Euro at 1.53. It just hit my limit and I'll look elsewhere for my travels unfortunately.
 

Just checked today and the dollar has sunk yet again to 1.53. I will have to travel to Europe vicariously through other posters. That is my limit and I cant justify travelling to Europe even to Portugal which might be one of the least expensive countries in Europe. Oh well, I am glad that I made a few trips when the dollar was not so bad. To those who can still afford it, best to you and enjoy your adventures.

Don't feel too badly as I am sure it will eventually get better. We've opted for two weeks at the beach here at home this year but will be going to China and VietNam next February and the exchange rate in China isn't the greatest but we chalk it up to the price of travel.

<<< even to Portugal which might be one of the least expensive countries in Europe >>>

Try Eastern Europe - perhaps one of the Balkans

Hi T,

How much more expensive is Europe with the Euro at $1.53 than at $1.52, or is this a matter of principle?

If you go to Scandinavia r the UK, you won't have to use Euros. :)

((I))

I think anyone who has been to Norway recently will tell you they have installed defibrillators at the checkout counters, as so many Americans were passing out when they realised how much the items purchased cost in dollars....

ira--of course it's not much different at all. But most of us do have to draw a line somewhere. Our line was at about $1.40. Last year we went to Alaska--airfare was $475 from Baltimore, even though the distance is actually a tad further than where we had hoped to go in Europe. We've decided to go to Hawaii this year--never been before and airfare from the east coast is under $500 with all taxes, fuel charges, etc.

By the way, the Alaska trip was fabulous--we have been to many parts of the world, but none surpass Alaska for natural beauty and wildlife, plus it has a special cultural "feel" even though it's part of the USA. Whales, moose, wolves, and drive-thru espresso stands galore!

For the umpteenth time...

Simply cut down a tad on things such as lodging, meals.

Use public transportation instead of taxis.

Don't bother shopping unless it is for souvenirs or small gifts...there is nothing to buy that you can't get just as easily and for less money at home...just because you bought a set of glasses, for example, in Venice doesn't make it a better buy than getting it at home (and believe me when entertaining nobody will know the difference).

By doing these simple things, you'll find you'll do just fine in visiting Europe.

Oil hits $106.00/barrel this A.M. This commodity price is much more of a travel killer than Euro rise. In addition to domestic fuel prices going over $4.00/gallon very soon; the ripple effect will wreak havoc on all consumer prices

Some people were already bare bones travelers, so cutting back wouldn't be an option--unless, I guess, they sleep on the street and forage for food in trash bins! lol

We will be in leiden in six weeks, staying in apartment for two weeks.
Our current plan is two meals in restaurants in Amsterdam, two in Leiden, and three in Brugge during a side trip there. A five day rail pass is included with the apartment rental.

The rest of our dinners will be in the apartmement, and lunches will be picnic types of meats, cheese, and smoked eel. The cost of the Brugge trip will be paid for by the $600.00 our president is sending us.

We don't anticipate many other expenses except for bicycle rentals and chocolates for our cat sitter and plant waterer.

Jake1, I LOVE Alaska too!! Most beautiful place in the world IMO! I love Europe, but we will cut back a bit now on the E trips.

Well,there's always the UK...the GBP has hovered around $2 for a while and not had the current rise the euro has had...sort of validates the decision of the UK to stay away from the euro giving them the opportunity to control their interest rates and try to keep some sense in the exchange process...many of the members of the eu which use the euro want to lower interest rates to fight inflation but the central bank is in control of "hard liners" who evidently feel the direction to go is an overvalued euro.

Incidentally, just read in the Evening Standard that it is expected that petrol (gasoline) in the UK will hit the £5/imperial gallon mark in the very near future...bear in mind 5 US gallons are 4 imperial gallons which if my math is correct means about £4/US gallon or $8/US gallon (even though the eu has forced them to sell petrol by the liter)....

"many of the members of the eu which use the euro want to lower interest rates to fight inflation"

I am not judging this, as my grasp of Economics is limited, but don't central banks usually raise interest rates to control inflation (To raise the cost of borrowing and so make it less affordable to buy on credit).

And another genuine question, is the Euro overvalued or just the dollar falling. Certainly the £ to $ rate seems to have taken a dive recently, but the £/$ is still good for the UK.

How has the Euro done against the Yen and Yuan?

