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Similar nearly every weekend growing up / living in CO and WY... Throw the knapsack on the motorcycle and go 'wherever'... "Then Came Bronson" style. [dailymotion]x6d1zj2[/dailymotion]
For our last RTW... we bought a one-way ticket to Sydney and figured it out from there (Had a yr to get home). Some very 'unexpected pleasures' along the way. Much different than envisioned... Much Better.
That reminds me of several motorcycle trips that I took with a couple of buddies back in the 1980's through the mountains in the Carolinas, Virginia, MD, W. VA., KY, and TN. Just throw a few clothes in a duffle bag and bring along some rain gear in case we had to ride in the rain, and then start riding. Life is often more interesting when everything we do isn't scripted.
Has anyone traveled to a new city/country without previously making arrangements for accommodation?
How did that work out for you?
Sometimes I get so frustrated with the lack of adventure and overabundance of mediocrity in my life that I feel like I should just book a flight to Amsterdam or Kiev or somewhere exciting with zero plans and just figure it all out as I go. However, that's not the best idea so I was wondering if anyone had actually done something similar?
Yep, we called them "Vacations" we sort of had a destination, we did have a nice bank account but as to exactly where we were going....Not too sure...
I've had it both ways. Winging it did not work out well for me...Stuck camping in the rain, stuck in a sub standard hotel room, etc.
And I've worked really hard to book unique, interesting accommodations and been disappointed.
I do not like having to figure out logistics on the fly....trying to time out transportation schedules with venue times and coordinating details with companions, cell phone connections, change the money, buy the ticket, connect to the train. Etc.
I've tried just moseying around New York city and ended up seeing nothing of interest but starbucks and other tourists.
I think it really depends on where I'm going and who I'm with........
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stagemomma
I've had it both ways. Winging it did not work out well for me....
I've tried just moseying around New York city and ended up seeing nothing of interest but starbucks and other tourists.
I think it really depends on where I'm going and who I'm with........
Maybe so. We just winged it in NYC and saw at least 10 unique sites per day. Libraries and many museums and events (pre-christmas). Metro and bus were fine. Though from Washington state (home of Starbucks). I have never been in one. Seemed most on the NYC streets were very purposed locals. Lighting of Rockefeller Center was a bit over the top with people.
It works OK (generally) inside the USA, but when you are entering a foreign country, immigration and customs will probably want to know where you are going and for how long.
You must be aware of special events. I wouldn't just show up in New Orleans during mardi gras, or appear at Ruidoso the week of the All American and think I could find a vacancy.
We have an Iron Man where I live and believe me, you are not getting a motel room that week unless you have made reservations far in advance. Normally, though, if there is nothing special happening, there will be a vacancy somewhere.
when you are entering a foreign country, immigration and customs will probably want to know where you are going and for how long.
That's a great point, a lot of countries have an address of stay box on the immigration form. Most seem to just take a quick glance that it's filled out, but I've had others that go so far as to ask to see my reservation on phone because I didn't fill in part of the address that didn't seem important. However I've never had anyone actually do something to confirm you have a reservation there but that's arriving as an American, it might be different if coming from a country that is common source of illegal immigration.
Then some others countries (like Malaysia) you just waltz in without any forms.
It works OK (generally) inside the USA, but when you are entering a foreign country, immigration and customs will probably want to know where you are going and for how long.
You must be aware of special events. I wouldn't just show up in New Orleans during mardi gras, or appear at Ruidoso the week of the All American and think I could find a vacancy.
We have an Iron Man where I live and believe me, you are not getting a motel room that week unless you have made reservations far in advance. Normally, though, if there is nothing special happening, there will be a vacancy somewhere.
Very true. Actually USA flights work in such a way that they ask questions even before boarding the flight. People with no address may even deny boarding the flight to USA or entry at immigration.
Has anyone traveled to a new city/country without previously making arrangements for accommodation?
How did that work out for you?
Sometimes I get so frustrated with the lack of adventure and overabundance of mediocrity in my life that I feel like I should just book a flight to Amsterdam or Kiev or somewhere exciting with zero plans and just figure it all out as I go. However, that's not the best idea so I was wondering if anyone had actually done something similar?
Could you split the difference and book at least one night in advance? I did this on a trip to Japan. I reserved the night I arrived and had nothing booked beyond that as I wanted to get an idea of where I wanted to go and for how long, and there was limited information (at the time) online about how I should go about planning.
A couple of things that made life easier:
1) It was not peak season. If you do it, make sure you're not going to run into a scenario where everything is sold out and/or over drastically overpriced. That'll kill your sense of adventure pretty fast.
2) There were no big events going on when I traveled there. For example, I wouldn't arrive in Tokyo during the middle of the Olympics without a room booked in advance.
3) I had a Wifi card that worked overseas (this was before everyone had smart phones) that ensured i'd have access to online booking options when I arrived.
For me, it worked out well. I found it was actually easier to book rooms while I was in Japan than it was when I was back in the U.S. I also enjoyed the flexibility of getting to feel the country out a bit and understand what traveling from place to place would be like before committing to destinations. Too often it's easy to over/underestimate travel times, distances, and the amount of time needed to explore the place you're in. So it was nice to be able to get exactly what I needed when I needed it. I didn't notice any added cost of booking while I was there either. In fact, it was probably cheaper.
You know the obvious risks of traveling w/o accommodation, so no need to dive into that. It's not my preferred method of travel. I like to get my adventure in other ways. But it worked fine for me, and I'd do it again.
Yes, often, mainly in somewhat rural "places". I have had a lot of luck going into bars in these places and asking around for local lodging. I always have a car. I am a beach and mountain person.
How does "winging it" translate into adventure or lack of mediocrity?
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