One of the topics I'll cover in my Europe Travel Planning class is how to decide where to scrimp and where to splurge (for those of us that can't splurge on everything). I know it's a personal decision based on one's own preferences, but sometimes it may depend on where you are too.

For instance, I'll be in Dublin, Prague and Paris this October. I plan to take my entire food budget for the trip, and skew it waaaay disproportionately to Paris. I don't think there's much I would find worth spending much on food-wise in Prague, and to a lesser degree even Dublin. I'd rather put back just a few euros each day from a food budget in order to eat great in Paris for the one day I'm there.

One area I don't mind scrimping on is rental cars. Though I have learned the hard way that AC is not something to try to save a few dollars on. Driving through Slovakia when it's 80 (in April!) with the windows down was not ideal. In my early travel days I didn't mind saving by getting a room with the bathroom down the hall. Now I prefer to have a private bath. And I refuse to scrimp on sightseeing. Part of the whole reason I'm in a country is to see things. I'm not going to spend thousands on airfare, hotel and food to get there and then not spend the $20 or whatever to see the castle (or whatever the case may be). Sometimes that's hard, but I try to stick with this philosophy.

How do you decide how to divvy up the budget? (And do I have your permission to use general responses in my class?)

I agree if traveling with my wife I definetly go for some comfort,always a private bath.One think I think to stress in class though is that perfectly nice hotels can be found even in the 1 star category, if the location and other details work with a plan.

I try to find a good value with accomodations as we spend more on food and wine when traveling in Italy.I have spent as little as 50 dollars/night recently.

Here is how I look at value.In my opinion my 30 dollar timex running watch is a better watch than a 10,000 dollar Rolex.Even though there is no style and bling in my Timex it is more accurate (lost less than 1 minute in 3 years without resetting)and no one will ever kill me for my Timex.

I think if you have a passion for a specific thing then that is where the money goes.RR

Hmmmm...never thought about it like this. For me, I usually travel with my kids. I am a vegetarian and not a foodie, so I eat a lot pizza and simple pastas and fresh fruit and veggies when in Italy and it is all good with me. Plus, I don't want to spend big bucks on a meal my kids will eat 2 bites of!

In terms of accommodations, I lean more toward the nicer side. I just have a hard time functioning if I don't sleep well, for whatever reason. So, as my trip to Loire valley, I am spending more than $200 on a room in a Chateau. Would I do this every night on vacation? No, but I don't mind.

On airlines, I pay extra for a better schedule--fewer layovers, etc. Worth it for me.

I don't scrimp on museums or anything either. Nor coffee. I don't shop a lot while away. I buy mainly shoes and artwork.

So, in short, I guess I "scrimp" on food, although it just isn't that important to me and less so on other aspects of the trip.

Interesting question!

No contest, splurge on food and drink all the way. We like to stay in apartments because we like to cook. We splurge on food at the markets, on cheeses and meats we can't find here and go home to cook it. We probably buy more food that go out to restaurants. We will walk by a butchers anywhere in Europe and that is the first place we will go in, or a cheese shop, especially in Italy. We scrimp on shopping (clothes), and never do tours, we like to wander too much, don't spend much on museums or sights that cost money to see, unless it is incredible. We will NOT wait in long queues for most anything. We will look at the queues and then look at a bar or restaurant and go there and have a drink and chat with locals and forget all about the sights we were going to see. When we come home alot of people say "so you must have gone to see the blank" we're like nope...

For me even accommodation requirements 'depend on'.

If we are simply looking for somewhere to sleep en route then a clean room with a comfortable bed (ensuite goes without saying) will do.

If we are staying in a location for several days then I want more. The more may be a balcony if in a city, a swimming pool in the summer, a well equiped kitchen at an apartment rental etc.

Your course is going to be a bit like posting on ST. You point out the options and the pros and cons as you see them. If you have done your job well (which of course you will) your students will be capable of making their own choices!

This is easy-peasy for me...I always splurge on personal comfort!
~ a comfortable bed in a quiet bedroom and with a private bath
~ good kitchen area for meal preps
~ food from the markets, so I can try as many new foods as I can!
~ extra legroom seating on my flights, as in bulkhead or J class

I don't spend a lot of money on dining out, other than a few snacks during the day, an occasional lunch and a couple of evening meals. Maybe this has to do with some dietary sensitivities of mine, because I can have a severe reaction to eating a meal containing any of the additives that I am allergic to...sulphites, MSG, gluten or lactose, for example. That can ruin more than a few very precious days of my trip, and it's not worth it, believe me!

I also don't shop til I drop...I will spend money on a good piece of jewelery, great shoes, the occasional item of clothing and also on stunning art, always on art! I rarely bring home dollops and gobs of 'stuff', and my gifts for a few friends and family members are not usually lavish.

If I have a great place to stay, a fabulously comfortable flight to and from, and a luscious market in the neighbourhood where I'm staying, I think I've died and gone to heaven! Pretty simple tastes, I think.

"I define comfort as self-acceptance, when we finally learn that self-care begins and ends with ourselves, we no longer demand sustenance and happiness from others." ~ Jennifer Louden
Brenda

I like to find ways to have luxury on a budget.Things like doing lunch or high tea or a drink at highest end places or dinner maybe instead of sleeping there.Many times you can spend hours without spending much at all.

