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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, June 1, 2008

EUROPE
Getting familiar with Europe

By Chris Oliver
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

In Venice, Mauian Bonnie Friedman lives like a local, staying in a fully equipped apartment.

GILL BROOKS | Special to The Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

If you plan to visit sites like Durham Castle this summer, budget carefully.

CHRIS OLIVER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

A hiker takes in the view of Snowdonia, seen from Ceunant Mawr, North Wales, in this May 1999 photo. Wales has long been known for its magnificent castles, high peaks and coastal resorts, but tourists are starting to come for the unique and ancient culture, which the Welsh are only now learning to market abroad.

CHRIS OLIVER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Venice is widely known as one of Europe's most expensive destinations, but it's possible to travel there economically: Stay in an apartment and eat as the locals do (cooking some meals, visiting cicchetti bars).

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

One way to save money in European travel is to go beyond the usual (Paris, London) to eastern European destinations such as Prague.

Advertiser library photo

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Durham Castle and other English sites are still on the agenda of travelers who will visit Europe this summer despite high costs.

CHRIS OLIVER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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"Europe? No way," friends sighed.

What was to have been a longed-for trip to Norway and Scotland in early fall was shelved when Janice Nuckols and Phil Ruprecht realized roundtrip tickets and the drowning dollar would push their travel budget through the roof.

Instead, the Kane'ohe couple decided this would be the year to visit Washington, D.C., East Coast sights and friends before calling at the Pacific Northwest on their way back to Hawai'i. Then, in early fall, they head to Canada and Colorado to visit family and friends.

"The value of the dollar is very discouraging," Nuckols said. "Just not enough bang for the buck. For the cost of traveling to Europe for two weeks, we could spend the same amount and have two six-week vacations on the Mainland ... even factoring in all the airfares."

The dollar's free fall against the euro won't stop Bonnie Friedman of Wailuku, Maui, who's planning a return trip to Italy next spring for the Venice Biennale. Friedman offsets travel costs by renting the same apartment each trip. "I've now built up a relationship with the owner," she said. "And it also means I can cook, have friends visit, which shares the cost, and there's a great garden we can enjoy." Also, Friedman says she travels solo and doesn't shop.

"I'm not deterred (by the exchange rate)." she said. "I'm forgoing a vacation this year in order to go to Italy in the spring, and I'm truly hopeful that the dollar will rebound after the election in November."

"Europe is very expensive; we all know that," said Mary Lou Lewis, co-owner of HNL Travel Associates. "But there's still a lot of interest in going there even though we've had a lot of blows to the Hawai'i economy in the last weeks with Aloha Airlines, ATA and Molokai Ranch shutting down operations.

"We're selling a lot of cruises; there are some great deals out there. My sense generally is that people are still willing to travel, including to Europe. You've planned a trip and you go."

Lewis said European cruises (in fact, all cruise destinations) are one way to battle rising costs, especially to the Baltic countries that are not tied to the euro currency and are less costly than West Europe destinations. "Yes, there are fuel surcharges being added but, overall, once you've paid for the cruise you don't have to worry," she said.

According to AAA's International Summer Travel Forecast released in April, U.S. travelers to France, Italy and Germany — highly favored destinations for U.S. travelers — are projected to increase by up to 7 percent this year, even though they'll be spending a lot more because of global inflation and a weak dollar.

"Americans are working harder and longer than ever and many feel their vacation is a benefit they've earned," Betsy Sell, managing director for AAA travel, said in the report. "Americans will rearrange their budgets and postpone some trips, but they're still traveling abroad."

If you're determined to visit Europe despite the dismal dollar, see Page E5 for tips to help your budget stretch across the pond.

The fiercest expenses in Europe are lodgings, restaurants and train tickets. Galleries, exhibitions, music, architecture and cultural attractions — the reasons people go to Europe — are not the biggest drain on the dollar. A little planning will help absorb costs — and keep in mind airlines charge for checked bags, so pack light!

  • Avoid peak travel. Be flexible on destinations and dates to get better rates. Peak season runs June, July and August when fares, room rates and crowds peak. Visit Europe in September and October, April and May; crowds and rates go down and the weather is often surprisingly good. An Internet roundtrip fare from Honolulu to Italy in July is around $2,200; in October it's $1,520.

