Air: we now fly only Business TATL because Coach is so miserable. Coach is fine on shorter hops.

Hotel: in Europe we typically redeem points and end up in places much nicer than we'd get using our cash; if we're paying for it, we choose smaller, family-owned places but prefer convenient to attractions/transportation, with an elevator and Wi-Fi.

Other expenses: we can get very frugal here. We eat maybe one meal every other day in a traditional sit-down restaurant. We get a lot from the local grocery stores, which is also a good way to see how the locals live. I'll hunt around on the Internet to find out how to get to a nearby attraction rather than book a more expensive day tour with a guide. We rarely buy souvenirs except for a refrigerator magnet, a piece of jewelry or the local adult beverage.

Over the years, though, we're starting to spend more for comfort and convenience. My husband is 72 and has a little bit of a balance problem, particularly on steps. Negotiating public transport to and from the airport with a couple of suitcases and a change of trains is getting dicey and more often now we book a car to and from the airport, particularly for early flights. That's also the reason we want to be near the center of things: he can put his feet up in the late afternoon and I can still explore if I want to. We'll also take the train even if flights are cheaper because we like the train.

But, in general, we don't focus on thrift on vacations.