So, those of you taking Out-Of-This-[Country], rockin' vacations...

[LauraGB]

Where are you finding your deals? I so very desperately need a vacation and I'm not sure where to look or who to trust. I've been watching Travelzoo and there is a great Ireland deal going on right now, but I googled the "castle cabins" that are part of the deal, and, well, I'm worried about that one, lol.

 

Where are you finding the greatest deals lately? I'm particularly interested in Europe, but, since I never go anywhere, I'm open to suggestions ;).

[5KidzRUs]

Laura, Would it be cheaper to get a safe hotel as a "home base" and take different trips from there?

We live in Germany and take lots of short, cheap trips around Europe.

I learned A LOT from fodors.com - have you checked them out? World travelers with sage advice. I used their advice when we drove to Italy and it was truly a God-send.

Sounds like you are in for some fun! :001_smile:

[LauraGB]

Laura, Would it be cheaper to get a safe hotel as a "home base" and take different trips from there?

We live in Germany and take lots of short, cheap trips around Europe.

I learned A LOT from fodors.com - have you checked them out? World travelers with sage advice. I used their advice when we drove to Italy and it was truly a God-send.

Sounds like you are in for some fun! :001_smile:

 

I think so (regarding the safe hotel), but the "deals" are always combined with whichever hotel is making the deal. Which, in turn, makes the deals questionable.

 

Love Froders :001_wub:! I swear, I'm like George Bailey - always lookin' and never goin'. My Froder's library is over flowing! But this year, I'm doing it. I'm living my life, and that's all there is to it!

[Harriet Vane]

I have had great experience with Rick Steves' recommendations.

 

It's always cheaper to stay in the country than in the city. Just make sure you have easy access to public transportation.

 

Where do you want to go? Perhaps some of us can offer some BTDT advice.

[athomemom]

Laura, Would it be cheaper to get a safe hotel as a "home base" and take different trips from there?

We live in Germany and take lots of short, cheap trips around Europe.

I learned A LOT from fodors.com - have you checked them out? World travelers with sage advice. I used their advice when we drove to Italy and it was truly a God-send.

Sounds like you are in for some fun! :001_smile:

 

I don't want to hijack the thread, but hubby and I are talking about visiting Italy. We've never been to Europe. From what I've googled and read about Liguria is a good area?

 

I'd love advise!

[athomemom]

I have had great experience with Rick Steves' recommendations.

 

It's always cheaper to stay in the country than in the city. Just make sure you have easy access to public transportation.

 

Where do you want to go? Perhaps some of us can offer some BTDT advice.

 

Have you been to Italy? And if you've been to Europe in general I'd love to hear where, what and how. :D Did you take the kids?

[5KidzRUs]

Kim, I have an international drivers license (it was about $10 from AAA) and drove through the Brenner Pass from Germany to France.

I had GREAT tips from the gurus at fodors.com.

Once in Italy we took the train into Venice. Bought my ticket cheaper online and the kids got "rolling passes" that allowed train, city bus (boat - vaporetto) and admission into museums. Rolling pass is cheap but kids have to show ID for ages. Then we did Venice :) My regret is that I only allowed for one day there. When we go back, I will get a hotel in Venice and take 3 days. Go to the Murano and Burano islands too and just soak in the life there in the safest city in the world!

I know there are so many other places in Italy to go - like we really want to do Pompeii too. I heard there are camp grounds near there where we can stay.

I heard Amalphi was a must-see too.

The city buses we were on were like a roller coaster ride - weeeeeeeeee!! Hold on tight LOL!

Italy is a lot different (IMHO) than Germany - here in Germany (mountains) it is cute and quaint and CLEAN and slow. I know places like Frankfurt are not like that. It seems like if you can say "Bitte" (please) and "tschüß" (bye-bye) you can get a smile from most anyone :001_smile: But Italy is FAST, not as clean not quite as friendly - maybe we just have not seen the slow, clean quaint parts of Italy yet. I do not know about the place you referenced though - sorry.

