Please share your intrepidness (intrepidity?)

[ahedonia]

As paige_eliz already knows (because I posted the following text almost exactly in her comments), her recent brave acts of escaping to Europe have inspired a bit of a kerfluffle in my heart. ;) I really wanted to do a Paris escape thing over Christmas but it didn't end up working out, and I'm always thinking I should challenge myself to greater and greater travel accomplishments abroad.

So I've asked her, and have now decided to poll my flist: those of you out there who spend time traveling abroad either solo or with one other person, could you share about how you go about planning/executing your trips? (coolbyrne and monanotlisa spring especially to mind. :) ) The two times I've been to Yurp (g), I went with others, but I'm getting more and more into the idea of taking off on my own--however, the idea of planning it all puts in me into a mild panic attack.

So I have questions:

• What are the things you've learned about the cheapest, best ways to get to the most places during the course of a trip?
• How much do you plan to see and/or do in one trip? How do you keep from getting exhausted?
• How often do you join groups/planned tours and how often do you just go solo?
• When you do go solo, how do you structure your time? When you'd like some other people, how do you go about finding some in a place where you don't already have contacts?
• What are some of the best planned/group-type things you've tried?
• If it's not too gauche, how much money do you allot for a trip? How much time? What are you willing to spend on accomodations?

By way of clarifying my traveling standards, I'm not the richest soul on the planet nor do I have a bankrolling set of parents, but I'm also not 20 anymore and I don't really do the backpacking/hostel thing. On the other hand, I also don't want to have a Little America set up for me in the host country so that I have some kind of insulated bubble experience. Basically, all I really require in terms of amenities is a way to cool off if it's hot (a big fan will often do) and some form of elevator to lift me and my luggage if I'm on the fourth floor. (Oh, and wireless access, but...duh. :)) Tiny rooms and showers in the hallway suit me just fine, as do crooked floors and kooky decoration. Being part of a stupid-looking tour group following some yutz with a flag doesn't thrill me, but I'm willing to try it if the tour/company/experience comes recommended. Renting a flat for a nice, extended, non-luggage-dragging stay also rocks, but I haven't done it on my own yet. Getting to know locals and being included in local stuff is also an awesome thing.

At the risk of overwhelming myself (even more) with too many suggestions, I'd love to be regaled with everyone's experiences. :)