I have purchased and used city passes from the following cities' tourism centers: Dublin, London and Rome. However I decided they were not worth it in Barcelona, New York, Boston and New Orleans.
Why some cities and not others?
It depends on how long I will be staying, what sites are included and overall cost. Look for it to include bus and subway fares included or heavily discounted. Look for front of the line entry to the popular sites - so you don't have to wait in line.
Dublin: I was there for 7 days and paid approximately 60 Euros on sale - note watch for discounts on these passes. Almost all cities offer discounts if you sign up early for their newsletters. I find just before one of their long-weekends due to national holidays they discount them. In Dublin I pretty much did everything included in the pass so it was worth it and it included transportation.
London: I was there for 5-days and did the three-day pass for about 99 pounds - again I got about 300 pounds of value as I wanted the more expensive sites - Windsor castle and it included travel to and from London's Paddington station, Westminster cathedral, St Paul's cathedral, tower of London, boat tour to Grenich etc.. What was great was that I planned on doing 3 sites in a day and usually did 4 or 5 as I planned by location. Some places I would not have visited without the pass including the hop on hop off and royal art gallery and stables.
Roma Pass- 3 days including transportation was great value for the Coliseum front of the line, museums etc. I highly recommend the Villa Borghese gallery but you must book in advance for a specific entry time. Again I did some things I wouldn't have but the entrance was free (i.e. Ostia Antica). Note this one doesn't include the Vatican or sites in Vatican city. I recommend for St. Peters you do the Capella - its an elevator to the top of the cathedral and then the views of all of Rome are the best.
Why not in Barcelona? - I really wanted the art galleries including Picasso, Miro, the national gallery so I bought an Art Pass for 26 Euros which included front of the line - an absolute necessity for the Picasso museum.
Why not the US cities? Mostly they don't include things I wanted to see in the short period of time they offered and the value to price didn't seem good. It was cheaper to buy online discounted priced advance tickets for each of the museums.
The best tips I can give you is to plan ahead, sign up for the city pass newsletters and wait for sale/discounts and then plan your route in each city to visit sites close together each day to get maximum value.
Hope this helps.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Travel sites I use:
Airfare:
Hopper phone app - sends push notifications
Next Departure
Flytrippers Toronto
YYZDeals
Kayak - for price tracking
Hotels: these sites work well for companies that price match - Make sure the room description is the same
Hotels-Scanner
HotelsQuickly
HotelPriceScanner
Tripcentral.ca
Airfare:
Hopper phone app - sends push notifications
Next Departure
Flytrippers Toronto
YYZDeals
Kayak - for price tracking
Hotels: these sites work well for companies that price match - Make sure the room description is the same
Hotels-Scanner
HotelsQuickly
HotelPriceScanner
Tripcentral.ca
Toronto to London & then return back from Dublin – $265 CAD including taxes, Nov, Dec and Jan dates.
See Next Departure for info. Act FAST!
Friday, October 26, 2018
What travel sites should you sign up for to find travel deals?
I always get asked what sites I use to get insider tips and save money. Here's my list of sites in no particular order. Note sign up for their newsletters on these sites.
General travel info
General travel info
- http://smartertravel.com - for instance today there is an article on the best time to book a cruise to get the most percentage savings.
- travelzoo.com - it will provide the top 20 deals each week. They scan the web for you for any type of travel - cruises, flights, tours, etc,
Cruise travel deals:
- Sign up to offers from your favourite cruise lines.
- Crucon outlets - crucon.com. Its a US site but only sells cruises so in addition to good pricing (even with the cdn to US exchange rate). I saved 50% on an upcoming cruise and got a $200 OBC (on board credit).
- Cruise Critic - cruisecritic.com is one of the best places for info on ports, reviews of ships etc. and if you sign up for the weekly deals its a good starting point for finding the best deal.
- Expedia.ca is easy to use but not necessarily the best price and they tend not to have the most in OBC.
- Cruiseline.com - again good for reviews, deals, newsletters.
Airline sites:
- Hopper.com
- Flighthub.com
- Karen can you add to this list?
