The earliest that you can book your flights is generally 330 days before the day you fly home. So that means that you look at your proposed travel dates and subtract 330 days from the last day of your vacation, put that date on your calendar. When that date pops up, call your travel agent to book your flights. Yes, I realize that many people try to figure out when they can get the best prices, but I want to know that it is done and that I have the best pick of seats, etc…
If you don’t want to do the math, just click here for the calculator to do that work for you. Keep in mind that if it is a really big trip, you should have already booked the timeshare a couple of months ago. If it is a photo safari, I often book 16 to 18 months out to get the locations I want and generally I can get them at this year’s prices rather than picking up what is left over at next year’s prices.
Planning Your Timeshare Weeks
You face the same issue when you want to book your next vacation, especially if it is during Christmas Week, New Years, Holy Week or Easter Week. First of all you need to know what your timeshare rules are. For example, I can book my vacations 13 months before the first day of my vacation. If I am booking outside of my “club”, then the time is often reduced to 11 months or 10 months out. Here is another handy set of calculators to make it simple for you. Click here to go to my timeshare calculators.
Once you have done the calculations, just mark the date on your calendar and when that date arrives, make sure to get up early to book your special week. I know that my timeshare opens for booking at 6:00 am, so I put it on the day before with a note to set the alarm to get up to book the vacation.
For example, we always go to the same resort for Thanksgiving week for a mini family reunion. That means that I have to look up next November and figure out the dates that we want to stay at the resort, then mark down the date so that I am booking next year’s Thanksgiving vacation the month before this year’s Thanksgiving vacation. Plan ahead and you won’t be disappointed next year.
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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
Whenever we travel, I like to travel light. I also like to plan on having some space in my suitcase so that I can pick up a few things to give as gifts and to remember my trip. I almost always pick up flat items, maybe a table cloth, table runner, lace, etc… that does not take up much room. Maybe a hat or two that can be packed easily.
In fact, I like to take a maximum of about a week’s worth of clothes no matter how long the trip. I like to keep my suitcase down to less than 30 pounds; it is a backpack suitcase and I want to be able to hop on or off a train or the metro without an issue.
A pair of pants or shorts don’t take up too much space in my suitcase, but enough underwear to last 7 days without laundry facilities will take up much more space than an extra shirt or an extra pair of pants. I don’t mind wearing the same pair of pants or shorts for a few days, but I don’t like to wear underwear for multiple days.
Generally, if we are staying in hotel rooms, I would bring my light weight, quick drying, underwear and wash them in my room. On our next trip, my wife and I will spend a week in London followed by a 2 week photo safari in Africa. The first week is not really an issue since we have access to a sink every night in our hotel room. On the safari, we are not sure of our accommodations yet, but we could be staying in tents and moving every day. It is not like I can leave wet underwear hanging in the tent or even in our room while we are on safari since we will be at a different camp the next day. With fast drying polyester based underwear, they dry overnight, but not cotton briefs. Yes, TMI, but you have to think about those things when you travel.
The other problem is that we will spend summer days in London and winter days in Africa. Different types of clothes for the very different climates.
I could ship my Africa wardrobe to London and carry the clothes that I want to wear in London in my suitcase. Before we leave, I could ship my London clothes home and carry my Africa wardrobe for the rest of the trip. That is an extra expense but it would be a solution. As noted above, the other option will be doing laundry every night or two. I don’t want to do laundry every couple days for the whole 3 weeks. I have another idea in mind that will give me the space in my suitcase for gifts and cut down on laundry.
I remember that mom always said to wear clean underwear just in case I get into an accident; but I have seen enough of those TV shows where they just cut off your clothes to get to your injuries. So, I figured that I would set aside old and almost worn out underwear throughout the year and take them on my trip. Rather than washing them in the evening, I can just toss them out along the way. So, instead of bringing 7 sets of underwear, I will bring 14 sets of underwear and by the end of the first week, I will have room in my suitcase for gifts.
Starting on week two of the trip, all of the worn out underwear will be in the trash. The 7 sets that I go to Africa with will be the ones that are easy to wash and that are quick trying. I can easily wash them out each night and they should be dry by the morning. The issue isn’t just with underwear. If you are wearing hiking boots, you need to carry extra socks or have a plan for bring 2 or 3 pairs and a plan for washing and drying them every two or three days.
