Airbnb

How to Book a Great Vacation Rental

Published June 14, 2021 | By Clark Norton

Vacation rentals can provide an excellent alternative to staying in hotels while traveling, but there are possible pitfalls you need to know before you book with VRBO or Airbnb.

Guest poster David Goldstein, who has extensive experience staying in vacation rentals abroad (as my wife and I did in Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan; the island of Milos in Greece, and elsewhere), explains:

By David Goldstein

My wife and I have been booking vacation rentals through VRBO (vacation rentals by owner) and Airbnb for almost 20 years.

Both platforms offer great options for travelers who are looking for something a little different than a typical hotel experience. We enjoy the freedom that having our own place in a foreign city allows. We grocery shop in the local markets, explore the neighborhood bakeries, and start to get a sense of new cultures.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to say… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, travel mistakes, travel tips, vacation rentals | Tagged Airbnb, Booking vacation rentals, vacation planning, Vacation rentals, VRBO | 34 Comments

Delving Into Japanese Life in Tokyo

Published May 1, 2018 | By Clark Norton

Yasu furnished us a pictorial guide of the route to his Airbnb

Third in a Series

Arriving in the Shinjuku train station, Tokyo’s busiest, can be a bit intimidating, especially after a trans-Pacific flight with little sleep and in the middle of rush hour.

An unfailingly polite people in every other way, Japanese commuters plow through the station like bullet trains, with little deference to gobsmacked tourists staring in bewilderment at the maze of signs and passageways. These folks appeared to be on a mission, and accomplishing that mission — getting to wherever it is they’re going — wasn’t about to let us stand in their way.

If you don’t like crowds, you might want to avoid Tokyo — the world’s largest metropolitan area at nearly 38,000,000 people — and beat a quick retreat to the Japanese countryside.

Fortunately, our Airbnb host, Yasu, had provided us with a video of… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, cultural travel, Japan, vacation rentals | Tagged Airbnb, Japan, Japan travel, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Tokyo travel | Leave a comment

How to Prep for a Trip to Japan

Published April 25, 2018 | By Clark Norton

Sunday afternoon in Ueno Park, Tokyo.

Second in a Series

My previous travel experiences in Japan had been very brief before my wife, Catharine, and I flew off to Tokyo in early April, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

How much of a language barrier would we find? Is Japan as expensive as it’s reputed to be? Would we face greater-than-average logistical problems there?

Those taking an organized tour to Japan can avoid most of these potential problems, of course, but — just as some people enjoy figuring out how cars or watches work — I like figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B while traveling as efficiently and economically as possible.

I also like to follow my own schedule, choose my own lodgings and restaurants, and not have to follow a guide around. (This isn’t to say that I haven’t enjoyed some wonderful… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Budget travel, Japan | Tagged Airbnb, Japan Rail Pass, Japan rail travel, Japan travel, Japanese trains, Kyoto travel, Narita Express, Scott's Cheap Flights, Tokyo subway, Tokyo travel | 2 Comments

Ten Tips on Saving $ on Housing and Food

Published November 7, 2017 | By Clark Norton

This hostel in Nuremberg, Germany, is attached to a castle. Photo by Catharine Norton.

For baby boomers, saving money on accommodations can be tougher than for young travelers.

Dormitory-style hostels and CouchSurfing may have much less appeal than for those in their 20s or 30s.

Camping — at least the type (unlike “glamping” or glamorous camping) that leaves you trying to get a decent night’s sleep in a bag on the ground — can be tough on the back (with legitimate concerns that you might not be able to straighten up at all in the morning).

But, as guest poster Jesse Miller contends, “It’s still possible to enjoy a five-star housing experience without paying a five-star price.” The key, Miller says, “is to live like the locals do. This means avoiding more traditional options (such as pricey hotels and resorts) and immersing yourself in opportunities to interact with the… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Budget travel, Europe, Foreign travel, Restaurants, travel costs, travel mistakes, Travel safety | Tagged Airbnb, CouchSurfing, European hostels, hostels, saving money on travel, travel tips | 3 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.