Discuss: Travel Plans
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 11:00AM
True story: I've never travelled overseas. Until a few weeks ago, I didn't even have a passport. In the middle part of the country, what some on the coasts condescendingly call the "fly-over," this is not abnormal. Flights from my hometown to D.C. cost more than $500, flights to places outside of the U.S. cost a kidney. Or your first-born, whichever one you can live without.
Long story short, I'd like to do some travelling after the election. Probably over the Thanksgiving holiday. Maybe I'll stay inside the country, maybe I'll travel abroad. But either way, I'm getting the hell out of dodge for some quality Belle time.
I'm exploring all of my options. Warm climates, cold climates. Big cities, quiet towns. So if you have a trip to suggest, either in the U.S. or overseas, leave your thought in the comments with a brief defense of why this trip is the best. Hotel suggestions, can't-miss attractions, best restaurants, and travel tips are all welcome. Leave your thoughts in the comments. Trips with short(ish) travel times are appreciated given the small number of vacation days allotted in the private sector.
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Reader Comments (71)
I traveled to visit a friend in London during undergrad. Because she is absolutely crazy, I ended up alone, without a place to stay, lugging my suitcase and a teddy bear (she told me she didn't have an extra pillow, I suppose I figured the teddy bear would be a great pillow). I got one of the London Passes, and even with paying for a hotel room and cabs to and from some far-off suburb, I ended up traveling pretty inexpensively. I thought London was a great place to go alone because I (obviously) knew the language, and I felt very safe there. And the food was great! And if I loved the trip after interacting with that psycho, it's got to say something about the location.
Since you're planning on a trip well after the Olympics, it should be more reasonable, and I can only imagine how gorgeous it'll be decorated for the holidays.
I recommend using a Visa whenever possible (unless this has changed) because they give the lowest exchange rate between when you purchase and when your bill is due, and absolutely consider renting a cell phone while there, because it (at least used to be) a lot less expensive than an international plan on your phone.
No matter where you go - good luck and have fun!
Belle,
I have traveled all over the U.S. and western Europe since I was 12, and FAR AND AWAY, the most amazing place I have ever been is the Cinque Terre in Italy. 5 coastal villages in the mountains (they don't even have cars here!), all connected by hiking paths, it was the most visually stunning scenery I have ever seen. They are still mostly undiscovered by big tourist groups, and are just breathtaking.
http://cinqueterre.a-turist.com/index.php
Iceland! Not as long a flight as Europe, and really cool stuff to see (Volcanos, Glaciers, beautiful Atlantic coast), and some amazing hotspring spas to pamper yourself at. We did a package trip through Iceland Air a few years ago, and it was the most relaxing trip I've ever been on - the hotel affilated with the airline was very nice, and there were daily excursions to the volcanos and glaciers on a bus, so no need to worry about naviagting around the country. It's fairly inexpensive too (looks like it's about $700 right now for 2 nights and airfare from DC, with additonal nights about $100 each). Food was very expensive through, which makes sense, since everything has to be imported or grown in a greenhouse. And I probably wouldn't go in November b/c the days would be super short, but we went in February and it was very nice (cool, but not cold, and a little damp, which made the spa really inviting). But really fun trip!
I cannot recommend Belize enough. It's a short flight, everything is relatively cheap, and I could spend forever in the cayes (keys) there - they are gorgeous.
For my 2 cents, got to England. If you book far enough in advanced, you can usually find a fare for about $600-$700, so the cost isn't terribly prohibitive. Also, they speak English, the signs are in English and they are generally friendly people, so as a first abroad experience,you feel like you're a world away but its not stressful because of language barriers. I got a lot, mostly to Cambridge, Oxford and London. (5 times in the last 3 years.)
London is a great place to visit, and a nice center point. There's more than enough things to do, posh places to window shop and historic things to take in. Plus there's great jazz,theater and nightlife. But, it is quite possible to find quiet contemplative places to decompress. Also, transportation is easy and the Underground is simple to use. And the trains are very simple, so taking a day trip to a smaller place (Cambridge is beautiful as is Oxford and others!!) to get a feel for the "countryside" to England is easy. London also has convenient and cheap housing for those of us under 30 so it's worth looking into, also many of the Universities open the dorms up as hotels cheaply during holidays-another thing worth looking into.
