SAVE<BR>I make sure I get pretty reasonable deals on my flights. I eat fairly modestly, and am not the world's most enthusiastic shopper, although I may bring back a memento or two for close friends/relatives, especially if it's the very first time I've visited a place. If for some reason I can't walk through a town or get to a particular destination in a town in enough time, I'll usually use a Metro system, or bus over cab any day. For travel within the same country, I use the train instead of renting a vehicle.<BR><BR>SPLURGE<BR>I do like to stay in a hotel room with an attached ("ensuite") bath, a great location, and some nice ambiance, although my accomodations are usually under 4 star. A/C, a tub and shower are a must! My transportation from the airport or train station to the hotel is one area where I usually won't scrimp, and will take a limo or taxi, but in order to avoid rip-offs, I'll arrange for this prior to arriving, if possible. Sames goes for getting me there to depart--won't find me schlepping bags all over a bus or train terminal to get myself to the airport. I'm afraid I'm a bit of a museum addict, so I'll pay to get into 'em without blinking an eye.

I'm a cheapie for airfare..but splurge on hotel.

Many of you will spend 10 hours or more in a very cramped space eating horrible food and pay $300 to $800 for the 10 hours or more flying. When you think of it this way, I would gladly pay $ 500 for 24 hours in luxurious hotel and never leave the room,(except to get some food). This is important to me. It gets my trip off to a great start.

I splurge on dinners as I cant get the same cuisine back home. <BR><BR>I wont splurge on those darn Hard Rock cafe "country" t-shirts.

I hate to spend with the airlines..I get as many frequent flyer miles as possible,charging everything. But once I arrive it's a taxi or car service..I don't do tubes or metros and schlep luggage anymore!<BR><BR>Like nice 3 or 4 star hotels, have light lunches, splurge on dinners in most places or find great places that don't kill your wallet!. But I am a great fan of half board country house hotels! Skip the snacks during the day..neither my budget or my waist needs them!<BR><BR>And buying schmata(Sp) to bring home to people is not my thing. I do buy things I love but only good things that I love and collect..and not much of that either. Try to get the best deals available with car rentals, look for off season specials on air fares and hotels..they are there but you have to look!<BR>And walk walk walk~! leave the taxis sit there..join organizations that allow free entry ..like Royal Oak..or buy museum passes

Fun thread.<BR>I save on:<BR><BR>AIRFARE: Bargain hunt and use AMEX membership points.<BR>FOOD: DH and I aren't really "foodies" at home either. We grab a quick, cheap lunch in a cafe or sandwich shop, have a tasty but inexpensive dinner.<BR><BR>I splurge on:<BR><BR>HOTELS: I like 4-stars that are right in the thick of things. At the end of a busy day day I like to come back and relax in luxurious surroundings and get pampered. I especially love soaking in a nice big bubble bath and then wrapping up in one of those thick hotel robes. &lt;sigh&gt; I don't go bonkers though. $275 is my limit in high-season. Usually I bargain hunt and find something great for around 225.<BR>SHOPPING: I still love and use/wear all of the things I've ever bought on vacation. <BR>TAXIS TO/FROM AIRPORT: Trying to lug my crap around public transport or those slow-poke shuttles possibly while jet-lagged just isn't worth saving a few bucks to me.

what a fun thread! so many names you don't see much, on here - where are they all now?<BR><BR>splurge - TRANSPORTATION. Nice cars, taxis when I don't need to rent one. I cannot STAND lugging all my crap around on public transport. Don't tell me to pack less, I hate wearing something past its sell-by date (which inevitably happens if you don't pack enough - even if it's only socks).<BR><BR>save? erm, save? let me think. ;-)

Make friends world wide and stay with them. Be sure to reciprocate when they come your way. Stay in touch!<BR>Blessings,<BR>Dr. B.

