Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with vacation

Where do you go when you've won a free vacation for your family and you could go anywhere?

victoriab — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:12:36 -0800

Great news! My family has won a $6,000 1-week vacation through my work. Unfortunately, we can’t take the trip until Christmas (2010) but I have to book and pay for the trip by the end of this month. Help! I need kid-friendly suggestions that will also provide some much needed R&R for two exhausted and stressed-out parents. We’d love to be more flexible but circumstances (both work and personal) have made it impossible. We’re located in New England and would prefer something in the Caribbean (versus Mexico) if possible. We’re considering Disney World but I’ve heard that the holiday crowds are insane and I think my boys might be a bit young (3 & 5 now) to really appreciate it. We’re considering a cruise but I worry about the small rooms and that it might get boring. My kids are very active and the idea of being trapped in a small room with them for 5 days makes me break out into a cold sweat. We’ve also looked into all-inclusive resorts because we could easily spend all the money in one shot. I’m less excited about the all-inclusive idea because I worry that they are bland and so detached from the real world. On the plus side, they offer great kids activities and sometimes nannies, so the husband and I could get some quality alone time together.

Here’s my ideal vacation description – we’re staying in a bungalow at a small, relaxed, family-friendly resort (Costa Rica, Panama, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Bermuda) on or near a beach. We can walk into town which has fun stuff to see for the kids – boats, piers, movie theater, playground, library etc. The resort offers a nanny service both for day and night. At this point I’m overwhelmed with choices and I don’t have a ton of time. Would a travel agent be a good idea? Thanks!

Help me go on holiday/vacation

Petrot — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:22:26 -0800

Please help me plan a holiday/vacation. I would like to go on holiday to the Caribbean. Thing is, I don't know how to begin to start looking to organise this. Previous holidays I've arranged tended to be European, driving, self-catering, or hiking/camping, with a large group of people.

In February, I have some time off, and a person to go with, and I would love to try a holiday with sun, sea, sand etc for a week, and just relax and not do very much at all (previous holidays have been very action-packed).

Looking at either the smaller islands around the Bahamas, or down towards Barbados, so not Cuba, or Haiti, DR or Jamaica.

My budget isn't huge, and we are looking for somewhere up to a week. Do I need to look at package deals, all-inclusive flights, hotels etc, or is it cheaper to book these things separately? For either, what are the best websites to do both?

Is there anything I need to be aware of? Like I said, I have no experience of this type of holiday, so I don't even know what I should or shouldn't be doing.

We're British, nearest airports are Cardiff or Bristol, although the London airports are ok to get to. Looking to go 13th Feb 2010, though pretty flexible.

Absolutely any help is much appreciated! Even if it's generic advice, not just specifics for my dates/locations.

Places like Sea Ranch?

gabrielsamoza — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:56:07 -0800

What places are like Sea Ranch? Mrs. Samoza and I spent three nights in gorgeous Sea Ranch, CA over the holidays. It made us think if there were other places comparable to it -- not necessarily in the legal structure of the place, but an area where stunning architecture melds so perfectly with nature. Ideally, these would be places where it is easy and comparably affordable to rent short-term. Any ideas?

Mancation 2010

slipperynirvana — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:42:20 -0800

What to do for a few days within a short drive of Vegas? A few buddies and I have a free couple of days after a conference in Vegas, at the end of January. We're looking to get out of the glitz and have a low-key time doing something along the lines of renting a place near a national park and doing some exploring. Problem is, none of us know the area at all, so I thought I'd see if MeFi can come with some ideas.

No serious hiking, no skiing, and nothing requiring extensive gear or really fat cash.

Bonus points for fitting the theme of 'Mancation 2010'.

Thanks...

Winter Getaway

sah — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:54:40 -0800

Heading to a Caribbean resort for a week this winter, but can't narrow it down to a specific resort. Need some recommendations. My girlfriend and I have been planning on heading somewhere warm in the Caribbean for a week this February. We're looking at going the week of February 15th. It has come to our attention that this is Spring Break, so we're looking for somewhere that is couples only or at the very least not geared to that crowd (i.e. somewhere nice and quiet to relax, not party it up). Nothing too crummy, but nothing too lavish.

