Swamp Travel Guide

[Steve of phpBB]

Looking for advice here ...

We're heading to Europe in March to visit my son at Heidelberg. We're looking to spend ten days in Europe, with approximately three in Heidelberg. We've been trying to figure out what to do with that extra week, and now we're considering spending that time in Ireland. Ireland has been on our list for years now, and it seems like a great opportunity. But I'm concerned about going there for a week in March just to get rained on the entire time.

Has anyone gone there? Is it really dumb to go in March? Would the rain detract from the experience, or even enhance it?

[govmentchedda]

Haven't been to Ireland in March, but I've been in the UK and Denmark during that month and I really enjoyed it. You might get rain, you might get cold, but I'd happily take that over possible oppressive heat in places where AC may not be ubiquitous. You'll also miss out on shittons of tourists.

[Nonlinear FC]

Yeah, the tour buses in Ireland were kind of annoying... But if you've got your own car it's easy to avoid them and their associated crowds.

The Ring of Kerry was stunning. I haven't had the chance to go up north. We flew into Shannon, headed to the west coast and then swung down the southern coast on our way back to Dublin.

[rass]

I can’t recommend the north enough (my wife’s family is from Down). Somewhere in this thread (I think) is a story of me fucking up a rental car driving from her cousin’s place in Down to see Giant’s Causeway - it was worth it. Amazing.

[Rush2112]

I know it's not March, but I've been in Ireland in April and May and it rained all of once over the two weeks I was there.

[A_B]

My oldest will be in Ireland on St. Patricks day, almost by accident. Has a 10 day or so trip planned with some friends to the UK/Ireland.

[Steve of phpBB]

My oldest will be in Ireland on St. Patricks day, almost by accident. Has a 10 day or so trip planned with some friends to the UK/Ireland.

Great - I'll keep an eye on them.

(Where do I send the bill for my airfare?)

[Baloney]

Six Nations Ireland v England in Dublin March 18th

[MaxWebster]

we spent a week in Ireland last March/April - wasn't bad at all. Rented a car and drove roughly Dublin->Galway in a clockwise-ish direction. Yeah got a little chillier a few days with some grey (wear everything you have at the Cliffs of Moher) but in a way for me it felt more beautiful (was my 3rd time there - this time was with wife/2 teenagers which believe it or not was extra fun)...? Almost the stereotypical Ireland.

And never thought about it but yeah - tourists are rare; much more-so than in summer. Was my 2nd time at the Cliffs and there was *nobody* else there last year at the time - that was a huge huge benefit.

[DaveInSeattle]

Got back from Cabo San Lucas a couple of nights ago. Stayed at this all-inclusive/adults only place (https://www.marquisloscabos.com/), which is about 20 minutes outside of Cabo.

Few thoughts:

- The resort wasn't super huge, so things got a bit "over-run" with some big corporate events while we were there. First was a home building company from Colorado Springs, then a Trane Air Conditioning sales group from the south (AL, MS, LA, TN, GA), then a software company out of Dallas. Made me think that my company needs to step up their game.

- They had a big party going on for the Super Bowl when we arrived. We watched the Rihanna halftime, and that was it. (The GF said "I'm not on vacation to sit in a hotel conference room watching a football game", and I agreed). They did have a Queso fountain though, which was pretty awesome.

- The drinks being served poolside are incredibly watered down. Which is ok I guess...don't want to deal with a whole pool deck of drunken yahoos. We noticed a lot of people ordering drinks and then getting a "sidecar" to pour into them. I was mainly having Pacifico's, which are pretty light anyways.

- We went into Cabo one day to go sea-kayaking and snorkeling. It was awesome...we booked it with a guide who was from the US originally, but has been living in Cabo for over 20 years now. We went out to El Arco, Lovers Beach, and then Pelican Beach for snorkeling. Sadly...I'm not very good at snorkeling. I got so much water in my mouth and up my nose. Yuck...

- After the sea-kayaking, they dropped us off in Cabo and we went to a place the guide recommended for lunch/tacos, and then we walked around some. The GF asked "where is the cute/charming part?", and I said "I don't think there is one". The main part of Cabo was just overrun with cheesy tourist places, and the beach was an absolute zoo.

- We saw so many awful tattoos sitting by the pool. Just terrible...

