Going to Paris and Rome in Sept...which is most economical?
Aug 9th, 2011, 10:08 AM
#1
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Going to Paris and Rome in Sept...which is most economical?
Hi all. I've been a lurker for a while and decided to join Fodors. Its a wealth of info, I must say!
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone can recommend the most economical way to go to Paris/Rome for a week in this September? I'm looking at EuropeanDestinations.com and have found a price of 3,000 for two people. It includes direct flights and decent hotels for 6 nights. Can I do better elsewhere? Looking for airfare alone runs me $900-1000 each, RT! Thanks if anyone can recommend something!
Regards,
G
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone can recommend the most economical way to go to Paris/Rome for a week in this September? I'm looking at EuropeanDestinations.com and have found a price of 3,000 for two people. It includes direct flights and decent hotels for 6 nights. Can I do better elsewhere? Looking for airfare alone runs me $900-1000 each, RT! Thanks if anyone can recommend something!
Regards,
G
Aug 9th, 2011, 10:44 AM
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I haven't seen the site and it may be a good deal. However, look at the details of any offers. Where are they? What are the accommodations like? Are there any additional charges? Look at reviews on TripAdvisor to be sure they are good places.
Aug 9th, 2011, 11:04 AM
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September is usually a bit harder to get rooms since it is fashion season in Paris
So...if booking on your own...say ~2400 for flights for 2. Leaves $1000 for 6 nights at hotel, $166 a night, or 116 euro.
Yes, you can get a room for 116 euro, but it will just OK.
Would have to look at their hotels, I assume they are 3 star...
So...if booking on your own...say ~2400 for flights for 2. Leaves $1000 for 6 nights at hotel, $166 a night, or 116 euro.
Yes, you can get a room for 116 euro, but it will just OK.
Would have to look at their hotels, I assume they are 3 star...
Aug 9th, 2011, 11:14 AM
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It doesn't strike me as a horrible "all in" price, but as others have suggested, it all depends on the quality of the flights, and the quality of the hotels. I'm also not sure that you couldn't find the same rates on your own for the same properties, though that would require more research and work.
With respect to the flights, be aware that a "direct" flight, as the term is used by the airline industry, is not necessarily the same as a "nonstop" flight -- be sure you know which you are paying for. For Italy, an easy way to compare whether you are getting a good deal on the hotel is to look up the rates being offered for the same hotel, same dates, on Venere.com.
Good luck!
With respect to the flights, be aware that a "direct" flight, as the term is used by the airline industry, is not necessarily the same as a "nonstop" flight -- be sure you know which you are paying for. For Italy, an easy way to compare whether you are getting a good deal on the hotel is to look up the rates being offered for the same hotel, same dates, on Venere.com.
Good luck!
Aug 9th, 2011, 12:30 PM
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Well the good news is that the company exisits and is registered with the Better Business Bureau which is a positive. At least it's not a scam company/site http://www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-Revi…
The bad news is that if you read the review there http://www.dc.bbb.org/report.html?nation… (also trading under the name Solar Tours Inc which this is listed under) then it has a rating of "F"
"Reasons for this rating include:
Number of complaints filed against business
Failure to respond to complaints filed against business"
Also, if you search in Google adding the word scam to it then a worrying amount of reports come up http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q…Reading 5-10 of them then customers are complaining about several things
(a) booking a trip for a given price and then this price changing (increasing) after confirmation http://www.ripoffreport.com/Travel-Agenc…
(b) booking hotels that don't exisit, making a promise for a refund and not honouring this http://www.ripoffreport.com/Travel-Agenc…
and lots more
So might be very careful...
Personally always do better self guiding.
cheapoair.com for flights and betterbidding.com for Pris
for four stars Marriott Rive Gauche bidding priceline from $80
Sheraton Roma in May 4 star south Rome hotwire.com $69
Booked the Marriott at CDG around my flights bidding
priceline today for $70 so 70% off or so...
eurocheapo.com budget tips guides for your cities.
hotwire.com has Novotel Les Halles it is their 4 star
secret Louvre Vendome hotel booked that last week 112 euro
So there are deals to be had from my experience...
insuremytrip.com always wise ricksteves.com good info too
Happy Hunting!
The bad news is that if you read the review there http://www.dc.bbb.org/report.html?nation… (also trading under the name Solar Tours Inc which this is listed under) then it has a rating of "F"
"Reasons for this rating include:
Number of complaints filed against business
Failure to respond to complaints filed against business"
Also, if you search in Google adding the word scam to it then a worrying amount of reports come up http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q…Reading 5-10 of them then customers are complaining about several things
(a) booking a trip for a given price and then this price changing (increasing) after confirmation http://www.ripoffreport.com/Travel-Agenc…
(b) booking hotels that don't exisit, making a promise for a refund and not honouring this http://www.ripoffreport.com/Travel-Agenc…
and lots more
So might be very careful...
Personally always do better self guiding.
cheapoair.com for flights and betterbidding.com for Pris
for four stars Marriott Rive Gauche bidding priceline from $80
Sheraton Roma in May 4 star south Rome hotwire.com $69
Booked the Marriott at CDG around my flights bidding
priceline today for $70 so 70% off or so...
eurocheapo.com budget tips guides for your cities.
hotwire.com has Novotel Les Halles it is their 4 star
secret Louvre Vendome hotel booked that last week 112 euro
So there are deals to be had from my experience...
insuremytrip.com always wise ricksteves.com good info too
Happy Hunting!
