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This a guest post from one of my best friends whom I met whilst partying in Israel. He is a true traveler in every sense of the word and has seduced, tasted, and experienced a girl from nearly every country on earth. Having seen him seduce random girls on the street in a matter of minutes, he is perhaps the closest thing Europe has to its own Tucker Max. Below he reviews the top 5 wildest party hostels.
Wombats hostel is our choice for Berlin’s ultimate party hostels and being located in the most liberal city on earth, it’s not hard to see why. This is a place where anything and everything goes – including some of the most hardcore partying you’ll ever experience.
There is something truly beautiful that all of us can bring to this world – whether it be the simply human, warm feeling of a hug you give to the little girl in the Bulgarian orphanage that never knew her parents, the smile of deep heartfelt gratitude on a mother’s face in Africa, who now can feel safe knowing that her child has something as basic as clean drinking water, or the little boy in the Tibetan community of India, whose heart and eyes light up with hope of the opportunity for a better life from the English lessons you are giving him. Even something that seems like such a small amount of help to you, can be such a huge sigh of relief for those who aren’t used to having anyone care about their plight.
We are so lucky in many parts of the world to have most of our basics covered, we can sometimes forget the suffering in other places. When we connect our will to our hearts and understanding of what is right, we can really find the inner strength and willpower to make our world a place with less suffering and more opportunities for everyone. I am a firm believer of this.
Today there are many, many genuinely free volunteer opportunities and organisations that let you do good for the world without lining the pockets of Wall Street executives.
I have separated them into four areas – Africa, Asia, Latin America, and worldwide. Read on to find the opportunity that is right for you.
Continue Reading >> Top 5 Free and Unique Volunteer Opportunities Worldwide
It surprises me actually that it’s not so well known that for many people around the world, it’s possible to have free health insurance whilst traveling. But I guess, who is going to tell us? Definitely not the travel agents since they make a whopping huge commission (sometimes 60% of the cost) from selling you private health insurance/ travel insurance.
Yes there are a lot more things travel insurance can cover you for than just health care, but usually health care is the biggest expense.
So it might surprise or even shock you to know that high quality, free health insurance is available for travelers in certain countries. There are three options I will tell you about, the first is a very unknown reciprocal agreement between a certain group of countries worldwide, and the second is a more well known one available to all European Union citizens who travel to other E.U. countries. The third option is for everyone else.
On a side note, before I get into the Top 5 – I’d also like to give a special mention to a great local website which can give you some great, comprehensive tips on how to truly experience the Bulgarian culture – ranging from music concerts, to the best restaurants and cafes to taste the local cuisine – visit Sofia In Your Pocket.
How hardcore of a budget traveler are you? If you are kind of interested in saving some money then this post is not for you – but if you would do almost ANYTHING to save some cash, so that you can fly cheap and travel as long as possible – then you’ve come to the right place!
Continue Reading >> Top 5 Unique Tricks for Flying Cheap for the Hardcore Budget Traveler
Most people believe that their dream trip is unaffordable. The thing is, travel agencies don’t want you to know about the awesomely cheap places because they want to make top dollar off of you. It’s a lie, it’s unfair and it’s a ridiculous situation that stops many people from traveling. Read on to see step by step how you can make your dream trip a reality.
5 Selling Your Travel Photos Online
Ever thought about how awesome your travel photos are? Why not sell some of them online to help fund your travels? There are many companies
like Dreamstime which accept amateur photographs (minimum of 3 megapixels) and sell them to companies that design magazines and websites
and then share the profits with you. The better they are and the sooner you submit them, the more cash you will make! Easy and fun!
Yes you read right and I’m not just encouraging you to be rude. The same applies here as it does in Budapest – if you pay for a meal or a drink and say “Thank you” before they give you your change, you are telling them to keep all the change. This can be a very expensive mistake I learned the hard way!!
I just came back from Budapest last night and want to write all these tips down before I forget them so here they are.
Here are the top 5 tips for a cheap, enjoyable visit to Budapest, Hungary.
Budapest Flickr: og2t // ou gee tew tee
Budapest Flickr:Ted Drake
5) Don’t say Thank You.
Yes, you read correct. I’m not just being rude. When you order food or a drink and you give the waiter more than the amount owed, followed by a “Thank you”, you are telling them to keep it. For example if something costs you 1100 Ft and you give 2000 Ft note, and say “Thank you”, you are telling them to keep it all. So don’t say thanks until you get your change and you decide what you want to leave as a tip.
It’s also a good idea to ask what the service charge is before you sit down because the food can be very cheap but the service charge can be anything they want.
4) See the best parts for seriously CHEAP.
Continue Reading >> Top 5 Tips for a cheap holiday in Budapest
Budapest Flickr: og2t // ou gee tew tee
I just came back from Budapest last night and want to write all these tips down before I forget them so here they are:
Here are my top 5 tips for a cheap, enjoyable visit to Budapest.
Budapest Flickr:Ted Drake
5) Don’t say Thank You.
Yes, you read correct. I’m not just being rude. When you order food or a drink and you give the waiter more than the amount owed, followed by a “Thank you”, you are telling them to keep it. For example if something costs you 1100 Ft and you give 2000 Ft note, and say “Thank you”, you are telling them to keep it all. So don’t say thanks until you get your change and you decide what you want to leave as a tip.
It’s also a good idea to ask what the service charge is before you sit down because the food can be very cheap but the service charge can be anything they want.
Budapest Flickr: lostajy
4) See the best parts for seriously CHEAP.
The beautiful Costa-Rica Flickr Quiltsalad
5 Selling Your Travel Photos Online
Ever thought about how awesome your travel photos are? Why not sell some of them online to help fund your travels? There are many companies
like Dreamstime which accept amateur photographs (minimum of 3 megapixels) and sell them to companies that design magazines and websites
and then share the profits with you. The better they are and the sooner you submit them, the more cash you will make! Easy and fun!
Welcome to San Francisco’s Warm Sunset
How hardcore of a budget traveler are you? If you are kind of interested in saving some money then this post is not for you – but if you would do almost ANYTHING to save some cash, so that you can travel as long as possible – then you’ve come to the right place.
1) Open your mind and stop doing what everyone else is doing. You will need an open mind to try out the following tips.
The Island of Crete, Greece. Notice the pink sand right at the water’s edge. The pink sand of Elafonissi is as beautiful as it is unique. It is forbidden to remove it from the beach, but sadly there are people who do it anyway…(seriously, what are people thinking?) |
Flickr: MarcelGermain
2) Clothes We all know how cheap it is to fly with airlines like Ryan air etc, but they charge insane amounts for checking in some luggage. If you really want to save some money on this, think about wearing as many layers of clothing as possible to the airport. Once you are on the plane, you can take them off – and if you are smart – you can bring a flexible material made bag that is only as big as what you put in it – small enough to pass the budget airline’s strict carry on luggage policy and then flexible enough to grow when you need to put your clothes in it after getting on the plane. Another option is to wear a jacket with many pockets where you can store your items.
Island of Crete, Greece. |
Flickr: Theophilos
I first got interested in teaching English overseas when I got sick of my 9-5 job in Australia, and wanted something more from life. I didn’t want to waste away behind a desk doing stuff which didn’t feel meaningful at all. I did some research and found a good, cheap online TEFL school.
(If you want to skip my adventures and get straight to the info about how to teach English abroad, scroll straight to the bottom of the article)
After that I set off into the Middle East, with my first stop being Egypt. Although Egypt had some amazing ancient artifacts, Cairo was the ugliest, most stressful city I had (and still now 3 years later) ever been to. The only nice part of the city were the pyramids. Overall it is worth going to Egypt and you can check out the cheap but good quality accommodation options for Egypt here (check out the ratings on the left)
Flickr: Ed Yourdon |
After Egypt I crossed the port to Jordan – which was slightly nicer looking but had truly amazing people – in fact the people I met there and Syria I have considered the most warmest unbelievably selfless people I have ever met. If you are in the region I truly recommend visiting Petra – it’s one of the most amazing, most preserved Ancient Cities that exist – it’s not just the
photo below – it’s much more – it really is an entire city still preserved (by the way, I recommend keeping away from a Hostel called Valentine’s Inn – the owners are slightly/completely insane).
