Hope you had a good weekend?

Every week on the BudgetTraveller, I pick out the best stories on budget travel from across the web.

So you don’t have to scour the web to find out on what you missed from last week…

Here are the highlights from this week’s roundup: Enjoy and feel free to share you own stories and thoughts below.

1. Have you been curious to try out Couchsurfing?  Well here is an excellent new video that explains the phenonemon that is Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing ( Courtesy of Daniel 1977 http://www.flickr.com/photos/didmyself/ )

2. Nomadic Matt has come with a nice wee post on 8 alternative budget vacation ideas.

I like his first two tips: being a tourist in your own city and region.

Travel is a state of mind and you can find adventure on your doorstep.

Backpacking and being a tourist in your own city is a such a cool way of rediscovering your place.

I am going to be a tourist in Edinburgh via my new Luxury Hostels project and I’m really excited about this.

3. Ryanair launches 26 new routes to Budapest

In the wake of the collapse of Hungary’s national airline: Malev, Micheal O Leary has swooped to fill the gap and start 26 new routes to the city. More details here

4. John Vlahides from Lonely Planet, poses the question : Luxury or Budget Travel, which form of travel is more authentic?

Coppers Kissing: Banksy in Brighton.

5  From the BudgetTraveller, we’ve continued the Brighton series of how to enjoy 48 Hours in Brighton on a budget with a focus on the streetart scene in Brighton

Earlier instalments in the series, feature me discovering Dali’s famous Mae West Lipsofa and looking at the story behind Cassette Lord.

Plus also for those of you suffering from the winter blues and not travelling , how about becoming an armchair traveller?

Best post of the week

I enjoyed Runaway Jane’s post about what makes a good hostel room

Some valid observations- what is the point of having a 8 bed dorm with ensuite facilities?

Also having locker facilities is such a big necessity for guarding your valueables- any hostelier that can’t provide a locker facility is missing something.

Great post Jane!

Agree or disagree with my weekly picks?

Leave your comments below and also free to submit your budget travel stories every week to be considered for inclusion using the hashtag #budgettravel on Twitter

Every week on the BudgetTraveller, I pick out the best stories on budget travel from across the web.

Here are the highlights from this week’s roundup…..

1. Laura Chubb from TNT Magazine spends 48 Hours in Tartu, Estonia’s  second city where she visits the local beer museum and discovers Estonia’s answer to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

2. An awesome list by CNNgo of 100 free attractions to visit across 10 of the world’s greatest cities.

3. Visiting Vietnam soon?

Save yourself from a 40 hour bus ride with the launch of VietJet’s new route from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi.

Aydinli Cave Hotel

4. Hostelbookers Blog has a cool feature about 9 of the most unusual hotels and hostels in the world

5  From the BudgetTraveller, we’ve kicked off a series of how to enjoy 48 Hours in Brighton on a budget with the first instalment features me discovering Dali’s famous Mae West Lipsofa and in my 2nd instalment looking at the story behind Cassette Lord.

Best post of the week

I enjoyed Tripologist’s post on how to enjoy Prague on just $30 a day.

I like the sound of fried cheese sandwiches but sausage and beer for dinner, hmmm tasty snack but I would be tempted to up that budget a little bit for something slightly more substantial.

Agree or disagree with my weekly picks?

Leave your comments below and also free to submit your budget travel stories every week to be considered for inclusion using the hashtag #budgettravel on Twitter

Every week on the BudgetTraveller, I’ll be picking out the best stories on budget travel from across the web.

Here are the highlights from this week’s roundup

1. Check out Jason from Locationless Living blog , review the spanking uber budget cool Tune Hotel in Liverpool Street, London

2. Theodora Sutcliffe from the excellent Travels with a Nine Year old blog s about how not to go skiing on a budget.

3. If you’re looking to visit Munich on a budget check out this excellent video by the Dime Traveller on Tripfilms where he shares awesome budget tips like communal camping and also cool stuff to do like checking out the surfers on the Eisbach River in Englischergarten.

( If you’re looking to do Munich on a budget also check out my video of my epic 15 hour £100 easyJet challenge I took part earlier in 2010! )

4. Global Grasshopper’s Rick Kirk offers 10 cool tips on how to travel on a shoestring budget  and never pay mediocre hotel prices again

3. Also catching my eye this week was a thought provoking debate on Lonely Planet about whether the concept of budget travel has changed ?
An important question to ask. Is budget travel more about saving money and less about the experience nowadays?

