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Days ago Iceland's government had some bad news to tell its people...they were flat broke. Ouch! Now while the entire world seems to be expensive for our weak U.S. dollar, Iceland is now one of the few amazing locations we can visit on the cheap.
Reykjavik is not only the capital and largest city in Iceland, but it is the most popular for tourists. Travelers from around the world visit this hip city,Reykjavik has been dubbed "the nightlife capital of the north." Icelanders enjoy one of the most festive New Year's eve celebrations on the planet. Shops sells fireworks to anyone over 16, and the entire town lights up from at midnight from the explosions going off in unison.
The temperature in Iceland is often times misconstrued by many, Iceland is in fact that made of Ice. The winter temperatures are comparable to winters in New York, but with less snow. Locals and tourists all flock to Reykjavik's most popular destination, the blue lagoon, which is a geothermal spa. It is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world!
Icelandair has announced a new sale for travel between the East Coast and Iceland. Fares start at $400 round-trip for fall and winter travel. Economy Plus fares are also available starting at $800 round-trip.
Icelandair usually offers the best deals for travel to Iceland, but it's still a good idea to compare fares before you book. The sample fares below are listed for round- trip travel and do not include taxes and fees.
- NYC to Reykjavik: $400
- Boston to Reykjavik: $400
Travel Spotlight, Brooklyn (Part 2):
All this week Travel By Andy will spotlight the borough of Brooklyn. This diverse and delicious borough is home to some of the restaurants, bakeries and bars in the New York area. But when you visit for a trip, what exactly are your lodging options? Some people think that Manhattan is your only place to book a hotel when in town. Not true... Brooklyn has a few gems all around Kings County. Here are our favorites:
Marriott New York at the Brooklyn Bridge (4 star)
The most popular choice for most business
and leisure travelers visiting Brooklyn.
Ideally located just minutes to downtown
Manhattan, this luxurious 637 room hotel
offers customers state of the art features,
inside a cozy and modern atmosphere.
Downtown Brooklyn; 333 Adams Street;
718-246-7000; www.marriott.com
Nu Hotel A chic new addition to downtown
Brooklyn, offering both complimentary
breakfast and wireless internet.
This 93 room eco-friendly hotel is designed
with cork floors and furnishings made from
recycled teak wood. Boerum Hill;
85 Smith St.; 718-852-8585;
www.nuhotelbrooklyn.com
Best Western Gregory Hotel
Located in the middle of one of the liveliest
sections in Brooklyn, this 70 room hotel
offers complimentary continental breakfast,
free newspaper and is minutes from such
sites as the Brooklyn Aquarium and Prospect
Park Zoo. Bay Ridge; 8315 4th Avenue;
718-238-3737;
bestwestern.com/Gregory hotel
Best Western Brooklyn Bay Convenient access to everything Brooklyn has to offer, and located right along the beautiful Brooklyn waterfront, this 48 room hotel offers guests complimentary breakfast, free parking, fitness center and business services. Sheepshead Bay; 3003 Emmons Avenue; 718-769-5000; www.bestwesternnewyork. com/hotels/best-western-brooklyn-bay
October 13, 2008: Oh! Canada airfare deals & Travel Spotlight: Brooklyn Part 1
Canadian airfare deals on United:
Flights to Canada are on sale from United. Fares start at $88 one-way or $176 round-trip, and cities include Montreal, Quebec City, Vancouver, and Victoria.
Shop around before you book to ensure you get the best deal for travel on your route. The sample fares below are listed for round-trip travel and do not include taxes and fees.
- Seattle-Vancouver, $176
- San Francisco-Edmonton, $328
- Baltimore-Ottawa,$412
- Chicago-Quebec City, $438
- Boston-Montreal, $470
- New York-Winnipeg, $510
Travel is valid through
February 28, 2009. Book tickets at least 14 days in advance.
Travel Spotlight, Brooklyn (Part 1):
Home to over 2.5 million residents, and nicknamed “the city of churches and trees”, Brooklyn is one of the most interesting, diverse and delicious areas in New York. From the architecturally beautiful brownstones of Park Slope, to the historic and lively boardwalks of Coney Island, this borough has something for everyone.
All this week Travel By Andy will spotlight this diverse and delicious borough. We will dig deep into the new hip locale of New York, and show why many people prefer Kings County to any other part of New York today!
Neighborhoods:
Park Slope Located on the western slope of beautiful
Prospect Park, this hip neighborhood is lined with both
trendy restaurants and fashionable shopping along 5th
and 7th Avenue. Stroll down numerous streets to see
some of the most beautiful million dollar brownstones
in New York.
