Who does NOT want to travel after FIRE?

[Sheryl]

Hey stop it, this thread is wierding me out 

I want to travel. Maybe get a boat and go around the world. Or go live on a canal boat in England. Or change countries each year. Travel, travel, travel.

Yeah, me too!

I love to travel. One of the main reasons I want to RE is to travel. But, as Eagle said, I want to be like Billy and Akaisha

I don't want to "be on vacation" or be a tourist, going to touristy sites and museums all the time. I just want to find an interesting town or city, rent a room or apartment, and get to know the place and the people, and just experience what it's like to live somewhere else.

Everywhere I go I imagine, what would it be like to live here? I think my perfect lifestyle will be living at home in the PNW for the summer and exploring new places the other six eleven months of the year.

I'm sure we will become more homebodies as we age, that's why I feel such a sense of urgency to get out there and FIRE before it's too late - I've already lost some of the enthusiasm I used to have for tents and sleeping bags....

 

[Dawg52]

Conditions under which I would enjoy traveling:

Good sex
Someone else is paying
JG

Oh really?

 

[wildcat]

Or maybe a Florida or Mississippi summer would do the same thing.

Can be described by saying - "Whew, I just walked out and got the mail. Time for a shower."

Good sex
Someone else is paying

Someone else paying for the good sex?

As a few others pointed out, I love to travel but the airlines suck. Being kind of tall I get restless after an hour or so. I just can't get comfortable lodged in a tiny space. If I didn't want to travel anymore I would live close to my favorite US travel spot. Couple hours in the car and I would get to experience my ideal vacation whenever I felt the urge 8)

 

[MJ]

I plan to try perpetual travelling around various parts of the world. The physical wear and tear of travelling should be minimal when you find a place and settle in for several months or longer. Don't know if I'll like it at my age but I'm going to give it a try.

MJ

 

[lazyday]

Sounds like you might need to move to either a small town in rural America or to a sleepy country in the EU.

Either one sounds nice. But not too soon, and not for too long.
Someday (maybe), and for under a year, unless it really works out.
No rush. 8) (closest icon to lazy)

 

[FlowGirl]

Spouse and I love to travel and looking forward to doing more in retirement. We also like doing things at a slower pace - most of our trips have been at least 4 weeks and could have easily stretched out to 3 times that amount if we had the time. Currently here on the beach in Goa for 3-4 days. If we were already retired and this wasn't the high season we would stay for a month or two. Decent rooms in the off season go for $10/night and a fantastic seafood dinner(with beer) adds up to about $6 for two people.

The appeal of travel for us are seeing new places, eating new foods, and meeting interesting people. We've liked at least half the places we have lived (including our current location in Japan), but just aren't homebodies. I also like the simplified living that comes from not having many bills to pay, car/home to maintain, and stuff accumulating around us - the PT lifestyle will probably suit us fine for at least a few years after retirement. But who knows, priorities do change sometimes.

 

[Spanky]

We love to travel to see new places, try new food, learn about the culture, interact with the locals. I really enjoy the Amazing Race TV show and hope that I can be in the show or travel to those places.

 

[Lancelot]

Spouse and I love to travel and looking forward to doing more in retirement.  We also like doing things at a slower pace - most of our trips have been at least 4 weeks and could have easily stretched out to 3 times that amount if we had the time.  Currently here on the beach in Goa for 3-4 days.  If we were already retired and this wasn't the high season we would stay for a month or two.  Decent rooms in the off season go for $10/night and a fantastic seafood dinner(with beer) adds up to about $6 for two people. 

FlowGirl,

You guys are in Goa? Cool, it's on my travel list as well.

Can you tell us (or PM Lance) more about Goa?!?

Merry Christmas!

 

[Eagle43]

FlowGirl,
Me too.  If you're not going to post, please PM about Goa.  $10 a nite?  Now that's a bargain.  Eagle likes bargains. 
Thanks

 

[sailor]

Currently here on the beach in Goa for 3-4 days. If we were already retired and this wasn't the high season we would stay for a month or two. Decent rooms in the off season go for $10/night and a fantastic seafood dinner(with beer) adds up to about $6 for two people.

Wow - Goa (as everywhere elese) changes.
I was in Goa in '95 and 3 person hotel room room was around 110 rupees ( at 35 rupees to a USD this was around $3), a decent meal for a person was about 40 rupees ( ~ 1.10 USD ).
Have you tried local alcohol made from coconuts? It has a good kick.
What we didn't like in Goa was a multitude of peddlers - Goa/Panaji is considered a very touristy place in India. We were there also little "off season" - just after the monsoons in October.
How is it there now?

sailor

 

[HFWR]

I enjoy some travel, and there's plenty of the USA and the "world" I haven't seen. Guess it'll depend on the size of the port...