Flikr betta design |
It is also in Jordan (in the capital Amman) where I stayed for a month and taught English to Palestinian and Iraqi refugee children (who had to leave their homes and families in Iraq due to the American military’s invasion and later occupation for oil). It was amazing how well behaved and eager to learn these kids were – despite having lost so much.
After that I traveled through Syria, Israel, and beautiful Turkey – Istanbul – which is still my favourite city (along with Belgrade). It’s quiet easy to get a job in Istanbul as a native English speaker – there are many language schools. Make sure you have your copy of your TEFL certificate and don’t go for the first offer, see which one pays best – know that the schools charge the students a small fortune to have lessons with you (a native English speaker “wow”) – so make sure you are getting your fair share of it. The schools will also help you get your visa for working.
The Top 5 Paradise Escapes in Thailand
5. Phuket
Flickr: Praveen M Tony
4. Ko Tao
Flickr: PnP!
3.Sangkhlaburi
Flickr: Pretre
2. Mae Hong Son Province
Flickr: Restless Rider
1. Khao Sok National Park
‘
Flickr: Melford00
These islands are known for having the most amazing vibes and atmosphere on Earth.
10. Zakynthos, Greece
flickr: StuMow
9.Ikaria, Greece
Flickr:janwillemsen
8. Satorini, Greece
Flickr:nanabcn19
7. Crete, Greece
Flickr: lentina_x
6. Lesbos, Greece
Flickr: ozgurmulazimoglu
5. Phuket, Thailand
Flickr:Praveen M Tomy
4. Hawaii, USA
Flickr:jmauerer
3. Ios, Greece
Flickr:mario_lem73
2. Hios / Chios, Greece
Flickr:Atle Brunvoll
1. Anguilla, Caribbean Islands
flickr: needoptic
1. Phuket, Thailand
flickr:Praveen M Tomy
2.Mykonos, Greece
Flickr: MarcelGermain
3.Santorini, Greece
Flickr: MarcelGermain
4.Zakynthos, Greece
Flickr: dkilim
5.Rome, Italy
Flickr:MarcelGermain
6.Shanghai, China
Flickr: Sprengben
7.Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Flickr:wili_hybrid
8.Istanbul, Turkey
Flickr:Kıvanç Niş
9.New York, USA
Flickr:Werner Kunz
10.Belgrade, Serbia
Flickr:whl.travel
Usually I’m a big fan of party hostels, but the guys at wildestpartyhostels.com recommended I check out Veliko Turnovo for a nice break from the constant partying, Golden Sands etc. This place was amazing. Relaxation central. Definitely one of the most beautiful towns in Bulgaria. Apparently it was in the running to be the Capital of the country for a while but lost out to its ugly cousin Sofia. Also very affordable like most of Bulgaria.
If you visit, be sure to check out:
– The Asen Monument – Commemorating the Second Bulgarian Empire in the eleventh century (see below).
– Tsaravets Castle (sound and light show at night)
– A day class at Yoga Dharma – perfect for recharging your batteries.
– Forty Martyrs Church
I recommend Hostel Mostel for accommodation. For a good price you get breakfast, dinner and a great atmosphere.
As winter approaches in Europe, it’s time to move our focus to where the party hostels with the most juice are now at – Asia. We’ve tasted the sweet, the nasty and everything in between in terms of party hostels and now we’re going to share it all with you.
“Oii! The party’s in here” Creative Commons |
Possibly the island that “The Beach” film made famous ( no one knows for sure), this island and this party hostel have become party central. The party starts early with the flirty girls behind the bar and the open atmosphere that makes even the most frigid loosen up and have a good time.
Creative Commons |
This city deserves to be in the top 5 purely for its name alone. The fact that is has amazing party hostels throughout the city help, but none of the party hostels can outdo this one – the atmosphere in Nappark is electric. People are here to have fun and it is only 2 minutes from the infamous Khao San party district (see above).
A UNIQUE VIP JACUZZI ROOM ONLY AVAILABLE AT OUR DUBLIN HOSTEL
An ideal Room espeically for Birthday Parties or Hen nights
This fantastic VIP party Package is offered at €60* per person which includes:
* Two night Accommodation in our VIP Suite with Jacuzzi
*Breakfast
*A party Starter Kit
*Cocktail making lesson at our bar and free cocktail that you made!
*All Night Fun & Dancing in our Bar
*Live DJ till 3am on Saturday nights
*An in-house party organized by our events team in our party bar
This place should be renamed XXX Hostel. Located right near Golden Sands on the Black Sea Coast, this budget hostel was easily one of the most fun and welcoming places I've been to.Owned by a young Italian guy, the atmosphere here can be defined simply as insane fun. If you don't find yourself at one of the steaming hot foam parties, it is probably because you are too busy having a wild night on the nearby beach.My initial plan to stay a few days ended up being 3 weeks at this place – and I then ended up staying on to work at the place for another 2 months!!Located in Bulgaria, its also a cheap, ideal option for backpackers on a serious budget, with 1 euro = 2 levas.
Wombats hostel is our choice for Germany’s ultimate party hostels and being located in the most liberal city on earth, it’s not hard to see why. This is a place where anything and everything goes – including some of the most hardcore partying you’ll ever experience. .
Nightlife
After you’ve spent the first few nights hooking up and drinking yourself into a stupor at the party hostel bar, wonder over to the nearby clubs for some even more intense partying. Nice and close so you can crawl back without too much effort if need be.
Atmosphere
From the welcome drink you get the moment you check in to Wombats hostel to the all night partying at the hostel and at the nearby clubs, you’ll leave this ultimate party hostel having partied your arse off.
Easy beer
Amsterdam has few
party hostels more famous than the flying pig (there are 3 by the way):
Hostel Information
__ Pictures are property of relevant hostels. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Additional reading:
As far as party hostels go, X Hostel (Alicante, Spain) is easily one of the wildest party hostels I’ve ever been to.
This hostel is located in a University town in Spain which means that the place is full of bars, clubs, and 24 hour drinking and craziness on the beach.
The atmosphere in the hostel is also amazing, with the managers being long term travellers themselves.
A typical night at this party hostel includes pub crawls, drinking games, and all the action you can handle in one night.
The hostel has such a cult following that in the past year over 100 people have had “X Hostel” permanently tattooed on their bodies (the managers tell me this number also includes on of their other famous party hostels – X Hostel Varna in Bulgaria.
Grandio, one of the only true party places on this earth that welcomes alcoholics, lost souls and arty people with talent but no direction and audiences, the living breathing creature that is constantly evolving, the place with a crazy cult following.
On site bar, or beer sold by our staff, or the beer vending machine, or strawpedoes for breakfast….. or the get f*cked bucket… these are all ways in which we fuel our thirsty and party hard guests (and staff).
When the bar is shut, we move to the late room, the den of noise and naughtiness, with a sex bed and hammock depending on how adventurous you are.
Every night our staff take you out on different activities in the city. These range from Backpackers fancy dress parties, to pub crawls, to live music nights, to karaoke nights, which take you to our personal favourite (plus some of the cheapest) bars in the city. If you feel like doing something a little different, never fear, as our staff have their finger on the pulse of the city\'s nightlife and are able to recommend differently nightly activities depending on your tastes.
