Is $12,000 per year in travel enough

[Dtail]

In the final throes of calculating our pending trip......sub total, (which also includes prepayment of medical coverage for our Fall trip), is currently at $4,960 Canadian, (approx $3,820 US), and we leave April 14, return May 17.

(I believe there is perhaps one night's accommodation not accounted for, plus food/misc items.....and since we don't shop or eat in restaurants that shouldn't be a substantial amount.)

- Fly Toronto to Santo Domingo
- Ship to Lisbon
- Fly Lisbon to Bucharest
- Wander around Romania
- Couple days in Munich
- Fly home from Munich

You always get great deals. Impressive.

 

[Nemo2]

You always get great deals. Impressive.

We're just toting small backpacks this trip, no checked baggage, and DW found a flight with TAP, Lisbon-Bucharest for $89.73 Canadian p.p. (approx $69.22 US p.p.).

Flight leaves Lisbon 12:15 a.m.....we disembark from the ship earlier the previous day, and a friend from Australia we met on a previous jaunt says she might be in Lisbon that day...so we may be able to pass the time with idle chit chat.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I admire how light you travel. We travel lighter then many but not that light. One of our issues when traveling is that my son put us on a 10 day limit because he takes care of our 3 dogs. So we end up having to pass on deals that does not meet that criteria. Although by then I am ready to come home anyways.

 

[Nemo2]

I admire how light you travel. We travel lighter then many but not that light.

This is our first run with just the small backpacks....usually there's a medium size trundle bag to go with...(but then we generally/always bring back stuff we haven't worn on the trip).....hand washing in the cabin's sink, and washers in the little studios we rent.....or laundromats.

Since we don't frequent restaurants/dining rooms/posh hotels, we can get away with looking like shleppers.

 

[explanade]

One would imagine Romania is cheap right?

Hotel bills for a couple of days in Munich is probably around the same as a week in Romania, maybe more?

 

[Nemo2]

One would imagine Romania is cheap right?

Hotel bills for a couple of days in Munich is probably around the same as a week in Romania, maybe more?

In Munich we're a little way out of the centre, (just a room in a house/apartment), and will use public transport to go downtown.

The Romanian accommodations are mainly studio apartments, and with Timisoara (a university town), we had to take what we could get:

4 nights Brasov @ $41.56 Canadian per night (approx $32.16 US)

3 nights Sighisoara @ $34.70 Cdn per night ($26.85 US)

4 nights Sibiu @ $32.77 Cdn per night ($25.36 US)

4 nights Timisoara @ $61.05 Cdn per night ($47.25 US)

2 nights Munich @ $60.90 Cdn per night ($47.13 US)

 

[Nemo2]

Neglected to include (although it's accounted for in the overall total) two nights in Bucharest prior to leaving for Munich - for two nights we didn't bother with airbnb and just grabbed a hotel, with airport shuttle, from which we can get downtown:

Home

Cost, for two nights, 78€ (Approx $96 US)

 

[ugeauxgirl]

Sounds lovely- enjoy it and tell us how it went!

 

[Nemo2]

Sounds lovely- enjoy it and tell us how it went!

Oh...I'm sure there'll be another bloody boring slideshow.

 

[bclover]

I admire how light you travel. We travel lighter then many but not that light. One of our issues when traveling is that my son put us on a 10 day limit because he takes care of our 3 dogs. So we end up having to pass on deals that does not meet that criteria. Although by then I am ready to come home anyways.

Me too. I admit travelling with me is akin to being on Cleopatra's barge and I firmly believe woman who go to Europe with 2 pairs of shoes are alien podpeople. [emoji6]

 

[ugeauxgirl]

Me too. I admit travelling with me is akin to being on Cleopatra's barge and I firmly believe woman who go to Europe with 2 pairs of shoes are alien podpeople. [emoji6]

LOL! I am packing now for a week in Florence now and have 2 pairs of shoes- but I'm wearing one so that makes 3. I hate dragging stuff around with me and I can't remember the last time I took more than a carry-on suitcase, but I'm small so that helps. My husband is much larger, and his SHOES take up most of a carry on size bag, so he usually checks one. I wish I could pack in a backpack- When I retire I'm going to try it. It annoys the heck out of me when I get back from a trip and realize I have been lugging around stuff I didn't even WEAR!

 

[Bestwifeever]

Me too. I admit travelling with me is akin to being on Cleopatra's barge and I firmly believe woman who go to Europe with 2 pairs of shoes are alien podpeople. [emoji6]

OTOH you can also say oops, I forgot/broke/lost my sandals/heels/walking shoes and go shopping. My favorite shoes came from a little shop in a little town in Germany, and I hear Barcelona has amazing store specializing in ballet flats.... I do travel pretty light, but love wearing my souvenirs when I come home.

 

[Chuckanut]

12K a year for travel...

If you are the backpack through Europe kind of person who doesn't mind cheap hostels and picnicks, it is probably to much.

If you are a close buddy of Operah or Mr. Trump it's probably not enough for a nice weekend in Zurich.

For most of us, if the money is well spent, it is enough.

 

[Meadbh]

I’m easily going to exceed $12,000 in travel spending this year. Because I’m worth it.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I wear a pair of casual shoes and pack 1 dress pair. We use a medium size suitcase each that we check and each have a carryon. Most cruisers have a lot more luggage then us. I don't want to wash clothes and also need 2 dresses for the formal nights.

 

[Dreamer]

This is our first run with just the small backpacks....usually there's a medium size trundle bag to go with...(but then we generally/always bring back stuff we haven't worn on the trip).....hand washing in the cabin's sink, and washers in the little studios we rent.....or laundromats.

Since we don't frequent restaurants/dining rooms/posh hotels, we can get away with looking like shleppers.

Another impressive trip. What type of backpacks are you using? I would love to be able to do this. I recently went on a 11 day trip and my smaller suitcase weighed around 27 lbs. My friend, whose suitcase was over 40 lbs, put some of her items in my suitcase again.

Please let us know how it goes using the backpacks. I look forward to your photos.

 

[Nemo2]

DW is undecided as to whether or not she'll wear her Doc Martens, (the original, heavy duty, made in England boots), which she finds comfortable for walking, and bring along a lighter pair of shoes/sandals.

I don't think I've ever seen her in a dress...but then we've only been together about 14 years...........Formal nights? We barely qualify for Informal nights.

 

[Nemo2]

What type of backpacks are you using?

We bought two of these:

https://www.amazon.ca/OSEAGLE-Outdoor-Climbing-Waterproof-Backpack/dp/B01D9UXL1W

We'll see how it works out....if necessary we can pick up another bag in Romania.....I guess.

 

[Nemo2]

Oh...here's our Munich airbnb:

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/10387841

 

[explanade]

Nice but closer to the airport than the town center.

 

[Nemo2]

Nice but closer to the airport than the town center.

Yeah...convenient when we fly out to Toronto via Icelandair....to get to downtown Munich we'll grab public transport...all part of the trip.

 

[Moemg]

The Munich air B&B looks nice but sharing a bathroom with strangers is not on my bucket list .

 

[Nemo2]

The Munich air B&B looks nice but sharing a bathroom with strangers is not on my bucket list .

They're rarely in there the same time we are.

(When I first started traveling by ship, the better part of 60 years ago, the cabins (in steerage anyway) just had bunk beds; I've shared with 4-5 guys, only 1 or 2 I knew, and the showers/heads were down the gangway/passageway and were all communal.)

 

[explanade]

Oh, I didn't even notice that.

Occasionally you see places with shared bathrooms.

Or once, I had a bathroom outside the bedroom of an Italian B&B, off a common area.

I will spend more for private bathroom.

 

[Nemo2]

Last time in Barcelona.....we were only there for a couple nights, (as we will be in Munich), we stayed at a hostel......bathrooms/showers were clean, and we never saw anyone else near them.........(which I found unfortunate because there were a couple pretty girls staying there at the time ).