Boston travel deals are an excellent way to find great prices for accommodation and flights. During the summer, most large cities tend to be quite expensive and Boston makes no exception. So, checking out the special deals is a great first step when planning a vacation.

Cheap flights to Boston are not that hard to find even if you are in Europe. You will have to make a stop along the way, but flights start at $924 return (from Edinburgh, on Air France, in the middle of July).

Once the flight to Boston secured, it’s time to look for a hotel room. Boston hotels range from affordable to expensive, just like in all other large cities. It’s up to you (and your budget) to decide where you plan to stay. In the middle of the high season, standard double rooms cost about $160 per night (2-star, in Boston’s theater district). Alternatively, you can look for hostels and you can book a bed in a dorm for just $25 a night.

Sure, if you fly from Europe a vacation in Boston can be a bit pricey, but it’s all about the choices you make. Check different routes into Boston. If you don’t mind spending more time in airports, you don’t need to book the shortest route, especially if you can grab some deals along the way. Likewise, don’t settle for the first hotel you find online. Ask around, especially in well-established travel communities. There’s always someone who can give you a good tip.

Because the festival is so popular, planning a vacation for this occasion is complicated – or shall I say quite a nightmare? Edinburgh accommodation books up really fast (starting with the cheapest places first, of course!) and the cheap flights to Edinburgh are sold as soon as they come on sale.

You might want to play it “dangerously” and wait until the last minute to book the flight. Airlines such as Ryanair, BMI and easyJet do offer quite a lot of flights to Edinburgh for low rates but you have to book them within a very short time frame (2-3 days) and at most one month before departure.

In short, if you want to be there, you need to plan in advance. Way in advance! Edinburgh festival travel deals come in handy if you don’t like to plan everything on your own.

If you travel with friends, booking a dorm for the entire gang is an excellent idea. You already know each others’ nocturnal habits and there won’t be too many frustrations along the way. Plus you can pitch in for an excellent meal cooked in the hostel’s kitchen. Bed rates start at £17 per night (in dorms). On the other hand, if you travel with your significant other and prefer the private rooms, you can find them in hostels at rates starting at £23 per night.

If you are a student make sure to carry your documents with you because you’ll be able to get some discounts (at shows, transportation, landmarks). This surely comes in handy when your budget is not exactly high. An easy way to save money is by shopping at the farmer’s market and cooking in the hostel or planning picnics. It’s romantic, it’s cheap and fun.

But what about taking a big leap and choose one of the inspirational travel locations to cure the writer’s block? I’ve definitely done it and let me tell you there’s nothing like writing in the train or at a café in the middle of an old town.

Europe is filled with beautiful cities which can inspire you even when you think nothing else could. So, the first step is to look for cheap tickets to Europe. Paris, Moscow, Ljubljana and Edinburgh are excellent choices to get you started. And if you have enough time on your hands, you can plan to visit them all. After all, low-cost carriers and trains are the writers’ best friends. And by the way: in some trains there are electrical outlets so you can work while you enjoy the scenery.

You can fly into Paris, spend several days there to soak up the atmosphere and then catch a flight to Edinburgh. Look for Edinburgh hotels before you leave because they tend to get expensive and crowded during the summer. And if you think the city is a bit too exciting for you, you can always plan a trip to the Scottish Highlands.

Then you can make the transition to Eastern Europe, stopping in Vienna for a weekend getaway. You’ll fall in love with the city and you’ll surely unleash your imagination. Then take a train to Ljubljana and explore the old city and the surrounding landscape. Last, but not least, go to Moscow (tip: choose summer if you hate cold as much as I do). There’s something intriguing about this city and you’ll surely get some interesting ideas.

Photo credit

Spring is a lovely time to travel because the crowds haven’t “invaded” the cities yet and the prices are relatively low compared to the summer. The bad news is that you should plan for some rainy days no matter what city you plan to visit; weather can be either sunny and warm or gloomy and rainy.

Once you are in Europe, it’s easy and cheap to plan your next stop. The United Kingdom in particular is an excellent start point for your vacation because there are countless cheap flights to large European cities. Flights to Amsterdam are incredibly cheap especially if you like to search for the low-cost airlines’ deals. There’s always something to grab your attention but make sure to keep your eyes open and act fast.

When it comes to accommodation, hostel beds are the cheapest choice but you can always look for cheap hotels in Amsterdam . It’s true that you get what you pay for but sometimes it’s possible to find some great deals offered by 3 or 4-star hotels.

Other expenses to consider while visiting Amsterdam are those linked to the entertainment and food. Happy hours will save you quite a lot of Euros if you like to enjoy a few drinks now and then. And it’s quite easy to find cheap food (especially if you are not into healthy eating).

By the way, you can burn off some of those calories by checking out the many trendy stores. You may never know when you find a good bargain and it’s surely better to come home with a cute new tank top rather than a tacky souvenir.

>>If you are like me and want to find the cheapest possible airfare, accommodation and don’t plan to spend too much on food and sightseeing either, then you’ll surely appreciate reading this cheap Amsterdam guide .

I’m talking, of course, about St. Patrick’s Day.

While St. Patrick’s Day isn’t as huge a holiday in Scotland overall, it’s still an excuse to wear green and drink more than you might otherwise. And in Edinburgh there are likely to be bigger St. Paddy’s Day parties than in some other cities. But if you really want to party properly, your best bet is to head to Ireland – which, luckily, is easy to do from Scotland.

There are lots of holidays that people travel for when airfare increases just before and just after the big day, and there’s a little bit of that associated with St. Patrick’s Day – but it’s still much easier to find St. Patrick’s Day travel deals than it is to find deals for bigger holidays throughout the year. If you’re already in Scotland, you should be able to find cheap flights to Dublin or even cheap flights to Cork (if you want to skip the crazier Dublin celebration altogether) on one of the many discount airlines serving the Emerald Isle. In particular, you should definitely look for Ryanair flight deals, since they’re actually an Irish airline. Just remember that their super-low fares usually also come with super-low standards for service.

