Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Travel

Eastern European destinations

jedro — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:41:59 -0800

I'm visiting Eastern Europe for 3 weeks in April - where should I visit and why? This is a deliberately vague question, but try to 'sell me' a particular country/region

Tired of the Huge Overpriced Hotels and Hotel List Sites Showing Up In My Search Results

VC Drake — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:07:02 -0800

Does anyone know of any inexpensive motel list sites that specialize in mom and pop motels and weekly rates and let you search by price? So far, I've found these three sites:

Motel Trip
Motel Guide
Mom and Pop Motels

But they aren't providing me with the details I need. I'm not so much interested in searching only by location and they aren't consistently, if at all, showing the motel's web address or rates.

Also, I'm looking for one that may specialize in weekly rates.

I appreciate your help. Thanks.

Never use Priceline after 5am

disillusioned — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:30:58 -0800

IdiotFilter: I booked a Priceline hotel with the wrong region selected. Should I eat it and book somewhere else? Or will it work for New Year's Eve? I made the catastrophic mistake of Pricelineing after 5am last night and during my rebid process (where you add regions that don't have the star level you're looking for, so you can instantly rebid), I jacked it down from 4 star to 3.5 star without unchecking all the regions.

This placed me at the Hilton Del Mar (map).

I'm there from Dec 31 - Jan 3, for $161 total.

I wanted to be in Downtown/Harbor Island, so that I could have a choice of festivities, and to be closer to downtown SD during the other days, but again, I was an idiot.

Both Priceline and Hilton absolutely refuse to budge and that's to be expected—I read the terms and made the mistake.

So my question is: Should I eat the $161 and try to find a similar deal closer? Or should I just stay there and drive in?

We have a vehicle, but I don't know what sort of parking situation we'll see coming in to downtown.

We might like to do the Zoo, Sea World, Harbor Island, the beach (which is close to this hotel), and the Gaslamp Quarter, so clearly being closer would be nice.

What's your expert opinion, San Diegans? It appears to be a solid 20 miles from downtown—will this be absolutely devastating, traffic-wise on the holiday weekend? Or can I reasonably make it down in 20 minutes?

God, I feel stupid. I'm usually fastidious and extremely careful with things like travel bookings, but I just missed it here and now I'm stuck.

Your advice is welcome—I'm willing to eat the $161, since I'm splitting the hotel with the girlfriend (she'll split wherever we stay, I'll eat the $161 myself) so that hurts a bit less, but if it's manageable, we'll just stay there. It looks like a pretty nice hotel on its own.

Puerto Rico for the Ladies

airguitar2 — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:24:10 -0800

Help 3 lady writer/artists plan a budget-friendly Puerto Rico vacay! My two closest friends and I are all in need of some serious ladies' hang-out time. We have 5 days in February whittled out to chat, sun, and experience an oxytocin explosion. We've narrowed it down to Puerto Rico or the Yucatan, because our criteria are:

1. Warm, with beaches
2. Easily accessible from Minneapolis and NYC
3. Relatively affordable

Can anyone recommend budget-friendly accomodations in Puerto Rico? Any must-sees? Any suggested itineraries for three friends on a budget?

Thanks a mill!

In 2009, how much does it cost to backpack in Europe?

kitcat — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:27:36 -0800

Mainly to settle an argument: what is your best estimate on what it would cost for 2 North American adults in their 30s to spend about 6 - 8 weeks traveling through Eastern Europe? They say $10,000. I say - that's ridiculous. After a conversation about travel with friends of ours this evening, I'm wondering if I'm way out of touch with how much backpacking costs these days. 10 years ago, I did 8 weeks in Western and Eastern Europe for about $3,500 - flight included. 6 years ago, I spent 6 months in Russia studying and teaching and spent about
$7,500.

So - what does it cost now - especially when it comes to accommodations? Are we too old to stay in hostels now? Is it still possible to rent / sublet apartments - in Poland and Russia, for example - for a couple hundred dollars for a few week's stay? Please bring me a little bit up to date and tell me (if you can) that it most certainly would not cost $10,000 for a backpacking trip where one maintains a reasonably comfortable standard of traveling.

A note - these funds are in CDN $.

I want to get an iPhone, but how do I travel across carriers?

Knigel — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:47:58 -0800

Hello, I'm wanting to get iPhone (or use my Blackberry Worldphone) in Korea and other countries; however, I do not know the best way to do this. From my understanding I would likely have to buy an unlocked phone and then get hooked up with a carrier on a pay-as-I-go plan or something? What do most nomads do for phones besides things like Skype?