I just read an article about Argentina being a great destination to get the most for your money. You can check out the article, they have some other cool ideas. www.specialtytravelagents.com

"many of the members of the eu which use the euro want to lower interest rates to fight inflation"

The poster's got the argument right, but the motives the wrong way round.

The ECB is required by its charter to fight inflation. Unlike the Fed, it's not supposed to worry about economic growth. So it doesn't want to lower rates. Some eurozone politicians want rates down to encourage economic growth.

In 2007, the euro actually APPRECIATED against the yuan, making Chinese imports cheaper.

Travelme, I went to Mexico City last month for a week. For about $120 USD per day (or 80 Euros) inclusive, I was able to stay in a 4* hotel, take several very good all-day tours, go to the ballet, visit some excellent museums, take taxis to/from the airport, and go to a guidebook restaurant most nights (except when too tired). So for me, this was a trip bordering on luxury, for the same price as a budget European trip.

travelme,

Post an itinerary of where you would like to go, and what you would like to see. Give us a budget. Sit back and let Fodorites work their magic. It is too easy to let something you cannot control (exchange rates) determine whether you go on vacation, versus actually looking at the costs of a vacation, which you can control.

A recent posting here stuck in my mind, someone who compared spending a month in a cottage in the countryside of Italy versus a holiday at Disneyworld. And it was similar or less to go to Italy.

I'm Canadian, we've lived with these rates for a long time, with a currency that supposeldy has 20% less buying power than the USD. And yet...we travel.

Don't give up.

Michael--yes, costs can be controlled to a degree, but there are limits given one's disposable income and what one wants out of a vacation. Eventually, most people would reach a point where the vacation just costs too much for what you get. For example, we do usually stay at inexpensive B&Bs, pensions, private homes, etc.; lunches we usually buy at street stands or put together at supermarkets.

But if even those would become too expensive because of the exchange rate, we could always save money by camping and foraging for berries in the woods. But if we hate camping and like to occasionally dine using plates, knives and forks, then we would not enjoy our vacation by saving money that way, then it just would not be worth it.

heck dollar's not doing so peachy again the Swiss Franc either.

For me the problem is not 1.51 or 1.53 it's the over all package. Airfare (from Seattle) is high, hotels in the places I'd want to visit not cheap, plus I travel solo. The 5 trips I've had the pleasure to make to Europe in the past decade, the budget WAS already as low as I'd be willing to go.

I did the math & can take 2 trips, 1-wk each tropical vacations (Mexico or Hawaii) for the price of 1 week in Switzerland this year.
(I know there are cheaper places than Switzerland or Hawaii but am comparing three destinations I've been to before so feel confident about accurate pricing comparison).

The way I look at it, the cost of the Euro affects only half the trip. The other half is in USD--for us that's airfare, car rental, pet care, insurance, and airport parking.

In 2007 our airfare to Paris was up 10% over the previous year, and the Euro was up 10% too. Even so, our total 2007 trip cost a little less than in 2006, even though we upgraded the rental car and added two days.

So even though the Euro is at $1.53, it's not quite 10% higher than last year. I think we can live with that.

My skiing friends just confirmed that hoardes of Dutch have been seen in Obersaxon, Zermatt, Lenzerheide, Hoch Ybrig and Rigi. Seems the EU nations have now discovered Switzerland to be a cheaper destination than ever before.

One word - Africa.

I know that before Fodor's I had never thought of Priceline, so in my mind London was always going to be an expensive trip. Next time, it's an option.

Similarly, I've used Travelocity, Expedia and even SNCF website to get package deals.

Go for one week instead of two, go off season, appartment instead of hotel, etc...

There is a $$ limit that everyone reaches, what I'd like to hope is that before someone gets discourage by the business news, that they have at least considered all of the options. I know I'm still learning.

Hmmmmmm...sounds like we should have a LOT of European trip reports this year, doesn't it? Yeah, right!

Look at it as a chance to broaden your travel horizons and break out of the European rut. Mexico, if you stay away from the border, beaches and a few American retirement communities, is far more exotic than any destination in Europe. (The beaches are far better, too, if that's your thing, but the culture by the sea is heavily gringo.)

Farther south in CA things get rougher but the rewards are great.

