Travel budget compromise: length, destinations, food, lodging, attractions?

My savings come from: - Budget lodging ("down" to and including hostels and pensions), - Budget eating (local grocery stores or cheap corner food stands), and - Getting good deals on transportation (air fare sales, planning the most cost effective ways of getting around, planning itineraries that can be done cheaply/not hopping all over). I spend money to: - See as many sites as possible during my trip (but probably not the extravagant ones like gondola rides in Venice), and - Stay longer. I see longer trips as more efficient because so much of the cost is related to getting there (plus you see/do/learn so much more on a longer trip). Even traveling a month at a time, I wish I had twice as long (if I stayed two months, I'd probably still wish I had twice as long). My motto could probably be, "Save money where you can, so you can spend it where you want to."

My philosophy is like Brad's. I also find that having fewer but longer stays is more suited to my personal style. Airfare is such a large expense usually that I wouldn't shorten a trip, but perhaps take fewer but longer ones. That would hold true especially for long-haul flights when I have to deal with jetlag too. I really don't think of it as "downgrading." All I need is a clean room, comfortable bed, and a hot shower (well, air conditioning too). Most of the luxuries are wasted on me - I try to spend as little time as possible in the hotel room, after all. I will skip attractions if I think they are overpriced (like the gondola ride or Buckingham Palace), and I'll try to find ways to save (combined tickets, discounts, museum passes), but if I'm already spending so much money on the trip, it just seems foolish to skimp on the part I came for - to see the sights. I also found - through all the tips here and on other forums plus from friends - that I can save a lot by early planning. There are excellent bargains on rail tickets if you buy 3 months in advance. I can shop around for the cheaper accommodations. What I remember from a trip is not the wine or the food, but the friendly waiter at the pizzeria (in Paris - yeah, pizza, go figure) or the joy of eating a picnic lunch with a bottle of wine with an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower or the Golden Gate Bridge. And most of all, I remember the sights and the people I met along the way. And then there's traveling off-season.

I do things similar to Brad and Chani. I have also discovered that renting an apartment can save a lot of money. The per night cost is often less and it provides me with the ability to not eat every meal out. I don't need to have someone come in every day to make my bed, etc. I can have a great experience shopping in a local market and enjoying my meal in a memorable location. I don't need anything fancy. I look for having experiences, not to see how much I can spend.

Andre,
Great suggestions so far. I am far from a seasoned traveller but I will tell you what we do. First of all travel in off season if possible. Better rates on flights, accomodations, and more efficient because you are not standing in lines or working through crowds. We usually eat meals on the go, in trains, or car from items we purchased at a store. We save our special meals for when we have time, the menu looks good, and is reasonably priced. Typically one every other day or about 5 in a 10 day trip. Also I got a trick from Ricks guide books on using cash for accomodations. Since we travel in the off season I e-mail a couple months before and ask for their best rate when we will be there. When they come back with their best I ask if there is a cash discount. They usually knock off 10 more euros. Another thing I have learned with limited vacation and as others have mentioned flight being a large expense we try to go from Thursday night flights to Sunday or Monday return a week later. I don't use up my entire vacation for the year but we can still get a 10 day trip in. This has worked well for us. Since we tend to travel fast and pack a lot into our trips the various passes have paid off too. We usually get double our money out of them and see more than we would have. In Scotland we used the Heritage Pass, Rome the Roma Pass, and Paris the Museum Pass. Studying and being prepared is the most valuable thing to us. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Great topic. Thanks and hope it works out for you to save a little.

A couple of years ago I was feeling more budget-minded than usual. I scheduled a two-weeks trip to London and had a very satisfying, efficient trip. I stayed in London a few days to see some of the highlights, then moved on to Bath for a few days. I took a couple of day-trips from there to Salisbury and (I don't remember). I think I went to the American museum in Bath. I took a daytrip to Paris via Eurostar, but found that to be very tiring and not too satisfying. The main thing is, I used my time well and had a good time. My usual European trips are 3-4 weeks.

