The "I'm Traveling somewhere" Thread

[MirrorMask]

Chaotic days distracted me from announcing it, so here I am after the fact: I've just returned from Naples!

Naples is the third italian town by population, and by visiting it, I topped out the list of biggest italian towns I visited - now I've seen all the 9 most populous ones, and watching the top 20 there are only few spots missing. Italy has 20 regions, now having been to Naples (first time) I can say I visited 18.

The city is beautiful, the view from the hills from where you see the town and Mount Vesuvius are fantastic. It's a bit chaotic at times, but the food is splendid and the people there are nice. Sadly, people from that region suffer a negative stereotype, in a sense they're considered the hillibillies of Italy, but as a tourist I met just nice, friendly and easy going people. Lovely town absolutely worth a visit.

Also, I visited the beautiful island of Procida, a little colorful gem in the gulf of Naples (absolutely adorable, it's fantastic, it was 3 years at least that I longed to go there) and the Royal Palace of Caserta, which is basically the italian Versailles, a gargantuan royal palace with a huuuuuuge garden. Imagine a royal place, how it must be, all the elegance, all the riches.... well, in reality, it's even richer and more grandiose. Just stunning.

[Anguyen92]

Hmmm, I think I may have my next trip planned out.  I've bought a ticket to see Avenged Sevenfold in Cleveland in March and I do note that there is an Amtrak train that goes from Cleveland to Pittsburgh at around 1:45 AM.  I may go see the concert on the Saturday and travel to Pittsburgh on the early Sunday morning and go watch the Pittsburgh Penguins play against the Edmonton Oilers.  It's something of intrigue.  I haven't gotten everything sorted out yet in terms of flight and stay, but I do know is that I'm seeing A7X in Cleveland for now.

[jingle.boy]

Mrs.jingle and I have booked a transatlantic cruise in May for our 25th Anniversary.  Leaves Fort Lauderdale, 6 days at sea, then stops in the Azores, and Portugal/Spain.  Disembarkation is in Barcelona and we plan to spend 3 days there before flying home.

Any suggestions as to some 'must do's' or 'must stay'?  Current plan is to stay near the Gothic Quarter, and then plan from there.

[Indiscipline]

Your Barcelona plan is solid, so I guess I don't need to suggest visiting the Sagrada Familia and the ramblas, since you're basically staying there.

One bit of advice though: never speak of Spain there, you're in Cataluna.

[TAC]

Mrs.jingle and I have booked a transatlantic cruise in May for our 25th Anniversary.  Leaves Fort Lauderdale, 6 days at sea, then stops in the Azores, and Portugal/Spain.  Disembarkation is in Barcelona and we plan to spend 3 days there before flying home.

We weren't taking a cruise, but that was very close to what we were planning for our 2024 TACation. My family wanted to go to the Azores and Portugal. That's funny. We ended up deciding to not travel internationally, although we basically are.

[Podaar]

Park Guell, Chad. Find a way to get a tour of Park Guell and then stay an extra hour or two strolling it.

[Lonk]

Park Guell, Chad. Find a way to get a tour of Park Guell and then stay an extra hour or two strolling it.

This and Sagrada Familia are the two main things I would suggest.

The Picasso museum was ton of fun as well, and within the gothic quarter. If you are feeling adventurous (though you don't have a ton of time) take the train to Figures and visit the Salvador Dali museum. But as I said, being there only for 3 days is not a ton of time, not sure if it's worth it to take a whole day to visit another town.

[cramx3]

Mrs.jingle and I have booked a transatlantic cruise in May for our 25th Anniversary.  Leaves Fort Lauderdale, 6 days at sea, then stops in the Azores, and Portugal/Spain.  Disembarkation is in Barcelona and we plan to spend 3 days there before flying home.

Any suggestions as to some 'must do's' or 'must stay'?  Current plan is to stay near the Gothic Quarter, and then plan from there.

That sounds cool, are the seas expected to be rough when crossing? That would be my fear of doing such a thing.  I've never been on a cruise because I fear sea sickness and disease in general, but stuff like this sounds like such a cool experience.

