Welcome to Bugbog Travel Guide and Pictures Helping you plan great value holidays quickly, with maps and tours
Some good weather, good value destinations for November - December 2009: Cabo San Lucas in Mexico; Florence in Italy; Angkor in Cambodia; Ko Samet island in Thailand.   Europe, November-December: - Even southern Europe is a bit cool in the winter and daylight hours are short so this is the season to explore the great city cultural institutions, particularly when they are free, such as London museums and galleries- not forgetting that the British pound is still selling cheap thanks to an incompetent Prime Minister. Other sensational European cities with magnificent tho' pay-to-enter museums and galleries are Paris, Madrid, Florence, Rome, Amsterdam and even Nice, where the sun is most likely to be shining. North America, November-December: - Southern Florida is the easy, low-cost American destination choice for warmth, sights and action, with Miami hitting highs around 73F [23C] and down in the Florida Keys [islands] up to 76F [24C], just don't expect the water to be comfortably warm. For beach holidays the best value, with culture, is of course on Mexico's beaches, though the Caribbean offers the ultimate in great, culture-free, wallet-shredding vacations [unless you can get to Cuba, where the beaches are big but local culture is bigger]. SE Asia, November-December: This gloriously colourful part of the world is at its best generally from November - February, especially Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Burma but not Indonesia. The best Asian beaches are in Thailand, by far.   Enter your search terms   Web Bugbog Submit search form
Look for SPECIAL DEALS or DISCOUNTS from tour operators: Intrepid Travel special promotions Explore price reductions or Exceptional Value Adventures Trek America discounts [North America tours] Adventure Life specials [Outdoor vacations, Latin America, Alaska, Antarctic]

A short guide to saving money on foreign holidays:

Times are tough for world travel right now with credit crises rampaging across the globe and fuel/flight costs higher than ever, so consider a vacation destination that isn't long-haul and do some thorough research.

1: Research and book online [pay by credit card and if using a tour operator check they have ATOL insurance coverage].
2: Keep check-in baggage to the minimum for no-frills flights and ensure the airline knows how many bags you'll have.
3: Eliminate any 'world care fund' or 'carbon footprint' contributions - they probably go straight into the airline's revenue stream.
4: If you already have travel insurance make sure the airline doesn't add it to your charge by default. If not, check offerings through a price comparison site [see below], and consider multi-trip insurance if you take more than one holiday abroad in a year.
5: If you are planning to drive yourself to the airport, choose your parking area and book it well in advance to get the cheapest rate. Alternatively explore public transport options; buses are often fast and good value for couples, though not perhaps if travelling as a family.
6: Never change money at the departure airport - apart from a little emergency cash if essential. Check around before you leave for the best exchange deals; for example the UK's Post Office offers great value. If you forget and need some cash pronto, exchanges at your vacation destination usually give better rates, assuming you don't arrive in the middle of the night.
7: Car hire costs differ dramatically place to place, so research will be required in this area too. If you're planning to head for a city first, then drive around the country, it will be easier and cheaper to taxi or bus into town from the airport then rent a car after you've finished the city sightseeing. [popular value comparison websites: www.travelsupermarket.com or www.moneysupermarket.com]

See our low cost flights comparison site listings:
UK Cheap Flight Comparisons | USA Cheap Flight Comparisons

Using bank cards abroad efficiently:

Buy goodies or pay bills [checks] with credit cards when on vacation as they provide insurance as well as delayed repayment but don't draw cash out from ATMs with them [unless it's a new-wave no-fee card like UK's Abbey Zero]. Interest starts accruing immediately and bank exchange fees in addition to the ATM fee may be unreasonable. Better to buy foreign cash at home from a commission-free provider [e.g. in the UK, the Post Office, Thomas Cook] though, of course when you travel you'll have to carry a fat wad around, so the best solution depends on the security of your holiday destination. If you travel a lot and want to get cash from an ATM do some research on transaction fees and get the lowest fee debit [not credit card] card you can find. [Nationwide is the UK's cheapest in 2008]
Also, never pay for anything abroad in your home currency [the exchange rate is likely to be absurd], insist on paying in local currency.

Mobile phones when travelling:

Ideally use a wifi internet or Skype phone abroad and you will escape the ridiculous charges incurred if you use your home cell phone for local or international calls when abroad.
Alternatively get a global sim card at home [do some net research on best deals currently] and change the sims over when you arrive at your destination. The number will be new but charges will be way less.

Finally, don't go short of travel insurance if you're going to be participating in any kind of marginally dangerous activity, or even a non-dangerous activity in a third world location, that's NOT the way to save money! Use your brains while they're intact!

External reviews of travel and hotels

'The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page' St. Augustine

Bugbog is an independent travel guide that helps plan holidays - whether it's beaches, safari, exotic or European tours - quickly and efficiently. We provide guides to the world's best destinations, with key tourist information, festival dates, travel pictures, travel health and safety advice, maps and thousands of useful exit links.

The travel guide summarises the best times to go, good and bad points of different great holiday destinations, and gives you an idea of what they look like with well over three thousand travel pictures in our many photo galleries.
Bugbog is not attempting to be a detailed reference, but rather a concise and inspirational guide.