The Budget Traveler

New discount promotional codes

2009-07-07T08:02:14Z

New promotion codes for US Airways

aa2d3f55 - Get 5.5% off on your order.

1212121USDVVIPALL - Get 50% off on your order.

Note: the economic private tourist guide in St.-Petersburg

2009-05-23T21:47:33Z

I recommend very nice and very professional private tourist guide in St.-Petersburg Masha. This girl very much was pleasant to me! She knows much and fascinatingly tells about a city.

summer trip ideas?

2009-05-23T13:48:33Z

Hey, so me and my fiance are teaching in Korea right now, and we are thinking about where to go for summer vacation.

It will be end of July, about a week and a half.

We thought about doing Southeast Asia, but we've heard that it's the wet season.
And then we thought about doing Japan, but it's probably hot and crowded then.
China - we've been last year, and also, I don't think it's worth it getting the $130 visa for one week.

Some ideas we've thrown around are Malaysia, Bali, the east side of Thailand (Ko Samui). We also thought about philippines but it's supposedly typhoon season then. Has anyone been to any of those?

Also, any other options?

Just in case you want to know, we're into local culture/food, nature/scenery, and unique local experiences. We usually travel pretty frugally. And we're not into the whole partying/drinking thing.

Easyjet sale ends midnight tonight

2009-04-28T07:28:32Z

Up to 25% off every seat, on every route to and from the UK throughout Summer 2009. Book now for great discounts on every flight from 1 June to 30 September. Offer must end at midnight tonight. Visit easyJet.com.

http://discair.co.uk/index.php?aircompany=EZY - Easyjet cheap ticket, sales and discount codes.

budget_travel @ 2009-04-22T16:27:00

2009-04-22T06:29:42Z

Anyone backpacked New Zealand? Care to share any tips? I'm planning on going there on my first solo trip May-Sep. So far I have no idea where I wanna go, where I'm going to stay or what I'm going to do. Exciting!

San Jose (Costa Rica) to San Diego (CA) by bus?

2009-04-15T18:23:18Z

I have recently had this slightly crazy idea. The next stop on my backpacking trip, in early June, is San Jose, Costa Rica, and the stop after that, San Diego in the US.

I have about 3 weeks between them, and I reckon it should be theoretically possible to do the journey north entirely by bus rather than booking an expensive and environmentally unfriendly flight.

Has anybody ever tried taking buses in this part of the world? Are there any places I should definitely see? Definitely avoid? And is it possible to do the journey in three weeks in a comparatively leisurely fashion?

All help gratefully received! Thanks!

Europa!

2009-03-18T01:59:07Z

hello all!! i've been a member for a while now and finally have something to contribute to the group..

i'm planning a wanderlust trek through Europe for my 21st birthday this June, more specifically London & Amsterdam for sure. I'm going to see Dave Matthews Band play in those two cities and plan on backpacking through Europe in the meantime between the two shows which is about a week in between. Any suggestions on where to go and what to do while I'm in Europe? I want to fly from London to Amsterdam then take the Eurail to different countries and sight-see. This is my first time traveling abroad & I won't be traveling alone. I'm a college student, is there any cheap deals I can score because of this? Also I'll be staying mostly in hostels, anyone know of some good cheap (but quality) ones in Europe? I want to get the best bang for my buck!

Thanks!!
♥

guadalajara

2009-03-17T00:26:29Z

(cross posted)

Hello! I'm looking for info on Guadalajara, Mexico, and surroundings. I'll be there to entertain myself for a couple of days before my friend meets up with me (and he's from there, so he'll have some ideas, but we have differing interests so I thought I'd get the opinions of some other folks!)

What would you check out, apart from the big historical sights downtown? I'm very much interested in what's going on with the young folks there- politically and socially. Are there any radical bookshops/infoshops or cultural centers? Where do the political types hang out- neighborhoods/cafes/schools/etc? Good venues for music or poetry? What about queer hangouts (particularly women- not too interested in hanging out in boy bars/cruising spots!)? And, anything just generally interesting and relatively easy to get to.

Thanks for your help!!

I'm going to attempt a version of that in Spanish- please excuse my errors.

Hago muchos errores- disculpa!

Estoy buscando informacion de Guadalajara, Mex., y lugares cercanos. Voy a estar por alla sola por 2 o 3 dias antes de la llegada de mi amigo (quien es de Guad., y tiene unas ideas, pero tenemos intereses diferentes entonces pensaba de preguntar otra gente por sus opiniones!)

