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This thread turned out interesting. I really wasn't aware that so many people have no interest in traveling.
Seems awfully boring to me, to never explore new places just because you're comfortable at home. I follow a few Youtube travel vloggers and envy their experiences, always visiting new places, meeting all kinds of people, and experimenting with local cuisines.
I had a good friend who once spent a year on an around the world trip. You can buy itineraries that map out all the travel details. Not every single country, of course, but all the major regions across the globe. Awesome!
People fit into all categories. I see the major ones as these.
1. The "I love to travel" category. I fall into that one.
2. I like to travel, but work, family and money keep me from doing more than just a bit of it.
3. I like to travel, but I can't afford it.
4. I'd rather take the money I would spend traveling and buy something else with it.
5. My work keeps me from getting enough vacation time to do serious traveling.
6. I just hate the very idea of traveling and would rather stay home.
Some people truly don't like it. Others won't admit it, but are envious of those who can afford to do it. Some don't realize that by using the right purchasing techniques it can be affordable. The key to making long distance travel affordable is flexibility with travel dates and doing things like purchasing airline tickets through consolidators like skyscanner or skiplagged. Its this category I would like to reach out to a bit and show them some techniques for saving money on a big trip.
We flew Singapore Airlines to South Africa and they were constantly bringing food and drinks around. A full bar service came around before dinner, even in economy. Meals are served on Qantas, Emirates, Cathay.
Yes, domestic low cost airlines are another matter, but when it is an hour flight it is hardly a big issue.
Seats can be cramped but on our last trip, with three domestic flights involved, we had the three seats for two of us on two of the flights.
I'm curious. What do those airlines charge down there for flights? They don't fly from anywhere near where I am. The last really good flight I had, where they served actual meals, was on Piedmont Airlines before they got absorbed into American years ago.
I thought this was hysterical.
You say you like to travel. Really? Well, here's a road map connecting every town named "Springfield" in the US.
Road Trip!
I'm curious. What do those airlines charge down there for flights? They don't fly from anywhere near where I am. The last really good flight I had, where they served actual meals, was on Piedmont Airlines before they got absorbed into American years ago.
European Airlines serve 3 meals and free drinks on trans-Atlantic flights. I watched 4 movies too, and include baggage. Contrast that to idiotic American that doesn't even have movie screens or any checked baggage! Pretzels and soft drinks, lol. Our So. American airlines also serve free food and drinks. And movies.
I will say, every accommodation we've stayed at overseas, is not as nice as our own condo and not as good a view. But different experiences are worth so much! My dream was to visit the historic spots in Italy and I'm so glad we did that before it got crazy post-covid. We go off-season for a couple months too---I'd never go somewhere far away if I only had a week! It takes us 2 days just to get out of here, lol.
I was surprised how the Mediterranean seems just like So. California, landscape-wise. So that was not much different. We may not go again, since we've seen the highlights that interested us; plus, we got cheated big-time on accommodations, so that's scary. But we hope to continue returning to SoCal where we can tick all the boxes that are important to us, and we cannot experience here.
I admire the new gen who wants to accrue experiences rather than material stuff. We are so enriched by different experiences and cultures, and you can bask in the memories the rest of your life when you MAY be rocking-chair-bound, as Engineman said. We really treasure our memories, as DH does of the European semester he spent in his teens.
I think Millenials watched their parents and grandparents wait until retirement to travel and said, "forget that. I am traveling before I get old".
I took two motorcycle tours of the USA before I was 40 years old. Each tour took over 2 months time. At 65 years old, I could never do that today -- either risk the injury or tough out all the conditions necessary.
That was the most travel I have ever done in my life and those two chunks of temporary early retirement have given me 25 years of memories. It is a daily ocurrence when I see a place on TV and I can honestly say, "yep, I have been there or seen that from the bike."
I have never regretted it for a moment. I think Millenials feel the same. Buy less and do more. I still bought a lot, so there is that. They are probably on the right track. How much do you really need to buy?
