Would love some opinions as to whether to go ahead and book the flight to Marseilles now or wait until closer to the June '07 trip - I have had the D--- if you do and D--- if you don't experience like everyone - booked early one year and the airline changed the flight 3 times to the point that the times wouldn't work at all and had to cancel did get a refund, then if you wait too long and the prices go way up -any opinions would be appreciated. I'm inclined to lock it in. Best price is Luthansa $2,082 for 2 adults CLT to MRS - no experience with them. Also, no flights out except late in the afternoon so arrival is a day after the departure . . .
Kestrel

I start checking plane fares about 9 months out to educate myself on what a "good" fare is for my city/dates. Then, I pounce on it. With that said, I have three kids in school and there are so many things that go on in the summer that now I try to wait to book the summer trip until the dates of other things have firmed up.

Most flights to Europe will be late in the day or into the evening, with arrival the next day. Since you'll be connecting in a European hub, a late afternoon departure from the U.S. is probably just about right.

June is getting into peak fare territory and looking 10 months out, it is always hard to say. A fare of $1,042 per person r/t is not a steal, but it may not be all that bad. It is comparable to what a lot of people were paying this year; some did a bit better and some undoubtedly didn't do that well. Fares don't usually move a LOT this far out, so there may be little harm in waiting a bit. That said, it would surprise me if the fare went down a LOT (like by $200 per person) -- particularly if it is in the latter half of June.

I'm not sure if you're into FF miles, but if you are, it is always good to check out partnership arrangements with your usual carrier(s) to see if you can bank the miles. Not doing that is leaving money on the table and while it shouldn't be THE deciding factor, it is a factor worth considering because it ultimately impacts on your net cost of travel.

Thanks a lot - guess you can tell I'm a novice at international travel - unfortunately FF is not an option. Good to know that late afternoon flights are normal - that made sense to me as I was checking. Any opinion as to whether it's better to order Euros and take with you or try to exchange after in France - I'm opting for getting the euro currency beforehand from my bank but would appreciate advice on this.
Kestrel

Kestrel: I agree with missypie's "education" suggestion to learn what a good fare is. Don't only check your dates try other ones to see what happens as you get closer to departure dates. Early January can be a good time for fare reductions. I certainly would not book this fare out. The airline has your money for far too long and things can happen to cause you to change plans.

Hi K,

$1040 pp is pretty good for this early. Where did you find it?

Also consider leaving before Memorial Day. You could save about $150 pp.

I found that on cheapseats.com I believe it was on Luthansa - unfortunately, I have already booked a house rental so that 6/9 - 6/16 date is solid.
Kestrel

Kestrel: &quot;<i>Any opinion as to whether it's better to order Euros and take with you or try to exchange after in France - I'm opting for getting the euro currency beforehand from my bank but would appreciate advice on this.</i>&quot;

Don't do either (take &euro; w/ you nor exchange there). The best way by far, both for cost and convenience is to use an ATM card linked to your checking account and get &euro; as you need them.

If you want to get maybe &euro;50 or &euro;100 before you leave that would be OK. But I don't even bother w/ that. I just use an ATM in my arrival airport. If by any slim chance all the airport ATMs are down you can always exchange a few US$ for &euro; at the Bureau de Change.

Using ATMs willl save you between about 7% and nearly 15% over bringing cash from home or exchanging over there. Plus you don't have to carry a lot of cash on you every day.

I agree. Have been to France several times, and there is no need to bring Euros. There are ATM's everywhere for w/drawing cash and that is a much safer and cheaper way to do it. Just bring some Euro's for incidentals and use your card for anything else. As far as flights go, I would never book that early unless it was an incredible deal. If I am serious about finding a good fare, I will check every day online for a few weeks to see if the price changes. It usually does, and for some strange reason, I usually get the best fares on a Monday or Tuesday. Don't know why....

Kestrel - booking flights early depends on so many individual factors. For example, we have very specific times that we can travel (not the last day of the month, not during the summer, etc.). In addition, we have issues with our daughter and need to plan well in advance for her nurse. So...the cost difference of a couple of hundred dollars here or there in the big scheme in light of our other factors is priority.

That said, I think @ $1000 in June from the US to Europe is reasonable and I'd grab it and not look back...

Happy planning!

Last year, I found March was the best month to book flights for June. However, I would check frequently for a good flight between now and March. You never know when an airline will have a sale or make a mistake.

I too educate myself well in advance. I research ticket prices and then my husband and I discuss how much we are willing to pay for the tickets. When the tickets get to that price, I book them. Sure, the ticket prices can drop, but they can certainly go up as well. For our upcoming Croatia trip we booked the tickets 8 months in advance. There have been several changes to the flight times, but the airfare has more than doubled since we purchased them so I'm more than willing to deal with schedule changes.

And I also agree not to take euros with you. An ATM is definitely the way to go.

Good luck!
Tracy