Here is how we plan to take care of the socks issue. When we are located in a facility that has electricity, even if it is only for part of the day, I will use the blow dryer to dry out my socks.
What do you think of this plan?
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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
*** There have been some major updates to this program. See that info below in red.
Many of you already use TSA Precheck when traveling domestically to speed the process of boarding aircraft. You can often use at foreign international airports too.
Some of you use Global Entry for international travel to speed up the process of getting through Customs when you return to the U.S.
Did you know that there is another option to speed up the process of going through passport control when you return to the United States if you don’t have Global Entry?
It is called CPB Mobil Passport Control. No, it does not replace your passport or Global Entry, but it does replace filling out the paper form upon your return to the U.S. so that you can move more quickly through the Customs and Border Control process. Best of all, is that it’s FREE.
You can have both Global Entry and CPB Mobil Passport Control but you must decide which one you will use to enter the US. Keep in mind that if you have completed and activated your CPB Mobil Passport Control, then you have already started the passport control process and you will have to go to the CPB Mobil Passport Control line.You cannot go to the Global Entry line as they will end up sending you to a supervisor to deal with you trying to enter the country twice. That could mean quite a delay in getting through the process.
You could fill out all of the info in CPB Mobil Passport Control while on the airplane and wait until you enter the passport control room to decide to go to Global Entry or complete the process with CPB Mobil Passport Control based upon the shortest line. You will still need to wait to receive the response on your phone before getting in the line. Either way, the line will be much shorter than the very long line for those who didn’t get set up with Global Entry or CPB Mobil Passport Control before their trip.
Now, back to CPB Mobil Passport Control.
It is pretty simple. Just go to Google Play or the Apple Store to download the app, scan your passport into the app and fill out some info. You can put your whole household on one phone. I would suggest that you do it on your phone as well as your partner’s phone, just in case one of the phones is lost or damaged on your trip. The info will be held on your phone and it is password protected.
When you return to the U.S., turn on your phone and use the app to answer the questions that you would have answered on the paper form that the flight attendant may have given you. You will receive a QR code to be scanned by the Customs and Border Protection system.
It is pretty straight-forward. In fact, after you have landed and are headed to the terminal on the taxi way, just turn on your phone, open the app and answer the questions. You will probably have your QR code before you get off the plane and you will be ready to go. The info is good for 4 hours. Make sure you do this before you start responding to your emails or you may not get the QR code response before you get to Passport Control. Remember, you cannot go to the Global Entry line after you have sent your info to Customs and Border Control with your CPB Mobile Passport Control as they will end up sending you to a supervisor to deal with you trying to enter the country twice. That could mean quite a delay in getting through the process.
It was only available originally 24 airports and one cruise terminal.
Updated Info:
TheMobile Passportwas changed to Airside Mobile Passport but it has changed again in February 2022 to CBP MPC which is short forCustoms & Border Protection Mobile Passport Control. You often have a line as short or shorter than what you will see for Global Entry, but like I noted, it is not available at every airport or port of entry. Currently only 31 airports and 4 shipping ports.
The MPC mobile app, is available to U.S. citizens and Canadian B1/B2 citizens visitors.
MPC is currently available at the following 48 sites, including 33 U.S. International Airports, 11 Preclearance locations, and 4 seaports of entry:
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL)
Aruba Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA)
Bermuda L.F. Wade International Airport (BDA)
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
Houston William P. Hobby International Airport (HOU)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
Las Vegas Harry Ried International Airport (LAS)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Miami Seaport
Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Nassau Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS)
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Oakland International Airport (OAK)
Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Ottawa International Airport (YOW)
Palm Beach Seaport
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
Port Everglades Seaport
Portland International Airport (PDX)
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
San Diego International Airport (SAN)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
San Jose International Airport (SJC)
San Juan Airport (SJU)
San Juan Seaport
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Tampa International Airport (TPA)
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
Winnipeg James A Richardson International Airport (YWG)
Keep this limitation in mind when booking your flights if you plan to use this App. For example, don’t return to the US from Cabo via John Wayne International (SNA) in Santa Ana. You cannot use this program there yet. Better to enter the US at PHX or SAN or SFO.
Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
We are planning another trip to Africa for July 2018. This will be a 12 day photo safari in Kenya and Tanzania to see the great migration in the Masai Mara that we have seen on TV on the National Geographic Channel.