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
How to make the most out of a 4-day Las Vegas trip
This posting is for Chantel doing a 4-day trip to Vegas. Given your getting in at 10 pm, my first recommendation is to take a cab and to drop the bags in the room (Mandalay Bay) and take the free Mono Rail over to Excalibur. Then cross over the bridge and take the free Mono Rail to Belaggio. Why do this? The best sites and walks at night are from Bellagio up to Treasure Island. You will see the best Neon Lights, the free fountain show at Bellagio, the free volcanos going off at the Mirage (every 15-minutes) and can stop to shop in Ceasars Palace shopping, take a ferris wheel ride and see everything on the strip from up high. Its a great way to acclimatize yourself.
Shopping .. the best outlet shopping only a few bus stops from Mandalay Bay going south is the Las Vegas Premium Outlets South. Remember to buy a 24-hour pass for the bus for unlimited travel. The stores open at 9am. Regular or expensive shopping is everywhere else on the strip.
Need water ... don't buy it in the hotels .. you can get it much cheaper in the grocery stores or off the street vendors for $1.
Should you buy a 24-hour buffet pass? Depends on how much you eat and whether you want repetitive buffet food. If you are not a big eater or just want to try different buffets don't buy the pass. Which is the best buffet? Really depends on what you want to eat - unlike other places its true in Vegas, the better/higher quality food is at the more expensive buffets. Buffet eating is always cheaper at lunch vs. dinner. Before going to a restaurant - check the posted menus - prices vary greatly and check the reviews online. Some restaurants look great but the food isn't necessarily good quality.
Shows - use the half price booths strategically located in several locations on the strip. Go early if you want a popular show. If its a headliner unfortunately you may have to pay full price as these are not usually available at the half price booth. The closest half price booth would be at the MMs store near MGM hotel to your hotel.
Should you go downtown to see the laser show... if you want to see the old downtown - go by bus to the downtown area (on weekends there are often bands in addition to the laser show). Note when coming back get a seat up top on the Double Decker bus and get a great view of all of the hotels on the strip. Its a long ride with the stop and go traffic.
Hope this helps.
Shopping .. the best outlet shopping only a few bus stops from Mandalay Bay going south is the Las Vegas Premium Outlets South. Remember to buy a 24-hour pass for the bus for unlimited travel. The stores open at 9am. Regular or expensive shopping is everywhere else on the strip.
Need water ... don't buy it in the hotels .. you can get it much cheaper in the grocery stores or off the street vendors for $1.
Should you buy a 24-hour buffet pass? Depends on how much you eat and whether you want repetitive buffet food. If you are not a big eater or just want to try different buffets don't buy the pass. Which is the best buffet? Really depends on what you want to eat - unlike other places its true in Vegas, the better/higher quality food is at the more expensive buffets. Buffet eating is always cheaper at lunch vs. dinner. Before going to a restaurant - check the posted menus - prices vary greatly and check the reviews online. Some restaurants look great but the food isn't necessarily good quality.
Shows - use the half price booths strategically located in several locations on the strip. Go early if you want a popular show. If its a headliner unfortunately you may have to pay full price as these are not usually available at the half price booth. The closest half price booth would be at the MMs store near MGM hotel to your hotel.
Should you go downtown to see the laser show... if you want to see the old downtown - go by bus to the downtown area (on weekends there are often bands in addition to the laser show). Note when coming back get a seat up top on the Double Decker bus and get a great view of all of the hotels on the strip. Its a long ride with the stop and go traffic.
Hope this helps.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Toronto to Honolulu, Hawaii – $592 CAD roundtrip | Non-stop flights w/ Air Canada - April dates
Please see link at Next Departure and deals do not last long!
Why I don't cruise on NCL anymore
Many people ask my opinion on booking a cruise with Norwegian Cruise Lines. As a platinum member I have taken 9 cruises on Norwegian (NCL). But I have stopped because for the last 4 cruises they have not met all of the 4 simple requirements I have for any cruise:
1. Clean
2. Basic Comforts (toilet, shower working), bed, cupboards etc not broken
3. Safety
4. Responsiveness to these simple issues (carpet cleaning, cabin issues etc.)
I have been on the Sun, Star, Pearl (2), Jewel, Breakaway, Spirit, Gem (2).
- On the Pearl the cabin carpet was so stained/dirty, showing it to the assistant Hotel director he was so appalled he had it removed and replaced the next day.
