Ask MetaFilter questions in the travel & transportation category

Simplest mobile phone for use in Europe, USA, and Australia?

Philosopher Dirtbike — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:53:40 -0800

I currently have a Samsung Guru E1081T. It is a very simple phone, and I can use it in Australia and Europe. However, it does not work in the USA. What is the simplest phone that uses SIM cards that I can use in all three places? No smartphones please; battery life is the paramount consideration. I don't care about features, apart from phone and texting.

Paid off car, have title. Now what?

Xere — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:57:38 -0800

I paid off my car in December, and haven't been around. I'm now back home with the car in California, and I have the car title from the bank/company. The title says I have to notify the DMV within 10 days or something like that, but I'm obviously wayyy past that time frame now. What do I do? Google searches equally tell me to (a) transfer to my name and my name only, asap, removing the bank/company as lienholder, and (b) don't bother until I sell the car. Argh!! Which one is it? Help me, so I don't have to wait at the DMV ... and be told that I don't need to be there after all!

Help me plan our honeymoon in Morocco

SpicyMustard — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:57:02 -0800

My fiancee and I will be honeymooning in Morocco for 12 days in late September-early October of this year. We like food, walking around interesting, beautiful neighborhoods, markets, camping/hiking/climbing/trekking and so on. I think we are going to enjoy ourselves no matter what, but we can't decide if we should try and see Fez and Marrakech We're flying into Marrakech and strongly considering taking a 5 day tour of Berber villages, gorges and Sahara camping from this company. While normally guided tours aren't our thing, this one gets great reviews and the itinerary they sent was impressive. Also, we would likely be the only ones on the tour. And it's very inexpensive.

However, we're not sure if we should go to Fez, or not try and run ourselves ragged. I've heard great things about Fez. They appear to be about 5-6 hours away from each other. If we don't go to Fez, we would do this tour, spend a few days in Marrakech, and take a few other day trips (maybe to Essaouira or to climb a nearby mountain). Or we could spend 2-3 days in Marrakech, do the tour, and spend 2-3 days in Fez.

I understand that there are different philosophies on how to travel--spend more time in one place vs experiencing all that you can. I guess I'm just interested in your experiences, particularly in the travel time between the two and what type of day trip alternatives there might be that I'm not considering.

Flying into Fez wasn't an option because of price.

Just share your Morocco stories and experiences on me. It will help.

Thanks.

Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont Make 50

C'est la D.C. — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:48:44 -0800

My boyfriend and I have decided to take advantage of some sequester-related time off from work around Memorial Day to visit the last three states that he has never seen. We're planning to devote a full day to each state. We've talked with friends and consulted the interwebs to get ideas, but want to make sure we don't miss any hidden gems. So, if you could only do one thing in each of these states, what would it be? There aren't really any caveats to this question. As long as it is something that can reasonably be done in a single day. We love to explore and are always up for trying new things.

You're better than Yelp.

pdb — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:49:49 -0800

I need a good breakfast spot in Vancouver for Saturday morning. The lovely mrs. pdb and I are going to be in Vancouver this weekend to watch the Timbers play the Whitecaps. Our only real non-soccer-or-pub related free time will be on Saturday morning, and we need a good place for breakfast in central Vancouver. We're staying at the Comfort Inn, 654 Nelson St., and we have to be at the Railway Club on Dunsmuir by about 12.30-12.45 to meet up with the rest of our gaggle and collect our match tickets.

We won't have a car, but aren't averse to a reasonably short bus/cab ride to get to an awesome place for breakfast. Any Vancouverites have a favorite in the area?

Things to do in Cleveland before you die

Lizlemondrop — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:16:40 -0800

Heading to Cleveland in Early June to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and then on to Niagara Falls. Help me plan my vacation. My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Cleveland in early June to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is a big item on his bucket list. We'll be spending 2 or 3 days in Cleveland before heading up to Niagara Falls to cross an item off _my_ bucket list. What are some fun things we can do in Cleveland besides the HOF? A place with great live music would be awesome and I am a big fan of good food but I'm also looking for things to do/see in the day besides the HOF. I'd also appreciate any tips for making the most of our visit to the HOF and hey - if you know of anything awesome to see on the way to the Falls or while we're there, let me know about it! We won't have a car while we're in Cleveland, but will be picking up a rental to drive to the falls. We're flying home from Buffalo so any don't miss suggestions there would be appreciated.

