Poll:What's your annual vacation/travel budget?

[wmc1000]

In 2010 when this poll started I was still w*rking and when we went on vacation for a week with our kids we were in the $4,000 to $9999 range. Now retired with kids on their own we spend about the same amount for a few weeks on the 2 of us.

 

[sengsational]

This poll was pre-retirement for me; never responded back then.

Since retiring 5 years ago, the average has been $14K/yr. The cost on some trips is high, some low, but averaged out to just under $200 per night. Most, but not all of that is for the two of us.

On the high side was the river cruise at about $900/night for the two of us (just while on the ship). Averaged in with the nights before and after it's more like $600. On the low side, staying with family, it's like $50/night for the two of us! So quite a range. And the trans-Atlantic cruises (cruise only, not the before and after days) average $275/night for the two of us.

 

[starry night]

Since 2006

We retired in ‘06 at age 52, so that travel could be our new objective.
We keep a close record of travel spending, so that we can continue this as long as we are physically/medically able.
Have been to all seven continents, 88 countries, all 50 states and 53 of the 60 National Parks.
Average annual spending on travel = $32,700.
Still loving it....and lots of places yet to see!

 

[Teacher Terry]

We have been retired the last 7 years. The first 2 years we only spent about 2k total. The next 4 years we ranged between 8-14k. This year we spent 5k and that will likely be it.

 

[RetireAge50]

No budget but last year was our first year of retirement and spent 24,738. We were gone 119 days for an average travel expense of $208/day.

 

[Bamaman]

After traveling weekly for business until ER 10 years ago, we seldom travel domestically.

We're fortunate to have inherited a lake house across town, and spend summer weekends there. We also visit the Blue Ridge mountains 4-5 weekends per year where we keep a fifth wheel trailer in storage.

We've been taking inexpensive 11-13 day repositioning cruises the last two Aprils to Europe and spending an extra week over there. The costs have been very low since we're using budget air carriers coming back to the U.S. for $200 or so one way.

Our 7 year old granddaughter is going with us from here on, so we're waiting until school's out and flying to Madrid before taking a train to Granada. Then we fly to Barcelona before taking a fast train to Paris. I estimate our total expenses for the three of us will be $4500 plus food. We may be frugal travelers, but we don't miss anything.

 

[jjquantz]

Our annual budget is $15K and over the last 7 years we have spent: $16K, $11K, $18K, $13K, $9K, $15K and $15K. Typically, we do one large trip (3 weeks or longer in Europe or Hawaii) and a couple of smaller ones (week to 10 days domestic). We are going to be well under for this year, because we decided to minimize travel while we move. Going forward we will also have to see how the arrival of our first grandchild affects the travel budget. I suspect there will be more trips, but less money spent. Visiting family is cheaper than traveling to Europe, at least for us.

 

[Fireup2020]

We've got about $20k per year budgeted for travel which includes 2-4 mos of RVing, plus we estimate an international trip every other year, annual excursions to Seattle (no family/friends to visit/stay with, CA (family), and New Orleans (friends). Our monthly "entertainment" and "dining out" categories will just be spent in those destinations. Hoping to continue to use FF miles to upgrade to business/first when flying cross country or overseas.

 

[ABQ2015]

My first full year of retirement in 2018, I spent $15K on six road trips and miscellaneous holiday travel to visit relatives. Each road trip was about 10 days long and included 2-3 destinations. Hotels were the biggest expense as I was staying at National Park lodges and in resort towns such as Aspen and Telluride. I expect 2019 expenses to be similar. I'm hoping to go to Europe for the first time in 2020.

 

[TDub]

We retired in ‘06 at age 52, so that travel could be our new objective.

We keep a close record of travel spending, so that we can continue this as long as we are physically/medically able.

Have been to all seven continents, 88 countries, all 50 states and 53 of the 60 National Parks.

Average annual spending on travel = $32,700.

Still loving it....and lots of places yet to see!

Impressive! Sounds very much like our future travel goals and budget.

 

[gerntz]

I put how much we spend on average. We don't have a budget other than to spend less than our income over a year.

 

[Penny6]

We have been averaging about 6-7k a year. Going to expand the travel budget to 10k as we want to do more international travel. Flights are what can truly get you with a family of 5. We travel off season usually 1 cruise $2500 1 couples trip 1-2k, and one family domestic trip 2k or use of eoy timeshare in DR or MX. 33,36 3 kids 11,9,5

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I did not vote as we do not have a budget for travel as such, we just travel when we want to. Some years more, some less.

 

[marinauser]

Three winter months rent in San Diego plus about ten days total travel getting there and returning home, one or two 10 day trips and various long weekend trips throughout the year.

 

[mickeyd]

I do not budget for fun stuff.

 

[NW-Bound]

I did not answer this poll when the thread was started in Sep 2010. I missed it because I was RV'ing at that time.

I only add up the cost of each trip after it ends. So, I do not have a budget per se, but with our style of travel, I picked "$10K to $20K" because that has been the range of actual expenses.

