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Sixty-seven percent of Europe- bound travelers are changing their plans due to the weak condition of the U.S. dollar, according to a survey conducted this week by TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com/), the leading travel information and recommendation destination on the Web. Nearly 60 percent of TripAdvisor users surveyed say they will plan a shorter stay in Europe, 65 percent will shop less, 60 percent will dine more modestly and 59 percent will stay in more modest hotels.
"Americans traveling to Europe this year will have to be better prepared, more creative and savvy than in recent times to effectively manage their travel budgets," said Christine Petersen, senior vice president of marketing for TripAdvisor. "Travelers are coming to our site to plan and share information that will help them get the most out of their European vacation. Every insight could lead to big savings."
As part of the survey, TripAdvisor asked its visitors for suggestions on how best to navigate through Europe on a tighter budget. Common suggestions from the survey and TripAdvisor forums include:
1. Plan Ahead: With many travelers planning a shorter stay in Europe this
year, good advance planning is essential to take full advantage of
your time. One TripAdvisor user suggests "plan ahead so as to not
waste as much time just lolly gaggin' around."
2. Skip Pricey Audio Tours: Save money by using a trustworthy guidebook
instead of paying for museum audio tours.
3. Take Public Transportation or Walk: In Rome and Paris, purchase a
daily metro pass for unlimited bus and metro travel. Invest in a good
pair of walking shoes - it's the best way to see the sights and it's
free.
4. Get in Free: Did you know that you can get into London's National
Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Science
Museum, and Natural History for free? Also in London, check out free
lunchtime concerts at Southwark Cathedral on Mondays and Tuesdays; in
St. Martin in the Field at Trafalgar Square on Mondays, Tuesdays and
Fridays at 1 p.m.
5. Have a Breakfast of Champions: Eat a big breakfast - especially if
it's included in your hotel price. For lunch or dinner, stop by the
local market for picnic supplies.
6. Act Like a Teenager: Keep an eye on where the local teenagers go to
shop and eat. They're on a tight budget too. "Talk to them about
where to get certain things, they are more open and give you good
recommendations," said one TripAdvisor user.
7. Seek Alternative Accommodations: TripAdvisor users recommend staying
at a Bed & Breakfast, in hostels, renting an apartment or staying with
friends if you can. According to one TripAdvisor user, the B&B's
"provide great accommodations, at very good rates and they are so
helpful at advising where to visit. They often feel like a home away
from home with their personal attention."
8. Capture the Memories: Skip the trinkets and souvenirs and bring back
memories by taking great digital photos. Digital will save you on the
development costs.
9. Do Your Homework: TripAdvisor users recommend checking out the latest
travel deals -- and reading the latest reviews to really be sure you
have the best deal, and not a dud.
10. Go East: One TripAdvisor user writes of his travel plans, "We're
going further east and spending no time in OLD EUROPE! We plan on
visiting countries like Bulgaria, Slovakia Republic and Croatia, which
has a coastline that is just as, if not more, beautiful than Italy's."
TripAdvisor recently introduced an advanced hotel selection tool, available on the main "hotels" tab in top destinations, that enables travelers to easily view a destination's most popular hotels by price, as well as neighborhood and star class. The following is a list of hotels in London, Paris and Rome, rated highly by satisfied TripAdvisor users, with reasonable prices*:
LONDON The Sanctuary House Hotel, 33 Tothill St, London SW1 27 Reviews, most recent posted on April 21, 2005 Average Price: EUR$144 Luna & Simone Hotel, 47/49 Belgrave Road, London SW1 36 Reviews, most recent posted on April 20, 2005 Average Price: EUR$123 Ramada Encore London West, 4 Portal Way, London W3 21 Reviews, most recent posted on April 10, 2005 Average Price: EUR$109 Windermere Hotel, 142-144 Warwick Way, London SW1 22 Reviews, most recent posted on April 8, 2005 Average Price: EUR$145 PARIS Best Western Lorette Opera, 36 Rue Notre Dame De Lorette, 75009 Paris 26 Reviews, most recent posted on April 20, 2005 Average Price: EUR$140 Hotel Des Croises (Langlois), 63 rue Saint-Lazare, 75009 Paris 75 Reviews, most recent posted on April 19, 2005 Average Price: EUR$75 Hotel Britannique, 20 avenue Victoria, Paris 75001 Paris 28 Reviews, most recent posted on April 19, 2005 Average Price: EUR$147 Saint Christophe, 17 rue Lacepede, 75005 Paris 24 Reviews, most recent posted on April 10, 2005 Average Price: EUR$110 ROME Hotel Lancelot, Via Capo d'Africa 47, Rome 00184 62 Reviews, most recent posted on April 18, 2005 Average Price: EUR$125 Hotel Giuliana, Via Agostino Depretis 70, Rome 00184 62 Reviews, most recent posted on April 14, 2005 Average Price: EUR$90 ARS Hotel, Via Monte Altissimo 20-24, Rome 00141 11 Reviews, most recent posted on April 6, 2005 Average Price: EUR$104 Hotel Oceania, Via Firenze 38, Rome 00184 22 Reviews, most recent posted on March 26, 2005 Average Price: EUR$105
*TripAdvisor calculates an average price for each hotel, which is based on the rates of available rooms obtained from booking partners and other independent sources of pricing information. In addition, average hotel prices are updated nightly based on prevailing conversion rates. These are only estimates and not guarantees.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor.com is the most popular travel information and recommendation destination worldwide (according to comScore Media Metrix, January 2005), with more than 1.5 million unbiased reviews and opinions and covering nearly 200,000 hotels and attractions. A popular travel homebase with more than 13 million unique monthly visitors, TripAdvisor.com offers easy access to major worldwide online travel sites, including Expedia, Orbitz, hotels.com, American Airlines and Travelocity, for the best deals on the Web. TripAdvisor offers travel suppliers a cost-per-click marketing platform, guaranteeing the budgeted number of leads (not just impressions) with every campaign. Winner of dozens of awards, including PC Magazine's Top 100 Web Sites and Forbes Best of the Web, TripAdvisor is part of IAC/InterActiveCorp
Contact: Kelly Burke, Mullen (978) 468-8936Kelly.burke@mullen.com
SOURCE: TripAdvisor, Inc.
CONTACT: Kelly Burke of Mullen, +1-978-468-8936,
Web site: http://www.tripadvisor.com/
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