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Are you seriously saying that Americans (not just college students) can expect to be able to travel overseas, staying for, oh let's just say a week (since less than that seems hardly worth the airfare), for under two thousand dollars?
Now - college students crashing in hostels or couch surfing may be able to do that - MAY be able to. But certainly not a family ($2000 each) or an older traveler.
$2000 for one week? there are plenty of destinations an american can go on that budget.
When I travel outside the US, the fist places I think of going are Mexico or Canda and Central America third. Europe is very expensive and I simply dont have enough vacation time to truely enjoy a European vacation.
However, if I got an extra week off, I would love to tour Germany.
$2000 for one week? there are plenty of destinations an american can go on that budget.
no need to stay in a hostel either.
If your airline ticket costs $1500 (most roundtrip tickets from the US to Europe are in about that price range) that leaves $500 for hotel, food, and transportation. Of course it can be done but it won't be easy!
We just purchased a ticket to Europe (within the last week) for less than HALF that amount.
You got a deal. Many families HAVE to travel during the smmertime, when rates go up. For instance, due to our family situation, we have very little choice - we have to travel in June. So our economy class round trip tickets we just purchased last week (from Dallas to London and back) were $1500 each.
Of course, if we could have traveled some time other than peak season or a holiday, we could have bought tickets for less. But think about it - families have to coordinate with school holidays and that sort of thing.
Also, though we fly coach, we do allow ourselves the luxury of avoiding multiple stops or long layovers. This usually adds a couple of hundred dollars to the price.
I just looked up, on Expedia, roundtrip tickets from Dallas to London with no layovers for the end of this month. The prices start at $1125. Same tickets in June, same route, are $1616. On AMERICAN - an airline I despise. ON British Airways, the price goes up to $1776 for coach, roundtrip, Dallas to London. And actually, the price is the same for flights with layovers in June, now that I look even more closely.
LOL I'm feeling pretty good now about the tickets I bought last week for $1500!
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 04-09-2013 at 01:29 PM..
I am not sure when you are traveling. I checked prices though for the time frame we are going in June (NOT during Wimbledon!) and then for August - and the prices are about the same - around $1500 each.
As you probably know, the prices for tickets hinge on a variety of situations - layovers or no layovers, departure and arrival points, days of the week, even what time the flight boards. They vary significantly depending on the country, or even airports within a country. Too many variables to argue over.
Not only did I search a wide variety of sources independently, I also consulted with a travel agent. Between the two of us (well, three - my husband looking as well), on the dates we need to travel and the departure and destination, $1500 was the least expensive flight any of us could find.
Tickets in the same time period, however, departing from Dallas and going to Madrid, are less expensive. They drop even more going to Brussels. They go UP for Amsterdam and Frankfurt, and drop significantly for Copenhagen.
Everyone's situation is different.
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 04-09-2013 at 01:41 PM..
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