How to travel frugally

[polly_mer]

Paultuttle set the standard with

I've been able to pay out of pocket very cheaply by (1) driving my own car long hours to get to the conference location and (2) staying in cheap but safe motels (the ones that rent by the night, rather than the ones that rent by the hour).

By doing this, I was able to keep one visit to Orlando under $500 (including the $100 conference registration fee). By doing this and using Metro, I was able to keep a visit to DC under $750 (including the $500 registration fee).

What other tips do we have for those who need to travel and be extremely frugal about it?

[mamselle]

The HI hostelling system is the first place to look for lodging.

A few (say, Philadelphia's Fairfield location) are harder to reach by public transport, but many are in town, easily reached, and friendly.

In NYC, the Amsterdam St. Hostel at 99-103d is near Columbia Univ. and three bus/Metro stops, clean, excellent kitchens, and a wide range of free- to low-cost tours and evening outings (my favorite, of course, was "Colonial NYC").

There are three each in Paris and London, one in Bruxelles, one at least in Barcelona, Rome, and outside of Florence on a huge villa beside several active farms (and only a 20-minute bus ride into town).

The online system let's you book in advance, make changes, and get help at any reception desk for further stays in other hostels in the system.

Since my research usually requires a lot of library-hopping, I can set the whole trip up, pay tiny booking reservation fees, and know where I'm going day-to day from my return emails. (Not so unusual now, but it's been possible to do this for decades within the HI system, so they're good at it.)

Fees per night run around $45 (NYC, last I was there in November) to =$65 USD (London, last February).

Since you can cook at many sites, and almost all offer free breakfast (usually huge rolls, cheese, meat, etc  that can turn into a lunch sandwich as well) food is not a big deal either.

I hung out at the Paris site on the Jules Ferry canal near Republique before going across to the Sorbonne to teach an invited class a few years back, and stayed at either of the two lovely Strasbourg sites before that to meet with my French editor.

Hostels may seem declassee to those in the US who are used to upscale hotels, but in other parts of the world, they're where the real people stay when they travel....

;--}

M.

[apl68]

I've never stayed at a hostel.  They're rather thin on the ground in the places where I've usually traveled. 

Driving my own vehicle and staying at the cheapest credible motels are my principal cost-saving dodges as well.  My car gets over 40 MPG on the interstate.  As far as motels go, I just learned a long time ago to be tolerant of sub-optimal conditions.  I've seldom had a truly bad experience.  I do take precautions against bedbugs wherever I stay.  The only motel I ever felt less than safe at was in Jackson, Mississippi.  Something about the way they felt a need to have an armed guard on the premises felt the opposite of reassuring.

I can also sometimes save on parking costs by being willing to park some way from my destination and walk the rest of the way.  And I never eat anywhere very pricey.

Ironically conferences are when I enjoy the classiest accommodations.  I go to state library conferences once a year, and have enough travel money in my budget to pay for a couple of nights at the nice-but-not-fantastic hotels where our conferences are held.

[spork]

I have never used hostels but have used strategies that reap similar benefits. A few decades ago, in the pre-internet era when I was a stupid American graduate student, I often landed at an airport without any local contacts and would take a taxi to the center of town, passing through military checkpoints that were in reality shakedowns for bribes. The taxi driver would often be working on commission for a "guest house" and drop me off at a place where I could get accommodations for my first night, or I would spot a guest house while walking around. In some cases the guest houses were family compounds in which spare rooms were rented out to foreigners. If the vibe was right, the family would point out good places to eat, invite me to participate in family celebrations (e.g., wedding reception, holiday dinner), etc.

The wifey and I are now using AirBnB rentals more than corporate-owned hotels for both domestic and international travel. This has proven to be quite cost effective for conferences. Not only is the nightly rate far less than the conference hotel, the rental is often in a better location for tourists, and there is a kitchen. We usually visit the closest supermarket right after dropping our bags in the apartment, cook breakfasts there, maybe eat large lunches at fancy restaurants, and snack on leftovers for dinner. This cuts our meal costs considerably.

[paultuttle]

I've also used vacation rentals instead of the conference hotel whenever we're meeting at a coastal location. In the off season, the price per night can be 1/3 to 1/5 the per-night cost of the "conference rate" hotel room.

And quite often there's a kitchen with at least a microwave.

[eigen]

One of the biggest savings for me is usually food. So many hotels have refrigerators, so I usually go to a grocery store when I get to town and stock for however long I'll be there.

[AvidReader]

I love the hostels and have done those often in the past.

I started reading a travel blog a few years ago that explained the credit card points system clearly enough that I decided to give it a try. 6-12 months before a trip, I'll figure out what I might need (hotel nights, flights, etc.) and look through credit card bonuses until I find one or several that will help. I have one card I've kept forever to keep my credit rating low (they average the length of time you've had all your cards in total), and I'll then get the/a new card that will earn points towards whatever I need. I try to get it right before a big spend (car repairs, travel I can't book with points, etc.) and I put everything on the new card until I've hit the minimum amount for the bonus. I pay off the card immediately and cancel it as soon as it stops being useful.

