Karen

Saw and purchased a 1968 Fodor's European travel book at a garage sale today. It's really fun! It's hard-back and sold for $3.95. I paid $2.00 for it. It covers 18 countries and has 5-star luxury hotels in Paris and Rome for under $20.00; economy hotels for under $2.00. It talks lots about how to dress, manners and appropriate behavior...just as we do today! It says 'women should always wear matching hats and gloves to dinner in cities' and men should 'have well groomed fingernails'. Happy travels!

Leslie

Too funny, Karen. Now all you have to do is multiply by 10 to 20 to get the correct rates. And, except for the prices, I'm sure the information on the venues hasn't change -- the Eiffel Tower in 1968 is the same one in 2002.

Starshiptrooper

I went into one of those snooty French places once wearing a Zz Top shirt and said: Got any bruski dude?<BR><BR>They asked me to leave man. What a bummer. I didn't care because they didn't have any ribs anyway.<BR><BR>I go where free spirits dare to roam dude.

Diane

My first trip to Europe in 1979 was four weeks with a Eurailpass and Frommer's "Europe on $15 a Day." We didn't quite stick to it, but it was close. Not luxury hotels by a long shot, bathrooms down the hall in most cases, but clean and safe, and in the heart of whatever city we were visiting.<BR><BR>Oh, how times change; I've changed too -- now I want more luxury, a bathroom en suite, and a pretty view outside my window.<BR>

steve

Planned my family's trip from a 1970 Fodor's that I still have. Was a great trip - only bad recommendation was a place in Mainz

Pris

You must have my old copy, Karen! We managed to do Paris on $5/day then -- I believe we stayed near the univ. for about $2.50/night per person -- no breakfast, bathroom down the hall. If I remember, espresso was about 1 franc (5 francs to the dollar?), ditto a croissant. Omelettes, which we lived on, were about 4-5 francs; the fare on the Metro was calculated in francs and centimes! <BR><BR>We were recent graduates so there wasn't a lot of "matching hats and gloves" to our wardrobe, but I did have two rayon mini's (dresses, not skirts) in Pucci-type colors, two rayon skirts, two rayon tops, a pair of loafers, a pair of white sneakers (actual Ked-types, not what we call running shoes now), and bright blue patent leather sling-back shoes. A short trench coat did triple duty for rain, sun, and bathrobe. And other than underwear, that's all I packed! No slacks and CERTAINLY no jeans/denims!!!

anon

NO JEANS!!!!!<BR><BR>Mios dios.

Rosemarie

Our first trip to Europe was in 1977. I remember taking a small circle of lace which I could carry in my handbag like a hankie.Women were to put those on their heads if they were not wearing hats or headscarves in church.

amy

My parents took me and my sister to England when I was in 9th grade on the "$10-15 A Day" guide in 1968. We had flown on a package that provided one night in London near Heathrow, three weeks lodging in Leeds(oh, my goodness!), a Ford Escort and airfare for the four of us for something like $1,250.00 total. My parents figured out that the airfare and car was the steal of the deal. We ignored the lodging and used the Fodor's book as our lifeline. <BR><BR>Isn't it amazing that the lodging was so cheap, but actually, the airfare wasn't? We forget the impact of deregulation upon the industry.<BR><BR>We stayed at true B&B's with the bath down the hall. Luxury was a sink in one's room. Fell in love with fried tomatoes for breakfast.<BR><BR>My sister and I would spend our daily miniscule allowance in British bakeries--pastries with rather unsweetened cream and scones were great buys--and we became lifelong fans of Pastilles, which are different from true French pastille candies. <BR><BR>We got standing room tickets to see "A Winter's Tale" done in modern dress at Stratford-on-Avon. My father broke his frugality rules to buy nourishment for a guy standing next to us who had worked his way on a steamer to Europe and had been backpacking across the continent (hmmm, wonder what value lesson we were being taught).<BR><BR>Remembered falling asleep in the car and waking up in Edinborough--the castle rising about the mist on my left and Prince's Street on the right. Magic.<BR><BR>Took ferry from Southampton to beaches of Normandy. My father, WWII Vet and constant Anglophile, became the ugly American in France. Resolved while playing endless games of cards with sister to be a bit better behaved when I returned the next time (30 years later). Became Francophile.<BR><BR>Lasting lessons from those days. While we don't stay in B&B's and we can now afford 4 and 5 stars, we stay in 3 stars or less because we don't want to give the kids the idea that travel equals room service. As did parents, send kids off to grocery to buy their lunch, even if they don't speak the language. No better adventure.<BR><BR>Am very grateful my parents used this book as their Bible of Travel.<BR><BR><BR>

Bob

My wife and I were stationed in Germany in 1970-71 and had no money but loved to travel. We still laugh at what things cost then versus now. <BR><BR>We made a 3 day trip from Stuttgart to Paris on $80.00 cash as we had no credit card. Stayed in a nice hotel for 2 nights near the Arc, saw the museums and Versailles and made it home with some of the $80.00 still in my pocket. (Had to eat a few sack lunches in the car, but we saw the famous stuff and made it to the top of Eiffel)<BR><BR>One poster was correct about air fare. We had a car so did not have to worry about air, but the rates then were more than now even without inflation.<BR><BR>We stayed at one place outside of Lucerne for $4.00 per night. I had kept the brochure with pricing on it and we looked for that place on a return trip in 1992. Room was then over $100. We stayed there again.<BR><BR>London: We went to a play every night we were there...5 nights. Saw "Hair" in 1971. The tickets averaged about $5.00 each for all the plays we saw and it was well within our Army budget. Young actor named Michael Crawford was in a comedy play. Later went on to fame in Phantom of the Opera.<BR><BR>My best savings was our car. I purchased a one year old VW Beatle with 6000 miles for about $900.00. Put 35000 miles on it driving all over Europe and sold it to a buddy after 1 1/2 years of use for $600. So it only cost me $300 to use the car for 18 months.....less than one week's rental when we go back.<BR><BR>Trouble is: Today's prices will look good in 30 years also but it is fun to look at the old books.