Edited January 3, 2011 by 5KidzRUs

[LauraGB]

I don't want to hijack the thread, but hubby and I are talking about visiting Italy. We've never been to Europe. From what I've googled and read about Liguria is a good area?

 

I'd love advise!

 

 

Hijack away! :lurk5:

[5KidzRUs]

Snip

Edited January 8, 2011 by 5KidzRUs

[Harriet Vane]

Have you been to Italy? And if you've been to Europe in general I'd love to hear where, what and how. :D Did you take the kids?

 

I've been to Switzerland, England, and Scotland twice. I have also enjoyed travel in Mexico, Guatemala, and Canada, but I get the impression you are specifically interested in European travel.

 

Yes, I took my kids to Europe. The first time was when dd was 1yo, to Switzerland. She was an easy baby, and napped well in the stroller.

 

Later we went to England with a 4yo and 8yo, and then to Scotland with an 11yo and 7yo. The kids have always done well with international travel, and I highly encourage it.

 

Any specific questions?

Edited January 3, 2011 by strider

[5KidzRUs]

Strider, Did you design your own trip or did you do a tour? What would you recommend and what would you not recommend?

[athomemom]

I've been to Switzerland, England, and Scotland twice. I have also enjoyed travel in Mexico, Guatemala, and Canada, but I get the impression you are specifically interested in European travel.

 

Yes, I took my kids to Europe. The first time was when dd was 1yo, to Switzerland. She was an easy baby, and napped well in the stroller.

 

Later we went to England with a 4yo and 8yo, and then to Scotland with a, 11yo and 7yo. The kids have always done well with international travel, and I highly encourage it.

 

Any specific questions?

 

Hmmm, I have a million questions! :lol: We are just in the planning stages....

 

Did you guys rent a car?

 

Did you stay in one location or travel from place to place?

 

I'm gathering my thoughts & wondering what else I should be asking?

[athomemom]

Kim, I have an international drivers license (it was about $10 from AAA) and drove through the Brenner Pass from Germany to France.

I had GREAT tips from the gurus at fodors.com.

Once in Italy we took the train into Venice. Bought my ticket cheaper online and the kids got "rolling passes" that allowed train, city bus (boat - vaporetto) and admission into museums. Rolling pass is cheap but kids have to show ID for ages. Then we did Venice :) My regret is that I only allowed for one day there. When we go back, I will get a hotel in Venice and take 3 days. Go to the Murano and Burano islands too and just soak in the life there in the safest city in the world!

I know there are so many other places in Italy to go - like we really want to do Pompeii too. I heard there are camp grounds near there where we can stay.

I heard Amalphi was a must-see too.

The city buses we were on were like a roller coaster ride - weeeeeeeeee!! Hold on tight LOL!

Italy is a lot different (IMHO) than Germany - here in Germany (mountains) it is cute and quaint and CLEAN and slow. I know places like Frankfurt are not like that. It seems like if you can say "Bitte" (please) and "tschüß" (bye-bye) you can get a smile from most anyone :001_smile: But Italy is FAST, not as clean not quite as friendly - maybe we just have not seen the slow, clean quaint parts of Italy yet. I do not know about the place you referenced though - sorry.

 

Wow! lots of great info. Thanks for the pics. I am drooling. Beautiful!

 

We actually want slow, peace & quiet. I'm thinking a glass of wine and coffee. (daily of course :lol:) But I love history as do my boys....

[SonshineLearner]

My daughter and my dad went to Italy, summer before last. They had a blast!! :)

[gingersmom]

My daughter and my dad went to Italy, summer before last. They had a blast!! :)

 

My mother is taking my son to Italy in April. They are both very excited.

[LauraGB]

My daughter and my dad went to Italy, summer before last. They had a blast!! :)

 

And how did you get there? Did you buy a vacation pkg or did you plan on your own? Where did you stay?

