Scarlett

If you had $20,000-(USD) and all the time you wanted, Where would you go?
Where would you stay? House, flat, hotel?
Would you go here and there or one place?
Would you rent a car?
Would the language make a difference, if you spoke it or not?
How long would $20,000- last in the place you would choose?
Thank you
Scarlett~

cigalechanta

jeez, Scarlett, At my dear Degas's style, $20,000 will not get me very far.

auntgrapes

Uh-oh...Scarlett is bored. No trip to plan at this moment ?
My choice would be renting a small cottage in Germany and use it as a base for travels all over Europe. I'd watch my money carefully so I could stay indefinitely.

dln

Darling husband and I were sitting just this morning on the deck of our friend's beach house in St. Pete, reading the paper. The newspaper said the Florida lottery jackpot was up to $62 million (or some other ridiculously large figure). Of course this provoked lively coffee-time musings about what we'd all do with a wad of cash like that. Frankly, the enormous possibilities and responsibilities of that kind of money repelled me, so Scarlett, I will gladly answer your much more manageable and delightful $20,000 question!

Tightwad that I am, I would not spend it all in one trip. I'd stretch it out into approximately $3,000 increments, which would provide DH and me with a two week vacation to a European destination (I'll stick to Europe this time since it's this forum) every other year for seven years, Scarlett, if you would be so generous as to allow me a $1000 budget overrun. And to make it interesting, I'd plan it so that one year it was my choice of destination, the next my husband's. With no complaining, either, and no repeating destinations.

So with such a wild card as husbandly travel planning, it would be an adventure, so I couldn't say where, what, when, or which language! Because you see, we'd be in a competition to top each other's trip...but wouldn't that make for great trip reports?

Above mentioned husband just read over my shoulder what I wrote and commented that "I punted on the question." He said that means I didn't really answer it. I told him he could give me $20,000 and then I'd provide details.

crazymina

I'd do pretty much what I did this year...backpack around where the wind took me. Thinking back to what I spent in 4 months, I think with 20K, I could disappear for a year!

Ursula

Scarlett,
First of all, I'd prefer to have 20,000 Euro! just because they will last somewhat longer!

I'd rent a small house on a small island somewhere in Thailand. I'd have a bicycle and wouldn't need a car. Most people do at least speak some English, so that's no issue and I'd speak some Thai within some months anyway. ><
Depending on how many financial escapades (shopping and alike) I will do, that amount should be good for two years. Pretty good, eh?

Degas

I'd use $6000 to immediately go to France and Italy this fall. I'd invest the rest in the stock market, hoping to parlay that into many more trips in the future. But that reminds of a situation awhile back:

I was tearing down an old chicken coop behind Aunt Nellie's place back when I was a boy and found 20,000 Confederate States of America dollars. We used those in the outhouse in place of the Sweetwater Gazatte.

There were also several heavy wooden crates with CSA Treasury/Rickmond VA on the sides and funny looking yellow bars inside. Being an ambitious lad, I drilled holes in all the bars, painted them black and sold them as boat anchors to fishermen on Shellcracker Lake. I used the $20 from that slick little operation to get started in a thriving earthworm business.

Now you know part of my secret source of income for trips across the pond. Don't tell the IRS!

Grasshopper

Well Ms Scarlett, your query fueled my dreams all night! I think I would probably pick a couple of destinations, Italy and Croatia, and find a small place to rent for six months each. Nailing down the exact towns will be on my mind all day!

Be sure you have internet access wherever it is!

Scarlett

Thank you, thank you!
auntgrape, Scarlett goes shopping when she is bored. I do like your idea of a cottage somewhere though.
Mimi, Not so! You would make it last and it would be wonderful!
Mina, I thought of you and your adventures! Although I am spoiled and need my creature comforts, I would use your way of travel as a guide.
dln,funny you should mention husbandly planning! That is where this idea came from, that devilish Yankee of mine had this idea..we will see where it goes
Ursula, as always, you are perfect! Thailand is on my list, as well as Japan (personal reasons,you know) and I picture boat rides and shopping
Monsieur Degas, as charming and amusing as ever, while I have no outhouse to plunder, I will go check out the dog house, maybe he has been hoarding gold bouillon!
This is fun, please, Ya'll, do Come on in and add your thoughts!!