  • Book a cruise to lesser-known countries and coastlines such as to the Balkan countries or Croatia. "European river cruises are particularly good value," said Wendy Goodenow, owner and president of HNL Travel Associates. "They get you well inland to see the interior of countries and ships can dock right in city centers." However, with the many cruise lines, itineraries and passenger expectations, Goodenow stressed that it is critical to decide between an all-inclusive cruise — one that includes meals, wine and stops at towns and villages that won't be subject to currency inflations — or one in which you pay for meals, drinks and optional shore tours. "The good news is there is a cruise ship itinerary to suit everyone," Goodenow said. www.hnltravel.com.

  • Book an escorted tour so that your costs are locked in before you leave. For example, Royal Adventure Tour's 18-day Grand European Adventure departs in September. The cost is $4,800, which covers airfare from Honolulu, accommodations, ground transportation from London through Holland, Switzerland, Germany, France and Italy, all breakfasts and most dinners (optional tours also include dinner. What you spend on extras is under your control. "You get the most out of the American dollar with an escorted tour," said Royal Adventure Travel agent Sharon Matsushima.

    Even though rising airfares have increased this year's European tour cost by as much as $300, Matsushima said there is no shortage of clients who want to visit Europe. "People have set aside money for travel and they want to go; who knows how long we have to wait for the dollar to rebound," she said.

  • Buy a package. Travelers who prefer independent travel often get a better deal with an airfare-and-hotel package instead of buying them separately. Airlines and hotels are willing to offer bigger discounts if the costs are rolled into one, which hides from competitors how much they are willing to discount prices. Check orbitz.com, travelocity .com and expedia.com. Plan well ahead and book lodging, tours, Eurail tickets, everything you can in advance to lock in prices in dollars.

  • Rent an apartment. You get more space per euro than a hotel and having a kitchen saves big on food costs. Breakfast — essential with a full day of sightseeing ahead — hugely increases a family travel budget. Stagger the apartment cost with friends. Whether it's a shared palazzo in Venice or a Welsh cottage in Snowdonia, sharing reduces rental and basic food expenses.

    Apartment rentals: In Paris, perfectlyparis.com; in Venice, venice-rentals.com; in Prague, apartments-in-prague.org.

    If you're not on a very tight budget, Untours Vacations specializes in European rental vacations with optional roundtrip airfare; Typically, it's two weeks in a fully furnished vacation cottage, flat, or farmhouse, ground transportation and transfer assistance. An orientation meeting covers tips for getting around, a calendar of events and suggestions for day trips. Travelers explore at their own pace. Destinations throughout Europe: www.untours.com.

  • Seek out alternative lodgings. You don't have to pay $400 a night in a hotel. Venue Masters in the U.K. offers accommodations in university residences and country manors during vacation times. You can even stay in a castle. A simply furnished room in Durham Castle north of England is currently available for $55 per night, www.venuemasters.co.uk/shortbreaks.asp.

  • Walk or take public transport. Avoid taxis. European cities have parks and squares to sit and people-watch. Forget the overpriced gondola ride in Venice and use the public vaporetta (water bus) at a fraction of the price, for travel within the lagoon. London's double-decker buses are perfect for cheap sightseeing. Consult guidebooks and Internet sites for "city walking tours" and bus options. Context Travel, www.contexttravel.com, offers walking tours in several European cities led by architects, historians and experienced guides.

  • Eating out in Europe will sting your wallet, especially in capital cities. Look for where the locals eat, follow the city office workers down the side streets. Or turn lunch into an adventure by visiting the local markets. A fresh baguette with cheese washed down with red wine is hard to beat in the French countryside or a city park. Pack sandwiches to eat while sightseeing. Take a refillable water bottle. European supermarkets such as Tesco and Marks & Spencers food sections sell excellent sandwiches and prepared meals at a fraction of the cost of a cafe or restaurant. In Venice, try the cicchetti bars, where you eat standing up, ordering small plates at $1 or so apiece; you eat scrumptiously and there's no waste.

  • Consider a home exchange: Getting your home in shape for an exchange is undeniably work but the payoff can be enormous. Luckily, Hawai'i is high on many European homeowners' vacation dream lists. www.homeexchange.com.

  • Money exchange: Check credit cards to see which charges least in fees for foreign transactions and items bought abroad. There are cash machines all over Europe. Using foreign ATMs is usually the best and easiest way to change money.

  • Do free stuff: "Go straight to the tourist information office when you arrive and get a list of free things to do," advises Tom Meyers of EuroCheapo. "Every city in Europe knows how much it's costing and is doing something to help restore American confidence in the feasibility of traveling there."

    Resources: Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel offers insights into European travel, www.budget travel.com; Rick Steves' "Europe Through the Back Door" books and TV programs (literally) walks you through European cities. ricksteves.com.

    Reach Chris Oliver at coliver@honoluluadvertiser.com.