The Hallucinating Goose Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Thought I'd start a thread about travelling. Discuss anything about travel; where you're going, reviews of hotels/airlines/cities etc, recommendations, favourite/least favourite places, stories, advice, whatever you want! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 I'll get it going. In the summer I will be spending 10 days travelling from Monaco to Gibraltar via Nice, Avignon, Carcassonne and Barcelona. I feel like I'm short-changing Spain a little but I had to to fit in the places I was most keen on visiting in the time I have. I'm going to Monaco basically just to see how the other side live. Gonna look the business in my primark shades and tesco trainers! Avignon and Carcassonne should be interesting because I'm very much into history and particularly medieval history and architecture. Out of the two I'm looking forward to Carcassonne the most; the old town just looks so beautiful sat up on a hill with the walls surrounding it. Must have been such an imposing fortress back when it was first built. I'm only spending half a day in each place. They aren't big and I should be able to do the main things in each in an afternoon. I would like some advice on Barcelona please. I will be there for 1 and half days/two nights. I have noticed that a lot of museums and attractions are open quite late so should be able to fit a lot in but it is a big place and there is a lot to do so what in particular do people think? After I will be travelling 9-10 hours on the train down to the south coast so should get a good look at the Spanish countryside. I think the thing I am looking forward to the most though is going to Gibraltar. I will probably spend the two days I am there basically just walking around the rock and taking hundreds of snaps of the views and monkeys. Some fun little features in the place such as having to walk across the airport runway to get into the town! What I have found with Gibraltar is hotels are very expensive so I am staying in a basic place in La Linea just across the border where I have managed to get 3 nights for just £39 and it is only a five minute walk to the border. I had originally booked a hotel in Gibraltar itself for £250 so saving myself a lot of money there! So that's what I'm up to in the summer, where's everyone else heading to?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Ting Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 I can remember when it took 2 hours by coach to get to Blackpool. We always stopped at the same pub halfway. Then there were aeroplanes just after the pub and a restaurant (the name escapes me) by the Preston by-pass. Learn to listen without distortion and learn to look without imagination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedford Roughyed Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 21 minutes ago, Mister Ting said: I can remember when it took 2 hours by coach to get to Blackpool. We always stopped at the same pub halfway. Then there were aeroplanes just after the pub and a restaurant (the name escapes me) by the Preston by-pass. Could of been Samlesbury? With the best, thats a good bit of PR, though I would say the Bedford team, theres, like, you know, 13 blokes who can get together at the weekend to have a game together, which doesnt point to expansion of the game. Point, yeah go on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim2 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 At the end of next week I'm going to Canada (Calgary / Jasper) then on to Vancouver and Alaska. I've been to over 30 countries but never before to Canada. "I am the avenging angel; I come with wings unfurled, I come with claws extended from halfway round the world. I am the God Almighty, I am the howling wind. I care not for your family; I care not for your kin. I come in search of terror, though terror is my own; I come in search of vengeance for crimes and crimes unknown. I care not for your children, I care not for your wives, I care not for your country, I care not for your lives." - (c) Jim Boyes - "The Avenging Angel" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted April 30, 2019 Author Share Posted April 30, 2019 1 hour ago, tim2 said: At the end of next week I'm going to Canada (Calgary / Jasper) then on to Vancouver and Alaska. I've been to over 30 countries but never before to Canada. Wow, great trip! What you gonna be doing while you're there? Also what's your favourite country you've been to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnM Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 7 hours ago, Mister Ting said: I can remember when it took 2 hours by coach to get to Blackpool. We always stopped at the same pub halfway. Then there were aeroplanes just after the pub and a restaurant (the name escapes me) by the Preston by-pass. Half Way House? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 We're off to Malaysia in June. My favourite relaxing place is Sorrento in Italy. It's hard to have a poor holiday there. I'd go back to the Maldives every year if the wife would let me. We went there in 1999 for our honeymoon and again a couple of years later but not since. Perfect for a time-off-from-everything holiday, sit on the beach read books, get bored of that go swim with the fish for a couple of hours, get bored of that come back and read books on the beach. Even an indifferent swimmer like me can have hours of fun with a snorkel on in the waist-deep waters swimming with the fish. There's two places I've been that I've thought "I could live here quite easily", one was Calgary when I went for a friend's wedding, the other is Munich that I've been to lots of times for work. For seven years I worked for a couple of companies that required lots of international travel, that broke my enthusiasm for travel thoroughly. At the first company, a typical working week routine would be first flight to somewhere in western Europe, evening flight back, repeat the next day Monday to Thursday then Friday was a day in the office. At the second, it was longer trips, a couple of weeks at a time every couple of months, worldwide this time though. I used to have a map where I'd stuck a pin in every country I'd visited, I lost it somewhere when we were moving house and I've been too lazy to recreate it. "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim2 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 56 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said: Wow, great trip! What you gonna be doing while you're there? Also what's your favourite country you've been to? In Canada we will be doing walking, boat trips on the lakes etc. Depends how cold it is. We're cruising from Vancouver to Anchorage and back, taking in some whale watching. Favourite country? Difficult because each one offers different things. If I was forced I would pick New Zealand. Spent 4 weeks there in 2017 travelling both islands. USA is a beautiful country but it's a bit mad. Loads of places in Europe for history / culture. My favourite sunny location would be Barbados or Tortola in the Caribbean. I'd like to go back to Australia as well. "I am the avenging angel; I come with wings unfurled, I come with claws extended from halfway round the world. I am the God Almighty, I am the howling wind. I care not for your family; I care not for your kin. I come in search of terror, though terror is my own; I come in search of vengeance for crimes and crimes unknown. I care not for your children, I care not for your wives, I care not for your country, I care not for your lives." - (c) Jim Boyes - "The Avenging Angel" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckn Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 1 minute ago, tim2 said: In Canada we will be doing walking, boat trips on the lakes etc. Depends how cold it is. We're cruising from Vancouver to Anchorage and back, taking in some whale watching. Favourite country? Difficult because each one offers different things. If I was forced I would pick New Zealand. Spent 4 weeks there in 2017 travelling both islands. USA is a beautiful country but it's a bit mad. Loads of places in Europe for history / culture. My favourite sunny location would be Barbados or Tortola in the Caribbean. I'd like to go back to Australia as well. I can't get on with the US. I can accept being treated like a criminal going in and out of the UK as I don't have a choice, I do object to the same treatment when I go somewhere on holiday. I remember when I went to Canada for my mate's wedding. We'd agreed that I'd buy lots of booze in duty free then pay Canadian duty as it was still cheaper than their stores. I got to Calgary's red customs channel, huge (as in muscle) female customs agent asked what I was doing with all that booze, I was honest and told them I just wanted to pay the duty then get in, she asked "do you intend to finish all that while you're here?", "Yes, every drop!". She then waved me through without having to pay any duty and welcomed me to Canada with a big smile. That reaction and how I was treated was so different to the soulless hostility and assumption you're up to something dodgy that you get at any US airport (even before the Sept 11 2001 attacks). "When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim2 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Just now, ckn said: I can't get on with the US. I can accept being treated like a criminal going in and out of the UK as I don't have a choice, I do object to the same treatment when I go somewhere on holiday. I remember when I went to Canada for my mate's wedding. We'd agreed that I'd buy lots of booze in duty free then pay Canadian duty as it was still cheaper than their stores. I got to Calgary's red customs channel, huge (as in muscle) female customs agent asked what I was doing with all that booze, I was honest and told them I just wanted to pay the duty then get in, she asked "do you intend to finish all that while you're here?", "Yes, every drop!". She then waved me through without having to pay any duty and welcomed me to Canada with a big smile. That reaction and how I was treated was so different to the soulless hostility and assumption you're up to something dodgy that you get at any US airport (even before the Sept 11 2001 attacks). On my last business trip to Phoenix I had the best Customs + Immigration experience I've ever had in my many US trips. With a pre-used ESTA I joined the queue with the Yanks, used the auto machine to do fingerprints