There are certain strategies I've learned as I've traveled around that seem to work well for me and I thought I'd list them here.
1) Trust. Everything begins here. Trust yourself to know you can do it. Trust other people. Trust life.
2) Start small.
3) Wake up early to beat the crowds and the heat. The tour buses usually start arriving around 9am-10am. I arrived at the castle a little after 8 this morning. There were only a few others about. By 10am the sun was shining brightly and I was glad I was walking down those steep stone steps as the hundreds passing me were on their way up. I pitied them their time in the hot sun. I had gotten some marvelous photos, free of interference. They will have to strain to find a photo shot without a dozen people in it.
4) Walk, don't ride. It's environmentally friendly, cheaper and gets you acquainted with all parts of the area where you are visiting.
5) Don't stay in the center of the action. Seek places away from the tourist center. You'll have to walk further (great exercise), it will cost less and you'll see the local world instead of just the package tourist sites.
6) Do all the free things first. Then, if you're still wanting more, take a tour.
7) Get the biggest bang for your travel buck by traveling for as long as you can at one time. I like to travel for 2-4 months at a time. I figure, why pay $1,500 for airfare for two weeks when I can pay the same amount and stay much longer? Not only do I save money, but again - it's kind to the environment
8) Shop around for your airline tickets.
9) Visit art galleries and artisan markets.
10) Pack a lunch and sit in the park instead of going to restaurants.
11) Keep track of your spending daily. I know exactly how much I'm spending every day. If I'm going over my budget I take a quiet day. If I'm doing well, saving pennies, I splurge.
12) Watch the junk buying, be it junk food, useless trinkets, whatever. An amazing amount of money can dribble away on nothing. Buy soft drinks in local markets rather than from vendors - half the price.
13) Stay in one place for at least 3-4 days. Since I'm traveling for 2 months or more, I can only have a general idea of where I'll be and when. I stay in hostels, talk to other travelers, find out what's nice, what's not. When I arrive in a town I stay as long as I wish. I look for places/towns I like, then I settle in. Moving about gets costly.
14) Stay in hostels that allow you to cook and/or provide at least one meal a day. Avoid restaurants. I don't care for restaurant food day in and day out. I prepare my own food, buy bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables at the market, and splurge on a nice meal in a restaurant every few days. Then I really enjoy those restaurant meals.
15) Go slow. Slow travel is like slow food. Take time to savor the place where you are.
16) Be content with simple pleasures: walks on the beach, people-watching in a park or sidewalk cafe, sunrises and sunsets, meeting and talking with other travelers and locals. If you need a thrill a minute you'll have to pay.
17) Go off-season.
18) Internet help - UNESCO, Lonely Planet
19) Be your own travel agent. Get free flyers from travel agents. Go on line and find travel agencies then copy their itineraries.
20) Volunteer - www.goabroad.com, volunteers for peace.
21) Network.
22) Let your travel pay for itself: write a book, give workshops and classes
23) Travel light.
24) Have friends meet you for parts of your travels.
25) Where to stay? Couch-surfing, hostels, homestays, friends old and new.
26) Educate yourself. Learn about things like public transportation, luggage storage, etc.
No comments:
Post a Comment