rossi, Florence, Italy. Kadir's Tree Houses, Olympos, Turkey. The Pink Palace, Corfu, Greece. Hotel 4 Youth, Berlin, Germany. (Image: foilman / Flickr) Filed under: Europe, Turkey, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
The Most Beautiful Small Towns in Europe If you are tired of big and crowded cities and you are looking for a peaceful and romantic vacation, than you should go to Europe and visit small but charming towns. From North to South and form snowy mountains to Mediterranean beaches you can experience an amazing dream vacation. In this post we will show you: Cinque Terre, Hallstatt, Colmar, Portofino and Český Krumlov. All of these 5 small towns will relax you and make you feel like you are in a fairy tail. Here are few photos of each town to encourage you to visit. [UPDATE: Part 2 of the series has also been published, covering 5 more small European towns.] Cinque Terre, Italy Cinque Terre is located in the Italian Riviera in the Liguria region. Photo credit: zilverbat. Photo credit: ciaoamore Photo credit: quattroluvr Photo credit: ReservasdeCoches.com Hallstatt, Austria Hallstatt is located in upper Austria in the Salzkammergut region near Hallstatter Lake. Photo credit: kevinpoh Photo credit: Douglas Sprott Photo credit: Michael Dawes
Train Travel in France Train Travel in France. Photo courtesy of Nuno Morão on Flickr Traveling throughout Europe by train is a dream for many travelers, but almost nowhere is it more convenient, comfortable and cost-efficient than in France. Let’s take a look at the basics of train travel in France. Planning a trip? French Train Basics The French rail network, SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français), has several different networks that work together to get travelers where they’re going. The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) is the super-fast train network with stops in major and second-tier cities. A popular TGV stop for new arrivals to France is the one that is directly underneath Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris – the line runs north to south from Lille, a popular hub north of Paris, and goes all the way down to Montpellier, on the southern Mediterranean coast. There are also regional rail networks, each with different designs and often bearing the crest of the region. French Train Travel Basics
mashable Australians love a cheap flight out of the country, often at the cost of not seeing their own backyard. So, this Australia Day weekend makes for the perfect time to throw a bag in the car and head off into the vast Australian landscape for an epic road trip — you may not be back by Tuesday, though. Australia boasts some of the most magnificent scenery in the world, with endless unique and unusual natural features, making road trips an easy and spontaneous way of exploring the local turf. The team at last-minute hotel booking app HotelQuickly has given Mashable their top ten picks for when it comes to hitting the road. Co-founder of Hotel Quickly Christian Mischler, who has just launched the app in Australia and is heading down the Great Ocean Road this long weekend, told Mashable Australia's infrastructure, reliance on cars and accommodation availability makes it the perfect place for an impromptu road trip. "You can travel spontaneously. 1. 2. 3. This is an epic trip. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Vacation Rentals|Tripping.com How to Backpack Through Europe on $50 a Day The romantic idea of backpacking through Europe is a dream vacation for many young people, but poor exchange rates and a high cost of living in the region cause some to believe that, in reality, the trip is simply impossible to afford. With careful planning, frugal travelers can still enjoy vacations to historic and costly European cities, such as Paris and London, for just $50 per day. Although backpackers on a tight budget may have to sacrifice some luxuries, they can enrich their memory banks by experiencing countless cultural events and landmark attractions exclusive to Europe. Step 1 Book a room in a hostel, available in every major European city. Save even more money by staying in a dormitory with multiple guests and shared bathroom facilities. Step 2 Rent a room for the night from such sites as CouchSurfing (couchsurfing.com), where participants rent rooms or, literally, living-room couches to travelers at significantly low rates. Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
40 Most Useful Travel Websites That Can Save You a Fortune Welcome Stumbled Upon & Delicious Users: You may also want to check out our 180+ Best Money Saving Tools. Traveling doesn't have to break the bank (in fact, you can travel for free), and there are plenty of places that'll help you find the best vacation for your budget. Get discounts and the insider scoop with these great resources. Don't forget to ask for free travel upgrades. Cheap Flights and Accommodations Find the best rates for airlines and places to stay, no matter what type of traveler you are. CouchSurfing - Bum a night's sleep on somebody's couch and save hundreds of dollars on hotel costs! Farecast - Farecast gathers data from all over the web so you can find out if airfare for a trip is rising or dropping over the next 7 days, if a hotel rate is the best deal based on past rates, and if there's a better travel offer on another site. Home Exchange - The most comprehensive listing of home listings. Hostel Bookers - Easiest way to book hostels all over the world. Write Away!
