Travel, 50+, Wrap Up

...And thus end the tragicomic, if not farcical, adventures of our beloved (and, like totally, self-aware) antihero Mr. Cringeworth (under international fame as Uncle Gweilo)... For now.

Disclaimer-ish:
All events described are based on actual, factual experiences unless otherwise implied. Some things may or may not have been exaggerated.
Self-descriptions may include caustic, sarcastic and self-deprecating elements, among some other things which may or may not warp away from reality.
The reader is fully responsible for their subjective understanding or interpretation of the text, innuendo or anything else therein. Everything is meant in good spirits.

The "spirit" or "theme" of the series has drawn inspiration from "coke fueled" 1980s and 1990s comedies (imagine a timeline from Porky's through Austin Powers), CC and Adult Swim programming, and a sprinkle of this and that from elsewhere.

In the words of Maximus Decimus Meridius: "Are you not entertained!?"

How did you do it (and some other questions answered)?

A lot of people see travel as a luxury product or service. It can be, but it doesn't have to be. While there's nothing wrong with buying a trip from a travel agent, paying premium and floating in a pool of a 4* hotel with a drink in your hand for a week or two, maybe doing a couple of prearranged trips and eating "free" meals at the hotel, this has never been for me. For financial and preferential reasons. All of my trips have been independently planned (mostly by me, sometimes by or with a travel buddy) and arranged. There are all those things like budget, timing, routing and so on... It takes time to do this, to learn to do this better, faster, smoother, cheaper, but at the end of it, you can sell your expertise. Or that's what I have done from time to time, anyway.

Note: Independently planned travel is not automatically cheaper. Agent can have good bulk deals and there are pitfalls for an inexperienced independent traveler.

As you might have guessed it by now, I've been doing this for quite a few years. Here's a "scratch the surface" listing of the things I have tried out.

Money
How I've traveled free of charge...
[NOTE: Some of these are not for everyone and there can be risks involved. In some countries more than others. Prepare well. If you are not certain whether you can do something, don't.]
Transportation:
Walking, biking, hitchhiking (you can also hitch a ride from eg rowboat or fishing boat), donated flights (purchased with points rather than money, generally only works with business travelers).
Lodging/accommodation:
Couch surfing (service back when or friends, relatives, sometimes "new friends" aka strangers), camping (see freedom to roam or every man's right), car (road trips) or occasional other random thing people offered (cottage, barn, RV, tent).
Food:
Ask or trade for a story or a chore (eg by supermarkets, restaurants near closing hour). Snacks packed from home for shorted trips of maybe a few days. Fishing and picking berries or fruits from the nature (see freedom to roam or every man's right and check out local laws when preparing). Picking berries, fruits or vegetables at orchards/farms or similar and "getting a cut".
How I've traveled on the cheap...
Transportation:
Road trip with a friend, low-cost airlines, buses, trains in cheap countries.
Lodging/accommodation:
Hostels, sleeper train/ship/bus where it makes financial sense and is on the route, sleep at the airport.
Food:
Cook by myself.
How I budget...
While I was less wealthy, I did more research at home. The locations and other variables were optimized for price and the budget was calculated "on the penny". The trade-off is mostly time for money. Obviously you are likely to spend your nights somewhere farther from the central places or with lesser conditions. While I can afford better things now, I do not splurge. The budget is usually calculated for "medium comfort". Roughly speaking it means an okay accommodation with a decent location, convenient transportation with no or minimum luggage fees, "average priced" food checked with the help of google maps. Just some things to mention.

Safety
I do my research and have a "safety protocol" in place. While I leave space to "wing it", a lot of things are planned before going. There might have been a time with questionable choices and unnecessary risks taken, which might sound more wicked... but planning actually makes things more smooth on the road, gives a better overall experience and a chance to actually improvise far beyond "hee, hee, we're lost, short on cash, it's getting dark in the middle of nowhere and I think we have to eat that roadkill for dinner". I take a peep at the local culture and latest events before going, maybe try to learn a few words of the language... You know, basic stuff. (Yet, depending on company, we might take controlled risks like little adrenaline junkies, but that's another story left for the big boys.)

Europe is mostly extremely safe, despite some internet rumors, and you can most often get by with common sense and a pinch of street smarts. The places in Asia, Africa and North America that I've visited have been safe, as well. Having been to some dangerous places at dangerous times for other reasons, as a tourist, I tend to try and avoid risks where I can. So should you.

