Home away from home. Though I hate to generalize, but I can safely say – after traveling alone most of my life – that no matter if you find a way to “travel on a budget”, this only works if you NOT travel alone. Almost all accommodations advertise “sleeps 3, 4, 5, or even 12” (whatever that means). The odd times, I can find “sleeps 2”. Very seldom seen “sleeps one person only”. Rule of thumb: As a single traveler you usually pay more. This applies to renting vacation accommodations. [Cruises, you always pay double.] However, even the odd time I found vacation rental for €500 a month. Lots of ‘foot work’ to dig that up. Mostly it is much more.
I am considering for example the Bahamas, because it is half way between the Pacific Coast where I live and Europe, where my family lives. Plus, it is pleasant climate and few restrictions for Canadians. In the following link [ http://www.bahamasonabudget.info/ ], someone implies that ”
One of the biggest costs away from home is food and drink – ” (quoted from that web site). From experience I found that accommodation is the most expensive item when traveling”. Food is not. Having a decent “roof over your head” is priceless and costly. Unless you travel in a group (most people do not) and share with half a dozen others. What kind of fun is that ?!
Eating out in restaurants on the other hand is very expensive. Because of the service cost of a restaurant that is passed on to a customer. Super markets, grocery stores, any kinds of markets, food is cheap. No matter which country one travels to. Mostly it is much less expensive than the city where my home is. The other reason I do not eat restaurant food is, that I am a very good cook and do not eat what others present me with. Drink likewise. Anywhere in the world, one bottle of good wine cannot be more expensive than 20 or 30 dollars, in fact in Europe more like under ten €. Restaurant ?, try get a glass for that. Conclusion. To save while traveling: try get accomodation with at least a small kitchen. Try, not to eat street food in certain countries. Make sure the food you buy is clean. Wash your own laundry. Do your own cleaning. Find the best deals where to buy groceries and a decent cup of coffie. [Example: Here in Cannes, Côte d’Azur, one bistro asks €5 for one cappuccino, next door it is €2.50]. To look at pricing, first thing I do is check out how much a cup of coffie and specialty coffie costs.
Tag Archives: vacation rental
Vacation Rentals
One of my favourite topics (beside THE NIGHTMARE CONDO). Renting a let’s say small casita with kitchen for one person, but for let’s say at least one month, preferably two months or more. I have chosen Mexico. Prices are mostly per night. Why not per month ? The casita, or casa is mostly for more than one person. If it is rented for large groups, no wonder that the entire world (of vacation rentals) is complaining more and more about bed bug infestations. Naturally, if you have a large group of people living together, and who knows arriving from all sorts of different locations. And for that pleasure of living with bugs, one must pay a fortune. And no sleep with the added pleasure of living next to large groups of party-goers, up all night.
In the past I have found something – small casita for one – for US$500 a month. That is doable. But try to find something fitting via Google, always end up “Florida” (or some other questionable location) instead of Mexico. And Heck, I have done this all my life, specializing in information retrieval systems since the 60’s. Developing them. I know that my search algorithms are solid. We refer to this as ‘stereotyping’: Meaning, sleeps 12, and you need to go to Florida!
Vacation rentals – made difficult
I like to spend the winters in a warmer climate. Winter meaning from November until and including the end of April. This would be six months out of country. For the past (almost fifty years) I try to find some vacation rental using the Internet – for one person. Not for one dozen people, or like most of them “sleeps 12 or 14”, or at least “sleeps 4”. What do I do with some strangers sleeping in the same room with me if I like to actually travel alone by myself ?
Mostly I try to find something like a “studio for one person” – which in itself implies something small. What do I get instead ? “sleeps 5-6, or more”. Silly !
If, however, you Google “vacation rental wanted for one single person”.
You guessed it ! You get “singles, mingles, bimbo stuff”. Stereotype BS !
I know, I can also go via other web sites which offer exclusively vacation rentals for single persons. But again, the connotation is not “like to rent a small little apartment or studio, for myself”. No, the connotation again gives me the other kind of people that I try to avoid. Mostly I ended up finding something – expensive, but it is difficult. Why ? Because the entire commercial business end of the Internet is stereotyped.
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