# Traveling is a pain in the a\*\* **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448 "2016-11-01T17:04:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/21 "2016-11-02T21:22:59Z")
**Djindore** : If you hate traveling so much, just stay home and leave the traveling for those of us who enjoy it. My worst travel experience was being stranded in Madrid alone with no phone, no wallet, no ID and no money. It took me four days to get home, sleeping in airports in Casablanca, Caracas and JFK. It was still a memorable experience that was better than sitting at home. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/22 "2016-11-02T21:39:29Z")
Man, it sure is! I fly across country twice every week and my a\*\* is numb for at least the next day! ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/23 "2016-11-02T21:51:01Z")
The op has issues. Stay home, that’s fine. Personally I enjoy travel and so do many other billions of people. I enjoy travel for the opposite reasons of the op. I like to be challenged. My reward is I’ve seen glaciers crack in the Annapurna sanctuary, I’ve seen Angkor wat, London, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, San Francisco , la etc. I’ve seen Mt Fuji pass by at 300 km an hour from a Shinkansen and thrown up in a dodgy Cambodian ferry , and it was all worth it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/24 "2016-11-02T23:39:39Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > The op has issues. Stay home, that’s fine. Personally I enjoy travel and so do many other billions of people. I enjoy travel for the opposite reasons of the op. I like to be challenged. > > My reward is I’ve seen glaciers crack in the Annapurna sanctuary, I’ve seen Angkor wat, London, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, San Francisco , la etc. I’ve seen Mt Fuji pass by at 300 km an hour from a Shinkansen and thrown up in a dodgy Cambodian ferry , and it was all worth it. Yep. Concur 1000%. To add to coremelts’ awesome list, I have watched ships locked through the Panama Canal, rode a hot air balloon at dawn over the Masai Maru and the great herds of Africa, walked through Soweto, flew in a helicopter over Victoria Falls, been inside one of the great pyramids of Egypt, and so many other things… Life is what you make of it. If to you, life is happy being at home all the time, so be it. I’ve got only one life here; I plan to see all that I can see during it. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/25 "2016-11-02T23:45:42Z")
WDPLWIDL? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/26 "2016-11-02T23:49:22Z")
Anybody else get the feeling that the OP was going to end his screed with “Vote Trump!”? ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/27 "2016-11-03T00:21:15Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > My worst travel experience was being stranded in Madrid alone with no phone, no wallet, no ID and no money. It took me four days to get home, sleeping in airports in Casablanca, Caracas and JFK. It was still a memorable experience that was better than sitting at home. This paragraph just grabs me. It sounds like the first three lines of a good travel book. > [@monty python](#): > > Yes, you’re quite right, whats the point of going abroad if you’re just another tourist carted around in buses surrounded by sweaty (miners sons???) from Kettering and Boventry with their bloth baps and their bardigans and their transistor radios complaining about the tea, ooh they dont make it properly here do they - and stopping at endless Majorcan bodegas selling fish and chips and Watneys Red Barrel and calamares and two veg and sitting in their cotton sunfrocks squirting Timothy Whites sun cream all over their puffy raw swollen purulent flesh cos they overdid it on the first day. And being herded into endless Hotel Miramars and Bellevueses and Bontinentals with their International luxury roomettes and draught Red Barrel and swimming pools full of fat German businessmen pretending to be acrobats forming pyramids and frightening the children and barging into the queues. And if you’re not at the table spot on 7 you miss your bowl of Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup - the first item on the menu of Internaional cuisine. And every Thursday night theres bloody cabaret in the bar, featuring some tiny emaciated dago with 9 inch hips, and some fat bloated tart with her hair Brylcreamed down and a big arse presenting flamenco for foreigners. And then an audio-typist from Birmingham with flabby white legs and dihorrea(sp?) trying to pick up hairy legged wop waiters called Manuel. And once a week theres an excursion to the local Roman remains where you can buy Cherryade, and melted Ice Cream and bleeding Watneys Red Barrel. And one night they take you to a typical restaurant with local atmosphere and colour and you sit next to a party of people