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Advice: Vacation

NeverTrump

NeverTrump

Exposing GOP since 2015
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Hello DP,

I have 12 vacation days and I would like to use most of them by the end of the year. Otherwise I lose them! So what's a good vacation that I can take? I am a 26 years old. Single and have about $3000 to spend on this trip. I'm interested in culture, history, museums, monuments. This would be my first real vacation and I am not planning on going with anyone. Which is where I am having trouble. Since many vacations are family planned or couple planned.

I have two options. I can either go, Dec. 19-24. Or Dec. 26- Jan. 3. Gota stay home for Christmas. (probably)

I will probably take one short trip before the holidays and one longer trip after. I am very much interested in international travel and if it's possible to swing this I'd love to head out across the Atlantic Ocean. I have already traveled all up and down the east coast. This includes Disney. (I went to school in Florida so that's nothing new.) Never been out west, but I don't like to gamble. I have been to North-South America (namely Ecuador and Mexico), Costa Rica, Jamaica and various other islands in the Caribbean. So ideally i'd like to go somewhere new, different and under budget. A cruise seems to be the best option.

Any advice is appreciated!
 
Last edited:
ModerateGOP said:
Hello DP,

I have 12 vacation days and I would like to use most of them by the end of the year. Otherwise I lose them! So what's a good vacation that I can take? I am a 26 years old. Single and have about $3000 to spend on this trip. I'm interested in culture, history, museums, monuments. This would be my first real vacation and I am not planning on going with anyone. Which is where I am having trouble. Since many vacations are family planned or couple planned.

I have two options. I can either go, Dec. 19-24. Or Dec. 26- Jan. 3. Gota stay home for Christmas. (probably)

I will probably take one short trip before the holidays and one longer trip after. I am very much interested in international travel and if it's possible to swing this I'd love to head out across the Atlantic Ocean. I have already traveled all up and down the east coast. This includes Disney. (I went to school in Florida so that's nothing new.) Never been out west, but I don't like to gamble. I have been to North-South America (namely Ecuador and Mexico), Costa Rica, Jamaica and various other islands in the Caribbean. So ideally i'd like to go somewhere new, different and under budget. A cruise seems to be the best option.

Any advice is appreciated!
Click to expand...

Get a cheap flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico and spend one day in Old San Juan (the Spanish Fort and museums are great) and then spend one day traveling around the island. Then fly to Miami and rent a car to drive down Highway 1 to Key West (arguably the most beautiful drive in America) and the next day take the tour boat out to the Dry Tortugas and spend the day, and then come back and spend two days in Key West and then another day up in Key Largo. Then go to Miami and spend a day at South Beach and Little Havana. Then drive up the coast to Saint Augustine, Florida which is the oldest city in the US - the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed there in 1513 in his search for the Fountain of Youth. St. Augustine is a beautiful city with lots of historical attractions. Then if you have more time and money, you can visit Savannah, GA, Charleston, SC, Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, and/or Philadelphia, PA on your way back up north on your drive back to NJ, all good historical cities.
 
ModerateGOP said:
Hello DP,

I have 12 vacation days and I would like to use most of them by the end of the year. Otherwise I lose them! So what's a good vacation that I can take? I am a 26 years old. Single and have about $3000 to spend on this trip. I'm interested in culture, history, museums, monuments. This would be my first real vacation and I am not planning on going with anyone. Which is where I am having trouble. Since many vacations are family planned or couple planned.

I have two options. I can either go, Dec. 19-24. Or Dec. 26- Jan. 3. Gota stay home for Christmas. (probably)

I will probably take one short trip before the holidays and one longer trip after. I am very much interested in international travel and if it's possible to swing this I'd love to head out across the Atlantic Ocean. I have already traveled all up and down the east coast. This includes Disney. (I went to school in Florida so that's nothing new.) Never been out west, but I don't like to gamble. I have been to North-South America (namely Ecuador and Mexico), Costa Rica, Jamaica and various other islands in the Caribbean. So ideally i'd like to go somewhere new, different and under budget. A cruise seems to be the best option.

Any advice is appreciated!
Click to expand...

Saying a cruise is best option leaves you with the Caribbean. Find one that takes you to new islands. Pick your cruise line wisely as they are geared to different demographics.

For me, I would do London.
 
ModerateGOP said:
Hello DP,

I have 12 vacation days and I would like to use most of them by the end of the year. Otherwise I lose them! So what's a good vacation that I can take? I am a 26 years old. Single and have about $3000 to spend on this trip. I'm interested in culture, history, museums, monuments. This would be my first real vacation and I am not planning on going with anyone. Which is where I am having trouble. Since many vacations are family planned or couple planned.

