Bridget Lux's Blog
Posted by Bridget Lux
There's no way to get around the fact that food is a big deal when it comes to traveling. For some, it is the main reason to travel. For others, it is purely nourishment on the road to some adventure. I fall somewhere between those extremes, but am hopelessly horrible at choosing restaurants.
On a recent trip to Rome, my friend and I had the good, the bad, and the ugly in terms of dining experiences. It's Italy, I thought, how hard could it possibly be to find a good meal? Give us some pasta and a pizza and we'll be fine.
Looking back on the Roman Holiday, however, I realized that this is fairly typical of my vacations. While traveling throughout Western Europe, Australia and North America, my culinary adventures have always been hit and miss. Now, I'd venture to say that it was easier in the U.S., Australia and U.K., if only for the fact that I could actually read the menus and didn't make the mistake of ordering raw hamburger topped with a raw egg (there's a Parisian dining experience I won't soon forget).
I discussed the situation with my well-traveled Aunt, who suggested scoping out dining establishments - especially the actual food on the tables - in advance of hunger. She also said she's had good luck by using suggestions from guidebooks, although my experience has been that the guidebooks are generally for that one special meal that's going to cost you and not for every day lunches. Finally, she said she's found good places by asking at her hotel. My friend and I tried this one, but the place suggested was actually closed.
So, any other suggestions?
Posted by Bridget Lux
Several months ago, long before the actual opening of the exhibit honoring Grace Kelly, I wrote an article about it. Having now gone through the exceptional exhibit and rereading the article I’d previously written, I’m reminded how different reading about something - a destination, a museum, an attraction - can be from truly experiencing the same thing.
In the movie “Good Will Hunting,” Robin Williams’ character explains to Matt Damon’s character the same idea using the Sistine Chapel, as an example. Now, I’ve heard people touting the benefits of Second Life, the Internet-based virtual world, and how great it is to experience hot travel destinations without the issues involved with air travel, hotels and money. Personally, although I have admittedly not entered Second Life, I can’t see how the virtual vacations could possibly hold up to the real thing. More on this in another blog post.
From the exhibit, located in the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, one gets an overwhelming sense of how much Princess Grace was loved: first by her family, then her fans and finally the people of Monaco. And from the memorabilia, photographs and displays it’s easy to see why. Princess Grace was an intelligent, beautiful, caring woman. Above all, however, she had class.
It’s also evident that much time, effort and creativity went into the exhibit. The eighteen rooms that focus on specific areas of her life include short film clips, multi-media displays and an overwhelming amount of personal letters, clothing and photographs.
If you happen to be in Monaco between now and Sept. 23, I’d highly recommend visiting the exhibit. Beyond Princess Grace’s life, the exhibit gives an interesting insight into the recent history of the royalty in Monaco as well as the current reign of Grace’s son, Prince Albert II.
Posted by Bridget Lux
A recent survey of 1,000 travelers found that 73% of them were in favor of a separate family section on airplanes. An AP article said Southwest was considering the idea, although a Southwest spokesperson said that wasn’t true.
But isn’t having a family section on an airplane a bit like having a “no-smoking” section in a restaurant separated by little more than an imaginary line? The proverbial “no peeing” section of a pool.
Of course, if I’d taken the survey, I would have said yes, I’m in favor of a separate family section. Anyone who flies much has had a flight made nearly unbearable by seat kicking, screaming and general mischief of a little one. If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky and just know that it’s coming.
Personally, I think the airlines are going about this all wrong. Instead of a family section, why not a family airline? Sure. Disney Air could brand itself as a family airline. (Honestly, how much marketing would they need? Just saying the name yells “family friendly.”) They could feature coloring books next to the SkyMall and inflight magazines. Serve mac and cheese, pb&js and milk. Run all Disney movies.
It would take a bit of the stress off people with kids. They wouldn’t have to worry about their kids screaming or throwing Cheerios or whatever because chances are, the other people on the flights would have kids, too.
