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"What to drink" is always an issue when we travel with our kids. My husband and I can often split a bottle of wine for the cost of one can of Coke. They are milk and ice tea drinkers at home, but it's usually water for them in Europe.
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I graduated from the USAF survival school. One of the Axioms they teach you is, "Eat what the monkey's eat, then eat the monkey's."
The same approach works for eating cheaply in Europe. Eating and drinking what the average locals are eating is the best way to stay on a budget as well as the best cultural experience. In most cases, however, eating the locals would be frowned on :) As far as lodging is concerned. I prefer traveling shoulder season with only a flexible itenerary. I call around in the morning for lodging at the next stop. I find I get very good prices by simply telling them what I need (an affordable room for two for two nights) and asking what they have available at what price. Let them know a bath down the hall is okay and you can pay cash if needed. You're right that many people book lodging way ahead, which means if the hotel has an empty room, less people will call for a last minute bed. They are often willing to take a low price rather than let it sit empty. |
Hi SS,
> I went to the outdoor market, picked up a banana and the vendor looked at me and said 5 Kuna....At another vendor in the same market, I asked the price and I got a banana for $.50.< I think that if you had asked the 1st vendor, instead of handling the merchandise, the price would have been lower. :) We have also found that stands near the entrance to a market are usually more expensive than those near the middle. Anyway, bananas are $0.43/lb here. >Sleep cheaply. "Fly cheap. Sleep cheap. Eat well" is my mantra. Thanks for posting. ((I)) |
<i>"Fly cheap. Sleep cheap. Eat well" is my mantra.</i>
ira, this should be the opening line for a new "Tips" book, chapter on budget smarts! Thanks for the thread, sshephard. For readers of like mind, or potentially-like-minded (i.e., just a newbie traveler), this is good food for thought stuff. |
Boones... Best served on a raft floating down a lazy river. Food optional. Wear sunscreen!
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I hear you, sshepard! I, too, am an English teacher and I'm so rich that I don't even have to work during the summer:-) I travel to Europe during spring break when fares and such are (somewhat) cheaper. I appreciate your tips...don't mind eating/drinking/shopping on the cheap but will always splurge on the hotel.
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Yes, sshephard, bravo, although it's hard to believe people can't work this out for themselves.
And, yes, Zeus. A dedicated forum for budget travellers would be good. |
Thanks to all for contributing.
It appears that there may be a competing thread poking a little fun at frugal traveling. Perhaps we inspired it. What is interesting is that there is a comment that suggests that frugal travelers are a bit snobbish. I don't see that in the posts here but who knows. . . My thinking is that there is often a degree of self-righteousness in people who have found what they think is "the way" or "the truth," including the way and truth about proper European travel. I make no such claims. Given a choice between "market temperature" beer and cold beer, I would always take the cold beer - if it didn't mean that I would have to sacrifice something much more important than beer when I traveled to Europe. And I have nothing against people who have the means to travel more luxuriantly or more comfortably than I. Really! Incidentally, I have very few fond memories of Boone's Farm. In fact Boone's Farm may have convinced me to switch to beer as a preferred beverage. |
I did not understand the snobbish comment either..
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And ira - I know it was wrong to handle the man's banana without buying it. And I should have asked "how much?" before touching it. I'll get it right next time.
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I messed up on that in Florence!!! I touched the fruit too. :-(
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It's more of a reverse snobbery really I think, to be proud of being a budget traveler.
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