 

Personally, I want to go to Italy - to a place where I would love so much (countryesque) that I'd never want to leave. My second place would be Ireland.

[Stacia]

We actually want slow, peace & quiet. I'm thinking a glass of wine and coffee. (daily of course :lol:) But I love history as do my boys....

 

Go to the Dolomites in northern Italy. (Great skiing in winter; awesome hiking in summer.) Gorgeous, low-key, family-friendly... and wine & coffee too. ;)

[meena]

DH and I did a budget getaway to Paris last August. How we kept it cheap:

 

We narrowed down the area in which we wanted to stay after reading Rick Steves' guidebook, then went to TripAdvisor and read lots of hotel reviews and compared prices from that area. Because we went off-season, we were able to stay 2 nights, get the 3rd free, plus free daily breakfast.

 

We ate breakfast at the hotel, purchased snacks at the local grocery to stave off hunger throughout the day, and splurged on nicer meals in the evening.

 

We walked or took public transportation everywhere.

 

We did a lot of free sight-seeing (aka walking around and people watching) and used a 2-day museum pass.

 

We have traveled to Costa Rica and Belize on the cheap as well. Again, we went off-season so prices were better. For Belize, we flew into Cancun and took a bus to the Belize border. That itself was a memorable experience!

 

For vacation packages, you might try http://www.gate1travel.com/. My BIL/SIL recently took one of Gate1's tours to Spain, thought it was a good deal, and enjoyed it.

[snickelfritz]

Well, we aren't really going cheap. But, dh is taking me on a Mediterranean cruise in May. It's for our 15th anniversary. 3 days in Rome and then a 7 day cruise. We've never been to Europe, so we wanted an overview. We're using a travel agent to give us ideas and plan things out for us.

[Margaret in GA]

Hmmm, I have a million questions! :lol: We are just in the planning stages....

 

Did you guys rent a car?

 

Did you stay in one location or travel from place to place?

 

I'm gathering my thoughts & wondering what else I should be asking?

As far as finding good deals, I follow the Clark Howard rule of travel--Find a great deal or affordable destination--then figure out a reason to go there! Last year, I figured we would be going to London since that's where the good deals were the year before. However, I as I began to look into tickets, I found that tickets to London stay unreasonably high. So, I found a good deal on tickets to Itay and that's where we went. We stayed a few days in Rome and then rented a car and drove to Tuscany and stayed at an agritourismo there. If I were to go back, I wouldn't rent a car. It was very difficult to do-- the roads in Tuscany are very narrow and people drive *confidently* - As in, totally certain they won't meet another car coming the opposite direction around the corner. :blink: That of course, would mean we couldn't stay in the countryside at an olive grove farmhouse, but that's OK. I would totally do Rome again, because you really have to see the Sistine Chapel and the ancient ruins. But from there, I might take a train here, instead. Good luck!

 

Margaret

[athomemom]

My daughter and my dad went to Italy, summer before last. They had a blast!! :)

 

Where did they go?

[joannqn]

I've never taken a nice vacation but I saw Dale Bartlett speak at a homeschool convention. He has a book called Have Kids-Will Travel. His ideas require a couple/few years to really put into action, but he travels with his family all over the place paying next to nothing...like $250 per person for a week or two in Europe.

 

Essentially, he figures out where he wants to go, which airline he will use, and which hotel (if any) he wants to stay in. He then uses that airline's reward card to buy literally everything (paying it off monthly) to rack up enough points to buy their plane tickets. When he has that, he uses his hotel's reward card to pay for everything until he has their hotel costs covered. He did mention that they don't use hotels a lot, but mentioned things like house swaps, staying with hosts, etc. One time, they ended up staying in a castle for free.

 

It was quite interesting. I'd love to get the book, read it, and see if I could make it work for a future trip. Got to get my act together on regular finances first though.