I am just right now starting to skim over the idea that maybe our fall planned trip to Italy may be something I should postpone. I am not commited yet as far as airfare, non-refundable deposits, etc. I started a post inquiring about my airfare budget. Hopefully Dutyfree (a poster) doesn't mind me quoting him from his response to me there, but he says economists expect the euro to hit 2-1 by the end of the year.

I have had my heart set on this trip for a year now - I feel so invested already. I can make it work right now, but a 2-1 would feel reckless to me.

We are going to France this summer. I just told our kids to expect to eat on the cheap, and not to count on buying much while there. Luckily, we are using frequent flier miles for airfare, and the apartment is in dollars.

If the Euro was so high ...it would me much cheaper to travel to the US from countries in the Euro zone..but that's not right. It is more expensive than the last year.
So, the part of the trip you have to pay in Euro is still too expensive for most of us and doesn't compensate the "cheaper" expenses there.
It works like always has worked...if you have the money, travel , if you don't have..stay at home (or near home ! ;) )

Hi W,

"is the Euro overvalued or just the dollar falling.

It's the dollar dropping with respect to everything that isn't pegged to it.

Gold is almost $1000/oz

((I))

Just in case OP hasn't noticed - Europe, the EU and the Euro (as well as Schengen) don't cover the same countries.

Therefore there are EU countries that don't use the Euro, non-EU countries tat do use the Euro, etc etc

alan...

Perhaps I'm dense (I admit I am sometimes)...can you name a non eu country that uses the euro????? (unless they are subdivisions of an eu country such as some of the caribean islands????) And I don't count Switzerland as, although the euro is almost universally accepted (note I said almost), the official currency of the country is still the Swiss Franc.

Please help me out.

No, I'm afraid there are not non-EU countries that use the Euro. All the countries in the Euro zone belong to the EU. Not all the EU countries belong to the Euro zone, though.

Do they take it in Greenland and is that a country?

In the past two years I have been to Ireland, the Azores and mosty recently to Spain. When I went to Ireland the euro was 1.32, during the trip tp to the Azores it was costing 1.35 and then to Spain two weeks ago, it was 1.46. I don't need to go back for a little while. Maybe in a year or so when and if our new president can do some magic with the economy. Latin America is a place that I enjoy and I've been to Argentina 5 times. I would love to visit Guatemala and Chile. There are many places in Mexico that I enjoy as well. So I will go elsewhere for my next trip. I just don't like seeing the cost of a trip increase day after day because of the exchange rate. What makes it worse is when you plan months and months in advance and you plan on a certain budget based on the exchange rate.
However, I do want to return to the Azores or visit Lisbon sometime. Maybe in 2 years. I will just make my plans a month prior so that I wont obsess about the exchange too much.

kenderina wrote: "No, I'm afraid there are not non-EU countries that use the Euro. All the countries in the Euro zone belong to the EU."

What about the Vatican?

Ah ha...I suppose we can then include Monaco as a non eu country that uses the euro but I think they have a customs union so to speak with France in the same way the Vatican has a customs union with Italy because after all pre euro, the Vatican used the Italian Lire as its currency (there was never a Vatican lire) and Monaco used French Francs as its currency (no Monaco Francs) right?

>dollar has sunk yet again to 1.53.
Outdated info. It's at 1.54 today and at 1.55 by the beginning of next week

To make everyone feel better, 2 weeks ago, when I was checking out USD vs CHF exchange rates, I still had a 10% advantage. Every week I've checked, and my advantage was cut by 1/2. By the time I head over to Switzerland next week, I may be looking at parity, or worse.

But sometimes, it's all in how you look at things. Life is too short to deprive yourself of what you really want, IF you have the means to make things happen.

If anything else, remember NY State Lotto's motto: "A dollar and a dream"

Because the dollar is in such bad shape, I've decided I'd spend some time in Mexico. Never having been there, I thought I'd check out travel agency prices and perhaps go with a travel agency for my first trip.

Fat chance! The prices of the rooms were out of sight, with a really low, low price being $165 per night and most costing at least $250. Many rooms for $300, $400, etc.. Those were undiscounted rates, but still indicative of prices I'd never be willing to pay.

Not only were they very expensive, but they were "American style" rooms, soul-less and charmless, to my way of thinking.

Okay, so it's back to my Frommers "Yucatan" book. It looks like I'll be doing my own arrangements for my first trip to Mexico.