agedude

My wife and I love museums, be it art, design, natural history or technical. We are on the constantly on the go, often waiting for museums or sights to open. Last time we went to Paris, we watched the sun come up through the stained glass in Notre Dame. It is not unusual for us to hit six sights in a day.

We lived in Europe for 10.5 years while we were poor and raising children so we know how to live on the cheap. If we have a nice meal in a nice restaurant, it's usually lunch because it's cheaper. We enjoy hitting a supermarket in whatever country we are in and having a "picnic" in our hotel room for dinner.

I've been to London 20+ times and will visit Paris for the 6th time in October, but we also enjoy new places. Last summer, we went to Tallinn, Warsaw, and Helsinki; all for the first time. We normally stick to urban areas, but will go to the countryside to visit a manor house, a castle, or a historical site.

I tend to travel as cheaply a possible, but splurge on occasion. As I get older, I've discovered I enjoy 4* hotels much more than B&B's, and use Priceline and Hotwire as much as possible. No way I'll spend $300 for a hotel in the city center when I can spend $85 for a Marriott that's a 20 minute subway ride away. I am very disciplined about saving and investing and always budget for a trip. I always spend less than I budgeted.

P.S. Kelly Olynyk killed it in the summer league and Kyle Wiltjer is officially a Zag.

hetismij2

We prefer country to city.

I visit some museums, but mostly I avoid them. I get bored with them. Life is too short.

We have places we go back to more than once, and we go exploring new places too. Always very relaxed, never with a day to day plan of things to do.

We tend to do self catering in Europe so eating is a mixture of self cooked and restaurant. Wine is drunk in copious amounts if there is a good local wine to be had.

McD is only visited if we need free WiFi. Sometimes we have a cup of coffee there, sometimes we just sit in the car park. I've only eaten a hamburger in one once, in the US, when there was no alternative. Now I'd rather go hungry.

We travel as cheaply as we can. And will get even cheaper now we're on a pension.

Bokhara2

I'm staying with Bokhara & am using her sign-on to contribute to this interesting thread. Hope that's ok.

Unlike Bokhara, I'm not particularly fond of the travelling part of holidays & am one of those "chatty " types who drive fellow travellers crackers. Irrespective of the carrier, or position if I'm in a vehicle, I never seem to be able to get comfortable & move about constantly. I'd be a nightmare to have in seat beside you !

On longer trips, I find a drop or three of Bach's Rescue Remedy before we take off is a good relaxant. I took 1/2 a sleeping tablet once & arrived with the gait of a drunken sailor & dilated pupils of a druggie! I was in a daze - Lord only knows how people knock those things back & remain lucid. Some people like a glass of wine, but I've never acquired a taste for alcohol.

Pegontheroad's topic on differing travelling styles & preferences is bringing some interesting responses.

The destination is what I'm interested in. Comfort, service, good food and congenial companionship are paramount. I'm not really concerned about budget when I'm on holiday.

I like my accommodation on the luxurious side, with pleasant & interesting views, preferably with an outdoor area where I can relax or take some exercise in the sun. A shady spot in the shade for an afternoon siesta is good, too.

Activities are important, but the enforced jollity & group games of Butlins, Club Med or Cruise Capers are not for me. Perish the thought! I'm quite social and enjoy the company of others, but need my own space & solitude,too. People say I'm a good mixer and I do like meeting new acquaintances as well as seeing old friends.

I have a couple of favourite Resorts that I visit several times a year. I've been lucky enough to have 3 holidays at my absolute favourite in the last year! The staff are wonderful - always welcome me like an old friend. People say they don't want to have a fuss made, but I think if we're honest , we all like a little "Royal" treatment, don't we?

I always book in for at least a couple of Spa sessions each week. Nothing like a good massage to perfect the pampering. Of course, it musses the hair, but a quick brush soon puts that right - one of the advantage of having short hair!

The Resort has finished renovations and I was delighted to find I'd been upgraded to one of the new balcony suites. This is a 3 room corner suite, with the balcony leading down stairs to a large verandah shard exclusively by some of the other suites. The gardens are exquisite, backing onto a reserve, so there is always plenty of bird & other wildlife to watch.

There are new furnishings on the verandah but I'm glad they've kept some of my favourite pieces, like a lovely old "squatter's chair".