For Europe, I really love Barcelona. The food, the shopping, the weather, and the things to see are all amazing. Besides, you get to see some of the most creative architectural designs (Gaudi) out on the street when you're exploring the city. You definitely can't miss Park Guell or the Sagrada Familia despite both being heavy tourist places, but they're worth the look. There's plenty of culture everywhere you look in Barcelona.
For places in Asia (if you are willing for fork out that much*) - I could go on and on with the various metros and then the surrounding cities, given that my family is from there and my family loves to travel. I like Asia mainly for cheap delicious food, super-efficient public mass transit in the metros, and random bits of leftover historic buildings in every neighborhood. The capital cities are all good places to go - Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, (Shanghai, which isn't a capital but nicer than Beijing), Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo There's also gorgeous scenery if year round and nice warm weather if you head towards the southeast.
I'm in the same boat you are and I feel like in DC we are the abnormal ones! To take a few big trips this year is my New Year's Resolution and though weddings and such are taking me all over the country, I'm determined to go overseas finally. I'm excited to see where you choose to go first!
Italy! In my experience, very friendly to English-speaking tourists.
Dublin. Easy flight and super manageable city. There are always deals on the flight! They love Americans and the city is safe. There is plenty to do - museums, restaurants, Guinness factory, shopping, going out to the countryside (Wicklow Mountains), historic homes, the zoo.... If you do go, stay in the Waterloo Guest House, it's a renovated Georgian rowhouse in a fashionable area of Dublin and is walkable to lots of sites. Also it includes breakfast, which is nice.
It really depends on what you want - shopping? nature? art? history? My favorite guidebooks are Rick Steves, fwiw.
The best place I've ever been is St. Petersburg, and I love Moscow and Helsinki too. In 2013 I'm visiting all three AGAIN, and it is really rare for me to revisit a place. Love, love, love but significant travel times involved. You do not have to speak perfect, or even decent Russian to go (my Russian is Aw. Ful. and I survive). Think about going here in a couple of years. Here are my other faves:
Bahamas - this is like adult Disney World. No responsibilities, tons of fun, all the amenities you want, and very relaxing.
Canada - Prince Edward Island and Halifax are beautiful. Much of Canada is beautiful! Whale watching! Anne of Green Gables! The major cities are also super cool, but it's a huge country so you can't hit everything in one trip. Consider anywhere in Canada, except for maybe the Yukon.
London - most museums are free, history museum is great, art is meh (depending on what eras you like I guess, Smithsonian is just as good imo), lots and lots of good day trips like Bath and Stonehenge. The shopping is fabulous. Very safe for a woman traveling alone. Consider Olympics related complications.
Italy - I've only been to Rome and Florence and I much preferred the later. If you have any interest in the Renaissance this will blow your mind. Florence is very walkable and the food is delicious. I had the best time just buying scarves and eating gelato and walk around to find more scarves to buy and amazing churches to look at. Seeing the major sites in Rome - Roman ruins, Colosseum, and the Vatican - was extremely meaningful but the city is not as clean or safe and the street harassment really got to me. You could fly into Rome, do everything great in 1.5 days and then get on a train to Florence and have a ball for as long as you are able.
For my first overseas trip, I picked an English speaking country. I went to London for 5 days, 4 nights in October. The weather was perfect, little rain and mild temperatures. I stayed at the Base 2 Stay in Kennsington very close to the Gloucester Rd tube station. From the hotel, you definitely had to take a tube ride to get to the main attractions in London, but it was cheap(er) because the closer you get to the main part of London, the more expensive the hotels become. I also purchased a 24 hour double decker sightseeing tour bus that took you round and throughout London (similar to one in DC and New York) that I could get on and get off at different major attractions. My favorite attractions were the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge tour. A walk down a very long Oxford Street is a must. Also, if you can only do one thing in London, go to the Natural History Museum. During my trip I got through 1/4 of the museum and am planning a return trip just to experience the rest. For food and drinks, get a full English breakfast once, experience a real English tea, eat Indian food, and go to a pub for fish and chips. Oh, and if you go to Big Ben, you make see a pancake vendor on the side of the road...you must a get a pancake...actually, it's more like a crepe, but he says he's a pancake vendor. Delicious!
