Now that the U.S. dollar is in the toilet again, magazines and web sites are scrambling to run stories on how to save money on travel to Europe. Here’s a link to an interview I did with Smart Money magazine on finding a better travel deal this summer. Europe on the Cheap(er).
I’ll freely admit that there’s nothing groundbreaking in there because honestly, the best way for non-Europeans to save on travel this summer is to avoid Europe entirely, or at least head to Eastern Europe. If you go anywhere else in the world besides Japan, it’ll cost you less. But the pull of the old country is a strong one, even if a vacation there has become a wallet-buster. So here’s the condensed version on shaving costs: pack light and use budget airlines, spend some time outside the big cities, get e-mail newsletters that list bargains there, look for city pass cards where the math adds up, and use public transportation as much as possible. Oh, and watch those conversion fees on your credit card.
There are a few contrarian bargains in Europe though. It’s easier than you would expect to find cheap ski holidays and where there’s a wine culture, restaurant owners don’t gouge you so much on a bottle with dinner.
