Need travel help

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bgyt
Posts: 115
Joined: Sat Jun 16, 2018 8:20 am

Need travel help

Post by bgyt »

Wife and I have retired and looking to travel, but we are terrible at travel planning. We have general ideas of places we want to visit but searching for good hotels, parts of towns, resorts is overwhelming with all the information. Anyone else been in this situation and found a good resource? I assume a good travel agent, but don't even know where to start there.
Shallowpockets
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Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:26 am

Re: Need travel help

Post by Shallowpockets »

Don’t overdo it. Why not go one place for one week. A big city. Plenty to do in a big city. Planning will be easy. Planning a vacation is fun, until it isn’t. Been there, done that.
Take one place. Get a book. Look through it.
Go.
Or go on an escorted tour. Beyond the paying for the trip itself, everything else will be planned for you. EZPZ.
bob60014
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Re: Need travel help

Post by bob60014 »

I will usually go to the Tripadvisor forums to get a general feel of potential locations. After reading through the threads one can get a good idea as to what is recommended or what to avoid. Having a budget in place and ideas as to what activities you want to do help narrow the choices. I'll also use the Flyer Talk forums for airline/airport information. I'll also search the areas tourism information sites and, so far, we haven't had any major snafus or disappointments in our travels, never having used a travel agent.
sailaway
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Joined: Fri May 12, 2017 1:11 pm

Re: Need travel help

Post by sailaway »

Look at a tour for the area you want to visit. Even if you don't want a tour, you can use that as a template, choosing the things that look interesting to you and leaving out the ones that don't.

Browse Trip Advisor for "things to do".

Look for something that sparks your interest over looking for The Best. When I planned a trip to DH's childhood town, we stayed at a local chain hotel built into a castle, near his childhood home and next to a sculpture garden. There wasn't anything particularly special about the accommodations themselves, we were a bit away from the normal tourist destinations, but it was just right for us.

It is the kind of thing that will get easier with practice.
bluebolt
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Re: Need travel help

Post by bluebolt »

A few options if you are terrible at planning:

1) Use a travel agent. Start by looking for reviews on Yelp in your area. Also, post to your local Facebook or Next Door group asking for recommendations.
2) Go on a tour. Too structured for many people, but you don't have to worry about planning.
3) Rick Steves, other travel books, and tons of travel web sites have lists like "What to do when you have 7 days in Italy." You can at least copy the itinerary from there, though it doesn't help with booking hotels. Speaking of Rick Steves, I find his books have distilled down a lot of options for hotels, sites, neighborhoods, and restaurants.
4) If you search the TripAdvisor forums, you can find itineraries people have asked about/posted. You can post yourself and might get helpful responses.
5) Ask a friend/acquaintance who's been to the place(s) you want to go for recommendations. We keep our travel itineraries and share them freely when friends ask.
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Watty
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Watty »

With the pandemic it is probably way too soon to be planning a big trip so everyone is finding trip planning frustrating.

When things get back to normal for traveling in Europe the Rick Steeves books work really well and he also has a web site with a forum.

I have not done one but he also does tour groups in normal times that sound good but they are not inexpensive compared to what it costs to travel on your own.

You can also check out the Road Scholar tours. They have both domestic and international tours. They include a lot of things like educational lectures so it is a lot different than your normal tour group and more like a college class trip. We did a five day one that was within driving distance and had a good time. I was in my 50s then and I was probably the one of the youngest people in the group but we will likely give them another try when I am in my late 60s or older since we are still doing a lot of independent travel, at least before the pandemic. The average age of the group will likly vary with the tour. They have been around for almost 50 years but they used to be called Elderhostel.

https://www.roadscholar.org/

Several people mentioned TripAdvisor. You need to be aware that Expedia bought them something like 10 years ago and after they bought them I have found them not to be nearely as useful. They still have useful information but they they seem to be trying to sell you a lot more stuff now. A lot of their links that look like recomendations are really more of an ad to try to sell you a tour.
PoppyA
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Re: Need travel help

Post by PoppyA »

For domestic travel -

Join a hotel chains loyalty program. Choose hotels by rating on their website. That should put you in a safe & clean hotel.

Learn to pack efficiently. I can do 4 season travel in a smallish bag. Even if you have the space in your vehicle, you don’t want to lug heavy bags around. Put together a list of items you take on every trip. Take almost the same stuff every time with the exception of changing up your clothing choices from time to time, just for variety of color & style.

I also carry a backpack that has my toiletries, PJ’s, bathing suit, change of clothes, travel coffee cup & electronics. If I am on a multi night trip to my destination, only the backpack comes in the hotel with me.

Apps to get:

Yelp for restaurant suggestions
Waze for navigation
Podcast, Audible, or local libray app for downloading entertainment while driving.

Decide what your interests are and research option on line for your destination. ie:: museums, golf, outdoor activities, etc.

