Confessions of a YYC Travel Junkie

[st3ncil]

do you only travel from geneva to zermatt and back?

check here for dates/times/prices
http://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by st3ncil

do you only travel from geneva to zermatt and back?

Possibly. I haven't quite decided yet. Thank you for posting that link to the fares. It looks like I'd have to make quite a few trips to make the rail pass worth it.

[st3ncil]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Possibly. I haven't quite decided yet. Thank you for posting that link to the fares. It looks like I'd have to make quite a few trips to make the rail pass worth it.

hehe, yeah but it could be worth it when you travel a LOT of far distances.


When you only travel from geneva to zermatt you can get an multiple pass(normally 6x) only for this route.

Or if you stay longer one of these
http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and...n-tickets.html

[Notorious Honey Badger]

Not just for Chris but anyone, I want to go see a college football game down south. I'm looking at a game in Clemson or Baton Route or even Tuscaloosa. How are these places to visit as a tourist? I'll be going solo this time as I'm redeeming free flights thru AA.

[drewboy12]

Someone on the board is from Tuscaloosa... Cant remember who at the moment though...

[surferguy]

^^^ I think it is PMKing

[FFR]

I found what I think is a good price to Shanghai, China. Round trip for $766 all taxes included. It connects through Vancouver. I found it searching on kayak.com for middle of May to beginning of June. I didn't search any other times so I don't know if it is available for other dates. The flight is a multi airline on WestJet from Calgary to Vancouver and on China Eastern from Vancouver to Shanghai and return.

When it searches on Kayak it says the flight price is available on Orbitz and Cheaptickets. When you click through to Orbitz it searches for a single airline itinerary and pops up as $1100 with Air Canada. However, if you do a multi city search and put in each individual flight segment (YYC to YVR, YVR to Shanghai and return) it comes up as $766 per person.

[Flabbibulin]

My wife and I are flying to London next week through BA and it looks like you can reserve the exit seats in advance for $80 per seat per flight. We flew to London a few years ago on the same flight and were able to the get the exit seats for free and it was awesome- crazy amounts of room in the exit seats on a BA 767. Not sure I want to risk them already being taken once 24hr check in comes and they are free for everyone.

We flew to Amsterdam on KLM last summer and were able to get upgraded to first for $500 per seat, but the same upgrade on BA is apparently $4000 per seat?! BA first class looks incredible, but that is quite the disparity.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Notorious Honey Badger

Not just for Chris but anyone, I want to go see a college football game down south. I'm looking at a game in Clemson or Baton Route or even Tuscaloosa. How are these places to visit as a tourist? I'll be going solo this time as I'm redeeming free flights thru AA.

My recommendation:

[username]

So I'm starting to think about organizing my honeymoon for Sept 2013. Has anyone here been on an African safari?

If so where did you leave from? Where did you stay? Can you give me any things to look for or to avoid when selecting a tour company? What countries should I avoid due to safety concerns?

[fundmark19]

Are you looking to feed your new wife to a lion? I can't believe I didn't think of this as the best way to have a honeymoon and return a bachelor

[Arsenal14]

I did some time in Eastern Africa a couple years ago. Flew into Nairobi then down into the Serengeti, climbed Kilimanjaro and then back to Nairobi before heading into Uganda to do the gorilla trek. Basically you need to choose between East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda) or Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana).

Places to avoid due to safety concerns would be the northern part of Uganda and most of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Not sure about the current status of Zimbabwe after their financial meltdown. In September the wildebeest migration will probably be in the Masai Mara rather than the Serengeti so that may be a consideration. Roads in East Africa are terrible so try to choose a small area and don't spend your time driving between regions. Can't go wrong with the Serengeti or Masai Mara in my opinion.

I used GAP Adventures which is great if you're looking relatively cheap, but not much help if you're looking for a little higher end lodge type safari.

[Mike Vernon]

Has anyone been to Quebec city? Any recommendations?

[Table 5]

I'd like to do a self-driven circle tour of Iceland in 2013. Any suggestions on what time of the year is best in terms of scenery?

Also, are there any particular good airfare/hotel/car rental packages (not necessarily all of them in one) to be aware of?

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I'd like to do a self-driven circle tour of Iceland in 2013. Any suggestions on what time of the year is best in terms of scenery?

Also, are there any particular good airfare/hotel/car rental packages (not necessarily all of them in one) to be aware of?

July/August will be the best bet for not getting rained on every day. That being said you will still need to get lucky. Unbelievably beautiful country, enjoy! Antrim coast is probably top five favourite places on earth for me.

Best airfares will be with charters but if you are a taller person you will be better paying for a real carrier. Air Lingus has flights from out east, I have always flown Air Canada through Heathrow to Belfast.

Oh and when renting a vehicle be sure to get something small, most of the scenic coastal roads are really narrow with hedgerows to make visibility an adventure.

[Table 5]

It rains there that much huh? Is it typically solid downpour type of rain, or just that annoying but manageable constant trickle/spray kind of rain that you get in B.C?

I was thinking it might not be a bad idea to camp along the way perhaps...although we're not that hardcore that we'd do it if it's raining all the time.

[rubecube]

Hey Chris, What are your thoughts on booking last minute all-inclusives over Xmas? Are there generally deals to be had? Right now we're booked for Vegas because we got a sweetheart deal at the MGM, but it's fully refundable and I was thinking in the long run an all-inclusive might be cheaper. I've always kind of told friends that as long as you don't really care where you're going, you can usually find good deals within 7 days of your departure trip, but I don't know if this holds true for Xmas or not.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Table 5

It rains there that much huh? Is it typically solid downpour type of rain, or just that annoying but manageable constant trickle/spray kind of rain that you get in B.C?

I was thinking it might not be a bad idea to camp along the way perhaps...although we're not that hardcore that we'd do it if it's raining all the time.

It rains a lot, typically not heavy downpours more of the steady drizzle. Don't let the weather deter you though! I would recommend B&Bs for accomodation, they are full of great advice, and they are everywhere in coastal areas. You may get fat however from all the good irish breakfasts.

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by Flacker

July/August will be the best bet for not getting rained on every day. That being said you will still need to get lucky. Unbelievably beautiful country, enjoy! Antrim coast is probably top five favourite places on earth for me.

Best airfares will be with charters but if you are a taller person you will be better paying for a real carrier. Air Lingus has flights from out east, I have always flown Air Canada through Heathrow to Belfast.

Oh and when renting a vehicle be sure to get something small, most of the scenic coastal roads are really narrow with hedgerows to make visibility an adventure.

I think you read Iceland as Ireland

[Table 5]

Haha, funny how I didn't notice that either. Funnily enough, Ireland is on our list too, so hey, can't hurt!