Anyone got any travel planned?

[Nemo2]

After cancelling/rebooking our April 11th, fourteen day repositioning cruise from Santo Domingo to Barcelona on the CDF Horizon, ($180 US base price for an oceanview cabin), we decided to also book the last, (November) primarily Adriatic, nine day cruise of the season with the same ship........leaving from, and returning to, Marseille.

Found a (relatively) cheap return flight Toronto-Genoa...so we'll spend a couple days in Genoa, (a city I haven't visited for some 51 years), then catch the train to Marseille.

Rinse & repeat at cruise end.

 

[thewizzer]

Just booked a trip to Istanbul this week. Going for a week in March with my parents. Airfare was so cheap I couldn't pass it up!

 

[kimcdougc]

A pretty time to visit the Bay Area. The hills will still be green...we hope. Seattle...well I hope you like rain. Went there in May 2013 for niece's graduation. Never saw Mt. Rainier at all.


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I live in the Seattle metro area and this year has been sunny and very mild. So unusual for here. I think the weather is changing here and the South is getting all our rain this year. Saw Mt. Rainier in all her glory yesterday. Just a beautiful sight. Can't think of a lovelier place to live. Just sayin. I am originally from Atlanta. Moved to Seattle 18 years ago and here to stay.

 

[kimcdougc]

We just found a great deal to make use of our accumulated miles in May.
So we will be travelling out of Germany to the area between Seattle and SF /Sierra for 3,5 weeks.
Oh, how sweet it is to be ER!

So much to do and see between San Francisco and Seattle. You will have a great time!

 

[kimcdougc]

We are looking at booking an 11 day Celebrity Cruise to Alaska. Departs Seatlle, returns to Vancouver. It is the last ship of the season, Sept 11. Too risky for snow?

I live in the Seattle area. I have taken the Alaska cruise. I would suggest going in July or August for the most chance of optimal weather. Lovely cruise and beautiful scenery. We took the train from Seattle up to Vancouver British Columbia. We saw bears, mountain goats and lots of eagles. You will have a great time.

 

[Surewhitey]

16 days in France (Paris & Southwest)
10 day Eastern Mediterranean cruise
14 days in Italy (Florence, Amalfi & Rome)

Exchange rate is helping...

 

[outdoorgirl02]

5 more days till we go to Kauai. Cannot wait to put my toes in the sand and smell the ocean!

 

[braumeister]

About to spend a week skiing in Colorado.
DW gave it up last year because her knees just can't handle it any more, so she's home taking care of the cat and I'm on my own. This may possibly require me to have an extra après-ski beer or two.

 

[Sarah in SC]

And boy is that a great place to get a beer! The highlight of our summer trip was the breweries of Colorado.


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[Chuckanut]

I'm looking at this tour especially since it is has been discounted by $300 for several Spring dates. With the Euro down, the extra $300 would buy a number of good meals or admission to various sites.

Independent Tour | My Way® Europe in 14 Days Tour | Rick Steves 2015 Tours | ricksteves.com

 

[Lsbcal]

I'm looking at this tour especially since it is has been discounted by $300 for several Spring dates. With the Euro down, the extra $300 would buy a number of good meals or admission to various sites.

Independent Tour | My Way® Europe in 14 Days Tour | Rick Steves 2015 Tours | ricksteves.com

That looks like fun. We decided to try an RS Tour too. First we signed up for Greece but with the uncertainty over there right now we switched it (just a few days ago) to southern Italy. Then we'll do a few weeks after the tour on our own in Florence, Assisi and Rome. Maybe we'll see you in Rome.

We've been using the Rick Steve books for years on our own. Haven't been in Italy since 1972 and never to Rome.

 

[explanade]

Seems like a great deal, though wonder if they cut corners on the quality and locations of hotels.

For comparison look how pricey the national geographic expeditions of a similar length are.

 

[Lsbcal]

The hotel in Rome on our trip is one of the ones recommended in the RS Italy book. I figure we are paying about more then 2x the amount per day if we did it on our own. So they are making money.

 

[Chuckanut]

Seems like a great deal, though wonder if they cut corners on the quality and locations of hotels.

For comparison look how pricey the national geographic expeditions of a similar length are.

The hotels are usually very nice, and centrally located, in my experience. I like centrally located hotels as they save time and are easily available if one needs to drop off a purchase, or change clothes due to unforeseen weather issues.

They always include a descent breakfast.

 

[explanade]

Would these be some of the hotels?

