Bugbog Travel Guide and Pictures Helping you plan great value holidays with ease
Some great weather, interesting destinations for September-October 2010: Florence, Italy; Atacama, Chile; Kyoto, Japan; Greek Islands   Enter your search terms   Web Bugbog Submit search form Europe, September-October: September heralds some rainfall in central/north Europe but is a terrific time to hit the Mediterranean beaches, with less crowds, warmer seas, lower prices and a perfectly balmy air. France's Côte d'Azur or Corsica, Spain's Costa de la Luz and the Balearic Islands, Italy's Sardinia, Sicily and Greece's southern islands such as Crete or Mykonos all typically offer sunshine, temperatures above 25C, fine beaches, some inland attractions and comfortable beach life support systems. Europe's big cities, particularly in the south, should be perfect for culture suckers with warmish temperatures, more elbow room and still lengthy daylight hours. As usual the southerly must-sees are Seville, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Florence, Rome, Athens, Istanbul. Americas, September-October: Many US and Mexico beaches are getting chilly or unpleasantly stormy and humid during these months with the notable exception of Southern California where the beaches are excellent and the nearby attractions are legion. Hawaii is also a superb destination at this time unless you're looking for big surf. That comes later... Central America is not a good place at this time but South America is brilliant [apart from the Galapagos Islands], check out Peru, Brazil, Chile, Argentina. American staycationers have plenty of great options. The southwest USA canyon region near Las Vegas is still good September/October for a roadtrip with superb walks around the brilliant grand circle, while America's greatest cities are at their very best in these Fall months: New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Boston. Asia/Africa, September-October: Much of Asia is wet but China, Tibet, Japan and Indonesia are in prime time while Papua New Guinea is rampant with really weird cultures. Over in Africa Morocco is looking lush and colourful, Egypt's Red Sea is spectacular though inland is still too hot, while Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar are amok with wildlife. Whatever, wherever, Happy Holidays!
Look for SPECIAL DEALS or DISCOUNTS from Tour Operators: Trek America discounts [USA, Canada, Central America] Adventure Life discounts [Latin America, Alaska, Antarctica] Adventure South specials [New Zealand] UncoverTheWorld Specials: Egypt, Nepal, Thailand Intrepid Travel special promotions [Worldwide] Explore price reductions or Exceptional value adventures [Worldwide] Bugbog's special deals on city breaks, flights, cruises and beach holidays.

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 web 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!

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'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.

We summarise the best times to go, good and bad points of different great holiday destinations and give you an idea of what they look like with a mass of travel pictures in various photo galleries.
Bugbog is not attempting to be a detailed reference, but rather a concise and inspirational guide for fast, informed destination decision-making.

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