Tagged With "Changing Plans"
Comment
Re: Canadian snowbirds: Don't clip our wings!
The current Canadian plan covers only a fraction of the billed amount the snowbirds might encounter with an emergency medical problem in the USA, Mexico or Caribbean. Most of the snowbirds I know have a supplemental travel policy that protects them fully in case of emergency.
Reply
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...
Reply
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...
Comment
Re: Interview: Orion Travel Tech's Gary German
The part I like most about Gary's ads on luggage plan, is the bags will be distinctive. I've really had a hard time of late distinguishing my luggage from everyone else's and these bags should stand out. As for all of Orion's plans , I can't think of a company that has so many different startups planned for the next few year. It will be fun to watch and I thank Gary for the interview.
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 13, 2015: Views over Tallinn, Estonia
Marilyn, it was lovely and enchanting. I plan to post more pictures of Tallinn and other Baltic destinations in the run-up to Christmas. I'm sure you would like to visit them all.
Comment
Re: EU Parliament Ends Cell Phone Roaming Charges in 2017
Yes, it will apply to prepaid plans, which many Europeans as well as visitors use, but it's not as happily absolute as some of the celebrators make it sound. The final June 2017 step depends on a reform of the European wholesale roaming market in which carriers pay each other for roaming use, and is also subject to limits for those who roam "too much." Here's a quote from one of the Parliament members who was a leading proponent of the law (which also originally included provisions for net...
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo #187
Here are the Saturday clues...and if you can name the statue in the first one, you can name the city Gumbo's in...and the second shows the interesting junction where the building's classical plan ran out of funds...and was continued later.
Comment
Re: Money Savings Tips, for your Big Trip - Part 1
Thanks Samantha. All great tips. Some we do now and some (public transit) we do not since we live outside Edmonton and both work in the city. A 15 minute commute would turn into over an hour on transit. We actually just redid our cable subscription, obtained a better plan and updated internet with a reduced monthly cost. With our kids now moved out we are able to save a good bit on our utilities, phone costs and especially food costs. All extra coin for the next trip.
Comment
Re: Money Savings Tips, for your Big Trip - Part 1
Thanks for the comment. Glad you were able to get a new contract with your cable company. We had Comcast and they don't care about retaining customers, only getting new ones Such a shame. Thanks for the comment and happy travels.
Comment
Re: Sept. 23, 2018: Lalibela—Ethiopia’s Jerusalem
Ethiopia offers a lot of highlights, but the Rock-Hewn Churches (Lalibela, but also Tigray) are simply breathtaking) You definitely should plan that trip ;-)
Reply
Re: Suggestions wanted: Andalusia
I should have said, but no: no car...although I did consider taking one for a day, for the Jerez excursion. Sounds more and more, though, like we'll have to plan on returning to Andalusia another time...
Comment
Re: Where We Went: London, Paris, Toronto
That's a great point! I never like "best" lists, anyway...and like to stray into any place that looks good and take a chance on whether it's "Zagat-quality." The cost of living is interesting, too, especially for travelers on tight budgets; my experience in Portugal last summer (see BLOG here on TravelGumbo) has sent a couple of younger colleagues off to plan Portugal trips instead of more expensive parts of Europe.
Reply
Re: How'd We Live Without Travel Apps?
I love Yelp as well, and there is a app called Happy Hours. It shows me restaurants with their own happy hours and happy hour menu. I also like hiking trail apps. Those apps tells me hiking trails in the cities I am traveling in (in the US). I recently tried Wishbeen. It is a web application though. It's a travel planning and sharing web. I like it a lot because it helps me browse travel itineraries made by other travelers, and I can easily modify them for my own trip. It also has a map...
Reply
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)...
Reply
Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Again thanks, this is incredibly helpful!! So I think I'll look at trains for trips from bigger cities to other cities, and fill in the gaps with bus if the pricing works out. A little more planning is needed. Even though it's expensive, I do want to spend around a week in London. Being an architect, there's just so much to see and do there, like seeing the Houses of Parliament and Westminister Abbey. I plan on being on the go almost all day each day there -- can rest later, maybe in the...
