How is everyone affording all of this international travel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shudder to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

DP. Yeah, if you are this kind of snob I see how it is impossible to plan an international trip under $20k. I generally look for hotels in this price range in European cities (particularly when paying cash as opposed to using Hyatt points) and it is not hard to find something clean, centrally located, and safe at this price point in most of them.

This is the hotel I stay at in Paris (visit at least once a year). I last stayed there in February and it was $150/night. It’s not winning any awards for luxury, but it’s in an excellent location, clean, has housekeeping every day, and the staff are very helpful. And this kind of hotel is not a unicorn in Europe. If you refuse to stay in anything less than a major American chain hotel or a luxury hotel, then yes, you’re looking at $400-500 per night minimum in a major European city.

https://www.hotelsone.com/paris-hotels-fr/hotel-europe-saint-severin-paris1.html?dsti=877033&dstt=8&nid=1&as=g&aid=731673442545&cmpid=22196100713&agid=174096669789&gid=EAIaIQobChMI95qzq_q1kAMVRU7_AR1ZGCnqEAAYASAAEgIw5fD_BwE&gwbrd=CksKCQjwu9fHBhDrARI6AApkq3oIZWbAZI616Rp91KnVPvY5wvlkOAno59HTtd2AKwJ8C27fbl2bKj-I43noBbo13MUGsYj-FhoC7po&ggbrd=0AAAAAD4o1PeQfsucGRx0r8F9dIJ4MjUHD&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22196100713&gbraid=0AAAAAD4o1PeQfsucGRx0r8F9dIJ4MjUHD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI95qzq_q1kAMVRU7_AR1ZGCnqEAAYASAAEgIw5fD_BwE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

DP here. I'm not a hotel snob at all, but we went to London this past summer and there was nothing in that price range to sleep 4 people. Even Premier Inns were 200 GBP per night and they wouldn't take 4 of us since one of our teens is 17. Since we were going to need two rooms at a lower priced hotel, I ended up finding a nicer Hilton where we could all sleep in the same room that cost roughly what two rooms would cost, but it was still 400 GBP per night. Same story in Paris except impossible to find a bigger room so had to book 2 rooms and boy were they tiny!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

You shutter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The same way people afford luxury cars, private school, renovations etc.

A lot of money or a lot of debt. It’s one or the other.

?? OP didn’t say how do people afford luxury international travel…just international travel.

As others have mentioned many times in this thread, you can travel cheaper international than many domestic locations as long as you plan appropriately.

Even still, it’s thousands of dollars. How do afford that? By either having thousands of extra dollars or being in debt. It’s not rocket science.

Well then, your issue is with travel in general...not just international travel. Yes, it usually costs several thousand dollars to go on vacation whether that is the US or international.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

Looking at London right now over Thanksgiving, you can stay at a Marriott or several boutique hotels in Canary Wharf for under $150/night. All fairly highly rated. If you are willing to go to $200/night then like 50 more hotels pop up all over the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

Looking at London right now over Thanksgiving, you can stay at a Marriott or several boutique hotels in Canary Wharf for under $150/night. All fairly highly rated. If you are willing to go to $200/night then like 50 more hotels pop up all over the city.

That’s off season since the weather is bad and Brits don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Also how many of those “boutique” hotels can sleep a family or are two rooms needed?

[Anonymous]

We didn’t do it for years. Years and years. And now have the money to do it. And we don’t do it often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

Looking at London right now over Thanksgiving, you can stay at a Marriott or several boutique hotels in Canary Wharf for under $150/night. All fairly highly rated. If you are willing to go to $200/night then like 50 more hotels pop up all over the city.

That’s off season since the weather is bad and Brits don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Also how many of those “boutique” hotels can sleep a family or are two rooms needed?

DP. To be fair, OP’s question is about how international travel is affordable for some many people in this area. A really obvious way to make international travel affordable is to go off season or during a shoulder season. If you want to go to any destination during peak season, you’ll pay significantly more (in many cases, thousands more) for airfare and lodging.

I get why you wouldn’t want to go on, say, a beach trip off season, but a major city like London has plenty of great indoor attractions to fill 5-10 days, even if it’s not the best time to visit. I’ve done a ton of international travel this way and have always had a great time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

Looking at London right now over Thanksgiving, you can stay at a Marriott or several boutique hotels in Canary Wharf for under $150/night. All fairly highly rated. If you are willing to go to $200/night then like 50 more hotels pop up all over the city.

That’s off season since the weather is bad and Brits don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Also how many of those “boutique” hotels can sleep a family or are two rooms needed?

DP. To be fair, OP’s question is about how international travel is affordable for some many people in this area. A really obvious way to make international travel affordable is to go off season or during a shoulder season. If you want to go to any destination during peak season, you’ll pay significantly more (in many cases, thousands more) for airfare and lodging.

