Tightwad Travel

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Posted by Dru at 3:51 PM

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Labels: Mexican cemetery for Day of the Dead

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alJuly 12, 2009 at 8:11 PM
good picture.
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Johnny Jet Book of the Week!!

Updated and Revised 2017!

It's now possible to travel in Europe for less than you would have spent five years ago! How does a round-trip flight to Europe for $565 sound? And while we've always been able to sleep for cheap, there are now more inexpensive choices than ever. Europe on a Dime: Five-Star Travel on a One-Star Budget will show you exactly how to fly for free (or very cheaply), rent an inexpensive yet luxurious apartment, and maximize your pleasure while you minimize your budget.

When we Baby Boomers* think about touring Europe, we are grateful the days when we carried all our clothes in a backpack and traipsed down the hall to a communal bathroom are long gone, but we wish we could still travel for that $5 a day Arthur Frommer wrote about. We long for a comfortable apartment that's as cheap as a private room in a hostel and gourmet meals for the price of McDonald's hamburger combos.

Most tour companies tell us those desires are unrealistic. They want us to think that travel has to cost hundreds of dollars a day and that professional guidance is needed to plan such trips.

Nothing is further from the truth.

I wrote my book, Europe on a Dime: Five-Star Travel on a One-Star Budget, because I know anyone willing to invest a little time and effort can travel as cheaply, and as comfortably, as I do. Planning isn't difficult, but you do need to learn a few tricks.

Everyone, regardless of income, should have the benefit of exploring other countries and cultures. If you implement the steps in my book, you will be able to travel frugally, comfortably, and frequently to Europe.

It will cost a bit more than $5 a day, but it can be done. I promise!

Click on the link below to read more about my book and what it can do for you.

Amazon Barnes&Noble Available in paperback or e-book.

*I wrote this book with Baby Boomers in mind because there are no books on the market to help them plan frugal, yet comfortable, trips. But anyone, of any age, can save money and travel well following the steps in the book. Whether you are eighteen or eighty, this book can help you travel cheaply and stylishly!

Radio Interview

Listen to an interview with Dana Hersey on the Boston radio show, Retire Radio, where we talk about travel, travel tips, and my book, Europe on a Dime: Five-Star Travel on a One-Star Budget. Cut and paste this url:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g39p3rubfs30d1s/bXEaEkkSGU/aircheck%20Dru%20Pearson%20Travel%201-6-13.mp3

Updated Retire in Mexico--Live Better for Less Money!

The updated 2019 version with the latest rules governing retirement in Mexico is now available!

Retire in Mexico - Live Better for Less Money

Get the new 2019 edition!

Does a year-round temperate climate, a cost-of-living half the US average, and maid service for $10 a day sound tempting? Then Mexico might be the place for you!

*****

Thousands of expatriates from the US, Canada, and Europe call central Mexico home for good reason. It's exotic, yet only a day's drive from Texas; it's perpetually spring, so heating and air conditioning are unnecessary; it's genuinely "foreign," yet world-class, cosmopolitan beach resorts are within easy reach; it's a unique retirement locale, yet there are enough expat services to make you feel at home; and the violence you've heard about, while real, is confined to the border cities and rarely affects anyone in the expat communities. In short, Mexico is a haven for anyone seeking an inexpensive, comfortable yet exciting, retirement.

*****

Learn about this utopia and find out how you can make the move yourself by reading my updated book, new for 2014, Retire in Mexico--Live Better for Less Money.

Retire in Mexico--Live Better for Less Money and Europe on a Dime: Five-Star Travel on a One-Star Budget are both available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble in paperback or e-book.

Use the search box below to quickly and easily locate articles in this blog and on the web.

Search This Blog

Arthur Frommer's Praise for Tightwad Travel

Arthur Frommer, the founder of Frommer's Travel Guides, thrilled me today by saying some very kind words about my blog:

Here's a Site for a Delightful Recollection of What May Have Been Your Own Favorite Moments in Europe

Posted by Arthur Frommer at 10/26/2009 12:00 PM EDT

A retired schoolteacher named Dru, traveling to Europe with her live-in boyfriend, has written a memoir of their experiences in renting a Parisian apartment and a country cottage in the Dordogne of France. Her several essays, which appear at Tightwadtravel.blogspot.com, provide a strong confirmation of the advice I offered in a recent post, arguing that the recent sharp decline in the value of the U.S. dollar has made apartment living the only practical alternative for many cost-conscious American travelers.

