travel tips, tourism & vacations
Top 5 Cheap Places to Travel to in 2019

Traveling doesn’t have to be something that you need to save up for an entire year, and while luxurious trips to very popular destinations might be at the top of you wishlist, you should seriously consider some of these less known but beautiful locations. Best part about this? Since tourists are not always making their way there, the prices in these places.

  1. Lisbon, Portugal
    The beautiful European capital is located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, and it is a charming vacation destination for anyone who is looking for a rather relaxing vacation. The intimate alleyways and the cozy vibe of the city will also appeal to its tourists with cheap prices for accommodation, food and attraction visiting. You can find cozy hostel rooms for as low as 35EUR/night, or some fancier hotel rooms for as low as 60EUR/night.
    There are also many restaurants in Lisbon that are not expensive at all, and user reviews online vouch for their delicious food and welcoming staff, such as: Sanskar Nepal, Estamine Art Food Drink, Jam Club, Sama Sama Crepe and Juice Bar and many more.
  2. Tallinn, Estonia
    Located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, Estonia’s capital is a historic city that dates back to the medieval times, and it shows. The city’s old town is best representative for its long, long history and it has been very well preserved.
    You can find numerous cheap hostels and guest houses in Tallinn, with prices starting even from 15EUR/night, or even 40EUR/night for hotels close to the center of the city.

  3. Barga, Italy
    This medieval town from the Tuscany central region of Italy is perfect for a relaxing vacation, during which you can admire fabulous pieces of architecture from the great Gothic Era. Great places to visit are the Roman amphitheater, Duomo di San Martino, Saint Michael’s Church and Piazza Napoleone.
    You can find beautiful accommodation in Barga in farmhouses and small hotels for as low as 50 EUR/night.
  4. Valparaiso, Chile
    This wonderful coastal city is well known for its bohemian culture, brightly colored houses and a really beautiful seaside landscape. Great places to visit include Plaza Echaurren – Serrano Street, Museo a cielo abierto, Prat Street- Old financial district known as the “Wallstreet Porteño” and La Matriz Church and the surroundings.
    You can find hostels and guesthouses with rooms prices per night starting from 15EUR, and if you’re looking for a higher comfort type of accommodation, you can find good hotels starting from 40EUR.
  5. Montreal, Canada
    This vibrant city is the cultural and economic center of Quebec and the main entry point to the province. It is also the second largest city in Canada, rich in culture and history and a reputation as one of the liveliest cities in North America.
    You cand find hotels a little farther from the city center for as low as 24EUR, and if you want to be closer to the middle of everything, prices usually start from 37EUR, which is not bad at all.

Anywhere you want to go in the world to have a wonderful vacation, you can find good accommodation even on a budget, the trick is to look for it and know where to search. You can start preparing for your trip now by searching accommodation and making a reservation at your desired hotel!

2018 Best Summer Vacations – Italy’s Aeolian Islands

Sicily’s northeastern coast and it’s fabulous cobalt-blue seas are the frame of the Unesco-protected Aeolian Islands. This little piece of paradise, a magical natural playground, offers fantastic thrills at every turn. Water-sports enthusiasts, swimmers, sailors and divers will feel at home in the stunning waters surrounding these islands, while trekkers and expedition-lovers will adore climbing the hissing volcanoes and trekking around here.

Here are a few details about each of the 7 fantastic islands that you can visit while on vacation in Italy’s Aeolian archipelago in the summer:

1. Lipari

The largest and easiest to get to Aeolian island is Lipari and, of course, it is also the busiest. Compared to the other island in the archipelago, it may seem like a big city type of destination, but it can also represent a wonderful intro to the island life.

This island is ideal for trekking. Many routes are available for tourists that are interested in discovering the island by foot, varying from easy to hard levels. Some of these routes are almost impossible to complete in the summer due to the heat.

A short walk downhill can be done on the road from Quattropani to Acquacalda on the north side of Lipari. This can be done even during summer and takes about 45 minutes.

