The cost of travel isn't simply the expense of travelling itself, but the need to maintain your home based while you are away. Most of us don't have the privilege to step away from our everyday responsibilities for extended periods, especially if we're low paid, in insecure employment or juggling multiple jobs. There are always cheaper travel options, but reorganising your life to make travel possible can be beyond many of us.
Very good point Dru. I agree. I always feel like I’m in a tug of war between traveling more or doing more things at home. I love both traveling and being a homebody at my stage of life and that choice does tend to keep one tethered to the costs of maintaining home life.
Leaving and returning are just the rhythms of being human, aren't they? We're wanderers who long to settle down, and settlers dreaming of new adventures. Somewhere in between is a life lived well.
This made me think of my niece who complains that she can't afford to buy a house. But she can afford a 6 week vacation every year (on top of other trips).
My husband and I just spent a year traveling in South America. We probably spent on average about $2000 a month. My original budget for lodging was $900 a month, but towards the end of our journey, that went up. The enviroment we were staying in became very important for my mental health. I needed big windows, private space, and modern accommodations. We stayed in hostels and cheap hotels every once in a while, but these kind of accommodations just weren't tenable long term for us (we are older, in our 60s). So yes, you can do things super cheap - but they might not be enjoyable.
My journey has been an inspiration for my friends, but no one is going to do what we do. Travel can be hard. Not being able to communicate in a foreign language makes things harder. We can get by with our Spanish, but we had no desire to journey to Brazil and have no language skills. We did our trip on the cheap, but it took lots of research to figure out buses and accommodations. I totally understand why people choose tours and all inclusive vacations despite their expense. It's just so much easier than standing on the side of the road loaded with backpacks waiting to wave down the right combi.
I think people who think they don't have enough money ey to travel - either are scraping by and really can't afford it, aren't interested enough to put in the work to travel cheaply, or have a hard time/don't want to leave their comfort zone.
I wager to say the cost factor can be as much an excuse for just not wanting, or fearing, the adventure of getting out in the world. It's a reasonable excuse, even to oneself. Many people when traveling, probably especially as they age, don't examine all options and costs. I've seen a few posts recently on instead of hitting the top spots -Rome, Paris- research close by spots that have yet to be inundated with tourists and higher costs, but one can still experience the thrill of travel. Getting off the beaten path can be the fun stuff. Also, we always book all our own lodging, don't take tours. For me part of the fun of traveling is going down the rabbit hole but not everyone has that desire.
lol very true David. I can’t help but see life’s activities in terms of tradeoffs and that we all have more agency than we realize to shuffle things around and change things up if we choose to. I’m convinced it all comes down to what we value.
I appreciate your examples of ways to reduce the cost of travel. There are likely many people who are not aware of services like Pomelo to find inexpensive flight options. I lean toward thinking there are people who would travel more if they had more information about ways to do so on a tight budget.
I think it is a generational class thing, too. I noticed that middle class people who came from a longer line of fairly well-off families tend to prioritize travel more.
Growing up I knew a family where the dad was a crazy successful doctor, but he drove a busted Corolla and they rented a small unflashy house. They splurged on a ton of trips abroad.
But the newly rich or upwardly-mobile middle class, even at the same income, might care more about keeping up appearances in the American capitalist sense you explained, i.e. tech, cars, fat mortgages — it’s like making up for what they, or their parents, couldn’t have.
as an aside:
I remember hearing some statistic (maybe on Planet Money?) about how there’s a lot of ad money allocated towards Hispanic immigrant markets because they disproportionately spend a big percentage of their income, relative to other demographics. It’s not all selfish, I mean, a lot of this is in the form of gifts for family & loved ones. But I have a suspicion it’s also related to this class aspiration that comes from not having for so long and then finally being “able” to have.
I think this is a very keen insight and well said. I was discussing this with family this weekend and a similar point was made related to your thoughts on it being a class thing. Great food for thought. Thank you for taking the time to read and share your thoughts. Cheers!
I think for many it's the inconvenience of the unknown that causes the expenditure. Paying more for known travel brands doesn't necessarily mean luxury, it means you know pretty much what you're getting. As I'm getting older I make concessions for comfort and security that I would have eschewed when younger. The good thing is that I have a higher budget available than I did when younger. The bad thing is there is less serendipity.
I just spent 6 month traveling in Perú. There is a tour bus company that will take you to all the sights in Southern Perú. It is way more expensive than regular buses. But it comes with an app with a schedule, an English speaking guide, a catchy name, and other tourists. The comfort of this bus is no different than the buses locals take. We didn't take this bus, but I see why people do it. It's just easier. And reliable.