On my trips, I try not to skimp on the sights. The extra cost of seeing a sight is minimal compared with the cost of travel, hotels etc necessary for the trip. I probably find that I save throughout the year at home, so that I have money to truly see the sights and experience Europe (or wherever we are). However, i do not go for the most expensive restaurants and hotels on my travels. Except for an occassional splurge

Usually shortening the trip is not a strategy for me, given the cost and time to get there, shaving a day may save hotel, but the perday cost of airfare goes up, you have to eat wherever you are, so if you are comfortable with two or three weeks, then keep it at that. I do agree that fewer destinations, especially farther flung destinations is a good strategy, I prefer to keep moving, but then, I would just move around Northern Italy as opposed to trying to include Croatia or Spain or Greece. I usually do stay in cheap dives to sleep (well comfortable places, just not 4 star) and have no problems finding as cheap a place as possible. For attractions, if I cut out anything, it is usually the commercial type sights and activities (Bus tours, Private guides, yes, even the Gondolas of Venice) and long ago I realized that I shouldn't try to fit in every art museum in Paris or climb every church tower in Rome. I focus on the main museums and sights, a couple a day, with lots of free walking around, cheap sites, shopping(looking) and people watching. The one area I refuse to compromise on is food and drink, must be good, not pretencious Michelin Star dining, but good neighborhood joints, authentic cooking, and a variety of courses. I will scimp a bit by grabbing street food at lunch or in the evening after a big mid-day meal, breakfast is always minor.

This is an excellent question. Our general approach is pretty similar to those above, but perhaps more detail; We are a family of five with three children and so often a cost saving choice for us means savings x3 or x4 or x5. It adds up quickly. We don't stay in one place to avoid ground transport costs, but we do everything we can to keep the costs of those legs to a minimum, like buying train tickets at deep discounts early or renting the smallest, best gas milage car. We do save a great deal of money on food by eating casual and often eating in with groceries. This is easier with apartment/cottage rentals... We do save a lot by staying in rentals when possible and hostels or really cheap hotels when not possible. Generally speaking we are exceedingly uninterested in anything that involves paying for service. We don't generally avoid visiting sites that cost money, but we do put more focus on those sights that are free or low cost or a good value for families. If there is a site that doesn't fit that description, it better be REALLY good for us to visit. In any case, it's rare for us to visit more than two paid sites in one day. The one thing we do not scrimp on is trip length. The average for our five trips so far is 4 1/2 weeks each. While it always costs extra to stay longer, it often doesn't cost MUCH extra. Often staying longer allows for more economical choices (like staying in a rental for a week). Staying longer is so much better that the small extra cost is well spent. It's all a balancing act. It's going to be expensive, no matter what choices you make. But with careful thought, you can make sure that each expense is a good value and fits with your priorities.

I am also in sync with the above posters. Casual and reasonable hotels. Good food, but casual dining and not a lot of alcohol or expensive desserts. One glass of wine with dinner and of course, gelato. I also eat at lots of markets as I wander around.... good old street food. The only other thing that has really helped me keep costs down is when ever possible I will travel with a friend or 2 or 3. Really keeps transportation costs down when it is split, and also hotel costs. Picnics with a few people are also a good value. I don't always have hotel reservations and have found lots of great values this way... not in the big cities and not in high tourist season, but villages and off season its great. I also try to use FF miles if I can and I often travel off season.
I almost always have a car for the major part of the trip, so that is how costs go down... not so if I was a train person.

Nate, are you my missing son?? So wise! We try to also use our credit card to amass Points, making sure we never pay interest on it. This may pay for or partially pay for our flight. We scrimp and save on some items so that we can justify splurges occasionally.

Interesting question. For me: Shorten whole trip? - I prefer to stay as long as possible within reason. In other words, I could probably give up a little more here and there and stay a bit longer, but I travel cheaply enough that it would only gain me another day. Visit fewer destinations? - It's tempting to see as many places as possible, but I also like to really get a feel for a city or region, so it's not too hard for me to cut down on destinations and save travel costs. Downgrading food experiences? - I don't care about breakfast - some yogurt and a roll are fine; very simple picnic lunch, even "crisps" and a soda (hey, I'm not proud about that:))will do; dinner wherever looks "single friendly", affordable, but good. However, I must have money in the budget for gelatto in Italy, or coffe and pastry elsewhere. Downgrading accomodations? - I like my own space, so I've never gone the hostel route though it sounds fun, but otherwise, I just need clean, safe, and comfortable. Visit fewer attractions? - In Venice, the vaporetti were fun enough for me, but otherwise, I'll pay for whatever attraction I really want to visit.

