European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Travel Europe where to get the most your Money by Randy Mcciain financial writer looking for a vacation spot where the Dollar still has some spunk and dining out won t Cost an Arm and a leg Bob Vinatieri editor of the Runzheimer International meal and lodging report offers this advice bargain Hunters should head for Portugal or Eastern  in the East bloc the prime areas for inexpensive travel Are Hungary and Czechoslovakia especially outside the major cities Quot says Vinatieri whose Wisconsin based company does Cost studies for business and Leisure travellers worldwide. Budapest Hungary won top honors As the bargain capital of Europe according to a recent Runzheimer report Quot. A business traveler s costs there for breakfast lunch dinner and a room in a first class hotel will run $143 per Day a. Vinatieri says. That s less than half the Cost of the $364 a Day the same business traveler a would pay in London or the $332 he d pay in Paris. A a. A a. A Vinatieri says his Agency s surveys tend to a quote higher prices than the average family would pay on Holiday because they Are primarily geared toward business travel. Quot we Don t tend to Survey the mom and pop hotels for example Quot he says. A but it follows that if a City is twice As expensive for business travel it s also twice As expensive for the Leisure . Among Europe s most expensive cities Vinatieri says Are London Paris Stockholm Sweden Copenhagen Denmark Milan Italy Frankfurt Germany and Rome. Surprisingly Frankfurt is a reasonable place for eating out but Steep hotel costs make it expensive Overall. Italy As a whole once considered a prime spot for bargain Hunters has gone up in Price Over the past year Vinatieri says. Spain is also getting More expensive in Advance of the 1992 olympics in Barcelona and because hotel rooms Are scarce in several major cities including Madrid Barcelona and Seville. A a a in Italy prices have gone up a dramatically Quot Vinatieri says. Quot All the hotels and restaurants there raised their rates for last year s world cup soccer tournament and they Haven t decreased them  Here Are a few other tips from Vinatieri on various locations around. Europe Czechoslovakia Prague is this nation s Crown jewel and despite double digit inflation in the past year it continues to rank As one of the most affordable cities in Europe. But vacationers who Don t a mind roughing it can get even More for theirn Ioney by venturing into smaller towns and Rural parts of the country. A full dinner for less than $5 is common with the w Arning a the Quality of the food an dining in Europe figures shown below Are the Cost of dinner for two at hotel restaurants in major european cities. Less expensive meals could be found in each location however the prices shown Here give travellers an idea of the comparative costs around Europe cities Are ranked from least expensive to most expensive. 1. Budapest Hungary $33.40, 2. Istanbul Turkey $42.40 3. Frankfurt Germany $50.60 4. Lisbon Portugal $51.40 5. Athens Greece $57.60 6. Amsterdam Netherlands $57.70 7. Madrid Spain $60.60 8. Zurich Switzerland $61.90 9. Rome $62.80 10. Brussels Belgium $63.00 11. Vienna Austria $63.70 12. Dublin Ireland $68.40 13. Copenhagen Denmark $71.00 14. Paris $77.20 15. London $85.70 source Runzheimer meal lodging Cost Index a amps Susan Harris the service won t be the same As in thic United states Quot Vinatieri says. Portugal prices in Lisbon and the More touristy areas of the Atlantic coast. Are relatively High but the farther one gets from the beaten path the better the bargains Rural Portugal might even be the place for service members to really splurge on a five Star hotel Vinatieri says. A you can find a deluxe hotel outside of Lisbon. For under $100 a night and we re talking. About a place with Marble bathrooms a a a for those with a smaller budget consider that wine is particularly cheap there the travel editor adds. E Eastern Germany hotel prices in Eastern Germany Are fast approaching. Those in the West Vinatieri says but. Bargains abound when dining out. A you won t get a full dinner for $5, but you la it get better value than in Austria or Western  a Ireland it s too late to take advantage of the situation this year but keep in mind that hotel prices on the Emerald Isle Art at their cheapest january through april in Dublin Runzheimer International found a. Difference of 11 Irish pounds about $7 a a night when comparing room charges a during the first four months of the year with rates in the summer. France Paris weighs in As the second most expensive City in Europe a ranking it has held for several years in a Row Vinatieri says. Dinner for two there averages nearly $80 per couple Only slightly less than the $85.70 diners can expect to pay at a fancy restaurant in London. But some parts of France Are More reasonable. One bargain Region Worth a try is Brittany. The travel expert says. A a. Greece Turkey Vinatieri also rates these two destinations As Good ones Tor bargain Hunters. Northern Greece is particularly inexpensive As Are the lesser known Cyclades islands. One other tip is Quot Crete a Crete is a larger Island with wide variety of accommodations and a resort atmosphere Quot he says. A there Are some very Good buys there  Turkey is also a  spot although prices near Izmir on the Western coast and other Beach resorts frequented-., by  and scandinavian tourists c an be a bit High Vinatieri says. Quot basically my advice e there is to stay away  the areas that Are the most popular with the Northern europeans  most  general suggestions no matter where you travel look out for spec  bargains Vinatieri says. For example1, several hotel chains in England recently offered half Price discounts to Amer an travellers in an Effort to Spur on tourism after the persian Gulf War Quot you can Lind some real liar gains from time to time with hotels in soft markets Quot he says. Another general tip is to  and ask that it Fie removed from the Price of your room it you can find it cheaper around Llie c Orner Vinatieri says that strategy often works Best at bed and breakfast it or smaller or dels May 22, 1991 stars and stripes travel Europe 67