An interesting place to visit is the Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano – View A spectacular collection of artifacts recovered from archaeological sites in the Aeolian Islands. Many of these artifacts are from shipwrecks. More amphorae and burial urns than one might think existed in the modern world can be found here. Most exhibits have English-language captions.

2. Salina

salina tripeconomy aeolian islandSalina is one of the most alluring Aeolian island, its main attraction being its natural beauty. The island welcomes its visitors with its steep mountains, covered in blossoming trees and wildflowers, the small villages speckled with olive and lemon groves, fig trees, and miles of terraced Malvasia vineyards.

Visit the island’s cities: Santa Marina – The Island’s largest town and its main port. Named after it’s church it, dates back to the roman era; Malfa – Contains most of the islands hotels and is the second most popular for hotels in the Aeolians

Enjoy Salina’s natural beauty, with its lustruous plant life and beaches, climb the Mountains and take a ride in the Salina relax boats.

3. Stromboli

stromboli tripeconomy aeolian islandStromboli is a must-see for anyone who is looking for a different type of vacation and just wants to avoid your typical lie-on-the-beach-drink-cocktails-visit-museums type of summer holiday. Nature lovers will want to climb the 900 m high volcano, which actually represents the whole island. The volcano is constantly active, and spews lava and rocks down one side of the island. The result is that there are two towns on the parts of the island that are unaffected by the lava flow; Stromboli (the main town) and the smaller Ginostra.

You can walk freely up to 400m high on the volcano, but since 2005, the access has been strictly regulated. To walk higher, you need a guide. Of course, there are organised treks departing daily (between 3:30pm and 6pm, depending on the season). These treks will allow visitors to reach the summit (924m) at sunset and observe the crater’s fireworks for 45 minutes. The climb itself takes 2½ to three hours, while the descent back to Piazza San Vincenzo is shorter (1½ to two hours). You need to be prepared with the right equipment for this; if you don’t have it with you, you can find the necessary items on the island.

4. Panarea

panarea tripeconomy aeolian islandsPanarea is the smallest and most fashionable island in Italy’s Aeolian archipelago… and also the most exclusive and expensive. During the summer, the tiny harbour is filled with luxury yachts and many day-trippers that traipse around the car-free streets of San Pietro (the port and principal settlement).

If you’re planning a trip here, find and book a bedroom with a terrace looking out directly over the sea, a swimming pool at the water’s edge and romantic waterfront views. Wind down and enjoy one of the most relaxing vacations you can have. Panarea is a wonderful place for a honeymoon or a romantic getaway with your loved one.

Begin your days with breakfast on a terrace overlooking the sea, go on stroll along to the beach and enjoy the waves for a couple of hours. A picnic lunch by the beach, an afternoon by the pool, an “aperitivo” by the harbour and dinner on a restaurant terrace sound like the most amazing and relaxing things to do while on a trip to Panarea.

Other islands worth mentioning are Filicudi, one of the prettiest and least developed of the Aeolian Islands, Laghetto di Fanghi – for the warm (28°C) mud that is considered an excellent treatment for rheumatic pains and skin diseases and Alicudi – for really getting away from crowds and noise, as this is the most isolated place you’ll find in the entire Mediterranean basin.

 

Plan your perfect trip! Find the best hotel deals by searching through our complete list of hotels in Italy! Book your flight with TripEconomy and save money! Pack your bags and have the time of your life!

2018 Spring | TOP 5 Best Destinations for a Fabulous Exotic Trip

Spring is the perfect time to take a few days off. Everything gets warmer, cherry blossoms are starting to bloom, and Spring Equinox celebrations are taking place. From St. Patrick’s Day festivities to spring regattas to national festivals, here are the best places to travel in spring.

1. Aruba

One of the greatest places to visit in the Caribbean sea paradise, Aruba is a low altitude island country with a dry climate and arid, cactus-strewn landscape, fact that contributed immensely to the development of tourism. The beaches here are very easy to get to from any point in the island, whether you go by car, bus or on foot. The number of beaches compared to the total surface of Aruba is impressive.

Find out more about the sunny paradise of Aruba. Click here!