- On the Jewel between the Carpet and lighting issues, they moved me to another cabin during the cruise, as the steward/hotel director recommended it
- On the Spirit, I had what I call the haunted toilet - it went off several times day and night for no reason. Yes they came to inspect and try things but nothing worked so they said they couldn't help. Plus even with a letter from Norwegian for an onboard credit, only after 3-days of revisiting the front desk (because it wasn't in their computer), the hotel director reluctantly agreed to honor the OBC. I even had to wait to get my pre-paid gratuities back via the mail. Never pre-pay your gratuities - but I did because I trusted NCL.
- Finally on the Breakaway, cleanliness in the cabin, broken cupboard doors and non responsive, non communication re helping me just not get hurt in the cabin did me in ... no more NCL for me.
Did I try to communicate with staff respectfully - absolutely but NCL personnel are very hard to deal with so I just gave up.
I have not had any of these types of issues or lack of responsiveness with Princess, Holland America of Royal Caribbean, thus why I have moved my business away from NCL.
1. Clean
2. Basic Comforts (toilet, shower working), bed, cupboards etc not broken
3. Safety
4. Responsiveness to these simple issues (carpet cleaning, cabin issues etc.)
I have been on the Sun, Star, Pearl (2), Jewel, Breakaway, Spirit, Gem (2).
- On the Pearl the cabin carpet was so stained/dirty, showing it to the assistant Hotel director he was so appalled he had it removed and replaced the next day.
- On the Jewel between the Carpet and lighting issues, they moved me to another cabin during the cruise, as the steward/hotel director recommended it
- On the Spirit, I had what I call the haunted toilet - it went off several times day and night for no reason. Yes they came to inspect and try things but nothing worked so they said they couldn't help. Plus even with a letter from Norwegian for an onboard credit, only after 3-days of revisiting the front desk (because it wasn't in their computer), the hotel director reluctantly agreed to honor the OBC. I even had to wait to get my pre-paid gratuities back via the mail. Never pre-pay your gratuities - but I did because I trusted NCL.
- Finally on the Breakaway, cleanliness in the cabin, broken cupboard doors and non responsive, non communication re helping me just not get hurt in the cabin did me in ... no more NCL for me.
Did I try to communicate with staff respectfully - absolutely but NCL personnel are very hard to deal with so I just gave up.
I have not had any of these types of issues or lack of responsiveness with Princess, Holland America of Royal Caribbean, thus why I have moved my business away from NCL.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Airfare Deal - Toronto to Dublin, Ireland
This deal will not last long possibly only a couple of hours.
Toronto to Dublin, Ireland – $445 CAD roundtrip | Non-stop flights w/ Aer Lingus
https://nextdeparture.ca/flight-deal/toronto-to-dublin-ireland-445-cad-roundtrip-non-stop-w-aer-lingus/?fbclid=IwAR3Yfw4tpfH2Hy0f3zy6ZG-N-RYu4JWNShNmKz5VG3y8fMMPwYYDNdz5xVg
1. Go to http://flightsearch.nextdeparture.ca/en-US/flights to search for dates
2. Search for: Toronto (YYZ) to Dublin (DUB) roundtrip
3. Mix and match the departure/return dates for your preferred length of stay:
2. Search for: Toronto (YYZ) to Dublin (DUB) roundtrip
3. Mix and match the departure/return dates for your preferred length of stay:
DEPARTURE DATES (Toronto to Dublin)
Nov 26
Dec 3, 5, 10
Jan 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30
Feb 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
Mar 4, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
Nov 26
Dec 3, 5, 10
Jan 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30
Feb 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
Mar 4, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
RETURN DATES (Dublin to Toronto)
Dec 3, 5, 7, 8, 10
Jan 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30
Feb 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
Mar 4, 6, 11, 13, 20, 25, 27
Apr 1, 2, 9, 15, 18, 19
Dec 3, 5, 7, 8, 10
Jan 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30
Feb 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
Mar 4, 6, 11, 13, 20, 25, 27
Apr 1, 2, 9, 15, 18, 19
4. Proceed to book directly with Aer Lingus.
8-day trip to Dublin Ireland on a budget
Travelling solo is never easy on the budget and Dublin is no exception, except that I was able to get a hotel with breakfast and return flight for about $1200 CDN in early October. Weather was beautiful with a light jacket. I stayed at the Jury's Inn. It is easy to get to and from the airport on the airport bus which stopped in front of my hotel. A nice money saver.
