tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post3129734522441394117..comments2024-03-26T19:48:49.664-04:00Comments on Brooklyn Limestone: Mrs. Limestone's Inexpert Guide to: Planning a TripMrs. Limestonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159249562273770481noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-88074493039728153622012-01-24T19:11:11.493-05:002012-01-24T19:11:11.493-05:00LOVE it, up to snuff, nuff said! I love my home s...LOVE it, up to snuff, nuff said! I love my home so much that I sometimes find staying at hotels isn't up to par, do you ever feel that way? I stayed a lovely hotel once, four stars, and I asked for the special but the room was tiny, and the floor was dirty... this happens to me often. P.S. can you please share with me where you got your molding an motif for your house?elle mariehttp://twitter.com/girlmissingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-3450598384801924422011-07-02T19:23:11.525-04:002011-07-02T19:23:11.525-04:00I always read comments on TripAdvisor, too - that ...I always read comments on TripAdvisor, too - that can give you some good insight to location/lodging/etc. I also leave comments here for our experiences when we travel.SusieQnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-77907925282629483462011-06-30T06:06:01.773-04:002011-06-30T06:06:01.773-04:00What is a molding an motif?What is a molding an motif?MrsLimestonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-18324141082438135512011-06-29T20:58:48.411-04:002011-06-29T20:58:48.411-04:00My experience with travel agents parallels Mrs. L&...My experience with travel agents parallels Mrs. L's. The ones I've used have had no more information about my travel destination than I did. Further, the last agent I used seemed baffled by the requirements of my frequent flyer program (this is on a major carrier, and she's supposedly been in business for years?) and also wasn't very communicative (my travel documents arrived later than promised, and I had to call and ask her to follow up with the tour company). The last straw was when I asked her to recommend a hotel for me in Sydney. and I ended up finding a nicer, cheaper hotel on my own via Orbitz. Overall, she didn't show much initiative and I believe the value she added to the proceedings was neglible. Perhaps my expectations are just off base.lodi2k6noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-89549492437093911762011-06-29T20:58:48.190-04:002011-06-29T20:58:48.190-04:00My experience with travel agents parallels Mrs. L&...My experience with travel agents parallels Mrs. L's. The ones I've used have had no more information about my travel destination than I did. Further, the last agent I used seemed baffled by the requirements of my frequent flyer program (this is on a major carrier, and she's supposedly been in business for years?) and also wasn't very communicative (my travel documents arrived later than promised, and I had to call and ask her to follow up with the tour company). The last straw was when I asked her to recommend a hotel for me in Sydney. and I ended up finding a nicer, cheaper hotel on my own via Orbitz. Overall, she didn't show much initiative and I believe the value she added to the proceedings was neglible. Perhaps my expectations are just off base.lodi2k6noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-83718331044511329812011-06-29T19:52:34.357-04:002011-06-29T19:52:34.357-04:00Good tip. We like to do a little city tour on our...Good tip. We like to do a little city tour on our first day too. Makes a real difference in being able to navigate for the remainder of the trip.MrsLimestonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-71630733302774653932011-06-29T19:51:29.406-04:002011-06-29T19:51:29.406-04:00You think so? I've used travel agents before ...You think so? I've used travel agents before and I have rarely felt it was worth bothering. I would feel differently if a travel agent had experience and a lot of knowledge with a location but most of them don't so they are just looking at the same info I am looking at online. In those cases, I'd rather just make the decisions myself so I can find the best deals. As far as I can tell, the days of travel agents having the inside scoop are long gone. That said, if someone doesn't like to do their own research than by all means they should use a travel agent. I'm just a control freak :)MrsLimestonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-76238779222706330612011-06-29T13:30:02.433-04:002011-06-29T13:30:02.433-04:00Thanks for the tips! We definitely have a differe...Thanks for the tips! We definitely have a different style as I would go crazy only