Author Topic: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread  (Read 145185 times)

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Offline OldChelsea

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1300: December 29, 2017, 11:59:20 AM »
We tried. It is really hard (and I managed to get around Barcelona speaking impromptu Catalan after arriving to find that Separatist Fever was in full swing and everyone was refusing to speak Spanish). I am only useful for describing my one food allergy and telling children to drink their orange juice.[...]

I was in Barcelona this past January (carefully timed to avoid the Trump inauguration) and whenever I went into a place for the first time I'd start with Catalan, and would then use Spanish if the person behind the counter spoke back in that language, which happened sometimes.

One can never have too many languages...currently working on Romanian and Estonian for two trips booked for 2018.

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1301: January 12, 2018, 10:02:58 AM »
In light of yesterday's 's**thole countries' remark by The Great National Embarrassment, one may wonder if American tourists are getting stick from the locals about these presidential remarks (and the president generally).

For the record, I took four trips abroad last year (Barcelona, Sofia, Vilnius and London) and did not get one bit of negativity from the locals - no denunciations, no physical attacks, no refusals of service, nothing. My trips went quite normally; in fact no one with whom I came into contact raised the issue of Trump at all.

Now I have more trips scheduled for this year (Paris, Bucharest, Tallinn; also London once my regular hotel becomes available from British Airways Holidays) and I'm not expecting any stick from the locals on these trips either. In my 40 years' experience in travel aboard I find if you give the local language a go, show respect for the locals, and stay out of overtly political milieux you shouldn't have any trouble.


Offline imref

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1302: January 12, 2018, 10:50:36 AM »
In light of yesterday's 's**thole countries' remark by The Great National Embarrassment, one may wonder if American tourists are getting stick from the locals about these presidential remarks (and the president generally).

For the record, I took four trips abroad last year (Barcelona, Sofia, Vilnius and London) and did not get one bit of negativity from the locals - no denunciations, no physical attacks, no refusals of service, nothing. My trips went quite normally; in fact no one with whom I came into contact raised the issue of Trump at all.

Now I have more trips scheduled for this year (Paris, Bucharest, Tallinn; also London once my regular hotel becomes available from British Airways Holidays) and I'm not expecting any stick from the locals on these trips either. In my 40 years' experience in travel aboard I find if you give the local language a go, show respect for the locals, and stay out of overtly political milieux you shouldn't have any trouble.

I interact with a lot of Europeans via work, mostly from Germany and the UK.  The general question I get is along the lines of 'what the F is wrong with your country?"?  They do realize by and large that Trump isn't popular here and most Americans view him as an embarrassment.  They just have difficulty understanding how he could have become President.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1303: January 12, 2018, 10:58:47 AM »
I interact with people overseas on a daily basis for work and all I get from them is sympathy  :? 

Offline dcpatti

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1304: January 12, 2018, 11:03:56 AM »
My Brazilian teammate is still not sure why we’ve done this to ourselves. We’ve had some really uncomfortable conversations.  I work with a few fellas from India on a project and they think we are mental for having the low voter turnout rates we have. Like, they literally do not understand how we can be allowed to vote but not actually go do it.

Offline tomterp

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1305: January 12, 2018, 11:05:48 AM »
All, just a reminder that this thread lives in the politics free zone.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1306: January 12, 2018, 11:18:10 AM »
Is there still such a thing?
All, just a reminder that this thread lives in the politics free zone.

Offline mitlen

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1307: January 12, 2018, 11:54:03 AM »
Is there still such a thing?

I agree with Tom and you.      Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeris te, I go golfin' and somebody wants to discuss politics.      I usually divert it by claiming to be Uncle Ho's nephew or some such reference that confuses 'em.     Sometimes I feint horror about what pisses me off.    They all lean in thinkin' I'm gonna go on a tirade about some political bullsh**.      That's when I screw 'em up with, "You know what I hate?    Three putts."    Boom, that's the end of the conversation.

OT   Niece offered me and the missus a trip to Switzerland with her family in May.    Missus' parents are in a pickle and she'll have to go to the west coast during that time.    Pirates are in town in early May so that leaves me out.    Plus, I ain't goin' anywhere without my handler.        I'm gettin' my passport stuff together 'cause I'm hopin to get to Scotland some day.    Last passport I had issued was '85.     I think it's expired.

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1308: January 12, 2018, 01:26:46 PM »
[...] Last passport I had issued was '85.     I think it's expired.

US passport books are good for 10 years.

Offline tomterp

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1309: January 12, 2018, 01:47:55 PM »
US passport books are good for 10 years.

I found mine while filling out a TSE-Pre application and realized it expired within 6 months, so filled out the passport renewal application as well and sent the old one in (plus $110) and got the new one in under 3 weeks.