 

[FlowGirl]

Goa is great! We flew in from Delhi, and spent 2 nights in the state capital city of Panjim which was really delightful.  There's some great European style architecture there and its fun just to stroll around.   The best meals we've had in India so far have been in Panjim and I can give you some specific reccomendations if you need them.  On our second day in the city we rented bicycles (about 15 cents per hour) and rode them out along a scenic 9 km stretch out to the ruins of the Portugese Old Goa.  Really amazing - lots of well preserved cathedrals that rival some of the smaller cities in Europe.  

On the 3rd day we hopped a city bus (25 cents each) up to the beach area of Calangute where we are chilling out in a private cottage near the beach.  Again, the food has been excellent and cheap.  A large Kingfisher beer which serves up two glasses costs about a dollar, and main courses average $1-$3.  This area is bustling with tourists, but not nearly as many as I expected - some of the other beach areas are more secluded, but I think more expensive.

There are some pandhandlers here but they are not that aggressive.    It is not nearly as bad as we experienced in the touristy parts of Delhi and Agra. You will get asked for a taxi or to look in a local shop frequently while walking down the street, but they only ask once - very friendly. It is India however, so if you're not used to third world travel be prepared for some dirt and poverty.  The beaches, however are suprisingly spotless and the streets are much cleaner than anywhere else we've seen in the country.  The weather is warm and the atmosphere is very relazed - I highly recommend it.

The only downside is that we are here at the highest part of the high season so paying about triple-quadruple the standard room rate (we paid about $20 in Panjim and $40 for our beach cottage).  Avoid the two weeks around Christmas and you can cut this rate in half, more if you go in the off season.  Our rooms in both places have been really nice, clean, quiet, doubles with private bath.  You can probably find cheaper if you're going solo and willing to share a bathroom.

If you have any more specific questions just let me know.  We're heading up to Mumbai tomorrow on a sleeper train and further north from there.  Goa has been a great place to restore our energy for the rest of the trip.

 

[RockMiner]

DW just *loves* to travel.  I'm sort of indifferent to reluctant unless it involves a specific interest or hobby.  Nature is wonderful, but most cities strike me as things to avoid    The process of getting to some distant land is not very enjoyable, and often not worth the cost just to see/hear/eat different objects. I know that sounds a little harsh to some people.

This attitude is a good thing for ER finances...give me a good book and glass of red by the fire over the airport any day.  DW already knows that I won't be a constant travel companion and is OK with that.  

 

[sailor]

I have a solution for all you people hating airports.
How about a nice liveaboard sailboat?
When you are FIREd, you are not in a hurry, aren't you?

In years to come we plan to travel in our own sailboat.

 

[Lancelot]

If you have any more specific questions just let me know.  We're heading up to Mumbai tomorrow on a sleeper train and further north from there.  Goa has been a great place to restore our energy for the rest of the trip.

Great info FlowGirl! I love train travel-great scenary and a good way to meet people.

In Goa, do you have any guest house/hotel recommendations?

How long will you be in India?

Please continue with your travel adventures!

Lance

(It's a cool 60F in Bangkok tonight...)

 

[Eagle43]

Thanks, FlowGirl. How about crime, like maybe pickpockets. I like the cost of the bikes; probably could afford them.

 

[uncledrz]

For those who don't like travel for work, I'm in that camp too. Early on in my career had to work on the road, airport, hotel check in, depositions all day/trial all day, back to the hotel room or local counsel's office, prepare for the next day, out for a drink/dinner, sleep (but not too well), back to work the next morning.....
not much fun.

OTOH, travel to a different place than home, different people, different lifestyle, different food, hopefully some natural beauty, and a chance to slooooow down, I will do. Don't like the getting there, just the being there part.

 

[justin]

I'm at the point where we can afford to go on a nice little trip to somewhere like Asia or Hawaii, but I don't think we can spend more than a week or so at either of these places. With a one-way flight, we're looking at around 1 day travel time to either place. Which means 5 days of relaxation, and 2 hectic unfun travel days (minimum). I think we'll hold off till we can fit in multiple weeks or do Hawaii on a cruise or something. Sitting on a cramped plane for hours, then waiting hours on a layover, rinse, repeat is not fun.

I do love to travel though. I like buses and trains better, since you get to see some scenery. I may be a little bit "slower" than the norm.

 

[TromboneAl]

When I travel, I wish I was home wishing I was traveling.

