Skip to main content

Tagged With "US Travels"

Reply

Re: Lost a US Passport Overseas? What I learned this trip.

GarryRF ·
I send an email to myself with a scan of all my travel documents, tickets and passports. Then even if I lose the lot I can soon get a copy.
Reply

Re: Lost a US Passport Overseas? What I learned this trip.

TravelGirlJenn ·
Well, this I think is nearly everyone's worst nightmare, but glad to know it is a pretty efficient process in case it does happen. Making a mental note to add telephone numbers of the US Consulate to my travel documents. Only 32 more days until I set off...!
Reply

Re: Lost a US Passport Overseas? What I learned this trip.

Travel2Vietnam ·
i believe that we should make a copy of our passport and bring some photos (passport size) before departure. It will be really useful in the case we lost our passport. This is my travel experience whilst working as travel consultant in Vietnam.
Reply

Re: Has anyone used their Enhanced Drivers License to travel to Canada or Mexico?

DrFumblefinger ·
Most of the people I know who have this license are those who don't want to travel internationally and who live near the Canada-US border. There are a number of town literally split by the border and people migrate across daily to visit friends or work. I think these licenses are intended for them. Same for the Mexico USA border. If you travel internationally and have a passport, no point paying extra for the license for most folks. Passports have become more sophisticated and if you read...
Reply

Re: How do you buy your travel?

DrFumblefinger ·
I never trusted travel agents before the freedom of the internet gave us access to cost information, and I would need a great excuse to trust them now. Online travel purchasing gives us the freedom to have price information come directly to us, rather than to a middle man who may or may not have our best interests in mind. So flights I'll buy either through Expedia or from the airline directly (esp if they are having a "sale"). Rooms I almost get through booking.com, my favorite site because...
Reply

Re: How do you buy your travel?

DrFumblefinger ·
Hi TravelGirlJenn, I've used Expedia to buy tickets a number of times, only once or twice with Priceline, never with Kayak. The big advantage is that you get to see often hundreds of competitive prices, not just the few the airline sites directly show you. And often they are cheaper than directly buying from the airline. Whether or not you can pick your seat in advance is completely up to the airline, not to the online travel site (eg. Expedia). Some airlines (eg. United, Alaska) do let you...
Reply

Re: How do you buy your travel?

Travel Rob ·
For accommodation, I almost always use an online travel agency now. I've found that the prices are usually lower and i'm more likely to get an upgrade. There is also a recourse if the hotel tries to charge an undisclosed fee. Booking.com is my favorite, although I've been using Expedia, Priceline and Airbnb . Roger Wade had an interesting article about some of the reasons he thinks booking hotels online is the way to go now. http://www.priceoftravel.com/3...en-get-better-rooms/
Reply

Re: How do you buy your travel?

HistoryDigger ·
I use booking.com the most for hotels and apartments because I can cancel. Sometimes I can't decide what part of town I want to be in, so I book more than one and keep researching until I have found the right spot. (I don't hold extra reservations long...just sayin'.) I love that booking.com now shows apartments and houses via villa.com because I always refer having a kitchen when I travel. I, too, use OTAs to see prices and schedules, and then I go to the airline's web page for booking.
Reply

Re: How do you buy your travel?

DrFumblefinger ·
Hi HistoryDigger, Priceline has competitive car rental prices, so I'd definitely check them out. I also just discovered that the Costco travel page can have some great car rental prices. Last car I rented was with them and it beat the OTA prices considerably. So I'll check them in the future if you're a Costco member.
Reply

Re: How do you buy your travel?

PortMoresby ·
There's been no mention, that I noticed, of consolidators for multi-segment air travel. I've had great success over the years using Airtreks and now, after a number of bookings, have a "relationship" with an agent there. The only job of a consolidator is to find their clients the cheapest fares point to point and string them together to make a unique personalized trip. They use airlines with which they have contracts for the lowest fares so, short of a spectacular sale, will, as far as I can...
Reply

Re: Tough Trains

DrFumblefinger ·
You might find yourself the only pale-skinned person in one of the trains to remote towns in Sri Lanka or India. Trains between Colombo and Kandy will be well-touristed. But trains running into the hills much less so so far as Sri Lanka goes. While you would blend in with the locals, I would imagine the same is true of the UK. Train travel between smaller towns, especially in the north, would have few tourists.
Reply