We're having a hard time narrowing down where to go. We're flexible on countries, but were eyeing Cuba or the Dominican Republic. The problem is that looking at travel webpages, all the resorts look the same.

Please recommend some resorts that fit the bill!

Where should we go on vacation?

Brian Puccio — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:49:46 -0800

We (girlfriend and I, ages 24 and 26, respectively) are looking to go on vacation late this spring (around May, though we could change the timeframe if there were specific events to go see) and would like suggestions. We would like to spend no more than $4000 on this trip but can swing $5000. If we were to travel later, after we receive our bonuses at the end of May, we could spend $6000, but really would prefer not to. We can both take up to three weeks off from work, though we are thinking 10-14 days is plenty long enough. We will be leaving from NYC, so any local airports will do in terms of departure, but where should we go? We both love photography, so a place with a mix of city (architecture) and nature/countryside would be great. We're interested in history and local culture, and would be visiting local museums and tourist attractions. We're up for moderate discomfort--all day walking or biking trips and tiny hotel rooms are fine, but we're not interested in hiking through mountains, camping, or dorm-style hostels. We would like at least, a private bedroom and bathroom wherever we go, but understand we will have to pay more for that luxury.

We're not interested in a relaxing vacation on a beach, cruise or tour (we'd actually like to SEE the places we are visiting!). We're not interested in shopping or clubbing. She's a vegetarian (well, pescatarian), and I'm just a picky eater, but we're willing to suck it up for an otherwise awesome vacation.

Where should I stay in Manhattan?

RachelSmith — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:53:31 -0800

I'm visiting New York for an interview at 5th and 46th in 10 days. Where should I stay? I'm a grad student on a budget, and the suit that I'll be wearing to the interview isn't exactly built for cold weather, so I was thinking about trying to find a place to stay near the interview site. The number of neighborhoods on hotwire/priceline/craigslist is a little overwhelming- can anyone suggest an area?

I've never really been to New York and will have two days to explore (1/5-1/8). I'm a firefighter/Environmental scientist and love walking, interesting food, and culture- all of which I've heard New York has in abundence.

Related question: I'll be arriving on a redeye at 6 a.m. at JFK, my interview is at 5th and 46th at 10. Does JFK have showers? Initial research would indicate not. Any other suggestions on how to get cleaned up in the time I have between my arrival and my interview?

Thanks!

Napa tips?

drpynchon — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:38:58 -0800

Help me plan my romantic trip to Napa Valley. So I managed to book several days in wine country and I was hoping for any advice on making the best of our time there on a couple's getaway. We'll be there this week Monday-Thursday. Our main interests are of course food and drink, but we are hardly wine experts and I was hoping for tips on how best to sample what Napa has to offer. We will be in downtown Napa and we will have a car, though I'd definitely prefer to avoid its use if we'll be drinking wine. Is the wine train a bad idea? Are there any other fun things or interesting sights you'd recommend in the area?

For bonus points, I'd like to take the scenic coastal drive up to there from Los Angeles on the way in (I-5 coming back I guess). I'm willing to invest a whole day (starting early) for this, so if anyone has a good idea for stopping points (don't say San Francisco) or a route that won't run longer than about 10-12 hours I'd really appreciate it. Also let me know if PCH is just a bad idea to begin with.

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.

What's a great oceanside hotel near Boca Raton?

Edible Energy — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:54:34 -0800

I'm looking for a nice hotel on the ocean that's less than 2 hours from Boca Raton for a romantic new years getaway with my girlfriend, my google-fu has failed me. any recommendations? we're in our 20s and we managed to get out of new york for a week, but now we have to get away from her family.

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!

Help me find a nice place to take my in-laws on a 5-7 day trip, anywhere in the US

Opal — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:53:46 -0800

My husband's parents will visit us in the US in February and we need to plan a 5-7 day trip for the four of us. Their first idea was Vegas, but they prefer some place they don't know yet. Suggestions? More details:
- They are around 65yo, active. It will be the four of us, no kids
- No rafting, no biking, no rapelling. The level of adventure allowed goes as far as a hike up a hill
- Comfort is expected - no luxury resorts, but no wilderness camping either
- We are not big spenders but are not on a thigh budget
- Good: history, art, either on an urban setting or not
- Bad: extreme cold. It'll be February, so nothing north. Bear in mind they're from Brazil, so anything snowy/windy or bellow 40 degrees is extreme cold
- They've done Vegas, they've done the Grand Canyon, so those are out

I'm considering a few places, and I'd appreciate feedback on them as well as other suggestions. So far I've thought about:
- Santa Fe or the Florida Keys on the artsy and sunny side
- Pacific highway up the California coast, fun and sunny
- Civil war, plantations, historical routes
- New Orleans

What else?

