Travel and social class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the US, I think this may be true. Americans live like dogs, with no vacation.
My grandparents lived in Europe and were working class. They travelled all over the continent, often by bus, camping, staying in hostels etc. I think that type of travel is very common in Europe compared to here. As far as I can tell, poorer Americans just travel to see family or maybe one week a year in somewhere like Ocean City. Most campsites seem to be filled with people from nearby, e.g. people from DC might go to Assateague.

I agree with this in general. They value work over all else and if both people in a couple don't work people seriously judge.

I will say, however, that my relatives of French descent have a more balanced view of life. They have vacation homes where they summer.

They're wealthy rednecks though and do a lot of going on cruises and AIs in Mexico. They winter in Arizona.

Their vacation and second home choices are not the ones I would make. But their lives seem nice regardless. To each his own!

[Anonymous]

I think DCUM overestimates how much time Americans can get off and can afford certain types of vacations. We are not poor by any means (make a little over 200k) but cannot afford many of the places mentioned here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you “summer” or “winter” in the same place every year, you are well-off. (Within the American context. I know it’s different for Europeans.)

I’m fairly well traveled but my vacation time and money is too precious to go back to the same place again and again, I need to save it up to see more of the world — making me (upper) middle class.

Depends. Lots of people "summer" every year in a seasonal or a cottage in NH on a brackish lake or a trailer on Fenwick Island... just saying.

[Anonymous]

It's pretty universal on DCUM that people who return to FL year after year are the opposite of classy.

[Anonymous]

Completely idiotic because it confuses money with social class and ignores multicultural and international people like me.

I return to the Alps regularly in summer because I'm French and like my mountains. I avoid the touristy parts because I don't like crowds when hiking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Completely idiotic because it confuses money with social class and ignores multicultural and international people like me.

I return to the Alps regularly in summer because I'm French and like my mountains. I avoid the touristy parts because I don't like crowds when hiking.

Also - the part about Christmas markets makes me laugh. Most of the stuff is sadly cheap knock-offs; the few surviving local workshops who make everything by hand end up not being able to compete, and they're hard to identify in a market setting. It's best to visit them in their workshops. Christmas markets have been terrorist targets for quite a while in France and Germany. If you go, go for the ambience, sure. But if you've done one, you've done them all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am reading an Emily Giffen novel and the narrator says she can tell someone’s social class by hearing where a person has traveled to or where they return year after year. I thought that was interesting. Do you agree?

Idk that I really agree because just having more money to spend doesn’t really change your class background (how you were raised, where you went to school, what you do for a living, etc.).

In part it's because of personality variation.

Liberals and the upper class tend to be "high-openness" personalities. Such personalities like learning for its own sake, like to embrace diversity and see unexpected things.

At least half of the working class (especially the white working class in America) tend to be lower openness personalities who like the expected and like to follow and not lead.

The former like to travel to cities or new countries. The latter like to go to theme parks and Disney. On average.

[Anonymous]

I agree. My Dad is a 5%'er and he has global access and a pass that allows you to just board and pay for first class upgrades. He literally walks to an airport be it private or commercial, and boards. He has been to 43 countries in 4 years As I speak, he is heading to Quito, and then to the Galapagos Islands to explore and take a private cruise on a yacht. I am his daughter and cannot do such things. I know he is of a different class.

[Anonymous]

For instance: Families homes in Nantucket, Mill Reef and Jackson Hole for the regular vacations. Napa, Williamette and Beaune for wine trips. Europe for educational trips. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing for the future, Ngorongoro, Etosha or Kruger to see animals. Lather, rinse, repeat through the generations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree. My Dad is a 5%'er and he has global access and a pass that allows you to just board and pay for first class upgrades. He literally walks to an airport be it private or commercial, and boards. He has been to 43 countries in 4 years As I speak, he is heading to Quito, and then to the Galapagos Islands to explore and take a private cruise on a yacht. I am his daughter and cannot do such things. I know he is of a different class.

