will Americans need visas to visit Europe?

Have you seen this headline? Is it anything to worry about?

EU Parliament Urges Visas for US Citizens Visiting Europe

The backstory. There is an ongoing dispute between the European Union (EU) and the United States over the requirement that citizens of Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Romania, and Cypress obtain visas before visiting the United States. US citizens have the right to visit any EU country without obtaining visas, and the EU is understandably concerned over the lack of reciprocity.

So the EU Parliament made a symbolic gesture to make its point. A simple "show of hands" was taken on a motion to urge the EU develop a new regulation requiring Americans to obtain visas before visiting any EU nation.

The facts of the matter. No such regulation has been formally proposed. Once approved, it would have to be approved by the European Union countries, a process that could take years. And it is not in the interests of countries like Italy, France, or Spain to take such a step, as Europe receives much economic benefit from American tourism.

My guess is that there's nothing to worry about. Of course, I would also have guessed that Britain would have voted "no" on Brexit and that the US would have elected Hillary Clinton ... but the smart money says that this is only a negotiating ploy.

Bottom line: this is a great time to visit Europe as the exchange rate is highly favorable. 100€ = $105.45. I remember when it was 140 dollars to the euro.

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Europe on sale | how to lock in your savings

London phone booths (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

While I was personally disappointed by the result of the Brexit referendum, that is not the point of this article. Citizens of the United Kingdom voted and made their decision, and the consequences are largely unknown.

One outcome is clear. The value of the Euro and the Pound Sterling has dropped significantly, at least in the short term. The Euro currently costs only $1.11 and the Pound is currently worth $1.37. Exchange rates may rebound, once the fog of uncertainty surrounding Brexit begins to clear, but for the moment Europe is on sale. This makes life more expensive for my European clients — but it means unparalleled values for the rest of the world.

Even if you don't want to go to Europe right now (and I believe that the Fall is a better time to travel), you might want to lock in the favorable exchange rate. Here's how to do it:

Make and pre-pay your hotel reservations now in Europe and in London and the UK. This will lock in the current discount. Even if the pound and euro rise in value before your trip begins, you will have taken advantage of the currently advantageous exchange rate. Should you decide to change your dates, your prepayment will still be applicable to the new booking.

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

traveling to Greece? just charge it!

photograph by Mstyslav Chernov, published in Wikimedia Commons

Traveling to Greece in the near future? Currency worries have been on travelers' minds lately, but Brownell travelers in Greece have reported to their travel consultants that everything is fine. Foreign-issued credit and debit cards are freely accepted in hotels and restaurants. Because ATM machines may have run out of cash, bring Euros or dollars with you for tips and small purchases.

If you're into airline miles, charge whenever you can for the points... and be sure to use a No Forex card.

copyright (c) 2015 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

April in Paris | 5 reasons to visit Paris now

Place Vendome, from the Tuilleries, photo by David Ourisman (c) 2015 all rights reserved

Update — April 11th ... the Euro is now $1.06. Time for European travel!

Is Paris on your mind? With the euro on sale (1€ = $1.09), grab the moment and plan that last-minute trip to my favorite city in the world. Here are five reasons to visit Paris now.

1. Strong dollar. Remember when the euro cost $1.40? With the euro costing only $1.09 today, this is a 22% discount on everything you buy in Europe — hotel rooms, meals, museum tickets, even that impulse purchase at Chanel.

2. April is shoulder season in Paris. This means less crowds and lower prices than during the the busier summer months.

3. Warm enough. Although April in Paris isn't balmy, spring in Europe has warmed up over the years. I took the  above on April 2, 2014 — and it was a beautiful day.

4. Beautiful hotels... In the picture above is my personal favorite hotel in Paris, Le Meurice (the building on the right). If you have more of a four star budget, the Westin Paris is pictured in the building to the left. I can get you value-added amenities at both hotels — including free breakfast, free internet, hotel credits, and even a guaranteed upgrade at Le Meurice.

5. ... and more beautiful hotels. A couple minute's walk from this same intersection are even more world-class hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental Paris, Park Hyatt Vendome, and the soon-to-reopen Ritz Paris. And, yes, I can get you amenities at each of these hotels. Here's my google map to our entire collection.

If Paris is on your mind, there's no better time to go than now!

copyright (c) 2015 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

luxury travel bargains for europeans

Amazing luxury travel bargains are available to residents of Europe and the United Kingdom. It's hardly news that the US Dollar has fallen on hard times. That 100 Euro bill pictured above is worth $140. While bad news for Americans, this is an opportune time for European and British citizens to visit the United States.

Here are some luxury travel ideas for visitors to the United States (based on rates currently available for the dates indicated). All of these rates, when booked through a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant, come with a complimentary breakfast and an upgrade on arrival if available. I've put together the following itinerary, taking advantage of low weekend rates in major cities and low mid-week rates in Las Vegas!

New York. $399 for a Deluxe City View Room at the Ritz-Carlton Battery Park, Nov. 18-21. See New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty from your hotel. Visit the great museums of New York. Windowshop on Madison Avenue. Explore Chinatown.

Las Vegas. $135.15 for a Junior Suite at The Signature at MGM Grand, Nov. 21-23. The Signature is an amazing new all-suite property, completely non-smoking, connecting by a moving walkway to MGM Grand and its casino, fabulous restaurants, and the entertainment possibilities of America's "adult Disneyland."

Scottsdale, Arizona. $211 for a Fairmont room at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Nov. 23-26. You'll be upgraded at the time of booking to a Deluxe room, if available. Enjoy the fabulous shopping of Scottsdale. Play golf in the mild desert climate. Take a Day Trip to the Grand Canyon.

Washington, D.C. $395 for a Deluxe city view room at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, Nov. 26-29. Explore this beautiful city and its monuments. Visit the Smithsonian (at a time of year when the museums will be uncrowded) and the US Capitol. Even enjoy the cultural opportunities at the Kennedy Center.

The total cost of hotel rooms for this 12 day, 11 night tour of the United States, staying exclusively in 5 star luxury hotels, is $3285.30 before tax (with breakfast included every morning). That's only 2347 EUR (or 1635 GPB).

Virtuoso luxury travel consultant (search in Google)


copyright (c) 2007 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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