You may be reading about “sticker shock” as Americans visiting Europe and the United Kingdom contend with the weaker US dollar. But if you’re like us and feel like staying at home isn’t an option, there are some excellent ways to avoid getting beaten up. Our company president and founder, Edward Piegza, is a frequent traveler to Europe and the UK. Below he shares some of his travel insights on how to make the dollar work harder for you.
The secret to not getting burned is in how you pay for travel.
The best advice: Pay in dollars, in advance, with a company that won’t pass future currency fluctuations on to you.
Classic Journeys is a great example. We offer cultural walking adventures, culinary tours and family journeys for very small groups in 13 countries in Europe. We price our trips in dollars. If the euro (or any other currency) gets stronger, that’s our problem not yours. If the dollar loses 5% of its value, we take the hit instead of raising your price by 5%. (Our prices were set last summer, so already you’d be paying more if you could book the same itinerary on your own.)
We guarantee our prices. We don’t add in extra exchange fees. Or tricky little surcharges to make up for it.
Another big deal: Understand what’s included in the pre-paid price of any travel you do.
Food: For instance, on a typical 7-day tour, Classic Journeys includes all breakfasts, about half of lunches, and all but maybe one dinner. So you’re not going out-of-pocket for much, and you can decide how you want to spend your money. Even a weakened dollar can buy you a terrific panini and glass of wine on the piazza in an Italian village.
Admissions, tickets and so forth: Just like in your everyday budget, it’s the little things that really add up over time. On a Classic Journey, we take care of many of those miscellaneous expenses: tickets into museums or cultural sites, fees for special guides, and other things like boat or chairlift costs. You’re not dipping into your own pocket to do the things you came to do.
Watch out for extra days on your own: The prices you pay on your own for European hotels these days, especially in major cities, can really add a lot to the cost of a trip. Most Classic Journeys are timed to begin on a Sunday. You can arrive on a Saturday, spend just one night before the tour starts. At the end, our tours generally end so that you can fly back home the following Saturday or Sunday. We love to spend extra time before and after. But the fact is, if you minimize the time spent outside the prepaid tour, you can easily cut hundreds of dollars out of your total travel costs.
Our advice: DON’T let the currency traders force you into staying home. DO shop for fixed, prepaid prices in dollars like those offered by Classic Journeys. Yes, your gelato may cost you the equivalent of an extra dollar or so, but you can have a fantastic time without feeling traveler’s remorse when your post-trip credit card bill comes.
For more information on our trips in Italy, France and other European destinations call 1-800-200-3887 or email us at moreinfo@classicjourneys.com.
