Anyone got any travel planned?

[Nemo2]

Nice price, nice spot! Shorter stay, but Copenhagen is 5 times that price! And it's just a tiny single room. I looked on AirBnB and didn't find anything close that looked good for my dates, so I opted for a hotel. Accommodations seem really tight on my dates (9/4 for 5 nights).

In Copenhagen we stayed in a tiny room in a lady's apartment. It had two single beds; we put our 'stuff' on one bed and slept on the other, alongside the apartment cat who'd meow at the door to be admitted.

And that wasn't cheap either.

 

[FIREd]

The house renovation project is almost completed so we are off to France/Switzerland in August then Florida in September. And maybe a drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Fall.

 

[NW-Bound]

So, October 22, we leave for Sofia, Bulgaria, where we have rented this place for 13 nights...including the ubiquitous cleaning & service fees, but factoring in the extended stay discount, it comes out at $34.23 Canadian, ($27.15 US) per night:

https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/18903877?eluid=0&euid=8fcaeab7-ce79-cc6f-a978-56ddc1756b95

With Airbnb places getting so cheap, it would be less expensive to be a perpetual traveler than to own a permanent home.

 

[Nemo2]

With Airbnb places getting so cheap, it would be less expensive to be a perpetual traveler than to own a permanent home.

We could do that if we were in situ....the getting there is where the cost mounts up......as it is we often tell people on some of the cheaper cruises, Pullmantur, etc, that "At these prices we can't afford to stay home".

 

[RetireAge50]

Then on November 5, we fly to Rome from Sofia, (probably stay overnight), before getting an early train to Civitavecchia where we'll catch a westbound repositioning cruise to Puerto Rico, (two nights there), thence Toronto.

See you onboard! We fly to London on October 17th and make our way down to Rome via Paris and Venice. First time in Europe for us and also our first month of retirement!

 

[Red Badger]

The house renovation project is almost completed so we are off to France/Switzerland in August then Florida in September. And maybe a drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Fall.

If staying over on the BRPW, the Skyline Village Inn (Spruce Pine exit) has some of the best views on the parkway. While not fancy, it gets the job done. Best rooms are 3rd floor balcony. They offer on-site (albeit limited) F&B. There is also a cliff-side restaurant across the road with moderately upscale dining and spectacular vistas.

 

[ears20]

I'm headed to Iceland next month and just booked a day trip from there to Greenland. One more country to add to my list!

Eager to hear about Iceland; that's been on our list for some time! I'm curious about what in particular attracted you to Greenland. I might do the same, given the proximity, but have to admit to knowing less about it than perhaps I should.

 

[NW-Bound]

We could do that if we were in situ....the getting there is where the cost mounts up ... as it is we often tell people on some of the cheaper cruises, Pullmantur, etc, that "At these prices we can't afford to stay home".

Hence, when you get to the destination, you should stay as long as the law permits and move from Airbnb to Airbnb.

It's not just money, but air travel is a traumatic experience. When I was younger, thought that, in a year we would do 2 overseas trips and 2 domestic trips, all with air travel. And we did that for 1 or 2 years, back when we were 50 and had frequent miles from work.

Now, I don't think I can do 2 overseas trips a year. I am not sure if business-class seats would help enough. I am now thinking 1 trip by air and 1 by RV a year, with the air trip no shorter than 3 weeks, and the RV trip of 1 or 2 months.

 

[Nemo2]

It's not just money, but air travel is a traumatic experience.

Both DW & I absolutely detest airports/flying/and all the hoops one has to go through just to get on a ****** plane.

(Back when my late wife was associated with Air France in Riyadh, we'd invariably get upgraded to First Class; yes it's way more comfortable, (although I sure wouldn't pay for it with my money), but it's still being stuck in a damn plane!)

 

[IMATERP]

Just got back from Berlin and Prague - had a terrific time.

The food was excellent and reasonably priced in both Berlin and Prague. We picked out highly ranked restaurants in Yelp and didn't hit a clunker.

In Berlin some of the restaurants wanted to be paid in cash, which is fine, but you have to plan ahead. In Prague, they all handled credit cards. The terminals were all NFC enabled, so we paid with Apple Pay - safer and quicker (no PINs or signatures).

In both places we took lunch river cruises. I liked Berlin better - the Spree River goes through the heart of Berlin and you see a lot. Prague is much more compact and Vltava river was nice, but didn't really add much.

