drummer4now Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Can anyone recommend some good flight booking sites that have good deals and provide cheap flights to Europe? I was thinking somewhere along Mainland Europe like Germany or Switzerland from Vancouver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kragar Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 I'm going to Japan in October and I'm not finding things too expensive. I'll stay in a capsule hotel here and there to reduce costs and my flight only cost me about $500 return. Went to Argentina in April for less than $500. If I see a deal I just book it as soon as my work approves the time off. I'm pretty flexible as I travel solo and am quite happy on my own. Not sure if it changed since I was there 10 yrs ago, but I found it much better to change my money in Narita airport rather than back home through my bank. It was much better exchange in Narita than in LAX. Of course, it might well be different for you across the pond, better or worse. I had the benefit of being there on the company dime, so expenses weren't a big concern. Great place to visit, with some amazing food (some real weird stuff too). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inane Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Can anyone recommend some good flight booking sites that have good deals and provide cheap flights to Europe? I was thinking somewhere along Mainland Europe like Germany or Switzerland from Vancouver. Pretty much the cheapest you can get is air transat. I have looked a lot and it is consistently the cheapest. You might find a one-off deal with another airline, but basically they are cheapest. They fly direct from Vancouver to London, Amsterdam, Manchester, Glasgow and maybe Paris too? But once you're in Europe, it's dirt cheap to fly around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 But once you're in Europe, it's dirt cheap to fly around. This. Just fly pretty much anywhere you can in Europe for the cheapest you find. Hang out there a few days and then fly out of there to your actual destination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 I'm going to Japan in October and I'm not finding things too expensive. I'll stay in a capsule hotel here and there to reduce costs and my flight only cost me about $500 return. Went to Argentina in April for less than $500. If I see a deal I just book it as soon as my work approves the time off. I'm pretty flexible as I travel solo and am quite happy on my own. Can you bring me back some vending machine panties? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEON.KNEE Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I focused on acquiring assets and money during my 20's. Now in my early 30's, I'm still focused on the same thing... but I'm much more tied down, with a lot more at stake. Barring a massive 180 in every aspect of my life, travelling to any substantial extent is very unlikely for me. I've been to a bunch of different vacation destinations, but nothing like you're probably planning. I say go for it. When I was 20 I could never imagine blowing 5k on travelling. Now I spend 5k on friggin property taxes and don't blink and eye. The money you spend now is a drop in the bucket compared to what you'll make in your lifetime. So if you have the money, blow it all on something like that and come home and start again. Time moves quickly and money comes and goes. this guy nailed it. If you have even a 10% desire to do this...Just &^@#ing do it. Do Not hesitate and waste any time worrying about money...Money should be the last thing you worry about. If you want to and are able to...just &^@#ing do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 For me it was a eurail pass, a "Europe on a shoestring" book, and some clothes and a tent stuffed in backpack. That's right people: a book!, pay phones! Hand written letters! Best guidebook was "Europe through the back door" full of things to do on the cheap and aimed at budget travellers. Backpackers. It was like our bible over there. They still make it. North Africa: We got robbed in Morocco, our buddy who went a couple years later got robbed, so I dont recommend that country. EDIT: Its called "Rick Steves Europe through the backdoor 2015." You can DL it but for travelling its best to have a hard copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffraff Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Best guidebook was "Europe through the back door" full of things to do on the cheap and aimed at budget travellers. Backpackers. It was like our bible over there. They still make it. North Africa: We got robbed in Morocco, our buddy who went a couple years later got robbed, so I dont recommend that country. EDIT: Its called "Rick Steves Europe through the backdoor 2015." You can DL it but for travelling its best to have a hard copy. At the time of my first trip to Europe, '95-96, I never saw the book you mentioned.....there was fodors and others. I also used the same book for Indonesia in '97.... At any rate I agree having the hard copy is great, it's quick, you can scribble notes into it and when you're done it goes on a shelf as a reminder. It obviously is a downer to get robbed. I hope those weren't violent or confrontational robberies... But it happens everywhere....I slipped up and got a bit lax on a bus in Costa Rica and paid for it with a camera....it was a very busy and full bus with people getting on and off and my stuff was above me...I'd still go back to Costa Rica though...I've had my vehicle