THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION
Don’t Cheap Yourself
Some people like driving a Maserati while others tool about in a Mazda.
Some people buy palaces and others who want nothing more than a tiny house on wheels.
A wise person says you can drive by a junkyard and see piles of remains that were someone’s dream.
I am more a person who wants to invest in memories and experiences. Travel is an excellent portal for both.
The Grande Tour
At age six, I said the phrase my family has never let me forget. “We’re not staying in this dump are we?” In my defense, the three nights before this, we were at the Broadmore Resort in Colorado Springs. So this U-shaped motor lodge, somewhere in the cornfields of Kansas, even with three diamonds, never stood a chance.
Does that mean I have to stay at the most expensive hotel in every town I visit? Absolutely not. Working in the travel industry has been very rewarding, allowing me to stay places I could not afford.
The flipside of that, one of my most excellent travel experiences was on a school bus and sleeping on floors. It was the summer of 1978, and it was a travel camp of high school kids. For six-weeks, we went to numerous western states and Canadian provinces.
The buses had 24/60 air conditioning. That’s all 24 windows down, driving at 60 miles an hour. Everyone had a sleeping bag, and we would stay in schools, churches, or state parks at night. My back shutters just thinking about it now.
I am still in contact with people from that trip and still hold many memories and experiences. There is no depreciation on its value to me.
So Does Travel Have to be Expensive?
In the last 14-months, I have done four road trips with me driving. One was in Greece, which if you count all the islands, was ten road trips with ferries in between.
Another one in Europe and two were in the United States. None were during the peak travel times in those areas. So my rentals were less expensive and my blood pressure lower due to fewer crowds.
Resorts, hotels, and motels have seasons. Although the off-seasons are getting shorter, you can still find “better” rates than in the middle of peak season.
So no, transportation does not have to be expensive.
A Bed to Sleep In
If you are young, look into youth hostels or one and two-star hotels. Today, I need to stay in a hotel with an excellent mattress. I start with a three-star filter. Sometimes I have to make my waffle in the morning or walk next door for coffee.
After looking at the three-star hotels, increase your range to include the four and five-star properties. Not always, not even often, but once in a while, for whatever reason, a grand hotel will have a special.
I never like to pay full price for any category of lodging. I try not to travel somewhere during its peak season. If I can get a $250 room for less than $100 in the off-season, guess when I am going?
Do not get me going about all the additional hidden fees hotels now sneak in.
I book a hotel right up to the credit card page so I can see all the invisible costs they are hiding. How much is that $80 a night room? And why am I paying extra for kids to eat free and access to the one exercise machine?
So no, accommodations do not have to be expensive.
However
I’m a hotel junkie. I love hotels. The old ones, the traditional or unique ones, intrigue me. I can and do build vacations around a hotel.
There are hotels on my “to-do” list.
Depending on the price, I may only stay in that property one night. I stay at a less expensive property the other nights. This way, I spread the cost of a costly room over two or three additional nights. Try to put the nice hotel last, or all the others will pale in comparison.
And there are some hotels where I can only afford a glass of wine or lunch in their cafe. I stay down the street and visit. It’s better than never seeing it.
Most hotels will let you look around, especially if you are spending money. More so in Europe, they limit or control people entering the nicer hotels.
Getting There is Part of the Fun (and budget.)
I joke that when boarding a plane, I do not know how to turn right. (First class to the left.) Summer plane tickets to most places these days are ridiculous. Some are costing as much as the week in a hotel.
So there goes my apartment in the sky. My what? Some airlines now have classes that are more of a room than a seat, complete with walls and doors. Even if I had $10,000 to rent one, after about 10 minutes, I would feel I was in solitary.
Look offseason, at nearby airports, or maybe book the connecting flights if the savings warrants it.
Cruising can be a great way to incorporate the travel expense with your hotel cost. I use cruises for business, especially in areas with numerous islands. For instance, in the Caribbean, sometimes I can see my next island from the island I am on. But I have to take a plane to San Juan and connect to get there. It can take several hours if flights don’t match up.
A cruise can have a double edge. I hear people say; I’m glad I didn’t come here for a week. On the other side, people say that it wasn’t nearly long enough — unfortunately, your hotel sails at 5:00 pm.
With over 200 cruise ships plying the waters, there is a price point for everyone. I think cruises are better with friends. For me, the larger the boat, the more friends I want with me.
So no, getting there does not have to be expensive.
Upon Arrival.
This part is where I invest my money. If I am going 5,000 miles to see something (or even 50), I want to experience it.
The colosseum is lovely from the outside. But, I don’t do a trans-Atlantic flight, and the dreadful airports they require, to see half of something.
They make plans. Then they book flights, hotels, cruises, etc. Soon they are at the destination. Then they start pushing my vast collection of hot buttons (pet peeves.) My bad, I often set myself up by asking questions. They include:
Did you see the Louvre, Acropolis, Statue of David, Pompeii, Hermitage, etc.? – Yes, from the outside only.
