tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Mar 22, 2011 15:16:21 GMT -5
msgumby - thanks for the deal forums. I'll have to check them out as we start to plan our next trip. Also like your tips on saving on hotels. Got to be a little creative and leverage the promotions. You certainly have shown us that we can take great trips at a reasonable cost. Just have to put a bit of effort into the planning.
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msgumby
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Post by msgumby on Mar 22, 2011 15:33:44 GMT -5
oh - another note on flights. It looks like the price mistake I got in on is relatively common. Iberia airlines (which is partnered with American Airlines) seems to routinely forget to include some of the taxes/fees/fuel surcharges - which will make the prices off by a few hundred dollars. The deal I found was between 12/20 and 12/22 (it took a few days for them to fix it) and had really cheap tickets to Milan, Brussels, and Paris from JFK. Then in february, they had a similar mistake for a few days. This time it was cheapest to get to London (roundtrip from Houston at about 300/ticket and west-coast cities for just over 400/ticket). If you want to save a lot of money on airfare, I would keep an eye out for those types of deals. The deal can last hours or days, so you need to book fast when you find it. Iberia seems to have a good track record of honoring these price mistakes once you've bought the tickets at the low price. I've seen other deals for airfare to europe, but these prices generally are less than the taxes + fees +surcharges would add up to alone. No guarantees they will show up again, but it has happened a few times recently.
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TrixAre4Kids
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Post by TrixAre4Kids on Mar 23, 2011 12:23:29 GMT -5
I found this info on another board I visit and thought I would share it with you: "Hotel prizes are rising skyhigh during Olympic Games Tourists will pay high hotel prizes during the Olympic Games. A lot of hotels will raise their prizes in response to the biggest sport event of the year 2012.
The Financial Times mentions prizes five times higher than normal in London. There is one ****hotel that asks € 1269,- instead of € 230,- per night."
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skubikky
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Post by skubikky on Mar 23, 2011 12:36:48 GMT -5
I've used minotel.com/. This lists small independent hotels. We've had great success with this. Never did tours as we had the kids with us. The hotels that I found using this website were typically small and a included a generous breakfast. Perfect for us. We did Italy during their February break. The weather was great, in the 60's and the crowds weren't bad. Got to be in Venice right before Lent for carnivale. Used ATMs for cash. Never had a problem. I would recommend finding travel blogs that have comments and input from local residents. Often the travel guides aren't accurate. JMHO
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Mar 23, 2011 12:37:58 GMT -5
The UK is probably my favorite place to visit. I have taken the Eurostar to Paris and it's great. I definitely would not to to London during the Olympics.
Remember that a **** star in the US is a *** star in the UK and even then, the rooms are often very small and not up to US standards. I've stayed in hotels at both ends of the spectrum and there are some I would never stay in again.
Check on your hotel if you are going in the summer to see if it has a/c. Also make sure the hotel has a lift or you may find yourself walking up five flights of stairs!
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phil5185
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Post by phil5185 on Mar 23, 2011 15:10:28 GMT -5
To save money for this trip next year we are taking some low key trips this year, nothing overseas (Washington DC, Maine, Montreal). Basically anything/anywhere we can drive to. Are trips your primary form of pleasure? Or are there things that you enjoy doing in your county/state ?
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Post by debtheaven on Mar 23, 2011 16:39:57 GMT -5
Hi Carl
You should check flights into both London and Paris to get the best deal. If you fly into Paris your friends can probably get you really cheap Eurostar tix from here. The tix go on sale exactly four months before any given travel date. So by booking early and choosing cheaper travel times, you can save a boatload of money. When my son was at university in the UK his planned Eurostar trips home (bought four months early) cost 60e, his unplanned trips home cost 120 to 180e. This was a few years ago but it will give you an idea of the difference in price. Also are you and / or your wife under 25? I think there is a special rate for 18-25 year olds (there used to be).
Hotels in Paris are less expensive than in London (generally speaking). We haven't used this site in a while but my DH (a Brit) always recommends Londontown for hotel deals. DH's family is in London so we rarely stay in hotels there but the few times we have he booked through that site. We once got a great deal on the Sherlock Holmes Hotel, it was lovely and incredibly well-situated.
Be careful where you book, look at a map and make sure it is really central. The only time I booked a hotel in London myself (before DH discovered that site) the ad said Central London but in fact it was out in the boonies (technically London but not central at all).
If you're travelling around the UK (rather than just in London) there are very charming and reasonable B and Bs and pub hotels. I like to check my choices on Tripadvisor. I like B and Bs as long as I am not staying IN the person's house, I can't stand that.
I would do both cities because you have people here, and because since accomodation costs so much more in England, it would be silly to only go to the UK to save money on the Eurostar but pay much more for accomodation.
And I second May/June and September. Or early October ... Paris can get pretty chilly and wet in October.
Hope this helps!