Cheap or free opera seats ( or homeschool free shows) etc.Sometimes getting a massage at some places allows you hours in a luxury environment before and after.We are always open to finding great deals or something great for free.

I really shop for airfare and accomodations and cars and we try to go off season to save money. I probably never will fly first class unless I suddenly become independently wealthy. (As in a long lost relative King, Queen, or Duke dies and leaves me a fortune). I do not scrimp on art of any kind, theater, opera, ceramics, paintings, museums, etc. We get front row, a great tour, or a fine painting. We do try to eat light for lunch and then indulge once or twice for dinners.

Ginger

This is very interesting - I'm glad you're all sharing.

quote:

Originally posted by suncoast:
I really shop for airfare and accomodations ....and we try to go off season to save money. Ginger

So do we.
That said, the hotel would be my splurge, closely followed by food.

For a hotel, it has to be in a good location.
And I have to feel comfortable enough that I don't mind spending time there.
I may want to put my feet up and read for a while, or write in a journal.
I want to look forward to a comfortable clean bed, and bathroom, at the end of the day.
I want a balcony if the room is small, or a window with a view if it is a bit bigger.

For restaurants, we have our favorites that we return to every visit, but still try new ones, usually those recommended in Maureen Fant's book, or on a travel board like this one.
And the cost really doesn't enter into the decision.

And even though we are retired, and tend to be careful with money generally, when travelling this just isn't part of the deal.
We really do travel as if this could be our last trip ever.

We haven't done an apartment rental yet, but hope to in 2007.
However, if I am going to be spending 2 weeks in an apartment, it has to be special so it probably will end up another splurge.

I have just erased a couple responses to this, as I changed my mind as I typed. I don't think my travel friend and I really scrimp at all. We tend to use the middle class of Virgin Atlantic to go to GB which is our favorite area. It saves me having jet lag so I don't see it as a splurge. We stay in apartments as we both like our own rooms and I like to cook. If we go to plays and we usually do, we get the best seats possible so we really enjoy the play. If one of us really wants to go to an event,then that individual makes plans to go as in last year she went to Wimbledon and I had a great three days doing my own thing. If we both want to go then we get tickets together but we aren't tied at the hip and don't feel that we HAVE to go with the other. I don't care much for shopping anymore so that isn't but if I see something I want I get it.
Until I started answering this question I always thought I scrimped but now I realize I save for the two years between our trips and then we do what we want.

One man's scrimp is another man's splurge. I've been in countries where some people make less than $100/year and live right next to the hotels I was staying. I almost always feel that I am splurging, no matter where I travel.

I think we probably don't really splurge on anything but we have been to (mostly Italy) enough that we get what we think is the best for a low price. We have managed to find rooms for a low price, clean with bath and a view. We buy excellent food, though it could be at a restaurant but might also be from the grocery store. We search for the best wine at the lowest cost. We always say, we should write a book called Lazy AND Cheap Travel. I do pay to see sights but not so many every trip. There is always a couple new things I try to see each trip that I might have to pay for. I never pass up a free church and try to see as many of them as I can get. Probably, I would have to say if we have a splurge, it is wine. It just takes a little research on websites like this to have a fine trip at the lowest possible cost. So if you do that, you can go on more trips.

BGE and I must have been sisters in another life.

I don't scrimp on anything of importance to me.
If there is an incredible restaurant that I want to dine, well, bring it on. We paid 600 euros for a once-in-a-lifetime dinner at Les Crayeres for our 10th wedding anniversary. I remember everything about it, including the special cake prepared for us with sparklers atop. We have paid mega bucks for a comfortable hotel room, and yet paid nearly nothing for one that was equally as grand, just because we were in Paris.

We are renting apartments for our next trip in Sept/Oct and I will have more to say about the pros and cons after that, but I suspect that price will be no consideration when deciding upon fresh seafood to be prepared in our kitchen at "home" or eating out. We love good food, but most of our favorites come from my own hands...

Shopping? Well, I grow tired of it quickly and usually know what I'm looking for when I set out. This trip will find me at the Frette shop in Venice ( another thread entirely ) and I'll also be looking for a special handbag and perhaps a new leather jacket. Also, hubby needs a new suede jacket. And jewelry is always welcomed. Also art...lots of art, whether in pottery, sculpture, prints, etc. It doesn't matter...we'll find a place for it.

I do much research online for good prices in the planning stages so that we are not limited by unexpected costs as we travel. We do not live an extravagant lifestyle at home, but we live well. We strive to do the same when traveling. So what if we waste a dollar here or there...it's not worth fretting over while you're on vacation...

Jennifer

Another great topic, Dana!

We like to fly non-stop, and leave out of our home city, so there is no scrimping there, although we do fly economy. We mostly stay in B&Bs, and on our most recent trip, in vacation rentals. I find these to be money-saving, over hotel rooms in general. Light on breakfasts and lunch, and then eat a nice dinner, but never over-the-top places - just not that important to us. We do love to include museum visits and a good show if we can on our trips. We're actually not splurgy kinds of travellers. We always rent economy cars, too. And we always have fantastic times.

