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Travel Outside the US

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    • JimBlue wrote:

      A 20mm anti-craft round would turn a squirrel to dust. I thing a 5" base diameter, 65 pound high explosive round, would vaporize the tree and the squirrel.
      I'll admit I may have fantasized about doing just that after dealing with those furry little tree-rats outside of Hawk Mountain shelter
      Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    • A Scout camp I went to years ago, there was a Whip-or-will that started up just before the dance, Order of the Arrow honor camper selection, on parent's night. Never came out by the lake on other nights. And couldn't have been the same bird as this happened over decades. I did ask the camp ranger if he fed it, and he said no.
      --
      "What do you mean its sunrise already ?!", me.

    • Sorry to shift the conversation back to travel outside the U.S....

      My boss recommended signing up for the Global Entry program through the TSA. I filled out the on-line application, paid $100, and got a preliminary approval e-mail a couple of weeks later. Come to think of it, I got the e-mail while I was passing through Damascus on my last hike. :D

      The next step was scheduling an interview at an airport Customs office. Got lucky and scored an interview in Pittsburgh the same day I was driving there to pick up my son from college. The open interview slots at Philly, Baltimore and D.C. were few and far between for late April / early May. The interview lasted maybe 15 minutes and was painless. Showed my passport and driver's license, had my fingerprints scanned, and got my picture taken for a Global Entry ID card that can be used for land border crossings into the U.S. from Canada & Mexico.

      So what are the advantages? My $100 got me 5 years of TSA pre-check, and special immigration / customs lines when entering the U.S. through the air. Used it coming in from Mexico last week and it was great. Just the pre-check saved me at least 20 minutes entering the domestic terminal. I'd recommend it even if you only plan to travel out of the country once a year.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • Immigration forms

      Before you land in an overseas country, the flight attendants hand out customs and immigration forms. Besides the typical name and address stuff, there are a few items that have most travelers rooting through their carry on bags to find the information.

      Passport number and expiration date
      Address where you will be staying in that country

      It's a whole lot easier to fill out these forms if you make sure you have a pen and a cheat sheet in your pocket. I forgot last week and my briefcase was in the overhead while I was in a window seat. Add in some turbulence and I wasn't sure I would get the forms completed before arrival.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • we didn't fill out any forms going to Europe. The form we filled out coming back was never collected. Entering Europe was so easy. There was one guy at a booth with no line. He asked where we were going, for how long, and why (italy, 9 days vacation). Stamp, done in 10 seconds (this was Zurich). A year ago we got off a cruise ship and there was no one to stamp us in (at the port in Rome). When we were leaving (in Germany) the guard was rummaging through my passport looking for my entry stamp. I explained there was no one to stamp us in at rome. He muttered "stupid Italians", stamped our passport and let us go.

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      I've been wondering...thought it was getting close. Have a great time.
      Oh, I intend to! Reservations long ago made, tickets bought and everything is paid for. So now just counting down the days.

      Now y'all thought the "hike my hike, damnit!" types were bad... They're tame compared to travel forum posters
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • odd man out wrote:

      please share. I haven't been to a travel forum in a long time
      Well there certainly is a "take my trip, damnit" vibe that is much worse than what one would get on a hiking forum.

      Just like on TOS, travelers seek advice regarding their packing list. It's like reading a J Peterman catalog.

      I was surprised to the degree that folks relate their frequent flyer or airline status as though they're celebrity name dropping.

      People b*tch and and moan about airline service. They cannot seem to grasp that you get either cheap tickets or first class service, not both.

      I can't get over folk that buy their airline tickets cheaply from some fly by night travel agent. And then do their research on the vendor AFTER buying the ticket and realizing they got ripped off. Then cry about it on a forum.

      In turn there are those that fail to read the terms of carriage and then claim they're being ripped off.
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • I've seen a lot of that on the airline review sites. I like the ones that go: "I will never use FLY BY NIGHT AIR again. The flight attendants don't smile." It's amazing how many people review flights based on how much the flight attendants smile. Grow up! I read an interesting article recently that found that people in economy class complain less if they don't have to walk through the business class section to get to their seats. It seems they complain less if they don't see how the other 1% live. The recommendation of the article was to improve satisfaction by designing planes so economy class passengers don't walk through business class. It never occurred to them to improve satisfaction my making economy suck less.

