Hotels, definatly hotels, stay in a cheaper one, we stayed an a decent (clean, nice shower) one in Zakopane for $14 and night while there were ones for +$100 an night. We were there for the outdoors. Also, go in the off peak times. I dont mind traveling in the winter time.

Food is here and gone but shopping is forever!! Seriously - save on food - breakfast at hotel, lunch on the run, maybe afternoon tea instead of dinner or one nice dinner out. Spurge - theatre tickets in london, unique hotel if it's my second or third time there - the first time it's about the sights, after that it's the ambiance and whole experience. i buy alot of things unique to the region - wood carvings and dirndls in Germany, etc. i do sometimes splurge on desserts - and hope i burn it off walking!

I splurge on food. I do not want more "things". I do not need more "things".

I'm with Mina--don't want more things, can't have more things, no place to put more things! Now that our kids are grown we buy each other a book at Christmas and put all the rest of the money into our next year travel plans. Save on not shopping unless someplace remarkable (this year a Donegal tweed handwoven jacket for DH for $250) We like our own bathroom but don't generally go for the 4/5 stars unless there is a specific reason to stay there (and most often there is not) Like to find a nice hotel with good dining and never save on a good meal. Travel is one of the fewer luxuries of our lives---we tend to live rather frugally most of the time.

I like things! We're in our late 20's - early 30's, so we still have room for our stuff, too! I absolutely ADORE the teak birdcage we bought in Thailand, the vintage advertising poster from Paris, the espresso machine from Italy - it makes me relive my trips again when I see these things around our home.<BR><BR>SAVE: <BR><BR>* Hotel: Our budget is generally around $100/night, or whatever gets us a clean, well-located room with hopefully SOME charm.<BR><BR>* Meals: We generally try to have one or two very nice meals per trip, but typically have fun just eating cafe food.<BR><BR>Our airfare is covered, so while we try to get the best deal, we don't need to consider it in our overall budget.<BR><BR>SPLURGE: <BR><BR>* Things! Typically home decor items are one of the major outlays for us on any trip. In fact, I usually have an idea of what I want to buy from someplace before I've chosen a hotel. And sometimes clothes, shoes, etc.<BR><BR>* Cultural activities - We don't consider the costs of museums or other sights, and typically try to see one ballet/opera/symphony<BR><BR>* Local transport - We take the metro when available, but to be honest have never taken a bus. Give me a taxi anyday. Probably comes from living in China where they are plentiful and cheap, but when I'm tired from walking all day (and am loaded down with the THINGS I've bought), I just want to hop in a taxi and go straight to the hotel.<BR><BR>* Guidebooks, coffeetable books (I try to get one interesting one per major destination we visit - I mean country or city, not sight), books (I love to buy books written about the places we're visiting that aren't always available in the states).

Splurge on wine, a special present for my folks that represents the city I was in for my holiday. I have splurged on a BMW to drive in Germany for Oktoberfest. I splurged on a vibrant silk dress in Italy. But I also found some amazing hotels that went for a song.

Splurge:1- guidebooks- want to get info on the city as much as i can<BR> 2- Stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel- I dont like hiltons and sheratons but a nice hotel that has flavour of the county.<BR> 3- transportation- From and to the airport I get a cab<BR><BR><BR>Save- 1-airfare<BR> 2-Food- I just eat to stop the hunger. Also, i will have a big breakfast, skip lunch and then have a big dinner.<BR> 3- Only shop for things i cant find in my country.

Scrimp: no presents for others, only the odd item to take home (usally something for the home, like a piece of art or furniture, like a lamp); never eating lunch - breakfast at the hotel and a snack is fine till dinnder; drinking wine by the glass at dinner - after a long day's holidaying, any more will put you to sleep; drinking nice, cold beer - cheap and a different experience than at home, where I usually drink tepid-to-slightly-cool bitter; hiring a mid-size, frills-free car - it's only to get you from A-B; <BR><BR>Splurge: the odd 'experience', like cocktails at hip hotel, or dinner at well-known restaurant; nights in 4/5* hotels - but scrimpy in a way as I usually book via the internet to get a discount; paying about $220 more for 'premium economy' on long flights; big purchases, like big pieces of art, which can be mailed home;

