Less Than a Shoestring

June Calendar Available for Download

poetloverrebelspy — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:00:03 +0000

This month’s desktop calendar preview at left.

As usual, the image and download instructions can be found under the “For Your Desktop” tab.

Enjoy!

May’s Calendar Available for Download

poetloverrebelspy — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:00:24 +0000

This month’s image comes from Granada, Spain. Preview here:

If you’d like to download, grab the image and follow the instructions in the “For Your Desktop” tab.

Enjoy!

Free Ben and Jerry’s Today

poetloverrebelspy — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:24:21 +0000

Once a year, Ben and Jerry’s gives away ice cream at its scoop shops free.

TODAY’S THE DAY!

In the U.S. and Canada, find your nearest scoop shop here.

Overseas, give one of these two links a try: 1, 2. (You’ve got a chance if you’re in Aruba, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, or the UK.)

Enjoy!

April’s Calendar Available for Download

poetloverrebelspy — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:17:37 +0000

Crawling out of my hole briefly to post this month’s desktop calendar, taken in Barcelona last year.

As always, find the best quality image and instructions under the “For Your Desktop” tab above.

Happy April! Hope to be back soon …

Coming Soon: Relaunch of Less Than a Shoestring

poetloverrebelspy — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:52:13 +0000

What’s going on at the blog? Inquiring minds want to know!

There are lots of good changes coming soon — check out the beta version of the new site here. How do you like the new look? Something broken in your browser? Leave a message in the comments.

For the next couple of weeks, continue to check this page while everything gets sorted out at the new domain. When it’s time to change your bookmarks and your rss feeds, I’ll let you know.

Since I was hoping to launch at the beginning of March, I’ve been sitting on this month’s desktop calendar. No longer! Download a piece of spring for your computer by clicking on the “For Your Desktop” tab above.

Finally, I will be at the ITB here in Berlin for the next five days, making contacts with fellow travel bloggers and travel professionals. If you’ll be there, do send me a message via the contact tab. Let’s network!

Download February’s Desktop Calendar

poetloverrebelspy — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:19:53 +0000

It’s the first of the month (rabbit, rabbit), and you know what that means: February’s calendar desktop is now ready for download. Preview of the image at left.

If you’re not sure how to change your desktop wallpaper, follow the easy instructions in the For Your Desktop tab.

Enjoy!

New Airport Bus to Berlin Schönefeld

poetloverrebelspy — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:00:41 +0000

A new “express” bus service now links Südkreuz train station in Berlin with Schönefeld Airport. Price: 6 euros, 4 euros with any BVG ticket, 3 euros with a weekly or monthly ticket. For those flying into Berlin, the ticket remains valid for further transit on public transportation in Berlin ABC.

This bus represents no monetary savings to Shoestring travelers.

Berliners with a regular AB ticket need only purchase an “Anschlussticket” for 1.40 euros to take the RE train, the S-Bahn or a BVG bus to the airport.
Visitors coming into town for a few days will most certainly be better off purchasing a 2-, 3- or 5-day tourist card or a weekly ticket and traveling by one of the aforementioned methods.
If you’re still weighing your options, a single Berlin ABC ticket will get you into town and beyond for just 2.80 euros!

I’m posting about the service nevertheless, as you may find that it will save you transit time, depending on where you are staying/living. For less than 2 euros more (with my monthly ticket), I may cut up to 30 minutes off my route to the airport — and that’s something worth writing about!

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Thursday Photo Friday #19

poetloverrebelspy — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:00:40 +0000

I love capitols – can’t get enough of their marble halls, gilded domes, dark wood paneling and hundreds of tiny desks (at least they always *look* tiny from the viewing gallery) with multicolored voting buttons. They capture a regal era removed from our own with a permanence found rarely in modern architecture.