Upon rereading, just realized I'm basically asking for you guys to plan my vacation. Have at it! An additional note is that I have a strong suspicion that I may be returning from this trip with an engagement ring so it's obviously going to be a pretty special trip. Or else a horrible trip with much need for distraction!

Travel advice for Navajo Country

ormondsacker — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:11:39 -0800

My girlfriend and I have our great AZ/NM road trip this month, and we'll be looping around and through the Navajo nation on our way to the Chaco Canyon UNESCO site. What should we know, what should we make side-trips for, and where can we get a good bowl of lamb stew? We have a multi-day route planned from Flagstaff up to Monument Valley on the Utah border, down to Chaco Canyon for hiking and archeological geekery, and back south to I-40 and Albuquerque. This will take us through and past a lot of those Tony Hillerman names - Tuba City, Farmington, Gallup - but we're not finding a lot of specific information on interesting sights or destinations in that Rez-adjacent NE Arizona / NW New Mexico area. Any advice from the hive mind? History, Native American culture, spectacular sights, and good local eateries all welcome. (Bonus points for actual experience with the Chaco Culture park and the apparently somewhat dicey roads that get you there. Are those going to be a problem?)

Should I accept my nightmare commute in order to take my dream job?

brenton — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:50:08 -0800

I've been offered my dream job! But between it and me is my worst nightmare--a terrible 1hr+ commute in LA traffic. A commute like this is a deal breaker for me, but at the same time, this position is a career-maker and I really want to figure out how to make it work. Does anyone have suggestions, tricks, or creative ideas to make my commute better? Specifics and details below. So this is the commute I'm looking at. I know Google says it's a 30 minute drive, but Google is not so hot at estimating traffic here. Plus, even a 30 minute drive really gets to me.

Ok, so why do commutes bother me so much? First, I literally get sick in cars, especially when slowing down suddenly (e.g. constant braking in traffic). It's a kind of headache and mild queasiness. I hate it, but it's not unbearable. Secondly, I really feel trapped by the 40 hour work week. I have so many other things I'd like to do with my life, and I feel like working a full 40 hours leaves me almost no time to get stuff done for myself. Putting commute time on top of that adds to the misery. Also, I get incredibly bored in traffic. I have a very active, creative mind that doesn't want to stop: in the past I've listened to online courses and audiobooks, and podcasts, but ultimately, I am left with a sense of anxiety because I can't actually actively DO anything while driving.

Solutions?

Take the metro. This makes the commute 1.5 hours, assuming I always arrive at the perfect time at the three or four various busses and trains I'd have to take. But on the other hand, I could use that time to do whatever I wanted--read, write, create...
Ride my motorcycle. This makes the commute closer to Google's estimated 30 mins, but then weather becomes an annoyance and I get rattled up by the wind and the noise on my way to work every day.
Get a better car. My current car is a noisy, clunky piece of junk that is a big part of the reason I get sick when I drive. A quieter car, (an electric?) would help things out. But my wife and I are both extremely frugal and extremely opposed to debt.
Rideshare. I don't exactly know how or if this works, but I assume there is some way to find people with the same commute and pay them to drive you. But I think this would be hard to work out, especially since I would have a somewhat unreliable schedule.
Taxi. Really expensive, but the bump in salary from taking this job would probably cover it. I don't actually know how much taxis cost though.
???