Re: Top Ten Jobs If You Love To Travel

DrFumblefinger ·
That's an interesting list. I wouldn't have guessed there was that much demand for marriage brokers. I also note that "travel blogger" is not in the top ten.
Reply

Re: A kind word for Booking.com

DrFumblefinger ·
That's good to know. Many companies don't understand how important good customer service is. Booking.com is my preferred hotel booking site when I travel abroad because they do such a good job describing the accommodations. You'll pretty much know exactly what kind of room to expect. Also, if you are a frequent user you qualify for your their "genius" discounts from select hotels -- an extra 10% off. Nice! For example, when we visited Palermo, we stayed at a top quality hotel with excellent...
Reply

Re: Books That Send You Packing...

Former Member ·
There are so very many great travel tales. I am partial to non-fiction. I enjoy reading well researched, historical accounts of the human drama that is within the scenery. I enjoy writing that gives a strong sense of place and context to what I see. " The Old Patagonian Express " by Paul Theroux " The Pillars of Hercules " by Paul Theroux " Cut Stones and Crossroads: A Journey to Peru " by Ronald Wright " Basin and Range " by John McPhee " Two Years Before the Mast " by Richard Henry Dana,...
Reply

Re: Books That Send You Packing...

DrFumblefinger ·
I enjoy a good fiction book as well as non-fiction, especially if the writer is skilled. I really liked "Travels" by the late great Michael Crichton, my favorite of the nonfiction travel books I've read.. "Robinson Crusoe" made me want to visit tropical islands as a boy. "Fantastic Voyage" by Isaac Asimov intrigued me with traveling at a cellular level, within a human body no less (maybe lead to my current day job?) And my all-time favorite, "2001: A Space Odyssey". Made me want to travel to...
Reply

Re: Books That Send You Packing...

Travel Rob ·
I love museums,natural sights and architecture ,but what really makes to travel is the interesting people I meet. Some books seem to capture those unique characters that you meet while traveling, especially on a budget.I'm reading" Down and Out in Paris and London "now and George Orwell has brought up a flood of memories of the different people I've met and that keeps me wanting to travel more and more.
Reply

Re: Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile

DrFumblefinger ·
PHeymont has given you some excellent advice, Travel Luver. By all means, spend some time in Iceland. If you can fit it into your trip, 4 days would be my minimum stay here. As Paul pointed out so well, Iceland is unique. It is also very sparsely populated, with only 300,000 people on the island and two thirds of those living in Reykjavik. And it is a newly form volcanic land with tons of glaciers, waterfalls, and geothermal events. So by all means, see it. When you land at Keflavik airport...
Reply

Re: Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile

DrFumblefinger ·
You're most welcome, Travel Luver! Give the VIKING beer a try -- it's pretty good. And made with that great Icelandic water that has a unique taste (and pleasant at that). Also be sure to try their Coca Cola, made with Icelandic water and sugar (not corn syrup as in North America) -- definitely a better product.
Reply

Re: Just wondering....

DrFumblefinger ·
Hi PortMoresby, and welcome! We are a new website, and it takes a while for the search engines to detect traffic patterns. Yahoo, it seems, is quicker than Google. But no worries about that. This will change with time and traffic. We came up with the name TravelGumbo independently of the other website. We see this site as an interesting mix of travel tidbits and photos -- like a good Gumbo should be. We own the domain www.travelgumbo.com and have a trademark pending for the name TravelGumbo.
Reply

Re: Just wondering....

DrFumblefinger ·
We developed the concept for this website over many months, and we are TravelGumbo, not Travel Gumbo. There is a difference. The other is a personal diary-type of site that, so far as I can tell, has not been active for over a year. This website is very different in its scope and content. We are not in the same business. Nothing has been copied here except by consent of our contributors.
Reply

Re: Hotel Rewards Programs. Worthwhile or not?