I have two options. I can either go, Dec. 19-24. Or Dec. 26- Jan. 3. Gota stay home for Christmas. (probably)

I will probably take one short trip before the holidays and one longer trip after. I am very much interested in international travel and if it's possible to swing this I'd love to head out across the Atlantic Ocean. I have already traveled all up and down the east coast. This includes Disney. (I went to school in Florida so that's nothing new.) Never been out west, but I don't like to gamble. I have been to North-South America (namely Ecuador and Mexico), Costa Rica, Jamaica and various other islands in the Caribbean. So ideally i'd like to go somewhere new, different and under budget. A cruise seems to be the best option.

Any advice is appreciated!
Click to expand...

Most single swingers to go Cancun Mexico.

But any of the Carib Islands would be just as good.
 
ModerateGOP said:
Hello DP,

I have 12 vacation days and I would like to use most of them by the end of the year. Otherwise I lose them! So what's a good vacation that I can take? I am a 26 years old. Single and have about $3000 to spend on this trip. I'm interested in culture, history, museums, monuments. This would be my first real vacation and I am not planning on going with anyone. Which is where I am having trouble. Since many vacations are family planned or couple planned.

I have two options. I can either go, Dec. 19-24. Or Dec. 26- Jan. 3. Gota stay home for Christmas. (probably)

I will probably take one short trip before the holidays and one longer trip after. I am very much interested in international travel and if it's possible to swing this I'd love to head out across the Atlantic Ocean. I have already traveled all up and down the east coast. This includes Disney. (I went to school in Florida so that's nothing new.) Never been out west, but I don't like to gamble. I have been to North-South America (namely Ecuador and Mexico), Costa Rica, Jamaica and various other islands in the Caribbean. So ideally i'd like to go somewhere new, different and under budget. A cruise seems to be the best option.

Any advice is appreciated!
Click to expand...

Paris. Yes, I'm serious. Right now or soon, due to the tragedy, you should be able to get reasonably cheap airfare. The B&B's will welcome your business. Paris is everything: food, culture, architecture, history, museums, art! You have everything there.

Every unmarried young person should go to Paris. You will fall in love with the city, with life. And maybe with a Parisian lady. You won't be bored for a second.

I've been to Paris during all four seasons. It is magic whenever you go.

Don't waste your money on hotels - though the hotels are much better than comparably priced hotels in London. I prefer B&Bs. They are a better deal in France as well.

You are too young for a cruise. Don't do cruises until you are so old you drool.
 
Risky Thicket said:
Paris. Yes, I'm serious. Right now or soon, due to the tragedy, you should be able to get reasonably cheap airfare. The B&B's will welcome your business. Paris is everything: food, culture, architecture, history, museums, art! You have everything there.

Every unmarried young person should go to Paris. You will fall in love with the city, with life. And maybe with a Parisian lady. You won't be bored for a second.

I've been to Paris during all four seasons. It is magic whenever you go.

Don't waste your money on hotels - though the hotels are much better than comparably priced hotels in London. I prefer B&Bs. They are a better deal in France as well.

You are too young for a cruise. Don't do cruises until you are so old you drool.
Click to expand...

The only problem is that on a $3k budget things will still be tight.
 
ModerateGOP said:
Hello DP,

I have 12 vacation days and I would like to use most of them by the end of the year. Otherwise I lose them! So what's a good vacation that I can take? I am a 26 years old. Single and have about $3000 to spend on this trip. I'm interested in culture, history, museums, monuments. This would be my first real vacation and I am not planning on going with anyone. Which is where I am having trouble. Since many vacations are family planned or couple planned.

I have two options. I can either go, Dec. 19-24. Or Dec. 26- Jan. 3. Gota stay home for Christmas. (probably)

I will probably take one short trip before the holidays and one longer trip after. I am very much interested in international travel and if it's possible to swing this I'd love to head out across the Atlantic Ocean. I have already traveled all up and down the east coast. This includes Disney. (I went to school in Florida so that's nothing new.) Never been out west, but I don't like to gamble. I have been to North-South America (namely Ecuador and Mexico), Costa Rica, Jamaica and various other islands in the Caribbean. So ideally i'd like to go somewhere new, different and under budget. A cruise seems to be the best option.

Any advice is appreciated!
Click to expand...

A cruise gives you great bang for your busk but it would be pretty boring to do alone. I actually like Beaudreaux's idea or something along those lines. If you want to do something a little different you can take a class at Gunsite - http://www.gunsite.com/
 
Cruises suck. Go to Europe. December isn't the ideal time in terms of weather, but it should be fairly cheap since it's off season. Spain, Southern France, Italy is good. You can easily do it under budget. London and Paris are great, but a little more expensive. Go with hostels if you can rough it.

