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Arthur FrommerOn a Budget |
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ONCE upon a time Las Vegas gloried in its down-home, western-style cheapness (think cowboy hats and self-serve buffets); now it advertises VIP-bottle lounges, $1,000 dinners and butler service. And along with this upscale evolution has come the replacement of several budget hotels by expensive high-rise towers. Sadly, the accommodations of Las Vegas seem to be getting costlier by the minute.
MY wife and I became snowbirds recently when we rented a condo for two weeks on the west coast of Florida.
YOUTH hostels with luxury bedding and free beauty products? Motel-priced rooms with flat-screen TVs? Poolside cocktail bars in the middle of Times Square?
IF you're thinking about spring, summer or even year-end travel, look at the tips below; I think you'll find some surprising ways to save money and enjoy your trips more.
IT'S still bargain season in Argentina, judging from the reports I've received from returning travelers. Despite the country's ongoing economic recovery, good deals abound. The peso continues to trade at three to the dollar (versus a rate of one to the dollar two years ago). When you see a price of 55 pesos in a Buenos Aires shop window, you immediately reduce that figure by two thirds to get the U.S.-dollar equivalent — about $18. By contrast, when you spot a price of 55 pounds in a London store, you multiply by almost two to figure out the dollar cost — about $97.50.
WHAT top-value vacations are available in March? Many Americans do not want to take time off during March, because it's such a hectic business month; consequently, March prices are far lower than those available during February, which is a popular travel month.
WHAT direction will leisure travel take this year? I'm not clairvoyant, but I can tell you some things I hope to see in the next 11 months.
MANY people begin the year by composing a list of new places to visit. My list is different — I collect "hot destinations," places that are surging in popularity. Here's my list:
AS the new year begins, let's review the key events of 2005 in search of clues to smart travel this year:
ONE of the most interesting recent developments in travel is the antitrust action that the French government brought against six luxury Paris hotels for price fixing. The hotels, which have some of the highest prices in the world, were charging, on average, more than $800 per night.