Seriously though........ my solo, independent travels are mostly within Europe and vary from weekends to stays of up to six weeks.
My tips will also be relevant if you are planning a European trip from North America or elsewhere. A huge part of travel in my opinion is the research beforehand and then really knowing what you are doing and what you are seeing ! I find it fun to do and it is always a learning experience !
If you are traveling from Canada or the U.S.A. I would recommend finding an inexpensive return flight to a major European city such as London, Paris, Amsterdam and then going from there. You can also fly one way into one city and out of another back to your original point so you do not have to back track. This is also the case if you already live in Europe as many airlines offer one way fares.
When I look for accommodation I focus on small, family run, traditional, charming places in the best location possible. In Europe these can be called pensions, hostals ( not hostels, there is a difference ) or hotels.Often these are the 1,2 and 3 star hotels as they do not have swimming pools, room service etc. but often reflect historic buildings.
https://www.acropolishouse.gr A charming and traditional little hotel in the Plaka area of Athens, Greece. I have stayed here a few times over the years.
My favorite website over the last ten years has been www.booking.com and you can book from any country. There are many others but I find this one to be the most reliable and often you can cancel up to the day of booking ( but check when you book for the specific hotel policy )
I have also rented houses for periods of two weeks or more and I like the British websites the best when looking for European houses, apartments, villas, cottages to rent. The American websites are frequently significantly more expensive and have much less choice of locations ! You can book on the British websites with no problem and pay in British pounds or euros. I have used both of these ones -
www.homeaway.co.uk and www.holidaylettings.co.uk
There are so many charter airlines within Europe that offer great fares and can sometimes seem as cheap as taking a bus if you can travel in the off season or book ahead. Just look through their destinations and you can often find a completely different way to plan your trip with one way fares so you do not have to back track.
Here is a list of airlines that I personally use ( and you can book the fares independently from other countries if you do not live in Europe ) All of these airlines offer one way fares.
www.condor.com ( all over Europe, they also fly to cities in the USA and Canada )
www.airberlin.com ( all over Europe )
www.aegeanairlines.com ( all over Europe and in particular Greece and the Greek islands )
www.vueling.com ( all over Europe and in particular within Spain )
www.tuifly.com ( all over Europe and the Canary Islands )
www.ryanair.com ( all over Europe )
www.easyjet.com ( all over Europe )
www.bmiregional.com ( within England and all over Europe )
www.iberia.com ( Spanish airline and flies all over Europe and to the Canary Islands)
www.aerlingus.com ( national airline of Ireland. Great airline to fly to Dublin from European cities )
( Please note I am only recommending accommodation and airline websites that I have personally used on my blog )
Carpe Diem * Sabrina
" Airplane travel is nature's way of making you look like your passport photo " - Al Gore
All the informations are very nice.
ReplyDeleteThanks
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