Tagged With "trip planning"
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...
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...
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...
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?
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 !
Reply
Re: Traveling in the USA in the 1930s and 1940s
Thanks so much, DrF, for sharing these with us. I especially love the ones of San Francisco in 1940, where I can picture my teenaged father walking. And of Tucson, my own stomping grounds for many years. So many familiar places. Just fantastic.
Reply
Re: Traveling in the USA in the 1930s and 1940s
Wow! I missed this the first time around...and while the scenics are great, it is the touching close-ups and groups of "ordinary" people that are truly outstanding; they remind me of the work of Louis Hine and Beatrice Abbott...but in color. Speaking of color...I'm also reminded of how much better early Kodachrome was at reds than at blues and greens...
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...
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...
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!
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...
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!
Reply
Re: How do you use the internet while traveling?
I have not been to Japan, but generally my travel experience with internet access has been much more positive than yours. I've generally had good luck with getting on line in Europe, South America and even Southern Africa. Once in a while the internet might be down at a place I'm staying at, but usually it's quickly repaired. Exceptions to this are very rural areas, like in Patagonia and where I'm heading next week, Yellowstone National Park. There is really not internet available at most...
Reply
Re: How do you use the internet while traveling?
Yes this trip some places I stayed that I thought I'd have internet didn't, so I really noticed the public Wi- Fi. Also that ferry strike happened when I already checked out and left me scrambling to find a different route. So a data plan for me would of been really worth the money.
Reply
Re: Liverpool and Manchester
I stuck to Garry's recommendations for Liverpool both visits and was not disappointed. And to have GarryRF and Mrs. GarryRF on my second visit show me around Liverpool and the surrounding area was really cool! All the museums are wonderful in Liverpool. The Walker Art Gallery is one my favorites in Europe http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/ and the Emigrants to a New World gallery at the Merryside Maritime museum gives an interesting look at those leaving Europe.
Reply
Re: Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile
Well, thanks everyone. You've been great and this has all been very helpful. So yes, I will go to Iceland for 4 days. I will base myself at a hostel in Reykjavik (all I can afford), and I'll do 2 day trip tours, still researching which ones but those recommended look great. And I love hot springs, so I plan to soak the evenings away after enjoying the "youth scene" over there. I need to check out a good Icelandic beer. Any recommendations. And I will visit Iceland at the of my trip, rather...
Reply
Re: Planning a Road Trip
Hey, Dan Carter...when are you doing your trip? I'd love to hear more about how it works, because a cross-country with no agenda and no turnpikes is one of my big dreams...maybe come true someday! Anyone else here ever done one? Love to hear!
Reply
Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?
That's what I do, too, SayMoi. I think it's a good plan. Use my rewards for expensive cities. Pay in lower priced cities and built up more points there. It is nice to get little upgrades and free nights for being a member of a program. Plus I like having a place of consistent quality I can count on. I like knowing what kind of room I'm going to get.
Reply
Re: Need help planning Morocco trip
If you're passing through Europe and plan to go directly on to Marrakech, keep in mind that the low fare carriers more often than not use secondary airports which will add to your travel time if go straight on. For instance, if you fly into London's Heathrow airport a low fare airline will likely use either Luton or Stansted. I believe British Airways has flights from Heathrow so check on the variables and you may find that with time and costs involved to change airports a bit more expensive...
Reply
Re: California road trip ideas
My kids want to do Hollywood and all that stuff, so I guess we have to start or end up there. Me and my husband aren't too interested in that stuff, but nature is appealing, like redwoods and the ocean and stuff. Is Hwy 101 the one that goes along the coast? I think we could plan on getting to San Fran, too, because I think if you go to California and you don't everyone will tell you you should have...and I hear it's got lots of interesting food, too. And kind of quirky museums if there are ...
Reply
Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !
Thanks for pointing this out! By the way, it is also possible to take a free stopover on the international end. For example, a couple of years ago, we flew from NYC to Copenhagen (the routing) but with a week stopover in Stockholm along the way. We've used that kind of routing a number of times. Adding to your point about Britain: Many of AA's European cities are actually served by their closely-tied partners, British Air and Iberia. With a little persistence, you can find flights that don't...
