Summer travel preview 2005

Down Under: It is winter in the southern hemisphere, but in northern Australia, where the coastal tropics in the north are in dry season, you'll have temperate weather day and night. Additionally, the dollar is doing okay, if not great, against the AUS dollar - $1.29 at this writing, which is a bit better than you would do in Canada. Gasoline prices come in below those found in Europe as well, at a bit over $1 AUS per liter, or a little over $3/gallon.

The USA: no matter how many foreign travelers flock to Las Vegas for bulk exchanges o Euros and yen for dollars, Las Vegas will have plenty of open, affordable hotel rooms, flights, and empty cabs. It's not my idea of a great summer trip, but a lot of folks think otherwise. Expect the theme parks and cities to be overflowing with folks; you'll really have to go against the grain to get away from the crowds stateside. Cabins in Montana, sports camps in Wisconsin, and summer attractions at ski resorts are some ideas about how to think about domestic summer travel against the grain.

Prices
This will not be a cheap summer to travel. No matter where you go and how you get there, you will be reaching into your pockets, whether it's for gas ($7/gallon in the UK), airfare, hotel rooms, tickets, or auto rentals.

How do you beat the odds? I see three options at present:

*Buy early, before prices rise. I think this will be the way to go for lodging, tickets, and similar fixed-price, limited availability items.

*Buy late, when current prices come down. This is going to be my tactic on flights; I actually don't see the current $750 flights to London holding up. The airlines will come down eventually, whether en masse or for short-lived fare sales. When the right price shows up, buy immediately.

*Investigate packages. Packages, especially all-inclusive deals, let you avoid surprise expenses and exchange rate sticker shock once your trip is underway. Many package operators offer fixed prices quoted in dollars; this way, you know what you get, and you know what it costs.

Remember, spring is the time to think summer travel. To discuss this and other Traveler's Ed articles, visit the   Traveler's Ed Message Board.

Go Anyway.

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