Ha, I just realized that Mcat asked this question 4 months ago. I wonder if she decided on where to go?

$400 RT from LAX-Berlin for flights year-round - about 3 years ago. More recently, I have found flights in the $500 range - in winter - to Italy, Germany.

Wait until Fall - September or early October depending on destination - the USD will be lots stronger.
M

Under $1,000 for 5 days in Prague a few falls back. $422 for air. $225 for 4* hotel. About $200 on food (bought my friends several rounds of pivo at a club, but the tab was less than $10!)
Rest was on souvenirs, concerts, jazz clubs, etc. If you get a good airfare, then you can stay in a hostel & really save $s. Eat at cheap places, and you could probably keep it under $1,000, as long as airfare doesn't keep going UP!
I book all my trips on the internet (Expedia,etc), and keep looking for deals.

One secret to cheap travel is timing-the winter months (Jan, Feb and March) are so much cheaper. The weather isn't bad and no crowds, it's great. We get great deals from the Chicago Tribune Sunday Travel section. In the last few years , we've done several trips to Italy with Italia airlines-airfare(from Chicago) and 5 nights (good, nice location) hotel for $599. Rome, Venice and Florence are a few of their options. Francevacations.com also has some great Paris deals (airfare and 6 nights for $649.) but we've never used them. We eat cheap, walk, take subways, enjoy the free things (Paris has free concerts almost evey day) many of these cities offer and spend less than $800 each.

The best airfare I ever got was $199 round trip JFK to Milan, Milan to JFK, but that was long ago. The second best fare was one I got on Orbitz in 2002. It was $264 RT, Newark to Milan (changed in Stockholm), Milan to Newark (changed in Copenhagen).

I do hope that my husband doesn't read this thread. I spent 4 days in Paris this past March. Used points for airfare & stayed with my daughter in the hotel her company paid for. I still spent US 2,000!

My husband & I are going to Ireland for 9 days in August and paying for everything - I'm afraid to even venture a guess on what it will cost.

You might want to look into the hostels, for maybe two or 3 nights or somthing. It would certainly free up some money to spend on other things while you're there. I know they're are many sites devoted to the ratings of Hostels with lots of reviews and useful information. My school's German department takes a trip their every other year, and they spend 2 weeks siteseeing, and stay in hostels. Extremely cheap and well kept places are not impossible to find.

I'm leaving for a 12 day trip to Europe in 18 days, and I was interested after reading your post how much we will be spending (4 people, per person) on our trip incl airfare, hotel, rail, and car. It came to about 1850 per person, and albeit that doesn't include siteseeing, we are traveling a bit lavishly. You can definetely spend 1500-2000 for two for a week. Easily. Packages may be the way to go. Try the yahoo.com fly and drive packages. They are incredibly accomodating and very low priced: and with only two of you the car wouldn't be that bad either.

Wow, who knew I'd get all these responses? I appreciate all the advice everyone gave me, however, my European trip has been postponed due to unforseen circumstances. Namely, I was awarded a trip from my company, so I'll actually be heading to the western caribbean in a couple of weeks. Not part of my original plan, but welcome nonetheless :)

I'll definitely keep all this info. handy for when I finally do get to plan my "grand" European vacation. Maybe Turkey perhaps...