Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with travel

Need help with WWOOF and other stay-with-a-stranger programs

theiconoclast31 — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:45:57 -0800

Summer just started, and I'd like to either WWOOF or helpx.net for 3-4 weeks. I've seen the previous AskMefi literature regarding those two sites and read their respective FAQs, but I have a couple worries.

How long from the first contact till the actual visit begins? August 25th is when my summer ends. This seems like enough time, but I'm not sure because WWOOF likes to communicate via snail mail.

I would like to go to the city (by bus, if necessary) at least every weekend, if possible. My guess is that most WWOOF hosts are pretty far from the city, so helpexchange might be the better choice. However, WWOOF seems like a much better established organization. And many listings on helpexchange seem geared towards skilled workers or females. Are these assumptions correct?

Couchsurfing also seemed like a viable way to travel, but I want to travel for upwards of 3 weeks and I don't really have transportation from one couch to the next.

Perhaps relevant: 19, college freshman. Speaks English and decent high school Spanish. Unskilled, unless you happen to need a web developer. Interested in someplace outside of the US and Asia (except maybe Tokyo).

And I'm always interested in reading about positive and negative experiences.

SFIO to Redwood City?

version control — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:15:18 -0800

How can I get from the San Francisco Airport to my housing in Redwood City on Saturday night? I've never been to SF before, and am working in Redwood City for the summer for an internship. The provided housing is this place: http://www.goodnite.com/redwood-city/ and the address is 485 Veterans Boulevard. Because I'm going to be there for 12 weeks, I'm going to have a decent amount of luggage- one pretty large suitcase on wheels, a bookbag/carry on, and my purse.

My contact at my job said a while back there might be a possibility that someone from the office could pick me up either at the airport itself or at the caltrain station in Redwood City, but I haven't heard back from him about it since I followed up on that yesterday. I'm getting into the SF airport around 8:30, so I probably won't be leaving until ~9:15

If I can't get a ride, should I take public transit anyway? Since there are multiple transit systems, how should I even try to get there?

Where should we go in Eastern Tennessee?

TrinaSelwyn — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:42:00 -0800

Help me find little-known destinations in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area, please! My husband and I will be staying in Townsend, Tennessee for a week in mid-June. I have googled and brochured my heart out, but what I'm looking for are smaller, less touristy wonders. They have to be out there, it's a gorgeous area. So, what I'm asking is; Does anybody know of any lesser-known must-sees in the area? Maybe the most beautiful waterfall that isn't listed in the Smoky Mountains waterfall brochure? We plan to stick to nature as much as possible, and we already have Cades Cove, Tuckaleechee Caverns etc. in our list of destinations. We will be avoiding the tourist traps in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge as much as possible.

And before you jump all over me, I've already read This, This, and This.

Thanks for your help!

Where to hold an off-site meeting outside of Manhattan?

davidvan — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:07:04 -0800

Anyone have recommendations for a place where my 10 person, New York City-based design team can hold a 2 day off-site meeting? Should be within an hour of manhattan, ideally north of the city. We would need to be able to sleep there, and there would need to be a conference room with whiteboard, etc. Would be great if the place had some charm.

Travel questions to europa

stratastar — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:34:22 -0800

Eurotrip questions Redux: Have read previous posts and researched but need some specific advice for two issues: Eurorail and Pay as you go cell plan! Guys, I'm in need of the hive mind. I'm scheduled to leave for Paris, France on the 10th of July so I have less than 3 weeks. My travel route is the following, with parentheses denoting the amount of days spent in each city/locale: Paris(3.5)-->Amsterdam(2.5)-->Berlin(2)-->Prague(2)-->Munich(1)-->Florence(2.5)-->Rome(3.5)--Genoa (1)-->Cote d'Azur (2-3)-->Marseille/Provence(3)-->Barcelona(1)-->Ibiza(1)-->Valencia(1)-->Madrid(2)-->Barca(2.5)-->Bordeaux(1)-->Paris(1)-->HOME!
Whew.

1st question:

I read this thread about the eurorail and the general consensus was that the value of the eurorail depends on the breadth and travel specification. I've also read contradictory recommendations on lonleyplanet forums as well as eurorail information sites. Some say the eurorail offers more flexibility, especially incase one gets lost. Others say that there are hidden fees involved, so the "all-inclusive" concept is more of a sham than anything.

With the extent of cross country and multi-city travel, is the eurorail a good value for me? I'm on a tight budget and their website quotes $775 for the 1 month for me (as I am under 25). What am I to believe and can anyone give me advice tailored to my itinerary? Deal or no deal?