A close relative is getting married in Asia this fall, and my spouse and I are both going (from the US) for just about $1100 -- that's including credit card fees (two cards charge), some airline fees, and one flight (x2) on a desirable travel day for which no reward points were available. I've been building up points for this wedding for two years.

AR.

[mamselle]

Yes. The old song, "An-ti-ci-pa-a-a-tion".... came to mind, reading your post!

I have (again, 10 years later) enough AA FF miles to book a nearly-free trip to France next year.

The last time I did this, I had to fly out of a different airport (an hour away on the train, no biggie) to get the bookings that would let me use up my miles, and pay 69.00 for a few extra miles to round out the total.

Given that I'd just been laid off that year, it was a Very.Good.Thing.

I usually book in November for a February trip to France/UK/wherever, and have discovered that an "open jaw" (Arrive one place, leave from another) can sometimes (not always, you must check) be less expensive as well.

I am now building up miles on Delta for the same reason...my last trip this past Feb. was 395.00 RT (in through London, out through CDG) which I booked the week before Thanksgiving.

I've already said this elsewhere, but that trip and the one last year were each about 3000.00 total for two weeks of travel, including airfare. I usually hit at least 5 libraries with a couple of particular research topics in mind, and visit with friends a couple of times when not staying at hostels.

My entertainment at night consists of looking through all the lovely photos (where I've been allowed to take them) and filing them and backing them up, so I don't spend much there!

And for gifts I buy scarves or small items easily packed and sent later, once home; at times, when the papers accumulated from copies in archives built up, I'd mail an envelope or two home to myself. That's less an issue now that most things are scanned or digitized, but it's another way to make travel more pleasant.

If possible I now try to use carry-on sized luggage for everything, too, since they're charging for every single bag....grrrr.... My firm backpack fits exactly into the overhead bins, my side bag and "purse," (a-hem) go together under the seat, and the one bag I trundle around behind me (with the books...my clothes go into the backpack...) is a rolling carry-on.

I DON'T, by the way, seem to get much good out of the 4-wheel models, they wander too much when the books in the front part take over from the books in the back part, and fight with gravity for the control of my hand....

Anyway, back to the 18th c....

M.

[apl68]

My shopping whenever I visit a city consists mainly of hitting all the bookstores.  It's my biggest violation of frugality, although even there if I make some rich finds I sometimes have to make careful choices to avoid blowing the budget.

Hauling the finds home is not usually a problem when I'm driving.  However, I found a really great used bookstore on a motorcycle tour once.  Getting home safely took some very creative loading.

[mamselle]

I can imagine going around a curve and hoping not to hear the "thud!" of the two-volume compendium of Chaucer's works hit the dirt behind you...

I forgot to say, earlier, too....I always take the trains whenever possible (in the US as well). Simpler, more fun, often but not always cheaper, and usually the same amount of time once you factor in getting to the airport early, waiting in lines, going through security and waiting for the nearly-always-delayed flights these days.

M.

[downer]

Be ready to stay in a place that is 30-60 minutes from your conference location, depending on the city. Be ready to use public transport or walk. Often it is much cheaper that way. I use AirBnb nearly always, and it works out well 90% of the time.

Avoid big dinners with lots of people who want to split the bill. You will inevitably lose out.

[hmaria1609]

My shopping whenever I visit a city consists mainly of hitting all the bookstores.  It's my biggest violation of frugality, although even there if I make some rich finds I sometimes have to make careful choices to avoid blowing the budget.

Hauling the finds home is not usually a problem when I'm driving.  However, I found a really great used bookstore on a motorcycle tour once.  Getting home safely took some very creative loading.

Join the club! :)  During my (just completed) trip to London, I ended up taking photos of book covers on my iPhone.

[Kron3007]

Couchsurfing.com is a potential way to travel on the cheap (free room), but definitely not for everyone.  I used to be a host on their website and had several people stay with me, but I have never actually used it to stay somewhere as a guest.  Most experiences were positive, but I can see how many people would not be comfortable with it. 

[aixia]

I have food allergies, and find eating in restaurants can be a challenge. So I bring food with me to conferences. It's way cheaper than eating in a restaurant, and I know I always have food I know is safe.

[AvidReader]

Avoid big dinners with lots of people who want to split the bill. You will inevitably lose out.

I love the socializing of the big dinners. I try to keep a granola bar in my bag at all times, and if I know we will be going out, I'll eat it before I join the group for the meal. If I'm less hungry, I can order something small. If we visit the bar, I'll often order a fancy soda and drink it slowly.

AR.