Great Tour Hotels | Rick Steves' European Tours | ricksteves.com

 

[Lsbcal]

I generally look at the TripAdvisor reviews of the RS selections just as a check and for further info (like ideas for which room locations to ask for).

 

[Chuckanut]

Would these be some of the hotels?

Great Tour Hotels | Rick Steves' European Tours | ricksteves.com

I recognize the one in Paris. It's very nice and very well located. I would check his books and figure the tour hotels are probably the 4 star hotels, though one can get a 3 star in smaller towns that don't have many choices. Generally the hotels I reserve on my own are not quite as nice as the RS tour hotels. I'll take a 3 star hotel to save money.

 

[explanade]

I just booked some apts. in Amsterdam, Paris and London for latter part of April and early May.

Prices for hotels are crazy in those cities because they're so popular. Apts. often have more space and cost less but it's kind of a hassle because many owners want deposits and so on.

 

[simple girl]

I just booked some apts. in Amsterdam, Paris and London for latter part of April and early May.

Prices for hotels are crazy in those cities because they're so popular. Apts. often have more space and cost less but it's kind of a hassle because many owners want deposits and so on.

We went to Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris last May. What a blast! And yes, hotel prices were crazy.

We stayed in an "boutique hostel" in Amsterdam. It was so fun! Essentially we had our own private room and bath, but there were shared rooms in the house for travelers who didn't mind that. We had a shared kitchen and living room and there was a hostel cat "Yope". Met all kinds of interesting travelers hanging out in the common areas together. Even though it was a hostel, it still wasn't cheap. But it was a great experience.

Cocomama | Amsterdam's first boutique hostel

The rooms were not as big as they look on the website, btw. Not surprising, though - it is Europe.

 

[fidler4]

My wife and I rented this studio apartment last October while we were in Rome. We loved it.

https://www.bedandbreakfast.eu/bed-and-breakfast/rome/rome-as-you-feel-casa-pavone/590440/


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[audreyh1]

Seems like a great deal, though wonder if they cut corners on the quality and locations of hotels.

For comparison look how pricey the national geographic expeditions of a similar length are.

I think it's the National Geographic ones that are pricey.

We had some friends go on one to Northern Italy. And they had some nice perks - like the group having the Sistine Chapel to themselves one evening. But you really don't need to pay Nat Geo prices to have great Europe tours. Maybe out in exotic wildlife locations or Bhutan or something it's worth going with Nat Geo.

 

[rodi]

I've spent the last week contacting various vacation rental folks and booking 11 different apartments in 11 different cities over 9 weeks of travel.

Riposto, Sicily - visit DH's cugini
Bologna
Venice
Prague
Berlin
Amsterdam
London
Paris
Nice
Aix en Provence
Barcelona

I'm really proud of the deals I got and the great locations of where the apartments are. I had to up the budget slightly for London (right after Wimbledon and everything cheap was booked) and for Paris (wanted to be in the Latin Quarter). But I saved money in some of the other cities so the total still came in under budget by about $1k. (Thank you exchange rate.)

 

[Lsbcal]

Rodi, sounds like the grand apartment tour.

On another note, we gave up on Greece with the current political/economic uncertainties. I just didn't want to hold our happiness hostage to European events and the anxiety reading the daily news. So going to southern Italy on an RS tour and then on our own in central and northern Italy for total of 4 weeks.

 

[explanade]

Wow, that sounds like a grand tour.

I have a two week trip coming up in the end of April and into the first week of May, in Amsterdam, Paris and London.

All apartments there for the first time in many years. Was wary of some listings which asked for full payment and/or very high security deposits, some as high as $1100-1200, for a 5-night stay.

Back in the day, I used to have to fax documents over by international long distance, even wire deposits to reserve places. Now a lot of places at least take credit cards for the reservation deposit at least.

 

[travelover]

I'm setting up a trip to see family on the wet coast with GS returning with DW and me, then flying back by himself. Last year, when he was 13, I just put him on a SW direct flight (one stop / no plane change) and all was cool.

This year SW no longer has a direct flight and I entered the maze of young flyer rules. It turns out that every airline has their own rules. For example, on SW no one over the age of 11 can fly as an unaccompanied minor, yet on Delta no one under the age of 14 can fly alone unless they fly as an unaccompanied minor. Some airlines won't let an unaccompanied minor change planes, some do. Some charge $50 extra for an unaccompanied minor, some $150. Some have hour of travel restrictions.

Bottom line, his mom wanted him on a direct flight and I got stuck paying $550 to send him one way to PDX. Hopefully, next year he can navigate a normal flight.