While in DC at the beginning of January, my destination of choice was the new visitors’ center at the U.S. Capitol. On the way, I passed the inauguration grounds with stage building in progress, pictured on Tuesday. (Where did you spend your inauguration day? Share your stories in the comments.)

In sheer contrast to the classical American dome is that of the German Reichstag, whose glass dome by Sir Norman Foster was added to the building after reunification. The overarching theme of Germany’s new governmental architecture is transparency, with buildings and offices as visible as possible. From the visitors’ area of the dome, it is possible to look down into the plenary room below, as pictured here.

A visit to the Reichstag is fun and free — check all the details for making yours a smooth one in this previous post.

Follow other Photo Friday participants here.

Happy Inauguration Day!

poetloverrebelspy — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:00:17 +0000

Wherever you are in the world today celebrating (EuroCheapo’s got the partial scoop on events in Europe) — Happy Obama Day to you!

Are you headed to the Mall, attending a Ball, or watching the events on your TV in the hall? Share the stories of your Inauguration Day experience in the comments.

Don’t Lose your Booze! What You Need to Know When Making Airport Connections

poetloverrebelspy — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:00:08 +0000

Some friends of mine made an unhappy discovery when departing the Czech Republic with a long-sought bottle of wine (or two): their duty-free purchase was confiscated when making a connection in another EU airport.

As much as I complain about the security theater Americans abbreviate TSA, there is one upside to the system: once you’re in (and don’t connect in a stupid airport [ahem, JFK] where you have to exit and reenter secured areas when changing flights), you and your liquids are in. Put that chapstick back in your pocket, enjoy a long swig from your refilled water bottle — no one will bug you about those items again.

Unfortunately, if you are connecting onward through a European airport, you will be subject to repeated searches – necessitating the return of your chapstick to your 1L ziploc, the dumping of your secure-area beverages and, for the unlucky, the confisciation of your duty-free liquids, creams and gels.

How do you avoid this expensive dilemma? Find out after the jump.

If you have purchased native wines, perfumes or other liquids disallowed in carry-on luggage due to their size, place these items in your checked luggage. Wrap up in a plastic bag or three and cushion with every dirty sock and pair of underwear you’re carrying — or consider specialized packing tools to avoid breakage.

If, like my friends, you discover a must-have item in the duty-free and your flight originates in the EU, it must be:

sealed shut in a clear duty-free bag
clearly displaying a receipt that the items were purchased on the day of flight

Most duty-free shops should know and comply with these rules. This is (as evidenced above) not always the case. If the duty-free shop does not follow these simple guidelines, your purchases may be confiscated at your next EU transfer point. If they cannot follow these guidelines, do not make the purchase!

If you are flying to and transferring within the U.S., you must place these items in your checked luggage when reclaimed for customs inspection or it may then be confiscated by TSA.

A quick example to illustrate: Gallant flies Northwest from Berlin to San Francisco via Amsterdam and Minneapolis and purchases a duty-free liqueur in the secured area of the Berlin airport. If it is sealed properly as noted above, Gallant may carry it through the Amsterdam security checkpoint to Minneapolis. When luggage is reclaimed in Minneapolis, Gallant repacks the bottle in checked luggage to be flown onward to San Francisco.
>If it is not sealed properly, Goofus’ liqueur can be taken away in Amsterdam.
>If it is not moved to checked luggage in Minneapolis, Goofus’ liqueur can be taken away in Minneapolis.
Got it?

Now, if we reverse the scenario, so Goofus and Gallant are flying from San Francisco to Berlin via Minneapolis and Amsterdam, it looks different. A duty-free purchase in San Francisco or Minneapolis (or their airplane) will be confiscated without exception when they arrive in Amsterdam. In the EU, customs is handled at the final destination, so it isn’t possible to restow items in checked luggage. These liquids are simply not allowed, so don’t waste your hard-earned money!

Have you been burned by these opaque regulations? Giddily awaiting the day when liquids are allowed on board again? Share your stories and concerns in the comments.

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