OT: Travel Thread

[Tawnos]

Not an international traveler at all, but I do go to lots of places, mostly parks, in the US. International will happen one day.

Last year I went to 6 National Parks: Olympic, Shenandoah, Big Bend, Guadalupe Mtns, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands (which was a Nat'l Monument when I went there, but they changed to a Nat'l Park a month ago or so). Plus the Adirondacks and a bunch of state parks here in NC.

Plans this year are Great Basin National Park (NV), Franconia Notch State Park (NH), Acadia National Park (ME)... as well as 3 Canadian National Parks: Cape Breton Highlands (NS), Kejimkujik (NS) and Fundy (NB).

When I do start doing more international stuff, places on my list are Iceland, Scotland, Norway, Switzerland, Romania, and Italy.

 

[True Blue]

When I do start doing more international stuff, places on my list are Iceland, Scotland, Norway, Switzerland, Romania, and Italy.

Norway is fantastic, but Oslo is EXPENSIVE. But I do have a great restaurant for you to eat there. I took the kids recently to Rome and Ponzo Island. Rome is pretty crazy. If you have never been to Italy, you need to do at least 3 days in Rome, a few in Florence and can skip Venice. Sicily should be a trip by itself as should Tuscany.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

When I do start doing more international stuff, places on my list are Iceland, Scotland, Norway, Switzerland, Romania, and Italy.

Not sure if it had to do with my expectations, but while Norway, Switzerland and Iceland are great, Scotland really blew me away.

Edinburgh is such a great city. We rented a car and drove up to Isle of Skye, which is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. We got really lucky with the weather, but if you have your own car it’s basically a giant playground.

 

[Tawnos]

Norway is fantastic, but Oslo is EXPENSIVE. But I do have a great restaurant for you to eat there. I took the kids recently to Rome and Ponzo Island. Rome is pretty crazy. If you have never been to Italy, you need to do at least 3 days in Rome, a few in Florence and can skip Venice. Sicily should be a trip by itself as should Tuscany.

Not sure if it had to do with my expectations, but while Norway, Switzerland and Iceland are great, Scotland really blew me away.

Edinburgh is such a great city. We rented a car and drove up to Isle of Skye, which is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. We got really lucky with the weather, but if you have your own car it’s basically a giant playground.

Yeah, I think the toughest part of thinking about those trips is figuring out the balance between the hiking I want to do and the cities I want to go to. The thing all of those places have in common is that they're interesting geologically.

I also realized that I restricted that list to Europe, and there's plenty of other places on my list... starting with Peru/The Andes.

 

[egelband]

Not an international traveler at all, but I do go to lots of places, mostly parks, in the US. International will happen one day.

Last year I went to 6 National Parks: Olympic, Shenandoah, Big Bend, Guadalupe Mtns, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands (which was a Nat'l Monument when I went there, but they changed to a Nat'l Park a month ago or so). Plus the Adirondacks and a bunch of state parks here in NC.

Plans this year are Great Basin National Park (NV), Franconia Notch State Park (NH), Acadia National Park (ME)... as well as 3 Canadian National Parks: Cape Breton Highlands (NS), Kejimkujik (NS) and Fundy (NB).

When I do start doing more international stuff, places on my list are Iceland, Scotland, Norway, Switzerland, Romania, and Italy.

I’ve been to Romania. I visited Brasov - very nice. Bucharest is huge and a bit rough - or at least it was, at the time (2006-ish). Anyhow, I would suggest focusing on ex-Bucharest if you visit Romania. Particularly if you visit in the summer.

 

[Tawnos]

I’ve been to Romania. I visited Brasov - very nice. Bucharest is huge and a bit rough - or at least it was, at the time (2006-ish). Anyhow, I would suggest focusing on ex-Bucharest if you visit Romania. Particularly if you visit in the summer.

Brasov is generally in the area I'd be looking at. Mostly, I want to go to the Transylvanian Alps and the Carpathians, though the latter does extend up into Ukraine/Slovakia/Poland. Romania isn't one of the places where I feel torn between cities and exploring the geology. Italy, on the other hand, is the epitome of that.

 

[egelband]

Brasov is generally in the area I'd be looking at. Mostly, I want to go to the Transylvanian Alps and the Carpathians, though the latter does extend up into Ukraine/Slovakia/Poland.

I think the Dracula castle is up there too. I don’t remember it being all that thrilling but definitely a good novelty.

 

[Tawnos]

I think the Dracula castle is up there too. I don’t remember it being all that thrilling but definitely a good novelty.

Yeah, I'd probably go there just to go there. That area is essentially where the Transylvanian Alps meet the southern Carpathians.

 

[egelband]

Yeah, I'd probably go there just to go there. That area is essentially where the Transylvanian Alps meet the southern Carpathians.

 

[bl02]

Norway is fantastic, but Oslo is EXPENSIVE. But I do have a great restaurant for you to eat there. I took the kids recently to Rome and Ponzo Island. Rome is pretty crazy. If you have never been to Italy, you need to do at least 3 days in Rome, a few in Florence and can skip Venice. Sicily should be a trip by itself as should Tuscany.

Not many cities are as polarizing as Venice. I actually enjoyed it (went in september). Loved the fact you could just walk around and get lost in the city (in a good way) and just enjoy its uniqueness. Agreed Sicily and Tuscany should be trips on their own. Sicily you could spend quite a bit of time with it's amazing blend of history, Beaches, Good food, etc.

 

[romba]

Plans this year are Great Basin National Park (NV), Franconia Notch State Park (NH), Acadia National Park (ME)... as well as 3 Canadian National Parks: Cape Breton Highlands (NS), Kejimkujik (NS) and Fundy (NB).