Always bargain shopper on airfare, splurge on nice/decent hotels, main meal at lunch ( just don't like to eat late). Heading to Italy for 2 weeks on the 11th and only have 3 gourmet meals planned. Always rent nice cars.

Save: My budget's fairly tight, so I travel in shoulder or off season, shop like crazy for the best possible (coach)airfare, and do extensive research on hotels to find the best located/priced 2 (or sometimes 3-star) hotel with a bit of charm. Take public transit and 2nd class rail (with the locals!) most of the time, or rent a compact, manual transmission car. Not much of a shopper; what I do buy is often from a street market and it has to be both useful and unique, and fit in my luggage.<BR><BR>Splurge: Cultural stuff's important to me, so I'll spend $$ on ballet and theater tix, and any and all museums, walking tours, etc. that interest me.(Though I still check lastminute.com for deals on the former and research whether passes are the best deal or not for the latter.)<BR><BR>Food/drink/nightlife are also things I really enjoy. No Michelin-starred restaurants, but I do research where to find good meals and sit down and have a nice lunch and/or dinner, with wine, daily. Not so much of a breakfast girl, so unless it's included in the hotel rate, I skip that or grab a pastry on the run.<BR><BR>Since I can't afford the 4-5 star hotel thing, I'm curious: do those of you who stay in those posh hotels see many non-Americans there? Especially at places that you're able to get with points, like Hilton/Sherton/Starwood properties? A marble bath sounds nice, but I love meeting travelers from all over and talking with the owners/staff at small hotels.

Splurge on icecream or fancy cakes in luxury restaurants, save on everything else.

Scrimp on everything, especially acommodations (spent US$20 per room in Paris last year); travel 2-4 times a year with kids, but throw the budget out the window for:<BR>opera tickets<BR>candy we've never seen<BR>site-specific, well-written guide books<BR>entrance fees to museums<BR>spices & herbs<BR>historical fiction<BR>local wine<BR>bike rental<BR>cool kids' t-shirts (Como ti senti oggi?)<BR><BR>Fun thread! And we thought we had a lot in common!<BR>

Budgetgirl,<BR>I see travelers from all over, but I usually don't stay in a chain hotel like Sheraton or Hilton if I go 4 or 5 star as I think they do attract more American business-type folks. I pick a hotel that is unique to the area.<BR><BR>Also agree with an earlier post, to get friends in international places! Before I was able to go 5 star I relied on the comfort of friends' couches and floors...and vice versa. I suppose, thinking about it, that's why I love luxe hotels now.

Be flexible in regards to airfare & the timing of trips. Summer to Europe is very $$$. I always eat well & base my hotels on location rather than name or price. I refuse to have a budget. It is also cheaper to stay in smaller towns than big cities. I always use the train for transport as well. We seldom buy gifts or shop much. We typically take 2 short trips & 1 longer trip to Europe every year. It's all in what your priorities are I guess.

Here's my two cents:<BR>SAVINGS: <BR>*Transportation- flying coach, driving my own car (if in my country), local transport (subway, train, bus,- like others say, a good way to experence the local feel of that place.)<BR><BR>*Lodging- we are of the mind frame that the room is for sleeping & changing clothes, so staying with a budget of $120/nite maximum gives us clean & safe places. We have stayed in some very nice places for this price range. <BR><BR>SPLURGES:<BR>* Meals- We usually stay at places that offer at least continental or full breakfasts, that way we can spend more on lunch & dinner. We also eat at local places, more of where the locals eat at. <BR><BR>* siteseeing / passes - we go to see other places, so we spend the $$'s to get to these places. I try to find deals or passes that will help. This then makes the trip more memorable. <BR><BR>*Gifts - I am a shopper & love to see the local stores and find new items. I do bring back gifts for family (especially when one is not able to travel very much) and a few special co-workers. I don't spend alot (family is usually more $$) but they make great christmas gifts! I do buy somethings for ourselves as memories of the trip. We collect magnets (should see the Fridge at home!!) / postcards to go with our pictures / small knick-knack for my curio shelf and books on the area or special site.

