Tightwad Travel Hacks?

[zakthor]

Wow you sound like my kind of traveller. Best i can offer, if youre going to india, get a cheap flight to somewhere in asia: thailand, vietnam. Explore but buy rest of your ticket there, much much cheaper than buying same ticket in the states. So much for free market capitalism.

And… definitely go to india and get off the beaten path. Live like a king if you feel like it. Food is insanely good.

[LWJ]

^^^I am frankly terrified of India. Only know one person who has been without being aggressively ill!

Tell me more. The visual splendor / cultural attraction of India is amazing. I am very drawn. Just scared.

[Otter74]

India is a fantastic place to visit. I’ve been twice, for two weeks each. Both trips were centered on friends’ weddings. My sweetie has family in India and we’ll go next year. I’ve not gotten sick on either trip, but if you get sick, you get sick. If it’s just GI, it’s worth it. Drink bottled water and don’t eat non-cooked street food.

[Rick Lee]

If China weren't still totally insane on the Covid restrictions, I'd say that's the best bang for the buck. Otherwise, eastern Europe is where it's at.

I've been all over the Czech Republic many times, stayed in B&Bs, mid-grade hotels and even at the taxi driver's house back in 1990 when all hotels were full due to the 45th anniv. of the US Army having liberated Plzen. The cool villages, small towns, cities, museums, architecture, history and, most importantly, the beer are just about as good as it gets in Europe. It's pretty cheap there still. And you're still near a lot other cool stuff in Europe. Poland has gotten a lot more expensive since I was first there in 1992. But it also has incredible history and beauty. Ditto for Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, basically all the places that were a pain in the ass to go to during the Cold War. We stayed at an old lady's house in Warsaw who lived there during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and she spoke perfect German, so she could tell us about it.

My next trip will be driving down the Croatian coast and then to Sarajevo, as I've always wanted to see the museum there on the Austrian Archduke's assassination. We'll probably fly to Munich or Vienna and drive down from there. Sarajevo's airport has horrible connections to the rest of the Continent.

[id10t]

If you can handle the possibility of not getting something and having to try again later, I've worked with a guy that says that you can show up w/ passport at a cruise embarking and negotiate a very good rate on an unused room. He lived in Orlando, would check to see which cruise liners were leaving Ft Lauderdale area and when and what itinerary, show up with a suit case, passport and cash in hand and start negotiating. He says he brings out the 'better to make $1k on this $3k room and have it sold than have it go unsold for the trip' line and usually the answer is 'yes'. If not, wait a few hours for next liner to get ready to go or get cheap hotel overnight and come back next day to try again, or just go to beach and hang out then head home.

[LWJ]

^^^Love the strategy. Not wanting to do cruises.

Keep em coming!

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by zakthor

Wow you sound like my kind of traveller. Best i can offer, if youre going to india, get a cheap flight to somewhere in asia: thailand, vietnam. Explore but buy rest of your ticket there, much much cheaper than buying same ticket in the states. So much for free market capitalism.

And… definitely go to india and get off the beaten path. Live like a king if you feel like it. Food is insanely good.

I have some fellow lab rats from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. I'm not sure if i would do Bangladesh. They're the new jersey of the s. Asia.

The people i know from Nepal mentioned that you can go there for a month, eat out for every meal and live in a hotel for a grand. They're from a higher caste so I'm not sure if they're exaggerating.

[javadog]

SPend a couple months in Thailand. $20 a day should cover it, if you’re out in the boonies.

[flatbutt]

Please tell me more about the VPN gambit

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by LWJ

^^^I am frankly terrified of India. Only know one person who has been without being aggressively ill!

Tell me more. The visual splendor / cultural attraction of India is amazing. I am very drawn. Just scared.

Be scared. India is terrifying. Just being there I am frequently feeling like I’m in a cave fighting a feeling of claustrophobia. Trying not to lose my composure. There are so many problems and so many people. But it’s also incredibly diverse and there are so many wonderful people, it’s amazing.

I’ve seen the tourist stuff long ago and am very very not into it. I’d never ‘go Agra for the day’ to see the Taj Mahal. I like places with nature and good air.

My last trip was 2 months and I spent less than $1k, and most of that was eating at literally the most expensive restaurants and staying at the imperial in Delhi (not the most expensive but it’s cool, I like it. Reading New Yorker on that ac verandah breakfast buffet…)

Trip was so cheap because I was mostly in the himalaya in places where there were no people.

For me the things to see: the food. The rising Indian middle class. The bjp (fascist Hindu nationalist party). Just talking and meeting people and hearing their perspective. Lots of people have great English and no job prospects so stories to share.

Delhi is hard to tolerate but I also spent a few days in a no ac travelers house in the suburbs, pool and lots of trees in a big garden, good food and conversation, and like $20/night.

Fly Calcutta, hang for few days, ac train to Delhi, then to Chandigarh, maybe up to arunichal Pradesh? Is cool and great air in the mountains. Huge country, history and cultures, follow your nose and take your time. Don’t try to plan precisely because there’s a lot that will go wrong. I’m thinking to go again, I really want to visit Kashmir for the food. (Kashmir: it’s never been safe my entire life, I can’t wait any longer and have got to just go.)

You’ll need a vacation afterwards.

[LWJ]

^^^That is EXACTLY my kind of travel. Extraordinary. Thank you!

[stevej37]

here ya go.