We got transit passed both places. It's necessary in Berlin - it's such a big city. In Prague isn't wasn't really necessary - old Prague is small, but we took the tram a couple of times. In both places it was easy. Apple Maps has transit info in both places, so we would just tell it to route us via transit and it would tell us, say, to walk over the U-Bahn station by the hotel and meet the train in 5 minutes and detailed the various transfers. My watch got my attention by tapped me on the wrist when approaching a station where we were getting off. So easy.

The train from Berlin to Prague was fun. We booked our seats the day before at the Hauptbahnhof. Traveling along the Elbe was beautiful.

One aside. While standing in line for the Pergamon Museum we chatted with a British couple. Turned out they were also going to Prague the next day: "Um, on the 11:30 train?" Yes, it turns out. So we saw them on the train the next day.

We did Paris and Prague in early/mid May. It was cold and dreary in Paris and clear and crisp in Prague. We enjoyed the Prague Castle and the restaurants in Prague. Quite a few tourists in both cities, though.

In December, we take our annual one week cruise to the Caribbean.

Michael

 

[brokrken]

We'll be missing the tourists (hopefully) and heading to Slovenia on Friday.

 

[Winemaker]

I'm looking to do a Hawaii trip and was wondering what was the best time of year to go and which islands to visit. Any help from veteran travelers are appreciated!

Jack

I just got back from a 2 week trip to Maui and the Big Island, took daughter and her husband. It was my 5th trip.

The islands you travel to depend entirely on your desires/wants/dreams that you want to experience.

1) The islands are unique to themselves and to each other. Kauai is the farthest island, very lush, not as touristy as other islands. The streets roll up at 9:00 pm. Very beautiful, my favorite, expect several brief rain showers a day.Don't need AC here. Oahu is the opposite; very touristy, crowded, reminds me of a giant anthill. Beautiful, many, many beaches, some very good snorkeling, location of Pearl Harbor/ Arizona memorial and Polynesian Cultural Center, need AC, again frequent rain showers. Maui, very popular, better snorkeling, beautiful beaches, a lot of traffic. VERY breezy, may need a coverup, no AC needed. Usually a few showers a day, we experienced NO RAIN at all in 7 days. On the road to Hana, rain fuels the waterfalls, so they were pretty much trickles. On the Big Island, I am a mining engineer by education, so I have to go see Volcano National Park. On the Kona side, it does get humid, the humid air gets backed up by the mountain/volcanoes by afternoon, gets very cloudy. A few good swimming beaches, great snorkeling near Captain Cook monument with fish, turtles and dolphins. Typical traffic, a lot of 2 lane highways.

2) All the islands are a series of mountains; for the most part, the only way to get from one place to another is along coastal highways that are crowded.

3) We stay at Condos, recently through VRBO. More flexibility, better accommodations, I feel much cheaper. About $2500 for 2 weeks, for two king size bedrooms, two baths, on the ocean, no front desk, bellhops.

4) We rented a huge SUV on both islands, $550/week. The most I paid for gas was $2.99/gal IIRC. At normal grocery prices were a touch higher on some things, not on others. Restaurant prices for four adults, 3 drinks each, $150-250.Korean BBQ place, local fish shack $70, on Maui and Big Island.

5)If you just want to lay on beach and take in rays, stay on mainland. Not worth the aggravation of being hurled across the ocean in a metal tube with some @ssholes you don't know, who expect everyone to kiss their @ss.

6) If you want some more info, PM me.

7) My first Cosco purchase included a bottle of Laphroig Scotch for $39.99.

 

[capjak]

I'm looking to do a Hawaii trip and was wondering what was the best time of year to go and which islands to visit. Any help from veteran travelers are appreciated!

Jack

We go to Maui in January/early Feb every year for 2 weeks, which is a good time to see Whales and the weather is nice, yet before all spring breakers show up and it gets too busy.

Each island is different, we have been to the main 4 islands and prefer Maui. But it is personal taste. We like some nightlife and hikes/scenery etc.. so Maui seems to have both. Kauai is too quiet for us and Oahu is too busy for us. Hawaii (big island) is unique but still prefer Maui.

 

[sengsational]

5)If you just want to lay on beach and take in rays, stay on mainland. Not worth the aggravation of being hurled across the ocean in a metal tube with some @ssholes you don't know, who expect everyone to kiss their @ss.

 

[Rdub]

This trip is on wife's bucket list and she is a snorkeler, not whale watcher. Would like to hit at least 2 of the islands and have heard that May or September was off season and less crowded with families as kids are back in school. Leaning more toward May as Sept falls into hurricane season.