Splurge:<BR>Auto transmission in left hand drive countries.<BR>Taxi, almost a necessity with my bad feet, save feet for walking at museums and such not from train station to museum.<BR>1st class train if it is an all day trip.<BR>Lodging close to center of larger cities, we have learned to take breaks in the middle of the day and this makes it a lot easier.<BR>Don't economize foolishly, take that river cruise even if I think it's a little too expensive.<BR>Good maps purchased well in advance.<BR><BR><BR><BR>Save:<BR>B&B's where possible.<BR>Nothing above 2 star hotel.<BR>Sometimes we even picnic for dinner in hotel room, too tired to go out.<BR>Time, paying more for airfare that saves hours on using out-of-the way airports or long layover times or multiple connections.<BR>Lunch picnic, if my wife can make lunch from the breakfast buffet I guarantee she will.<BR>Shopping: don't do it at home so don't do it traveling although I do window show a lot. Have to admit to being a lapel pin junky.

SAVE<BR>I don't like to drive anyway so never rent a car. Often especially traveling solo prefer to eat & drink in my hotel room (i.e. bottle of wine and take away food). Really don't enjoy overly fancy (stuck up) hotels, so usually go 3-star. Don't like to shop at home either, so never go wild on purchases on trips.<BR><BR>SPLURGE<BR>Bathroom en suite!!!<BR>Private compartment on overnight trains.

I splurge generally while on vacation but save by going not during the peak season (e.g. Paris before Christmas, Rome at end of March) yet not during the worst weather months either. I live in Boston so I'd rather enjoy the beautiful weather here while it is nice in the summer and Paris in December is no worse than Boston. By doing this I usually save on airfare and can stay at nice hotels for about 20%-30% less than they cost during high season.

I think what I like most about this board is that we all have our unique spending priorities, and by reading what others have done, I get to consider options upon which I would have otherwise never "splurged." It seems to me that most people here don't blindly have to have top of the line to make a trip memorable, so I'm willing to look at the value of their choices.<BR><BR>As far as our personal choices, I think we've settled into a spending pattern.<BR>Airfare, of course. Why punch in here if you're not checking fares all the time anyway? I admit to paying a slightly higher airfare to Europe if I can use FF miles to upgrade to business class. Leg room--ahhhh.<BR><BR>Like Patrick, we just don't shop. We don't need or want "toys"--and we really try not to have friends who are into things, so it works out. <BR><BR>Because of the lack of mass transportation where we live in the US, European mass transportation is a marvel to us. We tend to save money by using it, but we're doing it more for the experience than the savings. Ironically, though, we never use the cheapest rental car on those rare occasions when we use one.<BR><BR>We have no budget when it comes to museums, concerts, etc. We buy passes for the convenience more than the savings, and we enjoy the fact that passes give us a monetary incentive to do and see more.<BR><BR>Hotels--we're middle of the road but also variable. In France, we tend to do 3*, but we've certainly done some good 2*s and experienced some great 4*s. In Italy, we learned to up the ante to 4*s. In Britain, we've given up trying to figure it out. <BR><BR>But I admit to a terrible fault---no family rooms! I love my children--can't think of traveling without them--but after one memorable family room in Florence, I refuse to share a bathroom with three others ever again. So our splurge is two rooms for the family.<BR><BR>As far as restaurants go, we're all over the map. We value a superb menu, yet we don't have to eat that way all the time. We resent "pretend" haut(e?) cuisine. <BR><BR>One final huuuuggggeee splurge. Guidebooks. They're an addiction. I have three floor to ceiling bookcases filled with them. <BR><BR>Whenever I buy a new one and my husband just stares at me, I always respond,"Well, I'm not into jewelry and furs..."<BR><BR>

Like others I save on the airfare and the hotel. I splurge on the food, since it is one of the cultural experiences. I also don't stint on entry fees or souvenirs. M.