I just read that Budget Travel magazine has been sold. What does this mean for my subscription? I just renewed for 3 years!

Posted By A Kimyai on December 18, 2009, 1:42 AM

Thanks for renewing! Yes, we have new owners, but they're continuing to keeping service uninterrupted.

Posted By Blog editor on December 18, 2009, 9:28 AM

I'd like to see some data/interviews/suggestions on how to request/accomplish getting the time off in a corporate environment (and having some sort of job when you return).

Posted By Iolaire McFadden on December 18, 2009, 1:30 PM

I am a teacher and I have a few months of in the summer. What are some suggestions for some great, affordable, getaways that would be safe for a single person during the summer months?

Posted By Becca on December 19, 2009, 2:32 PM

My husband and I took 3 months off this year to travel. We both quit our jobs (though he now has his back). It was fantastic. We used home exchange for some, woofing (volunteer work on a farm in exchange for room and board), and stayed with some friends. When we did need lodging, we rented apartments which were often very well priced. Totally worth it. Enjoy your vacations rather than sprinting from one museum to the next!

Posted By Janie on December 20, 2009, 12:57 PM

Please please please do an article on disabled travel. So many of the great reviews in Budget Travel never even mention if the facilities have wheelchair access. Just a simple note whether a hotel has a wheelchair accessible room would be a huge help. thank you.

Posted By Ladda on December 21, 2009, 9:58 AM

In March and April I will be visiting international schools across Asia to conduct author visits (I write children's books). My husband will join me for part of this tour. We will have several days in Ulaanbaatar and in Beijing. Any suggestions for what to do and what not to miss in those cities?
Thanks!

Posted By Margriet on December 23, 2009, 8:38 PM

My question much the same as Becca's - but is there travel groups/clubs for women that are adventurous?

Posted By Jean Page on December 24, 2009, 12:47 PM

If you are retired or a teacher with a few months off check the website www.coolworks.com and look for seasonal work at national parks. You can sign up for one to seven months and have lodging, meals and pay and still have time off to visit places nearby. I worked at Bryce Canyon two seasons and it was great. Utah is full of wonderful places to visit.

Posted By Don on December 24, 2009, 1:48 PM

HELLO I am planning an extended trip to celebrate my 70th birthday. I am going to be a solo traveler. I have traveled extensively in the USA/Mexico and Asia.
Obviously. I need BUDGET tips on lodging/attractions and local transport. Where to start my search for answers? I am not sure if a round the world ticket is the best option. I have been a subscriber since Budget Travel began so I trust the advice I can gain from Budget and dpther reliable sources i.e Trip Advisors/ Moon and Lonely Planet.

PLEASE HELP A "GOLDEN OLDIE" HAVE HER DREAM TRIP
Always ready to pack + go-Carol Jean the travel queen

Posted By CJLEISCH on December 24, 2009, 2:18 PM

Would appreciate advice or just sharing your experience of volunteering in Viet Nam.

Posted By Alice D on December 24, 2009, 3:00 PM

I'm taking a voluntary severance package from my job in corporate America and intend to use part of the 4 months to travel. I have a fantastic and expensive one bedroom apt just steps from central park. How do I got about homeswap that's safe for a single person or do I go about renting it out while I'm traveling.also any advice or tips on traveling Intl or domestic while using cobra health insurance?
Thanks

Posted By Angela on December 24, 2009, 3:23 PM

There are several books available that deal with many of the questions that readers are asking about. For sabbaticals, check out "Six Months Off"; for working while traveling, look at "Support Your RV Lifestyle" (although you don't have to travel by RV to do many of these jobs...), for how to lease your home while you travel, plan your budget & route, help with insurance, mail, technology and more, see "Live Your Road Trip Dream."

We left our familiar surroundings for one year, traveled the "lower 48", every national park and had the time of our lives. You will never regret taking the time for extended travel, whether a road trip in the US, a sailboat excursion or backpacking abroad - the world is a fascinating place and you will return a different person. You can't really get that "change" on short jaunts here and there. Traveling for a long period of time is not a vacation - it is a journey. You savor it differently and move differently when you have an extended time.

There is never a perfect time - do it now, while you are able.

Posted By Carol White on December 24, 2009, 6:27 PM

My husband and I dream of wintering in New Zealand. Renting a furnished apartment for 6 months with time to explore the country in depth sounds heavenly- and economical. But what if a family member back home becomes ill and we have to cut our trip short? I expect insuring such a long vacation would be prohibitively expensive. How do we keep expenses under control without compromising our ability to get home in case of emergency?