      I also have little sympathy for any complaints from business class passengers. If I ever get the chance to fly business class, you can bet I'm not going to complain. But for $4/min or more on an 8 hr trans Atlantic flight, that's not happening soon. For years there has been an escalation of business class service by airlines. It is to the point now that business class is what first class used to be and so the airlines have had to upgrade first class to something incredibly over the top to keep the distinction for people who have to have the best. Some airlines have just eliminated first class since business class is now so deluxe.

      At the same time, economy class has been squeezed to the point of being "skum of the earth" class. As a result, there is now a huge gap between economy and business class. Thus they have created the new "Premium Economy" class, which is basically what business class used to be. American carriers don't have "Premium Economy" yet but if you fly to Europe you will now see it on many European flagged planes. When it first came out a few years ago it was about twice the price of Economy, but recently the price seems to be coming down to the point it might be something I would use for long haul flights. So now we have four choices:

      Economy = Skum of the Earth Class
      Premium Economy = What Used to be Business Class
      Business Class = What Used to be First Class
      First Class = You Really Need Your Stinkin' Rich Ego Stroked Cass

      RT from Chicago to Dubai, non stop on Emirates First class is $19,012

    • Didn't expect to come back to this thread...

      ...but

      Over budgeted and under spent last trip, had too much fun, airline tickets are very cheap, and work approved three weeks off again. Come August another trip to Europe -- London again, then Canterbury, a overnight ferry to the Netherlands for visits to Delft, Amsterdam, and Arnhem. Smile108 :thumbsup:
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Tuckahoe ().

    • Dan76 wrote:

      Don't neglect to sample Dutch beer, chocolates, and of course cheese.
      I did just that in Ireland and England, only is was the cider I was trying, and the blue cheeses were great. I plan to the same in the Netherland. Apparently the Dutch aren't known for their blue cheese but I look forward to trying it nonetheless as well as those that they are actually known for.
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • Tuckahoe wrote:

      Dan76 wrote:

      Don't neglect to sample Dutch beer, chocolates, and of course cheese.
      I did just that in Ireland and England, only is was the cider I was trying, and the blue cheeses were great. I plan to the same in the Netherland. Apparently the Dutch aren't known for their blue cheese but I look forward to trying it nonetheless as well as those that they are actually known for.
      smoked Gouda and herb cheeses were my faves.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • Dan76 wrote:

      Don't neglect to sample Belgian beer, chocolates, and of course cheese.
      Fixified the beer statement. One of my best memories of visiting my ancestral homeland in Sneek (Friesland area) was drinking fresh Belgian biers. Grolsch does make a killer spiced winter bier...

      For cheese, visit Kaashandel De Brink in Deventer. 250 different varieties on sale.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

    • StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Dan76 wrote:

      Don't neglect to sample Belgian beer, chocolates, and of course cheese.
      Fixified the beer statement. One of my best memories of visiting my ancestral homeland in Sneek (Friesland area) was drinking fresh Belgian biers. Grolsch does make a killer spiced winter bier...
      For cheese, visit Kaashandel De Brink in Deventer. 250 different varieties on sale.
      Awe come on... Belgium use to part of the Netherlands -- its like the West Virginia of Europe. Who would drink West Virginia beer?

      :evil: SwordDuel Smile108
      Of course I talk to myself... sometimes I need expert advice.

    • Yes, Belgium is the place to go for beer. Dutch beer is forgettable. I was in the Netherlands for a very quick overnight stay in the northern most section before going to Belgium for a few days. London is great. Been there twice. Would like to go back. But there are so many places I haven't been yet. This May will be Sweden and Norway for us.

    • A Dutch friend of mine just completed the North Sea Trail in the Netherlands. Based on his pictures, the total elevation gain / loss might have been in the 100 meter range.

      Add in beach-side cafes and tourist towns, and it didn't look like a bad place to take a long walk.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard