Thursday, October 9, 2025

With more 'bang for the buck' 2025 Travel destinations

  According to Google's AI, "For 2025, travel destinations offering excellent value for your money include Southeast Asian countries like Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia; South American countries such as Peru and Colombia; and several countries in Europe like Portugal, Hungary, and Romania. These locations provide a rich cultural and scenic experience without a high price tag, particularly because your home currency often goes further there…"
  The key to finding a travel destination with 'more bang for the buck' is to check on the dollar rate in the country you want to visit.
  However, there's more it than that, the destination should be less known, particularly a nation that is not in the Western European sphere, as can be seen from the AI summary above.
  And for those who want to stay in the US and not bother will the needed visa for European travel, AI suggests, Moab, Utah, my link to hotels doesn't show the rock formations or the stark beauty of the area, but the hotels are inexpensive, even for major hotel chains like Hilton. As well, my research pulled up the Expedia website, where suggestions for specific travel times and to certain resorts also have specific number of days for the booking, which means that in season, in Orlando or Ft. Lauderdale for instance, some hotels need advance bookings, and others may have other issues, too.
  I've also included a website that touts states like Michigan where stays in national parks camping sites are economical, now that the price of gas is low, renting a camper if you are the camping type has 'great bang for your buck'.
  My suggestion for those like me enjoy upscale traveling in a more Western European place where a stay in a five star hotel at a two or three star price is possible, there's Georgia, Estonia, for instance, also, Bulgaria, and safety is guaranteed since the governments are not endowed with Westernized freedoms, but there is little tolerance for flouting the laws, no drugs permitted. and your flights there could be limited to National airlines with safety record problems, however, you can book a flight to a neighboring country, and use the train, or a bus, to get to your destination, it's best to stay in the capital city of that country where pleasing tourists is the main business. 
  When traveling to in 'season US destinations', my advice is, do check out the reasons why a stay has a price 'too good to be true'.
  Nonetheless, remember, travel memories are more memorable when there's a problem that you do overcome, for example, I recall booking a stay in a castle in Sienna from an ad in THE SATURDAY REVIEW—the rooms were in the castle's once dungeon, damp and uncomfortable, I ended up in a charming pension where the fantastic meals were included, but at a cost far exceeding my $200 budget for two weeks, stuck with a special deal for the airline fare,  I used my credit card, and ended up paying it off over time, now all these years later, I can still taste the wonderful food, and I do recall the scenic view of olive trees planted in a pristine country landscape from the window opposite the bed where I had my breakfast bought to me on a tray.


 

 

 

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Fall/winter/spring stateside & international 2025-2026 travel trends

 
     I have found that Google's AI has been an excellent addition to my research, although I still provide links to websites whose information is based on statistics for trends that are easily verifiable, when I posed the question that titles this blog into my "search engine" I received a good assortment websites that I believe will be helpful to the readers of my blog who are planning a fall/winter/spring getaway that is fun and thrifty, too.
     However, I'll start off with Goggle's AI assessment:"For 2025-26, anticipate a rise in solo and longer trips, with a continued focus on nature-based, less-crowded destinations and eco-conscious travel, both stateside and internationally. "Coolcationing," or seeking cooler climates, will persist, driving travelers to northern U.S. states and potentially further afield. International travel will likely see growth in regions with strong historical and cultural offerings, with a focus on local immersion and potentially “noctourism,” or experiencing cities at night."
     It is interesting that United Health Care, a large USA health care provider, has entered the travel field, moreover, they have done so, to champion several destinations as a 'safe trip'.
     And when I linked to the suggestions provided by United Health Care, lo and behold, travel professionals were provided to effect the kind of trip United Health Care considers for it's members as these 'safe' suggested trips were a 'health wise' destination and as well 'crime-less',travel professionals are involved in making the 'safe travel'  arrangements, and are suggesting all United Health Care's 'safer' destinations.
     Whether the United Health Care travel arrangements are as promised, I cannot say, although I don't doubt that United Health Care has done their 'due diligence',  I'd check it out before booking the trip, and look for the 'disclaimer.'
     The research link to Forbes, a respected travel website, notes that travelers are trending toward fall, not only because shoulder season is a good buy $$$ wise, travel at that time of year is relatively less crowded with tourists, but then if everyone has the same idea, a traveler looking for 'less tourists' may be disappointed.
      Regardless, whatever you do, travel is a "memory keeping" experience, and for me, as I don't venture out to the great travel race anymore, I can rely on photos and a secure knowledge that when I traveled in pursuit of comfort travel at less $$, I found it, and so I wish you and yours the fantastic travel experiences I had enjoyed but perhaps with less 'Murphy's Law' adventures.
      Happy traveling!
 
 

 

 

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Is it possible to have comfortable top drawer travel for less $$ in 2025 & beyond?

 
  When I started this blog in 2013, I decided not to accept ads, I post monthly as a public service, with a simple concept, spending less $$ for comfortable travel, but in 2025 the 3 star trade name hotels that were once under $100 a night are now more than triple that rate, and comfort when traveling by plane is relegated to the "Greyhound bus" for those who are in the Economy and premium Economy, now airlines are even using Business Class to separate passengers into premium and regular Business Class.
  Knowledgeable travelers also know they can get a group rate with one of the 3 star USA chain hotels, my research links for this month's post are for two USA located 3 star hotel chains, but wherever they are located outside of the USA, these hotels chains are country rated 4 star hotels. And I have experienced both personally during my decades of traveling the world, however, for a plane charter service, I am including one link that is a charter plane service as listed online, and the one touted by a Shark Tank principle, he has ads running on the business channels CNBC and FOX,  find your own by putting "plane charter" in your search engine slot.
  Travel today is best done with a small group of family or friends, as little as 5 people can be a group, but the more people you have up to perhaps 8 or 9, will pare down the charges for a great vacation anywhere in the world, including domestic travel, which in the USA has mounted upward into several hundred dollars for one night in a 3 or 4 star chain hotel in any USA vacation destination. With a group of 5 or more traveling together, you can book your USA trip with a chain hotel located in the USA and you can save $$ per night, although the time of year will vary the amount saved.  High season will save you less $$, and shoulder season, more, and out of season even more $$$.  Individual boutique hotels or Inns are usually not interested in a group rate for rooms in season, but out of season, they will be.
  I predict that in as little as 5 years from now, the charter plane travel of the 1970's will come back, large charters will offer a period of time in the summer for instance, when charters to overseas destinations with hotels included, are available to certain major destinations, like Rome, Paris & Madrid, until that time, it's up to those who aim to enjoy comfortable travel by spending less $$ to become the masters of their trip with friends/family who have the same aim. 
  Spending less $$ for comfortable travel involves preplanning, and to some that may be a chore, to others, it's a challenge that makes the best travel memories, regardless, I wish you and yours happy and safe traveling.