Travel- How often, how long, how much $$?

[Koolau]

Air is getting harder on us as we age. We are in our early 70's. One more extended snowbird trip to Thailand/Vietnam and Australia is in the plans.

Followed by what will be our last long flight snowbird trip. Hopefully we can get to spend 8 or 9 sun filled weeks in in Kenya and Tanzania.

After that....it will probably be Mexico or Costa Rica/Panama each winter.

Do you spend extra for the 1st class or "pod" seats? We have been congratulating our selves for spending extra on the "coach-plus" seats - 4 extra inches! As we're in our late 70s, we're thinking about springing for the next level up in the future.

 

[brett]

Do you spend extra for the 1st class or "pod" seats? We have been congratulating our selves for spending extra on the "coach-plus" seats - 4 extra inches! As we're in our late 70s, we're thinking about springing for the next level up in the future.

We do mix. It depends on how we feel, the pricing, the airline.

We have done business class pod seats for the 17 hr flight to Singapore.

This past May we did premium economy on TAP to Lisbon/Madeira. We alwys check what the actual difference is on premium economy based on the airline and on the equipment.

We have no problem doing ten hours in economy. The challenge for us is when we have three flights. 2 hr, 10 hour, and another 10 hr with 2-4 hours between each one. By the time we get on the last leg we are bagged. Now, when we come home from Australia we do two one ways. First leg is HNL. Stay for two or three days, then get another flight home.

 

[Koolau]

We do mix. It depends on how we feel, the pricing, the airline.

We have done business class pod seats for the 17 hr flight to Singapore.

This past May we did premium economy on TAP to Lisbon/Madeira. We alwys check what the actual difference is on premium economy based on the airline and on the equipment.

We have no problem doing ten hours in economy. The challenge for us is when we have three flights. 2 hr, 10 hour, and another 10 hr with 2-4 hours between each one. By the time we get on the last leg we are bagged. Now, when we come home from Australia we do two one ways. First leg is HNL. Stay for two or three days, then get another flight home.

That is an amazing flying schedule. We are fortunate that our home-base is two flights at about 5 and 4 hours. By the time we get ground trans. to final destination, we're looking at perhaps 15+ hours door to door. Still doable with economy plus flights. I couldn't even think in terms of 10 hour or especially 17 hour flights - even in economy plus. SO glad you are able to do the pods or similar for such long flights.

 

[brett]

That is an amazing flying schedule. We are fortunate that our home-base is two flights at about 5 and 4 hours. By the time we get ground trans. to final destination, we're looking at perhaps 15+ hours door to door. Still doable with economy plus flights. I couldn't even think in terms of 10 hour or especially 17 hour flights - even in economy plus. SO glad you are able to do the pods or similar for such long flights.

We have done five winters in Thailand/SE Asia/Australia. Our plan is one more.

The flights are long whether we have one or we have two layovers. But....we go for 8-10 weeks. Would not do this for a three week trip.

We are off to Zihautanejo for three weeks Mexico an easy, direct 5 hour flight for us.

 

[Jimonlimon]

I rode the city bus or light rail to work for most of 30 years, so I'm used to unassigned economy seating.

Every time I've priced out first class vs. economy it's $50 to $100 more PER HOUR! I'd sit on a milk crate outside the lavatory to save $1000 on a round trip.

Obviously it depends on your personal budget and whether you have available points and upgrades. I guess if I was at risk for blood clots my life would be worth the upgrade. For now I'll just stand up and stretch whenever I get a chance.

 

[Koolau]

I rode the city bus or light rail to work for most of 30 years, so I'm used to unassigned economy seating.

Every time I've priced out first class vs. economy it's $50 to $100 more PER HOUR! I'd sit on a milk crate outside the lavatory to save $1000 on a round trip.

Obviously it depends on your personal budget and whether you have available points and upgrades. I guess if I was at risk for blood clots my life would be worth the upgrade. For now I'll just stand up and stretch whenever I get a chance.

The few times I've ridden a train (and a few more times on a city bus) there's a lot more room than in economy on a plane. My old bones and muscles just don't bend like a pretzel any more. So, economy plus seems the sweet spot so far.

