Frugal Travelling around the world

Hi,

I am planning on retiring 6 and 9 months from now and I would
like to do some safe international traveling. I have been working all my
life and except for my early 20's European adventures, I haven't
taken any extensive vacations except for those "escape from work"
vacations. I was wondering if anyone would know what the average daily
living expense might be for a single male age 55 who does not mind a
roughing it a bit. I could either backpack it or even travel by bicycle
to get around. I do that now to get to work (20 miles) and shop. I will
have an annual travel budget of 15 to 17K. I was hoping to travel 3 to 5
months a year for the next 4 to 6 years. I would love to see Europe
again, as well as South America, Australia and New Zealand, India and
Southeast Asia, Japan, China and possible Africa, to name a few. The US,
Canada and Mexico will come later. I am not interested in travelling to
any country with serious and dangerous political turmoil even if one can
live on $1 a day. I'm not that frugal.

Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

Joe

On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 20:18:09 GMT, JoeD wrote:

Hi,

I am planning on retiring 6 and 9 months from now and I would
like to do some safe international traveling. I have been working all my
life and except for my early 20's European adventures, I haven't
taken any extensive vacations except for those "escape from work"
vacations. I was wondering if anyone would know what the average daily
living expense might be for a single male age 55 who does not mind a
roughing it a bit. I could either backpack it or even travel by bicycle
to get around. I do that now to get to work (20 miles) and shop. I will
have an annual travel budget of 15 to 17K. I was hoping to travel 3 to 5
months a year for the next 4 to 6 years. I would love to see Europe
again, as well as South America, Australia and New Zealand, India and
Southeast Asia, Japan, China and possible Africa, to name a few. The US,
Canada and Mexico will come later. I am not interested in travelling to
any country with serious and dangerous political turmoil even if one can
live on $1 a day. I'm not that frugal.

For starts

Get a hostel membership

Look at rail passes like Eurorail and multi country passes (you can do
like 20 days in two months between four consecutive countries

Read the lets go travel books. Yes, the lonley planet and the rick
steves are okay, and yes the lets go are written by college kids,
but.........they still tell it the way it si for the most part.

I suggest choosing one city as a "base" for a time and taking trips
from there - ie from Paris one can go to chateu contry, NOrmandy,
Provence and so on, often in a single day. If you did that you could
get a tiny place with a kitchen and then travlel cheap. Doesnt have to
be a major city

Treat yourself on occasiona and get a real room with a real bathtub
and a really soft soft bed.

AS I tell my kids, make sure you have the money for the return ticket
put away.

Consider traveling to the east, Prague, Budapest, Poland..these areas
are not "westernized" yet and are unique. The economy is such that
money goes a long way, as the employment is high and they want
tourists.

Remember that europe in general is furhter north than most of the us
and as such has longer summer days and shorter winters. I can play
golf in daylight at 9:30 pm right now, but it is dark long before I
leave work at christmas time . So in terms of biking, and so on your
"safer hours" are shorter.

EAt what the locals eat, its always cheaper.

Make sure whaatever health insurance you have will cover you over
here, or get some kind of travelers policy.

Barb (who lives in germany so she alreay has a "base"

Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

Joe

Joe, checkout http://www.travelite.org as
starting point for international travel.

Another website is http://www.onebag.com.

Tom Welch

I hadn't planned on camping as a rule but rather find relatively
inexpensive pensions where possible.
I thought I might use a good touring bike to either travel from town to
town or load the bike on a train for longer distances.
I would enjoy using my bike to get around the towns or cities. This way
I can avoid the expense of renting a car and filling it with very
expensive (European) petro.
I have a lot of research to do to get organized.

Thanks for all the great advice.


JoeD wrote:

Hi,

I am planning on retiring 6 and 9 months from now and I would
like to do some safe international traveling. I have been working all my
life and except for my early 20's European adventures, I haven't
taken any extensive vacations except for those "escape from work"
vacations. I was wondering if anyone would know what the average daily
living expense might be for a single male age 55 who does not mind a
roughing it a bit. I could either backpack it or even travel by bicycle
to get around. I do that now to get to work (20 miles) and shop. I will
have an annual travel budget of 15 to 17K. I was hoping to travel 3 to 5
months a year for the next 4 to 6 years. I would love to see Europe
again, as well as South America, Australia and New Zealand, India and
Southeast Asia, Japan, China and possible Africa, to name a few. The US,
Canada and Mexico will come later. I am not interested in travelling to
any country with serious and dangerous political turmoil even if one can
live on $1 a day. I'm not that frugal.

Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

Joe

JoeD wrote:
I hadn't planned on camping as a rule but rather find relatively
inexpensive pensions where possible.
I thought I might use a good touring bike to either travel from town to
town or load the bike on a train for longer distances.
I would enjoy using my bike to get around the towns or cities. This way
I can avoid the expense of renting a car and filling it with very
expensive (European) petro.

It depends on where you're going, I guess, but as a general rule of thumb,
drivers outside the USA and Canada are much more aggressive, so be prepared.

On the other hand, public transit is often much more practical, and in some
countries there are excellent networks of bike paths.

Are you just looking at Europe, or the interesting parts of the world too?

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu

On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 13:15:40 GMT, Miguel Cruz wrote:

JoeD wrote:
I hadn't planned on camping as a rule but rather find relatively
inexpensive pensions where possible.
I thought I might use a good touring bike to either travel from town to
town or load the bike on a train for longer distances.
I would enjoy using my bike to get around the towns or cities. This way
I can avoid the expense of renting a car and filling it with very
expensive (European) petro.

It depends on where you're going, I guess, but as a general rule of thumb,
drivers outside the USA and Canada are much more aggressive, so be prepared.

However, most western european countries at least, are much more bike
friendly. Bikes often have their own lanes, sometimes their own
right of way lights, and are considered part of the road. Many, many
peopel ride their bikes to work, to the store, and anywhere else in
europe, even littel old ladies like me going to and form the store.

On the other hand, public transit is often much more practical, and in some
countries there are excellent networks of bike paths.

I would suggest looking at public transit to get across the wide
areas, and using bikes within the cities, towns that he is visiting

Barb

Are you just looking at Europe, or the interesting parts of the world too?

miguel

On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 02:43:14 GMT, JoeD wrote:

I hadn't planned on camping as a rule but rather find relatively
inexpensive pensions where possible.
I thought I might use a good touring bike to either travel from town to
town or load the bike on a train for longer distances.
I would enjoy using my bike to get around the towns or cities. This way
I can avoid the expense of renting a car and filling it with very
expensive (European) petro.
I have a lot of research to do to get organized.

You can load the bike onto most trains.

I migth also suggest , I blieve the title is Frommers train guide to
erope?

It also gives some major ideas for routes, you could train and then
bike. WE are alooking at a seven day scandinavian quickie by train -
Copenhagen, Oslo, Bergen and Stockholm in eight days (may get rid of
copenhagen)

Barb

Thanks for all the great advice.


JoeD wrote:

Hi,

I am planning on retiring 6 and 9 months from now and I would
like to do some safe international traveling. I have been working all my
life and except for my early 20's European adventures, I haven't
taken any extensive vacations except for those "escape from work"
vacations. I was wondering if anyone would know what the average daily
living expense might be for a single male age 55 who does not mind a
roughing it a bit. I could either backpack it or even travel by bicycle
to get around. I do that now to get to work (20 miles) and shop. I will
have an annual travel budget of 15 to 17K. I was hoping to travel 3 to 5
months a year for the next 4 to 6 years. I would love to see Europe
again, as well as South America, Australia and New Zealand, India and
Southeast Asia, Japan, China and possible Africa, to name a few. The US,
Canada and Mexico will come later. I am not interested in travelling to
any country with serious and dangerous political turmoil even if one can
live on $1 a day. I'm not that frugal.

Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

Joe

Hi Joe,

Let me know when u plan to come to India, I can help you plan your
holiday at a modest budget. I have a travel co. based out of Bombay
called Travel Bug.

Feel free to email me if you are interested in having me organizing
treks, hikes, rafting, mountaineering, camping, sightseeing, hotel and
travel bookings etc or simply for more info about India, what you can
expect etc.

Cheers and good luck with all your travels.

Amit
Travel Bug


JoeD wrote in message link.net...
Hi,

I am planning on retiring 6 and 9 months from now and I would
like to do some safe international traveling. I have been working all my
life and except for my early 20's European adventures, I haven't
taken any extensive vacations except for those "escape from work"
vacations. I was wondering if anyone would know what the average daily
living expense might be for a single male age 55 who does not mind a
roughing it a bit. I could either backpack it or even travel by bicycle
to get around. I do that now to get to work (20 miles) and shop. I will
have an annual travel budget of 15 to 17K. I was hoping to travel 3 to 5
months a year for the next 4 to 6 years. I would love to see Europe
again, as well as South America, Australia and New Zealand, India and
Southeast Asia, Japan, China and possible Africa, to name a few. The US,
Canada and Mexico will come later. I am not interested in travelling to
any country with serious and dangerous political turmoil even if one can
live on $1 a day. I'm not that frugal.

Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

Joe