Budget Travel Editors: Sounds like an eventful trip! A few key strategies will help you see all of the sights you mentioned. The best advice is to tackle only one or two neighborhoods each day--there's so much to see and do! So here are our tips:
Visit MOMA on your first day and skip the $20 admission fee--it's free every Friday night from 4--8 p.m. More information: moma.org/visit_moma/admissions.html
Next, you could stop by the Empire State Building, which is also in midtown. During the summer, it's open until 2 AM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Skip the lines and order tickets in advance online. More info: esbnyc.com
Tavern on the Green is inside Central Park, so both destinations can be visited either in a morning or afternoon. One tip: Skip the overpriced food at Tavern on the Green and pick up a picnic lunch at Whole Foods or Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery at the nearby Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. Check out centralparknyc.org and shopsatcolumbuscircle.com
Visiting the Statue of Liberty can take hours, especially during the height of tourist season. We've had good luck avoiding the crowds by buying tickets online and going very early in the morning. The first ferry to Ellis Island leaves Battery Park, located in lower Manhattan, at 8:30 A.M. More info: nps.gov/stli/ or statuereservations.com.
After returning to Manhattan, you can walk a few blocks north to the World Trade Center site. Be aware that there is only a viewing platform; the memorial and museum is scheduled to open in 2009. More info: buildthememorial.org
For more great places to eat, drink, and play in New York City, check out our Snap Guide.
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Longmont, CO: Hi, Can you rent a car in Munich, Germany and drive into Prague, Czechoslovakia? Thank you.
Budget Travel Editors: Yes, you can but keep an eye out for the hefty one-way rental fee. Europcar, a wide-spread and well-known European rental company, charges an extra 348 euro for one-way trips. You can rent from the Munich airport (remember when searching online that it may be listed as "Muenchen") and drop it off at the Prague airport or other city locations. Also, the rental car probably will be a manual so get your clutch foot ready.
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Washington, D.C.: I'm traveling to Berlin, and want to fly round trip to Copenhagen for a long weekend (September 1-4). Can you suggest a nice, moderately priced hotel that would be a good base for a 24 year old single woman who plans to see the city by walking and using public transportation? Thanks!
Budget Travel Editors: The Absalon Hotel is just a couple blocks from Central Station and is within walking distance of Tivoli, Town Hall Square, and popular shopping and restaurant areas. The hotel sometimes runs special offers online, but a standard single in high season is 136 euro (about $175). The Absalon also has an annex, which is within the same building, with cheaper, low-frills singles and doubles with shared bathrooms (from 74 euro/$95 a night). Both the hotel and annex rates include breakfast. If you get tired of walking or public transportation, the hotel also rents bikes in the summer.
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Philadelphia, PA: I need inexpensive land package to Scotland or Ireland for late September, early October. Any suggestions?
Budget Travel Editors: Sure, there are several tour operators that specialize in Scotland and Ireland. Sceptre Tours, for one, has a land-only package for one night in Shannon or Dublin, two nights in country B&Bs, and one night at the lovely Adare Manor & Golf Resort in County Limerick, plus an economy car rental, from $499 per person in September or $379 per person in October. Dooley Vacations has a four-night stay in Dublin with an economy rental car from $309 per person. As for Scotland, Brian Moore International Tours has a package that includes two nights in Edinburgh or Glasgow and four nights in country B&Bs, with an economy rental car, from $609 per person in September or October. CIE Tours has a four-night escorted tour split between Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Nairn, with some meals, sightseeing, and a river cruise from $885 per person in September and $828 per person in October. For inspiration before you go, read our recent article Everyday Is a Winding Road in Ireland and A Tailor-Made Trip to Scotland.
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New York, NY: I am trying to plan a month long trip to Paris for myself. I've never been overseas and I've always wanted to live in Paris. This trip is a big treat for myself! My dates as of right now are October 11th until November 11th. My big problem is housing. For that amount of time I would like to have my own apartment. I was wondering if you guys could point me in the right direction...Something not too expensive (Less than $1000 for the month)
Budget Travel Editors: Our eight-page downloadable Paris Snap Guide is packed with insider tips on the best affordably places in eat, shop, play, and stay in the City of Light. Here are three short-term apartment rental agencies that we recommend: parisapartmenttours.com, parisrentaparts.com, and locaflat.com. A cheaper option would be to be rent a room in a Parisian's apartment. Check the listings on these sites: paris.craigslist.org, expatriates.com/classifieds/paris, fusac.fr/en, colocation.fr/homepage.php. Good luck!
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Budget Travel Editors: Thanks for all your great questions. See you next week!
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