Aparte de los sitios historicos al centro, que debo visitar? Estoy interesada en que pasa con la juventud- politicamente y socialmente. Hay algunos librerias radicales o centros culturales? Donde estan los tipos politicos- barrios/cafes/universidad/etc? Hay lugares buenos por el musico o poesia? Lugares donde pasan tiempo los gays jovenes (mujeres en particular)? Y cualquiera cosa interesante en general?

Muchas gracias por su ayuda!

barcelona and surrounding areas as cheap as possible

2009-03-04T01:05:39Z

hello lovelies!

i'm going to spain for a month in april! i just bought the ticket today, thanks to travelzoo.com's newsletter about ridiculously low roundtrip airfare from nyc to europe (check it out!), and i am beyond excited, as i have visited 9 other european countries, and now spain has its chance :)

so my tax refund took care of the airfare, and i'm left with not much after that. i intend on taking advantage of the wonderful hospitality club, as well as trying to find some sort of work exchange on help exchange. my flight there is overnight, so that's one less bed to worry about!

i am asking for any information/advice/suggestions/experience you all have, as far as free/low-cost options for anything- food, activities, places to stay, etc. how do i make my dollars stretch as much as humanly possible? better yet, do you or someone you know live in barcelona, ha ha? what are some good day trips? what is something i absolutely MUST see/eat/adventurously try while there? i'm not worried about what to actually DO there in my spare time, as i love just walking around and giving myself tours, and taking a ton of pictures. i've heard the architecture and the city as a whole is beautiful, so i'm excited about that.

(oh and i'm a 26 year old female, solo, and i speak spanish moderately, eager to brush up)

thank you so much!

[x-posted]

budget_travel @ 2009-03-02T23:33:00

2009-03-03T04:33:46Z

Hello,

Since you all are always so helpful:

I am in the very early stages of planning a two week trip to either Peru or Barelona/Morroco. I've traveled throughout Europe with both friends and solo but this trip looks like it would be solo. Thoughts on safety to raveling to these places alone as a female in her 20's?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

X-posted

budget_travel @ 2009-02-23T12:31:00

2009-02-23T18:33:40Z

Hi, everyone! I'm looking for the cheapest roundtrip flight from Portland, Oregon (PDX) to Atlanta, Georgia (ATL) ideally from March 21-March 28, but can go a day or two in either direction. Any ideas on where to look? Any help is much appreciated!!

Thanks!!

x-posted

Ugh! Itinerary/Route/Planning Help

2009-02-03T02:23:28Z

I know I shouldn't plan so thoroughly and just go where the road takes me, but with a limit of six weeks and so many amazing things to see and do I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this trip. Originally I was thinking just Thailand and Vietnam with a stop in Cambodia to see Angkor Wat (that's really all I care to see there - forgive me if this is ignorant, eek!), but the more I read about Laos the harder I find it to leave that place out all together. I have to cut this back to six weeks. What can I weed out? Where needs less/more time? Please help!!

Day 1 (3/18): Bangkok

Day 2 (3/19): Bangkok

Day 3 (3/20): Bangkok – (3.5 hours by bus or less) – Kanchanaburi

Day 4 (3/21): Kanchanaburi

Day 5 (3/22): Kanchanaburi – (3.5 hours by bus or less) – Ayutthaya – (overnight train) - Chiang Mai

Day 6 (3/23): Chiang Mai

Day 7 (3/24): Chiang Mai

Day 8 (3/25): Chiang Mai - (4 hours by bus) - Pai

Day 9 (3/26): Pai

Day 10 (3/27): Pai

Day 11 (3/28): Pai - (7 hours by bus) - Chiang Kong - (river crossing in boat) - Huay Xai