--------------

Second question: I am taking my cellphone (n82 Eurospec) with me for photo/music/gps/voip calls. I will need a paygo SIM card probably from a site in Paris when I fly in. I'm looking for a data centric plan, as I will be able to make VOIP calls through the n82's SIP clientel when in a 3G/WIFI area. What is a reasonable rate for 1 month of high data (the GPS should be exhausting our data usage) and some light cell call/txt usage, in case I need to call some people I meet? Where can I get this in the Parisian metropolitan area? Can I get it before hand and bring the SIM with me before I fly out?

Thanks so much!

Headed out on the trail - help equip our sing-a-long arsenal!

jofuu — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:52:51 -0800

My girlfriend and I are hiking the Appalachian trail for two weeks at the end of the month. We're taking along a Martin Backpacker (guitar) and a small set of bongos. What are some very excellent blues/folk/bluegrass/mountain songs that we should learn before we go? We're also bringing a hand held recorder so we can remember all this.

I'm looking for more traditional rootsy stuff as opposed to anything by contemporary artists. Obviously, I won't reject any ideas though so throw them at me.

Thanks in advance Metafilter!

peas in a pod

diode — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:04:25 -0800

I'm riding with a stranger for 10 hours in a small car. What are some ways I can make the ride go easier, be more fun and enjoyable for both parties? I've arranged on craigslist for a ride down I-5 from Oregon to the Bay Area. The driver is a married woman, presumably in her thirties. I'm male, heading down there for the weekend to do some business.

There's the potential for it to feel a little awkward, being in a pod with a stranger for 10 hours, maybe 20 if we do the return trip together. How can I lighten it up so things go well?

I know I can pretty much eliminate such tactics as shooting Silly String all over the car, or showing off my appendectomy scar (just a joke...I don't have such a thing).

I know I could bring a book, some snacks, my iPod and disappear mostly since I don't have to drive. I'm also considering taking some Benadryl and conking out as much as possible.

On the other hand, I'm considering bringing a list of jokes just to create some laughter. I've been thinking of trying to spend the trip conversing and learning about this person, creating some personal interaction so you come away feeling like you've really learned something new.

I guess it all depends on the other person as well. For all I know, they may want to 'just drive' and want me to 'just be quiet'.

So, if you've been in this situation, how did you behave and what ways might I create this to be a fun interaction if that's an option on the menu.

Brazil v. Argentina?

evidenceofabsence — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:02:53 -0800

This summer, I'm set to attend a 5-week program in Brazil's Atlantic forest. I'm going to be in Sao Paulo state, but a ways outside the city. I have a week afterward to be a big dumb tourist, and I'm trying to decide whether I should stay in metropolitan Sao Paulo, or fly to Buenos Aires. I've never been to South America before, but I have an acquaintance in either city, which is nice. Pros:

Sao Paulo:
-Don't have to pay extra airfare/figure out a second flight.
-I like big cities.
-It'd be a little weird to fly in and out of Guarulhos, and not see the place.
-It'll be mid-August (i.e. winter), making Buenos Aires kind of chilly.

Buenos Aires:
-I speak Spanish (and don't speak Portuguese).
-It looks a lot cheaper, in terms of hotels, and everything else.
-I've wanted to head there for quite some time.
-And, finally, I'm a little freaked out by the crime rate in Sao Paulo. I like to wander around a place, and having to take curb-to-curb cabs weirds me out a bit.*

Thoughts? If I skip Sao Paulo, am I missing out? What if I skip Buenos Aires? How's Gol, in terms of safety/reliability? Any additional advice, or recommendations, welcome.

*I'm pretty sure I'm being a huge jerk, or a big sissy. (Feel free to tell me so.) I'm from New York, and I pay attention to my surroundings. Thing is, from what traveling I've done, I know it's a lot easier to "pay attention" when you speak the language and know the neighborhoods well. It also helps if your hippocampus has a tiny subway map in its tiny brain pocket.

New Orleans fell through, so let's try something else that's new!

sperose — Tue, 13 May 2008 10:25:42 -0800

As luck would have it, my previous question has fizzled out. Same people travelling, but this time, we're heading to New York City from Waverly, NY, and only staying for the weekend (5/22 or 23-5/25). The biggest question is: how do we get into the city? We do have access to a car, but I'd be the driver and I really dislike driving in big ass cities (such as NYC). How could we get from Waverly to inside the city?

Where can we stay that would be good for general partying-ness and some sight-seeing, but also relatively cheap (the main reason why this trip was cut down to a weekend instead of a week)?

Is there some sort of easy carryaround map I can use? (I like maps that have subway lines/stations and bus service on them.)