I was delighted to see my old friend Crystal relaxing on the 4 poster day bed when I arrived last time. To be honest, she's not in the first flush of youth & I wondered whether she'd be back for another holiday.

Two others I'd met on previous occasions greeted me and we spent many happy hours together. I met jean-Paul on my first visit years ago & always hope to see him. Sometimes we'd take our meals together and often share a snack during the day. It's amazing isn't it? How often do you order something, only to see something you think you'd prefer on another's plate? How marvelous to have dining companions who are happy to share, especially with delicious & interesting cuisine. And who respect your privacy when you prefer to dine alone or have room service in your suite.

Some may find this type of holiday a little dull, but it suits me perfectly. No luggage to speak of, I'm a light traveller and the resort staff take care of everything. Everything is arranged for me and all I have to do is enjoy myself. C de B.

colduphere

Agedude did you know Olynyk is Canadian? I bet you did.

We like hostels and hiking. Art museums are confusing. Why are people staring at the paintings for so long? Like street food. Laundromats are great places to meet people. You know .... the locals.

BigAleinstein

Kelly Olynyk Kyle Wiltjer Zag.
____
Isn't he (she?) the arch-enemy of Superman who will only disappear when his name is said backwards?.

sueciv

I'm the slow traveler. I like to rent an apartment. I am an early riser, I love walking around at dawn...just me and the street cleaners and the shop owner's openniing up.
As I like to cook, I enjoy finding out where the locals shop and take it "home". I love sitting at a cafe's terrace and watch what is going on. A museum here or there, a remarkable church is great. One time homes turned into a museum is interesting to me. I like to window shop. I spent the morning "in" once, just to see a French version of "Good Morning America"...same sort of chatter.

carmar

What a fun question! We have changed our travel habits over the years. We used to travel by the seat of our pants - no hotel reservations, no plans on where to go next, etc. We now make hotel reservations and stay put in 1 or 2 places and take day trips. We always rent a car so we can be on our schedule.
We can now afford very nice hotels which have given us some wonderful memories.
Our favorite thing to do is to see the local sites and then sit at an outdoor café and watch people and chat with fellow diners.
We're not big foodies except when it comes to ice cream.
Museums - unless it have something to do with WWII, we usually pass them up.
Churches - I love them and my husband comes in with me to make me happy. I always light a candle and say a prayer for my Mom and Mother-in-law.
As far as McD - we have been known to step inside for a cup of coffee. Shhh - don't tell anyone.

PhillyFan

I love art museums; also historical and natural history museums.

In Europe, I also love castles, palaces and churches, and just wandering around the picturesque streets.

We also like to hike and going to national parks.

We keep a fairly brisk pace - we are not up very early and I do want to be in an area long enough to feel like I've seen the sights I want to see. But I am not a lingerer over long dinners, nor did I need lots of hanging out time. (I do admit, that as I am getting older, I do really like taking an afternoon break in the hotel - but an hour or so is all I need to take before I want to resume exploring).

The worst advice for someone like me is: on your first trip to Italy, with a 10 day itinerary, limit yourself to only Rome, Venice or Florence. (I read that here. It recommended to spend long dinners with wine. I can drink wine here at home. I dont' want to gulp down a meal, but I do want to see stuff!)

outwest

We love art museums and can often spend the majority of the day in one. We also love architecture,decorative arts and smaller house museums. We generally only see one 'official' site per day and use the rest of the time to wander around and explore.

We are definitely budget travellers--the internet makes it pretty easy (and for me, addictive) to find good airfares and deals on hotels. I use my airmiles for the odd splurge hotel We don't mind stairs at all but aren't keen on sharing bathrooms.

We prefer urban locations. We used to always spend a week in one place but lately we've been spending just a few nights and seeing several places. We do revisit but always try to spend the majority of our holiday somewhere new.

We're not foodies but don't eat at McD's (we never do at home). We like street food, casual cafes and restaurants. We're not big drinkers but have the odd beer or glass of wine.

trvlgirlmq

I think I am a pretty open traveler and can enjoy different experiences for what they are.

As an extended family we have traveled to Europe and stay in homes or apartments so that we have more room to spread out and the ability to save money on meals. We all enjoy museums, history, small towns and big cities. We are planning our 3rd trip to France that will include new locations as well as places we have been. We'll have some first time visitors with us.