[ProfessorPeart]

I can't tell you when my last vacation was. My coworkers have never seen me take one. A lot of this has to do with finances and my wife's health. Well, she asked for a little getaway for our 25th in June so I have booked it with the caveat of knowing it may get canceled for whatever reason. We are going to Pigeon Forge, TN. I have already looked into an ATV trip we can take into the mountains, which is on my wish list. It's guided and I can get a 2-seater ATV so I can drive and she can just tag along. Few other things I have checked out as well. Definitely going to go to Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

Today is her birthday and I am letting her know I booked the hotel. We're driving. It's about 10 hours without stops. I am toying with breaking the drive down up so we can get there earlier on the day of check in. Sitting in a car for that long is not great for either of us. I have time to think about it.

[El Barto]

I can't tell you when my last vacation was. My coworkers have never seen me take one. A lot of this has to do with finances and my wife's health. Well, she asked for a little getaway for out 25th in June so I have booked it with the caveat of knowing it may get canceled for whatever reason. We are going to Pigeon Forge, TN. I have already looked into an ATV trip we can take into the mountains, which is on my wish list. It's guided and I can get a 2-seater ATV so I can drive and she can just tag along. Few other things I have checked out as well. Definitely going to go to Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

Today is her birthday and I am letting her know I booked the hotel. We're driving. It's about 10 hours without stops. I am toying with breaking the drive down up so we can get there earlier on the day of check in. Sitting in a car for that long is not great for either of us. I have time to think about it.

I've done that area twice, most recently last October. Try and spend some time on the Carolina side of the GSM, too. I find it more scenic and [slightly] less touristy.

[pg1067]

If you are feeling adventurous (though you don't have a ton of time) take the train to Figures and visit the Salvador Dali museum.

I hear it's brutally offensive, but never a bore.

[ProfessorPeart]

I can't tell you when my last vacation was. My coworkers have never seen me take one. A lot of this has to do with finances and my wife's health. Well, she asked for a little getaway for out 25th in June so I have booked it with the caveat of knowing it may get canceled for whatever reason. We are going to Pigeon Forge, TN. I have already looked into an ATV trip we can take into the mountains, which is on my wish list. It's guided and I can get a 2-seater ATV so I can drive and she can just tag along. Few other things I have checked out as well. Definitely going to go to Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

Today is her birthday and I am letting her know I booked the hotel. We're driving. It's about 10 hours without stops. I am toying with breaking the drive down up so we can get there earlier on the day of check in. Sitting in a car for that long is not great for either of us. I have time to think about it.

I've done that area twice, most recently last October. Try and spend some time on the Carolina side of the GSM, too. I find it more scenic and [slightly] less touristy.

Good to know. I'll start really planning eventually. We have 3 full days there, not including check-in and checkout. Like I said, thinking about maybe adding a pit stop on the way there and maybe even on the way back to give us just a bit more time there.

[MirrorMask]

RE: Barcelona: I agree that the works of Gaudì are a must see. Sagrada Familia first and foremost (book tickets to get inside!!! outside it's wonderful but inside it's a once in a lifetime experience), Park Guell, Casa Batllò are all great.

Then the Gothic Quarter and the nearby Ramblas. If you're into touristic busses, the Barcelona one is by far the best I've ever taken, the three lines are very thorough and you see everything.

[Anguyen92]

Ok, so my planning for my next trip is in full swing. I'm going to Cleveland, OH in March 9th to see A7X. Then I'm going to take an Amtrak Train at 1:50 AM after the concert to go to Pittsburgh and maybe see the Penguins play against the Oilers if tickets are reasonable. I'm only staying at an AirBnb for one night in Cleveland and I'm thinking about where would I store my luggage from 2 PM - 12 AM on the Saturday of the concert. Am I able to ask a nearby hotel to store it for a reasonable fee? Could I store it at an Amtrak station?

[El Barto]

Ok, so my planning for my next trip is in full swing. I'm going to Cleveland, OH in March 9th to see A7X. Then I'm going to take an Amtrak Train at 1:50 AM after the concert to go to Pittsburgh and maybe see the Penguins play against the Oilers if tickets are reasonable. I'm only staying at an AirBnb for one night in Cleveland and I'm thinking about where would I store my luggage from 2 PM - 12 AM on the Saturday of the concert. Am I able to ask a nearby hotel to store it for a reasonable fee? Could I store it at an Amtrak station?

What you're looking for is "left luggage." The problem is that it's not Amtrak's station but rather the City of Pittsburgh's station, and they may or may not allow it. 911 nonsense, and all that. Amtrak says you have to look at the actual station to find out, but if it is allowed Amtrak will take care of it. Cost varies depending on whether or not you have a ticket.

