Frantic Ticket Purchase Upends Itinerary ... No Open Jaw -
 

So..... as is my typical problem... I eye the tickets, see some good prices, start to plan and while still figuring out the order of things (Start in Barcelona or Madrid? Start in Paris and end in Madrid? Wait when can husband get off work? Wait our favorite apartment isn't available, maybe if we twist these dates it can work, etc etc etc...) then I note tickets start to creep up, but prices are still reasonable with some flexibility on timing. THEN TODAY My preferred itineraries jumped several hundred dollars (to $1500++++ vs $950-$1100).... on multiple routes and days.

SO I left a meeting, went to the lobby and just bough 5 tickets in and out of Paris (for $1100) June 8 - July 7. Sadly my husband can only half the time ....

So now I'm in and out of Paris. Would you rather... land in Paris from transatlantic flight and take another flight to Madrid (or maybe Barcelona)..... OR start off in Paris and then fly back the day of night before a transatlantic flight.

Still just KICKING myself for not pulling the trigger earlier.....

Keep pricing the open-jaw options even if you're already ticketed. Find out how much the change fee with your purchased tickets is, and if the USA-Paris//XXX-USA (open-jaw) price falls back to where the the difference is less than the change fee plus cost of travel from XXX back to Paris, then just change your tickets.

Getting from Paris to Barcelona is not that difficult by rail or air. As to that change fee? LOL if anybody thinks it won't be nasty.

Next time you may do it differently. In the meantime, rather than settling immediately on either of the 2 fixes you mention, you may want to wait to decide while you think of all the possibilities the new transport structure might afford you. For instance, on arrival, get on the TGV right at CDG and stop for a couple of days to relax in Avignon. See a bit of the South before moving on. Or any place in between Barcelona & France. Then another on the way back to Paris. I find a train ride right from the airport very soothing after a long flight, especially if not too much is required of me when I get off the train.

"Or any place in between Barcelona & France."

Make that Barcelona & Paris.

If I flew into Paris, yes I would start my trip there.

I was thinking something similar to what MmePerdue suggests. Take a little time to explore all the possibilities. We have taken a train from CDG upon landing. You could explore a new place...

I came home and told my family... We have tickets for a month in Europe!!!!! And they all bemoaned the lost money. WHAT!!! Why didn't you book earlier!!!!

Funny the way the brain works. When we first looked at tickets it was $1100 tickets to Paris (In Summer!) that got us thinking... then we saw $850 or so with various itineraries ..... and of course now we're back to the original price and all are outraged at the loss....

Husband has to leave very early out of Paris on 6/26 so think our itinerary may involve a transfer upon arrival to CDG.... then return to Paris for our 6 day stretch and his departure from CDG then our jaunt off to Rome to meet friends and our departure through CDG to head home to Atlanta.

UGH!!!! But it's all cheaper with inter European fares than the high priced open jaws I was seeing.

Best to get on those tickets though I know.

Mostly need to vent and also say WOO HOO since the family hasn't caught on yet... that regardless of it all. I just booked 1 month in Europe! (At least for kids and me :-))))

IMHO the plane always comes first (as soon as days off are concerned) since that is the singe largest expenditure. But we plan trips FAR in advance and put in for time off at least 6 or 7 months in advance.

Then everything falls into places form there.

Now that DHs plans have changed you probably don;t have bad flights - although you could still track into Barcelona and out of Paris fares and see if they are really more than the change cost of your tickets after deducting the extra cost of flying Paris/Barcelona round trip instead of one way.

How long is your flight to Paris? For our family, by the time we get there from California we are much to tired to press on. We have tried to do so before but had to deal with plane delays, lost luggage, etc. when we were really too tired to cope. If your flight is shorter, you might be up for traveling onward. For me, I would want to go no further than absolutely necessary.

KTravel

Our flight from Atlanta is not as far as California, still long and through the night...but we have also done trips to India.

Unless you are set on spending the time in Paris with your husband can't he return to Paris and fly out early leaving you to continue to Rome before spending time in Paris?
Or spend the time in Paris together at the beginning, then go on to Spain or even to Rome so you can both see your friends, with him still returning to Paris alone, so you don't have to keep going back there?

I love getting on a train after a long-haul flight, even a long-distance train. I also like pressing on and going to my farthest point right away, then enjoying the time back near my departure point at the end of the trip. I find trains very relaxing after a night in the air, and unlike on flights, I can sleep on a train. Whatever you do, buy your train tickets as far in advance as you can to save the most - you may make up for those high air prices.

My ticket has me flying in and out of London because it was so much cheaper. The plan is to fly from London to Barcelona, train to Paris, train Paris to London, fly home.

No it's not ideal, but it's hardly a major crisis either.

My only suggestion is the make sure you leave enough time between your arrival in CDG and your next departure that you don't miss it! I have a rule of at least 4 hours on these type of connections.

(And the change fee is liable to be at least $200 and more likely $400 so the airfare would have to freefall. Unlikely for summer unless something horrid happens!)

I sympathize in what you went through watching ticket prices then being afraid to press that"buy" button because you're unsure of your plans. I'm going through it right now. I will start my own thread this evening.

BUT...I am wondering why no one has mentioned using a low cost airline (Easy Jet and several others you can find with Google) to make those long hauls? You do have to deal with different airports, but it is fine once you figure it out. I am assuming you do not bring more than one carry on bag or checked bag. If you do...don't.
We have traveled for 6 weeks with only one 22" bag and a small backpack (purse inside). That makes Easy Jet easy! Do schedule ahead and be very meticulous in following rules.

Best of luck. And I thought MY itinerary was complicated!

I think some people did mention that you can easily fly within Europe and to think about that--like Dukey.

The next day I was fiddling around and saw that prices had dropped! You know I couldn't help but look. It had been more than 24 hours but somehow they said that I was in the window for no change fees. So I rebooked to fly out of Rome. In the process saved $450 and don't have to buy tickets, or spend time, flying to Paris first to get our way home. I was surprised. Ticket prices continue to be in the range I had been seeing BEFORE the jump that caused me to just press buy on a less than ideal itinerary. But now I have the big points of In and Out of Europe set. This is all on Delta.

I'll likely head to Spain straight from CDG after landing ATL-CDG flight. We land at 630 am and it leaves us lots of options to book a quick flight to MAD or BCN for low cost. Got to figure that out. Since we're Direct to CDG from ATL it isn't so bad. We do then have to loop back to Paris to end my husband's portion of the trip there... but it will be from Northern Spain and not so bad, and sets us up well for the kids and I to fly to Calabria from Paris.... Though kids still advocating the train.

More information than anyone needs or cares to know, but fun to write.

The main tip is just to consider if there is a no change fee window.

Happy travels.