Impulse Shopper

When I went to see Midnight in Paris with Travis a few weeks ago, I had no idea that a few hours later I would be voraciously searching for flights to Paris and asking..."how would you feel about not eating for two of the seven days we are there"? How could I have guessed that one silly little movie would make me want to quickly spend a cool 8 grand?  No, folks, I am not made of money...but I do like to travel.  And this movie completely and totally attacked my weaknesses.

Let me set the scene.

This is a movie by Woody Allen.  I have never seen a Woody Allen movie.  I'm not even sure if I spelled his name correctly.  But, I was intrigued because I like Owen Wilson and like all straight men, Travis has a crush on Rachel McAdams.  And I knew it was set in Paris.  And then we watched this:

Hooked.  Totally and completely hooked.  I didn't even have to know the plot.  That music and those still shots of the city were enough for me.  Se we bought two tickets (in advance...who buys tickets AT the theater anymore?  Anyone?)  And we the youngest people in the theater by at least fifty years.  Okay, maybe not fifty, but at least twenty.  We were a bit skeptical.

And then, the movie started.  The first three minutes are shots of Paris.  Travel Porn is another name for that.  Owen Wilson is ridiculously charming and Rachel McAdams is....Rachel McAdams.  Equally charming.

And then the movie got a little silly.  Actually a lot silly.  If you don't like spoilers, stop reading right....NOW.

So Owen Wilson's character loves the ex-pat Parisian society from the 20's.  You know, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso, Gertrude Stein.  And he fantasizes about meeting them in Paris.  And then there is time travel and he really does meet them.  Yep, that is what I said.  Time travel.  At first I was a little skeptical.  Actually a lot skeptical.  But then I just decided to go with it and it was awesome.  Hemingway's character was spot on.  He sounded like he was reading A Moveable Feast every time he spoke.   Let me just say that this English teacher was in heaven. 

Travis and I left the theater actually discussing flights to Paris.  And if we had enough money in our bank account for a two week European vacation.  That is how good this movie is.  See it.  It is charming and seductive and silly.  Yes, all of those adjectives rolled into one movie.  Also, it gives you the opportunity to vicariously travel to Paris when the weather is fantastic and you have a ton of money.  Not like watching a Bourne movie that is always set in winter and makes you never want to visit Europe because you might get shot by a highly skilled sniper. 

See this movie for nothing else but the scenery of Paris at all times of the day.  It is glorious. 

Planning A Big Trip: Budget

When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money.  Then take half the clothes and twice the money.  ~Susan Heller

When I talk to people about my travels, the first thing they comment on is how they wish they could go to cool places like Italy and NYC.  And almost always, people say they could never do these things because it is too expensive.  Travel, like most things in life, is a choice.  If you choose to make it a priority, then you end up actually doing it.  When Travis and I got married, one of our biggest goals was to travel.  Consequently, we sacrificed on a few things (new television and furniture) so we could save for fun trips.  We have been blessed to travel to some of the coolest places on Earth in just a few short years.  Part of this comes with Travis's ability to properly budget a trip.

I am the first to say that money is not my strong suit.  I am by no means a crazy spender (although Travis may think otherwise) but I don't really think things through like my husband.  Thankfully, he is able to calculate quickly how much we will need to a trip.

Here is how we budget our trips.  We always pay for the majority of our trip before we go.  This makes the actual trip much more fun because we are not worried about how much we are spending each and every day.  So, get the biggest expenses out of the way a few months ahead of time (plane ticket, hotel).  Sometimes hotels will give you a discount for paying in advance.  (Look to smaller hotels in Europe).  This might be helpful for when you plan your next trip.

Travel (airfare, taxi fare, subways, bike rental, train tickets, etc.) 
 Do your research ahead of time.  Look to travel websites like Kayak, FareCompare or Airfare Watchdog to snag the cheapest flights.  If you are a student, look at studentuniverse.com.  When Travis and I were in college and took our first trip together to Europe, we scored $650 tickets in the summer to London on StudentUniverse.  Look on FareCompare's map of prices for an idea on what a plane ticket to Japan costs in July.  (I have looked, it is around $1200 bucks). 