We have a live music venue in the basement, which has different acts on every night providing for all different tastes in music. Every Sunday they let us use it to showcase the talent we play host to with our own open-mic night in which we use our own instruments which include a plethora of guitars, drum kit, piano, violin, piano accodions, plus more as well as our very own sound technician!
The staff have all been hand picked, which might seem a bit wild when they are walking around dressed up in dressing gowns with a beer in one hand, but this is the Grandio uniform, wear whatever makes you feel comfortable, or we got from the euro store that day.
One of the most famous party hostels in Queenstown, New Zealand
The staff at Nomads Queenstown party slightly less than our guests, as we actually have jobs to go to and need to be friendly and attentive during the day! However, this past week has provided some great examples of Queenstown fun and frivolity.
On Wednesday night the girls of Nomads Queenstown Backpackers Hostel started out with a few drinks in the common room (before the drinking ban kicks in at 10pm of course!) and then moved to acoustic night at Winnies, one of the local bars. Gareth (he’s so dreamy), the Nomads Queenstown Backpackers Hostel entertainment manager, and Chasen one of our long term guests played guitar and sang for the audience.
It was great to see, and we all felt like proud mothers. Following this we went to the usual hang out of World Bar for some much loved teapots and onto the locals favourite, Bar Up. Most bars in Queenstown close between 3am and 4am, except for Bardeaux which stays open until 5am…so there the night ended, just as the sun was coming up.
Mildura’s premier modern backpackers hostel is situated near food & liquor shops and the town’s gym & wave pool facility. The outdoor shaded pool and bar area sets a mini resort feel, with the large commercial kitchen and plasma television room (cable tv) making sure your needs are catered for.
We are the biggest supplier of backpacker employment in the area, with our job network including fruit packing sheds (grape, citrus, garlic, asparagus), farm work, builders labouring and hospitality to name a few. Hourly and contract rates available all year round with 2nd visa extension available on both short and long term work placement.
We will arrange your travel to work and back, in one of our buses, for a minimal fee which covers travel costs.
January – MayGrape picking, packing Garlic factory work Nursery jobs Vineyard work (trimming, planting) Watermelon, rockmelon picking Vegetable picking (pumpkin, bean, zucchini…) June – September
Vineyard job (pruning, cutting, planting, rolling on) Orange picking, packing Asparagus packing October – December
Garlic factory Stone fruit picking Nursery jobs Vineyard work (bunch trimming, planting, vine-training)
I haven't stayed at many hostels within Australia, but if you are in Sydney staying at a hostel around Kings Cross region is a sure way to find plenty of fun after dark (preferably somewhere up on the main stretch where most the businesses are, because down the bottom below the main business district it is a very dodgy and dangerous area after dark with very little light and lots of desperate, homeless people not to mention a lot of druggies). I know that I have seen one hostel down in that dodgy area I am talking about but I can't recall the name just the horrible yellow paint work it had.
I have found as a general rule around the world, the hostels that have dorms with a maximum of 6 to a room and usually same sex rooms with their own ensuite are less likely to be a party hostel. Normally the ones that have mixed dorms with 8,10,12 or more beds to a room and do not have an in room ensuite they are most likely to be a party hostel or at least have a lot of people who are party goers staying there. Normally the cheaper the hostel in the city, the younger the crowd it attracts so hence more likely to want to party, but this sometimes can also mean the hostel is a filthy place but normally not too bad.
Source: Travellers Point
Asylum Backpackers
Source:Australia Blog
Any hostel with the word Asylum in it has got to be a crazy place, and this Cairns hostel advertizes itself no other way. Calling itself the “craziest maddest” hostel in Cairns and a hostel with “great atmosphere and complete lunacy,” Asylum certainly plays up its reputation as a hot party hostel.. The Web site boasts the party schedule and photos of the nightly parties that go down at this place are testament to the hard drinking and partying ways of most of the guests who stay at Asylum.
Mondays at Asylum feature a Mad Monday Party complete with pub crawl and Fridays feature in house parties. Known for being friendly and party friendly, this is certainly not a hostel for those looking to be anti-social or stay in on a quiet Friday night. However, if you are looking to get down like the Aussies do, this place is probably your best bet.
Prices start at $7.83
Esplanade Backpackers
Esplanade Backpackers is located on The Esplanade in Cairns, only 200 meters away from the Lagoon, and surrounded by night life– including bars and restaurants. Included in your stay is a free evening meal. With Cinemas, A crazy night life and plenty of shops around were the perfect place to stay. There is fully operational tour desk which is staffed by our fun and friendly team who are trained and know a lot about everything. Whether you’re looking to relax or get crazy we can organize it all for you.
This hostel also feature a giant swimming pool. TV lounge, air-conditioning, free airport pickup and a communal kitchen. For partiers, this hostel is great not only for the drink specials at the in house bar and social atmosphere, but also for its great location in the heart of Cairns busiest nightlife district.
Prices start $15.01
Cairns Beach House
A sister hostel to Esplanade Backpackers, Cairns Beach House is located on the edge of the city centre. The beach house offers all the facilities required to ensure your stay in Cairns is an unbelievable experience. All rooms have their OWN bathroom with a maximum of 4 beds per room. All guests staying also receive a free meal every night. The Beach House has a fully licensed bar and bistro with regular party nights, nightly activities and competitions.
They also feature a large screen TV, featuring all major sporting events including the Premier League Football matches live. It is just the place to soak up the chilled out atmosphere and meet new people from all over the world. Other facilities include 24 hour check-in, large swimming pool, broadband internet, courtesy bus, luggage storage, off street parking, modern self cook kitchen and a job network helping you find paid work whilst you stay in Cairns.
We also have a full service tour desk and our friendly staff will be only too happy to help with any of your sightseeing needs at the best possible price. Trips to must see locations, such as The Great Barrier Reef, Kuranda, Cape Tribulation and Port Douglas can all be booked at the Beach House. They can even help the adrenalin heads and sort you out with white water rafting, skydiving and bungee jumping!
Prices start at $15.01
PARTY HOSTEL!!!
Tired of the usual holiday? Come and meet new friends, have fun, party hard and never get bored, or relax in our unique rest & relaxation garden ant then chill in our mini-pool with a cold drink….
FREE:
– BREAKFAST
– INTERNET & WiFi
– 24h HOT SHOWERS
– 24h RECEPTION & SECURITY
– SAFE
– BOOK EXCHANGE & MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS TO PLAY
– AIR MATTRESSES and OUTDOOR GAMES TO TAKE TO THE BEACH
– HUGE FULLY EQUIPPED GUEST KITCHEN
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES:
– SHOOTING RANGE,
– BOAT TRIPS
– 24Hh NATURAL HOT SPRINGS
– BUNGEE JUMPING
– HORSE RIDING
– GO KARTING
– PAINTBALL
– TOURS OF ANY AREA OF BULGARIA YOU ARE INTERESTED IN!
EPIC PARTIES in Varna or Golden Sands:
– THEME NIGHTS WITH GAMES (poker, risk, trivial, drinking games, movies), CHEAP DRINKS AND FUN!!!
– FOAM PARTIES 😉
– PUB CRAWLS (Club crawls with 400 people…)
– BEACH BARS AND CLUBS
ALL THE REST IF YOU NEED MORE:
– FRIENDLY BACKPACKER ATMOSPHERE (hostel managed by experienced travellers)
– LAUNDRY SERVICE
– NARGHILE` (waterpipe) for evening and party time
– WE ARE THE CLOSEST HOSTEL TO GOLDEN SANDS PARTY RESORT!!!
– CLEAN, SAFE & FUN, this is why we are always among BEST RATED in VARNA. Come in with a smile and leave as a friend!
