Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

[alfablue]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Gotta start someplace.

 

[BassAle]

Going to Canada in a bit- I know you guys will have the answer- How do you handle the $ situation? Do you pay for everything in American or get some $ exchanged to bring?

Don't like to carry a bunch of cash so usually pay with the Credit card but the Visa we have has a fee for that. Discover does not but a lot of places don't take that. Thoughts?

I use a combination of my credit card and take Canadian cash out at the ATM. The foreign transaction fee (3%) on my primary card (REI rewards) is on the higher end -- I also have a Discover I use when I can.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Now that we're talking about Canada, I am going to repeat my question, just once. Does anyone have advice for Montreal? Particularly the Mont Royal area. I've already booked 2 things - a Habs-Leafs game the Saturday that I arrive, and an Au Pied Du Cochon dinner for Sunday night, because I have to get my foie gras and pork on.

Is the '76 Olympic Park worth the trip?

 

[joecct]

Now that we're talking about Canada, I am going to repeat my question, just once. Does anyone have advice for Montreal? Particularly the Mont Royal area. I've already booked 2 things - a Habs-Leafs game the Saturday that I arrive, and an Au Pied Du Cochon dinner for Sunday night, because I have to get my foie gras and pork on.

Is the '76 Olympic Park worth the trip?

Pie IX (Pius IX) on the Metro, IIRC. Yea, but don't spend a day there.

There is also the Atwater shopping plaza (site of The old Forum).

If the CFL is your thing, the Alouettes play at McGill.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

I use a combination of my credit card and take Canadian cash out at the ATM. The foreign transaction fee (3%) on my primary card (REI rewards) is on the higher end -- I also have a Discover I use when I can.

You can get a schwab debit card with no foreign transaction fees and no atm fees anywhere in the world. then you can use the one card for both ATM's and for charging stuff. all fees at any atm reimbursed in full.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Well, it's official. I'm heading to Munich for about two weeks. Anything I should know?

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Well, it's official. I'm heading to Munich for about two weeks. Anything I should know?

When ordering bier, if it's Dunkel it's dark, Hell/Hellig (pronounced hellish) is light. They're likely out of season until early September. All other beer styles you should already know.

München = Munich
Bayern = Bavaria

Don't drink the water, get it from bottles.

Head to the Blackforest, real close, get your parents a cuckoo clock as a souvenir from the place they were invented.

Kids will be on the city buses and light rail going to school, that includes Saturdays.

If someone yells "Fick dich!" at you (sounds like deechk), they're not your friend.

Just use the trains for getting around the town or country.

ETA: Spaetzle (might be Spätzle) I like a riced pasta. Get it with Käse, and it's basically an excellent version of mac & cheese because they'll use real, German cheeses to make it.

Wurst = processed meats/sausages
Fleisch = cuts of meat - steaks, filets, etc.
Huhn = Chicken
Schwein = pig
Ei/Eier = eggs
Eis = ice or ice cream, depends upon the context
When ordering water, ask for natural water, otherwise you'll end up with a seltzer water.
Some other stuff too.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Rauch (sp?) = smoke(d).

I learned that the hard way years ago when I got a beer labeled like that.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Rauch (sp?) = smoke(d).

I learned that the hard way years ago when I got a beer labeled like that.

Correct. "Keine rauchen" = No Smoking. It's usually accompanied with the standard no smoking graphics/signs you see here in the US.

 

[burd]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Back from 5 days in Vancouver. Some descriptors: eye-popping beautiful; diverse: affluent; expensive; Asian; kind of West Coast laid back hip with much less pretense than SF.

Walked, bussed, taxied, biked, and drove around the City and up the coast a ways. Wow! If I'd discovered this city 30 years ago, I'd have found a way to live here.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Back from 5 days in Vancouver. Some descriptors: eye-popping beautiful; diverse: affluent; expensive; Asian; kind of West Coast laid back hip with much less pretense than SF.

Walked, bussed, taxied, biked, and drove around the City and up the coast a ways. Wow! If I'd discovered this city 30 years ago, I'd have found a way to live here.

I'd say those descriptors are pretty accurate. On the negative side, I'd also throw in "more homeless people than usual". Not as bad as LA, but still pretty bad. Part of it is the ever-increasing affluence and cost of living there, as cheaper housing gets pushed over for new high-rise construction. Part of it is that the city has a needle exchange program and supervised injection clinics, so sadly, it is a magnet for Canada's heroin addicts (even though the goal is to help them get into treatment).