[Laura Corin]

The Tuscany trip we did pre-kids: we travelled by local bus (we don't speak Italian - it was not hard with a decent guide book) and stayed in small guest houses.

 

Rome and Pompeii I've done twice, each time with one child. We flew to Rome, stayed there for about five days in this guest house before taking the train down to Pompeii. You can do Pompeii as a day trip, but with a child it was less exhausting to stay the night. We stayed in this hotel. This trip worked really well - highly recommended. Try not to go in the high summer: too hot and too many tourists.

 

In France, I would recommend perhaps a couple of days in Paris (it gets expensive) then hiring a car and setting off out to stay in a gite (rented cottage/farmhouse) in the countryside. We are doing this at Easter this year: Paris, then a house in Normandy (near the Bayeux tapestry, etc.).

 

Last year, Elinor Everywhere (on this board) and her daughter did a whistle-stop tour of Britain by car that I helped her plan. After a few days in London, she rented a car, then took in Stonehenge, Bath, Chepstow (south Wales), Oxford, Stratford and York. She then came up to stay with me in Scotland where she dropped off the car, before heading back to London by train. She arranged B&Bs in advance.

 

Laura

Edited January 3, 2011 by Laura Corin

[prairiewindmomma]

--

Edited November 10, 2021 by prairiewindmomma

[elfgivas]

what an exciting thing! we love, love, love to travel.

 

we have always found it is cheaper to plan our own trip than to go with a package deal.....

 

so we haunt kayak.com looking for flights.... (and a few others), so we get an idea of what we are looking at for cost. then when a good deal comes along, we are ready. we also play with other ideas and with a stop en route. two years ago, it cost us nothing to stop off in new zealand on our way to australia for a few days, so we did : ). sometimes its cheaper to drive or fly to an airport a few hours away.... it has to be really worth it, though, because it adds extra wear and tear on the body... or we need to know someone near by.

 

flyertalk.com is a site for frequent fliers BUT they also have a section that posts trip reports. they tend to be high-end, but we found a fabulous bed and breakfast in costa rica that way.

 

we often use the lonely planet guide and green guide trip ideas to see what we might like to see..... and then we look at campgrounds. we take a tent most places. it means we meet people from the country we are visiting rather than other tourists, and we can cook our own meals, etc, etc. for younger kids, it also means they sleep better, as the "room" looks the same on the inside every night. lol.... last year, we camped about 100metres from the entry to pompeii. it was magical. (and the night it snowed in venice, we stayed in a hotel instead!). the campground in florence was right above the city, within walking distance of most of the sites downtown.... and beautiful. the same company had campgrounds in venice and rome.

 

let us know what we can help you with.

 

smiling,

ann

[Bootsie]

We have found Austria to be a wonderful place to visit. You can rent a vacation apartment at very reasonable rates, especially in the villages. Our favorite place is the Innsbruck area; renting a car or taking the train/public transportation are both good choices from there. We have spent a month there a few summers ago (rented an apartment for about $1000) and never went more than an hour away, and still did not get to do all of the family activities we would like to do. Within a couple of hours you can visit Munich, northern Italy, Salzburg, and Bavaria. Day trips to Switzerland, Lichtenstein, and even Venice are possible.

 

The scenery is beautiful, it is very clean, there are many family activities, and it tends to be much cheaper than Switzerland.

 

We do our own planning. The local tourist bureaus (run by the cities, villages, or other government entities) have websites which list local apartments, hotels, etc. to rent.

[Melinda in VT]

We travel abroad a fair bit. We've never booked a package deal.

 

We keep airline costs somewhat reasonable by traveling in the off season. We are also willing to drive a couple of hours to a different airport if that will reduce costs. When we fly to Europe, we usually drive to Montreal and fly from there. When we fly to Central America, we often drive to Boston and fly from there.