Have fun!
Last edited by PoppyA on Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:05 am, edited 2 times in total.
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midareff
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Re: Need travel help

Post by midareff »

bgyt wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:01 am Wife and I have retired and looking to travel, but we are terrible at travel planning. We have general ideas of places we want to visit but searching for good hotels, parts of towns, resorts is overwhelming with all the information. Anyone else been in this situation and found a good resource? I assume a good travel agent, but don't even know where to start there.
I'd recommend you do the far stuff first.. as soon as the destination(s) are Covid safe. How about Amsterdam to Budapest on a Viking longboat? A cruise around the British Isles? If closer is needed perhaps Miami or Fort Lauderdale to Lake Gatun in the Panama Canal area? Perhaps Montreal out the Lawrence Seaway to NYC? Seattle to Portland via the Snake and Columbia Rivers? Caribbean Cruise? Ground excursions here or abroad?

First determine where you want to go. Then check the annual weather charts for most accommodating temperatures and rainfall. Keep in mind whether kids (including college) are still in school when you want to go to minimize crowding at museums, attractions, accommodations, restaurants transportation and such. You may get some ideas here: www.martindareff.com Also, be prepared to book well in advance if it is a popular destination or cruise. Some cruises are booking up nearly 2 years out now.
carolinaman
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Re: Need travel help

Post by carolinaman »

bob60014 wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:16 am I will usually go to the Tripadvisor forums to get a general feel of potential locations. After reading through the threads one can get a good idea as to what is recommended or what to avoid. Having a budget in place and ideas as to what activities you want to do help narrow the choices. I'll also use the Flyer Talk forums for airline/airport information. I'll also search the areas tourism information sites and, so far, we haven't had any major snafus or disappointments in our travels, never having used a travel agent.
+1. Trip Advisor is a great resource for travel planning. I especially like the local travel experts who can give you good local advice on what to do, what is not so great, etc. They also provide rankings on best restaurants.

Kayaks.com is a good source to find hotels. Usually, if I find a hotel on their site I will book directly with the hotel website to avoid potential issues with third party booking.
word
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Re: Need travel help

Post by word »

If you're looking for something adventurous you could try https://www.gadventures.com/. I haven't used them, but have bumped into groups they run in some very far flung places. Some people I trust have recommended them.

I've used their itineraries on the site as a starting point to plan my own trips in the past as well.

Edit: You could also ask something specific here and folks will probably chime in with recommendations. "We want to go on a safari..." or "We'd like a hiking vacation option..." or "Does anyone know anything about traveling to Ecuador" would net you some helpful advice I think.
tibbitts
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Re: Need travel help

Post by tibbitts »

bgyt wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:01 am Wife and I have retired and looking to travel, but we are terrible at travel planning. We have general ideas of places we want to visit but searching for good hotels, parts of towns, resorts is overwhelming with all the information. Anyone else been in this situation and found a good resource? I assume a good travel agent, but don't even know where to start there.
I don't think it's practical to travel yet given the state of the pandemic. If you have an RV or just want to take short regional driving trips I can see doing that. Since I retired just a few months before the pandemic, being stuck at home has been a huge disappointment to me - travel was the aspect of retirement I'd been looking forward to the most.
theplayer11
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Re: Need travel help

Post by theplayer11 »

Watty wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:33 am With the pandemic it is probably way too soon to be planning a big trip so everyone is finding trip planning frustrating.

When things get back to normal for traveling in Europe the Rick Steeves books work really well and he also has a web site with a forum.

I have not done one but he also does tour groups in normal times that sound good but they are not inexpensive compared to what it costs to travel on your own.

You can also check out the Road Scholar tours. They have both domestic and international tours. They include a lot of things like educational lectures so it is a lot different than your normal tour group and more like a college class trip. We did a five day one that was within driving distance and had a good time. I was in my 50s then and I was probably the one of the youngest people in the group but we will likely give them another try when I am in my late 60s or older since we are still doing a lot of independent travel, at least before the pandemic. The average age of the group will likly vary with the tour. They have been around for almost 50 years but they used to be called Elderhostel.

https://www.roadscholar.org/

Several people mentioned TripAdvisor. You need to be aware that Expedia bought them something like 10 years ago and after they bought them I have found them not to be nearely as useful. They still have useful information but they they seem to be trying to sell you a lot more stuff now. A lot of their links that look like recomendations are really more of an ad to try to sell you a tour.
why do you say too early? Most of Europe is open and I'm planning a few trips this winter. Couldn't travel last year, no way I'm avoiding travel now.
startwithtruth
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Re: Need travel help

Post by startwithtruth »

My husband and I are (were?) novice travelers, but we pulled off a 10 day trip to England 2 years ago for our 35th anniversary with only a few hitches; I'm so glad we took the plunge. We started with a couple of Rick Steves' books, on England and London. Steves takes some flak for the elementary/basic nature of his advice, and people complain that Americans stick to his suggestions obsessively, but I found the books to be a big confidence builder; sort of an "explain European travel to me like I'm a 5 year old" approach. Choosing neighborhoods and inns he suggested probably cost us more, but it made us comfortable, and was way less than paying for a ready made tour. Then we added things to our itinerary that were uniquely/especially interesting to us, like the Discworld Emporium and the Jurassic coast.

