2025 Bargain Destinations/Travel Wallets/Mexican Trains

Nomadico issue #131

Nov 14, 2024

2025 Bargain Destinations

I joined Jason Moore at the Zero to Travel Podcast recently to run down some of the top travel and living abroad values for next year in destinations around the world. We hit some perennial favorites and some new entries, then also discussed how to travel well for less in Europe, how to avoid getting ripped off by ATMs, and how safe I feel living in Mexico. Get the episode on your favorite podcast player or listen online here.

A Small Wallet for Travel

While you still need some cash every day in some countries, like my adopted one of Mexico, in others you can mostly get by with your phone and a credit/debit card or two. So you can leave the backup banking methods in a safe place in your room and walk around with just a thin wallet. I’ve got a thin leather one I bought in a local market that I use with zippered or buttoned pants, then in pickpocket-filled places I have a money pouch that goes under my pants. See this page of thin wallets on Amazon though for plenty of other options.

More Train Lines in Mexico

Earlier this year I rode the Maya Train between Palenque and Cancun in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, stopping off for a while in three places. The line to Playa del Carmen opened up around the same time and recently a further leg to Tulum started carrying passengers. This is not the end of that line or further initiatives: Mexico’s new president announced that construction on a rail line between Mexico City and Queretaro will start next year.

How’s the Economy Doing?

When I used past history to predict a chaotic four years ahead in last week’s edition, making the point that now’s a good time to move abroad, I got a couple dozen unsubscribes and received some nasty e-mails. I expected both, but was surprised by one aspect of misinformation coming up between the personal insults: that the US economy has been "terrible" or even "a disaster" the past four years. So a few catch-up facts from the financial news:

US Inflation is 2.4% (about where it was in 2019). Unemployment is 4.1%. (Last year it hit the lowest point since 1953). The total number of employed Americans set two records in the past year. GDP per capita set a new record last quarter, at $67,357. The S&P 500 is up 58% since January 7, 2021, with 13 record highs in 2024.

UNCLASSIFIEDS:

With a favorable exchange rate and plenty of flight options, 2025 will be a great year to visit Japan. Get a Japan Rail Pass and cover a lot of ground easily with one purchase. Get yours here.

Japan or Die brings you the greatest curated travel tips about Japan since the invention of travel tips. Get insider info on restaurants, bars, shopping, culture, experiences, neighborhoods, places to stay, cool things to do, and more. Sign up for free!

Buy your way into airport VIP status when you travel with Priority Pass. Enjoy snacks, coffee, and drinks in a comfortable airport lounge space with good Wi-Fi instead of wrestling with the gate crowds in airports.

Join the editor of Nomadico and some fun intrepid travelers on a ski trip to the Republic of Georgia in March. Today is the last day to sign up to get guaranteed slopeside accommodations, so get on it now if you want to enjoy great wine and great food in an up-and-coming destination.

Reach 11,500+ working travelers with an unclassified ad in Nomadico for $75. Or get 4 weeks for $200 at this link and increase your awareness and clicks.