International Vacation Apartment Rental Deals Abound

Apartment rentals overseas can be super easy on the wallet in 2009, especially in Europe now that the dollar is much stronger in value than this time last year. As an example, we researched apartment lodging for a family of five vacationing in Switzerland, a country often depicted as an "ultra expensive" destination for North Americans.

For starters, cut the cost of accommodations in much of Europe by staying in a centrally-located town on the main train line to the big city. Do some preliminary online lodging research and then consult your travel agent. We started with the site www.interhome.com, and were pleased with the variety of apartment rental specials we found.

For affordable apartment stays in European cities, we recommend www.eurocheapo.com. To book your own apartment getaway in either Europe or other international destinations, check out the rentals available through www.vrbo.com. South America, Central America, or Caribbean-bound? Then have a look at www.unusualvillarentals.com and www.stayinmexico.com.

But now it's back to one of the super September values we located in our favorite "homebase" alpine village in the Swiss Bernese Alps. Kandersteg, a cosy UNESCO World Heritage town of 1,180 tucked away in a valley at the foot of the mountains, is an excellent transportation hub for train trips down into Italy as well as glorious day excursions to the best Swiss cities and hideaways such as Bern, Muerren, Fribourg, Gruyeres, Lauterbrunnen, and Sion. For a mere 647 Euro per week (about $870 a week or 1,000 Swiss Francs = under $125 a night total!), a family of five can enjoy a relaxing stay in Kandersteg's comfortable "just for nonsmokers" chalet "Marietta."

With a lovely view of the mountains and valley, the "Marietta" is a two-level house with three bedrooms, a large living/dining room, open fireplace, satellite-TV and radio, balcony, two bathrooms/showers, kitchen, dishwasher, microwave, and washing machine. Nearby are the grocery store, restaurant, train station, etc., and winter vacationers will be happy that a chair lift, cross-country ski trail, and ice skating rink are a stone's throw away. Why stay in a hotel when you can have scenery to die for, the tranquility of the countryside, and a fully-furnished place to stay at a steal of a price?

Come to think of it, house or apartment rentals in Croatia, Slovenia, and other European countries typically less touristed by North American travelers can be even more impressive buys. Who says Europe has to cost an arm and a leg? Even in the higher-profile places like London, Rome, and Paris, great rental bargains abound.

For London apartment lodging, we like www.chslondon.com and www.Rentalo.com. Is Paris on your travel wish list this year? Then take a peek at options offered on www.parisianapartmenttours.com and www.parisattitude.com. Viva Italia! Don't miss "The Eternal City." Grab a Rome apartment deal at one of a number of helpful rental sites, including www.romerenting.com, www.thesmartcactus, and www.sleepingItaly.com. Just bear in mind oftentimes week-long stays are required, and the longer the stay, the better the price.

That's it. No more procrastination! Go snag your apartment rental deal right now, while you're dreaming about your next escape. It's time to vacation. Happy travels!

Ann Lombardi & Wendy Swartzell
The Trip Chicks

The Amazing Bottle Musician of Torino, Italy

Sleeping Pretty on a Beer Budget

In spite of the gloom and doom naysayers who insist this tough economy means far fewer North Americans will travel overseas in 2009, "The Trip Chicks" are determined to prove their predictions otherwise. Forge ahead in planning that vacation of yours. It's way overdue and well-deserved! Here are but five of our favorite alternative accommodations at rates that just might put a smile on your face. You'll not only keep more money in your pocket but will make a few great globally-minded friends to boot.


1. FARMSTAYS - Be a paying guest or lend a helping hand and stay free.


A. http://www.wwoof.org/

In exchange for pitching in on an international farm in one of 20+ countries, receive room, board, and the chance to experience real organic farm life up close.


B. http://www.takeabreak.com.au/Farmexperiences.htm (Australia)


C. http://www.farmholidays.com/ (Austria)


D. http://www.farmholidays.de/e/ (Bavaria - Germany)


E. http://www.agriturismo.com/?l=eng (Italy)


F. http://www.dutch-farmholidays.com/ (Netherlands)


G. http://www.truenz.co.nz/farmstays/ (New Zealand)


H. http://www.bauernhof-ferien.ch/englisch/index.html (Switzerland)



2. HOSTELS - From castles and former convents to more rustic digs, many of these budget accommodations are no longer just for the under 25 set.


A. http://tinyurl.com/8la3s2 (Go Nomad's list of worldwide hostels)


B. http://www.hostelbookers.com/


C. http://www.hostelz.com/


D. http://www.hihostels.com/ (Hostelling International's membership-only club)


E. http://www.hostels.com/ (Almost 27,000 listings and no booking fee)


F. http://www.hostelworld.com/



3. APARTMENT RENTALS - Just last month we stayed in a fully-furnished two-bedroom Black Forest apartment overlooking a medieval square in Germany. The price? A mere 34 Euros a night for two of us!

In addition to our list of the rental apartment finder services below, be sure to google "____________ tourism" (fill in the blank with the town or region you'd like to visit). On the official tourist office sites under the "accommodations" or "lodging" sections, you can find some amazing deals. To broaden your internet search, trying using the words for "tourism" in other languages too. (i.e. "Tourismus" in German; "tourisme" in French, etc.) Go to http://babelfish.yahoo.com/ to translate from English to the target language.