Terry

quote:

BGE and I must have been sisters in another life.

Maybe we were! Wouldn't that be totally cool, Jennifer?

I want to add a little bit about my choice to rent an apartment, because that is often a luxurious treat to myself...my big splurge. I won't likely choose an 8' X 10' shoebox studio that is bare and plain...rather, I look for a gorgeous place, with a great kitchen, perfect bedroom and the best terrace/garden/courtyard that I can find. Often, I rent more space than I can use, because I absolutely love the rental photos or the location is perfect for me.

Because it costs me $1.44CAN to buy one Euro, I look at any trip where that is the rate of exchange as a splurge in itself. The only way for me to enjoy a trip when I'm losing nearly 50% of my hard-earned dollars from the get-go is simple...I do the best I can to pretend that one Euro is $1.00CAN, and I force myself NOT to do the conversion in my head, every time I buy something.

“Utility is when you have one telephone, luxury is when you have two, opulence is when you have three - and paradise is when you have none.” ~ Doug Larson
Brenda

"Scrimp" on accomodations by being a slow traveler. Rent apartments or houses by the week instead of hotel rooms or b&bs by the night. (In Europe this renting apartments and houses is called self-catering, because such usually have a kitchen.) Even if you don't cook in, the savings can be enormous. You'll usually have some laundry facilities, which is a great convenience and, if you're staying a while, as you should be, can save a tiny bit. Traveling with friends and sharing the cost of accomodations and perhaps car rentals can save even more.

Travel in the off-seasons, self cater, share, and many trips become suprisingly affordable, leaving you free to "splurge" on everything else!

I answered this a couple hours ago but have been thinking about it since then and I wonder if my answer wouldn't have been very different years ago when I was first starting to travel, buying my house and paying off those student loans. I would scrimp all year to save enough to make a tour, for the concept of slow travel wasn't in my mind then. I wanted to see the whole world and I wanted to see it now. But even on those cheaper trips, I did things to splurge, like the good theatre tickets or side trips that really were beyond my range but I did them anyway. I think in my year or more of planning I probably found ways to save money and didn't think of it as scrimping. Thanks to my mom's advice I started to travel and see those places I really wanted to go to, even if I had to work two jobs the next year to pay it off. I think in helping your class to decide what to scrimp/splurge on you need to have them decide what is really important and they need to plan ahead for it. Having said that, I would also tell them that if they find something they just have to have or a place they really want to stop off and stay, well, then do it. Who knows when a person will be able to return. This was a great question and has really given my household conversation the last couple hours.

I scrimp when I am planning. I do a lot of research to find nice places at a reasonable price and book them well in advance. But once I am there, if I want a bottle of Brunello sitting in some little square, I am gonna get it.

I don't care so much about mini-bars and giant hotel breakfasts, but I do prefer to be in a nice part of town and will always pay extra for that.

Also I will always walk, if I can, before I take a cab. Once someone I traveled with said "you are so funny - you'll walk a mile to save three dollars but then you'll buy the most expensive wine on the list." That about sums it up.

You might let your students know about the standing at the bar vs. sitting thing. Also about the menu of the day vs. A la Carte.

Hi

Good question...and a difficult question :-) When my wife and I travel we try to get to the location as cheap as possible. I guess we have found out that it is not always the best option...like when we came back from Malaysia on KLM and was stuffed into a older 747 cargo plane and there was hardly any room for the legs We also like to have a decent hotel with a private bath and we want to have an OK location so we don't have to spend hours on public transportation.

Rental cars is normally a place where we try to save money...as long as there is room for the suitcases and you get from A to B I'm more or less fine. The only time I have gone a bit overboard was when I rented a bright yellow Mustang convertible in Ohio

But I think in the end you have to realize that travelling cost...and if you have gone to a destination and don't want to spend the extra cash to see and do stuff there then you might as well stay home.

So we don't really travel with a budget...we just travel and try to be moderate and then we look at the bills when we come home and think "that cost us a pretty penny". But most of the time it is worth it

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

What an interesting topic. We do not splurge on accommodation and probably would not unless very special reason or very special place/view or whatever. That said we always do private bathroom. Our preference is to stay in a flat/apartment but if that is not an option (short timeframe etc)will stay in B & Bs or hotels - 3 star or less generally. Don't like 5 star hotels and resent the cost. In an apartment we would look for comfort rather than luxury and, depending on time of the year, a terrace or outdoor area. We have always flown economy from Australia but are now getting to an age where business class may start to be a consideration. We eat out a lot when away but not in fancy restaurants - out of choice rather than a cost saving exercise. We do not buy much but if we like something and can lug it back we buy it. We hire a car suitable for the country and amount of driving - but typically on the small side. I guess we just spend what we want and don't worry about it too much but we don't do extravagant things while away. We like to travel more rather than in more luxury. thahtew - toher .

This is a fun topic. We decided a long time ago we would rather take two trips a year to Italy and spend carefully than take one and splurge.