Reply
Re: Planning a Road Trip
That's an interesting tripod, TravelandNature, but you won't catch me on anything that potentially could launch me as a projectile at 60 mph. And, unless you're very macho, you'll not enjoy yourself in bad weather. So if you want to walk on the wild side, rent a convertible, or buy an older one, drive it for a month and sell it in Seattle (not exactly a city for convertibles, except on rare days). Regarding on where to go and how to plan the trip, I'd make a point of going by my local AAA...
Reply
Re: Planning a Road Trip
That is a very good suggestion to think in terms of planning your trip as a connection of national (and state !) parks. The parks tend to be, by definition, in the scenic places, which are along the scenic drives. What a coincidence ! How handy ! The champions of finding scenic drives off of the interstates and shunways are the RVers. Check the sites used by RVers for ideas. Here is a good one: http://drivecrosscountry.net/T...r/Trip_Planning.html
Reply
Re: Planning a Road Trip
Hey, guys...thanks for a bunch of good ideas! I think the 3-wheel bike is not for me, but the idea of buying an old ragtop and then selling it appeals to me. Not even sure I'll need a car living in Seattle, but don't know yet (job is near the waterfront, but don't know where I can afford to live!) National Parks idea sounds really good to me...I've loved the ones I've been to before. Shunpiking? I didn't make that up! This is from Merriam Webster:
Reply
Re: Spain or Portugal?
Thank you, PHeymont, that's helpful. I've always wanted to see Lisbon and Barcelona, and your plan makes sense. Is there a specific guidebook you'd recommend?
Reply
Re: Agritourism Bed and Breakfast in Normandy
I imagine there's a real difference between staying on the Mont, compared to staying near the Mont. Yes, you'd give up the view but could always make the trek to get a photo at the appropriate hour, then go back. I was there some years ago and we had no plan regarding where we'd stay. It was off-season so we weren't worried. We found a very modest, friendly hotel on the main street as it begins it's climb, with a view of the cobblestones below and it was perfect. But then, under the...
Reply
Re: Tips on Getting FF Seats.
That's good advice in her column! I've often had success calling back when I didn't get the "right" answer the first time helps...and the night shift often has the most experienced agents. Other useful tips, aside from being the most pleasant if sadly disappointed customer they've had all day: Plan early, book early. If you really want to fly to Paris in late July on the cheapest FF tickets, your best bet is late August: the airlines generally open seats 330 days ahead, and if you can be...
Topic
San Marino
This past May I was able to satisfy a childhood dream of visiting San Marino. After completing a fourth grade report on this place we finally spent a night there. This also comes after traveling in Italy since 1980. The republic is a beautiful place...
Topic
Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile
A number of you have helped me plan a trip to Portugal and Barcelona. I've decided to go on this trip next May when I'll have a few more days of vacation. Checking out different airline websites, I came across Icelandair, which flies...
Topic
Christmas in Arizona--what to do?
Two friends at work and I are trying to plan a Christmas trip to somewhere warmer than New Haven...and one of them says Arizona is where we should go. All I know about Arizona is from old westerns and a Barbara Kingsolver book. I know it's got...
Topic
Travel insurance recommendations?
Hi, I'm helping a friend plan a trip and one of the things she needs to get is travel insurance. I'm looking for any information/experience/recommendations that anyone may have with companies/plans. Her trip is for about 6 weeks, starting in...
Topic
Anyone Familiar with Croatia & Slovenia?
Hiya! My parents and I are heading to Croatia and Slovenia this summer (early September) by way of Italy and I'm trying to figure out the most fluid way for us to hit all of our destinations. Renting a car is a must; however, I would...
Topic
October - A perfect month to explore Udaipur and nearby sites
Udaipur, which is also known as the lake city of India, is a beautiful and romantic tourist destination, in the state of Rajasthan (INDIA). Udaipur has been the home of the Mewar Kingdom, which has built a strong empire from 11th to 20th century and has not surrender to major empires in India like the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal, etc. Now as said in the title, October is the best month for a couple (or family traveler) to explore Udaipur, as the weather is quite good (not hot or too cold). And...