I also bought the Dublin Pass (week pass) to save money - you get a 2 day hop on hop off bus and pretty much all key site entrance fees included. I liked that I picked it up at the airport. I did almost every single site/event include the pass in my week. You can watch for discount sales on the pass - usually before one of their long weekends.
My favourites in Dublin were:
1. Walking around Dublin taking in the sites - the people are lovely
1. Kilmainham Gaol
2. Howth Cliff walk .. take bus to the top from Dublin and walk down - its much easier than walking up which I did.
3. Malahide Castle - beautiful grounds
4. Train to Dunmoar and Dalkey
Outside of Dublin I took a tour to Cliffs of Moher - again check the various travel agencies who do day-trips - they often have discounts.
How to save money on food:
1. Get a hotel with a breafast included
2. Use Tesco or Tesco Express for lunch - sandwich, potato chips and a drink are always under 5 Euros and picnic eat.
3. Pubs, or small "local restaurants" for dinner.
Marcia
I also bought the Dublin Pass (week pass) to save money - you get a 2 day hop on hop off bus and pretty much all key site entrance fees included. I liked that I picked it up at the airport. I did almost every single site/event include the pass in my week. You can watch for discount sales on the pass - usually before one of their long weekends.
My favourites in Dublin were:
1. Walking around Dublin taking in the sites - the people are lovely
1. Kilmainham Gaol
2. Howth Cliff walk .. take bus to the top from Dublin and walk down - its much easier than walking up which I did.
3. Malahide Castle - beautiful grounds
4. Train to Dunmoar and Dalkey
Outside of Dublin I took a tour to Cliffs of Moher - again check the various travel agencies who do day-trips - they often have discounts.
How to save money on food:
1. Get a hotel with a breafast included
2. Use Tesco or Tesco Express for lunch - sandwich, potato chips and a drink are always under 5 Euros and picnic eat.
3. Pubs, or small "local restaurants" for dinner.
Marcia
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Washington DC for a 4 night getaway
Two summers ago I did a 4-night getaway to Washington DC on the first of August long weekend. I was able to get the flights, hotel, food/entertainment under $700. How?
1. Waited for a flight sale (I only go direct if possible) and was able to get Air Canada that flies direct into National Airport. This is a time and money saver as the subway into Washington is convenient and cheap. Also with a 4 night, I only had carry-on so easy to travel with.
2. Picked a hotel (River Inn) in the Foggy Bottom area. Why Foggy Bottom? Its station is only a few stops from National station. Its in a University area close to the university campuses, so you get a nice mix of restaurants - many with pricing for students - yet excellent food. River Inn is clean, comfortable and has kitchenettes so I picked up fruit and breakfast items. Who doesn't want to easily get their tea/coffee and breakfast in their room? Also you can walk down to the various monuments with the Lincoln Memorial the closest. Its also two blocks from Georgetown - again walkable with good store and a mix of restaurants.
3. All of the monuments and amazing Government owned museums are free entrance. Some like the space museum are busy but most were without any lines.
4. Its a subway ride to Alexandria - a beautiful little town with shopping, food and nice marina. There is a free shuttle into the downtown from the station (a few minutes) area.
5. Overall lots to do and see for free as long as you like to walk or willing to rent a bike.
1. Waited for a flight sale (I only go direct if possible) and was able to get Air Canada that flies direct into National Airport. This is a time and money saver as the subway into Washington is convenient and cheap. Also with a 4 night, I only had carry-on so easy to travel with.
2. Picked a hotel (River Inn) in the Foggy Bottom area. Why Foggy Bottom? Its station is only a few stops from National station. Its in a University area close to the university campuses, so you get a nice mix of restaurants - many with pricing for students - yet excellent food. River Inn is clean, comfortable and has kitchenettes so I picked up fruit and breakfast items. Who doesn't want to easily get their tea/coffee and breakfast in their room? Also you can walk down to the various monuments with the Lincoln Memorial the closest. Its also two blocks from Georgetown - again walkable with good store and a mix of restaurants.
3. All of the monuments and amazing Government owned museums are free entrance. Some like the space museum are busy but most were without any lines.