What's going on with my car?

lea724 — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:19:09 -0800

My 1998 Volvo S70 has been making an audible whirring/grinding noise when driving and braking. It's intermittent (though lately, it's been happening daily), unable to replicate reliably, occurs when driving at slower speeds (less than 35 mph), and occurs multiple times within the first 15 minutes or so of turning the car on and driving. No dashboard lights have shown up and the mechanic can't replicate the problem or figure out what's happening. What's going on? (additional details inside) Additional details: Usually what happens is that the car will make the whirring/grinding noise while driving and then if I brake soon after that, the brake will seemingly lock up (as though the ABS were malfunctioning) for a fraction of a second, and then let me brake with a minor jerking kind of motion, all while making a grinding noise. The brakes (for now) still seem to work fine, otherwise. I've been keeping my distance from cars in front of me in the meantime.

The issues occur regardless of whether the engine is cold or hot.

Another snag is that this will happen multiple times for a few weeks and then will be fine for a couple of weeks before starting up again. Anecdotally, I feel like now that it's started up again, it's happening more frequently throughout the day.

The mechanic (whom I trust) has looked at the brakes and the ABS system and says there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with either. He was unable to replicate the problem when I left the car with him for a few days about a month ago.

Any ideas? This is driving me (ha!) crazy.

NYC travel challenge: LaGuardia to Weekhawken this Saturday afternoon

brozek — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:28:59 -0800

My wife is traveling to New York City for work this weekend, so we're making a family trip out of it (including a 5 and 1 year-old). Their first time - yay! Unfortunately, we're flying into LaGuardia and the person organizing her travel just changed the hotel reservation to the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. We've only visited NYC a handful of times, but enough to know that's a difficult jaunt with no direct route. Getting a car service is an option, but it's almost $200 and we'd like to find more frugal option using public transportation if at all possible. Is our best bet an airport bus to the Port Authority, then transfer to something going into Weehawken (bus or bus/ferry combo)?

Get me to the Bali on time

mrfuga0 — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:00:06 -0800

Has anyone ever successfully booked travel on Indonesia's Lion Air? They seem to require an Indonesian credit card, which I decidedly do not have. Suggestions on how to get around this? Bonus question! Why would an airline restrict its clientele to one country?

Traveling the Sherlock Way

tooloudinhere — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:37:10 -0800

I have the first week of June to travel, now in need of suggestions as to a place that might fit my strange requirements. I'm a recent college graduate with say a 1K budget, about half for transportation, and I want to get out of town for a few days to a week before starting a job. I'm also really shy, and things others consider fun I do not (amusement parks, the beach, skiing...) and sight seeing by itself I find pretty boring.

Basically I want to travel with a purpose, whether investigative or educational. Things I really like: scavenger hunts, mazes, mysteries, museums that revolve around science or portraiture. Going to all the locations a film was set. That kind of thing, with good food as a bonus.

Does this kind of vacation exist? Do you know of any destinations or programs that might fit the bill?

(The bill includes being reachable from southern VA with a transportation budget of $500 by car or plane, starting in two weeks, which may prove nearly impossible, so aim for those parameters but if you have great plans that preclude greater lead time or budget tell me about that, too!)

Or suggestions as to crafting my own adventure?

Destinations I've been, not especially keen to revisit unless there's some extraordinary aspect I might have missed: D.C., New Orleans, all of Texas, NYC (granted, would love to go again, but perhaps not this time), all historical battle fields, and definitely not Colonial Williamsburg.

Finding a Missing Traveller

Ikazuchi — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:19:09 -0800

My brother left for Rome, Italy on Monday to do a summer job for a lab there and we (his friends and family) still haven't had any contact from him. I'm worried that something might have happened to him and his wife and kids are worried sick. Is there any good routes to trying to find him in case he's been in an accident? I don't have the name of the lab he's working for or I'd just call them :(

San Francisco bike questions

mikepop — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:40:19 -0800

I'll be travelling to San Francisco for a conference the last week of May and I'd like to rent a bicycle and bike around a bit. Any bike-related stuff going on then? This and other bike questions inside. I'll be arriving early afternoon on Monday the 27th (assuming no filght delays) and flying back out late Thursday night. The conference is scheduled for Tuesday - Thursday so this leaves me most of Monday and the other evenings free. So, not a lot of free time but if there happen to be any sort of bike-related events or rides going on please let me know. I'll be staying near Union Square, but happy to travel anywhere in the city (or down to the Penninsula).

