International Travel to get more expensive?

[dex]

I think international travel will be getting more expensive this year for a couple of reasons -
Dollar getting weaker - currently euro = 1.34 expect about 1.38 - 1.4 by year end; Australian dollar = .81/USD - expect about .84 - .85 in the coming months - The how and when the fed lowers interest rates will determine how weak the USD will get.

Higher airfares - fuel costs and airlines doing better overall

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

my plan for future international travel is to either vagabond-it, living a year here and 6 months there, or summer travel living in one place for 4 months at a time. so i don't suppose that type of inflation will effect me much.

 

[justin]

Maybe some travel. Looks like the mexican peso is still fairly cheap vs. the dollar. It was around 10 pesos per US dollar back in 1999 and 2000 when I was down there for extended stays. Now it's at 11.

Europe is definitely "expensive" if your base currency is the USD.

I imagine their are other countries besides Mexico that haven't seen their currencies appreciate greatly vs. the USD.

 

[chinaco]

Choose areas of the world that are affordable during the period of travel. That may not eliminate the basic transportation cost, but it will lower all other expense while in the target countries.

We intend to travel and that is our strategy. I figure over a 15-20 year period the dollar will be king at one time or another in most places in the world... Remember when the Euro was trading at about 1.2 to $1. The period of 2nd qtr 2000 - 2nd qtr 2002, the $ was strong. It will happen again.

Pick your trip wisely and enjoy

 

[justin]

Another strategy to save on int'l travel if you like the backpacker style travel AND you have a wife* that likes the nicer amenities:

Go on the cheap in the expensive places (Europe for example) - cheaper hotels, budget travel.

Then in countries where the dollar is strong, live it up in luxury. Go stay at a resort on the beach in Mexico or Republica Dominicana.


* or husband - I don't mean to discriminate

 

[OKLibrarian]

Hey Justin--I cut my world travel teeth backpacking in europe, and I shudder to think what DH's reaction would be if i suggested we stay at a *gasp* hostel and *shudder* share a room with other folks...I think he's gonna have to adapt though. As I told him last night as we were discussing FIRE stuff--there are something like 200 countries in the world, and I've been to less than a dozen so far...

 

[justin]

Hey Justin--I cut my world travel teeth backpacking in europe, and I shudder to think what DH's reaction would be if i suggested we stay at a *gasp* hostel and *shudder* share a room with other folks...I think he's gonna have to adapt though. As I told him last night as we were discussing FIRE stuff--there are something like 200 countries in the world, and I've been to less than a dozen so far...

I'd have the same reaction to hostels in my family, too. Also the sharing a bathroom is generally a no-go for DW. However, for the price of 2 in a hostel, you can usually find a similar budget hotel (maybe with shared bathroom) that is a little nicer, or at least more private.

 

[OKLibrarian]

*nods* I suspect we're going to go the B&B/Pensione route when we can--if you're willing to dig you can find some good deals.

 

[loosechickens]

We're going to Europe for September and October this year. We had planned a trip with Eurail passes and hotels, but now we've decided to rent a VW Westfalia camper and travel that way. Campgrounds are really inexpensive in Europe, and although the vehicle rental is expensive, we can do lots of our own food and eat out when desired for pleasure without having to eat all meals out. Looks like it's going to be pretty affordable despite the weakness of the dollar.

We're just going to be in the same position that all the Canadians were a few years ago coming to the U.S. They managed then, and we'll manage in Europe as well.

We're not getting any younger and I just don't want to put off travel until the dollar is stronger.....while we're getting less able to do really active travel. We're still at the point where we can hike for miles every day.....want to go now.

 

[dex]

We're going to Europe for September and October this year. We had planned a trip with Eurail passes and hotels, but now we've decided to rent a VW Westfalia camper and travel that way. Campgrounds are really inexpensive in Europe, and although the vehicle rental is expensive, we can do lots of our own food and eat out when desired for pleasure without having to eat all meals out. Looks like it's going to be pretty affordable despite the weakness of the dollar.

We're just going to be in the same position that all the Canadians were a few years ago coming to the U.S. They managed then, and we'll manage in Europe as well.

We're not getting any younger and I just don't want to put off travel until the dollar is stronger.....while we're getting less able to do really active travel. We're still at the point where we can hike for miles every day.....want to go now.

I would love to see europe in a RV.
Can you give me some links to where you are renting and how you are finding the RV parks?
Any info would be appreciated.
txs

 

[loosechickens]

Dex......we'll be renting our Westfalia through www.bwcampers.com in Amsterdam. They were recommended highly by RVing friends who have used them. Seem to be nice folks. (they rent RVs in other parts of the world as well).

Some fellow RVers and members of our Escapees RV Club have written several really good books about RVing in Europe, available on Amazon.

Traveler's Guide to European Camping: Explore Europe with RV or Tent, by Mike and Terri Church

and RV and Car Camping Vacations in Europe: RV and Car Camping Tours to Europe's Top Vacation Destinations, same authors

They're great books and full of good information.

We have friends who buy an RV over there, travel in it and then sell it, but this year we're feeling lazy and are doing it the easy way and just renting.

Hope this helps. We are already fulltime RVers, and although we have spent recent years in a large motorhome, our first two years on the road were in a VW Westfalia camper traveling in Mexico and Central America. So we feel like we'll be going back to our RVing "roots", always fun. We're really looking forward to the fall.

LooseChickens

 

[dex]

loosechickens,
Thanks for the great info - just what I need.

How long are you traveling for? It does look like the longer you travel buying and then selling could save some money.

 

[loosechickens]

We're only going to be gone for two months......a little bit less than would make it better to buy. Generally, at three months, definitely better to buy, but you do need to allow for time to sell the rig before you get home, and if you have a deadline plane ticket staring you in the face, it could get dicey.

After we do this time renting, and get a chance to meet up with some who are going the other way, we might do differently the next time, but for this year will just stick with renting and not having to worry about selling in a hurry when we need to get home. We have several committments in early November, so won't have the luxury of delaying our return if necessary.

Glad the info was of help.