Posted By Lynelle on December 24, 2009, 7:04 PM

I am a lifelong bachelor and I like to travel alone and stay in one place for several days or weeks, and either do nothing and loaf or motor around seeing things I am interested in. I would really like to know if there is any way I can bargain to reduce the cost of lodging to accommodate only what I really use. For example, I do not need linen changed very often; I do not need a room cleaned very often; I do not need a personal bath, though I prefer a personal toilet; I cannot get up for breakfast before about 10:30 am; and I do need air-conditioning if weather is hot and humid. I can get by very frugally, as long as I can have a comfortable temperature to sleep. Any way to get just these requirements? Thanks.

Posted By DonMcD on December 25, 2009, 4:09 PM

i need help planning a trip for my 94 y.o. grandmother, my mother, myself & my 13 y.o. daughter. can't be too taxing but not too boring...grand lives in indiana the rest of us on the west coast. any suggestions?

Posted By suek on December 26, 2009, 2:57 PM

I seem to have made a specialty out of LONG travel. It was born out of pure frugality - when I'm forking out $1000 and up for a plane ticket, I want a lot of bang for the buck. My husband can rarely get much time off from his job, so most of these trips I am alone on. Example, when I found out I would have to fly through Seoul to get to Hanoi Vietnam, I decided there's no sense wasting a layover, and decided to spend 2 weeks seeing S.Korea en route. I rented a car and drove from one tip to the other and had a ball, then flew over to Vietnam for another 3 weeks.// I was lucky to have quite lenient vacation policies when I worked for municipal government; now I am retired. I consider myself a bit of an expert as well about women traveling solo. At first I thought it was a negative - until I traveled with the 'wrong' person for a month. You may be alone but you do exactly what you want to, when you want (and there's someone at home caring for the pets!).

Posted By Bellehare on December 27, 2009, 11:18 AM

Jean Page and Becca: You might want to try www.journeywoman.com It's a resource for women travelers. Also, I'm a teacher, too, and find it difficult to find others that have a month or two's time to travel, so I often go with Intrepid Travel or G.A.P. (Great Adventure People). Both companies are awesome! Highly recommended. I've taken several trips with them. They have small groups (usually 12 or less), travel in a grassroots-kind of style, and don't have single supplements. BT did an article about Intrepid (which is how I found out about it): http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/10/09/AR2006100900690.html I did end up going to Laos, the featured country in the article. It rocked. Good luck!

Posted By Danielle on December 27, 2009, 1:05 PM

DonMcD -

have you ever tried renting a condo? There are lots of services where you can do this all over the world. We have rented from 2 days to a month - my favorite is www.vrbo.com - I like that one because you usually are dealing directly with the owner of the unit. It can be very economical and you can get what you need - on long stays you are expected to do your own cleaning, linens, etc. - normally just a cleaning when you move out. We have rented 2 bdrm, 2 ba places in Hawaii and Palm Springs for a month each for under $2500 for the month.

Posted By Carol White on December 28, 2009, 1:36 PM

Lynelle -

Rather than try to buy travel insurance for a long trip (I assume that is the type of insurance you are thinking about), look at the price of flying home and back and continuing your long trip, if it should become necessary. Perhaps only one of you really has to go?

During our year long trip around the US, we had one planned trip home for the holidays (left our vehicle and flew home) and one unplanned trip when my mother got breast cancer. We were home for 10 days while she had surgery and began recovery - we arranged for other family members to help too - then returned to our trip.

While flying home from NZ would be more expensive than flying within the US, you just have to look at it as a part of the trip cost - and you may not ever have to expend those $$, whereas with trip insurance - that $$ is gone.

Don't abandon your dreams for the cost of a plane ticket.

Carol

Posted By Carol White on December 28, 2009, 1:44 PM

Single Gals - Another great resource for women travelers is http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/ - Beth has great travel tips and conducts small women-only tours to interesting places.

Posted By Carol White on December 28, 2009, 2:14 PM

My daughter will be graduating high school in June and wants to travel extensively -by train- throughout Europe. Best way to buy train tics? Best European cities to fly in/out of? Best travel guides for Europe? Best way to communicate w/ people back in the states? What if a physician's care is needed-does her insurance work? Anything else you would deem important to know? Thanks!

Posted By Dorothy on December 28, 2009, 2:22 PM

I am also a teacher, and have read the similar threads, however, coolworks.com only offers work domestically. I am looking to spend the summer in South America (going into Equador to start), then taking a semester off beginning in January 2011 to spend 4-8 months in the Australia/NZ area...what suggestions do you have for similar resources to working abroad? (Not necessarily teaching though...) Something that allows time for travel, but also being immersed in experiencing the people and the culture? Thanks for your help!!

Posted By Melanie Nimtz on December 28, 2009, 3:52 PM

Dorothy,

For young budget travelers, I think the best guide is "Let's Go Europe", which should answer all of your questions.

