Enjoying small discomforts makes travel more affordable

“When I was very young a big financier once asked me what I would like to do, and I said, ‘To travel.’ ‘Ah,’ he said, ‘it is very expensive; one must have a lot of money to do that.’ He was wrong. For there are two kinds of travelers; the Comfortable Voyager, round whom a cloud of voracious expenses hums all the time, and the man who shifts for himself and enjoys little discomforts as a change from life’s routine. Both kinds may enjoy themselves equally, but the latter probably sees much more of the country and its people, and has the added pleasure of going where lack of comfort excludes the former.”

–Ralph Bagnold, Libyan Sands (1935)

Posted by | Comments (2)  | March 30, 2007
Category: Travel Quote of the Day


2 Responses to “Enjoying small discomforts makes travel more affordable”

  1. Ethan Zara Says:

    Travel, I think, is all about varying degrees of discomfort. There’s comfort at your destination, not while in transit. No one seems to know exactly why though.

    -Ethan
    Backpacking on Little Money

  2. Karen Bryan Says:

    I think it’s a personal decision how much discomfort is acceptable while travelling. Personally I don’t want to camp or backpack. However I find I can have fairly cheap holidays in Europe if I travel out of high season, stay in modest accommodation (basic, clean with private bathroom) away from the main tourist destinations.