 

I'm blessed with a DH who is a fearless driver, so we always rent a car (except for the rare trip where we leave the kids behind and stay in a city).

 

The best arrangement we have found for housing a family of six is to rent a house. Depending on when and where you go, this can be quite a good deal.

[Mom in High Heels]

We live in Germany too, so we have a "home base" to travel from (I think we did 11 countries last year, not including Germany, but many were on our Med cruise). Having a place to travel from would probably be ideal. Have you looked into vacation apartments? They are usually far less than hotels and you'll have a kitchen (cheaper to eat that way) and probably laundry facilities. You can rent them by the week and use that as a base for day trips.

You can get an international license, but make sure you know your international road signs and the driving laws. They are very different from the US, especially when it comes to right of way and priority roads. Our cruise last year took us to Spain (we left from Barcelona), Tunisia, Malta, 3 stops in Italy, Corsica and France (the Riviera-we also hopped a train to Monaco).

[fairytalemama]

It was very difficult to do-- the roads in Tuscany are very narrow and people drive *confidently* - As in, totally certain they won't meet another car coming the opposite direction around the corner. :blink:

 

Confidently is right! We went on a two week tour of Italy and Sicily with Globus back in 2004 that we booked through AffordableTours.com and I was SO GLAD that we were riding in a bus and not driving a rental. Oh my goodness---in any major city there were people riding on mopeds, maniacly weaving in and out of traffic.

 

We didn't travel with kids (we found out we were pregnant with Red on week #2 of the tour which is a whole other story), but if you've never been somewhere before and you don't speak the language I firmly believe going with a tour group is the way to go. All major tour companies have line cutting privileges for the major sites (e.g. the Vatican, the Coliseum, etc.) and they provide English speaking tour guides at each location who speak to you about what you're seeing via wireless headset. I learned so much more than I would have had I gone on my own. On another good note, they book all the hotels for you and provide some of the meals, while there's also plenty of time to explore on your own.

 

We went to Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice (including Burano), Assisi (loved it there), Pompeii, Naples, Palermo, Taormina, Sorrento, Capri, and I know I'm missing a city in there somewhere. In fact, one of my 2011 goals is to finally get all the photos in a scrapbook. I know...I'm slow. Again, can't recommend Globus enough.

[athomemom]

I love all the suggestions! I (secretly) long to move to Italy & I've never visited! Thus, I need to visit first, right!? :D

 

I'd love stay somewhere quiet and not touristy.

 

Have you seen the movie, The Holiday? The cottage in England is dreamy. That's what I dream about without the snow!

 

To make matters worse, we just started MFW Rome to Reformation. :tongue_smilie: At least I can plan and learn at the same time!

 

Keep the ideas coming, they are all great!

[LauraGB]

I love all the suggestions! I (secretly) long to move to Italy & I've never visited!

 

 

Me too! It's kind of unsettling to be so drawn to an area. But the slower pace, the awesome food, the great wine, the history, the terrain, the awesome food again...ahhh. I'd like to go sans the kids, but I think they need to come because I'm afraid I won't want to leave and then I'd have to send for them and they'd have to take the plane all by themselves with all their belongings and the family would talk about how Mom lost her mind...(more than usual)...

[deacongirl]

I am fortunate enough to have traveled a lot in Europe due to my dad's job, and since then due to the fact that dh is German and also because of his work. One thing I have experienced over and over is that I far far prefer the smaller cities/towns to the bigger ones, esp. with children along. i.e. I would choose Salzburg over Vienna, Galway over Dublin, the Cotswolds over London (although I just love love love the Tower of London, no matter how touristy!). Still anxiously awaiting a trip to Tuscany one day though--and sadly I think it is many years away! Have fun exploring your options!

[Jeanne in MN]

what an exciting thing! we love, love, love to travel.

 

we have always found it is cheaper to plan our own trip than to go with a package deal.....

