Traveling in a bad economy?

[LtlFirecracker]

So I want to get some outside opinions on this little issue I am having, this may be long, but I feel like I have to explain the story to get some advice.

I have never been to Europe and have always wanted to go. Shortly after me and my BF got together, he said he would go with me. He has already been and kind of has a "been there, done that " attitude. Well, when it came time to plan the trip, he said we couldn''t go because the exchange rate was bad and he had made a goof up at work and was unsure of his job security. At first I let it go, but than I got pretty upset. I explained to him that I was 29, have never really traveled, and wanted to do so before I had a family. He said, no matter what the circumstances we would go next year.

Fast forward several months later. My vacation is blocked for early June. The economy is worse than we both could have ever thought. Now my BF is really worried about his job. He has survived 2 lay offs. He thinks if there is third, he will not survive. I addressed Europe (specifically Italy) with him again and he said we are going, because he doesn''t want to back down a second time, but that "this is a really stupid time to go." He says he is glad I have agreed to stay in the hostels, and that that should help but that the trip will still be super expensive.

I have looked at flights to Europe, which are expensive from California. I have also looked at some places in Maui (that is where he really wants to go) and Florida (we went to Key West last year and both liked it a lot), and while the flights are a better price, the hotels are not. I have not crunched the numbers yet to see how much more Italy would be.

I have a ton of questions on every level. Any help would be great. Here is what is going through my mind.

Should I wait one more year to go to Italy? Will the economy really be better?
Where can I find out more info the cost of going to Italy (hostels, eurorail, food)? I have no idea where to start.

I guess I am trying to figure out if we can both be satisfied. I have always wanted to go to Europe and feel like I will never be able to live with myself if I don''t. He has some very real concerns about his future and is not into spending money. How do I balance this?

 

[jcarlylew82]

lonelyplanet.com is a great traveling resource - we uesd them when we went to italy and found TONS of restuarants and more without spending every last time. We also found an american breakfast joint...in the middle of florence (sooo good after too much grappa!!). another good resource is ricksteves.com.

As far as you guy is considered - would you be able to afford it if he only paid for part of the trip?

I am not sure if waiting another year will be better or worse for you. I am going to the BVI this year and my economy (tee hee, income) blows. but, i am still saving up every last penny to go.

 

[Lulie]

a) I''d buy ins, just in case, and it''s not that expensive.
b) Italy is worth every single penny, GO!

c) It''s always a great idea to start money exchange from here, months prior to departure
it''s cheaper.

 

[mrscushion]

I was also going to recommend Lonely Planet, or also Let's Go guides, they are updated a little more frequently. Both guides also have online forums with a lot of information. A lot will depend on how much time you have. June is a good month to go, though.

Who knows if the economy will be better in eighteen months -- historically speaking, yes, it should be on the mend by that time, but this recession is deep and nobody can predict its course for sure. Chances are, though, that if there is a third round of lay-offs in your SO's company, it will happen well before then. If that happens, though, then I really hope your SO will not be affected!

I think you should definitely visit Europe as soon as you can, but you should make sure your SO is equally as excited as you are, otherwise you'll both enjoy it less. But visiting Maui vs. visiting Europe, I think you're right, the expense is going to come out pretty similar, even from California. In my experience Maui is a pretty pricey destination if you look at accommodation, food, recreation expenses, etc. You can definitely do Italy on the cheap and still have a fabulous time and really experience the country.

 

[purselover]

Personally I''d rather wait, my BF is trying to get me to take a vacation but with him in school and a shaky economy, what would happen if I lost my job? I''d prob really regret spending that money with bills due. I would also rather travel "right" by waiting a few more years you could stay in hotels and have spending money, for me I''d rather be able to enjoy my time there, do some shopping and eating out at nice places, instead of being on a budget. However I''ve also traveled extensively growing up so I don''t have that strong urge to go to Europe right away.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Thanks for all the replies.

Jcarleylew82: If we end up going I want the name to the breakfast place. Me and my BF love going out to American breakfasts together. I know of lonely planet. I have been meaning to pick it up.

Lulie: For the Inn''s, what do you mean by "just in case," what is a money exchange?

MsCushion: In all fairness, last year he vetoed Maui too because of cost, even though that is where he really wants to go. He is the type of guy who never gets excited about traveling until he gets there. So he is really hard to gage. I have 2 weeks of vacation, so I am thinking 10-12 days in Europe. It is not a lot of time, but I don''t think I will ever have more time off than 2 weeks with my job choice.

PurseLover: I hear what you are saying. If I didn''t have the urge to go, this would be a non-issue. I would wait for sure, and just go somewhere local, like Yosemite

 

[Deelight]

We went to NY, Europe and Asia in September/October last year however that trip was originally planned for May for Eurovision but due to FI quitting one job and starting another we had to delay, we could have gone as planned but he didn't feel confident enough in his job at the time to leave for 7wks.

For me it was better to delay it knowing that we would have a better time later when he would not be stressed and worried about whether he would have a job when he got back.

