Suggestion for trip reports.
Nov 2nd, 2006, 09:58 AM
#1
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Suggestion for trip reports.
I love reading everyone's trip reports, but I'd like to make a suggestion.
Would everyone mind posting what they paid for airfare and what the approximate total cost of their trip was?
I love reading about these month long family vacations in Europe and I'm dying to know what it would cost to replicate such a trip.
I try to do this when I give a trip report, I think it adds a lot to the value of the report.
Thanks!
Would everyone mind posting what they paid for airfare and what the approximate total cost of their trip was?
I love reading about these month long family vacations in Europe and I'm dying to know what it would cost to replicate such a trip.
I try to do this when I give a trip report, I think it adds a lot to the value of the report.
Thanks!
Nov 3rd, 2006, 05:21 AM
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Nina,
I am certainly not criticizing your suggestion but I also hasten to add that if your purpose is to "replicate" a trip then as far as the airfare cost is concerned, here is the additional information you are going to need from the report writer:
1. Exactly where they flew from and to
2. The carrier
3. Whether or not they redeemed FF miles
4. How far OUT from the travel date they booked since that can make a major difference in air fares.
Of course all of this assumes that airfares are going to remain kinda stagnant unless you are planning to build in a certain amout of fudge factor for inflation.
Perhaps I'm making this all more complicated than it is meant to be and of so I apologize.
I am certainly not criticizing your suggestion but I also hasten to add that if your purpose is to "replicate" a trip then as far as the airfare cost is concerned, here is the additional information you are going to need from the report writer:
1. Exactly where they flew from and to
2. The carrier
3. Whether or not they redeemed FF miles
4. How far OUT from the travel date they booked since that can make a major difference in air fares.
Of course all of this assumes that airfares are going to remain kinda stagnant unless you are planning to build in a certain amout of fudge factor for inflation.
Perhaps I'm making this all more complicated than it is meant to be and of so I apologize.
Nov 3rd, 2006, 05:34 AM
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Okay, I'll start. We were a family of 10 (six adults, four children) going on a June-July 2006 trip to Italy.
Delta tickets for departure of six people nonstop from NY to Venice, then Rome to NY: Cost $1,112 ea. Four other family members flying Delta from Tampa-NY-Venice, then Rome-Atlanta-Tampa: Cost $1,399 ea.
Total airfare was $12,268.
Our trip was for 12 days (actually in Italy) and the additional cost of hotels, food, transportation, admissions, out-of-pocket expenses was approximately an additional $23,000.
Grand total = $35,368
Traveling isn't cheap these days, plus the exchange rate USD-Euro was $1.28. We stayed in these hotel: Casa Rezzonico (Venice), Hotel Casci (Florence) Hotel delle Torre Argentina (Rome), La Minerva (Capri), Sorrento (Aminta), and one night at San Carlo Hotel in Rome.
Delta tickets for departure of six people nonstop from NY to Venice, then Rome to NY: Cost $1,112 ea. Four other family members flying Delta from Tampa-NY-Venice, then Rome-Atlanta-Tampa: Cost $1,399 ea.
Total airfare was $12,268.
Our trip was for 12 days (actually in Italy) and the additional cost of hotels, food, transportation, admissions, out-of-pocket expenses was approximately an additional $23,000.
Grand total = $35,368
Traveling isn't cheap these days, plus the exchange rate USD-Euro was $1.28. We stayed in these hotel: Casa Rezzonico (Venice), Hotel Casci (Florence) Hotel delle Torre Argentina (Rome), La Minerva (Capri), Sorrento (Aminta), and one night at San Carlo Hotel in Rome.
Nov 3rd, 2006, 09:01 AM
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Nina,
I agree with your suggestion. I always include all prices (that I can remember
) in my trip reports - not just airlines.
I believe this information is helpful to others. However, I believe information such as hotel prices, parking costs, entrance fees to whatever, etc. are more important than airfare.
