Europe? Not This Year

Member Comments

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: ploughman @ 05/29/2008 2:48:32 PM

  I think the key to Europe is to hit the indoor stuff (Louvre, British Museum, Vatican Museums, etc.) on dead-of-winter trips when you get MUCH better airfare and hotel deals and hit the countryside and secondary cities in summer.
  
  But don't forget there are lots of OTHER PLACES in the world as well. I never got to travel when I was in college, but I saved up money and used proceeds from a buyout at work to travel, originally planning on one year of it. I had a bias toward less-expensive countries, especially Southeast Asia, and that made all the difference. The experience stretched to 3 years as I caught a lucky break on exchange rates and drew some of the 401(k) to ride it. Normally that's a terrible financial move (I was 34 at the time), but the costs had really dropped and the 401(k) tanked anyway in the dotcom implosion later. I was spending an average $60-70 a day on EVERYTHING in SE Asia put together, and if I was willing to travel like many backpackers it could be done for just over half that. If I had gone to Europe I would have burned through cash three times as fast (even using hostels!) and would have had to get back to work again in 4-5 months.
  
  Maybe it takes a little more adapting to go to non-English-speaking, non-industrialized places, but costs tend to be cheaper and you're very well-rewarded in other ways.

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: Donna Muller @ 05/21/2008 10:44:46 AM

  I've been to many different euro-based countries in Europe over the years, and this year visited the Czech Republic for 10 days, which won't be using the euro for another two years. Besides being the most beautiful country I've ever seen, the dollar doesn't suffer there at all. My husband and I stayed in a small turret, also called a "bastion," built in 1500, part of an old wall fortification in a medieval village, for $57.00 a night, and had it all to ourselves. Prague was more breathtaking than Rome and Paris combined. A 3-hr bus (clean and modern) costs about $6.00. The best beer in the world is $2.00 a big mug in a pub. Best vacation we've ever had, and we've been traveling for 33 years - Egypt, China, Japan, Hawaii, all over Europe.

• • Reply
  • Report Abuse

  Posted By: Froggie76 @ 05/16/2008 11:08:06 AM

  Going to the Caribeean is for sun-soaking purposes. Going to Europe is for cultural diversity enrichment ... quite a difference :)
  It all depends what your objectives are in life regarding your human development.