- ETA: Saw a ton of whales from the resort, which was awesome. And a whole bunch of Mobula rays, which leap out of the water, and "fly". It was crazy.

[brian]

Got back from Cabo San Lucas a couple of nights ago. Stayed at this all-inclusive/adults only place (https://www.marquisloscabos.com/), which is about 20 minutes outside of Cabo.

Few thoughts:

- After the sea-kayaking, they dropped us off in Cabo and we went to a place the guide recommended for lunch/tacos, and then we walked around some. The GF asked "where is the cute/charming part?", and I said "I don't think there is one". The main part of Cabo was just overrun with cheesy tourist places, and the beach was an absolute zoo.

That's certainly one issue with Cabo. When the Mexican government decided to go all-in on tourism in the 1970s, some of the places they picked were essentially without any kind of significant historical value, just sleepy fishing villages they decided to build up. Cancun area is the same way. This is another reason I enjoy Puerto Vallarta because at least the town dates back to the early 1900s and has some cool places to check out in the "downtown" area.

[DSafetyGuy]

It's reassuring, in a "dumbest planet ever" sort of manner, to watch people line up to board and crowd the gate at Southwest just as early as every other airline even though it is based in an alpha-numeric order.

[Nonlinear FC]

It's reassuring, in a "dumbest planet ever" sort of manner, to watch people line up to board and crowd the gate at Southwest just as early as every other airline even though it is based in an alpha-numeric order.

SW is our airline of choice, even though the prices have ticked up considerably the last 5 years or so. But we're into them deep with a credit card and points, so it's still very much worth it.

Anyways, I've flown with them a lot and it's still the least stressful boarding experience. But, yeah, about every 4th flight or so, you have these mouthbreathers that crowd the area, even though they have B or C tickets and we're only doing pre-boarding.

Very weird mentality.

[Nonlinear FC]

Sadly...I'm not very good at snorkeling. I got so much water in my mouth and up my nose. Yuck...

If you ever get a chance to go again, ask if they have something like this:



https://www.decathlon.com/products/easy ... L8QAvD_BwE

Game changer. The way the snorkel sits on top like that makes it really difficult to take in water. I mean, unless you're just being ridiculous with your head movement.

[rass]

Dickhead 500 Surface Full Face Snorkel Mask Adult and Teens

[Ryan]

Decathlon - Outdoors Radio Shack™

[wlu_lax6]

It's reassuring, in a "dumbest planet ever" sort of manner, to watch people line up to board and crowd the gate at Southwest just as early as every other airline even though it is based in an alpha-numeric order.

SW is our airline of choice, even though the prices have ticked up considerably the last 5 years or so. But we're into them deep with a credit card and points, so it's still very much worth it.

Anyways, I've flown with them a lot and it's still the least stressful boarding experience. But, yeah, about every 4th flight or so, you have these mouthbreathers that crowd the area, even though they have B or C tickets and we're only doing pre-boarding.

Very weird mentality.

My bigger issue is the "Saving seats". Yes I only paid the $15 for one person in my party of 9 to get that covered A but am going to hoard seats for those who did not. I have never done so but I really want to make it like Elementary school and force the flight attendants to say "no saved seats"

[A_B]

My flight next week is on spirit which flies non stop to LAX out of Louisville. I decided to check a bag but had I not it would have been like 130 bucks.


I’m going into this expecting the absolute worst experience imaginable.

[Nonlinear FC]

My daughter flew DEN-->IAD on Spirit a couple of months back and with just her carry-on luggage... It was just fine.

[DaveInSeattle]

Got back from Cabo San Lucas a couple of nights ago. Stayed at this all-inclusive/adults only place (https://www.marquisloscabos.com/), which is about 20 minutes outside of Cabo.

Few thoughts:

- After the sea-kayaking, they dropped us off in Cabo and we went to a place the guide recommended for lunch/tacos, and then we walked around some. The GF asked "where is the cute/charming part?", and I said "I don't think there is one". The main part of Cabo was just overrun with cheesy tourist places, and the beach was an absolute zoo.

