BigLar

Flying to Paris on award tix. Staying at Paris Hilton on award. Assuming the crowds will be thinner. Planning on having a great time.

At my age, I don't even buy green bananas any more, so putting it off until "whenever" isn't really an option.

StSebastian

Same here. Went to the Netherlands just now, but wasn't going to France or Germany. Went to Argentina earlier this year, where the peso is so weak everything is perceived to be cheap. Looking at the potential of more domestic/carribean travel or Australia.

Rudi

Swiss tourism is more hit by SARS than by the exchange-rates (we miss the 'big 3-day vacation package loads' from Japan and Corea).

Hotel nights in Switzerland in April were, in average, down 18% compared with a year before ...

Swiss (non EU member) economy in general is more 'dependend' from the Swiss Franc - Euro exchange rate as more than 2 thirds of our exports and imports go/come-form the EU, but indirectly, if the exporters out of the EU to the U.S.A suffer, our turnover with them will also be hurt.

joeinnewengland

joeinnewengland

At 25% higher, my room at a no star hotel was 57e. A beer was 1.75e, A manhattan drink was 3.75e, A pizza 8e, A steak was 14e, coffee 2e, news paper 1.50e, night club entrance 5e, coat check 2e, train from airport rt 7.50e, tram 2e, tobacco 5.50e, taxi 13e, bike rental 10e (a day), gym entrance 10e (every other day), local phone calls 2e (day). So here is what could be a 25% jump.

lqdnitin

I heard an interview on TV the other day of a hotel manager in Paris complaining about the lack of tourist traffic. He tried to make the case for visitors, particularly Americans, to consider anti-American sentiment as being of the government and not of the populous as a whole.

Though USD purchasing power continues to drop, EUR/GBP prices seem to be very reasonable. Just bought the tickets (had considered miles, but the fare was too low ), and recent PL hotel bids seem to be a great value.

Ground transport and nice dinners will make a dent in the wallet, but otherwise the slowdown in travel seems to be taking its toll on prices.

Boraxo

But it's not just the government - 70-90% of the population of France, Germany, etc. agreed with their government. And it had nothing to do with whether the war was a good idea, but rather that they are jealous of American power and the fact that we don't give a rat's ... about their opinion.

According to recent media reports, the French boycott has really hurt French exporters, etc. I love Paris, but they won't be getting un franc until they apologize and admit the error of their ways. There are just too many other people that are competing for my business and haven't stabbed me in the back.

shillard

Diddums, try coming from here, where our dollar used to buy up to US$1.20 or thereabouts, to when it bought US$0.47 the last time I was in the States.

Sheesh!

YVR Cockroach

Don't forget that similar proportions of the British, Spanish and Italian public (among other E.U. countries) disagreed with their respective governments' decision to support the U.S. The latter two governments are lagging far behind in public opinion polls.


I on the other hand would love to give my money to France and Germany (and also Austria who respected its constitutional neutrality and prevented the U.S. military from transporting equipment from Germany to Meditterenean ports) and gave my money to Argentina who stayed out of the war (public opinion was dead set against it down there too).

Doppy

I'm still going; I'll just have to look for other ways to save money.

Jingoism, nationalism and fake patriotism aren't going to stop me from enjoying a trip to France. After all, the US owes its existence to France.

d

korea71

As long as there is a good fare and I have the time, this man will go anywhere. If you try to time the currency market, you could be waiting a long time.

*HighFlyah*

Airfare this summer US-Europe is at a new low... EWR-AMS is only $193+tax on CO/US/SQ!

Since airfare is a pretty big part of the expenses, it might not be so bad. We're used to airfare more near 600-800 for the summer months.

------------------
When once you have experienced being a 1K, you will forever fly the friendly skies with your eyes set on 100% mileage bonus and SWUs, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return, every year!

FlyJessy43

I have not been overseas as much as most of you. I was thinking about London this winter but have heard the dollar is not too good. Is that true? Where can I get a good value for mu dollar?

WillTravel

FlyJessy,

Are you asking whether you should use currency traders, ATM machines, travellers' cheques, or credit cards for foreign currency transactions?

I think it's agreed that currency traders usually provide the worst value. ATM machines generally provide the interbank rate, except some banks add a hefty fee. Travellers' cheques cost a set fee to exchange, so they basically fall under the currency trader category, I think. If you can pay by credit card, you will be charged the interbank rate plus a set percentage of 2-3%(depends on your credit card provider, and some people seem to have no additional percentage charges). Whatever you do, stay away from cash advances on your credit card.

That's how I understand it - I'd be glad to hear from others.

Rudi

if you are (timewise a little bit) flexible, my guess for this summer season is, that the 'damage' by the currency-changes (US$ = Euro) for travellers from the USA to Europe is, at least regarding hotel-costs outbalanced by the heavily (as never before in my experience) discounted hotel-prices you can get if you 'insist'. Hotel bookings in Central Europe are as low as never before (in the last 20 years) for this summer 2003.