If you’ve always imagined taking a trip to Europe (who hasn’t?), now is the time to visit. Make your dream European vacation a reality.
A strong dollar and insanely cheap flights are just two reasons why you should plan a visit to Europe this year. Here are three reasons why you should take a vacation to Europe now:
1. You Get More For Your Money
The dollar’s value is higher than before. This means you’ll spend less because your dollar gets you more.
Last year you had to pay $1.50 to buy 1 euro. But now 1 euro only cost $1.13, about 25 percent less!
Think of it as getting a 25 percent discount off your purchases in Europe such as your hotel, meals, tours, train tickets, and shopping (for all the shopaholics). Or as I like to look at it, for every four glasses (or bottles) of wine or beer you buy, you get one free.
You won’t have to pitch pennies to buy a pint in Europe.
2. European Flights Are on Sale
Earlier this year WOW Air and Norwegian Air, two low-cost European airlines, offered one-way fares from the US to Europe starting at $99. Those introductory low fares have ended, but bargain flights are still available.
You can fly from Boston and Washington, D.C. to Reykjavik, Iceland from September 2015 through December 2015 for $159 one-way on WOW Air. What? Iceland is not on your bucket list?
How about Paris? If you’re been dreaming of seeing the City of Lights, now’s your chance. One-way airline tickets start at $267 from Washington, D.C. and $299 out of Boston.
While in Paris check out all the love locks on the Pont des Arts bridge
Looking around I found several cheap flights to many European cities:
- $267 to Amsterdam from Washington, D.C. (WOW Air)
- $228 to Berlin from Boston (WOW Air)
- $194 to Dublin from Boston (one-way on WOW Air)
- $211 to London from Washington, D.C. (WOW Air)
On the West Coast? No worries, you can take advantage of cheap European flights too.
Norwegian Air is offering non-stop flights from San Francisco to Stockholm starting at $210. Non-stop flights from Los Angeles to Olso begin at $212.
Is London calling? Residents of both coasts will be happy with non-stop $249 one-way flights to London – Gatwick from Los Angeles and New York.
3. Gas Is Going up
With gas prices increasing, it might be worth putting that great American road trip on the back burner. Although a gallon of gas costs almost a dollar less that what it did last year, the cost of filling your tank is steadily rising at a rate of almost 1 cent a day.
Plus you’ll pay more for gas in some states like California. This has never made any sense to me because those big tankers reach us before they reach Cincinnati or Chicago. Maybe someone can eplain it to me.
If you wanted to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to Redwood National and State Park in Crescent City, a total of 830 miles one-way, you’d pay $115 for gas.
And that doesn’t include your cost to get to Los Angeles. One-way flights from Boston to Los Angeles start at $193.
Conclusion
So with the dollar being able to buy you more euros, cheap flights, and gas prices on the rise, now’s the time to grab your passport, hop a plane, and head to London, Paris, or some other city in Europe.
With the euro being so low what cities in Europe are you planning to visit?
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