Anyone got any travel planned?

[Lsbcal]

I usually go directly to European company website for booking - they usually have an English language option. For example KLM for the Europe flights. Get quotes and make reservations in Euros.
...

How exactly do you do this? My tries seemed to get me to the US KLM site. I have an NTF Visa so no issue there.

Also, it is advantageous to try booking British Airways through their UK site (in pounds)?

The only issue I can see is that I would not be able to use Ultimate Rewards deals through Chase (50% bonus on one's points).

 

[NW-Bound]

Dirt cheap airfare deals last week suckered me in. DW and I are headed to Spain for 3 weeks in December. United LAX to MAD RT was less than $400 a piece. How could we say no.

That's darn good! My RT ticket LAX/CDG is less than $500. I still have to pay to fly to LAX by Southwest, but still end up ahead of flying from PHX. Another advantage is that the flight from LAX is by a wide-body jet, compared to a smaller one to make a connection at the east coast.

We have only been traveling to Europe once a year. I'm not sure I can handle the transatlantic RT flights more than once a year yet.

We probably take shorter European trips than you do (2-3 weeks at most), so twice a year is good for us. But when you can get a week in Switzerland paid for entirely with miles, it's well worth the hassle.

A lot depends on where you are in the US. For me, flying to Boston or Maine is often a lot more painful than a non-stop flight from NY or Chicago to a capital city in Europe, let alone going to Europe from where I am. On the other hand, I can go to Honolulu or Maui on a direct flight from PHX. Easy peasy.

I talked with a Canadian couple living near Whitehorse in the Yukon. Their flight from Maui back to home had 4 legs, and total time was a lot more than 24 hours due to layovers. And then, when they got to Whitehorse, had to drive another hour to get home. I guess I cannot complain, with my suburb home only 15 min from an international airport (outside of rush hours, of course).

When still working, we did only 2-3 weeks max to Europe, and a few times only 1 week. But now, I can go a lot longer. This is the 1st time I do a 6-week trip. Hope I can handle it, and it will not be the last. I may miss home or something.

 

[audreyh1]

How exactly do you do this? My tries seemed to get me to the US KLM site. I have an NTF Visa so no issue there.

Also, it is advantageous to try booking British Airways through their UK site (in pounds)?

The only issue I can see is that I would not be able to use Ultimate Rewards deals through Chase (50% bonus on one's points).

I guess it was the US site, but they were showing prices in euros since it was for European flights and the payment rules seemed to be different than from the US. I saw the same site when accessing from NL.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

If that's the main reason you are springing for the expensive tour, why not avoid the cost, find other lodging in the area and use this map to be where you need to be as the eclipse occurs? NASA - Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 Aug 21

The eclipse is the main reason, but not the only reason to visit the western national parks next summer. Problem is, most of the lodging along the path of totality has been sold out for some time. I felt pretty proud to reserve a room last August, which has now been cancelled by the hotel.

I'll make it one way or the other, though. I have decided that tour is way too much $$ for an early retiree (which I will be in my first year of). Working on alternatives...

 

[explanade]

Did they cancel because they can rebook someone at a higher rate?

I'd give the hotel poor reviews on TripAdvisor and other sites.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Probably. Everything's sold out now, but when there were rooms showing on the various travel web sites, some were going for probably 10x what should be expected.

I won't be using booking.com again, most likely.

 

[Souschef]

I just booked my flight to Spain. I'm walking the Camino de Santiago over the month of April, starting in St Jean de Pied, France and ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It should take about 35 days of walking for a total of about 500 miles. I'll be staying in Spanish hostels for most of the trip and eating pilgrim meals in local cafes. It should be a very interesting adventure.

I just bought a book on Amazon for 99 cents. The title is :
The Journey In Between: A Thru Hiking Adventure Story on El Camino de Santiago.
I am only 22% through with it, but I think you will find it interesting.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Arebelspy and his wife did this. They are on the Mr. MM forum. She did it while pregnant. The pics were beautiful.

 

[Nemo2]

I just booked my flight to Spain. I'm walking the Camino de Santiago over the month of April, starting in St Jean de Pied, France and ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It should take about 35 days of walking for a total of about 500 miles. I'll be staying in Spanish hostels for most of the trip and eating pilgrim meals in local cafes. It should be a very interesting adventure.

Very impressive...I hope you have room in your pack for a small camera so that you can share your adventures.

 

[KB]

I just bought a book on Amazon for 99 cents. The title is :
The Journey In Between: A Thru Hiking Adventure Story on El Camino de Santiago.
I am only 22% through with it, but I think you will find it interesting.

Thanks. I'll get it too. Every book I read on the Camino has a slight different viewpoint. What I really need to do is get cracking on learning some key phrases in Spanish. Sadly, I took French in school so my minimal Spanish is very, very minimal.

 

[Souschef]

Thanks. I'll get it too. Every book I read on the Camino has a slight different viewpoint. What I really need to do is get cracking on learning some key phrases in Spanish. Sadly, I took French in school so my minimal Spanish is very, very minimal.

There is a series of phrasebooks called "Just Enough". I have a set of them as i had many international customers. The book is small enough to fit in your pocket. I believe they are available on Amazon. I highly recommend it
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...ugh+spanish,stripbooks,338&crid=2FZMJPICURP6W

 

[KB]

Thanks, I'll check it out. Since I am carrying everything with me in a backpack, I will see about a kindle book to add to my phone.

 

[Souschef]

Thanks, I'll check it out. Since I am carrying everything with me in a backpack, I will see about a kindle book to add to my phone.

