On 1/8/2025 at 4:17 PM, Agent23 said:

This thread got me thinking... who here can teach me how to travel? This is more of a finances thing as a single person who strongly despises cooking/making food for a single person -- and I also tire of something after about 2 meals, so meal-prepping to eat the same sheet 5+ meals in the same week will likely not be effective either. I don' map out my food-spend, but I know its 1000% my largest spend outside of my mortgage (and may even rival my car payment...) -- but I look at what my TAKE HOME pay was on my final paystub of 2024 and it basically equals what my base salary was when COVID first hit. And this is after taxes/social security/medicare/benefits/$10k into 401k being paid out. I feel like I should be able to do several solid trips each year.

You can do several trips for sure.  Start off relatively small; you can get domestic airfare to most places in the US for $500-600.  If you know 3-6 months ahead of time when you have time to go, start looking at airfare now.  Google Flights and Skyscanner are good sites to compare airfare across airlines.  Driving to places within a day's drive is also a good idea.  Even if it's just a 4-5 day trip, you can pull it off pretty easily. 

 

I am not sure how your meal preferences play into it, but you can eat different meals while traveling.  Eating different stuff while traveling seems pretty easy.  Even trying local or regional fast food chains can be interesting, and cheap.  (For instance, someone from the West Coast might want to try the convenience stores in Pennsylvania, and they go to a Wawa, Rutter's, and Sheetz to try each out.)

 

If you live simply, you can do a quick 5-day trip for $1,500 total: airfare, rental car, food, lodging, and so on.  Rent a regular sedan, stay at an AirBnB, be open to just about any airline or any airport, and things like this.

The travel cost comparison spreadsheets for various trips are going to be glorious.

11 hours ago, HazletonEagle said:

The travel cost comparison spreadsheets for various trips are going to be glorious.

I’ve never gotten to that point  

Just now, Agent23 said:

I’ve never gotten to that point  

Im ready for it. 

I want to see hotel, flight, food, and activity cost breakdowns for things like Philippines vs Thailand. Bora bora vs Tahiti, Royal Caribbean cruises vs Carnival. European Viking river cruises vs vacations by rail. Disney vs Universal, etc.

I let airfare dictate my destination more than anything.  If you see airfare to a place you want to visit, especially for the first time, that seems too good to be true, book it, because you may never see that airfare again.  I got airfare roundtrip from Philadelphia to Anchorage for $320 back in 2022.  You can't even fly to Orlando for that price anymore, it seems.  When I saw that price, I figured it was my chance to see Alaska.

I miss 2021 when flights and hotels were still dirt poor post-covid… and I had like $70k in my checking account and I booked zero trips  

On 1/8/2025 at 10:20 AM, eagle45 said:

In Nevis for the week.  Really a hidden gem.  Some of the nicest people anywhere I’ve been too.  
 

Make sure to get away from the resort and see the real Nevis.  Go into Charlestown, the capital of the island.  Alexander Hamilton's birthplace is in Charlestown.  But even just seeing a little Caribbean town and seeing how life carries on in the Caribbean is interesting.

22 hours ago, xzmattzx said:

Make sure to get away from the resort and see the real Nevis.  Go into Charlestown, the capital of the island.  Alexander Hamilton's birthplace is in Charlestown.  But even just seeing a little Caribbean town and seeing how life carries on in the Caribbean is interesting.

Probably my favorite off-resort and off-beach Caribbean island, edging out Virgin Gorda and Saba.  The Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Nassau, Roatan…they are just giant cruise ports.  There are a couple nice things to do if you get clever going off the beaten path, but there’s not much there.  Although I will say those places have incredible scuba diving.

Nevis feels like what the Caribbean must have been like 50-70 years ago.  Not to mention, incredibly safe off resort.  I was into the Hamilton thing, my wife not so much.

Ran into so many Americans, Canadians, and British who just spontaneously bought houses there and went all-in on the lifestyle…and the locals really embraced them and vice versa.  Normally you get some tension with that.  

1 hour ago, eagle45 said:

Probably my favorite off-resort and off-beach Caribbean island, edging out Virgin Gorda and Saba.  The Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Nassau, Roatan…they are just giant cruise ports.  There are a couple nice things to do if you get clever going off the beaten path, but there’s not much there.  Although I will say those places have incredible scuba diving.

Nevis feels like what the Caribbean must have been like 50-70 years ago.  Not to mention, incredibly safe off resort.  I was into the Hamilton thing, my wife not so much.

