Stephen

Hi, there gave been recent threads regarding where people are planning on going, how about where people have been. Recent threads also concerned the wealth of travelers with the implication that one must be wealthy to travel. Well, I'm not and the other posters don't seem to be either. It would be interesting to know how much traveling others have done and to where. Any takers?

Bob Brown

Ok. I will add in. I have travelled much more in the USA and Canada than I have in Europe. I prefer the West of the US and Canada. In Europe, I have done my share of roaming about. All told, I spent 10 weeks just travelling a few years ago, mostly around Western Europe. Switzerland is currently the nation of choice; we were there last yea for two weeks and we are going back this year in a few weeks for another visit, after a peek at Paris for 5 days. <BR>Next year, we plan to go West in the late spring, and visit Helsinki and Jyvaskyla Finland in the summer before Austria and probably Switzerland again. <BR>And, no, we don't live in a mansion and drive a Mercedes 320 E. More like a Toyota. <BR> <BR>

s.fowler

Nice thread <BR> <BR>I seem to travel in spurts. After my first trip in 1962 [a travel course in European art that went everywhere for 6 weeks and had a *real* final exam!] I didn't get to europe again until 1970 or so. Then there were a series of trips centered on northern europe, especially Germany [my sister-in-law if from Lubeck] at the beginning of the decade. At the end of the decade I followed a North Cape cruise with a 2 week semi-educational cruise to Greece/Turkey. [These were all with spouse #1] I went to London and Spain in 1980 on my own... then 5 years until I accompanied my parents on on Baltic cruise. Then another hiatus until London in 1991 and Paris in '92 or '93. And I visited Australia in '95. <BR> <BR>Now we come to our recent orgy in Eastern Europe. For me 5 trips in a little over 2 years. [To be fair some of it has been professionally focused.] <BR> <BR>It's easier to list where I haven't been. If you leave out the Balkans and the really *small* countries I think the only country I haven't been to, at least for a day, is Belgium and Slovakia. <BR> <BR>I have *really* been fortunate. [and now we're not rich ... we're just ignoring the fact.] At some point it will stop, but until then... well I'm looking for good hotels in Ljubljana and Sofia!

tom

We began our travels in Europe in November 1986 when we went to London on business. We stayed 11 days, didn't have a real clue what we were seeing or doing for that matter, but were overwhelmed by the history and culture. <BR> <BR>We began in earnest three years later when my wfie purchased roundtrip tickets from Atlanta to Frankfurt for $300 each! Like a complete idiot, I asked why would anyone want to go to Germany? Well, after that trip and three others and another scheduled for November I have a pretty good idea. <BR> <BR>We have been to Scotland, England, Holland, Belgium, France,Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Luxemburg, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic. <BR> <BR>A couple of thoughts: <BR> <BR>1. We are not poor, but certainy not rich. <BR>2. I travel about 75,000 on Delta each year and accumulate FF miles. <BR>3. We stay at 2* hotels and save money. <BR>4. Some of our travel is based upon business trips that lead to stayovers. This November for example I have to attend a trade show in Munich. Once there, we will head South to Italy where it is warmer. <BR>5. We try and save $20 per week out of "weekly" expenses. We've found that you can do that and have $1,000 per year. That buys 2 Eurail passes, or 10 nights in a 2* hotel, etc. <BR>6. We also look for cheap airfare deals. This spring we flew from Philadelphia to Paris RT for $320 per person. Combined with 6 nights at Hotel Grand Leveque at $67 per night we found it cheaper thatn going to Disneyworld. <BR>Breakfast included, picnic lunch, pre-fixe meals and you've got a great deal. <BR> <BR>One more point....we really enjoy travel in Europe. We will sacrifice other things in order to do it. Once you've been there they cannot take the memories!!!

Bob K.

Stephen: <BR>Gave you our 2000 and 2001 itinerary on the other thread, but here goes on this one. As a single fellow, it was always both Florida annually since 1961 and Canada for Expo 67 and Man & His World, until 1972, then Fla. only again. There were short 5 day cruises from Miami to The Bahamas in those years, also. As marrieds, it was Puerto Rico annually, plus cruises from S.J. to the deep Caribbean. Saw those islands so many times, we tired of it. There were also 2 cruises from Miami to Mayan Mexico and stays afterward there on M.B. So now, it has been off to Mediterranean Europe with trips to Spain and last trip, we combined Spain with Portugal. And like Tom, once bitten you return to Europe. <BR>Bob K.

