jwagner

I just got done reading the New York Times Sunday travel section. One of my favorite features is the frugal traveler. It's interesting to me exactly what constitutes frugality in the minds of their editors (and freelancers). Today's trip was to Hong Kong where the writer spent a little more than one hundred dollars a day on hotel, local transportation, food, entertainment. That's pretty cheap in my mind. A trip to D.C. a couple of weeks ago, featured in the same space, totaled about two hundred dollars a day. When I travel overseas, I don't fret much about budgeting down to the dollar, but I try to keep expenses in hand. If I can find a 50 dollar hotel room, including breakfast, I am thrilled. Nine times out of ten I will stay at a place with a toilet and shower in the room. Besides that,I don't need too much. If I spend another 50 dollars for food, drink, tickets, etc., I am thrilled. What are the things you will give up and what are necessities, when you travel? I will do lots of street food and always use public transit instead of taxis. I always have fun and will occasionally go for the big splurge (a nice dinner or one night in a great room.) My best trip, frugality wise, was to Bulgaria shortly after the wall fell. I spent about 30 dollars a day and had a great time. Bought dinner for five for about ten dollars, including enough drinks to send us toppling under the table.

M&J

My wife says "if the hotel advertises <BR>'hot water', we are not staying there!"

MoneyNoObject

If you have to "ask" how much, you can't afford it! <BR> <BR>Money is very personal, and what is one person'a "low budget," may also be another's chump change! If it's not in a savings account, don't spend it!

Judy

Budget travel? what's that? No, I am just kidding. Budget usually means off season travel Nov-March in Europe and summer in Mexico or Caribbean...never more than a solid 3 star hotel(lots of hot water). Mass transit usually and I really don't like to skimp too much on dinners, somewhere between Tour D'Argent and Mickey D's. When I was "younger", I could rough it, now I need a bit more creature comforts...like hot water!

Gina

My idea of budget travel is to some extent determined by where I'm going. For example, I'm planning a trip to Rome and Tunisia in January. My nightly hotel budget for Rome will probably be about three or four times that for Tunisia, because Tunisia is a very affordable country. Even the most expensive hotels there, from the research I've done, don't appear to be more than $100 per night in most cases. <BR> <BR>But in general I'm probably one of the more "low-end" budget travelers on this forum. I'm perfectly willing to have non-ensuite accommodations if that saves me even $20 a night; over a weeklong vacation, that's $140 that I could spend on theater tickets, nights out, dinners, etc. <BR> <BR>So as a solo traveler, for Europe I generally budget anywhere from $20 to $70 per night for my room. I have yet to pay more than $70, and that's been in London where the dollar is very weak against the pound. Once accommodations meet a certain minimum standard (clean, safe, beds comfortable, not dark and dingy), then location's more important to me than luxury. For example, I'd take a less fancy hotel in Bloomsbury over a nicer place in Hammersmith every time. <BR> <BR>For Rome, I'm considering the Navona, because of its great location, bargain prices and romantic history (Keats and Shelley stayed there). That will probably be about $60-ish per night. <BR> <BR>Since I spend very little time actually *in* my hotels, choosing the least expensive accommodations I can (that are still decent) allows me to travel more often and spend my money on other things besides a roof. I do suppose that there might be times--a romantic vacation for two, say, or a trip on which lounging around my fabulous villa by the sea is the main occupation--where spending lots of money on lodgings would make sense to me, but in general it doesn't. <BR> <BR>So in cities like London I probably spend about $120-$140 per day on lodging, food, theater tickets, transportation, etc. In less expensive cities and/or where the dollar is stronger against the local currency, it's more like $80-100.

$tella

I've found one argument for budget travel, aside from the fact that it's usually all I can afford (try this for a multiplier: does your hotel room cost 10 times a decent breakfast, 25 times breakfast, or more?), is that most accommodations between budget and ultra-luxury are same, same, same. In between a weird little room with an odd sink in a tiny hotel on a quirky street for $85 and your own private villa with maid and cook for $2500., it's all variations on colors of fancy bedding and brands of chocolate on your pillow.

Joe

I like this question. My sense of budgeting is sort of strategic, based on the things that are important to my wife and me. I try to get good airfare bargains (nearly always under $500 to Europe), never take cabs (especially from airports), and usually eat in inexpensive local restaurants. However, I go up to $100/day for hotels, both because we like a bathroom in the room and my wife tolerates small rooms but not dirty ones. When it comes to museum fees and similar charges, I'm glad to pay the going rate.

you

There is no promise of tomorrow. Live it up!

