Travel: It’s
such a romantic concept. When we think of travel, we often think of the jetset,
and people of leisure, who wake up one day and decide to go have dinner in
Paris or breakfast in Ascensión; of weekend getaways in anyplace underneath a
fingertip when the globe stops spinning. Truth is, being well-traveled isn’t
something limited to those with massive disposable incomes or months of free
time; travel is something all of us can do.
The number of
travel websites has grown almost overnight, like mushrooms in your lawn after a
rain shower. With the explosion of these websites that let you find the
cheapest prices, name your own price, or search every travel-booking site known
to man simultaneously, arranging a trip at a reasonable price has arguably
never been easier. The sharp decline in the travel agent industry is a clear
indicator of just how many people are buying directly from hotels and airlines
when arranging their own travels. Not too long ago, visiting your local travel
agent was the only option you had for arranging a vacation and there was always
a slight sense of doubt as to whether or not you were truly getting the best
deal. Today, you have many more options and an ability to search out those
deals that have never existed before. The ability to plan a vacation to a
far-flung land, from flights to hotels to car rentals and being able to do all
this with the best deals possible from the comfort of your living room is
something truly amazing.
One of the most
common reasons people don’t travel more is for lack of time. Between employers
cutting-back on the benefits and paid time off that they give to their
employees and all of the things which normally tie you down, be it children,
pets, or other obligations - finding the time to travel the world is harder and
harder these days. One option you might not have considered is a weekend trip.
With sites like www.megabus.com,
where you can book inexpensive regional travel to select destinations, and www.airbnb.com which is a site that lists
apartments, houses and single rooms for rent, often at the same price or less
than the cost of a hotel room, you can plan a very inexpensive weekend getaway
in another city.
If time isn’t
the limiting factor but the available funds are, not to worry, travel is still
for you. Staying at a hostel is usually the first option that comes to mind
when people think of traveling for free. Most hostels will let you trade a
little labor for your room and often meals, while others will gladly take your
money. You have to be aware of what the policy of the hostel is before you
begin heading there. Free, or cheap, travel isn’t limited to shucking corn at a
hostel, though. House Sitting is another option. Check out www.housecarers.com and www.mindmyhouse.com
for listings. You might also want to consider www.couchsurfing.org.
You can read reviews of the place and the people in the listings to decide on
where you want to crash for the night.
With all of the
ways you have to look for travel options and the various means in which to
travel, the best thing for you to do is still to do your own research, talk to
people and compare as many different options as you have. It might be cheaper
to fly than to drive. Cheaper to rent an apartment for the weekend than stay at
a hotel. It might be faster and easier to take the bus to a nearby state
instead of flying after you figure in all the arrangements. Look around, compare,
weigh all of your options and then decide. There are as many ways to travel as
there are destinations.