Dru found her kitchen-equipped, Left Bank apartment through www.beauparis.com. It cost them 660€ (about $1,000) for 10 nights. Shopping for savory French food in colorful nearby markets, she and her partner averaged $18 per day in dining costs for the two of them -- and had a memorable culinary adventure, devouring the most savory breads and pastries, unbelievable cheeses, awesome patės and roasts in Paris. They avoided what would have been hundreds of extra dollars in restaurant bills. By leading an active life in the French capital -- shopping for their meals, cooking, wandering on foot everywhere they went, visiting countless, far-flung museums and attractions -- they also each lost eight pounds!

They rented their gîte in Dordogne through www.visitperigord.com, spending 290€ (about $460) for seven nights. There, too, they lived like residents of France, walking to markets, making friends with shopkeepers, learning endless tactics of fine dining, experiencing local life.

Dru's several essays are accompanied by excellent photos of the food shops they patronized and, sometimes, of the meals they prepared. Those reminiscences appear following an opening reference by Dru (who doesn't otherwise supply her name; she and David now live in San Diego) to my own blog about the advisability of living in a European residence (primarily an apartment) rather than a hotel. She also comes down hard on organized tours -- and in favor of completely independent travel.

Though I'm a bit prejudiced, I think you'll be fascinated by the adventures of this divorced ex-mom. And I believe it will cause you to choose an apartment over a hotel room for your own next trip to Europe.

France on $70 a Day

The series of articles begins in July with the outline of our plans for the trip, and some August articles deal with the final preparations. See Archives by Subject below.

In September and October, the posts are "live" from France.

You will find a summary of our expenses here and some final thoughts in October articles.

This link takes you to a description of our Paris apartment.

Welcome to Tightwad Travel

Have you got a hankering for frugal travel tips?

Do you want to know how to travel cheaply without sacrificing comfort?

Would you like to learn how to live frugally so more of your dollars can be saved for vacations?

Are you an armchair traveler who likes to read about adventures from the comfort of your office?

Then this blog is for you.

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About Me

Dru: I'm a former English teacher who's always suffered from wanderlust. Living four years in Mexico helped, but the wanderlust is incurable and, seemingly, insatiable. I want 365 days of travel a year. The Tightwad Travel blog is my medicine.

View my complete profile

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Tightwad Travel Links

Air Help Aids you in flight problems.
Airline safety ratings--Check here before booking that ultra-cheap flight to make sure the airline has a good safety record.
Been There-Done That is the best source for information about life and travel in Great Britain
Eurocheapo-Inexpensive hotel locator
Extra airline fees for baggage or preferred seating in one easy-to-read chart
Mappy-An excellent world mapping/directions resource
Mom & Pop Motels- budget friendly, unique motels in America
Opodo is the best source for all flights (cheap ones, too) in Europe
Plnnr plans your travel itinerary. This is one of the best travel tools available!
Price of Travel lists typical travel costs for cities all over the world
Roadfood-Best and cheapest food in America
Rome2Rio How to get anywhere using a train, bus, plane, or boat.
Slow Travel-People share their trip reports, accommodation recommendations, and travel stories
Travelers nominate unique hotels costing less than $150 a night--usually much less--at Darn Good Digs
TSA search engine--See if your item can be taken on the plane.
Venere-Discounted hotel rooms and Bed and Breakfasts
Via Michelin-Europe's answer to Mapquest
World-wide train information

