Near the euro and the dollar, European travel gets a little cheaper

Travel experts say that Americans spend their money on gifts and heritage. The price tag that Americans see in European stores is now equal to the value of the dollar, and this could indicate significant savings. For example, a designer bag purchased in Paris or Milan may cost less than what is currently purchased in New York, and is not subject to VAT.

When paying, make sure you use the local currency. Credit card terminals often offer the option to pay in dollars or in the currency of your country of origin. .

Rima Brindamour, a photographer from Brooklyn, NY, is in Sicily after a stay in Rome. She says she has set a good foreign exchange rate to celebrate her honeymoon.

“We’ve been rolling around in comfort that we don’t want,” said Brindamor in an email. Treatments include private airport transfers, wine tours, and palsy lunches, she said.

With the growing demand for travel to Europe, it will be difficult to find an agreement to get there. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of the dollar.

Air tickets

Flights to Europe are sold in dollars, so exchange rate benefits do not apply. Travel booking app Hopper Chief Economist Haile Berg, a major airline, coded tickets with other carriers, so buying tickets with a European-based service will not save you much. When airlines enter into code sharing agreements, they can market flights operated by other carriers. For example, a passenger can buy a flight at American Airlines, but the actual flight can be operated by British Airways..

Booking with a low-cost service provider can save money, and it is also relatively inexpensive and not subject to exchange rates.

The average cost of air travel to Europe from the United States this fall is $ 672, an increase of more than 5% in 2019, according to Hopper.

In Europe, air tickets may have some savings because of the reasonable exchange rate. To get the best deal, pay attention to the point of sale.

“If you book a flight from Paris to Berlin in Europe, you may see a different price than in the United States,” said Berg.

Booking through large travel providers such as an online travel agent can be helpful in these situations, says Berg. It allows online travel agencies to sell in different parts of the world in a much cheaper way.

Another option for earning euros when registering European European flights is by switching to the local website and booking that route. One way to get to the local website is to visit the airline’s website and change which country from the main homepage (for example, the flag icon at the top corner of the site). Or, when typing in a URL, you can use a country-like URL for Air France, such as Airfrance.fr..

Hotels

More and more travelers are coming to Europe, which means the daily cost of hotels is higher than a year ago. Compared to countries with more than 50,000 hotel rooms, European countries posted the highest rates of travel this summer, according to hospitality information and analysis company STR.

“Hotels are very active with their prices,” said James Whiteman, product manager of Niara Travel in London.

Some of Europe’s most famous destinations, such as Rome and Florence, are completely occupied, says Mr. Tan. Your dollar will go higher this year in less popular cities, such as Portugal and Croatia, or in smaller cities recovering from the effects of the epidemic.

The strength of the dollar can offset the cost of good accommodation.

Paul Bachnt, founder of New York and Amsterdam-based travel agency Insider Voyages, said it has customers who have chosen to grow into the top tier.

“Suppose you are booking a deluxe room, they will go to Sweet because the price is more reasonable now,” said Mr Bacant.

Booking a hotel room for future vacationers is now a game of chance. If you think the dollar will not last, you can pay for the hotel in full, says Berg. Or you can bet that it will get stronger and wait to pay.

Food and notes

Daily expenses, such as eating at restaurants and buying gifts, have the biggest impact on the dollar-euro balance.

Last year Mr. Zikaso’s Mr. Tan ate at a Michellin-rated restaurant in Croatia, and the price on the menu increased by about 20% last year. During that year, however, the dollar gained about 18 percent against the Croatian currency. As a result, food prices were slightly higher.

Last year, the dollar traded approximately 20% against the euro. This means that if an American uses the dollar to buy goods in a store in Euros, he or she will spend 20% less this year on purchases than last year – if the item is not priced and tax-free.

When you pay, remember again to make sure you are using your local currency in your credit card.

Financial savings are not the only appeal. The closeness of the dollar to the euro eliminates many assumptions when it comes to spending money for American travelers overseas.

“When you don’t always do regular math, you can enjoy your trip a little bit,” says Donna Quadry Feliti, director of the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. “It will be an easy journey.”