The best time is between July and August. If it is a warm year, then July is great. If not, you may want to wait until August. Of course, to plan ahead, you must decide before you really know what the weather will be, so plan it and hope for the best weather, but enjoy it either way.
Just a few dozen years ago, this would have been a very dangerous trip because of the rampant poaching. Thanks to the Mara Triangle Conservancy, that is no longer the case and we are looking forward to an exciting, but not a dangerous, trip.
For this trip, we want to do the safari during the beginning of the migration, rather than in the middle of it. We will not see as many animals, but that just means that we will see a few thousand animals rather than hundreds of thousands of animals. That being said, it will be summer in the northern hemisphere at home in California, but winter in the southern hemisphere in Africa.
Of course, we cannot fly to straight to Nairobi from the U.S. yet. Just in case you are interested, there will be a direct flight from JFK to Nairobi starting in October 2018 on Kenya Airways. It would be a very long flight, about 15 hours or so. We prefer to break our flights up into flights of 10 hours or less. Also, since we will be flying into Nairobi to start our photo safari, we need to find the best routing to and from there. Based upon my research, the best option is to fly round trip from London to Nairobi. Therefore, we will fly from California to London, and then on to Nairobi. With that in mind, we plan to add a week long visit to London on the way to Africa. We would have preferred to do 3-4 days in London on the way to and from Africa to break up the flight both ways, but it did not fit our schedule. So it will be a very long, long trip home. Probably about 36 hours of travel time. Drive from Arusha Tanzania to Nairobi, Kenya, then fly Nairobi to London, layover, London to Dallas, layover, and finally Dallas to Sacramento.
Now that you have seen our general plans, what should you be doing to get ready if this was your trip. You could call your travel agent and describe the trip you wish to take and let the agent gather the appropriate information that is needed to set up the trip. Keep in mind that you should plan on paying the agent for doing all the work to put the trip together. If you don’t want to do that, then it is time for you to do some work to gather all of the info needed to set up your timeline for the various steps along the way.
What about shots??? Depending upon where in Kenya or Tanzania you will be visiting, the shot requirement is different. Make sure to talk with your travel nurse for updated info.
You are probably are thinking that you have a passport and don’t need to worry about that. Did you know that some countries won’t let you visit if you have only a couple of months left on your passport? Did you know that some countries won’t let you enter if you have a brand new passport? Did you know that some countries require you to have several blank passport and visa pages available for them to use. So, do your homework. I could tell you what I found for Kenya and Tanzania, but since that information does change and I have no idea when you will be reading this post, I suggest that you do your own research.
While you are on the State Department’s website, you will see links for Travel Advisories, passports and international travel. We will start on the International Travel page. On that page, click on the Traveler’s Checklist link and go through their checklist. The first thing they say to do is to research the entry/exit requirements for the countries you will be visiting. For example, we will visit Kenya and Tanzania. You can click on them to see what issues to be concerned about. Another thing to remember is that you may need to bring along your children’s birth certificates in some parts of Africa because of issues of child trafficing. So, bring their passports but bring valid copies of their birth certificates too, just in case.
Of course, the State Department recommends that you register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive updates if there are problems in the country where you plan to visit.
Why is this important? Because if civil war breaks out, you may want to cancel your trip. That brings up another issue, which is travel insurance. In fact, that is almost as important as the entry and exit rules for where you plan to visit. You need to talk to your travel agent about your travel insurance needs before you make any reservations. Especially if you want to be able to purchase a policy to cover you if you have pre-existing health conditions that may cause you to have to cancel the trip. Please take the time to learn more about travel insurance here. When you are ready to purchase a policy, your travel agent will handle it for you. If you are doing your own trip planning, click here to order a policy.
Now that I have done some of the needed research, I need to double check our passports to make sure that we have at least 6 months on our passports beyond the time we will be in England and Africa and that we have at least 2 empty pages for passport stamps and visa stamps. Along those same lines, we need to go online to order our mulit-visit visa for Kenya since we fly into Kenya, drive into Tanzania then back into Kenya before flying home. ***In 2024 the laws have been changed to travel to Kenya. Now they require an eVisa also called an ETA which stands for an Electronic Travel Authority. We are seeing thes popup throughout the world these days.
