How do you determine if something is "worth it"?
 

More and more there are so many posts about whether 1st class on trains or planes is worth the added expense, or whether a certain hotel is worth the extra money.<BR>How do you determine this answer? To some people their main objective is to get from point A to point B. But to others, how they go is important. For everyone who thinks a little more space and luxury, more comfortable seats, or an added meal is worth extra money, there is always someone else who thinks it isn't. <BR>How difficult is it to figure that if first class costs more, then it is up to the individual traveler whether some extra class and comfort are worth that money? How is anyone else to make that determination for you? Is this any different than asking "is a Mercedes worth more than a Honda?" or "should I order the chopped steak or is the filet mignon worth the extra money?"

I agree, "worth it" is extremely subjective. <BR>For example: I'm shocked when I see what some of the posters here pay for a meal in a fancy restaurant with a bottle of wine. <BR>No dinner, no matter how fine, would be worth that price to me, when I need the money for things that interest me more. I just don't care about food enough. But they report it was well worth it. <BR>

I agree, but imagine that some of the posters are very new at traveling abroad and just want some input from others' experiences. It's all about values, but I suppose that unless you've saved $$ at a 2 star hotel and spend that $$ on a wonderful dinner, or piece of jewelry, or whatever that you love, you don't have a point of reference. It comes with experience; at one time a bathroom down the hall was ok; now it's not, but I will ride in 2nd class in TGV, etc.

And also-- I always wonder about posters wanting The Very Best hotel, restaurant, hill village; that is so subjective, too; best for whom and for what? "Best", as with beauty, seems to be in the eye (or perhaps, in this case, the experience) of beholder.

I think , that the older a person gets, the more things that used to not be important are more so now-<BR>better hotels-worth it<BR>better restaurants-worth it<BR>time of year-worth it<BR>but at the same time, if the only way I could travel was roughing it and I was capable, I would do it, because it boils right down to <BR>being able to go at all is worth it to me!

It is all relative to where you are in life and your career. <BR><BR>When my wife and I were young I was drafted during Viet Nam and luckily stationed in Germany. We had "zero" money but wanted to see Europe so we did. Bought a VW and headed out every chance we got. We ate sandwiches in the car that we made from peanut butter we bought at the PX and we stayed in people's homes and small hotels. Slept in the VW one night in Garmisch because we could not afford the $15 for a hotel more than one night. We had no credit cards so we carried cash for everything. And...we had a great time and saw a great deal of Europe.<BR><BR>Now it is 30 years later and we have been very fortunate in our business. We get to Europe or other places two or three times a year. We can afford 1st class and we do it sometimes. The cost is not that great compared to our income coming in now as the cheap places were 30 years ago. We can afford the $500 rooms and not get too concerned about it. But you know something....I still look back on those younger days in Europe, scrimping money to see Paris or go to Rome, and I would not take a million dollars for any of that. <BR><BR>All of you young posters out there keep going to Europe anyway you can. You will not remember some stuffy restaurant but you will remember the sights, sounds and the funny things that happen to you. Enjoy and forget about 1st class or any class...the memories will still be fantastic.

How can you decide if it's "worth" it, until you've "done" it?

Earl's post is right on the money. I lived in Paris in my early 20's and was really poor, but I had bought a Eurail pass before I left the states and used it on the weekends for day trips, so I would not have to pay for hotels. God looking back on those days when I would eat nothing all week just to have a little money to see a museum or send some letters back home just blows me away. <BR><BR>Ten years later, a college degree, wonderful husband and move to Zurich, we have worked our tails off. And now when we go away, we stay at fine hotels and splurge on food. Some people like dvds and fancy cars, we like eating well and travelling. Earl is right, it is the memories that count, no matter what class you are travelling in. I think you certainly appreciate the finer things in life though when in the not-too-recent past those things were only in your dreams.

Ah, Earl, you "miss the hungry years..." as the song said.<BR><BR>I think when people ask that they are looking for criteria to help them make a decision. For example, when forced to choose between two places, I assume that I might not be back somewhere for many years, and possibly may not be able to drive or hike around so much then. So I pick the one that is 'least easy' to visit, logistically, i.e. one which bests suits car over train. Nothing to do with 'worth it' - but it helps my decision. <BR><BR>Sometimes, too, a place is 'worth it' in its own right, but logistically going 10 hours out of one's way for a single night might not be 'worth it'.

It will sound elitist, but I gauge many expensive things by the yardstick of how long does it take me to make that much money, and what is the incremental cost. 50 to 100% more, to make a 2 hr train trip in first class, for example, is still only $40 to $60. No big deal for one person and probably not even for lots of couples.<BR><BR>By contrast, I might expend quite a bit of mental energy to try to knock 30% off a $900 coach seat on a trans-atlantic flight. And that's especially true if it's for our family of five.<BR>

I had a very wise and very wealthy elderly decorating client a few years ago. She had spent her life as a major traveler continuing long after her husband had died, and whenever I went to see her she wanted to know all about where I had been most recently.<BR>Her home was filled with expensive furniture, art, and knick-knacks, but she always said -- "I could lose everything I have. There could be a fire and I'd have none of my 'precious' things. I could lose all my money. But no one can ever take away from me the memories I have from my travels." <BR>That has become my gage for whether something is worth it. Will this expensive meal in this famous restaurant be something I will remember? If I take that very expensive hot air balloon trip over Cappodocia will I always remember it? <BR>I'm not sure that I always make the right decision, but I must agree with my dear old friend, no one can take away my travel memories and they are now worth more to me than buying expensive things. I can much more easily justify spending money on nearly anything relating to travel than I can on buying more "things".

I really like Patrick's way of judging if an expense is worth it on the basis of him remembering the experience or not.<BR><BR>Apart from that, it's indeed difficult to know if something is worth its price. It depends on your income. 40 $ for a 1st class train ticket, or 200 $ for a private luxury sleeper can be a big deal for someone, and an unimportant expense for someone else. It depends on your taste. As long I get a bed and a roof over my head, I couldn't care less if the hotel I stay in is a luxury or a cheap one (with the exception of some historical buildings, like the paradores in Spain, for instance). So, paying 100 $/ night in a hotel appears to me as a total waste of money. On the other hand, I wouldn't mind spending money in a restaurant if the meal is "worth it" in my opinion. Other people will feel the other way around.<BR><BR>On the other hand, there are cases when someone can't have a clue about something being "worth it" or not. Anybody has a clue about what a comfortable hotel or a luxury restaurant is like, but someone who never took the TGV can't know the "added value" of a first class ticket. The fact is that the difference between a 2nd class and a first class seat in a train is much less important than on a plane. So, if someone can answer "you'll have a little more leg room and the you'll be able to have a (mediocre) meal served at your seat and the price difference is X dollars" or to describe a second class couchette, a first class couchette, a second class sleeper, a luxury sleeper, etc...the poster will then be able to figure out if the difference is worth it for him or not in *his* opinion.<BR><BR>

As a 57 year old, comfortable, happily married and one who enjoys traveling, I can only say that Patrick is right on with his views. We like upper class air travel, 5 star hotels and good food. "Is it worth it" to me means if you are going to do something you should satisfy yourself that you have done everything that you can to be sure that it was worth the effort.

todd get a life, you can see the same sights, arrive on the same plane and have the same 8 hours of rest without spending an arm and a leg.

The greatest joy in travel for me is meeting people. In my experience, it is much easier to meet "real" locals (not restaurant/hotel staff etc) when staying in small 1* hotels, eating in local restaurants etc., etc. In the 5***** star establishments, which we could afford, you only meet rich Europeans, Americans and Japanese. Boring!<BR>When was the last time (during your travels) that you were invited for lunch or dinner at somebody's home? Happens to us all the time. Also: the poorer the country, the friendlier and more hospitable the people.

I agree with the posters above relative to the cost of things and whether or not they are worth it--very subjective. But what about the posters who want to know if Pompeii is worth it; if standing in line at the Uffizi is worth it; lots of places and sites in Europe "are they worth it?" <BR><BR>Since I had to wait until I was in my 60s to get to Europe, it is very difficult for me to understand that since just the privilege of going is so wonderful--how would they dare even question the worth of this or that. It seems so jaded. <BR><BR>Additionally, when you are contemplating a trip anywhere, don't you reference where you are going through either books or the net? It is second nature for me and difficult to understand that such an endeavor would be undertaken without any planning at all, particularly before posting a question here.<BR><BR>Perhaps I'm just envious of these young people getting such an early start on their travels. But hope they will realize what a privilege it is to see the world and they should treasure all their experiences, no matter what they see or where they go.<BR><BR>j

I like the idea someone here said about it's all being relative. To me, evaluating an experience is a bit like looking at mountains in the distance - impossible to judge how high they really are unless there is something in the foreground to give perspective. And when discussing such a thing with someone else, everyone has to be on the same 'page' with regard to personal experience, and that's often not the case. Most of us have different personal histories, quantitative and qualitative.<BR><BR>For example, I have no experience with a US$300 hotel room/meal/concert ticket so I couldn't judge if spending $400 or $500 for the same item is 'worth it.' But I can see how those with lots of experience with hotels in the $300 category could.

Joanne, I do understand your feeling about feeling privileged to travel and appreciating it, but people can "dare" to question whatever they want, don't you think? For some, spending two hours over a coffee in a cafe or one painting in a museum is worth the time; for others spending more than $50 on a meal would never be worth the money. I just wish we could all remember that we all make choices about spending time and money, and that we don't know each other's interests and circumstances. Even if we did, still no reason to pass judgments, in my opinion.<BR>"Worth it" questions, as others have said, are essentially impossible to answer. All I can ever say is whether something was worth it to ME.

