"Sit and relax at US beach for a few days" is pretty open ended. When are you looking to go? Laid back and quiet beach? Dining options important? Do you want resort options or is airbnb fine? Do you want an easily accessible airport nearby? Your search will most likely begin and end with the world famous beaches of Alabama.
Covid testing? Hell take a trip down to Corpus Christi and you’re damn near guaranteed exposure, don’t even need to worry about a test.
Through a series of flight cancellations and travel mishaps, my wife and I couldn't get home to DFW from Washington DC during the winter storm/freeze and spent 3 days on Pensacola Beach week before last. Like 86.7% of Louisiana families, mine vacationed in Gulf Shores several summers when I was a kid, but this was my first time back in that area in 30 years and I have to say that despite the 40 degree weather while we were there I found the destination quite enjoyable. It was deserted though due to weather and recovery from Hurricane Sally which I think added to my enjoyment. I was trying to visualize the place with hordes of sundrenched maga's and it likely wouldn't be my jam but I'd still like to do a revisit. Fort Pickens was pretty cool.
This is some bullshit AA will only let you apply one credit per trip. I have 3 sub-$100 to use up before the end of the year. Need to get my jabs and start going places more regularly. Edit: If you call AA directly they can apply two at a time. Their online system just has issues recognizing old ticket numbers that were extended due to Covid.
Anyone have any recs for Aruba? Looking at potentially going there in early summer. Haven’t gone on a trip with just the wife since our honeymoon in Oct 2019.
was just aruba talk itt so last few pages should have you covered I go every other year with family so know a good bit. Resorts I would say the Hyatt, RC, Renaissance. If you dont need a resort, lots of airbnb type options. There are some great dive restaurants but unsure how open everything will be there. Aruba has, at least up until February, done a good job vetting out travelers for covid.
Yes. More familiar with the French side. Spent our honeymoon at L’esplande. https://www.lesplanade.com/ I’ve had a hell of a week, so after I can compose myself I’ll respond more substantively later on. The food in Grand Case is some of the finest I’ve ever experienced. 4 and 5 star quality restaurants in little beach shacks all up and down the main avenue.
Let me know how it is down there. We're looking at going in May or June. Even if we just have to stay at the resort it will be nice to go on a vacation after the last year. Hoping enough of the off resort places are open though as I always prefer to eat and drink there vs just at the hotel.
Will do. We are going for a week and splitting it between an airbnb at Eagle Beach and Marriot. Initial research looks like everything is open with covid protocols. Seems like they are doing it right, negative covid test to get into the country, mask required everywhere in public, etc. Way vaccines are going though I'm pretty optimistic that by May or June things will be much better too.
You should be good on that end. As of 4 weeks ago most of the ones we would go to were open. Plenty with outdoor seating, an by then vaccinations will go a long way.
If you can get a table in the water for sunset at the Flying Fishbone, do it https://www.flyingfishbone.com/
So far what I have planned for my Aruba trip, any other suggestions very much appreciated: Arrive Thursday early afternoon. Grab rental car and staying at Airbnb near Manchebo/Eagle Beach. Nothing planned for this night, figured would just explore that area and eat where ever looked good around there. Friday plan on driving to the very south side and hitting up Baby beach. Thought it would be cool to drive the whole island first full day and kind of see what it's all about. Plus, that beach looks really nice and then we can hit up Zeerovers for lunch. Have dinner reservations at Flying Fish bone since that's on the way back. Saturday: No plans other than have dinner reservations at Senses. Sunday: Going to rent a UTV for the day and explore Arikok National Park Monday - Wednesday checking out of the airbnb and heading to the Marriot on Palm beach and will probably mostly chill around there and relax. Anything cool around there I need to do?
I mean the only thing you're leaving out is Arashi Beach and the California Light House. There might be a UTV tour of that but unsure. Could take your car but the rental SUVs in aruba blow unless you specifically get a Jeep. I always just bike it bc we stay close enough. I love the Arashi Water and vibe. The Beach Shack has a great lunch too. (and for anyone itt the Tierra del Sol golf course is cool). Arikok probably has more to do. The Natural bridges. It is like Mars over there.
Yea, I have a list of other things that we'll probably do just haven't penciled them anywhere.definitely hitting up the North Side of the island. Had thought about maybe trying to get some golf in, maybe I'll send the wife to do some spa stuff and I'll sneak 9 holes in.
