Anyone got any travel planned?

[6miths]

Kampala, Uganda this week. Nice to have summer weather and longer days for a bit!

 

[martyp]

I'm planning a trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand. Then to Luang Prabang, Laos. Then maybe Angkor Wat, Cambodia. February 22nd - March 23rd.

I can't believe the airfares to Bangkok these days. $587 RT from San Francisco. Travel in SE Asia is so cheap I can't not go again. Just returned from Thailand/Malaysia last month.

 

[Rosie]

DH and I are toying with driving up the coast early next month to Vancouver Island BC, spend a few days in Victoria, then drive home. We'd take in the Christmas lights at Butchart Gardens, and enjoy a holiday tea or two

 

[Totoro]

Going to Egypt in a month. Plan is to do Gizah / Cairo and Luxor. Just two and a half weeks. Catch some sunshine, and visit the pyramids.

Any suggestions on places to stay in those areas, or day activities? I'm not venturing outside these areas (security reasons).

 

[Teacher Terry]

A few weeks ago I found a super deal on a RC cruise to the WEstern Caribbean. It is 8 days and we leave in a few weeks. I guess they were trying to fill the ship. It is a smaller ship then we normally take with less to do so will see how it compares. Can't wait!

 

[ohyes]

A few weeks ago I found a super deal on a RC cruise to the WEstern Caribbean. It is 8 days and we leave in a few weeks. I guess they were trying to fill the ship. It is a smaller ship then we normally take with less to do so will see how it compares. Can't wait!

DH and I took a (our first ever RC) cruise out of Galveston last month. Had a wonderful time.

Happy for you.

Cruising is not for everybody, but we sure relish cruising now and again (mostly now).

 

[Dash man]

We're doing an 8 day Royal Caribbean cruise to the southern Caribbean in February on the Navigator of the Seas. Looking forward to the relaxation and pampering.

 

[chris2008]

We have just booked a 3-week-tour through Vietnam and Cambodia in Feb.
So excited!

 

[Breedlove]

We just returned from Key West the end of October , had several issues with the airlines . We flew direct into KW via United then a transfer to Silver Airlines . Seems our ticket were on the computer but it would not print a boarding pass . There were several other couples with the same problem . We ended up running to the gate and her bag did not make it .
Airlines are not good when you have to transfer .

We will be heading to Amsterdam in April for the Kings Day Celebration . I am a musician and there are a group of U S musicians and friends that do this trip every year . We have made so many friends in Holland it is like our second home.

 

[brett]

totoro...please come back and post some data on your trip. That locale is very high on our bucket list!

 

[greydog17]

Just returned from London and Edinburgh for 11 days and had a great time. Hat tip to those on this forum who recommended using Costco Travel. We did, and everything was easy to book, and we received personal support for booking through their travel agents. The air, transfers, hotels, tours and train they booked for us were lovely and well priced. Definitely will use their service again!

 

[NW-Bound]

I just booked tickets to CDG for a 6-week trip in May-June.

Now, I have to fill in the details of what I want to do during that time. Am thinking a trek through France/Italy/Spain. I have been to these countries, but there are always new places to see. I am sure that I will get a 3-country railpass, then get a rental car when I am in Tuscany and Provence.

 

[Sunset]

What is CDG ??

 

[braumeister]

CDG is the airport code for Paris (Charles de Gaulle airport)

 

[meierlde]

Also in the area of Vermillion Cliffs is Lees Ferry where you can get to the Colorado River, (the boat trips thru the Canyon depart from here, arrive early enough and you can see them get ready to depart. Also there is the North Rim of the Grand Canyon (higher and far less popular than the south rim). Plus there are a few viewpoints such as Crazy Jug point off gravel roads in the National Forest around the park. (Assuming you arrive after the road to the rim reopens).
Here is a link to descriptions of various viewpoints of the grand canyon from the north side: Western Kaibab Plateau

 

[KB]

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.

 

[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.

There was a movie recently with Martin Sheen called "The Way" about the pilgrimage. It might be worth watching before you go.

 

[explanade]

I want to visit Northern Spain but apparently gets a lot of rain. Driest month is July.

