Expert: Stephen Tanenbaum - 12/6/2005

Question
You have an interesting profile.  We (my wife, our 14-year old daughter, and I) are interested in traveling to Europe (preferably England, Ireland, or Germany) sometime in 2006, and we're on a tight budget.  We are flexible about when we can travel.  My wife and I both work.  Any help you can provide will be appreciated.  Thank you.

Answer
Hi Bart:

Such overly general questions are difficult to approach.
I'd be happy to follow-up if you provide more specifics.

For now I'd say:
1) You should be traveling free using  a  free airline travel program. We've traveled globally and to Hawaii six months per year since 1999 and have yet to buy an major airline ticket. Are you using free travel? If not, here is my Blog article on FREE Airline travel. www.cheapskatetravel.blogspot.com

2)  Low season, usually now through mid May is much less expensive and you avoid crowds. Whether in England is always a roll of the dice so off season would work well.

3) When you say England, Germany OR Ireland I can not tell whether you mean to tour, meaning car, bus, trains or visit one or more major cities like London. Don't know your time frame, weeks or longer?  

4) Don't know how often your visit Europe which would help determine advice as to preferred destination.

5) We use a Bank ATM card, Mechanics Bank (CA) that pays all ATM charges any where in the world.

6) We just used www.tripadvisor.com to check out hotels and B& Bs on our recent three month trip to   England, Scotland and Italy.

7) Part of that trip was a super eleven days Princess cruise to the British Isles departing Southampton to Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Wales and returning to London (Southampton). Prices were as low as $750 per person for the entire cruise including all taxes etc. Awesome and you also have London and environs available pre or post cruise.  This link should work for the Princess 2006 schedule (note: Princess was the ONLY ship doing a British Isles cruise in 2005): http://cruises.affordabletours.com/search/it/?id=3697

8) Without knowing your definition of 'tight' budget I can not tell what type of lodging you require. We budget up to $99 and last trip enjoyed studio and 1 and even 2 bedroom apartments for a few days up to a week paying from $72 to $85 and most such digs had living room sleepers.

I can do better if you provide length of travel, approx. lodging budget, means of travel, extent of travel whether  city hopping or even country hopping, travel experience in Europe as a family, whether you are using free flights and perhaps your experience booking such trips, meaning lodging and trains, planes etc. via the internet. Oh, also what global travel experience does your daughter have?

I look forward to hearing further. You may email me directly at: stevepat99@hotmail.com or use AllExperts if they permit follow up emails.