Travel Tips

Travel tips: Get a ride with BlaBla car

/ nafinathan / 2 Comments

A great way to save some money while travelling in Europe is using the website “BlaBla car” which helps connect drivers with empty seats on their cars, with people looking for rides.

The company was founded in France and is now present in 12 countries in Europe including Spain, France, Germany and the UK.

The way it works is very simple. In order to offer a ride or take one, you must create a profile on the website. On your profile you can indicate wether you smoke, travel with animals and most importantly how chit chatty you are willing to get during the trip, hence the name BlaBla car.

If you are offering a ride, details of what type of car you own and the price for each seat must be provided . The purpose of BlaBla car drivers is not making money , but splitting the cost of a journey amongst the passengers, therefore the price per seat for a specific journey does not vary much from driver to driver.

When searching for a ride, enter your departure and arrival towns as well as the dates and browse through the list of drivers that will be displayed. Contact the one that meets your requirements and set up a meeting time and place to be picked up  in the departure town. Payment is usually done via credit card through the website, but sometimes you are given the option to pay directly to the driver. Before making any bookings , make sure to read the drivers profile, comments and ratings.

To ensure safety, you must provide a telephone number that will be verified via text message as well as an email. Neither of these will be displayed on your public profile.

I have used the website several times, going between towns in France , and from France to Spain and I can definitely  say it’s a smart way to travel. For example from Monpellier ,France , to Barcelona, Spain, you can either take the bus or train which is more expensive and takes longer than getting a ride with BlaBlaCar for 15 to 20 euros!

 

 

Travel tips: Accomodation with Air Bnb

/ nafinathan / 1 Comment

While travelling, where you choose to stay has a major influence on how you experienceair bnb your trip . If you have a low-budget, hostels is your best option, or even couch surfing, on the up side you will have an opportunity to meet people and hang out with them.  But if you are travelling with a large group , whether it’s friends or family , a good option is looking for a place to stay with Air Bnb

Air BnB is present in over 34 thousand cities in 190 countries. The cool thing about it is that you have an extensive catalogue to browse through and find the perfect place for you to stay. From cottages, to lofts and even castles, there are endless possibilities to fit your needs.

The site works by renting out lodging offered by a host, it can either be a house, an apartment or a room.  The site is very safe, and you can read all about the host and the property before making any bookings.  All payments are done through the website and are processed 24 hours after you check in.

I used the site to book an apartment in Madrid when I travelled with my family this past March break. I contacted the host through the site before booking, asked her all the questions I had and booked 3 nights. She was there waiting for us when we arrived to hand over the keys and that was it. It worked out perfectly as we had a kitchen to cook and comfortable beds for all of us.