Party Hostels: A different kind of place 😉 The picture above is of X Hostel in Alicante, Spain
Alessandro Palace
Okay, so the Alessandro Palace might not be a palace, per se, or even occupy a building that could be considered a palace, but those are semantics. Kind of. The thing to focus on here is that this hostel has been around for ages and is extremely popular – both for its cheap beds and for its social atmosphere.
Two of the reasons party-seekers in Rome book at Alessandro Palace are the hostel’s fabulous bar and its regular pizza parties. Alessandro Bar offers cheap drinks, and they’re even cheaper if you’re staying at the hostel. And although the pizza parties aren’t every night, they’re more frequent during the peak season – so definitely ask at the front desk when you check in whether there will be a party going on while you’re there.
Location: Via Vicenza 42 – 00185 Rome
What’s Included: Linens, breakfast
What Costs Extra: Internet access, towels
More details on Alessandro Palace here >
M&J Place Hostel
The fact that M&J Place Hostel doesn’t have a bar just down the hall from the bedrooms might strike you as odd for a hostel that’s on a “party hostels” list – but M&J does have a hopping bar, called the Living Room, it’s just two doors down from the hostel entrance. By day, it’s a cheap place to get food (and it’s also where the hostel breakfast is served), and by night it turns into a dance club with a DJ often spinning records in the back.
But you don’t have to go to the hostel bar to find the social scene. The hostel’s dorm rooms are a great place to socialize, and the common areas near the front desk always seem to be buzzing with the near-constant stream of people checking in. In other words, this place is popular. Book early if you know you want to stay there.
Location: Via Solferino 9 – 00185 Rome
What’s Included: Linens, breakfast, internet access, WiFi
What Costs Extra: Towels
More details on M&J Place Hostel here >
Alessandro Downtown
If the name is familiar here, it should be – Alessandro opened a second hostel after the success of the Alessandro Palace, and you’ll find the same great social vibe at Alessandro Downtown hostel. The only thing you might miss at the sister hostel is an on-site bar – but guests at Alessandro Downtown are welcome in and encouraged to visit the Alessandro Bar at Alessandro Palace.
All the hostels on this list are near Termini Station, but this one is on the opposite side of the station from the other three. The common areas and kitchen have been recently remodeled and look fantastic, all the rooms are spacious and comfortable, and the shared bathrooms and kept clean. Oh, and remember those pizza parties at Alessandro Palace? At Alessandro Downtown, they’re pasta parties – so be sure to ask about those when you check in.
Location: Via Carlo Cattaneo 23 00185 Rome
What’s Included: Linens, breakfast
What Costs Extra: Towels, internet access
On our wildest party hostels blog we cover the most awesome party hostels on earth. The following ones in Rio are a great place to start:
Housed in a lovely colonial building, CabanaCopa hostel is just 3 blocks from Copacabana beach. The hostel, which ranked in the top 3 in South America in the HostelBookers Awards for Excellence 2010, offers lockers in dorms, 24hr security, a number of female-only dorms, fans and air-conditioning in most rooms. Guests can also use the cinema room, lounge, pool table and join in with a number of organised hostel events.
Che Lagarto Hostel-Copacabana just 300m from the infamous Copacabana beach, offers private and shared rooms. The bar, complete with pool table, is always lively and staff organise plenty of activities both day and night including meals out or visits to samba schools. The subway is just one block away.
Rio Hostel Santa Teresa reflects the bohemian character of this renowned Rio district. The music scene of Lapa, famous for the best samba bars, alternative music and street parties, is a short walk away. The area is serviced by a yellow tram that weaves its way past Santa Teresa's historical architecture and artists' workshops. Guests can book private rooms, mixed or female-only dorms equipped with private lockers and fans.
Tupiniquim Hostel Rio de Janeiro is a 15 minute walk or one stop on the metro to Copacabana. In the evening, the colourful bar is bustling and live-music events often take centre stage. After a night on the town it is the best place to enjoy a free Brazilian breakfast, to chill out in the hammocks in the courtyard or to watch DVDs on their luxurious home theatre system.
Sourced from
First up is The Miami Hostel. I don’t think I have ever come across a hostel offering so many freebies! Included in the price is breakfast, lunch and dinner, free bike hire – perfect for cruising along South Beach – entry to Miami nightclubs, maps of the area, free beach towels, free local calls, guest computers with internet. You can have a great cheap night with free use of the ping pong and pool tables or why not join in with the BBQ party or poker nights that the hostel arranges
A group of long term backpackers have put together a website which reviews all the latest party hostels around the world. You can see a short clip of their top 5 party hostels below.
Looking for an insanely wild party? Looking for a few? Want some stories you’ll brag about to your friends for years to come? Don’t miss out on the Top 10 Wildest Electro-House Music Festivals on Earth.
10. Monegros, Spain (July 2011)
Around 40,000 people inundate this place from all over the world to party hard to the international talent that come to perform here every year.
When it comes to backpacking, most of us (not just men) have one thing on our mind as a definite on our ‘to do list’ – and I don’t just mean encountering new cultures.
With the help of a good friend, who I’d refer to as a backpacker in the truest sense of the word, who has been traveling the world for several years, I have compiled a list of the 5 Most Liberating Party Destinations on Earth.
Here they are:
Apart from South America’s beaches, no beaches in the world say sex appeal in such a huge way as the beaches from the good old U S of A.
So where should you, as a traveler / backpacker looking to not waste any time head straight to?
The famous gym ON the beach |
1 Beautiful girl and 1 granny in need of serious therapy. |
Steroids. Also make you psycho |
On weekends, Muscle Beach is the place to be if you want to see some skin and hot bikinis.It’s also the place where you will meet some of the craziest characters on earth (and I don’t just mean the walking steroid machines)! From beautiful bodies to, sun, beach, amazing atmosphere and insane Christian fundamentalists/Republicans, this is the place to be!
Felicia Impastato was the mother of Peppino Impastato, a sicilian man who was killed because of his continuous protesting against mafia, a criminal organization. Creative Commons.
Many people will tell you to not worry about the Mafia in Italy. For the most part, especially in the North, this is true, the Mafia are generally not so strong.
A completely different story applies however in South, where the Mafia pretty much runs the show and the government is almost non existent except on a surface level.
An American friend of mine and his girlfriend from the State of Maine hitchhiked their way around Europe for an entire year and had no problems at all. Infact, it renewed their faith in humanity in a way.
Unfortunately, this new found faith did not last so long when when they were hitchhiking in Sicily together. They get into a truck…
Whilst traveling the Middle East last year, I had this funny experience where if I had a haircut and shaved, everyone assumed I was from Israel, and if I allowed my hair to grow a little and didn’t shave for a while, everyone automatically assumed I was an Arab and starting talking to me as such. Little did they know I am neither! Nor is my cultural background!
Anyhow, as you can imagine, walking around looking like an Israeli soldier (with short marine style hair) did not go over too well in the Arabian countries, and this was reflected during my first day entering Egypt, Cairo when I was picked up at the airport to be taken to my cheap budget hotel.
Very curious, and slightly overwhelmed by the very long flight from Australia and my first day in a third world country, I didn’t fully notice at first that my driver was giving me strange looks in the rear view mirror.
Finally he speaks up and he asks “do you remember the war?” and having no idea about what war he was talking about, I just looked at him curiously. “THE WAR, when many thousands of innocent Egyptians died at the hands of the Israelis!”. Having no idea that he thought I was a Jew, I just shrugged my shoulders and said… “No??”. Then he points to me and says “Israeli! Israeli!” Oh shit I thought. What the f***? my first day in the Middle East and this guy is gonna take me somewhere, clean me off and dump the body. So much for a relaxing holiday!! this was not on my itinerary!!
The hostels below can be thought of as a playground where the male and female energies dance wildly into the night:
This place should be renamed XXX Hostel. Located right near Golden Sands on the Black Sea Coast, this budget hostel was easily one of the most fun and welcoming places I’ve been to.