2. Montserrat

Also in the Caribbean, located southeast of Puerto Rico, Montserrat is the only country besides Ireland where St. Patrick’s Day is an official government holiday. The festivities last a full week, and locals wear their national dress — predominant color: green.

Montserrat is blessed with natural beauty. On land there are lush tropical forests with trails of varying difficulty. Many can be enjoyed on your own, however, some require a guide to make the path clear. Stop by the National Trust our Tourist Information for a map.

For those who love the sea, the island is surrounded by reefs. Snorkeling and scuba diving can be enjoyed from shore or by boat.

3. Galapagos
Nature lovers will find the Galapagos Islands the perfect place for their vacation. This is the place where you can completely relax and escape from the crowded places and the grey skies and enjoy the untouched natural environment of the islands, where the sun shines almost always, the sea breezes caress your skin and the animals will roam around constantly, as they have no instinctive fear of humans.

Find out more about the magnificent Galapagos Islands here!

4. Tokyo
In Japan, it’s a sure sign that spring has arrived when the country’s national flower starts to bloom. Since the famed pink blossoms can only be viewed for two weeks, hanami (blossom viewing) is a big deal throughout the country. Time a trip during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival for better odds of catching the natural wonder. Some of the best viewing spots include Ueno Park, Inokashira Park, Sumida Park and along the Meguro River.

Tokyo is vast: it’s best thought of not as a single city, but a constellation of cities that have grown together. Tokyo’s districts vary wildly by character, from the electronic blare of Akihabara to the Imperial gardens and shrines of Chiyoda, from the hyperactive youth culture Mecca of Shibuya to the pottery shops and temple markets of Asakusa. If you don’t like what you see, hop on the train and head to the next station, and you will find something entirely different.

Tokyo has a vast array of sights, but the first items on the agenda of most visitors are the temples of Asakusa, the gardens of the Imperial Palace (in Chiyoda) and the Meiji Shrine (明治神宮, in Harajuku).

5. Fiji
Fiji is the product of volcanic mountains and warm tropical waters. Its majestic and ever-varied coral reefs today draw tourists from around the world.

Visit Fiji during Holi – the Festival of Colors (1st and 2nd of March 2018), when the Indo-Fijian locals toss colored powder at one another to celebrate the arrival of spring. Dancing, singing and bonfires are also part of the late-March party, which is the least religious and most social of the Hindu holidays.

See the Pacific Island Air – Scenic Helicopter & Seaplane Flights, the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Fiji Museum, the Sigatoka Jet Boat Safari and the Heli-Tours Fiji – Scenic Helicopter Flights. Try Whitewater rafting and Kayaking and enjoy the exotic paradise at its best.

No matter which one of these amazing destinations you choose for your trip this spring, you will definitely have a wonderful vacation and a very relaxing and fascinating experience. Look for the available flights to your destination and book a room in one of the hotels nearby with TripEconomy.com! Get the best offers and make the most out of your vacation!

Top 10 destination preferences in 2018 | Airfares, hotel rates & other tips

In 2017, list of the most-visited cities in the world was dominated by Asian destinations.

Now, travellers seem to be setting their sights on Europe. That’s according to data from a travel search engine, which just released their 2018 travel hacker guide, featuring the top trending destinations of this year. Business Insider summarized the data into what looks like a very interesting list of preferred travel destinations this year.

The top 100 most searched for travel dates between 3 March 2017 and 28 February 2018 were identified, as well as the cities around the world with the greatest year-over-year increase in search.

The median hotel price there was also featured, as well as the median airfare to that city from the US and Canada based on travel dates that fall into the same one-year period mentioned above. Business Insider used this data to identify the cheapest month to visit each place.

Here’s where travellers are itching to go in 2018.

10. Rome, Italy — February is the cheapest time to go

17% increase in searches / Median airfare in February: $486 / Median hotel rate in February: $122

Cheapest time to book: four months before departure / Note: only hotels with three stars and above are included in this data.

