Munich is probably one of everybody’s favourite German cities (and one of mine, too!). With all the stereotypical Bavarian traditions and plenty of good beer (heard of Oktoberfest?!), it is easily one of Germany’s most-visited cities and it’s easy to spend a few days or a week there enjoying different Munich attractions. This collation of Europe a la Carte’s best tips for things to do in Munich will help both persuade you to add Munich to your must-visit list and give you ideas for planning your trip once you’re there.

Munich’s famous Glockenspiel by Amanda Kendle

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Beer and Oktoberfest in Munich

Munich is certainly well known amongst beer lovers and is synonymous with the excitement of Oktoberfest. Fortunately, if your visit doesn’t coincide with late September and early October for Oktoberfest, you can visit the Hofbrauhaus all year round. It’s an enormous pub in the centre of Munich with plenty of character and, of course, plenty of beer!

Beer at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich by Jeremy Branham

If you are able to time your visit for the Oktoberfest fun, be prepared for Munich to be pretty crowded but for your trip to be memorable (well, depending upon how much beer you consume!). Located on the Theresienwiese, all the major beer companies set up their tents and it’s advisable to get a seat in a tent as early in the day as possible – in many tents you’ll only get served beer if you’ve got a seat. Then sit back and enjoy the traditional costumes, music and good German beer.

Museums in Munich

Munich is particularly rich in interesting museums and their themes are truly many and varied. Perhaps one for the men (or, at least one I’m not particularly intrigued by!) is the BMW Car Museum. However, the museum does sound particularly well put together with interesting and interactive displays on the development of BMWs over the years and just the building it’s housed in is worth a look in itself.

The BMW Museum by arwa

For something totally different, you can try the Munich Toy Museum, located in one of the towers of the Rathaus (Town Hall). There are toys of all kinds from Europe and America from the past two centuries and even an impressive Barbie doll collection.

One of my favourite museums in Munich (or perhaps the world) is the Deutsches Museum. It’s an enormous science and technology museum with excellent interactive displays and exhibitions on a huge range of topics from art to computers to toys – you should certainly allow yourself a good few hours to have a look around.

An old computer in the Deutsches Museum by Amanda Kendle

Landmarks in Munich

It’s not just beer and museums that will keep you busy in Munich. The Tierpark Hellabrunn is the main Munich zoo and it has plenty of natural habitats for its large variety of animals. I’m a bit fussy about zoos but really enjoyed this one!

Zebras in Munich Zoo by Amanda Kendle

You can get right on top of Munich, literally, by climbing the St Peter’s Church Tower near Marienplatz, the heart of Munich. The view really is impressive and it makes the climb up the claustrophobically narrow staircase well worth the effort.

View from St Peter’s by Heather Cowper

Sports fans and lovers of green open space alike will be keen to visit the Munich Olympia Park, constructed for the 1972 Olympic Games. You can go up in the Olympic Tower for more great views over Munich, enter the Olympic Stadium, and look around the park areas too.

View from the Olympic Tower in Munich by arwa

And finally, if you are in Munich in late November or December, you won’t be able to miss the Christmas markets, spread from Marienplatz through to other smaller squares in the town centre. As you’d expect from a German Christmas market, there is Gluhwein and other drinks to warm you up, plenty of traditional gift ideas and some snacks for sustenance as you browse.

Christmas markets in Munich by Heather Cowper

Day Trips from Munich
Inka recommends a day trip to Prien am Chiemsee where you ride on the old steam tramway and visit the Heimatmuseum Folklore Museum, before taking a ferry over to HerrinInsel to visit Schloss Herrenchiemsee, the most lavish castle built for of King Ludwig the 1st of Bavaria.

Schloss Herrenchiemsee by Inka Piegsa-Quischotte

A heavier going but interesting Munich day trip option is Berchtesgaden, where you’ll find the Institute of Contemporary History Muncih-Berlin, home to a permanent exhibition documenting all many aspects of the Nazi period in Germany.

