Photo by William Murphy

These online tools are increasingly growing in popularity on the internet.  There are comparison sites for train fares and hotels popping up all the time, with each one offering some great deals on some fantastic locations.

To get a good deal you simply need to enter a few simple criteria.  Firstly you will need to enter your travel destination and the type of hotel or residence you have chosen, then the date of departure and of arrival, the number of people in this trip, and then any other options the site gives you (if you would like to refine your search even further).  Once these data has been entered then the search can be launched and dozens if not hundreds of results are displayed immediately.

Quite often you will see the cheapest deals at the beginning of the list (top of the page), but do not mistake them for the Ads by Google.  These are often misleading.  Comparison sites however are not the only possibility for which to purchase train tickets, as there are other ways to spend the holiday of your dreams without spending all of your savings.  In fact the web offers us so many opportunities that you are spoilt for choice.  They have promotions and discounts on stays at hotel rooms, cheap train tickets and airline tickets, there are supersaver tickets and weekend passes.  You can find coupon codes for zoos and theme parks and special offer weekend concessions at the local caves or sea life centre.  All of these types of offers are commonplace today, thanks to the internet.

Similarly one can enjoy the sidewalk sales of Europe to unearth an interesting proposition both in terms of quality of service and in terms of price.  On the other hand the low cost airlines are not to be overlooked, of course they often sell snacks and other forms of comfort on board, but their prices are defying all competition.  Another possibility to remember too, focuses on all-inclusive. This is a pack consisting of a hotel room, plane ticket or train ticket, and even sometimes transfer and car rental.  This option allows for significant savings on the total of these benefits (if they were added up separately).

There are also train companies that offer last minute tickets or train tickets that have a great discount if you book far enough ahead.  There are also websites that are constantly churning out last minute offers and deals, just hoping to fill up that very last train seat.  The best advice I can give is travel as much as you can as far as you can, and do it all through research on the internet.

Author Bio
Shirley Jones and her friends have travelled to every zoo in great Britain, and almost every wildlife centre and they did it all through purchase train tickets and finding out the cheap train tickets allied with the highest calibre hotels.

The post How to save money while purchasing cheap train tickets appeared first on Europe Explored.

Though flying to the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland is a good option, it will probably then mean a battle to get around the country.

For many people, not least stag parties, Dublin is their favourite destination in the Republic of Ireland. And the capital not only has many attractions but has a good transport system.

So anyone intending to limit their Irish holiday to a weekend in Dublin will not be inconvenienced by not having a car, if they choose to fly there.

There is an excellent bus service in Dublin, and if you wish to travel north or south of the city centre then it is a good idea to use the Dublin Area Rapid Transit. That is an electric train service which runs from Howth in the north to the lovely seaside town of Bray in the south.

Flying into Dublin Airport is a pleasant experience, just a short hop from Great Britain, and you can then take Aircoach into the city centre.

However, Ireland has such wonderful towns and countryside that it is a real shame to limit your time in Ireland to just Dublin. Plus Dublin Hotels, food and attractions are expensive – as you would find in any capital city – so if you’re planning on staying in Ireland for a bit longer, it pays to spread your wings and explore other, more cost-effective parts of the country.

However, those who want to explore Ireland will find that the Irish rail system is not the best. It is possible, though not speedy, to get to lovely towns like Limerick and Galway by rail, but the best way to get around is by car. You can then choose to stay away from city centres, where you find cheap hotels, as opposed to the pricier establishments closer to the centre that are designed to trap those tourists who are unable to stay anywhere else.

Car hire in the Republic of Ireland, however, is generally not as cheap as in the U.K., which can add considerably to the total cost of your trip.

Definitely worth considering is the option of taking the ferry to Ireland. However, depending where in the U.K. you live, that can involve a lengthy drive.

Ferry connections between the two countries, via the Irish Sea, are available from Holyhead, Birkenhead, Doughlas, Stranraer, Cairnryan, Troon, Swansea, Fishguard and Pembroke.

View Travelling around Ireland in a larger map

The post Travelling around Ireland appeared first on Europe Explored.

In the shadow of Ischia and Capri is small, only 2.5 km long and fewer tourists visited island of Procida. However Chiaiolella offers good swimming and, like Ischia, also cheap accommodation. In a neglected town of Procida is the main ferry port, Marina Grande.

View Ischia and Procida – two gems of the bay of Napoli in Italy in a larger map

The post Ischia and Procida – two gems of the bay of Napoli | Italy appeared first on Europe Explored.