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[expatinuk]

I travel for business quite a bit. I've been to: Romania, Italy, Austria, USA, France, Belgium, Turkey, Germany, Sweden, Finland... well you get the picture ... only I don't GET pictures.

This commercial says pretty much everything about traveling on business to EXCITING places.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq0y0OUn0JU

Where have you been and NOT seen???

[euro_trash]

I know exactly how you feel.  There is nothing worse than flying to some exotic and culturally intriguing location only to be stuck in meetings the whole time.  Yuck. 

Like expatinuk, I travel a lot around Europe.  In my case, though, I always try to take at least a day to roam around with my digital camera.  Is this not a possibility in your case?  There are two cities in Eastern Europe I have to visit often, though, so then I do just like the commercial you posted, fly in, do my thing, and fly out. 

My uni provides a certain amount of money and is not so worried about the length of my visits (outside of teaching days) as long as I keep to the budget.  By being frugal, and by staying in 3 star hotels instead of 4 star hotels, I am usually able to extend my stay by a day at no real cost.  Mind you, 3 star hotels in many places are a bit plain (but then again so am I). 

Having said that, when I cannot make the original budget, I dip into my personal fund to stay an extra day.  I like to think of it as a small reward for enduring airport transportation security agents. 

[wegie]

Vienna -- didn't go to the opera and the Spanish Riding School were performing in the UK that weekend.

Paris -- took about four trips before I saw Notre Dame

New York -- still haven't visited Miss Liberty

Chicago -- what Art Institute?

Minnesota -- hiking in the backwoods? Nah, let's stay in a hotel with a great view of a parking lot.

San Francisco -- there's a bridge . . . or so I'm told (I plead that for this one we arrived at 11pm and had to leave at 5pm)!

Rome -- too long a list of museums and sights to mention

Naples/Amalfi coast -- Volcano? Archaeological sites?

[phdbliss]

I don't travel to conferences unless I'm presenting, having an interview, or just feel like showing off.

I have to admit I am slightly excited about MLA in San Fran this year, though. I want to take one of those wine tours on a bus where you get schnockered the whole way to Napa or Sonoma, get more schnockered at the wineries, and then they bring you back drop you off at the hotel, hopefully before you've passed out.

Yes. This year will be a fun conference year! I just have to remember to do the wine tour after I've already done job interviews (if I'm lucky enough to have any).   

[madhatter]

I love that commercial.

In my last job, I travelled about once or twice per month. I got to know a few cities very well. I also got to know a few hotel chains very well.

I spent a day in Hamburg (Germany) in the Lufthansa business class lounge. I was waiting to find out when my contact would pick me up. My contact never called. I got on my next flight and left Hamburg.

My first visit to Dallas was spent at the dreaded airport hotel, although I didn't realize that until the cab driver at the airport gave me a dirty look and drove me for all of thirty seconds to the Hyatt's front door. I think I also spent a few days at a Newark airport hotel, where I could longingly gaze at the distant skyline of Manhattan from my window.

[scotia]

I have visited several places in the last few years, but I can't think of anywhere (except transit airports) where I have not managed to see at least some of the local sights. Most of my work travel seems to be long haul rather than to Europe. I almost always add on at least one day to 'recover from jet lag' (otherwise known as sight-seeing) and if that is not possible do a lot of sight-seeing at 6 am before the serious stuff starts. True not much is open but I at least get to make an assessment of whether I think somewhere is worth returning to.

It also helps that I get desperate for down time away from folks at conferences so happily wander the streets while others are 'networking' later in the evening.

[minnesotan]

Luckily I'm still a grad student, and our motto is: why take three days of vacation when you can take fourteen? 

"Money" is usually the answer, but I always manage to spread things out for a couple extra days to take in the city.  With flight prices rising so much in the last two years, it's hard to justify (to myself - everyone else seems to have a better sense of how important business trips are) going somewhere if I'm not having business and pleasure.  =)

[gengidashiell]

Luckily I'm still a grad student, and our motto is: why take three days of vacation when you can take fourteen? 

"Money" is usually the answer, but I always manage to spread things out for a couple extra days to take in the city. 

Its funny because I have to go to the ASA in the late summer, and I dread spending four solid days there.  I don't get why, considering the opp to meet some sociologists and talk to people in my field, but frankly, I feel like I could do that from August 1-3, instead of July 30th - August 5th.

Maybe it's trepidation as a grad student surrounded by a bunch of... non-students.

SD

[minnesotan]

Luckily I'm still a grad student, and our motto is: why take three days of vacation when you can take fourteen? 

"Money" is usually the answer, but I always manage to spread things out for a couple extra days to take in the city. 

Its funny because I have to go to the ASA in the late summer, and I dread spending four solid days there.  I don't get why, considering the opp to meet some sociologists and talk to people in my field, but frankly, I feel like I could do that from August 1-3, instead of July 30th - August 5th.

Maybe it's trepidation as a grad student surrounded by a bunch of... non-students.

SD

Impostor Syndrome is a disease that takes many treatments to cure.

[tee_bee]

Is there such a thing as too much? In the last 18 months I've been in Chicago, Leiden, Amherst, Mass., Boulder, Colo., Washington DC too many times to count, New Orleans (Ditto), Baton Rouge, Tampa, Stockholm (Twice), Sundsvall, Sweden, Seattle, Raleigh, Atlanta, and Delft.

There seem to be several classes of cities

1. Cities where there aren't really any sights to see (Sorry, Baton Rouge and ATL)
2. Cities where there are sights, but that I've seen before or lived in, so I don't feel bad about not sightseeing, like DC, Chicago (although I love Chicago), Seattle.
3. Cities where I'd love to do more sightseeing but just didn't have time (mid-semester trips) like Leiden and Delft.
4. Cities where I've taken an extra day or two because I had time, or a friend to visit, or both. Stockholm fits, as does Sundsvall, Took the train from Sundsvall to Trondheim, Norway recently to see the land of my Norske ancestors. Totally fun trip.

Next goal--to bring my wife and kids along. And I want to go to Paris so much. My luck that I took years of French, and end up going to the NL and SWE.

I want to take some time off from travel, but, frankly, I kind of like travel. I like 8 hours alone on a plane to Europe. I like learning the essentials of the local language, even if everyone speaks English. I travel too much, but it has its rewards.

[gennimom]

I got to see some great views of Reno from the hotel windows. Not a whole lot of time for anything else.

*sigh*

[donstefano]

I'm single, so basically do not have to plan my holidays in advance. So I often combine travel for work with a holiday or at least a day off. Unless it's in cities I have been laready, then it's in and out.

[ab_grp]

I should be traveling more often, but due to some obligations I currently have I only travel about 4 or 5 times per year.  Given that the future doesn't hold too many exotic destinations anyway, that's okay with me.  We've tried to make a few trips here and there into vacations.  My most frequent destination is DC, so not too exciting.  The more distant future holds the possibility of work travel to  Europe and Africa, though.

[ploughandstars]

Shhhhhh. I attended a conference in Cairo not just to present but also to, at 7 AM one morning, walk up inside the Great Pyramid.

[minnesotan]

Shhhhhh. I attended a conference in Cairo not just to present but also to, at 7 AM one morning, walk up inside the Great Pyramid.

Is that when the light shines trough the hole in the roof, and you have to align the gem in the staff just right to reveal the true location of the Ark?  Archeology is so complicated.