In general, I would stay I am happy with all of my decisions that make travel economical. They are choices based on what I want to do, not to be inexpensive. I like Privatzimmer and small Pensionen for the intimacy. I would never stay in a more expensive "starred" hotel. But then, I don't want to stay in a hostel, either. Ferienwohnungen would be nice, but when you are traveling single, not practical. I like to eat in sit-down restaurants. I'll eat at a Bahnhof kiosk or a streetside stand if it's convenient, not to save money. Getting food at a grocery store isn't practical because I don't stay somewhere where I can cook it. I don't want more farflung destinations; there is so much to see in a small area in Europe if you do your homework. I can't understand how people spend so much on attactions. Where are all these expensive places. Everyplace I want to go is reasonably inexpensive. Finally, I know where I want to go, and how to get there by public transportation long before I go. Renting a car just adds unnecessary expense.

Hello Andre L. To prevent the expenses from being excessively high, I visit less destinations. A high priority for me is to maintain good health. Therefore, I eat good food in Europe, and I have overnight accomodations at places where I think I can sleep well. That is, I do not sleep in a tent. I do not sleep in a hostel dorm. I do not travel all night in a railroad train. (Edit) and I will not travel all night in an airplane, in my next trip across the Atlantic Ocean from the North America continent. In that trip I will be in an airplane departing from an airport in the United States of America in the morning, arriving at London Heathrow airport (in England) in the evening of that day. And there was a daytime flight from an airport in the U.S.A. to the Charles Degaul airport of Paris in France.

Ron has a good point about not staying in places where you won't sleep well. Your travel money is not well spent if you are a zombie during the day. My upcoming trip to Paris will be a short 7 days on the ground, but that's all I can "afford" to take from work. I'd love a month, but I'd rather travel now than wait until I can take that much time off. Right now, for me, what is budgeted is time, not so much the money.

Over many trips we have slightly reduced our days per trip, and more fiscally important, travel during the shoulder seasons when airfares are less. More concentrated travel within a region has also helped reduce costs for transportation and sometimes accommodations. Food? Well, gorging during breakfast if a buffet is available and then a light mid-day repast (coffee and dessert, street food or a visit to a grocery for a picnic) followed by a full dinner in a restaurant. We tend to spend more on accommodations given our preference for a toilet and shower within our room. It seems more accommodations provide such compared to years ago. Finally, we budget for visiting blockbuster and all worthwhile sights, but have cut back on ones offering limited value (expensive admission to climb a tower for a view) or have done in the past (gondolas).

1) I would never shorten the trip because we can only go for two weeks at a time as it is. 2) I definitely try to stay in a relatively small geographic area. I actually prefer that to zipping all over the place anyway. 3) I definitely try to save on food. We've been able to eat well in Europe on a relatively low budget. If you stay in B&Bs, you can often skip lunch. We do a lot of take out and grocery store purchases especially when we stay in apartmentss. 4) I've gradually lowered my standards on accomodations and have found I enjoy the trips just as much, sometimes more. Apartments can be surprisingly economical.
5) I rarely try to save by skipping attractions unless it's someplace I'm not that interested in anyway.

As long as it's bug-free, clean, and in a reasonbably safe location, I can make do with with the lower-star hotels and pensions. It's a room for a night - not a 30 year committment. I like to have at least one sit down meal a day, street food or rolls and cheese are fine for breakfasts and lunches. However: I'm lucky if I can cobble together twenty days so I'll never try to save by cutting back on time, plus with the high cost of intercontinental airfare, I don't think it's cost effective to just travel for a week or 10 days.
And if it's an attraction I want to see - I'll pay whatever the admission is. I love to shop when I'm travelling, but have cut way back on gifts and souvenirs for otherd. Not on shopping for ME though!!! ;-)

True, as long as the place is secure, bug free, and relatively safe, I'll stay there...sleeping is no problem. I have stayed in the course of the trips in hostels to 4 star hotels, but that has to be a promo rate, and everything in between, Zimmer zu vermieten, university dorms, small hotels, Pensionen. Even now no problems in sharing a dorm room in a hostel with these twenty-somethings. Better them than school groups. I see a trip as a trade off event, you cut corners when you want and spurge when you choose. To cut down on expenses, most of the accomodations have been in small hotels or Pensionen. I take night trains, a couple in a trip, not only to gain a day but also to save on sleeping in a Pension...no need for a couchette or a sleeper. That's another expense. Eating at the train stations in Germany with all the variety offered is another way to hold down expenses...I don't see that as "downgrading" the food experience. At lunch going to an university cafeteria, the Mensa, is where you find good cheap food...did this in Vienna and Berlin this summer. Most importantly, you need to pace yourself, be it a 3 week or 10 week trip, and that includes expenses. I have a set priority, (museums, towns/cities, monuments, sites, houses, etc) on what to accomplish on a given trip but meeting all those goals is not always the case, a few are always left out for various reasons. That's when the next trip is being planned.