Best post of the week

Time is money remember.

This week’s top post is all about saving time : Budget Travel’s ace contributing editor Sean O Neil ( if you missed earlier , here is the cracking  interview with Sean on Budget Traveller sharing his budget tips ) shares 3 ace internet tools that help you to locate hotels that are nearest the popular landmarks.

From the blog

If you missed out, this week on the blog I’ve reviewed Wagamama Edinburgh  which is now one of my favourite cheap eats in Edinburgh.

Agree or disagree with my weekly picks?

Leave your comments below and also free to submit your budget travel stories every week to be considered for inclusion using the hashtag #budgettravel on Twitter

Every week on the BudgetTraveller, I’ll be picking out the best stories on budget travel from across the web.

Here are the highlights from this week’s roundup

1. Check out Wanderlust magazine awesome post on 10 free things to do in Naples which includes great moneysaving tips like visiting St Elmo castle for free, just an hour before closing.

2. Interesting thought provoking piece on Smarter Travel about what implications the demise of the Euro might have on travel costs in Europe and whether it could become a budget travel paradise 

3. Gadling’s budget travel guru, Alex Robertson Textor visits Italy’s southernmost island , Lampedusa in January. ….Where he is the island’s only tourist.

Curious to know what his experience was like.

Check out his post

4.  Also making the budget travel headlines last week was a hotel in Crete called the Aegean Sky hotel which apparently has been voted by holidaymakers ( people who use the Travel Republic website ) as the best hotel in the world.

Best Hotel in the world? Aegean Sky Hotel

At £26 a night, wow, I am intrigued to know more about this hotel.

Anyone with any experience of visiting this hotel, leave a comment or tweet me at @BudgetTraveller I’d love to hear from you.

5. Also if you’re a caffeine addict and planning a trip to Dubai this year , then have a peek at Timeout’s guide to Dubai’s cheapest cafes 

Best post of the week

I am veering away from my Turkey of the Week category and including instead my most thought provoking, interesting article of the week.

This week I’ve picked out a story by Hidden Europe‘s editor, Nicky and Susanne who have written on Eurocheapo about the missing gaps on Europe’s rail network. ]

From the blog

Happy Beer Travels for 2012!

If you missed out, I’ve done a study on the top 11 countries where you can drink the cheapest beer in Europe s diary of how to enjoy 48 hours in Paris on a budget  : £100 plus also what do in Barcelona if you have the misfortune of having your money, possessions stolen.

Agree or disagree with my weekly picks?

Leave your comments below and also free to submit your budget travel stories every week to be considered for inclusion using the hashtag #budgettravel on Twitter

Through the blog, I am always looking at new ideas and way of inspiring your future travels.

With this in mind I am launching a guide to Luxury Hostels of Europe on the BudgetTraveller in 2012.

Luxury Hostels?????????

I know it’s an oxymoron.

Hostels are supposed to cater for just backpacking tourists looking for the cheapest room in town- right?

Wrong. Things are changing.

There is a new breed of fashionable, uber cool hostels that are now offering many features of a budget hotel , while retaining the fun factor of a hostel.

Generator Dublin- One of the cool luxury hostels I'll be visiting

Starting from March 2012, every month I’ll be travelling across Europe checking out and reviewing this cool breed of new hostels.

London, Paris, Florence, Reykjavik, Sofia, Hvar, Berlin, Nice, Lisbon – there is an amazing list of destinations I am going to be visiting.

Along with each luxury hostel review, will be a mini-guide to enjoying the best of each destination on a budget.

As the BudgetTraveller I want to present to my generation ( I’m 33 in March ) how we can still backpack on a budget but with a luxury twist, or be a ‘flashpacker’

At my age,  I’ve found a lot of people who have a closed mind about hostels.

Question: Would you look for luxury in a hostel?

Images that come to their mind are of bland buildings, 16 bed dorms of drunk, snoring, smelly people.

Sharing communal toilets.

So I am on a mission to change their perception. Possibly my own?

It will be an interesting challenge.

To make hostelling convenient, comfortable and also fun.

In my research, I’ve picked up some awesome terms. ‘Flashpacker’ was one

Amazing how travel is diversifying into so many niches.

The Geek Flashpacker

I’ve learnt that I am going to be a ‘geek flashpacker’- since my trip will be inspired by technology with no guidebooks involved.

Since I’ll be using social media tools like Twitter to find tips from locals- I can also call myself  a ‘coolpacker’.