and passport scan. It printed a piece of paper I then took to the immigration officer, who smiles at me (still in shock at that), asked how long I was staying and waved me on. 10 minutes total. "I am the avenging angel; I come with wings unfurled, I come with claws extended from halfway round the world. I am the God Almighty, I am the howling wind. I care not for your family; I care not for your kin. I come in search of terror, though terror is my own; I come in search of vengeance for crimes and crimes unknown. I care not for your children, I care not for your wives, I care not for your country, I care not for your lives." - (c) Jim Boyes - "The Avenging Angel" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 18 minutes ago, tim2 said: On my last business trip to Phoenix I had the best Customs + Immigration experience I've ever had in my many US trips. With a pre-used ESTA I joined the queue with the Yanks, used the auto machine to do fingerprints and passport scan. It printed a piece of paper I then took to the immigration officer, who smiles at me (still in shock at that), asked how long I was staying and waved me on. 10 minutes total. I find East Coast US Customs are a nightmare (Florida & New York) West Coast (LA) are fine. I'm headed for Houston some time in the next couple of months, I'm not looking forward to Texan immigration. The best experience was when I transited through Toronto and went through US Customs and Immigration before leaving Canada. The US Customs / Homeland Security had clearly gone a bit native with working with the Canadians and it was almost a pleasurable experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzzz65 Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 2 hours ago, Shadow said: I find East Coast US Customs are a nightmare (Florida & New York) West Coast (LA) are fine. I'm headed for Houston some time in the next couple of months, I'm not looking forward to Texan immigration. The best experience was when I transited through Toronto and went through US Customs and Immigration before leaving Canada. The US Customs / Homeland Security had clearly gone a bit native with working with the Canadians and it was almost a pleasurable experience. Unfortunately you may be correct about immigration at airports in Texas. I ve travelled to Lafayette Louisiana many times .90% of the time via Dallas Fort Worth. Terrible experience even pre 9/11. Missed my connection to Lafayette three times due to immigration/customs queues. Houston George Bush airport was slightly better but the last two times I ve gone via Atlanta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Willow Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 10 hours ago, tim2 said: At the end of next week I'm going to Canada (Calgary / Jasper) then on to Vancouver and Alaska. I've been to over 30 countries but never before to Canada. Alaska is amazing, especially cruising into Hubbard Bay. That's an image that stays for a long time, blue skies and glaciers. Canada is one of my favourite places especially the Rockies. Just returned from Florence, another great city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonM Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 17 hours ago, bazzzz65 said: Unfortunately you may be correct about immigration at airports in Texas. Very much agree about avoiding US airports if at all possible. We started moving events away from the US at my old job because it's such a painful place to visit. However, I've had to go to Austin Texas a few times and the customs/security was really not too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonM Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 On 29/04/2019 at 09:27, The Hallucinating Goose said: Avignon and Carcassonne should be interesting because I'm very much into history and particularly medieval history and architecture. Out of the two I'm looking forward to Carcassonne the most; the old town just looks so beautiful sat up on a hill with the walls surrounding it. Must have been such an imposing fortress back when it was first built. I'm only spending half a day in each place. They aren't big and I should be able to do the main things in each in an afternoon. Carcassonne old town is really lovely even in the knowledge that the "restoration" was not exactly historically accurate. So many beautiful places in that area - seems like anywhere with an RL team is lovely - Albi, Cahors, Villefranche etc. Avignon is the real thing though. I'd find it hard to pick a favourite place round there - Arles and Aix are also stunning. We've got a few trips planned for this year, as I'm not working. Going to take the train to Venice and Lake Bled in Slovenia, there and back by different routes with stopovers. Also a couple of weeks in the Outer Hebrides. Had a few visits to Skye previously but only 3 days on Harris & Lewis, so this will be a chance to explore the outer islands properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 26 minutes ago, JonM said: Carcassonne old town is really lovely even in the knowledge that the "restoration" was not exactly historically accurate. So many beautiful places in that area - seems like anywhere with an RL team is lovely - Albi, Cahors, Villefranche etc. Avignon is the real thing