Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We're still traveling--we love it! but are finding ourselves more drawn to domestic trvel....either csr trips or short hops on a plane.
Why?
Foreign travel, in addition to being so pricey for the airfare--is just exhausting for me...sitting in a cramped seat and going through all the security is tiring and zero fun...but yet, if airfare to Europe and other far-flung parts of the world fit our budget, I've a long bucket list of places I'd love visiting...
We are seeing more and more of our friends doing small ship cruises both domestic (and also abroad...)
We're fortunate that North America has so much diversity and beauty to explore! Hawaii, Alaska, Grand Tetons British Columbia--oh my!
Try shopping far in advance for international air fares (and set up fare alerts). Especially for off season and even shoulder season travel. Prices can be way cheaper than prices for tickets bought closer to trip time. In addition - it is sometimes possible to grab bargains at the very last minute (although I'm not a last minute type of traveler). Also - avoid the small handful of cities that are super duper expensive in terms of lodgings. Places like Paris - several cities in Italy - etc. I know I can stay in a hotel in Tokyo for less than 1/2 the price of a similar class hotel in Paris (yes - Tokyo has a reputation of being expensive - but a decade of deflation and currency depreciation has made it a reasonably priced place to travel these days - costs about the same as Chicago).
I agree with you 100% about flying long haul in economy. I can't even stand flying in one of those little 2/1 Embraers that United still flies on 2+ hour flights out of JAX (which is why I prefer Delta these days). Also learn about/get involved with frequent flyer/stayer programs and affiliated credit card programs (where you can rack up points/miles simply by spending money - not traveling). We've gotten a lot of free "front of the plane" air tickets over the years using miles/points. Last two were 2 first class tickets to Los Angeles - and 2 first class tickets to Singapore. Even if you can only accumulate enough miles/points for 1 front of the plane ticket - if you only have to buy 1 ticket - you can probably afford to buy it front of the plane (about the same price as 2 economy flights).
Note that flying international front of the plane has various perks. Like using airport lounges. Having special (shorter or non-existent) security lines. And - especially - relatively comfortable flat bed seats that you can actually sleep in. A 24+ hour airline trip is still pretty tiring (our trip to Singapore was 30+ hours door to door). But it is - IMO - less tiring than driving all day on a crowded interstate like I-95 (much less more than 1 day). If there's one thing my husband and I hate these days - it's even medium distance driving trips.
Also - I am not knocking North America. Can't count the trips we've taken in North America. But we've been to 47 of 50 states. A lot of Canada too. Some places numerous times. At this point in my life - I want to experience new things. Even if they're new restaurants/museums in cities I've visited before. Robyn
Plenty of people have worse things than fleas. There was a documentary that reviewed many high end hotels and went on the search for bacteria - found tons of it throughout the rooms. These were not pet friendly rooms. Many people are pigs and I'd rather share a room with a dog.
No, the exact opposite. I don't have to travel so I enjoy it a lot more. If my flight is delayed, it won't make me late to work; I'll just sit in the airport lounge catch up on my reading and sipping a Campari and soda. If the last flight of the night is canceled, I won't stay up all night in the airport - I'll check into a nice hotel and tell the gate agent that I am not available for the replacement flight until 10 a.m.!
Hint - GET TSA PRE-CHECK. You'll never stand in a security line for more than 5 minutes again, unless you're outside the U.S.
This wasn't just skin bacteria. I know you have a vivid imagination so think about what probably happens on the pretty comforter they have on the beds. How often do you think they launder those or the blankets or the pillow or clean the mattress? EW - ew - ew.
It was really quite gross - much more than skin bacteria.
I can most certainly understand why great pet lovers do very little, if any, traveling, as their pets can be, symbolically, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa.
I have an old friend, who has kept saying, over the years, as soon as my dog dies, I'll finally do some traveling. She's now 65, and she has 2 dogs and 3 cats, and she's never fulfilled her promise all these years, when the last pet died, to do some traveling.
And she'd never, ever think of leaving a pet at a kennel, let alone trust anyone to take care of it/them while she was gone!