Owned by a young Italian guy, the atmosphere here can be defined simply as insane fun. If you don’t find yourself at one of the steaming hot foam parties, it is probably because you are too busy having a wild night on the nearby beach.
My initial plan to stay a few days ended up being 3 weeks at this place – and I then ended up staying on to work at the place for another 2 months!!
Located in Bulgaria, its also a cheap, ideal option for backpackers on a serious budget, with 1 euro = 2 levas.
Check out X Hostel here
4. Paradise Beach Resort, Island of Mykonos, Greece.
Having spent quiet some time living with locals in Sofia, I know a thing or too about bargains – in this post I will cover:
– Cheap travel inside Bulgaria: pay what the locals do (how flying can be cheaper than a bus
– Free Unlimited Booze (no joke, no exageration)
– Cheap food, shop where the locals do
– Cheap clothes, laptops
– Free wifi
– Staying and teaching in Bulgaria
– Getting to Greece for only 15 Euros
– The unique way to get truly cheap flights (requires a bit of effort, but is worth it)
– Top 10 unique tips for a cheap holiday or backpacking experience
Cheap Travel Inside Bulgaria
Most real backpackers fly by the seat of their pants – well here’s one time when it’s worth not doing that.
There are two main destinations in Bulgaria – Sofia and the extremely popular seaside city of Varna on the black sea coast.If you try catching a bus to Varna, expect to pay 14 Euros and be stuck in an uncomfortable bus for 5 hours. A train is somewhat cheaper, but again, slow.
If you fly however, and you book two weeks in advance with wizzair (which you find throughhttp://www.whichbudget.com) you can enjoy a short 1 hour flight for just 10 euros! If you leave it till last minute expect to pay through the nose. Only catch is the carbon emissions and impact on our earth are much worse than a train/bus.
Also, when using public transport, usually you have to pay 50 euro cents for each trip. However if you go to a ticket booth and ask for a ‘talon’ a pack of ten, you only pay 3.25 euros for ten. If you stay long term you can get an electronic pass which is even cheaper.
Free Unlimited Booze (no joke, no exaggeration)
I’m not joking. Get a membership at any casino in Sofia (passport required at sign up) and you have access to free unlimited booze. Why? because they want you to get drunk and spend your money of course! Doesn’t mean you have to tho. Mingle with the crowd and don’t be noticed!!
Cheap food, shop where the locals do
If you really want to save on costs – cook in the hostel kitchen. If you want cheap vegetables, you can’t beat the ‘lady’s market’ (Corner Stephan Stambolov and Tsar Samuel), where if you shop around, you can buy 1 kilo of green peppers for .20 euro cents, a kilo of apples for .35 euro cents and so on.
Only the fresh produce is cheap there tho. If you want cheap eggs, bread, milk, juice and everything else, there is a cheap supermarket called Billa (part of underground crossing/metro station where Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd meets Vasil Levski Blvd – look for the huge rotating yellow shopping bag) you need to look for the brand called ‘Clever’. Bring your own bags tho otherwise you pay a fee.
Cheap clothes, laptops
Get some good, reliable warm or otherwise clothes at the Lady’s markets – at least 40% cheaper than the stores. For the laptops – you may want one to take advantage of free wifi – you can pick up small portable notebooks for about 150 euros second hand in a shop (on Tsar Simeon street, near Stephan Stombolov Street – near ladies market)
Free wifi
The main national parks all have free wifi 🙂 take your laptop or phone there and psonge legally.
Staying and teaching in Bulgaria- The unique way to get truly cheap flights (requires a bit of effort, but is worth it)
If you enjoy a country so much that you want to stay a bit longer, get yourself an Online TEFL courseTeaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate, and make it happen. I have 🙂
Getting to Greece for only 15 Euros
Catch the train from Sofia to Thessalonikia and book two weeks in advance and that’s the price you’ll pay!
If you want to go to Athens they will quote you 50 leuros however – you don’t have to pay that. Get to Thessaloniki for 15 euros and then if you book your ticket from there to go on to Athens its only 15 euros 🙂 a saving of 20 euros!
The unique way to get truly cheap flights (requires a bit of effort, but is worth it)
Visit my other posting of how I reduced my 25 hour flight ticket drastically.
Top 10 unique tips for a cheap holiday or backpacking experience
More of my tips on doing what you love best.
I’m an Aussie who has been backpacking and living overseas continuously since January 2009. I cover cheap backpacking tips for every city I go to. You can find more of unique tips at http://backpackingonthecheap.blogspot.com
Let’s face it, we are all animals at our core, and as Osho once said “the worst thing you can say to someone is don’t be an animal”. Men want it, women obviously hunger for it – so what’s the problem? Societal norms, our parents, inner critics/superego’s and all that other garbage.
Which is why backpacking is so awesome – going to some foreign city where no one knows you and you don’t know anyone, you can be and do whatever you like!!
Your away from your parents, your co-workers, even some of your judgmental friends.
Now its time to let your inner instincts go nuts. Time to let the animal out of its cage.
(on a side note, if you are looking to have this experience internally, find this)
Whether you are currently in Berlin, Varna, Tokyo, Seoul, Bali, London, or anywhere else in the world, find out where people are going to find freedom!
5 – TOKYO & SEOUL
Note that some of the images on this blog are used under the Creative Commons agreement. You may find out more by visiting the main blog, backpacking on the cheap.
When traveling / backpacking, it is important to note that not all third world countries have the same dangers to watch out for, but here are some that apply to most.
5) PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL BOUNDARIES
Severe poverty can bring out real desperation in people, which means that in the poorer countries, people will push you as much as you let them. It is important to not allow yourself to overly react to these people, even tho it may seem your only choice when beggars come up to you repeatedly or follow you non stop. I had this experience in Egypt when I was there for a month, I became extremely cynical towards the locals and it ruined my experience.
I’ve found the better option is to..
When it comes to backpacking, most of us (not just men) have one thing
on our mind as a definite on our ‘to do list’ – and I don’t just mean
encountering new cultures.
With the help of a good friend, who I’d refer to as a backpacker in the truest sense of the word, who has been traveling the world for several years, I have compiled a list of the 5 Most Liberating Party Destinations on Earth.
Here they are:
5. Carnival, Rio De Janeiro
online advertising
If you haven’t heard of this Carnivale’, you are more than likely living in a cave.
This is the world’s most sensuous, vibrant, pulsating party on the planet.
Get ready to explode with joy and music as you move your body to the sensuous vibes
of Samba!
No one does sex appeal like the South Americans!
Although it is not so cheap to fly here, once you get to South America you’ll find it much more affordable and suitable for backpackers / travelers on a budget than Europe or the US etc.
In this post I feature an Ebook where I cover unique tips on backpacking around the world on a serious budget
for the following cities/islands:
Copenhagen
Bali
Athens
Berlin
New York
Varna and Sofia (Bulgaria)
Download the Ebook here
For more cities that you can backpack on the cheap click here.
Let’s face it, we are all animals at our core, and as Osho once said “the worst thing you can say to someone is don’t be an animal”. Men want it, women obviously hunger for it – so what’s the problem? Societal norms, our parents, inner critics/superego’s and all that other garbage.
Which is why backpacking is so awesome – going to some foreign city where no one knows you and you don’t know anyone, you can be and do whatever you like!!
Your away from your parents, your co-workers, even some of your judgmental friends.
Now its time to let your inner instincts go nuts. Time to let the animal out of its cage.
(on a side note, if you are looking to have this experience internally, find this)
Whether you are currently in Berlin, Varna, Tokyo, Seoul, Bali, London, or anywhere else in the world, find out where people are going to find freedom!