I am a woman and carried "Let's Go Europe" with me when I was 20 years old, 27 years ago (before the internet), as my sole travel guide, to travel alone around Europe & Scandinavia. Before departing the US, I bought a Eurail pass, which I also highly recommend. Trains take you most everywhere in Europe. The Eurail pass also used to be good for a boat ride down the Rhine River and an overnight cruise from Stockholm, Sweden to Helsinki, Finland - check to see if this is still correct, as I did both & they were great fun. I stayed at Youth Hostels and highly recommend them throughout Europe for budget travel for young people. It is a great place to meet others also. Sometimes I would meet other young people at hostels and travel a few days with them so I never felt "alone". As to where to fly/depart, I have flown into Amsterdam several times over the years, because it tends to be a relatively cheap place to fly to for budget flights. You will want to check this out yourself online, because depending on where you are in the US, prices will vary. It is great your daughter is planning such a trip... travel as a young person is an eye-opening, life-changing experience.

Posted By Carol on December 29, 2009, 1:47 PM

I would like you to blog about house-sharing and exchanging. In particular, I would like to know more about exchanges between American & European residents, and your recommendations for good, centrally-located places to temporarily reside in Europe.

Posted By Carol on December 29, 2009, 1:51 PM

I agree with several posts already mentioned. I would like to see information/ideas about how to take time off from a salaried 8-5 job--what types of time off for this do many companies allow for, how to request it, how much time is reasonable to request, how to ensure your job awaits your return.
Also, what is the best residence to seek/request during this type of trip/odyssey? When staying for an extended time, do any countries/locales require notification? Is it better/cheaper to stay in the heart of a city or outside the main city?

Posted By Amber on December 29, 2009, 5:19 PM

We have our plane tickets for a five month vacation in NZ starting 1 May 2010 along the lines Lynelle mentioned in her post of 24 Dec. My questions are as follows:

1) Should we rent/lease a car as needed for side trips or buy a mechanically sound, not new car,
and plan to sell not long before we leave to come bqck?
2) Should be take the "gear" we normally take on a two or three week vacation and plan to purchase
other items, possibly at thrift stores, as the need arises, or could it be more economical to ship
stuff over and back, not as baggage?
3) Should we plan to use our US issued credits cards or open a bank account in NZ and obtain local
card(s)? The purpose is to minimize the currency transaction fees (2-3%) that get added to every
foreign charge. Would the cost to transfer money to a NZ bank account be a greater percentage than these fees?
4) What is best way to find a reasonably priced, one or two bedroom furnished apartment or small
house in Christchurch? Our idea of reasonable is US$1000-1500 per month.
5) Is it possible to purchase medical care, not medical evacuation, insurance in NZ? If possible is it cost effective as opposed to paying out of pocket and filing a claim with your US carrier on return?
6) How can you indentify/develop contacts in NZ who could help with problemsless serious than life threatening emergencies?
7) Is there any way to obtain your US mail using the US Postal Service as opposed to someone picking up your mail at the house or post office and sending it? We've had very poor success with the USPS on six month vacations to a single address in the US.

Great topic and very timely for us. Thanks.

Posted By Dennis Waltman on December 30, 2009, 7:47 PM

In which future issue of BudgetTravel will this article appear?

Posted By Dennis Waltman on December 31, 2009, 4:32 PM

When a series of knee-replacement surgeries went bad, my grandmother was left unable to bend her leg and is forced to use a walker / wheelchair. She is depressed enough about the limited mobility, but even more so because she believes that it means her travel days are over. I would love to prove her wrong, but have been unable to find any articles posted regarding handicap-accessible budget travel. Please help me show her that the rest of her years do not have to be spent on the couch! Thanks!

Posted By Eurobum99 on January 3, 2010, 6:51 PM

Planning a one yr. XXXL Vacation starting this May, definitely would love to see an article on this. Please let us know when it comes out!

Posted By PUL on January 8, 2010, 1:05 PM

In early April my husband and I will have 4 days in Beijing. We are trying to determine if it is better to book a (non-western) hotel now and then just do 3 or 4 day tours with a guide when we get there; or to book a hotel plus 4 day tour package beforehand.

Any advise would be appreciated!

Posted By Margriet on January 10, 2010, 9:26 PM

I am a 65 yr old retiree quite interested in an extended vacation to a cost effective, quaint place-but am put off by the thought of leaving my 2 yr old Papillon. Can you do an article for pet owners to focus on travelling to foreign countries and returning with our beloved pets?

Posted By rich on January 11, 2010, 10:46 AM

I am going to have to start traveling back and forth between Washington, DC and Boston on a weekly basis to be there for an evening class and am having lots of trouble finding an option that is both affordable and time-efficient (the flights are expensive and the train/bus is a full day of travel each way). I would love to purchase all travel at once and know that I have the tickets in advance but apparently the airlines don't sell tickets in bulk anymore. Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Posted By MC on January 13, 2010, 3:38 PM

We would like to see the aurora borealis, the Northern Lights. Are there any group trips that do this? Has anyone done such a trip? Any tips would be appreciated.

Posted By victor408 on January 18, 2010, 10:32 AM