I'm sure that it gets easier with practice. I'm planning a Sept 2022 US Southwest trip now (postponed twice due to the pandemic), and I feel like I have a better sense of what makes us happy: a range of activities, especially the quirky stuff; for example, we'll see the Grand Canyon and Zion Nationals Parks, but I bet visiting the Barringer Meteor Crater will be a bigger thrill for my husband.
Colorado Guy
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Colorado Guy »

You may want to try Costco Travel plans and see what's available. If nothing else, it may help you focus on what you are really interested in, and get a handle on potential costs.
Last edited by Colorado Guy on Sun Jul 25, 2021 1:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
MoonOrb
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Re: Need travel help

Post by MoonOrb »

I've made a lot of use out of Lonely Planet and Rough Guide while initially planning a visit. I get them from my library or read them on Kindle Fire through Amazon Unlimited (paper copy through library preferred because it's easier to flip around).

I find this way less overwhelming as a place to start than something like tripadvisor forums or other casting about on the internet. I figure out from LP and/or Rough Guide what the attractions are that I really want to see and after that, start getting systematic: pick a place to stay, get flights, arrange transportation.

Once I have a place to start then I drill down and pick the accommodations and flights (I used Kayak.com for this, mostly, unless I want to get an AirBnB). If I need a rental car, I get one through Costco if it's domestic travel. If it's international, I rarely rent a car. If I am going to use public transportation (usually trains), I make sure that I am only searching for places to stay that are accessible to public transit. I pay a little extra for this.

Through this, an itinerary emerges.

I'm not sure if a travel agent is the place to start unless you can tell them the attractions you want to see, the parts of town you want to stay, etc. This is why I find the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide or similar guides such an invaluable resource at this planning stage. I've never regretted shelling out $20 for this.
startwithtruth
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Re: Need travel help

Post by startwithtruth »

MoonOrb wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 1:09 pm I've made a lot of use out of Lonely Planet and Rough Guide while initially planning a visit. I get them from my library or read them on Kindle Fire through Amazon Unlimited (paper copy through library preferred because it's easier to flip around).

I'm not sure if a travel agent is the place to start unless you can tell them the attractions you want to see, the parts of town you want to stay, etc. This is why I find the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide or similar guides such an invaluable resource at this planning stage. I've never regretted shelling out $20 for this.
+1 for this approach; Lonely Planet Guides are where I started for our upcoming Southwest US trip.
Nyc10036
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Nyc10036 »

bgyt wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:01 am Wife and I have retired and looking to travel, but we are terrible at travel planning. We have general ideas of places we want to visit but searching for good hotels, parts of towns, resorts is overwhelming with all the information. Anyone else been in this situation and found a good resource? I assume a good travel agent, but don't even know where to start there.
If it was me, I would book an escorted leisurely-paced tour.
This way you have an outline with guaranteed hotels.
And then you can fill in with what interests you.

.
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wabbott
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Re: Need travel help

Post by wabbott »

I've had good luck using Google Maps to find sights to see that otherwise I wouldn't have known about. Browse around in the areas you plan to visit, and points of interest, hotels and restaurants will pop up for you click on.

We've been on two extended (4 week) trips this year, a will be leaving on another month-long trip in 3 weeks. No problems finding fuel or places to eat.
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Jazztonight
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Jazztonight »

My wife and I have travelled extensively, and used to do it the "old fashioned" way--guidebooks, drag suitcases all over, drive rental cars (sometimes on the "wrong" side of the road) in Italy and France, etc. We've also taken group tours to China and other places where I would or could not navigate solo.

I also recommend RoadScholar tours. We've done that to Savannah, and also Old Faithful + Mt. Rushmore, etc. If you can tolerate being on a bus for hours and enjoy looking at the scenery, it works well--leave the driving to someone else. At least people can't smoke on the bus, etc.

If you like trains or want to try them, Amtrak is great--I took the 30 day pass from the West coast to the East coast and back again along another route. You can get a sleeper, get on and off at different destinations, and so on. Amtrak has a lot of packaged tours.

But now that we're in our 70s, we have opted for cruises, and I've written about this before. We now have FOUR cruises planned--2 week round trip to Hawaii; a family cruise (I'm paying for everyone!) from Ft. Lauderdale (next year) to Mexico, just 5 days; and then World Cruises, 11 days each, in 2022 and 2023. They're wonderful. I don't have to do any work, and just enjoy myself.

I also agree with the advice to do the longest/most challenging trips first, while you still have some energy and your youth!

