We went to France last summer and the Euro cost about $1.24. Now it is up to $1.42. I had been thinking about planning a trip for summer 2012 -- Bruges and Provence. Now, I'm not too sure as the extra cost just doesn't seem quite worth it. Yes, I could reduce my standards and find cheaper accomodations; find cheaper meal options, etc. Are others going through the same internal debate in making a go/no go decision? Are more people opting out of travel to Europe?

Buenos Aires has always been on my list of places I'd like to see and it's getting more and more attractive because of the cost of the Euro. I don't want to travel there during our summer, so I had planned on waiting until we are empty nesters. Now, it might move up to the top of my list...

Your thoughts?

<< Are more people opting out of travel to Europe? >>

Nope!


I say go where you want to go. If BA has been on your list, and the exchange rate is better, there then go there. But are you sure the exchange rate is good there? The dollar is tanking everywhere, not just in Euro using countries. I just looked up a 1 year history of the USD to the Argentine Peso and it looks like the USD's value is diminishing there as well (if I'm reading the chart correctly). Currency fluctuations affect more than the Euro.

You also have to keep in mind inflation or what your money will buy. It's not just the exchange rate that provides buying power. Many people don't understand this. I have no idea what things cost in BA so can't help you with that but perhaps a look at the SA board here will give you some insight to prices.

As an example: a couple of years ago I went to Portugal, a country that uses Euros as their currency. The prices in Portugal are so cheap (compared to the prices where I live) that even if the Euro:USD was 1:1.45 it would have been a cheap trip. I had a long dinner with some French folks who told me how cheap their trip was in Portugal compared with vacationing in France. The USD:Euro was not a factor for them.

My advice is to go to places you'd like to experience. If it's Brugge and Provence then go there. I don't think you have to reduce your standards but learn to live differently such as renting a gite and eating breakfast at home, buying food in a market and either cooking or have a picnic supper with the wonderful Provencal foods. Eat fewer restaurant meals. The food is so good in Provence you won't miss eating out a few times during your trip.

In Brugge I found that the dinners were huge and 2 people could certainly share an appetizer or dessert and come away full. I also liked that even a lunch sandwich came with a salad so it was satisfying and healthy.

Adrienne makes some good points. Go where you want to go . When you figure out the incrimental cost of a shift in the exchange rate to the total cost of the trip it probably is less than you think. It is like not going on a road trip because fuel has gone up $1.00 a gallon. Would you really cancel your trip and stay home and miss the experience over a couple hundred dollars?

As for Buenos Aires, if you always wanted to go, go. We went to Brasil and Argentina last year for the first time and had an amazing trip. Yes, in general it is less expense than europe. It is just as easy to plan yourself as europe using the South American board and travel guides. The added bonus if you are traveling from the US is that while the flights are long overnight hauls, like europe, you are not crossing many time zones thus doing away with the jetlag adjustment.

I never have regreted a trip I have taken, only those I thought of and never took.

>The dollar is tanking everywhere.
How true. It's at 1.4482 compared to the very weak € now.
It's still not really worth importing stuff from the US. Prices there seem to rise at a faster speed than the $ can tank.
Looks like we're nearing the end at a much faster speed now.

Travel now...the sky is falling (according to logos)! LOL

That's the spirit! There's not much time left with widespread wealth and easy travelling abroad. Do it now, you won't be able to do it at all later.

The exchange rate won't alter my plans - health however, will...so we're still going to Europe while we're still physically able!!! The day I can't travel anymore..........................

Our plans are already made so there's no backing out now. I'm not thrilled about the exchange rate but what can I do about it? Last October when we were in Germany and Austria, the average was about $1.40 so not much different from now.

I'm with travelfan1. I see too many other women, slightly older than myself, with mobility/health problems. I spend all my extra money traveling!! Go now!

If you look at the difference from your past trip it's .20 per USD more, so in the grand scheme of things it's several hundred dollars more overall. These are my thoughts only, it's not enough to change plans, you can't predict what the Euro will be in 14+ months, maybe it'll be a more favorable rate, maybe not. If indeed it will be too costly then look for alternatives, have you given thought to or are you even interested in renting an apartment from which to do day trips, you can have some meals in which will help with the overall costs. Enjoy whichever route you choose.
Susan

I'm with the above posters. Life is too short, and in my case, it's getting shorter much faster than I had anticipated. I'll take my trip now and worry about the euro later.

I took a couple of trips when the exchange was $1.60 plus per euro. I just bite the bullet and go.

When we decided to go the Euro was $1.35. By the time we paid our 50% deposit on our apartment in Paris the rate had dropped to just over $1.20. GREAT! Now it is up over $1.44. Hey, that is less than 9% over our original planned cost.

"What you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts", as my British friend used to say.

The decision to travel is a foolish one, anyway, if you consider it on strictly monetary terms. We are inveterate garage sale people, auction goers, and antique hunters, and we have found, looking back, that the only things we really regret are the thing we didn't buy. The same thing applies to travel.

We are still going to France for 2 weeks in July. We have had to cut our museum pass from 4 days to 2 days and we are going to spend 2 or our Paris days just neighborhood browsing, going to markets, anything we can do for free. I will be going back to my guidebooks to look for such things.

There are a few things we decided not to give up but we will try to make it up by eating frugally at our apartment.

trvlgirlmq - you should look at this thread for free things to do in Paris.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=35143882

OK seriously, the difference in a 2 and 4 day pass is 15 Euros per pass. If the Euro is 1.50 when you go that is just $22.50 each you are saving, or $11.25 a day for access to all the museums, and you are cutting back there? Seriously? Cut back on something at home and go for the 4 days museum pass.

Experts have done a study on memory, and the memories we recall long after others have faded are experiences. Not what we got for our fortieth birthday or a present at Christmas, but exceptional life experiences like those we get from traveling to wonderful places. So, I say - GO! Your memories are priceless. And they may be all we have in our twilight years.

If the 35% Bernanke devaluation ended tonight, taking the $1.43 Euro back to the $.93 Euro of 1999, I'd book a flight tomorrow. As it is, it's too expensive.

barblab - If you want to fund the extra 2 days be my guest.

I have a finite amount of money I can spend on this trip. If the Euro keeps going up then we will cut more things. We have lost our day to tour the D-Day beaches in order to save on the gas cost, we are making adjustments to other areas as well. We all don't have unlimted income at home to just take money from bills, groceries, etc.

Europe is my favorite part of the world but for about 3 years I avoided it due to the bad exchange. I told myself this is an opportunity to see other parts of the world where they don't use the €. I visited Peru, Hawaii, Turkey, Israel, Egypt and Jordan. (not on the same trip, of course) I enjoyed these trips tremendously but last year I went back to Europe as I have missed it so much. I plan to go to Europe again this year, bad exchange and all, and I'll try to be more frugal while I'm there.

trvlgirlq, my point was that cutting the museum pass down saved you a tiny percentage of your total trip. I do not have unlimited funds and budget carefully for travel but after spending the money on the flight and hotel I would not scrimp on seeing the sights. I would forgo eatting in resturants and buying items to bring home before I would pass up a museum, palace or historical sight. I do not think you have to see everything whereever you go, but I do believe you should see your top priorities, as you never know if you will be back.