The New Travel Thread: Now with write ups in the OP

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Jax Teller, Apr 8, 2015.

  1. 47 straight

    47 straight Well-Known Member
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    Fuck Peru.

    The teachers are rioting and protesting being under paid so we traveled half way around the world to get stopped 20 miles away from Machu Picchu and now aren't going to get to see it.

    Could've stayed in Brasil and fucked 10s every night but instead we came to this poor shithole to watch protestors cover roads and train tracks with fucking rocks.

    /rant
     
  2. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Your privilege is showing
     
  3. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Charleston is neat, but this is retarded.
     
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  4. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Cape Town in the winter is really sporadic. 60 one day, low 50s and stormy for a few, sunny next.
     
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  5. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Its voted on by thousands of readers from all over the world. It's one of the most legit lists for that reason :idk:
     
  6. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Yea I'd be pretty damn pissed too.

    Go to Mama Africa in Cusco's main square and get weird
     
    dahldennsull, Room 15 and 47 straight like this.
  7. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    It's an experience. Dive in. Riot like a local.
     
  8. Where Eagles Dare

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    False
     
  9. 47 straight

    47 straight Well-Known Member
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    Yeah. I don't even care at this point. Too much time, effort, and money spent to get here only to be turned back at the finish line.

    Counting on Cusco to end the trip on a bright note. Been talking to this tinder chick who's in Cusco and she said it's a terrible situation there currently.

    Lots of people have been to Machu Picchu but how many have been turned away due to riots?! Mark that one off the list.
     
  10. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Oh I don't doubt you've spent a lot of money to do it. Probably more than those teachers make in 6 months
     
  11. 47 straight

    47 straight Well-Known Member
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    They apparently make about $325usd/month so your guesstimation is pretty accurate. I'll post pics and vids once I'm back. It's pretty wild
     
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  12. Gin Buckets

    Gin Buckets Well-Known Member
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    :violin:Ah shucks for bad luck :violin:
     
  13. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
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    Yea....so that really sucks. Peruvians and Bolivians love a good protest. There is other shit around Cusco you can do to still get some ruins and good hikes in your life. Check out Rainbow Mountain, and some of the stuff in the Sacred Valley. Good luck.

    But yea, Mama Africa is a good time.
     
  14. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Sacsayhuaman (pronounced "sexy woman") is a really good ruin near Cusco
     
  15. 47 straight

    47 straight Well-Known Member
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    Good news, guys. Today and tomorrow are the government sanctioned protests so all roads are blocked until Friday so now we won't get any time in Cusco.
     
  16. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
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    Where are you?
     
  17. 47 straight

    47 straight Well-Known Member
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  18. devine

    devine hi, i am user devine
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    Anyone know about pack up and go
     
  19. Room 15

    Room 15 Mi equipo esta Los Tigres
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    For how long? I know some German girls that lived there for a while and could give some recs if you want.

    Actually pretty sure you can take a train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes...are they blocking the train tracks too?
     
  20. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    Heard about it. Seems fun.
     
  21. ohhaithur

    ohhaithur e-Batman
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    Seems fun but low in the value department. I'd rather spin a homemade destination wheel
     
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  22. 47 straight

    47 straight Well-Known Member
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    Yeah, they covered the tracks with rocks and trees. PeruRail shut down yesterday and today. Maybe longer, not sure, but we officially didn't get to do Machu Picchu.

    We found a bus to take us through the back way and actually made it to Cusco. Staying at Pariwana hostel.

    Time to get weird.
     
  23. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    47 straight snap-chatting from the courtyard in Pariwana Cusco.

    Jealous AF
     
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  24. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    Live look at 47 straight

     
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  25. 47 straight

    47 straight Well-Known Member
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    Pariwana is pulling Peru out of the dumps.

    I held my own in the ping pong tourney but got wrecked by the eventual champ who didn't let anyone within 10 points
     
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  26. Baron

    Baron Well-Known Member
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    what site do you guys use for price alerts on flights? say i want x flight for under x dollars, if its under x dollars, alert me.
     