I'm taking my family to Paris later this month. We bought open jaw tickets (into CDG out of BRU) and paid approx. $550 (incl. taxes) pp. Two years ago I could have gotten the same tickets for $450. If I had been willing to go on a plane w/o the video stuff in each seat I could have saved $50. Also, if I didn't live in the midwest I would have saved $. Basically, what Dukey said above is true.
That being said, for a family, airfare is not the majority of the cost (like when only two people travel). Hotel and food cost goes up. This is why I say it is important to post those costs too.
In Paris, we are staying at the Novotel Les Halles. We got each room for $115/night. Many people pay double the cost for this hotel and are happy. We used Priceline and through strategic bidding virtually guarenteed we would be given this hotel.
Bottom line, be a smart shopper. Use airfare sites like Farecompare that can tell you the cost to any European city from any American destinate over a range of dates. Use Priceline or SkyAuction (although SA has become less of a good deal) for hotels. Or, stay in "creative" places. In Budapest and Prague we stayed in Botels (Hotels that sit in the rivers running through those cities). The accomodations and locations were great in each case...and so was the price
Anyway, I'm rambling, but hopefully you get the idea...
Kevin
I agree with your suggestion. I always include all prices (that I can remember
) in my trip reports - not just airlines.I believe this information is helpful to others. However, I believe information such as hotel prices, parking costs, entrance fees to whatever, etc. are more important than airfare.
I'm taking my family to Paris later this month. We bought open jaw tickets (into CDG out of BRU) and paid approx. $550 (incl. taxes) pp. Two years ago I could have gotten the same tickets for $450. If I had been willing to go on a plane w/o the video stuff in each seat I could have saved $50. Also, if I didn't live in the midwest I would have saved $. Basically, what Dukey said above is true.
That being said, for a family, airfare is not the majority of the cost (like when only two people travel). Hotel and food cost goes up. This is why I say it is important to post those costs too.
In Paris, we are staying at the Novotel Les Halles. We got each room for $115/night. Many people pay double the cost for this hotel and are happy. We used Priceline and through strategic bidding virtually guarenteed we would be given this hotel.
Bottom line, be a smart shopper. Use airfare sites like Farecompare that can tell you the cost to any European city from any American destinate over a range of dates. Use Priceline or SkyAuction (although SA has become less of a good deal) for hotels. Or, stay in "creative" places. In Budapest and Prague we stayed in Botels (Hotels that sit in the rivers running through those cities). The accomodations and locations were great in each case...and so was the price
Anyway, I'm rambling, but hopefully you get the idea...
Kevin
Nov 3rd, 2006, 09:31 AM
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After reading the other two posts, I wanted to respond with further information. I booked the 10 tickets to Italy in September, 2005 for travel in June & July, 2006.
At that time, the price of fuel was rising, and I took a gamble that the ticket prices would go up. Yup. They never came down. If I had waited to purchase our "perfect flights" it would have cost $3,800 more for air fare.
At that time, the price of fuel was rising, and I took a gamble that the ticket prices would go up. Yup. They never came down. If I had waited to purchase our "perfect flights" it would have cost $3,800 more for air fare.
Nov 3rd, 2006, 10:14 AM
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I suggest that the way to include costs in a trip report is to say: "We spent a total of $xsdfldfk. One-half of that was hotels, a quarter was air fare (we live in Hawaii) more than an eighth as food and we spent the rest on museum entires and a handful of cheap souvenirs."
My reason for suggesting that is to avoid competitive responses where people say: "Had you booked blah-blah, you could have cut your costs to $xixxixi."
I think knowing the way the total amount of money was allocated is more useful to fellow trip planners. My trip budget is usually heavy on expenditues for full-course restaurants, car rental and museum entries, and light on hotel costs and airfare -- and surely other people would have different priorities and requirements.
My reason for suggesting that is to avoid competitive responses where people say: "Had you booked blah-blah, you could have cut your costs to $xixxixi."
I think knowing the way the total amount of money was allocated is more useful to fellow trip planners. My trip budget is usually heavy on expenditues for full-course restaurants, car rental and museum entries, and light on hotel costs and airfare -- and surely other people would have different priorities and requirements.