I’ll be using geo-locational tools like foursquare to keep people updated plus picking up tips.

The trip will be visual- I’ll be using the photo sharing network, Instagram to give people a flavour of the hostels I am staying in and what makes them unique.

So it’s real-time,  social travel trip.

Plus they will be videos from each hostel and destination on Youtube channel and the BudgetTraveller blog.

Methodology

Over the next few weeks I’ll be researching the best upscale hostels across Europe.

I’ll be asking you my readers for tips and ideas.

Please email me your tips and suggestions for hostels on my Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/EuropeBudgetGuide

Smartcity Hostels, Edinburgh- Rooftop Terrace, cool bar and restaurant in a great location

When picking a luxury hostel, factors I am looking at include-

• Private rooms with ensuite bathrooms.
• Good location ( Being centrally located important?)
• They have to be fun and character.
• Free or affordable wifi is a must plus a good breakfast.
• Friendly staff – good hospitality doesn’t cost a penny.

The guide launches on the blog in March 2012- so stay tuned.

If you like to get involved in the project please email the BudgetTraveller at europebudgetguide@gmail.com

It’s come to the end of a very exciting year in travel at the BudgetTraveller

Between me and my team of trusted contributors, we’ve covered over 19 destinations this year on the BudgetTraveller and sister blog Europebudgetguide.com

Berlin, Paris, Costa Brava, Bologna/Rimini, Florence, Barcelona, Dordogne, Lisbon, Oslo, London, Granada, La Rochelle/Ile de Re, Antalya, Rotterdam, Krakow, Gdansk, Ystad/Malmo and Kolkata – wow some amazing memories there.

Next year I am already in planning mode and have a whole raft of exciting trip and project ideas in store.

However, as the readers of my blog, you are in the driving seat.

The blog is not just about my travel aspirations but more about discovering, sharing and inspiring your travels.

So please accept my invitation of completing the first ever annual BudgetTraveller survey.

Please click on the link here or just go to

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QRMY8BN    [ Copy and paste in your browser ]

10 minutes max to fill out.

Please feel free to share this and forward to your friends-more responses, the better!

Deadline for completing the survey is Friday, 13th January 2012.

As a special thank you to all those taking the effort to filling out the survey, you have the option of being entered into a prize draw to win 1 of 4 New York City-Pick Guides!

Just leave your contact details at the end of the survey.

Winners of the New York City-Pick Guides will be announced on Monday 16th January, 2012.

Oxygen Books’  acclaimed city-pick series is a new kind of travel guide featuring some of the best-ever writing on favourite world cities from Berlin, Paris and London to Venice, Amsterdam and Dublin.

Their latest title, city-pick  New York, has over sixty dazzling writers on the most happening city in the world including Tom Wolfe, Scott Fitzgerald, Alistair Cooke and Jan Morris.

It’s already been called ‘excellent’ by The Guardian and ‘remarkable’ by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Big thank you to Malcolm Burgess for the kind donation of the guides for the survey.

Hey folks- greetings from Kolkata, India !

I’m in Kolkata for the next 2 weeks , taking some time out (trying to!) but in between will be writing a few posts about my time here and the things I love the most about my hometown.

Yes, there will be a lot of talk about food since that is my/the  favourite pastime of people here so prepare for a few gastro-orgasms

So…I present to you my first instalment of the Kolkata Diaries. Enjoy!

I am still jet lagged after 2 days in Kolkata.

My body is still adjusting to the different cycle of life here.

I fall asleep late at night to the bedlam of stray dogs on the street fighting their territory and wake at 5am to the sound of crows bawling from the rooftops.

I left Edinburgh on the first day of winter snowfall 2 days ago.

It was 4c.

I’ve arrived in Kolkata which is around 27C.

The winters are mild here.

Despite having lived here for 9 years, everytime I visit Kolkata…it takes my breath away – I call this city my ‘parallel universe.’

Beneath the chaos and confusion there are plenty of stories happening in front of my eyes.

The tailor

For instance, I visit our family tailor on Rashbehari Avenue.

I hop on a tuk tuk or auto rickshaw. The fare from my house is a measly Rs 10.

My old pair of jeans needs loosening at the waist a wee bit ( I’ve gone from 30 to 33W in 3 years) -for the adjustment, he charges a paltry Rs 50.

I am also getting a tailor made shirt done for Rs 160 ( $3 )

Great Expectations

While he notes down the measurements I observe outside a stream of cackling mothers gathering in hordes, waiting expectantly for their children to finish school.