For money, I exchanged about $300 to pounds at my local AAA, but mostly I used my Visa card. The foreign rate was low and it was accepted everywhere. For a cell phone...I have Verizon and my current phone is not global, so I purchased a BlackBerry and it worked well. For the majority of the time, I had the internet on the phone turned off. I would turn the internet on to check emails, look up attractions, and update Facebook. If I called home, it was usually once a day but I did use text messages liberally. I think my phone bill was $90 which isn't too bad considering it is normally $70.
On Sunday, I did a bus tour to Stonehenge, Bath, and Salisbury through Evans Evans Sightseeing Tours (http://www.evanevanstours.co.uk/). If I was to do the sightseeing tour again, I would drop Salisbury. Bath was awesome...great shops, sights, and food (Mmm, pasties). Stonehenge is exactly like the pictures...go in with low to no expectations and you won't be disappointed (you may even be surprised).
No matter where you travel, use trip advisor ... http://www.tripadvisor.com/
For my second international trip in April 2012, I am planning a trip to Phuket, Thailand.
I second Dublin! They're so friendly, it's a great place to go alone. It's low key, great for relaxation, pretty, interesting, different. Loved it!
I have been traveling to Ireland since I was a wee lass, and I LOVE it. As recommended above, Dublin is a lot of fun and has a lot of touristy things to do, if that is what you're looking for. If it is not what you're looking for and you'd prefer a more historic/scenic/relaxing stay I would recommend flying into Shannon Airport (Limerick) and traveling the west coast. There are many beautiful castles, cathedrals and monestaries as well as adorable sheep. The prices are cheaper (5 Euro for a pint instead of 7) and everyone is friendly. You MUST stay at the Coonagh Lodge in Limerick (http://coonaghlodge.com/) because the woman of the house makes the BEST french toast and rasberry jam. The proprieters are good family friends of mine (my family) and are wonderful.
I also like Rome and Paris, as far as Europe goes. The Bahamas/Caribbean is an adult playground. Beach, booze and fun! Being from Texas I always like a warm getaway in the winter (since winter here is roughly 30 degrees cooler than winter in TX).
I am in the same boat as you Belle. My new year's resolution is to travel abroad. I have decided on India and I am hoping to spend several days there. Happy planning!
I highly recommend London as well. I studied aboard there during the winter and had such fond memories of my stay. As others have said, the Tube is easy to navigator and extremely convenient. There's great food (and shopping) to be had all over the place from the more touristy places in Piccadilly to more hole-in-the-wall places in Camden. I would also recommend day trips to Oxford and Bath. Bath (St. George's Hotel) is absolutely a must-see; the architecture and landscape are beautiful. Also, I highly suggest a trip taking the train from London to Edinburgh (Ballantrae Hotel in West End). There's much to see and do in Edinburgh including the highlands and Scottish seaside.
I meant several weeks, not several days. That is what I have heard about anywhere you plan to go- allow about 2 weeks to make it worth the plane ticket cost.
The Caribbean is a great experience for beginner-to-intermediate travelers from the East Coast - not too far, tourist-friendly, but still full of unique different places. And of course it's all PARADISE. Last year I went to Cartagena, Colombia and I would recommend it to anybody - the food was amazing, the medieval architecture was so beautiful and felt European, and it felt very safe and tourist-friendly without feeling too Americanized. I also had the most crazy, fun spa experience of my life there - a short trip outside the city there is a small inactive volcano filled with warm skin-soothing mud for bathers. It was wild - one of my best party stories.
You would LOVE Florence...the streets smell like leather goods and there is gelato on every corner.
Hi Belle,
After over a year of just reading, this is a topic I actually feel like I can help with! For your first trip overseas, possibly traveling alone, and in the winter, I think England and Italy are your two best options.
1. Both are locations that have slightly more temperate climates than some of the other places proposed. You are much less likely to run into snowed-out airports flying DC to London or DC-London-Rome. When you are traveling over the holidays you are dealing with limited time and incredibly full airports, so snow delays can be tragic.