Lodging is always the category where I am willing to pinch pennies. I'll stay in hostels in a shared dorm room or university housing when it's available if I can't find an affordable budget hotel or if I think I may get better amenities (like access to a kitchen to make breakfast, or laundry facilities). I definitely don't want to cut back on the number of days I am travelling, and I won't scrimp on admission fees to things I really want to see. I have skipped out on some more expensive ways to see the sights (eg, gondola or boat rides, guided HoHo buses, walking or bike tours). With public transportation, a guide book, podcasts and travel apps I feel like I can learn about and view the sights on my own and at my own pace. I don't want to downgrade my food budget to the point where all I do is eat street food, takeaway or picnic meals I pack myself. I feel it's worth the money spent to have at least 1 nice sit down meal a day in a restaurant. Now if it's a really expensive restaurant, I may compromise and eat lunch there instead of dinner. But overall, most of my budget compromises are done at home in the U.S. before I even get on the plane. That way, I've saved enough by making small sacrifices here so I can see, do and eat what I want when I am over there.

Even if I could afford 500 euros per night on a hotel, I have been completely satisfied with my Rick Steves recommended B&Bs/pensions/small hotels on almost all my trips to Europe that cost under 150 euros. My room in Florence had 2 floors and was bigger than my home here in Florida.....all for 95 euros per night. I felt like a queen in my castle. And trust me, when you do have a cool room, it is a treat to spend some time in it, especially with a nice brunello di montipulciano that has been opened to breath for 2 hours...after you have been sight seeing all day long. Now I must tell why my room cost 95 euros...........WINTER TRAVEL.. I had booked a classic room....the hotel was empty....and they announced that I would be receiving a fabulous upgrade. I will deal with cool to cold weather, rain, over-cast skies to have cheaper airfare, cheaper hotel cost, and crowd deficit any day. The cool weather also reminds me that I am out of my normal element which puts the power punch into the fact that I am on vacation (I live in Florida, where the seasons are spring and summer, for the most part...our winters have been on the cool to cold side in the past few years).
I don't skimp on sights but usually if I did not spent my allotted money on the sights, I put it towards a fabulous dinner.

I'm another American ex-pat and as such we have the opportunity to travel all seasons for shorter trips without the transatlantic airfare (of course, we do have the expense of airfare when we visit the US). Even so, it still is quite expensive. The primary thing we do to save our budget is to manage our lifestyle when we are NOT traveling. We almost never eat out when we are not traveling, we drive small, older cars, and we don't spend a lot of money on fancy clothes or entertainment. We don't miss that type of thing at all. The money we see other people spending on those things goes into our travel fund.

Great question Andre. D.D. stole my answer - I adjust my pre-travel lifestyle to live below my means so I can fund my travel habit. I also don't travel every year - since I am solo and have to support myself (and have yet to win the lottery) I can't afford a "big" trip every year. I also follow many of the prior suggestions (look for sales, deals, pensions, etc.) but if there's a pretty major tourist-type attraction where I'm going, I'm not going to scrimp on it (e.g,. Tower of London was great, and I even did the gondola ride in Venice). The point of travel is to experience what you love doing - for me, that includes more expensive items (often art museums) but it also includes plenty of free stuff (I love doing photo safaris, walks around town, and interiors of churches). Some of my best meals were grocery store lunches eaten in spectacular locations. Yogurt tastes better when you're eating it on a canal in Venice.

Andre,
Nice, thought provoking question. I think I would answer with a suggestion on how to priortize. First though, I would not shorten the trip. After that, what would make you feel like, 'I'm on vacation and I can't ....?'. For us, breakfast from hotel or market is fine - a sit down lunch (cheaper than dinner and we rest up) and a market or grocery dinner is fine. For others - a sacrifice. Feel 'I'm on vacation and can't go out?' Just think about what you are comfortable with without feeling deprived. Can't resist one piece of advice, use guidebooks! Get them from the library if you like rather than buy. Enough money saving advice to more than pay for it. Good luck and have fun.