For the most part though, it's a pretty nice place.

 

[burd]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

I'd say those descriptors are pretty accurate. On the negative side, I'd also throw in "more homeless people than usual". Not as bad as LA, but still pretty bad. Part of it is the ever-increasing affluence and cost of living there, as cheaper housing gets pushed over for new high-rise construction. Part of it is that the city has a needle exchange program and supervised injection clinics, so sadly, it is a magnet for Canada's heroin addicts (even though the goal is to help them get into treatment).

For the most part though, it's a pretty nice place.

I agree with you about the homeless. In fact, in an earlier draft I attempted from my phone and which was accidentally deleted, I described that. Tent cities and drug addled and mentally ill homeless on the streets is higher than many cities I've experienced or lived in. Partly due also to the friendly weather, I 'd guess, though I don't know how Toronto is on that score.

God knows a short visit is no reliable way to judge a city. That's also why I think it's necessary to ride buses and subways (and walk, if it's safe enough) in the "ugly" side of a city to get a full picture and not just the one that is presented in the tourist's brochures. Would I walk around the ninth ward in Nola or areas of Washington Heights in NYC late at night? Probably not, though my kids have and felt safe in doing so. But it is important to know how a city treats its poor.

 

[LynahFan]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Anyone know anything about Bermuda? We are thinking of taking a much-delayed babymoon there in September. And when I say much-delayed, I don't mean that we're getting around to it a few years after the baby was born - I mean that I graduated college in 1994 and this is our first. Math is left as an exercise for the reader (and yes, I robbed the cradle).

We figured Bermuda could be the full island experience without the Zika....

 

[leswp1]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Anyone know anything about Bermuda? We are thinking of taking a much-delayed babymoon there in September. And when I say much-delayed, I don't mean that we're getting around to it a few years after the baby was born - I mean that I graduated college in 1994 and this is our first. Math is left as an exercise for the reader (and yes, I robbed the cradle).
Things are expensive in Caribbean so all inclusive is good- they really meant all inclusive when we were there- Loved it.

Also went to the Bahamas- Breezes- pkg deal- very reasonable.

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

That feeling when you pay for a regular seat on an international flight and get Comfort Plus legroom.

I could do a cartwheel between me and the seat and front of mine.

 

[Kepler]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Anyone know anything about Bermuda? We are thinking of taking a much-delayed babymoon there in September. And when I say much-delayed, I don't mean that we're getting around to it a few years after the baby was born - I mean that I graduated college in 1994 and this is our first. Math is left as an exercise for the reader (and yes, I robbed the cradle).

We figured Bermuda could be the full island experience without the Zika....

I liked Bermuda. My advice is to stay the f-ck away from every tour, guide, promo, cruise gimmick, etc, hang out, talk to locals, and just melt into it.

Everybody even marginally connected to commerce in Bermuda is either a criminal or a scum-sucking pig.

I mean, even more than usual that you'll find in the States.

But everybody else on the island is great.

 

[leswp1]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

I liked Bermuda. My advice is to stay the f-ck away from every tour, guide, promo, cruise gimmick, etc, hang out, talk to locals, and just melt into it.

Everybody even marginally connected to commerce in Bermuda is either a criminal or a scum-sucking pig.

I mean, even more than usual that you'll find in the States.

But everybody else on the island is great.

And ride the bus from one end to the other. You get a real flavour of what is what.

 

[leswp1]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Tricks to getting cheap flights? Not sure there is one but trying to fly to St Croix for about 5 days. Tired googling, incognito window, on the phone and an app and all the prices are high

Just back from New Brunswick which was a pleasant surprise. Went to Fundy National Park, Hopewell Rocks, Shediac, Kouchibouguac National Park. Kelly Beach there was amazing!
http://www.pc.gc.ca/fr/pn-np/nb/kouchibouguac/index

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

Tricks to getting cheap flights? Not sure there is one but trying to fly to St Croix for about 5 days. Tired googling, incognito window, on the phone and an app and all the prices are high

Just back from New Brunswick which was a pleasant surprise. Went to Fundy National Park, Hopewell Rocks, Shediac, Kouchibouguac National Park. Kelly Beach there was amazing!
http://www.pc.gc.ca/fr/pn-np/nb/kouchibouguac/index

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

Punch in the following:

Departing from: BOS, MHT
Destination: STX

See calendar of lowest fares

Nights: 4-6
Departing: 10/01/2017 (and a month later)

Leave all the other options the same, but un-check 'Allow Airport Changes'


Not sure what you're looking at for dates, but the above will search for the best available fares from Manch-vegas and Logan, to St. Croix, for stays of 4-6 nights, that depart any time on or after October 1st for up to a month after.

