Want some counter-intuitive advice? This is an ideal time to think about luxury travel to Europe. Here are four reasons why:
1. Great exchange rates. The US dollar has gotten much stronger over the past three months. You'll be paying considerably less for your hotel room, meals, and sightseeing while in Europe and the United Kingdom. Here are the numbers, comparing July 15 to today (October 23).
- The price of one EURO has dropped from $1.60 to $1.28, a discount of nearly 20%
- The price of one POUND has dropped from $1.96 to $1.62, a savings of more than 17%.
2. Discounted room rates. The economic downturn has made many upscale travelers nervous about taking expensive trips. I can tell you, as a luxury travel consultant, that bookings have dropped significantly over the past few weeks ... and cancellations are up. This means lots of empty hotel rooms, and empty rooms motivate hoteliers to lower their prices and create special promotional packages to fill those rooms.
3. Valuable free amenities. You can get complimentary breakfasts, room upgrades, and other free amenities that can include lunch, dinner, spa treatments, or limousine transfers. How? Simply by booking through a Virtuoso travel consultant. Best of all, many hotels offer these amenities at the Best Available Rate. You pay less and get more.
4. Less crowds. When less people are traveling, you don't need to deal with crowds and long lines at the attractions you want to see.
I have always been a contrarian. When everyone else is buying ... it's an ideal time to sell. When everyone else is selling ... it's an ideal time to buy. This is one of those opportune times. With some very real values out there in the luxury travel market, this is a great time to plan a luxury trip to Europe.
luxury travel consultant (search here on Google)
copyright (c) 2008 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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