Lori

Fun Question! I think I'd enjoy traveling with all of you! We've been fortunate in that we have lived on the east coast and west coast which has afforded us an opportunity to travel to many areas of the U.S. (nearly all the states in fact) and take in many of the sights, also Canada, the Caribbean (most of the islands and Puerto Rico several times) and Mexico (the "Mexican Riviera", espiecally Puerto Vallarta, many times as well as Mexico City and Cozamel). While our first love is Europe and we've visited England and France many many times we have also visited Spain, Italy and Morocco and had a ball! Living in California for many years made visiting Hawaii simple too, and we did it about 14 times. We both had good jobs in CA (but were far from rich) and were able to take 2 major trips a year. We now live in the southwest, but we still do one "big" trip a year and a couple of smaller ones (like going to 'Vegas, etc.) We work so we have plan our trips. <BR> <BR>We're very fortunate because my husband has family in Paris -- we have found the best way to remain a regular (yearly) welcome guest tho is to stay in a hotel! They are not rich either and all live in apartments in Paris (7th Arr) or in the suburbs. The apartments, while nice, even with views of the Eiffel Tower!) are smallish. By staying in a hotel we have our privacy and freedom and can meet them for dinner (they work) or on weekends or go out of town sightseeing with them or whatever. It works out really well. Incidentally, there was a thread about memorable meals -- our most memorable have always been "home cooked" ones with family in Paris!! <BR> <BR>Frankly the only trip in our history we were not crazy about was a cruise we took 3 yrs. ago. Altho we love the water we did not like being on the ship so much - we felt confined. Also did not like the cruise line pressure to take tours on each island, etc. What it boiled down to was we are not curise people - some of it was fun, I'm glad we did it so that we know what it is like, but it really is not our thing. We were in Europe this spring and will go back again in 2000 - in the meantime it's 'Vegas and LA and places like that! <BR> <BR>I am not sure you ever get travel out of your system once you get hooked, I know we haven't.

Raeona

Lots of travel in the US, not nearly as much as I'd like overseas. I think my list of the contiguous states is now up to 46 -- only missing the Dakotas. Farther afield, we've done: three weeks in England, Scotland, Wales; two weeks in Ireland; and last year it was back to England again and a first-time, five-day whisk to Paris - which now, we're dying to return to. The thread I found here recently on Germany has me moving that higher up on my wish list. Not sure when we'll get to Europe again, but next month we head to NYC, the Hudson River Valley and Cape Breton Island, NS. Shouldn't be doing it - it's been a year of high-ticket fixit's for us (including a vehicle now in the shop for clutch replacement), but hey -- we're healthy NOW. Who knows whats around life's corner, so afford it-schmord it, we're going!

Raeona

Ooops -- I left out: parts of Canada (Montreal, Quebec, Victoria B.C., a previous trip to the Maritimes), Mexico and Jamaica last year for our daughter's wedding (loved the wedding, hated Jamaica!)

ilisa

Great question. I am certainly not as well travelled as many people on this forum, or even as much as my husband. My parents are not big travellers, and thought that a great family vacation consisted of trips to Nashville, TN (they tortured me with the Grand Ole Opry when I was 12). I've done much of the East Coast as well as many islands (Antigua, Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Grand Cayman). I didn't get to Europe until I graduated high school, when my mother gave me a trip to France as a gift. As for Europe, I've done France, England, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain and Andorra (if only for one day). I'm fortunate that my husband's soccer team travels the world for tournaments which allows for an inexpensive vacation occasionally. Because of his soccer, we have friends all over Europe. Unfortunately, time and money considerations make it difficult to take them up on their generous hospitality. So for now, we're off to Disney World in October, Miami for Art Deco weekend in January, and Belgium and Iceland in the spring.

dan woodlief

If enough people answer, this could be a good resource to print out. So, I will try to be as detailed as possible. My own travels abroad began later than I would like, but I have tried to make up for it. My U.S. travels are a little more limited. <BR> <BR>U.S. - Seattle, Blue Ridge Parkway, Outer Banks of North Carolina, Las Vegas, Chicago, Door County - Wisconsin, Washington, D.C., Florida, Williamsburg, Appomattox, and Richmond in Virginia <BR> <BR>Canada - Toronto <BR> <BR>Mexico - Cancun, Merida, Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel <BR> <BR>Belgium - Brussels <BR> <BR>Switzerland - Berner Oberland, Basel, Bern, Luzern <BR> <BR>France - Paris, Strasbourg, Chartres, Versailles <BR> <BR>Germany - Freiburg, Munich <BR> <BR>Czech Republic - Prague, Brno, Telc, southern Moravia <BR> <BR>Hungary - Budapest, Tokaj, Debrecen, Eger <BR> <BR>Austria - Vienna <BR> <BR>China - Beijing, Shanghai, Suchow, Guangzhou <BR> <BR>Hong Kong <BR> <BR>Taiwan - Taipei, Tansui <BR> <BR>Japan - Tokyo, Yokohama, Narita <BR> <BR>Next trips: Charleston, SC in October and perhaps Italy next year