We always shop airline prices like crazy- to me, it is a means to an end, and never very pleasant, so I just want to do it as cheaply as possible. We have done some crazy combos and used budget airlines in Europe and it all works out fine. We will avoid very long layovers or some of those crazy flights that have you flying to three American cities before finally taking off for Europe!(Boston to Detroit to St. Louis, THEN Malpensa??? No way.)

Accomodations- the best value we have found is agristurismos, especially a bit off season (we usually go in spring and fall). We have stayed in stupendous apts for as little as 45 euro a night. And the kitchen is a huge savings. One of the things I love the best is to shop at a great market in Italy and then go 'home' and cook!

Economy car rentals, using public transport or walking vs. cabs also helps.

We always have some very nice restaurant meals, and usually do some (careful!) shopping. And we never flinch at paying for musuems or other things we want to see.

I guess our splurge is going more often!

In general I tend to scrimp more at home and splurge on vacations! However, if I want to stretch my dollars to suit my plans, these are my priorities:

Splurge: Meals (I like to dine out), Entertainment (especially if it is music related like seeing a musical play or live concert), Sight seeing and Accommodations (doesn’t have to be a 5 star, but must have private bath, be in a good location and have great atmosphere).

Scrimp: Transportation. Unless I get bumped up to first or business class (by luck), I mostly ride coach and I tend to use public transportation rather than rent a car (although I may be changing this in the near future). I take a lot of pictures and consider them to be great souvenirs to bring home. However, I will admit to always setting aside enough money to buy at least one or two pieces of artwork or piece of jewelry (not necessarily expensive but nice and unique to the places I’ve visited).

Interesting topic. Made me think about my travel habits.

What a fabulous topic Dana. Also, congratulations on your new professorial venture!! Way to go!

I usually travel with my mother (elderly, mobility issues) and my sister. As a treat to ourselves our yearly trips are done as follows: we choose a country, narrow down the area, choose the best time to travel (weatherwise and taking time off work) and then we are off to the races.

Air - non-stop; if flight is long, we'll do an overnighter. Although we travel economy this is a bit of a splurge as the cheaper tickets usually involve stops and/or changes.

Transportation - we rent a car, the smallest that will accommodate our luggage and a wheelchair; in large cities we take cabs to one area and explore the area.

Accommodation - agriturismo, b&b; hotels - for longer stays agriturismo (we'll pay more for the view, extra room and history). Scrimp in the sense that agriturismo is cheaper than hotel, usually; splurge in that we wil pay extra for the view, extra room, etc.

Food and drink - no scrimping here - we eat and drink what we want.

Entertainment - no scrimp here either

Souvenirs - we tend to make one splurge purchase, e.g. ceramics from a local artist; and then smaller items for family; our photos are our souvenirs

I travel A LOT! I can't afford not to scrimp, but I like to do things that cost a lot, so:

SCRIMPS:
AIRFARES: I used to get buddy passes, which made airline tickets inexpensive and we often flew first class, getting luxury for next to nothing. Unfortunately those days are over. We change credit cards, change internet providers, change all kinds of stuff every time an airmiles bonus is offered. We only pay for tickets when we find a super fare bargain. We offer ourselves up for bumps (in one weekend, we managed to get enough vouchers to pay for round trips to New Orleans and to Seattle, and we were flying on airmiles at the time, and arrived only 3 hours late to our destination!).
HOTELS - we sometimes book them, because I've put my foot down with respect to the hostels my husband prefers. Just as often, I search the internet for B&Bs and cheap hotels. It's always an iffy proposition - never know what we'll get, sometimes a gem, sometimes a hole.
FOOD - My husband views food as calories - a necessity. He can't distinguish between good and bad quality, flavor or value. This is a bone of contention. Resolution - we eat junk off pushcarts (also sometimes discover gems), and have one really terrific blowout meal in each city (I pay - I don't let him see the bill).
SIGHTS - I'm willing to pay. It cost me $90 or so for a special tour on a recent trip to Florence. My husband didn't come because he's less impressed by art than I. We're both willing to pay for some things, but as far as paying to look at a church? Forget it. We go to Mass and see it for free.
SHOPPING - My husband buys a refrigerator magnet in every city. I tend to buy wine or locally produced liquors (he carries them home). I only rarely treat myself to clothing or jewelry.

I would probably be more generous with myself if we travel less - my choice would be for better hotels. Other than that, I'm really at a comfortable level with my spending pattern.

This is an interesting topic. Most of my vacations have been going to Belize or Mexico, doing beach vacations, so hanging on the beach, doing a little sight seeing etc. so not much splurging there


But since I had my first trip to Europe 2 years ago to Ireland and Italy I am slowly changing my mindset I usually do everything cheap, a much my chagrin and it drives my husband crazy


So for me my splurges for my next trip are:

A very comfy bed with lots of pillows and blankets and quiet area to stay. I have crossed places to stay off my list when I saw pics of beds that I felt didnt meet my criteria. So I will pay more if need be to get this.

I will not take public transportation, ie buses, metro subway types of transportation in cities, I budget for a cab if need be.

I learned from my last trip to Rome that if I want to do a tour to pay more money for a place that ensures small groups. Didnt do that, I liked having a tour, but hated the huge group following that darned umbrella.

