Tagged With "Mind Your Manners"
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
That's good news, Mac! OK...the leaves start turning first in the north, moving south as the weather changes...but timing is always tricky because it depends on each year's combination of temperature and humidity. Here's a link to a site I've found useful in the past...it's from Yankee magazine, and includes a live map of the progress of the leaves as well as itineraries and more. http://www.yankeefoliage.com/ We haven't had a good leaf-peeping piece on Gumbo yet, so I'm looking forward to...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Agree with PHeymont. Plan your trips around the leaf watching. Lots of pretty small towns around New England, although many will be pretty booked. I'd leave at least 3-4 days for Boston. Lots to see and do there, including many items relating to the rebellious Yankees throwing off the ties with old King George. And great museums and restaurants and such. We can get into more details if you'd like, but you'll definitely want a good guide book. Many people find a day in Salem (famous for its...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Wow! HistoryDigger that is fantastic information, thank you, I will now 'dig' more (pardon the pun) on the web and put some plans into place around those excellent suggestions!! Please - a crucial question for us - would we be "safe" to just book hotels for the arrival and departure days of our tour and simply rely on finding local accommodation as we progress round - or is it really SO busy in this season that I must book every stop along the way? We prefer the 'flexible' approach as it can...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Mac. I'll be in Pennsylvania - Delaware - Maryland - Virginia later this month through September. Although a good way south of your expedition the colours of winter arrive gradually and the days are still warm enough to enjoy walking the empty State Parks. Only a leisurely days drive south of Boston. I love that warm gap between the end of an English summer and getting back home for that first chill of winter. LATE SEPTEMBER
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Regarding hotels, Mac, I think I'd spend a few days in Boston to begin with, presuming that's where you are flying into. This will let you get over your jet lag and also give you a chance to see the state of the colors and plot out where you want to go. I would NOT go without having at least a night's reservation booked ahead because you'll waste too much time looking for a place to stay and will end up paying rack rate. Things will be busy and pretty filled up in the small towns of New...
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Re: Edinburgh, Scotland for 2.5 days....help!
Hi Chickpea, Your hotel is very central as you say. There is a regular bus service to certain attractions. We visited in January and had no problem with entry to attractions, the Castle, National Gallery etc. I would only suggest that you check out the individual attractions websites to obtain tickets in advance if you wish. Hope this helps, Paul.
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Re: Edinburgh, Scotland for 2.5 days....help!
Have you considered visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith, near Edinburgh? http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/ Various transport options here: http://www.royalyachtbritannia.../your-visit/find-us/ I'm sorry to say I didn't visit during open hours, an Edinburgh friend drove me there just to see it and it looks lovely, will go again next opportunity. Say hello to Greyfriars Bobby Pub for me, just in front of the cemetery, once owned by my father-in-law. I love Edinburgh!
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Re: Made in Romania-Beauties from Romania
Nice video! There is definitely a lot to see in Romania. The thing is the country is not very well promoted. I'm from Bulgaria but I don't know anything about basic sights in Romania, I never saw an advrtisment about your country. Maybe the same things is true for Bulgaria, i don't know how other people see it. I think there is a lot to see in Romania and I would love to go and explore
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Re: Crashing the geocache
RU thinking that we should ask in the Craigslist Community section for each town where they want to geocache ? Do the kids use that Craigslist section a lot ? That is an interesting idea. Thanks for that. Like your selfie avatar
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Re: Crashing the geocache
Hello TatToo, I live in Europe especially Germany. I do know Geocaching and of course the game is known here. If you don't have a GPS device with a European card in it you can use your mobile phone as long you have the geocaching app. Before your son goes to Europe just with that mobile phone, make sure he looks for geocaches in areas he will be first and download the map and the cache itself. Even if you don't have an Internet connection they can use it via GPS. I did it in USA and it has...
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Re: Crashing the geocache
Your welcome. I wish them a lot of fun. Of course dogs don't find geocaches but they are a good excuse to look on things in or on the ground
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Re: Suggestions wanted: Andalusia
Will you have a car? I ask, because if you will, you might consider stopping at one or more of the White Towns between Seville & Granada. I stayed a week in a house just outside Iznajar, a lovely little place, and visited a bigger town, Antequera, worth a stop. For a brief stop I'd recommend the smaller town, one of a number in the area, millions of olive trees everywhere. There is no train there although Antequera has a station, but outside the town. Below the town of Iznajar, beside...
