Why to Avoid Airport Duty Free Shopping

February 28, 2007

duty-free airport shoppingNo brainer budget travel tip: Do not participate in “Duty Free Shopping” in airports.

The [not so] amazing deals on liquor and perfume offered in the air or in airports can put a quick dent in any traveler’s wallet. If you’re an impulse buyer, you are the prime target for duty free shops. Don’t feel bad, because there are a lot of impulse buyers out there which support the massive duty free market.

So, a couple reasons why to avoid shopping duty free.

1.The duty free deals are not that good.

Sorry to burst your bubble. They aren’t that great of deals. You do not have to pay tax, but this difference does not automatically make a good deal. The hype around shopping duty free is very powerful, and it can easily get into one’s head. Even though ten cartons of cigarettes may be fairly cheap, chances are you didn’t budget money to spend on them.

2. Your Duty Free Products may be Confiscated

MSNBC recently reported that many European travelers have been required to get rid of their liquor and perfume because airport officials could not tell if they came from secure duty free shops. This, along with the US and Britain’s new dislike of liquids on planes makes dumping out your new scotch fairly likely.

3. Do you really need duty free products?

I estimate that 84% of purchases at duty free airport shops are impulse buys that result from wandering around from boredom. In 89% of these cases, I believe that shoppers do not need these products. I don’t think many people plan to buy some new perfume at the duty-free shop while they are traveling. Unless you already threw away your perfume at a security check point, you have no real need for Gucci’s new offering.

If I successfully saved one traveler from the shopping duty free, my work here is done.

Europe Rail Travel Expansions challenge Airlines

February 26, 2007

europe train travelIs the European railroad system on a comeback? It’s definitely a question you must ask yourself, especially after reading a New York Times article on new European railroad expansions taking place. The article cites the several substantial decreases in travel time that will result from rail upgrades all around Europe.

Paris

First, the travel time between Paris, France and Strasbourg will be cut in half in June, to nearly two and a half hours by a new service from TGV Est. Paris will also see faster connections with Germany, Switzerland, eastern France, and Luxemborg from TGV Est’s improvements.

Great Britain

EuroStar is opening up in St. Pancras International station in London to offer the country’s first high speed rail line. This will open up northern England and Scotland to the rest of Europe. Travel to Paris from London will also be improved to about 2 hours 15 minutes.

All Over the Place…

Really, everywhere else is also getting in on the action. Brussels, Amsterdam, Italy, Spain, and Germany are all opening new high speed railroads in the next couple years.

European Travel in the Future

This is the first news piece that I have seen in awhile to suggest that European rail travel is on a comeback. In the last couple years, many budget travelers and backpackers migrated toward the European budget airlines because of their amazingly low air fares.

Well, with potential fare hikes and the future of jet fuel prices in the next decade, I see another shift back to the European rail ways. It’ll be nice to see the romantic rail traveling backpacker have better travel opportunities in the future.

Movies that Inspire Travel

February 21, 2007

Arthur Frommer and companions recently named the top 10 movies of 2006 that inspire traveling. As the Oscars approach, it’s an idea I wish I would have thought of. So instead of making a list of 2006 travel inspiring movies, I’m going to remix the list idea and allow the list to include all movies made in the “modern movie era” (not really sure what the dates actually are, because I made it up)

The Top 6 Movies that Inspire Travel

6. Aladdin - Seriously, who hasn’t wished they could soar above a beautiful Arabic kingdom after watching the movie? Laugh all you want, but you know I’m right. I will, however, refrain from including any more Disney cartoon movies.

Budget Airline Nas Air launches in Saudi Arabia

February 19, 2007

Nas AirNas Air, the first no-frills budget airline in Saudi Arabia flew for the first time February 17. This first flight, basically for media and publicity purposes, was led literally by the CEO, who is a trained pilot.

The ticket fares offered by Nas Air reportedly have the potential to be dirt cheap. I say potential, because it depends how early you book. The earlier, the better. Also, they are supposedly offering good discounts to those who purchase online at FlyNas.com.

Nas Air will officially open to all Arabians on February 25, 2007 with flights offered on one of its three Airbus A320s. Nas Air has big plans though, and expects to become a huge player in the budget airline market. They hope to have eight planes in their fleet in a year, and plan to service 23 Saudi Arabian destinations in two years. After that, they want to go international and will have an IPO. Yeah, like I said, big plans.

