Travel Budget

[GTM]

Me too, but then I would mostly travel to see and do things. Some travel more to hang out in a cheap place. Hippies used to live in Goa on $3/day.

And that $3 a day is now $16.60 with inflation.

 

[FlowGirl]

I would agree that travelling in the big cities in Europe costs more than $50/day, but it doesn't have to be that outrageous.

Frommer's Budget Traveler Magazine has great advice for this sort of travel. For my tastes, the magazine is a little too upscale when it comes to Asia and other inexpensive places, but their advice for Europe is spot on for the comfort level I'm seeking. The husband and I used their Florence and Venice "Little Wonder Hotels" issue when we travelled to those two cities and had no problem finding charming, comfortable rooms w/bath and breakfast for around $80 in the middle of summer with no reservations. They also had great, inexpensive restaurant recommendations.

 

[Nords]

And that $3 a day is now $16.60 with inflation.

Would that be calculated by the American CPI, the Goa CPI, or someone's imaginary hedonics-adjusted CPI?

 

[MJ]

You can take a train, but then what do you do once you get to the train station? Walk? Hitchhike?

How bout bicycling? You take the bicycle on the train.
That's how I normally get around now and I own a car.
I just came back from my father. I did a fast 41 mile RT ride.

MJ

 

[Dawg52]

Wow........were up to 4% in the $20,000 and over bracket. Those are probably your multi-millionaires. I would spend it too if I were one.

 

[Gone4Good]

How bout bicycling? You take the bicycle on the train.
That's how I normally get around now and I own a car.
I just came back from my father. I did a fast 41 mile RT ride.

MJ

How do you get your bicycle to your vacation spot? Do you buy one when you get there? Probably not that expensive but never looked in to it.

Maybe once I retire I can get in the phsyical shape necessary to travel this way (see thread on health benefits of ER).

 

[Honkie]

I posted in the over 20k bracket, but we do spend less some years if we can't get away as often for whatever reason.

This year we are at around 15k and still have one long weekend and the Christmas trip to do.

Under our belts so far in '05 are trips to the UK, Florence (Italy) and Sydney (Australia).

2004 only took us to France and the Philippines as the baby was born early in the year and we didn't want to travel when she was still very young. i.e. under 6 months

Life's too short to only see these places on the travel shows.

Cheers, Honkie

Honkie.

 

[Gone4Good]

I posted in the over 20k bracket, but we do spend less some years if we can't get away as often for whatever reason.

Honkie, how long does $20k last you (roughly). Some posters in the thread where working a $50/day budget (which I'll never be able to do). I figure I could probably do some good long trips on $20K, though.

 

[haha]

I posted in the over 20k bracket, but we do spend less some years if we can't get away as often for whatever reason.

You are still working?

ha

 

[Honkie]

YtG / HaHa

Yes both the wife and I work. This year we have been away for a total of 4 weeks, 2 in UK, 1 in Florence and 1 in Sydney, plus 3 weekends of 2 or 3 days, so you could say that the 15k so far has lasted about 35 days. However, the flights have been a large proportion of the cost and we often travel with a third adult plus our child. When we travel with the third adult, we need two rooms rather than just one.

H

 

[Honkie]

Some posters in the thread where working a $50/day budget (which I'll never be able to do).  I figure I could probably do some good long trips on $20K, though.

Back in the late 80's and early 90's I travelled extensively as a budget traveller. Loaded up the backpack and off I went for months at a time. Probably "averaged" about $15 -20 a day back then, with at least $10 of that the beer budget. But it was the experience at that time in my life that I loved, the freedom and the sense of adventure: staying in little hostels, the YMCA and even the odd night in railway station waiting room!! The best accommodation I have had was in Monaco were I stayed on 150 foot yacht for 2 weeks (of course we had to wash the bloody thing twice a day!!!) I also stayed in Munich for a week for free, living in the University Halls of Residence (the work was pleasant this time as the medical student frauline was very pretty   :  :      )

They were the best of times.

As for travelling on a $50 a day budget as some people talk about here, I wouldn't even consider trying. With the relative strength/weakness in the Euro/US$ exchange, Europe is very expensive for $ denominated travellers.

Cheers, H

 

[sgeeeee]

Today (mostly retired) we spend a little over $20K per year on travel. We are away from home about 15 to 20 weeks per year. When we were both working . . . making lots of money, we sometimes spent as much as $40K on a single 3 to 4 week trip. Back then, time was more important than money, so we saw and did as much as we could in our minimal time by spending money.

Today we see and experience a lot more for a lot less.

 

[Lancelot]

I didn't vote on the travel budget since I'm a PT as well.

