My husband isn't in America yet, but I'm already planning our next visit to the UK (probably not until Christmas time)! I'm just wondering how often all of you make the trek and how you manage (financially, time off work, etc).

Once every year on average/I take advantage of online/discounted airfares

My husband and I only live 3 hours from Canada where all my family and friends live, so we go there often. Plus, we have a trailer on a Lake in Canada, so we spend many weekends up in Canada from April until October every year.

Your choices are pretty limited -- after "less than once a year" the next choice is "never"! This is pretty extreme. BTW, I'd rather invite my parent to come here, rather than visit them. It's more interesting for them, I think.

I have been here for about a year now and haven't been back to Germany yet. But we will be moving there in August due to military orders.

We're planning to visit every year (or 2 years) if money permits. It's a half way around the world (approx 20-22 hrs) & expensive, so my best bet is once a year is max.

My parents does not like travel that long (they are both almost 70 y.o), so most likely we will go back.

Haven't been back yet but when my hubby and I do get the chance we'll definitely be looking for some cheap discount tickets online...

My husband is visiting India next month for the first time since moving here, he hasn't been back there in almost a year and a half. In the future, he hopes to visit atleast once a year though. I'm not sure how often I will be able to go with him due to social issues with his family and the cost.

I have been here almost a year and I haven't been back yet but we are planning a road trip for April this year... I am from Canada so it isn't that far to drive... takes about 2 days or so to drive...

She will go once a year. I don't know how to answer the second question since you really don't have to be monumentally wealthy. You just gotta know how to save.

I have NOT been back to Australia in a year, and if it was just up to me I wouldn't be going because I'm dreading the 18 hours of plane travel and I know we can't afford it... but my family wants to see me so I expect I'll be going back every year or so - they're paying for the first trip and since I got my greencard a week ago they're already asking when I'm coming!

If it was up to me I'd go back ONCE for two months to show my husband Australia... and it would probably only be once every four years... and I'd try to get my family to come HERE to visit us once every four years too.

I can't travel yet, but we plan on going back to Ireland about twice a year. Plus, my family will visit us here too. My parents were out in November for our wedding, and are planning another trip for 4th July with 2 of my sisters. My other sisters are planning visits around the Fall, so we'll see each other fairly often we hope

We plan to go about once a year. This year we are planning a trip to Hawaii first for a delayed honeymoon, then visit her family in the Philippines closer to the end of the year.

I get a good amount of vacation each year and we take advantage of internet budget fares and travel on off-peak days (amazing how much the price can differ depending on the day of the week).

I always use Northwest as I am now Gold Elite on Worldperks (due to the 4 trips I took there last year) and I get double air miles with them. I won't actually use the air miles until I drop off this status (Feb 2007).

it takes 60,000 air miles for each round-trip ticket to the Philippines. I have 131,000 so far and would like to have 240,000 before I start using them (2 trips for both of us). That would take care of the airfare for 2007 and 2008.

Was an expat in my wife's country and loved it - went back twice a year after returning full-time to the USA. Then I married her, she came to the USA, and I haven't gone back again.

Maybe I should divorce her.....

Yodrak

I envy you all so much. I have been here 4 years and haven't been home once. It is not because we can't afford it. I don't want to leave my son with his case still a mess and find that they make some monumental decision while I am out of the country! I want us all to be able to return to England to visit, but want for ALL of us to be allowed back in too.

My parents are getting on in years and I really do need to get back, but just don't want to risk it at this point.

I supposed I am lucky. My Dad was a pilot in the US Navy and a commercial pilot in my country. He doesn't fly anymore (he retired a few years ago) but he still get discounts. So when I feel homesick, I call him and I get to go home pretty often But not as often as I want.... It is a full day trip to go fly to Guyana, you must stop a few times in the islands and there is only one flight to Cayenne from Miami. My husband is African, so I went there and I guess we will be going there too sometimes. Probably once a year at least? Not sure yet.

I used to go to Germany annually. Since marrying Nani, it's been every other year and that's probably what it'll be going forward (maybe less than that). Nani hasn't been back yet. We were planning on a trip this spring but with the pregnancy and all, she wants to wait 'til the baby is born and then go next year - all three of us so her folks can meet the baby, too.

It's easier for me as my folks can come here if they want to see me but Nani's folks can't get a visa to visit. We hope to pull something out of the hat for her mom to be able to come for a little bit this fall when the baby comes. We're in preparations and hope that we have good enough of a poker face to pull it off. Lord knows her mom couldn't and wouldn't live here but at the US Consulate, that means very little...

once a year.. 2nd time doing it.. 1st time last year my inlaws bought us the tickets.. this time we saved money for it.. buying them 5 months in advance.. besides, to Mexico ain't that expensive

2-3 times a year for me to the UK though I sense this year it will be 4 times. Once you get to a certain 'status' with air miles you get lots of benefits so I'm always lucky enough to upgrade. I'm self employed so my time off is dictated by me. Usually one of the trips is funded by me and the others through work. I always extend the work trips to spend time with family and friends. I've been here in the UK for 2 weeks already and have another week to go. Am loving it! OH hasn't come back with me yet but that will happen in the future no doubt. We take vacations elsewhere together, and seeing as he's a college professor, there's plenty of time off! I really enjoy the time apart and think it's a healthy thing for our relationship. I feel very lucky to be in this position and not being able to come back would drive me crazy -- and would also mean I wouldn't earn enough money!

Not the immigrant, but we visit once per year. more if possible.