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I agree wholeheartedly. Europe isn't necessarily that expensive - you can get flights to Dublin or London during low season at prices as low as $500-ish r/t....
Only if you're in the right cities. In much of the US, you'll need to drive a very long distance or fly to get to an international airport to take that cheap Dublin or London flight, and there goes your savings.
Not everyone lives on the East Coast with convenient access to a major international airport.
Of the ones I know who have been to Europe, most have plenty of money and have made repeat trips every few years or so. One family has significant extended family in eastern Europe so it's less of a vacation and more of a needed family visit. I know one person who did some sort of school trip for a few weeks then backpacked for a bit which was certainly a cheaper option.
I'd love to go someday but financially it's nowhere near an option. I do a lot of small trips in the US and I've barely scratched the surface. There's so much more I wanna see in my own country and for now on my limited budget and set schedule I rather travel the US for a little bit at a time.
I haven't read through the replies, but if 3.5% of the population goes to Europe in a given year, that would mean that in a given 80 year lifetime each person would statistically go just shy of 3 times (2.8, to be exact.) Obviously some people travel to Europe far more than that and others never choose to or never get the opportunity.
It is also very important to keep in mind that Europe is not the only place to travel outside of the United States. My parents have taken an exotic foreign vacation at least once almost every year of their 35+ year marriage and they have only recently gotten around to visiting Europe. They prioritized visiting destinations that were harder to get to or more physically taxing while they were young, and now that they are nearing retirement age they are slowing down a bit by visiting more stereotypical/conventional locations.
To answer the question posed in the OP: virtually everyone in my social circle has been to Europe. It is a mix of priorities and opportunities.
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
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It's very rare in my parents' generation (I can only name a few people of that age I know who have been to Europe, and for some it was because they were stationed there in the military). I know a few who have been to over 50 countries. Most have never been outside of the US. Maybe to Mexico or Canada.
In my generation, some have, and some haven't. I've only been to the UK a few times, and Ireland once, but never to the mainland, and all but once for work. Some of my friends have been several times. But many of my friends have never been outside of the US at all.
A trip to anywhere in Europe is well over $1000+ per passenger, and that doesn't include the cost of the activities or sleeping arrangements on the other side. I don't think people in Europe realize how expensive it is for an American to travel over the Atlantic. We can't just drive or take a train and hop over a border. The only reason I was able to take a trip myself 20 years ago is because I was working for an international carrier at the time and could nonrev the flight.
Location: Mableton, GA USA (NW Atlanta suburb, 4 miles OTP)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigW
I've been to 65+ countries, at last count. Most of my friends have been to at least a dozen countries.
I don't think it's about being able to afford the travel, but more about priorities. For me, travel is important. So, instead of spending money on dining, clothes, or bigger cars or house, I spend mine on travel. I have friends who make more money than me, but have never been outside the country. For them, other things are more important. I think it's a personal choice and is probably influenced by friends and family.
I know a number of people who will never be able to afford a multi-thousand-$$ trip. That sort of money is simply outside of their experience. Some of my relatives and friends who live in small towns fit that mold. Some of my friends here in Atlanta fit that mold. Heck, some have never flown at all. Even domestically.
Only if you're in the right cities. In much of the US, you'll need to drive a very long distance or fly to get to an international airport to take that cheap Dublin or London flight, and there goes your savings.
Not everyone lives on the East Coast with convenient access to a major international airport.
These deals are no longer limited to out of east coast cities, I have seen great deals out of Chicago and Texas, and California. The vast majority of Americans live near a major airport and while some of the deals may necessitate eventually flying out of NYC, it may sometimes be cheaper to start your flight at a smaller airport due to the mystery known as airline pricing. The other things is people need to be more aware of flying into less popular European cities. Travel between cities in Europe is cheap compared to what we are used to in the US and most people are only focused on non stop flights to their desired locations but they never consider the benefit of just finding the cheapest way to the continent and planning from there.
It's very common in my family and social circle. I have some family members from Europe (Scotland and Finland), as well as friends and family who have attended college in Europe. My mom traveled all around the world by herself or with girlfriends in the late 50's and early 60's - she was ahead of her time!
It's very rare in my parents' generation (I can only name a few people of that age I know who have been to Europe, and for some it was because they were stationed there in the military). I know a few who have been to over 50 countries. Most have never been outside of the US. Maybe to Mexico or Canada.
In my generation, some have, and some haven't. I've only been to the UK a few times, and Ireland once, but never to the mainland, and all but once for work. Some of my friends have been several times. But many of my friends have never been outside of the US at all.
A trip to anywhere in Europe is well over $1000+ per passenger, and that doesn't include the cost of the activities or sleeping arrangements on the other side. I don't think people in Europe realize how expensive it is for an American to travel over the Atlantic. We can't just drive or take a train and hop over a border. The only reason I was able to take a trip myself 20 years ago is because I was working for an international carrier at the time and could nonrev the flight.
You are really off with your estimate to fly to Europe, especially if you are starting off near a major city like New York. For example, I booked a ticket from JFK to Milan a few months ago for $632 a person on Emirates airline for the last two weeks of July, which is at the height of the busy season. This was a sale fare offered by the airline and not a glitch fare. Even with the additional expense of getting from DC to New York (I am driving up and probably flying back for the return) it is still less than $1000. My family members who are starting their trip in Grand Cayman and Miami still come out at less than $1000 a person.
I think the problem is that many people still buy into the idea that fares to Europe are expensive so they never bother to look, there are so many resources that if you can easily find great deals.
According to US government website which statistics on international travel, the number of Americans travelling to europe for the stated years is a follows:
Now according this guy, The Great American Passport Myth: Why Just 3.5% Of Us Travel Overseas! , he claims that those numbers are inflated, because it doesn't include people who make multiple trips (the average is 2.1 trips per year per person in effect halving those numbers) or business travellers who make several trips per year, europeans themselves who currently reside in America travelling back 'home' etc. So the real numbers are probably around 4-6 million Americans at most travelling to europe every year, which if true is barely 2% of the population (or 3.5% as claimed in the article who travel overseas at all)
So travelling to europe for Americans is certainly rare. But it seems from what I've read online, on here or on other American forums, like its very common for Americans to travel to Europe at least once in their lifetime, college kids all doing as a rite of passage, like at least half the country has done it, but the statistics don't back that up.
Now what I don't want is to turn this into a lets bash Americans for not travelling abroad etc because they have VERY GOOD reasons for not travelling overseas (lack of time off work, plenty of great things to see in their own country, expensive etc). So I want to avoid going into great lengths in discussing that.
So my question is, is it generally rare in America to say you've actually been to Europe? How rare would that be amongst your family and friends and social circle?
I don't even have a passport. No one in my family travels to Europe, although I had a couple of friends who went to Europe once on a tour. I knew one person who traveled overseas several times with her kids, who were grown: Iceland, Spain, and somewhere else. I had another friend who would take one vacation a year to somewhere exotic, like Costa Rica or Italy.
It takes expendable income to travel that far. It's pretty expensive. I chose to preserve money for my retirement instead of traveling, and am glad I did.
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