Comments on: Vacation Time http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/ Not just another (Canadian) financial blog Sat, 16 Oct 2010 15:22:19 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v= hourly 1 By: Dave http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/comment-page-1/#comment-5734 Dave Sun, 04 Feb 2007 22:20:35 +0000 http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/#comment-5734 You are right, I think one should go on as many vacations as possible before kids. But I recently realized another benefit of this: When my parents had us, they took us on very kid-centric holidays (Disneyland, camping, etc...). One of the reasons was that they weren't very experienced travellers. ie. They hadn't been to any foreign countries besides the US and no countries were English is not spoken. So the other benefit of travelling as much as possible before kids is that the more wide-ranging travel experience you rack up before you have kids, the more willing you will be to take your kids anywhere, even to those places that you might often think of as non-family places. It allows you to basically continue travelling with kids as before, and it gives the kids great non-Disneyland-style experiences. They might complain a bit, but when I was a kid I always was a whining kid no matter where we were. You are right, I think one should go on as many vacations as possible before kids. But I recently realized another benefit of this:

When my parents had us, they took us on very kid-centric holidays (Disneyland, camping, etc…). One of the reasons was that they weren’t very experienced travellers. ie. They hadn’t been to any foreign countries besides the US and no countries were English is not spoken. So the other benefit of travelling as much as possible before kids is that the more wide-ranging travel experience you rack up before you have kids, the more willing you will be to take your kids anywhere, even to those places that you might often think of as non-family places. It allows you to basically continue travelling with kids as before, and it gives the kids great non-Disneyland-style experiences. They might complain a bit, but when I was a kid I always was a whining kid no matter where we were.

]]> By: Mike http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/comment-page-1/#comment-5732 Mike Sun, 04 Feb 2007 22:03:49 +0000 http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/#comment-5732 Dave - as a new parent myself I can't stress enough - do the vacation thing while you can!!! Once u have a kid/kids you won't be doing much travelling for a while and once you do, it will be centered around the kids. Not that I'm complaining but I'm glad I did all my snowboarding trips out west (AB,BC) because I may never take another one! Or I'll be so old I'll be staying on the green runs to avoid broken bones :) Mike Dave – as a new parent myself I can’t stress enough – do the vacation thing while you can!!! Once u have a kid/kids you won’t be doing much travelling for a while and once you do, it will be centered around the kids. Not that I’m complaining but I’m glad I did all my snowboarding trips out west (AB,BC) because I may never take another one! Or I’ll be so old I’ll be staying on the green runs to avoid broken bones :)

Mike

]]> By: Average Joe http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/comment-page-1/#comment-298 Average Joe Mon, 24 Apr 2006 04:21:57 +0000 http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/#comment-298 A few years back (maybe 5 or 6), my wife and I spent 2 weeks in Cuba over the Christmas and New Years holidays. We went to Cuba as it was the cheapest location we could find. I am going from memory, but I could have sworn that we spent $1,600 each for 2 weeks in an all inclusive. We flew direct from Ottawa. Now, the rating on the hotel was maybe a 4 star. It definitely wasn't a 5 star. Cuba has great beaches and really beautiful crystal blue oceans. And you should enjoy yourselves now. Once the baby arrives, priorities change. A few years back (maybe 5 or 6), my wife and I spent 2 weeks in Cuba over the Christmas and New Years holidays. We went to Cuba as it was the cheapest location we could find. I am going from memory, but I could have sworn that we spent $1,600 each for 2 weeks in an all inclusive. We flew direct from Ottawa.

Now, the rating on the hotel was maybe a 4 star. It definitely wasn’t a 5 star.

Cuba has great beaches and really beautiful crystal blue oceans. And you should enjoy yourselves now. Once the baby arrives, priorities change.

]]> By: Dave http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/comment-page-1/#comment-290 Dave Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:50:45 +0000 http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/#comment-290 Sorry, nice try. :-) From Toronto or Montreal for 1 week, yes, but not from Vancouver. We're also going for 2 weeks. I just did a check on <a href="http://www.tripcentral.ca" rel="nofollow">Trip Central</a> and in Varadero, leaving on Saturday June 17th from Vancouver for 14 nights would be about $2355-$2538 per person at the hotels I would be willing to go to (because of decent ratings at <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com" rel="nofollow">Trip Advisor</a>. That works out to $4710-$5072 total including all taxes, but before factoring in excursions, souvenirs. When we went to Varadero before we didn't go on that many excursions, just 2 I think, but they can add up. The day trip to Havana is pretty expensive I think. For our DIY trip I am estimating it will cost us between low to mid-$4000s including everything. Sorry, nice try. :-) From Toronto or Montreal for 1 week, yes, but not from Vancouver. We’re also going for 2 weeks.

I just did a check on Trip Central and in Varadero, leaving on Saturday June 17th from Vancouver for 14 nights would be about $2355-$2538 per person at the hotels I would be willing to go to (because of decent ratings at Trip Advisor.

That works out to $4710-$5072 total including all taxes, but before factoring in excursions, souvenirs. When we went to Varadero before we didn’t go on that many excursions, just 2 I think, but they can add up. The day trip to Havana is pretty expensive I think. For our DIY trip I am estimating it will cost us between low to mid-$4000s including everything.

]]> By: tom venner http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/comment-page-1/#comment-288 tom venner Fri, 21 Apr 2006 14:10:05 +0000 http://www.investingintelligently.com/2006/04/21/vacation-time/#comment-288 I would expect that in june you could find all kinds of all-inclusive vacations for less than $1000. I've seen them for less than that in Cuba even during peak season. I would expect that in june you could find all kinds of all-inclusive vacations for less than $1000. I’ve seen them for less than that in Cuba even during peak season.

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