|
|
Luggage
Cheap Travel Secrets
Author: Steve Gillman
There are two ways to save money traveling. The first way is
to get the best deals on the specific things you want. There
is a limitation to this type of approach though. If , for
example, you find the lowest price on the best hotel in
Honolulu at the height of the season, you will save
money, but still have a very expensive vacation. Trying to
get exactly what you want, or what you think you want, will
generally be an expensive proposition, in travel and in
life.
Be A Travel Opportunist
The other approach is to be a true opportunist. This will be
difficult for some of you, and entirely unacceptable to
others. Nonetheless, the travelers who get to travel the
most, go to the widest variety of places, learn the most and
do the most, are the opportunists. This will be true until
you are so wealthy that you have no monetary limits.
The first time I went to Ecuador, I went there because it
was cheap. If it wasn't, I would have had a great time -
somewhere else. The trip lasted a month, and cost $1045,
which included airfare and even the $130 fee for a guide to
take me to the top of glacier-covered Mount Chimborazo.
I cut the cost by taking a bus from my home in Michigan to
Miami, and back again when I returned from Ecuador. The
round-trip ticket cost $158. The round-trip flight to Quito
from Miami was only $256, because it was a courier flight,
which meant I signed for some luggage (car parts), and could
only take carry-on luggage.
Never did I feel deprived, or bored. I had a great time,
eating wherever it was cheap and clean, doing all sorts of
inexpensive, but interesting things, and traveling across
the country to climb Chimborazo. I also met and fell in love
with my wife Ana.
How To Become An Opportunist Traveler
Can you drink rum at a dollar per bottle, instead of your
favorite beer? Can you eat chicken instead of steak? How
about visiting the free sights first, and dancing in the
street festival instead of the disco?
Being an opportunist means you'll have just as much variety,
and probably almost everything you want - eventually. You
just have to stop trying to get exactly what you want
exactly when you want it. If the guide that took me up
Chimborazo hadn't dropped his price from $200 to $130, I
would have spent $2 for a bus and gone hiking on El Altar,
another great Andean mountain. That would have left me with
enough money for several other minor adventures.
More Secrets Of Cheap Travel
Plane Tickets: My wife and I were planning a trip to
visit family in Ecuador. The cheapest airfare from Traverse
City, Michigan to Quito, was $1720. Out of curiosity, I
checked Miami to Quito, and it was only $404. Airfare from
Traverse City to Miami was $300. Book two separate flights
and save more than $2000! The discount sites aren't set up
to search in this way (yet), so you have to do this on your
own. By the way, the whole six-week trip, which we took in
2004, cost $2400, including losing $100, and being robbed of
$174.
Food: Whether traveling here or in other countries,
it is usually cheaper to buy some healthy snacks in a
grocery store, rather than eat every meal in a restaurant.
When you do eat in restaurants, it can be cheaper to to
order individual items on the menu from the list of
appetizers or side dishes. You also may get more variety in
that way.
Accomodations: For a long trip, you may want to rent
an apartment in an interesting city. We did this for two
months in Tucson, for about $600 less per month, compared to
even the cheaper motels. Watch for hotel coupon-books in gas
stations. The coupons will often save you $10 on a room you
would have stayed in anyhow. If you have a conversion van or
R
href="http://www.the-ultralight-site.com">http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com ...
Go to SITEMAP |
|
|
|
RHS Featured Items
|
Traditional catalog case ideal for lawyers and sales people. Black comes with Nickel hardware. Brown comes with Brass hardware. Interior dividers form 3 compartments for organization. Interior organized panel holds pens, business cards, cell phone, and calculator.Fully lined. |
|
|
Double gusset top zip leather briefcase with retractable top carry handles. Double gusset interior with organizer pockets for pens, cards and other accessory items. Full grain leather exterior.Fully lined interior. |
|
|
Compact and lightweight garment carrier. Ideal for a quick overnight getaway or business trip. Interior universal hanger trolley with secure clamp. Designed to hold up to two suits/outfits. Will easily accommodate up to Men's size 46 Long. One (1) exterior zip pocket.200 Denier, 100% nylon packcloth lining treated to repel moisture and stains. |
|
|
Roomy main compartment with built-in padded computer sleeve and one slide pocket for discs or other smaller items. Adjustable web shoulder strap. Dual carry handles. Front and rear zippered pockets for added storage. Includes Kipling's signature Monkey key ring. |
|
|
The best possible computer protection in a well-organized business case. Expandable main compartment. Patented, adjustable pillow-tech safecase sling. Two interior sections including an accordion file/fan file section. Umbrella pocket with water-resistant lining. Organized interior holds cell phone, PDA, keys, disks, files, pens and more. Easy-access phone pocket. Front gusseted ticket pocket with card slots. Front u-zip/water bottle pocket with water-resistant lining. Additional fully-lined front and back pockets. Equipment cord port. |
|
|
U-shaped front pocket features organizational panel with zippered mesh pocket, pen slots and key fob. Dual density padded foam mono sling with moisture-wicking mesh for climate control and built-in cell phone pocket; strap is adjustable to be worn on either side of the body. Expandable mesh water bottle pocket. |
|
|
