My husband and I are hoping to go to Europe in 2005 for our year anniversary. We're first-time overseas travelers (we live in Orlando, FL) and I'm wondering what the better deal usually is...to get a package (flight, hotel, optional tours, meals) or shop around the internet and find my own deals? I've seen such cheap packages on Gate1 and other sites like it. Also, one more newbie question...we have no problem traveling in the off-season, how cold does it get over there and when? We're looking at Italy and maybe France/England/Netherlands...some sort of combo.

Thanks!!

chrissy

You can often find better deals and/or more appealing accomodations and flight times by doing the work yourself. I'd suggest doing some research now to see whether you think you can beat the package deals you're seeing. Keep in mind that package deals typically include a surcharge if you do not fly from NYC, so from Orlando you may not be able to get the advertised rates. Package hotels can often be on the outskirts of town unless you upgrade, then it may be more expensive than on your own.

Finally, for weather, check out www.wunderground.com and www.weather.com for historical weather averages for the cities you are interested in. Also, any guidebook on the areas will give you historical weather trends as well.

Keep in mind, also, that the package deals quote the fees per person, so that sometimes can make the hotel actually cost more than you would pay choosing your own lodging. Some people swear by packages, and occasionally there are some very good bargains, but I personally have never found one that makes sense to me. (exception: we did use a hotel and transportation package for the Greek islands part of our first trip to Greece b/c at that time we had no clue about places to stay, ferries, etc.; we were pleased with it)
Good luck with your search; you will come up with a plan, either independent or package, that works for you!

There are some companies, go-today.com is one, that offer pretty good package deals, and sometimes they throw in extras like bus or taxi transfers to and from European airports. As mentioned, hotel choices can be quite limited at the rock-bottom prices, and once you start to upgrade the hotels the bargain aspect diminishes quickly.
Sometimes the package also throws in something like a half-day city tour, and that tour may or may not interest you and it may not be the best one in town.

Before booking any hotel, search for comments on it here, and at tripadvisor.com and also locate the hotel on a city map to make sure it is relatively central and near public transportation such as metros.

You can also search for packages (or, separate air and hotel arrangements) on websites like expedia.com, orbitz.com, travelocity.com, and most major airline websites. Just make sure you're comparing apples to apples: convenient flight times, decent and convenient hotels, breakfasts included or not, airport transfers included or not, etc.

My other advice--don't stretch yourself too thin in terms of number of places to visit within your time frame. It is naturally to want to make the most of your time, but travel time from city to city, even when it all goes smoothly, eats up at least half a day (or more) each time, plus the packing and unpacking and to and from train stations or airports.

If by off-season you mean, say, January through March, in most of Europe you'll need warm coats and waterproof gear.
Places a bit more southern, such as Rome or southern Spain, will have milder weather, but still chilly rain is likely. But aside from gardens, beaches, and parks, much of Europe's treasures are indoors to be enjoyed.

First of all - often when you see really cheap package deals, the hotels are either really down scale or out of the center of things. If you were to book the same quality of accomodations it is almost always cheaper on your own.

But sometimes a special package does pencil out as a little cheaper -- like Virgin or BA winter theatre breaks that include air, transfers, hotels and a couple of shows.

What exactly do you mean by "off-season". January, May, Nov.??? All of these are off season but offer REALLY different experiences. And how long are you planning for - 1 week, 2 weeks, a month? When and how long will make a big difference on what we might recommend.

I would be wary (or at least aware) on the really cheap tour deals of: inconvenient flights or multiple airport transfers, low-quality tourist hotels located far from the center of a city, any hidden or additional fees for optional tours, etc. And as already mentioned where the package originates.

I'm single and in Seattle, by the time I add on the various additional taxes not included in the advertised price, the single supplement, the flight to get to where the package leaves from or the upcharge for a Seattle departure, I've never found a pacakge price that beats what I can do on my own. Being a couple obviously gives you a bit of a jump on at least the double occupancy requirement.

Chrissy, I see someone is starting a Gate 1 Italy trip report thread right now, that might be handy for you.

I did a London-Paris package with United Airlines a couple of years ago. It was airfare, hotel, first class Eurostar from London to Paris, transportation from Heathrow to our hotel and from our hotel in Paris to Charles De Gaul...so was pretty complete. They offered a lot of hotels and that's how your could adjust the cost of the trip..according the the class and location of the hotel. It made it pretty easy, everything went well, I liked the hotels and so it worked for me. I do a little on line looking and may do that next trip but it can take more time than I have. One Saturday I was just going to do a quick look..had a bunch of stuff to do...and started about 10 in the morning and all of a sudden in was 2:30 in the afternoon..so..you do have to be ready to spend some time if you are going to compare prices etc. I did find that a lot of the web sites used the same hotels so some of it is repetative. I have never used them but a lot of posters have had great success with Priceline for hotels...lots of threads about that, so here's to you getting a great deal and having a great trip.

Be sure to read my report titled Gate1 posted today

We booked London and Paris trips through our travel agent in the past couple of years and have been pretty happy with the prices and hotels. Our London hotel was right on Oxford St, and although it was undergoing some renovations at the time, it worked out fine for us. Our Paris package put us in a hotel in the 13th, so we were a bit out of the center of things, but the metro was a block away, so no problem getting to where we wanted to be. (Next time, I will choose a more central hotel, but no complaints about the hotel itself.) I am currently pricing out a trip for my son and his new wife, and so far, the TA advertised deal is looking pretty decent. On the other hand, we just went to Ireland in October and I made all of our arrangements online, direct with the airline and bed and breakfasts. So do some homework and you will find the deal best for you. (As for the extras in a package, just read about what is offered and decline what you don't want. We always take the transfer to/from the airport, but like to do the tours or daytrips on our own.) Good luck!

I can't find a Gate 1 thread started today. Got a link?

(Mobile!)

OK, now it came up.

We had a very good experience last Christmas using Virgin Vacations (which has the same deals as gotoday). We paid a total of $1400 ($700 per person) for a week in Paris at a pretty decent hotel that was in a good central location. RT airfare from Boston and transportation from the airport were part of the package. The hotel also had a really good breakfast -- much more than the usual coffee and croissant. I don't think we could have done better than that on our own for a comparable price.

We have also traveled on our own, and usually prefer to do it that way, but this worked out very well and was quite a bargain. It is, of course, a good idea to check out the hotel locations and try to find reviews of them online before you book.

Another thing to think about, with the dollar in free fall these days, is that paying your hotel ahead of time in dollars may be to your advantage.

I wouldn't book a tour that included meals though -- it's much more fun to explore restaurants on your own.

Wow! Thanks so much you guys! I will check that Gate 1 report out. We're hoping to be there for 7-10 days and would like to do at least two cities in different countries. Thanks for all of the tips and the helpful websites. I'll keep you posted on my findings!

chrissy

Many good points in the thread--effectively paying double for the hotel room on a package for one. BUT the best comment is about paying up front in USD. That part could negate the room premium. With the Euro at its rate right now, everything is expensive when paid in Euros.