Before signing up to play any golf, I'd check on the course. I went with 18 and enjoyed it fine enough since I was basically one of 5 people on the entire course but the course was burnt out pretty bad and the range was just hysterically awful. Fun enough but not worth the large price.
Trying to figure out Hawaii's testing requirement and it seems pretty annoying. It seems like I would have to go to CVS or Walgreen's and pay $139 for a test despite it being the same as the free Illinois Dept of Health test. Also, they can't guarantee the 72 hour turn around so I may be paying $278 for nothing.
Alaska Airlines has a list of local next-day sites that Hawaii accepts, costing anywhere from $130 to $180 per person. Hoping that Hawaii relaxes restrictions before we go in late April, but even if we have to pay up the $266 RT tickets will have been worth it
Should be free for a test no? It wasn’t particularly inconvenient for me, tested, got the results two days later, flew out the day after, rapid test at the airport once we arrived, and we were good to go.
Where did you get your test? Reading a list of "approved testing partners" it seems like all of them are rapid tests like CVS and Walgreens
Hmm when I click the link for the Hawaii test CVS says $139. I didn't think about just turning it into my insurance.
in the process of planning some actual trips this year is just kind of amazing. first one being our honeymoon that we had to postpone a year (cartagena) and then we're "spontaneously" planning a trip to aruba over thanksgiving. got cartagena taken care of (have family down there that will be taking care of us), but if anyone has any tips with aruba, that would be appreciated. we're staying at the hilton aruba resort and have a couple of meals planned (senses and elements), but if anyone has any recommendations on places to go, we're all ears. we'll be there for 7 days (saturday to saturday)
We leave on the 30th and its been a pain in the dick. Doing a same day test at the airport and then will have to do a second covid test when we fly from the big island to Maui. Edit: I work all the days leading up to the flight so I'm probably a unique situation.
I’m hoping the testing requirements end and a proof of vaccination counts instead by the time we go in August.
So I had to reschedule a trip to Greece to this September. I’m becoming optimistic about the trip happening, but I’m not ready to declare victory yet. Anyone else planning on visiting Europe later this year? If so, how do you feel about the trip actually happening?
I believe I saw Greece was opening up in May to vaccinated travelers. https://www.google.com/amp/s/greekcitytimes.com/2021/03/21/greece-tourist-next-month-may-14/?amp
Yep, that’s where my optimism comes from. It’s cautious optimism to be sure, but we shall see. My wife is already vaccinated, and Michigan opens up to all ages in two weeks, so I should be vaccinated by the fall as well. Obviously any trip will require extra precaution but we will see where we are later this Summer. Any hope is a welcome thing at this point though.
we have an Ireland trip booked late August. Feel 90% it’ll happen, slightly down from where we were a couple weeks ago though with the european surge going on.
Yeah it’s touch and go for sure. I figure I’ll need to make a decision by the end of July. Plenty of time but it’s not like I should be confident in society at large handling Covid. I just need something to look forward to.
we have a trip to amsterdam over july 4th trying to use this travel credit from covid cancellation that expires in July no idea if it'll happen, hoping the vaccine passports become a thing because we'll be vaccinated, but EU strugglin' on the vaccine front so far
I’m in the same boat. I started researching and booking this last fall just so I had something to look forward to. Everything is refundable and plane flights are changeable so If I have to postpone it I wouldn’t be that upset because just having something coming up at some point still makes me feel better for some reason. My wife and I are fully vaccinated, but we have a 1 year old who obviously isn’t but are hoping has been getting some nursing antibodies.
Things probably will change but Amsterdam is a real pain as of a week ago. Watch closely on not only a PCR clearance but also an antigen test taken right before (I think 5 hours) before the flight. I saw at least 25 people turned around in Barcelona because there is no rapid antigen there. Again, things might change with vaccine but Amsterdam is very difficult right now.
If I had to guess I’d say anything before July seems a pipe dream. July maybe. August and beyond and hopefully everything is back to normal. That being said, countries like Greece that depend more on tourism are probably a safer bet than the Nordic countries, Germany, the Netherlands etc. that will play things more conservative.
With the UK ahead of the game with vaccinations, my thought is that once their money starts getting spent in places like Greece, that other countries will start to ease restrictions to get their cut.