Anyone got any travel planned?

[gayl]

I'm itching to go somewhere but don't have anything booked until 2-26-18 (Australia)

So to stave off that urge to just hop in the car & go using up some of the USD$ set aside for AUD$, evaluating Kiev VS Budapest VS back to Dublin next summer. Anyone been to all 3? Care to weigh in?

 

[Nemo2]

Kiev VS Budapest VS back to Dublin next summer. Anyone been to all 3? Care to weigh in?

Been to, and enjoyed, Budapest and Dublin, but have not visited Kiev, (yet).........we're currently looking at Romania for next Spring......(in between sorting out the pics from the Bulgaria trip from which we returned two days ago).

 

[gayl]

Thanks Nemo2. Yeah I loved Dublin but trying to stretch my horizons on solo travel. Can you name 3-5 must see in Budapest? Did you do any of the surrounding countryside?

 

[Nemo2]

Thanks Nemo2. Yeah I loved Dublin but trying to stretch my horizons on solo travel. Can you name 3-5 must see in Budapest? Did you do any of the surrounding countryside?

Here are our boring pics from that trip in 2014....https://1drv.ms/f/s!ArYt8_WyPaoOjitieYYplVnRRsNJ

One thing we did was purchase a 24 hour transit pass....rode the oldest and the newest subways, the cog railway across the river, caught a commuter ferry along the river, then rode aimlessly in streetcars the next morning before the tickets expired.

 

[gayl]

Buying that 24 hr pass -- lots to see there, thanks!

 

[akck]

We’re in the process of finalizing a family trip to Hawaii in April. DW and I will be there two weeks, first going to Maui and then meeting up with the rest of the family on Kauai. This is our first trip to Hawaii and hopefully it will all work out. The difficulty in coordinating 4 grown boys plus a DIL and grand baby is staggering.

 

[Meadbh]

Thanks Nemo2. Yeah I loved Dublin but trying to stretch my horizons on solo travel. Can you name 3-5 must see in Budapest? Did you do any of the surrounding countryside?

Parliament building
Fisherman’s Bastion
House of Terror
Jewish Quarter
Gellert Baths
City Market
Statue Park (outside the city)

Budapest is awesome!

 

[Nemo2]

Budapest is awesome!

And..if, the weather's nice on the weekend, take a walk out to Margaret Island with the locals.

 

[kcowan]

This time tomorrow I will be have watched the sunset on a beach in Puerto Vallarta and perhaps reaching for another G&T. Cannot come soon enough.

We love these last minute specials.

You are lucky that the high humidity has broken. It seems to be later every year.

 

[audreyh1]

DW and I love Destin, we've been there several times. Our trip in early Nov. 2016, there was only 8 cars in the condo's parking lot. We had the place to ourselves. When we arrived, we actually thought that an evacuation order had been issued for the Florida panhandle.

Service at the restaurants was impeccable, as there was no one there.

I know some restaurants close or drop lunch hours for the winter "off" season. From what I can tell the restaurants nearby should be open.

Hoping for good weather - not too cold and no rain. Was hoping a La Niña would develop, but I don't think one has.

Whatever - it will be warmer and dryer than Amsterdam in the winter, so my brother's family should be happy.

 

[audreyh1]

Just booked 4 night Bahamas cruise for $319 each for balcony room week before Christmas. 6 year old granddaughter will love it. I

It fits in perfectly with school holidays.

Wow - what a deal!

 

[sengsational]

Been to, and enjoyed, Budapest and Dublin, but have not visited Kiev, (yet).........we're currently looking at Romania for next Spring......(in between sorting out the pics from the Bulgaria trip from which we returned two days ago).

Ah, back from your adventure (finally!). I hope it was another good one.

 

[Nemo2]

Ah, back from your adventure (finally!). I hope it was another good one.

Bulgaria was great......the waffling and mis/non-information on the part of Royal Caribbean and (especially) Air Canada, not so great.

But, overall, it was enjoyable.......and now the countdown calendar on the 'puter says 141 days until we depart again.........Pullmantur Zenith to Lisbon, and likely Bucharest from there.

We've ordered two backpacks, that should fit airline criteria for carry-ons, and this next trip we'll travel light and travel fast*.

(*Or as fast as Romanian trains will go.)

 

[brett]

Just booked Feb air for our a leg go our winter trip. Kuala Lumpur to Cebu, Philippines.

It is a four hour flight. Cost, all in. Was slightly less than $100 USD per person on one of our favorited..Air Asia.