Went a few years back, was absolutely stunning. So far the only Nat'l Park I've been to and I loved every second of it. Rocky cliffs overlooking the angry ocean, was absolutely gorgeous. Rented bikes and took the wide bike path which cuts through a large part of the park. Not challenging, just stunning. Also rented a cabin along a beach/bluff which was amazing in and of itself. Highly recommend. The towns are also classic New England quaint and cute.

 

[Tawnos]

Went a few years back, was absolutely stunning. So far the only Nat'l Park I've been to and I loved every second of it. Rocky cliffs overlooking the angry ocean, was absolutely gorgeous. Rented bikes and took the wide bike path which cuts through a large part of the park. Not challenging, just stunning. Also rented a cabin along a beach/bluff which was amazing in and of itself. Highly recommend. The towns are also classic New England quaint and cute.

Yeah, it's pretty amazing. This won't be my first trip to Acadia, but I'm going to those other places in the northeast and I loved it so much that I really couldn't justify basically driving by it without stopping for a couple of days.

 

[True Blue]

Not many cities are as polarizing as Venice. I actually enjoyed it (went in september). Loved the fact you could just walk around and get lost in the city (in a good way) and just enjoy its uniqueness.

I do not disagree. I did not dislike Venice, just thought that depending on the rest of trip, that is one that can be cut out.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

I feel like seeing Venice is a special experience because it might not be there in a few years, or it will be different. It will be a legitimate casualty of climate change.

I enjoyed it, but it’s a place to go with your significant other. I went during a college summer Euro trip with friends. After hitting places like Rome, Barcelona and Prague as a 21 year old, Venice wasn’t the pace we were looking for at the time lol.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Venice seemed to me more like a theme park than an actual city. I mean it pretty much is, even though some people do still live there. But its an amazing place to see, especially during the carnival. Me and my buddies got stranded there overnight and had to sleep on the hard ground in the train station. It was early March IIRC so it was pretty cold and miserable. Still, a great and unique experience.

 

[sbjnyc]

What about just plain old work travel? I feel like all I do is travel lately. Upcoming travel is: St. Louis, DC, LA, LA, LA. And that's not even including whatever ends up falling in between on my unscheduled days so far.

It's been wild lately.

I don't travel much for work anymore. When I did I tried as much as possible to stick to 1 airline and 1 hotel to try and get some status. Now with hotels, status is easy to get with credit cards.

 

[ColonialsHockey10]

I know travel is a bit of a depressing topic right now, but I just got my first trip for the year locked in.

I’ll be going to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan for a work trip at the end of May. Planning to hit the Silk Road cities afterwards, if anyone has been before and has recos!

 

[LokiDog]

I was on active duty for 10 years so in addition to hopping around the states (been to 39) I was stationed in Germany and Italy. Traveled both countries extensively and took trips to Denmark, Amsterdam, London and France. I’ve also deployed to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan. I really want to get to Scandinavia, Iceland and Ireland. I’ll be going to Zakopane, Poland later in the year and climbing Mt Rainer next year.

 

[shello]

Thinking of going to Kona, HI at the end of the month for spring break, is it a little too early to be worried about domestic travel because of COVID-19? I'd be leaving from LAX and LA County just declared a County Emergency

 

[Machinehead]

I have the urge to travel and it's something I enjoy but I'm really committed to my young career which, right now, isn't really paying a traveling salary. Plus I'm giving money to my dad to help him upkeep our house. A home is a huge investment when you're young in today's economy and I just happen to be lucky enough to be an only child.

Anyway, to mitigate that, I've spent the last couple of months traveling around New York City and seeing what I can without the hotels or flights. It's been an eye-opening experience. You wouldn't believe how much there actually is to see and talking with other New Yorkers about my travels, I've realized how many people have no idea what's in their own backyards.

Overseas, you're spending maybe a week or two, seeing just the big stuff. At home, you really get to dig in, see the obscure sites, and make return trips if you liked it.

I definitely recommend spending a day in an unfamiliar neighborhood if you have the travel bug and you're pressed for time or money.

 

[Machinehead]

I'm 6'1. Not the tallest human being in the world but big enough to where I need a lot of leg room. My biggest thing is that I absolutely abhor flying. 30 hours in the air might kill me (literally).

I'm about 6'2" and this is another reason I like to go by train where you're side-facing.

Even cars do a number on my knees, let alone planes.

 

[Edge]

Some favorite cities to visit in the U.S.

San Diego
San Francisco
Austin
Miami
Charleston
New Orleans


Some favorite cities to visit internationally
London
Dublin
Prague
Tokyo
Sydney
Amsterdam
Florence
Paris
Rio
Hong Kong

 

[offdacrossbar]

leaving a week from today for denver.

6 days skiing breckenridge and keystone. feb was the highest snow total ever. 8 ft

dont even ski east anymore. CNY stuff too boring and vermont just too crowded and icy.

naples/marco/miami end april is next trip after that for some fishing and relaxing.

and then Cabo- one of my favorite destinations anywhere, end nov.

 

[RagFinMet]

For all u single dudes go to Bangkok

I just got back from Madonna DiCompiglio Italy a month ago with my ski club
The wife and I are heading to Edinburgh, Jersey Channel Islands and Amsterdam in July
Hoping the corona virus doesn't ruin the trip

 

[Fugazy]

Some favorite cities to visit in the U.S.

San Diego
San Francisco
Austin
Miami
Charleston
New Orleans

Charleston is my favorite city in the U.S. I’ve been to so far.