2000 Nights

I think I envy you your travels. Not sure. Won't know until and unless I have the same good fortune. I used to dream of selling everything and moving on to a sailboat and waving at shore. Now I am old enough that it is a 'fond memory dream'. I don't want to work that hard to get where I want to go. :-) I imagine you have some wonderful tales to tell. I would love to sit next to you on a train.

Congrats on the milestone! Keep on travelin'!

I think it’s amazing.

You are staying in hotels (not short term apartments)? How does that work as far as food? How do you eat affordably and somewhat healthy without a kitchen? Restaurants and hotel breakfast all the time?

Frank II, amazing and crazy are not mutually exclusive 🙂. Try putting this in your profile.

There must be a book or at least an essay in there somewhere.

We may be right.
You may be crazy.
But it just may be a lunatic we're looking for? 🤪

Hmmm, could be a song.....??? :O)
Yay for your milestone, Frank!

Amazing. What’s your favourite and least favourite place that you have stayed in your 2,000 nights?

That’s incredible! Congratulations on the milestone!

You are amazing, Frank. 2000 nights in hotels must be a record of some kind. And 2000 nights of not having to make the bed or clean the bathroom sounds kind of nice to me. Keep on truckin’, Frank.

Thanks for sharing the milestone.
I've been aware that you've been "on the road" but not paying attention to how long.
And it's always interesting to read about your experiences.
Maybe there is a book in there?

Congrats - that's truly a unique position to be in. I've read about many retirees who "settle down" in less expensive locales like Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the like, but they aren't as nomadic as you are. Some keep one foot in the US and another elsewhere; others live overseas 100% of the time. Unfortunately, I think the US is the only (or the very few?) countries that will tax you on your global income no matter where you relocate - unless you renounce your US citizenship.

How many bank accounts does one need to maintain such a travel lifestyle? How does that work re: getting your Social Security payments overseas (I know they will transfer them automatically to many foreign bank accounts, but what if you're always "on the go")?

I'll try to answer some of the questions....

When I can, I try to stay in extended stay hotels. Each room has a kitchen. The hotels also offer free breakfast, laundry rooms and fitness rooms. Plus a 24 hour front desk and daily housekeeping. . These are usually chains so I also get points toward free rooms and flights. With these I don't have to always eat in restaurants.

My bank account is in the U.S. (I don't get SS yet.) I am a legal resident of South Dakota because you can be a resident of the state with just a private mail box as long as you don't have a residence anywhere in the US. I pay all my bills online and mostly automatically.

Sounds like a dream come true and lots of fun. I would love to do something like this if finances allowed it.
Yes, you should write a book.

Congratulations on the milestone Frank. I have read your posts over the last year and appreciate your insights. With 2000 nights under your belt, do we see a book coming anytime soon? It would make a fascinating read.

Sandy

Congratulations FrankII. Clearly the lifestyle must work for you. I and some others may privately envy thst lifestyle, but I think I would have to take regular trips home for family connectivity. I guess I could still use hotels for continuity.
Tomorrow, can we hope for 2001 Freedonian Nights bedtime stories to keep our interest?

Frank II,

Congratulations on the milestone of 2000 nights! Can we expect to see 3000 nights?

It sounds like an idyllic lifestyle (not sure that's the right word?), but I'm not sure I could do it even if I had the opportunity. I've found over the years that two months is about my limit. At the end of that time I start to yearn for the familiar comforts of home, to sleep in my own bed and to see my family.

As someone else remarked in an earlier reply, "keep on travelling"!

Amazing! Can you tell us how many countries you have been.? What a wonderful lifestyle.

Proof it can be done, legally! Bravo!

Do you ever get lonely?

Congratulations! What is your strategy for deciding where to spend your time? Where have you spent your time? Have you found places where you feel especially comfortable or are you still visiting new places or countries?

But, how???? How how you do this? Details please!

Frank — congrats! I do like Jennifer's question — could you pick a favorite?

Someone mentioned they could do this but would need to go see family from time to time — but I have the idea that you do this too??

Anyway — wow.

And Tom in MN — shame on you!!

Congratulations, Frank II! I know you must have 2,000 stories to share and would love for you to do that. Keep on doing what you're doing as it's obviously working well for you. Awesome!

There is currently a thread going on about requesting people to put something in their profile....so i decided to check Frank II's. He has a website, so checking it out, one can read thr first year or so of these 2000, but in 2016 it stalled. It should give those with inquiring minds something to read about.

I think many of you are seeing "living in hotels" full time as 'traveling full time". It's not the same.