Traveling: when things that are normally cheap or free cost a lot.

 

[Howard]

My Wife would be asked where I was, her answer, not sure, up there somewhere.

My address for almost 20 years, Seat 1A.

I have had it with airports, flight delays, mecahanical problems, I have been to most places, not too many I want to go back to, and I hate taking off my shoes at Security.

My most favourite city is London, most favourite area, the Costwolds near the Wesh Border.

Probably will go to China in the Spring, need to see our Son whom we haven't seen for almost 2 years.

 

[Kitty]

I used to love to travel found it exciting, thrilling etc.
Now I dread travel, air travel is such a hassel, from ticketing to security; not to forget lost baggage and rude employees. I enjoyed travel by motor home better than air travel. I liked having my own nest to use every night. However, even with motor homes I have had to endure rude service people lost reservations and rude, inconciderate fellow campers.
I think I will stay home; travel to see the grandchildren every year and have them visit me every year. Not perfect but not bad either.

 

[FlowGirl]

Great info FlowGirl! I love train travel-great scenary and a good way to meet people.

In Goa, do you have any guest house/hotel recommendations?

How long will you be in India?

Please continue with your travel adventures!

Lance

(It's a cool 60F in Bangkok tonight...)

We're spending about 4 weeks in India. We started from Delhi, spent a few days there then went to Agra for two days before flying to Goa. From here we are working our way back up north - planning to spend at least two weeks in Rajasthan before going back to Delhi to fly home.

In Goa I highly recommend the Hotel Mayfair in Panjim and Coco Bananna in Calangute. These are both on the upper end of the budget category, so you can probably do a lot better if you hunt around for a deal - but both very nice. In Agra the Hotel Sheela was great - a good clean room around a secluded courtyard for $10 and right outside the east gate of the Taj Mahal. I would not recommend the places we stayed in Delhi - both were pretty grotty (but extremely cheap!). We stayed in the backpacker ghetto - kind of like Kao San Road in Bangkok, but really, really dirty. The only advantage of staying there is the price and the proximity to sites in Old Delhi. We're hoping to find someplace a little nicer and quiet on our last night in Delhi.

Train travel is very cheap here - our sleeper train to Mumbai is costing us about $20 each for 2AC class (classes run 1AC, 2AC, 3AC, regular sleeper, 2nd class, unreserved). Will let you know how it goes. The express train to Agra was 2.5 hours and was $9 each for a Shatabdi train which is the best service you can get in India (free meals, free newspaper, better service than most airlines). There's a great tourist booking office at the train station in Delhi and they always hold a number of seats for tourists who purchase within 24 hours (tourist quota) - very easy to use.

Hope this helps, will post more from the road or when I get back.

 

[Lancelot]

Great info FlowGirl, I'm saving the specifics for my "Sub Continent" trip.

THANKS!

Lance

 

[astromeria]

We love to travel, but I find it tiring if we do too much day after day for weeks so I like to build in a lazy day every few days (I'm not in perfect health, which is a little limiting for us). I loved reading about FlowGirl's India trip. Last year we went to India for about a month, and it was fantastic (except for the air pollution in some areas of Northern India. All the smoky fires--including burning tires!--activated my dreaded asthma.) I will have to pay attention to air quality for future travel in the deveoping world. But I loved just being--and eating!--in India and can see ourselves living for months in South India. Meeting a variety of Indians in India (instead of just Indians who work in high tech in the US), the beautifully displayed spices and wares at the markets, lush tropical forests with pepper vines and mangoes, caressing the Arabian Sea at Cochin and the Ganges at Varanasi, placing my cheek on the Taj Mahal, experiencing art, architecture, music, and theatre so unlike Western arts, new sights, sounds, smells and tastes, and that out-of-body experience of hearing the call to prayer at sunrise--it almost sounded like it was coming from inside my head. Not to mention riding a camel and elephant NOTE camel breath is the vilest odor in the universe!

At the moment, Thailand is at the top of our wish list, but my daughter may be moving to England or Africa (or one after the other-) next summer, so I will probably visit one or both of those first.

I treated myself to Billy & Akaisha's CD for Christmas (it's here already and I can hardly wait to check it out!). I also got myself Bob Clyatt's "Work Less, Live More"--hey, this is a great site for gifts!

 

[Howard]

I did a Sleepr Car once, ended up with the top bunk, a lady traveller who I did not know, had the lower berth.

I woke up about I a.m. , it was quite cool so I asked the lady if she would mind getting me a Blanket, to which she responded, why don't we pretend we are married.?

O.K , I said, to which she responded , get your own ^&&ng blanket.