No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Been on a great vacation or location recently? Share with us your travels, your tips, great places to stay, and whatever else you can think of.
Post Reply
User avatar
High Threshold
Posts: 2856
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:20 am

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by High Threshold »

What happened to Lonely Planet? People like Tony Wheeler inspired me in the late 60’s and early 70’s to hitch-hike round the world: the length of Africa, the width of Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. But where is that inspiration today? No more “How To” find the best spots from which to cadge a lift. Cheap hotels and a cheap meal. Borders where one is allowed to cross on foot … and those you can’t. The best cities (or countries) to get a visa for Tramtaria.

It is now difficult to distinguish the differences between Lonely Planet and Frommer’s. :(
User avatar
AnneBoleyn
Posts: 6632
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:17 pm

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by AnneBoleyn »

That's the whole new plot, you see. Travel is freedom. Freedom can be a danger to the status quo. In America, leisure time for most is a thing of the past. Everyone working, working, working, trying to stay in the same place. Leisure time is dangerous. Who knows what free people with free time will come up with? Can't be good.
User avatar
High Threshold
Posts: 2856
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:20 am

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by High Threshold »

AnneBoleyn;1456588 wrote: That's the whole new plot, you see. Travel is freedom. Freedom can be a danger to the status quo. In America, leisure time for most is a thing of the past. Everyone working, working, working, trying to stay in the same place. Leisure time is dangerous. Who knows what free people with free time will come up with? Can't be good.


Yes, I see! Perhaps if we have enough free time we'll come up with wild and imaginitive schemes such as this:

Korvbr�dsbagarn - Brooklyn Burger Buns
Bruv
Posts: 12181
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2007 3:05 pm

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by Bruv »

High Threshold;1456587 wrote: What happened to Lonely Planet? People like Tony Wheeler inspired me in the late 60’s and early 70’s to hitch-hike round the world: the length of Africa, the width of Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. But where is that inspiration today? No more “How To” find the best spots from which to cadge a lift. Cheap hotels and a cheap meal. Borders where one is allowed to cross on foot … and those you can’t. The best cities (or countries) to get a visa for Tramtaria.

It is now difficult to distinguish the differences between Lonely Planet and Frommer’s. :(


Have you considered it might be you ?

Not you, personally, just that you are out of the what they call 'the loop'

My grandson has been all over the place.
I thought I knew more than this until I opened my mouth
User avatar
High Threshold
Posts: 2856
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:20 am

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by High Threshold »

Bruv;1456594 wrote: Have you considered it might be you ?

Not you, personally, just that you are out of the what they call 'the loop'

My grandson has been all over the place.


It's not so much the "where" as it is the "how" - and who's lending encouragement, or isn't.
User avatar
AnneBoleyn
Posts: 6632
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:17 pm

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by AnneBoleyn »

I'd be in many places too, despite my dotage, if not for the current costs of airfare, hotels, restaurants. I admire your grandson, Bruv, good for him!
User avatar
AnneBoleyn
Posts: 6632
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:17 pm

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by AnneBoleyn »

High Threshold;1456593 wrote: Yes, I see! Perhaps if we have enough free time we'll come up with wild and imaginitive schemes such as this:

Korvbr�dsbagarn - Brooklyn Burger Buns


Giggle all you want to, but when people aren't broke & exhausted they can be creative to the detriment of those who profit off their Not being so.
User avatar
LarsMac
Posts: 13701
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:11 pm
Location: on the open road
Contact:

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by LarsMac »

Bruv;1456594 wrote: Have you considered it might be you ?

Not you, personally, just that you are out of the what they call 'the loop'

My grandson has been all over the place.


I can barely get my grandkids to venture past the city limits.

Well, a couple of them have made it to Utah.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
Bruv
Posts: 12181
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2007 3:05 pm

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by Bruv »

LarsMac;1456621 wrote: I can barely get my grandkids to venture past the city limits.

Well, a couple of them have made it to Utah.


You either want to or you dont.

He spent a summer in the States at a summer school or something.

I envy him, he is my latest hero.
I thought I knew more than this until I opened my mouth
User avatar
FourPart
Posts: 6491
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:12 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by FourPart »

The problem is that with so much of a Globally interactive Multi-Culture these days, anywhere you go is just the same as everywhere else - just with different landscapes & weather conditions.
User avatar
High Threshold
Posts: 2856
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:20 am

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by High Threshold »

LarsMac;1456621 wrote: I can barely get my grandkids to venture past the city limits.

