Hi From Rick: Getting More by Spending Less
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Dear Traveler,
I'm one of 12 million Americans who have visited Europe in the past year. None have been happy about the current weakness of our dollar. But I haven't sensed a dampening of spirit over there. In fact, it seems the people fixating on our dollar are all on this side of the Atlantic. Once people get to Europe, they hit up an ATM for euros and the fun begins.
My son just sent me an email reporting on a great time he and his buddies had skiing above Gimmelwald in the Swiss Alps. I just got an email from my daughter and her girl friend — already excited about the fun they'll be having on their European graduation trip. This month I'll be flying to Rome with Anne — I'm already salivating about the great food we'll be enjoying, and anticipating the fun we'll have using our new iPod tours of Rome's ancient sights and St. Peter's.
Here at our Europe Through the Back Door offices, we are teaching Americans how to wring the most travel fun and experience out of their all-too-brief vacations (the shortest in the rich world) and shrinking dollar (the price we pay for a poorly-managed government). But there is a silver lining. As we've taught for thirty years, the less you spend the more you experience — in so many ways. Good American travelers on tight budgets are the ones standing in line at the bus stop with the Portuguese, sharing picnics with families in parks, sipping fine wine right out of the keg with the people who made it...and bringing home treasured memories that will never tarnish.
This month's Travel News is a great place to start, with my latest article: "Take It Back! 20 tips for stretching your dipping dollar." And this month you'll also save a cool $20 on our carry-on-friendly 21" Roll-Aboard bag.
The dollar may be down, but you shouldn't be. Travel smart, and you'll value this year's trip more than any other.
Happy travels,
Rick