Day 12 (3/29): Huay Xai - (5 hours by van/trekking) - Gibbon Experience

Day 13 (3/30): Gibbon Experience

Day 14 (3/31): Gibbon Experience - (5 hours by van/trekking) - Huay Xai

Day 15 (4/1): Huay Xai - (slow boat) - Pak Beng

Day 16 (4/2): Pak Beng - (slow boat) - Luang Prabang

Day 17 (4/3): Luang Prabang

Day 18 (4/4): Luang Prabang

Day 19 (4/5): Luang Prabang - Vang Vien

Day 20 (4/6): Vang Vien

Day 21 (4/7): Vang Vien - (four hours by bus) - Vientiane

Day 22 (4/8): Vientiane - Bangkok - Siam Reap

Day 23 (4/9): Siam Reap

Day 24 (4/10): Siam Reap

Day 25 (4/11): Siam Reap - Phnom Penh

Day 26 (4/12): Phnom Penh

Day 27 (4/13): Phnom Penh - Siagon

Day 28 (4/14): Saigon

Day 29 (4/15): Saigon

Day 30 (4/16): Saigon - Dalat

Day 31 (4/17): Dalat

Day 32 (4/18): Dalat

Day 33 (4/19): Dalat – Nah Trang

Day 34 (4/20): Nah Trang

Day 35 (4/21): Nah Trang

Day 36 (4/22): Nah Trang – Hoi An

Day 37 (4/23): Hoi An

Day 38 (4/24): Hoi An

Day 39 (4/25): Hoi An – Hue

Day 40 (4/26): Hue

Day 41 (4/27): Hue

Day 42 (4/28): Hue – Ninh Binh

Day 43 (4/29): Ninh Binh

Day 44 (4/30): Ninh Binh

Day 45 (5/1): Ninh Binh – Halong Bay

Day 46 (5/2): Halong Bay

Day 47 (5/3): Halong Bay – Hanoi - Sapa

Day 49 (5/4): Sapa

Day 50 (5/5): Sapa

Day 51 (5/6) : Sapa - Hanoi

Day 52 (5/7): Hanoi

Day 53 (5/8): Hanoi

Spirit Airlines Promotion code $35 Off* for 35 Hours

2009-01-06T07:41:53Z

This offer is valid for travel on flights between January 8, 2009 and October 31, 2009. All you have to do is enter 35HOURS in the Promotion
Code box on the home page when booking your flight. You will then receive $35 off* a roundtrip purchase when booking a qualifying flight!

Hurry, the $35 off* offer is only available from 1:00 PM ET on January 5, 2009 through 11:59 PM ET on January 6, 2009!

Continental Competes With American, Fares From $78 R/T*

2009-01-04T19:32:33Z

Continental's New Year's sale competes with a similar offer from American. Fares start at $78 round-trip, and cities include New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Chicago.
Continental is facing a lot of competition. American offered the same or better prices for similar routes, as did other airlines. You may want to consider this sale, but it's a good idea to compare prices with several airlines before booking.

The sample fares below are listed for round-trip travel and do not include taxes and fees.

Austin, TX	Houston, TX	$78	$78	Continental
Boston, MA	New York City, NY	$128	$128	Continental American Delta US Airways
Philadelphia, PA	Houston, TX	$158	$158	Continental American Northwest United
Los Angeles, CA	Honolulu, HI	$298	$298	Continental
New York City, NY	Chicago, IL	$298	$258	American JetBlue Northwest United

budget_travel @ 2008-12-23T16:29:00

2008-12-23T21:29:38Z

What are some good and CHEAP hostels in Zurich? Berlin? Dresden? Geneva?

Exclusive pre sale Hotel Discounts

2008-12-23T10:12:52Z

Book now for 2009 and get exclusive additional discounts! This offer is only available to easyJet newsletter subscribers . Visit easyJetHotels now to access these special discounted rates using the following details;

Username: easyjethotels
Password: invitationonly

Offer ends on 1 January 2009.

Welcome to community "Budget airfare"

2008-12-21T14:19:07Z

Welcome to community "Budget airfare" - community.livejournal.com/budget_airfare/

Destination wanted for Christmas 2009!

2008-12-21T08:16:26Z

Planning way in advance I know, but my boyfriend and I are hoping to spend next year's Christmas & New Year somewhere away from home so I'm looking for suggestions. We're in two minds whether we want to go somewhere sunny and escape the English winter, or whether we'd like to be somewhere snowy and festive, but either way it needs to be cheap! We'll have a maximum of about 10 days because we both work in schools so only have 2 weeks off (this year from 20th Dec-5th Jan, just to give you an idea of dates).

We wouldn't normally go away at Christmas because I know flights are more expensive, but there's a particular reason for it this time. Quite a few years ago I was set a challenge by my grandmother - to visit 30 countries by the time I'm 30. This was set when I was 23 and had already been to 24 countries, so I was like "that'll be easy!" but things (mainly lack of money) have consipired against me and to my horror, I'll be 29 in January and am still only on 26 countries! I have declared a state of emergency, much to my boyfriend's amusement, so we're taking in 2 new countries this summer - Luxembourg & the Netherlands - but that still leaves me with 2 more countries to go by January 2009.

I'm therefore looking for suggestions for places we could go over Christmas 2009 that are:
- as cheap as possible for travel from England & accommodation
- would allow us to spend time in 2 different countries over 10 days or so
- would be a nice place to be for Christmas & New Year

The only other thing you need to know is which countries I've been to already, because there's no point suggesting any of these!