Ran into so many Americans, Canadians, and British who just spontaneously bought houses there and went all-in on the lifestyle…and the locals really embraced them and vice versa.  Normally you get some tension with that.  

I've been to Grand Cayman and Nassau, and loved both of the regular towns.  I am not a resort kind of guy; I like putting my own trip together.  Grand Cayman feels very suburban, like a Caribbean version of Pompano Beach or some other South Florida town.  Downtown Nassau has some nice older buildings, giving it a bit of a Charleston SC or Annapolis vibe.

On 1/11/2025 at 2:16 AM, binkybink77 said:

We like to get dinner at Buckley’s Tavern and then do the Christmas lights.

Now that's a nice double right there.

On 1/12/2025 at 4:41 PM, HazletonEagle said:

Im ready for it. 

I want to see hotel, flight, food, and activity cost breakdowns for things like Philippines vs Thailand. Bora bora vs Tahiti, Royal Caribbean cruises vs Carnival. European Viking river cruises vs vacations by rail. Disney vs Universal, etc.

I have actually done this for a couple trips with excel for cost.

I have itemized google doc itineraries for what to do, where to eat/stay/etc for everywhere I've been and most of the places I want to go.  I'm an obsessive compulsive trip planner.

Alright.  I need inspiration.

4-5 day weekend.  You are traveling with your wife and 3 year old child…and another couple with their 3 year old.

Where are you going?

1 minute ago, eagle45 said:

Alright.  I need inspiration.

4-5 day weekend.  You are traveling with your wife and 3 year old child…and another couple with their 3 year old.

Where are you going?

Sounds like you're going to a place called hell. 

On 2/3/2025 at 6:16 PM, eagle45 said:

Alright.  I need inspiration.

4-5 day weekend.  You are traveling with your wife and 3 year old child…and another couple with their 3 year old.

Where are you going?

Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms, SC (right next to Charleston).  While it's easier for me to get there from Charlotte, we have done this exact trip with another couple and their 3 year old.   Awesome place for kids on the resort, great golf if that's you're thing, and amazing restaurants on the island and obviously in Charleston which is a 20 minute drive.  

Nemacolin in Western PA. It’s spendy but definitely supposed to be worth it especially in the winter. It’s on my long weekend bucket list. 
 

This reel shows a lot of the highlights. 
 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFDU4QfPJ-Q/?igsh=NGw1aGp0bnRpMmx2

I think our friend @Mat is a bad influence... I just purchased a flight into New Orleans this Friday... 

2 hours ago, Agent23 said:

I think our friend @Mat is a bad influence... I just purchased a flight into New Orleans this Friday... 

Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is the oldest tavern in New Orleans. (eastern end of the French Quarter)

 

Dooky Chase's restaurant is supposed to be the best Creole restaurant in the world. Leah Chase got a James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award. (Treme neighborhood, north of the French Quarter)

 

Antoine's Restaurant is the birthplace of chicken Creole and oysters Rockefeller.  (western end of the French Quarter)

 

The Tennessee Williams House is at 722 Toulouse Street.  (western end of the French Quarter)

 

Jazz music was supposedly invented in Congo Square.  (north of the French Quarter)

 

On 2/3/2025 at 6:16 PM, eagle45 said:

Alright.  I need inspiration.

4-5 day weekend.  You are traveling with your wife and 3 year old child…and another couple with their 3 year old.

Where are you going?

What month?  Would you drive?

On 2/3/2025 at 6:16 PM, eagle45 said:

Alright.  I need inspiration.

4-5 day weekend.  You are traveling with your wife and 3 year old child…and another couple with their 3 year old.

Where are you going?

1. Disney. Enough time for 2 or 3 parks, and a day relaxing at the hotel pool.

2. American Dream Mall- inside this mall, there are various attractions such as the Nickelodeon Theme Park, DreamWorks water park, Aquarium, LegoLand, Paw Patrol Hero Academy which is like a climbing gym for kids, Bubble Planet, Skating Rink, etc.  Plenty of food options in the mall from quick bites at the food court, to sit down meals at restaurants and sports bars.I think there are enough attractions here to spend 2-3 days. 

3. There are some 3, 4, and 5 night cruises. Adventure Ocean on Royal Caribbean is a great kids program. Lots of staff. Very cool atmosphere set up for different age groups. Tons of different activities. Maybe you want the kids present. But if you guys need to slip away for any time to yourselves, its totally free, and safe. Not to mention all of the many activities you can find to do with your children on the ship. The newer ships with water rides often have toddler splash pad areas, and kids pools. 