 

9. Paris, France — January is the cheapest time to go

18% increase in searches / Median airfare in January: $474 / Median hotel rate in January: $154

Cheapest time to book: six months before departure

 

8. Athens, Greece — February is the cheapest time to go

20% increase in searches / Median airfare in February: $657 / Median hotel rate in February: $92

Cheapest time to book: five months before departure

 

7. Madrid, Spain — March is the cheapest time to go

20% increase in searches / Median airfare in March: $520 / Median hotel rate in March: $114

Cheapest time to book: five months before departure

 

6. Las Vegas, Nevada — August is the cheapest time to go

21% increase in searches / Median airfare in August: $212 / Median hotel rate in August: $154

Cheapest time to book: two months before departure

 

5. Lisbon, Portugal — February is the cheapest time to go

25% increase in searches / Median airfare in February: $566 / Median hotel rate in February: $82

Cheapest time to book: six months before departure

 

4. Amsterdam, Netherlands — January is the cheapest time to go

27% increase in searches / Median airfare in January: $499 / Median hotel rate in January: $138

Cheapest time to book: three months before departure

 

3. Bali, Indonesia — November is the cheapest time to go

27% increase in searches / Median airfare in November: $782 / Median hotel rate in November: $123

Cheapest time to book: four months before departure

 

2. Barcelona, Spain — January is the cheapest time to go

35% increase in searches / Median airfare in January: $420 / Median hotel rate in January: $103

Cheapest time to book: six months before departure

 

1. Maui, Hawaii — September is the cheapest time to go

51% increase in searches / Median airfare in September: $560 / Median hotel rate in September: $309

Cheapest time to book: three months before departure

 

Travel to Calabria – Italy’s best kept secret

Southern Italy is full of surprises. Sorrento, Naples, Capri, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast are all fantastic destinations, especially for a relaxing summer holiday, if you’re a beach & seaside lover. Calabria, on the other hand, is a little less popular coastal region from Southern Italy, but it holds just as many fabulous attractions and magical places. Find out what are the best destinations you can visit and the activities that you can try out here:

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Papua New Guinea Travel Tips

This fascinating island nation in Oceania is not as popular as other exotic destinations out there, but the fact that it has not been touched by mass tourism is exactly what’s so special about it. This wonderful place can be divided into 9 main regions, with countless attractions for tourists and natural wonders.

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Middle East Travel – Jerusalem Guide

A journey for the soul, a trip for inner peace and an amazing vacation experience – Jerusalem is a holy city to three religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) and it is riddled with tourist attractions and amazing spots to visit for everyone. This fascinating “City of Gold” is a mixture of first century heavy history and twenty-first century modern vibe.

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Top 3 Best Jungle & Rainforest Holiday Destinations

Tired of the big cities, the paved roads, the traffic and the crowds? Is the concrete jungle starting to get on your nerves a little too much? Take a break and run from the chaos into the real jungle! Here are some of the best destinations for an adventure into the most fascinating jungles and rain-forests in the world!

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Bucharest 2017 Travel Guide

Romania’s capital city, the impressive city of Bucharest, also known as The Little Paris, or Paris of the East, is also the country’s largest city and its cultural, industrial and financial centre. The city is known as The Little Paris because of its elegant architecture and the sophistication of the elite that stood especially between the two world wars. Although the wars, earthquakes and the systematization program from the communist era altered the beautiful buildings and districts in the historic centre, many of them are still standing and enchanting visitors with their fascinating image.

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Top 5 Small Towns to Visit

Take your mind off the big cities for a second, wouldn’t it be great if you could spend a nice vacation in an astonishing, but very peaceful place? Small towns have a certain charm that would make anyone fall in love with the atmosphere. Check out these 5 examples of great towns that you can check out for your next trip!

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St Patrick’s Day Celebration Around the World

Also known as “The Feast of St. Patrick”, this celebration is held on the 17th of March every year, which is the traditional date of the death of the patron saint of Ireland.

“Everyone’s Irish on March 17th” – St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. This holiday was originally just another public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. It is now a great opportunity for celebration in Great Britain, Canada, the US, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Russia and parts of Asia.

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