4. Its a subway ride to Alexandria - a beautiful little town with shopping, food and nice marina. There is a free shuttle into the downtown from the station (a few minutes) area.
5. Overall lots to do and see for free as long as you like to walk or willing to rent a bike.
Friday, October 19, 2018
Riviera Maya side trips from your hotel
Many people take trips to a resort in the Riviera Maya area of Mexico and ask me what they can do when leaving the resort. Below are my favourites:
1. Check with your hotel to see if they offer a free shuttle into another one of their properties in Cancun or elsewhere in the Maya peninsula. Often they allow you to enjoy the amenities at the other property (pools, food, etc) for free. Its great for a change of pace/food and new beach. If they have a property in Cancun you can explore the town and then come back on the scheduled shuttle.
2. If you like ruins, but don't want the few hour trek to Chichen Itza, go to Tulum (never far 15 to 30 minutes from most hotels). You can take a cab or if you want a guide (for history lovers) take a tour either via the hotel or your tour operator.
It has a lovely small beach and the ruins are VERY hot so you may want a dip. They have a small marketplace for souvenirs ... always barter
3. Xel-ha Park... lovely for swimming as its an eco park (note you can not use regular sun tan lotion but buy some of their eco friendly kind)- again you can probably cab it - or your hotel will offer a tour. Food and drink are available in your admission price.
4. Xcharet park... a favourite of mine - I like the underwater river swim, the shows, the beach and the food was fine. Note I noticed you can get a cheaper price if you book online before you go.
Given the tours and guides from the hotel for the Xel-ha and Xcharet park are there to get you to and from safely and leave you on your own when your in the park, if your hotel is close and has its own recommended taxi drivers you can save money by booking online and taking a cab.
5. Take the ferry to Cozumel.. its easy at Playa Del Carmen but you will need to check times for departure and return.
Hope this helps
1. Check with your hotel to see if they offer a free shuttle into another one of their properties in Cancun or elsewhere in the Maya peninsula. Often they allow you to enjoy the amenities at the other property (pools, food, etc) for free. Its great for a change of pace/food and new beach. If they have a property in Cancun you can explore the town and then come back on the scheduled shuttle.
2. If you like ruins, but don't want the few hour trek to Chichen Itza, go to Tulum (never far 15 to 30 minutes from most hotels). You can take a cab or if you want a guide (for history lovers) take a tour either via the hotel or your tour operator.
It has a lovely small beach and the ruins are VERY hot so you may want a dip. They have a small marketplace for souvenirs ... always barter
3. Xel-ha Park... lovely for swimming as its an eco park (note you can not use regular sun tan lotion but buy some of their eco friendly kind)- again you can probably cab it - or your hotel will offer a tour. Food and drink are available in your admission price.
4. Xcharet park... a favourite of mine - I like the underwater river swim, the shows, the beach and the food was fine. Note I noticed you can get a cheaper price if you book online before you go.
Given the tours and guides from the hotel for the Xel-ha and Xcharet park are there to get you to and from safely and leave you on your own when your in the park, if your hotel is close and has its own recommended taxi drivers you can save money by booking online and taking a cab.
5. Take the ferry to Cozumel.. its easy at Playa Del Carmen but you will need to check times for departure and return.
Hope this helps
I am a frequent traveller, travelling primarily solo. I have travelled to over 100 countries via almost every mode of mainstream travel: planes, trains, car and ship. I like to travel comfortably but not expensively. I am always on the lookout for good travel deals especially for the single traveller. I started this blog because I frequently get asked for help in finding good travel agencies, cruiselines, air carriers, how to navigate a foreign city etc. I will only provide help based on my personal experience - this is NOT professional advice and if that is what your looking for I will direct you to professional travel agents and other organizations' sites where you can find professional accredited advice.
I know many other travellers that can provide help and they suggested this blog so I could let them provide tips and tricks that we have learned over the years.
I am currently booked on two upcoming cruises - the Koningsdam in November for a southern Caribbean cruise and in April on the Oasis of the Seas for a transatlantic cruise. In both cases I am travelling on deals that were better than what a couple would pay as I waited and booked strategically when the prices came down to a level I was comfortable paying. That will always be a recommendation - pay what you are comfortable with and if not find another package, cruise or flight.
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