We will not be getting our Tanzania visa before we leave home. We don’t want to send them our passports and hope we get them back. Also, there is more than one type of visa to visit Tanzania. There is one for people who are transiting the country. At the time of this writing, that is about $30. For those who are visiting Tanzania, the fee is about $100. Also, they want newer, clean, crisp $20 dollar bills, or in the case of the transit visa, a couple of $5 dollar bills to go with your $20. Also, if you are with a guide, they won’t believe that you are transiting the country so make sure to have the $100 in clean cash.
While waiting for the visa, it is time to get started on shots. When we went a couple of years ago, we had to get a series of shots, some before the trip and a final one after we got home. So, I called Kaiser to set the appointment with the Travel Nurse to discuss what shots and meds that we may need for our trip.
Don’t forget that you need to consider the re-entry process when we return to the U.S. The first choice would be to get the Global Entry paperwork done before hand, but that means going to San Francisco to do the interview. A pain in the back side. Also, after you fill out the documents and pay the fee, you can still end up waiting months before you get your conditional approval. Additionally, after you get the conditional approval, you need that to sign up for the interview, but it could be several more months before you can go in for your interview. You can get an interview on the fly if you return from an international trip and land at one of the several dozen airports that allow it, you can do your interview there after you disembark, but before you leave the passport control area. Check with the folks at Global Entry for more info. Also, since our Pre-Check was expiring, we had to renew it because of the long delay in getting Global Entry.
The second option is using the app on your phone called Mobile Passport. I wrote about it earlier and did an uppdate here. We chose the Mobil Passport. ***This is now called the CBP-MPC which stands for Customs and Border Protection’s Mobil Passport Control.Learn more about it here from the CBP website.It is an App that you install on your phone.
Once all of that is in process, we can finally book the trip and buy the travel insurance. I will talk more about that part of it in a follow-up blog post.
Just in case you were wondering about why we are going to Kenya and Tanzania, it is so that we can see the great migration. You know, the migration of hundreds of thousands of animals that you have seen on the National Geographic Channel.
The bottom line is that we are turning more dreams into memories. You should be doing the same.
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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
Something that worries almost all first time travelers to Europe or England, has to do with which of their electronics will work and which ones won’t work.
They want to know if they need an adapter or a converter.
Let’s start with basics. In the USA, we use 110 volt AC appliances, except for electric ranges, electric water heaters and electric heating and air conditioning systems. Those use 220 volts AC.
In most of the rest of the world, they use 220 volt AC appliances. I should also point out that AC stands for Alternating Current.
Our cars and most electronics use DC or direct current but you don’t need to worry about that. Why, because when we charge our electronics we use a USB plug or a plug with a built in converter that will convert either 110 volt AC current or 220 volt AC current to the appropriate DC voltage for our phones, cameras, tablets or our laptop computers.
With that background, lets move on to talk about adapters vs. converters.
An adapter is a device that allows you to plug your American appliance or charger into a foreign plug. A converter, converts the electricity coming out of the wall from 220 volts to 110 volts. Newer adapters do have a limited converter to convert the 220 volts AC to the 5 volt DC voltage for the USB outlets.
As an aside, none of the adapters shown in this article will work in South Africa or Swaziland. If you are going to South Africa, make sure to pick up the appropriate adapter for that country. They use a type M plug down there. You can order type M adapters from Amazon.
An example of a universal travel adapter with USB ports.
This is an adapter kit.
This is an old travel hair dryer with a small round switch that allows you to use it with either 110 or 220 volt systems.
Sometimes I will plug this 3 way plug into the adapter plug and then plug it into the wall socket. Don’t plug your hair dryer or curling iron into this adapter unless it is dual voltage and you have switched it to 220 volts.
Here are two styles of plugs the generally work in Europe although the one on the right does not always fit the sunken plugs in Switzerland or Italy. You will need the one on the left. Also, in Switzerland and Italy you may notice 3 holes in the wall plug. Don’t worry, these adapters will work just fine.
Back to the discussion of the need for adaptors or converters.
In most hotels and cruise ships, they have a 110 volt circuit in the bathroom for an electric shaver. Don’t plug your hair dryer into that slot. Many cruise ships don’t even want you to bring along a blow dryer or a flat iron for pressing your clothes. They tend to overload their circuits. Facilities that are set up to handle the electrical load, generally provide blow dryers in the cabin or the hotel room. It may not be the one you are used to using, but it will do in a pinch.
