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.
I'd like to keep it as frugal as possible and spend $4500- 6500k or less (would love to spend less). I'm a web developer and that amounts to about 2-3 small websites on the side over the next 6 months which seems feasible.
We are a family of 3.
I was calculating:
$100 in meals per day, if we eat at food stalls
$800 in lodging (60-80 per day)
$200 in bus fare / transportation
$500 in incidentals (tips, souvenirs, guides, activities)
$4200 in airfare (yeowch!) - this is killing me. Is $1400 per person a good deal? Is anything under $1000 likely?
Am I forgetting anything?
Yeah. Imodium and antibiotics for when you get traveller's diarrhea from eating at the food stalls. Yes, you can do th is, but you have to be very careful--no peeled fruit or melons, no salads, and that's just the start.
We flew to Bangkok this February from Tampa. Airfare sounds in the right ballpark, although we sprung for Premium Economy on Cathay Pacific, which was about $2500 per person (I know, you're on a budget, but it was nice.)
And yes, I did get sick in Bangkok, not sure what it was, but probably a buffet meal on a river bot.
I'd love to take my family on a vacation this year, but in order to make this work, it would have to be on a shoe string budget as I'll be working a second job to save up They've expressed interest in Norway, Peru or Thailand. I've heard a lot about Thailand being inexpensive is probably the most realistic option, but that was a number of years ago. I'm thinking that December would be a good time to visit and 10 days around Christmas would be great.
!
If you fly close to Christmas, it's going to cost you 2000-2500 dollars a ticket. If you can find a ticket for 1200 in December I'd hop on that faster than a nude model.
I'd like to keep it as frugal as possible and spend $4500- 6500k or less (would love to spend less). I'm a web developer and that amounts to about 2-3 small websites on the side over the next 6 months which seems feasible.
We are a family of 3.
Am I forgetting anything?
yeah. Your kids college funds? Maxing out the annual maximum contributions to you and your wife's 401k and IRA?
yeah. Your kids college funds? Maxing out the annual maximum contributions to you and your wife's 401k and IRA?
Why even waste your time posting on the travel boards? Feel free to spend your free time never going anywhere, but if someone else wants to take their family out of the country just stay out of it.
He's a web developer, I'm pretty sure he can manage.
Jkgourmet- not sure why you bother responding off topic and in a forum you clearly don't agree with. Just because I'm frugal about travel doesn't mean I'm broke. I've got savings and contribute every payday, but that for retirement. That being said, I think travel IS valuable for everyone plus I like to enjoy life and the experiences it has to offer.
JoeCollege- thanks for the info, I will investigate those too - Cambodia is a possibility
Burgler09- I think your right. Holding out for a better price could backfire. I should jump on these with the short layovers soon, if I'm going too.
WWander- not great to hear but good advice. I didn't think about that :/
Thanks again for taking the time to pass on your tips!
Traveling during the weeks before and after Christmas is traveling during one of the peak travel times of the year. You will pay a premium, especially in Thailand as it's a very popular winter destination for people from Europe and Australia. Thailand is overflowing with tourists from Europe/Australia.
If you can travel earlier in December (say around Thanksgiving) or at the end of January, prices will probably be more reasonable.
The good news is that once in Thailand it can be an inexpensive place. Bangkok and Chiang Mai have the best value restaurants and accommodation. The resort areas (Phuket, ko Phi Phi, Samui, Tao, Railay beach) are more expensive *for what you get* compared to elsewhere in Thailand. One thing you should keep in mind is transportation logistics within Thailand. The most efficient travel route would be BKK - Chiang Mai - Phuket - BKK and Air Asia is cheap but it will add a few more hundreds to your flight budget for internal flights.
I'd like to keep it as frugal as possible and spend $4500- 6500k or less (would love to spend less). I'm a web developer and that amounts to about 2-3 small websites on the side over the next 6 months which seems feasible.
We are a family of 3.
I was calculating:
$100 in meals per day, if we eat at food stalls
You can eat on much less in Thailand but if you drink alcohol, probably right
$800 in lodging (60-80 per day)
Definitely you can get good accommodations for that much.
$200 in bus fare / transportation
That might be a bit low.
$500 in incidentals (tips, souvenirs, guides, activities)
Should be enough
$4200 in airfare (yeowch!) - this is killing me. Is $1400 per person a good deal? Is anything under $1000 likely?
Keep checking prices and change the days up....you might find something cheaper. It's cheaper sometimes to fly out of Vancouver or SF.
Am I forgetting anything?
December in Bangkok should be fantastic, I would stick with Bangkok.
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.