Exams are on.

Finally, I see a few children emerging pale faced, worn out with their test paper in hands.

Mums grab the paper from their hands.

The kids are virtually made to resit the paper then and there, mumbling all the answers standing on the street.

In a city of 30 million people where good jobs are at a premium, a good education is the ticket to a better life.

The rat race begins at an early age and the weight of expectations are high.

One person who has survived the Kolkata rat race and built a successful career is my very own father.

At 70, he is still quite an active guy and works as an ENT consultant, part-time.

He still has the biggest smile and enjoys life as if he was 20.

He is my hero and my greatest inspiration in life.

I arrived in Kolkata on the day of his 70th birthday.

The ultimate in Bengali Home Cuisine- Alu Posto and Kolai er Dal

We celebrate with a delicious homecooked lunch that my Mum has prepared.

The meal consists of traditional Bengali classics- Alu Potol Posto, Chana Alu Tarkari with rice and  Kalai Er Dal [dal made of split white (skin removed_ Urid dahl ]

This is the ultimate in traditional Bengali cooking for me – as I eat, I feel a tear of happiness coming into the corner of my eye. There are so many happy memories associated with the food you love and know so well.

The years melt away…

After a nice wee siesta in the evening we go for a nice cup of coffee at Cafe Coffee Day at the local shopping mall -Southcity.

Coffee here is great. Standard cup of cappuccino is Rs 30 ( $0.75)

Birthday cake for Dad is the black forest gateau.

Its sensational and highly recommended [ Rs 70 $1.20 ] If you’re feeling peckish they also serve a nice range of grilled sandwiches at around the Rs 70 mark.

Shame that they don’t have free wifi

It’s a strange feeling to be in a city where there is a sparsity of free wifi points.

I guess there are some benefits of not being connected when you’re on holiday.

In that sense, Kolkata is a great place to come on holiday if you’re looking to switch off.

As some of you know, I am based in Edinburgh and live locally to the awesome guys at Skyscanner.

When they offered me the opportunity to have a sneak preview of their new iPad App ( which will launch in the next few days ),  I thought why not give it a go.

Below is a video I’ve pulled together where I take you through all the nifty features of their new (£ FREE)  iPad App.

Verdict

It’s nice, visually led and looks great.

The interactive spinning virtual globe is a nice touch- looks great on the iPad’s shiny screen and highlights a wide range of destinations and prices across the globe.

In terms of functionality-I like the element of flexibility in terms of destinations Skyscanner offers with the ‘Everywhere’ choice .

Also allowing flexibility in date where you can pick any month and choose which dates are best for you and find out the cheapest possible price by swiping through the ‘Calendar Month’ results on the App.

As flight search engines as you may recall I am a big fan of Dohop and reviewed them on Europebudgetguide.com but Skyscanner for me recently has delivered me the best prices and choice and this App is a welcome evolution.

If I was to make a suggestion: would be great to have some inspirational features and trip ideas featured within the App to help inspire travellers during the booking process-this would be another smart step forward.

Overall, though I can’t pick any faults and definitely will be using the App when it comes to searching for flights for my next adventure.

I understand within the next few days, the iPad App will be available to download, free from the iTunes store so stay connected with me on Twitter  ( http://twitter.com/BudgetTraveller ) for latest launch updates.

I step out from my hotel and I am slapped in the face by a nippy, cold wind.

I do a double take and look around me.

No I am not in Edinburgh. Ahhhhhh.

I am in Bologna!

Skies are cold and grey. Very dreich indeed as we would say in Scotland.

Wondering the wet, red but not so mean streets of Bologna

However there is a difference.

Soaring above me everywhere are towering red ochre terracotta buildings that have stood the test of time and elements for centuries. My cold heart melts and starts warming at the prospect of my impending stay in Red Bologna.

Plus I have plenty of protection from the elements here. Bologna is famous for its long colonnaded walkways. 40 kms in fact so everywhere you go you can go anywhere feeling snug in winter and super chilled in the shade during summer.

I guess anywhere you go on holiday in Italy you feel you’ve just gatecrashed a secret outdoor fashion show. Everyone I see is immaculately dressed from tip to toe. In Bologna its no different: flowing in front of me on Via Farini is a conveyer belt of glamourous people.

Looking to my left I start namechecking all the famous fashion brands , Prada, Miu Miu, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci. Window shopping at its finest.

