shannmk

Going to Dublin for my friend weding for 4 days.
How was it when you where there ?

Also - for Melbourne download our free pocket guide and listen to our podcasts. Click on 'guides' up top right and choose Melbourne from the dropdown and hit 'go'.

Hi,
Thanks for the message. Apart from hitchhiking suggested below (!!) or driving the cheapest way is by bus. Try www.greyhound.com.au. Oz Experience travel around also, but it's more an organised tour sort of thing.
Hope this helps,
Colm

Hi Shannmk

The cheapest way to go - well, that is always hitchhiking, but not always the safest unless you are travelling with more than one person. Other than that, if you are willing to drive on the 'other' side of the road, then hiring a cheap car is probably the cheapest and best because then you get to see more than on a bus for instance. Our train system is mostly non-existent and only has a main one travelling through the North Island (that I know of). There is a Magic bus which you can hop on and off at your leisure in designated places. If you have the ability to go online and be patient for the right one, there are $1 busses as well, but there are probably obvious disadvantages to that also (haven't tried it).

Driving is easy round New Zealand as there is really only one major highway from top to bottom. Maps are easy to come by and some car rental agencies provide these with the car. The rental starts from about $25 per day, but cheaper the longer you have it.

Must do's - Rotorua (thermal city, cultural shows), Taupo (skiing, tandem skydiving, bungy jumping, fantastic scenery, cultural shows), Queenstown (skiing, awesome views, bungy jumping, plenty to do), West Coast of the South Island (just awesome and lots to see, do and experience), Bay of Islands (lots to do and see), Kaikoura (whale watching), Napier (wineries, Art Deco), the bigger cities - Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington (night life, things to do, big city stuff).

For accommodation, try either the hostels (which we excel in by the way), or for free try www.couchsurfing.com but you may have to host a few people in your area first to get some good feedback on your profile. My daughter tried this and found it awesome and a good way to meet people with ideas about what to do and see in their area.

Most of all, be safe. New Zealand is like the rest of the world, don't take it for granted that awful things can't happen. We are not immune from crime by any means.

Lastly, have fun and the best time for summer stuff is January/February, the best time for winter stuff is June/July. Cheers.

Liz

Hello wanderlust. I am currently in the process of planning a trip to Aus/New Zealand and just wondered if you had any tips about the cheapest way to go about this. Also... once in New Zealand, do you have any advice on where I should go or any "must do's" Thanks so much!!
Shannon

Ciao, How are you and how is your summer going? I see you have been to Italia... What cities did you travelled to? Grazie! Ciao bella!

Hi Shannon,
I am going to be in Krakow from May 1st until May 4th. When will you come and visit the city?
Regards,
Anja

Hi,
I am heading to Krakow in May as well and I am looking for somebody to share this experience.
Maybe we see eachother there.
Greetings

1,100 return is amazing, grab it b4 they realise what a good deal it is!!! Ground transportation is good after that. There are plenty of great tours and bus or rail passes available. Maybe a flight to Alice Springs to see Ularu (Ayre's rock) or if you wanted to go to WA (Perth). Ground transport is a fantastic way to see such a big country..

I ran across one of your questions on a blog about the time needed for a day trip to Auschwitz. Depending on how much you actually want to do while at the camp will determine how much time you need. If you want to take lots of photo's, walk around and see everything, I would plan an entire day there. Most people don't understand how large Birkenau actually is, Auschwitz is very small in comparison. You can spend hours walking around Birkenau. Also the bus from Auschwitz to Birkenau only runs every 30 minutes and is a 5 minute bus ride. To see both camps you will need to leave Krakow early and expect to get back in the afternoon. The bus station behind Krakow Glowny station (the main train station) can get you there MUCH cheaper than the guided tour buses. Hope you enjoy your time in Krakow, it's by far my favorite city in Europe. I've spent a lot of time in Krakow so feel free to ask me anymore questions.

Hey looks like I will not make it to Ohio, I'll be heading to SF after my stay here in Whitefish Montana. Then I drive to LA and spend a day looking at shooting locations for my favourite film "The Big Lebowski". Then back on a train to the grand canyon for a couple of days. I am flying from Phoenix to Denver, stay the night there then a train to Reno, for a couple of days back in Tahoe. Then train back to SF and fly out on the 11th of April. Pretty full itinerary and I'd love to do more, maybe next time. Do come to Australia some time, there are always work permits available for US citizens under 30 and you would have a great time, you already have one Aussie friend...

jimekins abides...

PS: I may be passing through Ohio on my Rail Pass... I'll check the schedules.

Unless I can sell some of my travel writing, I'm off back home on April 7 out of LA... It's been fun and I'll be back, but probably not before you come to Australia.

Jimekins abides...

Shannmk, yeah I've just arived the other day. The twin cities seem like fun, i went out last night to a sports bar and watched Minnesota U win at basketball. It was a close game and the bar went wild when the hometown team scored right on the buzzer and won by 1 point! They seem to be sport mad, there are sporting team clothing shops in abundance. So if you enjoy that side of life I think you'll fit in. It's very cold in winter of course.

I'm having a great time in the good ol' USA and have to leave in less than a month. I'v had lots of skiing and 2 weeks in Canada. Have a look at lebowskifest. com to see what I got up to last weekend in the windy city.

I'm heading to Montana after this and i've got a 30 day rail pass for west of Chicago.

I'm going to criss/cross a bit!!! Kite skiing is where you get pulled across a frozen, snowy lake by a kite on skis or a snowboard. Kite surfing is similar and more popular.

Jimekinsabides

Hi again,
Catalonia is at the cool area. Anyway don't forget to check out Ramblas, Sagrada church, Gaudi's architectures, the Barcelonneta, day trip to Sitges or Montserrat is nice. If you like a brief overview of town I suggest the hop on and off bus. Very convenient and cover much all the important touristy stuff.

Hi,
In Barcelona, try to get hostel in the Ramblas area if you like 'IT' crowd. It's convenient too since everything you need it there. A nice place to stroll but many people so it could get noisy. Don't forget to bring ear plug if you're a light sleeper. My most important advice is BEWARE of PICKPOCKET!!! They are notorious! Luckily I was a safe traveler so I was OK but recently a friend of mine got pickpocketed just on arrival to Barcelona getting metro to town. So be careful. Hopefully my advice will be of good use. Thanks for your message.

Hi,
Glad you found my blogs helpful :-) Day trips to Auschwitz leave at 10am and return at 4pm. for more tips download my free pocket guide. there is a link to all my free guides on the homepage. Any other questions let me know.
Thanks,
Colm