In most major cities you can look ahead for subway/underground fares to get an idea of what you want.  Also, travel books will have a section in the beginning about what to expect on travel.  A cab ride in Rome might be cheaper than navigating the crazy bus system.  Or the thought of navigating a foreign bus route might be worth spending a little more on cab fare.  Be prepared and do your research and know your limits.  

Hotel 
Make a list of what is important to you.  Is it fancy bedding?  A bathroom attached to your room?  Is breakfast included?  Ambience and character?  A trusted "name"?  I like TripAdvisor for reviews and suggestions on places to stay.  You can easily get an idea of what a room costs and look at real pictures taken by real traveler cameras of rooms and hotels.  This prepares you for the bathroom down the hall or the awesome breakfast. 

Decide what kind of trip you are taking.  Are you going to the beach in Mexico?  Then splurge on the room because you will spend a lot of time there.  Are you going to Europe?  Then just remember, you only sleep there.  Look to location over name brand or size.  It is important that if you are in a big city, you want to stay near the things you plan on visiting.  Do you research, buy a few books, and read about where you want to stay.  If you can sacrifice on a few luxuries in order to make the trip, do it.  The experience of travel is much better than the sheets. 

Tabard Inn, Washington D.C. Small, quaint rooms with great breakfast!

Food 
Is this a big part of your trip?  For example, when we visited San Francisco, we quickly discovered that the food was incredible, so we spent big on dinners.  And it was worth it.  In Italy this past summer, we knew that we could eat pretty cheaply, but we wanted to be able to have a few nice dinners in each town we visited.  In Florence, we "pic-niced" outside of the Boboli Gardens in front of the Pitti Palace, visiting the local grocer across the street for fresh melon, cheese, and prociutto to stay within our daily budget. 

When traveling abroad, look for hotels that include breakfast.  It is usually pretty good (various meats and cheeses, juice, pastry, coffee) and saves you the time and extra bucks you would spend each morning looking for breakfast.  Also, be realistic and include drinks.  You might walk by a quaint little bar at 4 in the afternoon and think, man a beer sounds great right now.  But, be ready to pay a little more than you would back home.  Be honest about how you spend here, and add about 25-40 bucks for travel.  

Activities
Do you plan on visiting any museums?  Do you want to rent an umbrella at the beach?  Do you plan on shopping at H&M?  Do your research.  Almost every major museum in the world has a website and will tell you exactly how much it will cost.  Some famous museums even have deals.  For example, when we visited NYC this past fall, we found out that on Friday evenings the MOMA has free admission thanks to Target.  The line snaked around the corner at 5:30 (but moved quickly) and it was crowded inside, but we were able to avoid the $20 entrance fee.  Some museums will give you a discount if you are a student, and some will even discount you for being a teacher.  Teachers, do not hesitate to pull the teacher card.  You will be amazed at the deals you can score.  More on that later.

Fat Tire Bike Tours in Barcelona.  A great way to see the city!

I met a lot of people in Europe.  I even encountered myself.  ~James Baldwin

My best suggestion for taking big trips is to be honest about the kind of trip you want.  Planning a trip can be fun, especially if you want to visit a place way different from where you live.  Look to blogs and travel websites and spend a few hours at Barnes & Noble in the travel section.  That is a great way to spend a Saturday night.  There, you can get an honest perspective on how much it will cost and you can decide accordingly.  Also, you can contact me and will talk for hours about it.  HOURS.  Thus, the blog.  Happy travels! 

Going to Europe Soon?

Love this picture of a Venetian canal? 

Are you thinking of going to Europe sometime in the near future? 

You should GO!!  According to this article from the New York Times, now is the time to capitalize on the lower exchange rate and crazy government problems.   

"Europe's Economic Troubles Offers Opportunities to Tourists"