Don’t plug your hair dryer into an adapter either, unless you have a hair dryer with a switch that will move it from 110 volts to 220 volts. You will burn it up. As for your curling iron or blow dryer, since you could not leave home without it, why not just buy one from a store in Budapest when you arrive. You can get one for about 20 Euros. Then you won’t need to use one of your adapters.
If you need a converter, here is an option that you can get on Amazon.
This is a Travel Smart Adapter/Converter available at Amazon or Target.
This is another complete adapter/converter kit. It will allow you to plug into any plug in Europe or England and convert the output to 110 volts.
Most of us don’t carry converters any more. We just carry adapters for the country we will be visiting. I always carry more than one so that my wife can plug her phone or tablet, etc. in on her side of the bed and I can plug mine in on my side of the bed.
Just make sure to pick them up from Amazon or your favorite retailer before you leave home. You know your battery will be dead when you arrive unless you remembered that on most international flights that there are generally 110 outlets or USB outlets in the plane. Sometimes they are under the seat, so that you can keep your device charged up. If you don’t already have transportation waiting for you at the airport, you will want to use your phone to order up Uber or Lyft to get you to your hotel. You did remember to order an international plan for your phone before you left home, didn’t you??? Go to the Tips page for more tips.
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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
Why do YOU want to go to Budapest? I have been there and I know that it is a wonderful city to visit. Plenty to see and do. Very friendly people. But unless you are an avid traveler, most people don’t have Budapest on their list. Yes, they have Paris, or London, or Lisbon, or Madrid, or Rome…
I will admit that, although I heard great things about Budapest, the reason that we traveled there was to take a Viking River Cruise from Budapest to Passau. That cruise is called “The Danube Waltz”. They have a similar cruise, called The Romantic Danube that goes between Budapest and Nuremburg. Viking River Cruises has several trips that start or stop in Budapest, but I really liked the Danube Waltz because of the interesting stops along the way. It looked to be a great itinerary, and it was.
Whenever we book a trip like a river cruise, we don’t want to worry about missing the boat, so we plan for a couple of extra days to decompress, make up for missed connections, and to even get some time to visit a new destination. The other part of our planning involves getting our phones ready. That means adding the international plan on both my phone and my wife’s phone. Making sure that I have the apps that I want to be able to use. For example, we want to have Uber, Delta or the particular airline we are using, Tripit, Viator, Big Bus Tours, Rick Steves audio tours, and the metro app for the cities we are visiting. I also want to have Google Earth or something with a great street view that works on my phone. As I noted above, both phones are set up because one will not work. At the airport in Budapest, mine did not work, so we used my wife’s phone to order up the Uber driver to get us to our hotel.
The other thing I do in preparation, is to use the street view on Google maps to “walk the streets” in my destination city so that I know the area. I also look at the routing from the airport to the hotel so that I know if my Uber or taxi driver is actually taking me to my chosen destination by the shortest route. If there are any videos available online I will watch them before we go as well. I also look for Delicious Destinations for info on the great restaurants in the city. I especially like Wolters World videos. I will also check out their facebook page as well to ask questions about the destination. Another one that I like to view is Rick Steves. I have their current travel guides for the places that I plan to visit. I also have watched every video that he has published. And as noted above, if he has a walking tour for a city that I am visiting, I will have it on my phone as well.
Now, if you are not a real seasoned traveler, you may not want to go it alone and you may want a complete package in place before you leave home. If I am taking a river cruise, I always use Viking River Cruises and they will put the whole trip together for you. That includes airfare, transfers from the airport to your hotel or the cruise boat you are traveling on, and back to the airport to home. All you really need to do is get to your local airport and get from there back home. Viking will do the rest. Their people will be waiting at your destination with their red signs directing you to the bus that will take you to your boat. Nothing could be easier. Also, if you are like me and want a little down time before the cruise, they have pre-cruise additions that will give you that opportunity. A great way to see the city before you start the cruise. They are also flexible enough if you want to do your own thing before or after the cruise. There is a small fee for that and you will have to handle your own transfers, but with Uber, that is not a problem.
When we did our Danube Waltz cruise, we spent 3 days in Budapest before the cruise, and then 3 days in Saltzburg and 5 days in Vienna after the cruise. They provided the airfare before and after the cruise so all we had to do was make sure that we arranged for Uber to get to our hotel in Budapest before the cruise and that we got to the airport in Vienna after the cruise.