Some of the basics:
-Research where you're going. Nowadays you don't have to go to most places blind. Find out about things like the local scams, potential unrest, bad neighborhoods where applicable and so on.
-Make sure you have your necessary insurances and vaccinations (some of which can be compulsory to enter a country), just in case. You probably rather eat those malaria pills than have the disease, too. Also, check your teeth, if you doubt the condition.
-Do not get intoxicated with strangers in seedy places. And I know some of you are going to do just this. Stay safe.
-Avoid dark time and suspicious places and company. As we all know, the freaks come out at night.
-Stay aware of your surroundings.
-Know who, where and how to contact in case something goes wrong.
-Dress according to place and situation (your life is worth less than what you wear in certain places while you might get manhandled in others for dressing like a bum).
-Do not look like an easy victim. In my experience, this is the key to avoid most of the unpleasant stuff. Most predators are opportunists and go for the easy mark.
-Avoid arguing or fighting with the locals. Even if you're Rambo-Conan II, the ultimate fighting champion made of 300 pounds of pure muscle, you will lose a fight to a pack of locals. Also, avoid dealing with the police where you can. In many countries it's the police who rob and hurt you. Even some of the European countries. You know who you are.
-Prepare for cases of illness, little wounds, headache and such with a "travel pharmacy". Some "medicine" is considered "drugs" in some countries leading up to a harsh prison sentence, if you get caught with it. Could be your ADHD medication, for instance.
-Luggage that's closed with a zipper is not secure. Lock on the slider does not make it any more secure. Anyone can get through a basic zipper with something as simple as a ballpoint pen and then reseal it by pulling the slider over the opening.
-If you have a bad feeling about a neighborhood or a situation, remember it's better to be safe and guessing whether you overreacted than lie in a pool of your own blood and know you picked wrong.
This is far from an extensive list, obviously, but you get the gist of it. If you travel solo or, even, happen to be a woman doing so, there are all those fun extra things to consider.

Planning
While I have one of the "good" passports, I do have to check whether I need a visa or ETA (electronic travel authorization) or something else. "Passportindex" website offers a quick solution for browsing your options (especially convenient, if you have multiple passports). Wikipedia and a search starting "visa requirements for (your country)" offer you a slightly better view for individual countries. Confirm from the required embassy before planning further, if it's not a clear cut case.
"Rome2rio" offers you a good general idea on how to get somewhere, what vehicle to use, how long it takes and the general price range. There are other options, but this is the one I have found best for this function.
Google maps and wikipedia offer you a bunch of information for many purposes. Sometimes google maps is inaccurate and something else can be better, eg yandex maps for certain countries.
Currencies can be conveniently checked/converted simply by typing the number and the currency code on your browser or search engine. For example "2 usd to eur". While it's not necessarily the value your chosen exchange group/bank/hustler gives you, it gives you a good general idea what you should be getting.
Most kids out there these days go white and collapse unless they get their electronic fix. You can check your "Plug, socket & voltage by country" from "worldstandards" (among other places) to make sure you have your adapters right.
Just some of the basics.

How I plan things usually goes something like this: (Find out when it's possible to go), Decide where to go, See what else is close by, See if visa or similar is needed, Check flight/train/bus connections for availability, price and time slot, See estimated hotel prices, Estimate general budget, Start actually booking, Find out finer details, Prepare a travel booklet (which a lot of people do not do, but which has helped me many times with a variety of things) and then just wait till it's time to go.

Community
I've been a member of a variety of online travel communities over the years. These are usually individual passion projects or ideologically driven. They come and go. Usually when people run out of drive or money or just get busy with life. Sometimes investment groups or corporations buy them up and ruin or alter them beyond recognition. For example, I was a member of couchsurfing before it was bought up and made into a paid service with a hint of a community... Anyway, if you want to be a part of one, currently nomadmania is the best one you can join (free of charge).
There can be good ones in many languages, but I'll stick to English for reasons that should be clear to everyone. If you want to do this offline, there may be decent travel clubs in your country.

Bonus option: If you want to whiff the international winds, but physically cannot or cannot afford or don't want to travel, you may wish to check out postcrossing which is where people send and receive postcards to and from around the world.

Surprises
Pleasant:
Andorra, Armenia, Cabo Verde, Kazakhstan.
Unpleasant:
Italy, Lithuania.
Used for travel:
Airplane, ATV, bicycle, boat, bus, car, (powered) catamaran, dolmush, feet, ferry, horse drawn carriage, maxitaxi/marshrutka, minibus, monorail, moped, skates, skis, subway/metro, train, tram, trolleybus, truck, van, (wind)surfboard ... that I can remember.
Extremes:
Largest city by population: Beijing. Smallest: Vatican City.
Capital by elevation: Andorra la Vella 1023m/3356ft and Amsterdam -2m/-7ft
Hottest confirmed temperature experienced in nature: 42C/108F. Coldest: -38C/-37F.
Cardinal direction extremes: Nordkapp (nor), Nara (jpn), Praia (cpv), Halifax (can).
Favorites (top 20, flavor of the day):
Annecy (France), Biel/Bienne (Switzerland), Chur (Switzerland), Colmar (France), Copenhagen (Denmark), Gwangju (S.Korea), Haarlem (Netherlands), Iceland, Lausanne (Switzerland), Liechtenstein, Liverpool (UK), Lugano (Switzerland), Lyon (France), Nara (Japan), North Norway, Poland, Scotland, Sintra (Portugal), Vienna (Austria), Visby (Sweden).
...
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...might update this later as editing is minimal and it was kind of "just thrown together". Wishes welcome.

Feel free to ask anything related.