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Inexpensive Foreign Country to Visit During the Summer

Inexpensive Foreign Country to Visit During the Summer

Old May 9th, 2005, 08:13 AM
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I'm not sure I would go just anywhere just because it is cheap. You can probably get a really cheap motel in rural Georgia but is that where you wanted to spend your vacation. You mentioned Paris like that is were you really really want to go. Go there, stay in a two-star, eat cheap, ride the subway and soak up the city. You can usually get much lower fares into the bigger cities so you save a little there and you end up in some pretty wonderful places. What kind of inexpensive are you looking for? Air, Hotels, Food, Amusements? We stay in a two star in the Maurais for 84 euros. We got the Waldorf Hilton in London for $115 USD through Priceline.
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Old May 9th, 2005, 08:26 AM
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Turkey was very inexpensive and wonderful and Prague is still a good bargain.

Moscow was a place I would certainly go back to but not cheap at all.
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Old May 9th, 2005, 09:10 AM
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I think that BTilke is right that inexpensive, summer and Western Europe do not have to be mutually exclusive - - notwithstanding the fact that you can almost certainly use the same approaches and come up with even MORE INexpensive stays in Central or Eastern Europe.

My wife and I are taking a short getaway to France and Spain - - I guess that technically it's "late spring" (May 26-Jun 1), but it feels like it's going to be the closest thing we're going get to a "summer vacation" (weddings of nieces and so many other things going on June and beyond!)

And to some extent, this is intentionally an experiment in how well we can do this... marrying trying to combine "inexpensive" and "charming" - - but I think we're going to make our target of room, breakfast and dinner for under 50 euro per person per day.

Night1: Logis de France 34 e half board
Night2: Logis De France 30 e half board
Night3: Hotel (Hondarribia) 59 e rm/bkfst
Night4: Casa rural (Bilbao) 25 e rm/bkfst
Night5: Train Biarritz-Paris 22 e (allowing 22 e of the total fare, since driving would have cost us 48 e per person for tolls and gasoline)

Thus, to make our target, we need to get 3 dinners (nights 3, 4 and 5) plus one breakfast for a total of 80 e per person. I am confident that we will be able to do it.

Of course, it's an undeniable fact that our 5 nights for 500 euro (per couple) sounds better than saying $641 (US dollars), which is what it is now.

Still, it seems like pissing in the wind, to blame "Europe and the euro" for the cost of this trip. The airfare, even at an unbelievable bargain (about $980 for the two tickets), and intra-Europe travel, estimated at about $600 (car rental, gasoline, tolls, parking? plus the one overnight train fare and shuttle for two, Paris to CDG) - - is almost 75% of the total expense of this trip. Hard to get mad at the innkeepers and restauranteurs for their (small) portion of the total trip budget. Even if the euro was back to 83 cents, the grand total would drop less than $150.

Best wishes,

Rex
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Old May 9th, 2005, 09:55 AM
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Rex,
You are definately my kind of cheap-a.. traveler. I'm not sure I can squeeze a penny that tightly but I'm learning.
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Old May 9th, 2005, 10:27 AM
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rex, those are amazing prices. How do you expect the quality of the accommodations to compare to centrally located hotels in say Paris? Are you stepping down from your usual quality level, or do you expect about the same?

Do you think it would be possible to use such accommodations and have a good trip if not renting a car?

I'm asking because your post opens up a wide range of possibilities for further budget travel. I had already noted that hostel rates in much of rural France are very low - 8 or 9 Euros a night is not uncommon.
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Old May 9th, 2005, 10:53 AM
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cheap and europe are an oxymoron- esp western europe. Eastern Europe is reasonable. If one really means cheap, look at soth east asia though the heat and rainy season are real considerations in the summer! Mexico- the non resort out of the way places= south america- but not the big cities-I am up for adventure but I really am careful re neighborhood in Rio ect...which means north american hotel prices.
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Old May 9th, 2005, 11:23 AM
  #27  
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<<How do you expect the quality of the accommodations to compare to centrally located hotels in say Paris?>>

I hope to be satisfied with the quality. Out in the sticks, 30 e will almost certainly buy you what costs 90 e in Paris.

<<Are you stepping down from your usual quality level, or do you expect about the same?>>

I don't have a "usual" quality level - - but yes, this might be a modest step down - - mostly because I feel like doing it this way, and I am not convinced that I will like triple-the-price lodging three times as much. Sometimes, we have been splurge diners when traveling abroad; this time we might, or we might not. "Less can be more" in (non-fancy) restaurants, as well as in lodging.

Still... I always enjoy sirring in some low(er)-cost rural lodging, even when a trip has "big city" destinations mixed into the itinerary as well. And I increasingly try to incorporate a villa stay (sometimes high end, sometimes not) or an apartment rental (on our 2003 trip to Prague, for example)

<<Do you think it would be possible to use such accommodations and have a good trip if not renting a car? >>

Generally, I do not think so, but I'm sure it COULD be done. Even so - - see another thread (Paris-Bilbao) - - where I point out that car is going to be MUCH cheaper for us on this trip than the train. Keep in mind that this is an impulse trip, initiated because of a $299 airfare to Europe... Paris-Biarritz by train would be over $600 USD roundtrip per person (on regular fares, as opposed to the PREM fare with couchettes, which we are taking one wayfor the trip to get us back to Paris to fly home).
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Old May 9th, 2005, 11:41 AM
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<<Moscow? Turkey? Greece?>>

mingtsainy,

I believe you are in NYC area - yes?
If that's correct, then you are in the cheapest US city to fly out of. So far so good.

Even so, fares are at summer rates.
So....

Summertime non-stop JFK to Moscow is $882 RT on Delta and you can get a center city apt. for about $50/night.

Greece and Turkey are both well over $1000 RT. Also, Moscow will the the coolest weather during the summer. Start getting a Russian visa ASAP if you decide on Moscow.
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Old May 9th, 2005, 12:06 PM
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I found Prague to be extremely reasonable, especially for food and drink. Two can dine for about $25, including a bottle of wine. The Metro and trams are ridiculously cheap, and you can practically walk everywhere, so you won't be spending money on transportation.

Argentina is a BARGAIN! I was in Buenos Aires in June of 2003, and I almost fainted from the LOW prices. You can dine in TOP restaurants in chic Recoleta for $7! My hotel room was $35!

Bangkok is very cheap for food, taxis, and shopping.

India and Nepal are so cheap, you can hire a private car and driver for $25 a day.
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Old May 10th, 2005, 04:22 AM
  #30  
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In the spirit of keeping this accurate and honest... our second night Logis de France turns out to be too good to be true. The 30 euro rate is a promotion for those guests who stay three nights minimum. I may or may not make an alternative choice (the location is a little far from Perigueux, anyway). So, maybe we end up cost averaging to more like 55 euro per day.

Poland would be cheaper. Maritime Canada (another place I would like to go in summer, though late May is probably too early)? Cheaper or not? Doesn't matter... this time, at least, I can get to France cheaper than I could get to Nova Scotia or Newfoundland (I think)!
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Old May 10th, 2005, 06:18 AM
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rex,
Totally off topic, but here it is.
Save your Nova Scotia trip for an August when you will perfect 70 degree temperatures. Don't skip Cape Breton Island.
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Old May 10th, 2005, 08:09 AM
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Rex, thanks for the update. Still, 55 Euros per day is not bad at all.
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Old May 10th, 2005, 08:30 AM
  #33  
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I imagine that it is way too hot. But airfare to Puerto Rico might save you some $ (over western or eastern europe).

Just a thought
 
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