I lost my last of 5 ferrets in 2004, and only then, did I resume my big-time travels again, from 2004-2009. After that, I went back to finally buying another ferret, which I can take along on my domestic trips, providing we don't have to fly, as ferrets are no longer allowed on planes.
I have a fantastic local doggie hotel that is only $20/day. I will only board my dog there if I can't take her with me, and as I've said, I don't intend on any long trips without her.
My next trip is to a town 5 hours away, where I will be seeing Jay Leno live. I'm so excited! I can take my dog with me to the motel for only an extra $10. She'll be fine for a few hours without me, and she's not a barker, so I know she won't bother anyone.
There's no need to travel far and wide without your pets, at least not for me, and still be quite happy.
Reading is another form of travel, where you don't need a passport, visa, don't need to go through TSA checkpoints, drive a car or go to an Airport.
The last 3 weeks, reading Vietnam And The Haunted Generation, I "traveled" all over Vietnam during the late 60's, never ran into a booby trap, never was effect by Agent Orange!
This week, I'm "traveling" to a small town in the clay hills of Alabama and Birmingham, reading Change Me Into Zeus's Daughter by Barbara Robinette Moss.
After that, I'll be headed for Russia, reading An American in The Gulag, spending some time in prison!
I have 5 rows of unread books, in my bookshelf, which I've been accumulating, for some time, and what a way to travel!!!
I'm sure many who have said: I don't travel anymore, or don't enjoy it, probably did a lot of traveling earlier in their lives, which is overlooked in some of these posts.
In 1991, I bought a Round-the-World Pass, went all the way around, when much younger and could never, ever do something like that again, unless some prolonged senior moment happened to come along!
I pretty much agree with Escort Rider. OTOH - I am perfectly fine if you and others want to stay home with your animals. The people I dislike aren't the ones who stay home. They're those coming up with phony claims that their pets are "emotional support animals":
Another thing I dislike is the idea of "pet friendly" hotels. Where pets are allowed in all rooms. And where someone might have their animal sleep in my bed before I do. I suspect that many pet owners are fastidious about things like fleas and ticks. But I also suspect a fair number aren't.
BTW - most beaches in Florida aren't "dog-friendly" at all. And I think most people like it that way. Robyn
This is the beach I go to...and about as crowded as it gets. As was said, it is like Im on vacation every day living here.
No, the exact opposite. I don't have to travel so I enjoy it a lot more. If my flight is delayed, it won't make me late to work; I'll just sit in the airport lounge catch up on my reading and sipping a Campari and soda. If the last flight of the night is canceled, I won't stay up all night in the airport - I'll check into a nice hotel and tell the gate agent that I am not available for the replacement flight until 10 a.m.!
Hint - GET TSA PRE-CHECK. You'll never stand in a security line for more than 5 minutes again, unless you're outside the U.S.
Agree about "TSA PRE". For some reason - all our domestic tickets are coming through TSA PRE these days. Even though we never signed up for it. I think it has something to do with our participation in Delta's frequent flyer program (not sure).
Also - there are some new rules for seniors over 75 (e.g., you don't have to take off your shoes):
Also - there are usually separate lines for people with various handicaps (at our local airport - it's the same line as the TSA-PRE line).
On the flip side - my husband wears a big leg brace - which always has to be examined. Adds about 5 minutes to the process. Wish his leg brace could get TSA PRE clearance along with him! Robyn
I'm 62, haven't been out of the country since 1992, go to the same couple of places every year, and I am on the Pre-check list and never signed up for it. I think I'm profiled onto it!
Hint - GET TSA PRE-CHECK. You'll never stand in a security line for more than 5 minutes again, unless you're outside the U.S.
We got 'free' TSA pre-check for several years and really enjoyed it. In our last few trips, we no longer had it and learned that you have to apply and pay an application of $85.
In my research, I found that Global Entry is a better option than TSA Pre-check for us.
My personal recommendation is Global Entry (GOES), which entitles you to expedited security when returning from international trips and gives you access to TSA Precheck. The Global Entry application process is the same as for TSA Precheck, aside from a $100 application fee and upon approval, is also valid for five years. This option covers you for both international and domestic travel for just $15 more.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