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Re: Is Porto worth the trip?
Much as I loved my time in Porto...it's NOT a day trip. Much too much to do there, including evening stroll along the Douro, port-wine tasting across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia and more. I'd say take the advice above and save Porto for another trip. Of the recommended day trips above, I'd vote for Sintra. It's an easy trip--trains run about every 30 minutes, more frequently in rush hours, The town itself is interesting, the Moorish Castle up on the mountain and the Pena Palace above that...
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Re: How'd We Live Without Travel Apps?
Translation app is easy! Google Translate is free, and runs on Android, iOS, Mac and Windows (and probably everything else, too.) It allows you to see or hear the translation, it can translate your incoming text messages, and by using the camera, you can have it translate signs, menus, etc.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Sadly, that $4K isn't going to go a real long way in UK...it's a pretty expensive place. You'll need to find seriously cheap lodging and really mind your pence! If you're not really stuck on UK, you might look at other places where English will do, including Jamaica and Puerto Rico or even Guyana. If UK is really IT, though, you should look into hostel costs, and into sharing sites like couchsurfing.com. Depending on when you're going, you might find some luck with college spaces that are...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Staying in the UK is no more expensive than being a tourist in the USA. You wont get a month in London. Same as me travelling from the UK to New York. Silly Prices ! So decide on what you want to do over here and start planning, Have a look at the YHA web site. Youth Hostels Association. Forget the Youth reference. My Kids aren't Youths anymore. And I use them too! They are used by Travellers like yourself - and me - across Europe. They are Family groups and Ramblers ( Countryside Walkers)...
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Re: Christmas in Arizona--what to do?
Arizona is a huge state, EyeWonder. Where exactly were you going to be home-based during your Christmas vacation? It would help to know so that we could better advise you.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Starting to get things planned now Hank ! You have the choice of flying into Edinburgh in Scotland. Manchester in the North of England. Or Gatwick / Heathrow which both serve the London area in the South of England. You can get a Train to Paris to end your tour with a few days of Culture in a foreign language ! Fly back to the US from Paris will save you hundreds of Dollars because you wont pay the UK "Departure Tax" but not vital ! Liverpool is less than an hour on the Train from...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
I frequently fly from NY JFK to Manchester UK. With Delta ! I know you are in Chicago but will Delta do you a thru Ticket ? We'll sort your Visit to Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields and The Cavern Club nearer the time!
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Re: Christmas in Arizona--what to do?
Anywhere around the Phoenix area would be good. Northern Arizona (Grand Canyon) gets winter. Scottsdale is a popular destination with great resorts and there are many budget hotels in the area. I would use Fashion Square Mall as your search area.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Wow, this is turning into a real education!! I checked with my uncle and yes, I can fly Chicago to Manchester and return from either London or Paris to Chicago. The ticket is free to him and he said he would cover any fees as a "graduation gift to me" (he's a pretty cool dude!), but I don't want to burden him with a heavy departure fee, so maybe Paris would be the way to go. I'd like to leave about Friday, May 9th and return 4 weeks later, June 6th. A few days later and returning a few days...
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Re: Christmas in Arizona--what to do?
Originally Posted by EyeWonder: Thanks everyone. I have to ask you more questions! My friends have come up with two more suggestions. One is Sedona, and the other is the Navajo reservation that Tony Hillerman wrote all his books about and that has some big canyons. Is that area too far north for warm weather? Navajo country is too far north and too high up for a warm winter break. But if you bring a warm jacket, it will be magical that time of year. Sedona will be nice, but with cooler days...
