air fares this year to Paris????? (cruise, cost, hotel, vacation)

[Allwyna]

Does anyone have tips to find an affordable fare? I am French, so I go to Paris every year, but this year it seems horrific .

I tried Kayak, Orbitz and the few others that used to give "cheaper" prices.... Even Priceline seems more expensive than the other sites .

I will fly from Tampa, some time in May (my daughter gets married on the 28) coming back in June or July. I usually take one suitcase TO there... and 2 on the return...+ a big carry-on . I don't need a hotel, just the flight. It is not really "vacation" for me, I need to bring a lot of documents, and that's heavy.

It is the second time I travel from Tampa, I have no idea if there are some "charters", last year I took BA.. and it is not what it used to be , and I had to add a night in London .

I would really appreciate if someone has ideas to travel and not empty my bank account.

Thanks

[BlueWillowPlate]

I too live in Florida. I have a kid in Paris and I'm always checking out airfare.

With the Middle East situation, fuel prices are higher than ever.

I found great fares for February/March, but this summer, which is when I would prefer to travel, is of course insanely high. I have done the February trip before, also shoulder season in May. I realize you can't be flexible with your daughter's wedding.

I am signed up with Airfarewatchdog's alerts.
But really you just have to keep checking out *all* the sites, every day.

A couple weeks ago, Delta had some mistake fares (taxes and fees not added) and people were buying tickets to Europe for $138 round trip!
Paris was not one one of the destinations, but if my husband was a more spontaneous guy, we would have snapped them up.

[delany]

Originally Posted by Allwyna

Does anyone have tips to find an affordable fare? I am French, so I go to Paris every year, but this year it seems horrific .

I tried Kayak, Orbitz and the few others that used to give "cheaper" prices.... Even Priceline seems more expensive than the other sites .

I will fly from Tampa, some time in May (my daughter gets married on the 28) coming back in June or July. I usually take one suitcase TO there... and 2 on the return...+ a big carry-on . I don't need a hotel, just the flight. It is not really "vacation" for me, I need to bring a lot of documents, and that's heavy.

It is the second time I travel from Tampa, I have no idea if there are some "charters", last year I took BA.. and it is not what it used to be , and I had to add a night in London .

I would really appreciate if someone has ideas to travel and not empty my bank account.

Thanks

Why not take a flight to Brussels and than take the thalys train to paris.
perhaps this cheaper route. than directly from tampa to paris

My opinion is that the cheapest destination brussels airport is from the usa, cheaper than paris, london or Amsterdam

[chilaili]

Well, you are flying in the middle of the high season to Europe so flights will be horrendous. Plus fuel prices are going up. Obviously a non-direct flight will be slightly cheaper and if you don't fly on the weekend but stay at least one Saturday night (you probably know all this already). Doing a fly-drive sounds a possibility if the numbers work out for you.

[Allwyna]

Thanks, I just signed up... You don't have an agent? Last year I have been screwed by a company called "wholesale flights", that booked me only 3 legs... so I had to repay for the 4th one (+ a night in London), BA saying it is the WSF fault... and WSF it was BA . I tried the BBB and other ways, nobody could help me.

Thanks Delany, I could consider Brussels, although coming back with about 100 lbs will be a nightmare, I am not sure how far and complicated the station and the airports are in Brussels. But it can't be much worse than going from Heathrow to Gatwick .

I can leave any day in the week, and of course I will stay many Saturday nights . I used to fly Cancun-Paris, and it was cheaper (and more relaxing) to stop somewhere in the US. Actually the wedding will take place in Lausanne, but I will stay most of the time in Paris where I have an apartment.

What is a "fly-drive", chilaili? Never heard of it. Thanks for all your help.

[Jaggy001]

I never use TAs and I always book directly with the carrier, never with a 3rd part like Expedia. Sometimes you can save money by buying separate tickets rather than putting it all on one. So, for example, Tampa to New York with whoever does that cheaper (e.g. Southwest or Jet Blue). Then New York to a European destination ... maybe Brussels or one of the other London airports (Gatwick, Luton, Stansted). Then to the final destination.

If the wedding is in Lausanne, maybe it is cheaper flying Continental in and out of Geneva and using the TGV to get to Paris.

Also, look at multi-city with one carrier. We found multi-city with BA to be particularly good value. Essentially, the price we paid for the whole thing was the same as the price for the round trip Phoenix to LHR so all the European legs were effectively free.

Finally, another idea. If you have the time, look at the cost of the Queen Mary from New York to Southampton. For the same price or a little more than an airfare, you might get a cruise thrown in.

[Allwyna]

Originally Posted by Jaggy001

Finally, another idea. If you have the time, look at the cost of the Queen Mary from New York to Southampton. For the same price or a little more than an airfare, you might get a cruise thrown in.

Haha!!! I just thought about a cruise. Last year a friend of mine went from Orlando () to Southampton with a Norvegian cruise I think, I would love that. I have plenty of time, unfortunately, this year. And I just found on CD a link to Cruise Critic... I already emailed them. And I can come back (with all my heavy luggage ) with a charter flight.

You give me a lot of ideas... thanks

[Allwyna]

Update... .

I just booked a cruise from FLL to Rome. Well, it is cheaper than a RT flight, but I still have to book the return . A One-way flight with a heavy luggage (and, no I can't travel light, I come back with all my medication and stuff for one year). I am thrilled because, believe it or not, I don't know Italy . I booked with Priceline, they give me one night in Rome.

Does anyone know if I can send one suitcase by freight? So I could buy a chartered flight...

[Jaggy001]

Originally Posted by Allwyna

Update... .

I just booked a cruise from FLL to Rome. Well, it is cheaper than a RT flight, but I still have to book the return . A One-way flight with a heavy luggage (and, no I can't travel light, I come back with all my medication and stuff for one year). I am thrilled because, believe it or not, I don't know Italy . I booked with Priceline, they give me one night in Rome.

Does anyone know if I can send one suitcase by freight? So I could buy a chartered flight...

Congratulations. Glad that worked out for you. If you have to travel and have time, a leisurely cruise is surely better than being cooped up in the back of a tin can. Hope you got the transfer from Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) to Rome included as it can be quite expensive.

Yes, you can send suitcases by freight - DHL/UPS/Fedex. Some cruise lines will facilitate this for you. It might be quite expensive but cheaper than paying excess baggage or a full fare ticket. And you do not have to lug it around.

Maybe give those three a call and get some quotes. They should pick up from your place in Paris and deliver right to the door in FL.

[pigeonhole]

I don't know why you want to go to Paris in the first place, it's a garbage dump,I can tell, I live there. Costa Rica (so called "third world") is cleaner! but they are proud because they have a subway line that is "automatic" (without driver). What does it change for the guy who commutes every day? nothing, zilch. But they can boast : "it's marvellous, we have an "automated" metro, can you believe it? we are the most modern city on the whole damn Planet".
And now they are a building a round-the-city tramway at an horrendous price, although there are disused round-the -city train tracks that could have been upgraded for cheap (my grand father used to ride that train in...1910!)and without transforming half of that ****ing city into a construction site...oh I forgot the Parisian is a masochist so he doesn't care anyway!