5 – TOKYO & SEOUL
There’s nothing quiet like the freedom of being able to take it all off and enjoy walking around your apartment/house naked. Those of you however who would like to take it to the next step and walk around naked with other people, here are some options that might help you release your kinky inner German:
From the city take the Nepean Highway (Route 3) south some 40 km to Frankston. Continue a further 7 to 8 km then look for the sign to Sunnyside Beach. Turn right here and drive down this road for about 800 metres to the car park. Actually you may have to park well short of the car park on busy days, and do be careful of driveways and No Parking signs. Walk on to Sunnyside Beach then proceed north around the rocky point to North Sunnyside.
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The top 5 cities for Love, Sex and Backpacking around the world
Berlin comes in at Number 2 for Europe’s best cities for Love, Sex and Backpacking.
You can see the rest of the top 5 cities here.
Forget Amsterdam, this place is Europe’s true center of anything goes liberalism.
There is something in the air or the water in Berlin which makes it a truly special city – it is the home of true Bohemia.
It is like the one place in Germany where all the people fed up with the uptightness, repression, suppression, and rules of German society go and live. It is truly a live and let live city – if you want to do something, and it is not harming you or anyone else – then just do it already, is the ethos.
One institution which captures this ethos of personal freedom more than most others, is the famous Kit Kat Club.
Berlin-life.com sums it up quiet well:
The Kit Kat Club in Berlin is one of those rare clubs that has achieved legendary status before it’s even been closed. It can chart it’s history back to 1994 when a rather liberal Austrian couple decided to try and combine two scenes together: the hippy vibes of a Goa trance party and the hardcore love action of a fetish night. Well you can probably guess the rest. Although the orgies these days are said to be tamer than of old, let’s just say that should someone offers you two fingers or four, it’s nothing to do with a Nestle chocolate biscuit. If you are planning on paying KitKat Club a visit please note that only highly original, and revealing, glamour/fetish outfits will get you past the door.
If this club is a bit too much for you, you can always try to more conventional but equally hot mainstream clubs.
If you want to visit Berlin cheaply, click here for some awesome tips.
You can see the rest of the top 5 cities here.
Let’s face it, we are all animals at our core, and as Osho once said “the worst thing you can say to someone is don’t be an animal”. Men want it, women obviously hunger for it – so what’s the problem? Societal norms, our parents, inner critics/superego’s and all that other garbage.
Which is why backpacking is so awesome – going to some foreign city where no one knows you and you don’t know anyone, you can be and do whatever you like!! London counts!
Your away from your parents, your co-workers, even some of your judgmental friends.
Now its time to let your inner instincts go nuts. Time to let the animal out of its cage.
5 – TOKYO & SEOUL
In this post I will cover:
– How to get to Bali for cheap
– Cheap and free accomodation in Bali
– Eating Cheaply in Bali and cheap tourist memorabilia
– Seeing Bali Cheaply
– How to stay long term in Bali or Indonesia
– More ways to save money whilst travelling : )
Bali, as most Australians know, is one huge, cheap party.
Follow my tips below and have an awesome, memorable, and importantly, affordable experience : )
Getting there cheaply
There are several options you may want to consider for getting to Bali. Each has their pros and cons, depending on where you are planning on getting there from.
The first thing you should know about Athens is that everyone has an opinion about everything – that is, everyone’s a philosopher in Athens (or thinks they are :P)
In this post I will cover:
– How to get to Athens for cheap
– Cheap and free accomodation in Athens
– Eating Cheaply in Athens and cheap tourist memorabilia
– Seeing Athens Cheaply or FREE
– How to stay long term in Greece
– More ways to save money whilst travelling 🙂
Athens, as most people know, is the cradle of Western Civilisation. Unfortunately, this is not still the case today. Ever since the Christian Church ordered the destruction of Plato’s Academy (the World’s first University) and tried and executed those who preached freedom of thought, Greece has experienced a severe decline.
Even so, Greece still has a magical feeling about it :). I’ve been travelling for a year now, and there’s a certain almost magical feeling I get when I’m in Greece. By that I don’t just mean the beautiful islands, I mean Athens as well. There’s something unique in the atmosphere of sitting in an outdoor restaurant on a warm day, enjoying an ouzo with a souvlaki, whilst listening to the laughter and street music of people walking by :). There’s a strong feeling of connection there I have not got in any other city.
Follow my tips below and have an awesome, memorable, and importantly, affordable experience 🙂
Getting there cheaply
There are several options you may want to consider for getting to Athens. Each has their pros and cons, depending on what your circumstances are – ie are you travelling alone, where are you coming from, are you only interested in Athens or other parts of Greece? You should compare all options below and see which has the best bottom line for you.
Train
This can be cheap, depending on where you are coming from. If you are coming from Sofia in Bulgaria (a country definitely worth visiting) the train ticket for Athens is 50 euros when you first ask, because it includes a sleeper. However, if you are really looking for a cheap experience and are willing to rough it abit like a true backpacker, book a ticket to the Greek city of Thessaloniki instead – this will cost you only 15 euros and is about half way to Athens. Once at Thessaloniki train station, ask for the 15 euro ticket to Athens. You may be waiting a few hours or you may not have to wait at all, either way, it only costs another 15 euros. This means a total of 30 euros instead of 50.
If you are a student, or under 21, be sure to ask for a discount, especially EU students.
Having spent quiet some time living with locals in Sofia, I know a thing or too about bargains – in this post I will cover:
– Cheap travel inside Bulgaria: pay what the locals do (how flying can be cheaper than a bus
– Free Unlimited Booze (no joke, no exageration)
– Cheap food, shop where the locals do
– Cheap clothes, laptops
– Free wifi
– Staying and teaching in Bulgaria
– Getting to Greece for only 15 Euros
– The unique way to get truly cheap flights (requires a bit of effort, but is worth it)
– Top 10 unique tips for a cheap holiday or backpacking experience
Cheap Travel Inside Bulgaria
Most real backpackers fly by the seat of their pants – well here’s one time when it’s worth not doing that.
There are two main destinations in Bulgaria – Sofia and the extremely popular seaside city of Varna on the black sea coast.If you try catching a bus to Varna, expect to pay 14 Euros and be stuck in an uncomfortable bus for 5 hours. A train is somewhat cheaper, but again, slow.
If you fly however, and you book two weeks in advance with wizzair (which you find through http://www.whichvudget.com) you can enjoy a short 1 hour flight for just 10 euros! If you leave it till last minute expect to pay through the nose. Only catch is the carbon emissions and impact on our earth are much worse than a train/bus.
Also, when using public transport, usually you have to pay 50 euro cents for each trip. However if you go to a ticket booth and ask for a ‘talon’ a pack of ten, you only pay 3.25 euros for ten. If you stay long term you can get an electronic pass which is even cheaper.
Free Unlimited Booze (no joke, no exageration)
I’m not joking. Get a membership at any casino in Sofia (passport required at sign up) and you have access to free unlimited booze. Why? because they want you to get drunk and spend your money of course! Doesn’t mean you have to tho. Mingle with the crowd and don’t be noticed!!
Cheap food, shop where the locals do
If you really want to save on costs – cook in the hostel kitchen. If you want cheap vegetables, you can’t beat the ‘lady’s market’ (Corner Stephan Stambolov and Tsar Samuel), where if you shop around, you can buy 1 kilo of green peppers for .20 euro cents, a kilo of apples for .35 euro cents and so on.
Only the fresh produce is cheap there tho. If you want cheap eggs, bread, milk, juice and everything else, there is a cheap supermarket called Billa (part of underground crossing/metro station where Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd meets Vasil Levski Blvd – look for the huge rotating yellow shopping bag) you need to look for the brand called ‘Clever’. Bring your own bags tho otherwise you pay a fee.