I'm another one who watches what I spend at home, and therefore can do 3 weeks to a month every two years in Europe, with a week in nate years at some tropical island. That said, we don't go crazy on accomodation - when we travel alone we aim for around 100 euros a night, and often have found cheaper. The last couple trips we've gone with another couple, and have saved big time on renting 2 bedroom apartments. In spring we'll have a 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment on the water in Venice for around E90/night/couple. We buy meusli, yougurt and fruit for breakfast in, but will either eat street food for lunch, or a single course salad or light lunch in a restaurant, then go out for a nice but not extravagant dinner. In France a few years ago we ate Ham and Cheese Baguettes for lunch every day for 20 days, and never got tired of them. Always drink the house wine - often under E10 per litre! I'm always amazed at how reasonable the prices for most attractions are in Europe. Some of the greatest art in the world can be viewed for around E10. The Vatican Museum with Sistine Chapel is only E15. A huge bargain at twice the price! Not to mention the freebies like fantastic churches, fountains, parks, sculpture, and my favourite - people watching!

It costs us 'an arm and a leg' to get to Europe, so we figure we are going to make the most of it. We mainly stay in B & B's. We find them good value for money. A good breakfast means a light lunch on the run. Personally, one of the most enjoyable things about being on holidays is not having to cook. We have always been able to find reasonably priced restuarants for our evening meal. That's a big part of the European experience for us, to sample local food and wine. We don't drive in Europe and are prepared to pay for organised day tours. In short, we don't downgrade on any area of our holiday.
I would rather put the trip off for a year and save the extra money required.

Our trips are never more than 7 nights as we have to go.during school breaks. When I accumulate enough miles for FF ( SUPER SAVER) tix then I start searching for where.we.can get tickets to. We stay most nights at B&Bs or small inns - but we must stay in centrally located places. Never eat at fancy places but always eat well. I'm satisfied by a croque mosieur or a cheese plate or something cheap like that. Unless I find a neat piece of jewelry I never buy souvenirs.

I can't believe I forgot one of the big ones - travel outside of high season. You save on airfare and lodging, plus you deal with less crowds and heat at your destinations. I love traveling in May and September, even earlier/later for warmer climates. I agree with Ron that you shouldn't scrimp on sleeping if you're not going to sleep. Fortunately, my family are tent campers (from our camping "honeymoon" to camping at the beach this Labor Day) and can sleep almost anywhere. Even at that, I wouldn't book a sleep car on a train - I can handle the movement, the station activity wakes me up. I like clean and quiet but find even hostel bunk beds to be plenty comfortable. I wouldn't recommend it, however, for someone who likes to sleep in.

Cost aside - I prefer traveling off season. Because of school break we have been traveling the week either before or after Easter. One of my favorite vacations was a February break we went to Paris and Normandy. We lucked out with great weather.

I guess what is a sacrifice to some is not to others. We would never spend money on expensive hotel accommodation or expensive dinners or luxury cars rentals - no matter the budget or our financial circumstances. But that is a personal choice. We are fortunate to now live in Europe but when we lived in Australia and travelled long haul, we always flew economy class. We tried to stay as long as possible, due to the length and cost of the flight mainly. Usually 6 - 7 weeks but then Australians have better leave benefits than some. We always try to stay in an apartment or cottage - not only does it save money, we simply prefer it. We always have breakfast in the apartment, the occasional lunch and dinner but mostly eat out. We usually hire the smallest car practical and generally a manual - which is what we are used to. And we only hire a car if we really need one. That said, we always stay in a decent, centrally located apartment, the price being largely dependant on the city or town. Depending on the time of the year and the location, we will spend extra money for a terrace or outdoor area. If a B & B it will be ensuite.