 

so we haunt kayak.com looking for flights.... (and a few others), so we get an idea of what we are looking at for cost. then when a good deal comes along, we are ready. we also play with other ideas and with a stop en route. two years ago, it cost us nothing to stop off in new zealand on our way to australia for a few days, so we did : ). sometimes its cheaper to drive or fly to an airport a few hours away.... it has to be really worth it, though, because it adds extra wear and tear on the body... or we need to know someone near by.

 

flyertalk.com is a site for frequent fliers BUT they also have a section that posts trip reports. they tend to be high-end, but we found a fabulous bed and breakfast in costa rica that way.

 

we often use the lonely planet guide and green guide trip ideas to see what we might like to see..... and then we look at campgrounds. we take a tent most places. it means we meet people from the country we are visiting rather than other tourists, and we can cook our own meals, etc, etc. for younger kids, it also means they sleep better, as the "room" looks the same on the inside every night. lol.... last year, we camped about 100metres from the entry to pompeii. it was magical. (and the night it snowed in venice, we stayed in a hotel instead!). the campground in florence was right above the city, within walking distance of most of the sites downtown.... and beautiful. the same company had campgrounds in venice and rome.

 

let us know what we can help you with.

 

smiling,

ann

 

Do you haul camping equipment over with you or do you get your tent and things over there somewhere??

[Harriet Vane]

Strider, Did you design your own trip or did you do a tour? What would you recommend and what would you not recommend?

 

Hi--sorry to take so long to respond.

 

Yes, we have always designed our own trips. An experience we had in Mexico perfectly illustrates why we prefer to do so--and this reflects what we have since heard from many others, as well:

 

We signed up for a one day tour. Dh was thrilled to think we could see the Coba ruins, have a jungle hike, swim in a cenote, ride a zipline, and have an authentic traditional Mayan meal prepared in a real Mayan village.

 

Our guide was great, and very knowledgeable. She told us a lot of fascinating information as we went. Many parts of the day were really cool--my kids LOVED swimming in a cenote and the Coba ruins were fascinating.

 

On the other hand, we didn't like all the people we were spending the day with. One man was particularly obnoxious. Also, we didn't have nearly enough time at Coba to explore. It was just too many things for one day--the guide kept herding us along to stick to the (rather tight) schedule. And the guide was required to continually offer us opportunities to buy overpriced items at various junctures--ugh.

 

Also--we could EASILY have done all the things listed in the day tour for less money over two days, and enjoyed it more on our own.

 

So--here are my recommendations:

 

--Don't buy packages that take you around to thousands of places. You will often find that you don't have time to really appreciate those places individually. You will also find yourself vacationing with a group of strangers that you may or may not like. You will also find yourself continually expected to pay extra bits here and there and expected to buy stuff from pre-selected vendors that have relationships with the tour operators. (That usually means overpriced and pressured situations.)

 

--Use Rick Steves' resources. He is a source I have come to love and trust for European travel.

 

--At historic or nature sites, consider paying for a guided tour. The guides do offer a lot of cool information. A 30-60 minute tour can really add to the experience. Afterward, you still have the day to continue enjoying the site.

 

--Don't plan too much per day. You stop being able to enjoy or absorb it. Take either one major thing per day or two small ones per day. Sit down to eat--don't eat on the fly.

 

--Use your library. When planning a trip, we get a couple travel guides and use them. Comparing resources in 2-3 guides helps a lot. For the trip, we usually bring one basic guide, like Fodor's.

 

--Don't overplan. Go with an idea of what you'd like to see, and then let your schedule flow. Make a list of what you are interested in, maybe even a proposed general schedule. Firm it up when you're there, day by day.

 

--Stay in a B&B. They are comfortable, give you breakfast, and the owner/operators are often a wealth of tourist information.

 

--Use public transportation as much as possible. In Europe this is particularly easy to do. In the countryside it can be an advantage to have a car, but in the cities it's definitely easier to stick to public transportation or taxis. We also found it somewhat restful, believe it or not. Our train time was often a good break.