The cost of travel isn't simply the expense of travelling itself, but the need to maintain your home based while you are away. Most of us don't have the privilege to step away from our everyday responsibilities for extended periods, especially if we're low paid, in insecure employment or juggling multiple jobs. There are always cheaper travel options, but reorganising your life to make travel possible can be beyond many of us.
Very good point Dru. I agree. I always feel like I’m in a tug of war between traveling more or doing more things at home. I love both traveling and being a homebody at my stage of life and that choice does tend to keep one tethered to the costs of maintaining home life.
Leaving and returning are just the rhythms of being human, aren't they? We're wanderers who long to settle down, and settlers dreaming of new adventures. Somewhere in between is a life lived well.
This made me think of my niece who complains that she can't afford to buy a house. But she can afford a 6 week vacation every year (on top of other trips).
My husband and I just spent a year traveling in South America. We probably spent on average about $2000 a month. My original budget for lodging was $900 a month, but towards the end of our journey, that went up. The enviroment we were staying in became very important for my mental health. I needed big windows, private space, and modern accommodations. We stayed in hostels and cheap hotels every once in a while, but these kind of accommodations just weren't tenable long term for us (we are older, in our 60s). So yes, you can do things super cheap - but they might not be enjoyable.
My journey has been an inspiration for my friends, but no one is going to do what we do. Travel can be hard. Not being able to communicate in a foreign language makes things harder. We can get by with our Spanish, but we had no desire to journey to Brazil and have no language skills. We did our trip on the cheap, but it took lots of research to figure out buses and accommodations. I totally understand why people choose tours and all inclusive vacations despite their expense. It's just so much easier than standing on the side of the road loaded with backpacks waiting to wave down the right combi.
I think people who think they don't have enough money ey to travel - either are scraping by and really can't afford it, aren't interested enough to put in the work to travel cheaply, or have a hard time/don't want to leave their comfort zone.
I wager to say the cost factor can be as much an excuse for just not wanting, or fearing, the adventure of getting out in the world. It's a reasonable excuse, even to oneself. Many people when traveling, probably especially as they age, don't examine all options and costs. I've seen a few posts recently on instead of hitting the top spots -Rome, Paris- research close by spots that have yet to be inundated with tourists and higher costs, but one can still experience the thrill of travel. Getting off the beaten path can be the fun stuff. Also, we always book all our own lodging, don't take tours. For me part of the fun of traveling is going down the rabbit hole but not everyone has that desire.
It's like the people who say they don't have time to read but have seen all the latest movies and series.
lol very true David. I can’t help but see life’s activities in terms of tradeoffs and that we all have more agency than we realize to shuffle things around and change things up if we choose to. I’m convinced it all comes down to what we value.
I appreciate your examples of ways to reduce the cost of travel. There are likely many people who are not aware of services like Pomelo to find inexpensive flight options. I lean toward thinking there are people who would travel more if they had more information about ways to do so on a tight budget.
I think it is a generational class thing, too. I noticed that middle class people who came from a longer line of fairly well-off families tend to prioritize travel more.
Growing up I knew a family where the dad was a crazy successful doctor, but he drove a busted Corolla and they rented a small unflashy house. They splurged on a ton of trips abroad.
But the newly rich or upwardly-mobile middle class, even at the same income, might care more about keeping up appearances in the American capitalist sense you explained, i.e. tech, cars, fat mortgages — it’s like making up for what they, or their parents, couldn’t have.
as an aside:
I remember hearing some statistic (maybe on Planet Money?) about how there’s a lot of ad money allocated towards Hispanic immigrant markets because they disproportionately spend a big percentage of their income, relative to other demographics. It’s not all selfish, I mean, a lot of this is in the form of gifts for family & loved ones. But I have a suspicion it’s also related to this class aspiration that comes from not having for so long and then finally being “able” to have.
I think this is a very keen insight and well said. I was discussing this with family this weekend and a similar point was made related to your thoughts on it being a class thing. Great food for thought. Thank you for taking the time to read and share your thoughts. Cheers!
Opportunity, specifically time, is a limiting factor.
I think for many it's the inconvenience of the unknown that causes the expenditure. Paying more for known travel brands doesn't necessarily mean luxury, it means you know pretty much what you're getting. As I'm getting older I make concessions for comfort and security that I would have eschewed when younger. The good thing is that I have a higher budget available than I did when younger. The bad thing is there is less serendipity.
I just spent 6 month traveling in Perú. There is a tour bus company that will take you to all the sights in Southern Perú. It is way more expensive than regular buses. But it comes with an app with a schedule, an English speaking guide, a catchy name, and other tourists. The comfort of this bus is no different than the buses locals take. We didn't take this bus, but I see why people do it. It's just easier. And reliable.