While I do travel, I also have my down time and stay in some hotels for weeks, even months at a time. I have a few of these in different places. I just spent seven weeks at an extended stay hotel in Manchester (UK). For many of you the question is why would you go there as it isn't high on Rick's or anyone else's guidebook for tourists. It's not. But it was a place for me to get some R & R and plan my future trips. I don't like to travel during the summer due to crowds so I find a place to settle. The last two summers were in London. This summer at a fairly new hotel in Manchester. Large room with King Size bed, fully equipped kitchen, big TV, fastest wifi I've ever experienced in a hotel, free hot breakfast, free use of washers and dryers, evening social three days a week with free beer and wine, free coffee or tea anytime of the day, fitness room, 24 hour front desk, air conditioning, and daily housekeeping. All for 67 GBP/night. Plus I get points for the stay,

I try to stay in chain hotels where I get points. I know this is different from the "quaint" hotels many of you want to stay in but the points really do add up. I have to find ways to maximize my stays.

I head back to the US every three months to get prescription refills, see doctors and dentists, and visit with family and friends.

So far, I've only been to 13 countries with number 14 three weeks away. I go back to places I like to explore more and also visit new places. I'm picky. There are places I want to go to and others I have no desire to go to. If I have no desire to go somewhere, why bother just because someone else thinks I should.

I prefer to stay in hotels over apartments because there is a front desk should there be a problem and it is easier to meet people. So, I don't get lonely. And.....no worries with cleaning, repairs, or problems with wifi. I just pick up the phone and the issue is dealt with.

My favorite place is a country and that would be the UK. I have spent more time in that country than any other besides the USA.

I do all of this with a carry on size bag and a personal item.

For those of you who are thinking of doing this, forget the idea of "traveling full time" with a change of accomodations every few days. It will be exhausting.Travel a few weeks, rest a few weeks. But rather than going home, you can base yourself somewhere for a few weeks and really live like a local--not like what is suggested by someone we know with just a 2-3 day stay.

The reason I stopped posting to my website had to do with a possible lawsuit. You can read about it on the site's Facebook page.

Sorry to pepper you with more questions (and no worries, I don't want to replicate what you're doing and I'm nowhere near retirement).

My bank account is in the U.S. I am a legal resident of South Dakota because you can be a resident of
the state with just a private mail box as long as you don't have a
residence anywhere in the US.

So you only need a P.O. Box in South Dakota (not a physical address) to establish US residency, be able to maintain a US-based bank account, and avoid state income taxes?

I pay all my bills online and mostly automatically.

What kind of bills would someone have who is rarely in the US? Do you have to use a US-based address as your "permanent address"? How does that work with just a P.O. Box and not a physical address? What service to do you use for money transfers (from USD to EUR or whatever currency)?

As far as healthcare, doctors, dentists, prescription drugs, you mentioned having to go back and forth every 3 months to the US. Would you be eligible to access healthcare in Europe even if you have to pay into the system? It would be a lot less expensive unless you have great health insurance in the US (and even so, great health insurance doesn't always shield someone from the outrageous costs of our system). From now on, I'm getting my dental work done overseas.

Congrats on your milestone. Thank you for answering questions for those of us that envy your freedom. Have you ever gotten tired of not having a 'home' to go back to?

Frank,
Congratulations! I know it was a goal you were close to reaching, and now you have!

Re: living from hotels, I will share a compact version of what an elderly neighbor (a block away) chose to do. She owns her parents' previous home (and has for decades and decades), she and her then-living husband lived about three homes away from the house in which her parents lived (where she grew up). Her husband, years ago, had a stroke and they opted for an extend-a-day hotel about five miles away for him to have easy access for living, but keeping the house in which they lived. He died years and years ago, but she has chosen to stay in the extend-a-stay. So, TWO homes (one where the property alone (with the house being scraped off) would be worth close to two million and then the other about $800K), both houses sit vacant, she drives to pick up the mail at both houses, pays to have both lawns moved, etc. People have tried to buy the homes over the years, and she is not interested in selling (guessing to someday allow the transfer to her daughter (who lives in another state) at the higher value at her death.....and if she goes past age 100, that could still be a couple of decades away...I think she is in her 80s. But, the whole thing is odd, as one thinks of all the mowing, property taxes, etc. that have been paid on both houses for decades and decades. But, she is happy. She gets the bed changed, fresh towels, her suite cleaned weekly, included breakfasts, and some level of social interaction..........and mostly, she feels safe there. She fell (maybe 10 yeas ago) and someone found her in the extend-a-stay's stairwell..........she says that saved her life....that she was THERE.

So, different circumstance........but what your story and her story seem to have in common is: Happy People!! When one is content and happy, that is a good thing. If that changes, likely you will make future changes to adjust the reading on the" happy meter," but until then Godspeed to you! You are doing what you want to do and what works for you.

CONGRATS Frank for having a plan and meeting your goal. I too would love to encounter you on a train ride or at a café so I could hear your travel tales. Everyone who is retired needs to find their own road to happiness. For some it is in the USA for others home can be any where! Your story reminded me of an elederly lady who chose back to back cruises instead of paying the cost of a nursing home. It worked for her.
Stay safe and healthy and happy and please keep posting when you can.

