Published: January 29, 2009
Cheaper Vacations in France Help Beat Recession
Road trip in France Beats Recession Blues
Expert Describes Why France Is A Good, Cheap Bet in Down Economy
The good thing about the depressed economy is that in today's global marketplace, it means the economy is down everywhere, making once-expensive trips affordable.
For instance, travel to France has decreased in cost every year for the last 4 years, and since April, the dollar has gained nearly 20 percent against the Euro. This means it is cheaper than ever to get to Europe, and one expert recommends seeing the sights the old fashioned way - by car.
Orv Strandoo, author of The Essential Driving Guide for France (www.europedriveguide.com), knows that certain key sites in France, such as the beaches of Normandy that were home to one of the decisive battles of World Wat II, are only accessible by car. His advice is to catch a cheap flight over, rent a car and just drive.
"There are just some parts of France that are worth seeing that just aren't within walking distance of your hotel and the cattle buses won't take you either," Strandoo said. "There just is no substitute for getting there yourself. In that way, it becomes less about just seeing a sight - it becomes an adventure and an experience to remember."
Why is it so much cheaper than it used to be? First off, as recent as April, it cost $1.60 in American dollars to buy one Euro. Today, it costs only $1.36, meaning your dollars will go nearly 20 percent further. Moreover, hotels and attractions have lowered prices because Americans stopped traveling to France as much as they used to. According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, travel to Europe by Americans decreased 4.8 percent in the first eight months of 2008 compared to the same time in 2007.
"The dollar is picking up against the Euro, and the economy over there is slowing down much the same way ours is," he said. "The price of airfare is way under $1,000 for a roundtrip ticket, and hotels are cutting deals left and right, so getting there is not the problem it used to be."
More importantly to the tourist, driving around France is one of the more pleasurable experiences to be had in Europe.
"The quality of the overall road network is indeed impressive," Strandoo said. "Directional and informational signs are excellent, and the service areas along the autoroute are the best in Europe. There is simply no substitute for the freedom of the open road for exploring the vineyards of Burgundy and Bordeaux, the lavender fields of Provence, or the grandeur of the French Alps. France offers endless possibilities for unique travel adventures for you to discover - by car."
Orv Strandoo is the author of The Essential Driving Guide for France, and president and founder of AutoVenture, one of America's most distinctive tour operators specializing in individual customized driving tours covering the whole of Europe. A veteran travel professional with more than 45 years of experience, Orv has logged more than 100,000 miles throughout Europe - from above the Artic Circle to the Straits of Gibralter and all the stops along the way. His Essential Guide to Driving in Europe series presents indispensable information in an easy-to-access format that helps the serious traveler enjoy the best of each country when exploring by car. www.europedriveguide.com
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