If you want to stay domestic, the SF area is a great option.
 
Unless you go on a swingers cruise for singles only, you are going to be awfully lonely drinking alone at the bar.
 
Threegoofs said:
Cruises suck. Go to Europe. December isn't the ideal time in terms of weather, but it should be fairly cheap since it's off season. Spain, Southern France, Italy is good. You can easily do it under budget. London and Paris are great, but a little more expensive. Go with hostels if you can rough it.

If you want to stay domestic, the SF area is a great option.
Click to expand...

I did the hostel route more than a few times in my misspent youth. If you do a bit of research you can stay in some pretty good places for next to nothing. At 26 it isn't a bad way to go. You can mix it up some between hostels and B&Bs.
 
Lutherf said:
A cruise gives you great bang for your busk but it would be pretty boring to do alone. I actually like Beaudreaux's idea or something along those lines. If you want to do something a little different you can take a class at Gunsite - http://www.gunsite.com/
Click to expand...

I did a few years of ROTC in college. So that wouldn't be anything new, and there are gun ranges close by... NY, PA, yes even NJ. Also I'm not that into guns but thanks for the suggestion.
 
Riveroaks said:
Unless you go on a swingers cruise for singles only, you are going to be awfully lonely drinking alone at the bar.
Click to expand...

I looked into singles' cruises, not specifically swingers cruises (although I am sure that is interchanged on the boat) they are mostly not sailing on the dates I am looking at unfortunately.
 
Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Burma or Nepal. The flight will cost you but your money will go far.

I especially recommend Nepal, Burma, and Thailand. The Temples of Angkor in Cambodia are particularly awesome.

Nepal still might be chaotic from the earthquakes but... still worth checking out.
 
Europe. Paris is nice, but VERY expensive. But then again, due to their troubles, maybe not! The nice thing about Europe is, each country has it's own flair, it's own vibe, no one greater than the other. Italy, France, Germany, Spain, all are beautiful. I say do Spain, simply because I personally haven't gone there yet. Italy is nice, hit one of the lakes, I suggest Lake Garda, very lovely, with plenty of old history, roman baths, etc. Venice is also nice, but more expensive, and frankly, after about....4 days, you'll be bored. Germany is a BLAST, it has something for EVERYONE. Rent a sports car and risk your life on the green hell! Or, rent a sports car, and drive 155+ mph on the autoban. Drink awesome beer. Hook up with an awesome chick, after drinking awesome beer. The cities are old and wonderful. Munich, especially, IMO. Or France....that's where the high rollers go. Lion, Paris, or the mountains. Perfect time for some skiing, I think...

Gotta do that **** now, because once you settle down and have a family, it's hard as hell to do. Explore the US after you have kids. Explore everywhere else BEFORE you have kids.
 
ModerateGOP said:
Hello DP,

I have 12 vacation days and I would like to use most of them by the end of the year. Otherwise I lose them! So what's a good vacation that I can take? I am a 26 years old. Single and have about $3000 to spend on this trip. I'm interested in culture, history, museums, monuments. This would be my first real vacation and I am not planning on going with anyone. Which is where I am having trouble. Since many vacations are family planned or couple planned.

I have two options. I can either go, Dec. 19-24. Or Dec. 26- Jan. 3. Gota stay home for Christmas. (probably)

I will probably take one short trip before the holidays and one longer trip after. I am very much interested in international travel and if it's possible to swing this I'd love to head out across the Atlantic Ocean. I have already traveled all up and down the east coast. This includes Disney. (I went to school in Florida so that's nothing new.) Never been out west, but I don't like to gamble. I have been to North-South America (namely Ecuador and Mexico), Costa Rica, Jamaica and various other islands in the Caribbean. So ideally i'd like to go somewhere new, different and under budget. A cruise seems to be the best option.

Any advice is appreciated!
Click to expand...

If you want museums then Europe is probably the best. I was in Italy earlier this year and the museums are pretty darn good (check my thread out in the Tavern). I would suggest that with 12 days you spend about 4 days per city, that should give you enough time to tour the main sites and have maybe a day or two to go by yourself and visit museums that aren't part of the itinerary. The problem if you split up your vacation time is going to be the air fare so I would suggest you just spend Christmas where ever it is that you will be going to especially if its an international trip.
 
Northern Light said:
Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Burma or Nepal. The flight will cost you but your money will go far.

I especially recommend Nepal, Burma, and Thailand. The Temples of Angkor in Cambodia are particularly awesome.

Nepal still might be chaotic from the earthquakes but... still worth checking out.
Click to expand...


I would love to go to Asia, but I do not know Chinese or anybody that lives there who can show me around. Granted I don't have any international friends. Would that be a problem? I think I'll save that for next year though. As I said, I have never traveled to the other side of the ocean before so let's see how I do with something a little closer like Europe.
 