Good luck to you!
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche
GmanJeff
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Re: Need travel help

Post by GmanJeff »

You could consider using a travel agent affiliated with the Virtuoso Network: https://www.virtuoso.com/travel Their agents will add you to their mailing lists and you'll receive catalogs containing destination ideas.

Pre-packaged group tours might appeal, and provider catalogs can stimulate ideas for destinations. One well-regarded provider is Tauck: https://www.tauck.com/

I have no experience with them, but Costco packages vacations and their selection may contain something you might enjoy: https://www.costcotravel.com/Vacation-Packages
epictetus
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Re: Need travel help

Post by epictetus »

i think an escorted tour would be of interest to you.

we have taken several tours with Globus (https://www.globusjourneys.com/) and have enjoyed them. we would not have done well trying to plan them on our own

they have several varieties of tours from more to less structured and more to less activity.

you can look around their website and get an idea of what they have to offer.

in addition, even if you take an escorted tour, i would encourage you to buy the Rick Steves' guidebook for where ever you are going. he has a lot of very useful information and tips. he also has a good website with lots of videos and info (https://www.ricksteves.com/)
Focus on what you can control
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Watty
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Watty »

theplayer11 wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:53 pm why do you say too early? Most of Europe is open and I'm planning a few trips this winter. Couldn't travel last year, no way I'm avoiding travel now.
The upswing in cases with the Delta variant is a big concern along with reports of people who are vaccinated getting it even if they are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. A big question is what "long haul" effects can be even if you are vaccinated and not hospitalized with with Covid.

We cannot get into a detailed discussion of it here because of board rules but you can see some charts of different countries on this web site.

http://91-divoc.com/pages/covid-visualization/

In post I did say "Big" trips. I have already taken a beach vacation that I could drive to and have another planned for this fall.
harrychan
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Re: Need travel help

Post by harrychan »

What I do is search for sample itineraries then go from there. I like to take it easy so what people may propose doing 5 things a day, I may cut it to 3 things depending on transportation.
This is not legal or certified financial advice but you know that already.
Naismith
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Naismith »

Several people have mentioned the Rick Steves travel books, which we use a lot, but I also have used his free "Audio Europe" app for the iphone that has all kinds of walking tours...British museum, Vatican museum, Athens National Archaeological Museum....a plus is that with the iphone, my husband can hear them through his hearing aids, avoiding background noise.

(Unfortunately, it only includes the greatest hits, of Europe, nothing in Iceland or Northern Greece...)

Another tip is that the Lonely Planet travel guides offers downloads of particular chapters for about $5, Their Greece book is about two inches thick, and this year I only need the North chapter, so much easier to just get what I need and print only applicable pages.
curmudgeon
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Re: Need travel help

Post by curmudgeon »

If you don't like research and planning, then cruises (both river and ocean) and tours are a good way to go. There can still be some challenge in finding the right company that fits your budget and preferences, but it becomes a lot simpler.

The problem with travel agents is that standard commissions became so skimpy (20 years or more ago) on things like airfare and hotels, that it became very difficult for travel agents to make any money providing personalized service there. Cruises still have substantial commissions (in fact, many agents will rebate part of it in some form). I think some resort packages also are viable for travel agents.
elle
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Re: Need travel help

Post by elle »

Colorado Guy wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 1:09 pm You may want to try Costco Travel plans and see what's available. If nothing else, it may help you focus on what you are really interested in, and get a handle on potential costs.
+1000

Costco vacations are great. Alternatively cruises are even easier thought I’m not sure I’d do one for a LoNG time. 😂
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Jazztonight
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Jazztonight »

elle wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:49 pm ... cruises are even easier thought I’m not sure I’d do one for a LoNG time. 😂
Funny. I've been on short cruises and long cruises. I can't wait for my next long cruise! You can really get a lot accomplished on a long cruise (write a book; study a foreign language; ramp up your exercise and diet program; meditate; read 'War & Peace'). Whatever you want.
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche
bberris
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Re: Need travel help

Post by bberris »

Travel agents still exist.
tibbitts
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Re: Need travel help

Post by tibbitts »

midareff wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:58 am Also, be prepared to book well in advance if it is a popular destination or cruise. Some cruises are booking up nearly 2 years out now.
I have no insider knowledge but my guess is that some of these cruise bookings are the result of people being re-booked from cancelled trips, and that the passengers may or may not show up for the rescheduled cruise. There are two issues for me with buying a cruise now:

1. The possibility of the cruise company going bankrupt and not refunding money. There are some attractive prices out there now, for cruises far in advance, with 100% of the fare due up-front being the key to getting the discount. I'd never heard of having to paying 100% a year or more, not months, pre-cruise before the pandemic, so I'm concerned this is a last-gasp cash-raising strategy.

