I am like Kristina. I would call myself extremely value driven and I can fluctuate between a 1 and 4 in accommodations and food. In transportation though, I am a 1. I will take the most budget way to get from one place to another. I can afford to do a 4 level all the time but like to stay on my toes and do the 1 as much as possible. I think it makes me feel more connected to my youth when 1 was more necessary. In New York, I stayed in a $32 hostel for my arrival night because it was only 6 hours of sleep and then transferred to the Gaansevort which was $700/night. I would be willing to pay the price of a meal at the French Laundry but would rather eat inexpensive street food than pay to eat at an Olive Garden or Tio Leo's equivalent in a foreign country.

I'm with stu and Clifton.

Spend a bit more sometimes if warranted or less depending on moods, availability, custom, culture.

Going to Disney next week, don't ask, and know it will be $$$ but still like travelling on a shoestring when possible. Sometimes I want more comfort (in food/lodgings or both) than at other times.

I could be a category 1 overnight but not much longer and we enjoy category 4 overnights/weekends so between 1 and 4. Have done both 5 & 6 too... overall we spend more on lodgings than food.

Between a 3 and a 4.

Definitely a Category 3.

We are basically 2 with the occasional splurge. Our splurges have included lunch at the Eiffel Tower (it was our anniversary) and taking the TGV (just for the experience).

We often do take-out from supermarkets. Our dinner was from Harrod's Food Hall once & it was a lot of fun picnicking in our hotel room.

Probably somewhere between a 2 and 3. We try to rent apartments when possible. For food, whether traveling or at home, we can't really handle a big lunch plus a big dinner, but whether it is a picnic, a cafe meal or a more formal restaurant we are trying to find good food

I mix it up - 2, 3, and 4.

Is this survey for Fodor's? How will the information be used? I sometimes respond to professional surveys in the mail if I think the results are used for some tangible purpose.

A little of each category, I guess depending on the trip, money and my mood. It changes on a dime.

1, 2 , 3 and 4

In our 39 years of travelling (in 39 years of life) :

1. You haven't lived until you have camped in the English Lakes, Canada or on a beach anywhere. There is nothing better in life then a winter walk on the fells followed by a bowl of soup in the pub.

2. You haven't lived until you have stayed in a Mallorcan or Tuscan agroturismo with a Non Engish speaking famil who drink wine until 6am and end up feeding you full board when you are paying for room only

3. You havenn't lived until you can pootle out of a shitty English winter to experience Spring with Almond blossom and a Spa in a Spanish boutique Finca

4. You haven't lived until you have stayed at the best Ocean Drive, NYC, London or Porto Cervo has to offer.

In view of the above I think that financial constraints clearly limit some travellers decisions and pidgeon hole them. We do not have those constraints but still happily rough it when ever we want to re-live our student days.

I'm much older and apparently haven't lived, but I'll try to pootle more often in the future.

Sorry Jean - did actually use that term in the wrong context - pootling strictly speaking involves waking up on a sunny morning getting the map out and just driving for two hours with no particular aim. The either having sandwiches and a flask of coffee (if it starts raining)(as it usually does) or lunch at Grandma Biggins cafe.

Clearly a trip to Mallorca doesn't fall into that category.

Sorry to be misleading!

<Is this survey for Fodor's?>

bellastarr~ No it is not. It is just something Julies made up herself, and admits she is not a professional survey writer.

Between 2 & 3.

Hmmm. I agree with most that the categories are lacking. I can't seem to fit into any of the categories. You can probably say we (my family and I) fit under categories 1,2,3,4. We usually stay in what you labeled as category 4 hotels. Most recent was in London last year, we stayed at the Hilton Greenpark. Small boutique style hotel across the street from Greenpark (off of Buckingham Palace). But we ate at McDonald's a few times...(our kids are 11 and 8...:-(). We have never dined in any "fine restaurants" anywhere we go. Usually category 1-3 budget on food. Hope this helps.

Mostly category 3.

I like a nice room, but I love great food. It can cost $5 or $300. Doesn't matter, as long as it is delicious.

We like to mix things up and have all types of experiences. Camping and biking. Apartments and 3* and 4* hotels. Street food and budget Thai and 'best buy' vegetarian and Gordon Ramsay's.

Whichever way we choose to travel on a certain trip, I want to feel that I get what I've paid for. My expectations are higher when we've spent more. We could never get enough to justify the $800 a night room in Hawaii we had last year - never again!