What did you do today? – We found a pub across the street. Or went into the terminal and bought some T-shirts to show we were here.
That’s not being cheap. Staying home, watching Dora the Explorer, and drinking is cheap. But missing something when you are in its hometown, that’s criminal.
A real nails-on-the-chalkboard experience for me is passing the ship’s internet cafe when in port. They are lining up inside for their chance on a computer.
You do not have enough time to do this port justice, and you want to look at Facebook? GET OFF THE SHIP! NO one travels so they can use the ship’s WiFi. I have seen the speed, or lack thereof, and the rates. NOT ONE person cruises so they can use the ship’s WiFi.
Make Your Experience Count.
Are there other hot buttons? Where do I start? “I came here to see where my mother grew up, but it’s a $50 taxi ride to get there”. “My mom and dad met on the Eiffel Tower, but the lines too long.” “I have always wanted to see the Sistine Chapel, but the admission was too much.”
I don’t know if I should cry or find a whack-a-mole mallet and have at them.
The experience is NOT where you cut corners.
Buy a cheap cruise, or sit further back in the plane, or get the hotel room without the “view.” But do not skimp on the “experience.”
If food is essential, just one time, dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Don’t just visit the Eiffel Tower, have a glass of champagne on it. After all, this is France. How often will you get back?
Ride that Venice gondola, but share it and do it before 6:00 PM when the rates go up.
Pre-arrange a car to take you to the village where your mother grew up. Or is there a train?
The Vatican Museums, which includes the Sistine Chapel, is around $35 entrance with a professional Vatican guide. Skip buying the sweater with the Mona Lisa across the front and see the Sistine Chapel with a real guide.
Let Me Guide You Here
And whatever you do, if this is a life long dream, do not cheap out on a guide. Guide books are helpful for planning. Not for walking around a city with your nose down in it.
“Guides” hanging out in front of major attractions are not working for professional travel companies for a reason.
Especially in Europe, professional guides go to college and must pass to guide legally. Do you want a guide who says I’ll tell you about the castle, but I can’t go inside with you? They are cheap. You get what you pay …
Many places now have excellent audio guides. Podcasts are O.K., but you cannot ask them the questions you may have.
If you are going to do it on your own, in a place you do not know, good luck.
So yes, the “experience” may be expensive. Or is seeing your mother’s village or the Great Wall or Grand Canyon priceless?
Is Cheap Ever Better?
When you are young, it sure seems to be. If it is paper towels, or a snack, or gym shorts, get the three for three dollars.
Do you remember that C.D. you had to have five years ago? The shirt you had to have to go out on Friday night? What about the pet rock, mood ring, or beanie baby you had to have to live? Think about them much? I hope they were cheap.
How many of you have a drawer or closet (or several) like I do, full of stuff? Where every time you open it, you say, “I had forgotten about that?”
Now, think about the summer family outing. To a camp, a park or grandma’s house. Your first kiss or the first time you saw THAT person. How many of your great memories involve experiences? Now, how many involve “stuff”?
How Much Does it Cost?
So how much does a trip to New York City cost?
What about a trip to Athens, Greece?
Looking in mid-October, a Thursday – Sunday trip to New York City from Chicago is around $875 per person based on two. This price includes coach air, transfers, a 3-star mid-town hotel with breakfast, a 2-day on/off bus tour, and lunch and dinner allowance. If you live closer, deduct for transportation. You want to go to a Broadway Show, add on.
The point is, in August, you probably would not touch that for less than $1300 per person.
A trip to Athens Greece in mid-October, Sunday to Sunday, would be around $2000 per person including international air from Chicago and transfers in Athens. A central Athens hotel with breakfast for six nights. A half-day Athens tour, a half-day excursion to Corinth and Mycenae and a budget for lunch and dinner.
Not cheap, but maybe less than you were expecting? Summertime you would be looking closer to $3000 per person, plus the heat, plus the crowds.
Are there cheaper flights (or miles) and less expensive hotels? I’m sure there are. Are there 1,000 experiences you can add on? You bet.
A Cheap Summary
The point is, do not let money keep you from your dreams. The phrase “Oh, I bet that costs too much” kills too many wishes.
Do some homework. What would it cost to put you on Broadway, or the Eiffel Tower or the Great Wall?
Are you willing to give up 500 venti coffee foofoos (and the 430 calories per cup) to go to Greece for a week?
How about 200 cups (86,000 calories) for a long weekend in New York? Or New Orleans or Old Town Chicago?
Make the plan and banish the art of assuming it costs too much. Don’t be cheap, be intelligent.
It may take saving for a year, maybe two years. You did that for your 10-speed, didn’t you? Where is that bike now?
When it involves your memories or experiences, don’t be cheap. They last a lifetime and are an excellent investment.
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“See Nafplio Greece” Continued on Page T3 “Taste Bordeaux” Continued on T11