 Holidays are expensive things. For most families, they are easily the biggest item in their annual budget behind life’s essentials such as food, shelter and transport (such as the family car). Travel and accommodation make up the largest chunk of holiday expenses, but by the time the holiday starts, they have already been accounted for, if not necessarily fully paid, and have lost their power to annoy. “Extras”, on the other hand, have not. “Extras” are all the things that your loved ones want and that you cannot deny them. After all, you don’t call them your “loved ones” for nothing. “Extras” include that dress spotted in a boutique along the way, the visit to the ice cream parlour as a reward for the long hours of walking through foreign landscapes (or museums), and they certainly include all types of public . . . → More Easy Hiking: KONUS Makes Your Family Holiday In The Black Forest Lighter On The Pocket  Special Announcement from Snow+Rock In easy hiking or in any hiking “there’s no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothing.” Who knows who originally coined that phrase, but the message still holds true for any group of hikers taking on a storm in their waterproof jackets right now – somewhere in the world. Hikers can encounter multiple climate changes during just one hike. Still, as the rain bounces off your hiker’s outdoor jackets, you continue to climb. But are you warm enough to enjoy the view, the fresh air and the freedom of your hike? If you have the right hiking attire, you will be. To start with, it is well worth kitting up early and properly for hiking. Fully equipped with the right hiking attire, you can concentrate on enjoying the trek instead . . . → More Easy Hiking: Snow+Rock Special Offer: Up To 50% Off On North Face Jackets  Youth hostels have, for the past few years, working hard to edge into the lower end of the tourism market. But are they a viable alternative to discount hotels? I already posted a few lines here about European non-profit Youth Hostels in general, but on the occasion of our recent trip to Innsbruck, we had the opportunity of actually trying one out. Admittedly, this was a sample of one. But with thousands of Youth Hostels all over Europe, any sample is small, so with the proviso that our experiences and observations are not necessarily representative or the last word on the matter, here we go. First of all, you must always remember that a Youth Hostel is not a hotel. If Youth Hostels are cheaper, they are so for a reason, and you should not expect to enter the Ritz – or . . . → More Easy Hiking: How Hostels Compare With Discount Hotels  Over the years, the Deutsche Bahn has been trying to improve their online services at www.db.de. Today, you can now conduct a transaction in at least 10 languages. Language aside, though, what may be self-evident to its regular online customers might be missed by those who may be ordering their cheapest train tickets in Germany via the DB ticketing portal for the first time. So, here are some beginners’ tips to help you navigate the site to make sure you are getting that exact cheap train ticket you want, plus help you to plan your trip better. Supposedly the English version, but still in German, here’s where you indicate your departure location (von) and your arrival destination (nach). It’s important to indicate your preferred departure time (Uhrzeit). Then, hit “Suche”. Next, you get here, . . . → More Easy Hiking: How To Get The Cheapest Train Tickets in Germany  Last year, we gave Deutsche Bahn a bit more than €600 to ferry our family of 4, plus dog, from our holiday base in West Germany to the city of Erfurt in the East, and back. This year, we only spent €120 for our round-trip to the north eastern town of Goslar, which is roughly the same distance. The big savings was possible with the (relatively) new ticket offering from Deutsche Bahn – the Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket. Is this the cheapest train ticket in Germany? This ticket can get you and your group (up to a maximum of 5 people) anywhere in Germany for a fixed price of €42 for the first person and an additional €6 for each additional traveller. Children – as long as they are your own – aged up to 14 traveling with 1 or 2 adults travel for free. Pets count as . . . → More Easy Hiking: Is This The Cheapest Train Ticket In Germany? | |