Staying in a hotel vs an apt. So being my usual cheap self, I said get an apt in Venice. Its a lot cheaper just for the sake of cost, That was what I was going to do. I then thought long and hard about it. About type of city Venice is, and thought I want someone to be able to help me with reservations, recomendations, have breakfast,(hold my hand )since I am only going for 4 nights the extra price is worth it.

Laurie

FOOD! We love to try different foods, that is one thing that has never been scrimped.

Laurie

I scrimp on anything I have to pay cash for instead of using my credit card.
I don't take the cheapest flight, but I won't pay for the most expensive one. The time of day and how long the lay-over between flights determines how much I am will to spend.
In Italy I like the food so much that I eat out all the time even when I stay in an apartment. That being said, I don't eat out at big fancy places where you have to ammke a reservation.
I don't stay in the big luxury hotel either. I want a private bath, and a real bed not a roll away. I'll pay more for lodging that is convneient for public transportation.

We also stay close to public transportation and almost never pay for taxis or a driver. Of course, then the challenge is to find a room close by that doesn't just look out onto the public transportation (which tends to not be very scenic). And though we are happy to eat cheese and salami out of a grocery for meals, sometimes there are so many dishes we want to taste at various restaurants, that we eat out more than we had planned.

We have only been to europe once and are still learning how to save money and still get the conveniences. For the week long rentals in Venice and Tuscanny we are spending a bit over €100 a night. I think these are good deals and feel like were saving money over other options we looked at, but is it really scrimping? No. You can spend much less, but you get much less.

It really depends on what you want. I like to think we pay as little as possible for what we want, but I'm sure we have a lot to learn.

jb

I'm with the Shannon and trekcapri and others who scrimp while at home - I'd prefer to save for a year or two and be able to afford to take a vacation I will really enjoy than have to scrimp too much while away.

That said, my wife and I do definitely scrimp a lot on airfare and accomodations. We're willing to drive to further away airports and add connections to save money on flights -- I've also used web searches to good effect, especially priceline and the like. If you can be slightly flexible as to the time and place you leave from, I've found it can often save a lot of money.

As for accomodations, the only aspect I won't scrimp on is location. We'll pay what it takes to be centrally located and have a private bath, but other than that I generally look for the cheapest accomodations that seem clean and reputable.

Splurging: food, wine, and sights. After all, much of the joy of traveling for me is seeing new things and enjoying new cuisine.

five of us just spent 3 months in europe (admittedly 3 weeks with relatives in Holland) but we rented apartments and shopped and cooked very simple but good tasting meals so we could splurge, like dinner and show at Moulin Rouge and sight seeing as much as possible. we took trains and metro everywhere and walked. we did not hire vehicles (wrong side of the road for a start) and we always had central accommodation and never needed to. Prague meals are inexpensive as are the drinks. go and eat where the locals do which is away from the tourist attractions in any city. good shoes with plenty of tread on them and hoof it everywhere (walk). that way you can eat well and get a little fitter and believe me you see more that you would trying to drive and look out the window at the same time.

There is an excellent saying that goes....'Do you save to go on holidays or do you go on holidays to save?'

As Frances said, there were five of us for 3 months and we shared only the cost of apartments. With airfares, insurance, rails passes etc. it cost us just under $7,500 AUD per person.

This of course, EXCLUDED spending money, attractions,groceries, gift buying etc., so we could splurge when we wanted to. All of our apartments were centrally located and we used only public transport. (Cheaper than car hire and safer for us...wrong side of the road etc.)

Elly

Overall, I'm a scrimper -just plain mean

If I can get away with a week in Italy for £500 for the two of us, then I can go again in 6 months time.

I tend to travel off season, and mid week. I scour the web for cheap airfares, then try and find a reasonable apartment - it doesn't have to be fancy. I prefer public transport to car hire, and buy integrated travel tickets where available.

We eat out once a day - and use cheap local restaurants where possible - sometimes just pizza. We are seldom disappointed with house wine. We justify eating out every day on the grounds that we almost never eat out at home.

I would far rather holiday cheaply in Italy than in 5 star luxury in the carribean.

Tim

What an interesting topic...it really makes you think about how you approach a trip. I have to admit we dont really budget as such but because there are still 5 of us the costs tend to escalate, so roll on the day when we can really splurge because paying for 2 will seem a real bargain!!!! That said we want our kids to have great memories of their travels so we tend to stay in upmarket places. We balance this with not being overly extravagant at birthdays/pocketmoney etc (some of their friends seem to get ridiculously expensive presents and very generous allowances which they fritter away)

We always do a lot of flight comparisons though as a 2/3 hour trip to Europe from the UK is a bearable length of time to be in economy, so cost is a factor here. Although we still want good flight times, we sometimes compromise on this. I always want the best and most central location and we are prepared to pay for it, I do not want to have to spend/depend on transport and we always get a hire car as we like to do our own thing.