Comment
Re: Island Air: Even Billionaires Get Airline Blues
Well, it's worth noting that Hawaiian has still not gotten Ohana off the ground, literally. They're citing FAA's cutbacks due to sequestration and then the shutdown as the reason. Island Air used to be a Hawaiian affiliate, flying Dash-8s and ATR-42s into small airports and feeding passengers into Hawaiian. Ohana was/is their plan to stay in that market with ATR42s. Island is unhappy with its ATRs (both the 42 and the larger 72), but doesn't seem to be able to solve any of its problems. I...
Reply
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)...
Reply
Re: Traveling for Local Food
I took a look and it looks like just what I need. I can even use the info to plan our route. I had my mom look at it, too, and she said it reminds her of when she was a kid and my granddad had a book called Duncan Hines that had local places all over. I wonder if that's the same Duncan Hines as the cake mix?
Comment
Re: Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other. (Part 5) The Elephants of Pinnawala
Lots to consider. I can't go through Thailand without hanging out a few weeks so the 2 ticket plan may suit me better. I see Cathay Pacific also flies to Colombo, connecting in HKG. Will have to do more research to see if any of the low fare Asian airlines can facilitate a plan. What season is your favorite there? Is there an off-season when there are bargains to be had?
Reply
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...
Reply
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 !
Comment
Re: The Worst Train in the World
Fascinating read! If I do take this train trip, and it's currently included in the plan, for our hoped for trip to Mynamar later this year, I can't say I wasn't warned. Coming from a country that shakes, rattles, and rolls pretty much every day there were two things about the earthquake that worried me. First, it was big enough to produce screams!! Second, it seems that no-one bothered to check the tracks before the train left the station. And so as I was reading I expected a derailment -...
Comment
Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province
Thanks, Dgems. When I wrote this piece, last year, I didn't have access to my own photos. In the next month or so I plan to post a gallery of my own pictures of the tulou so you'll have a better idea of the variety of structures and ambiance of the area.
Comment
Re: 25 Yr Old Wins $ 1M Picasso for only $ 135 US
Originally Posted by JohnT: I saw this in the paper this morning as well. Apparently there are only 10,000 tickets left... Gotta admit it's tempting...only way I'd ever own a Picasso...just wouldn't go with the rest of my decor though...clashes with "Dogs playing poker." No John, don't think it would clash with the Dog picture. Welcome back. Hope you've recovered from your jet lag and have settled into "life as usual" (ie. starting to plan your next trip).
Comment
Re: British Parents Prosecuted For Taking Vacation During School Time
Often we find that the problem is greatest for the working parents with the fewest resources: those working in low-wage service industries whose cycles don't match those of schools. For instance, hospital workers have time off spaced through the year--no slow season, sadly--and workers in tourism-based industries are often most in demand at the very same time that their children are off! I think the solution goes in two directions: First for parents to consider all other alternatives first,...
Reply
Re: Cheapest airfare to Portugal and Spain
Can't speak too much about SEA-TAC strategies, but I'm sure you'll have to change planes at least once! Try to avoid any that change at London, because of the British Air Passenger Duty on the way home, and the huge hassle of Heathrow. I did a little random searching for next July, using an open-jaw plan: Fly to Lisbon, train to Porto, fly to Barcelona, fly home, and found fares around $1600 on offer. Lisbon is not that competitive a city, so one strategy would be to keep an eye out for...
Comment
Re: AAA Premier a Good Idea for Budget Travelers
I've use the towing service several times over the years, as well as their locksmith service. Excellent service always. And I actually use a ton of their travel books and maps when planning my domestic trips (USA and Canada). Yes, you can check them out but this way you can mark them up and cut out what you need. In Canada, a AAA (CAA) offers a 10% discount on a national parks pass (annual), and their travel agents can help you plan out a road trip with great advice -- all for free if you...
Comment
Re: Walking the Camino on your own
Always a good plan is to keep a copy of all your travel documents on your Email address.