In terms of biking, I am someone who commutes about 15 miles/day year round in Maine, and I take longer rides on the weekends once the snow melts. I'm not a racer but generally have no problems riding with city traffic and getting around at a good enough pace.

I used to live (but not bike much) in San Francisco so I am familiar with the city generally and if nothing specific is going on I'll plan to ride around to some favorite places Monday and in the evenings.

Bike rental: searching brings up the two biggest bike rental places, which seem fine, but I'd happily give my money to a local bike shop instead if any do rentals.

Stores: I know many bike-related companies are based there, so are there any flagship or otherwise interesting stores or the like I should check out if I have the chance?

Any tips, warnings, etc. from local riders are greatly appreciated!

(Bonus Question: A pierogi restaurant called Stuffed was supposed to be opening in the Mission by "mid-April", but I haven't been able to find any news beyond that. Anyone know if it will be open by Memorial Day?)

Perfect weekend bag, do you exist? At a reasonble price?

leedly — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:40:37 -0800

I am looking for the perfect weekend bag that is not crazily expensive. I would like to buy a lightweight, attractive weekend bag/travel tote. This would be something that I could easily carry while walking around, and which would hold enough stuff for at least 48+ hours. Requirements:

1) Not leather - it's too heavy.
2) Somewhat attractive - I don't want this to look like heavy duty luggage or a duffel bag.
3) Not too expensive - I wouldn't have to use it very often, but it needs to hold up.

I have though about getting a large L.L. Bean canvas tote, which I have heard are extremely durable. But I don't like the available colors, and the other variations seem like they would be too small.

This LeSportsac Large Weekender is nearly exactly what I want in terms of size and shape. But I don't love the color choices, and it's a bit too expensive.

Does anyone have any experience with the LeSportsac Weekender in particularly, or similar recommendations? Previous questions have erred too much on the "extremely large handbag" to "study suitcase" spectrum, and I am looking for neither.

Rent cars frequently? Have an opinion? Please share.

kestralwing — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:43:41 -0800

We're going to be driving from Seattle, Washington to Ashland, Oregon in July, doing it in one long day's drive each way. We'll be driving a rental. What model of car is the most comfortable? What model has the best gas mileage? What model has the optimum balance between the two? We're both average size. We would definitely want air conditioning in Oregon in July, but I think every car comes with that now?

I'd also welcome opinions about rental car agencies. We usually rent from a local, non-franchise rental business near us for vans & trucks, but their selection of passenger cars is severely limited. Any company wonderful? Any company to be avoided? Other tips? (I know not to pay for extra insurance, to check the car very carefully before we leave, to get both of us listed as authorized drivers .... anything else?)

What to do and eat in Quebec City and Maritimes

beccaj — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:12:26 -0800

Despite my feelings about cruises, I am taking my mom on a cruise for her 80th birthday (Quebec City, Nova Scotia, PEI). I am looking for help - with what to eat and what to see. Because I am expecting to not be thrilled about the food on the cruise I want to make up for it with terrific meals when we are ashore.

We will be in Quebec city for a few days and have stops in Charlottetown, Sydney and Halifax. We will have a car and I am looking for the best restaurant experiences. What we love is GOOD FOOD (does not have to be cutting edge/fancy/served in petri dishes) paired with a great location - historic buildings, beautiful views, rolling farms, or really unique.
We will be in Quebec City for all 3 meals but the other locations only for lunch.

The only real plans we have for what we are doing (other than eating) is going to Louisbourgh in Nova Scotia. I am very interested in hearing about "must-sees" in any of the locations. I would say we like history and natural beauty and anything unique to that area.

Advice on a cross-country route from Minneapolis to Richmond

Zosia Blue — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:24:18 -0800

We're driving from Minneapolis to Richmond this weekend, and want to change up our usual route. Will you locals in the major cities along our route provide wisdom/advice on the traffic and construction situation? Husband & I are driving from Minneapolis to Richmond this weekend. We've done this drive twice before and we'd like to change up our usual route, which typically avoids Chicago and other major construction/traffic areas. Instead, we'd like to do this route, linked here.