Click here for the lowest prices on Munich hotels

Guides to Other German Cities

Our Europe city guides cover:

• Things to Do in Cologne
• Things to Do in Berlin
• Things to Do in Dusseldorf

Tips for What to Do in Germany

We’ve lots of travel tips for what to do in Germany.

There’s a £15 room promotion starting today (Thursday 7 April 2011) on Travelodge UK.  It’s only available for stays from 21 April – 4 May 2011, so ideal for the May Bank Holiday in England.

I’d recommend that you get on the Travelodge UK site early to book your £15 room, as these promotions usually sell out fast. This is a great price as many Travelodges have family rooms which can sleep up to 2 adults and 2 children.

Update 10.00 on 7 April 2011: I just booked a couple of nights in Perth for £15 a night. No problems with Travelodge site, I was able to search and book quickly.

Aprhodite’s Rock,  known as Petra Tou Romiou in Greek, which translated literally means Rock of the Greek, lies on the southern coast of the island of Cyprus.  It’s said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sexuality. Unfortunately we were there on our last day in Cyprus and the showers near the beach were out of order, so we weren’t able to verify if swimming around the rock bestows you with eternal beauty.

Aphrodite’s Rock

The Rock is well sign-posted off the motorway between Paphos and Limassol. There’s a car park, with a small shop/cafe and a tunnel under the road for safe passage down to the beach and rock.

Me at Aphrodite’s Rock

I noticed the Petra Tou Romiou restaurant in an elevated position up from the main road and we drove up there for a coffee with a view. However the restaurant was a bit grotty and it was hard to appreciate the view with all the flies on the windows.

About three miles west of Aphrodite’s Rock is a car park with shady picnic benches, toilets, drinking water fountain and a path down to the beach.  There’s only one small sign at the entrance, so it’s easy to miss.

From that car park you can walk in either direction along the Petra Tou Romiou Nature Trail. I’d advise you to walk there either in the early part of the morning or wait until evening, as there’s no shade on the walk.

View from Petra Tou Romiou Nature Trail

When we were there is mid March there were lots of wild flowers along the nature trail.

A visit to Aphrodite’s Rock/Petra Tou Romiou is a great day trip from Paphos. Car hire is pretty cheap is Cyprus, we paid under £70 for a supermini for a week for two drivers and no insurance excess. We found that having our own transport made days out very flexible. Also our flight home didn’t leave Paphos Airport until evening, so were able to make the most of our last day with our visit to Aphrodite’s Rock.

Summary: A characterful, great value hotel right in the heart of the Tallinn Old Town.

We stayed at the restored 4 star Barons Hotel in Tallinn Old Town for five nights in March 2011.  Karen found the best rate through the HotelsCombined price comparison site on the Thomas Cook site for £67.40 per night for a twin room for 2 guests (as Thomas Cook had a £30 off bookings over £300 at that time). The price included buffet breakfast, afternoon coffee with pastries, buffet dinner and free wifi.

It was easy to reach the hotel from the airport (5 kms distance), or by bus followed by a five minute walk. The lobby and public areas were beautifully presented and the staff courteous and helpful. There are several interesting spaces in the hotel, like a cigar and cognac room reached by spiral staircase. The hotel and rooms were immaculately clean, beautifully and tastefully lit and decorated. There was free wireless internet in the lobby.

Cigar room Barons hotel, Tallinn

Our room was clean and nice and warm, considering the -2C temperature outside. There was adequate storage space, two desks and a mini-bar fridge. Ample hangers, soap and shampoo were provided, some nice touches (eg slippers and bathrobes) were present and the room’s own wireless access internet point was great. No password was needed, so traffic might have not been encrypted. The room was small (but high ceilinged), just adequate for 2 adults. The twin bed mattresses were somewhat on the soft side. There was a little outside noise and you could also hear some noise from the rooms next door as well as water running. The curtains did shut most of the outside light away.

