[Namaste1994]

Sup fellas,

Just some background info to aid in the advice, long time lurker, decided to join and I'm excited to join the community

-20 years old, 5'9, 165lbs, Athletic build
-Black
-From the SE United States
-Budget for my trip ~300-400$
-Estimated time Abroad: 10-14 days
-In the Armed Forces
-Unplugged about 5 months ago
-Maybe going solo or with 2 buds
-New to game
-Chinese student (not nearly good enough for conversation yet)

Well i have been presented a rather unique opportunity that i didn't know existed, i can get on Military plans out of local Air force bases that routinely go to Europe (UK,Germany,Holland) or Asia (Korea,Philippines) or even South America (Honduras) depending on the day i decide to hop on the plan. The best part is the cost :FREE. I will be exploiting this to the max to go travel all over the world for free (initially out of the US anyway), this will save me a ton of money on travel expenses.

Anyway this is the dilemma. I will most likely be flying into Germany or Holland initially and i want to use the little time i have to find 1 or 2 good spots where i can get my feet wet and jump into the world of game and explore the world pretty much.

Im looking at just staying in Amsterdam maybe but a part of me wants to get culture shocked. A couple friends have suggested Istanbul, the Greek Islands (Ios and santorini in particular).

Where should i go to maximize my money and time?

Edit:Im kinda rushing this trip because of time (I've got some training i have to do for about a month) so i wanted to go to Europe for a short spell and see what was up. I could shorten the time i'd spend or even just not go at all till i have more bankroll after my training.

Thanks for reading fellas,

Cam.

[Mentavious]

300 for two weeks????

You will spend almost a third of that in one day if visiting Holland.

That might not even get you 5 days in Mexico

[Namaste1994]

(04-05-2015 03:48 PM)Mentavious Wrote:  

300 for two weeks????

You will spend almost a third of that in one day if visiting Holland.

That might not even get you 5 days in Mexico

o.o I should prob add an edit to my OP but i'll go ahead and say it, Im kinda rushing this trip because of time (I've got some training i have to do for about a month) so i wanted to go to Europe for a short spell and see what was up. I could shorten the time i'd spend or even just not go at all till i have more bankroll after my training.

[Mentavious]

Even if you don't drink, did 5 days, and found a host....you could maybe do the Phils? But you would be jet lagged for the first few days, would be counting every penny, and couldn't bring your girl back home.

Hostels in holland cost 20-25
Food was 12-15 per meal
Beer is 3-5

At least Germany has cheaper food options. 2 bucks for a pretzel and 4 for a brat.

[scotian]

(04-05-2015 03:51 PM)Namaste1994 Wrote:  

(04-05-2015 03:48 PM)Mentavious Wrote:  

300 for two weeks????

You will spend almost a third of that in one day if visiting Holland.

That might not even get you 5 days in Mexico

o.o I should prob add an edit to my OP but i'll go ahead and say it, Im kinda rushing this trip because of time (I've got some training i have to do for about a month) so i wanted to go to Europe for a short spell and see what was up. I could shorten the time i'd spend or even just not go at all till i have more bankroll after my training.

This is probably your best option, banking more cash, it sucks having to pinch pennies while traveling because you won't be able to properly enjoy yourself and will be staying in shitty accommodations, eating bad food, etc. Then if something shitty happens, say you get robbed or just need more money, you'll be fucked. Some guys on here roll with a really low budget and even get girls to take them out and buy them food and drinks, but that's not too common. Save up a few more bucks bud and then you can have a much more enjoyable trip, that's a pretty cool deal getting free flights.

[Namaste1994]

(04-05-2015 04:05 PM)Mentavious Wrote:  

Even if you don't drink, did 5 days, and found a host....you could maybe do the Phils? But you would be jet lagged for the first few days, would be counting every penny, and couldn't bring your girl back home.

Hostels in holland cost 20-25
Food was 12-15 per meal
Beer is 3-5

At least Germany has cheaper food options. 2 bucks for a pretzel and 4 for a brat.

fucking hell. Im literally poor as fuck right now looking at that breakdown. I'll have to hold off on the trip next month then.

(04-05-2015 04:16 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(04-05-2015 03:51 PM)Namaste1994 Wrote:  

(04-05-2015 03:48 PM)Mentavious Wrote:  

300 for two weeks????

