Europe Travel Report

A TALE OF TWO CURRENCIES: THE EURO AND THE DOLLAR IN '08
First, let me wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2008. Though the prosperity part may be slightly at risk if you plan a European vacation this year, rest assured you can rely on our website (http://www.gemut.com), our new blog, The Europe Traveler (http://theeuropetraveler.com), and, of course, our printed subscription newsletter, Gemütlichkeit, The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, for informed euro-beating strategies. Getting the most for your dollar is a topic we plan to emphasize in '08.

In fact, here is your first euro-beater of the year. On January 8, at The Europe Traveler blog (http://theeuropetraveler.com), we posted "How to Save Big Money on European Hotel Bookings" (http://blog.theeuropetraveler.com/2008/01/how-to-save-big-money-on-european-hotel.html). A related post is "Just How Expensive is Europe" (http://blog.theeuropetraveler.com/2008/01/just-how-expensive-is-europe.html). It tells what to expect to pay in Europe for everyday items, from a glass of beer to an English-language paperback novel.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MORE BLOG STORIES
Though it's less than 60 days old, we've already posted nearly 50 stories on the blog. Go to http://theeuropetraveler.com and click Blog Archive. Here are a few titles:

Berlin Hotels: The Worst of Deals, The Best of Deals
Most Dangerous European Countries for Drivers
What a Swiss Pass Does that the Eurail Pass Does Not
Rail Pass vs Rental Car: Why the Car May be Better in '08
Cheap Business and First Class Upgrades
Driving a Rental Car into Poland
Night in Old Vienna
Car Rental for Two: Is a Compact Enough?
A Pickpocket's Welcome to Brussels

There are many other posts that highlight the restaurants and hotels we liked—and didn't like—on our November/December trip.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RENTAL CARS A BETTER DEAL IN '08 THAN '07
We still think for two or more people, a rental car provides the most convenient and cost-effective way to travel in Europe. I'm a big fan of rail travel—especially on longer trips between major cities—but the automobile's flexibility and price (especially in Germany) is an even better deal than it was a year ago. Using the rates our car rental department quotes with Avis, the base price for a four-door compact car with air in Germany for one week has only gone up $1.57 per day since January '07. With tax, the one-week price is now $234 instead of $221. That's a modest increase of just under 6 percent. During that same period, the euro has increased in value against the dollar by nearly 15 percent. That makes renting a car a better deal than it was a year ago.

Now, of course, the nay-sayers will want to talk about the high price of fuel in Europe. OK, let's. It's expensive, no question. But if you're a little bit lucky and get a diesel (about 60 percent of the Europe rental fleet is diesel powered) your fuel cost will be much lower...diesel is less expensive and you get better mileage. We drove a full-size, automatic transmission, Opel Signum on a three-day round trip from Berlin into Poland. Though we traveled 850 kilometers (531 miles), no fill-up was required until the car was back in Berlin. The fuel cost $97, or just over 18 cents per mile. At home I have a car that requires 92 octane unleaded and costs about $3.50 per gallon. At 24 miles to the gallon highway, that's about 14.6 cents per mile. One caveat: no company will guarantee a diesel, but here's a tip that might help you: if possible, the day before you are to pick up your car, drop by the rental office and let them know you're scheduled for the following day and ask if they'll save a diesel for you. Call, if an in-person visit isn't possible. Several customers say this strategy works for them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GEMUT.COM SCORES HIGH ON STEVES, FODOR'S, FROMMERS, TRIP ADVISOR FORUMS
This item is a tip of the hat to Andy, our car rental manager, and our air ticket expert, Laura. Because of their knowledge, attention-to-detail, and friendly personal service, they are frequently praised by those who post comments on the major travel forums. Questions such as "Where can I get a good deal on a rental car in Europe," or "I want to book my trip to Europe with a real person," often get a reply or two recommending Gemut.com. These forum referrals have become a nice source of business for us, and that's a welcome development because Google ads over the past year have gotten more expensive and much less effective. Marketing on the web is tough for a small business like ours. Word-of-mouth is our best hope. Here are the links if you'd like to post at these websites.

Fodor's Travel Talk: http://www.fodors.com/forums/
Frommer's: http://www.frommers.com/cgi-bin/WebX?14@@.ee6b2e8
Rick Steves' Grafitti Wall Transportation: http://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti_menu.htm
Trip Advisor Europe Forums: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ListForums-g4-i11-Europe.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GEMUT.COM EXPANDS TRAVEL OFFERINGS
There's nothing yet on our website, but we've expanded our inventory of travel products to include cruises anywhere in the world on all the major cruise companies, plus some outstanding package tours to Europe and elsewhere. This way you can get that great Gemut.com service anywhere in the world you're traveling. Until we get more info on the web, call us at 800-521-6722 x 3.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EUROPE TRAVEL PLANNING
We've carefully chosen suppliers that we believe offer the best combination of quality and value in the hotel, air, rail, rental car, and trip insurance categories. Quotes and/or purchases are available on our website:
 
CAR RENTALS (http://gemutlichkeittravelletter.cmail1.com/l/285713/ul16th6/www.gemut.com/content/view/13/26/)

TRANSATLANTIC AIRLINE TICKETS
(http://gemutlichkeittravelletter.cmail1.com/l/285713/ul16th6/www.gemut.com/component/option,com_facileforms/Itemid,130/)

RAIL PASSES & TICKETS (http://gemutlichkeittravelletter.cmail1.com/l/285713/ul16th6/www.railkey.com/tickets/default.asp?AFF=GMT)

BOOK HOTELS IN EUROPE (http://gemutlichkeittravelletter.cmail1.com/l/285713/ul16th6/www.gemut.com/component/option,com_wrapper/Itemid , 63/)

TRAVEL INSURANCE
(http://gemutlichkeittravelletter.cmail1.com/l/285713/ul16th6/www.gemut.com/content/view/903/288/)

TRAVEL GEAR (for 10% discount use code gemut2008)
(http://www.travelessentials.com)


[Back to Press Releases Main]