Online HalfSmokes

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1310: January 12, 2018, 02:14:32 PM »
Mine is expired. But it's an embassy issued one with my picture glued on and the numbers hole pinched. Used to confuse the hell out of anyone who had to read it. I just don't want to send it back

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1311: January 12, 2018, 02:32:16 PM »
I found mine while filling out a TSE-Pre application and realized it expired within 6 months, so filled out the passport renewal application as well and sent the old one in (plus $110) and got the new one in under 3 weeks.



That sounds about right - while the passport itself is no longer valid, you can use that passport (provided it expired within a certain period prior to your application) as a supporting document when you apply for a new passport.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1312: January 12, 2018, 02:45:57 PM »
That sounds about right - while the passport itself is no longer valid, you can use that passport (provided it expired within a certain period prior to your application) as a supporting document when you apply for a new passport.
I believe you have 5 years to use the expired passport to get a new one. And you had to be 16 when issued.

Offline mitlen

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1313: January 12, 2018, 03:49:53 PM »
US passport books are good for 10 years.

My application has the options  ....   U. S. Passport Book; U. S. Passport Card as well as a "Regular Book" and "Large BooK".    I'm thinkin' as just a travelin' man, all I'll need is a regular Passport Book.    Is that correct?      What would one use a card for if ya can't use it for international flights?    Is the card something you'd put in your wallet to use in lieu of a book in case somebody asked you "for your papers"?    Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeriste I wish it would have been this tricky to get drafted.     :)

Offline varoadking

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1314: January 12, 2018, 03:55:39 PM »
My application has the options  ....   U. S. Passport Book; U. S. Passport Card as well as a "Regular Book" and "Large BooK".    I'm thinkin' as just a travelin' man, all I'll need is a regular Passport Book.    Is that correct?      What would one use a card for if ya can't use it for international flights?    Is the card something you'd put in your wallet to use in lieu of a book in case somebody asked you "for your papers"?    Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeriste I wish it would have been this tricky to get drafted.     :)

We used the card to cross the border into and out of Canada several times.  It is handy to keep on your person "just in case."

I hadn't seen the large book...must be something pretty new...is it bigger dimensionally or just more pages?


Offline mitlen

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1315: January 12, 2018, 04:03:45 PM »
We used the card to cross the border into and out of Canada several times.  It is handy to keep on your person "just in case."

I hadn't seen the large book...must be something pretty new...is it bigger dimensionally or just more pages?



Thanks VaRK.    Think I'll request a regular book and a card.      The "large book" is described as an "option for those who frequently travel abroad during the passport validity period, and is recommended for applicants who have previously required the addition of visa pages."   

Offline varoadking

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1316: January 12, 2018, 04:09:17 PM »
Thanks VaRK.    Think I'll request a regular book and a card.      The "large book" is described as an "option for those who frequently travel abroad during the passport validity period, and is recommended for applicants who have previously required the addition of visa pages."   

More pages...thanks...

Offline mitlen

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1317: January 12, 2018, 04:11:32 PM »
More pages...thanks...

Ya know, I'm goin' through this (application/documentation) and thinkin', "It ain't this difficult."  i.e.  They make it more convoluted than it needs to be.

Offline varoadking

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1318: January 12, 2018, 05:28:28 PM »
Ya know, I'm goin' through this (application/documentation) and thinkin', "It ain't this difficult."  i.e.  They make it more convoluted than it needs to be.

I know...thankfully you have an old passport to send in...first timers have to go to the post office to file the application and get the pictures take, and last time I asked, they were booked for months in advance...

Offline mitlen

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1319: January 12, 2018, 05:36:40 PM »
I know...thankfully you have an old passport to send in...first timers have to go to the post office to file the application and get the pictures take, and last time I asked, they were booked for months in advance...

I was told at the PO that because my passport was so old, I had to make an appointment to turn in my documentation.    Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeriste I can get in the country easier than I can get out.    :smh:

Offline varoadking

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1320: January 12, 2018, 05:39:15 PM »
I was told at the PO that because my passport was so old, I had to make an appointment to turn in my documentation.    Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeriste I can get in the country easier than I can get out.

Take your pictures at a local pharmacy or AAA and take them with you...at least you can avoid being told they can't find the camera...  :D

Offline mitlen

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1321: January 12, 2018, 05:42:25 PM »
Take your pictures at a local pharmacy or AAA and take them with you...at least you can avoid being told they can't find the camera...  :D

I got my photos at FedEx.    They did a pretty nice job considerin' the subject.     :)

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1322: January 12, 2018, 06:57:51 PM »
The new ones are as thick as a brick.  Either the front cover is full of electronics or it is made from old growth hardwood

Offline bluestreak

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1323: January 12, 2018, 08:47:47 PM »
Headed to Asheville tomorrow. Other than Wicked Weed, any suggestions?

Offline imref

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Re: "Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread
« Reply #1324: January 12, 2018, 10:28:51 PM »
Headed to Asheville tomorrow. Other than Wicked Weed, any suggestions?

Biltmore?