In the last year, I have stayed everywhere from a student residence to a 5-star hotel. The important thing is whether I consider the price to be a good deal. My goal is to stay under $100 Canadian/US per night including breakfast, for a double room.

As for food, I rarely eat at high-end places in Europe. I did eat at some moderately high-end places in Mexico City just recently - because the total price made me think it was a good deal.

So whatever - I will do Category 1 if necessary, but like to try to get a deal that makes 2 or 3 possible for the same price.

Currently a 2, but hope to upgrade to 3 when the kids move out.

As for hotels I think I am a 2, although I always try to make my reservations early enough so I get a really outstanding 2* (or so) hotel, such as Les Grandes Ecoles in Paris or similar. I love hotels and I think they totally color one's experience of a place. As an example of another hotel that looks EXACTLY how I want a European hotel to be, I give you the Hotel d'Argouges in Bayeux: www.hotel-dargouges.com. I haven't stayed there yet (we will next month) but as a travel fish, this is precisely what makes me bite on the hook. I want the hotel staff to be nice, they should have a website (if they don't in this age I feel this is an indication of lack of really trying which will also show up elsewhere, generally), although I don't require any kind outstanding service (other than nice and clean and well-located), but they NEED to be in a beautiful old building. I love old architecture, I feel it in my bones and there is no way I'd go all the way to Europe to stay in a new hotel, I don't care if it's 5* and $1,000 a night, given to me for free, I'd rather just pay and get what I want for cheaper. (Really, although within reason. I love Europe more than my principles and free is, well, free. However, I've never been lucky enough to have to compromise my principles as I don't have anybody lining up to give me a free hotel stay in Europe, at a 1* much less a 5*.) So if I am paying, I need character, I want to feel the past, it makes me feel a part of history. New architecture leaves me absolutely cold, here there or anywhere. (And in my neck of the world there's plenty of that!) And REALLY living large is everything I outlined above, with a minibar. My favorite hotel in the Black Forest not only comes with an unbelievable breakfast but also a little refrigerator in the room stocked with Black Forest beer. That's my ideal.

As for restaurants: Hello my name is LunaBella and I am a vegetarian, so I am a self-made second-class citizen! :) I am definitely a 1 and I know I bring this all on myself, no griping or anything. In a place such as France I generally wouldn't/couldn't (yes I've been a vegetarian for over 15 years and the thought of eating any meat - cow, fish, whatever - I call meat meat, not just animals that walk around on land, my husband makes fun of me a la Simpsons and says I wouldn't eat anything that makes a shadow but I think of it as I don't eat things with a face and then take it a little further, so yes I am a huge pain in the ass although i try not to complain and just trudge around until I can find Italian), anyway I don't eat anything in an expensive French restaurant, which I guess makes it easy to be a cheap date! In fact it actually does make it hard to splurge in such a place. I guess I use France as an example because it's exceptionally difficult, but really any place isn't always easy, except maybe Italy. (And yet I still can't call Italy my hands-down favorite, so obviously I don't qualify as a foodie!)

Okay so to summarize, I apparently am a 2/1 without any champagne/caviar dreams. I just need old and historical in the middle of the most charming part of the city and I prefer to wash it all down with a lot of beer and wine (maybe with my own fridge to keep it in!), with a side of something that didn't make a shadow. Also free would be nice but obviously not a requirement.

Like your friend who "cannot justify cannot justify putting all that money into a place to sleep" we like clean and comfortable & are never in need of room service.

We don't hang around the hotel much, my husband and I are busy when we travel.

We like fresh food and can be very happy eating fruit and cheese from local markets for some meals. Sometimes we just don't want to take a lot of time to sit and eat during the day. For the evening we like little local restaurants. I don't even mind if I can't read the menu, I've been known to just point and order. I rarely consult guidebooks for places to eat.

I don't worry about cost if there is something I want to do or spending money on something for my home.
After all, I've already saved a bundle on my hotel expenses.

I'd like to represent the lurking backpacker contingency in here and say Category 1.

There's just something so whimsical about hanging out with a bunch of people all over the world outside a hostel in Cusco, eating fried bread from a vendor and drinking Inka Cola.

I suppose when I reach a certain age, I am undoubtedly bound to enjoy a more luxurious travel lifestyle. But for now, I think I'll continue to love and appreciate my backpack and penchance for just "going with it."