2. Both are English-language friendly. I don't know if you speak another language, but having never been abroad, I would assume you haven't ever had to try to negotiate in anything but English, and it can be exhausting. You want your first trip to be fun and inspire more, not a challenge that leaves you drained.
3. Both are stunning countries, and you can easily do a one-city trip (Just London or Just Rome) or add in some in-country travel if you want variety. Do not be afraid of tour buses! This is a vacation, no-one is judging you.
4. Both are fashion capitals, but with VERY different looks than NY or LA. I think you would really enjoy seeing the difference between a professional DC woman and a professional Roman woman. Its a very elegant look for the older women, and a very creative take on business casual for younger. I loved it.
So yeah, I would focus on Rome or London. And if not, I am always behind the ladies who have proposed international beach hopping!
I highly recommend Dublin/Ireland as well, it is a place that can make you "homesick" for it once you leave. It is a magical place full of history and wonderful people. Also, as others have said you can get there for a very reasonable price if you fly with Aer Lingus. I would recommend two weeks if you want to get out of the city, the West coast of Ireland is unrivaled in my mind for landscapes and history.
Recommendations:
Guinness Storehouse
Wicklow Mountain tour
Temple Bar (touristy but fun)
Trinity College & Book of Kells
If you can get out of Dublin which I highly recommend these are some my favorite spots:
Sligo County (just amazingly beautiful countryside)
Donegal and Slieve League (super high and spectacular sea cliffs close to the Arctic Sea)
Aran Islands (amazing Iron Age forts and structures, like going back in time)
Galway (hit up the Cliffs of Moher from here)
Clonmacnoise (wonderful monastic site halfway from Dublin to Galway)
Connemara (sheep and some of the most amazing landscapes)
If you're up for it, you can also take a short train ride up to Belfast from Dublin. I enjoyed seeing it, and it isn't the war zone it used to be.
Every time I plan a trip I am torn between going back to Ireland or going to see something new, it is THAT fantastic.
I second Iceland. I went this past summer and it was fantastic! Very easy to get to (direct flight out of Dulles), wonderful people, very interesting history, fab shopping (lots of unique boutiques), other-worldly scenery. I'd go again just for the spa treatments. November might be a little chilly, though. I think the warmest day we had during our August visit was mid-50's.
I think for a first trip a London/Paris combo is a great way to see some of the "biggies" in Europe (British Museum, Windsor Castle, Louvre, Eiffel, and of course FANTASTIC shopping). I just did this last Thanksgiving. We have Thanksgiving Day/Day after, so I only used 3 vacation days and took off the M-W of that week. I left the Friday before Thanksgiving week and got back the following Sunday. That gave me 8 ish days not including travel.
The great thing about a London/Paris trip is that you can fly into London and then back out of Paris. You can spend a few days in London, then take the Eurostar train from the center of the city in London to the center of the city in Paris in about 2 hours. It was really no hassle compared to what you would have to do flying. Plus, you get to see two fantastic cities without having to worry about wasting travel time getting back to your origin airport.
Jamaica - so relaxing, great all-inclusive resorts, short flight, fabulous weather, and an english speaking population. There's also great adventures like waterfall, snorkeling, etc.
Australia - Such a fabulous country, infinite things to do and see, friendliest people you'll ever meet, and you can hop over to gorgeous New Zealand. Unfortunately, its a longgg flight.
Brazil - Such an exciting country, warm weather in November, because of it's Portuguese history, very different than most South American countries. Great music and food, and fabulous people. Not a short flight, but not the longest.
South Africa - great food and wine. Beautiful views. So many crazy adventures you can go on (can you say safari?), and amazing hotels and resorts. I recommend 12 Apostles hotel in Capetown, or staying at Aquila game reserve.
I loved the Yucatan region of Mexico, just outside of Cancun. Favorites included Playa del Carmen (fantastic food), Akumal (snorkel right off the beach and see sea turtles), Tulum (beautiful site right off the Carribean), and cenotes (beautiful sinkholes). I loved the food and it was a fantastic and short vacation away for winter!
Argentina is beautiful and if you have a limited amount of time and want to maximize your trip and return to work without jet lag, South America is the way to go