2. For ocean-going cruises, as far as I know the cruise lines and governments have never addressed the problem of ships being banned from ports indefinitely due to pandemic outbreaks. Both parties seem to be ignoring that issue completely, while talking about what are relatively trivial issues like having staff plop food on your plate at the buffet instead of you doing it yourself.
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midareff
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Re: Need travel help

Post by midareff »

tibbitts wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:15 am
midareff wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:58 am Also, be prepared to book well in advance if it is a popular destination or cruise. Some cruises are booking up nearly 2 years out now.
I have no insider knowledge but my guess is that some of these cruise bookings are the result of people being re-booked from cancelled trips, and that the passengers may or may not show up for the rescheduled cruise. There are two issues for me with buying a cruise now:

1. The possibility of the cruise company going bankrupt and not refunding money. There are some attractive prices out there now, for cruises far in advance, with 100% of the fare due up-front being the key to getting the discount. I'd never heard of having to paying 100% a year or more, not months, pre-cruise before the pandemic, so I'm concerned this is a last-gasp cash-raising strategy.

That is a concern for some no doubt. I cancelled a Vantage cruise in April of 2020 and despite having cruise insurance and them approving my repayment they have steadfastly refused to send the $10K+ I'm owed. I would never use Vantage again and have nothing positive I can say about them. I wrote a letter to their CEO and Founder a few weeks ago but have heard nothing back, and probably won't. They are USA headquartered so I'll probably have to get a judgement against them, which probably won't make them pay either. OTOH, I cancelled a Viking Cruise about the same time and was refunded in full promptly. I have several Viking trips booked for next year, all with a 24 hour in advance cancel or change allowed guarantee. Of course, if we can never travel again none of it will matter much. Viking has restarted operations as countries and port openings have allowed and are currently running several routes.

2. For ocean-going cruises, as far as I know the cruise lines and governments have never addressed the problem of ships being banned from ports indefinitely due to pandemic outbreaks. Both parties seem to be ignoring that issue completely, while talking about what are relatively trivial issues like having staff plop food on your plate at the buffet instead of you doing it yourself.
Again, Viking has restarted several routes to my knowledge. I believe Carnival and NCL have finished dry runs out of Florida to open countries and ports and are now moving people or in final prep to do so. Frankly, I greatly prefer plopping food on my own plate. :D
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hand
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Re: Need travel help

Post by hand »

Don't overthink it:

-Decide on a city / country
-Pick a centrally located hotel / rental with easy access to public transit and a washer/dryer if possible
-Make a list of one or two major sites per day for the area you are staying
-Perhaps book a one day guided tour with a local (and pump them for restaurant recommendations / hidden gems of the area)
-Use unscheduled time to look around and take advantage of the unplanned moments which make travel so special (cafes, art galleries, public events, etc.)
-Everywhere you go, ask locals for recommendations for can't miss items and places to eat.

Evaluate after the first couple of days and decide whether you've got the right balance of scheduled and unscheduled and do it better the next time.
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MortgageOnBlack
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Re: Need travel help

Post by MortgageOnBlack »

Very happy with Expedia. My wife's tolerance is the same as mine with sleep arrangements (prefer the value with 2-2.5 star hotels with good reviews).

I have found that with traveling,there are 3 types of people out there
1) Hostel/Sleep in Wal-Mart parking lot type
2) 2-2.5 star hotel type
3) 5-star hotel type

Each type thinks the others are crazy.

Don't overthink and Don't over-commit to stuff for the day. I usually aim for one big thing and leave lots of free-time for impulsive exploring. Sometimes the little trips to the gas station for snacks become the most memorable (love people watching in other parts of the country/world).
tibbitts
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Re: Need travel help

Post by tibbitts »

midareff wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:33 am Again, Viking has restarted several routes to my knowledge. I believe Carnival and NCL have finished dry runs out of Florida to open countries and ports and are now moving people or in final prep to do so. Frankly, I greatly prefer plopping food on my own plate. :D
What I'm saying is that I'm not aware if there has been any universal agreement regarding allowing cruise ships into a port, and proactively specifying policies under which passengers can disembark. Cruise ships weren't designed to remain at sea indefinitely - especially with passengers on board, sick or not. So basically the ports want the commerce from the ships when everyone is healthy, but when passengers are sick the local/state authorities don't even want the ship docked. I'm still enthusiastic about cruising but I'm not seeing that this issue has been resolved and it really needs to be.
Last edited by tibbitts on Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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MJS
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Re: Need travel help

Post by MJS »

I semi-plan my trips for Up ($$$$) - Up ($) - Down ($). Otherwise, I tend to feel the need to 1) constantly rush and 2) be very frugal. By semi-planning I know I won't accidentally miss something great, but can still be flexible.
Example
Up: Paris - day at the Louvre, fabulous dinner, show.
Up: Paris to Barcelona via day train, fun dinner, free fireworks.
Down: Barcelona - stroll along the Malecon, keeping an eye out for ... street performance, art work, weird sights, map stores, gardens, museums, boat tours, bike or kayak rental, playgrounds that are different from back home, a place to drop off laundry, shoe shine stands. Eat street food. Early night.
Ipsa scientia potestas est. Bacon F.
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midareff
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Re: Need travel help

