RTW Trip leaving April 2014 to Spain & France, Single Mature Female looking for Travel buddy

Sally

$40 maximum is €28 maximum a night. Hostels are way more than that. What sort of "nice as I can afford" places have you checked out at a maximum of €28 a night in Paris and Spain? Do you have inside tracks after your decade in the travel industry?

I wish you success but I wonder how well this has been planned out. I wouldn't want you to have any surprises of an unpleasant character.

Have you already got your air tickets or will you be getting last minute (most expensive) ones once the passport gets back?

How will you be traveling around in each of these countries?

No, haven't purchased air tickets yet. I have looked into them but until I know when I have my passport can't purchase the tickets. I will do 14 or 21 day advance.

You have made some good points! I have only done minimal planning, I would like to be VERY flexible, go when I feel like it, and stay as long as I like if I find a place that I like. I am planning on being in Europe before peak season of course!

Yikes. Nigel is right, you are going to be in for a host of rude awakenings if you think you can stay anywhere (even Spain) for $40/night. (Where did I miss the part about the decade in the travel industry?) Of course, southeast Asia will be cheaper, but Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Buying airline tickets only a couple of weeks out is guaranteed to be more expensive than further ahead, unless you get extremely lucky. Flexibility comes at a price. Every time you change locations you will incur transportation costs, even for day trips. How long do you intend for this entire trip to last? Assuming you did only spend $40 a night for lodging, if your total budget is about $2000 a month, that only leaves $800 for everything else - food, transportation, activities, admissions, etc. It just doesn't sound at all realistic to me.

(Where did I miss the part about the decade in the travel industry?)

In the profile.

"I am in my early 60's but too young to retire! I love to travel and right now, don't have a permanent home. Looking for the right spot! Prefer warmer climates. I don't smoke, don't drink or do drugs. Open to meeting new people and traveling with others. I am single. Love dogs! I have worked in the travel industry for the past 10 years but not currently working."

I would like to know where in EU, one can get a lodging for $40 a night? The cheapest "clean/safe/close to the center" in Paris is at least 100 euros per night. Unless you plan on staying outside of the city....
Perhaps, more study and investigation is needed on your part before getting on the plane. You must remember the exchange rate between $ and euros. Our $ is in the toilet. Europe is very expensive to Americans now a days. $2000 a month? Wow! Let me know if you can really swing this.

I have been in Spain for three weeks now. Some cities are cheaper than others, but I have found really nice hostels in Cordoba for example, that were only $20 a night. That was a separate room with it’s own bathroom attached. I have used airbnb for some of my stays and am now doing a volunteer opportunity where my lodging will be free for a month while I do work in exchange. By the time I hit Indonesia it is out of their season so the rates are pretty reasonable - $25 a night in Bangkok (Best Western), $129 for a week in a one bedroom condo in Bali. I wasn’t including my transportation in my figure. I am finding that admissions to places aren’t cheap. Some do offer discounts for “pensionistas” and some have hours they are open at no charge, I have been able to take advantage of some of those. So far, it’s working :)

Hi Sally,

I, too, am in my 60s and I've stayed in Barcelona, Madrid and Paris several times over the last few years on travel adventures. It is virtually impossible to find a nice place to stay in either of those cities for $40 per night. More like $100. Paris will be even more expensive, even in the suburbs. About the only things you may find would be backpacker-type hostels. But, even those are often booked well in advance through sites like Hostels.com and Booking.com. You will need to do some detailed research to assure yourself of a place, and probably even make advance reservations. Smaller towns and villages may have some inexpensive places to stay. If you find a place within an hour's train ride from the city, staying in a small town or village and making day trips into the cities may be the way to go. But, if you do have a travel partner, that can cut the costs way down and may actually put you with reach of your plan. I've done most of my travel solo and having a partner definitely would have cut down to being close to what you are looking for.