Aug 9th, 2011, 12:41 PM
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Looks like you can go IAD PAR on Air Canada or Continental
from $400 all in on some dates like last week in Sept...
kayak.com/buzz another screening site that is good.
Might also check out NYC PAR and www.transatt.ca great deals
Happy Travels
from $400 all in on some dates like last week in Sept...
kayak.com/buzz another screening site that is good.
Might also check out NYC PAR and www.transatt.ca great deals
Happy Travels
Aug 9th, 2011, 01:01 PM
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That isn't a horrible price but it's about the going rate and what you would pay yourself, only it includes a hotel in an off-area that isn't the best, and you could do much better. Airfare is around $1000 (not 1200) from IAD to Paris in Sept nonstop, as I've been checking myself. That $3400 thus leaves $1400 for a hotel for 6 nights which is around 160 euro per night, I think. You can get an avg 3* hotel for that in Paris on your own and in a better area. YOu can get a cheaper hotel than that on your own if you want to save money, which you do.
So there is nothing great about that package at all.
There are probably better deals, but in Sept companies aren't going to find great bargains on hotels and airfare doesn't change much. If you really want to save money, you probably need to book yourself and choose cheaper hotels.
I checked go-today.com and it has much better deals for Paris packages in Sept and you can customize and choose the hotels you want. For 9/21 for 6 nights, it is only about $3000 dollars for 2 (all taxes included) for the same thing, and that was choosing a 3* hotel in the Latin Qtr you'd like a lot better. It had cheaper options than that (I think the lowest you could go would be around $2700 for 2), but some hotels were in Montmartre or farther out.
That's just one place, there may be others like tourcrafters. Airfrance itself used to have good packages.
In short, that place you found isn't worth your trouble and I wouldn't use it.
So there is nothing great about that package at all.
There are probably better deals, but in Sept companies aren't going to find great bargains on hotels and airfare doesn't change much. If you really want to save money, you probably need to book yourself and choose cheaper hotels.
I checked go-today.com and it has much better deals for Paris packages in Sept and you can customize and choose the hotels you want. For 9/21 for 6 nights, it is only about $3000 dollars for 2 (all taxes included) for the same thing, and that was choosing a 3* hotel in the Latin Qtr you'd like a lot better. It had cheaper options than that (I think the lowest you could go would be around $2700 for 2), but some hotels were in Montmartre or farther out.
That's just one place, there may be others like tourcrafters. Airfrance itself used to have good packages.
In short, that place you found isn't worth your trouble and I wouldn't use it.
Aug 9th, 2011, 01:02 PM
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Have you checked Costco travel? I've just booked a 13-day package through them that includes roundtrip airfare (Delta/KLM)from Seattle, first class train fare between cities, great hotels (Rome: Starhotels Michelangelo, Florence: Sofitel Firenze, Venice: Westin Europa, Paris: Sofitel Arc de Triomphe) plus a sightseeing tour in each city. Cost was less than $3200 per person, which I thought was quite a bargain.
Aug 9th, 2011, 02:23 PM
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Whoops! Thank you Christina, too! Will look into this site 
Azzure- Will check it out, thanks so much!
The only thing that may bump my fare up by going independently is the IAD-CDG-ROME route I am taking since I'm doing 3 days in Paris and 3 in Rome.
Btw, you all are fabulous. Thank you so much again!
G
Azzure- Will check it out, thanks so much!
The only thing that may bump my fare up by going independently is the IAD-CDG-ROME route I am taking since I'm doing 3 days in Paris and 3 in Rome.
Btw, you all are fabulous. Thank you so much again!
G
Aug 9th, 2011, 02:52 PM
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oh, I didn't know you wanted to go to both, I thought you were choosing one or the other. Then I think you really need to do it on your own, most packages are only for one place. In fact, I don't know where you are seeing packages into CDG and out of Rome. Some probably exist, but they won't be the budget ones.
Your airfare will be higher than $1000 because Rome airfare is higher than to Paris (it is farther away, for one thing), so having that on one leg will make it more in and of itself. Also, Air France often has about the best fares to Paris, so check them, as they probably do fly to Rome, but it will still obviously cost more (it will go through Paris). And then if you add in airfare from CDG to Rome, that is more money.
I suppose you have a real good reason for what you are doing, but 3 days in each city isn't the way to economize for a trip with the cost of airfare nowadays. I mean, one or the other, ok. Or I'd wait until I had more time to spend in each to make that cost worthwhile.
not that you asked, I know
Your airfare will be higher than $1000 because Rome airfare is higher than to Paris (it is farther away, for one thing), so having that on one leg will make it more in and of itself. Also, Air France often has about the best fares to Paris, so check them, as they probably do fly to Rome, but it will still obviously cost more (it will go through Paris). And then if you add in airfare from CDG to Rome, that is more money.
I suppose you have a real good reason for what you are doing, but 3 days in each city isn't the way to economize for a trip with the cost of airfare nowadays. I mean, one or the other, ok. Or I'd wait until I had more time to spend in each to make that cost worthwhile.
not that you asked, I know