Do you mean that he doesn't need to bother with reservations because there's always room in first class? I suppose he must sill arrange in advance for visas for certain countries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Completely idiotic because it confuses money with social class and ignores multicultural and international people like me.

I return to the Alps regularly in summer because I'm French and like my mountains. I avoid the touristy parts because I don't like crowds when hiking.

Also - the part about Christmas markets makes me laugh. Most of the stuff is sadly cheap knock-offs; the few surviving local workshops who make everything by hand end up not being able to compete, and they're hard to identify in a market setting. It's best to visit them in their workshops. Christmas markets have been terrorist targets for quite a while in France and Germany. If you go, go for the ambience, sure. But if you've done one, you've done them all.

I had some rich European friends in college. They said they would come to nyc to shop during the holidays.

And Asians fly to nyc to shop all year round.

I have also read about these European Christmas markets and it is laughable. I wonder if it is the same poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Couldn’t you tell someone’s social class just by where you met them, what they do, etc etc? I mean, to whom am I giving this test? And what would I do with the results?

Well in the book it’s a college student hearing that her new roommate grew up going to Christmas markets in Europe, skiing out west every spring break, and vacations on Sea Island every summer.

Tipped her off immediately to the roommate being from a high class family.

This could be rich person stuff - do they own the Sea Colony house? Do they fly first class to Europe and stay in the nicest hotels? Do they go to Aspen instead of slumming it at a less lux resort? - or it could be middle class if it is coach and rentals.

Skiing out west doesn’t have to be expensive. It really depends on where you go. And most middle class families can afford to rent a house for a beach vacation for a week or even two.

Rich and owning a Sea Colony home, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I get that Sea Colony is not considered as nice as Sea Island (I wouldn't know, I grew up doing beach vacations in Cape May and now we primarily go to the Cape because DH's parents have a house there).

But are we really going to say you can still be "middle class" if you own a second home in a vacation destination?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For instance: Families homes in Nantucket, Mill Reef and Jackson Hole for the regular vacations. Napa, Williamette and Beaune for wine trips. Europe for educational trips. Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing for the future, Ngorongoro, Etosha or Kruger to see animals. Lather, rinse, repeat through the generations.

Caneel Bay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Couldn’t you tell someone’s social class just by where you met them, what they do, etc etc? I mean, to whom am I giving this test? And what would I do with the results?

Well in the book it’s a college student hearing that her new roommate grew up going to Christmas markets in Europe, skiing out west every spring break, and vacations on Sea Island every summer.

Tipped her off immediately to the roommate being from a high class family.

This could be rich person stuff - do they own the Sea Colony house? Do they fly first class to Europe and stay in the nicest hotels? Do they go to Aspen instead of slumming it at a less lux resort? - or it could be middle class if it is coach and rentals.

Skiing out west doesn’t have to be expensive. It really depends on where you go. And most middle class families can afford to rent a house for a beach vacation for a week or even two.

Rich and owning a Sea Colony home, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I get that Sea Colony is not considered as nice as Sea Island (I wouldn't know, I grew up doing beach vacations in Cape May and now we primarily go to the Cape because DH's parents have a house there).

But are we really going to say you can still be "middle class" if you own a second home in a vacation destination?

DP here. Maybe not “middle class” but you can certainly own a vacation home without being “rich.” Especially if you rent it out part of the time, but even if you don’t. Not all vacation homes are fancy. And some people own a second home in lieu of other vacations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree. My Dad is a 5%'er and he has global access and a pass that allows you to just board and pay for first class upgrades. He literally walks to an airport be it private or commercial, and boards. He has been to 43 countries in 4 years As I speak, he is heading to Quito, and then to the Galapagos Islands to explore and take a private cruise on a yacht. I am his daughter and cannot do such things. I know he is of a different class.

5%er? That sounds more like 1%