You will spend almost a third of that in one day if visiting Holland.

That might not even get you 5 days in Mexico

o.o I should prob add an edit to my OP but i'll go ahead and say it, Im kinda rushing this trip because of time (I've got some training i have to do for about a month) so i wanted to go to Europe for a short spell and see what was up. I could shorten the time i'd spend or even just not go at all till i have more bankroll after my training.

This is probably your best option, banking more cash, it sucks having to pinch pennies while traveling because you won't be able to properly enjoy yourself and will be staying in shitty accommodations, eating bad food, etc. Then if something shitty happens, say you get robbed or just need more money, you'll be fucked. Some guys on here roll with a really low budget and even get girls to take them out and buy them food and drinks, but that's not too common. Save up a few more bucks bud and then you can have a much more enjoyable trip, that's a pretty cool deal getting free flights.

You're right. I just got a bit excited, getting out of Uni for the summer and i had a couple days to blow and just some spur of the moment stuff.

In any case, I want to hit Holland up and then head to EE. I heard that it's cheaper to survive there and the girl quality (from what i've been reading) is top-class as well.

[elcidcampeador]

With 400$ you could do a week in Honduras, although good luck with accommodation.

Much of this forums' success is based on proper planning, which includes style, fitness, and on-the-ground logistics among other things.

If you're sleeping in a hostel, you're not going to have the same success as a guy staying in a well-equipped apartment located near the nightlife.

I'm not an EE expert, but I don't think girls over there are going to sleep with you if you're living in a hostel or a tent.

[Mentavious]

If you did 4 days then you could get by in Europe. Shit...with a free flight then it may be worth it.

[Namaste1994]

(04-05-2015 04:30 PM)elcidcampeador Wrote:  

With 400$ you could do a week in Honduras, although good luck with accommodation.

Much of this forums' success is based on proper planning, which includes style, fitness, and on-the-ground logistics among other things.

If you're sleeping in a hostel, you're not going to have the same success as a guy staying in a well-equipped apartment located near the nightlife.

I'm not an EE expert, but I don't think girls over there are going to sleep with you if you're living in a hostel or a tent.

Fair enough. I dont want to sleep in an Hostel if i can afford not to. The Logistics is the hardest part it seems, it makes or breaks the entire encounter assuming you get the close.

Gotta keep saving my pennies then.

(04-05-2015 04:34 PM)Mentavious Wrote:  

If you did 4 days then you could get by in Europe. Shit...with a free flight then it may be worth it.

This being the case, Idk if there's a place in WE thats cheap enough for me to get by... i hate saying get by. It feels cheap as fuck.

[Brodiaga]

You can't afford to travel.

I couldn't either when I was 20, nothing wrong with it.

Make more money and then start traveling.

[Tigre]

You can make it work if you stick to a strict budget and don't travel too far.

Forget about Turkey or Greece - stick to either Holland or Germany, wherever you arrive. Forget about 10-14 days, make it 6-8 days.

Ideally the $300 to $400 is your actual budget you can blow on a trip and not every last cent you have in the world. It's good to have an emergency fund separate from your trip budget that you can dip into if you really need to. Ideally you don't need to spend any money up front to buy travel gear (eg. luggage, passport, winter clothes).

If you'll travel solo, sound out hosts on Couchsurfing and see if they can hook you up. If you're traveling with a friend or two, you can share a cheap hotel room. If one of you is about to get some tail, the other guy(s) will have to find something to do in the streets of the city for a while.

If traveling with friends, be sure you're compatible for making decisions. Sometimes guys have different energy levels, or different expectations for what they'll be doing, and it can cause friction.

There won't be a lot of money for nightlife or restaurants. You would have to discover the cheap solution for everything. Box wine, or vodka and juice instead of going out to the bar. Rotisserie chicken or pasta prepared at home instead of sitting down at a restaurant.

If you are easygoing and can deal with all that, do the trip now and you will have a memorable time. If that sounds tough, save up and wait for a better opportunity.

[Namaste1994]

(04-05-2015 05:36 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  

You can't afford to travel.

I couldn't either when I was 20, nothing wrong with it.

Make more money and then start traveling.

This shit here is going to be my sig because sig worthy.

