Cheap long vacation
Budget trips don't have to be short
We're pretty amazed at this one. American travel writer Rolf Potts has been able to negotiate more than one cheap long vacation in a work culture where most get only two weeks off a year. Jealous yet?
In this CNN Money story, Potts describes how one of the first rules of taking several months-long trips is making money while you vacation, something a little easier to do when you work freelance. His other tips for taking a cheap long vacation were simple: stay in cheap accommodations and avoid fine dining.
It's nothing we haven't heard before, but the point remains that many Americans' idea of a "vacation" is so wrapped up in excess and splurging, that it makes sense they can only take a short one once a year, if they're lucky. Potts's is a type of message that's worth repeating. If you find location-independent work or negotiate more time off with your employer, save money and always practice frugality, then you, too, can spend large amounts of time sitting on a beach in South America.
What are your tips for long-term, budget-friendly travel?
"Not so long ago, I took a winter trip to Rio de Janeiro during Carnival season. Instead of staying near a fashionable beach like Ipanema or a storied tourist district like Copacabana, I got a room in an inexpensive guesthouse in the slightly seedy Catete neighborhood.Instead of eating at fancy restaurants, I got food for a fraction of the cost from street kiosks and juice bars..."
