2023 Travel Plans?

[pacergal]

Not a big trip, but planning on meeting good friends in Las Vegas for 4 days in Oct or Nov.
Mainly to visit Hoover Dam

 

[explanade]

Been tracking prices for about a month for next spring up through June.

Prices are going up so it seems like nobody is holding back.

May have to book some now.

 

[old medic]

All my travel since retiring is domestic (US) and by car. I hope to never fly again!

We have never flown for a trip... My only air travel was when I joined the Army. DW only flight was 15 minutes in a helicopter over Gatlinburg 30 years ago. We may take a flight someplace, someday just to say we did.. Don't have passports, but understand we can still take a cruise without them... Maybe fly to FL and jump a ship... kill 3 birds with one stone... Plane Cruise Foreign Country.
We don't have anything set in stone yet for next year, but I'm sure the toy hauler will get pulled around the country a few thousand miles...

 

[ElizabethT]

When people talk about planning these trips, have you actually purchased airline tickets or committed other money?

Or just planning the trip and will buy tickets later?

In our case, deposits made on the Camino walk (using a UK vendor to book lodgings and have our luggage transported each day), and deposits made on both planned cruises. RV trips will be booked about six months ahead.

If you are asking because of what happened in 2020 when all travel went kaput, the Camino trip is a carryover from that time, as is the deposit. The two cruise deposits came to $2,500, so yes, that money is somewhat at risk, but not in anyway a financial burden, so we'll roll the dice with fingers crossed.

 

[Car-Guy]

We have never flown for a trip... My only air travel was when I joined the Army. DW only flight was 15 minutes in a helicopter over Gatlinburg 30 years ago. We may take a flight someplace, someday just to say we did.. Don't have passports, but understand we can still take a cruise without them... Maybe fly to FL and jump a ship... kill 3 birds with one stone... Plane Cruise Foreign Country.
We don't have anything set in stone yet for next year, but I'm sure the toy hauler will get pulled around the country a few thousand miles...

I've never had a root canal either but I'm not going to have one just to say I did... (Sorry, couldn't resist that one)

Anyway, rather than fly somewhere, just go down to the stockyard and watch them herd cattle. About the same thing as a airport herding people IMO. Crowded, smells, gates to get through, dirty, noisy, lots of milling around, lots of waiting, etc.... And TSA agents using the "wand" remind me of a cattle prod, embarrassing but not shocking.

 

[rodi]

We have never flown for a trip... My only air travel was when I joined the Army. DW only flight was 15 minutes in a helicopter over Gatlinburg 30 years ago. We may take a flight someplace, someday just to say we did.. Don't have passports, but understand we can still take a cruise without them... Maybe fly to FL and jump a ship... kill 3 birds with one stone... Plane Cruise Foreign Country.
We don't have anything set in stone yet for next year, but I'm sure the toy hauler will get pulled around the country a few thousand miles...

I don't think the bolded part is correct. When we did a Mexican cruise out of San Diego we needed to show our passports on boarding the cruise and when we got off in Cabo.

Maybe if you cruise to Puerto Rico or some other American territory.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have always had to show my passport on cruises. I have been on 6.

 

[gayl]

Actually WHTI states that passports are not required on a closed ending cruise (embark & disembark at same port). But it is strongly recommended as all cruises from USA must include a foreign port & who knows if you'll miss the ship? My grandkids just cruise with certified birth certificates

Balance of 2022: England then cruise back to USA, something in December.

2023: California Coast, Portugal -> Rome -> transatlantic, Australia, Japan. Just 4

 

[old medic]

I've never had a root canal either but I'm not going to have one just to say I did... (Sorry, couldn't resist that one)

I haven't either... was offered one in high school... Cost was around $1200... $70 to pull it.... bye bye tooth...

 

[old medic]

Actually WHTI states that passports are not required on a closed ending cruise (embark & disembark at same port). But it is strongly recommended.....

Thats what I have read and been told... Was considering a cruise a few years back... We have talked about getting passports anyway, just haven't done it yet.