Archives by Subject

"white" town in Spain a month in Mexico AARP article about living in Mexico accessing money in Europe Accor Hotel Group advantages of short-term apartment vacation rentals Air BnB airline luggage weight charges Ajijic Ajijic Wal-Mart Ajijic's main street Alaska Alcatraz Prison Alcazaba in Malaga Spain Allende Museum Amalfi Coast Drive bus Amalfi Coast Drive tips Anacapri apartment rental cheaper than hotel in Europe art in Ajijic Arthur Frommer lodging suggestions avoid being robbed while traveling avoid paying bribes to Mexican police Axel Munthe's villa beatification Pope John Paul II Bellas Artes in San Miguel de Allende Benalmadena Pueblo in Spain best source for consumer confidence Beynac Beynac river tour Biblioteca in San Miguel de Allende birthplace Antonio Banderas birthplace Pablo Picasso blogs about Rome boulangeries broken leg in Provence Brunelleschi's dome budget travel Budget Travel's 10 most useful travel sites Cachuma Lake California Cafe Deux Magots Caifornia Monterey California California 17-Mile Drive California The Pacific Coast Highway California motel recommendations California motel rooms California motels Capri car mechanics car repair costs car trouble in Mexico caretaking casa rental San Miguel de Allende Centre Georges Pompidou chairlift to Monte Solora Chapala market cheap flights in Mexico cheap flights in USA cheap flights to Europe cheap flights to Mexico cheap short term European rental apartments cheap travel cheap USA accommodations cheapest restaurants in first arrondisement cheapest way to get money in Europe City Lights Bookstore company telephone numbers converting Celsius to Fahrenheit converting kilometers to miles cooking our way through an inexpensive French vacation cost of living in Puerto Vallarta cost of Mexican vacation cost of travel in cities around the world Crashpadder crossing the border at Nuevo Laredo cruise Darn Good Digs David in Florence deciphering airline ticket codes Dialing 800-Numbers from Other Countries Diego Rivera Museum Dolores Hidalgo Don Quixote Iconographic Museum don't drive at night in Mexico Dordogne Dordogne area of France driving in France driving in Mexico driving in other countries eat cheaply in Europe eat cheaply on vacation eating in Rome El Pegaso Restaurant El Torcal erotic art in Pompeii estate sale finder estimates Americans moving to Mexico Europe on $85 a day Europe on $85 a Day - Lodging European apartment rental resources European car rental advice European trip costs ferry routes ferry tickets find the right vacation rental finding a gite in France finding the parking lot in European towns finding USA hotels Firenze's Duomo Florence Florence Duomo Florence's Duomo Font de Gaume Cave food in Rome France France on $70 a day budget and bottom line France TGV train tips free flight stopovers free house-sitting free Paris tour free pet-sitting free tour guides free water in Rome French car rentals on Sunday French pharmacies French restaurants French train websites frugal living resources garage sale finder getting iced drinks in Europe Getty Villa Museum Gibraltar Golden Gate Bridge Great Britain tourist resources Guadalajara Guanajuato guide in San Miguel de Allende Haight-Ashbury Hearst Castle help with luggage at French train stations Herculaneum and Pompeii Tips Highway 1 Hipmunk historic properties for rent in Europe and United States hotel review site house in Ajijic how to choose vacation rental apartments how to plan your own trip how to save money by planning your own vacation how to use bus system in Florence Huichol art I Stop Over Ibis hotels Il Vallone dei Mulini independent trips compared to tour company trips inexpensive dental care inexpensive flights to Mexico inexpensive Paris apartments inexpensive USA motel rooms inexpensive USA restaurants injuries in France Italian dish drying Italian Lake District Italian strike May 2011 Italy's quirks Jewish Ghetto Juneau Ketchikan La Roque Gageac Lake Chapala Lake Chapala Society Lascaux II leaking pens left turn signals in Mexico Les Eyzies Life Part 2 blog living room lose weight travel tip Love pizza in Naples lunches save travel dollars Luxembourg Gardens Luxurious Lodging at Hostel Prices Madonna Inn Maison Forte de Reignac matador Mazamitla medical care in France Memorial to 9/11 metro tickets Mexican bullfight Mexican cemetery for Day of the Dead Mexican census Mexican dental care Mexican dentists Mexican hummingbirds Mexico Mexico one of 5 best places to live Mexico scenes Mexico websites Mexico's medical care money conversion in Europe Monterey Bay Aquarium Monteverde neighborhood Moorish fortress and palace in Malaga Spain mordida Musee de Cluny Musee National de Prehistoire museum pass my house in Ajijic my living room nasoni fountains in Rome National Archaeological Museum in Naples new use for neck money pouch night lights noise in Florence NY Times Frugal Traveler's travel suggestions open-air markets in Florence Oradour-sur-Glane packing hairspray packing liquids packing tip packing tricks Page Museum and Tar Pits Paris apartments Paris bike rentals Paris gold ring scam Paris museum pass Paris scenes Paris sightseeing Paris transportation help Park and Fly motels passing cars in other countries patisseries paying for parking pet/house sitting opportunities Pinnacles National Monument planning trip to Italy planning trip to Vietnam plnnr.com Point Lobos Natural Reserve preparing your own food when traveling preparing your own meal in Italy prevent leaking pens Primera Plus bus product evaluations quinceanero party in Mexico Rail Europe train tickets reading the map in Europe registering a car in Arizona rentals in Ajijic Roman Colosseum Rome Rome blogs Rome on $85 a day Rome vacation apartment Roomerama Russia in winter safeguard against pickpockets Saint Sulpice Church San Diego to San Francisco trip planning San Francisco hotel recommendation San Francisco's Chinatown San Francisco's free attractions San Francisco's Little Italy San Francisco's transportation pass San Miguel de Allende Santa Cruz Sarlat gite Sarlat-la-Caneda save money by not bundling save money on hair care save money on massages save money on phone calls save money on restaurant meals save on haircuts secure and unique way to carry money short-term vacation rentals short-term vacation rentals legal shortcut to St. Peter's Basilica sink stopper Sistine Chapel travel tips site for museum tickets Sitka SNCF train tickets Solvang California Sorrento Southern California summer Spain's quirks Spanish streets speed bumps in Mexico splitting trip expenses St. Petersburg in winter stay hydrated Stomach problems in Mexico stopovers stopovers with frequent flier international tickets streets in Spain switch foreign computer keyboard to English tabacchi stores ten days clothing in one carry-on Testaccio history the Alhambra in Spain the David statue The Musee Carnavaletm Musee de Cluny the Musee de l'Armee the Pont des Arts bridge where Big told Carrie she was The One tightwad tips from billionaires tightwad travel tip Tijuana Airport tip for sending postcards tips for Rome tour train help websites train tickets train travel for the handicapped travel insurance travel resources trip planning made easy trip planning tools TSA search engine Tucson Memorial Tucson Gem and Mineral Show Tucson Gem Show Uffizi Gallery underground Colosseum and third tier tour unique United Kingdom tourist information United States public library computer use Untours Untours apartment rentals Untours versus independent trip cost comparison using a flight tracking service using SNCF page in French to purchase train tickets vacation apartment rental companies Vacation Rental Apartment Advantages Vatican tips Venice Venice Beach California Versailles Villa Angiolina Relais Villa San Michele violence in Mexico Volaris Airlines VRBO Rome rental washcloth water bottle water fountains in Rome when to arrive at train station in Europe when to buy an airline 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About Me