Post by midareff »

tibbitts wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 12:03 pm
midareff wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:33 am Again, Viking has restarted several routes to my knowledge. I believe Carnival and NCL have finished dry runs out of Florida to open countries and ports and are now moving people or in final prep to do so. Frankly, I greatly prefer plopping food on my own plate. :D
What I'm saying is that I'm not aware if there has been any universal agreement regarding allowing cruise ships into a port, and proactively specifying policies under which passengers can disembark. Cruise ships weren't designed to remain at sea indefinitely - especially with passengers on board, sick or not. So basically the ports want the commerce from the ships when everyone is healthy, but when passengers are sick the local/state authorities don't even want the ship docked. I'm still enthusiastic about cruising but I'm not seeing that this issue has been resolved and it really needs to be.

Incidentally today my daily cruise-price-tracking email says that the major cruise line have again suspended departures for the coming weeks due to the evolving increase in outbreaks, but I haven't verified that.
I don't think there will be universal (so to speak) agreement from all ports. I believe ports that are agreeable (and countries) will be the first to resume arrivals. We are booked for a Caribbean cruise out of Fort Lauderdale in December. If it doesn't go I'll just pick different dates. I think the real question is will they be sailing fully vaccinated only and will they have monoclonal antibodies available onboard?
tibbitts
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Re: Need travel help

Post by tibbitts »

midareff wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 3:25 pm
tibbitts wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 12:03 pm
midareff wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:33 am Again, Viking has restarted several routes to my knowledge. I believe Carnival and NCL have finished dry runs out of Florida to open countries and ports and are now moving people or in final prep to do so. Frankly, I greatly prefer plopping food on my own plate. :D
What I'm saying is that I'm not aware if there has been any universal agreement regarding allowing cruise ships into a port, and proactively specifying policies under which passengers can disembark. Cruise ships weren't designed to remain at sea indefinitely - especially with passengers on board, sick or not. So basically the ports want the commerce from the ships when everyone is healthy, but when passengers are sick the local/state authorities don't even want the ship docked. I'm still enthusiastic about cruising but I'm not seeing that this issue has been resolved and it really needs to be.
I don't think there will be universal (so to speak) agreement from all ports. I believe ports that are agreeable (and countries) will be the first to resume arrivals. We are booked for a Caribbean cruise out of Fort Lauderdale in December. If it doesn't go I'll just pick different dates. I think the real question is will they be sailing fully vaccinated only and will they have monoclonal antibodies available onboard?
Hopefully vaccination will be required, although proof of vaccination seems like a fragile mechanism and I'm not sure how there can be a high degree of confidence that everyone claiming to be vaccinated will be. Having cruises cancelled isn't a big deal if you're somewhat local to a port. There are a lot of things that can go wrong: false positive tests, etc. And then there's the question of what happens during the cruise, which is concerning even if you're local to a port. And with smaller cruise companies, where you're less likely to face the stranded-at-sea issue, I think you're more likely to encounter bankruptcy and lose your 100% prepayment, since a lot can happen to a smaller company in the year or more before your departure.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Need travel help

Post by ResearchMed »

Wouldn't charging all payments to a major credit card protect against a vendor bankruptcy, assuming one charges the payment directly to the vendor (cruise line in this case) rather than to a travel agent, etc.?

For cruise-specific information about issues like this, you might want to ask on

www.CruiseCritic.com

They may also have experiences (or experts who 'know") about other travel vendors such as hotels, etc., but for cruises, this is probably the place.

RM
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tibbitts
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Re: Need travel help

Post by tibbitts »

ResearchMed wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:40 pm Wouldn't charging all payments to a major credit card protect against a vendor bankruptcy, assuming one charges the payment directly to the vendor (cruise line in this case) rather than to a travel agent, etc.?

For cruise-specific information about issues like this, you might want to ask on

www.CruiseCritic.com

They may also have experiences (or experts who 'know") about other travel vendors such as hotels, etc., but for cruises, this is probably the place.

RM
I'm not sure. Most credit card recovery (other than extended warranty) I'm aware of has to be claimed within a fairly short period of when the charge is processed, not a year or more after the full payment has been processed.
delamer
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Re: Need travel help

Post by delamer »

Frommer’s has lots of suggestions for what to see, where to stay, and where to eat for a wide variety of destinations: https://www.frommers.com/

I’ve found it very useful in planning domestic trips.