I never skimp on the paid attractions b/c THEY are the main reasons you are in a particular destination. Sure, I love time just freely wandering around outside and exploring in a new city, but would feel like I deprived myself if I didn't also go into the museums I wanted to see, take the gondola rides into the alps that I LOVE so much, etc. The main ways I save; 1.) Going in off-season. For example, I did a trip to Germany, Austria and Prague in early October 1 year. Far less crowded than in the summer, it was very comfortable/cool (but not TOO cold) traveling weather, and hotel prices were far less than in the summer 2.) Food/restaurants & 3.) Accomodations; for me, these are 2 areas in which I can save. BUT, thanks to Rick's TERRIFIC suggestions, I never feel like I'm depriving myself, "slumming it," etc. Rick's suggested places offer VALUE. He looks for places that are small, family-run, authentic, affordable, breakfast is included, etc. But they're not "luxurious" per se, and thus, FAR more affordable than some generic, plastic-style hotel in a big city for which you'll typically spend considerably more. And there are so many good, local, authentic restaurant options that here, too, I avoid the larger, more "touristy" places. One tip I ALWAYS follow (in addition to eating at Rick's suggested places); I ask locals (say, hotel owners/workers) where THEY like to go for lunch and/or dinner. These are local, working-class people and, thus, are not likely to suggest places that are high-priced. I've eaten at some very good, but very reasonably priced, places that are mainly frequented by locals this way!

Interesting opinions floated around. It's nice to read how other people manage the same travel challenges. In regard of lodging, I prefer to compromise location (up to a point, and readily if I get a car) to comfort. Currently I'm living in Europe for professional reasons, so my trips are mostly extended weekend getaways. In such circumstances, out-of-downtown business districts hotels usually offer deeply discounted fares over Fri-Sun nights, and sometimes throw in free parking - so, say, I can stay for € 100-140/solo or € 120-180/couple in a place that would normally cost much more (even double) that. Sometimes I get even better deals. I know some people are let down if the immediate surroundings of their hotel are not nice, or if the hotel is in the middle of an office park near the highway, but I can put up with it, as I'd not be willing to trade the extra comfort for the cramped rooms, staircases or hard-to-park-my-car historical districts small hotels. The lower threshold for me is en-suite bathroom. I traveled a lot on tight budget as student before, but now I don't stay anywhere where there isn't an exclusive bathroom on my room, unless it is an emergency. While I totally respect those who disagree, I don't get, in true honesty, the whole point of "small family-owned hotel" as a major quality. For me, what is important are the facilities, the services (particularly easy parking and broadband internet in the room - paid or not), quality-price ratio and professionalism. If the place is really, really small (less than 4 rooms), there is a high degree of unpredictability in very small hotels or guest houses, one employee gets sick and the staff is suddenly 33% missing and the guest experience will suffer. Small hotels with a highly professional staff are a huge plus though, at least for me. Problem: they area expensive.

^^ Just to make clear: on the former message I was referring to leisure/holiday, not business trips. =============================== Travelling off-peak season: I agree it is certainly the factor that will yield, alone, the most single saving in a trip. I myself avoid most of peak season travelling because of prices and crowds. I guess, though, this is no option for parents travelling with children in school age (not my case).

Lots of good suggestions have been posted, but I don't think this one has: do a home exchange. We have done 7 of them and all have been wonderful. We are then able to stay 3 or 4 weeks in Europe, AND we also swap cars so we have no transportation costs (except gas) once we get there and no housing costs. It's a wonderful way to travel. Another idea is to join Servas or another hospitality group where you stay at no cost in people's homes. Servas is a great organization working for peace thru people-to-people contacts. As a couple on a home exchange we average about $3000 total for a 3 or 4 week trip to Europe, including air travel (we usually use reduced fares or frequent flyer miles) and travel in fall or spring. Hope this is helpful. Julia

Interesting to read, Julia. I myself don't think I'd ever be comfortable letting my house to strangers, let alone my car (too many insurance/ possibility of car being used to commit a felony/ liability worries). But I guess that comes from each person.

Andre, I'm a college professor, so summers (high season) are my time to travel. I try to turn money into time by careful budgeting. So: 1. Don't shorten the trip unless total transportation costs are low. 2. I try to stay in a large city and do daytrips (large cities have a wider range of buget accommodations). 3. Food: essential part of the travel experience. I usually budget carefully, but plan a couple of splurge meals. Also, a picnic every couple of days instead of a restaurant meal, or street food for a light meal. And of course looking for locals at restaurants.
4. Accommodations: I'm willing to give up in-room tv and fridge, but not en suite bath. 5. Take public, low-cost transportation (no gondola rides for me), go to every free monument (most churches) and bite the bullet on the museums or other sites I really want to see. Hello, Chani!