PoS said:
If you want museums then Europe is probably the best. I was in Italy earlier this year and the museums are pretty darn good (check my thread out in the Tavern). I would suggest that with 12 days you spend about 4 days per city, that should give you enough time to tour the main sites and have maybe a day or two to go by yourself and visit museums that aren't part of the itinerary. The problem if you split up your vacation time is going to be the air fare so I would suggest you just spend Christmas where ever it is that you will be going to especially if its an international trip.
Click to expand...

I think I'll be staying on this side of the pond for four of those days and spend the other nine days in Europe. The thing about Europe is that I find it a little overwhelming. Trying to understand the exchange rates and the travel between countries. How many sights can I hit? I heard some people basically saying just to stay in London the whole time. The price for flights start at $1300 so I'll only have $1700 to spend between 7ish days. Minus two for the long trek there and back home.
 
ModerateGOP said:
I would love to go to Asia, but I do not know Chinese or anybody that lives there who can show me around. Granted I don't have any international friends. Would that be a problem? I think I'll save that for next year though. As I said, I have never traveled to the other side of the ocean before so let's see how I do with something a little closer like Europe.
Click to expand...

English is widely spoken in Thailand, Hong King, Singapore and India. Not a problem at all- most street signs are in English there (not Thailand tho).

Go to Europe. Kinda rainy in December, but you won't have the tourist hordes.
 
Threegoofs said:
English is widely spoken in Thailand, Hong King, Singapore and India. Not a problem at all- most street signs are in English there (not Thailand tho).

Go to Europe. Kinda rainy in December, but you won't have the tourist hordes.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Next year! I'll have more money. Plus this year we've been hit with a lot of on-going problems and a pain in the neck email upgrade so I couldn't get away. Can you do Asia in a week? Or does it have to be 1.5 weeks?
 
ModerateGOP said:
I think I'll be staying on this side of the pond for four of those days and spend the other nine days in Europe. The thing about Europe is that I find it a little overwhelming. Trying to understand the exchange rates and the travel between countries. How many sights can I hit? I heard some people basically saying just to stay in London the whole time. The price for flights start at $1300 so I'll only have $1700 to spend between 7ish days. Minus two for the long trek there and back home.
Click to expand...

Currency is simple. Unless you're in the UK, it's virtually all the Euro, and that's almost a 1:1 ratio these days.

London is pricey. And France and Italy are so much cooler. Again, English is almost universal these days...won't be an issue.
 
Risky Thicket said:
Paris. Yes, I'm serious. Right now or soon, due to the tragedy, you should be able to get reasonably cheap airfare. The B&B's will welcome your business. Paris is everything: food, culture, architecture, history, museums, art! You have everything there.

Every unmarried young person should go to Paris. You will fall in love with the city, with life. And maybe with a Parisian lady. You won't be bored for a second.

I've been to Paris during all four seasons. It is magic whenever you go.

Don't waste your money on hotels - though the hotels are much better than comparably priced hotels in London. I prefer B&Bs. They are a better deal in France as well.

You are too young for a cruise. Don't do cruises until you are so old you drool.
Click to expand...

listen to risky
however, i am not fond of B&Bs
Hotel Vivienne is convenient, clean, and will not break the bank
40 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris, France
+33 1 42 33 13 26
 
ModerateGOP said:
I think I'll be staying on this side of the pond for four of those days and spend the other nine days in Europe. The thing about Europe is that I find it a little overwhelming. Trying to understand the exchange rates and the travel between countries. How many sights can I hit? I heard some people basically saying just to stay in London the whole time. The price for flights start at $1300 so I'll only have $1700 to spend between 7ish days. Minus two for the long trek there and back home.
Click to expand...
I'm assuming youre an American so with that blue passport you can go anywhere in Europe without a visa- that isn't an issue at all since if youre in the Eurozone you can travel without restrictions once youre in due to the Shengen laws. Unless you go to the UK or Switzerland everyone uses the Euro so exchange rates are pretty simplified. All the main cities in the EU like Paris and Rome, Barca, Madrid, English is widely spoken so thats not a problem either.

Get a GPS app on your phone and download the maps in advance so you can navigate or just pick up the free maps in the hotel or tourist centers wherever you go.

I would suggest that if you have 9 days then pick out two cities in Europe you want to go to, might be better if its one country so you can absorb the languages and culture better than if you go on a five city whirlwind tour over 3 countries in which you forget everything afterwards.

The EU has got a good mass transit system. The trains are good, just watch out for thieves on the platforms.

Here is an excellent website on train travel:

The Man in Seat Sixty-One - the train travel guide...
 
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