Hi<BR>I agree with Sjeord. <BR> We could afford the 5* but I do not personnally think they are the best. Ironically depending on location, 2 and 3 stars are much better. How do you evaluate? location!!! Many of the 5 star you are paying for room service, exercise rooms, more TV channels, bigger rooms. We plan not to be in the room for the most part,get our exercise on walking tours and hiking, are too tired to watch the TV and as long as it is quiet, has a bath/shower, and in a great location is plenty. Our "splurge" was a 3star for location in the Swiss Alps that had a CD player loaded with classical music, a gorgeous balcony overlooking the Jungfrau and big enough for a picnic. The people are usually great. Now we are both retiring and at least we will not have to get use to a lesser life style, with the money we saved we can continue traveling the way we enjoy.<BR>Oh and we have shared rooms with another couple (once due to capacity and lack of a reservation, once by choice) They were some of the best nights we spent sharing the experiences and planning. <BR><BR>One last thing, sometimes people think the 5* and the highest priced everything will make the trip hassel free and perfect. Perfect does not always bring the best memories of people you meet and unexpected circumstances (one of my favorite trip momemts is a picture of the 4 of us with the police in Florence at the impound lot). This gets back to the great memories!!!<BR>Happy travels everyone!

Only the person can judge what is worth it to himself. When I am researching for a trip, if my heart races when I see what is offered, to me that is worth it. I was researching garden tours in Tuscany last year, and my excitement grew with each page I turned in the research. To another person they may run the other way at the offer of a garden tour. <BR>If I am shown a room with a fab. view in Taormina, my heart races so it is worth it. We have to make our hearts and our souls happy, be it in expensive or inexpensive surroundings.

I do believe it is all relative. There are certain things I will splurge on, others I won't.<BR><BR>I won't pay extra to stay in a hotel "on the bay" or "with a view" since I'm at the hotel to sleep and shower, not to admire the view. However, I will pay to have my own bathroom and to have clean amenities. Saving a buck one time found bugs in my luggage and a less than clean room.<BR><BR>Normally I will fly coach. But after traveling recently with my mom, who while younger than most has terribly bad knees, I vow that if we travel together again, I will go business class for her comfort at least.<BR><BR>It comes down to comfort and preference I guess. I agree with the person who said "If I take the hot air balloon that costs $XXX...I'll remember it for my life" I've had many experiences in Europe and at home like that, and haven't yet regretted handing over the bucks to pay for them. But I do have friends who stopped going to baseball games when bleacher seats went up to $16, so go figure.

That proves it is all relative, I would pay for the view room gladly, even if just to wake up and go to sleep with a view, but would skip the hot air balloons. No one could ever tell me if something is worth it, unless I know that person well enough to know they know me well enough.

You are all correct. There is no one answer. Some of our best experiences in Europe have been absolutely free or very inexpensive. Some of our best have been very expensive.....but worth it at the time.<BR><BR>My belief is that if you have the money and can afford it....go for it and enjoy. There are no baggage racks on hearses and you will all have money in some account the day you die. Enjoy what you can afford and don't look back.<BR><BR>Me? Been to Europe 25+ times. Heading to China in September. Yahoo!

A bit of a digression, but in same ball park: just tonite I talked to my 2 sisters-in-law who had consultations with plastic surgeon today re face lifts. These women are not wealthy; all I could think of was how many trips to Europe they could have for the price of these surgeries! Just depends upon values, as we've all said above!

topping my favourite thread!

ttt

I liked this thread and thought it should be continued. When we travel I want no less then what I have at home. I live a comfortable life in NYC and want the same if not better when I travel. I want a 3+ star hotel, a convienet location , most 4/5 star hotels are usually in business districts. I wnat to eat in local cafes and places where the locals eat. I don't care about michelin stars, but i will spend for hotels, tours,tickets and what ever trinkets make me happy.<BR>Do we splurge for first class on the eurostar ? Never had too, usually so many empty cars we end up being only people in car and I can walk to get my own lunch. Will I take a cab over the subway YES I do it at home I do when we travel. Do we rent a large car when we travel, yes We drive a luxury car & SUV at home and don;t want to sacrifcy the safety in a tiny European Car. At home we prefer a small ethnic restaurant Instead of the trendy ones with the pompous Opus One Swilling In Crowd . I guess it is really ones personal taste

Something is worth it if you enjoyed the reseults of the decision and would do it again the same way.<BR>

I seldom post just to say I agree, but Myer, I totally agree with your assessment of "worth it." (See Myer's reply right above this one)