A SATC Fans Guide To Europe On A Budget
Jen Weaver
COM345
Helene Kiser
May 20, 2011
“It wasn’t logic, it was love.” Sigh. These six little words were uttered by Carrie Bradshaw to describe her reconciliation to Mr. Big in Sex and the City the movie, to the delight of SATC fans everywhere. Sometimes logic isn’t enough to overcome strong attachment and yearning, whether for a person, or a pair of shoes. For myself, I have my gaze firmly fixed upon a dream European Vacation. I am not sure what the draw is to this romantic continent, however in this current economy an extravagant vacation is definitely not logical.
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| SATC Cover Shot |
The Sex and the City franchise provokes the essence of my ideal European trip; adventure, glamour, fashion, and a romantic cultural experience. Peter Jon Lindberg (2011) pokes fun at the American love for Europe as the “home country” and even quips that “our fantasy landscapes will always be planted with Dutch tulips, Italian cypress, and Provencal lavender” (Lindberg, 2011, p. 1). Despite the innate draw to “The Continent” the economic recession stares me square between the eyes; I need to find a way to make this trip plausible without it becoming too much of an indulgence. As Carrie says, “Every once in awhile, a girl has to indulge herself.”
As any recessionista (one who is fashionable amidst a recession) knows, you gather inspiration from the extravagant and find ways to achieve the same experience at a lesser cost. In fashion, you can look at pictures of celebrities and duplicate their outfits at lower end stores. In travel, I find inspiration from movies and pictures online of common tourist locations; pulling from the romance of my favorite movies as I experience the same locations first-hand.
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| SATC Carrie Bradshaw in Paris |
The next step is to determine what cities to visit. Through this process you will likely realize there are places you wanted to visit without much reason. For instance, I liked the idea of going to Dublin Ireland, however there was nothing of particular interest to do there. For our trip I determined to visit London, UK; Paris, France; Rome, Florence and Venice Italy; and Berlin, Germany. By using Google Maps (free) you can map out the locations to determine the best route. While countries in Europe are close together, it can still be several hours to travel from one major city to another.
When it comes to paying for overly expensive lodging I can relate to a statement from Samantha, “I feel the same way as you feel about Botox. Painful and unnecessary.” Rather than staying at pricey hotels I made reservations at hostels through Hostelling International (www.hihostels.com) with rates averaging $20 per person per night! Don’t let the name intimidate you, hostels are anything but hostel, with many offering nice amenities, internet cafes and even private rooms for couples or families at a higher rate.
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| London Youth Hostel |
Once the lodging is reserved, it’s on to the fun stuff; the entertainment. Surprisingly, here is where I found a tremendous amount of cost savings. Not sure what sites to see? Spend a few hours at Borders or Barnes and Noble browsing through the Rick Steves’ guides to Europe (free). These books rate key tourist sites and restaurants, describe the public transportation systems, and provide useful maps for walking tours and getting around the city. My husband and I made it a date night; purchasing coffee at the in-house Starbucks then perusing Country specific books before purchasing Rick Steves’ Best of Europe 2011. I was surprised to find all the walking tours that were available, or even frequent bus routes that are recommended to be better than the paid tours. For example, rather than to take a paid tour guided bus tour, Steves recommends taking a self guided bus tour ride on city bus #69 in Paris. Not only does this tour provide cost savings (€1.50 vs. €25), you can get on an off the bus whenever you like and a sole ticket gives you 1.5 hours of tour time (Steves, 2011, p. 283). Rick Steves also offers free audio tours for download from his website www.ricksteves.com, perfect for ipod users looking to guide themselves through a city’s main attractions (free).
An additional tool for cost savings when it comes to entertainment is to purchase tourist passes in advance. Many cities offer passes for public transportation and for unlimited access to main attractions, even skipping the queue, for a set number of consecutive days. I found the Paris Museum Pass www.en.parismuseumpass.com and the London Pass with travel card www.londpass.com to be the best matches for our journey. Furthermore, don’t miss out on free entertainment opportunities! Local publications feature performances and common events that are often free to the public; such as the daily changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Many museums and historic buildings also offer free admission or tours on specific dates.
“I need money. You know money. I need to know what you know about money.” Upon learning how to save money on the trip, we next overcome the hurdle of how to access our money when we need it, even from the other side of the world. I spoke to my credit card companies and found which cards would offer me the best rates when using my card abroad and provided notice of my travel plans to avoid any fraud warnings. Additionally, I learned that I could order foreign currency through my local bank and have it sent to me before the trip at a lower fee than trying to get it through high-priced providers at the airport or local tourist locations upon arrival.
“After a while, you just want to be with the one that makes you laugh.” All the planning and the saving aside, the most important aspect of this woman’s dream European vacation is the one I’m traveling with. The most beautiful inspiring cities in the world can be dry and dull without a friend to share them with. Sharing this experience with those who make you laugh and enjoy life will make this trip memorable. And that's the truth, “I swear on Chanel.”
Reference Page
Becks and the City (unknown). Carrie Bradshaw from SATC in Paris [Photograph].
Retrieved from http://becks-carrie.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html
DVDS On Sales (unknown). [Sex and the City (SATC) Cover Shot] [Photograph].
Retrieved from http://www.dvdsonsales.com/sex-and-the-city-seasons-1-6-
dvd-boxset.html
Hostelling International (unknown). [Lounge Area at a London Hostel]
[Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.hihostels.com/dba/photo.php?
house=018282&p[0]=2&p[1]=2&p[2]=2&p[3]=2&p[4]=2&p[5]=2&
picno=6&cou=GB&act=5&name=London+-+London+Central+YHA〈=E
Lindberg, P. J. (2011, April). Why Americans Love Europe. Travel + Leisure, 1.
Retrieved from http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/why-americans-
love-europe
London Museum Pass (unknown). [London Museum Pass] [Photograph].
Retrieved from http://www.londonpass.com
Paris Museum Pass (unknown). [Paris Museum Pass] [Photograph].
Retrieved from http://www.en.parismuseumpass.com
Steves, R. (2010). Rick Steves' best of Europe 2011. Berkeley, CA: Avalon Travel.
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