Congratulations Frank on your milestone. It’s good to have goals in life, whatever they may be. Hope you reach your next goal with as much enjoyment as you have this one.

It does seem that cruising allows this sort of peripatetic lifestyle as well. I have met one who after retiring from teaching took to the seas. She had never married, had children of her own or had family close, so for a while, the crew were her family. There is also a man I read about on Cruise Critic. He was well into his 80's (if not 90's) but somewhat mobility impaired, so he booked a year of back to back cruises on various lines, bought a mobility scooter and headed out. He had been a piano tuner, so was able to cajole the use of the grand piano on most trips to play for the other travelers. It provided companionship as well as a hobby he loved. He kept a blog going and shared on CruiseCritic where he developed quite a following. He had started on a second year at sea but part way through his health failed him and he had to come home. He continued to blog until it was no longer possible. His son informed of us death and come April, someone posts in his memory.
For a while he traded life in a old folks home for a life of adventure and a life of living something new every day. He generously contributed to the joy of others and never regretted his decision of not accepting what for many is the norm. He was not a rich man, but could have a better quality of life for a similar cost to an out-of-pocket old folks home. I didn't come to his story until after his death, but even then he left an indelible mark of what can be.

Agnes, you're reading things that aren't there.

I am a resident of South Dakota. With just a PRIVATE Mailbox, not a Post Office Box, I can have residency--drivers license, insurance, vote, etc. Private mailboxes are found at places like Mail Box Etc and the UPS store. This gives me a physical address. The private mailbox companies in SD offer more services like vehicle registration services and virtual mail. Virtual mail is great. When a piece of mail arrives, it is photographed and I can log into my account to see the front. I can then tell my mailbox place to keep it, shred it, open it, scan it and send, or just send it.

Originally, South Dakota made the law with full time RV'ers in mind but realized there were others who traveled full time overseas or even lived overseas but needed a U.S. address. South Dakota also does not have state income tax.

I am not a resident of any other country. I just travel to other countries. Therefore, I can't access other country's health systems except in an emergency.

I have bills like anyone else--credit cards, insurance, etc. I get cash, when I need it, from the ATM but I rarely use cash these days. All my credit cards offer points. I see where I need points and use those cards.

I'm really like any other American who travels I just do it strictly by being in hotels. And the majority of the time I am in the U.S. it just gets spread out and in different places.

I forgot to mention I also have a 5 x 5 storage unit for the stuff I still have. This includes sentimental stuff, travel related items, seasonal clothing and some other misc. stuff. I rent cars when I need a vehicle but try to rely on public transportation.

I have a friend who has been living in hotels for nearly seven years but she is in one city. She doesn't travel. Just likes the amenities of the hotel.

It's really not as difficult as people think. But it is definitely not for everyone. There are people who do this and work. Their work is not location dependent so they can live the hotel lifestyle. I was lucky and could retire early. No work for me except for planning my next adventure.

Congratulations Frank! I find your unique story amazing. You are doing what you want to do. I commend you. Continue your journeys in good health!

Hi Frank,

I think it’s great that you have the financial means to be able to live in hotels, and to travel around the world as you wish!

I’d love to read about your travel adventures, learning experiences, travel mishaps, favorite places, etc, etc...

Wishing you a wonderful life!

Frank, this sounds wonderful!!

You are literally living the dream!

I don't like hotels enough to do the same. I love travel but, at some point, it's nice to drop your bags and be "home" for a while.

My post-retirement plan remains sailing a significant portion of the year and traveling. Even then, I don't really want to live all the time on my boat. I'll have a small place to call home port.

In fact, I made an offer on a townhouse in Florida on Monday.

Frank,

It'd be great if you could give us even more info on your lifestyle.

Can we get a hot-to video or something? ;-) Or can you direct us to some?

Most of the videos I have seen are geared towards millenials and they talk about packing their "good" t-shirt. Most of what I have learned has been from experience and travel websites like this one. Not so much videos. It's a never ending education as I am always learning something new.

What's your average "rent" per month? Or what's a reasonable budget for the minimum (not skid row) version of this?

There is no average. It depends on where I am. If I am in an expensive place, I'll try to balance it with a less expensive location.

How many nights per month/year are paid for with points?

This also varies depending on where I am. I try to use points in expensive cities. As an example, I'll be in Tokyo in three weeks. Hotels are very expensive so I am using points there.

Do you get monthly rates from the places you stay?

Hotels don't really give monthly rates but I have found if I stay 30+ nights I can get the lowest rates. It also helps to befriend the front desk staff and managment. They can always play a little with rates.

You don't have a car at all? That might work in Europe with their public transportation, but how about in the US? Or is that when you'll rent a car/take a taxi when needed?

No car. I use public transportation when I can or rent a car when necessary.

Surprisingly, by using miles for flights and being careful with my spending, my current lifestyle is not that much more expensive than when I had my own home.