Tag Archives: travel plans

More Planning!

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A while back I mentioned that we had three upcoming trips. Since that post we did one of those trips, but just to keep my planning obsession going we have one more trip to add, albeit a short one.

In January Dan and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. Yep. FIFTY! For a number of years we’ve talked about doing something with our three adult children and their spouses. We had gone back and forth on what to do — a trip to Venice perhaps? That was the dream. Somewhere else in Europe? Japan? We just weren’t sure.

Instead, for a variety of reasons, we opted for something closer by and my travel research began. No matter what I always find the research phase such fun! So far we have the dates, the location, the lodging, as well as our celebratory dinner restaurant. I do believe we are in for a lovely time!

In other news, concerning more distant travels, there are new things to think about.

We now have to allow extra time when we visit a spot in the 29 country Schengen area for the first time, since they started the photo and fingerprinting stuff (see EES). That will be done upon landing, somewhere in the airport — I’m assuming in passport control. In addition, when we go to the UK for the first time since it was instigated, we will have to be sure we’ve already got our ETA stuff set up and ready to go as well. It’s not a big deal, but one does have to remember to do that UK bit since it gets done in advance and we’d not even be allowed on a plane if we haven’t done it from what I read. The EES is done when one arrives for the first time so that’s not a big deal aside from the time issue. Eventually the Schengen countries will also have the ETIAS set in place, and we will get to that when we know it’s up and running.

I have no complaints about all those tasks — no matter what it’s less frustrating than what I’ve been told people have to do to enter the United States these days. But one certainly does have to remember these things need doing!

Unrelated to all of this, I was viewing some desert photos since I posted desert gold at my photography site. As I wrote on my substack post, I yearn to get back to the desert. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing this view again:

We are so blessed. We can travel to far away places, but we also have so many places right here in our amazing state to visit. It’s good to remember that!

And More Planning …

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(The above is on my phone’s Home Screen. It makes me smile!)

When I received the information from Mickledore about where we’d be staying on our Great Glen Way walk I was informed that some of the villages only had one restaurant so it would be a good idea to book a reservation. These past few days I’ve been working on this. Some restaurants have a reservation portal (if that’s what one calls it … sounds good anyway, right?!), with one I went via Facebook, and some do email. But at this point I’ve done all the restaurants but two. One wrote back to say it’s walk-ins only, so we’ll just take our chances, and the other, which had a form to fill out online, hasn’t replied. Trouble with this last one is that they really are the only restaurant in town! The backup plan there, though, is that the place we are staying at does offer up dinners … or so our info said. So maybe it’s true. But the info from Mickledore also included something about another place we are staying, saying the owners were happy to drive us to a nearby town for dinner. Writing to the owners I asked them, and was informed that they don’t do that; ownership has changed and that was the old owner. Ah well. We are at that lodging two nights and will eat twice at the only restaurant in town. The owners did kindly book the restaurant for us since I would have had to call them and I prefer not making an international call.

But, ramble, ramble … I’m nearly done with all of that.

We are still pondering the “poles or no poles” thing. I’m betting we take them if we have to check luggage due to the amount we have to bring and we won’t take them if we only do carryon.

News you can won’t use!

Sometimes I wish I’d timed all of this planning to see just how many hours — or is it days?! — it has taken me thus far. But too late now. I just know I spend a huge amount of time researching, reserving, canceling, reserving again … the fun and joy of trip preparation!

No, I’m not being sarcastic. I really do love doing this!

Planning for Two Trips

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Okay, so really the trip to the UK is just one trip — and what feels like a short one at that! But it also feels like we have to plan for two trips: obviously there’s the Walking Portion, and then there’s the Rest ‘o The days.

While we are on the walk we have to be prepared for, as one person put it, all four seasons in one day. I doubt very much that will actually happen, but certainly we have to be well prepared for rain. Sadly we also have to prepare for midges. Those are pesky tiny flies that bite. They don’t carry diseases like the mosquito, but I hear they are a terrible nuisance. I’m hoping they hatch later this year and maybe we’ll avoid them, since May is only the start of their pesky lives. We also have to bring trekking poles.

