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The Frugal Travelers

Posted by (🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️) on

I don’t know how many of you read The NY Times but in today’s online issue they present their annual Travel Tips Issue. If you aren’t a subscriber, you get to read some articles free. You might enjoy reading some. One of my most enjoyable trips was visiting Sardinia as a result of reading Matt Kugel’s story on the island and staying at Agriturismos he recommended that I would never have found.

Here are some excerpts:

Disann McLane - Here’s another thought: Having an unlimited travel
budget can actually keep you from having a great travel experience!
The luxury hotel might be more comfortable, but it is also a bubble.
Often the five-star is in a grand but difficult-to-access location,
and you can’t easily walk out and wander the surrounding area. You end
up taking taxis or hiring drivers instead of exploring on foot. To
this day, I’m happier staying in a small, family run B & B or an older
hotel with a central location than I am in most five-star hotels.

Seth Kugel - The less you spend, the more you see (and the more
people you meet and the more fun you have). There is, of course, a
low-end cut off, and it mostly depends on how strong your back is. But
in that range, between how much a traveler can afford to spend and how
much discomfort he or she can handle, most people would have a better
trip if they edged toward the frugal end. That said, I agree with
Lucas that you should never deprive yourself of a great meal just to
prove a point.

Matt Gross - I think I can actually boil my travel education down to two interrelated lessons: No. 1: The best way to be a frugal
traveler is to learn to truly love the things that don’t cost a lot of
money, like eating honest, simple food, gazing at unfamiliar scenery
or making new friends. If you crave the five-star lifestyle but don’t
have the cash for it, you’ll always be disappointed.
No. 2: It takes a lot of traveling to figure out what you really like (or don’t like). Maybe medieval churches are not for you? Maybe
you’re a hiker at heart? Maybe you just love a plush hotel bed? You
won’t know unless you try a million things in a billion places, and
while you may find disappointment at times, you may also find
enlightenment. No traveler is born — we’re all made.

Posted by
11744 posts

Great excerpts! Thanks!

We donàt skrimp but definitely enjoy longer trips by keeping our lodging modest and local. No Marriotts for me in Europe! But we like to dine out, too, and not be so frugal that we cannot enjoy a good dinner and wine. We juggle self[guided wandering with the occasional guided tour of a special site. It is a balance.

Posted by
1056 posts

Thanks, Philip, for the reference. I clicked on and read all the articles. Interesting read.

Posted by
6365 posts

This article is wonderful. Thanks for posting. I strive to maximize my travel dollar AND travel time. We don't skimp on experiences and we always stay either in or close to city center. The most effective ways we found to travel frugally are using public transportation, staying in modest local or family run inns, and only eating out one meal a day. We try to get inns with pricing that includes breakfast or we'll grab a coffee and find a bakery for a pastry and then for some protein, we'll munch on some almonds or similar. Sometimes we eat our big meal at lunch. However if its fall/winter, and places are closing earlier, we will have a relatively quick picnic lunch and eat our dinner out in the evening when most places are closed. We will rent a car when public transportation doesn't get us where we want to be in a time efficient manor. We have found car rental to actually be less expensive than in the U.S. We have met locals and enjoyable fellow travelers by staying in the more modest accommodations and using public transportation. We feel we see more by walking or using public transportation.

Posted by
2117 posts

Thanks for posting these excerpts, since many don’t have a New York Times subscription.

Posted by
166 posts

Thanks for the article! Many of my friends can't understand why we stay at small mom & pop bed and breakfasts or hotels in Europe, but the article explains it perfectly: it allows you to meet locals and walk around the "core" old town areas and soak in the ambiance. I love the Rue Cler hotels in Paris or Buswell's in Dublin, etc. because you "feel" less like a tourist and a little more like a local. Rick seems to have a knack for picking eccentric but fun hotels for his guide books, I've been traveling in Europe for over 10 years and so far they have all been just what I was looking for.

Posted by
4238 posts

Matt Gross makes a valid point, the more you travel, the more you can figure out your style. When we were younger we liked to stay out late and sleep in. Now we love getting up early and hitting the bricks. We also enjoy museums more and we don’t stress if we miss something, we figure we will catch it on our next trip. We do a mix of B&B, small hotels and old style hotels. I also don’t shop as much, but enjoy window shopping. There is no correct way to travel, just whatever makes you happy.

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