Susan

The frugal traveler is my favourite section of the New York Times and yes, it is interesting to see exactly what constitutes frugality (to quote the first note). While it's true that 'you only live once', I'd hate to spend my life saving for that big luxury trip! I love to travel. Given that I have to work, that usually means a couple of trips a year. They are generally low end in terms of cost. But we make trade-offs. In Turkey in September, we didn't spend a lot on hotels - but we did have some wonderful dinners and we came home with a beautiful small carpet. <BR> <BR>I am Canadian. Whenever an American talks about an inexpensive hotel (say under $100), I have to translate that into Canadian funds ($150). Given that I don't think I make 50% more than someone doing the same job as me in the States, my dollar just doesn't go as far. Some economists are predicting that it could go as low as 60 cents. So we're starting to look at what countries we can visit where prices aren't quoted in US dollars. We've been to Australia and may go back. New Zealand is also a possibility. We definitely want to go back to Turkey. <BR> <BR>That's not to say that we don't splurge occasionally, but we definitely prefer to go where we can maximize our experiences. <BR> <BR>Where do we economize? We don't spend a lot on hotels. (Yes, we've stayed in places without hot water.) We sometimes rent cars, but usually take public transit. (That's also because we don't find it particularly relaxing to drive in some of the countries we've visited.) We don't usually economize on dinner, but we will on breakfast and lunch. <BR> <BR>Interesting thread.

Meg

Although the older I get, the more expensive my tastes seem to get, I still like to go, go, go. I can keep convincing my husband if I find good airfare or use FF miles. I never pick the BEST hotel or the second best (I dream of doing it, but just can't justify the cost) - BUT we insist on ensuite bathrooms and a clean room. I try to stay around $100 ($150 MAX) a day and have found that it's easy to do in most cities. We eat street food for the most part - bakeries, crepes, picnics, sandwiches - etc. Food is never the focus of our trip, but we have splurged on great meals at great restaurants from time to time. I'd rather buy a great souvenir (jewelry, a rug, a piece of furniture, etc.) than spend the money on airfare, food or lodging.

wendy

I spend less than $50USD a day. That means that $5000 has lasted me for three months in Europe, including plane and rail ticket. I had lots of fun travelling on the cheap like that and met lots of interesting people from all over the world. Travelling on the cheap means your trip lasts longer, and it's easy to do once you've done a little homework.

clairobscur

The first thing I'd give up is certainly confortable accomodation. I don't mind using a shared bathroom, and I don't remember having ever paid more than 50 $/night in an hotel. Hostels are just fine for me, renting a room in someone's house too. I could conceive paying much more for a very special place (a parador in Spain, for instance, but not an upscale hotel in a major town)but it never happened. Concerning food, I can buy it from groceries, or choose a cheap restaurant, but I like to eat in a fancy one from time to time (not the very expensive ones, though, but I would like to). My budget would be 50 $/day (when planning) or 75 $/day (when I come back and discover what I really spent),transportation excluded.

Annette

My idea of budget travel is how my husband's brother travels. Last year he spent six months in Asia, covering Burma, Thailand, India and Nepal trekking. He claims never to have spent more than $4.00 a night for lodging. I've quizzed him over this extensively, and I have to believe he is telling me the truth. He doesn't get *amenities* like sheets, it is shelter only. He had a great time. A couple of weeks ago he left for Kenya. We got an email about a animal sightseeing safari he enjoyed and then it is on for four weeks in Cairo. He is plannning on being gone until early next summer, going into Turkey and then over to Asia again. <BR> <BR>He's retired (turning sixty this year)and admitted to my husband the week before he left that he can live a lot cheaper travelling than staying here in the states, so he might as well see something of the world. <BR> <BR>I'm not sure if I could handle this level of budget travelling because of the hygiene element combined with the heat and dust. Someday, I'd like to try it, though. <BR> <BR>Also, I agree with MoneyNoObject. If it's not in the savings account, don't spend it! Be sure EVERTHING is pd. in full and there are a few steaks in the freezer before you dip into the *discretionary* income funds.

jwagner

Wendy, <BR> <BR>How do you find your cheap hotels? I let them find me. I usually travel off season to save on air fare (and living in cold Iowa means that EVERYTHING feels warmer than here) and all that means is that there are usually an abundance of hotel rooms. I get off the train and wait for someone to approach me and then start the little bidding dance with them.

elvira

For accommodations, I won't give up safety or health for the budget, but I am content with just a few basics: bathroom/shower down the hall is fine; threadbare carpet and mismatched furniture works for me. I find that individual travelers - many Europeans - stay in the inexpensive hotels with basic amenities. The couple of times I've stayed in a 3* hotel, it was full of American tour groups. I didn't feel as if I were 'away', being surrounded every morning with American voices. <BR> <BR>Unless the situation warrants a 'private' car like a taxi or car/driver (lots of luggage; late at night; enough people it becomes cost-effective; running really late), then public transportation is how I travel. For train travel, I usually go second class (people-watching is great entertainment), but on a long day trip (10 hours), I was very glad to be in first class (quieter and more room). <BR> <BR>Good food doesn't mean fancy surroundings or high cost - the roast pork w/grilled endive and onions sandwich at a Paris flea market was one of the best things I've ever eaten. I'm happy with a plate full of spaghetti or cassoulet - if I indulge in foie gras, I'm happy, but if I don't get the chance, the zuppa de pesce is fine by me. <BR> <BR>And I will pay anything, no matter how exhorbitant, to see or experience something that tickles my fancy. $100 to see an opera? you betcha... <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>I don't think I could ever do the hostels or sleeping in huts (even if I were a kid again - I've always hated camping), but more power to anyone who can.