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Planning First Trip Abroad
04-05-2015, 03:44 PM
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.
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Planning First Trip Abroad
04-05-2015, 03:48 PM
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
A man is only as faithful as his options-Chris Rock
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Planning First Trip Abroad
04-05-2015, 04:05 PM
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.
A man is only as faithful as his options-Chris Rock
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Planning First Trip Abroad
04-05-2015, 04:30 PM
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.
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Planning First Trip Abroad
04-05-2015, 04:34 PM
If you did 4 days then you could get by in Europe. Shit...with a free flight then it may be worth it.
A man is only as faithful as his options-Chris Rock
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Planning First Trip Abroad
04-05-2015, 05:36 PM
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.
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Planning First Trip Abroad
04-05-2015, 05:59 PM
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.
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Planning First Trip Abroad
04-05-2015, 07:44 PM
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.
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Planning First Trip Abroad
07-09-2017, 09:32 AM
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.
If only you knew how bad things really are.
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Planning First Trip Abroad
07-09-2017, 09:54 AM
Nothing sucks more than traveling to a new place and not being able to fully enjoy the experience because you're stressed about money.
I'm the King of Beijing!
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Planning First Trip Abroad
07-09-2017, 05:13 PM
^ 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.
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Planning First Trip Abroad
07-10-2017, 12:47 PM
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.