 

[robnplunder]

Going to Rio Bueno, Jamaica in Jan/2018 for 5 nights, all inclusive. This is my first time to Jamaica. I am hoping it will be a relaxing break from my ER life.

 

[athena53]

I'm not into Black Friday shopping but I've been checking airfares to Edinburgh in the fall for awhile now; DH and I loved Edinburgh (he was of Scottish descent and we both loved the whisky!) and it's the one place I HAVE to leave some of his ashes behind. I'd been seeing round trips to Edinburgh that were $700 higher than round trips to Glasgow (Business Class) and was considering flying into Glasgow and taking the train, when I found a round trip to EDI for the same price yesterday- one stop in ORD each way. I grabbed it. Will probably fly to Paris for a couple of days while I'm over there.

 

[6miths]

Just spent 3 nice days in London. Was sunny and fairly mild which was a bonus. Visited some family and dropped off some Christmas presents. Walked an average of 16 km a day. Would have been further but for the crowds on the streets due to, wait for it, Black Friday sales!! Really have to hand it to the retailers.

Off to Malawi for two weeks of teaching and program development. Will be nice to be warm again. Sadly has a full moon right in the middle of the visit so star watching is going to take a hit.

 

[Nemo2]

Since we've been sitting around 'recuperating' now, for the better part of a week, we figured it was time to remove the proverbial digit.

Following our arrival in Lisbon at the end of next April, (following our TA, which I notice is currently @$579 p.p. (past guest rate) for an oceanview, whereas we paid $370 p.p. (admittedly ours is 'partially obstructed')), this a.m. we booked flights:

Lisbon-Bucharest (the 'plan' is to do a Romanian loop, with various stopoffs, by train, ending up back in Bucharest).

Bucharest-Munich. (Couple days in Munich...DW's never been.)

Munich-Toronto.

Leave here April 14, return May 17.

 

[brett]

Recently bought the American Eagle brand rolling duffle carry on. The 20" that meets international carry on regs/size. Baught it because of the weight, fabric, and the great wheels.

Trying it out this week. Very pleased with it. It will be fine for our winter trip. Great improvement over my last carry on and seems to be very durable.

 

[exnavynuke]

Booked a vacation for the Sat-Sat around Memorial Day in Cozumel for next Spring. That'll give me something to look forward to after I get back from the trip to the Bahamas next month.

 

[IMATERP]

Booked a vacation for the Sat-Sat around Memorial Day in Cozumel for next Spring. That'll give me something to look forward to after I get back from the trip to the Bahamas next month.

NICE!

We will be in Cozumel - 3 weeks from tomorrow. Our cruise stops in the Keys, Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Cayman Islands. I just can't wait.

I

 

[exnavynuke]

So, I discovered this week that I need to use up another week of vacation before the end of January (new project starting up so no PTO allowed for a bit, and I'll lose days if I don't take them before April).

So.... I started looking around and apparently I can go enjoy 5 nights/6 days in Playa Del Carmen at an all-inclusive for a pretty darn reasonable price (many under $1,500 for the trip, including airfare).... toss in some diving/excursions and I can make that fit in my budget even though I hadn't planned on another trip...

So it looks like I'm gonna do Mexico twice next year!

 

[exnavynuke]

NICE!

We will be in Cozumel - 3 weeks from tomorrow. Our cruise stops in the Keys, Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Cayman Islands. I just can't wait.

I

Sounds like fun. Enjoy!

 

[2017ish]

Southern Caribbean island hop Jan/Feb, with dive gear.

First Cozumel to dive known quantity/environment as we get accustomed to new gear. Then to new destinations of Barbados, St. Vincent/Grenadines (dive), Grenada, Tobago (dive), Aruba, and Curacao. Planning 7-10 days at B&Bs in each location, and possibly do a little diving even on the non-dive destinations if the right situation arises.

Not the leisurely island survey we were originally thinking of, but DW is looking forward to missing her least favorite time of year at home.

 

[Scuba]

Southern Caribbean island hop Jan/Feb, with dive gear.

First Cozumel to dive known quantity/environment as we get accustomed to new gear. Then to new destinations of Barbados, St. Vincent/Grenadines (dive), Grenada, Tobago (dive), Aruba, and Curacao. Planning 7-10 days at B&Bs in each location, and possibly do a little diving even on the non-dive destinations if the right situation arises.

Not the leisurely island survey we were originally thinking of, but DW is looking forward to missing her least favorite time of year at home.

Have fun! If you can, do some diving in Bonaire. It's really nice diving there. Tobago Cays is also beautiful. Petit St. Vincent is a very nice private island resort in the Grenadines. Will be interested to hear a post-trip report.