For international, cruises have worked well for us. If you want to explore one place in depth, cruises aren’t the way to go. (Although you always can add extra days in your embarkation or disembarkation city.) But if you are interested in seeing a variety of places, they make sense. I recommend starting with a short trip of 7 days.
One thing that humbles me deeply is to see that human genius has its limits while human stupidity does not. - Alexandre Dumas, fils
elle
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Re: Need travel help

Post by elle »

Jazztonight wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:32 pm
elle wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:49 pm ... cruises are even easier thought I’m not sure I’d do one for a LoNG time. 😂
Funny. I've been on short cruises and long cruises. I can't wait for my next long cruise! You can really get a lot accomplished on a long cruise (write a book; study a foreign language; ramp up your exercise and diet program; meditate; read 'War & Peace'). Whatever you want.
Totally agree, cruises are great. No stress of traveling between destinations. checklist of activities at each port. no deciding what i'm going to eat. I'd love to hear whether you felt safe on the cruise if you went recently. :)
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Jazztonight
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Jazztonight »

elle wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 3:43 pm
Jazztonight wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:32 pm
elle wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:49 pm ... cruises are even easier thought I’m not sure I’d do one for a LONG time. 😂
Funny. I've been on short cruises and long cruises. I can't wait for my next long cruise! You can really get a lot accomplished on a long cruise (write a book; study a foreign language; ramp up your exercise and diet program; meditate; read 'War & Peace'). Whatever you want.
Totally agree, cruises are great. No stress of traveling between destinations. Checklist of activities at each port. No deciding what i'm going to eat. I'd love to hear whether you felt safe on the cruise if you went recently. :)
Sadly, the 112 day World Cruise we were on (RT from LA) was on its way from Australia to South Africa when the pandemic hit. The ship did a u-turn in the Indian Ocean and headed back to Australia where most of the passengers flew back to their home airports.

As soon as the news of the virus had hit the TV, the ship went into safety mode; all the employees wore masks, and the staff sanitized public surfaces (handrails, bathrooms, tables and chairs, etc.) constantly. The buffets shut down, and the restaurant and ship personnel were very careful. All excursions were cancelled.

When we got off the ship we each were given a baggie with masks, hand wipes, and latex gloves. We wore our masks constantly until a taxi took us to our apt. There was no Covid on our ship, although other ships were affected.

Bottom line: the cruise industry is as careful as possible. There was a dr. and medical people on the ship, and they kept us all in the loop as to what was happening. They are aware of how dangerous a virus is in such an environment. And the cruise lines do not want their passengers to get sick. To me, it's ironic as to how quickly the airlines got back in the air, but the cruise industry did not. Of course, cruise ports seem to be under the control of the states (e.g. Florida), whereas the airports appear to be more under federal control. I'd prefer a 100% vaccinated policy, but I'm not in control, as I must remind myself.

My wife and I have four (4) future cruises reserved. We thought things would be better by Nov. 2021, our next cruise date, but at this point, who knows? I myself am looking forward to getting back on the ship. There is a lot of demand from passengers, and it seems that the non-cruising public is not aware of the extent of this demand.

A side note: when Carnival stock sank from over $50/share to $10-15/share WHILE I WAS STILL ON THE SHIP, I increased my modest holding (it's the only individual stock I own). It's reached the low $30s, but then dropped back to the low $20s (where it is today). In other words, I did put my money where my mouth was.

Hope this answers your question, Elle.
"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." Nietzsche
Boglegirl81
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Boglegirl81 »

My mom and I have done several Cosmos bus tours together because we don’t want to have to plan anything. We love them! I think the Scandinavian one was our favorite. I think Cosmos is the budget brand that is part of the Globus family, but we have always enjoyed the Cosmos tour guides and travelers so much that we’ve stuck with it even though we can afford more.

I look at the Costco travel website occasionally, and I’ll definitely be trying one of the Costco trips at some point!
elle
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Re: Need travel help

Post by elle »

Jazztonight wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:03 pm
elle wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 3:43 pm
Jazztonight wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 11:32 pm
elle wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:49 pm ... cruises are even easier thought I’m not sure I’d do one for a LONG time. 😂
Funny. I've been on short cruises and long cruises. I can't wait for my next long cruise! You can really get a lot accomplished on a long cruise (write a book; study a foreign language; ramp up your exercise and diet program; meditate; read 'War & Peace'). Whatever you want.
Totally agree, cruises are great. No stress of traveling between destinations. Checklist of activities at each port. No deciding what i'm going to eat. I'd love to hear whether you felt safe on the cruise if you went recently. :)

Hope this answers your question, Elle.
Thanks for the thorough response! This kind of attention to detail is not what they publicize about how the cruise lines have dealt with the pandemic. 👍

Also the world tour sounds AMAZING. You are living my dream!
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F150HD
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Re: Need travel help

Post by F150HD »

bgyt wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:01 am Wife and I have retired and looking to travel, but we are terrible at travel planning. We have general ideas of places we want to visit but searching for good hotels, parts of towns, resorts is overwhelming with all the information. Anyone else been in this situation and found a good resource? I assume a good travel agent, but don't even know where to start there.
of the places you want to travel, what is at the top of the list? that would be a good starting point for asking for input here.
diy60
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Re: Need travel help