Jack

I have a couple places on Maui and April/May and Sept/Oct seem to be slightly lower in occupancy during these months, but not by much. We just got back from a 2 week trip to Maui and there were a lot of families getting their vacations in before the kids head back to school. You can't go wrong with any of the islands. My personal favorite is Maui, it is pretty laid back and has a broad range of things to do. The Big Island has a ton to offer and some very unique beaches (most beautiful, black sand and a green sand beach). There is also the volcano that is always amazing to see. Oahu has a big mix of things to do, from Waikiki to Pearl Harbor you can spend a couple weeks exploring it. Maui is very cool with the Road to Hana, sunrise on Haleakala, biking down the mountain, exploring the upcountry, snorkling, golf, etc. Kauai is the garden isle with tons of beauty, but very quiet. You really can't go wrong with any combo of islands. Aloha!

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

I might go to Canada and see if Im 6 spots happier being retired there.

 

[athena53]

Eager to hear about Iceland; that's been on our list for some time! I'm curious about what in particular attracted you to Greenland. I might do the same, given the proximity, but have to admit to knowing less about it than perhaps I should.

Umm... because it's there? Seriously- I have this weird urge to add to my list of countries visited, so I want to visit Greenland. Right now I'm at 33 using the somewhat loose criteria of the Travelers Century Club, which you can join if you've visited 100. I'll never get there but I'll have fun trying! They consider remote outposts of countries as a separate visit, so Alaska, Hawaii and Spain's Balearic Islands are separate "countries". England, Scotland and Wales count separately.

Here's my blog from my 2015 trip to Reykjavik.

Travels and Musings: 2015

 

[NW-Bound]

Umm... because it's there? Seriously- I have this weird urge to add to my list of countries visited, so I want to visit Greenland. Right now I'm at 33 using the somewhat loose criteria of the Travelers Century Club, which you can join if you've visited 100. I'll never get there but I'll have fun trying! They consider remote outposts of countries as a separate visit, so Alaska, Hawaii and Spain's Balearic Islands are separate "countries". England, Scotland and Wales count separately...[/url]

Did not know about this, so just visited the Web site: Countries & Territories | The Travelers' Century Club.

It says:

Although some are not actually countries in their own right, they have been included because they are removed from the parent country, either geographically, politically or ethnologically (see the Territory Status page for detailed criteria).
​

Guam is listed. All right, add one more notch for me. Spent a few nights there some years ago, but not for leisure.

Hawaiian Islands are included, but all together or each separately? If the latter, 4 more notches for me. Yes, these were leisure trips.

 

[braumeister]

Did not know about this, so just visited the Web site: Countries & Territories | The Travelers' Century Club.

Yes, I looked it up too. Alas, I'm only at 28 by their list, and that's assuming I get credit for a "retired" territory I visited before its retirement date (Panama Canal Zone). So I'll never qualify for membership in the club, but I'll bet they have some interesting meetings.

 

[Nemo2]

At a quick count, (may have missed one or two), I'm at 82...but then I've been wrong before.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have not counted to see where I am (20 to 30 countries?), but doubt that I will reach 100.

I am getting old and tired already, not even 61 yet. And then, some places that I like, I want to go back again and again (like Western Europe) instead of trying some places new.

It may not be long now till I become like some posters here, rarely venturing more than 30 miles from their home.

 

[Sunset]

I might go to Canada and see if Im 6 spots happier being retired there.

Your dollar will be worth $1.25 CDN

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Your dollar will be worth $1.25 CDN

Im happier already

 

[Marita40]

I am getting old and tired already, not even 61 yet. And then, some places that I like, I want to go back again and again (like Western Europe) instead of trying some places new.

Me too. I thought by this age I would have traveled much farther afield--India, Japan, China, etc. Instead I fell in love years ago with countries like Austria, Italy, and Ireland and keep going back...and back and back. The trauma of longer, more "foreign" (read: uncomfortable) travel has lost some appeal for me. I don't like to admit that I guess.

 

[Nemo2]

The trauma of longer, more "foreign" (read: uncomfortable) travel has lost some appeal for me. I don't like to admit that I guess.

There are many places I'd still like to see; I'd go back to India...(I was through there 54 years ago)...just to see what it's like now; but overly hot, sticky, humid places with wall to wall people are otherwise consigned to the "Naah" list.