In order to spend more, we need to change our style to a more extravagant one, and I will not do that because we like the way we do it now. Or we can travel more, but that is not possible either because I am getting old and more is not necessarily better.

For you RV'ers and vacation home owners, do the best you can to figure out what you are spending on vacation/travel...

Would that include or exclude the cost of the mortgage, depreciation (RV), maintenance, repairs, etc.?

Go wild. If you think it fits within the general category of vacations/repairs, then include it.

I do not include the cost of the 2nd home, because it's not travel. It's well, just another home.

RV'ing on the other hand is real travel. And I alternate between long RV treks and long international trips.

 

[brett]

We don't have a budget. We probably spend about 20K USD per year. Sometimes more sometimes less. The only exception was a six/seven month trip immediately after retirement.

We do two 2 month international trips per year. One during the winter (just came back) and the other typically in late Sept/Oct timeframe. Both are independent,spontaneous land travels.

Plus a few shorter ones in between. A last minute AI, or a planned AI with my daughter and family at Christmas.

 

[Col. Klink]

Traveled all over the world during my years of w*rk. Brought the DW and kids along on extended projects. Now, very content doing road trips in the beautiful USA. We stay at decent hotels (I like Hilton Garden Inns), and like to sample the local craft brewery at the end of the drive each day. I would be happy never getting on another airplane. This keeps the travel expense each year toward the lower end of the range …. approx. $4K.

 

[sengsational]

... and like to sample the local craft brewery at the end of the drive each day.

I agree this is a nice way to plan an evening in a random town along the route. You often find an interesting part of town you'd never have found, interesting restaurant in that neighborhood, and interesting people there too. This is our modus operandi on road trips. They don't always turn out fantastic, but they're always more interesting than eating at the big chain restaurant near the hotel.

I do not budget for fun stuff.

I only add up the cost of each trip after it ends. So, I do not have a budget per se,

I don't have a budget for anything, including travel, but I record all spending and report on it (ie add it up after it ends). The reason is kind of to get the "gee-whiz" (non actionable) result. Or maybe it's to be able to think back and say was trip "X" really 10 times as fun as trip "Y" (when the per day cost of X was ten times the price of Y). That does go into the planning of the next trip, I suppose.

 

[NW-Bound]

... I don't have a budget for anything, including travel, but I record all spending and report on it (ie add it up after it ends). The reason is kind of to get the "gee-whiz" (non actionable) result. Or maybe it's to be able to think back and say was trip "X" really 10 times as fun as trip "Y" (when the per day cost of X was ten times the price of Y). That does go into the planning of the next trip, I suppose.

I enjoy all of our trips, and never compare one to another. I have always got something out of each of them, and they give different experiences.

About the accounting, it's just running Quicken to download every charge, then to click on each item and say it's travel-related as appropriate. Our style of travel stays fairly consistent, and we never had to worry about having to up the WR at the end of each trip.

 

[sengsational]

I enjoy all of our trips, and never compare one to another. I have always got something out of each of them, and they give different experiences.

Totally true, but the techie in me can't help analyzing things, hehe! There's a lot of value in having a diverse set of travel experiences, so, yeah, each event gets appreciated.

 

[Lsbcal]

Missed this poll for 9 years. We are on the high budget end but don’t usually spend it all. Our trips are $250 to $500/day. I think we average around 40 days per year.

 

[Dtail]

Sounds like some folks are indirectly budgeting if they keep track of the actual expenses and how it plays into their overall spending for the year.
I do budget for the whole year and this helps to see what trips at what estimated costs we can take. This doesn't mean we artificially limit a specific trip expense while we are enjoying the actual trip.
6 of one, half a dozen of another.......

 

[Teacher Terry]

I think experiences can be hard to compare. We spent 5k for 7 day cruise and 3 extra days in NOLO. Yet we took a month car trip with our dogs and stayed in motels for 4K driving 4K miles. Totally different experiences.

 

[kgtest]

Totally true, but the techie in me can't help analyzing things, hehe! There's a lot of value in having a diverse set of travel experiences, so, yeah, each event gets appreciated.

+1. I simply just like knowing and knowing allows for simple comparison. I track a rough level of expenses for our travel each time we get home, I don't necessarily budget for it though but do like to have a rough idea of what airfare + lodging + transportation will cost before I go.

10 days in Sarasota ~ 2600
6 Days in West Palm Beach ~ 2100 No frequent fliers but 16% off AirBnb with the chase freedom deal right now

4 Days up north at the cottage ~ 200 (FIL pay lodging)
5 Day road trip in the Denali to Memphis ~ 300 in gas plus some groceries we stay with friends

5 Days out east to visit sis ~ 100 used frequent fliers, stayed with sis and topped her tank off for the airport taxi ride.


So it looks like 2019 will be around $6000. for 30days of travel away from our home...or about $200/day which is basically in line with what it costs us to live at our own home everyday for a family of 4.