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-   -   need source for cheap long weekend (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/need-source-for-cheap-long-weekend-343524/)

JMyra Aug 1st, 2003 09:15 AM

need source for cheap long weekend
 
Hello
After a difficult time, I would like to treat myself to a 4 day birthday weekend, late Sept-early Oct. I would like airfare (from USA, New York City area) and hotel to cost under $1000. I can be flexible with the departure date and return dates, could make plans on pretty short notice.
Where should I look for good deals, especially on airfares?
Most of the bargain air/hotel packages are based on double occupancy. I do have lots of ways (like right here) to find information just on budget hotels.
As for where I'd like to go: I was thinking of Paris, Amsterdam, London, or Venice. I've traveled a little before.

marty Aug 1st, 2003 09:22 AM

Take a look at what gotoday.com has to offer. From New York, everything will be way below $1000, and they have 4 day trips.

Mara Aug 1st, 2003 09:33 AM

JMyra
The problem with packages if you are going solo is the single supplement usually puts the price above what you could get on your own. Try autoeurope.com they often have good fares from NYC - they had a special earlier in the summer - don't know if it's still on. Plus they will tell you the airline, etc.
Mara

elaine Aug 1st, 2003 10:19 AM

thanks to both of you though the autoeurope site will be more helpful I think because with just air fares, no single supplements are involved.
Anyone else?
I thought I'd read somewhere that there are some websites with "last minute" deals?

ira Aug 1st, 2003 10:27 AM

Hi

Try www.eltexpress.com. They have RT fares for about 550 w/tax and fees.

Christina Aug 1st, 2003 10:55 AM

There are several web sites with last minutes deals which can be bargains, although I think most of them are for US trips/packages.

www.site59.com is one of them I've looked at. I think Hotwire, Travelocity and Expedia are all doing last-minute "packages" now, although I'm not familiar with them. www.travelzoo.com and www.smarterliving.com are also good sites for those.

Actually, the Wash Post Travel section had an entire article on this exact subject in their travel section (either 7/20 or 7/27) -- you can view their major articles for free forever as they post them. go to www.washingtonpost.com and look, you'll get lots of tips

I don't agree that you can price things better on your own because packages include a single supplement. If you are going alone and thus residing in a hotel room by yourself, you will obviously have higher costs than a person traveling as part of a couple who shares a room--you will have to pay this whether you call it a single supplement or not. The only savings will likely be because you stay in a much cheaper hotel than a package may have. Some packages hava wide variety of hotel prices, however. Most packages are not trying to make money on single supplments, just covering the actual cost. Cruises are the ones that charge you more than the actual room cost, at times, from what I've heard.

For example, go-today.com has a London package that include 6 hotel nights and the single supplement is only $250 at the mid-range hotels, which is only only $40 per night. Paying for an entire hotel room on your own vs. paying half of it with a couple is certainly going to be more than that difference.

Packages aren't usually that great for 4 day weekends, though, to Europe. They seem to typically be for at least 4-6 nights, plus the day of travel. For that, I think you'd do best booking an airline weekly e-fare special and booking a hotel room that's a decent rate. If you are only going to one city, that's not too difficult.

WillTravel Aug 1st, 2003 11:06 AM

Get a cheap airfare through whatever source, and consider using Priceline to get a hotel room in London. On www.biddingfortravel.com, 5* hotels are reported as going for $95 USD per night + taxes and fees. Lesser star hotels are rather cheaper.

This sounds like a really short trip considering the distance - London would be the easiest and quickest destination, I think.

ira Aug 1st, 2003 11:11 AM

WillTravel remarks,

> This sounds like a really short trip considering the distance <

Not necessarily. It only takes a day to get there.

JMyra wants to get away to rest and recuperate. Where better than Paris?

dln Aug 1st, 2003 11:40 AM

One of my friends did exactly what you want to do, JMyra. She flew from Atlanta to Paris (her first trip there, too) and had a great time. She had only a long weekend available and rather than mope around complaining that she didn't have enough time, she took advantage of what time she did have! She did make sure she was well rested, though, before she went, and that helped. The next time you're at a bookstore, take a look at Arthur Frommer's Budget Traveler magazine. They always have good stories about travel deals.

JMyra Aug 1st, 2003 11:57 AM

thanks for the qestion about websites for last minute travel, I should have thought to ask that.
I'm trying eltexpress and autoeurope.
And I will look for that Washington Post article.
And thanks for the encouragement for such a short trip.


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