staying somewhere for a few days! I second the comments about renting an apartment. We rented a fantastic bachelor apartment right in central Paris last year for a measly $550euros/week. It was perfect. I also recommend booking through a travel agent if you're going far and foreign. We spent three weeks in Mauritius last year and it was very comforting knowing that if something went wrong there or at home we were only one call to our travel agent away from flights home. I have a colleague who had a trip to Egypt booked earlier this year and all the violence broke out days before they were supposed to leave. call to their travel agent and they were on their way to Greece instead.Guestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-25865827932411343252011-06-29T12:09:12.677-04:002011-06-29T12:09:12.677-04:00I 100% agree with your "find a temporary home...I 100% agree with your "find a temporary home" advice. www.vrbo.com is a fantastic resource, even worldwide. We used in both Sydney and Kauai with awesome results! It's a fantastic way to save money and feel more at home than you would in some hotels. Great post!Abbie(Five days...5 ways)http://fivedaysfiveways.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-37205746017396072432011-06-29T08:00:12.779-04:002011-06-29T08:00:12.779-04:00Thanks so much for sharing your tips Stef! They a...Thanks so much for sharing your tips Stef! They are certainly helpful!Kara Paslaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-25641302281297101752011-06-28T21:28:57.488-04:002011-06-28T21:28:57.488-04:00It depends. Sometimes we do a last minute jaunt wh...It depends. Sometimes we do a last minute jaunt when we find a good deal (like when we went to Moscow a few years ago with just a few weeks notice) and sometimes we plan way in advance (like when we used miles to fly first class to Australia, we had to plan ahead to get those tickets).<br /><br />I definitely plan more than 1 trip at a time. Right now we are besting our personal record with 4.<br /><br />Using a private guide or one of the bigger tour group depends on the place. In some places like Bali and Bangkok, a private guide is cheap and well worth the cost. In larger, more expensive cities we might do a basic city tour to orient ourselves or do no tour at all. Generally it's a money thing - I would love to have a private guide on every trip. You see so much more when a local is showing you around.MrsLimestonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-49452515937343200122011-06-28T20:35:56.979-04:002011-06-28T20:35:56.979-04:00About how far in advance do you typically plan you...About how far in advance do you typically plan your trips? I'm trying to get a feel for approximately how long it takes to shop for airfares (admitedly on a limited number of carriers), choose your lodging, and do your other research. I like to plan about 3-4 months in advance, but I'm wondering if there would be advantages to planning further ahead.<br /><br />Do you have a limit on the number of trips you will be planning at any given moment? I can't deal with planning more than one trip at a time.<br /><br />Lastly, I believe some of your trip recaps have mentioned going on tours in the cities you've visited--do you identify these tours and guides yourself through your preliminary trip research? Are these custom tours where an expert takes you only to the places you want to see? I'd love to hear more about this aspect of your travels, if you're so inclined. lodi2k6noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-35465234288895391782011-06-28T20:28:00.403-04:002011-06-28T20:28:00.403-04:00We travel the same way. We've done apartments ...We travel the same way. We've done apartments in Amsterdam & Paris, with great results. We also use Gate 1 Travel - they have truly fantastic deals and after a few trips with them, we check them first when thinking about any trip. Being flexible is the key to any good trip!Jen_from_the_blocknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-25400175905972322542011-06-28T20:06:59.721-04:002011-06-28T20:06:59.721-04:00I agree with your suggestion of not being deterred...I agree with your suggestion of not being deterred by distance. I live in Australia, so everywhere in the world involves a long trip (even to the other side of Australia) but it is always worth it. I search the internet for good flight deals and also inquire with travel agents to see if they can offer me a better deal than what I have found, it often turns out they can save me even more. I have stayed in apartments before (Paris) and found it to be fantastic, 500m walking distance from the Louvre!! I spend time researching my destinations and