Posted by traveller on March 11, 2010
Train travel is Europe is a popular method of travel that can be less stressful than traveling by plane. Booking a seat on the high speed Eurostar train only requires a 30 minute early check-in as opposed to a couple of hours at the airport. Some train travel can be almost as quick as flying by plane as well. Traveling by train across Europe to Italy also gives travelers a way to see the scenery. If you are ready to book your travel to Italy by train it is something that you can easily do on your own.
Get rail tickets from the Rail Europe 
website before leaving the United States. You can only buy tickets from Rail Europe before you leave the US as they have to mail your train pass or tickets to you. An advantage to buying from Rail Europe is that you are able to make your purchase in US dollars. On the Rail Europe site you can buy point to point rail tickets or you can buy a rail pass. Rail passes are available that cover single countries as well as multiple countries. Passes vary in price and days of use.
Buy train tickets in person at a train station in Europe. Ticket machines as well as staffed ticket windows are available at train stations so that you can purchase your tickets on the spot. If you have questions about a connection or your travel you should go to one of the windows. Do not expect the train station clerk to be able to speak English. It is a good idea to have a translation dictionary with you if you do not speak the local language.
Book a seat on the Eurostar train if you are traveling to Italy from the United Kingdom. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Eurostar.com or on the Rail Europe website. The Eurostar is a high speed train that goes from London to Paris, France in just over two hours. The train also takes travelers to Brussels, Belgium. The Eurostar travels in the Channel Tunnel, which is under the English Channel. From Paris or Brussels you can take another train into Italy. Tickets can be purchased at the train station to get you the rest of the way to Italy or you can use a rail pass if you have one.
Posted by traveller on March 4, 2010
Known as the City of Light, Paris is a popular destination for tourists. This may be due to Lonely Planet’s observation that Paris like has more familiar landmarks in the city than any other city in the world. You may want to book a hotel near one of these landmarks, such as Notre Dame, or you may prefer having a sweeping view of the city that includes the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Regardless of your preference you should have no problem booking a Paris hotel that meets you needs.
Opt for a package deal that lets you book your hotel and airfare at the same time. Such packages are typically offered on airline websites as well as travel booking websites such as Expedia and Travelocity. Booking in this manner does usually limit your hotel selections but you can end up saving some money as vacation packages are typically discounted.
Go directly to the hotel’s website if you already have a Paris hotel in mind that you want to book. For example, if you know that you want to stay at the Park Hyatt Paris hotel you can go to Hyatt.com to book your reservation. If you have questions or prefer to call the hotel directly you can get the phone number from the website. If you do not speak French you can say “Parlez vous Anglais?” to inquire if the hotel clerk speaks English. Typically the hotels that are part of international chains do have someone that speaks English. If you are booking an independently owned hotel you may not find anyone that speaks English. Be sure to pay attention to the currency quoted for the room rate on the hotel website as it may be listed in Euros instead of US dollars. If so, you can use a currency converter, such as XE.com, to convert the amount.
Search for hotels to book on Kayak.com. It can search several travel booking websites at once for you. The sites it can search include Travelocity, Expedia, Hotels.com and Priceline. If you see a result from one of those sites that you want to book you can select it and make your reservation. Keep in mind that if you book a hotel using one of these sites you are required to pay in full when you make your reservation. As a result, no cancellations or changes are allowed on the booking.
Get a discounted Paris hotel through Hotwire.com. By not showing you the hotel you are booking until after you pay in full, Hotwire can offer discount rates on hotel rooms in Paris. You will only be able to see the star rating, nightly room rate and the amenities at the hotel before booking it. No changes can be made and no refunds are allowed once you pay for the reservation. If you want an even lower price you can try bidding at a lower rate on Priceline with their “Name Your Own Price” option. Like Hotwire, you will not know the hotel unless your bid is accepted. If your bid is accepted you are charged for your entire stay immediately with no changes or refunds allowed.
Posted by traveller on February 26, 2010
If you are planning a trip to Rome, Italy you may be asking yourself when is the best time to visit Rome. You for sure want to avoid visiting Rome in August. This is the month that Italians on holiday. You will find most of the hotels, restaurants and attractions actually closed in the month of August.
The best time to go to Rome is from late March through May and from late September through October. Not only will you experience less crowds during these periods but the temperature is also pretty mild. Your airfare will also be cheaper.
Peak travel season in Rome is June to August. It can get incredibly hot in Rome during the summer and the airfare during these months is the highest that it is all year.
Posted by traveller on February 25, 2010
If you are looking for a cheap airfare to Rome from another city in Europe your best bet is to try a budget airline. There are two airports in Rome that the European budget airlines will fly into. Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) is the main airport in Rome. The other airport that serves Rome is Ciampino Airport (CIA).
Budget airlines that fly into Rome’s FCO airport:
- Aer Lingus
- Air Baltic
- Air Berlin
- Air Europa
- Air One
- Baboo
- BelleAir
- Blue Air
- Blue1
- Blu-Express
- Brussels Airlines
- easyJet
- Flyglobespan
- Germanwings
- Jet2.com
- Meridiana
- Norwegian
- Smart Wings
- transavia.com
- TUIfly
- Vueling
- Wizz Air
Budget airlines that fly into Rome’s CIA airport:
Posted by traveller on November 11, 2009
Manoir de la Riviere, Villers-Bocage
Avg rate: $220 (€150)
Chateau de Bouceel, Vergoncey
Avg rate: $235 (€160)
Hotel Churchill, Bayeux
Avg rate: $157 (€107)
Hotel Monet, Honfleur
Avg rate: $113 (€77)
Hotel d’Argouges, Bayeux
Avg rate: $158 (€108)
La Maison de Lucie, Honfleur
La Ramade Hotel de Charme, Marcey-les-Greves
Avg rate: $140 (€95)
Quality Hotel Caen, Herouville Saint Clair
Avg rate: $106 (€72)
Hotel Vent d’Ouest, Le Havre
Avg rate: $148 (€101)
Chateau La Cour, Culey Le Patry
Avg rate: $176 (€120)
Chateau Les Bruyeres, Cambremer
Avg rate: $166 (€113)
La Maison du Vert, Ticheville
Avg rate: $78 (€53)
Normandy Barriere, Deauville
Avg rate: $415 (€283)
Ferme de la Ranconniere, Crepon
Avg rate: $171 (€117)
Best Western Le Moulin de Ducey, Ducey
Avg rate: $111 (€76)
Hotel Villa Josephine, Deauville
Avg rate: $232 (€158)
Chateau La Cheneviere, Port-en-Bessin-Huppain
Avg rate: $343 (€234)
Hotel-Restaurant La Chaine d’Or, Les Andelys
Clos Masure Hotel de campagne, Belmesnil
Avg rate: $189 (€129)
Hotel Pasino, Le Havre
Avg rate: $209