We eat out every night, that is a given on any holiday....I cook all year round and it is my holiday too so we would not cook in except for a BBQ. That said we dont choose overly expensive meals when all the family are with us, experience tells us that kids are not particularly appreciative of haute cusine so we dont expose them to it very often!!! When it is just my husband and I though we do like to eat well and if we are satisfied we have done that, then cost is not an issue. Expensive is not always an indicator of how good a restaurant is though (as we found out at the San Pietro in Positano)so we are aware of that. Having shopped for 5 lots of clothes for the trip and all the other associated shopping I am generally shopped out by the time we get to our destination so shopping does not figure highly in our priorities. We always bring home a piece of art though to remind us of a wonderful(usually) holiday.

I believe we save money by researching places on the web, if we didnt have this wonderful tool which gives us first hand details of many hotels,locations etc then we would definitely waste money on inferior things. In general though we do not deprive ourselves of anything when on holiday as we work hard all year and consider we deserve to enjoy it without counting the pennies. How cheap will it seem though when we only have pay for 2 people instead of 5....but this seems a long way off and actually we do enjoy having our older kids with us even though we pay!!!

Any trip to me is a splurge. Being low income I have to scrimp to make the splurge. I mean that I can't afford three stars hotels 8that's a solurge to me) every night of my holiday, so I am not even adanìmant regarding private bathroom (as long as no more than 2-3 bedrooms share the bathroom it's fine).
I refuse to scrimp on food. While I do not customarly eat at top-level restaurants, I refuse to eat junk: I need a decent resturant-type place to seat for a decent, warm meal at least once a day (usually dinner).

One thing I do not agree on, t-mac, is your plan to scrimp on food in Prague and Dublin and splurge in Paris. Paris is easy foodwise. Food is good. You can go to lower price places and eat your full of good food. Allot one night in a classy restaurant, and go cheap eating in the many Arab or other ethnic resturants. Czeck cuisine is delicious too, just like many other cuisines, with lots of soups, meats with delicate or more powerful sauces, and bread-based dumplings. Prague has excellent beers too. Irish food, like English food, is largely underrated, since the traditional recipes are sometimes fabolous, besides new places have been opening and adding new blood to the scene. So, in all three cities you couold have lebnty occasions to eat great food.
yet, if your list included some place where you would rally have a hard time finding decent food, that's where I would consider allotting the biggest part of my food budget because that's where you would have to hit top-level restaurants just to eat a decent meal.

Well first of all I'd like to say that I've had one of the most fantastic meals of my life in Dublin. The idea that a 7 course Irish meal is a potato and a 6 pack is outdated to say the least. Some of the freshest, hottest chefs world wide are now coming out of Ireland.

Haven't been to Prague so I'm passing on that one.

My scrimps and my splurges.

SPLURGES

Good shoes before we leave. $200 mephistos or wallabies.

We try to pick one really fantastic tour per trip. Last one it was the private vatican tour (400 euro). We also ended up with what would have been a splurge tour but due to Podie's diligent searching and putting together a group we ended up with a $90 each day trip to Pompeii.

We don't even think twice about museum admission. I just spent $600 for airfare, $3000 for apartment rental so I could see the colliseum. If you think I'm going to not spend 10 euro for admission your crazy!! If it's there and it looks interesting I'm going.

Because of the wheelchair and the Roman bus drivers refusal to use the ramps (when available) we end up using cabs. We probably average $20 a day in cab fares.

Books, books and more books (and shipping). They last forever (or at least long enough for my needs) and they make wonderful souvenirs.

Finally Cafe San Eustachio. Cappucino grande with cornetti and the IHT at the tables in the morning. 8 euro and the street theatre is free. Worth every centissimi.


SCRIMPS

We rent apartments. Per day they are significantly cheaper than hotels. With careful searching (and use of this website and others) we have found several lovely small places that average $60 to $125 a night (for 2). I haven't found a lot of hotels in Rome where I feel safe in that price range.

Food - Interestingly enough for a "foodie" (and no I'm not a chow hound and yes I understand the difference) I do sorta scrimp on food. I don't know that I would categorize this as scrimping so much as being extremely well informed and cautious in my food choices. We usually eat one sandwich meal a day. Whether it's crostini at Pepys, bread and salami sandwiches I made or just a couple slices of pizza we have one "scrimp" meal a day.

We make up for it with the other meal which is usually a 3-5 course typical italian extravaganza. However, this big meal is eaten at reasonably priced but good food restaurants. The most expensive meal we ever ate in Italy was 125 euro for bistecca fiorentine in Saturnia. Superb food, superb service, excellent atmosphere. Fortunately I have excellent italian connections for the small mom and pop restaurants recommendations. We probably average 20-30 euro each for our "big" meal of the day.

We walk, walk, and walk (well actually I ride). Probably 4-5 miles a day, hubby usually looses 10 to 15 pounds every trip pushing me. I however seem to find those same pounds .

Airfares. The front end of the plane arrives at microseconds before the back end of the plane. I get the absolutely cheapest airfare I can find. I have no loyalty, no ff miles, just the best deal out there. If they gave me $300 off my airfare to clean the johns I'd bring scrubbing brushes and lysol. It's just transportation.

Intercity transportation we always use trains or buses and we always look for the cheapest deals.

We swap. We swap houses (where possible)and we swap hospitality (people come visit us, we go visit them).

