Calgon Take me Away!! - No seriously..... (cost, hotels, Paris)

[andreaspercheron]

Ok, I could not figure out where I wanted to post this, so I'm posting here since this is close enough.

I love to travel, whether it's in the states, out or a road trip. I love to fly, and love everything about travel. I don't even mind the layovers, the hangups, the issues, the grumpy travelers, to me it's all part of the experience.

I find myself recently and since the kids have grown to find young adults, wanting to travel but don't have enough cash flow to do what I really want to do. To top things off, I want to move. I'm getting itchy to move, I used to move on average every four years and it wouldn't be next door. It would actually be a huge move from another state or a far away town within the state. <sigh>

I live in the North, long for the south where I'm originally from and have fantasies about living out life on a houseboat with all the goodies, and just loving life and picking up when I want to set off on a new adventure.

So, I got to thinking.. I can't be the only one, right? How does everyone afford to travel? How do you just pick up and go?

I'm excited to hear how people do this and make it fun and inexpensive.

[txhawk36]

I afford to travel by watching for sales. For instance I got a Travelocity email saying flights to Vegas were half off last week ... $140 round trip, and I have a long weekend in Vegas next weekend! I also watch the last minute specials. Just set aside a weekend to go "somewhere" then check the last minute specials and book and go

[wastina]

I work abroad on international contracts. I also move every (two to) four years, although from country to country. Once you're out of the US, it's cheaper to travel, since you're already posted somewhere "else" (and especially if you don't care what you see; everything is an experience!) Business-funded business trips also help keep the costs down! Of course, in my line of work (international development), I'm less likely to get a free trip to London/Paris/Rome than I am Kosovo/Iraq/Pakistan/Somalia...

[BlueWillowPlate]

It depends how flexible you can be, and how fancy you want to travel.
I've heard of some great last minute deals, but we've hardly ever done that because of kids/pets. Lastminute
Traveling in the off season is cheaper, or at least the shoulder season (Mar/April/May, Sept/Oct/Nov). Staying in hostels or 1 or 2 star hotels saves money, or you can CouchSurf.
I actually met a guy who lives on his boat down here. He just docks in the marina and does his thing. He's a pretty cool guy, does computer stuff for a living, travels a lot.

[andreaspercheron]

Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate

It depends how flexible you can be, and how fancy you want to travel.
I've heard of some great last minute deals, but we've hardly ever done that because of kids/pets. Lastminute
Traveling in the off season is cheaper, or at least the shoulder season (Mar/April/May, Sept/Oct/Nov). Staying in hostels or 1 or 2 star hotels saves money, or you can CouchSurf.
I actually met a guy who lives on his boat down here. He just docks in the marina and does his thing. He's a pretty cool guy, does computer stuff for a living, travels a lot.

See? Now that's what I'm talking about. The guy who lives on his boat, does his own thing and gets to travel at his convenience. How cool does that sound? That kind of nomad lifestyle has always appealed to me. I just think it sounds so fun.