Travel Tip Tuesday nº 2

Travel Tip # 2 - Make Use of Alternate Airports.  

Let's say you need to get to Toulon, France.  Why?  Perhaps you've got to meet up with some circus folk there.  You can fly into Paris and catch a train to Toulon, but say you don't have a lot of time and don't want to have to switch airports in Paris in order to fly to Toulon.  I know, why would you?  That can take up a lot of time.  Picking up your luggage from baggage claim in CDG, standing in line at customs, getting on a bus to ORY, rechecking your luggage, etc.  Also, many smaller airports only have one or 2 flights in and out per day which can put a crimp in your travel plans or leave you stranded at an airport for more hours than you'd like (as if you'd like to be stranded at an airport at all).


There may be a better and quicker way to get to your destination by using alternate airports.  So instead of flying into CDG and transferring to ORY to catch one of the two flights to Toulon, you can fly into Marseille or Nice (both of which have over 20 flights arriving per day).  And from Marseille or Nice you can catch a train to Toulon. 

The benefits of this?  

• You skip the airport transfer in Paris
• You skip the long customs lines in Paris
• You skip the pick up and recheck of luggage
• You skip a lot of waiting in lines
• You get to ride the train along the French Riviera
• You might possibly save yourself a bit of time and possibly a bit of money

This only works in highly populated areas where there are a lot of airports.  Like Europe.  Or the Eastern US.  Why?  Because you need a robust transit system or shuttle system.  Because the last thing you want to do is rent a car from one airport and return to a different location - that cost would be prohibitive (unless, of course, you will be returning the car to the same airport).


How do you know what airports are close to the small airport/town you're going to?  Check out a map of where you're going or, if you're using ITA Matrix, you can check the Nearby box and see other airports from 50 to 300 miles away.   And when looking for cheaper/alternative flights in Europe, it's helpful to check out RyanAir and EasyJet to see what they offer.  


Riding trains in Europe or shuttles in the Eastern US are much easier than you think.  Don't be afraid to venture out of your comfort zone.  You might save a substantial bit of money and you'll get to see a bit of countryside.  


Airport pictured is LGB (Long Beach) which I can fly into and out of from Seattle for a relatively inexpensive cost.  Not only that, when I fly into and out of LAX, I need to be at the airport 3 hours in advance (even flying domestically) if I'm departing first thing in the morning, just to make it through security.  And when I arrive at LAX, my luggage takes about 30 minutes to get to me.  However, at LGB I can arrive as little as an hour early, sky cap my luggage for $2 and make it through security in less than 10 minutes.  Flying into and out of LGB only makes sense for me if I'm being picked up by my niece who lives in the area or I'm renting a car because public transit is not fantastic from LGB.  

Seen at the...

...local Target:

Whilst cruising clearance at Target recently I came across this end cap filled with soaps and shampoos  and other beauty products for human beings.   

 

At first glance, I thought this was a line of beauty products aimed at some new segment of the population that I was not familiar with.  Perhaps the people that wear dog collars?  I've not seen a lot of people wearing dog collars in North Renton, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.   

 

Upon further examination this is shampoo to neutralize smelly pooch odors, freshen coats and build body and elasticity.  Obviously this is for animals and not humans.  But Target has placed it among products for humans.  What if some pet loving person thought this was cute and bought it for themselves?  I mean, they'd be morons for not reading the fine print on the back.  But there is NOTHING on the front to indicate that this is for animals, I mean, besides the bone, obviously.

Travel Tip Tuesday

We're beginning a new feature here at andMondays...Travel Tips.  In my capacity as an assistant and a travel scheduler for the past 7 years, I've become the go to person for my friends when they have travel questions.  So I'll be sharing at least one travel tip per week...maybe you'll find something useful.

Travel Tip # 1 - Make international calls using Google Voice.  


I'm a bit of an over-confirmer.  When I make a plan, I like to know that everything that I've planned is going to happen as planned.  Especially when I'm scheduling travel for someone else.  And when I'm scheduling travel for Matt those plans often include international travel.  When I book a last minute airport pick up for him, I like to book that via telephone in lieu of email (which is my normal method).  International calls via cell phone can be very costly.  With Google Voice you can place international calls either with the app on your cell phone or via computer for pennies per minute.   





A few nights ago I phoned a hotel in Cairo to arrange for a "meet & assist" where someone from the hotel will meet the hotel guest at the airport, help them get their visa, luggage, expedite them through customs and then give them a ride to the hotel.  Since Matt was arriving at 2 in the morning (what is it with flights in the  Middle East leaving or arriving from 1 am to 4 am?) I decided that anything that would get him through the customs process quickly would be very welcome.  13¢ per minute is what the call cost me with Google Voice (total of 65¢).  The same call would have cost me $2.69 per minute with my cell phone plan (for a total of $13.45).  Hooray for Google Voice!


Also, when you are traveling internationally you can make calls back home for free by using Google Voice on your computer as long as you're connected to the Internet.  Who doesn't like free and inexpensive?  I know a lot of people use Skype with a lot of success...I've never used it.  With Google Talk, Google Voice and my T-Mobile plan I've never seen the need to sign up for another service.

Real vs. Fake

Can you identify the real Venice vs. the fake Venice in Las Vegas?

I used to be a fan of the Venetian in Las Vegas...and I guess I kind of still am.  I used to like to sit at a restaurant and watch the people float by on gondolas.  The canal in the hotel appealed to me.  But really, it doesn't hold a candle to the real Venice.  The Las Vegas version certainly does smell better than the Venice in Italy.  But it is too clean and too perfect.  The great thing about Venice is that it looks like it is about ready to sink into the the lagoon.  The buildings look old.  For real old, not the old that is fabricated.  I know I totally sound like a total snob.  And I probably am, a bit.

Wicked

I've been hearing and reading about this buffet since the Cosmopolitan opened.  It's been getting some glowing reviews on Yelp.  AND a lot of the food is served in single serving pots and baskets...super hip.

For about $40 you get a fairly nice buffet.  I'm not a huge fan of buffets.  The food usually tastes pretty bland.  But the food here was not bland.  The prime rib was pretty tasty.  The mashed potatoes were addictive.  The mushroom risotto was the best risotto I've ever had.  The bone marrow WAS bland - but I've never had that before, so maybe it is supposed to be bland.

They have a macaroni and cheese station.  When I read about the mac and cheese station I thought it was going to be a place where you could get a variety of different kinds of mac and cheese.  Turns out that's not it.  It is more like an omelette bar - there is macaroni and béchamel and you choose from 4 or 5 different cheeses and about 15 different mix-ins.  I went with the recommendations of the cook.  He recommended cheddar and jack cheese, bacon, mushrooms and asparagus.  It was o.k.  I've had much better mac and cheese locally.

The dessert area of a buffet is usually my favorite.  The Rio buffet is not good, in my opinion, but their dessert area is not bad.  The dessert area at the Wicked Spoon TA-STY.  Again, I went with the recommendations of the man behind the dessert bar.  There were strawberry marshmallows that tasted like Frankenberry.  The caramel tart was super yummy.  The red velvet cookie was not good - hard and tasteless.  The gelato was very good.  And anything with the raspberries was delicious.  I'd go back. I've paid more than $40 for just a good steak at local restaurants.  I felt it was a good deal for the money.  Next time I'd like to try brunch.