Comment
Re: Swiss wine-growers look for good news in climate change
"The NASA Earth Observatory notes three particularly cold intervals: one beginning about 1650, another about 1770, and the last in 1850, each separated by intervals of slight warming" Swiss Farms and Villages were destroyed by the advancing glaciers during the mini-ice ages. 1.6C is not a great recovery in 100 years.
Comment
Re: Heather in Bloom - North York Moors.
A most amazing and lovely landscape (with tip of the hat to its Scottish counterpart). When is a good time for a tourist to see the heather in bloom? I know some folks that would plan a trip just to see these colors.
Comment
Re: Heather in Bloom - North York Moors.
Early to mid august would be the prime time to visit and view.
Comment
Re: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Canada. Where Gumbo Was #36
In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted won a design competition to improve and expand Central Park with a plan he entitled the Greensward Plan . 8 years AFTER Olmsted visited the Peoples Garden - Birkenhead Park England. He said "that in democratic America there was nothing to be thought of as comparable with this People’s Garden" So he took the plans back to New York. Entered the Central Park competition 8 years later. And won using Paxton plans from the Peoples Garden in England as a guide.
Comment
Re: Walking the Freedom Trail in Boston
Must be 15 years since I walked most of your journey through Boston. The mix of old and new buildings are fascinating as you walk the city. Many of the older buildings look like they have shared an architects plan with older buildings here in Liverpool UK. I do find it odd that 5 Bostonians were stoning a single Redcoat then you call them unarmed ! A situation that would bring about the same end results today. I enjoyed your Blog. Thanks.
Comment
Re: Shhh! Your suitcase is disturbing my sleep!
Well...it turns out... Or anyway, maybe the flurry of media protests changed their mind... But the city commissioner for Venice (the Mayor was removed earlier this year for corruption) denies that there was ever a plan to ban the suitcases or fine the tourists. He did say that they cause damage, but the rules are intended at noisy freight carts. However you view it, here's the LATEST
Comment
Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 25, 2014: Fall colors at Upper Kananaskis Lake, Alberta
My Wife - she who must be obeyed - loves a single Kayak and the open sea. So I presume this would be on a lake. Much safer I think. Sounds like you have the perfect location for a wilderness family like ours ! When we camp in summer you'd mistake some of the tents for aircraft hangers. But the kids and babies come too. Canoes and Fishing rods. Wet suits and waders. We go to Shell Island in Wales - but only when the tides out. Need to plan your journey ahead. They only have Grizzly Sheep.
Comment
Re: The National Museum of Ireland: Archaeology, Dublin: Where Gumbo was #78
Wonderful. Can't wait to read the rest of your Ireland posts to help plan my next trip. Ireland was at the top of the list.
Comment
Re: Finding Reiner #7: Shrapnel & Bones
Originally Posted by Carlin Scherer: Beautiful image - grabbing on to the spider web and flying into a peaceful land/world. Reiner wrote beautifully!!! Reiner was a great writer, and I'm sure in the original German it's even more elegantly phrased than in this fine translation! PHeymont -- agree with the sentiment. Believe we'll always have evil, power grabbing tyrants in our midst and our challenge is not to keep them from seizing power. Not an easy task. I've been reading Eric Metaxas...
Comment
Re: Iceland's new attraction: tunnel into a glacier
Glaciers are constantly moving, and not all parts at the same rate! Makes you wonder how they plan on keeping the tunnel safe and in good condition all the time?
Reply
Re: Help with mobile phone for Morocco
If you take a look at http://prepaidgsm.net, you’ll see the reason for PortMoresby’s recommendation. It’s not the cost of the phone, it’s the cost of every minute, often many times that of a local SIM. For example, the Mobal SIM comes with a rate for Morocco of $1.50 a minute outgoing and $1.50 a minute incoming. Meditel, one of the Moroccan carriers, charges (depending on plan) about 10c a minute up to 40c a minute, and no charge for incoming. Mobal will sell you data at $28.99 for ONE...
