The Addison Cafe

I am no world traveler. In fact, the only times I have ever left the country it has been to Canada or Mexico by car. However, that might start to change after knowing what I now know…

There are two big costs associated with travel: getting there (typically flight costs) and staying there (nightly lodging costs can add up). You can now say goodbye to the second one. Some friends of mine recently let me in on a little known secret on how to stay for free in over 250 countries worldwide (including ours).

It’s called “couch surfing”. People from all over the world have joined together to form a community of hosts and travelers. Here’s how it works: At couchsurfing.org you can list where you are located, when you are available, and how many people you can host. You can say yay or nay to any request that comes your way. If you are a traveler, just search for people with an open couch in the city / country of your choice and if they accept (which they probably will since they are members of the community), you have a free place to stay. It’s a great way to meet a variety of people, have an adventure, and save some serious cash.

Oh, and “couch” doesn’t necessarily mean couch. A lot of people have spare rooms and nice houses, not dirty dorm room mattresses. Bon voyage!

In 1 day, 22 hours, and 18 minutes I will be on my way to ski the great white mountains of Canada.  I go every year with a group of guys that I have been friends with since middle school. This will be our 6^th year in a row that we have gone on this trip and I am still just as poor of a skier as the first year (though not the poorest in the group, sorry Matt).

“Why Canada?” you might ask. Aside from the cool accents, weird candy and… uh… well, it’s great skiing (I am not talking about Whistler, I have actually never been there) and it’s a great place to go if you want a cheap vacation. Here’s why:

• 1) You can (potentially) drive there and split gas.
• 2) The exchange rate is usually in our favor.
• 3) At least half of the skiing I do has been free thanks to Warren Miller’s annual vouchers that you receive when you watch his latest ski flick.

I think the average trip cost has been about $350 each, which covers 6 days of food, lodging, gas, and 3 days of skiing. Where else can you ski mountains as gorgeous for an entire week for that much? It’s amazing how cheap you can take vacations if you look around and spend some time planning.

Plus, they call knit hats “tuques”. I still laugh every time.

(Note: Given the fact that I will be falling down a mountain 6,000 ft above sea level in another country next week, I will not be posting to the blog)

They are some of the most skilled salesmen and women you will ever run into, able to psychologically and emotionally woo even the toughest of skeptics. “Ah!” you scoff, “nobody could break my iron will!” But I am not talking about mere cellphones, cars, or jewelry. Oh no. I am talking about selling dreams. The ultimate experience. Unreal relaxation. Paradise. Heaven on earth. What are these people selling? Timeshares.

“All” you have to do is go listen to a 45 min presentation and you “get” a free breakfast! (By free breakfast they mean like the kind a cheesy motel sets out for you in the morning. Like green eggs and ham?) “What a great deal!” you think, as you walk into the dimly lit room repeating in your head the phrase that Nancy Reagan made famous: “Just say no. Just say no.” Leaving the room 6 hours later you dance towards the bathroom from the excitement over the sweet deal you just got. How did they do it?

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes timeshares are a great deal (like when your friend’s rich grandma has one she isn’t using and you get to go instead). Like everything for sale in this world, some things are of value and some aren’t.  Vacations are certainly no exception. Right now my wife and I are trying to figure out what to do next year and the more we think about it, the more overwhelming it becomes. Luckily we have the internet so I can sit surfing at my computer eating a Poptart instead of listening to a rhetoric-packed lecture over fake eggs.

We are still figuring things out, but it made me wonder what everyone else does. Can timeshares be a gold mind? Travel agents? A lot of people have a favorite spot they go back to year after year. Do you have one? Have a favorite website to get deals off of? Any money saving travel tips? Word of mouth is tried and true for passing around hot vacation spots and good deals. Anyone willing to share?