  27. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Kayak or Google flights
     
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  28. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Arkadin PJP3 and others---converting Chase Points to other carriers.

    I have a shitload of Chase points that I want to use for a flight to Africa next year. I can get better value (sometimes) by transferring these points to certain airlines, correct? Do I just need to research who partners with Chase/whether any African airlines/or certain airlines allow transfer? I've always just gone through the Chase portal, but would like to maximize the value here because of how expensive flights are.
     
  29. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    Yes, its possible you would get better transferring them to an airline since award cost is based on distance/regions, not prices, but that is mainly useful in the case of more expensive economy tickets or business/first. If you find a cheap ticket, through the chase portal will almost always work out better. Best way to start is to do a flight search and see who you would fly to where you want to go and see who they partner with. Most likely your best bet is going through united as they have a lot of partners and their award search and availability chart is super easy to research or book, but its worth the time to do an award search with the other transfer partners to see if theres a better deal. For example, I'm planning on booking aeroflot from LA to moscow for WC next year and rt business class is 140k miles with united but only 80k with korean for literally the same flight. There tends to be sweet spots like this for some airlines. Alaska used to be something like 75k for Emirates first class before they fixed it and bumped it to like double that. You will generally have to sign up for a FF account for anyone you want to search. Of the chase partners, like I said, united is prob your best bet, but korean has a lot of partners and a pretty easy award booking system so I would check them too. Singapore only books their own flights so dont waste your time there. Virgin Atlantic, Flying Blue, and British are your other options, but in my experience they very rarely have any award availability for anything so I doubt you will find anything with those unless you get super lucky. The earlier you book the better, good luck.
     
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  30. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Yeah, just look at the partners on the ultimate rewards website and check what their redemption is to where you're going. Also look at who their partners on like united with star alliance and Korean with delta and whatever that family is called. I pull up Korean and united and check their rates for what I'm trying to do on their awards portal
     
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  31. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Also, I've found the best rates on airlines flights if I look at them as one ways instead of round trips for awards
     
  32. dahldennsull

    dahldennsull Living in the best state
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    taking wife and 7 month old for his first beach trip in September to Clearwater, due to it's pretty easy flight schedule to/from OKC.

    Logged on last evening to add a rental car to our reservation and see that Southwest has completely changed our return flight, with absolutely no notice. Double checked my emails to see and found nothing.

    Original:
    7:50 am Tampa -> Houston 10 am
    10:50 am Houston -> OKC 12:10 pm

    Total time - 5 hours 20 min. 50 min layover.

    Updated:
    7:35 am Tampa -> Baltimore 9:50 am
    3:45 pm Baltimore -> OKC 5:50 pm

    Total time - 10 hours 15 min; 5 hours 55 min layover

    ....with a 7 month old....

    [​IMG]
     
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  33. ATXCane03

    ATXCane03 Perpetually Negative Sports Fan
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    Any good and relaxing places to take my wife for her 30th next year? We are going to be trying to have kids so anywhere sans Zika would be preferential.
     
  34. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    Call them up and get a partial refund. That schedule change is pretty gnarly.

    And see if they can switch you back on top of it.
     
  35. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    Or if you booked with points just take a refund and rebook
     
  36. dahldennsull

    dahldennsull Living in the best state
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    yeah I plan to today, its just the shitty part that 7:50 was practically the perfect leaving time, with a short layover in the middle.

    Now I have to pick from:
    6:25 am flight through dallas that is only 5 hr 40 min travel time

    or

    7-8 hour travel time to leave mid morning

    or

    leave after lunch and get home at/after dinner.

    they crammed this schedule right up my asshole. I just don't understand why you list a flight and book it months out if you can just scrap that entire time block off the schedule.
     
  37. dahldennsull

    dahldennsull Living in the best state
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    problem is the point total is more now than it was then.
     