Now, back to Budapest. We stayed at the Leo Panzio Hotel. A small boutique hotel just down the street from a metro stop. We prefer small hotels over huge hotels that make it look like we are still in the US. I always make sure that the hotel we use is close to a metro stop as well as a Big Bus stop if they have a tour in the city we are visiting.
In Budapest, everything was in walking distance for us so we didn’t even use the metro. We did take the Big Bus tour and got off and on whenever we wanted to. We also got a dinner cruise on the Danube from Viator so that we were able to fully enjoy the city, day and night.
The list of places to visit in Budapest is more than you will be able to see in 2-3 days, so don’t worry about what you missed. Just plan on visiting again. Maybe take one of the other Viking River cruises. Keep in mind what you will tour with your cruise and plan to see the other sights in town.
Here is what to expect on the cruise; “Today we visit highlights of the once separate towns of Buda and Pest, starting with Pest’s National Opera House and historic Heroes’ Square. In Buda, walk along Castle Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church. Enjoy lunch aboard your ship, with the rest of the day to explore on your own. You may wish to visit the Art Nouveau Gellért Spa, or one of the many other lavish facilities in this “City of Healing Waters.” Return to your ship for a traditional Hungarian farewell dinner.” With that in mind, I would want to visit the central market, the Citadel, the Parliment Building, and don’t forget to look for the Ronald Reagan statue near Liberty Square.
So much more to share, but I will sign off for now. Time to plan my next trip to Budapest.
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If you want to book your car, tours or excursions on your own, or decide to take an excursion after you have arrived at your destination, click on the link below and make your own booking. I understand that you may want to decide on what to do based upon the weather or how you feel after that long flight.
If you book within 7 days of clicking on the link, I will earn a small commission on the booking. The price is the same for you on this link or on a direct connection to Viator. If you go directly to Viator, I won’t get a commission. Thanks for your support. And yes, I use Viator to book my tours and activities.
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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
One of the first things I do after going over the check list, is to look at the city on maps.google.com. Why?
So that I can see major points of interest.
So that I can see the map of the metro system.
I want to find where 2 or more metro lines cross so that is easier to travel around the city and get back to my hotel/apartment.
So that I can use the little yellow google man to walk up and down the streets.
(As an example, the photo below was captured from Google Maps and has a live link back to the original Google Map. Click on the photo so that you can look at the Google Map. Click on one of the encircled M’s to see the metro lines. You will also be able to see many points of interest on the map.)
(To make it easier for you to navigate around, the photo below, was been captured from Google Maps Street View from the same location of the above map view, and has a live link back to the original Google Map. Click on the photo so that you can look around to get your bearings.)
You can turn around and even move forward and back to get a look at the neighborhood. If you turn all the way around to the right and go up a block on Avenue de la Motte-Picquet you will see a Starbucks on the left. )
Why am I showing you this location? It meets several of the above items on the checklist. At this location, you see the Citadines Apart-hotel in front of you. We are standing under the above ground metro tracks. FYI, there are two other metro tracks below us, underground. To the right, under the tracks, you will find a Farmer’s Market one day a week, and just a few blocks away, on Avenue de Saxe to the right of the Ségue Metro stop, there is another Farmer’s Market on a different day of the week. Google Maps and Google Street View are great tools to explore a new city.
I always try to walk the streets, with the little yellow Google man, before I actually visit a new city. Click on the map view in the photo above and it will take you to the actual Google Map view; go to the lower right side of the map and put your cursor over the yellow Goggle man, Click on him and drag him to the Trocadéro on the other side of La Seine from the Eiffel Tower, drop him on the small square box in the reflecting pool and have a look around. Try it on your home city or a big city close to you that you have visited and look for points of interest, metro lines, etc…
On a final note, if I do decide to buy a Big Bus hop-on/hop-off tour package, I will buy it on the Viator Website so that I am only dealing with one online vendor for all of my tours and sightseeing packages. If a Big Bus tour package is not available for the city I am visiting, I am sure to find another company that provides that service on the Viator Website.
