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Here's an opportunity for anyone who wants to have a cheap break to Europe right now. It appears to be on-going for quite a while. Aerlingus are offering flights to European dstinations for - well - £0.00. There is airport tax at each end, costing from £9.99, so call it twenty pounds to do the travel. It's no con: I did it last week to Dublin, but now they have more destinations. (I don't have an exact link as I get these notifications by email.)
Obviously the cost can mount up a bit, taking all in, but not too much. I know one or two people here on HP are into couchsurfing (the social net-work site where people put you up for free in their homes). That's not really "me", but if you take Dublin, for example, it has plenty of unmissable (advertised everywhere on placards people carry centrally) high-grade hostels with dorms of 6 to 8 beds (most may be unused right now) for just ten euros a night: one even boasts a free sauna.
So extremely cheap travel is available right now if anyone fancies a city-break. (TBH I found that being in a city, even Dublin, didn't feel like much of a break, but that's just me, and you could travel further afield...)
V
An excellent way to maximise your carbon footprint :cool:.
Myarka
Hi Myarka,
dont wish to disagree with you on any aspect however a quote from your own signature "Why focus on a nail in the door when the house is on fire?."
There are lots of otherways to offset your carbon footprint and still enjoy the odd jolly. I personally plant a number of trees, hedging plants or similar around the land I own each time I take a holiday with my family, take a long car journey or otherwise trouble my conscience.
I simply cant commit to use public transport due to my rural location and ineffective and irregular service. My life is lived using the 80/20 rule whether looking at diet, activity, travel or other issues. I do my bit and will research these cheap flights as I need a bit of a break to unwind. I annaully raise money for charities including environmental, less abled athletes, majr contributors to research into health benefits and chronic disease and those working in less developed countries., I recycle, compost, re-use anything that I am able and commit virtually nothing to landfill. I wouldnt dream of imposing my thoughts and aspirations or ideals on others. I for one appreciate this posting by Venetian
many thanks Venetian
regards
BGFL
An excellent way to maximise your carbon footprint :cool:.
Myarka
You know, I was just trying to share useful and interesting information, which I'm sure will be of interest to other rational people, but I now realise that somewhere in the back of my mind, I actually wondered if, just if, someone would be so petty as that.
Aerlingus were great. You get what's on the tin, and the return flight only took 40 minutes! I was looking forward to spending my remaining euro coins, the silly (euro) money, on a coffee and a snack, as I was hungry. Last thing I remember is taking off (because in just that short time, I fell asleep!): then it was "fasten your seat belts"! 40 minutes passes very fast. LOL, of course the world is utterly destroyed in the meantime - duh - not.
My own "carbon footprint" LOL - a phrase right out of George Orwell, meaning "Stay in your house, under our control, the thought-police, and don't dare move" is more minimal than you would even dream.
Me, I intend to see the world. Seeya. :p Or - I guess not! Duh: so none of us ever fly again or drive in car? LOL.
V
Thanks Venetian, i found that to be very useful, especially for summer time. Have looked at a weekend break in Dublin.Ta:)
So far as I can see, this is the best link to the £0.00 flights, plus airport tax, that I mention:
It was interesting to me: I haven't been to Dublin since a purely charity-work weekend, when I never had a moment to look around, in 1981! I'm sure Dublin is vastly changed since then. The people were just great. I think that I am just not at all into traditional tourism, so after mere hours I lost interest in that. But I did take the 13-euro open-topped bus tour with a guide: at this time of year I was by the end the only passenger and the driver made me almost literally fall on the floor laughing with his great comments.
Ouch! The founder of Guinness had 21 children, all by the same wife! - how the driver actually mentioned that I'll keep to myself.
In these times of a credit crunch, there's actually still a lot of building and of renewal going on in Dublin. Apparently half the population are aged 25 or under, so be prepared for a "young scene".
I think that's what I also missed out on: I'm not really into so-called 'night-life' at all, but you just simply cannot beat Dublin for that, I could see and hear: it's amazing, with free live music all over the place, and it's a very compact city: very easy to walk around in just minutes. As a near-veggie, I appreciated that the Hare Krishnas have two "Govinda" restaurants there ... but their portions are enormous, so don't ask for "large plate" whatever you do. It feeds a family.
Anyway, that's just Dublin: check on the link, and you'll see that you can go to loads of places. 
With a pal, I reckon I'll be trying out somewhere further afield.
V
Thanks Venetian, i found that to be very useful, especially for summer time. Have looked at a weekend break in Dublin.Ta:)
No guarentee this offer will last until then, mind you.
V
someone would be so petty as that.
It's amazing how much people read into a one line post.
But it does show where the sensitivities lay.
As you are a case in point. This thread was begun by me to be helpful to people, and I'm sure they do find it so. :p
You got an excellent deal!!
I booked a €0.00 cost aer lingus flight to London for me and friend - ended up being €250 by time they had finished adding on taxes and charges. I did book some time back though.
You got an excellent deal!!
I booked a €0.00 cost aer lingus flight to London for me and friend - ended up being €250 by time they had finished adding on taxes and charges. I did book some time back though.
If you'd care to share, it would be interesting to hear how it got to such a cost from zero? That's why I posted: I got, as the phrase goes, exactly what it says on the tin. OK: there was one extra as well as £20 tax: for £4 I pre-booked a window seat, but the plane was so empty I didn't really have needed to have done. I also usually travel without insurance.
V
If you'd care to share, it would be interesting to hear how it got to such a cost from zero?
Just had a look at the docket. The majority of it was taxes, there was 18 insurance and a whopping 48 euro for baggage!
I use aer lingus quite often, and find you'll get the best deal if you have flexible travel dates and times, and don't need to check in any baggage.
Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip to Ireland! The weather is fantastic here at present.
Oh, yes: Baggage. I forgot to mention that. You do have to pay if you check in baggage. My whole idea was to literally keep it cheap, so I went with a daysac on-board, nothing else, as I only stayed over one night. There are various extras you can pay for or avoid: car hire, 5-star hotels, insurance ... I clicked no to the lot.
I'd like to mention once again that for a well-loved capital city, and where so much else was so expensive, there were great deals you can find yourself for accomodation. If I'd had three companions, it would have worked out just 10 euros each, with cooked breakfast, as my room had four beds! I eventually also found a net cafe at just 1 euro an hour.
V
BTW, I heard about the Aerlingus deal through the service called Travelzoo. I just got their weekly email, including flights to Moscow for just £103.50 ...
V