Europe is "tres cher" this summer...

I'm glad I took my trip in March! :scared: :scared:

Soaring euro means pricier European vacations
By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY
Oh la la! It's getting pricey again for an American in Paris. Or Rome. Or Berlin.

Travelers beware: The dollar is losing its value against the euro.
AP Photo

After bouncing back a bit last year, the U.S. dollar has resumed its multi-year slide against the euro, just as the heavy summer vacation season kicks into gear. The greenback has dropped more than 6% in just the past three weeks — making everything from croissants in Paris to Vatican tickets in Rome that much more expensive for Americans.

The decline has pushed the cost of a euro back up to $1.27, not far from its peak in 2005 and a dizzying 50% higher than five years ago. (Travel tool:Online currency converter)

"You're dealing with $100-plus taxis, $50 per-person meals at a basic neighborhood cafe, $8 beers, and much higher rates than here on rental cars and gasoline," says Tim Leffel, author of The World's Cheapest Destinations.

Leffel says this might be the year to skip Europe and instead head to Latin America, where the dollar remains strong. Or if you're committed to a trip to the Continent, consider countries that are still emerging as tourist destinations such as Romania and Bulgaria instead of heavily in-demand France and Italy.

"The simple rule of thumb (for savings in Europe) used to be 'head east,' and that's still true," he says. But "it takes a bit more research now."

Eastern European hot spots Krakow, Poland, and Budapest, Hungary, "aren't the bargains they used to be," he says. "But outside these main cities prices can drop in half. A beer in a bar is two dollars instead of six or eight in Western Europe."

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2006-05-11-euro_x.htm

Maybe it's the airfare or route competition that helps.

In the meantime, latin america it is.

The prices are starting to look painful.

However, that is NOT going to keep me home. By living like a local (as I do in Japan), I hope to keep costs down.

during my March trip....
But like you, I try to live as much like a local as possible: Restaurants out of tourist zones, shopping in the neighborhood food markets, plats du jour in France, public transit exclusively (no cabs) etc etc.

...it was very economical. I figure we therefore earned a trip back to Europe. The real sticker shock was air transportation...we're going during the time the World Cup is happening...got hosed.

But, this is probably last big trip with kids (juniors in HS) and next year could be even worse. So it's off to Barcelona and Sorrento at the end of June!

$7 gallon gas

$7 beer

lunch for 2 with a beer each - $50

but - the weather was great, the people friendly - so the trip was priceless