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Re: Spring Honeymoon Help
Congratulations SueZee! We're delighted in your marriage, and you've picked a great country in which to honeymoon. May is not too early to go to Italy, although pack a light jacket just in case. The crowds won't be there yet and you'll save some money when compared to the peak summer season. Where to go is very much a matter of taste. Most definitely you need to go to Venice and I'd say spend at least 5 days here, maybe with a day trip or two (such as to the glass making island of Murano or...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
That's helpful too, Rob. So with your guys advice, I'm thinking of the following plan, which still has holes I need to fill. I actually like the idea of Paris more than Scotland for this trip, plus I worry about the cost of travel to Scotland back so unless I can get a really cheap plane ticket or train ticket to Edinburgh, I think I'll drop that and focus on eastern UK and then on to Paris. So this is where I'm at now: 1) Arrive in Manchester. Maybe ??2 days 2) Travel Liverpool. 3 days 3)...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Everyone's been very helpful! I can't tell you what a great welcoming and helpful group of people you are. My uncle is an employee of Delta, so he has some kind of free ticket that requires me to fly on Delta only (no partners). I will have him check into the dates. I like the idea of flying up to Manchester, slowly working my way to London then returning from Paris. I think going to Amsterdam is more than I can bite off now, plus I want to spend the time seeing stuff, not traveling all the...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Its been a pleasure helping you Hank ! We all want you to do well in your Education first. Come back anytime - its been fun sharing your plans ! PS. Say Hi to Mom for us and say "We can work it out" She may just sing it for you !
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
Hi Dreamer I can only tell you about my experiences... 1) How long? It depends. Apartment rental have been around in Europe for a long time. It used to be mostly for a week from Saturday to Saturday, but mostly anything goes now. 2) Buyer beware - It will be up to you to research the neighbourhood. You can do that many ways. Perhaps the easiest is using google streetmaps 3) There is no one way to check in. Sometimes you meet the owner or manager and they will give you the key. Sometimes...
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
CICAK, may I suggest you encourage your wife to see the big picture. When you're in a hotel room you are not required to savage the minibar. When you're in an apartment you aren't required to cook. The kitchen just exists quietly should you desire it. What you're there for is to spread out, have privacy with all the comforts of home, possibly be in a more interesting neighborhood & surrounded by people who interest you and who may even be interested in you and any number of other...
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
AirBnb, and the other major rental agencies, have cancellation policies upfront that give you some choice. AirBnb has several levels ...one allows you to cancel almost up to the last minute, others have shorter deadlines. An advantage of using an agency that works this way...pretty much like a hotel booking site...is that the intermediary is holding your deposit and that can save hassles. Obviously, rules about dissatisfaction vary also, but usually if it can't be ironed out, you'll get at...
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Re: Safe to fly on New Years?
Just don't spill any salt on your meal and make sure you don't walk under any ladders at the airport.
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Re: Safe to fly on New Years?
Flying is safer than crossing the Street ! More accidents happen at home in the Bathroom than anywhere else! Its just very unlucky for your co-workers - who are just jealous !
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Re: Safe to fly on New Years?
Yes, the co-workers are jealous. When you return, unless you bring really good swag, they will not want to hear one word about your trip. Spoil sports. The best strategy is to pick out of the ordinary destinations. When I tell them where I am going and the response is " Where ??? What ? Where is that ? ", I know that I am on the right track.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
England is only as big as Florida ! I haven't seen a Guide book that sub-divides us! Wales is full of Castles, Mountains and Lakes. Tourists often divide England between the North and South. The North is often cooler and wetter than further South. But your Dollar will go twice as far up here in the North! And we're much friendlier. Have a look at places you'd like to visit. York (the old one) will keep you busy for 2 days. Train or Bus from Liverpool. Or a day or two in Europe from Liverpool...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Hi guys, hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. It was good to be with my family again. Visiting and catching up with everyone took longer than I'd thought, but did do a little research into the trip and came out with this plan. Basically, with GarryRF's advice, I think I'll focus my time in the north to save money cause my budget is limited. After that I'll finish my vacation in London and Paris. I need to find places to stay but more important now just to frame the trip. The details I...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
You're doing fine Hank ! I presume you're travelling solo ! Lots of Hotel Chains you can stop with. Days Inn. Hilton. Travelodge. Dolby. Just Google any "City " + "Hotels" and you get hundreds to choose from. Your plan looks fine !
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
Hi, I've been renting apartments in Europe, mainly Germany, for years, and the only problem I've had was a complete rip-off booked through Ah-Paris. I've rented from probably 3 different people in Berlin and have paid the deposit up front and cash on arrival. Made me nervous at first, but I was never disappointed. Renting apartments is the way to go. Not only do you get much more space, but you can have your coffee in your jammies, the way I like to start my day. Happy travels!
