"Holiday Road" - The Official Vacation Thread

[lastobjective]

The process of getting a Chinese Visa is pretty awful. The website is less than helpful (they link to the wrong form - and it's a broken link!) and I thankfully stumbled upon http://mychinavisa.com/tourist.php as well as a lot of yelp reviews that were extremely helpful.

All in all had to bring my passport, flight and hotel itinerary, photocopy of my passport, and a 4 page visa application with a passport photo attached. And wait in line 30+ minutes.

Though now it'll be ready on Thursday so I can down to DC again and get it. Unfortunately the visa office is 2 miles from the closest metro stop so it's a hassle to get down there as well without taking a taxi (and even then with all the construction it's annoying- and expensive).

[mitlen]

The process of getting a Chinese Visa is pretty awful. The website is less than helpful (they link to the wrong form - and it's a broken link!) and I thankfully stumbled upon http://mychinavisa.com/tourist.php as well as a lot of yelp reviews that were extremely helpful.

All in all had to bring my passport, flight and hotel itinerary, photocopy of my passport, and a 4 page visa application with a passport photo attached. And wait in line 30+ minutes.

Though now it'll be ready on Thursday so I can down to DC again and get it. Unfortunately the visa office is 2 miles from the closest metro stop so it's a hassle to get down there as well without taking a taxi (and even then with all the construction it's annoying- and expensive).

You'll be standing in China thinking, "It was worth it."

[lastobjective]

You'll be standing in China thinking, "It was worth it."

Of course, but man it's an absolute pain. Next time I'd probably just use a visa service and pay the extra surcharge.

[mitlen]

Of course, but man it's an absolute pain. Next time I'd probably just use a visa service and pay the extra surcharge.

I don't wanna sound simplistic but it's all part of the journey.   

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Check the dates on your visa and make sure they match the dates on your plane tickets EXACTLY.  Just sayin'...

[Frau Mau]

Yeah, we ended up having to get a 'visa on demand' in Laos because the Vietnamese visa folks freaked up our dates and had us arriving a day later. There we were at the airport with tickets to go, a hotel booked in Hanoi, and no visa.

[Natsinpwc]

Yeah, we ended up having to get a 'visa on demand' in Laos because the Vietnamese visa folks freaked up our dates and had us arriving a day later. There we were at the airport with tickets to go, a hotel booked in Hanoi, and no visa.

Undoubtedly they found out you had money you would be spending in their third world country and decided to work something out for you!!

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

I think it was a form of war reparations

Undoubtedly they found out you had money you would be spending in their third world country and decided to work something out for you!!

[Natsinpwc]

I think it was a form of war reparations

Cash is better than Napalm

[tomterp]

It's settled.  The 2014 family vacation will be to........Canada.  Well, Quebec, to the extent that's a part of Canada.

Gonna take the train from Union Station to Montreal, spend a day and a half there and then rent a car and drive somewhere for a night, then 5 nights in Quebec just outside the wall of the old city.  As for my French skills....     

[Mathguy]

Have a good time.  Our vacation will be to DC the first weeks of July and August

It's settled.  The 2014 family vacation will be to........Canada.  Well, Quebec, to the extent that's a part of Canada.

Gonna take the train from Union Station to Montreal, spend a day and a half there and then rent a car and drive somewhere for a night, then 5 nights in Quebec just outside the wall of the old city.  As for my French skills....     

[tomterp]

Have a good time.  Our vacation will be to DC the first weeks of July and August

We're going the 1st week of August.

[Natsinpwc]

It's settled.  The 2014 family vacation will be to........Canada.  Well, Quebec, to the extent that's a part of Canada.

Gonna take the train from Union Station to Montreal, spend a day and a half there and then rent a car and drive somewhere for a night, then 5 nights in Quebec just outside the wall of the old city.  As for my French skills....     

Went to Montreal and Quebec City when I was young.  Hope to get back there sometime.

Have fun; think you will manage without French!

[1995hoo]

We're driving to Florida this coming weekend, leaving first thing Saturday morning. Visiting friends and relatives in Venice, Fort Myers, Pembroke Pines, and Viera before taking the Auto Train home overnight June 21–22. Two years ago we realized that during the summer if we take the train one-way, northbound is better because when you're driving north, the driver gets the hot summer sun all afternoon. Sounds obvious when you think about it, but for some reason it hadn't occurred to us before then.

[Natsinpwc]

Have a good time.  Our vacation will be to DC the first weeks of July and August

Why would anyone want to come here?  Jk.
Have fun, that's actually a less crowded time I think generally as many have cleared town for their own vacations.

[houston-nat]

As for my French skills....     

Yeah, me too! I'm going to Paris in a month and it's going to be brutal.

We should practice our French together!

Bon soir, Monsieur Quenelle! Toujours l'amour d'un montaigne avec escargot. L'apres-midi c'est la temps pour les massages. Oui, l'etat c'est un plat de boeuf bourguignon!

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

All you need to know is "Alsace toujours allemand"...they love it!

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Poutine!

We're going the 1st week of August.

[imref]

[Mathguy]

Since we live in OBX, the beach is everyday.  Also, having lived in the DC area for 30 years, we have a lot of friends to see.  Then there are the Nats games ...

Why would anyone want to come here?  Jk.
Have fun, that's actually a less crowded time I think generally as many have cleared town for their own vacations.

[1995hoo]

Yeah, me too! I'm going to Paris in a month and it's going to be brutal.

We should practice our French together!

Bon soir, Monsieur Quenelle! Toujours l'amour d'un montaigne avec escargot. L'apres-midi c'est la temps pour les massages. Oui, l'etat c'est un plat de boeuf bourguignon!

[varoadking]

Need some suggestions for a European holiday...

My wife was born in Frankfurt, but hasn't been to Europe since she was very young.

I have never been on the Continent...only Ireland and England. 

We got lucky and avoided all the rain in London for a week in July of 2007...I loved London, and actually think I could live there.

Thinking of a tour, but not sure...maybe 10-14 days total?  Don't want to just window shop, but spend a few days in each city / country.

Suggestions from the world travelers on where a couple of rookies ought to go, and the best time of year? 

[HalfSmokes]

Eastern Europe, Krakow budapest and Prague are all great and (at least the last time I was there),  the people actually liked Americans. I'd also reccomednd viking river cruises, I have family that swears by them

[mitlen]

Eastern Europe, Krakow budapest and Prague are all great and (at least the last time I was there),  the people actually liked Americans. I'd also reccomednd viking river cruises, I have family that swears by them

My buddy and his wife do the Viking cruises regularly and speak highly of them as well.

[skippy1999]

Spent 10 days  in Italy a few years ago, it was a tour that took us to Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, and several smaller towns that were SO gorgeous and I absolutely adored.  The tour was a really good way to see everything I wanted to see but it was pretty regimented as far as schedules so some people didn't care for not being able to spend as much time in one place as they wanted but Italy itself was magnifico!! The history, the scenery, the food, I adored every second of every part of Italy so I would highly recommend it as an awesome vacation destination