ways to save my shrinking dollars
 

I am trying to pay for some expenses for my spring Paris trip now in dollars before the exchange rate gets worse. I have paid for my apartment already. Now I was considering booking a shuttle to and from the airport and paying for 5-day museum passes. Does anyone know the cheapest places to book a shuttle service and buy Carte Musee passes online in dollars? Thanks!

I can't speak to shuttle services, but the price you'll pay to buy your Carte Musée online in dollars will probably far exceed the price you'll pay in euros for it once you arrive - even if the dollar takes a big dive.

If you really wanted to save the most on transportation to/from the airport, why not try to take the Metro? Also, don't know where you're staying in Paris, but the Air France Les Cars runs a shuttles into multiple locations in the city for 12E one way, and 18E round trip. They load the luggage for you, so it might be easier than the Metro, if it's near your apartment. You don't need to fly Air France to use it.

I wouldn't prepay for a shuttle service. I did a search for CDG shuttles for my upcoming trip and none of them sound all that reliable (i.e. long waits, etc.). If you prepay you're stuck waiting for them rather than just taking a cab.

A taxi from the airport certainly won't save you money. On our last trip to Paris, we took the RER from the airport to the station closest to our hotel, and then walked.

However, it wouldn't be that much to take a taxi from the station closest to your apartment. RER stations generally are near taxi stands. Or if the Metro is really close to the apartment, you could RER, then Metro.

However, my compromise would be RER then taxi with luggage to the apartment.

If you prebook, you could win or lose depending on what happens in the world. Yes, the dollar is probably going to continue to slide, but can we be sure of the absence of any world events that will affect currency rates?

Personally, I think it is best to think of money saving ways to travel, rather than to bet on exchange rates. Even currency traders don't always win at that game!

StCirq is quite right in advising against buying the museum pass in advance. It would indeed probably end up costing you more doing it that way.

With all due respect, the vast majority of your expense is in airfare and housing. I would not worry about such small items this far out. By spring, the dollar might be up 10 to 15% anyway. Wait on the museum pass.

Go light and use the metro if you want/need to save a little money.

I agree with all of the above. And for major savings, don't SHOP in Paris, just look!

I think Degas is right. The museum pass is a government pass and thus will only be available outside France from a travel agent or private company of some kind. I have never seen one that did not charge a fee for it above face value because they are a private business, of course, and on top of that, they will probably charge you for delivery.

Of course buy the Museum Pass at the museums themselves. If it's on a Sunday you may not need a pass, most museums half price and many free first Sunday of month, inc Louvre to my knowledge. Louvre also 1/2 price after 3pm i think. You may not need a museum card but if going to 2-3 museums a day or 3-4 on Sunday, buy regular tickets. Museum pass does give you cuts in line at places like Louvre however.

Not that I want this to get political, but, with all due respect to the present administration, the only thing you can do to offset your shrinking dollar is to either earn more money or learn to get by on less and do a lot less. It’s a hard fact of life, courtesy of the present administration and an inept congress. The dollar will not be rebounding until the deficit is in rapid decline and interest rates are rising once again. You can expect to spend more on your vacation then at anytime in the last 10 years. The situation now is similar to what it was during the early 90's. So, pre-purchase what you can now if you are on a limited budget, or set aside a few more dollars for you spring trip to Paris.

Your biggest expense, besides your housing, will be you day to day meal expense, which can easily exceed you lodging cost if you eat out often.

Robert, that is so lame to insert a political comment after trying to lay a smoke screen by saying "Not that I want to make this political".

A low dollar is good for America right now with the jobs and exports it produces.

Robert2533 offers

>Not that I want this to get political, but, with all due respect to the present administration,......<

Is this what is known as an oxymoron?

Personally, if you want to really save your dollars cancel the trip!!! But, I understand that is probably not an option...I know because I'm not cancelling mine to London where the exchange rate is even worse next February nor the one to France, Spain, and the Med. next July.

That said, I would not necessarily pre-pay....what will you do if the dollar rises???...but i would definitely consider using public transport whenever possible, to include from the airport.

However, degas makes a very good point that in relation to the other things you are paying for these "savings" won;t amount to a whole lot and if they somehow lessen your enjoyment of the trip then they are no longer savings..they become very overpriced liabilities. Plan wisely.

ira, I don't see any oxy -- just plain moron. ((a))((b))

Someone gave us advice we took to heart when we went to Paris back in July. They said something like (worded much more articulately than this): "Consider the euro to be equal to the dollar when purchasing something. Then tack on a little more. Then stop thinking about it, because you're on a vacation, and in the grand scheme of things, a few bucks extra is a small price to pay for a lifetime of memories."

(Of course, the dollar was not as low against the euro as it is now.)

hunnym, that may have been good advice, but currently that's saying, "my hotel is 200 euro so I'll just think of that as $200 then tack on a little more -- making it $270. That's more than "just a little" in my opinion.

By the way, did we all notice that the euro gained a whole 1.5 cents today against the euro?