The buffet-type food was included in the price of the room on a half-board basis. It was served in a very cosy restaurant on the 2nd floor with views of old city buildings all round and unique glass partitions with frost-effect figures.

View from Barons Hotel Restaurant

The breakfast was wonderful for choice, care and quality.

The dinner was variable, with a choice of at least two main courses and free drinking water was provided. The breakfast hours (7-11am weekdays, 8-11am Sundays) were fine but dinner hours (6-8pm except Thursdays, 7-9pm) were restrictive. On one of the days we were offered an a la carte menu, both for breakfast and dinner, which was fine. In addition, there were speciality teas, coffee and cake included for guests 1-4pm in the lobby.

Afternoon coffee in the lobby at Barons Hotel Tallinn

Our stay was over 5 nights, during which we felt that the hotel occupied a very central position, ideal for the old and new city, port, art museums and galleries, shopping, bars and restaurants as well as buses and trains all within walking distance. These and the generally very polite staff, coupled with the reasonable prices made us feel we had obtained excellent value for money. I’d recommend the Barons Hotel for a short stay in Tallinn.

Click here to check out availability and prices at the Barons Hotels for your trip to Tallinn.

Click here for the lowest prices on Tallinn hotels

Tips for Things to Do in Tallinn

You’ll find lots of tips in our Tallinn guide.

Here are ten tips for things to do in Tallinn, based on our five day visit to the Estonian capital at the end of March 2011.  We stayed at the Barons Hotel in the Old Town which I’d recommend it for its central location, the value for money half board option and free wifi.

Tallinn Old Town

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Take a Leisurely Stroll Around the Old Town

And then another, possibly a third and fourth. So, it may be worth splitting it in quadrants if you have the time. The point is that the Old Town of Tallinn, which is very much a living, breathing entity for locals and not just preserved for tourists, is both very beautiful and fascinating. It features an excellent mix of churches, palatial houses, sprawling parks with gardens and green areas plus well-preserved walls and towers, covering an historic period of several hundreds of years. It is also a great cultural and night life hub, with locals and visitors making full use of its charming and eclectic mix of eating and drinking establishments.

Tallinn Old Town Gate

Visit Kardriog Park and the Kumu Art Museum

We walked past the beautiful Kardriog Palace Museum on our way to the Kumu Art Museum.

Kardriog Palace and Museum

We spent four great hours going in the Kumu Art Museum with its fascinating mix of old, modern and traditional.

Exterior of Kumu Art Museum of Tallinn

Visit the Estonian Open Air Museum

Located at Kopli Bay, traditional buildings from all around Estonia have been lovingly reconstructed within a lovely natural setting at this open air museum.

Estonian Open Air Museum at Kopli Bay

Do some Tasting at the Beer House

Go for a selection of house-brewed beers and excellent food to the German-style Beer House and microbrewery of Tallinn’s  Old Town.

Tallinn Beer House, by davehighbury

Take a Day Trip to Helsinki in Finland

Particularly amazing in the winter as you effortlessly and majestically cut through the ice.  Helsinki is famous for beautiful, open spaces, museums and a great music scene. The journey takes around two hours each way and cost 42 Euro return (in March 2011) departing Tallinn at 07.30 and arriving back in the evening.

Ferry in Tallinn

Go Shopping

Visit the Viru Keskus shopping complex, the easiest modern building in town to find as it’s the tallest. There the shopping experience is unrivalled, with 5 floors of different types of quality goods sold by independent retailers. There are also several other shopping complexes, both in and out of town.

A modern shopping centre interior in Tallinn

Visit Olevieste (St Olaf’s) Church

It has the tallest/thinnest one spire the Old Town. Take in panoramic views of Tallinn from the top. Public concerts sometimes take place here, particularly before Lent and Christmas.

Tallinn skyline with St Olaf’s Church having the highest spire

Go Ice-skating

There was at least one ice rink in the old town near Olevieste Church, with an entry fee of 5 euro per hour for adults plus a small fee for shoes hire. For those that cannot ice skate, helper frames are provided, so everyone can have fun. Great for families too, as many locals bring their kids here at the weekend.