from Rhyl who keep singing “Torremolinos, Torremolinos”. And complaining about the food… ooh its SO greasy isnt it. You get cornered by some drunken greengrocer from Luton with an Instamatic camera and Dr Scholl sandals and last Tuesdays Daily Express and he drones on and on and on about how Mr Smith should be running this country, and how many languages Enoch Powell can speak and then he throws up all over the Cuba Libres. Then sending tiddly postcards of places they dont realise they havent even visited… to all at number 22, weather wonderful, food very greasy, but we have managed to find this tiny little place hidden away in the back streets where you can buy Cheese and Onion crisps and Watneys Red Barrel. And spending four days on the tarmac at Luton airport on a five day package tour with nothing to eat but dried BEA type sandwiches and you cant even get a glass of Watneys Red Barrel cos you’re still in England and the bloody bar closes every time you’re thirsty. And the kids are crying and vomiting and breaking the plastic ashtrays and they keep telling you it’ll only be another hour although you know damn well your plane is still in Iceland and it has to come back and take a party of Swedes to Yugoslavia before it can come back and load you up at 3am in the morning. And then you sit on the tarmac for four hours because of ‘unforseen difficulties’, ie. the permanent strike of Air Traffic Control; and when you finally get to Malaga airport and everyones swallowing into Vioform tablets and queueing for the bloody toilets and queueing for the bloody armed customs officers, and queueing for the bloody bus that isnt there waiting to take you to the hotel that hasn’t yet been built. And when you finally get to the half-built Algerian ruin, called the Hotel del Sol, by paying half your holiday money to a licensed bandit in a taxi; thers no water in the pool, theres no water in the taps, theres no water in the bog, and theres only a bleeding lizard in the bidet! And half the rooms are double booked and you cant sleep anyway cos of the permanent 24 hour drilling of the foundations of the hotel next door. You (play while appaling ???) apprentice chemists from Ealing pretending to be hippies, and middle-class stockbrokers wives from Esher, busily buying identical holiday villas and suburban development plots just like Esher, because the Labour Governments got in again… I hope this isn’t too much of the sketch to infringe fair use, it’s not the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/28 "2016-11-03T05:12:46Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > **Djindore** : If you hate traveling so much, just stay home and leave the traveling for those of us who enjoy it. > > My worst travel experience was being stranded in Madrid alone with no phone, no wallet, no ID and no money. It took me four days to get home, sleeping in airports in Casablanca, Caracas and JFK. It was still a memorable experience that was better than sitting at home. MY wife and I remember our worst travel disasters with the greatest fondness. We roar with laughter recalling them. A tourist would say: It was a terrible trip, our bus broke down,we were stuck in a dreadful village overnight with crappy food, and were too terrified to sleep. A traveler would say: It was a wonderful trip. Our bus broke down and we got an unexpected stay in a remote village, sleeping in makeshift hammocks, and the generous people made meals for us, and we loved the sound of the jungle at night. Are you a tourist or a traveler? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/29 "2016-11-03T12:56:50Z")
My wife and I are currently trying to figure out what we want to do about travel. We are in our 50s, our kids are out of the house, and we have the time and $ to afford to travel. In the abstract, we’d like to go all kinds of places. In the actual, we find we don’t enjoy it as much as we’d like. Maybe we are just too lazy, and too content with our home and surroundings. Air travel is such a pain in the ass - and personally, I hate the BS security theater. But, as someone said, it is the only way to get anywhere distant. I also dislike the uncertainty of what I’ll experience given the expenditure of $ and effort. Not saying i don’t want to experience different things. But I find it so hard to predict my desired target of seeing neat things, without being just one of the tourist horde. How to obtain adequate comfort, without splurging on wasteful luxury? That sort of thing. Sometimes it seems as tho you need to go to one place almost to reconnoiter - then return for a longer visit to do it right. But inertia is such a powerful force, and we really are comfortable in our home and with our local activities. My preference is probably to do a lot of driving trips in the continental US. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/30 "2016-11-03T19:25:24Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > . . . > > I also dislike the uncertainty of what I’ll experience given the expenditure of $ and effort. Not saying i don’t want to experience different things. But I find it so hard to predict my desired target of seeing neat things, without being just one of the tourist horde. How to obtain adequate comfort, without splurging on wasteful luxury? That sort of thing. > > . . . I hear you. I just turned sixty, and traveling isn’t as easy as when I was young. Here are two ways to make it a lot more pleasant: (1) instead of going to a hotel, rent a small vacation cottage through VRBO. They’re barely more expensive than a hotel, and a thousand times more comfortable. You can make up for some of the expense by cooking some meals at home; and (2) splurge and pay $85 per person for TSA pre-check. It’s good for five years. We did that a few months ago, and on our recent trip we got into the short line and sailed through security much less stressfully. Can’t help you on air travel. It’s cramped and noisy and generally no fun at all. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/31 "2016-11-03T21:04:43Z")
I like seeing new places, but absolutely hate the traveling to get there. The older I get the more the cost/benefit analysis tips towards “not worth it.” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/32 "2016-11-03T21:21:41Z")
Traveling isn’t nearly as much fun as it was 30 years ago or so, when airlines actually gave a shit about something other than first class and profit. I traveled a ton for work then, and almost always enjoyed it. Even the disasters. But the point of travel is seeing something new and of being someplace you have only read about or seen on TV. Traveling with someone is a lot more fun I’d say, not that traveling alone is not worth doing. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/33 "2016-11-03T21:44:55Z")
> [@susan](#): > > I’m currently planning a trip to Antarctica without travel companions. Getting there is a schlepp. Good thing I like airports. I’m sure I’ll throw up on the ship, and I’m sure they’ll serve more fish than I like. Internet service will be expensive and sporadic. I can’t imagine that I won’t have a satisfying experience. YMMV. Oh please, take me along. I will hold your hair while you puke over the rail and otherwise not annoy you or disrespect your personal space. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/34 "2016-11-03T22:22:14Z")
Aren’t you sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/35 "2016-11-05T02:36:32Z")
> [@djindore](#): > > why bother? instead watch a luxury travel documentary or something. Ever watch fireworks on TV? Not nearly as good as seeing them live, right? Same concept applies to watching a travel show vs. traveling yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/36 "2016-11-05T03:36:54Z")
Goddamn, I’m hankerin’ for a Watney’s Red Barrel right now! ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/37 "2016-11-05T04:11:23Z")
I have been to more than 90 countries and have a goal to set foot in all of them before I die. I can’t understand people who would not enjoy traveling to new places. Discovery and seeing what lies beyond the horizon is a basic human desire. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/38 "2016-11-05T12:49:44Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Ever watch fireworks on TV? Not nearly as good as seeing them live, right? > Same concept applies to watching a travel show vs. traveling yourself. Satisfying travel interests by watching it on TV means you want to sightsee, not travel. Traveling is about meeting and interacting with people, learning about other cultures, and gaining an understanding that there is a world out there beyond your doorstep. If you just want to take a selfie in front of the leaning tower of Pisa, then yeah, stay home. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/39 "2016-11-05T17:23:28Z")
Mmmmmmmmmmm, I love traveling by train. Lovely way to see the countryside. Comfortable ride in expansive seats. I was in Spain for a couple weeks last month, the train trip from Madrid to Barcelona was one of the best parts. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448/40 "2016-11-05T17:53:10Z")
I worry a lot about my dogs when we’re traveling (though we have a great dogsitter, I’m scarred by my favorite kitty dying suddenly when I was 3,000 miles away from home). I’ve seen most of the U.S., but haven’t been to Europe yet. I’d like to visit my “ancestral homes” in Scotland-Ireland-Amsterdam-Normandy, but I don’t have a driving need to see Asia, Pacific Islands, or the hot places in South America (well, anywhere hot to tell the truth). Oddly, perhaps, I would really like to visit Patagonia and the South Pole. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traveling-is-a-pain-in-the-a/770448.md?page=3)