Did it suck missing Eurovision? Yes but we did still have the best time and were able to enjoy it at a later date with less stress, HECK YEAH.


I also have to say, Europe is very nice around September time because it is less crowded and the weather is still beautiful , also if your going to Italy (which is lovely) might as well country hop if you can .

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Sorry to hear about your BF''s job stuff, LTlFirecracker

I was in Spain for 6 weeks in college, and I loved it, and always wanted to go back. Unfortunately, BF has also been there - he''s traveled fairly extensively through France, Spain, etc. Fortunately, he loves to travel, and we''re making lots of travel plans...just not Europe for a while (part of his reason is exchange rate, but also that it''s much more likely that in 20 years Europe won''t have changed that much, whereas there are a lot of places, developing countries, etc. that we really should visit now).

So this is totally out of left field, but since I''m not sure how much flights are from CA to Europe, how about New Zealand?

Exchange rate is SUPER right now - although flights are expensive (but maybe it''s on par with flights from CA --> Europe). Or something off the beaten path - not Maui or Europe? FYI: we''re planning a 2 week trip to NZ and part of the reason we chose it is because it''s a little different, gorgeous country, and exchange rate. We''re going to try to keep costs low by visiting one island only, renting a car, and driving...staying in cheaper hotels or hostels.

Good luck!

 

[whitby_2773]

hi LtlFirecracker

there''s a series of travel books called ''Frommers'' and they cover most places and specialize in cheap accommodations, cheap things to do, cheap places to eat, cheap travel options like trains and so on and the best tickets/deals to buy. here''s the link to their 2009 guide to italy:

http://www.amazon.com/Frommers-Italy-2009-Complete/dp/0470285567/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232425636&sr=1-1

they update every year, so this is a good book to get the year you travel to make sure you don''t get your heart set on something that later turns out to be closed or gone by the time you arrive.

re italy, keep in mind that lots of parts of western europe close in certain months of summer, the main 2 being august and september, so steer away from those months or check ahead of time. you might like to read the following article on this topic - it gives dates and months when a lot of things in italy are closed:

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/italy/when-to-go.html

re the economy - it''s more likely to get worse before it gets better. my husband works on Wall Street, and nobody there is talking about a recovery any time soon. the US dollar is strong at the moment, tho, so you should be able to get a good exchange rate.

as for whether you should go with or without your boyfriend - only you can decide. but just be aware - you can go fairly cheaply and still see great stuff - or you can go and pay stacks of money and see...exactly the same things! planning is key to keeping the final total down to manageable levels.

good luck

 

[TravelingGal]

OK I am going to sound like that debbie downer suzie whatserface chick by saying this but...

- Do you have enough saved up to last a few months should something happen?
- Will this trip be paid by funds you currently have that do not dip into your emergency fund?

If either the above is answered with a no, then you should not be going anywhere - Maui, Italy or otherwise.

I''m saying this because you said the current situation is that your man''s job sitch is precarious. Traveling is wonderful but it also is a luxury. If you can''t afford the luxury, then you need to go without for awhile.

If you say yes to both of the above questions, then the answer is easy: Italy!

 

[whitby_2773]

TravelingGal -

"debbie downer suzie whatserface"....

rofl....

 

[anyname]

Date: 1/19/2009 11:53:04 PM
Author: TravelingGal
OK I am going to sound like that debbie downer suzie whatserface chick by saying this but...


- Do you have enough saved up to last a few months should something happen?

- Will this trip be paid by funds you currently have that do not dip into your emergency fund?


If either the above is answered with a no, then you should not be going anywhere - Maui, Italy or otherwise.


I''m saying this because you said the current situation is that your man''s job sitch is precarious. Traveling is wonderful but it also is a luxury. If you can''t afford the luxury, then you need to go without for awhile.


If you say yes to both of the above questions, then the answer is easy: Italy!

I''m going with this reply. Also, are you planning on going to just Italy, are you planning on staying in one city or are you going to different cities, or are you going to backpack around Europe? My cousin was somehow able to spend 6 weeks in Europe for $5,000, but he was backpacking and lost a lot of weight, and he said he would never do it again, so take with that what you will. So that''s another thing to consider, what do you want to do when you''re in Italy? If you scrimp and save to get there but it turns out that you don''t have a lot of money left do to anything, would that be ok?

It''s hard to say where the economy will end up, but i know that Italy isn''t going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Thanks for the replies. I am on my way to work so I only have a minute. First of all TG, good point. Yes I have an emergency fund, and I have job security. I have made a point to start saving 10% of my income each month. I also have a couple grand set aside (it is the money in previous years I have been using to buy nice jewelry, which I have no plans for anything big this year). As for him. I know he has been in saving mode for a year because I have seen his spending habits change, I don''t know the specifics of his bank account. I talked to him last night and he seems more upbeat about it. What do I want to do there? Mainly sight see and go to the museums. He insists on going to Venice and taking the boat though the canal. We also looked at the exchange rate online. He said it is way better than last year and that going now might not be so bad. He is going to look into the money exchange and see if it is worth it. I figure he is the one with the MBA so he could figure those things out.
We are also going to look into flying into another country and taking the train into Italy. I think I will wait a little longer to actually book anything and if anything changes, of course we will not go.

