A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

[DaveStPaul]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

It's mooncake season..

It's also a public holiday here in Hong Kong -- the Mid Autumn Festival, that is; kind of like the Chinese Thanksgiving. No work, no school. People headed out last night, a lot of them carrying cool lanterns, to go look at the moon, eat those famous mooncakes, etc.

Since this thread is for advice as well as questions, if you're planning a trip to Hong Kong then fall is definitely the time to go. Starting just about now and running through Christmas is when you get the beautiful weather: sunny, low humidity, light breezes. I haven't been to Hawaii, but people say it's like that. In the summer through mid-September you still get typhoons, and very hot and humid weather; and in January you start with the cold, gray, rainy season weather. But in-between is really nice.

[icebadger]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

My brother is doing a semester abroad in England currently, Liverpool to be exact, and I've convinced my mother that we must go visit him at some point. We're thinking of leaving on a Friday night returning the following Sunday (10 days). I'm in charge of putting this trip together so I'm thinking of spending 1/2 to 2/3 or the time in Liverpool/London and the remainder somewhere else in Europe, but wasn't sure what the best use of my time might be. So naturally, the first idea that popped into my head was to post to the travel thread on a college hockey messageboard ( ). I've been to England previously ('92) and was just in Paris last September. I've been looking at taking a train somewhere (Italy, Denmark). If I have 2-4 days, where might some good places to go be? Roughly, this would be the beginning of December.

[melmac]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

My brother is doing a semester abroad in England currently, Liverpool to be exact, and I've convinced my mother that we must go visit him at some point. We're thinking of leaving on a Friday night returning the following Sunday (10 days). I'm in charge of putting this trip together so I'm thinking of spending 1/2 to 2/3 or the time in Liverpool/London and the remainder somewhere else in Europe, but wasn't sure what the best use of my time might be. So naturally, the first idea that popped into my head was to post to the travel thread on a college hockey messageboard ( ). I've been to England previously ('92) and was just in Paris last September. I've been looking at taking a train somewhere (Italy, Denmark). If I have 2-4 days, where might some good places to go be? Roughly, this would be the beginning of December.

Norway, duh!

Um Ya Ya!

[hockeyplayer1015]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

My brother is doing a semester abroad in England currently, Liverpool to be exact, and I've convinced my mother that we must go visit him at some point. We're thinking of leaving on a Friday night returning the following Sunday (10 days). I'm in charge of putting this trip together so I'm thinking of spending 1/2 to 2/3 or the time in Liverpool/London and the remainder somewhere else in Europe, but wasn't sure what the best use of my time might be. So naturally, the first idea that popped into my head was to post to the travel thread on a college hockey messageboard ( ). I've been to England previously ('92) and was just in Paris last September. I've been looking at taking a train somewhere (Italy, Denmark). If I have 2-4 days, where might some good places to go be? Roughly, this would be the beginning of December.

Jealous. I had a blast in Liverpool 2 years ago, it's turned (turning? construction was going on while we were there) into a real nice city.

[icebadger]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

Norway, duh!

Um Ya Ya!

Indeed. My wife would be jealous though as she's the one with the Scandinavian ancestry, and she's not coming along.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

I posted this elsewhere also, but it really does belong in this thread. I'm trying to plan a trip to Vegas with some buddies over new years. We've never been there before, so we're wondering which hotels are recommended from anyone with prior experiences.

I've been looking at hotels and online reviews for a while now. But I know people around here have been to Vegas before, so I want to get some opinions. I'm leaning towards getting a room at the MGM Grand, overall it looks like it gets great reviews and it is right in the middle of the strip. But I also found rooms for cheaper at The Signature @ MGM Grand, which appears to be off Las Vegas BLVD a couple blocks. The rooms look nicer at The Signature. Would it be best to stay at a hotel right on the strip or would it be ok to stay at one a block or 2 away. If it is part of the MGM, is that entire complex connected so we would just walk through the MGM complex to get the couple blocks it would take to get to Las Vegas BLVD? Thanks the for help everyone.

[huskyfan]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

I posted this elsewhere also, but it really does belong in this thread. I'm trying to plan a trip to Vegas with some buddies over new years. We've never been there before, so we're wondering which hotels are recommended from anyone with prior experiences.

haven't stayed at the MGM myself, but know lots of people who have and all have liked it. on New Years Eve I would definitely stay on the Strip.

[thebrain]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

I posted this elsewhere also, but it really does belong in this thread. I'm trying to plan a trip to Vegas with some buddies over new years. We've never been there before, so we're wondering which hotels are recommended from anyone with prior experiences.

I stayed at the Flamingo...The room was nothing special, but I was rarely in it.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

I stayed at the Flamingo...The room was nothing special, but I was rarely in it.

That is why I'm not interested in spending a bunch on a nice room. If I'm in Vegas, I don't want to sit in the hotel room, with the exception of certain recreational activities. I'm thinking I should go with the cheapest room I can find that is in the middle of the strip, which won't be anywhere close to cheap, but still, I'm not going to spring for the Bellagio.

[pardonme]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

Planning out a London-Paris-Zurich trip for late February. Curious if people who have been to Zurich have recommendations for things to do. We may go over the the Bodensee (Lake Constance) while we are in Switzerland so ideas for there would be nice too.

[Puck Swami]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

Planning out a London-Paris-Zurich trip for late February. Curious if people who have been to Zurich have recommendations for things to do. We may go over the the Bodensee (Lake Constance) while we are in Switzerland so ideas for there would be nice too.

Go see the Zurich Lions play hockey at the Hallenstadion. The rink holds about 10,000 and the fans there are pretty into it.

http://www.zsclions.ch/

[thebrain]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

That is why I'm not interested in spending a bunch on a nice room. If I'm in Vegas, I don't want to sit in the hotel room, with the exception of certain recreational activities. I'm thinking I should go with the cheapest room I can find that is in the middle of the strip, which won't be anywhere close to cheap, but still, I'm not going to spring for the Bellagio.

The Flamingo would probably work out well for you. It's right in the middle, the room was fine, but nothing special. You can get it pretty cheap when you purchase in a package.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

The Flamingo would probably work out well for you. It's right in the middle, the room was fine, but nothing special. You can get it pretty cheap when you purchase in a package.

I was looking at that one too. I ended up finding a package that was $650/person for 4 days, 3 nights, airfare and hotel over New Years. We'll be staying at Excalibur...not my top choice for hotel, but really, we won't be spending much time there so no biggie. And it is pretty much across the street from the MGM, so location isn't much different than I was originally looking at. Now we just need to figure out what to do for nightlife kind of stuff. Everywhere has New Years Eve parties it looks like, and we may have to buy tickets and other BS, so I'm going to have to figure that out over the next couple weeks.

[Zudnic]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

The Flamingo would probably work out well for you. It's right in the middle, the room was fine, but nothing special. You can get it pretty cheap when you purchase in a package.

Excalibur is also a good value if you want no frills. Just don't tell the girls you meet at the club that you're staying there.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: A Thread for Travel: Trips/Advice/Ideas

Excalibur is also a good value if you want no frills. Just don't tell the girls you meet at the club that you're staying there.

Will do.
That makes it tougher when they want to go back to the room, though...