JohnT ·
Hi Doc Over the years it seems I've joined so many of these programs, but I really don't travel enough on business and I tend to use airline reward credit cards...I guess I have gotten free nights before with Hilton and Starwood.
Reply

Re: California road trip ideas

Former Member ·
Mrs. Briggs - There are roads aplenty in California. Where you go depends on your family's interests. Pick a theme and the route will take care of itself. Would you say that your family more enjoys scenic routes or taking advantage of what cities have to offer ? Mountains or ocean ? Would you like to see gardens or maybe historical homes ? Maybe your crowd would go for a trip that strings together movie filming locations or old west towns ? What are your hobbies ? - shopping for antiques ?
Reply

Re: Visiting great places -- before they're gone

GarryRF ·
When I first visited Cuba back in the 90's it was a different Country to the one today. No TV's - Radio - Phones and many had no electric ! The Cuban Government asked visitors not to show the locals photos of our 3 cars - 2 houses and 14 acres of land by the beach. And how we had a Colour TV in every room. It upsets them. Not surprising really - and quite cruel ! Now its Air Con and fast catching up with the World ! The people are now free to leave and travel. They watch American Satellite...
Reply

Re: Need help planning Morocco trip

PortMoresby ·
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: Camera Advice, Please?

Paul Heymont ·
Originally Posted by Travel Rob: Can I ask the price? Or is this a case where if you have to ask the price,you can't afford it? Lol $360; Sony has reduced the "list" from $499 to $399. A few dealers are selling it even cheaper, but the guy who was selling for $319 was doing that by taking out the included battery and AC connector and selling them separately. When I heard that I didn't even ask the total...don't do business that way.
Reply

Re: Camera Advice, Please?

Paul Heymont ·
Three-year later follow-up on my original camera-quest. Still happy with the Sony despite its size, but never made a complete switchover: there are just some times when you have to have something that's pocket size. So, sometimes that's my Samsung S7 phone, but especially on the road, it's a camera that fit ALL of my original specs. It's the Panasonic Lumix ZS-50 (TZ50 outside the US). Eye-viewfinder (electronic), built-in WiFi to link to phones, 30x optical zoom and the Leica lenses. I've...
Reply

Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !

Paul Heymont ·
WorkerBee, how long will you be in Spain, and when? We're going for 8 days (not counting the travel days) in February. We'll be in Seville, Cordoba and Granada. Gumbo fans would love to hear how your trip is going and to see pictures along the way!
Reply

Re: Paris Authentic

DrFumblefinger ·
Great post, Rbciao! Thanks for sharing this travel highlight. I now regret not doing that very same tour when I was in Paris this past May. Maybe a reason to head back again!
Reply

Re: Paris Authentic

rbciao ·
This was really a neat travel experience made neater with the old car. We did like Paris and enjoyed our time there. Our 2014 Italian pilgrimage will have us returning through Detroit, which has a nice airport with comfortable amenities. We used Delta skymiles to pay for a portion of the tickets and the returning Paris option was not available. Anything is better than JFK Terminal 2.
Reply

Re: Spain or Portugal?

Paul Heymont ·
Usually these days I put together a "trip book" with articles and information from a lot of sources, but I also usually take along one full-scale guidebook as well. I'd be hard-put to make a recommendation for Portugal, because for that one I decided to overcome my feelings and give Rick Steves a try...and it was nearly useless. No special information, a smug tone, and maps that were too sketchy to be useful. In general, I've liked the Frommer guides (and I'm excited that the new ones will...
Reply

Re: Spain or Portugal?

Paul Heymont ·
Right here on Travel Gumbo is a great way to keep in touch. The Gumbo Gurus keep a close eye on our site, and asking here also involves the whole community and all their knowledge.
Reply

Re: Romania-top 10 destinations of 2014

Former Member ·
If you want to visit Europe, you can also visit Romania and try the Transylvania Citadels itinerary which you can find on the site of Expert Travel agency http://experttravel.ro/hotel-2...i-transilvanene.html I'll recommend this one because is kinda cheap and you'll learn new things about Romania and the medieval times. The itinerary consists in 3 days of travel with bus transport, accommodation in 3* guesthouse or hotel and a tour-guide. Also this tour will be made in group of 20-40 people.
Reply

Re: What can't you live without on a plane flight?

Travel Rob ·
I always like to bring my travel notes for the plane ride to review my trip . My notes used to be a guidebook, but I have been printing out forums and blogs now I tend to read the guidebooks long before I go . On my next trip I'm going to save some TG blogs on my tablet !
Reply

Re: Romania-top 10 destinations of 2014

DrFumblefinger ·
I'm not sure why more people aren't coming to Romania, but I think in the next decade you'll see that change. And alphabet is right. You might get tired of all these masses. Twenty years ago no one was in Prague and now millions visit it every year (to the point where the locals are definitely tired of us) The country certainly is lovely. I presume it's pretty safe for independent travelers to get around in. What would be the best season to travel, especially to enjoy the beautiful mountain ...
Reply

Re: Romania-top 10 destinations of 2014

DrFumblefinger ·
Thank you for all the information, Andredeya! I must admit I'm intrigued! If someone were to travel to Romania for say 14 days, either spring or fall (which would be better?), what might be a reasonable itinerary (someone who loves cities, mountains, nature). Would appreciate your suggestions.
Reply

Re: The Maltese Islands – Underrated gems or best kept secret ?