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Re: Is Pre-check or Global Entry worth it?
Fortunately, Gulliver, most of us don't wait hours in line. But if that's your experience, it would be a good investment. But it's yet another thing to take care of.
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Re: Gifts to bring back from Portugal or Barcellona
I may not be much help, because we tend to send postcards to the grandchildren from each city, with notes about what we've seen and think they would be interested in, and to avoid filling the suitcase with physical items. But for those few things we do buy, we usually go to the market! One of our travel rituals, on the first day when we stock the apartment, is to look for a local preserve or jam that we don't see at home (skyberries in Stockholm, for instance). Once we've found one we really...
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Re: Gifts to bring back from Portugal or Barcellona
I know that hand painted ceramic tiles are popular there in Portugal and Spain. But they can get heavy. Maybe wrap them in your clothes, but they'd be nice gifts I think. Put them up on a wall, use them for hot pots or a hot drinks.
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Re: Finally some good news! Whistler or Banff
Wow - Congratulations on your win. Hope that the company sent piles of $$$ to the relief effort. I do not ski but, hey, if I won that prize I would pick whichever had the best scenery and go hang out be a roaring fire in the lodge. Awesome !
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Re: Finally some good news! Whistler or Banff
I don't ski either (bad knees), but I've visited both of these destinations. There are pros and cons to each. Both is a little over an hour's drive from their closest major airport, Vancouver for Whistler and Calgary for Canmore. Whistler is close to the coast, but high up. So they usually have good snow, but depending on the year, it can get soggy by spring and sometimes ice crusted. Banff area is far more likely to have nice light powder during the spring break season. Some people swear by...
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Re: Whom did you say was flying this plane?
Well, of course Bling is right that a completely automated system wouldn't have resulted in that situation...assuming it was functioning properly (note the Westworld reference above). That's why so many systems (cruise control in your car, autopilot on a plane, driverless transit trains) all have a human override built in.
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Re: Films that affected your Travel destinations
I like your castle photo, GarryRF. Where did you take that?
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
Are you a worrier? Do you run to the doctor at the first sign of possible trouble? Are you particularly clumsy and break bones? If the answers are no, as it sounds like they might be, I'd say don't bother with the insurance. If you need an English speaking doctor in Italy you'll find one. Your hotel or any pharmacy will help. It won't cost an arm & a leg if rumor is true. I don't know precisely because even though I travel a lot I answered no to all my questions too, don't need doctors...
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
SueZee, I'm sure there is but, as I mentioned, I just don't think you need to worry about it. As a last resort you can call the embassy if the first line of defense, hotels & pharmacies, can't help. Very unlikely. Tell your cousins only rank beginners and sick people spend time worrying that could be enjoyed planning their trip.
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
Hi SueZee, I agree with PortMoresby. Embassies, pharmacies, hotel concierges, etc are a great help. I think that would be your first line of advice, if needed. There is a website that might be helpful, featuring English speaking physicians abroad. I know nothing about this organization, so it's not a recommendation -- just a resource. Here's that link.
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling
SueZee, wherever you travel in the world your hotel will find you a suitable doctor who will speak enough English for your needs - just like Dr.F says - and Italy will have plenty. Don't bother with lists as they will always be out of date by the time you might want to use them, plus it will no doubt not list a great doc that the hotel knows is just around the corner! At the worst the hotel will have an English speaking staff member sit with you to help translate. Conversely, I do think that...
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Re: Share Your Budget Tablet and Laptop Picks
Those are some pretty cheap devices...didn't realize the Kindle had gotten that low. I have an original Kindle Fire, and I've been pretty happy with it, although at 7" and limited word processing, it hasn't been everything. The little laptop in your list I went on Amazon and looked at it and it is 7" too...sort of like a mini-iPad with a keyboard, except that it's really an Android tablet with a keyboard! A tablet that size with a keyboard might just be the smallest practical tool.
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Re: Hi Everybody! I'm new here.
I'd like to add my welcome, too, Ted! To you and all of our members, thanks for joining and for visiting TravelGumbo, and for your contributions to this website. Spread the word! We want T.G. to be a fun and interesting place for people who love to travel!