1 grand to spend on a vacation....(now NWS)

Well, I have never been off this continent, and I think it's about time. I'm 32, single, and can take a week or two to start travelling abroad. I have always wanted to see Amsterdam, surf Costa Rica, enjoy a couple mushroom shakes on the beaches of Bali, check out India (I'm told not to go in the summer), explore Thailand. I have friends in the last year that got a round trip ticket to China for 500 bucks, and to Amsterdam for 300 bucks, so I know prices are reasonable for airfare. I figure that if I have a grand to spend, I should be able to do a week somewhere just fine. My problem is that I have no one to travel with, and I have no where to stay once I get there. Is a week or two trip still possible? I don't know where to start to find a place to crash, I don't know where to start to find cool stuff to do. I just know it's time to get the hell out of here, at least for a short while. I'm pretty adventuresome, but I don't want to go completely blind. Anyone have any good life experiences on where they went, who they met, what it cost them? I know it's not a ton of money, but I want to get out of So. Cal., and I'm ready to broaden my horizons a bit. What do you suggest?

-Nug

PS - I'd prefer not to shell out all my remaining cash on hotels, etc. I'm sure I could find a hostel somewhere, but I don't know where to look, or how much they run. Or even better someone to hang with (with a floor to crash on), maybe through the internet? The only reason I mention this is that I've met a few very cool people locally just recently through the internet, people that I would never have had a chance to meet if I weren't online. Are there places (online) to meet people just for this purpose? I'd much prefer to spend my cash on booze and nugs for a cool new friend than on paying for a hotel/hostel. Anyhew, suggestions, comments, etc welcome please.

Last edited by Nugjar Lives! on 05/28/03 - 09:58; edited 1 time in total

Maybe a cruise of some kind? Kinda all-in-one there although I would bet you could blow a grand on one of those things all too fast..

Amsterdam I'd go to, =D

If you have good camping gear, you can sleep in train stations in europe. They are even set up for people with tents. In Italy the carbinaris would wake everyone up an hr before the cleaners came to sweep and spray the area. Spend one or 2 days a week in a cheep hotel for a bed and a good shower. The rest of the week you can wash yourself like europeans do, just brush the dust off and douse yourself with cologne or perfume.

Wow, that sounds fun.. I have a few weeks and a few hundred bucks I could blow on something like that, heh..

Bali is a hot spot for terrorism at the moment.

I'd hit amsterdam.

Amsterdam could be fun if you're all about the drugs, but i'd recommend somewhere sunny and tropical instead.

Considering that a resourceful person can get all the drugs they want here, I haven't a clue why'd you waste more than a day in Amsterdam.

May as well hit Fargo too

Vegas baby! Well, not really. I'm going in a couple weeks and it's going to be at least $1250 (for two) for 3 nights. That doesn't include food, drinking and gambling yet.

I've been to Costa Rica several times and it's probably one of my favorite places on the planet. I can't testify to price, but I recommend it.

compusmack wrote:

Amsterdam could be fun if you're all about the drugs, but i'd recommend somewhere sunny and tropical instead.

sunny and tropical isn't fun to live in

Nugjar Lives! wrote:

I have friends in the last year that got a round trip ticket to China for 500 bucks, and to Amsterdam for 300 bucks, so I know prices are reasonable for airfare.

Contracting SARS for only 500 bucks?? f*****g A that sounds like a real killer deal

-Nah-

my last trip was to japan, costly tho so i doubt 1k could get much more then the ticket there and back. I myself dont like the tropic places all to much, Id spend the grand on a week in aspin or the french alps skiing

Getting stabbed in an Italian train station at 2:40 a.m. isn't a great way to spend your trip with your tourist dollars.

Instead, go to Thailand (like you mentioned) and buy a pair of kids to take home to do your chores. Check their ears for locust eggs before boarding if you live in an area with crops.

Kbarr wrote:

If you have good camping gear, you can sleep in train stations in europe. They are even set up for people with tents. In Italy the carbinaris would wake everyone up an hr before the cleaners came to sweep and spray the area. Spend one or 2 days a week in a cheep hotel for a bed and a good shower. The rest of the week you can wash yourself like europeans do, just brush the dust off and douse yourself with cologne or perfume.

Trains in Europe are well equipped for campers, no sprays, no spaces to set up your tent tho.
Flights within europe are quite cheap, Ryanair often has flights to and back from a european city (as rome, barcelona, A'dam, etc) for about 60 Euro (return included). They usually land a bit out of the centre, small aeroport, but always have a direct train connection to the city (usually only takes 25 min). Every city in Spain, Italy and Greece has Youth Hostellerie's ... They're VERY cheap, include breakfast, are CLEAN and have Airconditioning, and always close to the center. It's often an old building, with a big square in the midlle. I often went to the South of Spain, stayed at Hostelleries, travelled around by train. I never found a mess in my room, every 2 rooms share a shower ... The nice thing about this is, you meet a lot of people, from all over the world, you often hook up with them, hang out for a couple days, see some sites ... And you can make it as cheap as you want. Buy a couple bottles of wine, shove them in your airconditioning at your room, after a night of siteseeing, and crossing barcelona, you head to the balcony of your room, get your chilled wine out, and see how many people you can see in the atrium, playing guitar, and just chilling. When you saw Spain, book a flight online from your hostellerie (ALL of em have internetaccess, quite cheap) for 60 Euro's (about the same in dollars) from Ryanair, leave in the morning to Rome, drop off your shit at the new hostellerie! Europe can be very cheap and entertaining, but also expensive and dirty. I travelled all over Europe since I'm 16, and never spent a lot of money on it, having the greatest vacations ever ...
Incase you care: www.rayanair.com

centre..

aeroport...

hostellerie...

Ah, European words.

But true ... 20 minutes to get to the centre? I don't mind ...

Staying at a hostellerie? I don't mind ...

Flights at the max of 60 Euro's? Yes Sir!

Nug, you studmuffin, the place for you is Spain. Ibiza in particuliar since thats a singles haven and Spain in general is very reasonable compared to the erst of europe and who can beat running with the Bulls when your toasted out of your mind in Madrid. =o. If you wanna travel thru europe, get a eurorail pass and travel to your hearts content. Youth hostels are cheap but most of them close f*****g way too early so if you're out partying late, you're screwed and will get locked out all night. If you go with someone else you can share hotel expenses and can generally get a nice place way under book price at the train stations themselves since they have booths like a rl price line. You generally can get good places to stay for like 40/50 if you split costs. If you don't opt for Spain, hit Amsterdam, Interlocken-Swiss and Greece.

see, I like Asterdam, but when you go on Vacation ... why to Amsterdam or Ibiza? It's great for a weekend of partying, but if I spend money on travelling, I want to see more then a club with people on drugs, or the beach to pass out.

Europe has a lot more to offer then that imo. Beach is nice for 2 days, clubs are nice for a couple days, but in the end, seeing Dali's museum, Gaudi's work in Barcelona, Muslim-cities in the South of Spain, Rome, Venice > any beaches and clubs ...

Besides, I liked Torremolinos lots better then Ibiza could ever be

My teacher told me people who go backpacking threw europe say at these things that are like 10 bucks a night all you get is a cot to sleep on in a room full other tourist.

keep your stuff near bye! or maybe they rent lockers i dunnO!

Frostkiss wrote:

seeing Dali's museum

...???...The best Dali museum in the world is in St. Petersburg, Fl.