Post by diy60 »

bgyt wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:01 am Wife and I have retired and looking to travel, but we are terrible at travel planning. We have general ideas of places we want to visit but searching for good hotels, parts of towns, resorts is overwhelming with all the information. Anyone else been in this situation and found a good resource? I assume a good travel agent, but don't even know where to start there.
Spouse and I have done above average amount of traveling both while working and now retired. Our style of destinations though involves walking, hiking, lots of outdoor time, so there was a great deal of destinations to choose from. Some of our best travel experiences have been pick a place, pick a hotel, go there and discover. Can't say we have had any stinkers. Get out there while your are still mobile.
ronno2018
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Re: Need travel help

Post by ronno2018 »

hand wrote: Mon Jul 26, 2021 10:58 am Don't overthink it:

-Decide on a city / country
-Pick a centrally located hotel / rental with easy access to public transit and a washer/dryer if possible
-Make a list of one or two major sites per day for the area you are staying
-Perhaps book a one day guided tour with a local (and pump them for restaurant recommendations / hidden gems of the area)
-Use unscheduled time to look around and take advantage of the unplanned moments which make travel so special (cafes, art galleries, public events, etc.)
-Everywhere you go, ask locals for recommendations for can't miss items and places to eat.

Evaluate after the first couple of days and decide whether you've got the right balance of scheduled and unscheduled and do it better the next time.
These are great suggestions, also think about a simultaneous home exchange with another family (many websites offer this service), it makes your trip super affordable and then no need to stress about what you see and do.

Also https://www.oattravel.com/ and the other site mentioned above ( https://www.gadventures.com/ ) are super fun, reliable and easy to sign up for.

:sharebeer
oxothuk
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Re: Need travel help

Post by oxothuk »

If you’re at an age where you are still active, then I highly recommend you look into self-guided tours where you hike or bicycle from town to town.

We like InnTravel, but there are quite a few other companies who work on the same model.
Grasshopper
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Grasshopper »

At 70/67 we like having our trips planned for us, but we also enjoy active travel with small groups of like minded folks.

If you are active travelers I recommend Country Walkers for easy day walks or hiking. Trips we have done with CW, African safari, Italy's Amalfi coast, and a CA coast San Francisco to Point Reyes National Seashore inn to inn.

For active cruises I like UnCruise Adventures small ship sailing, we have done Hawaii, Sea of Cortez, Galapagos, Costa Rica, and Alaska.
Sahara
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Re: Need travel help

Post by Sahara »

word wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:22 pm If you're looking for something adventurous you could try https://www.gadventures.com/. I haven't used them, but have bumped into groups they run in some very far flung places. Some people I trust have recommended them.

I've used their itineraries on the site as a starting point to plan my own trips in the past as well.

Edit: You could also ask something specific here and folks will probably chime in with recommendations. "We want to go on a safari..." or "We'd like a hiking vacation option..." or "Does anyone know anything about traveling to Ecuador" would net you some helpful advice I think.
I second this recommendation, if you are looking for small group, low impact, low budget travel with time to explore on your own on top of basic arrangements and tours of major sites. Also in this realm are Explore Worldwide and Intrepid.

A step above but still reasonably priced I like SmarTours.
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ResearchMed
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Re: Need travel help

Post by ResearchMed »

Sahara wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 5:54 pm
word wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:22 pm If you're looking for something adventurous you could try https://www.gadventures.com/. I haven't used them, but have bumped into groups they run in some very far flung places. Some people I trust have recommended them.

I've used their itineraries on the site as a starting point to plan my own trips in the past as well.

Edit: You could also ask something specific here and folks will probably chime in with recommendations. "We want to go on a safari..." or "We'd like a hiking vacation option..." or "Does anyone know anything about traveling to Ecuador" would net you some helpful advice I think.
I second this recommendation, if you are looking for small group, low impact, low budget travel with time to explore on your own on top of basic arrangements and tours of major sites. Also in this realm are Explore Worldwide and Intrepid.

A step above but still reasonably priced I like SmarTours.
[emphasis added]

I'd emphasize looking at a couple of different vendors' tour itineraries. Those will likely mention the "high points" of each location, and also suggest the order of locations. Some mention the hotels that are used, but those could vary considerably expense-wise, by type of vendor (budget, luxury).

You can also use Google - a lot.
We've used "private tours <location>". Those will list 'private group tours', which tend to be reasonable, as well as truly private, which can vary considerably cost-wise. But they often mention "the great places we'll take you" :happy etc.

One advantage of group tours, large or small - or private tours - is that they often bypass what can be significant lines, and that's precious travel time that you probably don't want to spend standing in line. In some cases individuals can purchase tickets in advance, online, often including reserved times. The major museums or sights may show those on their websites. We've had tremendous success with those, and there's usually just a small service charge. (But beware; there is often no way to cancel or change them.)

If possible, try to get a mindset of enjoying the planning. It can be a sort of preview of what you might see, on this trip or another.

RM
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