Bay Ridge This largely middle class neighborhood was at one time mostly Irish and Italian, but has seen a large surge of nationalities move in, such as Arab, Greek and Scandinavian. It is popular with young professionals and boast an impressive array of restaurants and nightlife, especially along 3rd avenue.
Greenpoint Dubbed “Little Poland”, this area of Brooklyn has the second largest concentration of Polish immigrants in the United States. The neighborhood’s main hub, Manhattan Avenue, is filled with numerous Polish restaurants, bakeries and butchers.
DUMBO Considered by many locals to be
one of the hippest sections of Brooklyn.
Once full of abandoned warehouses and
factories, it is now home to some of the
most expensive real estate, chic
restaurants and high end shops in the borough.
Williamsburg Home to the artists and hipsters of Brooklyn. This neighborhood is extremely popular with young people, and is home to one of New York’s best indie rock scene.
Coney Island At the very
southern tip of Kings County, you
will find one of its oldest and
most well known areas, while it
has seen better days, you can still
enjoy the miles of boardwalk and
a Nathan’s hot dog on those balmy
summer New York days.
Bay Ridge This largely middle class neighborhood was at one time mostly Irish and Italian, but has seen a large surge of nationalities move in, such as Arab, Greek and Scandinavian. It is popular with young professionals and boast an impressive array of restaurants and nightlife, especially along 3rd avenue
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
Over the weekend I combed the internet for some travel information that you
may find interesting. From airline deals to travel news, and everything in
between. Enjoy the deals and be sure to email us with any questions, comments
or savings you want to pass along.
Great airline deals this week:
The Airfarewatchdog has some amazing research skills. This site has such great
finds on airfare deals around the country. Here are a few that stood out to us
when checking the site. All fares are round trip and can be purchased in reverse
too.
- Albuquerque - Honolulu($520)
- Boston - Charlotte ($145)
- Chicago - Denver ($114)
- Los Angeles - New York ($245)
- New York - Toronto ($148)
- Raleigh/Durham - Ft Lauderdale ($125)
- Newark - New Orleans ($195)
Best of the Best State Parks:
Are you thinking of visiting one of America's many amazing state parks for your
next excursion? Then check out this article, written by Darren Smith. In it he
covers all the "Best" State Parks, and gives you handy information, that you
may find useful when booking your trip.
Useful information about City Pass:
One of my favorite travel writers Mark Kahler has done a great piece on those
City Passes you always see or hear about when you visit a big city like New
York, San Francisco or Chicago. He breaks it down and gives you some insight
and great information about them. Check it out by clicking here.
Amazing South African adventure:
South African Airways is offering a 9 day trip that includes the following for
$2339 (plus taxes and fees)
- Round Trip from New York's JFK or Washington D.C.'s Dulles Airport
- 5 Star Accommodations
- Safari with game drives
- 6 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners
- Meet and greet upon arrival
Travel safe, travel smart:
When traveling abroad I always get some kind of insurance. You never know
what can happen when you are in a foreign land, and well if you have no coverage,
it may become an expensive event. American Express offers a great "Global
Travel Shield" aka travel insurance. This is what you can get, for as low as
$6.95 per trip:
- Trip cancellation/Interruption plan
- Global medical plan
- Airflight insurance
- Global baggage protection plan
- Global trip delay plan
- All options include 24 hour travel support
Other travel information and deals:
- Save $15 on your next JetBlue flight when you book with your American
Express card.
- While you have that AMEX out of the wallet, head on over to Norwegian
Cruise Line, and save up to $200 ($100 per person) on-board credit.
- Budget Travel has a great article on how to save your travel photos
online.
- CheapCaribbean.com has a plethora of sweet all inclusives on their site.
Prices start as low as $499, and include destinations like Cancun, St.
Thomas and Montego Bay.
- Orbitz has a deal in Sin City. Stay at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and
Casino for $120 a night.
- Priceline has a global hotel sale going on right now. Save up to 60% when
you book your next trip.
- Travel by rail and save. Amtrak has low weekend fares that include such
trips as Boston to New York for $49 and Philadelphia to Baltimore for
$32
- When you need wheels to get around, check out Carrentals.com and save.
This site does a comparison tool, so you can see all the companies and
prices.
- IcelandAir has sweet fall deals, as low as $565* pp r/t. Seats are
limited. Depart from such cities as New York, Boston and Minneapolis.
- Feeling adventurous? Then head on over to Friendly Planet Travel for
some amazing excursions. One trip on the site is 10 days in Japan for
$2799*, which includes airfare, fuel surcharges, great hotels, transfers,
many meals, touring and more!
We will be back next week with more travel deals, tips and information. Contact
us anytime at andy@travelbyandy.com