As much as i dont like looking at the brute reality of things, this is one of those moments. I dont want be in Europe wondering "fuck i have no money to do x and y."

(04-05-2015 05:59 PM)Tigre Wrote:  

You can make it work if you stick to a strict budget and don't travel too far.

Forget about Turkey or Greece - stick to either Holland or Germany, wherever you arrive. Forget about 10-14 days, make it 6-8 days.

Ideally the $300 to $400 is your actual budget you can blow on a trip and not every last cent you have in the world. It's good to have an emergency fund separate from your trip budget that you can dip into if you really need to. Ideally you don't need to spend any money up front to buy travel gear (eg. luggage, passport, winter clothes).

If you'll travel solo, sound out hosts on Couchsurfing and see if they can hook you up. If you're traveling with a friend or two, you can share a cheap hotel room. If one of you is about to get some tail, the other guy(s) will have to find something to do in the streets of the city for a while.

If traveling with friends, be sure you're compatible for making decisions. Sometimes guys have different energy levels, or different expectations for what they'll be doing, and it can cause friction.

There won't be a lot of money for nightlife or restaurants. You would have to discover the cheap solution for everything. Box wine, or vodka and juice instead of going out to the bar. Rotisserie chicken or pasta prepared at home instead of sitting down at a restaurant.

If you are easygoing and can deal with all that, do the trip now and you will have a memorable time. If that sounds tough, save up and wait for a better opportunity.

Yeah honestly the two guys i'd be going with, we are All different as FUCK. One dude has a gf and doesn't even drink... that right there will cause more conflicts than i want to come up with.

Honestly i'll just have to continue to save up till i have like 1000$ to blow. then i'll make my move abroad.

[Buster]

Thank you for your service, sacrifice is duly noted. I'm sure more than one of us would buy you a round if we run into you in your future travels.

[Namaste1994]

(04-05-2015 07:44 PM)Buster Wrote:  

Thank you for your service, sacrifice is duly noted. I'm sure more than one of us would buy you a round if we run into you in your future travels.

No worries brother. Im not one to turn down a free drink but thanks for your support.

[dalbroker]

$300 is nothing to spend when you leave the country.
The visa fee to china alone is $140.

I have never left the US and not spend $2k...and that
is using miles.

My concern for you is your budget. There is nothing
wrong in waiting until the time is right.

Tip - I keep an excel spreadsheet when I travel and
document literally every expense. My way of keeping
track of where the money goes.

My overall budget is usually $3-$5k....for 30 days.
not including air travel.

Keep track of everything in excel helps me feel better
about spending money as you spend a LOT more
when you are traveling.

Good luck.

(04-05-2015 03:44 PM)Namaste1994 Wrote:  

Sup fellas,

Just some background info to aid in the advice, long time lurker, decided to join and I'm excited to join the community

-20 years old, 5'9, 165lbs, Athletic build
-Black
-From the SE United States
-Budget for my trip ~300-400$
-Estimated time Abroad: 10-14 days
-In the Armed Forces
-Unplugged about 5 months ago
-Maybe going solo or with 2 buds
-New to game
-Chinese student (not nearly good enough for conversation yet)

Well i have been presented a rather unique opportunity that i didn't know existed, i can get on Military plans out of local Air force bases that routinely go to Europe (UK,Germany,Holland) or Asia (Korea,Philippines) or even South America (Honduras) depending on the day i decide to hop on the plan. The best part is the cost :FREE. I will be exploiting this to the max to go travel all over the world for free (initially out of the US anyway), this will save me a ton of money on travel expenses.

Anyway this is the dilemma. I will most likely be flying into Germany or Holland initially and i want to use the little time i have to find 1 or 2 good spots where i can get my feet wet and jump into the world of game and explore the world pretty much.

Im looking at just staying in Amsterdam maybe but a part of me wants to get culture shocked. A couple friends have suggested Istanbul, the Greek Islands (Ios and santorini in particular).

Where should i go to maximize my money and time?

Edit:Im kinda rushing this trip because of time (I've got some training i have to do for about a month) so i wanted to go to Europe for a short spell and see what was up. I could shorten the time i'd spend or even just not go at all till i have more bankroll after my training.

Thanks for reading fellas,

Cam.