topping for Bob

When I'm in Europe, I don't like to worry about money, though I'm not extravagant either, so I'd rather "save" by being more economical at home. In fact, I just told my husband (and this post got me thinking about it--thank you sandy--good post) that would not buy a single item of clothes unless absolutely necessary in the next year if we could go to Europe again next year. And guess what--he agreed!!! That alone should pay for at least my plane ticket. <BR><BR>However, there are a few things I do try to save while in Europe. One is only eating dinner out most of the time--but we rarely eat breakfast or big lunches. Also, I check here for recommendations for hotels and such.

ttt

topping

To the top for an old but interesting thread!

The type of vacation matters where I save or splurge. In Europe I look for a well located inexpensive hotel. At the beach I like a nicer hotel since the purpose of the vacation is to relax.

Really old, but interesting thread.

I try to save on hotels by staying at basic 3* hotels. Nothing fancy, it doesn't really have to have much charm - just be clean, safe and in a relatively convenient area. I also try to save by taking public transportation rather than taxis.

What I do not limit my spending on is sightseeing activities, as the entire point of travel to me is to see what each city/country has to offer.

I take a lot of pictures and do not worry about the cost of film/developing and how much it costs me in materials to put together the final scrapbook. I am also a postcard nut. These go into my scrapbook along with my photos, and I easily spend $100 on postcards alone on a 2 week trip.

I usually try to eat cheaply for breakfast and less expensively for lunch so I can have a nice dinner.

While I don't open up my wallet for shopping as freely as I do for sightseeing, if I see something that I really want (and can fit in my luggage), I'll buy it.

&gt;I try to save on hotels by staying at basic 3* hotels.&lt;

Some of us stay at 2*, 1* and B&amp;Bs. :)

Good point, ira - if I really wanted to, I could probably save even more on hotels - but my usual travel companions are more used to the 4* and 5* hotels - so we compromise.

I really don't want to hear them complaining about the hotel from the minute we get there. :)

I save and splurge at the same time by tacking vacations onto business trips. That way the company pays for transportation (business class flights or first class train fare), taxis to/from airports, meals at upscale restaurants, and a good chunk of the hotel portion. For example, I had a 4 night business trip in Vienna. I gave myself a week's vacation in Vienna before the conference. Because I was staying at the hotel for 10 nights, they gave me a good rate on the nights that I wasn't there on company expense and upgraded my room.
I was just in Chicago for business and arrived two days early to get over jet lag and enjoy the city before the convention madness began.

I get the best airfare and advance train tix I can, but I've scaled back on the hotel rooms. I reserve one really nice meal out, lunches out, light dinners in, stocking up on market goodies in case I am too tired to go out. No skimping on museum entry fees.

My new deal with myself: the first day, after I am settled, I'm allowed to take a taxi to my first site, just so that I get up and out. After that I use public transpo.

I no longer buy gifts for other people. I will send postcards, that makes for a nice interlude at a sidewalk cafe, anyway. Purchases for myself are small items easily packable that speak to me of the place, a bold print scarf, a tablecloth featuring local flowers, bangle bracelets from street vendors.
Oh! My other splurge is an unhurried visit to a street market, and I have a spending allowance for trinkets...but it's more about talking and laughing with the vendors, practicing the language, hearing their questions about my country. Then a nice refreshment break for some people-watching.

Our strategy is to try to be as budget-minded as possible in the broad areas---airfare and hotels. I'd fly at 4 a.m. to get a better deal, and it doesn't bother me one whit to use Priceline to get an acceptable hotel for under (or around) $100 if possible. We're not &quot;foodies&quot; either, and our meals are pretty inexpensive. We splurge on SHOPPING! I try to buy a Christmas ornament everywhere I go, and one for each child's collection. Coins for our youngest, both contemporary and antiques--and reproductions, too. I buy books, videogames or DVD's that aren't available in the States, presents for my nephews, clothing--you name it. I wish there was some sort of Mailboxes Etc. chain in Europe so that we could ship everything home without lugging it on the plane.