Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - What would you do?

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What would you do?

We've been planning a three week trip to London, Paris, Nice and Venice for months now and I just got laid off from my job. Fortunately I have some funds set aside, but how long they'll last is questionable in this economy. Then again, I may get another job next week. Who knows. All the reservations are in place, but now I'm faced with either biting the bullet and leaving things as is or making serious iternerary adjustments like getting less expensive hotel rooms and removing say, oh, Nice and Venice from our itinerary. I would save not just the hotel and expenses, but the 2 Rail Passes I've bought, which adds up! Not going is out of the question. I have non-refundable airlines and theater tickets. Any advice?

I'm not sure how much you're spending on hotels right now, but I'd evaluate how much in the grand scheme you'll save but switching hotels. For what it's worth I stayed at a pretty nice B&B in London (The Luna & Simone) - pretty spare but clean and relatively convenient. If you limit your stay in London and Paris, you might be able to get a discount with the hotels for an extended stay. That's what I did with Luna & Simone. Personally I find it more relaxing to spend a long time in one place anyway. You could also consider subsituting Nice and Venice for some smaller towns around London and Paris, which may have cheaper accomodations. In short, yes I'd reevaluate, but whether this will save a great deal of money will depend on your original itinerary.

Anon, enjoy your silly posts... time is short for that. Spike, I can completely relate to your problem. I see people all around me in your situation and I am counting the days myself. Try to enjoy your trip but I would definately look for ways to cut costs. Remember to be in the moment. If you're in Europe who cares if you're eating foie gras or a delicious crepe from a vendor, your taste buds are still happy! Lots of fun free things to do and when you're asleep you won't know it's a cheap hotel. :-) Good luck finding a new job!

Spike - Sorry to hear about your being laid off. But glad that you'll go on your trip anyway. It sounds as if you already purchased your railpasses, so are they refundable? If so, you might consider dropping one or both of the cities mentioned from your itinerary, and/or double-checking to make sure that passes are the most cost-efficient way to make those journeys. (I have never found them to be so for my own itineraries.) You do not say in what price range your currently reserved hotels are, but unless they are already quite inexpensive, you can certainly save money by switching to more buget properties. You will still be in the cities you want to visit, seeing and doing the things you want to do. So if the decor is not quite as nice, or the hotel does not have as many amenities, that should certainly not spoil your trip. While a pretty room is nice, I rarely spend much time in mine anyway, so a savings of $50 or more per night, times X number of nights is something I take into serious consideration. I just finished booking hotels for a trip that are definitely lower budget than what I'd originally planned, because the friend travelling with me is in a similar situation to yours. At first I was somewhat disappointed, but then I realized that I'd managed to find simple but well-located places that still have a bit of charm for about half what my initial choices would have cost. We'll be out all day and half the night, and will sleep comfortably and have a wonderful time. I'll even be able to splurge on a few really nice meals and bottles of wine that I might not have done had I been spending more on acommodations, and still come home to significantly smaller credit card bills! Have a fabulous trip, whatever you decide. And best of luck in finding new employment quickly.

First of all, thank you very much. Your feedback has been great! Our price range for hotels has been hovering around $150 US. I am thinking of dropping down to the $100 range, as that would save a considerable amount (4 nights in London, 6 nights in Paris, 2 nights in Nice, 4 nights in Venice). Hopefully, I can get refunds on my current hotels without any hassles. Thanks again!

Try staying out of the city center in the big cities. Unlike many on this board, I am a big advocate of the Lido (Venice), not only for cost savings but also for atmosphere. Some will tell you it is akin to Dante's Ninth Circle but pay no attention. The New York Times this week has a good article on a couple of hotels in Paris a little out of the city center. Also check londonhotels.com for good rates not only in London but also Paris and other cities. I have stayed in K-West, a four-star hotel in London (also reviled on this board), for as little as $115. I love this hotel and will be returning in March. The same site also has two and three-star hotels for a lot less. Just cross-check with the hotels own web site to get an idea of location and rooms. Good luck and good trip.

I typed this in before but the post disappeared, How about priceline for hotels? see www.biddingfortravel.com. You can get some decent hotels for that price. Definitely 3 maybe 4 star quality hotels. Have a great break! You certainly deserve it!