Guess what isn’t allowed in carryon luggage?!

Yep, no poles.

Now some people on various message boards have said they brought them on the plane with no problem at all. Fine. But what if there is a problem and the confiscate them? We are out some rather expensive poles. Others said they ordered cheap poles from Amazon and had them delivered to their first hotel prior to the walk. We are attempting (though not always succeeding) in avoiding Amazon if possible, as so many local stores are failing and I’m pretty darn sure Amazon is part of the reason. In addition, there’s a possibility that the order doesn’t arrive. Who needs that worry? So we will have to check a bag this time. But so it goes. It’s not a huge deal, although we do have a plane transfer so any vital stuff will be in our carryon bags.

We are also doing things that require clothing that is a bit less “rugged”. I already have one reservation for a restaurant in London that does require nicer dressing. So while we have to walking clothes we do have to think about being presentable at places like this restaurant … and maybe a concert if I can find one we want to attend. Time will tell. My hope is that I can still get away with just my boots for the walk and one other pair of shoes. I think it’s possible, but we’ll see.

I’ve already started my mental packing, but I will probably start a written list soon. I use Numbers for all of this: the itinerary, reservations and all pertinent information, possible things to do in each city, and of course the packing list. A couple I follow online both at their website and on YouTube said it’s very handy to have the itinerary and reservations easily accessible so that when you go through customs and are asked for an address you can easily find the first hotel. I’d not thought of that before, but I’ve always had my spreadsheets in any case.

About the Retirement Travelers: They, John and Bev, are such fun to follow, by the way: they sold everything and are doing the full time traveling bit while they are able. I think that sounds absolutely fantastic! And yes, they only do carryon as well. Check ‘em out!

No pictures yet … I’ll post them when we get closer to the trip to show what I have decided to pack. (Not that I won’t change my mind seconds before we head out the door!) We still have a whopping 108 days before our departure date, and I have three symphony sets, two opera runs, and a movie to play, along with teaching my students.

Ah The Searching … and Reserving … And Canceling …

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I probably mentioned this when I was working on The Big Trip, but finding lodging sure is a challenge … and a game.

I had everything booked for this upcoming trip. I do this task by first putting a spreadsheet together. I compare booking directly (which I prefer), to Expedia, Booking.com, and United’s hotel link. I also look at Trip Advisor to see how a place is rated there. I now also look at Oyster.com to see what they have to say.

I then look at a map to see how far the place is from the Center Of Things and any places we must visit, as well as from whatever transportation we will be using in and out of the city.

And I did all that. I was slightly uncomfortable with a couple of places, but I booked something just to make sure we wouldn’t be stranded with no place to sleep.

Then I step away from the computer. This time I did so for … well … maybe 12 hours or so.

And then I go back, because I think, “Hm. Can I do better?!” And today I could. I had already canceled a B&B that made me just a bit concerned: it seemed a bit too difficult to get to (they said not to follow the GPS) and possibly too many stairs for lugging luggage (gee, those two words are obviously related, yes? How did I not think of that before?). I found a better hotel, and was going to book it directly, but thought I should probably check Expedia as well (even though I really dislike using a service … money is money), remembering that on the phone you get more points or whatever it is they give you AND sometimes there is even a price difference compared to the web. Sure enough, it was less — over $100 less than I had expected to pay.

But it’s dominoes, folks.

Since I did that I thought, “I wonder if the next hotel I booked is cheaper that way as well?”

Yep. $165 cheaper in fact. (Still doggone expensive. but that’s the UK for you.)

Now that I’ve gone down the rabbit hole I’ll probably end up looking at ALL the other places I’ve booked to see if I can do better with those as well.

But first I hear an oboe calling my name.