They say “all roads lead to Rome”, but where you stay during your visit will determine whether your vacation goes well or not… [+] budget.
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Faced with record hotel prices and persistently high airfares, some travelers feel they can no longer afford a luxury vacation in Europe. they are wrong
It’s understandable that people were anxious and wanted to travel after being confined to their homes during the pandemic, but that pent-up demand has led to record bookings for airline tickets and an explosion in international travel. It appeared in the form. But adults didn’t start getting vaccinated until late 2022, and the frenzied pace shows no signs of accelerating, more than two years after travel returned to some degree of normality. There is a “new normal” for travel, and travel is becoming more expensive. Especially in Europe.
I’ve been talking about this with some of the best and most experienced luxury travel advisors in the country, who don’t like to be called travel agents anymore, when it comes to hotel prices in popular European cities. , the most common adjectives I’ve heard are: “It was crazy.”
I recently returned from Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas, the nation’s largest industry conference for the luxury travel market. Virtuoso is a leading consortium of luxury travel advisors in the country (and now in nearly every major market from South America to Australia, and perhaps the largest in the world). I’ve written several times over the years here on Forbes about why you should use a travel agent or advisor, but if you’re interested in a luxury travel experience, you might want to take the DIY route. is a joke. No matter how much money you have, no matter how savvy you are at a keyboard, no matter how much you think you know about travel, traveling without professional help is almost always a mistake. It can cost you money, leave you stranded, and ruin your vacation. Learn more about why you should use Travel Advisor.
Regent Seven Seas is one of the most luxurious and comprehensive cruise lines.When using a boat… [+] Business class tickets are also included to visit places like Istanbul (see image).
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Either way, many of the best advisors in the country are affiliated with Virtuoso, and they represent hundreds of independent agencies, but by combining their vast purchasing power, we are able to We were able to negotiate significant additional benefits from , travel agents, tour operators, and more. These include virtually all the big names in luxury travel (in 2022, Virtuoso expects member travel sales to be between $25 billion and $30 billion, with the first half of 2023 surpassing 2022, which was an all-time high. announced a 37% increase). This means that when you book a hotel room through a travel advisor affiliated with Virtuoso, you pay exactly the same price as if you booked it yourself, including late check-out, complimentary breakfast, room upgrades, dining and spa credits, and more. This means that you can get the following benefits. and so on. Cruise-goers can earn even more perks when booking through an advisor, including multiple cabin class upgrades and complimentary shore excursions.
There are also special experiences that can’t be booked at all except through Virtuoso membership, such as remaining seats on exclusive seller Virgin Galactic spaceflights. This requires deep knowledge and expertise.
This huge number of bookings by Virtuoso agents also creates a huge amount of data. Some of the numbers shared in Las Vegas are scary for people who love to travel but aren’t particularly wealthy.
For example, I recently wrote an article for Forbes about hidden gem luxury boutique hotels in Paris that offer much cheaper rates than big-name hotels. In that article, I looked at room rates at three luxury hotels I had previously stayed at during my visit earlier this year, and they ranged from $1,200 to $1,800 to more than $3,000 per night. That said, even the cheapest room was not expensive. season. It’s not the starting point for most travelers, even wealthy ones. Similarly, I have written many articles about skiing and have taken a close look at the prices of ski holidays in Europe next season. For me, it looks like it’s about double what it was when I skied in Europe last year. This is much more than just inflation. Over the past year or two, I feel that travel costs, including airline tickets, and especially hotel prices have skyrocketed to an unprecedented level.
Virtuoso’s data shows this to be true. Compared to 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, his average daily room rate at luxury hotels outside the U.S. has increased by a whopping 58%, averaging more than $1,400 per night. This also includes many cheaper countries where money is much more affordable. Whether in Paris, Rome or right here at home. By December, this average daily rate is expected to reach him close to $1,800 per night. The situation is particularly dire in Europe, where three of the five most popular fall destinations for Americans are Italy (No. 1), France, and the United Kingdom. The top four destinations for fall travel were all in Europe – Paris, London, Florence and Rome – with hotel room prices up 11% to 37% compared to 2022 record highs.
As a result, many travelers find themselves unable to afford a luxury vacation in Europe. they are wrong They can take a cruise.
Venice is one of the most popular vacation spots on the planet, and it’s an all-inclusive week-long trip. [+] Celebrity cruises cost less than a night in one of the city’s most prestigious hotels.
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To the surprise of many in the travel industry, including myself, cruise, which was hit particularly hard by the pandemic, recovered much faster than most experts expected. However, there are still many cruise ships, and most of them are much larger than the largest hotels (at least outside of Las Vegas). In some places, a cruise is a trip in itself, especially in destinations like the Caribbean, where guests travel because they want to stay on board and enjoy the amenities. But in Europe, they function as floating, mobile luxury hotels, allowing you to visit ultra-popular spots like Venice without paying exorbitant room rates, and managing logistics such as trains, planes, and ground transportation. You can visit multiple cities and countries without spending any money. You only need to pack and unpack once, and you’ll have an authentic European luxury vacation without the possibility of flight delays or train strikes along the way.