We've been to Disney World several times and all enjoy it for the type of vacation it is.

Recently we have started cruising also and like the fact that we don't have to do anything for ourselves. It's a really pampering kind of vacation as opposed to the cooking and cleaning up we would do during a home rental.

We aren't up at the crack of dawn and we like to get as much as we can from a place but also really enjoy it. We are not foodies but enjoy a relaxing meal that satisfies. I have stopped at McD's to use the wifi but usually purchase a soda and fries for the kids since we will be taking up space.

I look forward to travel as a way to get away from work and "real life" for a while as well as learn about a place, people, etc.

BumbleB6

"Then it is off to the Peggy Guggenheim to see the Joseph Cornell boxes." said Pepper Von Snoot.

I've never been to the Guggenheim, but here in Chicago at the Art Institute, they have a few of those Joseph Cornell boxes. Honestly, they're my favorite things in the whole museum. They always make me smile.

Nikki

I have enjoyed many different styles of travel. I do like art museums, and I have learned not to cram too many into a visit. I love cities, but I also love places with beautiful scenery, small villages, interesting towns, country markets. I find myself more attracted to prehistoric sites than to historic ones. If there is a tour, I frequently find myself tuning out the narration and wandering around taking photos.

I want to see as much local culture as possible. Music is high on my list, along with theater and dance.

I love trying new food, restaurants, markets. Local cheese and sausage. Mostly eat in moderate places, seldom high end. Really prefer locally owned places to chains.

I have enjoyed a mix of accommodation types. If staying more than a day or two, I prefer a house or apartment to a hotel. I do enjoy a comfortable place to spread out and enjoy some down time. And if I am traveling with my husband, I love a place with a separate seating area so one of us can do something else if the other is sleeping.

If I cram a lot of activity into one or more days, I like to have one or more less active days to balance it out. But different types of trips require different approaches. Two weeks at an apartment in Paris in March is different from ten days driving around Scotland followed by a week at the festivals in Edinburgh in August. And those are my two major trips for 2013.

november_moon

Do you like art museums or other kinds of museums?

*** I love museums. I don't have to visit every one, but I do like to punctuate my travel with museums.

Are you on the go as much as possible, seeing a lot of sights, or do you like a more slow-paced day?

*** Definitely more slow-paced. I have to savor things. I'd rather only get to half the things on my list and really enjoy them than see everything and feel rushed. I don't even really like knowing what time it is (other than breakfast time, lunchtime, etc.)

Are you a foodie? An oenophile? Or do you just grab a piece of cheese and an apple and drink a cola? Do you ever hit the Golden Arches?

*** I think I am sort of in between. I like good food, but it doesn't have to be fancy. If the apple and cheese are good, I am totally happy with it. I also like eating and drinking whatever a place is particularly known for. I do occasionally go to McDonalds for fries or something, which is funny since I never go there at home.

Do you revisit favorite places, or are you all about seeing a new place every trip? Do you prefer visiting cities or the countryside? Or both?

*** All of the above. When we revisit someplace, I like to add new things - either a side trip to somewhere we haven't been, new sights in a particular city, etc. And I like cities, tiny towns, mountains, oceans - everything.

Do you travel as cheaply as you can, or do you tend to forget about the budget?

*** Fairly budget, but with some comforts - I don't like shared bathrooms unless we are camping, for example.

luademochila

*not an english speaker here*

Me and my wife are young travellers (33-29 years old) from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We enjoy visiting art museums, but they are not a priority. We may avoid visiting other kinds of museums as well if my time is short. Main priority are nice architecture, gardens, walks, mostly outdoor activities, but we try not to miss great castles and fortresses.

We try to travel slowly, but travel in general is expensive and you feel pushed to see as much as you can. People watching in a café is cool, but not so cool when you could see in person the Coliseum, or the Eiffel Tower, for example, if you try to travel faster.

We like good food and drink wines, but budget is often a restriction. We have no problem with fast food, if our budget demands.

My wife has no problem with revisiting favorite places, but I do. Can't explain it better than with this quote:

"I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can't read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can't even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses".

We prefer visiting countryside, but we also like cities and their marvelous gardens and majestic architecture.

Pegontheroad

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Cold: We also have another good Canadian player, Kevin Pangos. However, he'd not tall enough for the NBA.