Wise? Not wise? We've never driven through Pittsburgh, Cleveland or NOVA/outer-DC, and I'm wondering if the change of scenary won't be worth the time we sit in traffic and weave through construction. We plan to check traffic and construction maps, but there's nothing like hearing it from the locals. Our trip there will start this Saturday, with arrival in Richmond on Sunday, while the trip back will be next Thursday and Friday. One of us (me) is also a nervous driver, so while my husband will be pulling most of the city routes, this new route snakes us through more major city traffic.

Any warnings or advice on this route would be much appreciated. We're not interested in sight-seeing -- just getting to the destination and plan to do about 12 hours over two days, with no particular planned stop place on the first evening (we'll just stop when we're tired). Thanks!

Advice on traveling to Guinea

BillW — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:53:28 -0800

Our daughter is going to a dance intensive program in Guinea, Africa. While my wife and I have traveled quite a bit in Europe and Asia, Africa is new to us. She will be getting all necessary shots, travel insurance, etc., but we're more interested in the less than obvious. While she will be in and out of Conakry, from our understanding she will also be helping to build a school and traveling around other parts of Guinea. Does anyone have any advice for our daughter about Guinea, travel to Africa, cultural dos and don'ts or logistical information about communications, phones, or anything else? Thanks!

Where can I take a shower and leave a bag for the day in New York City?

reductiondesign — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:33:17 -0800

In a few weeks I'll be flying into NYC around 9:00 AM and flying out around 9:00 PM, and I'd like to take a shower somewhere and maybe even leave my bag for the day so I can wander the city. So far the only options I've found are to pay about $50 for access to an airline lounge, which seems too pricey for what I want, or to book a hotel room. Surely there are cheaper options? I'm not too picky about location, but somewhere in Lower Manhattan would probably be best. Please help me out, New Yorkers!

Best way to get from Northern Virginia to NYC?

alligatorman — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:05:16 -0800

I need to get to NYC on a Friday evening. I work in Tyson's Corner, I live in Arlington, and I will have my car with me. I would rather not drive, and I don't live near the metro. What are my options if the earliest I can leave work is 4PM? Back when I worked in DC, I would take the buses from Union Station, but getting into DC now sounds like it would be a nightmare. I would probably lose a few hours and get into NYC very late. Do I have any other options, other than just driving? Are there any trains that I could take where I could leave my car overnight for a weekend?

Backup plans for a vacation to the Front Range

Elly Vortex — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:54:50 -0800

My fella and I will be in Estes Park and Golden, Colorado for the week of May 26th-June 1st. We planned on doing a lot of hiking. We've had our fingers crossed for good weather, but it's starting to look like we may have to have some backup plans. Help! When we made reservations for Estes Park and Golden for the last week of May, we knew that we'd be cutting it close. The main road through Rocky Mountain National Park officially opens on May 24th...if the weather cooperates. We planned on several days of hiking in RMNP and the Snowies up in Wyoming. I've already scratched the Snowies off the list due to snow (should have seen that one coming, right?). Our main plans are to do a bunch of fun day hikes in RMNP. We do NOT want to bring our snowshoes.

So now we are making some backup plans for things to do on the Front Range the last week of May. I used to live in Fort Collins, so I'm confident that we won't just be sitting around the hotel room, twiddling our thumbs. Although I'm sure we can have a ton of fun just hanging around Old Town, I'd like other ideas.

We're both in our mid-30's outdoorsy folks in good health and prepared for trail hiking. No backpacking on this trip. We're both cyclists but are not bringing our bikes with us. I'd love to rent bikes somewhere, but am worried about how we'll fare in the hills (we're flatlanders and we're just getting back into biking after the long winter). Anyone have any suggestions about nice flat places to rent bikes and toodle around?

We like museums - I think Denver has a natural history museum? - but are really looking forward to spending time outside. We like history, science, archaeology, etc. Anything pertaining to trains is double plus awesome.