A. http://rentalo.com/


B. http://www.homeaway.com/


C. http://www.interhome.com/ (likes working with your local travel agent)


D. http://www.vrbo.com/ (Vacation Rentals By Owner)


E. http://www.wyndham-vacations.com/ (Formerly EVRentals)



4. PAID MEMBERSHIP HOSPITALITY CLUBS - Fill out an application, pay a fee to join, and receive a directory of "open door" hosts all over the world.


A. http://www.womenwelcomewomen.org.uk/ ("5 W" was founded by Brits to promote international friendship among women, but some hosts open up their homes to the husbands and children of members too)


B. http://www.usservas.org/ (Since 1949, the mission of Servas has been to foster world peace through people-to-people homestays among its pre-screened members.)



5. TRAVELER WELCOME NETWORKS FOR FREE - The first two online travel hospitality resources attract more of the younger crowd; however, if you are open-minded and adventuresome, any one of them could be the key to your successful globetrotting on the cheap worldwide.


A. http://www.couchsurfing.com/


B. http://www.globalfreeloaders.com/


C. http://www.hospitalityclub.org/



That'll do it for today. We'll be back soon with more money-saving travel tips and tricks for your next getaway. Until next time, happy travels!


Ann Lombardi & Wendy Swartzell
The Trip Chicks
Passport to Adventure, Inc.

Black Forest's Gengenbach: Jewel of A Hideaway

""All those cookie cutter Europe Christmas Market tours go to crowded big cities," grumbled our client. "Why don't The Trip Chicks come up with an 'under the North American tourist radar' place to stay?" And so we did. For eight enjoyable days this past December, the welcoming 13th century half-timbered village of Gengenbach was our Europe group's holiday "homebase."

Boasting the world's largest Advent calendar (the 24 windows of the classical town hall Rathaus facade), the ideally-situated Black Forest town offered us easy train access to a host of neat places. We visited Strasbourg (enchanting Alsatian French town with the best of French and Germanic cultures and a striking, giant gothic cathedral begun in the year 1015), Triberg (home of the standout Black Forest folk traditions museum and the stunning Wallfahrtskirche Maria in der Tannen pilgrimage church), friendly Black Forest capital university town Freiburg im Breisgau, "upper-crusty" Baden Baden, famous spa town, and other appealing destinations only a stone's throw away.

One of the best travel bargains of the Black Forest region is the Konus card, a complimentary transportation card which comes with a two-night minimum hotel or bed and breakfast stay in the area and entitles the card holder to free bus and second class train regional transportation (except for the fast ICE or Intercity trains.) As a matter of fact, the KONUS pass is good all the way down to Basel Bad, the German border town one stop before Switzerland's Basel SBB station. For a map of where the Konus card is valid, go to: http://www.konus-schwarzwald.info. Then click on "In welchem Gebiet ist KONUS gültig?" link. (German for "in which area is Konus valid?") For train travel on longer rail routes outside the Schwarzwald region (i.e. from Gengenbach to Heidelberg), we recommend consulting a travel agent who is a Europe rail expert to determine the rail pass that'll give you the best bang for your out-of-pocket buck.

Jawohl and bien sûr ! We could have easily spent two weeks in the colorful area and never run out of sights to see. If you go, don't miss sampling the delicious thin-crusted tarte flambées of Alsace (called Flammkuchen in the Black Forest region of Germany), addictive thinly-rolled rectangles of bread dough topped with cream, onions, bacon, and ham or veggies and cheese. The dessert version is a chocolate lover's delight with scrumptiously gooey bittersweet chips. More of our happy trip memories include getting the skinny on a 350-year-old Black Forest tradition during our Triberg cuckoo clock factory tour (bet you don't know what makes that cuckoo sound!), rolling in the white stuff to make our year's only snow angels in winter wonderland Titisee, sharing Baden Baden's steamy outdoor thermal spa pools with a mini UN of visitors, and enjoying the unique camaraderie of our small tour group, congenial travelers from 17 to 84. Our newly-created Christmas Market itinerary is definitely a keeper for The Trip Chicks, and we plan to repeat it in 2009. Happy travels und bis zum nächsten Mal!

Ann Lombardi

The Trip Chicks

Cool Convent Stays in La Bella Roma

Rome, the "Eternal City," is a perennial favorite on many a traveler's must-see list. But with a twin-bedded room in a 3-star Rome hotel often going for 200+ Euros a night, our dollar doesn't go half as far as it used to. So, we encourage you to consider a more colorful, definitely less costly alternative:

"Hye thee to the nunnery!"

Yes, a convent! Granted, some of them have curfews and offer just basic lodging. Others, however, are a bit more heavenly in creature comforts and ambience. The glorious one in which we recently stayed was more like a villa! (We're saving the insider scoop for our book!) A few of the sisters will even cook up a dinner for you for a modest fee. A helpful website, created by the American Catholic Church in Rome, lists a number of convent accommodations both near the Vatican and closer to the center of the city:

http://www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/convents.html

For monastery accommodations and convent stays all over Italy, check out:

http://www.monasterystays.com/

Buon viaggio!

Ann Lombardi & Wendy Swartzell
The Trip Chicks