>hotel room
Well, I've book a room in Paris in June 4 nights.

Comfort Hotel Bastille = 37€ (incl. tax) night compared this to
Motel6, TWIN FALLS Idaho = $55.99 (plus tax) night
If both places are equally interesting, both hotels of the same quality, they should cost the same. Heck, my calculation is shomewhat flawed here?? ;-)

Well I think Twin Falls is MUCH more ineresting than Paris, France, don't you?

Dukey - try the local brew. Norwich Lager is one of my favorite UK suds. But you're too late for the N.L. Festival (August).

Logos, a couple times I have considered the Comfort Hotel Bastille, but didn't end up booking it. Where did you find such a cheap rate? (The cheapest I've seen so far is 60 Euros per night including breakfast for a double room - maybe in your case you have a single without breakfast?) I'll be interested to hear how you like it.

I'll post! The rate was on hrs.de, but has increased now, but still not extremely expensive. No breakfast!

I have my AA ticket, I have my BritRail Pass, I have my hotel reservations for three weeks in Edinburgh in September, and I have two new knees. I don't care if the exchange rate gets to be 3-1, I'm still going, and I'm going to have a wonderful time!!!

For myself - I haven't done much international travelling, but I have the desire to go just about everywhere

We went to Germany last summer and were thinking of another trip to Europe next summer. Then a friend in Singapore invited us to come visit and tour around SE Asia a bit. Sounds like a lot of fun and our money will go farther there than in Europe and esspecially the UK, so I think that it what we are going to do.

BUT, if I had a particular desire to see England right now, I don't think I would care what the exchange rate was. I think I would just go.

As it stands though, since I haven't been many places and want to go lots of places, I think I will plan trips with exchange rate as a consideration

Because of the very unfavorable exchange rate to Americans, the UK has always been near the bottom of my list.

I think it just fell off!

Well, a good chunk of my lodging has already been paid for. But I guess I'll take it on the chin for food and daily expenses when I travel in June.

Can't complain, though. Last time I went to London (1985), the dollar was at or near its all time high against the pound and most European currencies.

What I end up paying for airfare and accommodation tends to be a crapshoot anyway, with only minimal apparent effect from the exchange rate, so I'll exclude that from consideration.

Given I tend to budget travel, let's say that I am going to spend 50 pounds per day (excluding airfare and accommodation), and I'm going to stay for one week in the UK. If the exchange rate is 1.80, then my 350 pounds will be $630 USD. If the exchange rate is 2.00, then my 350 pounds will be $700 USD. Although $70 USD is not a trivial sum, I doubt it's going to make or break most people's trips.

Thankfully, the flat I rent was quoted in dollars & hadn't changed from last year plus it was paid in full. And the plane ticket was paid for months ago. WHEW!

Well do remember one of the laws of thermodynamics we learn in Physics...for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction or in other words what goes up must comde down.

I'm not saying this perjoratively but obviously the current administration doesn't seem to mind this by some of their actions including holding interest rates down (while a simplificaton, if interest rates rise, people will be more likely to invest in American securities or whatever as they will make more money then investing it at home, on the contrary when interest rates go down, people are more likely to invest where they can get more bang for their euro (or quid).....capital flows out of the US and the dollar goes down.

Whether it is a bad or good thing is a matter of perspective....lower interest rates mean lower mortgages which of course spurs on the housing market...it also raises the prices of imported goods which means people will be more likely to buy American...while American exports become cheaper and more American goods are bought which helps American industry etc.

The only people really hurt big time when the US dollar goes down are travellers and should American economic policy revolve around the needs of travellers? And of course, is it a good thing for Brits, for example, to have a strong pound..I read on some British bulletin boards of people complaining about high interest rates in Britain.

So is it symbolic of a bad economy or a strong economy? Who knows...I'm not an expert on economics so yes it annoys me when I'm away from home but then again, I may spend I don't know 30 to 35 days away from home...I suppose that increses my cost of travelling but is it really a bad thing?

The USA is now laughably cheap for we Brits. However; hair; teeth; guns; shoes and those horrible hats.

It's difficult.

...you mean baseball caps? You're nothing until you walk around wearing a baseball cap backwards...

Incidentally on a more serious note...I see a lot of teen age Brits walking around with baseball caps backwards along with blue jeans and t shirts with all sorts of obscenities.

What a decadent culture we have in the USA.

Incidentally on a more serious note...I see a lot of teen age Brits walking around with baseball caps backwards along with blue jeans and t shirts with all sorts of obscenities.>>>>

It's true - it's spread like the Black Death. And it's about as welcome.

But we're still OK on the hair, teeth, shoes and guns issues.

Good? Bad? yes and no. With all the changes that happen in a global economy it only depends on whether you are a buyer or seller at any certain time. If I were selling American products (rare as they may be) I'd be happy.

Our constition says we have the right to bear arms. I'm looking for a nuclear weapon for protection.

But wait until you try to buy a beer on South Beach and the price is $7. Then we kick you out for not leaving a $2 tip. The British Pound doesn't seem so strong anymore, does it.

>Well do remember one of the laws of thermodynamics ...for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction ...

Ummmmmm, that's not Thermo, it's Dynamics - Newton's 3rd Law.

This situation of the weak dollar won't change until a lot of American trade and tax policies change. If you have been asleep the past year or two, you may have overlooked the improvement of the Canadian dollar ( or "loonie&quot against the U. S. dollar. Mark my word: there will come a day -- and not too distant a day -- when the Canadian dollar trades at par with the U. S. dollar as it once did before Canada's economy went off the tracks. Visit Canada now! It's a bargain!