Well, a couple of them have made it to Utah.


All the way from Grand Junction!?



FourPart;1456649 wrote: The problem is that with so much of a Globally interactive Multi-Culture these days, anywhere you go is just the same as everywhere else - just with different landscapes & weather conditions.


Ha-ha! :wah: No, I can't agree with that, but you need to travel to know what I mean.
User avatar
High Threshold
Posts: 2856
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:20 am

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by High Threshold »

The thing is, I was in the book shop the other day so I thumbed through Lonely Planet on Turkey. We're going again in a couple weeks and thought I might find some restaurant off the beaten path that serves some God-Wonderful sheep's head like no other. I was surprised to find a short list of restaurants and hotels off the top-of-the line .... but nothing on the medium and low end. NOTHING.
User avatar
LarsMac
Posts: 13701
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:11 pm
Location: on the open road
Contact:

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by LarsMac »

The problem with those kinds of publications is that somebody publishes a list of those "little-known", "off-the-beaten-path" places, and before you know it everybody has beaten a path to them, and they are no longer "little-known"

Then they have to hire more help and they have to find ways to make their stuff in larger quantities, and find cheaper methods, and if successful, they sell out and retire to the Azores, or something.

The planet is not so lonely as it once was.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
User avatar
Týr
Posts: 1218
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 5:29 am

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by Týr »

I quite like airbnb - I booked an apartment for a week on the far side of Kazakhstan at £6 a night recently, though I'll not be there until September. The distribution of accommodation is global and the forum and comments sections are a good source of local guidance.
Long Live General Kim Jong-un, the Shining Sun!
User avatar
Snowfire
Posts: 4835
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:34 am

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by Snowfire »

Týr;1456684 wrote: I quite like airbnb - I booked an apartment for a week on the far side of Kazakhstan at £6 a night recently, though I'll not be there until September. The distribution of accommodation is global and the forum and comments sections are a good source of local guidance.


You know your bedding down with the livestock don't you...and you supply the straw
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."

Winston Churchill
User avatar
LarsMac
Posts: 13701
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:11 pm
Location: on the open road
Contact:

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by LarsMac »

Týr;1456684 wrote: I quite like airbnb - I booked an apartment for a week on the far side of Kazakhstan at £6 a night recently, though I'll not be there until September. The distribution of accommodation is global and the forum and comments sections are a good source of local guidance.


That site looks like a keeper. Thanks for sharing.

With a quick look, I found a nice place in the Richmond District of San Francisco for my trip there in September. No £6 a night, by any means, but about a third of what most of the business-oriented Hotels want per night.
The home of the soul is the Open Road.
- DH Lawrence
User avatar
High Threshold
Posts: 2856
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:20 am

No more “Travel On a Shoestring”?

Post by High Threshold »

LarsMac;1456683 wrote: The problem with those kinds of publications is that somebody publishes a list of those "little-known", "off-the-beaten-path" places, and before you know it everybody has beaten a path to them, and they are no longer "little-known"

Then they have to hire more help and they have to find ways to make their stuff in larger quantities, and find cheaper methods, and if successful, they sell out and retire to the Azores, or something.

The planet is not so lonely as it once was.


Any travel publication worth its salt must update itself yearly. This ought to be common knowledge. Isn't it? "Little known" places become "known" (as you rightly point out) but not before the cheap traveller has enjoyed a full season of obscurity.

I also think you are making an error by assuming the "now known" places are stacked up and tossed onto the "WELL KNOWN" places, leaving nothing behind. Not true. The once more visited hotels and restaruants become .... wait for it ....... passé and no longer in fashion so that they (and the new "let's give it a go" places) end up on a lower scale. In other words, there are ALWAYS places to kip and graze "on the cheap". ALWAYS. It is the job of the travel-writer to seek them out and document them - each and every year.

NOTE: The cheap travel books once had the year of publication boldy display upon the cover. No longer. There's a reason for that. They've gone to sleep, relying on last year's and the year before's publication to carry them through without the expense of actually updating their info. Useless.
Post Reply

Return to “Travel Vacation”