Ice Skating in Tallinn by Diego Sideburns

Admire Views Down to the Port

There is a step-wise ascent about 1km to the left of the ferry port, at what seems to be some type of abandoned grand public concrete park – it’s difficult to miss. The views from here are amazing particularly in the winter, when you can see the Tallinn-Helsinki ferries slicing effortlessly through the ice.

Tallinn edifice, ascent to viewing platform with ferry port to the right

Get Connected to the Free Wifi at Tallinn Airport

Tallin Airport offers travellers free wifi, so you can pass the time waiting for your flight online, without spending a cent. If only all other airports would offer this free service.

Tallinn Airport by fergie lancealot

More Tallinn Tips from Europe a la Carte Readers

You can read more Tallinn tips from Europe a la Carte readers offered in response to Karen’s request for recommendations prior to our visit to the city.

Click here for the lowest prices on Tallinn hotels

Here’s my round up of all our travel tips on things to do in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, from our expert Neha.  It’s one of those cities that a lot of people pass through on their way to somewhere else but don’t stop to appreciate – I’m guilty of that too, having spent two or three hours there in the middle of the night while changing buses!  If you are planning a trip to Croatia, then take some time to explore Zagreb with the help of Neha’s insider tips.

Zagreb City Museum by neha

Podcast on Things to Do in Zagreb

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Landmarks of Zagreb

The main cathedral of Zagreb, the The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, is an impressive neo-gothic building with particularly tall spires, and you can use them to navigate your way around the town centre.

Zagreb’s cathedral by neha

The Croatian National Theatre is also well worth a look, and if you have any interest in opera, ballet or theatre, then check out what will be performed during your visit.

Zagreb’s Old Town is also full of intriguing architecture, including the Lotrščak Tower, which dates back to the 13th century. These days you can climb to the top of the tower for some good views over Zagreb. You should also take a look at the Stone Gate in Zagreb, the only surviving town gate from medieval times.

Zagreb’s stone gate by neha

You will also inevitably come across Illica, the main street of Zagreb. Look out for the cafes in between the numerous buildings; there is also plenty of convenient accommodation along this street and it’s a handy location to stay in.

Zagreb’s main street, Illica by neha

If you’re visiting in December, then the main city landmark becomes the Zagreb Christmas Markets, with a giant Christmas tree being erected on the main square and numerous stalls being set up to sell all kinds of Christmas fare.

Christmas Markets in Zagreb by neha

Museums and Galleries in Zagreb

One of the most visited museums in Zagreb is the Zagreb City Museum, housed in an old convent in the Old Town. Exhibits range from artefacts from the Iron Age through to modern models of the city of Zagreb.

Art lovers will get a lot out of this round-up of five Zagreb galleries, including the Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art and the Mestrovic Studio where famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic’s works can be found.

In the Old Town you can find the Croatian Museum of Naive Art; there were several famous Croatian artists in the naive style in the 1930s and they popularised this art form, making this museum full of the works of successful local artists.

Naive art by neha

Parks in Zagreb

The planners of Zagreb apparently realised the importance of parks. The largest green area in Zagreb is Maksimir Park. It includes a running track, several cafes, a new zoo and concerts during summer.

Closer to the centre, the Lenuci’s Horseshoe (or Lenucijeva Potkova) is a series of parks and squares running between the main station and the main square in the shape of a horseshoe.

Lenuci’s Horseshoe by neha

And finally, while not quite a park, the tree-lined Strossmayer Promenade is still very green and is also home to the Strossmarte street festival during the summer.

Zagreb Cafes

Neha recommendations for locations in which to sip a coffee include Tkalciceva in the city or slightly further afield at the artificial lakes of Jarun or the Sljeme peak (reachable by cable car).