50 Cool Things to Do in Paris One of the best things about Paris is the sheer number of things there are to see and do—and, of course, eat! Our most recent trip to Paris was our second time to the magical City of Lights. This time around, we did a ton of research prior to our arrival in an effort to discover the best off-the-beaten-path restaurants, activities, shopping and attractions. We also wanted to leave time to re-discover a handful of quintessential Parisian landmarks. We didn’t have time to check everything off our Paris bucket list—with fifty things to do in just six days, we would have driven ourselves crazy if we tried. So here you have the fruits of our labor: 50 Cool Things to Do in Paris. Attractions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Entertainment 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. Wining and Dining 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. Shopping 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. Have you been to Paris?
The Best Backpacking Tips and Tricks for Europe: The Big List of Awesome TweetTweet This article will aim to be a complete one stop shop for all of the tips and tricks you will ever need when it comes to backpacking in Europe. From some general tips, to specific advice for beginners and women, tips for packing light, backpacking during winter and gear and safety tips too. If you’re about to start planning your backpacking trip to Europe, you might want to check out this article, as that will help you cover off the planning side of things. Every backpacker has their own tips to share, and these are mine. I’ve separated the tips and tricks into segments which you can jump to using the same page links I’ve included below. Backpacking Tips for BeginnersGeneral Backpacking Travel TipsBackpacking Tips For WomenWinter Backpacking TipsUltralight Backpacking TipsBackpacking Gear TipsBackpacking Packing TipsBackpacking Safety Tips Backpacking Tips for Beginners Don’t ever change money at the airport or on the street. Don’t keep all of your money in one spot. Top of Page
Travel eBook - How to Create a Travel Life You Love Want to travel more without spending a fortune? Whether more travel for you means you take your annual 2 – 4 week trip per year, a few extra weekend getaways, or an indefinite nomadic life, we’ve got the tools and strategies to help you do it in the way you love AND for a cheaper price. In this ebook, How to Create a Travel Life You Love, we share our tips, strategies and stories that have helped us to travel to over 50 countries – with little money. We’re currently using these tips and strategies to travel around Australia – one of the most expensive countries in the world – with our two children, on little money. That’s how much we back the wisdom in this book and believe you can do the same. Not only do we have the in-depth personal experience covering solo travel, couples travel, family travel, budget travel and working holiday travel, but we’ve been sharing our stories and tips on this blog for over 3 years helping thousands of readers to travel more and create better memories. 3.
Europe's Best Three Weeks By Rick Steves Each spring through my college years, I'd first determine how much time I could get away for, then I'd buy a cheap plane ticket to Europe — and then I'd figure out where I'd actually go. Filling in the blanks between the flight out and the flight home is one of the more pleasurable parts of trip planning. I never start a trip without having every day planned out. Your itinerary depends on several factors, including weather, crowds, geography, timeline, and travel style (are you antsy to see as much as you can, or do you like settling into a place for a few days?) Itinerary Considerations When planning your trip itinerary, deal thoughtfully with issues such as weather, culture shock, health maintenance, fatigue, and festivals — and you'll travel happier. Establish a logical flight plan. Match your destination to your interests. See countries in order of cultural hairiness. Moderate the weather conditions you'll encounter. Join the celebration. Minimize one-night stands.