Lake District Accommodation - Europe - It's Not Just For Daydreams Anymore

A Guide on Planning a European Vacation

And why not? Yet you have never yet visited these dreams. And heard about them in the music, seen them in the tourist commercials, you've heard of them for years. The highlands of Scotland. The history of London. The magic of Ireland, ah.

I could never afford a trip to Europe. You say, it's too expensive.

But it did include a wonderful vacation to a magical place, of course, that doesn't include food or souvenirs, now. That's it, yes. I spent about $1600, b accommodation and trip insurance, b& rental car, including airfare, for a two week Ireland vacation in summer (2006). I say, less expensive than a week at Disneyworld!

How to get the best deal for a European vacation, step-by-step, i will take you through. And the ability to make decisions when you need to, research, it takes patience, well. How do you get such a deal, so?

When and Why where, what, dECISIONS: Who,

) This decision makes a big difference in accommodation and transportation choices. A huge group of 20 friends (not recommended unless you want ulcers! Your best friend? Your children or parents? Your spouse? You? WHO's going?

The imagination can take flight here! Or you dance and want to learn step dancing in Ireland? And want to tour the area, perhaps you've seen a movie or read a book set in Yorkshire? But it is more fun if you have one - and helps you to plan when your mind is a blank, of course, your trip doesn't have to have a theme. Or the pubs in Ireland? Or the abbeys in England? Are you interested in touring the whisky distilleries in Scotland? WHAT to do?

Resulting in much shorter days for sightseeing, shorter in the winter, the days are longer in the summer the farther you go north - and conversely. Whereas Greece is cooler as a winter destination, ireland is much nicer to visit in the summer - but also more expensive; for instance. The decision of WHEN to go will be tied into the destination. Or even beyond, but most of my advice can be applied to any destination in Europe, i will use that as an example, since my most recent trip was Ireland. It also ties into WHEN you want to go. Depends on WHAT you are doing, of course, wHERE to go.

And you get more chances to meet the locals, a small village used as a base of exploration can be wonderful. And aren't always the best places to stay, they can be overwhelming at times, while each city has its own character. Edinburgh or Ullapool? London or Kilkenny? Or bustling metropolis, another part of WHERE includes the character of place - towns and villages?

There are many reasons WHY you may want to go to Europe - pick several! Or make your co-workers jealous? Do you just want to get away from the screaming kids? Or experience an ancient culture? Do you want to touch the roots of your ancestors? You might also want to think about WHY you want to go.

RESEARCH: Find out everything about everything - then throw half of it away

And the itinerary will define the other items, the airfares available may define your itinerary somewhat. And finally ground transportation, lodging, then itinerary, the best order of research I've found is airfare first. They exist in the UK) and gloomy castles are all listed somewhere - you just have to find them, beautiful beaches (yes, cities, hotels, airfare. Especially about places far from your home, but it is also incredibly helpful when doing research. Yes, maddening, yes; addicting. The internet is many things.

Airfare:

And usually lodging as well, that also means the airfare is the most expensive. Less rain and wind - and more things are open, warmer weather, longer days to see sights. There is indeed a reason why summer is the best, while many people do go on the non-'peak' months of July and August. There is a definite season to vacationing in the UK - summer. There is a reason I look for this first.

I have traveled to southern Ireland in April and it was beautiful - and inexpensive. That also means that the airfares are creeping up as they become more popular, however. And the days aren't incredibly short yet, as the weather is still nice, september and October are becoming more popular, june, the shoulder months of May.

I would be stuck with the lowest I could find later - $800 a piece, so if I hadn't jumped on them, they were gone within 24 hours. For $488 including taxes - in June, the tickets were non-stop from Miami to London. I found them on Travelocity on a one-day fare sale on Virgin Air, when I got tickets to Ireland in 2006. To find the best fare, sometimes daily, i go to dozens of websites. I start researching my flights, when I've decided how much cash I'm willing to sacrifice for a warmer vacation.

Than a normal round trip ticket, if any, and usually doesn't cost much more, this is called an open-jaw ticket. And Glasgow are also considerations for this technique, london, edinburgh. And end up flying out of Dublin at the end of your trip, explore the west, as you can fly into Shannon, this is great for Ireland. Also consider flying into one city and out of another.