Topic
Now this is how you explore the sites of New Delhi
Around 7 million travelers from all over the world visit India every year. Most of them land at New Delhi Airport (Indira Gandhi International Airport), and from here they hire cabs or catch a train to starts their holidays in India. Along with this many travelers also give a day or two in Delhi to explore the tourist monuments of the city and observe the life at India's capital. In this post, I've tried to present a typical tour itinerary on how a traveler can enjoy a fantastic week (or max...
Topic
Five outdoor activities to enjoy in Rajasthan
The monotonous routine life is full of boredom and stress. Outdoor adventurous activities are ultimate stress busters and fill your life with fun and excitement. Just slather your skin with a suntan and enjoy the out life under the open sky and sun. Rajasthan is a popular outdoor activity destination, and the major attractions are hot air balloon rides, paragliding, water sports, desert and camel safari. A few favorite destinations are: Desert safari at the Thar Desert The sand dunes in...
Topic
6 MOST AWESOME OFFBEAT PLACES TO VISIT IN INDIA!
Tired of traversing through the same old tourist trails? Tired of the insane crowds thronging every other tourist attraction in the country? Then maybe it’s time you considered visiting some of the most offbeat yet amazing places in India. This is one of the best ways to enjoy a trip to India as frankly, even the most scenic places in the country lose their charm when massive crowds throng them. Mercifully, India is a vast land that is blessed with plenty of awesome offbeat places as well...
Topic
How to Plan the Perfect Summer Festival
Summer is here and the time for festival-goers to once again enjoy a full schedule of festivals and events – including yours! But you need to get it right, as poor performance makes for a poor impression. With your festival’s reputation dented, it can be hard to gain support for future events. Here are a list of some of the do’s and don’ts of festival planning. What would you add to the list? On the DO list… Keep attendees and staff hydrated – and that means having plenty of refreshment...
Topic
How to hold a wedding ceremony
For couples, a wedding ceremony has a particular occasion. Usually on important anniversaries (20 or 20, 50, etc.), or when they have a very hard time, want to relive their commitment to each other. It is also possible that when married two people cannot afford a large, expensive wedding ceremony, this time wants to compensate. Here are some guidelines, but there are many ways to celebrate a wedding ceremony without sticking to one. Decide whether you want a big celebration or an intimate...
Topic
Tips For A Perfect Summer season Tour
Summertime’s have struck one of the most of the plain areas with the intense warm days; every passing day is getting hotter. The heat is making is harder for everybody to head out specifically in day time. Summer season breaks in the schools all across the country are almost to start, that makes it an ideal time for the family trip to go for Berlin Wall Tour . This is the time when kids are already set for a daring summertime vacation and they anticipate you to plan a trip to some hill...
Topic
8 Tips To Actually Relax On Family Vacation And More
Traveling has many benefits in terms of both physical and mental health, which is an effective way to improve mood. However, the feeling of traveling alone or with friends is not the same as when you go with the family members. It will be the most precious moments to help the members closer. You are looking forward to your family holiday and you really need a vacation, but at the same time you fear the packing, children’s behavior, their potential sickness and unpacking all over again? You...
Topic
Experience the Magic of Unforgettable Hassle-free Trip and Rejuvenate your Senses
In recent times, the most promising and flourishing industry is the tourism industry which plays a vital role in the development of the country's economy by bringing revenues. Some people travel because they have a passion for exploring new places and some people travel because they want to get rid of their monotonous life and having a desire to bring rejuvenate their life. By exploring new places one can restore the childhood memories. With the tourism industry, many other aspects of our...
Topic
What It Means To Buy A Timeshare Rental?
Purchasing a timeshare can be an exciting time for your family, however since timeshares are often an impulse purchase it can also be a stressful time. Often owners become very confused on what to do when they can no longer use their Marriott Weeks or Destination Club Points. So, here we are sharing a few basics about timeshare rentals that will help you figure out ways to make best use of these purchases and get out these whenever you feel like. In case, you plan to purchase a timeshare in...
Topic
Your Dog-Friendly Guide to Santa Barbara
I recently got a puppy shortly after my graduation. Living alone without having anyone to give my endless love was starting to bother me. Plus, as far as the word goes- A dog is a man's best friend, it's very true. So I got myself some time off from work and decided to travel to Santa Barbara. But I was in a real pinch. I have a four-legged friend who needs constant attention and care. I didn't have anyone to leave him behind with, and I personally didn't want to. So I decided to embark on...