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1) that applies to every single country. By your logic, nobody needs to travel (maybe except city states like Singapore).
2) not many people take month long vacation. A 8-10 day trip is ideal. It feels much longer than a typical work week, and by planning well, you can see a LOT.
3) Plenty of deals out there, Also try to take advantage of frequent flyer miles. Some credit cards give you 75000 miles for the new card, which means you can fly to Japan RT for almost free.
4) which means you can only go to a very limited number of places. So you hate a 10 hour flight but don't mind a 10 hour driving? makes no sense. Your terrorist scenario is pretty laughable. Millions of millions of people do it just fine, plus it is much less an issue in other countries. Every time I enter France/Italy/Spain, the custom officer hardly spoke a word and let me in. It is the American officers who enjoy badgering people (less to American citizens I am sure, unless you were born in certain countries.)
Crowds? I fail to see why Canada and Mexico can be more crowded than the US, unless you don't enjoy travelling at all.
Middle class is a very small part of the world. In most places, it is not that much a big deal, probably less so than in the US where people talk about their imaginary Jesus all the time, including the US presidents.
Having been in Calgary during Stampede, I can certainly understand the previous poster's comment about crowds. It's pretty insane, and being peak season for Asian tourists in Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper, there's really no where to escape the crowds. It's perhaps the one time of the year that Calgary is as crowded as any major US city. Hotels, restaurants, roadways, and mass transit are packed to the gills. It doesn't help that it's back-to-back with Canada Day.
I'd also tell you that French border patrol was very intense when we were there back in March. Since the terror attack they have been on high alert and are asking a lot more questions and scrutinizing documents much more thoroughly.
even 5 days with the two weekends give you 9 days. Include that during a long weekend you have 10 days, which is enough for a great European trip for example.
Actually I think 8-10 days is perfect for that. A 15-20 day trip is exhausting. Actually there is research showing the pleasure from vacation takes effect on day 2 and climaxed on day 8. After that, it dies down gradually.
I have 4 weeks of vacation but I almost never take a very long one (except when I fly back to Asia to visit my family). Normally I take off 5-6 days to make a 9-10 long trip, which is sufficient to visit a few places in Europe (easy jetlag) or South America (little jetlag).
plus, he was asking "what's relaxing about that", but traveling is not about relaxing. What's most relaxing? staying at home in your own backyard drinking beer. Even a trip to the nearby beach involves certain stress (preparing stuff, taking the kids and manage them, drive, traffic). One doesn't fly to Paris or Rio to "relax", but to experience something new, which usually involves a LOT of walking.
Ya know, bott, you make many good points here, as you do in almost all of your posts I've read in other threads. I'm a BIG believer in travel for pleasure, for education, for goodwill, and I wish I could travel far more than I do. You'll get no argument from me. I'd love to take an extended work vacation somewhere in Europe, where my parents are from, or even to live for a few years in a European or Asian country. And, like you, I'm willing to forego certain material possessions often considered "essential" in order to be able to afford more travel.
But you do seem to have little good to say about Canada or the US, which makes me wonder why you would want to continue to live here. Again, some of your criticisms are entirely legitimate -really! - but at some point I think YOU, like anyone, should ask yourself if it would best, for your own sake, to return to the culture, lifestyle, and priorities that you most value and in which you seem to feel happiest. I say this with the best of intentions, btw.
Having been in Calgary during Stampede, I can certainly understand the previous poster's comment about crowds. It's pretty insane, and being peak season for Asian tourists in Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper, there's really no where to escape the crowds. It's perhaps the one time of the year that Calgary is as crowded as any major US city. Hotels, restaurants, roadways, and mass transit are packed to the gills. It doesn't help that it's back-to-back with Canada Day.
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I don't deny that, but it is a bit ironic that he chose to go to a massively popular event he knew (or at least should know) will be crowded when he hates the crowd? It is like wanting to see Times Square or Mardi Gras yet want to avoid the people. How is that possible.
Canada is massive with not many people. I am sure there are plenty of beautiful place where you can hardly see a soul.
But you do seem to have little good to say about Canada or the US, which makes me wonder why you would want to continue to live here. Again, some of your criticisms are entirely legitimate -really! - but at some point I think YOU, like anyone, should ask yourself if it would best, for your own sake, to return to the culture, lifestyle, and priorities that you most value and in which you seem to feel happiest. I say this with the best of intentions, btw.
Carry on.
I do criticize a lot, but that doesn't mean I hate my life here. Plus, I am keeping most of the culture, lifestyle and priorities in living here yet not having to suffer all the things I didn't like about the environment I am from. This works for me.
And I do have a lot good to say about Canada or the US believe it or not. A few days ago I was lambasting about China for not allowing guide dogs on public transit, which is so f8cking stupid and backward. Canada/US are 50 years ahead in that respect.
Some people tend to criticize more, some praise a lot. That gives the whole picture. I have no respect for those who never criticize and always have positive things to say about everything, in real life or on the internet. They are too fake. Nobody is that positive.
By the way, I considered moving back, but a few weeks living at home makes me feel it is no longer tolerable for me (so many things). The fact that I criticize Canada/US a lot doesn't really mean I think they are bad, just mean I think there are many things to improve.
Having been in Calgary during Stampede, I can certainly understand the previous poster's comment about crowds. It's pretty insane, and being peak season for Asian tourists in Banff/Lake Louise/Jasper, there's really no where to escape the crowds. It's perhaps the one time of the year that Calgary is as crowded as any major US city. Hotels, restaurants, roadways, and mass transit are packed to the gills. It doesn't help that it's back-to-back with Canada Day.
I'd also tell you that French border patrol was very intense when we were there back in March. Since the terror attack they have been on high alert and are asking a lot more questions and scrutinizing documents much more thoroughly.
Interesting. Wife and I went to Stampede a few years ago and expected far more people than there were. Didn't find any more crowded than a US theme park on a typical Thursday.
The first thing when I come to travel nowadays is that it can be in Canada/US. After seeing some of it, you pretty much have seen it all. Europe, Asia and S America offers far more. In terms of travel resources, US/Canada consider their size probably offer the least value.
That is an incredibly narrow minded and stupid post.
Paris metro is miles more comfortable and pleasant than prison-like NYC subways.
Smaller towns? You compare American cities with half a million people with small EU towns with 150? Check out Montpellier or Grenoble etc. they have less than 250k people yet an extensive tram system more advanced than San Francisco. Munich with 1.4m people has a larger system than Chicago or Los angles.
The subway system of a country I choose to visit would not make my list of the top 1000 features I use to select vacation sites.
Why do you evaluate a place by their mass transit? That's totally silly. I can see it now; "Ok, sweetheart, let's go to Paris because they have a nice subway, and let's avoid Durango Colorado because they don't"
I've traveled all over the world and find travel in the USA to be incredibly exciting.
Why?
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