like to do a tour on the first day i get there (bike/walking) to get a feel for the layout of the city and 'settle in'. I'm leaving for my first US trip in less than a week so i'm very excited!Imogennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-260310831152795852011-06-28T20:06:43.154-04:002011-06-28T20:06:43.154-04:004 weeks. It's a challenge for us too - I could...4 weeks. It's a challenge for us too - I could easily use twice as much time.MrsLimestonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-29810076359399950782011-06-28T19:46:50.640-04:002011-06-28T19:46:50.640-04:00I have a nosey question...how much vacation time d...I have a nosey question...how much vacation time do you get from work? This is my husband and I's biggest challenge when planning trips!Michelle Scheibenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-53312205248035452632011-06-28T18:16:12.010-04:002011-06-28T18:16:12.010-04:00I'm with you about chain hotels but the econom...I'm with you about chain hotels but the economics of it make sense. This is a big disagreement here - the hubs always wants the Hilton while I insist elsewhere. I usually win but under protest.<br /><br />Where is your post? I don't see it on your blog.MrsLimestonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-46454547643045331912011-06-28T17:45:28.218-04:002011-06-28T17:45:28.218-04:00I think I just wrote the same post. Only, being m...I think I just wrote the same post. Only, being me, it was more of a faffling about navelgazing post, rather than practicalities. I did take the same picture of stack o' travel books, though. I think that staying too loyal to certain hotel chains does tend to make you miss a bit of character though. A Hilton is a HHilton is a Hilton. I like the review sites like Tripadvisor. You do have to take the reviews with a grain of salt, but it's a good shorthand.Kate @ Savour Farehttp://savour-fare.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-43878826633311526052011-06-28T16:47:43.625-04:002011-06-28T16:47:43.625-04:00Yes exactly. Lots of people seem to think a short...Yes exactly. Lots of people seem to think a short trip is 'not worth it' - but if someplace is worth visiting for a longer period, how can it not be worth seeing the highlights?MrsLimestonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-91235416683308621342011-06-28T16:31:32.750-04:002011-06-28T16:31:32.750-04:00Love your guide. Especially the tip, "don...Love your guide. Especially the tip, "don't be deterred by time". I find lots of people look at me like I"m crazy when I tell them I just got back from 5 short days in central america, but I'd rather GO than wait till when I have the time for a longer trip. I never will.Kelly Langfordnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-75217420159765220232011-06-28T15:41:02.716-04:002011-06-28T15:41:02.716-04:00Yes I've done it a few times - in buenos aires...Yes I've done it a few times - in buenos aires, Barcelona and Rome. All 3 were really positive experiences but I am very careful about finding apartments in good locations and with good reviews. I wouldn't chance it since you are stuck with whatever is there - more so than with a hotel that has multiply rooms.MrsLimestonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-29414932779134310642011-06-28T15:31:06.335-04:002011-06-28T15:31:06.335-04:00My husband and I just got the Venture Card from Ca...My husband and I just got the Venture Card from Capital One... you can use your points for ANY travel expense. It doesn't have to be a particular airline or hotel chain, it's great! We just used our points to pay for all our excursions on our Southern Caribbean cruise. :)Frenklyorangenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-9675192958758626992011-06-28T14:51:00.438-04:002011-06-28T14:51:00.438-04:00Great tips....the advanced planning is key but I l...Great tips....the advanced planning is key but I like to play it by ear a little when I arrive also. I like getting tips from locals....much of what I know about London is what the cabbies have told me! xvVicki Archerhttp://frenchessence.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-7542512815605692882011-06-28T14:37:42.657-04:002011-06-28T14:37:42.657-04:00I'm curious if you have ever rented a house or...I'm curious if you have ever rented a house or an apartment, if so how was your experience?Marnienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38356705.post-10764913114406976192011-06-28T14:20:37.108-04:002011-06-28T14:20:37.108-04:00Great tips. Definitely true about traveling off s...Great tips. Definitely true about traveling off season - we do that a lot.MrsLimestonenoreply@blogger.com