What is 'not to be missed'? I've been to NYC once (pre-9/11), and seen the big attractions, but have no desire to see Ground Zero (neither does my friend, for that matter.)

How much is this going to hurt in the wallet? I know that cigarettes are expensive (my friend smokes), but for alcohol, what would be standard prices for stuff like beers and mixed drinks?

Lastly, any words of advice? This is my first vacation that I'm planning by myself and I'm trying to not screw it up. (Of course, leaving one week to plan things isn't helping matters, but was out of my hands.)

What hotels are in/near the Germantown section of Philadelphia?

Dreama — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:31:16 -0800

Can you help in finding a hotel in or near the Germantown section of Philadelphia? I'll be in Philly next month for a conference to be held in Germantown (or perhaps between Germantown and Mt. Airy, per Google Maps) and I'm having difficulty figuring out what hotels are close to the conference location. (Right off of Germantown Avenue, in the 19119 zip code.) Conference organizers have suggested that the Chestnut Hill Hotel is the closest accommodation, but there are no vacancies over the weekend when the conference is occurring.

I ask for very little, my main concern is that it's clean and preferably quiet, free wifi would be a major plus. I don't bother with affinity programs so I don't care much for branding.

Suggestions for other hotels in the area or even how to narrow my searches to this area (TripAdvisor, for instance, divides the city into Airport, Downtown/Center City/Historic Area, Old City, University City/West Phila and City Line/Northeast and I have no idea where Germantown falls in those divisions) would be greatly appreciated.

Festivals around the world

bikergirl — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:55:30 -0800

Is there a good reference site for festivals around the world? I'm going to be traveling and this would be a neat place to start planning where to be when. I'd like to find a resource that has actual festivals, not just holidays (like you wouldn't specifically come to the US for MLK Day but you would for the 4th of July).

hip hippie honeymoon

TrixieRamble — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:01:15 -0800

Please suggest destinations for an off-the-beaten-path weekend honeymoon this June. Criteria: close enough to St. Louis to fit a trip into three or four days including travel time; $1,000 to $2,000 total; somewhere beautiful, ocean is best; romantic but not in your standard champagne-and-strawberries way. We love the outdoors, arts and culture, great food, the environment, and discovering unexpected treasures when traveling. We will probably take a big international trip in the next year but want to do something fun and relaxing right after our wedding. We are considering a few places we already love or think we would love: Ten Thousand Waves, Orvis Hot Springs, or Ojo Caliente, but we'd like to try something new and maybe get a little less land-locked. (Hot springs are not required, it just happens that some of our favorite places have them!)

We did an all-inclusive resort vacation in Mexico once and had a great time, but we would prefer something a little more unique that lets us make our own way and maybe meet other people like us.

Is there somewhere perfect on the west coast we don't know about? A resort in Hawaii that doesn't feel too corporate resort-y? Funky towns in beautiful places we haven't thought of?

Thanks for your ideas!

Travel tips for Edinburgh

chickaboo — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:05:26 -0800

I'm going to the Edinburgh Festival in August - what is a realistic budget for what it will cost to attend the festival and feed myself, and where am I likely to find the cheapest method to get there? Luckily my lodging will be paid for during my stay -- but I have no sense of how much the food and admission fees etc are likely to cost? Any help -- and any recommendations of can't-miss things at the festival and in edinburgh are welcome! thank you

Help me decide where to stay in Puerto Rico

nougat — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:34:50 -0800

I'm so confused trying to book a romantic getaway to Puerto Rico! Please help me pick a part of Puerto Rico to book a hotel/apartment in. I've never been there before so all of the towns/neighborhoods do not mean alot to me. I'd like an area that we could walk to things like cafes etc and also some other attractions.
I don't want to be reliant on a rental car.

I was going to just go to Vieques island, but it's rather expensive to get there from San Juan airport and no one has been able to tell me exactly what there is to do on the island. It would be $180 round trip per person from SJ to Vieques.

I'm going to go for 5 days and 4 nights. Should I stay in San Juan for 2 and go to Fajardo or Vieques for the other two?

I was looking at the Marriott hotel and casino on Condado beach but hear from reviews that there isn't much to walk to there and I kind of don't want to stay in a hotel with a big loud casino.
I have also been looking into Vacation Rentals By Owner.

Can anyone who travels to PR frequently please help me out?

Should I drive or fly from Baltimore to Pittsburgh?

electroboy — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:51:53 -0800

Should I drive or fly from Baltimore to Pittsburgh? So, I have a conference to go to in downtown Pittsburgh from Saturday to Monday. I can get a Southwest flight for about $99 each way. I'm close to BWI, but I'm thinking I might rather drive, since it offers a little more flexibility and flying doesn't really save much time once you factor in the hour you have to arrive beforehand and associated nonsense.

