caribtraveler

We splurge on restaurants (dinners).

mlgb

Good coffee and good ice cream/gelato.

I would rather save on lodgings if I'm not spending much time in them, and spend on activities and food. I will use Priceline and Hotwire to get a resort hotel rather than paying the full rate.

I do spend a lot of golf, too. But that isn't real money.

LSky

Unless the hotel is a destination, like a resort and we'll have time to enjoy those aspects, I don't see the point in spending a lot of money on a hotel room. I'd rather put extra money into my home.

Once in a while we'll spend a bit for a meal. Not that we eat junk food but we're happy to make a meal at of farmer's market purchases. I have to admit that I have some impatience for restaurants while on vacation. There's so much I want to do and waiting for food makes me a little antsy. Fortunately my husband agrees.

Like others, we'll spend on entertainment. If we go to an opera, we want as close to the front as possible. We'll drive miles out of our way to see an exhibit.

I also don't mind forking it over for a piece of art or jewelry that is unusual. Luckily, my lifestyle doesn't call for extravagant pieces of jewelry or art.

jrecm

If we have done a home exchange for a week or two, then we will splurge a little on our next apartment, ie one from Paris Perfect.

..or kayak to an exclusive hotel in Kauai and drink one of their very expensive mai tai's overlooking the pool, the na pali cliffs and the ocean.

atp2007

Food or meals that you can only get there. Seeing sites or experiences that can't be duplicated and are the main reason to go there in the first place. Well priced crafts that are not available here or are really discounted there.
I'd rather spend the money for gelati in Rome and make up for it with a week of eating pasta at home.

saige

Hotel rooms for the most part should be conveniently located, safe and clean. With these criteria, we save on lodging, mostly staying in small European style hotels or at B&B's. Oftentimes we do a self-catering rental and shop for food that we cook ourselves or take out for picnics.

When we splurge it is for exceptionally good food and fine wine, at Michelin four stars restaurants. If we are celebrating a special occasion, birthday or anniversary, we sometimes book a one or two night stay at an historic location, such as the Parador's in Spain.

tenthumbs

I agree with LSky about hotel rooms~it's just a place to shower, sleep, and leave my stuff....as long as it's clean and safe, I don't require alot of luxury.
My splurge is the cheesy guidebooks...I often find myself trying to remember the name of a place I visited and can't remember; the handy dandy guidebooks are a great reminder!

travel2live2

I am with atp. Food you can only get there as well as doing things you can only do there. For example, I only go white water rafting in North America - it can be done all over. However, I do go truffle hunting in Croatia.

Most of our "splurges" are food related. We are major foodies so seek out the most unique, atmospheric and intriguing spots. Not only restaurants but specialty food shops as well.

If you can call it a splurge we always rent a car for flexibility. Then we often encounter plenty of free things such as festivals, pressing olives, making wines, etc. with local folks.

jahlie

After reading all these posts, I bet we can all agree that "one person's splurge is another's routine." We each probably see as routine what someone else considers a splurge.

So after thinking about that for a minute, and deciding it's a pretty subjective topic after all, I guess my favorite splurge is a prearranged car service or grabbing a taxi to and from any airport. Nothing is worse than the hassle of dragging baggage, finding public transport, negotiating foreign currency, desperately trying to decode the bus/metro map, staying cognizant enough to recognize your stop, and hoping you end up at your hotel before you collapse from exhaustion, frustration and the frazzled post-flight mind. I do this after short domestic flights as well - it just makes things easier.

My second splurge is renting a car and using up a lot of gas exploring back roads and less traveled destinations. The freedom of going where I want on my own schedule allows me to meet more people, enjoy more local culture, and always leads me to an "adventure" or two.

Kay2

I also hadn't thought of ensuite rooms or direct flights as splurges, but I guess they are. I am a cheap/frugal traveler, so paying the additional cost for a private bath or direct flight would qualify as splurges for me and I do pay for them (sometimes).

I tend to splurge on admissions, events, experiences. We occasionally go skiing and that entire experience is a splurge for us because of the cost of rental equipment, lift tickets, housing during high season, etc. Have also spent large amounts (for us) on boat tours, kayaking, concert tickets.

The other times I have splurged have been for private guides and drivers in less developed countries where I don't speak the language and don't feel as comfortable travelling independently. Sure, I could have jammed myself onto overcrowded buses and hoped I was headed in the right direction, but I thought it was worth it for safety and time efficiently to pay more.

skatedancer

car service to and from airport
direct flights
now that we have teenagers, if the hotel is not too expensive we might book three rooms, so that DD has her privacy from her brothers...

ensuite bathrooms are a necessity for us, not a splurge!

suze

The fact that I can travel IS my splurge. Beyond getting to go some place, I try to keep costs at a minimum in all categories. And actually am a person who prefers the more simple things, less fancy places to stay or eat, activities that don't cost any extra, taking the bus instead of renting a car, etc.