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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
I booked a trip to Europe for the Rhine River Cruise. We booked our flights through the cruise company. It looked like we were booked on Delta, but when we tried to check in online for our trip home, we could not do it on the Delta Website. They said to go to Virgin Atlantic. Upon closer review of the itinerary, it did show that the flight from London to Los Angeles was “Operated by Virgin Atlantic.”
Unfortunately, I did not have a flight number or a booking number for Virgin Atlantic. I called the cruise company and was given the flight number and the terminal number, but was told that since it was an economy booking that I would have to be at Heathrow 3 hours early to check in.
I did not accept that as a reasonable option so I went back to the Delta website looking for another option. I clicked on the “view seats” option, since it did not show that we had seat numbers assigned, and it took me to another Delta page that had a small message at the top. “This flight is operated by our partner, Virgin Atlantic, and the seat map is not available. To manage your seat, please visit virginatlantic.com. Fees for seat selection may be applicable based on class of service, frequent flyer status, or days to departure.” I clicked on that link and it took me to the Virgin Atlantic check in page. It only showed my reservation, so I clicked on the “Add Passenger” link to add my wife.
I added the info for my wife, but it would not add her as a passenger. I also noticed that the Airline Booking number that it showed next to my name was not the same one that showed on my air itinerary.
Not to be defeated, I went back to the Delta page and clicked on the link next to my wife’s name for “view seats” and was taken to the above noted page and I clicked on the highlighted link to Virgin Atlantic. I then proceeded to add my name for the extra passenger and it worked.
I followed the rest of the onscreen prompts to update the info for our passports, etc… and even got to the page to select a window and middle seat for us.
Success!!! We had our boarding passes emailed to us as well as having them messaged to us so that we were ready to board when we got to the airport.
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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
Did you hear that some residents of the US will have to have passports instead of driver’s licenses to board a domestic flight starting in 2016?
Yes, you read that correctly. It seems that back in 2005 a new law called the Real ID Act, was enacted. It sets standards that U.S. driver’s licenses must meet to be considered acceptable identification for boarding a domestic flight.
Unfortunately, travelers from New York, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and American Samoa are not being issued licenses that comply with the requirements under the Real ID Act. Apparently, these five places don’t require proof of residency or citizenship when you apply for a driver’s license. Therefore, as of 2016, their driver’s licenses are not going to allow them to board an airplane for a domestic flight.
The Real ID Act does not change requirements for a passport for international flights.
The new rules will go into effect sometime in 2016, and there will be a three-month forgiveness period, during which people with these licenses will be warned that their IDs are no longer valid for flights. Let’s hope you get turned away from the flight from home and not the flight to return home.
If you are from one of these states, “acceptable” IDs for boarding a domestic flight will include passports and passport cards, as well as permanent resident cards, U.S. military ID, and DHS trusted traveler cards such a Global Entry and NEXUS.
Apparently, the TSA will also accept Enhanced Driver’s Licenses, the kind that are currently used to replace passports for travel to and from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Of the 4 states, only New York and Minnesota issue enhanced licenses.
There has been no change for children under 18 years of age. They don’t need an ID when traveling with a companion who does have a valid/acceptable form of ID.
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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
Are you planning a trip to Canada? Are you a US citizen or a citizen of another country? One of the things that many countries are beginning to do is to require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for all visitors. For example, it will be required in New Zealand in October of 2019. It is coming to Canada by 2021 for all travelers. Currently. as of 2019, US citizens don’t need one, just your passport.
For the rest of the travelers out there, here is a link to a page that will allows you to determine the need for an eTA.
The first thing you should do is to check out this link if you are planning a trip to Canada. -> Get Started
Did you know that according to Canadian Laws, US Citizens with previous criminal records, even DUIs over 10 years old, may be denied entering the country?
Wouldn’t you just hate it if you were on a cruise to the Inside Passage, and you could not go ashore in Canada?
Even worse, what if you had already taken a flight to Canada and they would not let you leave the airport after checking your criminal history and you had to fly back home or were even arrested for trying to enter the country illegally?
Before you book an Alaska Cruise or any Vacation to Canada let your travel agent know about your background so that you have time to obtain a waiver. A waiver of exclusion may be issued but several months to a year is required and a processing fee must be paid.
By the way, if you are heading to the United States, you may also need to obtain their version of an electronic travel visa authorization. Check this link to learn more. You may also be interested in the US Visa Waiver Program.
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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!
As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you. Check out the important links below.
