Gettin' Outta Dodge...

December 21, 2009 6:17 PM

Hellllllp !No passports. Quick getaway to a sunny, quiet beach for a frazzled, stressed, tired 50's couple next week.

GF an I want to split from NYC for 5-7 days. Too much information on the google and this is close on the green, : http://ask.metafilter.com/140953/Where-to-go-for-a-short-vacation-in-the-Caribbean. Thanks.

posted by jara1953 to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total)

Well without passports, one obvious location would be Puerto Rico. Since there are a lot of Puerto Ricans in the area, there are many, many flights to the island available from all three airports, departing to different cities. San Juan, of course, but others too.

What kind of vacation are you looking for? As in touristy or slow-paced? Activities? Excursions?
posted by cmgonzalez at 6:44 PM on December 21, 2009

Seconding Puerto Rico. Go to Vieques. It's off the beaten path and oh-so-lovely.
posted by wildeepdotorg at 6:47 PM on December 21, 2009

Also, the American Virgin Islands.

Also, the Florida Keys.

However, check with the airlines to make sure what sort of i.d. they require. Driver's license might not be enough these days, even domestically.
posted by musofire at 7:33 PM on December 21, 2009

Definitely PR, either Vieques/Culebra or (as I suggested in that Ask) "fly to Aguadilla on the west coast of Puerto Rico, rent a car and drive down the coast towards Rincón, find a place to stay in barrio Puntas. Take surfing lessons, explore the rain forest and caves."

You don't need a passport, just government-issued photo ID, but it's a good idea to bring a copy of your birth certificate.
posted by nicwolff at 8:16 PM on December 21, 2009

Vieques is awesome. Very quiet and laid back. We went there for Christmas a couple of years ago and loved it. Looks like there's a chance of rain in the next week, though.

If you don't mind a little longer flight, there's Hawaii.
posted by chbrooks at 11:54 PM on December 21, 2009

My boyfriend and I went to Kauai two summers ago to visit relatives, and it is incredibly gorgeous there. Lush, verdant scenery and picture-perfect beaches. One thing to be aware of, though, is that Kauai's rainy season starts in November and continues through winter so the weather can be unpredictably. Also, tickets might be costly since the peak season for travel to Kauai starts in mid-December.
posted by foulowl at 6:55 AM on December 22, 2009

Sorry, should have listed more; not a long flight, quiet, we won't be doing the night life, maybe do the early bird specials, just want to relax, relax, relax, snorkel, relax. Must be warm and sunny. Thanks!
posted by jara1953 at 9:30 AM on December 22, 2009

Rush passports?
posted by gregr at 10:04 AM on December 22, 2009

Note: For many of the places mentioned, proof of citizenship would probably be nice to have on top of gov't issued ID. If you were born here, then birth certificate, but also an expired passport would suffice. Do you guys have those?

Can't really say about the which-location thing but many of the aforementioned ideas are on the money.
posted by R a c h e l at 10:42 AM on December 22, 2009

Thanks all! Got a condo on the beach on the Gulf. kept it simple.
posted by jara1953 at 3:37 AM on December 23, 2009