People without kids would avoid the airline like the plague.
Yes, I think Disney Air might just fly, pun intended.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Yesterday, one of my closest friends, Sunday, flew in to Nice for a three-week holiday with me. Because I read travel disaster stories all day long for another job, I was nearly convinced she was not going to arrive on time.
I didn't want to leave her in a lurch, however, so I was there at the appointed arrival time. Amazingly enough, her flight was only about 15 minutes late and she was actually on it (which was even more amazing after I heard her story). Unfortunately, her luggage was not.
Sunday is an experienced traveler, however, so she had stuffed some extra clothes in her carryon (limited to one because she was flying British Airways). After an hour of waiting for her, convinced she missed a connection or something, she called. She had borrowed a phone from another woman whose luggage had been lost and they were standing in line waiting to fill out the forms to, hopefully, retrieve their luggage at a future date.
About an hour and a half after her flight landed, Sunday finally emerged, luggageless, and we were headed to my apartment. On the way, she relayed the story about how she ended up buying another ticket for the Boise to Seattle leg of her trip because the airline said she was supposed to have paper tickets (who gets paper tickets anymore?), but she never received them. Once in Seattle, she paid a fee (British Airways, luckily, didn't make her buy new tickets) and was on her way on the flight from Seattle to London.
My past several flights have involved some sort of drama. Missed a connection in Chicago and had to stay the night (at my expense). Pilot didn't show up in Colorado, forcing my flight to be late and I missed another connection. On our way back from San Francisco, the airline didn't assign Sunday a seat. When we got to the gate, they asked her to take another flight. Eventually, after a lot of discussion, she was given her seat, but it was touch and go for awhile.
My point is, at what point are people just going to get fed up and quit flying? Will it happen? If it does, will it be noticeable? I'm considering flying home for Christmas, but I'm hesitant to fly. It's a long flight to begin with, and I just don't want to deal with any "events."
Posted by Bridget Lux
Movies have a greater power in our society these days than I think many of us realize. There are those films that are obviously produced for political purposes, such as “Sicko” or “Fahrenheit 9/11,” but for me, it was a film made for entertainment purposes that changed my life. “An American in Paris” features Gene Kelly and a very young Leslie Caron, but it was the setting that intrigued me. I fell in love with the little cafes and even the tiny apartments, the patisseries and cobble-stone streets.
That first viewing of “An American in Paris” was years ago, and since then, I’ve sought out films, along with books, based in Europe. When I told friends and family I was moving to Europe, at the time, I was planning to head to Italy. It wasn’t long after the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” had come out, so many assumed that was my inspiration. Little did they know the seeds of this trip had been sown many, many years ago.
Even now that I live in France, I seek out movies set here. I’ve recently seen “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” which takes place in Paris and Grasse, among other French locations, I also watched “Ratatouille” and plan to rewatch “To Catch a Thief,” which actually takes place on the Riviera.
Movie going is much different in France, however. OK, so the biggest difference revolves around the lack of concessions. I feel very American when I say this, but popcorn, Junior Mints and other snacks are as much a part of going to the movies as the films themselves. Not so, here in France.
But that’s not the only difference. Since my French is not good enough for me to watch a movie in French, I go to the theaters that show films in their original version. The problem, however, is that I’m drawn to movies set in Europe and they often have portions in foreign languages. In the U.S., I imagine, those portions would contain subtitles. Not so, here. The English portions have French subtitles.
Last May, I watched “The Da Vinci Code” and yesterday I saw “2 Days in Paris.” Both films have large portions in French. Of course, both times, the people I was with spoke French, so they didn’t have any problem following the films. Another time, a friend and I went to “The Black Book,” which we thought was going to be in English, but turned out to be in Dutch with French subtitles! Ugh. Nearly three hours of concentrating incredibly hard on the subtitles gave me a huge headache. My friend, naturally, was Dutch.
