Friday, February 25, 2005 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

Q&A: Stretching dollars in Europe

Seattle Times travel writer Carol Pucci visited Europe for two weeks and sent dispatches on how to take the sting out of record-low exchange rates. Beginning in London, she traveled to Paris, Krakow and Amsterdam, reporting her experiences and answering readers' questions along the way.

Carol,

I will be doing just that (traveling to Europe) in about a week — Northern Italy to be precise. My advantage — friends stationed at Aviano with the Air Force who offer deeply discounted accommodations, and a near-locals knowledge of train schedules, etc.

By the way, with Europe being colder and snowier than Seattle these days, I would have suggested a swing through the Iberian peninsula — Seville is very lovely this time of year and Madrid is a gem of a capitol — but then I lived in Spain growing up, so I may be biased.

In any event, I hope you will have as much fun as I plan to have in Italy. Looking forward to reading the series.

— Philip, Seattle

Carol, Have you found anything in London that is so much more expensive today than in past years that you just have to say "no?"
— John, Seattle

Carol Pucci: Great question. Friends from Boston who are here visiting and I were just talking about this over dinner last night. My friend recalled how, when she was here 15 years ago, she bought a set of Wedgewood china, sweaters and other British-made merchandise. This trip she's buying nothing, nada, zero, zilch. Same for me. I'd say you'd have to say "no" to nearly any type of shopping. Also, interestingly enough, wine. Even an Italian man I met labeled it "prohibitive" at $6 or $7 a glass and up, even at a simple chain restaurant such as Pizza Express.

Carol,

I was in Amsterdam last month. I was suffering from sticker shock the first couple of days with the prices because I normally go to the very reasonably priced Prague.

Here are a couple of tips:

• From the airport, get the Connexxion bus to your hotel. When you buy your ticket, buy the round-trip ticket because it is cheaper — 17.50 euros. Many people take the train from the airport, but I had to take the Connexxion bus because the Ramada I was staying at was by Vondel Park.

• If you are a museum person, buy the Museum Card for 29.95 euros. Considering that the Van Gogh Museum is 10 euros and the Riksmuseum is 9 euros, this card will actually pay for itself. All the museums are included in the price except for the Anne Frank museum. You get to see some of the canal houses that have been turned in museums, the Hermitage Amsterdam and the Dutch Resistance museum, etc. The card is good for a year. Because your name is not on it, you can actually pass it on to someone else going to Amsterdam after you.

• Food: Head on over to Vroom & Dreesmann department store located on Kalverstreet to eat. Their food section rivals Harrod's food hall (in London) mainly because the food is much more reasonable. Open 7 days a week, this is the best bargain for eating in Amsterdam. You can get salads, hot meals, pastry, fruit smoothies, etc. Don't forget to get the hot chocolate — it is to die for. They put chocolate chips in a glass, pour in steamed milk, stir and top with whipped cream. I would fly back just for that.

I always travel alone and am on a budget so I really have to be able to stretch a dollar.

Happy traveling!

— Kathleen, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Carol, I'm an artist invited to show in western Holland during the tulip festival (at my expense) for the month of April. Any survival tips for that region would be greatly appreciated in reference to rental cars, pensions, and food. — Al, Anacortes

C.P.: Definitely make advance reservations. Tulip time is the most popular time to be in Holland. Try Kemwel at www.kemwel.com for a rental car. You can book online from here, in and out of almost any city or town, but depending on where you are going, why not consider the train? Trains in Holland go everywhere and are fast and efficient. Several people have posted recommendations for B&Bs on Rick Steves' Web site at www.ricksteves.com (got to the B&B section of the graffiti wall).

Hi Carol: My family and I are planning a trip to England and Spain in June 2005. What advice do you have on timing our purchase of airline tickets in order to get the lowest fares? — Nancy, Redmond

C.P.: You're smart to wait a while. Summer fares are still high, but airlines should be announcing their best deals soon. Wait until mid-March and see what develops.

