111op

By the way, flyeurope is quoting a fare on CO for about $1100 for those dates.

For some reason they're not competitive these days.

And, by the way, my comment on "window dressing" (on onetravel) -- I did want to clarify that. What I was trying to say is that I'm not sure if the fares that show up are actually bookable. I didn't proceed further (and I'm not familiar with onetravel -- I tend to book everything via Orbitz or directly with the airlines).

With Orbitz, stale fares will pop up and when you click on them, you get an error saying that the fares are not available.

Hope that clarifies my comment.

Christina

I can understand as I don't like making major plans for a long weekend way in advance, either. I think the site59 or something may be a good idea, just see what may pop up.

I like SF or LA, also, for a long weekend, but one thing that I think would work for you would be Quebec City -- unless you have been there enough. I checked and they do have a nonstop flight there from JFK on July 1st (evening, also, 8:35 pm to 10:15 pm), returning July 4th for only around $350. I forget the exact fare, but it was less than $400. It's closer, so you won't waste as much time in travel, and the weather in Quebec can be a lot better then down here in July. I went there once for about a 4-day weekend in July or August, and that was about right for that city (3 days would have been enough for me).

You can get a reasonable hotel there, also, and food isn't too expensive. I didn't think it any bargain at all, but it wouldn't be more than Paris. I had a nice hotel there if you are interested, it was very central so you could walk to everything in the old quarter, plus had a jazz bar in the lobby area. That probably cost me around US$100, but you can certainly go cheaper there, as I think you want to do.

YOu could probably do Montreal, also, if you wanted something much more big city in feel, and they have a metro.

Christina

oh, sorry, that nonstop flight for around $350 was probably from EWR (not sure), I think it was Continental.

I just used itasoftware for JFK or area to Quebec city.

111op

Actually that's not a bad suggestion -- Canada has escaped from my consciousness completely.

I actually have been to both Montreal and Toronto, and I quite enjoyed Montreal. Never been to Quebec City.

Maybe I can even pretend to speak a few phrases of French.

This thread is definitely giving me a few ideas and websites I should look at.

Christina

oh, I think that's definitely what you should do then (Quebec City). It's in your budget, and because it's closer, you save travel time and won't have the jet lag issue.

Also, you can have fun speaking French because many folks are bilingual, so you don't have to worry. It will come in handy, however, because the govt. doesn't like English speakers there, I guess, some of the curating signs in some of the museums are solely in French. I was rather surprised by that given Canada is bilingual. The Museum of Man is excellent, and they have a few other interesting ones and church, as well as lots of good cafe-type restaurants, shopping streets, etc. You may find some good music around, also.

They talked to me in French more in Quebec than in Paris, actually, because in Paris they want to speak English as soon as you open your mouth and they detect an accent, it seems to me.

I thought it was funny that once I was in a bar in Quebec chatting to the bartender in French and was having a little trouble responding or wasn't being quick enough, and he says--what's wrong with you, you clearly speak French? And I said, well, yeah, but I don't speak it everyday so sometimes it takes me a while to get my brain in gear and think of how to say things. So then he said that when he went to Paris, they claimed they couldn't understand him either and we laughed about that (he was bilingual from birth and I understood him perfectly well).

The only thing I found odd is that French literature isn't cheap in Quebec--paperback books cost more than they would if I imported them from France (or just as much), and I thought they'd be cheap. I was complaining about that to someone, and they admitted books were one thing that were really expensive there for some reason I can't remember (either they have high taxes or don't print them so they all are imported from France anyway, at least the classic literature I was seeking).

They have good food there, you'd have fun.

kswl

I think the Air France sale to which is referring is valid Nov. through March 31. This from clarkhoward.com:

Big Air France sale!
Purchase by May 15:
• $329 Paris
• $334 Bordeaux, Lyons, Marseilles, Toulouse
• $379 Barcelona, Florence, Geneva, Lisbon, Milan, Rome, Venice, Zurich
Valid any available day on Nov. 1-March 31 departures. No blackout dates! One free stopover permitted in Paris on your return only. Stay a Sat. night to 30 days. A $35 one-way fuel surcharge applies in addition to other taxes, fees.
Code: Air France, L505US

Alitalia, Delta and others are matching. Above is from Atlanta, but the sale runs from other cities also.

BEST TRAVEL DEAL IN MAY:
Boston to Shannon (Dublin) $298! You have to buy tonight, travel completed before 5/31. Hmmm. . .

111op

Sounds great and exciting. I'll keep this in mind (of course, I keep thinking Paris would be the best ).

Have you been to NYC, Christina? I don't know if you know the French bookstore by Rockefeller Center. I forget its name exactly, but the prices there are a bit shocking as well (not that I really buy books in Paris).

But they've a nice selection.

