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The Denver Post

Experts offer advice about trimming your vacation expenses


Section: TRV
Page: T-01
Gannett News Service

With the New Economy sputtering, the old-fashioned notion of tightening the purse strings is back in vogue when shopping for a vacation.

Here's some advice on stretching your discretionary dollars. Well-traveled experts were asked how to save on such vacation expenses as lodging, transportation, shopping, dining and rental-car expenses.

Lodging

Sandra Gustafson: Travel in the off season. But always ask for a discount. In Spain's smaller hotels, if you pay cash, you get a discount.

The best budget lodgings in London are student dorms. Don't laugh. King's College and the London School of Economics open up their dorms when classes are out. They're centrally located, clean and safe - and they're under $50 a night. But don't expect decor.

In Rome, "holy hotels" are monasteries run by sisters and they are unbelievably wonderful. But don't expect sophisticated reservations systems. When I asked one nun, "Do you have e-mail?' she said, "Oh my dear, what do you mean by e-mail?"

In Paris, consider renting an apartment. While the overall price may seem high, when you amortize it over a week, it's a good deal. And, you get to go shopping in the food markets.

Dining

Sandra Gustafson: Throughout Europe, when you go to a bar, stand, don't sit. The price doubles or more if you sit down.

In London and Paris, the best values are at lunch. At wonderful one- and two-star restaurants you can have a two-course menu with a glass of wine, including service, for a third of the cost of dinner. In Spain, you can make a whole meal on tapas. Order the house wine. Drink tap (not bottled) water. Have a picnic.

Shopping

Sandra Gustafson: Don't shop for things you can buy at home, like clothes (except in Paris and London). Look for what (the locals) do best- beautiful paper products and leather in Florence, glass in Venice.

Policies vary for getting rebates on VAT (the value-added tax levied on purchases by many European countries). But it's worth investigating how to get a rebate, especially in Paris and London, where they can be up to 17 percent.

The panel

Lysa Allman-Baldwin is a travel writer/editor for SoulOfAmerica.com, a Web site that provides information geared to travelers of African descent.

Joe Cummings is a veteran guidebook author for Lonely Planet's travel books series.

Arthur Frommer is editor in chief of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine and founder of Frommer's travel guides, the nation's largest travel guide series with 270 titles.

Peter Greenberg is travel editor for the "Today" show, chief correspondent for Travel Channel and author of "The Travel Detective" (Random House, $15.95), due out tomorrow.

Sandra Gustafson, author of the "Great Sleeps/Great Eats" series (formerly "Cheap Sleeps/Cheap Eats"), directs value-minded travelers to best bets throughout Europe.

Jens Jurgen is editor of the Travel Companion Exchange newsletter (www.whytravelalone.com), a resource for single travelers.

William J. McGee is editor of Consumer Reports' Travel Letter and travel editor of Consumer Reports.

Wendy Perrin is consumer news editor at Conde Nast Traveler and author of "Wendy Perrin's Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know" (Fodor's, $15).

Rick Steves is the host of the public television series "Rick Steves' Europe" and author of 20 guidebooks on European travel.

Joel Widzer is author of "The Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel" (Travelers' Tales Guides, $12.95).



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