Well I am off to work. I am open to any-other suggestions/opinions. I won''t be-able to reply until tomorrow afternoon, but I will be reading . I will also do a search on flights to Australia/NZ (he would love to go there), but isn''t it winter in June?

 

[Deelight]

Date: 1/20/2009 5:16:29 AM
Author: LtlFirecracker
Thanks for the replies. I am on my way to work so I only have a minute. First of all TG, good point. Yes I have an emergency fund, and I have job security. I have made a point to start saving 10% of my income each month. I also have a couple grand set aside (it is the money in previous years I have been using to buy nice jewelry, which I have no plans for anything big this year). As for him. I know he has been in saving mode for a year because I have seen his spending habits change, I don''t know the specifics of his bank account. I talked to him last night and he seems more upbeat about it. What do I want to do there? Mainly sight see and go to the museums. He insists on going to Venice and taking the boat though the canal. We also looked at the exchange rate online. He said it is way better than last year and that going now might not be so bad. He is going to look into the money exchange and see if it is worth it. I figure he is the one with the MBA so he could figure those things out.

We are also going to look into flying into another country and taking the train into Italy. I think I will wait a little longer to actually book anything and if anything changes, of course we will not go.


Well I am off to work. I am open to any-other suggestions/opinions. I won''t be-able to reply until tomorrow afternoon, but I will be reading . I will also do a search on flights to Australia/NZ (he would love to go there), but isn''t it winter in June?

The gondolas in Venice are cool , quite fun

As for Australia I live in QLD Australia, and over here winter is beautiful the weather is really very pleasant.

 

[Pandora II]

My in-laws have just come back from Venice this week and were horrified at the prices there at the moment - we are suffering with the exchange rate at the moment though.

They paid 40 euro for two pizzas and two glasses of red wine!

I go back quite a lot as I used to live there and have a lot of friends out there. They are all complaining about the high cost of living, the economy and the job situation out there.

Italy is not what it was 5/6 years ago.

I would suggest waiting another couple of years for things to straighten out a bit.

 

[bee*]

If you have adequate savings built up then I''d go but if not I would wait for a few years. I have a friend living in Italy at the moment and it''s extremely expensive and that''s coming from someone living in Dublin which is also a rip-off! For info I always look at tripadvisor.

 

[Fleur_de_Lis]

I, personally, would wait until you have the money to really enjoy your trip. But I'm with purselover, I have traveled extensively throughout Europe so there is no great need or importance to visit right now. If you really want to go sooner rather than later, then you should.

 

[Pushin40]

It all boils down to how comfortable you are with your finances.

I LOVE to travel and I LIVE for my trips but there''s no way I can afford it right now....but....I''m still doing it. Digging myself further into credit card debt, but I know our circumstances are temporary and I have a plan for paying it off. Thats just me - I want to live my life!

We did St Maarten in Nov and are goign to Mexico in 10 days. And I CANNOT WAIT!

FWIW - they are saying IF MANAGED PROPERLY the economy coudl be better in 3-5 years. We are not out of the water yet.

 

[Pushin40]

Ohh - remember too - Italy is gonna be there and you have time to travel! Maybe for an extra special Honeymoon!

Mexico = CHEAP and FUN. Maybe italy in a few years?

 

[chiapet]

I went to Spain a few weeks ago and it was awesome! It was my first trip to Europe and I''m glad I just booked the flight and went without debating it too much. Yes, the exchange rate wasn''t favorable and ticket prices were expensive but I ate cheaply and stayed in hostels, cheap hotels, etc...
My question to you is: How important is it for you to have your BF there? Isn''t it YOUR dream to go to Europe? My BF only had 3 days off so I was on my own for the first 11 days (met up with high school friend in Madrid).
You can also go with a tour group like gapadventures or intrepid.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Work over the last 2 days has killed me so I have not had enough energy to type, let alone think about anything I don''t have to think about.

You guys have all given me lots to think about. I am still working on the numbers. It might be too expensive for me, if so, I will scrap it. My BF insists we are going now, and does want to go with me. He has said no to Maui, as he feels it is not worth the money. He has also said no to Florida, because he said he did not like it enough to go back.

I would like to go somewhere during those 2 weeks I have off. I work 80+ hours a week and on many weekends an holidays. I can''t just get out of town for a weekend and so I need to get out of the area during my vacation time to keep myself from going crazy. Than again, there are a lot of cool places to go in California.

This might sound kind of weird, but I feel like I need to see other parts of the world for a better prospective as international issues become more important. I am the only one of my friends and co-workers who has not traveled out of the country. And I work with a lot of people from other countries. I get a lot of "I can''t believe you have never been to.." We are often talking about the differences between us and Europe in the way government works, cultural beliefs, and how these things lead to different ways of doing things when practicing medicine. But if the time isn''t right, than it isn''t right.

Well, I have tomorrow off. I am going to do some research and make my decision. Thanks for all the perspective you all have given to me.