Cell Phone Unlocking for Dummies

carterscott — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:18:24 -0800

Can Ask MeFi help me understand how cell phone unlocking works? I'm traveling to Europe and looking to use an old Motorola RAZR for making phone calls. I'm traveling to France for the month of January and have been trying to figure out the best option for using a cell phone in France. After research, research, and more research, I've found out about GSM cell phone unlocking which seems like the best fit for my needs.

I called AT&T (my wireless provider) and they happily provided me with the unlock code for my old Motorola RAZR phone. However, the process manage to confuse me. According to the customer service rep, when the phone is unlocked, it will be associated with my current wireless number (which is currently attached to my iPhone). This befuddles me... shouldn't I have a French exchange if I put a French SIM card in my phone?

Many thanks for any assistance provided!

NYE in Mt. Lassen, or Joe vs. the Volcano 2010

dhn — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:15:30 -0800

How to spend NYE in Redding, CA? More generally, what are great local, non-chain places to eat at in Redding, Mt. Lassen, and the Shasta Lake region? Any nice, "fine dining" options for NYE, or are we looking at just burgers and barbecue and the like? Good food more important than atmosphere, although if there's a suggestion for a nice romantic restaurant, I'm all ears. Also let me know if there's some trail or some sight or some activity we must do in the area. We'll be there from Dec. 29 to January 2nd and staying at a hotel in Redding. Thanks!

The right book for a train ride

timory — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:07:43 -0800

What are good books to read on a train? This holiday, for the first time, I'll be taking the train home instead of flying. I'm relishing the thought of being able to read while traveling (airplanes make me queasy), and I'm looking forward to the forced downtime from the internet and other things that distract me from reading even a fraction of what I used to read.

The journey is about 8 hours long, 16 round trip. It seems the perfect amount to read a smaller novel each way, or a longer one I could split half and half on each leg.

Please give me your recommendations. I'm looking for something more literary (not necessarily part of "the canon," but definitely nothing pulpy or best-sellery), and engaging enough to hold my attention for 8 hours straight. I want the perfect thing to read while staring out into snowy Pennsylvania and listening to the tracks chug by. I think the Mountain Goats are the best music to listen to on these long journeys alone, but I want the literary equivalent of that.

Here is a sparse sampling of the kinds of books I'm looking for:
Calvino, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
Gaarder, The Solitaire Mystery
Updike, Rabbit, Run
Murakami, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

I'm sensing a theme... maybe the theme of journeys, whether fantastical or mundane, seems to fit the mold for me here.

Recommendations for (simpler) novellas in Russian or Spanish are also welcome, because I could very much stand to brush up on those languages. Bonus points for magically guessing and suggesting books I already own but haven't yet read. Thank you!

Ideas for quiet Caribbean beach vacation?

mark7570 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:37:09 -0800

Where is a good quiet Caribbean beach resort, with good food and service but a minimum of loud people/activities/partying? Here's what I want from the resort or hotel: walk right out directly onto the beach. Sit down in a beach chair under an umbrella. Order a beer or pina colada (or bring one from the beach bar). Then do nothing all day, enjoying peace and quiet, looking at the water. Then walk back to the resort's restaurant for a good dinner. Bedtime. Next day, same agenda.

I don't want a casino. I don't want nightlife. I don't want organized hula hoop contests on the beach. I don't want rock-climbing or kayaking adventures. I just want a beach, an umbrella, and a beer. And then a nice dinner.

Extra points if this location is a direct flight from New York City.

One place that fits the bill, by the way, is resorts on Grace Bay, within Turks & Caicos. (Providenciales is a direct flight from NYC.) But most of those places are expensive and I'd love to find something that's more affordable.

Any ideas and/or recommendations from past experience?

P.S. I have seen this question about a short Caribbean vacation... which is helpful except that I'm not looking for a lot of outside activities.

How to entertain parents you don't get along with?

thegreatcokeolympics — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:29:58 -0800

Activities to do in San Francisco for mellow people... My parents and I will be visiting SF for christmas and staying a few days after. This is the first time in a while we are spending time together due to the inevitable drama and negativity that comes when we get together. I really want this trip to go well! I need some suggestions for activities that will keep us preoccupied (so we don't have the chance to argue or complain), but not annoy us, and by us, I mean my mother. This means nothing too loud or that has that "young person" vibe. I'm 28 and my parents are in their mid 50s, so I'm aiming for something age neutral.

I ask for suggestions because I seem to either find young person hot spots or family oriented spots (which inevitably means directed at kids), but nothing in between. Please point me in the right direction!

Also, nothing too expensive.

Thanks in advance for your help!