Here are some of the sites I check regularly for discount airfare:

O Travelocity
o Priceline
o Kayak
o Expedia
o ITA software
o Qixo
o Mobissimo

Also remember not all sites include taxes in their fare quotes. And it is usually better to deal directly rather than through a middleman; delta might have it cheaper, if you find a great fare on Travelocity for Delta, also don't forget to check the airline websites. But these are the ones I've used most often, of course, there are others.

Non-change tickets, make sure you are going before you purchase non-refundable! The less flexible the changes allowed, the cheaper the flight, usually. Check out the cancellation policies, when you buy your tickets.

Itinerary:

Some of my favorites are: With wonderful forums for those odd questions, there are websites dedicated to those interested in travel, even more. Many travel agent websites have great information for the intrepid traveler, in addition. Have their own website with tourist information, even villages, most cities and towns. And other things of interest, battles, workshops, monuments, there is a wealth of information about places.

O My own site (see link below)
o Fodors
o IrelandYes
o Flyertalk
o Tripso
o SlowTravel
o Lonely Planet
o Rick Steves

So pick your favorites, and you will only have time for half of that, that's right - you will likely end up with a list of 17 things to see in each city, yes. And then throw half of it out, planned routes around them, taken notes to places, once you have done exhaustive research of the places you want to see.

) (I suppose a Scottish version would be the Plaid Blur? Michele at Ireland Yes calls that the Green Blur tour. You don't want to end up with an itinerary where you are rushing through things so fast you don't see them. Leave time for them frequently, these are usually the most memorable parts of your trip. Or just having a pint with the locals, , people-watching at a café and be sure to leave room in your itinerary for free time - wandering around and getting lost, do yourself a favor, also.

And even that broken up with sites along the way, i try to keep my days to 3 hours of driving at the most. Trust me, you don't want a day where you are driving 80% of the time! Which keeps speeds down lower than the speed limit, and wiggle, turn, they twist! Then add about 20% to those driving times - they don't take into account UK and Irish roads. Check driving times between places with ViaMichelin and TheAA. And try to avoid criss-crossing or backtracking, plan wisely. Moving around the circle, then spend a couple nights in each place. Can they be strung together in a large circle? Pick several places and use them as bases of exploration, if so. Are they all close to a couple central locations? Look for a pattern, if you've got the places listed you want to see.

Lodging:

And get their advice about local sites and attractions, do chat with the owners. And sometimes shared hotel rooms are less expensive in the larger cities; bs, you will pay higher for city B&. And include a huge breakfast (more on that later), they run around $30-$60 a night per person. And a delight to stay at; cozy, clean, bs I've ever been in have been comfortable, most B&. So don't go by their example; bs in the US tend to be more upscale and expensive than those in the UK, the B&. And I highly recommend this accommodation choice; breakfasts, the UK is wonderfully full of adorable Bed &. And where, you know which nights you are going to need lodging for, once you have your airfare and itinerary.

They are a place to stay rather than a place to enjoy. And are usually more cookie-cutter and sterile, they may or may not include breakfast in the deal, however. Usually charge by room rather than by person, as mentioned above, hotels.

Get creative! B, there is a converted church set up as a B& near Inverness, you can stay in a traditional black house; on the Isle of Lewis. There is no end of unusual places to stay. Etc, colleges out for the summer, or lodging in old monasteries, canal boats, caravanning (RV), camping, such as youth hostels (not just for youth anymore), then you can try the other options.

And don't wake anyone up, remember they are at 5pm when it is noon on our east coast, but some may require a phone call; email is usually an option for communication these days! Some a week or even a month, most have a day or so required. Make sure to check the cancellation policies. Make a reservation, once you have decided where you want to stay.

Ground Transportation:

There is much less flexibility; you can't always determine how long you stay at one spot. You can't make a detour on a whim to go find a hidden castle when you see a sign, if you are in a bus. And getting lost on the way is half the fun, you can't find the little villages doing this, and certainly many people do, while it is possible to use bus and train to get around. My recommendation for the UK and Ireland is definitely for renting a car, well. And why you are going - how are you getting there, where, you know when, so?

Or even the ones just past your destination, that means you should know the major towns on the way to where you are going. Not what the road is called, signs tend to tell you what the next town is. As the signage on the islands is different, it helps to have a designated navigator. It's not so bad - you get used to it very quickly, however. I remember many times trying to grab the stick with my right hand - only to bang it on the door. Confused yet? And the manual transmission cars make you shift with your left hand (since the driver is on the right of the car), it gets worse: automatic transmission cars are twice as expensive to rent. I know it is scary to think about driving on the wrong side of the road, now.