Zagreb Cafe

Day Trips from Zagreb

If you want to escape winter in Zagreb, Neha recommends heading about two and a half hours away to Volosko, a small fishing village on the coast which has a reputation for warmer weather. It’s famous for its seafood restaurants so take your appetite with you!

Volosko by neha

One of the most obvious day trips from Zagreb is to head to the Plitvice Lakes. This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited and I can’t recommend it highly enough, except to say that rather than making a day trip from Zagreb to Plitvice, try to stay there for a couple of days instead.

Plitvice Lakes by Amanda Kendle

Neha also recommends several other day trips from Zagreb, including Samobor, Veliki Tabor and Trakoscan castles and Krapina.

Click here for the lowest prices on Zagreb hotels

I stayed for three nights at the 3 star Days Hotel Manchester City when attending the Travel Bloggers Unite Conference in March 2011.  I searched for a hotel that was good value, located in the city centre, offered free internet connection and included breakfast in the rate. I found the Days Hotel Manchester City for £45 a night for a double room for 2 guests including English breakfast buffet on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.  I was delighted that the hotel offered free wired internet connection in the room and free wifi in the lobby.

Lobby at Days Hotel Manchester City

It took me around ten minutes to walk to the hotel from Manchester Piccadilly rail station. I received a very warm welcome from the receptionist who checked me in. The hotel is adjacent to student halls of residence. There was some external noise from the students but less than I generally experience in city centre hotels.

My double room at Days Hotels Manchester City

My room, classified as a city double, was beautifully furnished in a contemporary style. I loved the colours and the quality of the fittings.  There was good size power shower.  It was great to have a wired internet connection as hotel wifi is often unstable.  However it was very small for a double and I was quite glad I was staying there alone.

The breakfast buffet was very good, even including smoked salmon and trout. In fact for a 3 star hotel, the spread was as good as in some four star UK hotels.

In summary, I’d recommend the Days Hotel Manchester City for a budget yet quality, if a little cramped, accommodation in Manchester city centre with a very good breakfast and free internet connection.

Keep It Real Travel Reviews – No Fluff

Tips for Things to Do in Manchester

Read our tips things to do in Manchester which I collated after asking readers for recommendations for the Manchester stop on my Summer 09 UK Blogging Tour.

Find the Lowest Prices at All Manchester Hotels

Click here to search for all hotels in Manchester using the HotelsCombined price comparison site. I’m a big fan of HotelsCombined and it’s my first port of call when searching for the lowest prices on my travels.

My husband Demetrius and I stayed for 2 nights in mid March 2011 at the Capital Coast Resort in Paphos, Cyprus, booked through laterooms.com. It cost £70 a night for 2 guests in a one bedroom sea view apartment on half board. The hotel is situated on the outskirts of Paphos, close to the Tombs of the Kings.

View of pools from our balcony at Capital Coast Resort

Our apartment was furnished and fitted to a very high standard and even had two bathrooms. The kitchen had a washing machine, dishwasher, microwave and full cooker.

Living/kitchen area in our apartment at Capital Coast Resort

The double bed was very comfortable but there wasn’t enough wardrobe space.

Our bedroom in the Capital Coast Resort apartment

There was wired internet in the room and wifi in the lobby which cost 2 Euro per day, 5 Euro for 3 days and 10 Euro for a week. However the internet was down for several hours one evening and not restored until around 10.30 the next evening.

I had a very relaxing session in the sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and indoor pool (free of charge for guests) during which I had all the facilities to myself. The outdoor infinity pool is lovely. The hotels is next to the coast but it’s too rocky to go swimming there. The coastal path to Paphos passes in front of the hotel.

The indoor pool at Capital Coast Resort

The quality of the food at the breakfast and dinner buffets was very high but some of the dishes such as the baked fish were a bit bland. There’s not a great choice at the dinner buffet with 3 main courses.

There are a few restaurants and bars within walking distance of the resort and frequent buses into central Paphos.

I’d highly recommend the Capital Coast Resort as it offers superior accommodation at value for money prices. It’s ideal if you’re looking for a relaxing holiday.