4. Atlantic City- the Showboat has turned in to a massive indoor water park resort hotel similar to a Kalahari or Great Wolfe Lodge. These are probably more 1-2 night activities. But if you do the AC one, you also have the little AC Aquarium there for something else to do, and beach. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18 hours ago, binkybink77 said:

Nemacolin in Western PA. It’s spendy but definitely supposed to be worth it especially in the winter. It’s on my long weekend bucket list. 
 

This reel shows a lot of the highlights. 
 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFDU4QfPJ-Q/?igsh=NGw1aGp0bnRpMmx2

Actually been there twice, love it there.  Nice restaurants and pool too, although pool won’t help much now.

This looks like it could be pretty awesome 
 

 

 

With this, Tron, GotG, Rise of the Resistance, Remy, Avatar….they’ve upped their game.

Nothing there in your post

10 hours ago, xzmattzx said:

Nothing there in your post

Fixed it. I think 

Just got back from Ireland.  What a trip.  Did the entire drive around the island ourselves - getting used to driving on the left took a day or two, and the tiny ass roads were stressful at times, but overall it was definitely worth the savings by doing it ourselves and being on our own schedule.  We had incredible weather (for Ireland).  It was a little cold and windy a few days, but we had only 1 day of rain to contend with the entire trip, and we had a few days of sunshine and temps in the 60s!  Stayed mostly in hotels, with a few AirBNBs mixed in.  I tried to keep track of all the pubs we visited - I had 37 different ones across the trip, but I think I missed a few.  Was great to listen to some of the traditional music - there was a place in Dingle called Foxy John's.  Literally a pub AND a hardware store - these two dudes came in and set up at the hardware counter and played for like 3 hours.  Bagpipe and fiddle, and they were AMAZING.  Such a unique experience.  Food was a pleasant surprise - didn't really have a bad meal and had some really good ones mixed in.  

Day 1 - Flew into Dublin after an overnight flight and rented the car and drove straight to Belfast, with a stop at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour on the way.

Day 2 - Titanic museum in the morning, then drove up to Giants Causeway with a stop at the Dark Hedges along the way.  Then headed over to Donegal for an overnight stay.  

Day 3 -4 - Headed to Galway for 2 nights.  Loved this town, though it was pretty crowded.  Did a fun walking food and drink tour that also explained the history of the city.  

Day 5 - Cliffs of Moher, which was underwhelming IMO, then an overnight stay at Ballyseede Castle.  Castle was OK - wish we would have sprung for something a little nicer, TBH.  

Day 6-7 - Drove to Dingle. Stumbled across Connor's Pass on the way in, which was sketchy AF but had an awesome lookout at the top. St. Patricks Day on Monday, then did the Slea Head Drive out the peninsula - incredible.  This was our favorite town of the trip.  

Day 8 - Quick drive over to Killarney.  Saw the Ross castle - nothing else really of note TBH.  

Day 9-10 - 2 days in Kilkenny.  Another cool town - did another walking history tour which was great, and of course the Smithwicks experience which was just OK IMO.  Visited the Hole in the Wall pub which has to be the smallest "pub" in the world.  Hard to explain it, really.  

Day 11 - Back to Dublin.  We intended to do both the Guiness tour and the Jameson tour, but till we went online to book our tickets for Guiness they were sold out, so we just went to the Open Gate Brewery instead.  Jameson tour was AMAZING - would highly recommend.  Honestly, one day here was enough.  So many people, and the little bit of walking around we did it seemed kinda gross to be honest.  

I'm sure I missed some details - there was a lot over the course the trip.  Will post some pics later.  

 

 

Oh sheet!  I forgot to mention one of the best parts of the trip!  So the night we were in Donegal, after we got back to the hotel, the wives went to bed and me and the other guy we were traveling with went to the hotel bar to have another drink.  When we first got there, it was in Irish guy behind the bar and we were chatting with him - just normal stuff.  Then the "night manager" came in - he was the bartender, front desk, etc etc. and he was Serbian.  Hoo boy was this dude crazy.  Conversation started out fairly normal - I asked him where he was from because by his accent I could tell he wasn't Irish.  Then we started talking about sports - he asked where I was from and I told him PA so he starts making fun of the Sixers cause of how awful they are this year.  Then we got into Jokic.  He thinks that Jokic is the best basketball player that ever lived - not Jordan, not Lebron.  It just got worse from there.  He was super misogynistic and really into conspiracy theories, including that 9/11 was staged by the US government.  We chugged our drinks and got the F out of there.