[Namaste1994]

(04-06-2015 08:06 AM)dalbroker Wrote:  

$300 is nothing to spend when you leave the country.
The visa fee to china alone is $140.

I have never left the US and not spend $2k...and that
is using miles.

My concern for you is your budget. There is nothing
wrong in waiting until the time is right.

Tip - I keep an excel spreadsheet when I travel and
document literally every expense. My way of keeping
track of where the money goes.

My overall budget is usually $3-$5k....for 30 days.
not including air travel.

Keep track of everything in excel helps me feel better
about spending money as you spend a LOT more
when you are traveling.

Good luck.

Thanks for the replies fellas. Well this may as well roll into another topic of discussion instead of clogging up forum with another post


For a 1st timer who'll most likely be dropping in Germany(near Rammstein) or in Amsterdam,Holland, I wonder where i should really head to get my feet wet.

I know this'll really depend on my budget but I'm thinking I'm going to save about 1K aside to go travel realistically.

[RexImperator]

Thought I'd revive this thread instead of starting another one... I haven't travelled overseas since 2009, so I'm a bit rusty on international travel. If I were going to take a trip, say to EE, what is the a rough formula for how much do I need to save up? (Airfare, plus accommodation, plus meals and expenses, etc...). When I travelled to W. Europe in the past I usually stayed in small pensiones or family hotels.

[Suits]

Nothing sucks more than traveling to a new place and not being able to fully enjoy the experience because you're stressed about money.

[fenetre]

(07-09-2017 09:32 AM)RexImperator Wrote:  

Thought I'd revive this thread instead of starting another one... I haven't travelled overseas since 2009, so I'm a bit rusty on international travel. If I were going to take a trip, say to EE, what is the a rough formula for how much do I need to save up? (Airfare, plus accommodation, plus meals and expenses, etc...). When I travelled to W. Europe in the past I usually stayed in small pensiones or family hotels.

I've been living in Belgrade for three months almost, Kiev next.

I can't answer your flight costs.

My monthly budget is £1500.
Approx:
Air bnb £500
Food £600
Prepay phone sim £10
Gym £20
Misc £150
Budget for travel to next city £200

I quit drinking alcohol but it hasn't affected my game, except I'm 100% daygame now. Picked up 6 new notches so far so consider quitting drinking - it will save you a ton of cash and time. And to be honest, my game is way sharper without alcohol.

I eat out every day. I only eat breakfast at home (porridge), and snacks like apple, carrot, greek yoghurt, nuts, etc. But these add up to approx 2 extra small meals so I'm getting good nutrition and protein in each day.

Let me know if you've any more questions, happy to help.

[youngbuck]

^ Isn't it really hard to find an airbnb apt. that is both centrally located, looks good, and is available to you for as long as you want?
Was it via airbnb or another site? I suppose you didn't take it for 3 months off the bat, but rather asked to extend your stay each time. I'm wondering how this works, since taking an apt. for several shorter periods each time makes it much more expensive.

[fenetre]

(07-09-2017 05:13 PM)youngbuck Wrote:  

^ Isn't it really hard to find an airbnb apt. that is both centrally located, looks good, and is available to you for as long as you want?
Was it via airbnb or another site? I suppose you didn't take it for 3 months off the bat, but rather asked to extend your stay each time. I'm wondering how this works, since taking an apt. for several shorter periods each time makes it much more expensive.

I did take it for three months. You have to accept that you can only get the best with what's available and with your budget. But I've been able to get well-located places each time.

You don't need a swanky place bang in the middle of the main street. A ten minute walk is a breeze. Plus, I've never needed a 5-star place to pull a girl.

I book three months in advance usually so I often have enough available places.

If I don't want to stay in that place, I can cancel and leave after a month. Long term airbnb rentals have a 30-day cancellation clause.

[FFL]

Hostels as cheap as $2 a night on Dobovo, https://www.dobovo.com/ but you'll need to go to Ukraine

[Xen]

I spend fuckall whenever I travel cause :

1. Going Solo
2. My day game is shit, so hardly get to bang.
3. Earn in arab dirhams, so yeah until taxation hits GCC, keep raking in the moolah (puns intended)
4. Hike a lot and tour mostly eastern european counties, because I got thing for the Balkans and post soviet countries.
5. Staying in hostels help than renting airbnbs.