Keep It Real Travel Reviews – No Fluff

You can see all our Capital Coast Resort photos and videos on Flickr.

Click here to check availability and price at the Capital Coast Resort.

There are plenty of great things to do in Dublin, and they don’t all involve drinking Guinness! Like many Australians, I’ve got a decent chunk of Irish blood in me (my grandmother was a Murphy) and I’m sure that’s why places like Dublin are so attractive to me. I’ve compiled some of the best tips we’ve had on Europe a la Carte to help you plan your trip to Dublin. The Irish capital is featured in our best European cities to visit post.

Dublin Post Office and Spire

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Famous Dublin Sights

Dublinia houses an interactive history of Dublin during the age of the Vikings and Medieval times. Marcus visited and suggested it would be an especially good outing for families with children.

Next to Dublinia is the beautiful Christ Church Cathedral. It’s the oldest building in Dublin (dating back to the 11th century) and you can get a combined ticket with Dublinia if you want to save some money.

Christ Church Cathedral by Marcus Cederstrom

I’m always a fan of libraries and was pleased to hear that Karen particularly liked the Chester Beatty Library on her trip to Dublin. It is situated inside the gardens of Dublin Castle (another great place to visit!) and it’s one of Dublin’s free attractions.

Chester Beatty Library

Karen’s favourite Dublin sculpture was Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy Fame.

Phill Lynott sculpture in Dublin

My personal tip for something to do in Dublin is to head to the Dublin Writers Museum – obviously Ireland is home to many famous authors and this museum showcases the lives and literature of writers such as George Bernard Shaw and W. B. Yeats.

Tours in Dublin

For many travellers, visiting Dublin is synonymous with drinking Guinness, and Marcus decided to tour the home of Guinness in Dublin. The tour goes through the Guinness Storehouse and basically covers the history of Guinness (but unfortunately doesn’t show the brewing in progress) – but the highlight comes at the end when all tour participants receive a freshly brewed pint of Guinness.

St James Gate Brewery by Marcus Cederstrom

There are numerous different walking tours to take around Dublin. Marcus took a free walking tour (tips appreciated of course) with a New Europe Tour guide and was impressed that they really ran the tours no matter what the weather, and he considered it a good basic introduction to the city’s sights if you hadn’t been to Dublin before.

Trinity College Dublin

Karen went on the “Original Tour” with a Historic Walking Tours of Dublin guide which cost 12 Euros at the time, but seemed to be well worth it. It takes in sightseeing spots like Old Parliament House, Trinity College, Temple Bar, City Hall and so on and lasts about two hours.

Dublin Ghost Bus Tour by Lindsay Sydenham

For a tour of a rather different kind, you might try the Dublin Ghost Bus Tour. Lindsay took the tour and found it a little more on the silly side than the scary side, but said it was actually a fun way to learn about some of Dublin’s history in a completely different way.

Shopping and Eating in Dublin

Karen has some excellent tips on where to shop in Dublin in her unique shopping venues in Dublin post from her last trip there. Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre sounds lovely, as does the Powerscourt Centre, built around an 18th century mansion.

Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre

If you’re looking for a good meal, Karen also wrote up reviews of a couple of good restaurants, including Bewley’s Cafe and Restaurant in Grafton Street and the Church Cafe and Bar near the Jervis Shopping Centre. This photo of the Church’s Irish stew is making me hungry!

Irish stew and soda bread

Find the Best Deals on Hotels in Dublin

Click here to check out the best deals on Dublin hotels using the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

On her last trip to Dublin, Karen stayed at the Arlington Hotel near O’Connell Bridge, which has a very central location and friendly staff.

Arlington Hotel entrance

You can book flights to Dublin from London with bmi.

Click here for the lowest prices on Dublin hotels

After attending and being on the panel at the very well organised Travel Bloggers Unite TBU11 event  in Manchester 26-27 March 2011, I’m left pondering where are travel bloggers heading beyond the next free trip?

