booked july abd to ireland and am scared stiff!

[slg]

Its so expensive! We are a family of 5 and with airfare, tips, extras etc. plus we're Canadian and can't guarantee where the dollar is going to be.

Terrified that the price will become astronomical. But determined to do it anyway.

Anyone else feel this way?

Anyone else going on the ABD. July 22-29

 

[KLondon]

Anyone else feel this way?

Only every time we - another Canadian family - books an ABD tour!

Just relax - the price will be worth it. You'll see.

 

[abdmom]

Well, I've determined that this SAHM mom is going to have to get a job to afford my new ABD addiction!

Seriously, if the loonie starts to slide, you can always pay in full before the due date to lock in your cost.

 

[mwebsite]

I felt nervous too after I booked our Viva Italia trip. What helped me was to read the reviews on this website about our trip and realize it was the trip of a lifetime. I am so excited now.

 

[mog]

Another family of 5 here and we just booked Germany. Yes, I am pretty scared about the amount of money it is costing with airfare for 5 etc.!!
We always save money for our vacations ahead of time so we don't have to have charges and huge bills to pay off afterwards. I don't think there is any way we can save that much money in a year! So I know exactly how you feel - we are a little stressed about it, but I just keep telling myself it will be worth it, trip of a lifetime, etc.

 

[awatt]

We did Emerald Isle in June. )If you do a search I posted a trip report with pictures last month.) Anyway, it was worth every penny, and though expensive a good value for the experience you get. Ther are not alot of extra costs on the trip. A few meals and shopping. We shopped ALOT so we spent alot! Without shopping we spent about $750 I think on meals. And it looks like your exchange rate will be better next year.

 

[jenbadeaux]

SLG, I feel your pain and then some. We are a family of 6 and just got back from Southwest Splendors less than 2 weeks ago. I, too, was concerned about the price. It was going to have to be quite a trip to match the cost. Airfare alone was $4000! I think total price was $18000 by the time we did on your own excursions. But worth every penny. Cannot begin to reassure you enough that it is the trip of a lifetime. We are signed up again for next year. You can't put a price on memories.

 

[slg]

awatt:

How many people in your party? Did the $750 include tips?

I'm budgeting $1000 for our family of 5 for extra meals. I have tips as a separate line item in our budget.

Is breakfast a substantial one?

 

[awatt]

awatt:

How many people in your party? Did the $750 include tips?

I'm budgeting $1000 for our family of 5 for extra meals. I have tips as a separate line item in our budget.

Is breakfast a substantial one?

We were a party of 4, and i think that amount included the tips for the meals.

Breakfast was a big buffet everyday.

 

[glassslipper2004]

Jenbadeaux -

I am thinking about booking Southwest Splendors for next summer, and am a bit nervous to hear you spent $4000 on airfare for 6 people. How did that work out? We are on the east coast but I was assuming it would only cost about the same as when we fly anywhere else ($400 or so per person).

 

[sayhello]

Jenbadeaux - I am thinking about booking Southwest Splendors for next summer, and am a bit nervous to hear you spent $4000 on airfare for 6 people. How did that work out? We are on the east coast but I was assuming it would only cost about the same as when we fly anywhere else ($400 or so per person).

There's 2 issues with the airfare for Southwest Splendors. 1) it requires you to buy an "open jawed" ticket, where the return airport is not the airport you flew into (you fly into Phoenix, AZ and fly out of Grand Junction, CO.) 2) Grand Junction is a very small airport without a lot of selection as to airlines/flights, so they tend to be more expensive (and sell out more quickly, as they are all small regional jets). That said, I paid about $450 for my ticket on American Airlines, 4 months prior to the trip. But that's more than I'm used to paying for airfare from Ohio. Most tickets I buy (although, of course, that's all changing) used to be somewhere under $300. It was also before the airlines started cutting back & charging for extras, etc.

Sayhello

 

[jenbadeaux]

I was shocked at the flight price myself, glass slipper. Our flights were $655/person, so $3930 total. Ouch. I think some of it is the rising cost of gas. We were fortunate that since we booked 9 months in advance that the airlines were not yet charging for luggage. Mostly the problem seems twofold, imo(and I am certainly no expert on airlines and flying). First, we were having to fly into one airport(Phoenix) and out another(Grand Junction). Second, Grand Junction is a very small airport (think bus stop). Limited number of flights and airlines that fly here, and you are further limited by the ABD restriction of what time your flight can be. So we had to fly Delta to Phoenix, and then leaving we flew United from Grand Junction to Denver, and then Continental home. This was the best price that I could find and the best price the t.a. could find. We didn't do an extra day before or after, and really felt no need to. It was easy to just get up and start our vacation that morning. So we did save money over those who had to rent cars and pay hotel for coming in day prior. (And with 6 of us,we have to rent SUV and get 2 hotel rooms, so it's always double what people with small families pay.)
Hopefully, you can find a better price. I can't tell you how much you will enjoy this adventure. It was truly splendid. Maybe if I had waited the prices would have gone down. But with so few airlines servicing GJT and so few times to choose from and so many people in my party, I just bit the bullet and booked.

 

[jenbadeaux]

Say Hello,
We were obviously posting at the same time! Glad to see we are in agreement on the problem!

 

[sayhello]

Say Hello, We were obviously posting at the same time! Glad to see we are in agreement on the problem!

Yep, pretty much identical responses. And I totally agree with you that I went ahead & booked because the choices were so slim, especially with the time limitations, that I didn't dare risk not getting a flight. For me, driving to Denver (something I didn't want to do), and/or spending another night would have cost just as much, if not more than the difference in airfare. And I kept checking, the airfare never did get cheaper, it just kept going up & up in cost, until the flights were sold out.

Too bad they don't fly out of Salt Lake City, there'd be so many more choices.

And (as you could guess!) I *ALSO* agree with you that the Southwest Splendors trip is TOTALLY worth it, and is a fabulous time.

Sayhello