Even more entertaining is looking at the Bolognese in the shops, trying on clothes in the stores, animated, seeking reassuring glances from friends and preening in front of the mirrors utterly self conscious , proud and beautiful.

I toy with the idea of trying to discover some wallet friendly, budget friendly fashion brands from Italy but somehow all I seem to find is H&M and Zara. Bugger that. Leave it to the fashion bloggers

All roads in Bologna lead to Piazza Maggiore.

Buttocks, breasts - Bold brassy Bologna

First thing that hits you in the eye when you walk into the Piazza is the huge manly buttocks of Neptune at the Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune’s Fountain)

There is a gaggle of excited Japanese tourists, mainly guys flashing  Neptune’s arse.

Nice.

A deft tilt of my head allows me to avert Neptune’s arse and instead my eyes are transfixed by the beautific sight of water spouting out from the breasts of 4 buxom angels beneath the seagod.

I feel better.

The four beauties were not the love pets of Neptune but symbolised the 4 continents that were thought to exist in the pre Oceania world.

Piazza Maggiore: The heartbeat and soul of Bologna

The Piazza Maggiore is a very fine square-I think probably Italy’s finest.

The broad majestic sweep is flanked by some impressive buildings: Towering Basilica di San Petronio that is the world’s 5th largest Basilica and a few grand palaces chucked in for extra ambience.

Don’t you just love Piazzas in Italy?!

It feels like coming home to a place you’ve known and loved since you were a kid.

There are the meeting or crossing point for locals -the beating heart, soul of the city.

I warm up myself with a frothy cappuchino ( 3 euros but tasty and good) at the historic Caffe Vittorio Emanuele and watch.

Watch. Gaze.

Locals exchange gossip.

Lovers kiss passionately.

I remember the Piazza in the summer.

When it transforms into a grand venue for concerts and open air film screenings. If you love the magic of cinema then make a point to come here in summer when open air film screenings are popular here and across Italy.

I came here many moons ago in the summer – watching Hitchcock’s masterpiece Vertigo , surrounded by hundreds of people of all ages.

Pin drop awe filled silence. Above a sky cluttered with sparkling stars.

Price of my admission was a 2 euro bottle of chilled Peroni Nastro Azzuro beer from a cafe on the square.

It has to be the most magical cinema going experience.

One of the palaces bordering Piazza Maggiore (or Palazzi as referred to in Italy) that you can visit for free is the Palazzi Comunale.

Home to the local city council there’s a real mix of exciting things going on here- you can find a library which is jampacked with students and on the 2nd floor two art galleries there is a fine collecion of 13th-19th century art ( free)

However there’s something quite remarkable and exciting going beneath your feet as you stand on the ground floor.

Peer though the glass floor and you will be able to make out the remarkably intact foundations of the ancient Roman city and its actual streets. Stunning sight.

Walking out…despite the cold wind, I feel fuzzy and warm inside- adrenaline is flowing…all I need to do is fill my stomach. You cannot enjoy beauty on an empty stomach. Luckliy I am in Bologna
In the second part of my diary, I will lift the lid on the city’s gastronomic pleasures with a budget twist- Stay tuned!

Perfect opportunity to thank my wonderful hosts of #DeliciousEnRom:  Claudia, Nicholas and Barbara from Emilia Romagna Tourism Board plus the awesome, thoughtful and lovely Juliane Fischer from Wilde PR.

Plus no trip is fun without great company and I was in the awesome company of 4 amazing travel bloggers- Foodie/Adventurous Kate, Christine ‘Lilies’ Neder, Katja ‘Travelette’ Henschel and Princess Lea ‘TripWolf’ Hajner- thank you all for the memories

‘The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love.’

Color Psychology via Infoplease.com

Red is the Colour: The French Flag and the Lighthouse of Ile De Re

One of the joys of travel for me nowadays is exploring new local cuisines and expanding my culinary horizons

Plus expanding my waistline too

My recent trip to La Rochelle was such a gastronomic extravaganza.

Every meal here is a celebration.

A celebration of food, of local identity and of life.

Visiting La Rochelle was a sensory explosion.

Not just taste :  on the first day of  the trip first that hit me while wondering the streets was the smell of food here and the colours….

Red is the colour: Strawberries from the local market, La Rochelle.

The smell, colour and variety of local food is vibrantly on display in the local market square within La Rochelle.

The moment I walked in the first thing that captured my eye was the juicy RED colour of the strawberries.

