How many of you that travel with work

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Greedo

Guest
venture out of an evening and go and have a meal in a restaurant/pub on your own and to the pub for a few beers.

I do this anytime i'm away and really enjoy doing it. Sit with a book/magazine and just chill having a nice wee meal to myself.

Many people I know don't do this. They go and get a takeaway and take it back to their hotel and eat it in their room.

I would go stir crazy doing that.

Like to get out and about and have a wander about the place I'm in. Met some decent people also doing this and having a far better evening than I would couped up in a hotel room all night
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
I usually do, but it depends where. I don't venture out in Kaliningrad on my own of a night, but frankly after a lonfg day working the process line I'm too knackered. The hotel grub is first class anyhow and there's less expense paperwork to fill out. Other places I regularly visit like Germany Spain and Hungary I'll venture out if there's time.

If in the UK then it's generally a Curry or Thai.

Meeting people when travelling is a major part of the fun for me. This week in Russia met a nice Danish Guy in Baltic sea area Container logistics who was also in the company of 'His Excellency the Danish Consul in Kalininrad' and we had a very pleasant few beers together. At the same hotel another regular from Budapest is trying to expedite the aircraft from the collapse of KD Avia back to the leasing company. On my travel from Riga this morning met a couple of interesting guys from a mining project in Tajikistan. (It was -10c at Riga, though Moscow was -29!!!!).

I never eat in my room. I may have a beer while catching-up on email, but I'll usually find a spot at the bar for some nosh and often somebody else to pass the time with.

When I used to travel to Chicago on a regular basis I'd usually end-up on 'Clarke' at Blue Chicago for good vibes and then go on to Excaliber for a boogie (I even won a Michael jackson dance-off there once!), all alone and then wander back to the hotel at some ungodly hour...
Now I'm more cocoa and cookies on the Concierge level!
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
I did this a fair bit in my last job...TBH, we usually tried to get at least someone else down there.. then it ended up in a big booze up............ great..

A few times I went on my own, but it was a case of a quick sarnie, off to the room and bed/telly/cycling mag (cos I wasn't riding the chuffing things).....and maybe the gym if they had one......... that went with long hours and loads of driving...... my wife went nuts...... 4/5 hour drive through Wales (A roads and hills/etc North South) - full day's work, then another site, through to Bristol then back up home....... 18 hour day..not very good....

I ended up jacking the job in, hate travelling regularly, especially with two young kids, and back to a 'bike'/ home mentality...... now.....

I spent 8 years not being able to build commuting by bike into the day..... not good if you are a bike freak........ decided to sort this out as I'd slapped on a couple of stone...... (was enough for me.....and the missus giving me grief).......

I am a home bird...need my space/family, need the bikes.....

We are all very different......
 
I often used to go for a meal on my own when I was spending nights away in the truck. Sometimes - depending on where I was parked and what I had in the fridge - it was nice to cook something in the cab and have a glass or two of wine, but if I was near a town centre it was nice to go for a wander around, try out a few pubs (with the aid of the cab copy of the Good Beer Guide) and find a curry house. I used to get some funny looks sitting there on my own with a book, but did I care?:tongue:
 

Stephenite

Membå
Location
OslO
I used to do exactly the same. Wander about a bit, find a place to eat and drink, maybe get into a chat with the locals. Better than watching porn, imo.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
I travel to Africa about 8 - 10 weeks a year. In South Africa I'm usually entertaining or being entertained and on the few evening when I'm not, I wander around the nearby mall and have a beer in a bar, seldom get into conversations really. In Nigeria where I spend 4 to 6 weeks a year you don't really go out at night but the Sheraton Hotel in Lagos has five restaurants and three bars so if you've a mind to you can always find someone for a chat. I've met some interesting people over the years that way. Have also had to fight off some fairly desperate local girls as I never really fancied that kind of company! I know several guys who have got into all kinds of trouble messing around with locals.

There was a time when I considered setting up some kind of international dining club where members would let the waiter know they were happy to share a table with whoever walked in. Restaurants would be happy because it would improve table occupancy.
 

dudi

Senior Member
Location
Ipswich, Suffolk
Whenever I do go away with work I always buy a decent newspaper to save for the evening then sit in the hotel restaurant/bar reading the paper and eating/drinking my company allowance away.

I quite enjoy it too - and usually end up chatting away to some other random loner on a business trip.

No more of that of course - banks aren't allowed to pay expenses these days for fear of being lynched by the public.
 

dudi

Senior Member
Location
Ipswich, Suffolk
Rigid Raider said:
There was a time when I considered setting up some kind of international dining club where members would let the waiter know they were happy to share a table with whoever walked in. Restaurants would be happy because it would improve table occupancy.

That's an excellent idea... while away I'm rarely the only person dining alone, and who knows who you'll meet...
Of course there's always a risk you'll run in to the most boring person on earth, but you can always beat a safe retreat back to your hotel room.
 

Fnaar

Smutmaster General
Location
Thumberland
I don't travel with work often these days, but I'd pretty much always go out to investigate. I used to travel a lot more... highlights of my investigations are, i guess a blues gig in Los Angeles, a jazz gig in New York and another jazz gig in Budapest. Can't see the point of being stuck in a hotel room, unless it's somewhere I don't feel safe outside. I had an entertaining time at a supermarket in Xi'an, China, where the local kids followed me round the shop, pointing and laughing... I was the only blue-eyed person about, I guess ( or maybe I had bogroll sticking out the back of me troozaz)
 

zimzum42

Legendary Member
I'll always try and go out of the hotel if I can, though being hassled by hookers is always annoying...

The only problem is when you get stuck in some airport hotel and there really is nowhere to go. Thank god for wireless internets in the rooms nowadays!
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
I always feel desperately alone and self-concious when I end up eating on my own. Hate it. Just feels wrong. And would never go into a pub or bar on my own. I even feel self-concious when I meet up with a friend in a pub and I arrive first, so have to stand on my own for a while. Great thing about mobile phones is that you can ask them what beer they want when they are still on their way.

Yes, would love to take part in a system where the waiter could add a random person onto my table.
 
I usually go for a run in the morning, as it's a great way to see a new city, and I'll nearly always go out in the evening for a meal, and try to find somewhere that looks local. It's easier for me as I mostly travel to former Soviet Union countries and my Russian is fluent so I have better access than someone who may be limited to English.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
I'm not bothered about eating on my own when away.
I dont like staying in the hotel, thats just boring. The main trouble is i work in non tourist areas where English isnt generally spoken.
Worked a lot in Cyprus out of tourist season, the hardest thing is finding a resturaunt open. Sometimes you'll come across some expats and have a good conversation here and there.

Worked in Spain for a few days and went up into the mountains to a resturaunt that was recommended...only to find no-one spoke English. I ended up with a variety of ham and bread cos i couldnt understand the menu :ohmy:

In Uruguay, i was texting her indoors the items on the menu, she'd translate it on the internet then text me back with what the dish was.

I'll happily watch the world go by, then retire to the hotel and then read a book or write up notes.
 
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