How to deal with homesickness while living abroad? (And when can I give in to it and go home?

inatizzy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:32:54 -0800

I've been happily living abroad for three months, and all of a sudden I'm extremely homesick and I want to come home. I want to get past this, but how? (Apologies for the length. It's a complicated issue for me. The questions are at the end. Thanks. :)

I've been living in Buenos Aires for 3 months now, fulfilling a long-time dream to live abroad. I'm settled in with a small group of friends I see a few times a week (fellow swing dancers), moving to an apartment with two nice roommates this week, and I've pretty much moved past the just-moved-here distractions and into regular, mundane life.

So for the past week, I've been hit by intense, depression-level homesickness. I'm missing my family the most I have in many years, probably because I'm in the thick of spending my first Christmas ever away from my hometown and my family, which is very sad and a even a little scary for me. (It is too expensive to go back, and I knew that when I decided to come here.) Christmas is not religious for us, but it's a ritual that is the cornerstone of my year. We come together and it wraps up this year and starts off the next one. To stave off the loneliness, I've been good about making plans with friends for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and I will video Skype with my family.

Despite this, the homesickness persists. I cycle between feeling normal and feeling really down. The down time is usually in the afternoon, when I'm home alone and the long, lonely day is stretched out ahead of me. The up time is usually in the evening and night when I have plans. (Or even tonight, when I don't!) What I'm going through now reminds me of the way my mood cycled one summer, seven years ago, when I had major depression. Overall I feel more stable and happy now than then, during my "up" times, but the down times are similar. I'm sad, filled with hopelessness and grief, and I cry so hard that I practically burst out of my skin. My perspective gets skewed and I don't believe any of the logic behind my decision to live here. I get desperate and I just want to end the pain and be home with my family RIGHT NOW. (Even though Mom & I both agree that really, this should be a good experience for our family to go experience a Christmas when one of us isn't there.)

During the ups I feel pretty normal and in agreement with the logic that brought me here to live. But I do feel more tired, emotionally and physically, and I just don't have as much energy to be enthusiastic about things. (Usually I'm quite bubbly and smiley.) My friends notice and have been asking me if I'm OK, even when I'm in the best part of my day.

The whole thing is making me question how long I want to or should stay here. I came here to improve my Spanish and to live internationally for awhile. (So that I will have had that life experience.) When I'm feeling up, I have the strength to keep pushing on towards those goals but when I'm down, I don't care anymore. I just want to be home. I want to give up trying to stay strong. In both states of mind I am looking forward to settling into a community for the long term and working my way up in a new career path (community organizing or something similar). These are things I've been looking forward to since before I left and in fact they inspired me to live abroad because I wasn't ready to settle down until I did this first.

I'm sorry for writing so much here. I guess what I'm looking for here is some insight and guidance from people who've been through this before. Why did homesickness hit, what did you miss, and how did you cope with it? Do you have advice for me as I try to overcome it? Both during the holidays, and in general? And at what point is it OK to decide to go home? I don't want to give up too soon but I also don't want to be unnecessarily hard on myself and force myself to stay here unhappily. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Traveling to Cuba, via Bahamas

RajahKing — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:06:33 -0800

How does one intrepid traveler explain the double stamp to the feds upon return to US soil from a trip that may or may not include Cuba? So, I have a friend (really its not me) and US citizen that is headed to Cuba for a few weeks. She plans to fly from a US city to Nassau, Bahamas, then quickly hop on a plane, fly to Havana. Stay a few weeks, return to Nassau, back to same US city. Presumably, her passport will have two stamps: one on say Christmas entering Bahamas, one on say January 15 entering Bahamas.

I realize there are other AskMes with answers about various odds and ends of travel to Cuba as an American citizen.

Her question is relatively specific:

Why do you say upon re-entry when the US re-entry officials notice you have two stamps of entry to the Bahamas a few weeks apart? The obvious question seems to be "so where were you for those few weeks?"

Do you lie and say you were in a different Carribean country? Do you ask the Bahamanian officials not to stamp twice? Do you cross your fingers and hope they don't?

I would love the answers to come from those who might have insight, not really looking for "she's asking for trouble dude" kind of answers. (Cause she gets that.)

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

*Obviously, no general or otherwise liscence has been garnered.

Getting to Atlanta on the Chinatown bus

greta simone — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:11:08 -0800

Please tell me about your experience on the Chinatown bus from NYC to the southeast. Should I put my friend on it so she can get home? I have had a friend visiting me in NYC this weekend whose flight to Atlanta today got canceled. All the flights that the airline can reschedule her for will make her miss her Christmas plans.