Cheap clothes, laptops
Get some good, reliable warm or otherwise clothes at the Lady’s markets – at least 40% cheaper than the stores. For the laptops – you may want one to take advantage of free wifi – you can pick up small portable notebooks for about 150 euros second hand in a shop (on Tsar Simeon street, near Stephan Stombolov Street – near ladies market)
Free wifi
The main national parks all have free wifi 🙂 take your laptop or phone there and psonge legally.
Staying and teaching in Bulgaria– The unique way to get truly cheap flights (requires a bit of effort, but is worth it)
If you enjoy a country so much that you want to stay a bit longer, get yourself an Online TEFL course Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate, and make it happen. I have 🙂
Getting to Greece for only 15 Euros
Catch the train from Sofia to Thessalonikia and book two weeks in advance and that’s the price you’ll pay!
If you want to go to Athens they will quote you 50 leuros however – you don’t have to pay that. Get to Thessaloniki for 15 euros and then if you book your ticket from there to go on to Athens its only 15 euros 🙂 a saving of 20 euros!
The unique way to get truly cheap flights (requires a bit of effort, but is worth it)
Visit my other posting of how I reduced my 25 hour flight ticket drastically.
Top 10 unique tips for a cheap holiday or backpacking experience
More of my tips on doing what you love best.
Lewis is an Aussie who has been backpacking and living overseas continuously since January 2009. He covers cheap backpacking tips for every city he goes to. You can find more of unique tips at http://backpackingonthecheap.blogspot.com
New York really is a wild and insane city!!! HUGE, in your face, full of fun and attitude!. They don’t call it the Big Apple for nothing. In this post I will cover:
– How to get to New York for cheap
– Cheap and free accomodation in New York
– Eating Cheaply in New York
– Seeing New York Cheaply
– How to stay long term in the US
– More ways to save money whilst travelling
New York is the most intense city I’ve been to (in the US at least). So many things you can experience, simply from just walking along the street. This city is an absolutely phenomenal experience.
Follow my tips below and have an awesome, memorable, and importantly, affordable experience 🙂
Getting there cheaply
There are several options you may want to consider for getting to New York. Each has their pros and cons, depending on what your circumstances are – ie are you travelling alone, where are you coming from, are you only interested in New York or other parts of the US? You should compare all options below and see which has the best bottom line for you.
Flying
The first and most obvious option is through flying.
There are 3 airports for New York. The only one that the budget airlines fly to internationally however is New York JFK.
Unfortunately not many budget airlines fly directly New York JFK, but you can catch an indirect flight by using routes like London – Aruba and then Aruba to New York.
Using a decent website that has all the budget airlines,just write where you are, and where you want to go to, and it will tell you all the possible combinations of budget airlines to take you there.
PROS:
Fast, can be cheap, easy.
CONS:
The cost to our earth in terms of carbon emissions.
By Car
If you are already in the US, you may want to take the scenic tour (which can also be cheaper if there is more than one of you) and stop by real country towns and meet the people, and get to see the vastly different cultures that exist in the US outside of the big cities.
New York really is a wild and insane city!!! HUGE, in your face, full of fun and attitude!. They don’t call it the Big Apple for nothing. In this post I will cover:
– How to get to New York for cheap
– Cheap and free accomodation in New York
– Eating Cheaply in New York
– Seeing New York Cheaply
– How to stay long term in the US
– More ways to save money whilst travelling
New York is the most intense city I’ve been to (in the US at least). So many things you can experience, simply from just walking along the street. This city is an absolutely phenomenal experience.
Follow my tips below and have an awesome, memorable, and importantly, affordable experience 🙂
Getting there cheaply
There are several options you may want to consider for getting to New York. Each has their pros and cons, depending on what your circumstances are – ie are you travelling alone, where are you coming from, are you only interested in New York or other parts of the US? You should compare all options below and see which has the best bottom line for you.
Flying
The first and most obvious option is through flying.
There are 3 airports for New York. The only one that the budget airlines fly to internationally however is New York JFK.
Unfortunately not many budget airlines fly directly New York JFK, but you can catch an indirect flight by using routes like London – Aruba and then Aruba to New York.
Using a decent website that has all the budget airlines,just write where you are, and where you want to go to, and it will tell you all the possible combinations of budget airlines to take you there.
PROS:
Fast, can be cheap, easy.
CONS:
The cost to our earth in terms of carbon emissions / poisoning our home.
By Car
If you are already in the US, you may want to take the scenic tour (which can also be cheaper if there is more than one of you) and stop by real country towns and meet the people, and get to see the vastly different cultures that exist in the US outside of the big cities.
PROS: I’ve found a company with 15% discount…
Next Page>>
Travelling is so exciting! and in the case of Rome, as Asterix used to say, “these Romans are crazy”. Well they sure know how to party that’s for sure. Either way that won’t stop you from having a fun and cheap holiday in Rome – the Grandest city in the Universe.
In this post I will cover:
– How to get to Rome for cheap
– Cheap and free accomodation in Rome
– Eating Cheaply in Rome
– Seeing Rome Cheaply
– How to stay long term in Italy
– More ways to save money whilst travelling
Rome is the most Grand city in at least Europe if not the world. This amazing city is an absolutely phenomenal experience, whether it be for the history or the awesome nightlife. As an Aussie I’m jealous that we don’t have anything like this back home.
Anyhow, follow the tips below and have an awesome, memorable, and importantly, affordable experience 🙂
Getting there cheaply
There are several options you may want to consider for getting to Rome. Each has their pros and cons, depending on what your circumstances are – ie are you travelling alone, where are you coming from, are you only interested in Rome or other parts of Italy? You should compare all options below and see which has the best bottom line for you.
Flying
The first and most obvious option is through flying.
There are two airports for Rome. The Rome Fiumicino (26 km from city) and the Rome Ciampino (15 km from city).
Ciampino is the one that most budget airlines fly into, and is also a lot cheaper to get into town from as compared to the Fiumicino.
The cheapest way to get into the city from Ciampino is using the public bus service for 1 euro. Be aware tho that there are other more comfortable options but this is the cheapest. You’ll find the stop just next to the taxi rank outside the terminal building.
PROS:
With a decent website that has all the budget airlines,these days you can often get a cheap flight easily.
CONS:
Next Page>>
The French are quiet possibly the rudest people in Europe. Or maybe it’s just the Parisians. Either way that won’t stop you from having a fun and cheap holiday in Paris.
In this post I will cover:
– How to get to Paris for cheap
– Cheap and free accomodation in Paris
– Eating Cheaply in Paris – Seeing Paris Cheaply
– How to stay long term in France
– More ways to save money whilst travelling
Paris is possibly the most beautiful city in Europe. Unfortunately the people know it and often treat English speaking foreigners as lesser beings. Thankfully, there are plenty of nice Parisians as well (tho usually they have grown up in the South of France!)
Anyhow, follow the tips below and have an awesome, memorable, and importantly, affordable experience 🙂
Getting there cheaply
There are several options you may want to consider for getting to Paris. Each has their pros and cons, depending on what your circumstances are – ie are you travelling alone, where are you coming from, are you only interested in Paris or other parts of France? You should compare all options below and see which has the best bottom line for you.
Flying
The first and most obvious option is through flying.
PROS: With a decent website that has all the budget airlines,these days you can often get a cheap flight easily.
CONS: The cost to our earth.
IMPORTANT: Paris has several airports including:
>>Orly (9 miles) >>Charles De Guille (12 miles from Paris)
>>Beauvais – May seem the cheapest at first due to the three budget airline carriers, however, be aware that it is 40 miles out of Paris and you will have additional costs associated with getting into Paris itself.
By Train
PROS: Can be very cheap with discounts for groups, the young, and in some cases kids under 16 travel free. Also very earth friendly.
CONS: Takes longer than a flight.