July Honeymoon in Maine?

kraigory — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:51:43 -0800

What are some good places to Honeymoon on the east coast? See explanation. My fiance and I are getting married in early June and want to go on our honeymoon somewhere in the northeast, near Maine. We would like to be near a beach but also near mountains for hiking and sightseeing. We would definitely like to stay in a private cabin with an affordable rate, near a cute little town that isn't too touristy but still has things to do.

Any ideas? I also hear that North/South Carolina have some neat places, so anywhere on the east coast would work, but we were thinking Maine for the mild weather.

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated!

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!

Will our sun conure be okay without leaving his cage for a week?

archagon — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:39:22 -0800

We're going on vacation for 4-5 days, and are leaving our sun conure in the care of our friends. Unfortunately, he bites anyone who isn't us, so they can't let him out of his cage. (His wings are unclipped, so he would have no problem getting to them.) Will he be okay?

Gettin' Outta Dodge...

jara1953 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:17:48 -0800

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.

Is it a scam, or a scam-not?

sandra_s — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:03:38 -0800

Thinking about using a "vacation rental" seen on craigslist for 4 days in NYC in January. Has anyone ever done this? I, along with three of my associates (four of us total), will be in NYC (SOHO area) for 5 business days in January. Its a working trip where after the work day meeting with clients, we will be working together late into the evenings preparing for presentations for the next day.

We initially looked at getting 4 hotel rooms ( 1 for each of us) and all meeting in one, but the price of 4 rooms is ri-dic-u-lous in manhattan. That, and they are small. 4 people meeting in one in the evenings just wont work.

We thought of getting 2 rooms which can accommodate 2 people each, which is more reasonable price wise, but even more cramped in space.

We then thought of maybe one suite in a hotel to basically fit all 4 of us, but those are prohibitively expensive, especially the ones where we can get work done.

The nature of our work, and discussions that will ensue, can not be performed in a public "office area"

Looking for options, a friend pointed me to the "Vacation Rental" section of craigslist. Lots of options there. Made a few inquiries.

One that responded is NOT a "too good to be true" situation. The price is comparable to getting a hotel for the 4 of us, but it does give us the space we need. They sent along the address, and a rental application/agreement, with pretty easy to understand terms. They accept payment only through PayPal, which actually made me feel better, since they weren't asking for a credit card number. The woman wrote in her message that they are local, and live in Connecticut, and included a fax number to fax the completed agreement to.

So, my question would be has anyone ever done this before, are there any questions I should be asking, and what would be red flags you can think of?

Thanks in advance!

Just say "NO!" to staycations...

ecorrocio — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:43:40 -0800

Vacation Challenge: 5 days in mid Feburary. Two adults, 1 kid. Seeking warmth, ocean, beach, fun. $1800 budget. Starting in Denver. What would you do? The Corrocios of Denver are planning a 5 day getaway in February. I don't want to break the bank, but it would be nice to get somewhere warm, beachy, relaxing. The kid (aka "Squid") would love to go to Disneyland, but not sure it fits our budget.

Do you have a great spot to recommend?

How can I write a vacation rental review when the owner was drunk the entire time?

k8t — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:57:19 -0800

Reviewing a vacation property. The owner was drunk the entire time. What would you do? We've rented a vacation property with a group of friends. We're Americans and all experienced travelers, many of us in this part of the world. The rental is in Mexico. It had good reviews and was pretty affordable. We arrived and the conditions were as described in the multiple listings. We had no problems transferring payment. The owner is American and lives on site in a different part of the property.

The problem(s) is with the owner. He has been WASTED the entire week that we've been here. I don't mean buzzed. I mean falling down drunk morning-noon-and-night for 7 days.