So I looked up buses at gotobus.com and found a bus that leaves Chinatown run by Horse Run Tour. I am assuming this is the Chinatown bus, as it's the only bus leaving from Chinatown that I could find.

I have read previous threads about the Chinatown bus but they either seemed like they were from people who hadn't necessarily taken one or by people taking a different route (i.e. possibly run by a different carrier).

For what it's worth, we have already looks at tons of other options, and they are either too expensive or won't put her in Atlanta on the day she needs. Also, this trip says 14 hours to Greyhound's 23, so we figured it would be better.

Could you tell me if this bus is reasonably safe and reliable or any other experiences you have had?

GET ME HOME!!!

chicago2penn — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:41:03 -0800

I WANT TO GET HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!! Hive-mind, we need your help!

My partner and I are stuck in Philadelphia, and would like to get home to our respective momma's before Christmas. Please help us find ways to do this!

She needs to get to Cincinnati, and I to Atlanta.

We can travel from anywhere within train distance. Baltimore, DC, New York, Harrisburg...
Driving is not an option.

Any ideas are welcome!

You! You with the shifty eyes, step out of the line!

Fortnight Bender — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:38:06 -0800

My brother gets security grief when he flies. Is there a solution? Wondering about airline security. I purchased a flight for myself and my brother online using my credit card. Day of fight I went to do early (within 24 hour check-in) and it says my brother in unable to do it and must show ID at airport. Brother says, yeah this has happened before, his name is on a list and he has filled out a form and sent it in with all the information they (the Gubmint I presume) requested. Apparently that did not solve the problem. We know this is a fairly common issue, and the airline lady at the counter implied it was a waste of time to try and fix it, as he had attempted. Our names are common (or so it seems to me) like Richard and James Smith. Granted that may not be relevant. Because he couldn't be checked in early, and it was an airline whereby you acquire a position in line for seating based on check in time, he was cheated (or so we feel) out of a more favorable position. The only information I gave about him when buying the ticket was his name.

Is there a way to fix this? (Despite what the airline lady said). That is, has anyone successfully fixed this? How do they know he is THE James Smith just by his name (the one who needs further ID check)? Do all of the James Smiths who engage in airline travel enjoy this extra scrutiny? Sorry if that is multiple questions. Neither he nor I fly all that often, but it seems to be a nuisance. Thanks!

Arty, smarty, but with a party?

JoanArkham — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:52:00 -0800

Mr. Arkham and I want to take a long weekend-type mini vacation in early February, somewhere either driveable or a cheap flight from DC. Our usual M.O. for picking places is to find a cool event, then plan a trip around it. He summed up what we're looking for as "arty, smarty, but with a party." We love museum events like the Late Fridays at the V&A or Hirshhorn After Dark but we're also film and book nerds who go to horror and comic conventions.

We're mostly looking to stay within the U.S. but willing to venture farther if we can find an inexpensive flight. Walkable, arty cities like Portland (OR) and Toronto are ideal, but we don't want to go somewhere and then get stuck in a hotel due to bad weather.

Austin was a possibility, but I understand the bats aren't around that time of year so we'll probably save that for another trip.

So...anything cool and fun going on in your town in early February?

Off to Tulum We Are, Are We

DuckGirl — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:29:19 -0800

Suggestions for must see/do/experience in Tulum? Mr. Duck and I are going to Tulum for the Christmas week, and are looking for suggestions on what to do and see while there. I have reviewed some of the other threads, but as most are a few years old I thought I'd revisit the topic and learn if there are any new thoughts.

We are flying into Cancun, staying at Cabanas Copal in Tulum and will likely rent a car to get to and from all points. I'm interested in good food; he's interested in snorkeling/scuba diving; we're both interested in ruins and artwork and generally neat stuff. Any advice is appreciated!

Vancouver BC restaurant recommendations, please

rabinowitz — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:45:17 -0800

We're going to be in Vancouver BC in late December, and would love your restaurant recommendations. For the most part, we tend to like the same places as those "foodie" folks, especially places that concentrate on local, seasonal ingredients, but we love all good food. Nothing too snooty (Mr. Rabinowitz won't be bringing a jacket and tie), but we're open to (almost) all cuisines and price ranges as long as there's deliciousness involved. We'll be there for several days, and we'd like to experience a range of Vancouver's food offerings-- but we definitely want to have at least one GREAT Chinese meal, as that's one of the few things not available to us at home in Portland.

As to geography, we'll probably be staying at a hotel downtown (any opinions on Sutton Place vs. Fairmont Vancouver vs. Wedgewood, by the way?), but we'll have a car so we figure we can get just about anywhere we need to.

