Lengthy layovers, lost bags and last-minute panic: Elaine Glusac has experienced it all (and then some) as the Frugal Traveler columnist.
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.
“Do you need someone to carry your bags?”
That’s the party joke people often ask me when they hear I’m a travel journalist. I laughingly say a porter isn’t required as, “I’m mostly the carry-on kind.” But really, I’m thinking, my job only looks like a vacation.
Vacation days are precious and many Americans get few of them. My job as the Frugal Traveler columnist for The New York Times is to help readers make the most of their time off without spending a fortune.
My love of travel started early. I come from a close-knit family of modest means that spent every discretionary penny on travel. When we weren’t debating politics at the dinner table, we were planning our next big adventure, usually an ambitious road trip; we once drove from Detroit, our hometown, to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia — a nearly 1,500-mile trek. The cars we took were beaters, but the memories are priceless.
Travel continues to teach me things every day, and I want readers to experience travel too — without breaking the bank. Accordingly, careful, painstaking planning is a must.
Before I set off on any reporting trip, I conduct weeks of research on where to stay, eat and what to do. I schedule dozens of activities, tours and interviews. My limited budget — this column is, after all, called Frugal Traveler — means I sometimes must move fast and with flexibility.
When people learn that I travel for a living, there are a few things they most often ask me. Here are a few of those questions, answered:
How do you choose your destinations? Can you go anywhere?
Alas, no. I follow the news in budget travel, reading travel blogs and talking to industry experts for inspiration. I look for destinations that offer travelers one-of-a-kind experiences they won’t regret after seeing their credit card statement. In October, I visited Key West, Fla., where I split a room at a hostel with three strangers, all in the name of cost-effectiveness. Last spring, I traveled to Aspen, Colo., a city known for its luxurious amenities. I stayed at a relatively affordable, family-run lodge and visited art museums for free.
As travelers look to reduce their carbon footprint, I frequently look for places that offer greener and more affordable transportation options. Last summer, I embarked on an ambitious voyage: to see much of Los Angeles — a city known for its gridlock traffic — by subway. I couldn’t use it to reach the Hollywood sign, but I visited most of the city’s highlights, including the beaches of Santa Monica.
Isn’t travel always expensive?
Sometimes — but if you’re patient and look for good deals, it doesn’t have to be. For my column, I regularly report on budget-spending strategies, like how to bid on first-class airline seats, avoid pesky resort fees and make the most of Black Friday travel sales. Sometimes, these articles come from my own experiences; I once bid $400 on a business-class upgrade and won. I spent nine hours in the comfort of a lie-flat bed.
I also test out inexpensive offerings that sound too good to be true. In 2019, I saw an advertisement for a three-day cruise to the Bahamas for under $150. I wondered what that experience was like and booked the cruise to find out. For the price of a one-night stay at a moderately priced hotel, the cruise was surprisingly fun; not so surprisingly, “upgrade fees” onboard were in no short supply.
What’s your favorite place to visit?
Usually, it’s the last place I’ve been, but when pushed, I say Japan for food and Chilean Patagonia for adventure.
All this travel has exposed me to a gamut of pitfalls, including lost bags (above the Arctic Circle, which left me boots-less in winter), eight-hour layovers (because the route was cheaper) and an airplane seatmate who threw up on me and my copy of “The Da Vinci Code.”
I’ve made many travel mistakes and learned the hard way. I once took someone else’s suitcase from baggage claim and was halfway to downtown Zurich before I found out. I once failed to negotiate a price in a Moroccan market and was admonished for it by my guide.
All that stokes my superpower: planning smarter, more-bang-for-your-buck trips. I like to think that you can trust me because I’ve been there. Well, not everywhere — India is a glaring gap on my world map. But I’ve traveled enough to know what to do and what not to do when you’re on the road or in the air.
In fact, I wrote this Times Insider on a plane to Alaska, during the cold but affordable off-season, of course.
"about" - Google News
January 24, 2024 at 03:00PM
https://ift.tt/iYEAKoQ
The Frugal Traveler Columnist Answers Questions About Her Job - The New York Times
"about" - Google News
https://ift.tt/d069cHl
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "The Frugal Traveler Columnist Answers Questions About Her Job - The New York Times"
Post a Comment