Cheap and Free Accomodation
Prices keep going up and down depending on demand, so it is difficult/ pointless for me to list them. You will more likely benefit if you look at Hostelbookers.com and compare the prices for yourself. The good thing about this booking site is that unlike its main competitor hostelworld, it doesn’t charge a US$2 booking fee on top of the 10% deposit. A nice saving in itself.
Otherwise, the free option for staying in France
London’s prices are as mad as their cabbies! In this post I will cover how to have a cheap holiday or backpacking experience without going bonkers in the process.
In this post I will cover:
– How to get to London for cheap
– Cheap and ree accomodation in London
– Eating Cheaply in London
– Seeing London Cheap and Free
– How to stay long term in London
– More ways to save money whilst travelling
After travelling for 9 months through Europe and the Middle East, I can tell you that London is much more than I expected! I thought it would just be another Australia with bad weather and grumpy white people. To my delight I was wrong – it did have bad weather and grumpy white people, but it was also an incredibly multicultural experience.
Getting there cheaply
Before we get into the cheap flights, you should first be decided on which of the 4 airports you want to fly to because a flight may be cheap, but the additional cost of getting into London itself from the airport can be quiet hefty and you should include it in the total flight cost. There are a few flight travel websites you can use, but they mostly seem to feature the main expensive airlines. This site on the other hand only focuses on the discount airlines, you tell it where you want to go and it tells you which discount airlines go there: http://www.whichbudget.com
Cheap and Free Accomodation
Prices keep going up and down depending on demand, so it is difficult/ pointless for me to list them. You will more likely benefit if you book through Hostelbookers.com and compare the prices for yourself. The good thing about this booking site is that unlike its main competitor hostelworld, it doesn’t charge a US$2 booking fee on top of the 10% deposit. A nice saving in itself.
The other option of course is to join http://couchsurfing.org – a worldwide network for making connections between travellers and the communites they visit. People offering their couches for free! A worldwide phenomenon. At last check their were over 1000 people in the UK willing to spare a couch give it a go, but remember to read what people have already said about someone whose couch you are planning on staying on.
Cheap Food
I would usually recommend trying the local food in every country you go to, but in the case of the UK, besides Fish ‘n’ Chips, what local food??? If you are looking for a seriously cheap backpacking experience, most serious backpackers know already to cook in the hostel kitchen. Why not use a cheap supermarket in the UK like the locals do (I recommend Sainsburys) . Save the money for your drinking habbit, you’ll need it. Or, if you’ve done the AO thing and your over your problem and still want to try some local food, why not check out Time Out’s reviews of budget food in London – starting from 8.55 pounds.
Seeing London Cheap and Free
Cheap backpacking / cheap holiday: the bar inside one of the hostels I was in, in Berlin
I this post I will cover:
– How to get to Berlin for cheap
– Cheap and free accomodation
– Eating cheaply
– Free tour of Berlin
– Making some quick cash legally
– How to stay longterm
– More ways to save money whilst travelling
After travelling for 9 months through Europe and the Middle East, I can tell you that Berlin is easily my favourite city. Not just because of the strong, unashamed, non conformist mentality and uniqueness of the people, but also because you can experience it all at bargain prices!
Getting there cheaply
There are a few flight travel websites you can use, but they mostly seem to feature the main expensive airlines.
This site on the other hand only focuses on the discount airlines, you tell it where you want to go and it tells
you which airlines go there: http://www.whichbudget.com
Cheap and free accomodation
Prices keep going up and down depending on demand, so it is difficult/pointless for me to list them. You will more likely benefit from visiting hostelbookers.com and comparing for yourself. The good thing about this booking site is that unlike its main competitor hostelworld.com, it doesn’t charge a US$2 booking fee on top of the 10% deposit. A nice saving in itself.
I can say however that I have stayed at Generator hostel and I enjoyed it. Only problem is it is a bit out of town, but there is a nice bar in the hostel
which generally means it is not a problem.
The other option of course is to join http://couchsurfing.org Berlin group and get free accomodation!
Cheap food
If you are looking for a seriously cheap backpacking experience, most
serious backpackers know already to cook in the hostel kitchen. Berlin
is easily the discount capital of Western Europe with incredibly cheap
supermarkets like Aldi, Lidl, and my favourite – Penny Market. I
bought a loaf of bread, 2 bananas, and a 1.5 litre bottle of water,
for guess how much? Try 1.4 euros! With prices like that, why would
you eat out?
Speaking of eating out, there are plenty of stands in East Berlin with
good sized pizzas for 2 euros.
Or if you want a true cultural experience, why not try eating at a Vokus?
These are located inside artist squats and offer meals for 1-2 euros. The locations are here stressfaktor.squat.net/vokue.php?day=all.
Free tour of Berlin
There is a company called New Europe tours which offer free 3 hour
tours of Berlin everyday twice a day and also in all the major cities
of Europe. How can they be free? you ask, what is the catch?
In this post I will cover:
– the cheapest and best value for money accomodation in Sofia
– the cheapest and tastiest food in Sofia
– the cheapest taxis/transport means in Sofia
The first thing you should know about Sofia is that its beauty is not immediately apparent. When you first get here, it is likely that amongst the first things you will notice are the ugly footpaths and pilling rubbish on the street.
Don’t worry, it gets much better.
Starting with your accomodation.
I’ve been to 3 of the hostels here, including Art Hostel, Vitosha Hostel, and Hostel Mostel.
Without a doubt Hostel Mostel was the best value and most comfortable.
Let me break down into further detail:
Art Hostel:
Very groovy, artistic hub, with awesome breakfast and excellent location. Unfortunately their prices are a bit steep.
Vitosha Hostel:
Don’t expect any atmosphere here or to meet people. This place is more of a guest house. Good to stay here if you just want a bed for 1 night on your way to another city.
Hostel Mostel:
My favourite for the following reasons – free internet with 3 terminals (includes wifi etc), heated dorms (except for the attic, dont stay up there!!)very clean toilets and bathrooms, friendly knowledgable staff who know how to show you around, free buffet breakfast – AND – free dinner – spaghetti with tomato sauce, chilli falvouring and a beer. Not to mention the hostel itself used to be an art gallery so looks pretty groovy on inside as well! It also had a heap of other stuff but you should look at their website for that info.
Cheap and tasty food:
For cheap and tasty food you can’t beat the local Chinese place (after you’ve tried Bulgarian food obviously), which is down a street called Stambolijski blvd (refer to free map from Hostel Mostel). You can get vegetarian noodle stir fry for like 4 leva (2 euros – bargain!) which is enough to feed two very hungry people.
There are also very filling pizza slice stands – which you can pick up for about 1-1.7 leva, don’t pay more than that!
Also if you plan on cooking, you should consider buying your vegetables from the “lady’s market” on the corner of Tsar Samuel and Tsar Simeon roads. Cheaper than your supermarket.
For your general needs like cheap booze, etc etc, visit the biggest super market in the center – which is in the basement of the grand Mall of Sofia (corner of Stambolijski and Opalchenska roads) – much cheaper than the corner stores and the other supermarkets in the centre.
Taxis/ transport
Although bad for the earth due to emissions, taxis are sometimes nearly the same price as catching a bus/train in Sofia. If you know the right ones to catch!
Buses/trains/trams all cost 1 leva per ride, every ride, regardless of where you are going. Problem is, if you have a big backpack on a tram, you have to buy it a ticket as well! so you end up paying 2 leva.
Don’t try and ride without a ticket, the inspectors are around all the time!! If you get busted its 10 leva fine which is nothing, but its the embarrasment you may want to avoid!!
You can get a ticket froma stand near the bus stop (ticket = billet) or from the driver on the bus. Be sure you have exact amoutn if you want to do this. Trams have machines at front of tram.
There are only two taxi companies you should consider using whilst in Sofia – the rest have rigged meters!!
The Danes are very bike happy