Anyone got any travel planned?

[Alan]

Ah interesting.

People say train up to Scotland is scenic in many parts, the coastal areas. Northumberland must be one of those areas.

Absolutely, the London Edinburgh train stops at the ancient, castled cities of York and Durham before making its way up the Northumberland coastline.

An often missed beauty is the city of Durham with its working castle and cathedral, side by side and high on a hill surrounded on 3 sides by the river Wear. In the Cathedral, above one of the arched doorways is the ancient coat of arms of the Washington family (yes, President George Washington's ancestors from the twelfth century). The coat of arms of 3 red stars over stripes is said to have inspired the Stars and Stripes flag of the USA.

Those who have seen Harry Potter movies will have seen parts of Durham Cathedral as well as Alnwick Castle on the Northumberland coast. (Hogwarts)



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_the_Washington_family

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnwick_Castle

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g186267-County_Durham_England.html

 

[mpeirce]

Is the appeal more history or scenic hike?

And who wouldn't like to claim "I walked across England from sea to sea"?

 

[Fedup]

Absolutely, the London Edinburgh train stops at the ancient, castled cities of York and Durham before making its way up the Northumberland coastline.

An often missed beauty is the city of Durham with its working castle and cathedral, side by side and high on a hill surrounded on 3 sides by the river Wear. In the Cathedral, above one of the arched doorways is the ancient coat of arms of the Washington family (yes, President George Washington's ancestors from the twelfth century). The coat of arms of 3 red stars over stripes is said to have inspired the Stars and Stripes flag of the USA.

Those who have seen Harry Potter movies will have seen parts of Durham Cathedral as well as Alnwick Castle on the Northumberland coast. (Hogwarts)



https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_the_Washington_family

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnwick_Castle

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g186267-County_Durham_England.html

We took this train and stop at Durham. My favorite place. Especially the fish and chip fried in bacon or pork drippings, or something sinful like that. My husband also managed to row the canoe down the river Wear behind Durham Cathedral. I think I like this place better than Edinburgh. Too crowd for me.
I first saw the inside of this castle from a Sting's Xmas DVD. It was beautiful inside in person as well.

 

[Alan]

We took this train and stop at Durham. My favorite place. Especially the fish and chip fried in bacon or pork drippings, or something sinful like that. My husband also managed to row the canoe down the river Wear behind Durham Cathedral. I think I like this place better than Edinburgh. Too crowd for me.
I first saw the inside of this castle from a Sting's Xmas DVD. It was beautiful inside in person as well.

I grew up 12 miles from Durham so it is a place close to my heart. My wife used to sing in a choir when we lived in N. Yorkshire in the early 80's and she sang in the Cathedral in a massed choirs ceremony that I attended and it was absolutely amazing.

 

[DrRoy]

OK, travel junkies, where do you fall on this one. I will RE NEXT WEEK! We plan to travel a good bit, and I am trying to decide if we should fly business class. We have the $, but for the cost of international business class, we could pay for another whole trip somewhere, so it seems a waste. Still, we have the $, and long flights in coach are not a lot of fun . . . . .

 

[Nemo2]

OK, travel junkies, where do you fall on this one. I will RE NEXT WEEK! We plan to travel a good bit, and I am trying to decide if we should fly business class. We have the $, but for the cost of international business class, we could pay for another whole trip somewhere, so it seems a waste. Still, we have the $, and long flights in coach are not a lot of fun . . . . .

Which brings us back to our favorite....Repositioning Cruises.......take a relatively inexpensive, (especially compared to Business Class), comfortable, relaxing ship to wherever at the start of the season, hang around until the end of the season, rinse & repeat.

 

[Alan]

Which brings us back to our favorite....Repositioning Cruises.......take a relatively inexpensive, (especially compared to Business Class), comfortable, relaxing ship to wherever at the start of the season, hang around until the end of the season, rinse & repeat.

That is exactly what we did in 2013. I had been having back problems and said we should fly to England business class but DW found that the Queen Elizabeth was filling up slots between NYC and Southampton at the end of a world tour and we got tickets for $500 each. The return trip on the Queen Mary cost $1,100.

 

[2017ish]

OK, travel junkies, where do you fall on this one. I will RE NEXT WEEK! We plan to travel a good bit, and I am trying to decide if we should fly business class. We have the $, but for the cost of international business class, we could pay for another whole trip somewhere, so it seems a waste. Still, we have the $, and long flights in coach are not a lot of fun . . . . .