  38. dahldennsull

    dahldennsull Living in the best state
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    Update - they at least moved us for free, but now have:

    6:25 am Tampa - Chicago 8 am
    9:05 Chicago - OKC 11:05 am

    gonna be an early morning, but didn't want to push a kid past 2.5 hours on a plane or have a 3+ hour layover.
     
  39. Russellin4885

    Russellin4885 Well-Known Member
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    Had a flight out to Phoenix early this year on Southwest that I booked a few months in advance. Direct from RDU so like 4-5 hour travel time. A month before the flight they decided to scrap that route completely. Ended up flying through tampa and was around 8-10 hour travel time. Not a huge deal but it was for a bachelor party so that day of travel back wasn't much fun after drinking for 4 straight days.
     
  40. LSU90

    LSU90 Well-Known Member

    Wife and I are headed to Washington dc Friday for 4 days to stay with a friend and his wife who live there. Don't want any tourist traps and willing to do whatever for most part as I've only been there once in middle school for the whole middle school field trip to DC thing. We are mid 20's. What are some things y'all would recommend?
     
  41. Weedlord420

    Weedlord420 Well-Known Member
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    Drink: Jack Rose - one of the top whiskey bars in the country
    Eat: Le Diplomat if you want fancy, Fiole Mare if you want ambiance and location, Good Stuff Eatery if you want the best burger in town
    Play: smithsonians, Nats games, paddle boarding on the Potomac, monument tours
     
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  42. racer

    racer Yuma, where I work in software.
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    One big southwest con -
    They take advantage of the FAA approved definitions of direct and nonstop.

    Nonstop is up at your airport and down at the destination.

    Direct is where you are on the same flight numbers but it can stop, and even change planes. Ex - Flight 327: Tampa - Seattle can go TPA - BWI - MDW and change planes - PHX - SEA

    In Des Moines you could always tell when you got on who was not in the loop. People going from like Nashville to Las Vegas by way of St Louis then Des Moines were pretty annoyed at the stopping.

    I used to have US Airways direct from Des Moines to Charleston and Dsm to Rochester NY. Both were actually DSM - DCA then on to the other. People would be all sorts of confused over this.
     
    #10342 racer, Jul 17, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2017
  43. 941Gator

    941Gator TMB's resident beach bum
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    Eat at Fallen Angel.
     
  44. The Banks

    The Banks TMB's Alaskan
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    FAA has a pretty shitty definition of direct, imo
     
  45. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
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    That's a stupid definition of "direct" but Southwest's website makes it pretty clear what flight path you're taking.
     
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  46. CoastalOrange

    CoastalOrange Well-Known Member
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    I will be needing a single night in Paris and London a piece next month. Traveling for work but am going a few days early to check out Paris and leaving a few days later to go to a wedding in London. Two questions:

    1) Since I will be traveling with all my work crap (clothes, laptop, etc...) would it be wise to go with a hotel or AirBnB or do you think a hostel would suffice?

    2) I know people have mentioned the Latin Quarter in Paris but does anyone have any good experiences with specific hotels/AirBnBs/hostels in Paris or London?
     
  47. Russellin4885

    Russellin4885 Well-Known Member
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    Can't help with hostels since I've never stayed at one but if I was traveling with that much stuff I would lean towards staying in a hotel. Sounds like your going to be bouncing around a bit and the one big plus with a hotel over an airbnb is if your coming in early or trying to stay later they will hold your stuff so you don't have to worry about that.
     
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  48. Wywan Bwowna

    Wywan Bwowna Wywan Bwowna
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    They make sure to list all of the airport codes at which you would be stopping. People must just not pay attention
     
  49. dahldennsull

    dahldennsull Living in the best state
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    anyone in here with recommendations for Columbus? Going to the OU/tOSU game, asked in the Ohio State thread but maybe some travelers in here have places they enjoy too
     
  50. Arkadin

    Arkadin inefficiently efficent and unclearly clear
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    i hate basic economy shit popping up all over when im looking for flights now