Seamus

Even when super low budget was the only kind of travel I could do I hated sharing a bathroom and will pay extra to avoid it.
Ditto on the car service or taxi for transfer on overseas trips (except Hong Kong, where the train into town is so simple and easy.)
For leisure travel we have become accustomed to renting an apartment rather than a hotel room, and I am willing to pay more for a convenient location - e.g, single digit arrondissement in Paris versus a place out near the peripherique.
Like others, I also tend to splurge on an "experience" - hot air balloon ride at dawn over the Masai Mara is one I will never forget.

Amy

I like to splurge on a day or so of luxury, especially if I've been travelling a bit rough: tea at the Peninsula in Hong Kong, a lovely stay at the Trident in Gurgaon after five nights in a $5 a night guesthouse in Ladakh. I'll also definitely splurge for an experience that I can't have elsewhere (boat trip to a village in East Greenland) or if I have limited time in a particular spot. (i.e. getting a car and driver for a day in Madeira)

And en-suite, always.

bettyk

For the last several years, we have used FF miles to upgrade to Biz Class. Even after paying anywhere from $250 - $300 per person each way, it is money well spent for us.

This year, we are traveling to the UK with "free" FF tickets so we won't be able to upgrade. However, with the US$ going a little further these days, we'll probably opt for a few nicer restaurants than we would have otherwise. Being retired, we are in the same financial mess that many others are in so we must spend our money wisely if we want to continue to travel.

Another thing we like to do is use a car service to/from home to our local airport. Saves having to hassle with parking, taking the bus to the terminal, etc. Since most of our trips now are 2-3 weeks, it isn't much more expensive than paying longterm parking.

bookchick

It varies and it depends on where I'm going and if I'm going alone. (I usually do travel alone.) I live near a city that's an NWA hub, so I do quite a bit to amass FF miles. I do use those miles, so that helps. When traveling to Europe, I make it a point to usually travel in "off-season" or shoulder season when possible. I will often only meet one meal a day and have a snack once or twice. I've only once stayed in a "luxury resort hotel" and paid full price. (That whole trip was fairly splurge-filled, as I had a couple of spa treatments at that resort hotel.) I've formed a great relationship with a hotel in Rome, so always get a discount when I stay there. I use public transportation when traveling within the city I'm visiting, if they have a reliable system. I usually do have one very high-quality meal at a nice restaurant. In America, I never pay the rack rate at hotels and do all I can to book myself at the cheapest possible rate, but I'm able to stay at 4-star places at literally a fraction of their posted rack rates. I will get whatever I can in terms of museum cards, public transportation cards, etc., to make the trip as inexpensive as possible.

BC

bookchick

Sorry, I should have added to my post above that I, too, do not care to share a bathroom. If I'm traveling with a friend, I'll share a room and a bathroom with them, but I'm not too into "a hall bathroom" shared in a small hotel or B&B with several other guests.

BC

jmcdo

How do I splurge? I take more family members with me! I can always count on my Mom or my Dad to join me and the kids. My husband comes whenever he can get away from work. Sometimes my sister and her kids make it too. There is nothing better than sharing those beautiful places in the world with the people you love. We love to get together and talk about our adventures abroad.

Katie_H

My splurges are definitely mostly all food related--I plan meals out in advance and come prepared to shell out money for the experiences. Sometimes I opt for just lunch though---sometimes I save that way.

When it comes to hotels, I'd be more likely to stay at a cheaper hotel and then stay in the nicest room I could afford at that hotel than to take the worst room at a really expensive hotel. This worked for me on Provo-- I stayed at the Sibonne but opted for the honeymoon suite. In Paris it was a hotel in Montparnasse and on a whim we upgraded to a room with a balcony. I could see the Sacre Coeur! Some views are worth the money---as flygirl noted above.

I'm also fascinated by public transportation--if I have the time I'll take it from the airport. I rarely take a cab.

I splurged on a digital slr camera for my trip last year to Alaska---definitely worth it. I think if something had happened to that camera on that trip I would have bunkered down and bought another camera. Taking pictures when I travel is that big of a deal for me.

I have never paid to fly first class or business class---though I've been lucky and have been upgraded 2 or 3 times. I'm sure it's worth it but I'm usually trying to use any extra cash I have to stay an extra night or two. Of course, I have had my share of miserable flights---but never so bad that I swear off coach travel. I have not been good about collecting FF miles though I finally wised up and joined a loyalty program two years ago.

dwebb

Hard times or not, I am and always will be a thrifty/frugal solo traveler. However, because I am a solo traveler and female, I will pay extra for lodging for easy accessibility and safety.

I will buy one expensive item for myself (shoes or jewelry) before I return home (USA).

Although I have frequent flier miles, I never upgrade (on overseas flights I go to sleep anyway) as it will be a waste. I use my miles to purchase roundtrip flights within the US.

In Europe I take the shuttle into the city and then the Metro or Tube to get to my lodging (apartment, B&B or university dorm).

While in the city, I take the bus, train or I simply walk to different destinations. The splurge in lodging comes in handy.

Dining is never an issue, since I am a solo traveler, I just purchase what I need at the Monoprix/store and either eat on the go, at the park, or cook it at the apartment. I will splurge if I meet other travelers and we'll go to a restaurant or an event.

I try and catch museums on free days or use coupons.