Or wait to rent it until you leave, turn in the car before getting there. So use those instead, especially the Underground in London, though, those cities have a good public transportation system. London even has a toll to enter the city centre! And expensive, find parking, it is difficult to drive. Dublin and London; having a car is a liability in Edinburgh, in fact, many cities in the UK don't require a car to get around in.

Budget accordingly. Filling up a tank can still run you $100, however! And you can usually get around 45 mpg from them, the good news is their engines run much more efficiently. Really, yes! It is running around $8 a gallon right now. Gas (petrol) is very expensive over there.

So you will likely be required to purchase expensive CDW insurance for such a rental, do be aware that most credit card insurances do NOT cover Ireland. Cars can be very expensive - and it is difficult to fight a fraudulent damage claim from overseas, i would advise against renting from a place you've never heard of. You will end up with a company like Enterprise or Europcar for the actual rental) and from Dan Dooley, i've gotten decent deals from AutoEurope (a rental agent.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Not yet! Ready to go? And your car rental, your reservations for lodging, gotten your tickets, you've done your research, oK.

Trip Insurance

You get a great deal of peace of mind, for a small investment. And find one that fits right, compare the benefits. Etc, trip cancellation in case of medical emergency, find out if you need medical evacuation. Find out if your health insurance will cover you on foreign soil. Go to Insure My Trip and compare the benefits of different packages. Grasshopper - if you bought the proper trip insurance, not so. All your money lost! Ruined! You break your leg the week before the trip.

Etc, money, paperwork.

). But please give it plenty of leeway (especially if you've already bought non-refundable tickets, normal processing time for a new passport is six weeks! My husband ended up getting his passport the day before we flew out - we were very nervous! But everyone procrastinates, this should be taken care of before you even get the tickets.

And make sure all paperwork is in order, do read up on the requirements long before your flight, but if you are going somewhere else, uS citizens don't need visas for short visits to the UK or Ireland.

And some require prepayment, bs require cash, but some B& you don't want to carry too much with you. In addition to the 1% Visa/MC charges, shop around for a card with a good rate - many (Capital One is one of the few that don't) add on an extra 3% for any foreign transaction. And/or using your credit card, and getting more during your vacation from the ATM machine, i recommend going to your bank and getting a couple hundred dollars to start out with. The UK is on the Pound Sterling and Ireland is on the Euro, right now.

Packing

And it behooves you to know them before you are waiting in the security line for your flight, transatlantic flights have new rules. For one, the new flight carry-on restrictions, well. What's the big deal? You've packed dozens of times for vacations, sure.

So check them out, there are several exceptions like this. Baby formula may need to be tested at the gate, prescription medicines must be labeled in the traveler's name. Even lip gloss, toiletries, drinks, that includes water. Right now (Jan 2007) any carry-on liquids must be in containers no larger than 3oz (100ml) and they must all fit comfortably in a quart-sized clear Ziploc bag. Check before you go! And the liquid restrictions are fun, some have weight as well as size restrictions. Carry-on: Most airlines have their carry on rules on their websites.

And in the meantime I'll know if someone else goes into my bag, they will put their own on afterwards, i usually use cable ties to tie mine - if TSA does go into my bag. Any locks on checked luggage can be cut by TSA (airport security), also. And limit the number of pieces each person can check, checked luggage: Some airlines are now charging hefty fees for overweight luggage.

In case the checked luggage is delayed or lost, i also usually put one day's worth of clean clothes in my carry-on. So some decision making is sometimes necessary, this makes your carry-on heavy, of course. Must go in your carry-on, anything essential, anything fragile, laptops, cameras. ! ! Don't put valuables or medicines in your checked luggage, don't, don't!

Don't forget the smile! READY TO GO?

How can it be terrible - you're in Europe, after all! Can take the biggest lemon and make lemonade out of it, this small item can make the worst disaster into a hilarious story. Don't forget to pack the most important thing for any trip - a great attitude.

You will have an exquisite time, or are happy with going once and treasuring the memory forever, whether you get addicted like I have. And meeting wonderful folks, historic experiences, a trip to Europe will be full of wonderful memories.