Stephen

Well, I guess since I started this thing I should own up. Until my first trip to Europe last year(London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels) I had been pretty much confined to this hemisphere. I have traveled throughout most of this country(USA) and over large parts of Mexico as I grew up in southern Arizona. I also lived in Alaska for 5 yrs and traveled a fair amount in that state. Highly recommended! But Europe, for me, was much different. We are headed to Italy in October and really looking forward to it. Speaking of travel and how it is important to this group of people, I met a lady a couple of months ago who was 97 and had never been out of the parish (here in Louisiana that is a county)! Can you imagine?

Charlie

We are far from rich but since the last of our children got married and left home it seems that way.Since 1987 we've tried to make up for "lost travel time" by taking 11 Caribbeaan cruises,we covered mostly all of the Caribbean.We've taken a 7 day organized tour of Ireland and loved it so much went back 6 months later on our own for 2 weeks(on your own is better).Last October we toured England,Belguim,Holland,Germany and France.We spread ourselves thin on that trip and plan to return and concentrate on a much smaller area.Last but not least we leave for 2 weeks in Hawaii on Sept.6 th and can't wait. <BR>Aloha !!!

Raeona

Stephen: Not hard to imagine at all, actually -- (your 97 y.o. parish "neighbor"). My own mother is 85...and has never been out of the US. I think your comment points up a real "generational," as well as economic, issue. "Traveling"....grand, continental traveling, was a privilege reserved for the very well-off up to only a few decades ago. The wonder is that in a few short decades (blooming in the 50s-60s), it's become so totally commonplace and expected that we think anyone who's never "hopped the pond" is the anomaly. I wonder about the economic status of your Louisiana 97 y.o. -- unless she was born to great privilege, I suspect she was born to substantial poverty. Do you think there was much else between those two stations in 1902, or the years following? We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of WWII -- she was just about as far removed from the Civil War, as we are from that conflict...i.e., not far at all. And what history that woman has witnessed! Woudln't it be something to get her perspective on this entire century...factoring in what she'd heard from her parents? Traipsing about a few European countries for a week or a month doesn't necessarily hold a candle to what your 97 y.o. could teach us about our own country....if we could but listen....

Erika

<BR>I saw a documentary once about a gentleman who had visited/transited over 100 countries - apparently there is a "club" of such members - and realized that I had a many more places/countries to see before I hit that number! But, having lived for many years in the Northeast, I traveled throughout the entire Eastern coast (one of my very favorite places was the Outer Banks of NC); now I live in SE Arizona and have visited the entire SW region. Additionally, many other states. I have been to Mexico a zilllion times; have been to Japan, Okinawa, Australia, New Zealand, Morocco, England (4 times or so), Scotland, Wales, Spain (6 times or so), Portugal (6 times or so), Austria, Germany (twice), France (4 times or so), Switzerland, Sweden (twice), Denmark (twice), Latvia (4 times), Canada (east and west coasts), Azores, Italy, Netherlands, Hawaii, and the Caribbean (3 times). And soon, my hubby and I are off to Alaska for two weeks. I may never make the 100 countries list - so many places I want to revisit - never have enough time to do/see everything. After all, cafe sitting and people watching takes up hours every day!

Harriett

I didn't get to make my first trip to Europe until I was 42 -- but fortunately for my children, they got to go along (at ages 8 and 14) -- so I tell them they started long before I did! That was in '94, when we spent 12 days driving 1200 miles throughout Ireland -- part of it with our Irish priest from Mississippi and his family, since he was home for a visit. The next year, I hit a great jackpot in a 25-cent slot machine (love those Mississippi casinos!) and my husband and I made our first trip to Paris. Last year, the two of us spent two nights in London, rented a car and drove across England to Wales, spent a night in St. David's, drove back across England, saw Stonehenge, Bath, Salisbury, a glimpse of the Cotswolds. This past March, we took the kids (now 13 and 18) for a week in Paris, where we rented an apartment in the Latin Quarter. Currently my husband is training for his first marathon (Marine Corps in October), and we hope the next one will be in Dublin. We are always planning our next trip (I posted the earlier thread 'Where to Go Next?') which will either be back to Ireland (his choice) or to Italy (mine). He lived in Turkey for a while in the '60s, while in the Army, so that's another eventual destination . . . as are the Greek islands, and San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. I keep playing the Georgia lottery, hoping my luck will kick in again!