That's certainly one issue with Cabo. When the Mexican government decided to go all-in on tourism in the 1970s, some of the places they picked were essentially without any kind of significant historical value, just sleepy fishing villages they decided to build up. Cancun area is the same way. This is another reason I enjoy Puerto Vallarta because at least the town dates back to the early 1900s and has some cool places to check out in the "downtown" area.

I went to Puerto Vallarta on my honeymoon back in '99, and the downtown area was way more cute/charming/authentic than Cabo. And when I went to Cancun way back in '89, the tourist zone (where all the hotels/resorts were) was super cheezy, but the town of Cancun itself wasn't too bad. A couple that we talked to at our resort said they had gone into San Jose del Cabo one evening, and that it was way more local-focused. I shudder to think what Cabo is like during Spring Break time.

[A_B]

My daughter flew DEN-->IAD on Spirit a couple of months back and with just her carry-on luggage... It was just fine.

Carryon/checked was the same price so this way I don't have to bother with hauling my roller through the airports. I figure it only has to make it onto the plane for a non-stop so I'm hopeful. I'll have some clothes in my backpack as well just in case.

[govmentchedda]

My flight next week is on spirit which flies non stop to LAX out of Louisville. I decided to check a bag but had I not it would have been like 130 bucks.


I’m going into this expecting the absolute worst experience imaginable.

I fucking hate Spirit. Cancelled our flight back from Vegas a year ago. There are worse places to be stranded, for sure, but gigantic pain in the ass. Side note - as far as discount carriers go, Breeze is really nice.

[wlu_lax6]

If you do not have packing folders, it is my trick for short business trips. I can get my dress clothes, laptop, books, and work out gear for 3 or 4 days in a bigger style backpack without having to iron upon landing.

Something like this

[DaveInSeattle]

My daughter flew DEN-->IAD on Spirit a couple of months back and with just her carry-on luggage... It was just fine.

Carryon/checked was the same price so this way I don't have to bother with hauling my roller through the airports. I figure it only has to make it onto the plane for a non-stop so I'm hopeful. I'll have some clothes in my backpack as well just in case.

We almost always do the "volunteer to check bags" at the gate, mainly so we don't have to stress about finding space in the overhead bin.

When we flew down to Cabo, we were on an American flight that left Seattle at 8:30am, with a change in Phoenix. As we were getting ready to leave for the airport around 5:30am, I got the alert on the app that our flight had been cancelled due to plane maintenance, and they were rebooking us onto a flight at 11:30pm...with a 3 hour layover in Dallas in the middle of the night. We said "yeah...no", and started looking online and found a non-stop flight on Alaska that got us into Cabo at about the same time as our original itinerary.

We got our trip package through Priceline, but its bizarre that we were put on that American flight to begin with. And, amazingly, American refunded our money for those flights without too much hassle.

[DSafetyGuy]

SW is our airline of choice, even though the prices have ticked up considerably the last 5 years or so. But we're into them deep with a credit card and points, so it's still very much worth it.

Anyways, I've flown with them a lot and it's still the least stressful boarding experience. But, yeah, about every 4th flight or so, you have these mouthbreathers that crowd the area, even though they have B or C tickets and we're only doing pre-boarding.

Very weird mentality.

My bigger issue is the "Saving seats". Yes I only paid the $15 for one person in my party of 9 to get that covered A but am going to hoard seats for those who did not. I have never done so but I really want to make it like Elementary school and force the flight attendants to say "no saved seats"

In Baltimore, the gate attendant included that you could not "bring someone with a lower number with you" as part of the boarding instructions.

She also called us up at the end of family boarding to get on despite being B32-35, having to say it twice and needing my wife to implore me to go because I didn't realize she was speaking to us. She told our small-for-his-age-eight-year-old son he was six for the day.

[Giff]

I think he was referring to people trying to save seats once they're on the plane for those who have not yet boarded. I've never seen someone try to do it for 9 seats, but definitely for a row.

[Nonlinear FC]

I have done that with the row thing. Don't really see it as being a big deal, because it's not like I'm doing it when the plane is even close filling up.

But trying to save anything other than my row? Not in a million years. And I'm pretty sure the flight attendants wouldn't put up with that.

I would also say, I'm a karma person. I've moved or shifted so little kids could be with moms, or parents want to be on an aisle, so I moved to the window... Don't be an asshole, try to be kind is my rule.