In terms of prices for this level of luxury accommodation, service and food, the top cruise lines offer an excellent value proposition for vacations in Europe, especially if you’ve never been on a cruise before. People who aren’t interested are becoming more interested. I’m interested in cruising. Rather, they are choosing it as a turnkey, easy alternative to land-based pricing and congestion. I’ve talked to some top cruise companies about this.
“The price differential between hotels and cruises in Europe has never been greater,” said Katina Athanasiou, senior vice president of sales for Celebrity Cruises. “Our trips averaged $2,500 per person for 7 nights, including alcohol, Wi-Fi, and everything else. We saw a lot of cruisers for the first time, probably because we were in Europe. We went to Italy, France, and Spain. “Why go to Italy or France or Spain when you can go cheaper?” She is modest – it’s much less.
[Many less luxurious cruise lines are “all-inclusive” but still charge for surprising things such as drinks – even water, coffee and soda – and things you’d expect to be free, like Wi-Fi. On luxury lines there is much less in the way of hidden fees].
It’s never been easier to spend $2,500 a night in a European hotel. But you can spend an entire week on the ship, including all food and drink. Unfortunately, while most hotels in Europe usually include breakfast, hotels in this price range often do not. In most cases, you’ll be lucky if your $2,500 includes a cup of coffee.
If you’ve never been to Athens, you’ll want to take a tour of the main historical sites. … [+] The question is, should you pay extra?
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“We compared the prices of food, lodging and entertainment for 10 days in each European city on an apples-to-apples basis with Regent Seven Seas using the same city and luxury accommodation hotel and culinary standards.” said Vice President Sean Tubman. With this line, he is one of the finest luxury brands at sea. “Our cruises save you 40%, all wine and spirits are included, all gratuities are included, and you only spend your money in the gift shop, spa, and casino, making us the most comprehensive luxury line. All. Our international cruises also include subsidized business class flights, and trying to deflate them yourself will inevitably cost more for longer itineraries. We’ve also added complimentary laundry service to our cruises to help you pack less.”
For example, a 12-night Mediterranean cruise from Athens to Jerusalem this fall costs $1,794 for two people per night with business class tickets, unlimited shore excursions, and an open bar with premium spirits and wine included in the cabin. , all restaurants, Wi-Fi and more, plus laundry and airport transfers. It is a suite with a private outdoor balcony. Although its fares are higher than most airlines, Regent Seven Seas is also known in the industry for including shore excursions that most other airlines charge, which also include hotel stays. This is a huge savings compared to the average tour guide. Anyone going to Athens or Rome for the first time wants to see the Acropolis and Colosseum, but cruise passengers don’t have to pay extra.
In the middle of the cruise market, in addition to things like non-alcoholic beverages and Wi-Fi, many cruise lines charge extra for exercise classes, meals at “premium” venues, and limit the number of visits to better restaurants. Or they have strict schedules and reservations. In most cases, there will be a fee for shore excursions, which can add up considerably. However, the highest luxury lines allow open dining at any restaurant whenever you want, and may even offer room service as a complimentary option. Some, like Princess, let you choose which of these features you want included.
“I’ve been in the cruise business for 40 years, and the value proposition has always been there, but it’s literally never been better than it is now,” said Cal Almagar, Princess Cruises’ senior vice president of sales. he said. “At Princess, we do what’s good, what’s better, what’s the best. So, you get great cruises and great prices. Even better is something called Princess Plus, which costs 1 day per person. Drink package (adult drinks up to $15 each), coffee, water, soft drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities for an additional $60 per person per day. For an extra $20, specialty restaurants, exercise classes, and premium spirits are all provided. You decide what you want and whether you want to pay for it, and it’s great value at every level. We’ve changed to a plan that guarantees you the lowest price ever for early bookings in 2024. Some people think they’ll wait until the last moment to drop the price, but that won’t happen, now is the best time. is.”
But large cruise ships aren’t the only option for affordable luxury travel.
For many years in Europe, river cruises have been growing even faster than regular cruises, with river cruises being more inclusive, with more room, far fewer other passengers, and no seasickness problems. They tend to visit desirable cities that cannot be visited by ocean-going ships, such as Paris. .
Many of Europe’s top cities aren’t by the sea, but they’re all along rivers, like Paris and Berlin. [+] (It is shown).
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Unlike ocean cruises, most top luxury river cruise lines include complimentary shore excursions in the price. River cruises also cater to active travelers, with complimentary bikes available on most cruises. Some cruises offer guided bike tours or hikes in port, and many include yoga, Pilates, and other fitness offerings. Ama Waterways recently unveiled the first Pickle Her Court on a European river cruise ship. Other well-known luxury river cruise options for Europe include Viking, Tauk, and Uniworld. Uniworld has a reputation for offering the best and most elaborate shore excursions, from VIP wine tasting to golf.
High-end ocean and river cruises tend to be pretty much all-inclusive, but they’re often cheaper than hotel rooms alone for the same city and travel length in Europe. The price difference can be huge, considering you pay extra for everything that’s included: food, drinks, entertainment, excursions, extras, and more. Finally, many river and ocean cruises also include ground transportation to and from the ship, but hotels rarely do this.