Any recommendations for the best Brewery Tour? We're not huge beer drinkers, but we are the sorts of people that love taking tours of historic buildings, factories, landmarks, state capitols, etc.

We will have a car, but I'm not keen on spending a ton of time in it. I think the farthest south we'd be willing to go is Colorado Springs, and only if there's something totally awesome going on. We're going to hit Vedauwoo on the way out, so no need to visit Garden of the Gods. We'd be willing to drive up into the mountains if the roads are open.

Help us, Metafilter! Save us from sitting in the hotel room, playing Empire Builder and watching House Hunters. Thanks!

Sac-SLC-Denver road trip with a five-year-old

DakotaPaul — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:34:58 -0800

We're road-tripping from Sacramento to Salt Lake City to Denver with our five-year-old, and are looking for tips on routes and places to stop. This is our son’s second major road trip, but our first on this particular route. Our current plan is to leave Sac in the morning, spend the night in Salt Lake City, move on to Denver the next day, then do the reverse a week later. Some questions we have:

1. We realize Sac to Salt Lake City is going to be a long day of driving, so any good scenic viewpoints, rest stops, restaurants, parks or any other place that’s good to get out and stretch the legs or run off some energy would be good. Do you have any favorites?

2. Is Dinosaur National Monument worth the side trip? As soon as we mentioned “dinosaur bones” our son’s face lit up. According to Google Maps, the quickest way to Denver would then be US 40 and I-70. Is that a decent drive?

3. For the trip back, which is more interesting or has more places to stop between Salt Lake City and Denver: I-80 or I-70?

Any other tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

Transportation between Brooklyn and Southold, New York

Shebear — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:44:05 -0800

Next Monday I have to get from Brooklyn to Southold, New York. I can't take the train because it doesn't get in until about noon, which is too late for me to make my meeting. Are there any alternatives, such as buses? Or is there another station I should consider taking a train to, and then taking a cab to Southold? I might also be able to have someone pick me up from someplace that is not too far from Southold, if that is an option. Thanks in advance for the help!

California road trip details

you're a kitty! — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:37:05 -0800

Please help us arrange some details for our California road trip! Questions about places to camp near Santa Barbara, Monterey, Sonoma, the Redwoods, and more. I'll be traveling with two dear friends (late-twenties, two girls and a guy). We're mostly planning to camp to save money, but if you can suggest REALLY COOL other options we might consider spending more for one night. We'd rather not have to hike in unless there's a truly extraordinary campsite; we have decent equipment and are in pretty good shape, but aren't extraordinarily outdoorsy. Mostly we want to see the beauty of California and build campfires and drink beers and talk in the evenings.

I've seen the related questions on here, but we've got some slightly different requirements. We've already got some days planned out, but the days I'm still trying to arrange look like this:

Day 1: Drive from Sacramento to somewhere in Napa or Sonoma for wine tours. Camp there, or one of us can be designated driver and head up to (broadly speaking) the Mendocino area and camp along the coast. We'd like to do some tidepooling if possible sometime the next day.
• Good campsites in Napa or Sonoma, where we can easily get to vineyards?
OR
• Good campsites along the coast (as close to the cliffs/beaches as possible).

Day 2: Drive up to the Redwoods, and camp there.
• Do we need to go all the way up to Redwoods National Park to get the full Avenue-of-the-Giants effect?
• Good campsites in the area? If we can camp in the proper redwoods that would be ideal.

From there we drive down to the bay area for a few nights, but afterwards:

Day 3: Monterey (aquarium and town).
• Good places to camp near Monterey or Carmel? Someone suggested Limekiln, any opinions?

Day 4: Drive south along the cost, to Morro Bay or farther down to the Santa Barbara area. We'd like to at least get a glimpse of Southern California without descending into the LA madness.
• We're considering the El Capitan Valley tent cabins or the campsites close to the beach; any other suggestions?

Extra questions:
• We would love to actually camp ON the beach at some point (and would go out of our way to do so), but I haven't been able to find any campsites that offer this option. Did I miss something?

Thank you!