I get why you wouldn’t want to go on, say, a beach trip off season, but a major city like London has plenty of great indoor attractions to fill 5-10 days, even if it’s not the best time to visit. I’ve done a ton of international travel this way and have always had a great time.

Yeah, I'd have on problem going to London in the fall / winter. It's a year round destination.

I put in the dates for Marriotts at Canary Wharf and not finding anything under $150/night USD. There are some around 150 GBP/night. There's also some Hilton properties around $150/night USD but those are way far out and would be like staying at a hotel in Frederick to visit DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

Looking at London right now over Thanksgiving, you can stay at a Marriott or several boutique hotels in Canary Wharf for under $150/night. All fairly highly rated. If you are willing to go to $200/night then like 50 more hotels pop up all over the city.

That’s off season since the weather is bad and Brits don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Also how many of those “boutique” hotels can sleep a family or are two rooms needed?

DP. To be fair, OP’s question is about how international travel is affordable for some many people in this area. A really obvious way to make international travel affordable is to go off season or during a shoulder season. If you want to go to any destination during peak season, you’ll pay significantly more (in many cases, thousands more) for airfare and lodging.

I get why you wouldn’t want to go on, say, a beach trip off season, but a major city like London has plenty of great indoor attractions to fill 5-10 days, even if it’s not the best time to visit. I’ve done a ton of international travel this way and have always had a great time.

Yeah, I'd have on problem going to London in the fall / winter. It's a year round destination.

I put in the dates for Marriotts at Canary Wharf and not finding anything under $150/night USD. There are some around 150 GBP/night. There's also some Hilton properties around $150/night USD but those are way far out and would be like staying at a hotel in Frederick to visit DC.

Search Priceline and they will come up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

Looking at London right now over Thanksgiving, you can stay at a Marriott or several boutique hotels in Canary Wharf for under $150/night. All fairly highly rated. If you are willing to go to $200/night then like 50 more hotels pop up all over the city.

That’s off season since the weather is bad and Brits don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Also how many of those “boutique” hotels can sleep a family or are two rooms needed?

Well, yeah…that’s the point of this thread. People save money by traveling at non-peak times. I picked Thanksgiving because it’s actually a great time for Americans to consider taking a trip because you can tack on just a couple of vacation days and it’s not a big deal for kids to miss a day or two of school (our schools started making Wednesday an official holiday).

If you don’t have kids or want to take college kids…late May is also a great time to travel as weather is better and it’s still not peak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hotels in Europe are the same price as in the US.

So airfare is the main difference.

Hotels in Europe are so much cheaper than in the US. And pls don’t compare a Sofitel in Paris to a Hampton Inn in Hartford.

This. Also midpriced hotels I'm Europe are so much more reliable decent than in the US, especially in tourist destinations. We've spent the same on a damp, moldy, run down hotel near a beach in Florida as we have on a lovely, well maintained hotel near a beach in France. And the hotel in France will have better food and nicer staff. Both will be "three stars" but since hospitality is taken way more seriously in Europe than the US, that will mean a lot more there.

Only outside of major European cities. The city hotels are outrageously priced.

Maybe at peak travel seasons prices will be higher but even gently off peak I find plenty of affordable options. Even in London! For me affordable is $150 a night or close enough.

I shutter to think at what hotel you are staying at in London at any time of the year for $150/night.

Looking at London right now over Thanksgiving, you can stay at a Marriott or several boutique hotels in Canary Wharf for under $150/night. All fairly highly rated. If you are willing to go to $200/night then like 50 more hotels pop up all over the city.

That’s off season since the weather is bad and Brits don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Also how many of those “boutique” hotels can sleep a family or are two rooms needed?

I took my kids to London for Thanksgiving last year. It was lovely and we were lucky with the weather as it only rained once. As long as you have your jacket, you'd be fine, and the crowds were less than in summer. Kids are free and severely discounted on tube. Plenty of cheap or free museums.

Cheap tickets on points via Virgin. Hotels on points - Holiday Inn Express and Hyatt Blackfriars. Solid breakfast included in both, and affordable dinner options are plentiful in London.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You got a great deal. I fly to Sao Paulo a few times a year and have learned that IAD is the worst place to start the journey. It is hundreds, if not thousands cheaper, to go to a repositioning airport. I usually do Miami or Fort Lauderdale. It's a 200 dollar round trip and I end up on the flight from IAD or wherever. I tend to fly business, so I usually do Houston.

Have fun! It's a blast of a city if you are a food, music, culture fan.

Thanks! Yes, I love huge cities and I love food, music and culture. Would appreciate any suggestions for my trip.

[Anonymous]

DH makes a lot of money and loves to travel.