Hey everyone,

First time posting here.

I am leaving America in order to attend graduate school in the UK. I will be away from my parents for the next four years. Before I leave, I want to take them on a vacation with myself. My parents are on the older side (60 to 70 years old). As a result, they can't exactly go on a backpacking trip or anything like that. In fact, walking continuously for anything more than 15 minutes may be too much.

With that being said, my mother likes the idea of Paris/France/Switzerland, as she's never been there. My father likes the idea of South America. I am considering a cruise perhaps, since it's less hassle and easier for everyone.

I'm not sure what to do. I looked up the prices for tickets to Paris at this time of year, and I'm getting $1500!!!! why so expensive? I went to London for $600 back in December. That is a super inflation.

I need ideas, suggestions, guidance, advice, deals, bargains, research, tips, etc.

Thank you

Welcome to FT!

Summer is high tourist season.. so is December around Christmas.. but did you go before the summer rush.

When you book is a factor as well.. Booking longer out, or last minute will hike the prices up.

I would suggest expedia to check out multiple airline prices accross the board. There's other websites like hotwire or priceline too.. but I've never booked through those sites personally.

That's not inflation, it's seasonal fluctuation. There is a lot more demand for travel to Europe in late spring through summer. That drives up the prices.

Your ideas seem vague enough that you should probably seek help from a professional travel agent. They are paid to walk you through the kinds of questions you need to answer to focus in better on where/when to go, what to do, and how much to spend.

Welcome to Flyer Talk.

Here is a suggestion. Why not take them to some rural part of the UK (or continental Europe) where you can rent a car and drive them around to various interesting touristic sites? You would be able to park near the entrance, instead of walking blocks from a public transport station.

People always think of London, Paris, Rome when they think of Europe, but there are a lot of small towns with charming museums, interesting churches, etc. Driving and parking in London, Paris and Rome is a nightmare. Doing so in a small town would be much easier.

What do your parents do for recreation while at home? Are they church-goers? Antique furniture shoppers? Bridge players? Think of doing something similar in Europe while they are there.

Welcome to Flyertalk, bonoz. Do you know for a fact that your parents aren't able to walk more than 15 minutes? My goodness, I have relatives who are well into their 80's and travel all the time. They take an occasional cruise, but generally just travel on their own. If your Mom has never seen Paris, well then, that is where she should go. Everyone has to see Paris, at least once in their lifetime. Moreover, if they really are not capable of walking more than 15 minutes at a time, Paris is perfect. There is always a park bench, a cafe, or a bar where one can sit and relax. If your Dad wants to visit S. America, Buenos Aires is great (AKA "The Paris of South America.)"
Buenos Aires is fun, not as expensive as Paris, has terrific food, shopping and hotels. Not a great walking city, as is Paris. Nice that you want to do this for your parents.

Welcome!

While I'm not as familiar with Europe as I am South America, I'd recommend Chile if your father wants to head that way. You can easily rent a car, driving is very easy and generally better than other S.A. countries. It's cheaper than most of Europe and you can see Santiago, the Pacific and the Andes Mountains all in a few days if you want (or longer!). There are nice vineyards/wineries, beautiful land/seascapes and the food is amazing and the people hospitable.