RVing and International Travel
One of the big advantages of living the RVing lifestyle is that you can do international travel very inexpensively. Let me explain.
Normally, when people decide to take a trip to a foreign country, they book a plane ticket, book a hotel for a week or two, and then get on the internet and start searching out all of the tourist things they can cram into the one to two weeks they will have in the country.
Conventional travel leaves you stressed out, worn out and maybe broke
That beats not getting to go at all, I guess, but not by much. When you do international travel that way, you will most likely spend a ton of money and arrive back home stressed out and worn out (but maybe with a lot of pictures).
Consider this quote
"A traveler sees what he sees. A tourist sees what he has come to see."
~ G.K. Chesterton
For example, when a tourist goes to Paris, he sees the Eiffel Tower, but a traveler sees so much more. A traveler also sees the mom and pop bakery around the corner that makes the "out of this world" éclairs and croissants.
And of course, all the time you're on your international traveling adventure, in addition to the money you'll be spending being a tourist, you're most likely still racking up expenses back at home. You'll still be paying rent or a mortgage payment, paying electric, cable TV bills, and the list goes on and on.
Compare that type of international travel with how full-time RVers do international travel. Here's an example.
Last week I put my motorhome in storage for three months. That costs me $30 a month, but I canceled collision insurance and that saved me $130 a month, so I'm saving $100 a month with my motorhome in storage. I could cancel my liability coverage and save even more, but in most states, you have to have liability insurance unless you turn in the license plate to the highway department, so I didn't do that.
I'm in Costa Rica for the next three months
I rented a nice apartment in Costa Rica for $500 a month. It has a large private balcony with a wonderful view. I can see coffee growing on the hillsides in every direction I look. The price includes electricity, WiFi, cable TV, and phone. I was paying more than that to rent a campsite. I will be here for three months (until the snow is gone in the North Carolina Mountains). Food is cheaper here and with high-speed WiFi, I can write on another book, work on producing YouTube videos or do any type of productive work I would be doing if I was back in the US.
My roundtrip airfare was $550, but better deals are available if you shop around. I don't need a car. Modern buses pass by every hour and the fares are about 50 cents an hour to go anywhere I want to go.
I will be spending time with the locals (maybe my Spanish will improve). Spending time with the locals is so much more enjoyable than doing tourist things, and it's all free.
I'll be relaxed and productive
I'll get a lot of work done, and spend less money than I would if I was back in the US. I'll also be totally relaxed, and be enjoying the mid-70s temperature. I wear shorts and tee shirts here all day every day. Most of the houses in this part of Costa Rica (even the expensive houses) don't even have any type of heat or air conditioning. There is no need for either.
I'm up at 4,500 feet elevation where the coffee grows. A lot of people like the beaches here, but I like living in the mountains. I'm sure I'll take a few days and go to the beach, but most of my time will be spent here.
I forgot to mention I can swim in the pool and pick fresh oranges from one of the many orange trees without having to get out of the pool. Take a look at the picture below and you can see what I'm talking about. I could get bananas off of the trees if I walked down the hill to the lower side of the yard, but usually, the birds get the bananas before they get ripe. Oh well.
One final thought: I feel safer here than in most cities in the US. There is some petty crime here. If you leave something laying on a bench in a park, someone might steal it, but no one is going to hurt you. You're not going to get mugged.
Bottom line: Are you a "traveler" or a "tourist"? Maybe sometimes it's okay to be a little of both, but for the most part, I find that being a traveler is so much more enjoyable, less stressful, and for sure, less expensive. Living the RVing lifestyle allows me to be a traveler very inexpensively.