Once you figure out how to get over to Ireland for the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, you’ll want to sort out your accommodation next. More intrepid travelers may be used to arriving in a new place and then finding a place to stay – but when you’re talking about visiting (say) Dublin over such a major holiday, you may end up with no place to lay your head or leave your bags because everything’s booked. So the sooner you can reserve a room, the better off you’ll be.

Also remember that Dublin is a notoriously expensive city to visit, so you might want to look into the many hostels in addition to searching for cheap hotels in Dublin. And if you’re all about the party, the closer you stay to the Temple Bar area means you’ll have less distance to stumble home after a long night of drinking.

photo by Barnacles Hostels

Shrouded in mystery and myth, the Isle of Skye is a magical place with enough history to fill more than one text book. Join Macbackpackers, an independent Scottish owned tour company, on their 3 day exploration of legends and history, faeries and warriors, love and war as you journey from Edinburgh through the highlands and up to Skye.

Day 1

Leaving on a Friday morning we are met by our kilted guide, Neil Mclennan. After picking up the rest of the troops we head out of the city on our faithful steed, the Macbackpacker bus. Neil is a fantastic story teller and is soon entertaining us with legends and stories. Our first stop is “The Hermitage” (see photo left) , where, Neil reveals, he was possibly once approached by faeries who hoped to lure him to their kingdom. There is certainly a strange magical feel about the place for sure.Killicrankie is our picnic spot where Neil enthusiastically recreates the highland charge that scared the shite out of the British troops. A brief stop at Culloden Battle Field to pay homage to the many men who lost their lives in this historic battle, a battle that was surely a turning point in Scottish history. Nearing the end of a long day of traveling we search for Nessie at Loch Ness and dip our feet in the frigid water. Finally pulling into Kyleakin Town on the Isle of Skye in the early evening.

Our home for the next 2 nights is Lochbuie Guest House and we have it all to ourselves, with a fantastic view of the harbor and just a hop skip and jump from Haakons pub and restaurant. After claiming our beds we all head over for a delicious meal and a traditional Scottish Ceilidh (kay-ley). With bagpipes playing we all dance the night away and sleep very well that night.

Day 2

Day 2 start with a visit to the Skye Backpackers to pick up a set of willies for all those without waterproof shoes. At the river Sligachan, Neil once again entertains with an enthusiastic recreation of the meeting of Sciath and Cuchaillien and encourages to put our face in the river with the promise of eternal youth. The epic adventure came when climbing to the “Old Man of Storr” (see photo right), just 30minutes Neil said… I think the old man was hiding in the mist, but it was great climb and as long as you listen to instructions and don’t wander off the path there should be no need to call search and rescue. At the end we all formed a circle and toasted each other as we passed around a much needed swig of whiskey. You certainly form great friendships on this trip and after a great group meal of pasta we all sat around and chatted, listened to music and recalled the exciting events of the day.

Day 3

Day 3 was a farewell to Skye as we headed home via stunning Glen Coe where we sat and had lunch and looked out for wild red deer. Stopping to get a picture of Hamish the Hairy Coo/Cow was a highlight to the tour, just don’t get too close to his horns. Our final stop was the Wallace Monument in Stirling and then home to Edinburgh.

Conclusion

A great tour, great leader and friends for life. The only downside is the amount of travel time, but that can’t be helped and you are never on the bus for more than 2hrs.

Where to book

To book your tour check out MackBackpackers , or book at either Royal Mile Backpackers , High Street Backpackers or Castle Rock Backpackers . There are many tour options to choose from.

More photos from the tour:

How many backpackers can you fit in a phone booth?

Hoping Nessie won’t grab us

All backpackers think alike

If legend is true…7 seconds and stay young

Located up a fairly steep hill from Waverly station but only a hop skip and jump from the Royal Mile, it is in a great location. The numerous floors are linked by winding staircase that could give you vertigo when you look down from the top floor. There is a pool table in the common room and a TV lounge to sit and relax. The rooms are brightly painted and most have excellent views of the city. There is a self catering kitchen with everything you need to cook up a feast.

There is not much to say that could be negative, the staff is great and if you have a good bunch of guests the parties could be endless. There was a small lack of vibe created by the rather high reception desk that might feel a little hotel like and intimidating. But apart from that, a good place to stay.

Address:

65 Cockburn Street
Edinburgh, Scotland
+44-131-220-1717

Map:

Photos:

Smart City Hostel also caters to the disabled with 3 rooms fitted for the handicapped, along with elevators, in addition to family rooms with TV’s to keep the little ones entertained.

I would recommend this hostel for groups but as a lone backpacker it is a little sterile and it might be hard to meet people.

Address:

50 Blackfriars Street
Edinburgh
0870 892 3000

Map

Photos:

VisitScotland organises a range of tours to suit all tastes. All tours include…

The Hogmanay break, taking in Edinburgh’s renowned New Year’s celebrations in the Princes Street Gardens under the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, begins at £105. From £189 you can partake in the world famous Edinburgh Military tattoo, which conincides with the Festival season in August of each year. Get in quick as the Tattoo sells out months in advance every year. Golf is a favourite pastime in Scotland and VisitScotland organises a range of golf tours, including the Open Golf Championship 2007 and a visit to the St Andrew course. For all you Da Vinci code fans, there is even a tour to Rosslyn Chapel, made famous by it’s inclusion in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci code. If you are interested in this tour it’s a good idea to come out of season, as large groups easily crowd the small church.

For other Edinburgh/Scotland tours and offers, see VisitScotland.