The system will do some thinking, and spit back a calendar of fares, with the cheapest available dates marked in orange (however, you need to hover over to see how many nights you have to stay to get that fare - there could be a difference between a 4-night fare and a 5-night fare).

When you find one that looks good, and matches the number of nights you want, click it to be shown the list of available flights with that fare, including times, departure airport, connections, etc.

However, ITA Matrix is just a searching service. Once you've identified the itinerary you want, keep that tab open, because you'll have to open a new tab and book directly through the airline. You should be aware that to get the prices you're seeing, you may need to do a multi-city booking, rather than a basic round-trip. Airline pricing is often screwy like that. Just make sure it's all on one itinerary with one confirmation number, rather than separate one-ways. Not worth the hassle of booking separate one-ways if there's a delay that causes you to miss your next segment, and you need to get re-booked - causes a big mess, since it's technically not a connection, but a different itinerary. Also, you have to check-in for each one-way segment - yuck.

Other tricks are standard knowledge. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays tend to be the cheapest days to fly, because they are the lowest volume/demand days for air travel, but it's more of a trend than a hard/fast rule. Fridays and Sundays, are usually the most expensive. 6-10 weeks out is the most common "sweet spot" window for grabbing the best available fare, but that's not a hard/fast rule either, especially for overseas travel. Once you get to less than 4 weeks, the prices start to creep up, and less than 10 days out is when the airlines start to figure that your boss is probably paying for the ticket, and that's when the prices go up exponentially until you're paying full-boat.

 

[leswp1]

Re: Travel Part 2 - Where ya headed?

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/

Punch in the following:

Departing from: BOS, MHT
Destination: STX

See calendar of lowest fares

Nights: 4-6
Departing: 10/01/2017 (and a month later)

Leave all the other options the same, but un-check 'Allow Airport Changes'


Not sure what you're looking at for dates, but the above will search for the best available fares from Manch-vegas and Logan, to St. Croix, for stays of 4-6 nights, that depart any time on or after October 1st for up to a month after.

The system will do some thinking, and spit back a calendar of fares, with the cheapest available dates marked in orange (however, you need to hover over to see how many nights you have to stay to get that fare - there could be a difference between a 4-night fare and a 5-night fare).

When you find one that looks good, and matches the number of nights you want, click it to be shown the list of available flights with that fare, including times, departure airport, connections, etc.

However, ITA Matrix is just a searching service. Once you've identified the itinerary you want, keep that tab open, because you'll have to open a new tab and book directly through the airline. You should be aware that to get the prices you're seeing, you may need to do a multi-city booking, rather than a basic round-trip. Airline pricing is often screwy like that. Just make sure it's all on one itinerary with one confirmation number, rather than separate one-ways. Not worth the hassle of booking separate one-ways if there's a delay that causes you to miss your next segment, and you need to get re-booked - causes a big mess, since it's technically not a connection, but a different itinerary. Also, you have to check-in for each one-way segment - yuck.

Other tricks are standard knowledge. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays tend to be the cheapest days to fly, because they are the lowest volume/demand days for air travel, but it's more of a trend than a hard/fast rule. Fridays and Sundays, are usually the most expensive. 6-10 weeks out is the most common "sweet spot" window for grabbing the best available fare, but that's not a hard/fast rule either, especially for overseas travel. Once you get to less than 4 weeks, the prices start to creep up, and less than 10 days out is when the airlines start to figure that your boss is probably paying for the ticket, and that's when the prices go up exponentially until you're paying full-boat.

Thanks! I will try that. I am looking to fly out the 18th of this month (Sat) and fly back the Wed night. Short jaunt. Lowest I could get was >600. Wouldn't be paying for anything but airfare but still ridiculous.