Ireland in the winter, house swapping & delta deals to Europe.

Before we get into this week's edition of "TBA", I just want to say thank you
for all the nice emails. We try to read and reply to all of them. So keep them
coming! If you want to see anything added to the site, a certain part of the
world covered or feel like you have a good tip, feel free to contact us. We also
have changed our "Featured Articles" links to a faster server. The previous
blog site was loading too slow. Now on to the deals.

Visiting the Emerald Isle in the winter:


I have been to Ireland many
times, and the most popular city
of the Emerald Isle, Dublin, is
great to see anytime of the
year. But the last two times
that I have visited this magical
city, it was in the month of
January. Many people think that Ireland is going to be freezing cold in the
winter, and while you will not be walking around the Temple Bar area of Dublin
with shorts and a tank top, you still will enjoy a city full of life and energy.
There is something truly magical about a chilly walk across the Ha'Penny
Bridge. I browsed the internet and came across these airfare and hotel deals
for this coming January, when Dublin is more affordable to visit:

Airfare:

• Aer Lingus: ($542), depart Monday January 12 from JFK airport and
  arrive the following morning at Dublin airport. Return Monday January
  19.
  

• Delta: ($575), depart Thursday January 8 from JFK airport and arrive
  the following morning at Dublin airport. Return Thursday January 15.
  

Hotels:

• Harding Hotel: (avg. $88 a night), Within walking distance to the
  Guinness Storehouse, Dublin Castle and Dublin's Grafton Street, is this
  2 star option for lodging. Take a look at the site and you will see that
  this hotel is simply beautiful and has all the true Irish charm.
  

• Temple Bar: (avg $99 a night), The Temple Bar district is the most
  lively area in the city of Dublin. So if you want a loud and live vibe when
  visiting this bustling city, then check into the 3 star Temple Bar hotel.
  

• The Morrison Hotel: (avg. $182 a night), This stunningly beautiful 4
  star hotel in Dublin is located right by the River Liffy, and all the
  nightlife and great restaurants that this city has to offer.
  

(Important note: Now while we linked you to the hotel's main websites, for the
best price be sure to do a kayak.com search. We found lower prices for these
hotels on numerous sites.)

House swapping becoming a popular option for many budget
travelers:

In the October 2008 edition of Budget Travel, contributing writer Joanna
Goddard has written a great piece on the new fad of "House Swapping". Sounds
dirty doesn't it? Well it seems to have caught on, especially with internet
travel. Sites like craigslist. org have travelers both looking for lodging and
giving out lodging. The idea is to chat with another house swapper and plan well
in advance for a date that the two of you can come to an agreement on. She
talks about staying at a couple's home in San Francisco while that couple
stayed at their Manhattan pad.

Now if this all sounds scary...well you are not alone. I mean even I have said
this sounds like a risky venture, but it has been proven to work for people not
willing to shell out cash for expensive hotels. Check out BudgetTravel.com for
the full article, and some of Miss Goddard's stories about her past house
swaps. It makes for a fun read and you will not believe what one of her guest
said about her place!

Delta deals to Europe:

Do you want to visit Europe? Are you scared of the high cost of airfare? Well
do not fear my frugal friends! Delta Airlines has some great low price round
trip fares departing out of New York City and landing in some of Europe's most
amazing destinations. Here are a few deals we cam across:

• New York to Athens, $658
  
• New York to Budapest, $618
  
• New York to Amsterdam, $558
  
• New York to Shannon, $518
  

(The sample fares above are listed for round-trip travel and do not include
taxes and fees. Travel is valid Mondays through Thursdays from November 1
through April 13, 2009. Other rules and restrictions apply, check Delta.com for
details. Book by October 13, 11:59 PM ET.)

Thanks again for checking us out, check us out every Monday for updates!

Contact us anytime at andy@travelbyandy.com