I retired on Nov 1, 2002 and my long term daily cost is about $37.50. That includes taxes; all travel/airline costs; medical; laptop, etc. My original budget (based in Thailand) was $1,000 per month, but I think $1,100 is more realistic, with ongoing clothing, computer, misc. replacement costs. I have a friend here who swears that anything less than US $3,600 per month is living in cruel poverty.

To each his own.

Nords is correct, food in Thailand is REALLY cheap. I love to eat at little side walk restaurants, practise my Thai and enjoy a B25 plate of delicious Thai food. (B25 = US $0.63) At Pattaya beach, I found a Thai/German restaurant with fantastic Weiner Schnitzel, fried potatos and salad for B125, about US $3.13. My room in the guest house was B400; US$10 per night, for a clean room with air, private bath and UBC cable tv.

But I am learning that travel -just like ER- is subjective- and what works for me is abhorent to another person. It just comes down to preference: if you want to go the economy route it is sooooooooo easy to do. But "economy" to one guy is downright uncomfortable to the next. Different strokes...

Funny thing is, for me, Thailand is like a job in that my living expenses are so low that my net worth has increased about 25% since retiring. I also love to bargain and paying less is an enjoyable game for me.

I wonder what the Philippines could do for my net worth 8)

Lance

 

[Honkie]

I wonder what the Philippines could do for my net worth   8)

Lance

If snared by the "wrong" local girl, it could halve !!!!!

 

[MJ]

Hey Sir Lance,

Sounds like my type of simple lifestyle. How many months a year do you spend in Thailand? Do you do any extensive travelling outside of SE Asia?

Can't wait to get to BKK in 3 weeks, hope to get together with you and/or Ben.

MJ

 

[dougdo]

Most airlines give you money vouchers ("Delta Dollars").
The amount depends on much overbooked the flight is and how important (First Class/Business Class/Elite status) people are booked for the flight but don't have seats.
I've been given several $400 and few $250. They are good for a year from the date of issue.
If you are into frequent flying  "flyer talk" forums are excellent resource ( http://www.flyertalk.com/ )

On a domestic route, all the major airlines give you a free domestic ticket on a bump as far as I'm aware; this may even be the law. However the tickets used to be supremely easy to use and now they're a bit harder to use but still very flexible. My UA ticket I'm about to use offers free date changes for example--where else can you get that?

Ironically when you're flying international (including Canada), the airlines can offer whatever they want--whatever it'll take to get the right # of people off the plane--$250 and $400 are the most common vouchers.

As for optimizing the number of times you get bumped--well I'm not sure I want to share all my secrets!

 

[MJ]

I'm off to Thailand soon. Since I'm travelling alone, I wouldn't mind getting bumped off for a free ticket to Thailand. Of course, that is assuming that I can get on a flight within 24 to 48 hours. If there was enough time, I would just go home and return the following day. What happens to your checked in luggage. Can it be left for your next flight out?

 

[WanderALot]

YtG / HaHa

Yes both the wife and I work. This year we have been away for a total of 4 weeks, 2 in UK, 1 in Florence and 1 in Sydney, plus 3 weekends of 2 or 3 days, so you could say that the 15k so far has lasted about 35 days. However, the flights have been a large proportion of the cost and we often travel with a third adult plus our child. When we travel with the third adult, we need two rooms rather than just one.

H

We are in the same boat. My wife and I both work but she gets a LOT of time off (teacher). I'm pretty lucky that I'm able to take more than the typical American, but not nearly as much as her. Since last Nov, we have been to Ireland (10 days), Mexico (9 days), India (3.5 weeks), and Alaska (2 weeks). It really helps to take advantage of Thanksgiving/Christmas to minimize the time off required. The flights are definitely the most expensive, but it's amazing what you find if you search off the beaten path. Ireland was only $400 (with tax). India was only $1100 and that's going with Singapore Airlines. We just bought tickets to Thailand for this Thanksgiving and it was only $700 with tax. A lot of times though, we can't get frequent flyer miles with these tickets, but the tickets are so cheap... DW went to Costa Rica with her friend and they only paid $390 for tickets in August through America West.

We haven't had kids yet, but we hope to travel with them when we do. We are even saving some of the more kid friendly places (such as Japan) for when we have kids.

 

[Lancelot]

Hey MJ,

Sure, give me a shout when you arrive in BKK.

Lance

 

[Sheryl]

Just got back last night from another trip to Honduras.

The very best meals in nice restaurants were not over $10.  Drinks usually about $1.  We had a huge meal for 10 including appetizers, entrees, drinks, dessert and many shots of tequila total cost:  $150.