[mister d]

"If you want an aisle seat, buy an aisle seat." - Mister D

[brian]

"If you want an aisle seat, buy an aisle seat." - Mister D

Let me know how that goes on Southwest (which is the airline we were discussing).

[wlu_lax6]

"If you want an aisle seat, buy an aisle seat." - Mister D

Let me know how that goes on Southwest (which is the airline we were discussing).

or maybe Mr. D was saying "If you want aisle seat, fly an airline where you can buy an aisle seat"

As goofy as it is, I find boarding for SW so much less stressful than traditional airlines. Zone 1 redcarpet for our high value customers, but Zone 2 do not walk on that special red carpet. and Zone 3-7 you better start crowding the gate so you can get your bags somewhere. You B25, you know where you stand. C 37, that bag is getting checked.

Also I just find people get seated faster on SW because of it....now to just actually get my pre-covid drink ticket stash built up. I made some good friends with drink ticket generosity.

[Brontoburglar]

starting next week, our airport will be an enjoyable experience

[A_B]

starting next week, our airport will be an enjoyable experience

I assume "KC welcome right out of the gate" means they hand everyone a half rack of ribs.

[sancarlos]

In my mind , one issue with Southwest is the very old jets they fly. No tv screens. No usb ports or outlets.

And they are no longer the default low-cost option. We usually compare prices to them on Expedia, then buy our tickets directly from whichever airline we choose.

[sancarlos]

starting next week, our airport will be an enjoyable experience

I assume "KC welcome right out of the gate" means they hand everyone a half rack of ribs.

Back when I flew a ton for my old job, I liked how compact the KC airport was. Nothing like O’Hare/Atlanta/Denver/DFW, etc. More like Springfield, MO. Guess that might be changing?

[brian]

starting next week, our airport will be an enjoyable experience

Congratulations. The old airport was an unbelievable shithole. Maybe the worst one I've ever been through and that includes rinky-dink ass airports in places like Thailand.

[GoodKarma]

Seconded...I hated going to KC for work primarily b/c that airport was a miserable experience. Shitty gate areas/concourses, separate terminals made it impossible to get around. It's like they said "let's make this like DFW only less user-friendly".

[Brontoburglar]

the soon-to-be former KCI is great for people who live here and know how it is. you can get to the airport 45 minutes before your flight if you have precheck and someone dropping you off and you're good to go. you can also meet your ride in like 2 minutes after you get off the plane if you haven't checked a bag

but if you are connecting through KC? bruuutal. just awful. this looks amazing. incredibly excited for our first new airport trip and will want to get to the airport more than the bare minimum ahead for the first time in my adult life

I will also add that in defense of the airport, it was considered one of the best and most convenient ones around when it was built. its design was simply not suited to the security measures of the last 30 years (and the 9/11 TSA era specifically). obviously impossible to say "if air travel didn't have the security it did it'd be great!" but it just got obsolete really quickly because of them and should have been replaced sooner

[brian]

I will also add that in defense of the airport, it was considered one of the best and most convenient ones around when it was built. its design was simply not suited to the security measures of the last 30 years (and the 9/11 TSA era specifically). obviously impossible to say "if air travel didn't have the security it did it'd be great!" but it just got obsolete really quickly because of them and should have been replaced sooner

This is pretty much the crux of the thing and it’s embarrassing in one sense that it took this long to admit it but KCI isn’t exactly the only airport in the US in the same boat in its tepid defense.

[Nonlinear FC]

Ft. Lauderdale was an absolute shitshow after 9/11. I'm not a frequent traveler like a lot of you guys who fly for work, but I was down there for a conference a couple of years after the attacks and they simply hadn't figured shit out. Took 2 hours to get from security to the gate and it wasn't even really that crowded.

I'm sure they've fixed it, but that experience was bonkers.

[elflaco2]

returning from Houston on wednesday (united of course)
in line waiting to board, look down at the boarding pass on my phone and notice that unlike the flight out monday morning, i'm now in group 2.
oh yeah. i didn't quite make the required number of trips in '22..
back w the commoners.

at least it isn't group 3.

i never check bags, well not for a business trip, but may need to change my airport strategy to account for the change. nothing worse than having to put your bag many rows behind you.
yep. i'm spoiled.