Same. I took a horseback tour for 5 years at 40. Couldn't do that now! So glad I did it then. Glad I scuba-dived in college---can't do it now. My parents gave me a hard time just over that!
And what a thrill to see the Coliseum or Acropolis and picture yourself there a few years ago. To see the statue of David in person is really humbling and one is awe-struck. The fabulous walkable cities, mixing with the locals, getting their POV, is quite the mind-expansion.
I wish I had traveled more when young, but too busy running our business, lol. So I "get it" about the Millennials.
I admire the new gen who wants to accrue experiences rather than material stuff. We are so enriched by different experiences and cultures, and you can bask in the memories the rest of your life when you MAY be rocking-chair-bound, as Engineman said. We really treasure our memories, as DH does of the European semester he spent in his teens.
Nicely said. I didn't travel a whole lot in my younger years, but did take some pretty extensive foreign trips. Most of them took place after I had quit a job or was taking time off from working, so I wasn't bound by a time limit. No regrets at all, and I'm not done yet.
I'm curious. What do those airlines charge down there for flights? They don't fly from anywhere near where I am. The last really good flight I had, where they served actual meals, was on Piedmont Airlines before they got absorbed into American years ago.
Well obviously depends on destination and the amount of competition. Most return flights from Sydney to South Africa are about $US1,300 in economy.
I do recall flying in the US and the amount of carry on luggage people dragged on was not very comfortable. The full-service airlines which include checked baggage are easier to board. We prefer Virgin Australia locally rather than Jetstar, which is the budget version of Qantas, for that reason.
Same. I took a horseback tour for 5 years at 40. Couldn't do that now! So glad I did it then. Glad I scuba-dived in college---can't do it now. My parents gave me a hard time just over that!
And what a thrill to see the Coliseum or Acropolis and picture yourself there a few years ago. To see the statue of David in person is really humbling and one is awe-struck. The fabulous walkable cities, mixing with the locals, getting their POV, is quite the mind-expansion.
I wish I had traveled more when young, but too busy running our business, lol. So I "get it" about the Millennials.
I never traveled before I was pushing 40 years old. I never knew what I was missing. I didn't think travel was a big deal. "You've seen one (fill in the blank), you've seen them all".
Then I traveled. "Aha! I get it!".
Then I desperately wanted to travel. Work and money constantly got in the way. I really sacrificed to produce those two long motorcycle trips before I was 40. The money I spent and vacation time I used, meant more sacrifice ahead, laying low with no travel, except that now I was addicted.
I never did travel very much beyond that. Oh, locally on the west coast I did, but I was antsing to see everything east of the Mississippi, and never did, after those two initial motorcycle trips. It was mostly nose-to-the grindstone and house payments and putting money in the 401k.
I do wonder about Millenials who travel young -- do they have a plan how to provide for their retirement, or are they just assuming the money will magically be there for them, beyond the paltry amount Social Security will pay when they need it. I wonder if they are spending their retirement money now. Which is great and fulfulling now, but will they be living in studio apartment in a bad neighborhood, living on cat food?
I just wonder if they are able to afford travel no and are still putting money away for retirement?
I am not saying they aren't. If they don't buy any stuff, and use all that money for travel, then they could still be saving for retirement. I just don't know. I hope they are not just ignoring the fact they will need to fund their retirement somehow.
Here young people are forced to save for retirement as employers have to pay 11% of their income into a retirement account, which normally cannot be touched until the age of sixty. I think most western countries have some type of similar arrangement. Then another 2% is paid as the Medicare levy, which covers basic health requirements, usually adequate for young people.
But in our case, we always set aside a proportion of our income for travelling and then made the trips fit the budget.
Our own kids are Gen Y, with our grandkids being between 8 and 12. They are careful with how much they spend and one family has only been overseas to Fiji and Japan, the other only to Japan but they are heading to Canada and England next year. The go away locally though, everyone we know does.
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