Any good travel deals to Paris to be found in May??
Oct 22nd, 2001, 11:10 AM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Any good travel deals to Paris to be found in May??
I will be traveling to Paris in May 2002. I was wondering if travel costs would be substantially higher that time of year than if I visited say….this November/December? I’ve heard that the costs rise significantly in the summer, but what about right before? I’m asking because there are deals that end in mid March that I could potentially take advantage of now, but I would be upset if I found out that the best deals are yet to come and then I’m stuck! I don’t know if I should just go ahead and book a reservation for a sure thing or hold out for a better air/land package than what presently exists. I’m looking to stay about 9 days in the 7th district if that helps. Can a seasoned traveler or someone in the know please shed any light on this? Any advice will be appreciated.
Oct 22nd, 2001, 02:30 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Based on past experience, the best deals are generally found for travel from November through mid-March. April through the first week or two of June deals tend to cost more. The highest prices kick in beginning in June and extending through Labor Day weekend. My own best guess is that the very best deals were available over the past few weeks and some of them may have already passed, but some decent deals remain. Also, there is generally an opportunity in November to buy the cheapest fares of the year for travel into mid-March again. Keep in mind that with less flights going, they will fill up more quickly. As we've seen, world events can cause demand to soften quickly. That could produce some deals, if you are not afraid to swim against the current. You will almost certainly save money by going in November or the first half of December compared to May, but it is a case of comparing apples and oranges; only you can decide if the savings are worth the difference in the weather, etc. Personally, I enjoy the off-season and prefer to go more often with the money saved vs. dealing with the costs and crowds of the high season. Several times, we've bagged additional spiffs such as double miles or substantial package rebates in the off-season, too.
Oct 22nd, 2001, 03:19 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Based on what I was told by an Air France agent a couple months ago when I was checking out prices for May, the earliest you'll find any deals in airfare for that month will be in December and January. <BR>In general, you're much more likely to find it less expensive November thru March (or even into April) than for May.
Oct 22nd, 2001, 07:27 PM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
I HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME QUESTION BUT WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER CITY PERHAPS VENICE. I KNOW THAT EUROPE IS CHEAPER FROM NOV-MAR BUT I WANT TO GO IN MAY WHEN I CAN SIT OUTSIDE THE CAFES AND ENJOY THE WEATHER AS WELL AS THE CITY. I'VE BEEN TO PARIS IN NOVEMBER AND IT IS GREAT BUT IT IS MUCH BETTER WITH NICE OCT OR MAY WEATHER. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR SNAGGING BARGINS NOW? THANKS FOR ANY SUGGESTIONS.
Oct 23rd, 2001, 02:43 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Generally, the only costs that vary that much by season are the airfare, nothing else (some Parisian hotels have some low price periods with rates maybe 10 pct off, sometimes more, but they don't coincide with the air fare rates exactly, as July-Aug are often cheaper for hotels, as well as Nov and sometimes, but not often, mid-Jan to Feb). Roughly, it seems to me RT air fares from US east coast to Paris are about $200 more in shoulder season (fall and spring) and $400 more in summer than in winter when it's lowest (except for holiday)--ie, roughly $400 (Nov, mid-Jan to March), $600, $800 (June to Labor Day) RT maybe.