Driving takes 3 to 4 hours, which I don't especially mind, but is there anything to see on the way? I know about Fallingwater, but are there any other notable stops? Any recommended routes? Any places where I can buy delicious pies or see the world's largest ball of twine? Any other arguments for or against driving?

Where should we go?

Anonymous — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:03:33 -0800

How and where to go for two weeks at the end of August? Me and my friend John would like to take a two week vacation together in or about the last two weeks of August.

Some facts:
-we are both poor students
-I'll be studying the language of whatever place we choose in the coming months
-we don't need any fancy accomodations, shelters and hostels are fine
-beaches and warm/tropical places would be nice, but not necessary
-it's not necessary either, but it'd be nice to be able to score mushrooms/acid/weed while we were there since we both enjoy that
-we won't have money to buy plane tickets till july

We don't want to go to:
-Europe/Scandinavia/Canada, anywhere too cold
-places where the dollar will be especially weak compared to local currency

Places we would love to go:
-India (1st choice!!)
-Cheap parts of Asia (ie not Japan)
-Africa
-South America

Basically the deciding factor is where we can get the cheapest plane tickets/accomodations.

So where would be the best place to go, and where can we get the cheapest plane tickets? Please tell us anything you think would be helpful!

How to avoid screwing up a friendship when travelling together?

ebellicosa — Sun, 11 May 2008 22:00:37 -0800

I'm going on a 3 week vacation with a close friend. How do I avoid screwing up the friendship on the trip? I have been best friends with "Samantha" for the last two years. We have planned a 3 week trip to Europe together with both our boyfriends.

I care for this friend deeply, and she has many wonderful qualities. However, she seems easily offended by small gestures that aren't meant to offend. Also, both of us tend to avoid confrontation, so things can build up to a crisis before the brakes are applied.

We've gotten off on the wrong foot already. She had said that she was really looking forward to flying in to the European city together. She also said that they strongly prefer to travel on one specific airline. The difference in ticket price was $1000 for me and my boyfriend. That's a lot of money for me. I didn't explain myself directly, but bought discount tickets on another airline. A few weeks later, she told me that she was quite angry and disappointed with me because of it.

Now I feel like I'm walking on eggshells. I don't know what will anger or disappoint her next.

Questions:

1. Has anyone been in this situation before? How did you deal with it?

2. Was I "unreasonable" in not spending an extra $1000 to get on the flight she was on?

3. They like hotels that are over $200 a night. I prefer hotels that are less than $100 a night. Do I just suck it up for the sake of friendship?

Some more information:
- I've tried to address the issue of money with her. She asked about my finances and then said "well, you don't have anything to worry about."

- I'm open to the concept that perhaps I'm too cheap in social situations, and that I should relax the pursestrings a bit to appear more hospitable in social situations. I'm working on it, really I am. However, I am just deeply, personally uncomfortable spending money on $100/plate dinners and $200/night hotels. I "run with" upper-side-of-middle-class yuppies so maybe I need to pony up more often?

- This is not the trip of a lifetime for these friends. They go on foreign trips two to three times a year and this is their style of travel.

- I've asked a couple of guy friends about this, and they both said relax and do whatever makes my friend happy.

Any words of advice you can spare would be much appreciated!!!

Looking for a classical guitar in Bangkok

ageispolis — Sat, 10 May 2008 09:19:34 -0800

Where can I buy a classical guitar in Bangkok? My friend is heading home and he's taking his 6-string with him leaving me fingerpicking the empty air. I'm heading back to Bangkok in a couple days and would like to pick one up myself. The guitars sold near Khao San Rd to the tourists are unplayable. My price range is 3000-7000 baht depending on tone and quality. Ideally, it would be 3/4 size for mobility sake so if anyone knows the address to any acoustic guitar stores with a sizeable inventory it'd be much appreciated. Thank ye.

3 Days in August: Spanish or Portuguese?

foxy_hedgehog — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:04:40 -0800

The last weekend in August: Madrid or Lisbon? I have a three-day stopover in Madrid at the very end of August (8.30-9.2). I've never been to Spain, and I have no doubt there are many wonderful things to do and see and eat in Madrid. However, I've heard some reports that Madrid is unbearably hot in August- and that everything is closed. I thought as an alternative that I'd transfer to a cheap flight to Lisbon from the Madrid airport, and spend my few days there instead.