One thing I found out in other countries, Americans are too abrupt. The first thing you say is Buenos Dias, (before noon) or Buenos tardes (after noon)
Then ask your question.
I was able to buy hair spray for my wife in Costa Rica with my limited Spanish

 

[JAB1950]

heading to Alaska in June with wife and another couple - 2 days fishing in Seward and then cruise to Vancouver. Any recommendations from other visitors?

Jack

 

[Souschef]

Our 10th anniversary next year is in November, and we planned to go to the big island of Hawaii. In checking flight prices, there is a 2K difference between late October 2017 and November 2017 for First Class. We opted for October, and the difference will cover our lodging. DW found a great ocean front condo for us!

 

[Sunset]

if you have a smart phone you should check out translation apps. You download the language so no need to even roam or have a sim in it. Means it's free to use.

I tried one and it translate my spoken words to many different language. Plus you take a photo of a sign and it translates it for you as well.

 

[braumeister]

if you have a smart phone you should check out translation apps.

Do they have one yet that works in Yorkshire?

 

[Bigdawg]

Our 10th anniversary next year is in November, and we planned to go to the big island of Hawaii. In checking flight prices, there is a 2K difference between late October 2017 and November 2017 for First Class. We opted for October, and the difference will cover our lodging. DW found a great ocean front condo for us!

We are following up our Oct 2016 Oahu trip with another in Oct 2017. We usually wait until Jan/Feb to get cheaper airfare. I am surprised that you even found one this far out. I was looking about a week ago and the flights were few and far between (and way expensive). This year we went non stop from Dulles for $1750/ea first class/round trip. Well worth it. Never felt better getting off a flight in my life.

 

[Lsbcal]

In mid August we are going to the Netherlands (Haarlem and Amsterdam) for 12 days and then to Munich, Salzburg, Hallstatt and Vienna for another 15 days. That's 6 hotels in 27 days which seems like a decent pace for us.

We've not been to these countries before so this should be very entertaining and hopefully enlightening.

Have booked almost all the hotels now (fully cancellable). I think some of the best value ones in prime locations are gone or are getting near gone. Have not pulled the trigger on the flight yet but probably will really soon.

It's fun to think about this stuff when it is raining outside. Getting plenty of rain here in Northern California .

 

[explanade]

Hmm I have a round trip ticket to Munich from late August to early sept.

But have not even looked at hotels yet or some general itinerary yet.

Better check on those hotels ...

 

[audreyh1]

When we looked at hotels for early Sept in 2014, in April there were availabilities in most hotels, by May when I booked several were already full. Lots of tourists in August, so making reservations earlier may be a good idea.

August is going to be warm. Munich wasn't warm in early September, but Salzburg and Vienna sure were. August will be quite warm and many Salzburg hotels don't have AC. We had to leave the windows open at night in Salzburg in early Sept, and DH really complained about the loud church bells! I thought they sounded great - probably nostalgia on my part as I lived in Germany as a young child.

 

[Bestwifeever]

This is the first time in forever that we have no concrete travel planned. It is a weird feeling not to have something booked at least six months in advance. We have glimmers of a trip to the British Isles and another to Portugal and Spain, and three or four short trips for family things will pop up in the late winter and early spring, but not on the books yet. Maybe it will be the year of traveling spontaneously for us.

 

[NW-Bound]

And this is the 1st time that we plan a trip 6 months in advance. In the past, it was mostly a flash sales that triggered a trip, and we were traveling weeks or a month after booking.

My wife used to surf the Web, spotted an airfare sales, and cried out to me about cheap tickets to Paris, or Chicago, etc... And I would reply "Why not?", particularly if it was to a place we had not visited.

 

[Lsbcal]

Sounds like you had basically good weather Audrey. I've learned to prepare for weather that is in the extremes of the ranges rather then expecting averages i.e. to pay attention to the highest highs and lowest daily high numbers. That was after a bad weather experience in the UK in May. The temperatures during the day were in the ranges but at the very low end. DW has a health issue that is aggravated by cold weather so that is why we are traveling in August-September.

Last trip I just took my running type shoes plus sandals. The objective is to just have the sandals to pack. Worked OK in Italy but in the north I'm not so sure. I'm trying to get some shoes that are very breathable but still have some reasonable water shedding ability. In California we don't have rain in the summer but in Europe it happens a lot. My latest try is a pair of REI light weather hikers (to arrive soon) like these: https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/prod...mentConfirmation_Sterling&RRID=1524129&ev11=1
I'll have time to try them out around here in similar expected weather conditions.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Sounds like you had basically good weather Audrey. I've learned to prepare for weather that is in the extremes of the ranges rather then expecting averages i.e. to pay attention to the highest highs and lowest daily high numbers. That was after a bad weather experience in the UK in May. The temperatures during the day were in the ranges but at the very low end. DW has a health issue that is aggravated by cold weather so that is why we are traveling in August-September.

Last trip I just took my running type shoes plus sandals. The objective is to just have the sandals to pack. Worked OK in Italy but in the north I'm not so sure. I'm trying to get some shoes that are very breathable but still have some reasonable water shedding ability. In California we don't have rain in the summer but in Europe it happens a lot. My latest try is a pair of REI light weather hikers (to arrive soon) like these: https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/prod...mentConfirmation_Sterling&RRID=1524129&ev11=1
I'll have time to try them out around here in similar expected weather conditions.

For your consideration--keep your eyes open on your trip for shoes, too: When we were in Germany last summer for a wedding my go-to Merrell sandals broke and I was able to find replacements in a tiny shoes store, a pair of dressy sandals made in Germany and also these Goretex Legero shoes, made in Austria, that fit perfectly right out of the box and that I wear all the time--these are women's: Legero - Women .