Actually what I thought is interesting is that the UN has a nice bookstore (with a nice foreign language selection). I decided to stop by the UN a few weeks ago (the first in many years -- probably more than 15).

Flyboy

Summer fares to Europe are almost always pricey and they seem to have risen earlier and held stronger for this summer. I am a big fan of long weekends in Paris, but I just never plan to go in the summer months because of the cost. Off-season fares generally fall somewhere between a third and half as much. My most frequent visits are in November, February and March. Going back to your original post, I would have more confidence of being able to get a better fare to San Francisco than those you saw. My guess for deals to Europe over the summer would be something more on the order of "non-existent to very unlikely". (Right now, anything $800 or less would look very good. That's an awful lot for a long weekend scenario.) Montreal or Quebec City may not be great substitutes for Paris, but they are great destinations in the summer and worth visits. And while it's not French, I would also put in a plug for underrated Ottawa as a great place for a weekend getaway in the summer.

BTilke

Have you checked with consolidators? Are they still offering lower rates?

I am flying from London to Orlando and back in June and will be spending £838 on Virgin (but the trip over is in Premium Economy; RT in regular economy was £638). I refuse to let myself think about how much that would be in $$. Too depressing.

BTilke

Sorry, I meant are consolidators in general still offering good deals or have those deals gone--we haven't used one since 1996. I realize that 111op said he hadn't consulted a consolidator for this particular trip.

111op

Thanks for your comments, Fly and BT.

I did check with flyeurope yesterday and the fares are about the same as Orbitz -- or more -- quoting over 1000 on CO.

I read about them here and had good luck with them in the past, but lately they've not been competitive (I bought my ticket for London for my coming trip next week on Orbitz).

I'll keep looking, obviously.

I'm gone 5/20-5/30, so it will be about 5 weeks to July 4 when I come back.

111op

Maybe I'll go to Paris after all.

I just booked EWR/LHR for July 1-4 for a shade under $500 on Virgin Atlantic. This must be a fluke price -- Expedia, FlyEurope, Mobissmo all show 750+. Anyway, if London is just 100 more than SF, it's hard to pass on London.

I thought about it for a few hours, and I said, why not?

I checked how much I paid for my ticket to LHR last year for the same weekend on site59 -- it was around $320. I know that I won't be able to match this price this year (and site59 includes a hotel now), so I decided I'll lock it in.

I've already checked the Eurostar prices. About 100 pounds for Paris r/t. If the dollar strengthens just a bit more, I may very well be able to hit the magical number of $800 for a long-weekend trip (if I stay at Tiquetonne again).

Now I'll have to think about what to do. As usual, it's best to get over returning from the trip by starting to plan the next one. First I need to decide if I want to go to Paris.

111op

PS -- Booked on Orbitz.

mvor

"decide if you want to go to Paris..."

Clearly you still have jet lag. I've been enjoying your recent trip on your blog btw.

Danna

I'm sorry, but I can't imagine looking in May for a good deal in July.

I'm waiting for May 2006 quotes now.

Oh well, whether they drop or not... hopefully the Euro will. Paris here we come!

ninasdream

Last spring, I reserved the little hotels online first, and then, I just sat up one night and kept bidding on airfare to CDG til I got one. I think I paid $679, made sure hotels had a cancellation policy that would allow change, which I did have to use. Credit card charges for an airfare no longer available by the time they placed my bid were credited back within 24 hours.
This was my first April not in Paris, so I feel your pain. It may just take a little perseverance- do your have to go on the holiday? - that is of course what is costing you. Good luck.

111op

Hi D and n, just to clarify, I did buy my ticket for London for under $500 -- which I think is a bargain for July (given how high fares are this year).

Obviously the train to Paris will drive up the cost.

I'm of course still leaning towards going, mvor. Glad you're enjoying the report! When I told my mom that I'm going to London in July for the long weekend, she said, "It's too bad I can't come with you and have lunch at Gordon Ramsay." I told her the flight leaves at 4 anyway, so that'd have been impossible.

I do have tiny pangs of regret buying my ticket though. $500 isn't chump change, but I guess it'll be fun.

elle

Just got an e-mail from AirFrance last night, offering $400 fares from Boston only through the rest of the summer, I believe.

111op

Quite a bargain!

I wish that I had known that earlier.

But I wonder how much it is to fly r/t between NYC and Boston these days.

Do you need a code for that offer? I'll take a look at AF's website.

111op

I was curious enough to check Boston -- it looks like the cheapest fares around 7/1-7/4 are $530 one-way (so over $1100 r/t).

But I just used the booking engine on AF and not a link to a sale or something.

Anyway, I think that the fare on Orbitz yesterday was a fluke. I was curious to check it again this morning and fares are over $800 for London.

I found it really curious that the fluke persisted for at least half an hour. I thought about it and then bought my ticket.