 

[Souschef]

I want to visit Northern Spain but apparently gets a lot of rain. Driest month is July.

I am sorry, but I could not pass this up
The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain.

Years ago I visited the Glenmorangie distillery in Tain, Scotland by taking the train from Inverness. My wife asked me after I got back to Inverness if the train ride was rough, and I said, "The train to Tain ran mainly on the plain". At that point she hit me-I deserved it

 

[KB]

There was a movie recently with Martin Sheen called "The Way" about the pilgrimage. It might be worth watching before you go.

Thanks, I have seen it. And read a bunch of books written by former pilgrims, and I joined the local chapter of American pilgrims which is comprised of people who regularly walk the Camino or those who want to, like me. I wanted to make sure it was something that I could do, before I committed to it.

 

[Rosie]

That sounds great, KB!

 

[audreyh1]

I just booked tickets to CDG for a 6-week trip in May-June.

Now, I have to fill in the details of what I want to do during that time. Am thinking a trek through France/Italy/Spain. I have been to these countries, but there are always new places to see. I am sure that I will get a 3-country railpass, then get a rental car when I am in Tuscany and Provence.

Rail passes don't save you money anymore, and France is rather unfriendly with rail passes in their reservation system. Most long distance trains in Europe require a reservation even if you have a rail pass.

Use Trainline (used to be captaintrain) for good prices on tickets for the long distances on high speed trains that require reservations. 90 days is the soonest you can make such reservations. We have gotten awesome deals on first class train tickets and most were exchangeable if needed.https://www.trainline.eu/search

The Man in Seat 61 gives you the low down about whether rail passes are really worth it and other really useful info about train travel in Europe. Beginner's guide to Eurail passes 2016 | Buy a Eurail pass online

It's also practical to fly between major cities in Europe.

It was a long way by train from Nice to Barcelona for example, and we had some other stops we wanted to make, so we did it in 3 different days. But if we hadn't had the other stops we would have flown. Maybe driving would have been OK, but I prefer public transportation in Europe.

 

[explanade]

Some people like those sleeper trains.

I do like the trains for trips no more than 4 hours or so.

 

[H2ODude]

Coming up on the end of a two week visit to DS and his family in Morogoro TZ. Been really nice, temperate weather, only a few evening showers. This is probably our 4 or 5th trip here, but always enjoy the scenery and appreciating the first world. Just about ready to visit Mikumi game park. Been there before but favorite is Selous....tons of animals and hardly any people. But this one is only an hour or so drive.

Thanksgiving get together w friends here was great. We brought the cranberries and other specialty items over. His landlord had a turkey that we managed to cook about perfectly. However, it was the toughest poultry any of us had ever eaten! Free range to the point of bush turkey!

Bought a new camera for the trip but always a shame that photographing people in third world is sorta taboo. Women wear such colorful outfits (well, not so much the Muslim ones) but unless you have an obscenely long telephoto it's hard to sneak pics of them.

Be glad to get back but NOT looking forward to the plane rides. Ugh.

 

[NW-Bound]

...
The Man in Seat 61 gives you the low down about whether rail passes are really worth it and other really useful info about train travel in Europe. Beginner's guide to Eurail passes 2016 | Buy a Eurail pass online...

That's a very good site. What it recommends agrees with our past experience, in countries that we have been through.

We have used rail passes in France and Italy, but that was a long time ago. Yes, we had to make reservation for TGV and sleeper trains. If there was extra charge back then beyond the more expensive fares for the couchettes, I have forgotten. And when we went to Spain, I did not buy railpasses either, despite traveling by train entirely through the country. The à la carte tickets were less expensive. We made much use of the railpasses in Switzerland, but now wonder if à la carte would be the less expensive way to go.

I have been rethinking the transportation mode. We will have another couple accompanying us, and this trip we will be more out in the countryside, so may rent a car for the whole trip. We also cut Spain out; all 4 of us have spent a bit of time there, and it's too much driving.

Still mapping out the trip, and deciding the duration at each major stop. Been surfin' the Web, looking at airbnb. Trip planning is 1/2 of the fun.