though. I'd find it hard to pick a favourite place round there - Arles and Aix are also stunning. We've got a few trips planned for this year, as I'm not working. Going to take the train to Venice and Lake Bled in Slovenia, there and back by different routes with stopovers. Also a couple of weeks in the Outer Hebrides. Had a few visits to Skye previously but only 3 days on Harris & Lewis, so this will be a chance to explore the outer islands properly. I quite agree that there are loads of lovely places in southern France. I would have loved to have added a couple more into my trip but unfortunately too limited on time. Narbonne is close to carcassone and looks nice so considered going there for a couple hours because I could choose to change trains there but I would just be trying to cram too much in. I've done long trips before and made the mistake of adding too much in so there is too much travelling between places and not enough relaxing and sightseeing. I've been inter-railing before and I've found if you're moving round almost every single day by the end you've just completely lost interest. This was the case when I first went to cologne and frankfurt towards the end of a long trip. Was too tired and didn't even bother looking round, just went to the hotel. Luckily I have been back to cologne since and loved it. The cathedral could be my favourite building in the world but I must have miscounted the steps to the top. There is supposed to be 500 but I counted more! I'm planning on going to Venice next February. Been planning on going for a couple of years to be honest but other commitments kept getting in the way. I've not been before but it is one of my bucket list destinations so let me know what you think of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonM Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 4 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said: I'm planning on going to Venice next February. Been planning on going for a couple of years to be honest but other commitments kept getting in the way. I've not been before but it is one of my bucket list destinations so let me know what you think of it! Been to Venice several times - and like many other places in Italy (e.g. Florence & Sorrento already mentioned in the thread) it is stunning. You have to accept though that it is essentially a theme park - everyone there is a tourist or (directly or indirectly) working in the tourism industry. We're going for the Biennale (like the Olympics of the art world) which will be a new thing for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hallucinating Goose Posted May 1, 2019 Author Share Posted May 1, 2019 Just now, JonM said: Been to Venice several times - and like many other places in Italy (e.g. Florence & Sorrento already mentioned in the thread) it is stunning. You have to accept though that it is essentially a theme park - everyone there is a tourist or (directly or indirectly) working in the tourism industry. We're going for the Biennale (like the Olympics of the art world) which will be a new thing for me. The theme park situation is essentially why I've decided to go in february. I'm hoping there might be slightly less people there, maybe a bit cooler and hotels a little cheaper. Obviously it will still be absolutely rammed with people though, I am fully aware of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattSantos Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 On 30 April 2019 at 16:24, ckn said: We're off to Malaysia in June. My favourite relaxing place is Sorrento in Italy. It's hard to have a poor holiday there. I'd go back to the Maldives every year if the wife would let me. We went there in 1999 for our honeymoon and again a couple of years later but not since. Perfect for a time-off-from-everything holiday, sit on the beach read books, get bored of that go swim with the fish for a couple of hours, get bored of that come back and read books on the beach. Even an indifferent swimmer like me can have hours of fun with a snorkel on in the waist-deep waters swimming with the fish. There's two places I've been that I've thought "I could live here quite easily", one was Calgary when I went for a friend's wedding, the other is Munich that I've been to lots of times for work. For seven years I worked for a couple of companies that required lots of international travel, that broke my enthusiasm for travel thoroughly. At the first company, a typical working week routine would be first flight to somewhere in western Europe, evening flight back, repeat the next day Monday to Thursday then Friday was a day in the office. At the second, it was longer trips, a couple of weeks at a time every couple of months, worldwide this time though. I used to have a map where I'd stuck a pin in every country I'd visited, I lost it somewhere when we were moving house and I've been too lazy to recreate it. Where in Malaysia are you going? Just had a nipper so limited travel this year i suspect, though i expect i'll be back in the UK at Christmas. Would like to try and get a few weekends away in Thailand & Bali in, but see what happens. Running the Rob Burrow marathon to raise money for the My Name'5 Doddie foundation: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ben-dyas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzzz65 Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 On 30/04/2019 at 09:24, ckn said: We're off to Malaysia in June. My favourite relaxing place is Sorrento in Italy. It's hard to have a poor holiday there. I'd go back to the Maldives every year if the wife would let me. We went there in 1999 for our honeymoon and again a couple of years later but not since. Perfect for a time-off-from-everything holiday, sit on the beach read books, get bored of that go swim with the fish for a couple of hours, get bored of that come back and read books on the beach. Even an indifferent swimmer like me can have hours of fun with a snorkel on in the waist-deep waters swimming with the fish. There's two places I've been that I've thought "I could live here quite easily", one was Calgary when I went for a friend's wedding, the other is Munich that I've been to lots of times for work. For seven years I worked for a couple of companies that required lots of international travel, that broke my enthusiasm for travel thoroughly. At the first company, a typical working week routine would be first flight to somewhere in western Europe, evening flight back, repeat the next day Monday to Thursday then Friday was a day in the office. At the second, it was longer trips, a couple of weeks at a time every couple of months, worldwide this time though. I used to have a map where I'd stuck a pin in every country I'd visited, I lost it somewhere when we were moving house and I've been too lazy to recreate it. I love Malaysia apart from the price of alcohol! I ve been over twenty times. KL is great with quite a lot of the colonial buildings still there. Great food and great nightlife. Penang and Melaka are well worth a visit and Cameron Highlands and Taman Negara national park . I ll be in Sarawak in early July for the Rainforest music festival near Kuching which is a great city with interesting history especially the White Rajas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenilworth Tiger Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 On 30/04/2019 at 10:48, Shadow said: I find East Coast US Customs are a nightmare (Florida & New York) West Coast (LA) are fine. I'm headed for Houston some time in the next couple of months, I'm not looking forward to Texan immigration. The best experience was when I transited through Toronto and went through US Customs and Immigration before leaving Canada. The US Customs / Homeland Security had clearly gone a bit native with working with the Canadians and it was almost a pleasurable experience. I used to Live in Houston - I'll put in a word for you Now then, it's a race between Sandie....and Fairburn....and the little man is in........yeees he's in. I, just like those Castleford supporters felt that the ball should have gone to David Plange but he put the bit betwen his teeth...and it was a try Kevin Ward - best player I have ever seen The real Mick Gledhill is what you see on here, a Bradford fan ........, but deep down knows that Bradford are just not good enough to challenge the likes of Leeds & St Helens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenilworth Tiger Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 23 hours ago, bazzzz65 said: Unfortunately you may be correct about immigration at airports in Texas. I ve travelled to Lafayette Louisiana many times .90% of the time via Dallas Fort Worth. Terrible experience even pre 9/11. Missed my connection to Lafayette three times due to immigration/customs queues. Houston George Bush airport was slightly better but the last two times I ve gone via Atlanta. Austin immigration used the fingerprint method mentioned earlier n the thread - 10 mins max and I was through - outstanding Now then, it's a race between Sandie....and Fairburn....and the little man is in........yeees he's in. I, just like those Castleford supporters felt that the ball should have gone to David Plange but he put the bit betwen his teeth...and it was a try Kevin Ward - best player I have ever seen The real Mick Gledhill is what you see on here, a Bradford fan ........, but deep down knows that Bradford are just not good enough to challenge the likes of Leeds & St Helens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzzz65 Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 5 hours ago, The Hallucinating Goose said: The theme park situation is essentially why I've decided to go in february. I'm hoping there might be slightly less people there, maybe a bit cooler and hotels a little cheaper. Obviously it will still be absolutely rammed with people though, I am fully aware of that. Good idea to go in winter. The only time I ve been was in winter to see Sale play at nearby Petrarca. Venice was reasonably quiet and travelling around easy by waterbus. I d never go in summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilsontown Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 41 minutes ago, Kenilworth Tiger said: Austin immigration used the fingerprint method mentioned earlier n the thread - 10 mins max and I was through - outstanding Austin is an island of sanity in the ocean of lunacy that is Texas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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