 

[jcfradio]

Just finishing up a month in Ecuador travelling around the country with a couple of friends. With only a couple of days left, it looks like the total cost should be about $4000 USD for 29 days including Business class airfare to Quito from Canada. We do this by renting AirBnB houses and apartments with 3 bedrooms, taking the intercity buses between towns, generally eating 1 big restaurant meal and then breakfast and a second lighter meal at our houses. We are all 65'ish so we feel comfortable making our own travel plans (so no tour companies), sharing local cabs etc.

Now if DW was travelling with me...that would be a different story!

 

[Koolau]

Just finishing up a month in Ecuador travelling around the country with a couple of friends. With only a couple of days left, it looks like the total cost should be about $4000 USD for 29 days including Business class airfare to Quito from Canada. We do this by renting AirBnB houses and apartments with 3 bedrooms, taking the intercity buses between towns, generally eating 1 big restaurant meal and then breakfast and a second lighter meal at our houses. We are all 65'ish so we feel comfortable making our own travel plans (so no tour companies), sharing local cabs etc.

Now if DW was travelling with me...that would be a different story!

I'm game. What's the story?

 

[jcfradio]

I'm game. What's the story?

Nothing too exciting/special/sinister. DW likes her accomodations to be more "comfortable" than some of the rustic Air BnB's that me and my friends partake of. Also, I am much more willing to tolerate 6 to 8 hour bus rides on intercity buses in South America than she would be; her preferences are flights from A to B rather than schlepping through the countryside on a bus.

That said, she allows me to do several weeks a year of travel on my own to places that she has no interest in seeing, so I can't complain.

 

[Koolau]

Nothing too exciting/special/sinister. DW likes her accomodations to be more "comfortable" than some of the rustic Air BnB's that me and my friends partake of. Also, I am much more willing to tolerate 6 to 8 hour bus rides on intercity buses in South America than she would be; her preferences are flights from A to B rather than schlepping through the countryside on a bus.

That said, she allows me to do several weeks a year of travel on my own to places that she has no interest in seeing, so I can't complain.

Heh, heh, maybe DW is not willing to take a chance on this:

 

[HoneyBadger]

Pulling the FIRE trigger 5/31/23. DW and I are taking a US tour, three months in living in our minivan, with the odd night in a hotel scattered throughout; definitely a low budget trip. In 2024, we're planning 9 months in Europe, doing our best to live simply and cheaply. Not sure what it will cost, but we hope to cook most meals ourselves, and eat with the locals otherwise. We don't require top-notch accommodations, and we're more interested in soaking in the local atmosphere than in partying and high-dollar experiences.

 

[explanade]

Um you can't stay more than 90 days in the Schengen zone without a visa of some kind ...

 

[Badger]

Pulling the FIRE trigger 5/31/23. DW and I are taking a US tour, three months in living in our minivan, with the odd night in a hotel scattered throughout; definitely a low budget trip. In 2024, we're planning 9 months in Europe, doing our best to live simply and cheaply. Not sure what it will cost, but we hope to cook most meals ourselves, and eat with the locals otherwise. We don't require top-notch accommodations, and we're more interested in soaking in the local atmosphere than in partying and high-dollar experiences.

That sounds so much like my travels/vacations in the late 70s to late 80s in my VW bus. Occasionally we would pitch a tent. If it was summer we would be gone for at least a month. We went all over Canada and the US except for the north west. Later we would go to Alaska, Washington, BC, and Alberta but flying with our backpacking gear and renting a van. It was just too far to drive a VW at 55mph. Great fun! I would still do it and sleeping on the ground would not be an issue except for getting down and up from the ground. You are going to have so much fun.

Cheers!

 

[HoneyBadger]

Um you can't stay more than 90 days in the Schengen zone without a visa of some kind ...

Yes, we'll start in western Europe for the first 90, then do the British Isles/Middle East/Egypt/rim of Africa for 90 days, then do eastern Europe. At least that's the plan now, twelve months out. We've also been exploring different Visas that we might be able to apply for, so that we can skip the 90-90-90 plan.