Carol,

Your article on economical European travel was pretty much right on the money. We spent January '05 in Nice and did it by renting an apartment for E300/wk. We were in Old Nice in Place Rosetti. One had to be in decent shape as the apartment was on the 4th floor, 62 steps up. We had washer, dryer, dishwasher, stove and fridge so we could feed ourselves from all the nice things from the Cours Saleya market. A nice way to go. We went everywhere either by bus or train without any problems.

— Joe

Carol,

What is the best way to rent a car for touring the English countryside (Oxford to Winchester)?

— Hildegard, Moss Beach, Calif.

C.P.: I've always had good luck with Kemwel (www.kemwel.com) booking online from Seattle. The company has lots of pick-up and drop-off points in the UK and there's usually no extra charge for picking up in one city and dropping off in another. They're also very good about answering questions online or by phone and there's no penalty for making changes anytime.

Carol,

What airline did you choose to travel from Seattle to your Europe destination, and why did you choose that company and route?

— Susan, Olympia

C.P.: I like Northwest because it has non-stop service to Amsterdam and is a partner with KLM, which connects to dozens of cities in Europe and many smaller ones. Last year, for instance, I flew Northwest to Amsterdam, then directly into Venice on KLM, bypassing Milan. The NW flight leaves Seattle in the afternoon, putting you into Amsterdam around 7:30 - 8 a.m.

When will you be in Amsterdam? I am leaving this week and was hoping to read of your travels before I depart. We will most likely be there at the same time. — Erin, San Diego, Calif.

C.P.: I will be in Amsterdam next Wednesday through Friday.

Carol,

As a long-time Parisian and former UW graduate student, thank you for your dispatches from Paris, which give a true image of my city.

— Bernard, Paris

Carol,

I'm planning a trip to Vienna (and possibly Budapest) in the last week of August/first week of September. Any hints for airfare? How do prices (shopping, food, etc.) these days in those cities stack up with London or Paris?

— Suzanne, Redmond

C.P.: Fares around that time will likely be in the $800 range. August is still high season. Prices in Vienna match those of other Western European cities, however, everything, except possibly hotels, should be less expensive in Budapest. Everyone I've talked to agrees prices are highest in London relative to value, so you should do much better!

Carol,

What day trips from Amsterdam would you most recommend?

— Dawn, Portland

C.P.: Utrecht is a very nice city, about 45 minutes away by train from Amsterdam. For information see www2.holland.com/utrechtstad/gb/. You might also consider Delft, also about 45 minutes by train. It's a quaint, small town and could easily be seen in a half-day's outing from Amsterdam.

Carol, What about transportation from CDG to Paris? Taxi, shuttle, or RER? — Gail, Harrisonburg, VA

C.P.: The RER (about $10 each way) is fast and efficient, but only works if you don't have much luggage. Going into central Paris from the airport is fairly straightforward, but taking it from Pairs to the airport can be confusing. As the train approaches, watch the overhead sign and make sure the stop for Roissy-CDG is lighted. I wouldn't recommend doing this at rush hour when the trains and platforms are packed. Air France operates a bus that takes about 40 minutes and costs around $15.50. There's also a door-to-door shuttle service (maybe the best option if you have a lot of luggage) that costs about $30 for one and $25 for two or three. See paris.shuttle-airport.com/A taxi is around $50. For more details, see paris-cdg.com/transportation.html.

Hi Carol, I've been told that this is a better time to go to certain parts of Eastern Europe, like Czechoslovakia, instead of Western Europe, because once it's a full-fledged member of the EU, prices will rise to similar levels. Any truth in this? What would you recommend (for someone who has never spent significant time in either? — Aakash, Seattle

C.P.: Now is an excellent time to explore Eastern and Central Europe. With the possible exception of hotels, everything is much less expensive than in Western Europe in countries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia and Croatia. The major cities have much to offer in terms of culture, food, museums and natural surroundings, and many of the younger people speak English. I'm in Krakow now and I'm finding the prices to be very inexpensive relative to the value of the restaurants and hotels. I just had a nice lunch with wine in a Georgian restaurant for about $6. Prague can be somewhat more expensive, especially hotels, but prices go down as soon as you're away from them main tourist areas around Old Town and Charles Bridge. It's hard to say if or when prices will rise, but these cities and countries are worth your time to explore. They're also safe for the most part. Pick-pocketing on the trams happens, especially in Prague, but take the normal precautions to safeguard your valuables and you should be fine.