So, while my movie going experiences here in France have been a little more challenging than I’d like, it is the differences of living in France that make it interesting and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Many people in the world perceive that the French are rude and perception is one powerful force. There’s a story circulating in the American media, I read it in the Los Angeles Times, about the mayor of Paris launching an initiative that includes smiles, speaking English and being nicer to tourists.
In essence, Mayor Bertrand Delanoe wants Parisians to understand the importance of tourists, which account for about 12% of all jobs in the French capital.
While I understand the importance of tourists in France and agree that treating them courteously is imperative, my beef is with the initial assumption. It’s a perception that the French are rude, and the Parisian waiters and cab drivers could be PollyAnna-ish and it wouldn’t make a difference.
Since I moved to France nearly two years ago, I’ve often encountered the question of whether the French are rude. No matter how often I explain that, in my opinion, if you’re nice to them, they’ll be nice to you, people have made up their minds.
The unfortunate part of this equation is that most of these people - about 85 percent - have never met a French person. It’s as if they want to believe that the French are rude. If that’s the case, it doesn’t matter how nice a waiter at a café near the Notre Dame Cathedral is. It won’t matter if the cab drivers are the most polite in the world because these people who perceive that the French are rude have never and will probably never visit France.
On the other hand, of the 15.3 million visitors who spent time in Paris in 2006, literally about 97 percent of them say they want to come back. So, I think Paris should spend its resources on luring people to Paris. And then let those people decide for themselves.
Posted by Bridget Lux
On Saturday, the new Seven Wonders of the World were named. Although the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany were in the running, neither were named to the list. It’s being reported that about 100 million people voted for the new Seven Wonders, which are:
1. Great Wall of China
2. Chichen Itza pyramid in Mexico
3. Colosseum in Rome
4. Machu Picchu in Peru
5. Jordan’s ancient city of Petra
6. Tah Mahal in India
7. Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Controversy is surrounding the naming of the new Seven Wonders. First, Egyptians were upset because they felt that the Great Pyramids of Giza, which is the only one of the original seven ancient wonders still surviving, should not have to compete. The founder of the project, Bernard Weber, agreed and left the pyramids alone.
Then, people took issue with the method of the project. The seven ancient wonders were chosen by a few; the new Seven Wonders have been chosen by the masses, albeit the masses with Internet access or texting capabilities.
UNESCO, the United Nations body for culture, also publicly criticized the project.
“This campaign responds to other criteria and objectives than that of UNESCO in the field of heritage,” said Sue Williams, the spokeswoman for UNESCO. “We have a much broader vision.”
On July 9, the UNESCO World Heritage site explains how it is not in any way associated with the Seven Wonders initiative by Weber, despite his repeated attempts to involve UNESCO.
“Acknowledging the sentimental or emblematic value of sites and inscribing them on a new list is not enough,” UNESCO’s Web site says. “Scientific criteria must be defined, the quality of candidates evaluated, and legislative and management frameworks set up.”
UNESCO goes on to say: “There is no comparison between Mr Weber's mediatised campaign and the scientific and educational work resulting from the inscription of sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The list of the "7 New Wonders of the World" will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the internet and not the entire world. This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by this public.”
Obviously, UNESCO, with its 851 World Heritage sites, including the recently inducted Port of the Moon in Bordeaux and the Lavaux Vineyards in Switzerland, has a slightly different goal. Also, a former UNESCO Director General, Federico Mayor, was president of the initiative's expert panel.
But isn’t preservation of these interesting, significant, culturally important sites the goal of each? Just seems that some people are getting a little upset over politics and who’s getting the credit and publicity rather than realizing this could be beneficial to the sites.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Word has it that the French Riviera is on fire. Odd, since I happen to live in the middle of Nice and I only heard about it through American and British newspapers. Now, it’s not that I don’t believe what the newspapers say, and I thoroughly understand that the French Riviera encompasses many, many miles of coastline, but when the dateline says “Nice,” you’d think people here would be talking about it. Not so.
