Joeshlabotnik
Joeshlabotnik
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Joined: Jul 27, 2016
October 12th, 2016 at 2:22:47 PM permalink
Eleven years ago, I spent the entire month of December in London with my family. We loved it--Christmas shopping, concerts, holiday markets, and of course, all the museums--but without any crowds! Everything was cheaper than it would have been in high season, but still, we had to pay $1.78 to buy a British pound--and the prices for everything were about the same in pounds as they would have been in dollars back home, or worse. So even though we got a good deal on accommodations and airfare, we still hemorrhaged money.

Now I'm seeing the pound sinking below $1.22 today, with many analysts saying it might drop to parity with the dollar. I'm seriously thinking about another late fall/early winter trip. The airfares on Virgin Atlantic are cheap, and I figured I'd benefit from the exchange rate most by simply paying for everything via debit card when I'm there. My question is: do you think the pound will drop even further, and will that affect things like airfares and hotel rooms--or will those providers just jack up the prices to compensate? I'm wondering that if I resolve to pay for everything directly in pounds once I'm there, I won't get ripped off by retailer exchange rates and price "adjustments" once they see I'm American.

I was thinking along similar lines re Mexico now that the peso is sinking down to 20 to the dollar or lower, but obviously, Mexico is a more popular winter destination for US travelers than London, so I think that price gouging there is more likely than in London.
Boz
Boz
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Joined: Sep 22, 2011
October 12th, 2016 at 4:37:36 PM permalink
Wait?? The guy who says we should learn from Eastern Europe. You have to be a parity of liberal life....like a bird out there.
Joeshlabotnik
Joeshlabotnik
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Joined: Jul 27, 2016
October 12th, 2016 at 5:16:29 PM permalink
Quote: Boz

Wait?? The guy who says we should learn from Eastern Europe. You have to be a parity of liberal life....like a bird out there.



I don't know whether to recommend for you a dictionary, a spellchecker, or a psychiatrist.
ahiromu
ahiromu
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October 12th, 2016 at 5:51:29 PM permalink
You could pay airfare and lodging with right-now exchange rates, then convert your spending (food) money while there. That's how I did it this past summer. My general rule of thumb is that the dollar and the pound have similar spending power, but that might be changing.

I'm of the opinion that the pound won't drop much further and they'll decide on a soft brexit, but obviously there's some randomness involved. With that said, if people were sure it was dropping to parity, it would already be there.

Re airfare: You never know. They will charge as much as they can regardless of exchange rates.
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