We are right behind you, with same ideas. Our (ok, DW's) thinking is that transpacific flights merit lie-flat seats. Flights of 5 hours or so do not. We'll see whether she holds to this limit when we fly from Miami to Lima later this year ....

Regarding the cost, yeah. But, with being retired, you can make each trip a two month trip, rather than a 1 week trip. That amortizes the cost over many more days.

 

[Alan]

We are right behind you, with same ideas. Our (ok, DW's) thinking is that transpacific flights merit lie-flat seats. Flights of 5 hours or so do not. We'll see whether she holds to this limit when we fly from Miami to Lima later this year ....

Regarding the cost, yeah. But, with being retired, you can make each trip a two month trip, rather than a 1 week trip. That amortizes the cost over many more days.

In 2014 we visited Australia and New Zealand and we got return business class seats on Fiji Airways for $5,050 including all taxes LA to Sydney, change in Fiji. It worked out great for us as our daughter lives in Santa Monica so we had a few days with her at the start and end of our 5 month trip. In fact our son flew out from Texas to meet us on our return trip so we had a good family get together.

 

[Chuckanut]

Especially the fish and chip fried in bacon or pork drippings, or something sinful like that.

A local English Pub ( or as close as we can get to one given the state liquor laws) is run by the children of an English Ex-Pat. Their menu proudly states that their chips are fried in "pork and beef fat'. They are really, really good chips. I mean REALLY good!

 

[brett]

We have no travel plans at the moment but we could go somewhere next week or next month.

Really depends on whether or not we see an enticing travel offer. One of the benefits of retirement. Currently researching Philippines for next winter's escape (even though we have only been back for five days).

 

[Fedup]

Regarding flying first class. I have free tickets to go to Europe and some free mileage with it. I think we should pay $2000 for two first or business class tickets, just taxes. I also earned 2 free business classes from AA to fly from Hawaii to Tahiti next year, then New Zealand. I think anything more than 5 hours will be flying laying down in the future. After 2018, I think we'll be done with long flight. So I say life is too short, enjoy your money if you can. But with me that took a little planning.

 

[Alan]

This year in January we flew Business Class with Singapore airlines, operating a new route Houston to Manchester, England, and they had some great deals trying to attract new business. The seats were the most comfortable I have ever slept in. The seat back completely folded forward to make a bed, and there was legroom down one side so even someone like me at 6'1" could lie full length, plus the bed was absolutely flat, no indentations from seat cushions. The cost was right at $2,000 for the one way flight we took.

Manchester is one of our preferred airports as DWs brother lives close by, but this time we got onto the Transpennine Express (railway station is in the airport), no stops and got out at a station less than 10 miles from home.

 

[pacergal]

OK, travel junkies, where do you fall on this one. I will RE NEXT WEEK! We plan to travel a good bit, and I am trying to decide if we should fly business class. We have the $, but for the cost of international business class, we could pay for another whole trip somewhere, so it seems a waste. Still, we have the $, and long flights in coach are not a lot of fun . . . . .

Due to DH back issues, we have started traveling business/first class. It has been much better for him. It may cause us to travel a little bit less, or not. So far has not stopped us. I would much rather have comfort and no pain for DH, than take another trip. Just booked last minute trip to Maui, so 3 one-week long trips in the next 2 months!!

 

[braumeister]

We plan to travel a good bit, and I am trying to decide if we should fly business class.

FWIW, we decided a few years ago that on trips longer than 2-3 hours it's a good use of the money. The stress of flying has become a major factor with today's security concerns and full flights.

I would add another justification: pony up for the better section and you earn frequent flyer points that much faster. They add up. For example, we'll be in Switzerland next week on a round trip business class deal paid entirely with points.

 

[explanade]

OK, travel junkies, where do you fall on this one. I will RE NEXT WEEK! We plan to travel a good bit, and I am trying to decide if we should fly business class. We have the $, but for the cost of international business class, we could pay for another whole trip somewhere, so it seems a waste. Still, we have the $, and long flights in coach are not a lot of fun . . . . .

I play the frequent flier game and every year, I have to spend $6000 in airfares as well as 50k qualifying miles to get Gold on United Airlines.