QueenMab

Oh wow, that's a hard one. Assuming I had the time to go with the money, I might just go over to Europe and travel from place to place as the whim struck me until the money ran out. But I have never been to Australia/New Zealand, Central America, Asia, or Africa, and I'd love to go to all those places, so it would be tempting to do some of that too. I think the bottom line is, $20,000 isn't nearly enough for all the traveling I still want to do! Can I have $50,000, Scarlett, please????

bookchick

My dear Scarlett, Ursula has the right idea--it has to be 20,000 Euros because they'll go farther. Now you know darned well that I'd base myself in Rome, but that couldn't stop me from visiting Venice for a long weekend, or the Amalfi coast, or Nice for a week or our buddies in the UK. BTW, am I permitted to give English lessons to supplement my income?

BC

Scarlett

If there is a lottery involved, $50K or more is possible
For now though, I must stay within the confines of a mere $20K

Grasshopper, I know you will come up with the best possible solution and YES! internet at all times!!

I am liking the idea of a place (base) in the countryside-Italy? France? and having a car and just taking off from there..
next problem to overcome: PUP!

Scarlett

Ah, My dear Bookiness~
I had no doubt that Italy would be your choice! You can give me Italian lessons if you please
I picture the Yankee and myself as Peter Mayle and his wife part time, then as those wacky people from the television Rough Guides the rest of the time..picture it. I in my heels with my Prada bag and Himself in his comfy shoes and linen shirts..hiking along through .... where?

CrazyCat

I would use 1/2 for a return trip to Scotland & Ireland. Hubby & I would rent a flat in Scotland (around Edinburgh) and B&B around Ireland. We would use buses and trains.
Then the 2nd 1/2 would be used to get us to Australia / NZ for a cruise and Land tour.

DawnRainbows

Heading west from the East Coast, my first stop would be:

1. New Zealand for about a month
2. Japan for about 2 weeks, an expensive location so I don't want to spend all my resources here. Then fly to:
3. China for about 4 weeks and then a stop in Bhutan for about a week.
4. Final stop would be the Northern Africa/Mediterranean locations of Egypt, Jordan, Greece, Turkey and Morocco for about 2 months.

Degas

RE: Scarlett

Tell please you are not married to or have any way, a close relationship with a Yankee!

Did that foul carpetbagger hold a dear family member hostage and force you to submit to his wicked aggression?

sheila

Where would I go? It would be a many stop trip, but it would start with 3 weeks in Madagascar in a nice hotel with money for a wildlife guide. That would take care of about £5k

Then I'd go to Greece, and spend time in total relaxation- books and wine and sun and sea, preferably in a small house near the beach.

And if I had any money left I'd go to Paris and stay in Monmartre in a flat

Would I rent a car? only in Greece
Would the language make a difference, if Ispoke it or not? No
How long would $20,000- last in the places I would choose?- altogether maybe 3 months?

adrienne

Scarlett,

This question fuels my fantasies. I'd base myself in a chambre d'hote in Provence where I could store the extra clothes, shoes and guidebooks I'd need for an extended stay. Since it's demi-board I'd meet lots of great folks doing what I love to do (travel) and we'd swap adventures around the dinner table. I'd have easy access to other parts of France, Spain, and Italy and would whimsically pack up and travel around and then return to home base when I became travel weary; rejuvenate and begin again.

I would rent a car and I don't care if I speak the local language. In my fantasies the $20,000 would last forever; in reality about 3 months.

adrienne

Scarlett

Oh Degas, you know how it is!!
That Yankee just grabbed me and carried me up those stairs! That did it!
But I do work on him each day, making him a little more of a Southern Gentleman, it seems to be working!

Scarlett

I am topping this because I want more ideas