[PMSummer]

For those talking about Iceland on the last page; I ventured to Iceland back in 2011, and it was an experience that still resonates with me. Reykjavik is charming in its own right, though really there's not much to it. But what really left an indelible mark was the sheer wildness and beauty of the Icelandic nature. From the majestic waterfalls to the surreal landscapes of the geothermal areas, every day was a new adventure. The vastness and the raw, almost mystical quality of the scenery is something that photos just can't capture. I've seen the northern lights a few times in my life now but never as vivid as in Iceland. I'd jump at the chance to go back - definitely go!

[Cool Chris]

Back to travel, amongst the regular travelers here, what hotel loyalty programs are people using? I've been using Wyndham for a while, but I might be switching over to Marriott for a variety of reasons. People use branded CCs, or just get the points from stays?  Anbyody here get all The Points Guy and collect a variety of branded cards? The fact that BonVoy is a Chase travel partner certainly makes a difference for me.

Not a big traveler here, but I have an Alaska VISA, and just realized Alaska has a hotel program too, but doing research for my latest trip didn't show me any significant hotel discounts for my criteria. I also have USAA which offers some travel discounts. I've never used USAA for hotels but always do for rental cars.

We are going to Disneyland for spring break again, but this time with the whole family. It's not going to be an annual thing, but I want the older kid to experience it while she is still somewhat a kid. In our family I am really the only Theme Park person, so it's never something that comes up as an option unless I bring it up. We are also a bit isolated up here when it comes to those.

[chknptpie]

Husband and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary with a Disneyland trip 3/11-3/13!

[Cool Chris]

Husband and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary with a Disneyland trip 3/11-3/13!

Cool! Have you ever been? I've only been as a kid and with a kid. Never been as an adult trip.

[jingle.boy]

Husband and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary with a Disneyland trip 3/11-3/13!

10 years!?!?  Holy crap, where does the time go?

Oh, and congratulations, obviously!

[lordxizor]

I'll be in Disneyland in a few weeks as well with the family. Going for a work seminar and bringing along the family for a week of Mickey. We had a blast when we were there 4 years ago.

[chknptpie]

Cool! Have you ever been? I've only been as a kid and with a kid. Never been as an adult trip.

We were there for 3 days last year lol So fun and we don't have kids to deal with.

10 years!?!?  Holy crap, where does the time go?

Oh, and congratulations, obviously!

So crazy right!!! Thanks

[pg1067]

This is an "I travelled" post more than "I'm travelling," but what the heck.

I went to Las Vegas this past weekend to see Styx at the Venetian Theatre on Saturday (the last of, I think, 5 shows in 7 nights).  They were fantastic, but that's not what this is about.

With Vegas being only about a 45-50 flight from southern California, I decided to book cheap and took a risk with Frontier Airlines.  I booked a flight from Orange County Airport (a 5 minute drive from my office) leaving around 3:45 in the afternoon.  The return flight was supposed to be around noon on Sunday.  For those who don't know, Frontier is an a la carte airline.  Your basic ticket price doesn't include any baggage (other than a "personal item") or a seat assignment.  Both of those things cost extra.  Since I was only there two nights, I packed a backpack with my laptop (I don't travel without it), a couple t-shirts, socks, etc., and a bath bag.  As the trip approached, I decided to pay $30 for a seat assignment, but then they dinged me for my backpack as a "carry-on" instead of a "personal item."  Are you kidding me?

But the worst part was that they moved my noon return flight to 8am.  I'll be damned if I'm getting up that early the morning after a concert.  Frontier had no other direct flight to OC, so I booked an entirely different return flight on Spirit Airlines.  Spirit is basically the same deal as Frontier, but they were far more professional than Frontier in every aspect of the trip.  The most interesting thing about both airlines was that none of the seats reclined, which I thought was great since I never recline my seat unless the person in front of me does.  Suffice to say that I won't be flying Frontier again, but I would consider Spirit for short flights.

Last time I was in Vegas was for the last Frozen Fury (2016), so I'd forgotten just how GROSS Vegas is.  It's freakin' smokers central, and now the disgusting cigarettes and cigars are paired with vapes and weed.  What I found amusing was the proliferation of girls (young women) dressed as showgirls, just standing around on the sidewalks trying to get folks to stop and take pictures with them (I didn't bother to check the prices).  As a parent of a 20yo daughter, I felt bad for them, but anything for a buck, I guess.