These are obviously both amazing and very different places. But having no experience in either city or either country, I'd love your take(s) on what might be the best way to spend the time. Particularly vis a vis the August thing.

Drive to Mexico with just a drivers license?

eas98 — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:24:48 -0800

Can I drive in and out of Mexico with just my drivers license? I'm visiting a friend in California and we thought we might drive down to Mexico for the day. However, I have heard that the entry/exit rules have changed this year and you can no longer make the trip with just your drivers license. Is this true? Has anyone tried this in the last month or so? Are they adamant about this or is it strongly suggested but not required? If I manage to get into Mexico with only my DL will I be able to get back out?

Dawson City Music Festival

Space Coyote — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:09:06 -0800

Dawson City Music Festival - before I dive in head first and just book a hotel and flight right now, tell me what I need to know about the trip and the festival. Any advice and things to make sure I bring / prepare for from people who have gone in the past would be much appreciated. I'm not much of an impulse traveller, so I want to get out of my comfort zone a bit, and go some place I'd never normally get to.

I am 21 and bored with life

thegmann — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:45:52 -0800

I am 21, male, and I'm pretty bored with life, I feel stressed about doing nothing. I am having trouble figuring out what it is I really want to do with all of the time I have right now, and I've definitely been stagnating. Give me some advice! I've run a small computer business since I was about 14, and now I've gotten completely bored with it, but I have so much of it automated and outsourced at this point I really do very little (probably 4-6 hours a week) and all of my bills get paid, and I have enough to let me be comfortable for the month (hang with friends, go out, etc.). I recently got my motorcycle license because riding a motorcycle sounds like a ton of fun to me and I've been looking at motorcycles but I can't afford to pay cash for one. I don't want to take on the debt of a loan for something I could possibly destroy within weeks of owning it.

I've always been very motivated but I tend to love having a creative outlet. In high school I was in every play I could get into and I would take extracurricular classes that sounded interesting. I didn't apply for any schools after high school as I was working, but now I am planning on starting at my local CC come fall because I miss the social environment school gave me. In my current work I don't meet anyone new and my daily life is for the most part spent inside or out with my old high school buddies doing nothing very productive.

I have a huge urge to travel but again money comes to mind. I don't want to get a salaried job- I've only worked one in my entire life and while it was an interesting place to be in it didn't challenge me at all.

I feel like I'm just rambling now, I know I'm lucky to be in the position I'm in, I'm in Southern California with all of the time in the world, given my position, what would you do?

What to see in Australia in three weeks while on a student's budget??

WhaleRider — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:32:45 -0800

What to see in Australia in three weeks while on a student's budget?? I am in Sydney right now and am about to book a trip to see more of Australia. I have three weeks and am on a relatively tight (student) traveller's budget. I am also travelling by myself, so huge drives are a little out of my capacity.

I'm set on spending a fair amount of time in Port Douglas/Cape Tribulation/Daintree National Park, but am still deciding whether to do all/some/none of: sailing the Whitsundays, visiting Frazer Island, going to Magnetic Island.

Also, any ideas on how to cheaply see other parts of the country? (Uluru, Darwin, Melbourne, etc.)

Thanks!!!

Travel authorization for child?

lapsang — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:23:22 -0800

1 parent traveling with child needs notarized letter of authorization to enter or leave USA? We live in Colombia and will spend July in Ireland, passing through the US arriving and departing. My wife returns to Colombia before me and I travel with 3 yr old back to Colombia vis USA.

Do I need to present a notarized letter from my wife authorizing me to travel with child?

Saludos / Cead Mile Failte - J

Where to go on a weekend trip from New Haven?

brynna — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:14:20 -0800

Where to go while I'm based in New Haven this summer? I'm from San Diego and I'm doing an internship in New Haven, CT this summer (June 16th August 16th). I did the same internship last summer - it was my first time on the East Coast and I spent a little time exploring, but the internship did keep me pretty busy.

Now that I'm more familiar with the area (downtown New Haven, definitely - I didn't, and won't, have a car), I'd like to venture beyond. I did a few trips to NYC while I was there, but they got expensive mostly consisted of me being jostled, sweaty and overwhelmed (this must be part of the charm?) - I'd only consider going back once or twice while I'm there this summer.

I'm trying to think of places I could go for a weekend - last summer I wanted to head out to Boston, but never made it since I didn't know the best way to get there (here's where you come in!). I'd also love to travel to Montreal, but I think it might be too far for a weekend trip.

Can I rent a car (I'm 20)? Fly? Train? Where should I go? I'm not filthy rich, but I am willing to spend a little bit in order to experience what the Northeast has to offer!