Thanks so much, Metafilter.

What's a good career move for me, prefer travel?

photo guy — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:08:05 -0800

What's a good career move for me? Forgive the length, as I've been giving this a lot of thought and really need to resolve this. I'm a bit unhappy with my career and have been for a while now. As it happens, I'm at a point in my life where I can make a clean break and chase my dreams, I just need some guidance.

My history: I'm 29 years old, single, no kids, and up until I was laid off earlier this year was working as an engineer. I don't have a lot of money or possessions, but have very little debt. I also own a house that I'm renting out to make some extra money. I should also mention that I'm not really the typical engineer - much more outgoing, hate being in a cubicle all day, and get bored easily.

The past five years I've spent working for a small design firm, basically writing software for cheap electronics - mostly two-way radios. I'm not a very skilled programmer (Assembly and C, that's it), found the work too stressful, and am honestly surprised I lasted there as long as I did. Before that, I spent a couple of years pulling cable for a telecom company - mostly grunt work, but worth mentioning.

Despite my misgivings in college, I finished my BS in Electrical Engineering since I was always a math/science whiz. I did reasonably well I think, given how hard the program was.

What I'm looking for: What I would really like is a job that allowed me to live abroad, or at least travel frequently. I've taken a few extended trips over the past few years, and am convinced that's what I should be doing. If I have to work stateside for the next couple of years, I would prefer to be able to at least live in another part of the country. I've been living in the same mid-sized Midwestern city my whole life, and for reasons I won't go into here, would really like a change of scenery.

What I've considered/been suggested so far:

Foreign Service - This would be perfect! I'm applying as an SEO, but have been given the impression that I will most likely not get medical clearance (which is very stringent) due to a minor condition I have to take medication for.

Other federal jobs - I've contacted a few three-letter agencies (CIA, FBI, etc), but haven't heard anything back yet. I don't know if there are any other government jobs out there that fit what I'm looking for.

Military - I'm not really the military type, but I haven't ruled it out completely.

Teaching English - Not exactly a career I would want long-term, but at least it would get me out of the States for a while.

Any other suggestions? I'm open to re-schooling if necessary (although paying for it could be an issue).

Bitte helf mir!

miss lynnster — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:41:27 -0800

I'm on my way to Austria for a few weeks. Looking for a handy German language app for my Blackberry Tour to help me as I struggle to remember the language. Is there one? While we're here, any other good world travel apps you recommend? I'll be in Paris for two days, then Vienna and points beyond.

I'm new to this Blackberry thang really, so I'm not familiar with many of the apps yet... please hook me up, you young hipster people.

Thanks! :D

How do you get from Houston to Dallas?

bluefly — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:57:13 -0800

Is there a cheap way to get from Houston to Dallas without renting a car? I'll be in Houston for a week over New Year's, and I'd like to visit Dallas for a couple days. Is there a bus or a train? Airplane tickets are ~$200 with tax, which is a little pricey for the sort of jaunt I was imagining. Thanks.

I'd rather not celebrate Christmas at Terminal 5

venividivici — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:12:39 -0800

I have a ticket to fly British Airways home for Christmas next Tuesday. What should I do? I'm set (or was set) to fly from Heathrow to Baltimore (LHR-BWI) next Tuesday, the 22nd. This is now, of course, the very day that the strike is supposed to begin. Christ almighty.

Reports are saying the RyanAir and EasyJet are being called in to pick up the slack, but they don't fly to the States. I know you're not psychic, but if the strike does happen, what is going to happen to BA's transtalantic flights? I can't imagine there's much wiggle room to put hundreds of thousands of people on other international carriers at this time of year. This site says that I might not get a re-route until January. I paid a fortune for these tickets and desperately need this holiday -- am I really not going to be able to go? And should I be doing something? Pestering them? Making voodoo dolls?

All I want for Christmas is my yum smoked meat.

nosila — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:19:12 -0800

I'm traveling to Dallas on Northwest Airlines from Montreal Pierre Trudeau Airport tomorrow morning. I just bought three pounds of smoked meat that is NOT shrink wrapped. Can I take it? Can I carry it on? I just spoke with someone from Travelocity and someone from U.S. Customs at the New York border. Both said to put it in my luggage and it should be fine. I wasn't planning on checking a bag. Obviously, I CAN check a bag, and I will if I have to, but does anyone have any experience doing this, either in checked luggage or carry-on? Thanks!

Hotel Luz En Yucatan

uans — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:18:26 -0800

Hotel Luz En Yucatan , Mexico, sounds too good to be true. Is it? I would like to hear from anyone who has been there before. Thinking of going in January. Thanks.