Comment
Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
It makes me wonder who they think is their target upgrader. In this age of data plans, most people who want or need fast access already have it. It seems to me not a very well thought out marketing plan. Having it free for everyone would make them more in goodwill than a few paying for it. For those, like me, who are more annoyed by the ploy than I need the service, it's definitely a losing proposition.
Comment
Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member
When you have a high-speed data plan on the phone, it can get eaten quickly when used as a hotspot, especially when the whole family is on devices! But if these chains want to be viewed by their customers the way many people view Spirit Airlines...they're on the right track!
Reply
Re: Help with mobile phone for Morocco
New question - the person I'm helping to plan this for is a fairly nervous sort and wants to have as much nailed down in advance as possible. Is there any reason not to grab one of these cheap unlocked phones now and then do the sim card there? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DZS2E76 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009IRGQPO Thanks for the help!
Comment
Re: Tupelo, Mississippi. Birthplace of the King of Rock 'n Roll
Great piece of living history DrF. I think I'd have to follow your plan of attack and travel without my p.a. She's not a fan of modern music ! I love anyone who spells Theatre correctly, and gives me new ways to describe being "skint" "before their deteriorating financial conditions (“dirt poo") forced them to move elsewhere"
Reply
Re: Has Anyone Traveled With a Folding Bicycle?
I've never traveled with a bicycle myself, but on my last trip to Asia I met an Englishman who travels often on business to China. We met in Yangshuo, in Guangxi, and he was traveling with a folding bicycle. He seemed a very practical sort, a designer of medical instruments and when I saw him off as he left to go to the airport, he seemed quite comfortable with his bag and another with the bicycle, going into the back of the taxi. I know nothing about it except what I observed, a happy...
Reply
Re: London- multiple questions
Thank you for all of the information. I am finally ready to finalize some things since we leave at the end of this month! We have decided not to do Liverpool...seems like we should come back and do that someday. I am thinking the Megabus option may be the way to go to Salisbury and catch the shuttle to Stonehenge from there. That way we can see the cathedral while we are there. Do you know if it is a short walk to the cathedral or will we need to take a taxi from the Megabus stop? Do you...
Comment
Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#126)
I think I know where this is, as I plan to go to the area in September and looked at relevant websites yesterday, hence I think I have the answer. Unfortunately, I cannot e-mail it to suggestions@travelgumbo.com. , as my server is down for repairs.
Comment
Re: Your TSA Approved Locks Won't Keep Thieves Out
I assume locks on suitcase are like locks on our doors, as someone installing one at my house once said, to "keep honest people out". Or maybe just slowing down the dishonest ones, although not by much, I'm sure, in either case. A better plan might be to have nothing of value to such people where they can take it. The highest probability of theft from our bags seems to be from the baggage handlers. I wonder how they choose bags to go through? Maybe by size, the smaller the bag, the less...
Comment
Re: The Historic Fort and Town of Galle, Sri Lanka
DrFumblefinger, then you should absolutely spend some time in Galle next time you visit Sri Lanka! GarryRF, the plan was originally to go to Unawatuna (30 min away) staying there and doing a day trip to Galle. But after doing a little bit research online, we found out that Unawatuna would not fit us, and ended up doing the opposite. On our daytrip to Unawatuna we certainly got confirmed that staying in Galle was a much better option. See my thought about that on...
Reply
Re: Beating Jet Lag
I hate to say it, but I think that Songhua Ni's advice—sleep as much as you can, and walk around a bit—is going to work much better for front-of-the-plane flat-bed-seat people like him than it is for the rest of us. I recently had the pleasure of New York-Doha round-trip on Qatar, bumped up to the front, and it made an immense difference in my sleep, especially the quality of it. Otherwise, my best advice, based mostly on trans-Atlantic travel, is get on the plane to Europe tired, sleep as...
Reply
Re: Beating Jet Lag
We've developed an easy-to-use method of avoiding jet lag. Instead of changing sleep and/or lighting schedules days before your flight, simply fast for ~16 hrs before your first full meal at your destination. This calculator can help you plan: jetlagcalc.com Happy travels everyone!