In order to decide this, you have to know yourself and do your research.

I define my “must do’s and must haves” differently depending on the trip.
After researching a place, if there is one thing I know I want to do, I plan that first in the budget:

Examples:
1. Walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge
2. Eating at Jean-Georges in NYC
3. Wine in Burgundy

This becomes a non-negotiable in the budget and other things must be looked at accordingly. It’s a different list every time.

My major thing would be to plan ahead and look for good deals – this can give you a splurge experience at a scrimp price.

Transportation:
I look for deals and use FF miles and coupons as much as possible. Otherwise, I wait for seat sales in off season. I use charter flights to the UK which are plentiful and often cheap (Thomas Cook, Zoom), and I have a list of carriers I won’t use no matter what the price!

Within Europe I fly the cheapest flight possible (eg. Ryanair, Easyjet, BMI Baby) – flights are pretty short so who cares as long as they are safe? I book as early as possible to get cheap seats on the flights.

Splurge: Often take a cab from the airport to my accommodation – struggling with my luggage on public conveyances is not my favourite thing. I will not take public transit late at night from airport to accommodation.

But I walk and use public transit and as much as possible for the experience and the cost unless there are enough of us that a cab is as cheap. Eg. When 6 of us wanted to go to Siena and do some other little towns from Florence, it was actually cheaper on a per person basis to hire a van and a driver for a whole day and much more convenient than taking the bus or the train or renting a van. The driver could go into the historical centre in the limited traffic areas and worked on our schedule. He even took us to a great little Chianti winery for a "rest stop" on the way home. Sometimes you have to figure these things out in advance.

Apartment preferred over hotel: Prefer apartments in the centre of town – then I walk. I consume a lot of water, juice, soft drinks and snacks. I try to buy this at a real grocery store and carry it around instead of buying it from street vendors or cafes. It’s always cheaper this way. I buy big bottles of water and refill my own carry bottle. I often do breakfast in the apartment – this is a money saver too.

Research on the web – I look for good deals on accommodation if my stay is too short for an apartment. eg. In Madrid I found a central hotel where the nightly price included a restocked bar every day (coke, diet coke, beer, water – still and sparkling, and fruit juice) and a full breakfast buffet including cooked to order eggs. It was air conditioned and also had an elevator and restaurant. Did I mention that they served free Spanish sparkling wine all day in the lobby as a guest perk? 85 Euro a night for two people. And a deal with an airport shuttle company that only cost 6 euro per person to the airport. (Senator Gran Via in case anyone is interested)

Research can pay off.

I think we are somewhere in the middle. We don't really actively look to scrimp but I will search for airfares for the lowest prices because that would be just throwing money away. Economy class is just that with no better service for paying a higher price.

For hotels, I do have a budget but that changes depending on how long our trip is. I do look for getting the most ammenities at the smallest price so really I am more about getting a good value than the actual dollar amount. Clean and a good bed are always must haves but I will gladly spend more for a more central location or upgrade to a seaview or a private balcony.

Food is not something we would ever scrimp on. We eat and drink whatever we want but rarely eat at the fancy fancy places. We just look to sample good food that is typical to the area we are in. I guess for some that may be considered a scrimp so to splurge it's always fun to take a cooking class for a day or private wine tasting or some other activity that revolves around food. I have always wanted to go truffle hunting and then eat one of those meals where truffles are featured in every course. Maybe next time.

I love to shop but luckily I'm not into designer clothes and lots of jewelry but I do love the markets, ceramic shops and other houseware shops. I usually look for a couple of ceramic pieces, table linens or interesting kitchen items to bring home and of course some foods. Last trip we brought home quite a few wheels of cheese and that was a big splurge on space in my luggage.

Colleen

One splurge for me. Coca Cola. I'll admit it I'm hopelessly addicted and it is exhorbitant in Italy!! I pay for one can what I pay for a 6 pack here.

I don't think of Coca-Cola as a splurge, it is just getting your that wonderful fluid you need. As you can tell I am also a Coca-Cola addict, althought I am trying my best right now to stop. I have found that Coke doesn't taste the same in other countries so I don't always "need" it there. I don't drink other colas as they don't taste the same. But when I have to have one, I'll pay just about any price. The first apartment I rented in London, years ago, said they would supply the first essentials needed to get us started. I didn't give it a thought and put Coca Cola on the list. The owner got it for us, but really thought I was trying to be funny. I guess she didn't realize that some of us do drink Coke for breakfast. The hardest trip I ever had was back in 1975 to China. No coke was allowed or sold. I had brought a six pack with me on the train from Hong Kong and it was taken away at their customs. But as we left from Shanghi four weeks later, it was given back to me! I think our guides must have carted it all through China with the luggage. I had taken students on the trip (which was the only way for an American to get into China then) and after we boarded JAL the students seater closer to the serving cabinets got coke first and kindly got it down the aisle so I could have my first heavenly slip in weeks. Of course, I never should have taken that first drink as I was right back on it. But for me on a trip having a coke isn't a splurge. I guess it is just like those of you who always have wine with your meals and buy wine to bring back home.