 

[Chuckanut]

Actually WHTI states that passports are not required on a closed ending cruise (embark & disembark at same port). But it is strongly recommended as all cruises from USA must include a foreign port & who knows if you'll miss the ship? My grandkids just cruise with certified birth certificates

Crossing into Canada many years ago, a passport was not needed. We had planned a week trip through B.C. and managed to secure a very hard to get cabin at Strathcona Park. At the time we had our two pre-school children who were foreign adopted and did not look like either of their parents. The Canadian border agent was polite, professional and suspicious. After a a few minutes of questioning about minor things, she finally got to the subjects of interest - our children. My heart sank as I realized we might have to return home (it was Saturday) and wait until late Monday morning to get into our bank safe deposit box and retrieve both their adoption and citizenship papers. After answering questions about my oldest child, I innocently offered to give her information on the youngest. She was taken by surprise "you have two?" Umm... yes, right there sleeping in the rear seat. I think that naive honesty got us over the finish line. She took a good look at the kids, us, and let us through.

Interestingly, later we stumbled upon a Canadian couple who also had a child via foreign adoption. We told them the tale of the border crossing and they nodded knowingly. Apparently foreign adoptions back then were rare in Canada and people were simply not used to mixed race families especially when the kid's and parent's race were totally different! They had to use an American agency, which involved all sorts of extra paperwork and interviews, and both the US State Department and Canadian Ministry of Global Affairs were involved.

Upon our return the USA, I immediately got both children a passport.

 

[OldConch]

This is our fall 2022 trip. Combined with Galapagos. Super excited. Its been paid for for a year. We used our airline credit from our return from our cancelled cruise this past spring to pay for our airfare to Peru and from Ecuador.


My bff and I (and a few friends and my sister) just booked a week in Mazatlan in early April 2023. Very excited. Plan is to go again in 2024 since the total eclipse will be viewable from there. Lodging and airfare is booked.

And finally Mid april to Mid may 2023 we are doing 3.5 weeks in Italy. Starting in eastern Sicily to visit my husbands 2nd cousins, then a few days in Palermo before we hop on a ferry to Genoa. We'll spend 6 nights in Cinque Terre hiking the trails. Then 4 nights in Florence, 4 nights in Venice, and finishing it off with 2 nights in Milan then home.

Lodging is booked for Italy, but we haven't bought the tickets. Hoping for a dip in price on biz class tickets. We've had luck in the past with checking periodically and buying on the dip.

How exciting! Machu Pichu is way up on our list. We did Quito and a week in the Galapagos in April. Loved Quito and the Galapagos were absolutely outstanding. On one snorkeling trip we saw penguins, sharks, marine iguanas, and sea lions in the water all within a span of about 45 minutes. Amazing.

Thanks for the heads up on the total eclipse in Mazatlan in April 24. We drove down to central Oregon in 2017 to view the eclipse and wound up at park near Baker City with several hundred other people. I kid you not at the moment of totality there was a collective gasp from the crowd. Some of the most interesting minutes of my life and totally worth the early morning wake up and 5 hour drive.

We'll be closely monitoring flights and accommodations as 4/8/24 approaches.

 

[ClarkeK]

We're driving the Pacific Coast Highway in early September, SF to LA. Then off to Italy for 4 weeks in October for our anniversary.

We have Peru booked for 3 weeks in January for Machu Picchu and a night's stay in the Skylodge. We're very nervous about making that climb but we're going for it while we still have some youth remaining (we'll both be 59).

Also just booked our first Safari trip to South Africa in May 2023. Really excited about that trip.

 

[Global Wizzo]

Travel

Using up some credits now. Pretty much solid with trips from now to Feb. Tuscon, Atlanta, Dubai, Singapore, Milan, Atlanta x2, Montreal, Tucson, Dubai, Bangkok and that ends Jan. Live on the FL coast.

Watching tickets for 2023. Like to be back in Australia, Alaska, Multiple Europe and Scandinavia targets. Just watching for good flight deals in business.

Domestic travel include west coast and pop up good deals.

Last half of 21 and this year have still been good travel years. Skipped the summer this year. Too many desperate travelers that just clogged the system.

