Newbie traveler
 

So I have this idea to take quick 3-4 day trips overseas every other month. I figure if you plan for a big trip, you get your hopes up. And if things don't go the way that you thought that they would, it can be devastating. I was wondering if anyone could give me any tips on how to travel cheap (flights, hotels/hostels, etc) and quick (3-4 days). I'm very good at prioritizing, so I wouldn't be bogged down with going sightseeing EVERYWHERE. And I don't mind traveling alone. I just always think that travel should be a spontaneous thing. But I can't affors 2 week long vacations.

Sorry if this came off a little unorganized.

Thanks!

What is "overseas" for you? For me, that would mean an 8 hour or more plane ride. So it would be a day just travelling there and another day back and on a 3 day trip, I'd have 1 day to sight-see, 2 on a 4 day trip. That's certainly not worth it to me.

What is about 2 weeks you can't afford? The time off work or the actual costs of travelling (e.g. airfare, hotels, meals)? If it's the latter, I would think that in the long term it would more expensive because you are paying for more travel (planes, trains, gas for vehicle) and the same or more for hotels and meals. A 3-4 day trip every 2 months for a year is 18-24 days on vacation. My average overseas trip is 18-20 days.

When you fly transatlantic or transpacific - you usually end up w/ jet lag and it takes a day or two (or longer) to recover. So by the time you are up to snuff - it will be time to head back to the airport to fly home.

If you live in - say New York - you can manage 3 or 4 days in London or Paris because the flights are relatively short (6-ish hours) and you can depart in the AM and land late PM the same day. But any farther and you have to fly overnight.

Agree. If you look at per/day average costs for a trip, the more days away, the more you amortize the cost of the flights. An $800 ticket is $200/day for a four day (really you should count nights) trip, but only $50 a day on a 16 day one. Flying has gotten to be such a pain that I get as many days away as possible per flight!

Where are you starting from? When you say "overseas" do you mean New York to Europe?

The problem with the shorter trips you propose, as others have mentioned, is the plane ticket is your largest expense. So on a 3-4 days trip your *per day* costs are WAY higher, than if you can stay at least 10 days or a few weeks.

for example if you plane ticket is $700, and you pay $100/night for a hotel room, and allow $50/day spending money a 3-day trip comes out to $383/day and a 10-day trip costs only $220/day.

<<<So I have this idea to take quick 3-4 day trips overseas every other month.>>>

Why not save up your time and take a 6-8 day trip every 4 months instead? You'd have half the plane tickets and you'd actually have time to see things. If you take 5 days off of work then you could have an 8 or 9 day trip. More if you can work it around holidays like Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc (depending on your job schedule of course). You can still be spontaneous, just only every 4 months instead of 2 months.

While I completely understand the desire to travel every other month, if you only have 4 days then you'll spend 2 days traveling and only have two days (possibly/likely) jetlagged to see anything.

As already pointed out, it really depends on where you're flying from and where you want to go. Flying out of somewhere like New York, DC, etc then you have a lot more non-stop, and shorter flight durations than I would. Flying out of my area, it's going to take longer simply due to the connecting flight layover and the longer distance.


<<< I figure if you plan for a big trip, you get your hopes up. And if things don't go the way that you thought that they would, it can be devastating.>>>

Not necessarily. Sometimes the things that don't go how you expect are the best. I really wasn't expecting to like London very much and was debating if I really wanted to spend two whole days there. I've been back since for an additional 5 nights and would happily go back time and again. It didn't go the way I expected but it went way even than I could have hoped. Same with Egypt... I was nervous ahead of time if I'd like it or not. Yeah, fell in love with it and will go back someday. :)

<I figure if you plan for a big trip, you get your hopes up. And if things don't go the way that you thought that they would, it can be devastating.>

Since you say your a "newbie" I can only share my experiences (approx. 30 international trips to date) but that has never happened. Not once. Part of that is not to have preconceived notions what things will be like. Go in with an open mind, to whatever the experience turns out to be.

That's great advice, suze, and so true. You get what you get when you get there, and if you don't like it then travel probably isn't the right way to spend your free time. People who travel repeatedly tend to have a very positive attitude about adventures/challenges that arise along the way because so much is out of one's control when traveling. And we all know that some of the worst stuff makes GREAT stories!!!

A trip that doesn't go the way you thought it would is only devistating if you allow it to be devastating. If you can go with the flow, then you will have a good time - and don't let preconceived notions run away with you. The only thing I can think of that would make a trip devistating is if something really bad happened, like a major accident or being the victim of a violent crime.

For me, that's what I LOVE the most about travel. It is made up of NEW experiences, every day, and you never know what to expect, or what will happen. If you go in with a lot of specific expectations you are only setting yourself up for disappointment, and possibly missing really good stuff that might come your way spontaneously.