When I was working, there were no qualifying dollars requirement so I would book the cheapest flights to meet the mileage requirement.

Now, all airlines use revenue-based qualification methods so that means spending a certain amount and getting more miles for higher fares.

I could spend $6000 on multiple tickets or this year, I bought two business class tickets, one to Hong Kong and one to Europe to meet the spending requirement. Then I also booked two other trips to Europe using miles.

Generally, in recent years, including the last two FIRE'd, I'm spending more for better flights, nicer hotels. I saved enough before FIRE so now I can spend more for comfort.

 

[athena53]

Due to DH back issues, we have started traveling business/first class. It has been much better for him. It may cause us to travel a little bit less, or not. So far has not stopped us. I would much rather have comfort and no pain for DH, than take another trip.

That's what got DH and me started on Business Class on long hauls. It also helps that in Business Class it doesn't matter if you flew zero miles with that airline in the past 3 years. You get lounge access, priority check-in and TSA lines, lots of perks that make travel a bit nicer. Their love can be bought.

In August I'm going to Iceland, where we had our last, and one of our best trips, with some of DH's ashes. I'll be in Business Class. DH's remains deserve nothing less. ;-)

 

[Lsbcal]

Just took a quick look a flight to Europe we have already booked. It's now $1400. Business class is $4900!

Too rich for my blood even though we are looking at an 11 hour flight. If our health made this critical to our going, I'd maybe consider it. Since I "saved" $7000 (for 2 round trip tickets), maybe I should spend more luxuriously when we get to our destination?

 

[Fedup]

You need to book way ahead. You get business class from LAX to LHR, London Heathrow in Oct for $2100. I book way ahead for my trip. Even for first class through free mileage, the minute British Airways releases the seats for first class, those seats will be gone in a week or two.

 

[Lsbcal]

You need to book way ahead. You get business class from LAX to LHR, London Heathrow in Oct for $2100. I book way ahead for my trip. Even for first class through free mileage, the minute British Airways releases the seats for first class, those seats will be gone in a week or two.

We're not going in Oct but in late Aug and returning in Sept. Also we're not going to LHR. But looking at the differential for economy versus business class, it is over $3000/ticket (for nonstop, SFO to LHR, Aug 20 out and Sept 17 back).

Maybe if I would fiddle with this more it would yield something? Still I'd rather just get the best deal in economy and stand up a lot during the flight to stretch when not trying to snooze. The Dreamliners (Boeing's newest) are suppose to be better pressurized and that is what we are flying. Plus we payed around $200 extra/ticket to get more recline in the seats and more room.

 

[NW-Bound]

When we flew 1st class or business class, it was always courtesy of megacorps or the airlines. I am too cheap to pay the price, though I knew how nice it could be, particularly for long flights of 15 hrs or more non-stop.

I guess when I get older, I will have to pay if I need more comfort. But then, I wonder if I still want to travel at that point. Will I still be able to hop on/off buses, trains, trams, ferries? Will I still be able to walk for miles for sightseeing?

Maybe time to check out tours when I get to that point.

 

[explanade]

There are sometimes sales.

For instance, I bought a business ticket from SFO to Paris for $2100 last summer, when there was a fare war.

 

[sengsational]

Finally got around to booking http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f46/winter-surf-destination-84040.html#post1857181 in Costa Rica.

I'll be down in Florida already, so I'm leaving out of Tampa. I just happened to book my return air through Charlotte, if you know what I mean. Charlotte air r/t was 130% higher than r/t Tampa.

 

[Winemaker]

Headed to Finger Lakes for......wine.

Or pick some brains to make my wine better.

 

[Sunset]

Yes, we're having the conversation about going in May instead for that very reason. Watching the extended forecast closely and hoping for a warming trend. Nothing worse than camping and being cold. We visited Escalante twenty years ago right after the establishment of the Grand Staircase monument. Did some day hikes, and loved it. Now that we have high clearance AWD, we can venture out farther on the non paved roads which access the more remote hikes.

We took a non-paved road through Escalante as a short cut, it was a shortcut in distance, but not time.

The views were amazing, in a number of hours of driving we saw about 3 or 4 other vehicles. It was like being alone.
We did have a gallon of water and some food just in case.

Our only mistake was driving a rental car... scraped the bottom of the front bumper at the bottom of a V where the road crossed a creek, and later had to drive through a 10 foot wide, but shallow creek.