Paulo

My travel experiences started when I was 10 ... <BR> <BR>1957: Italy & bits of Austria (5 months) <BR>1962: Italy & Paris (3 months) <BR>1965: Argentina (1 month) <BR>1968: Italy & Lisbon, Madrid, London, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Zurich (3 months) <BR>1971: grad student in Germany, with trips to France and Italy (4 months) <BR>1971-1976: grad student in the US with trips up and down the west coast, New York and <BR>1972: Italy (3 months) <BR>1973: Italy (3 months) & Mexico (1 week) <BR>1974: Italy (3 months) & Mexico (1 week) <BR>1976: Italy (4 months) <BR>1977: San Francisco, Montreal, Paris & Italy (6 weeks) <BR>1986-1987: faculty in the US (1 year) with trips to Washington DC, New York and Italy & Brussels, Brugge, Munich (1 month) <BR>1988: Italy & some of Austria (1 month) <BR>1990: Washington DC & New York (2 weeks) <BR>1991: Italy & some of Germany, Austria and France (1 month) <BR>1992: Italy & some of Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Prague (1 month) <BR>1993: Italy & some of Germany and Austria (1 month) <BR>1994: Buenos Aires (1 week) <BR>1995: California (3 weeks) <BR>1996: Italy & some of Germany, Austria, Belgium and France (1 month) <BR>1997: Italy & some of Germany, Austria and Belgium (1 month) <BR>1998: London and some of Great Britain (10 days) <BR>1998: Greece and Turkey (1 month) <BR>1999: stay put at home <BR> <BR>Paulo <BR>

dan woodlief

Forgot to add (bowing to Paulo as I type): Hawaii - 4 islands - for honeymoon; Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Myrtle Beach, SC.

Kim

My early experiences were family car trips. Saw about half of the U.S. and Thunder Bay, Canada, that way. I've been to Mazatlan, Mexico, Germany, Grenada, Bequia, Palm Island, Young Island, St. Lucia, England, Scotland and France. What's next? That we haven't decided.

Paulo

Actually, Dan, there's an important detail I left out <BR>Though it appears I've been around quite a bit before marrying (1979), actually about 80% of the time I spent in Italy was in the South Tyrol where I've relatives. When I was a grad student in the US it was actually cheaper for me to spend the summer vacations with close relatives (free room & board). Four of the trips were at least partially devoted to skiing (free equipment and lift passes) in the area. After marrying things changed a bit (more touristy trips), though we still use to spend a total of 6 to 10 days in our "base" in Brunico. Besides the South Tyrol, the only city I've visited every single time when in Italy was Venice ... I sure have a strong bias &lt;g&gt;. So, though spending almost 3 years of my life in Italy, I really haven't visited most of it! <BR> <BR>Paul

elvira

As a kid, family trips to PA, NJ, NY, Montreal, FL and then cross country (the song on the radio was Rod Stewart's Maggie May - every time I hear it, I picture Kansas). As a grown-up (still up for debate): first trip was a 3 week getonthebusgetoffthebus tour of 475 countries, more or less, of Europe. On my own or with relatives/friends: Paris, south of France, Dordogne Valley, Normandy, Champagne region, Provence, Languedoc; Six Counties (northern Ireland); London, Wales; Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg; Barcelona, Andorra (dan is it? you're right - ixnay this ountrycay - oringbay); Malta; Athens, Naxos; Morocco. A foray or two into Mexico, San Francisco, LA and - yes folks I love the place - Lost Wages. Oh yeah 10 days in the Hawaiian Islands - loved Hawaii, Oahu was a big yawn. <BR>Hope to: hike the spine of Japan; camp on Lanai; see the Pyramids across the Nile oooo oooo; make 3 week camel trek through the Sahara (3 days wasn't nearly enough); do a Napoleon pilgrimage to Corsica, Elba and St Helene; see the wilds of Scotland (anything there besides castles and distilleries?); see Nepal and Tibet.