The UK’s Daily Mail headline screams: “Britons flee in terror from raging French Riviera forest fire.” Really? Are people fleeing in terror? I certainly have witnessed no fleeing. I haven’t seen any fire or even smoke, for that matter.
According to one report, more than 49,000 acres have been destroyed in the famed French beach resorts and almost 3,000 people have evacuated. Nope, not one word about it here. Another report says the blaze centered around Mandelieu, a resort town just a short distance from Nice. The fire department says 700 firefighters have been dispatched to contain the fire. Unbelievable. Again, I have not heard a word about this in town.
But maybe that’s typical of the French, or the Southern French, at least. I mean, when a wildfire of a different sort blows through the area - namely the celebrities attending the Cannes film festival - very little of it trickles into the Nice conversations.
I had friends from the States here for the Winter Olympics in 2006, which were held a mere three hours away in Turin, Italy, and they were shocked by the lack of discussions, media coverage, and general excitement for the games. We actually had to ask a barman to turn one of the pub’s several TVs to the Olympics and almost got booed out of the bar for switching from a friendly football match.
Obviously, I have a skewed perspective. I went from working at a daily newspaper in Idaho, where, when a huge fire broke out, we were all over it ... sometimes to the detriment of the area’s tourism industry because it often lacked a bit of perspective. Now, I work from home, hang out in pubs with English-speaking clientel and spend most of my time with a Kiwi and a French guy I can’t understand.
So, maybe what this story about the fires in Southern France needs is a bit of perspective. They say 49,000 acres have been destroyed. Is that 49,000 out of 100,000? Or maybe 49,000 out of 100,000,000? Or more? Who knows?
What I do know, is that Nice has not been touched. And it’s time for a trip out of Old Town.
Posted by Bridget Lux
I’ve read countless times that the travel industry is the No. 1 industry for the Internet in terms of dollars spent. Seems logical. People log on, buy a plane ticket, book a hotel room, purchase tickets to an event. But in Europe, and I'm writing about Western Europe here, things just don’t run that smoothly. At least not yet.
Recently, a friend of mine asked if I’d ever tried to book a train ticket online. As a matter of fact, I have, I told him, and I could never get it to work. He’s in the same situation. Of course, he can journey across town to the train station and actually buy the ticket there, but there are Web sites that are set up for the sole purpose of buying train tickets and yet, they never seem to work.
Enter Wandrian, an American company and producer of Railpass.com. Wandrian recently announced the launch of three new Web sites, FrenchRailDirect.com, GermanRailDirect.com and BritishRailDirect.com.
"These country-specific sites are designed to help fellow travelers plan the ultimate trip, and include everything you need to know about traveling by rail," said Mike Fuller, president and co-founder of Wandrian. "As rail travel fanatics, we really wanted to highlight some of the great opportunities for rail trips throughout these countries and to promote the fact that rail is really the best way to truly see Europe. The sites will be updated continually with the latest rail promotions from BritRail and Eurail, as well as special deals and offers exclusive to the sites' users."
Can’t tell you how happy I am to see these coming. Now, I haven’t actually booked a ride through any of the sites yet, but I did play around a bit and it looks like all systems are go. I also sent an IM to my friend about it and I think he’s trying to book a ticket. I can’t wait to hear if it works.
It brings me to a rare gripe about Europe: Many businesses have yet to join the Internet age. For whatever reason, they don’t seem to understand the impact – the positive impact – getting with it could have on their bottom line. And if they don’t get with it, another company, ahem, possibly an American company, will step in and take over.
Posted by Bridget Lux
As always, there’s a lot going on in Western Europe these days. From festivals to new airline routes and more, travel news abounds. So, while I’d like to write blog entries or articles about everything going on, I’m going to have to be content with a roundup of the highlights.
