Luxury in Inexpensive Countries
Like luxury? Ever fantasize that you were royalty in days of yore, when kings and queens lived in castles? Well, you can experience the lush life in Portugal for relatively little money. You see, Portugal has done some great work with Pousadas, historic castles, convents and palaces you can stay in, each with their own regional restaurant. (For more, see: Pousadas of Portugal - What is a Pousada?)
Because Portugal is a relatively innexpensive country, Pousada prices are surprisingly innexpensive for their value. If you are flexible, you can often find bargains among the promotions on the Pousadas de Portugal website. You can often find beds in rooms featuring top-notch luxury for under 100 Euros a night.
To see a review of a typical Pousada, see Pousada de Sao Francisco Review.
Take a Basic Cruise
Easy Cruise is a waterborne transportation arm of the Easy Empire. The concept is simple. A boat, really just a floating hotel, plies the rivers of Europe on a regular route. You can reserve from any city to any other for a two day minimum cruise. You get a basic room on a basic boat with just a few services. You can currently go on an Easy Cruise in Greece, Belgium and Holland.
How does Easy Cruise save money? Well, it's an age-old money saving trick--travel at night, save the hotel cost. On any Easy Cruise, you can get off the boat and explore the great port cities, then get on again and go to the next port. How easy is that?
You used to be able to do this on trains, but now trains are so fast that the overnight ones are dying out.
See a review and get more information on Easy Cruise in Europe
Rent An RV
Lots of folks are afraid of driving in Europe. They can't stand the idea that many people in Europe get in their cars to go places, not to dawdle or smell the roses or have an intimate conversation on a cell phone. Well, not only is driving in Europe pretty darn easy, it's a refreshing change from driving in the US.
So, why not amaze you friends and rent an RV in Europe? The best place to rent is Germany, where the roads are good, the place is pretty flat, and it's easy to rent an RV. See IdeaMerge Europe Motorhome Rentals (book direct). For more info on RV Travel in Europe and Camping, see Rolling Homes Press.
Travel with Friends
Ok, this last tip depends on a close friendship that is unlikely to unravel in a few weeks. It's based on the premise that two couples can travel much cheaper than one. You can save even more if at least one person in your group is a gourmet chef.
Lease a big car for three weeks or more, rent a house in a compelling place in Europe--say Tuscany or the Dordogne--and watch the savings pile up. Italy lodging is expensive, but there's so many country houses for rent that a two bedroom house will save hundreds of dollars a person over staying in hotels. Plus, you can pack lighter because there will usually be washing facilities in the house. Remember that a car that holds four comfortably is much more frugal than two smaller cars. And finally, if you cook a few meals by yourself, you'll eat well and save lots of money.
