This Friday, the U.S. premiere of the long-awaited second Twilight movie hits theaters. "New Moon" will bring renewed interest to the book series set in Washington's scenic Olympic Peninsula and the real-life town of Forks (pop. 3,175). The first highly successful Twilight movie last year brought thousands of visitors, who sought out movie landmarks such as Forks High School. But you don't have to be a big fan of the book series or the movies to enjoy the rugged and unforgettable landscape of the Olympic region. Read more about visiting the Olympic Peninsula on a budget.

New Moon Twilight Movie: Visit the Setting on a Budget originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 23:10:45.

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Here's the latest list of 10 travel deals. Many of these links lead to offers with a very limited shelf life, so if you're interested, act quickly. But don't act so quickly that you miss the fine print. For deals that aren't quite so fleeting, check out Winter deals. This week's deals include hotel and resort offers all over the world, four airfare sales and some incentives for cruise shoppers.

Deals for the Week of Nov. 15 originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 16:28:11.

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Holiday travel bargains have been far more elusive this year, but beyond December there can be some wonderful opportunities. In fact, some of the best budget travel bargains of the year are snagged in winter. Check out some seasonal offerings for getting around, airfares, cruises, hotels and ski deals. Check back frequently, because the pages will be updated.

Winter Travel Deals originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 00:27:36.

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Chalk up another one for Twitter. I was surfing there last week when an opportunity came to win a facsimile copy of Europe on $5 a Day by Arthur Frommer. The little book first appeared in 1957 and it revolutionized travel for thousands of North Americans. Wiley published a 50th anniversary edition in 2007, and happily, I was one of the lucky giveaway winners.

What's the big deal about a book with highly outdated information from 52 years ago?

Before this groundbreaking work appeared, most travelers were under the sad impression that visiting Europe was only for the rich. All others could read about the Piazza San Marco, Lake Geneva or the sidewalks of Paris in books. Frommer gave everyday people (like me) hope for visiting Europe by packing his little book with scores of practical tips.

Europe on $5 a Day came out two years before I was born. But a generation later, Frommer was still writing and updating his original copy. I think the first one I saw was Europe on $50 a Day. The prices had changed, but the concepts and advice still were sound.

When my facsimile copy of the $5 version arrived this week, I expected to find some interesting prices from 1957, and I wasn't disappointed. On the very first page, Frommer decried an unnamed guidebook that he said implied authentic Parisian tours could only begin from five-star hotels: "This tome states that one really can't consider staying in Paris at hotels other than the Ritz, the Crillon or the Plaza Athénée (at $30 for room and bath)..."

According to the usinflationcalculator.com, $30 in 1957 equates to $231 in 2009. At this writing, the cheapest rack rate I can find for the lowest level of room on the Ritz Paris Web site is €550 (about $820 USD).

But not everything was cheaper in 1957. Consider overseas airfares: Frommer cited a New York-London round trip coach class airfare of $522. Usinflationcalculator.com says that's $4012 in 2009. Most times of year, you could probably fly four people for that amount today. But Frommer mentioned that in 1957, there was an installment plan for airfares called "Pay Later." He also cited "excursion fares" for people who would spend 15 days or less overseas. The New York-London round trip excursion fare was cited as $425.

Read on, and you'll discover Frommer directed his 1957 readers to a three-course meal in Paris for 85 cents, a second-class Venice hotel room for $1.30/night and deluxe hotels in Athens for between $2.00 and $2.85 per night.

Even when adjusted for inflation, most of those opportunities could not be found today. But Frommer (whom I consider the father of modern budget travel) demystified places like London, Paris and Munich. He showed people they could indeed afford to visit these places without going broke if they were willing to look for no-frills options and live like the locals.

Mr. Frommer, thank you for writing that book back in 1957. It started a travel revolution from which we all benefit to this day.

_{Image courtesy Frommers.com}

Europe on $5 a Day: 52 Years Later originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 00:18:59.

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Here's the latest list of 10 travel deals. Many of these links lead to offers with a very limited shelf life, so if you're interested, act quickly. But don't act so quickly that you miss the fine print. For deals that aren't quite so fleeting, check out Fall deals. This week's deals include some beachfront holiday bargains, shopping trip savings, and airfare discounts for Asia.

Deals for the Week of Nov. 8 originally appeared on About.com Budget Travel on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 18:07:33.

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