Travel Rob ·
Thanks so much Island Man.What a great post! I'll definetly include a visit to Malta in my future travel plans.
Reply

Re: New Mexico: It ain't new, and it ain't Mexico!

Inn on the Alameda ·
Thank you, Travel and Nature! I would have to say that Joe, our owner, who originally authored this as a blog post on our website ( www.innonthealameda.com ) is a bit of both. I know he was a middle school teacher when he first came to Santa Fe, but I'm not sure if history was his subject or not. Originally Posted by TravelandNature: Has it been 102 years already ? How time does fly. Thanks for the wonderful article. Do you have a bent for history or have you absorbed it by living in the...
Topic

Should a budget traveler "splurge" sometimes?

DrFumblefinger ·
I read an interesting post written by Rick Steves, discussing the importance of splurging a little even when you're on a tight travel budget.  Rick Steves is somewhat of a travel icon these days, and a very wealthy man who can spend as much or as...
Topic

Holiday Gift List for Travelers

Travel Rob ·
Although most travelers would like the actual travel, the Daily Mail came out with a list for the travel addict in your life. And addict is a pretty accurate word, don't you think?   I like the Travel Stub Diary and Scratch Off World Map Poster....
Topic

Travel guide for Morocco

AnimaniacToo ·
Hi, looking for any travel guide recommendations that anyone might have for Morocco? Needs to be in ebook format, will be taken along and viewed/used on a Kindle Fire.   Would appreciate suggestions/reviews for particular series if no experience...
Topic

Is a stopover in Iceland worthwhile

Travel Luver ·
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

Films that affected your Travel destinations

DrFumblefinger ·
Conde Naste posted a nice piece on 50 films that most influenced travel, which you can find here. As a kid growing up on the Canadian prairies, I do recall films helping open my eyes to the great world out there.  Several come immediately to...
Topic

Visiting great places -- before they're gone

DrFumblefinger ·
There's a lot of buzz in the travel world about seeing some places before they're forever changed or vanish altogether.   How do you feel about that?  Is it good that we go to these places?  Is it good that we interact with...
Topic

Safe to fly on New Years?

Former Member ·
We're coming home from our Christmas break on a red-eye that gets in at 12:15 January 1--15 minutes into the new year. A co-workers is suddenly very concerned, she says its bad luck to travel at times like that. She says its not superstition,...
Topic

The Business of Travel - 2014

Travel Rob ·
This is a interesting blog written about the rise and fall of Epiclist (a travel inspiration app) by one of it's founders Stan Bugaev. A  story on Start-Ups, how international they've become and how competitive the travel industry is. Read more:...
Topic

Interesting Info for Travel Bloggers Seeking Crowdfunding

Travel Rob ·
 Tnooz published an interesting article by Christine Gilbert on her succesful kickstarter campaign to fund a documentary on people who travel the world and work remotely .She gives tips on what works in crowdfunding and how it's changed.  ...
Topic

Most overrated travel destinations

DrFumblefinger ·
I recently came across this short piece on escapehere.com, in which the author provides his perspective on the 10 most overrated travel destinations in the world.  It's worth a quick look.  While I agree with a few of them, I'm surprised to...
Topic

Making Connections For Connecting Flights

rbciao ·
The other day we bought tickets on Delta from "da Burgh" -JFK-Paris-Vienna. We have a 1 hour 35 minute layover at CDG to make the connection with Air France to Vienna. After extensive travel in Europe this is the first time to make a connection onto...
Topic

Something completely unrelated to travel

DrFumblefinger ·
As many of you know, my day job in the real world is as a physician.  I'm a Surgical Pathologist and one of our residents (Dr. Launny Lowden) has just released a fun video on life as pathologist, which I thought you might enjoy because it's quite...
Topic

Travel insurance recommendations?

AnimaniacToo ·
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...
×
×
×
×