We wouldn't care so much except for:

(1) empty promises - a few examples - he had some stuff shipped to our house in the U.S. and promised us dinner and beer for bringing it. Neither has appeared even though we brought it up multiple times; also he promised beer in exchange for some tech support. No beer appeared. Also he said that he'd call a doctor for some help for a sinus infection on one of the kids. He kept on forgetting or telling us the wrong thing ("Show up at noon." and the office is closed.) He also said (via email) that he would arrange for our kids to use the neighbors' pool and forgot even after he was reminded in person.

(2) general creepiness - whenever we go out to the cars to go somewhere he asks where we are going. We wouldn't care, but he always has a comment - like "Oh, don't go to that supermarket. Go to the other one." And we answer, "Sure, but that supermarket has baby food, so we have to go to it." And flirting with the female members of our party happened a lot. He tried to hang out with us too.

(3) technology - he has been tweeting publicly commentary on our stay and especially about our kids, even giving them nicknames. Example: "Baby Bubba digging a tunnel to China. He must be hungry." or "Baby Guido wearing a lot of tank tops." His Twitter is easy to find, as he has been forwarding us emails all week about random stuff as well as Google alerts about the property (where those tweets show up.)

(4) beer - he requested that we keep beer on the patio because "all the opening and closing of the fridge won't keep 'em cold" and every day MANY beers have gone missing. Our empties count doesn't add up to the number purchased. We've seen him take beer from the cooler and hear him taking them at night - and see footprints in the sand from his area to our cooler.

Each of these 4 alone wouldn't be a big deal and are all pretty harmless, but all combined is not okay. It hasn't ruined our trip at all, but I doubt that we'll come back to this location.

We also ran into the people that stayed the week before and had their wedding here. (They're now down the beach but were coming to poach internet). They were also annoyed.

So, my question is - how can I deal with this in the review? As I understand it, tripadvisor, VRBO and those type of places allow owners to comment and/or delete reviews.

I also don't want to ruin his business. I'm sure he is sad and lonely and an alcoholic. BUT, I think that people would like to know that they shouldn't rely on him to be a very helpful host and to be careful with their beer. How can I say that without creating a cyberwar? Or should I just not comment at all?

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!

Where to go for a short vacation in the Caribbean?

BobFrapples — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:27:49 -0800

Hi all! So, have any of you ever vacationed or traveled in the Caribbean? If so, I would love to hear your likes, dislikes, recommendations & suggestions. I'm trying to put a trip together for the end of January. I think I'm coming close to narrowing it down to either Barbados or the Virgin Islands (US or British?), but I am still looking for ideas.

My trip would be for about 4 or 5 days, and right now it looks like it's just going to be me. So, I'd love to find a place where there's more to do than just lay on a beach. Recommendations for specific hotels or places to stay are very much appreciated. I'd love to be on or very close to a beach, but maybe still in walking distance to tasty food and/or some nightlife.

Thanks all!

Cabins on Lake Mighigan

ztdavis — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 08:53:26 -0800

Looking for a cabin for two on Lake Michigan, preferably the Wisconsin side. Does anyone have any specific recommendations? We'll be coming from the Chicago area, but we're willing to drive three or four hours for a cozy place.

Pretty much the traditional criteria:
1. Warm with a fireplace.
2. On or near the lake.
3. Bonus points for being near a park, but that isn't necessary.
4. Near a small town or grocery (at least 30 minutes near, so that shouldn't be too hard at all.
5. Not super expensive (if that is possible?)

This past post was helpful: http://ask.metafilter.com/107436/Winter-weekend-cabin-near-Chicago

But I'm looking for more specific "I have stayed here and it was great" type suggestions.

Thanks

Virtual Vacation Worlds

lord_yo — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:50:27 -0800

Are there any games which let you just explore and enjoy the scenery, like a walk-in painting or virtual vacation? (single-player preferred) I really enjoy games which give you the possibility to explore beautifully created surroundings, without a specific goal, except occasional mini-games. For example, the thing I loved most about GTA:San Andreas was not the missions, but driving around the country side. In the late 90s, multimedia producers created early versions of this (including an explorable version of The Simpson's Springfield), but I haven't seen anything like that since.

I'm looking for single-player games, if there are any, or maybe multiuser environments, if they are really well done (I know Second Life already, but the graphics are not very good).

By the way, does this genre have a name?

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.