broken into twice in the lower mainland and the house I was renting in '97 in Australia was broken into so these things happen everywhere unfortunately. Fwiw two of friends had no issu in Morocco other than the usual agressive "salesman" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I finished my Education degree in Canada, and with limited prospects for staying in BC, I decided to up and move to China at the age of 23 - teaching at a Canadian school. I'm still in China, as I type away here, at the age of 28. I've found it to be a dramatically life-altering process; changing my perspectives and opening up new career paths. By living in a new country for a significant amount of time, you can more fully engage with the local people, history and culture. You can also save money, by traveling on your vacations, instead of devoting 3 months or 6 months to "travel", instead your whole life becomes travel.... If you decide to travel to the Eastern Hemisphere, it's relatively cheap depending on where you go. In the past five years, I've hit up 10 countries for significant amounts of time, throughout SE Asia and Australia / New Zealand. I also have a very good friend who hit up 45+ countries over the past couple of years, and she stuck to lesser developed areas (Eastern Europe, instead of West, for example). Basically, now that I've traveled / lived abroad during my 20's, my entire world perspective has changed, and I think it's been very valuable ---- I've changed so much, while everyone else back home seems "stuck" in their same routines and experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SergioMomesso Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Go now before you start dealing with the reality of working 11 months a year, starting a family and the million other things that adulthood has to offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish⑦Canuck Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 In the last few weeks I've been thinking more and more about saving up £5000 and just going away for three to six months. I want to see as much as possible while I'm young with no real responsibilities. I'd have to leave my job (I don't particularly enjoy it but there's always the chance that when I get back I can't find anything else) but I've got the travel bug right now and it seems like a good thing to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inane Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 I finished my Education degree in Canada, and with limited prospects for staying in BC, I decided to up and move to China at the age of 23 - teaching at a Canadian school. I'm still in China, as I type away here, at the age of 28. I've found it to be a dramatically life-altering process; changing my perspectives and opening up new career paths. By living in a new country for a significant amount of time, you can more fully engage with the local people, history and culture. You can also save money, by traveling on your vacations, instead of devoting 3 months or 6 months to "travel", instead your whole life becomes travel.... If you decide to travel to the Eastern Hemisphere, it's relatively cheap depending on where you go. In the past five years, I've hit up 10 countries for significant amounts of time, throughout SE Asia and Australia / New Zealand. I also have a very good friend who hit up 45+ countries over the past couple of years, and she stuck to lesser developed areas (Eastern Europe, instead of West, for example). Basically, now that I've traveled / lived abroad during my 20's, my entire world perspective has changed, and I think it's been very valuable ---- I've changed so much, while everyone else back home seems "stuck" in their same routines and experiences. Yep, I lived in Japan and Korea and it was awesome. When you come home, after a life changing few years, a lot of people are like 'how was your trip?' like you were in Vegas for the weekend...they just don't and can't get it. Also, a surprising amount of people asked if it was North or South Korea. A surprising amount... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLASSJAW Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 Yep, I lived in Japan and Korea and it was awesome. When you come home, after a life changing few years, a lot of people are like 'how was your trip?' like you were in Vegas for the weekend...they just don't and can't get it. Also, a surprising amount of people asked if it was North or South Korea. A surprising amount... no, they just don't care Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inane Posted June 20, 2015 Share Posted June 20, 2015 no, they just don't care Could be, point is they are the same, you are not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuxfanabroad Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Canadian(post #49) was well-stated. One general recommendation, is adjusting to a new global-paradigm. Due to dwindling resources, climate, cash & peaceful existence, many abroad(like say, refugees in EU) are more desperate. There's more risk inherent. Not the same period from which so many fond travel anecdotes have emanated . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susraiders Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 For those of you who have had a working visa for another country, how was the process? What level of education is needed? Was speaking the language of where you were going a necessity? Also, was it possible to find a job in your field of expertise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.