From a Budget Travel Enthusiast
By Josh February 19, 2008
I guess I would consider myself a budget traveler. I’ve done the whole backpacking thing in Asia. I’ve even laid my head in a couple of dodgy roadside motels in the American midwest. And I always take a discount air carrier unless it is geographically impossible or JetBlue is the only option. All that qualifies me as a card-carrying budget traveler, right? OK, I said yes to an upgraded to business class once. No one except a hemp-wearing, Robinson Crusoe-esque backpacker purist would blame me for that. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not an expert traveler. But I am an enthusiast, and usually prefer the advice of other enthusiasts to that of an expert.
Since I’ll be posting here weekly, I want to introduce myself by giving you a few bytes about traveling on the cheap:
1. When backpacking around Asia, I was taken aback by some fellow travelers’ extreme take on traveling on a tight budget. They’d haggle over prices with local people whose yearly income did not allow them to buy clothes without holes in them. Budget travel means that one travels cheaply, not that one acts cheaply.
2. Research is imperative. I have always had good luck when I pounded the virtual pavement and sought out the best price on airfares. These days, you can easily check for the best deals online by using one of the price comparison sights like lowfares.com. With a little work, any trip can become cheaper.
3. Local is usually better. Sure, when you are in some foreign land and you see a McDonald’s, you can relax a bit. There is your safety net. But, for the most part, eating local or staying in family run guest houses will save you money, even if you are paying inflated “foreigner” rates.
4. Be creative. There are capsule hotels in Japan, and now elsewhere too. You can find a place to crash at on the internet (just watch out for crazies). Travel isn’t all “pith helmets and khakis” any more. There are more options out there than ever before.
5. Your travels may be short on funds, but doesn’t mean that they can’t be short on experiences. I hate to beat the “get local” drum again and again, but there is validity to the idea of hanging out with local people instead of in backpacker ghettos like Khao San Road or Chungking Mansions. Or having breakfast at a bed and breakfast instead of wolfing down a doughnut in the lobby of a Holiday Inn. The conversations, laughs, and experiences had during these “down times” are probably going to be the most memorable times of your travels. It doesn’t matter how cheaply you got there or how many roaches are in shower. You’ll forget that part of the trip. Might as well focus on what you won’t forget.
That’s enough for now. Next week I’ll be getting down to the nuts and bolts of budget travel…
Topics: Budget Travel Tips |
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