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Post by debtheaven on Mar 23, 2011 16:46:37 GMT -5
A couple of other things: Paris has a museum pass (one day, two days, up to five days) which is cheaper than paying for each museum and also allows you to cut the lines. I think you can now reserve the Eiffel Tower online. Both cities have X-day travel passes. Remember that most museums are closed either Mon or Tues so don't come just for Mon and Tues if you want to go to a bunch of museums. You can save a ton of money by buying six-packs of water and fruit and snacks at a supermarket and keeping them in your hotel room (only carrying what you need for the day). Of course you'll want some "treats" but it's silly to pay five or six dollars for a small bottle of water LOL. ETA: As things get closer feel free to post any questions here or by email.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2011 11:28:40 GMT -5
To save money for this trip next year we are taking some low key trips this year, nothing overseas (Washington DC, Maine, Montreal). Basically anything/anywhere we can drive to. Are trips your primary form of pleasure? Or are there things that you enjoy doing in your county/state ? Trips are definitely big on our list of form of pleasure. But we go bowling, dancing/clubing, play pool, movies, eat dinner, walk around, go to the gym, take pictures (that is for my wife). But when we are on vacation, we like to get out of our county/state and visits other places : this year it is Maine, Washington DC and Montreal, Canada (Montreal doesn't really count since we've been there so many times before). Also Vermont during winter time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2011 11:30:39 GMT -5
...:::"To save money for this trip next year we are taking some low key trips this year, nothing overseas...":::... For some reason I am hearing "The more you spend, the more you save!!!!!!!!!" flash through my head. OK seriously... I know how tough it is to balance saving/paying off debt with enjoying life. I wrestle with that issue every day. There are some home renovations I want to get done, but I know that will just eat up money that should go to debt payoff. Best of luck with your balance and getting your financial house in order. The trip was already on the list way before we decided to move so we have been saving for it. While I am big on savings/paying down debt, I also understand you have to live/enjoy life a little. I am not going to get buried with it and so many things I will not be able to do in my 60's... so got to do them now.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2011 11:31:00 GMT -5
Thanks for all the great posts/tips everyone, appreciate it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2011 11:53:35 GMT -5
While I am big on savings/paying down debt, I also understand you have to live/enjoy life a little. I am not going to get buried with it and so many things I will not be able to do in my 60's... so got to do them now. I agree- my first trip to Europe was when I was 25. I'd already started saving through payroll deductions and my car was a POS bought used, but Europe was really important to me. Same with DH and me 30+ years later, except that we don't do Europe as cheap as I did in 1978! Our spending in other areas such as car, eating out, and housing, are pretty modest compared to what others spend. The other thing is that having kids will slow down your travel a lot. Kids are wonderful (most of the time) but this is a good time for you to experience Europe.
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tloonya
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Post by tloonya on Mar 24, 2011 12:55:29 GMT -5
FODORS.com They will tell you exactly where to go where to stay where to eat and where to poop. Place is awesome. But don't get on their bad side. I warned you!
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phil5185
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Post by phil5185 on Mar 24, 2011 18:18:31 GMT -5
and so many things I will not be able to do in my 60's... so got to do them now. Hmmm - What is it that you won't be able to do in your 60's?
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bobosensei
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Post by bobosensei on Mar 25, 2011 10:40:57 GMT -5
An interesting thing seemed to happen between our trip in 2006 and the one in 2010. We used to see people carrying guide books around. This last trip, it didn't matter what nationality the tourists were, they were all carrying around sheafs or folders of Internet print outs And now you can download travel podcasts and ditch the papers all together!
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lynnerself
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Post by lynnerself on Mar 25, 2011 12:13:11 GMT -5
Just curious, how do smart phones work in Europe? I know we generally don't use the cell phone to call in Europe because of the price structure. How does it work if you are using it for downloads e-mail and web information?
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on Mar 25, 2011 16:13:51 GMT -5
and so many things I will not be able to do in my 60's... so got to do them now. Hmmm - What is it that you won't be able to do in your 60's? LOL. I'd like to know that as well.... I'm 66 and haven't (yet) found anything I can't do that I couldn't do in my 40's or 50"s. except maybe run as fast...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2011 20:43:05 GMT -5
and so many things I will not be able to do in my 60's... so got to do them now. Hmmm - What is it that you won't be able to do in your 60's? Let's see I am 25, and I am sure in my 60's I will not be able to do the following: - Deadlift 515 lbs - Squats 455 lbs - Bench Press 315 lbs - Have sex with my wife all day on saturday without the help of the blue pill (At least hoping I would) - Drink like a sailor and being able to wake up the next day and do it all over again without slowing down - Party all night at a club (Seriously a 60 year in a club is just creepy, at least the club I go to now) - Party all night in different clubs thru Europe And I can keep on going on... we are both 25 with no kids; might as well enjoy life while we can
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2011 7:57:21 GMT -5
LOL. I'd like to know that as well.... I'm 66 and haven't (yet) found anything I can't do that I couldn't do in my 40's or 50"s. except maybe run as fast... Dh is 72 and we've traveled together for 10 years. He's a wonderful, laid-back traveler but I'm conscious of the fact that the itinerary should not involve picking up and moving every 2 days, should involve as few 5 AM wakeup calls (for early trains or planes) as possible, and should avoid dragging our bags in and out of multiple subway/train cars between the hotel and the airport. He also likes to take a martini break in the late afternoon, and I go out and swim, find an Internet cafe, or pick things up for dinner. And it takes him a long time for him to get over jet lag and un-kink himself after a long flight in Coach so we fly Business on transatlantics. In short, we have to pace ourselves and sometimes select more expensive options. I'd still rather travel with DH than with anyone else and I don't want to go back to the youth hostel where I stayed in Paris in 1977 where the bathroom was down the hall and the occasional cockroach paid a visit, but you can cram a lot more experiences into travel when you're younger!
