I think your hints have great merit and your writing style is sharp and funny.

Apparently some Fodorites were born without the irony gene. Let no good deed go unpunished in Fodorville.

Drink and back scratcher. Well worth the $ I'm sure!

Great photos on your other post.

I think a lot of Fodorites bring their servants with them when they travel, so they don't have to worry about the details.

The first thing you learn about Coke in Paris is that is what it costs EVERYWHERE--in fact, that was pretty cheap, and it's been 3 years since DDIL ordered them!

In Paris, most places out on the street charge 2€ for a can, but some of the places charge just 1€. If I needed that stuff, I would probably get it out of the machines in the metro stations -- 2€ for the 50cl plastic bottles. In a café, you get the teensy bottle for about 4.50€ in a tourist area.

Ask for a glass of water when ordering your coffee. It's included in the price and has become an ordinary request among customers.

I want something other than how I live at home when I travel. Big box hotels, fast cars( that posting cracked me up) fine foods , tv's,and movies are easy to do at home. I go to learn and experience other cultures. Riding in a cheap tut tut in Thailand is great fun, so is riding the metro, or train or bus in Europe. These things are either not available or unsafe in the states. Drink wine if you don't like warm beer. I agree, the cooler stuff really isn't "cool". Sshephard, your ideas are "cool" and you won't have to worry about the fodor's group that is sleeping in a top hotel, your paths won't cross.

"Riding in a cheap tut tut in Thailand is great fun, so is riding the metro, or train or bus in Europe. These things are either not available or unsafe in the states."


there is nothing exotic about riding a metro in Paris ,train in Spain or a bus in Rome - it is the best way to get around.

I wonder, where in the States it is so unsafe to use the public transit?
As for avoiding " fine foods" " to learn and experience other cultures." - eating good, fresh, well prepared food IS a big part of European culture .

1# New Orleans
#2 We think it's "fun" to ride trains, etc. in addition to being practical
#3 You can eat fresh, good food at a mom and pop place just like the locals do.

No one would call me a cheapskate (least of all my husband), more like spendthrift! But, I can appreciate this post as I think most of us like to get value for their $$.

My value tips for Europe:

1) Always choose well located hotels near public transportation. I really hate taking taxis in Europe.

2) Shop at the regular supermarkets! My thing is not diet coke, it is bottled water, so I immediately run out and get water to drink during my trip.

3) Eat/drink like the locals. If I'm in Prague, I love to get their fresh pilsner. It is delicious at usually less than $1 a glass! I love getting a 1/2 carafe of wine in France or enjoying an excellent meal of bistro food.

4) Never ever eat breakfast at the hotel unless it is included in the price.

5) Picnic at parks! So many European cities have fantastic parks. One of my fondest memories is of having a huge stein of beer at the Englisher Garden in Munich eating the picnic food that we purchased at the Viktualienmarkt.

There are so many more tips of course, but these are my five for now.

Happy travels everyone!

kangamom - like your tips!

Thank you for posting, sshephard. Great tips!

sshephard~ Don't get me wrong, I love this post and your tips.

But just because I am willing to pay $8 for a sandwich when I am hungry and stuck in an airport & that I am willing to pay a bit more to have chilled beer or white wine...

does NOT mean I'm into fancy hotels, big cars, etc. I have no idea what Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 1995 even means in this context!

I think you are a bit overexaggerating for the sake of humor (which is OK because you are funny!).

Sorry, suze, my wine comment wasn't aimed at you, nor were any of my other nearly snide comments. The Lafite Rothchild wine I mentioned sells for $1300 a bottle, but I'm no wine connoisseur. (I googled it.)

As a gift for my wife I bought a little bottle of wine in Bosnia that cost $1.25. I would have bought her a $3 big bottle but I travel with a 20" suitcase.

If I had bought her the big bottle, I would have had to leave my Crocs behind - no room for both.

Now that I mention my Crocs, I'm thinking that my next Fodors thread should be "5 Tips for Efficient Packing." What do you think?. . . .

I say let's do it!! :-)

Clarification is needed. Frugal is good. Warm beer is not. Actually, on my annual solo trip to Great Britain I watch the cost if for no other reason than to prove to my wife that I can do it. Normally I stay at B&B's paying around 35 pounds per night as I travel from town to town. But when I want a beer, I want it cold, hey being 70 years old I feel that I am entitled. :)

My tip is to ask for a carafe of water instead of buying a bottle. The carafe is free and the water tastes just fine in most places.

Roger

I understand - have one for me. :-)

To offer proof that I do drink cool or cold beers while traveling, I offer the following evidence:

http://web.mac.com/sshephard1/Beer

More seriously, here are links to some of my photos from the past month. Some of you may have seen my separate posting advertising these photos, but I thought many of the readers here may have missed them.

Aside from showing off the beauty of the many places I visited, some photos reveal that the hotels I stay at and the food I eat actually are pretty classy and/or fancy. (Not that I'm being defensive or anything.)

http://web.mac.com/sshephard1/Portra...e_2008_01.html

http://web.mac.com/sshephard1/Portra...e_2008_02.html

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm convinced. And I appreciate a man who loves beer (warm or cold) and photography. Two thumbs up!

Thanks, libssmfamily. Also, I've decided I don't like the word "warm" as a descriptor for some of the beer I drank. Instead, I prefer "market shelf temperature," which is no doubt a bit higher than the "cellar temperature" I keep my wine collection. (I've got a bottle of Boone's Farm Apple Cider 1973 just waiting for the right occasion. Do I drink that with white meat or red? Perhaps it is best served with hemlock.)

Ahh, Boones Farm....brings back wonderful memories of ye ol'college days when it ran through my blood stream on a regular basis. Maybe those that never drank it are the same ones that won't travel on the cheap. Make sure the screw top stays wet, wouldn't want it to dry out.