This happens to remind me a lot of Jet Blue and Emirates. Jet Blue, because of their urgency to grow and aggressiveness as a young airline. Emirates because Nas Air is exploiting (in a good way) an untapped middle-class Middle Eastern market.

If Nas Air doesn’t pull a downfall like their US rapper counterpart (sorry for the pop culture reference) they could become the next RyanAir or easyJet. Watch out Saudi Arabian Airlines.

The story from ArabNews

Learn a Foreign Language

February 16, 2007

While traveling internationally, the potential language barrier can be a bit intimidating. Luckily for Americans, English is so widespread that US travelers can often get by without knowing any of the foreign language of their host country.

To me, that kind of ruins the point of traveling. It’s much more interesting using the native language of the country you are visiting, as it allows you to learn so much more about their culture.

So I’m going to examine a few low cost language learning systems that will offer you Spanish, French, German, Farsi, Hindu, Chinese, Korean, or Italian lessons before you travel internationally.

the Rosetta Stone1. Rosetta Stone Language Learning Software

There are many different “at home” language learning programs that travelers can indulge in. Rosetta Stone is probably the leader in the computer market as they offer the highly touted language learning software that is suppose to have great results. It’s supposedly a favorite among governmental and business users looking to learn foreign languages. Rosetta Stone focuses on the natural way to learn languages without the “dictionaries or grammar books, without memorization or translation”

Rosetta Stone software will run you about $200 for level one, $225 for level two, or both levels for $330. It does seem pretty steep, but when you consider how comprehensive the lessons are, and how big of an investment it is, $330 really isn’t that much.

2. Language Learning Audio

PimsleurMuch like Rosetta Stone’s monopoly of learning language software, The Pimsleur Language Learning System owns the audio language market. The Pimsleur language learning method is supposed to also be natural, and not consist of “memorize the following verbs” instructions.

The Pimsleur audio systems include a 10 day money back guarantee. “Start speaking any language within 10 days or receive a full and courteous refund.” So they must have confidence in their teaching techniques.

3. Language Books

Well, I found this to be kind of a crossover category, because no real “exclusive” books on Amazon offer to teach you a foreign language by text alone. Most books come with an audio CD to aid you in your language practice, which is probably necessary so you can pronounce and understand words.

Dover’s Listen and Learn French seems to be popular on Amazon.com. The way to find the best language books + audio cds is probably through Amazon or Barnes and Noble. A bunch of research with customer reviews will help you find the best product for you.

Caribbean Budget Travel

February 11, 2007

JamaicaAs spring approaches, the Caribbean is the place to be. A large assortment of Caribbean Islands will be hosting the internationally renowned Cricket World Cup, which has lead to looser travel restrictions in ten Caribbean nations. I’m going to offer a few budget friendly travel tips as I promised in my previous post on the Caribbean Cricket world cup.

Traveling on a tight budget this spring could be tricky as most of the Caribbean will be buzzing with excitement from the Cricket World Cup. This event, paired with the Caribbean’s reputation of being crowded anyways, could put the tourist saturation at all time highs.

But for cricket fans and travelers, these roadblocks still may not be enough to sway your convictions. The locations that are included under the lax travel restrictions are:

  • Barbados
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Dominica
  • St. Lucia
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Grenada
  • St. Vincent and The Grenadines
  • Guyana
  • Jamaica
  • St. Kitts and Nevis

Of these destinations, I have found Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Barbados offer the best budget friendly deals. Cheap lodging is usually the hardest thing to find, and possible deals include:

St. Lucia: Ashley’s Inn from $35USD a night, and Fox Grove Inn from $45 a night.

Barbados: The Rio Guesthouse is a neat hostel that has rates from $30 a bed. This looks like a great deal at a pretty cool place.

Jamaica: Has plenty of hostels available listed on HostelWorld.com. Prices are usually around $20 a night, but may get as high as $40 in resort areas.

For flights, if you’re lucky you might be able to find a dirt cheap flight with Spirit Airlines. Otherwise, on other airlines, expect a round trip fare to range between $400 and $600, depending on your location. From major hubs, expect to be around $450-500ish range.

Other tips? Well, be smart and use your wisdom developed from reading my lengthy posts to make good fiscal decisions if you travel to the Caribbean.

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