Dan Peters

I will be travelling to Europe during the last 3 weeks in Dec. I had planned to stay with a friend who WAS going to be transferred to the London office of his company. As his impending xfer may be nixed due to a stateside promotion, I now must explore other lodging options. I will be flying into Heathrow. As I am aware that the Pound is very strong against the dollar, I am wondering if it would be any cheaper to flee across the channel to France, where I might enjoy a more favorable exchange rate.(Francs for Dollars. As long as I am able to soak up the local culture, it doesn't really matter to me if I spend the bulk of my time in France or England. Sooo.... Where will I find the cheapest accomodations & meals? France? England? Ireland?? I require little more than clean sheets in a tidy room, so long as the area is relatively safe. I am 28, and will be travelling with my girlfriend (same age). I make about $18,000 per year, so as you can imagine, I will NOT be looking to stay at the 'Ritz' or the European equivalent. <BR> Thanks for the help, <BR> Dan aka vespadaddy

Vincent

Although the Pound has a little bit suffered from the recent currency crisis, it is still outrageously high, and London is, to my knowledge and personal experience, maybe the most expensive capital in the world. You can't get a decent room there for less than $120-140, whereas in Paris a middle-low room would cost you about $40-50. Plus underground is very expensive, so are the meals, etc. I love London, but if you want to appreciate it, it might be better to wait til the Pound goes down to more reasonable grounds. And Paris is not so bad, as I have been told...

Christina

I agree that London is the most expensive city I've ever been in--well, NY and London are pretty close. Paris is much more reasonable, especially in terms of being able to find modestly priced decent hotels. I've been to Ireland and think it's cheaper than London, but don't remember it as being THAT cheap. Plus, I don't think there'd be as much to do for 3 wks. Of course, you have to trade off the R/T cost of getting to & from Paris--with 3 wks in Europe, I'd definitely spend some in London and rest in France. (I really don't think you can find a room for $40-50 in Paris, though, at least not one I'd step foot in, but you can for $60-100.) I haven't been to London for quite a few years, and even back then it cost $150+ for a single in a modest hotel. Food isn't cheap in Paris, though, although anyone can eat cheap if they want--but, it's as or more expensive in London, anyway. <BR>

Marcia

Dan, I did a nice long post to you this morning which has somehow vaporized. Who knows - it's circling the globe in the electronic vapors. <BR> Here's the short of it: <BR>1. I don't think you should wait for exchange rates to rise or fall. Barring some cataclysmic economic event, the exchange rates are going to hover more or less where they are. They weren't much different this summer than 5 years ago - and the differences are fractional, not enough to affect the costs of your travel. <BR>2. Hotels: try hostels. There are international hostel associations and guide books. Hostels are very big in Europe. They are in big cities and little ones. It is basically clean cheap dormitory housing. You'll meet interesting people, most of them young (my guess is you'll be at the top of the age range, altho I understand that hosteling has spread upwards in age appeal). We also once stayed in a college dormitory in Amsterdam, but it was early summer. <BR>Breakfast is coffee standing up at a bar, baguette from a bakery, picnic lunch from the appropriate bakery/deli shops, and simple dinner. <BR>3. Go to the local library and browse the local bookstores. You are looking for budget guides. Frommer's. Also "Cheap Eats". A hostel guide. Over the net you can sample Rick Steve's "Europe Through the Back Door." He usually has budget suggestions, and you can order driect. Keep your guide books purchases to a minimum to save money up front. <BR>4. When you get there, look for money saving passes and combinations (multi-day tickets on the Underground in London; ditto the Metro in Paris. Multi day passes to the French Museums - kind of bunch the museum stuff together in your itinerary.) <BR>5. One bargain London has over Paris is that in London the British Museum and the British Museum National Library at Kings Cross are free. I don't think any of the French museums are free. however, some public museums have small time areas on a particular days which are free or reduced fee. <BR>6. Walk. Alot. It saves transportation money and you get a great feel for the city. <BR> <BR> <BR>With careful budgeting, you can do this. <BR> <BR> If you have a credit card, take it and perhaps reserve it for emergencies. Check back on this forum for all the various postings on ATM's and credit cards. Charges on credit cards get you the very best exchange rate, bar none. ATM withdrawals are the next best rates. Cash and travelers checks incur the deepest exchange discounts. Be sure to shop exchange rates if you are doing that. Banks will be better than commercial exchanges, and they are all better than your hotel/hostel. <BR> Since almost all cash/travelers checsk exchanges require a "fee" on top of the discount rate, exchange as much at one time as you can - because you have to figure the fee is really just another form of discount. And naturally, if the exchanger is not charging a fee/commission, then they have probably adjusted their exchange rate downwards as well - it's the "no free lunch" syndrome. <BR> <BR>Only one more thing to say: Bon Voyage, ahve a great trip. Go where you really want to go.

dan Peters

<BR>Thanks, all, for the information. Now it seems as though my free lodging in London is a 'go' after all. Double-decker bus, here I come!

NIGEL DORAN

<BR>Hello Dan, <BR> <BR>London is expensive, but it doesn't have to be as sky high as is suggested by others who've posted messages. <BR>There is no need to tip at 15-20% in the restaurants. 10% is fine, or leave nothing if the service is poor. Try Pizza Express for good cheapish food, or the Stockpot in Soho. You can get a pint and a nice sandwhich for about £6 in All Bar One, which is a chain of nice pubs. Indian restaurants are good value too, and typical of what Brits eat often when they go out. There is no need to tip the cabbies or the barstaff. Most Brits rarely tip taxi drivers or barstaff, so do likewise! <BR>It sounds obvious, but stay away from the tourist haunts. Don't spend 2 quid on a piece of pasty pizza. Instead, go into Boots or Marks and Spencer and buy their lovely sandwiches, always fresh and often low-fat, from £1 upwards. <BR>Scour the local press, like the London Standard, for special promotions at restaurants. You have to collect tokens for a few days and you should get bargain meals for a tenner or so. <BR>Don't go to the cinema in the West End if you can help it! I refuse to pay £9 for a ticket at the weekend, and so should you. Go during the day or to cinemas outside the West End. <BR>Always inquire at the Underground as to the best deal for your transportation. If you are here for 3 weeks, bring some photos of yourself and get a weekly pass. If you are in zone 2, it will cost £16.60 and will entitle you to transport on all tubes, buses and overland trains in that zone. It does not include night buses. <BR>Rarely take taxis. They are expensive It is better to walk, I think. <BR>If you plan to go to York, Edinburgh, Bath etc. whilst in U K, then either get a rail pass before you go or inquire about Apex rail tickets. These need to be booked in advance, and the further back you book them, the cheaper it is. There are restrictions, but ring 0345 484950 for train timetables and then the number for the respective train operator. 0345 225225 is for G N E R, running trains from London to Inverness, and Virgin is 0345 222333. These are local price calls. Ask the train information people for the number of the correct train operator for your route. You could also take the coach, usually run by National Express. They are cheap and are favoured by students here. If in doubt, just always ask the operator for the cheapest ticket and then see if you can deal with the restrictions. If not, ask for the next cheapest etc. etc. <BR>Stay in Y M C As and the like or in bed and breakfasts, finding out about these in Lets Go or Lonely Planet or Rough Guide, both of which have good web sites. <BR>Good luck with your scrimping!