Not Thailand prices, but very enjoyable.   We stayed at the nicest hotel in La Ceiba for about  $60 per night, although that was a negotiated group rate.

http://www.quintarealhotel.com/index1_eng.htm

In Tegucigalpa the Honduras Maya was first class (for Honduras) and cost $50 per night. 

http://www.hondurasmaya.hn/

Beyond international airfare which was $850 (!) we spent less than $600 per person in six days including two in-country flights, 5 nights lodging, a 12 passenger bus with English guide/driver for 5 days, all meals, drinks and a couple tours and admissions to attractions.

A "budget minded" traveler could have probably stayed 2-3 weeks or more on $600 but I was guiding some "high-maintenance" ladies from Bellvue.   :

 

[ESRBob]

Funny thing is, for me, Thailand is like a job in that my living expenses are so low that my net worth has increased about 25% since retiring. I also love to bargain and paying less is an enjoyable game for me.

I wonder what the Philippines could do for my net worth 8)

Lance

Hey, Lance, good to hear you're doing well out there in SE Asia.

I relate to this point -- I always thought of a Plan B in a really inexpensive mode in a place like Thailand was the way to restore net worth to a battered portfolio. It's my ace in the hole.

Another possible Plan B for some people (this clearly isn't right for everybody) is to live in some sort of monastery/ashram/kibbutz where your living expenses go to effectively zero because you do some work there as your room and board contribution.

Living large in Thailand sounds good, though, too!

btw, Lance, unless the laws have changed in the last 15 years, just don't try to exit the country with a Buddha statue -- we tried this and found out that it was deemed a cultural artifact and were ushered into a small room at the airport with hundreds of other buddhas which were confiscated at the airport. Its a scam, of course, any image made last week would qualify for the ban. Loved everything else about Thailand, though.

 

[Sheryl]

I wonder what the Philippines could do for my net worth   8)
 

Lance,
Excuse my ingnorance, but would you or others with experience there care to expound on living costs and conditions in the Philippines?  We were just talking to someone yesterday who has bought a lot of property there and plans to ER soon.  Of course he has a Fillipino wife with family there, but I'm curious about attitudes, expenses and conditions for the everyday ex-pat.

Thanks!

 

[retire@40]

Lance,
Excuse my ingnorance, but would you or others with experience there care to expound on living costs and conditions in the Philippines?  We were just talking to someone yesterday who has bought a lot of property there and plans to ER soon.  Of course he has a Fillipino wife with family there, but I'm curious about attitudes, expenses and conditions for the everyday ex-pat.

I'd be more worried about getting killed in the Philippines. Isn't the Philippines one of those countries known for kidnappings to extort money from people the kidnappers believe have lots of money?

 

[Lancelot]

Lance,
Excuse my ingnorance, but would you or others with experience there care to expound on living costs and conditions in the Philippines?  We were just talking to someone yesterday who has bought a lot of property there and plans to ER soon.  Of course he has a Fillipino wife with family there, but I'm curious about attitudes, expenses and conditions for the everyday ex-pat.

Thanks!

Hi Sheryl,

I can't really advise about cost of living in the Phils, because I have not visited there yet. The exchange rate is more favorable (about 56 PI pesos per USD, compared with 41 THB per USD here in Thailand)

People tell me that safety is an issue in the Phils, but I've been in major US cities where my personal "safety" radar went off big time. I think alot of safety issues boil down to personal perceptions. As a general rule of thumb, be alert, don't attract attention or flash money/jewelery, etc. and you will be fine in most locations.

BTW, your Honduras trips sound like good fun. Making the grand SA tour is on my to do list .

Keep traveling!

Lance

 

[Lancelot]

Hey, Lance, good to hear you're doing well out there in SE Asia.

I relate to this point -- I always thought of a Plan B in a really inexpensive mode in a place like Thailand was the way to restore net worth to a battered portfolio.  It's my ace in the hole.

Another possible Plan B for some people (this clearly isn't right for everybody) is to live in some sort of monastery/ashram/kibbutz where your living expenses go to effectively zero because you do some work there as your room and board contribution.

Living large in Thailand sounds good, though, too!

btw, Lance,  unless the laws have changed in the last 15 years, just don't try to exit the country with a Buddha statue -- we tried this and found out that it was deemed a cultural artifact and were ushered into a small room at the airport with hundreds of other buddhas which were confiscated at the airport.  Its a scam, of course, any image made last week would qualify for the ban.   Loved everything else about Thailand, though.

Hey Bob,

Yeah, the PT lifestyle definately isn't for a lot of folks. Probably at some point I will return to the USA for a "home base" then travel abroad part of the year. But living

About confiscating Buddhas, a lot of those types of travel scams out there. Being a PT has really helped me to avoid accumulating too much stuff, but it is tempting to buy some exotic oriental nik-nacks to take back home.

All the best,

Lance