Carol, Would you provide insight into your packing list and luggage you took; if you are packing light, how you manage your wardrobe? Having been to Europe several times I continue to struggle with ensuring I don't over pack and limit myself by dragging too large a bag but at the same time am always concerned about under packing. Happy travels! — Todd, O'Fallon, IL

C.P.: I'm so glad you asked! This is important, and I agree with you, it's not always easy, but it can be done.

First of all, I don't think I've ever gone anywhere wishing I had packed a heavier suitcase. Most times, I end up not wearing at least an item or two, so I have never regretted packing light (meaning one maximum carry-on suitcase that I can lift into the overhead myself or drag onto trains and subways).

Here's my list for this trip which is 18 days:

9 sets of underwear and socks (washed once along the way)
3 pairs of black jeans
2 pairs of nice pants (one black, one grey)
2 pairs of black shoes (one for walking all day or in snow, rain etc., one for dressier meetings or dinners)
7 tops (sweaters, pullovers etc.) - mostly wool but two that can be washed in the room.

I also included a wool vest, a pair of leggings for wearing around the room, a set of silk long underwear (dries out overnight), a scarf, a coat (not packed), a fold-up umbrella, a camera, a palm pilot and fold-up keyboard, a cell phone charger and a battery charger for my camera, a portable hairdryer, a small case for cosmetics and other things I use back home and finally various guidebooks and a folder of printed information I need for my reporting.

All of this goes into my suitcase. I don't carry a camera bag or anything else other than a shoulder bag.

You can go almost anywhere these days in black pants and a nice sweater - meaning you don't need extremely dressy clothes. I rarely see the same person twice so I don't worry about wearing the same thing when I dress up for a meeting - meaning a nice pair of pants, nice shoes and a sweater- usually in various shades of black and gray.

I also pack a small duffle bag for the trip home. In it, I put the things I buy along the way and my valuables. I carry that home and check my suitcase.

Carol, I'm going to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, then back to London again. I'm confused about all the train options. What do you suggest? — Michael A., Seattle

You might start by taking a look at Rail Europe's site at www.raileurope.com for some of the options. One is to buy a ticket online from Rail Europe's site for travel between London-Paris and Brussels-London on the Eurostar (the Chunnel train), and then travel separately by rail between Paris-Amsterdam and Amsterdam-Brussels.

Carol, I'm visiting Greece in September with a stopover in London. How soon should I try getting a good hotel price on Priceline.com? Should we take a trip to see Stonehenge? — Elizabeth, Tampa, Fla.

C.P.: The theory with Priceline is that the more last-minute the better, but I had good results in London bidding about a month in advance, so if you feel more secure having a place booked in plenty of time, try it. On the other hand, I just booked a hotel in Amsterdam for this Friday and got an excellent rate - $104 with taxes - at the Marriott. London has plenty of hotel rooms, more than most cities, so I think you would have luck waiting until closer to the time of your trip.

Stonehenge is worth visiting, although probably not in just a day's stopover. You might need more time.

Carol, My friend and I are traveling to London in September and wanted your advice on a reasonable, but high-end B&B that would be centrally located. Thanks! — Elaine, Seattle

C.P.: For a high-end B&B, contact Maggie Dobson who runs At Home in London (www.athomeinlondon.co.uk). She has connections to high-end B&Bs in Central London and is a good source of info on other things.

Have enjoyed reading about your travels. We are off to Amsterdam next week. How does one make arrangements for a walking tour with Mee in Mokum? — Sara, Cincinnati

C.P.: Phone: Mee in Mokum at 011-31-20-625-13-90 (when calling from the U.S.) after 1 p.m. Amsterdam time to make a reservation, or call when you get to Amsterdam. They can arrange the tours on a day or two's notice.