1. Listen to the music: The Festival of Music that started in France and now takes place in more than 100 other countries is Thursday, June 21. If you’re in a participating country, and chances are, you are, just head outside and listen to the music. Or, even better, grab your old guitar, flute, harmonica, whatever, and provide a little entertainment yourself. The festival of music is simply a day for musicians to get out and play and music lovers to listen. It’s really as simple as that.
2. Amsterdam airport best in Europe: The Airports Council International gave the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol a big thumbs up by naming it Europe’s Best Airport 2007. To qualify, airports had to exceed 25 million passengers per year. In 2006, Schiphol served more than 46 million passengers, making it the fourth biggest passenger airport in Europe. The council judged airports on the following categories: facilities, security, retail, community relationship, service and environmental awareness.
3. Rick Steves writes about Andorra: Andorra, that tiny country tucked into the Pyrenees between France and Spain, got some press this week from famed travel writer Rick Steves. He writes about how for centuries, the country was protected by the mountains and now those very mountains are drawing tourists for various recreational opportunities, such as skiing and hiking.
4. Connecting European countries: The much publicized high-speed rail link between France, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland began service in early June. The line is a huge step toward a rapid pan-European transit system. For example, the service cuts the Paris to Frankfurt route to three hours and 50 minutes, down from six hours and 20 minutes.
5. Can you hear me now? The European Aviation Safety Agency has cleared the way for use of cell phones, BlackBerries and other mobile devices by passengers while in flight. Starting in September, passengers on planes outfitted with the OnAir system will be able to use their mobile devices while flying at altitudes above 9,840 feet. Air France is expected to be the first airline to utilize the system, although Ryanair, BMI and TAP have all also signed up for the service.
Posted by Bridget Lux
It seems like it should have been fairly straightforward: Require every American international traveler to have a passport. The U.S. Congress, however, had to complicate things by rolling out the requirements in two phases ... and trying to rush implementation of the requirements. The results: Mass confusion. In an attempt to shed some light on what's happened, I thought I'd tackle it from a traveler's point of view:
1. If you have a passport and it s expiration date is more than six months away, you're in good shape. If your passport will expire in six months or less, apply for a new one. Now.
2. If you have a trip to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Canada or Mexico and are planning to fly, you must have proof that you have applied for your passport, along with a government-issued photo ID. And if you're flying to Mexico, bring your birth certificate.
3. If you're flying to any place other than the four destinations mentioned above and have applied for a passport, but have not yet received it, you're SOL. That's right. You're caught in the government's SNAFU. If you planned to go to France and applied for your passport three months ago or less, but have not yet received it you probably won't be allowed to board the plane.
That's the real problem with all the patches and temporary fixes the government is attempting: They have caused far reaching issues that can't be fixed with a simple delay of the WHTI. And while Congress is voting to delay phase II of the WHTI, which will require all travelers traveling by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda to have a passport, the Department of Homeland Security wants to keep its implementation date. Ridiculous. Imagine the millions of people who cross the Canadian border alone who will need a passport.
Bottom line: If you do not have a passport, apply for one now even if you have no travel plans. If your passport expires in the next six months, apply for a new one now.
Posted by Bridget Lux
OK, I realize that I can not have everything I want. After the news broke today that discount airline Ryanair is boosting up its number of flights from Stockholm, Sweden by 13, however, I got to thinking. Why doesn't Ryanair include Nice, France in any of its flight patterns? They added Baden Baden. And Bratslava. Basel and Berlin.
My guess is that there is a reason, other than just simply not liking Nice, I mean, everybody likes the French Riviera, no? The reason is probably political - French politicians can be ... difficult. Or maybe it's financial in some way I just don't understand. Maybe it's because they see the Cote d'Azur as the playground for the rich and famous, in other words, people who aren't interested in a "discount airline."
I'm going to try to contact Ryanair and find out the reason - wish me luck - but until then, consider this my call for Europe's largest discount area to consider us little people on the Riviera. We need you, Ryanair. We need more discount flights.
