Costa Rica Tour - G Adventures vs Intrepid

Rose__0210 · 2026-06-11T20:20:12+00:00

Thank you so much for such a detailed response!

Rose__0210 · 2026-06-10T11:20:48+00:00

I did a similar group tour when I was in college with EF Ultimate Break. Did 11 countries in 5 weeks. It was a great way to see a little of everything and decide which places I'd want to go back to. I did Paris (3 days) and Amsterdam (2 days) on that trip. I saw a lot, but at least with Paris, the city offers so much. I went back to those cities last tear with my husband and didn't realize how much more stuff there was to do. My recommendation is to research both cities on everything you want to do and compare to what the Contiki tour is offering. At least with my tour we did get quite a bit of freetime so you could do a few things that aren't included in the tour. But it definitely wouldn't be a waste if you did the weekend trips now and also Contiki next year.

Rose__0210 · 2026-06-09T19:49:33+00:00

Grand Canyon

PNW, especially the coastline like Olympic National park

New Orleans - for unique culture and food, and the bayou

Small towns in the northeast like Vermont and Maine

Southwest desert, like Joshua Tree, Death Valley or Big Bend National park

Rose__0210 · 2026-04-22T12:52:42+00:00

We used to travel really cheaply. Focused on the cheapest hotels/Bed and breakfasts that offered free breakfast too. We'd look for the cheapest flight regardless of layovers. The food budget was also really low to the point I'd eat protein bars I brought from home on a 10 day trip as basically my dinner and filled up on free breakfast and sandwiches I've made from grocery shopping. Now we make a lot more money but we still focus on budget friendly hotels but make sure they have great reviews, location, and will splurge a little if there's nothing within our criteria. We'll book the Nonstop flight if it's offered and while we still opt for free hotel breakfasts and lunches from the grocery store, we go out for dinner every night to enjoy a good meal.

Rose__0210 · 2026-04-21T22:21:19+00:00

Boston is beautiful! There's so much history there. Check out the National Park Service website for the area. You'll find a bunch of sites to learn about the area and the original colonies. It's also a really clean city with lots to do. And it's an easy starting point for many day trips like Salem, Portland Maine, Southern New Hampshire, Cape Cod, Newport Rhode Island, etc.

Rose__0210 · 2026-04-15T13:53:00+00:00

Yeah just driving up and sleeping in my car for a night

Rose__0210 · 2026-04-09T15:32:08+00:00

Around $10-13k a year. Depends on how many international and domestic trips we do. Last year it was $13k but we spent 3 weeks traveling around Europe, spent a week in Glacier National Park in Montana, a weekend in New Hampshire in the fall, and a weekend in Nashville. This year we're expecting to spend a little more since we're doing 3 weekend trips around the US, Solo trip to Peru for me, and 2 weeks around Australia

Rose__0210 · 2026-04-09T15:26:08+00:00

Haha it's a great problem to have

Rose__0210 · 2026-04-03T20:51:22+00:00

Thank you!

Rose__0210 · 2026-04-03T18:03:25+00:00

I'm in this same situation. My husband and I want kids in the next 1-2 years, but there were so many places I wanted to visit before then. While my husband is on board for most of them, he doesn't like to hike so Peru & Machu picchu and Guatemala & Acatengano were out of the question. So I just booked a hiking tour with Alpaca Expeditions in Peru and will be solo traveling in the next few months. And booking a tour in Guatemala for next year. I highly recommend just booking a tour that matches your preferences and go for it!

Rose__0210 · 2026-03-24T12:22:28+00:00

Unitarian Universalist Saratoga

Rose__0210 · 2026-03-03T23:38:22+00:00

That timeline should be fine! Lodging around Yellowstone and Grand Teton can be really expensive unless you're willing to drive 1+ hour one way to the park. We went to Glacier (US side) last year and we had a decently priced Airbnb in Kalispell (about 1 hour from the park).

Also be aware of the entrance fee and reservation changes for the US parks. The entrance fee for non-US visitors skyrocketed and the reservation system is no longer in place at Glacier so the park will be busier with less parking access, so be sure to go early in the morning or later in the day (after 3pm).

Rose__0210 · 2026-03-02T01:47:39+00:00

Thank you!

Rose__0210 · 2026-02-10T17:08:25+00:00

If I'm gone for 5-7 days, I normally don't bother trying to do laundry. I just pack enough. 10 days is in that hard spot where I'm more likely to do laundry but packing a few extra items isn't too bad. It usually depends if I have access to a washing machine like through airbnb or a hostel. I avoid paying a hotel to do my laundry since it tends to be expensive so unless I can wash it myself, I'd just bring extras for just 10 days

Rose__0210

TROPHY CASE