I was born with more wanderlust than money. At the age of six I first saw a world globe and knew I wanted to explore every country on it. Unfortunately, most of my traveling for the next forty years was done vicariously through books and websites. Packing was a snap, but my feet itched to get on a plane.

I finally broke free when my cardiologist diagnosed heart disease. If I didn't get moving soon, I'd be six feet under the ground before I ever got four thousand miles over the ocean. Luckily, surgery fixed my heart condition, and my first trip to Europe sealed my lust for travel.

Travel on a single parent's budget was problematic, but I learned to be frugal both at home and on the road. The more trips I took, the more I wanted to take.

The wanderlust was incurable.

As the millennium approached, it seemed like an auspicious time for a dramatic change. I'd taught English for what I thought was a hundred years, although the state of North Carolina insists it was only 26, and was ready to go on an odyssey instead of teach The Odyssey. My son was happily married, my former students were off making the world a better place, and I was still suffering from wanderlust. I read every book in the library on retirement locations and made three trips to Mexico before I packed my '85 Westfalia van to the rooftop and took off with my dog for an adventure.

Ajijic, just 25 miles south of Mexico's second-largest city, Guadalajara, was as exotic as I'd hoped. Although I only knew two people there the day I arrived, I quickly made more friends. My days were filled with lazy lunches, camping discoveries, and language lessons. I also edited a newsletter for expatriates and wrote a book about Mexico. (See the book information below.)

After four years, though, I realized that, while Mexico was the perfect retirement choice for many Americans, I had problems fitting in. The Spanish language and I would never be on friendly terms. Try as I might, the French I studied in college kept cropping up. After too many, “buenos dias, monsieurs,” I knew it was time to re-locate. Besides, I missed libraries, T J Maxx, "Newsweek," and fast food.

Tucson seemed like a good compromise. Close enough to Mexico for me to get a culture fix any time I needed and an easy hop on a plane to visit my grandson back in North Carolina. Arizona it would be. My Mexican street dog, the Magnificent Lena, and I made the trip back across the border in my trustworthy van and settled down in the most beautiful and diverse desert in the world. I'd still be there if I hadn't joined a book club.

Although it may be difficult to believe, it is true that a book club changed my life. One of my friends in the group insisted I had to meet her brother. Having endured many disastrous blind dates, I resisted as long as possible, but eventually David and I were introduced two days before Christmas. When he had to leave three days after New Year's, his departure left us both miserable.

After daily phone calls, a thousand e-mails, a dozen commutes, and a couple vacations, I moved in with the most wonderful man in the world. David lives in San Diego County, surely another of the prettiest places in the country, but it is the ocean, just three miles away from our house, that calls me. Every time I see it, I want to explore the world that's waiting on the other side. And I will.

I hope you'll come with me.
I promise to share the adventures, the frugal travel tips, and any other information I think you'd like to have in my blog, Tightwad Travel. So, come on! It's bound to be an exciting ride!

P.S. David and I moved back to Tucson in 2012. I finally convinced him Tucson had all the sunshine we were missing in Encinitas.

My books, Retire in Mexico--Live Better for Less Money and Europe on a Dime: Five-Star Travel on a One-Star Budget, are available at any book store and on-line at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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