 

--Bring rain gear. Seriously. Never let the weather stop you. Keeping dry is key to keeping warm, and therefore also being able to actually enjoy the day. I usually wear waterproof hiking shoes during the day, and I bring one pair of slightly dressier shoes for eating out. We carry good, light, FULL rain gear (waterproof jacket AND waterproof pants). You can get really good stuff at a camping store. There are also cheaper, heavier versions available too--we usually pay for lighter, higher quality ones and use them for years.

 

--Go in the off-season, particularly at the very start or very end of the off season. Rates are often half.

 

--Pack light. Bring three outfits per person that will layer comfortably. Plan to use a laundromat once or twice. Just keep your luggage to the absolute bare bones so that you can get around more easily.

 

--Pick a home base and stay there. You can have lots of lovely day trips. A good day trip involves two hours or less of travel to the site. For something really spectacular I'd even consider 3 hours, but usually 2 hours or less is a good rule of thumb.

 

--Pack food and water to bring each day--especially fruit. Don't ever go anywhere without water.

 

--JUST DO IT. Decide where you want to go, make a list of nifty things to see, and just go. Be prepared to change your plans as needed. It's so much easier than people think it will be.

 

--Be excruciatingly courteous. People all over the world are happy to help you. Just make sure you smile, ask, "Hello, how are you?" then ask, "Can you help me?" Finally make your request. Going through the formalities like this works in EVERY culture--people will fall all over themselves helping you. Americans tend to skip the formalities and just leap to the need, "Can you tell me where . . ." etc. It is perceived as rude, as treating others as servants.

 

ETA: Just thought of another one. My dh carries a floppy, foldable frisbee and a small ball everywhere we go. That way we can relax and play when a break is needed. It's good for adults, and absolutely crucial for children. Seek parks and break up all the touring with running and games and silliness.

Edited January 4, 2011 by strider

[Harriet Vane]

Hmmm, I have a million questions! :lol: We are just in the planning stages....

 

Did you guys rent a car?

 

Did you stay in one location or travel from place to place?

 

I'm gathering my thoughts & wondering what else I should be asking?

 

Just posted a long one with lots of thoughts in this thread. I will just add that we have rented cars in the past as well as used public transportation. My dh is a really good navigator and good at weird driving situations. If I were traveling without him I would probably rely almost exclusively on public transportation. We never rent cars in a city--that's a very overwhelming driving situation, even for dh. Stick to public transportation in the cities. Consider a rental car in the countryside.

[elfgivas]

Do you haul camping equipment over with you or do you get your tent and things over there somewhere??

 

we take the tent, and sleeping bags and foamies. they all fit in one large duffel that the airlines don't consider oversize.... if there is room, we also take plastic plates, bowls, mugs and cutlery. we buy an inexpensive camping stove wherever we are, and then leave it with whoever wants it at our last camp site that trip. most stoves cost less than one meal at a restaurant, so it is sooooo worth it. and then we get to go grocery shopping and to farmers' markets and eat the way the people of that country realllly eat. its very fun! (and sometimes, for familiarity's sake for small children, the way we eat at home, too). it saves us a lot of money, a lot of time, and gives us a more "real" experience of the country where we are. all that said, when we went to egypt, we didn't camp.

 

fwiw, we have a 4-person dome tent, which is sturdy, light weight, doesn't require pegs, and will stand up to all kinds of wind and weather.

 

if you haven't camped much here, it's worth trying it out before you take it to another country ; ).

 

even so, don't rule out camping.... in new zealand, several of the campgrounds had little cabins you could rent.... all you needed were sleeping bags. and it was still less than a hotel room!

 

hth,

ann

[Stacia]

strider's post (#34) is awesome. Great, great travel advice & I second every bit of what she wrote.

 

:thumbup: