Help from a Nomad with travels!

[HappyHealthy365]

Hi everyone!!! I am a Hungarian girl who lived in the US between 2000 and 2009 and since 2009 is a global nomad. I travel a lot and change locations on an average of every 3 months. My American partner is also well-traveled, has lived in many places abroad, we volunteered abroad together and is actually working in international education/study abroad. If you have travel related questions: ASK ME!!! Happy to help.
Topics: budget travel, airplanes, buses, trains, packing, safety, fears, tools, forums, things to do, food etc
Countries; Hungary, US, Holland, Spain, Kenya (lived in longer term); Turkey, Croatia, Mexico (lived medium-term); Greece, Albania, Germany, Romania, UK, Italy (lived short term), Canada, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Israel, France, Bosnia, Serbia, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Czech Rep (traveled to/in)...but anywhere else I suppose

[hopelesslyinlove]

Hi there!
My name's Sophia, I'm a college student studying writing in a small Pennsylvania cornfield town. I just joined the LDR community. My boyfriend (who lives in NYC) and I both love planning adventures and taking trips, which works out great with the distance. He's working and I'm busy with school, but we plan weekend visits whenever we have the money. When we have to go back to the real world, we immediately go back into schemeing mode for the next adventure.

It's good to meet you! I see myself being really happy doing what you do in my future. I have a great desire to go out and see the world. And it's even better having someone wonderful to share it all with!
So pretty soon I get a five day break from school, and Brian and I are spending it together concert hopping in the city. I'm beyond excited. But, being broke students, money is going to be really tight. Do you have any travel money saving tips? We're going to need food, a place to stay (which has been park benches before), and if there's any leftover, it'll be for fun stuff like beverages. The music we're seeing is all free. Although, the food/drinks at the venues are ridiculously priced. Most don't allow outside food/drink to come inside. Plus the bus ticket, which is a pretty penny. So if you or your well traveled SO have any wisdom to share, we'd really appreciate it! Thanks!

[differentcountries]

hopelesslyinlove: Lots of places have different web sites for tourists where you can see different types of accomondation. Pension places are usually cheaper than hotels, hostels even cheaper (but I don't want to share bedrooms with strangers). Pensions differ, some have kitchens one can use, some have a bathroom in the room, you might want to check out the differences online. I will also reccomend Airbnb, which is renting a flat or a room in a flat. Also, if you want to visit a stranger you can do Couchsurfing, that is for free and you just buy a small gift for the host. If you want it very cheap in the summer time you can buy a small tent and find some place to camp (that is better for your back then park benches). My favourite thing to buy if I don't have access to a kitchen, is a grilled chicken and potato salad (often they will give you forks with the chicken). My first real date outside the city with my now husband was a cheap hotel in the capital, going to a festival and sharing chicken/salad in the park. It was so simple and pure joy I sort of knew I loved him then already.

If you go to a festival and they don't allow outside food/drink, I think you should respect that. But noone says you can't eat lots before you enter the area and lots when you go out of it, and in between mostly buy cheap drinks.

Sometimes students/young people can get discounts on bus tickets, you can also get discounts for return tickets or if you go somewhere often. Really check the rules or the web pages of the companies to make sure you don't miss out.

HappyHealthy365; I am curious about experiences with Turkey. Did you travel all over? I have mostly been on the south coast and the Syrian border, I would love to see more of the country.

I have been a bit around Europe and otherwise some parts of India.

[hopelesslyinlove]

Good insight! The couchsurfing idea is pretty cool, it's always nice to meet new people. I mentioned it to my boyfriend and I think we're gonna try it! Hopefully we find someone with cheap taste Also thanks for sharing that story, simple things like that really are the best aren't they? It's great to hear that your ldr worked out and you're now married Gives the rest of us some hope. congrats!