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Mar 26, 2011 17:41:28 GMT -5
Just curious, how do smart phones work in Europe? I know we generally don't use the cell phone to call in Europe because of the price structure. How does it work if you are using it for downloads e-mail and web information? When I go to the UK, I purchase a cheap mobile pay as you go phone that I can easily top up if need be. I also learned that texts costs way less than talking. The phone I have now does not have a SIM card, so I can't just go and buy a SIM card.
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daylight
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Post by daylight on Mar 26, 2011 18:29:51 GMT -5
From a European perspective: If you want to keep it London-Paris-vicinity for now, I would add Brugge in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands to the mix. Both countries are relatively small compared to US sizes, but downtown Brugge is probably the most beautiful sight in Belgium (and you have to try Belgian chocolate). Amsterdam has a lot of bikers, wonderful architecture and lot of canals. And no, I'm not from either country. I agree that since you like to travel it would be worth returning and taking a Spain-Italy-Slowenia-Greece trip some day (and the Scandinavian countries deserve a trip on their own as well.). Cheap airlines don't land at main airports. As another poster put it, be prepared to arrange an additional train/coach ride to your destination, because you won't land there, you'll land at a secondary airport. Arrangements are not complicated, but you may end up paying the same price for the trip but without the service non-cheapo airlines provide. Will you do the trip before or after getting pregnant?
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Post by debtheaven on Mar 26, 2011 18:37:52 GMT -5
I think it's funny how some people opt for one country and others opt for four. No judgement, I just find it interesting to see people's different travel styles. Another thing you could do (bouncing off Daylight's post) is do a day or overnight trip in both the UK and France. You could go to Oxford or Cambridge in the UK, and Giverny (Monet's house) or the castles in the Loire Valley in France. You should also see Versailles if you haven't been before but you don't need an overnight stay for that. Or, you could do a day trip to Bruges or Amsterdam if you don't want to do both. All four cities are on the rapid train lines. We always prefer to spend more time in fewer countries but there is no right or wrong way to travel.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2011 19:13:47 GMT -5
From a European perspective: If you want to keep it London-Paris-vicinity for now, I would add Brugge in Belgium and Amsterdam in the Netherlands to the mix. Both countries are relatively small compared to US sizes, but downtown Brugge is probably the most beautiful sight in Belgium (and you have to try Belgian chocolate). <snip>Will you do the trip before or after getting pregnant? Ah, Bruges. (Yes, I know, it's Brugge in Flemish, the local language, and they're very attached to that language, but the French "Bruges" just sounds nicer.) You should rent the movie "In Bruges", which is about a couple of British hit men who get sent there after a hit, much against their will, and are affected by the city more than they expected, but be aware there are a lot of dead bodies in the end. It still does a wonderful job of showing the city. I had been there on day trips twice before I took one with DH; on our last trip to Brussels we stayed overnight in Bruges and it was wonderful. Brussels is a good base; it's a short train ride away and an interesting place on its own. Both will be jammed with tourists, of course, but heck, we're all tourists in Europe, except maybe bonnap and daylight. Will you do the trip before or after getting pregnant? Maybe "during"!
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Post by debtheaven on Mar 26, 2011 19:19:57 GMT -5
heck, we're all tourists in Europe, except maybe bonnap and daylight.
What am I, chopped liver?! LOL.
We were vaguely thinking about a WE in Bruges this spring, this thread is definitely making me want to do it.
My DS2 (12, in 7th grade) is leaving for a three-day school trip to Amsterdam early tomorrow morning. I'm jealous LOL.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Mar 26, 2011 20:35:14 GMT -5
If you haven't been to DC before I'd plan carefully. I guarantee I could blow a whole lotta money visiting DC. Hotel, parking, metro, museums, food, clubs DC isn't what I'd call a super cheap vacation. There are a lot of things to do and see though. I'd just be careful assuming it'll be a cheap trip.
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