TBU11 presentation on bloggers and prs working together

Of course, it depends on the aim of your travel blog and if you are treating your blog as a business and as a way to earn a living. I outlined what I saw as the main types of travel blog in my presentation “The Future of the Travel Blog” at Travel Blog Camp in London in November 2009.

1. Personal travel diary or travelogue
2. Online interactive travel magazine
3. Marketing tool for travel company

Europe a la Carte is in category two and being run as a commercial blog and is my full time occupation. I’ve written about “What Defines a Successful Travel Blog” in preparation for my “So You Wannabe a Travel Bloggers: Keep in Real” presentation at TBEX Europe in Copenhagen in November 2010.

In my opinion, there’s far too much hype about this dream job as a travel blogger, where you ditch your boring day job and live out your dream to travel the world while earning a living writing about your travels. One of the perceived ways to realise this dream is to be offered and take part in press trips, Imagine staying free in 5 star hotels, eating at the best restaurants, doing fun activities and all you have to do in exchange is write about it in your blog.

5 star Lopesan Boabab Resort in Gran Canaria

However in the real, business world there really is no such thing as a free lunch. Now we travel bloggers are told we should be grateful to be offered this wonderful perk of press trips and that we need PRs to get our content. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some fantastic press trips, which have provided interesting content for the Europe a la Carte Blog.

Bear in the mind that PR companies are being paid to provide a service to their clients, travel companies, so the PRs aim is to get their clients as much positive exposure/coverage as possible, as they need to keep that client satisfied and retain that account.

Now this can lead to a conflict of interest with a commercial blogger, like me and the PR companies. Offering me a press trip is not buying/guaranteeing positive coverage on Europe a la Carte. I’m offering a honest and (as far as possible) objective coverage of the travel companies product/service. I’m not into writing fluffy reviews to keep the PR and their clients happy while also trying to ensure that I get invited on plenty of other press trips, as I become know as “safe pair of hands”. You can read my debate with Lewis Shields of Flagship Consulting in his post, “TBU11 – A call to action“.

For me there’s also the issue of the opportunity cost of going on a press trip. I put a financial value on my brand/expertise, as I’ve invested nine years in Europe a la Carte. If I go on a press trip for say four nights and then spend a couple of days writing several blog posts about the trip, I have to consider what else I could be doing with that time e.g. running a campaign to attract advertisers. Now I know that the travel company is spending a lot of money on PR for their brand but all the money is going to the PR company, when the exposure is being given by Europe a la Carte. Yes, facilitated by the PRs company (for which they should be paid) but in the end the coverage is provided by me. I’m saying that as I’m running a business, a free trip isn’t offering any financial compensation and won’t pay my bills at the end of the month. It’s different for a freelancer who’ll be aiming to sell articles about the trip to several different publications but I mainly write for Europe a la Carte.

My opportunity cost views have been criticised by John O’Nolan in his “TBU11  Round Up“. However I’d like to ask if PR/IT/web design/SEO companies would take on a travel company as a  client, who didn’t have the budget to pay them, offering them some free trips instead?

Group blogger press trips also equate to very similar content by all the bloggers on the trip. Now I’ve been told that a good writer can put their own spin on a story but how different can ten writers accounts of visit to a cookery class or a boat trip be? I prefer Europe a la Carte to be writing about something different to nine other travel blogs. I also suspect that my readers would prefer that too.

Naturally every travel blogger has to define their own aims and their method of achieving these aims.  I ask myself is it a win-win situation for me to spend six days of time to give a travel company permanent links and exposure on  the Europe a la Carte Blog, as well as through my Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and youtube network?

For me it comes back to the reader, I will only have readers, traffic and earn a living if I give my readers something that is useful, entertaining or informative to them.  Readers are pretty smart and if they think a blogger never mentions anything negative about a press trip, they won’t trust what’s written in that blog, they’ll just see it as advertorial and the social media equivalent of a press release.