 

[BarbWire]

This [Machu Picchu] is our fall 2022 trip. Combined with Galapagos. Super excited.

With whom have you booked Machu Picchu and the Galapagos? I'm hoping to book this for 2023 or 2024, and am researching vendors.



Thanks!

 

[Chuckanut]

A bit off topic…..


I use the Touchnote app to send custom postcards using the trip photos I take on my phone. They’re not much more than off the shelf postcards. The grandchildren seem to love getting them.

 

[flyingaway]

Just came back from a Guatemala trip last night. September in California, entire October in SE Asia, December in Spain and Portugal. All flight tickets are bought, some hotels and cars are booked, but details have not been fully worked out yet.

Next year? I have no idea yet.
But I expect to be out of the country at least a half of the time until May. Israel, eastern Europe, Africa, are high on my list. Then I will be busy with my garden, fruit trees, etc., to tie me until the end of summer.

 

[NW-Bound]

2023 travel plan?

Too early for me. I am still trying to put final touches on my plan for the long Europe road trip coming up in 2 weeks.

I have to survive the air travel for the above trip before I can plan for the next one.

 

[skyking1]

We are probably on our last flying vacation before retirement. I think we will be home building all of 2023.
Long term plans are an Iceland-Ireland trip to meet our UK friends, and several different cruises.

 

[RetireEarly50s]

Sounds like some great trips!

We are doing a road trip through Colorado starting next week, cruising to Ensenada and Cabo in October. For 2023 quite a few road trips (we have a camper van) going to New Orleans & Florida, Pacific coast highway, Vancouver and Banff National Park.

 

[Teacher Terry]

The tour company gave me a 1200 credit and I have to book by 7/2023 but can take the trip in 2024. I told my friend to figure out where she wants to go and I will go. I chose the last trip. She is thinking definitely Paris and not sure what else.

 

[brett]

Understand the EU consumer airline rules if you are flying from Europe or on a a Europe based airline from North America to Europe.

We were delayed 7 hours on a flight from Faro, Portugal to Canada on a Canadian carrier.

I used some to that time to google the EU rules. Upshot was we put in a claim for 600Euro each in late June on the carrier (Transat) web site.

We each received a cheque for the equiv. of 600Euro from the airline in early August.

https://onemileatatime.com/guides/europe-flight-compensation-eu261/

 

[athena53]

I came home from a tour of E. Europe (Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Albania) a little over a week ago. It was fantastic. I'd already booked South America and the Galapagos for May,, 2023 (continuation of a trip that got curtailed on March, 2020) but was browsing their site (Overseas Adventure Travel) and found one for Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. Eastern Europe has a fascinating history and since I've been too chicken to drive in Europe, group travel has gotten me out to the beautiful, remote regions I'd otherwise miss. It's a trade-off- I do well traveling independently but these tours are typically 12-14 people and there's plenty of time to roam, especially in the cities.

So....I booked that trip for September of next year. I still had a pile of credits left after the March. 2020 trip was curtailed so the balance was manageable. BTD.

 

[JustKickItForward]

Mostly Driving Trips

Canceled a Hawaii trip, no way we are paying $1200+ airtix per person (yes, it's spring break, but we we got to FIRE by not blowing our budgets), so, we are doing mostly road trips.

Welcoming in the New Year from Vegas. Two visits to Central California in late winter & early spring, a week in Lake Tahoe & 2+ weeks in SoCal for summer, May take a weekend trip to San Diego in the fall. Thanksgiving in SoCal.

 

[marko]

Just got back after 6 days in Bermuda. We've been going there every year (except the last two years when the island was closed) since the 80's.

Super expensive (average dinner:$250, breakfast $70) but for us it's extremely relaxing and an easy 2 hour flight from Boston. We always rent a pontoon boat and get to a quiet cove for a day of swimming with turtles. Extremely nice people with a sense of refinement and just breathtaking scenery.

They are still quite paranoid about Covid and this year was a PITA as we needed Covid tests (witnessed via video by a gov't agent) one day before departure and a number of additional hoops to jump through but still worth the time and money. We also dodged hurricane Earl as we arrived the afternoon before the storm hit but by morning it was just blue skies.