Head for five destinations on the Old Continent where our dollar is doing well.
“Discovering the world is better than staying”, sang Françoise Hardy, and this is true even in bad economic weather, it seems. Indeed, for many, the catch-up trip announced last year is coming to fruition. Passing through Montreal recently, Anja Brokjans, director of marketing and sales for the Canadian office of the German National Tourist Board (ONAT), was delighted with a 253% increase in the number of overnight stays by our compatriots in the country. of Goethe last year compared to 2021. “The demand from Canadians for international travel is enormous,” she confirms.
So, no matter that the price of plane tickets reaches stratospheric levels, we leave! That said, to compensate, savvy travelers could set their sights on summer European destinations where our dollar goes far. For them, some suggestions.
1. Istanbul and the Turquoise coast
May the earthquake last February in Turkey not hamper a plan to stay in this country: more than ever, it needs tourists… Let’s go to Istanbul, the sublime which, under its cheeky Western exterior, is profoundly Eastern. Ah, the joy of exploring its palaces, browsing its bazaars, getting scrubbed in the hammam and savoring kebabs and Turkish delights! Does a desire for the sea arise? We go to the Riviera and Lycia, around Fethiye and Antalya. Good to know: according to the Numbeo comparator, the cost of living in Istanbul is nearly 40% lower than in Montreal.
2. Double blow in Budapest
Like Istanbul, the capital of Hungary is spread over two banks, in this case those of the Danube. In bourgeois Buda, visit the castle, grandiose baths and historic tea rooms; in Pest, we slum — so to speak, this district being that of the bars occupying former squats (the romkocsma) and nightlife. How do our bidos behave compared to the forint? Let’s see what the “Kempinski index” reveals… Thus, in Venice, an entry-level room, double occupancy, in this luxury hotel will cost $1,129 the night of next Saturday, July 8; on the same date, in Budapest, the Kempinski Corvinus hotel will ask us $318 for a room of the same category. We are now firmly established as to the affordability of the city!
3. A Surprise Named Romania
Certainly, we do not choose a destination because it represents a “good deal”, but so much the better if it is! Thus, this neighbor of Hungary offers quite a change of scenery for the same low price. That of a grandiloquent architecture in Bucharest; medieval and UNESCO-listed in Sighisoara, birthplace of a national hero who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula; secessionist in Timisoara, one of the European capitals of culture this year; or even, frankly retro-flashy in the seaside resorts of the Black Sea which welcomed, in other times, the apparatchiks… In short, we have for our lei from all points of view.
4. Portugal, the Iberian star
For several years now, Portuguese cities and regions have been on the list of best destinations. (In 2022, it was Alentejo’s turn to feature in the selection of the New York Times.) And for good reason, this country has it all: seas and mountains, picturesque villages, rich history, dynamic culture, fine cuisine, great wines… As a bonus, cities like Lisbon, Évora and even Portimão, in the very busy Algarve , are between 20% and 40% cheaper than Montreal, according to the comparator Numbeo. Even the Spaniards, though not to be outdone when it comes to their splendors at home, go on vacation to their neighbours!
5. Berlin, again and again
Germany may not be the bargain it was a decade ago, but last year the average room rate ($122)there was still almost 8% lower than the European average price, according to IHA/MKG Group. We could therefore play the Berliners this summer without fearing too much for our wallet. In the über epicenter of “coolness”, one will find thirteen happenings by the dozen, great museums (the metropolis prides itself on having more than rainy days in a year), markets of all kinds, vestiges of its tumultuous history, without forgetting the strand bar, beach bars set up on the banks of the Spree and so pleasant on sunny days. Want green, sea? We take the ICE, the regional train, towards the Black Forest, the Baltic, the North Sea, lark! For inspiration, we consult (on germany.travel) ONAT’s environmentally friendly stay offers – which is only natural for a country that is darker green than many others.
Free stopover
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