I stayed at the Flamingo, which for anyone's future reference, clearly lacks the capacity to provide hot water to all of its rooms in the morning.  I had no hot water until after 11am on Saturday and barely enough on Sunday before I had to check out.  They gave me a $20 per day credit against the scam "resort fee," but the guy at the front desk couldn't even be bothered to apologize for the inconvenience.  So...no Frontier Airlines and no Flamingo if I go to Vegas in the future.

[El Barto]

This is an "I travelled" post more than "I'm travelling," but what the heck.

I went to Las Vegas this past weekend to see Styx at the Venetian Theatre on Saturday (the last of, I think, 5 shows in 7 nights).  They were fantastic, but that's not what this is about.

With Vegas being only about a 45-50 flight from southern California, I decided to book cheap and took a risk with Frontier Airlines.  I booked a flight from Orange County Airport (a 5 minute drive from my office) leaving around 3:45 in the afternoon.  The return flight was supposed to be around noon on Sunday.  For those who don't know, Frontier is an a la carte airline.  Your basic ticket price doesn't include any baggage (other than a "personal item") or a seat assignment.  Both of those things cost extra.  Since I was only there two nights, I packed a backpack with my laptop (I don't travel without it), a couple t-shirts, socks, etc., and a bath bag.  As the trip approached, I decided to pay $30 for a seat assignment, but then they dinged me for my backpack as a "carry-on" instead of a "personal item."  Are you kidding me?

But the worst part was that they moved my noon return flight to 8am.  I'll be damned if I'm getting up that early the morning after a concert.  Frontier had no other direct flight to OC, so I booked an entirely different return flight on Spirit Airlines.  Spirit is basically the same deal as Frontier, but they were far more professional than Frontier in every aspect of the trip.  The most interesting thing about both airlines was that none of the seats reclined, which I thought was great since I never recline my seat unless the person in front of me does.  Suffice to say that I won't be flying Frontier again, but I would consider Spirit for short flights.

Last time I was in Vegas was for the last Frozen Fury (2016), so I'd forgotten just how GROSS Vegas is.  It's freakin' smokers central, and now the disgusting cigarettes and cigars are paired with vapes and weed.  What I found amusing was the proliferation of girls (young women) dressed as showgirls, just standing around on the sidewalks trying to get folks to stop and take pictures with them (I didn't bother to check the prices).  As a parent of a 20yo daughter, I felt bad for them, but anything for a buck, I guess.

I stayed at the Flamingo, which for anyone's future reference, clearly lacks the capacity to provide hot water to all of its rooms in the morning.  I had no hot water until after 11am on Saturday and barely enough on Sunday before I had to check out.  They gave me a $20 per day credit against the scam "resort fee," but the guy at the front desk couldn't even be bothered to apologize for the inconvenience.  So...no Frontier Airlines and no Flamingo if I go to Vegas in the future.

I always mull over budget airlines, mostly because Expedia won't allow you to block them, and every time I do I decide that if it saves me money it won't be enough to deal with the sorts of people who fly Spirit (no offense to you).

Since DFW is an AA hub their fares are always competitive, and I know what I'm getting. Plus, the dings you get for booking their cheapest fare sometimes work to your advantage. If a flight is pretty full you'll often get bumped to a better seat if you wait for them to assign it to you. I've had them assign me main cabin extra a few times, which comes with lots of legroom and a complimentary adult beverage. And if not, just buy the upgrade then (or deal with it). Likewise, they'll almost always gate-check your bag if you don't want to deal with taking it on the plane. The only other downside is last group boarding, and I'll often wait until then anyway.

Side note: I believe you and I have discussed this before, but I'm still wanting to get an outbound flight out of SNA sometime. It's just never doable. I'm flying in and out of ONT this weekend, as getting a return out of SNA would have cost me a bundle (including drop fees for the car). Sure tried, though. I think their gate and landing fees must be pretty high, because it always seems like the most expensive option.

[Anguyen92]

Flying out of Santa Ana can be pretty expensive at times.  I think the last time I flew a few time zones from and back out of Santa Ana was back in August 2022.  Since then, I've flown out of LAX since I can take a train to Union Station from Anaheim and take a bus flyer straight to LAX.  Sure, it takes me roughly 2 hours or so more traveling to an airport, but it's cheaper and I don't mind the extra time spent traveling this way.  Heck, on my last trip to Grand Rapids and Chicago, I've taken the Pacific Surfliner train to San Diego to fly out there since it was cheaper that way than it is if I go fly out via Santa Ana.