I can totally appreciate the coca cola thing although since my teens I've gotten to the point where I can live without it. However, this is why I try to buy stuff like that at the grocery store instead of vendors.

My daughter is addicted to Canada Dry gingerale. She spent 6 months in Australia without it and the minute she got to the UK, she had to have some! (But it didn't taste right either - but it was a treat for her)

I have found a great way to save a lot. This trip I am traveling with my sister instead of my husband. Buying only one airline ticket and splitting the cost of hotels, only my own meals and attraction tickets, it feels like I am getting everything for half price!
So we are splurging a bit on the hotels...

Speaking of coke and wine. One Sunday we were at the Chiese Bautista (Rome baptist church) fellowship luncheon. Every Sunday they have a meet and greet after services and the ladies of the church cook. Best deal in Rome for 5 euro. Anyway that particular Sunday the church had their "sister" church from Tennessee visiting. The fellowship luncheon includes wine - this is after all Italy.

I had bought a couple of 2 liter bottles of Coke as our contribution to the meal. One of the parishioners was discussing the wine with one of the visitors from Tennessee. His comment was "Jesus enobled wine at the marriage at Canaan". He then noticed the two liter coke bottle, reached over and poured it in a 1/2 full glass of red wine!!!

Another coke story. One year we had an AOL meet and greet in Rome where among others we met Ruth (Boleskine) and Sandro (romalimo). We went out to Giustiniana (waaaaayyyy out on the Cassia). While we were there a young couple came in. Lots of google eyes and the young gentleman orders a big bottle of coke. Sandro goes "Oooooo big spender". Well the girlfriend gets up and sings with the band - lots of amore and tu adore in the song. Next thing you knew bottles of coke were springing up all over the restaurant.

Tom and I tend to travel in a way I would call moderate.

We almost always use miles for the flights. I do research on pricing wherever we are staying, then set a moderate budget for vacation rental/hotel/B&B (whatever is appropriate for trip) and find what I hope is the best place within that budget.

As far as meals, if not staying at a B&B or hotel w/breakfast included we always eat breakfast in. We usually only eat one other large meal each day - sometimes lunch, other times dinner. It just depends on our schedule. We almost always eat some meals in, and it will vary but is usually on the days we visit markets where we can pick up fresh ingredients.

We only rent cars when necessary, the remainder of the times we travel by whatever public transportation is available. We really enjoy the trains/subways/buses that are so accessible in Europe.

So, since the majority of our trip spending is moderate - if we want to splurge on something like a really great meal or a very nice souvenir (like my leather coat in Florence last year) we just do it and not think about it - after all, we are on vacation!!!!

The other thing that we do regards bringing back things for family and friends. We will pick up little inexpensive items like soaps to give everyone upon our return. Any other more expensive gifts (like cashmere scarfs, bottle of wine) get put aside and are given to the recipients for a special occasion like a birthday or Christmas. It's now become such a tradition, that if we've taken a trip somewhere shortly before Christmas, our grown kids and their spouses try to guess which gift under the tree might contain their "Mom & Dad Trip Gift."

Suzanne

MARY...I laughted out loud at your coke story! I can just see Sandro curling the left side of his mouth as he makes that remark.

I'm a bit like Shannon. (except for the cool purple hair )

I put a lot of work into the planning to get every bit of savings I can.
Then, once I'm at my destination I save all my splurging for the food experiences.

I'm also one of those people who feels that "All hotel rooms look the same with the lights off." If the room is clean and the bathroom private, I don't care a hoot about the pricy frills.

The one exception is the Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento. For me, there is a lot of emotion attached to that place, so I'm willing to spend the money to have a water view junior suite there.

To cross threads (this one and living in a tourist destination) I've got another bumper sticker - Coke - it's not just for breakfast anymore.

Well... having worked in the media I can tell you that one is more than a bit ambiguous...

No, I've never indulged in that kind of Coke - did work with a fellow who alas was very seriously addicted (don't like the other kind either; liquids to me are a) water b) coffee c) tea d) wine e) very occasionally other bevvies containing alcohol f) more occasionally still, fruit juice (I don't like juice; would rather eat fruit (yum) but sometimes it is the only vitamin c available... I hate sweet beverages.

I love food, but don't like to eat out all the time even if I can afford it. Once a day is plenty.

Like Alice, I have no choice but to budget carefully. Moreover I don't drive, so if I'm alone I have to study affordable public transport.

Ooops!!

OK - Corrected bumper sticker

Coca Cola - it's not just for breakfast anymore.

That's better.

quote:

splurge in Paris. Paris is easy foodwise. Food is good. You can go to lower price places and eat your full of good food.

i don't know, the food is much better in italy than in Paris., the best restaurant i went to in Paris was an italian restaurant near the St Michel metro stop. The cheese, pastries and bread in Paris are great. The problem is with the meat. it often is not cooked enough or it comes with a half raw egg on top of it. The best part about Paris is that the restaurants are open all day once they open for Lunch and that there are British restaurants that serve REAL breakfast.

quote:

Coke - it's not just for breakfast anymore.

yes, I agree. With Ice it becomes a marvelous bar/after dinner drink.