Colombia1

I hope that you guys are not tired of me already but I have one more question. Keeping in consideration that the Euro is coming down, I'm wondering if would it be better to pay for a tour to Sicily or just plan myself the whole trip. I know that if we take a tour, the tour company will take care of taking me from point A to point B and take care of hotels, plus if there is some sort of emergency somebody will be able to help me.
But now that the Euro is getting lower, I assumed that hotel prices will be lower and things will be more affordable.
I Know that a lot of people are saying that we can drive in Sicily but honestly I'm not looking for that. ( I don't like the idea of driving in other countries). I prefer to take public transportation.
So, should I take a Tour or not to tour (the million dollar question)
Thanks

Aboehmer

It depends on the country. I enjoyed driving in Spain. The people are courteous outside the cities. Within the city it is a little dicey. I thought the rail system in Germany was very easy to navigate and we didn't drive at all. Remember that you will still get some savings from the drop in the Euro even if you go through a tour group. At least you can check. If I was going to a country where a lot of people speak a language that I do not, then I would be much more likely to go on a tour.

Also, you can have a good travel agency tie you into a particular leg of tour. You get the benefit of being picked up at the airport and taken to your hotel and see some sites but you also have autonomy on what else you would like to do. I've done that a few times.

Andrew

MmePerdu

Keep in mind that the benefits of a lower Euro are only had by booking in Euros. Either tours priced in Euros or booking yourself with accommodations, etc. If you book a tour in US dollars, find out if the lower Euro is reflected in the price of the tour. If it isn't, if the price isn't lower than it was last year, it's no bargain and you're better off booking directly yourself.

Dukey1

I wish the Euro had been this low when I spent them for July and August opera tickets in Munich and Verona but what can you do?

MmePerdu

We hope your opera experience was, as they say, priceless.

Dukey1

MmePerdu, I am absolutely certain my opera experience will be both priceless and undisturbed by the less than gracious.

MmePerdu

Do the less-than-gracious attend opera? Heaven forbid. Or do you mean here?

HappyTrvlr

I recently received an email from an upscale tour company stating that they are reducing their prices on European travel due to the new lower exchange rates vs USD.

tuscanlifeedit

If you don't want to drive in Sicily, is there actually another option other than a tour?

I suppose you could hire drivers from place to place and for daily tours. I have done this many times for clients but it is expensive. However, if you go while the dollar is high, you will spend less.

thursdaysd

There is public transport on Sicily.

BigRuss

<< If you book a tour in US dollars, find out if the lower Euro is reflected in the price of the tour.>>

This is a key point. If you're booking a tour priced in dollars, you're not getting a benefit. The tour company is because IT has a better exchange rate, but its prices are not lower. The tour company is doing no more to reduce its charges in the wake of the strong dollar than the airlines are doing to reduce baggage fees in the wake of lower oil prices.

kybourbon

>>>I wish the Euro had been this low when I spent them for July and August opera tickets in Munich and Verona but what can you do?<<<

If you had waited, they may have sold out.

KTtravel

I have not visited Sicily so have no idea how easy it would be to navigate without either renting a car or taking a tour. You might consider posting a new message thread asking about independent travel in Sicily to see if others here have had good experiences. By posting something like "Tour or Independent Travel in Sicily?" as a title you may get helpful responses focused on that region.