Europe Travel> How to find a good travel website

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Getting the cheapest airfare for travel can be the hardest part. That's where a thorough online research will help you find the cheapest airfare and discounts. And how do you go about this hunt? A range of travel portals will give you options of itinerary and its respective fares. But then again, you are faced with another dilemma as to which is the best travel portal!

Here are some tips to help you find reliable websites that will offer you a good deal on airfares.

1. Check if the travel website is registered under any authoritative body – such as the Better Business Bureau.
2. Some travel websites have a tie-up with several universities and only specialize in student traveling. These websites are worth a try.
3. Read up testimonials for the given website to give you an idea about the feedback of the service and fares offered by that site.
4. Remember, you need to be a student to avail of special airfares, so try not faking any details. Usually the travel website will verify your details from your school for further processing.
5. Reconfirm the special discount rates that are offered to you are inclusive all taxes.
6. Student travel websites should offer valuable inputs and updated travel information to its readers.
7. Ideally, the travel website should offer you flexible options such as – date change, one way fares, and open tickets etc.
8. The travel website should be able to provide you with links to other local/ international travel agencies, hostels and hotels in Europe for you to make prior bookings once you reach there.
9. And yes, don’t forget to bookmark the sites that you have short listed.
10. Popular student travel websites worth checking out are –
    www.studentuniverse.com
    www.statravel.com
    www.travelcuts.com

Travel> How to Check a Euro Note

Image: Euro Note
Image courtesy: flickr

Text by: Tanya Munshi

In an endless list of Europe travel, as a tourist you need to be extra careful while handling currency. In all the excitement of visiting a new place, you wouldn’t want any misadventure to ruin your trip - especially when it comes to handling foreign currency.There are several security features to identify an authentic Euro note from a fake one.
Here are some easy and handy tips to help you figure out the note you’ve been given is a genuine one.

Watermark: Every denomination is printed on a unique watermarked paper. You can see this by holding the note against the light.

Bar code: When you hold a Euro note against the light you will notice metallic bars to the right of the watermark.

1

Security thread: If you hold a Euro note against against the light, you will notice a black thread in the middle of the note. This thread shows the denomination of the note, with ‘Euro’ written on it.

Variable color ink: For €50 and higher, on the reverse of these notes, look for a variable color that appears on the lower right hand corner. If you look at the color from varying angles, it will change color between purple and green.

Holographic band: On the front side of the Euro notes from €5, €10 and €20, you will find an embedded holographic band on the right hand corner. Every note has a unique holographic band. For example, in a €10 note, the band will have denominations of €10 like this – “€10 €10 €10…” For currency notes of €50 and above, this band is imprinted with a holographic symbol.

2

Registration: Hold a Euro note facing you. Notice that on the upper left hand corner in the front, has the note denomination printed incompletely. Whereas, this denomination appears complete on the reverse, right hand corner of the note. When you hold the note against the light, you can see the entire denomination clearly on the left side. More so, a genuine note will have a perfect alignment between the front (left) and the rear (right). A counterfeit note on the other hand, may not display a perfect alignment.

Travel> Student Travel Discount Cards

Text by: Tanya Munshi
One of your main concerns for a Europe trip is the budget. After all, there are so many places that your friends and you may want to see, eat and shop. Definitely a Eurail pass is a solution, but what about other expenses such as sight seeing, food and shopping? This is where youth discount travel cards come to your rescue.

You could start by researching online for a student travel discount card, or ask a friend who had been on a Europe trip earlier.

Ideally, a student travel discount card should offer you discounts on your hostel accommodation, travel, entertainment and food. Student discount cards are offered to students who are 26 years or below, and in some cases even 22 years and below.

Here is a list of cards that can come in handy for your trip -
· International Student Identity Card (ISIC)
· International Youth Travel Card (IYTC)
· International Student Exchange Card (ISE)
· Hostel Discount Cards

Websites –
http://www.statravels.com/
http://www.travelcuts.com/
http://www.isecard.com/

Tip – Carry your school ID to earn discounts for your international trip.