This trip in March to Cleveland, I'm doing the same thing I did in the Toronto trip last year.  Taking a train to Union Station and taking a bus to LAX.

[El Barto]

LAX has consistently been the cheapest in my experience. Just like DFW is typically cheaper than DAL (Love Field), despite the fact  that it's SWA's hub. I think in this case LAX had the cheaper airfare, but the cars were expensive enough to offset it. Plus I'm heading to the Desert Cities once I land, anyway. I just have a an interest in interesting takeoffs and landings, and SNA certainly qualifies.

[pg1067]

I always mull over budget airlines, mostly because Expedia won't allow you to block them, and every time I do I decide that if it saves me money it won't be enough to deal with the sorts of people who fly Spirit (no offense to you).

Yeah...I was a little worried about that - especially flying to Vegas on a Friday afternoon and out of Vegas on a Sunday evening - but it turned out to be really tame.  The worst part was the crying baby across the aisle.

Side note: I believe you and I have discussed this before, but I'm still wanting to get an outbound flight out of SNA sometime. It's just never doable. I'm flying in and out of ONT this weekend, as getting a return out of SNA would have cost me a bundle (including drop fees for the car). Sure tried, though. I think their gate and landing fees must be pretty high, because it always seems like the most expensive option.

The only time I've ever been to Ontario was a good 25 years ago when my wife and I got redirected while returning to Socal from a trip to visit her family back east.  I've never really looked at the prices in and out of ONT since LAX is much closer to my house and always has the lowest fares (when my kids returned to school after winter break, she flew Southwest from LAX to BOS for $88!).  Getting in and out is a nightmare, though, so there's a balance.  SNA is super easy for me since I can leave my car in the parking garage at my office and get someone to drive me over there.  LGB is the easiest airport and closest to my house, but it's rarely the cheapest option and is now dominated by Southwest.

[El Barto]

Yeah, LGB definitely had the best prices on SWA. American was pretty competitive there, too. I suspect that's part of why SNA was not a viable option. I've never even seen LGB, but it's gotta be close enough that they can take business from SNA; business that the good townsfolk of Santa Ana would no doubt love to see gone. For my part, since I'm heading to the desert anyway, and my return will be from Santa Clarita, ONT was actually super convenient. Far more-so than LAX.

[pg1067]

Yeah, LGB definitely had the best prices on SWA. American was pretty competitive there, too. I suspect that's part of why SNA was not a viable option. I've never even seen LGB, but it's gotta be close enough that they can take business from SNA; business that the good townsfolk of Santa Ana would no doubt love to see gone. For my part, since I'm heading to the desert anyway, and my return will be from Santa Clarita, ONT was actually super convenient. Far more-so than LAX.

FWIW, SNA isn't in Santa Ana and very little of the air traffic goes over Santa Ana.  The airport is in unincorporated Orange County and is bordered by Santa Ana, Irvine, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.  Since most of the takeoffs go south, Newport Beach is the most vocal about noise, and those folks have $$$.  The landing path goes mostly over Tustin and industrial/business areas of Irvine.

[Cool Chris]

There are plenty of SEA-SNA flights daily on AS, which is nice since I have a mileage account with them. I don't know how airline pricing works (if anyone does) but it is always costs way more money to fly SEA-SNA than SNA-SEA.

[frogprog]

Planning a trip to London first week of July. I have a list of sights we would like to see but would appreciate any suggestions. We also have not nailed down where we will be staying  yet. We will be in the city 4 nights so any location for a hotel that is convenient would be helpful also!
Thanks!

[pg1067]

Planning a trip to London first week of July. I have a list of sights we would like to see but would appreciate any suggestions. We also have not nailed down where we will be staying  yet. We will be in the city 4 nights so any location for a hotel that is convenient would be helpful also!
Thanks!

The one thing I always recommend (and which generally isn't on the list of major attractions) are the Cabinet/Churchill War Rooms:  https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms

[frogprog]

It's on my list already!

[Indiscipline]

Planning a trip to London first week of July. I have a list of sights we would like to see but would appreciate any suggestions. We also have not nailed down where we will be staying  yet. We will be in the city 4 nights so any location for a hotel that is convenient would be helpful also!
Thanks!

"Hello, Dolly!" starring Imelda Staunton opens on the 6th of July at the London Palladium.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

going to montreal in may for work