Even though we had a hearty breakfast at our gites I just couldn’t resist picking up a punnet of the strawberries and I kid you not- was the sweetest and juiciest strawberries I had ever tasted.

2 punnets for just 3 euros- bargain! Who says you can’t enjoy luxury on a budget….

A great spot for lunch just a few footsteps from the market is the fantastique La Cuisine de Jules ( Rue de Thiers)

Seafood dominates the menu. Other specialities that Jules offer include his special tartare ( enjoyed as starters, recommend)  veal kidneys and foie gras. Menu changes with every season and all products are locally sourced where possible.

As Jules says

“Le produit c’est comme une femme …si on ne le respecte pas il ne donne rien.”

( The product is like a woman. If we do not respect it does not work )

I enjoyed a delicious seafood risotto with squid, prawns, mussels, olives- delicious.

Red is the colour : Champagne and Pomegranate Cocktails at Cuisine de Jules

The apertif was excellent: a champagne and pomegranate cocktail. I see red again.

Please note here readers a pattern emerging: An almost elaborate a la Amelie Poulin style seduction going on here.

With Lunch Menu starting at 14 euros and excellent fixed priced menus available ( 3 courses for 30 euros) this place offers really top notch food for excellent value.

One of the highlights of the day was our sunset cruise on the catamaran- the Kapalouest.

One of the packages they offer on the cruise is a seafood platter.  ( 49 euros for sunset cruise, apertif and seafood platter)

However given the possibility of a rough ride, the seafood platter had to wait after in a local restaurant.

I am no seadog like Captain Haddock so the prospect of a rough ride was not very enticing.

However contrary to intial fears, was a smooth ride and I experienced possibly one of the most memorable sunsets in my life- was wow or as the locals would say ‘C’est Magnifique!!’

Fiery Red Sunset over the Atlantic, La Rochelle- C'est Magnifique!

I don’t believe in any travel experiences being a must see….however seeing sunset out at sea is unique and something you got to experience soon.

As the sun drowned in the horizon, the fiery red embers still glowering across the sky suddenly I felt this intense sense of happiness, of gratitude… a quickening pulse.

Perfect timing : the skipper of the Kapalouest then treated to us to the apertif of all apertifs- a taste of the local Pineau des Charentes.

Overshadowed by it’s more celebrated big brother Cognac, the Pineau is a bit of unknown gem.

I plumped for the Red Pineau.

Made from the unfermented juice of red grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the Red Pineau was quite refreshing ( served chilled) and fruity.

A nice warm buzz in my belly, we trooped off the catamaran towards seafood heaven.

Another apertif minute later, landed on my table the most amazing platter of seafood you could imagine….

Colour is Red: Fruits de Mer, La Rochelle

Fruits de Mer as it is called- or fruits of the sea, this had everything from Oysters,Mussels, Snails in Garlic Butter, Langoustines and a red crab in the middle. It was a treat- everything tasted so fresh and of the sea.

My belly full, heart content I headed back to my rooms at the Best Western in La Rochelle.

I close my eyes but still not ready to sleep. I remembered  all the wonderful things I had tasted and experienced. I felt my heart glowing. Pulse quickening, I saw the colour red again.

It was official. I was in love. I couldn’t wait to wake up and see La Rochelle again.

Where I stayed

Autumn/Winter is when you can get some amazing deals on hotels in La Rochelle compared to summer peak season rates.

I stayed in the elegant and very comfortable 3 star Best Western Hotel in La Rochelle ( Champlain France Angleterre) where searching via Booking.Com I found rates for November 2011 for double (room only) little as 79 euros.

Slightly more affordable and comfortable is the Hotel Kyriad in La Rochelle where in November 2011 I found double rooms for as little as 59 euros.

Over the next few weeks I will be presenting a series of feature of how to discover this beautiful region on a budget so stay tuned to the BudgetTraveller!

If you missed, here is my earlier installment of getting lost in the streets of La Rochelle.

Merci beaucoup! to  Sandrine from Poitou Charentes Tourism Board  for hosting me and also Sue Lowry + Magellan PR team for organising this epic trip.  Plus this trip would not have been so epic without the company of  the amazing travel bloggers:  Melvin, Astrid and Titus from Traveldudes, Isabelle from IsabellesTravel and Iain Mallory from MalloryonTravel 

Thanks for the memories and hope to ride with you soon!

Disclaimer:  Please note that this trip was sponsored by Poitou Charentes Tourism Board but the views represented here are my own.