There’s no single set of rules when it comes to how and what to spend on travel, whether on a local road trip a few hours away or a jaunt to a far-flung destination dreamed of for decades.
In February, we invited readers to tell us about recent voyages — how much they paid for them and, ultimately, if the experience was worth it. A common theme emerged: the celebration of the pandemic’s loosening restrictions on our lives.
Here’s what six readers told us. (These interviews have been lightly edited and condensed.)
more than $10,000
Whales and remembrance in Hawaii
Reader: Christine Moss, 54, Collinsville, Ill.
Size of the group: Four; Ms. Moss and her three 16-year-old sons
Where they went: Lahaina on the island of Maui, in Hawaii
Tell us about the trip: My husband died on Jan. 20, 2021, of complications from Covid. I’m taking our triplets on an adventure every year around the anniversary of his death. He went on many adventures with our boys, and I want to keep it going.
We had scattered some of my husband’s ashes in the ocean off Seattle right after he passed away. He was in the Navy. We had released some of his ashes off the Big Island in Hawaii on an earlier trip, so we wanted to go back and do it again. Wherever we go, he’ll be.
How much did it cost? More than $10,000 for a week.
Most surprising cost: Food. We ate out for breakfast once, and it was $160 at a pancake restaurant. We just ate pancakes, nothing fancy. I spent at least $1,000 on food.
Why did you choose this trip? You’re going to laugh, but I wanted to see whales. I live in the middle of the United States. I’m totally landlocked.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. Again, with the whales — my kids always tease me about the whales. Now they’re believers, though.
About $3,000
A two-week driving trip to France
Reader: Filipa Donaldson, 33, Trnava, Slovakia
Size of the group: Three; Ms. Donaldson, her husband and their 3-year-old daughter
Where they went: Normandy, France
Tell us about the trip: We took a road trip from our home in Central Europe to Normandy in France in late August. We drove only a few hours a day, so it took us five days each way to get there and back. We camped in a different place each night. Once we finally got to Normandy, we stayed in a charming Airbnb — a house in the middle of nowhere with blackberries growing all around us. (Breakfasts were sorted!)
We stayed there six days, visiting beautiful and nearly empty beaches, hunting for cockles…
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