THE LIST
1. England
2. Northern Ireland
3. Scotland
4. Wales
5. Republic of Ireland
6. Switzerland
7. France
8. Spain
9. Belgium
10. Germany
11. Italy
12. Andorra
13. Greece
14. Slovenia
15. Hungary
16. Poland
17. Romania
18. Czech Republic
19. Russia
20. Sweden
21. Denmark
22. Norway
23. Iceland
24. Canada
25. USA
26. Mexico
27. Luxembourg
28. Netherlands

And YES, I know it's a bit tenuous to count England, Scotland, Wales & N. Ireland as separate countries so please don't bother replying if you just want to make a comment about that. Blame my Grandma, she said I could!

budget_travel @ 2008-12-19T01:36:00

2008-12-19T01:47:49Z

I've found super cheap flights to Montpellier from Stansted on Ryanair for the end of March. They are £10 each way, so £20 in total. However, I am aware that they charge you to check bags in. A quick look on the website told me that they'd charge me an extra £30 jsut to check in one bag!!!!! I know i'd pay more than £50 with a normal airline, but I still want to avoid the £30 charge if I can (purely because i'm staying with a friend when I get there....so may as well save on travel as well as accommodation).

So my question is has anyone ever travelled with just a carry on, and if so how big was it? Is it realistic to think I could squeeze four full days worth of stuff into a carry on? I know it's all relative and it depends on how much you normally travel with anyway....So I suppose a better question would be what are the carry ons like that you use? Ryanair states the dimensions 55cm x 40cm x 20cm and no more than 10kg in weight....I've been looking on the internet and have seen lots of cases with these dimensions....Would I be pushing it to think that I could use one to fit 4 days of stuff in?

x-posted

London- New Year's Eve

2008-12-16T19:16:39Z

x-posted

Hey, everyone! I need advice- I'm going to be in London over New Year's and my friend and I are trying to book a restaurant for dinner on New Year's Eve. We are having a lot of difficulty because everything seems so expensive, but we have been told that you must make reservations for dinner regardless on New Year's Eve in London. We are looking to spend under 20 pounds. It doesn't have to be something super swanky- we just want to be able to go out to eat!:) We are also wondering what bars will be accessible near the London Eye, where the fireworks will be at midnight. Any insight on any of this would be much much appreciated! Thank you!

Norway Fjord Tours

2008-12-14T14:33:03Z

I'm going to be in Oslo next summer and would like to head west to Bergen and do some fjord sightseeing for a day or two. Are there any backpacker affordable fjord tours? Should I book in advance or just wait til I get there and see what's on offer? And yes, I've searched online but I'm looking for some firsthand recommendations, not tourist sites. :)

I looked at the Norway in a Nutshell tour but it seems awfully expensive for a day trip. I'm guessing that it's more geared towards people who want to stay a night or two at each town it stops. I don't have time to stay more than an two or three nights in Norway, so I don't think that tour is right for me.

The cheaper the better, although quality definitely counts for something!

Thanks.

budget_travel @ 2008-12-10T16:15:00

2008-12-10T22:16:59Z

:( anyone want to help me find a cheap/warm/awesome destination for 2 people one person flying from Minneapolis, MN and one from Milwaukee/Chicago/Madison, wi leaving the afternoon of the 30/morning of the 31st and returning on the 4th of Jan?

X-posted

American Airlines announces fare sale

2008-12-07T18:55:00Z

American Airlines (NYSE:AMR) and its regional affiliate American Eagle have announced a sale on fares to destinations in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Mexico and Bermuda.

The sale is valid on travel between 2 September and 10 December 2008.

Sale tickets are available for purchase until 31 July.

Istanbul for NYE

2008-12-03T02:14:08Z

Hey!

Anyone have any suggestions on what to do in Istanbul for New Years? I'm traveling solo and happen to be there for the beginning of 2009 - anyone know of any great parties or experiences? I was looking at some really touristy boat tours, but since I only paid £8 for my room, I'd prefer to keep it moderately priced! Also would like to ring in the new year with people, versus sitting alone with a bottle of wine in Turkey:P

Thanks!

Salzburg Hostels

2008-10-18T23:26:52Z

Hi, I am traveling to Austria in three weeks and have secured lodging in Vienna and Graz so far, but am looking for recommendations for hostels or bed and breakfasts in Salzburg. Something close to the city-center, clean, and relatively inexpensive would be great. Any recommendations?

x-posted to several other travel communities