Great question, Andre. I started to reply shortly after you posted it, but I waited to see if I stood out as a very different reply (and I guess, for the most part, I will). We take shorter trips (primarily because of a real limit on the amount of time we can be away for several reasons). 11 days, including travel, is our record. Mostly trips are 9-10 days, inclusive of travel. We also generally go to places we have not been before (except Italy, where we have repeated and will probably repeat again). But, we take a see-it/do-it approach each trip. Because our trips are limited time-wise, we don't skimp, but at the same time, we seek VALUE. VALUE is probably one of the biggest drivers of how we make travel choices. Did two Rick Steves' group tours.... great value. Tauck Tour (more $$), but offered great value for what we were doing/seeing. Right after the market meltdown, took a high-end, all-inclusive Silversea cruise through Greek Isles/Turkey at an unbelievable special price that also included airfare (we chose the lowest price cabins, but still OMG lovely with large window, butler, etc.). Same cruise would have cost $1500 more PP this year. Other posters have mentioned shoulder season -- great for value and to avoid crowds. Hotels: ALWAYS use TripAdvisor, and if not one of the top 3, at least in the top 10% hotels...watch for value packages, etc. I like a nice, memorable hotel room...part of the experience for us. Good neighborhood, charm, private bath a MUST, etc. I look at all photos posted on site. Airline: air miles or specials, juggle choice to combo w/ simultaneous tour/hotel value at a bucket-list destination. Lots of prep work, but great trips. Fun to plan.

P.S. to my last email. We find guides really enhance our trips, which is one of the reasons we like group tours (smaller size groups like Rick Steves Tours or Tauck small group) and one of the reasons we sign up for shore excursions the few times we have cruised. Most tours have an overall guide, plus extra local guides by city or site. We find the knowledge shared by guides, and their ability to zig zag us through crowds, avoid lines, etc. makes our trips SO MUCH more enjoyable and memorable. Most tours allow plenty of unscheduled time for individual free time. Also, when I am evaluating value, I factor in not just price (there is always something cheap), but what kind of lifetime experience we will get for the $s. A trip to Italy offered private, after-hours visit of the Vatican (so much more enjoyable than our previous crowded visit), a visit to a professor's private Capri home to hear about contemporary Italian society followed by wine/nibbles on her many terraces overlooking the sea, and on and on and on. Those kind of special moments (for not too many more $s) make life worth living. We live rather conservatively most of the year, but we will enjoy special moments/experiences on vacation, especially when we can get them at a great value. Hope that makes sense.

We use frequent flyer miles for air fare. We try to "average out" our accommodations. We may stay in an expensive hotel in one city and then will stay in a much cheaper B&B or apartment in the next town. Reducing the number of destinations in one trip saves on expenses and stress we have discovered. We really enjoy the nice food experiences, and my husband is one of those wine lovers so dinners are sometimes expensive, but we usually manage to have budget breakfasts or just eat twice a day.
Some things/places are worth the splurge, but that's for you to decide. Life is full of priorities -- foreign travel just forces you to examine it more closely than your daily life.

That is a great question! We are a family of four, so flying to Europe is a BIG expense; so when we go, we try to go for as long as possible. We spent six weeks in Europe in 2009 & then this past summer. To afford such a long trip we have used home exchange, car exchange, apartment rentals, eating in (since we usually have a kitchen); finding the best least expensive restaurants possible, use any kind of discounts possible (trains, sites, etc...). I take a long time to plan my trip so I can maximize on any potential savings. In Venice this past summer, we DID NOT take a $150 gondola ride; we DID take a 1/2 euro traghetto ride across the grand canal!

I agree with the responders who suggest having fewer far flung destinations, and exploring those you visit more thoroughly. I just returned from a trip to Spain earlier this month. Travelling in Spain in October is perfect - crowds are down and the weather is perfect. I stayed four days each in Madrid, Sevilla, and Barcelona. I day tripped to Segovia from Madrid (I've been to Toledo twice before) and Cordoba from Sevilla.
I don't stay in 1st class hotels, but I have some requirements - private bath, WiFi in rooms, etc. On this trip all hotels were well below 100 euros per night, including breakfast. I took walking tours everywhere except for Madrid (I've spent four weeks there on previous trips) and I highly recommend them! Many Tourist Offices in Spain offer them at fair prices.