Sure, we’ve got easyJet and a few others, but they never seem to be flying where I want to go. For reasons unknown even to myself, I think the flamboyant (he did dress up as a Viking to announce the new Swedish routes) Michael O’Leary would just know what I desire. In an airline, that is.
Until then, I’ll get by with the airlines offered here in Nice (truth be told, there are quite a few), but it doesn’t mean a girl can’t dream.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Obviously, moving from Boise, Idaho to the South of France was a big change. I don’t speak the language (improving every day but still have a long way to go), so even the most everyday, mundane task can become anxiety ridden and difficult. It will often take me a couple of attempts before I actually purchase the product I was trying to get.
Today, the differences were highlighted through an attempt to buy the ingredients for and make a lasagna dinner. Now, in the States, I would have driven my gas-guzzling SUV to the nearest grocery store, purchased the ingredients and driven home. I would have, as I had so many times before, made the lasagna, salad, garlic bread and that would be that. It just isn’t that easy here.
So many ingredients
First of all, I recently moved into a new apartment and although it is “furnished,” which means it also contains dishes and cookware, the likelihood that there’s a casserole dish is low. So, I’ll have to purchase one of those. I have absolutely no spices, so they will also have to be purchased. Noodles, meat, tomato sauce, cheeses ... I’ll have to get it all.
I make a list and set out on foot, sturdy grocery bags tucked into my purse (you have to bring your own now). I no longer have my Isuzu Rodeo here in France, plus, I live on a street that is literally too narrow for it to accommodate the Rodeo. Therefore, I’m walking. All the time. And I love it.
Which store?
My best bet, I think, is probably Carrefour. But it’s Saturday and it’s going to be unbelievably packed, so I want to avoid it. I opt for the lovely grocery store in the basement of the Galleries Lafayette. In addition to having very nice produce and meats, this particular store also carries items for foreigners, which can be helpful.
Unfortunately, the store is being redone right now, which I didn’t know, so it’s a complete mess. I couldn’t find anything save a couple of spices. The Galleries Lafayette is located about a mile or so from my apartment and I end up walking home nearly empty handed. By the time I get home, I’m a little sun burnt (yes, it’s sunny and warm most of the time here), tired and sweaty.
That little voice
Then, something in me (experience, perhaps), tells me that making a nice lasagna dinner tonight is not going to happen. There are just too many ingredients to buy, plus, making lasagna takes awhile. Best if I just accept what was obvious from the beginning: It’s going to take me about a week to acquire all the ingredients for the meal. Just finding the ricotta cheese alone could take a day. Grocery stores here have whole isles devoted to cheese. Oh, and I will probably have to look up what they call ricotta cheese. Didn’t even think about that.
But the point is, by this time next week, with any luck, I’ll be enjoying a lovely lasagna dinner. And oddly enough, I like it this way so much better.
Posted by Bridget Lux
U.S. eases rules
Less than six months into the new rules requiring Americans to have a current passport to reenter the country by air from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, and the State Department is having to backtrack. It’s a start, but more needs to be done.
According to The Associated Press, the U.S. government, in response to an overwhelming number of traveler complaints, is temporarily easing the requirements. Now and through the summer, travelers need only show that they have applied for a passport.
Phase two
This is all well and good, but what about the bigger, looming issue? What’s that, you ask? Phase two of the Western Hemisphere Travel Inhibitor, uh, Initiative. Phase two, which is scheduled to start next year, is when you can’t get from Seattle to Vancouver and back without a passport. Forget that weekend jaunt between San Diego and Tijuana. Unless you have a passport, you won’t be allowed.
Now, I don’t happen to have the number of travelers flying between these places and the number of people crossing the border via vehicle, ferry or other, less-airborne modes of transportation, but I bet the latter is higher. What does that mean? An even bigger headache for travelers (not to mention those folks at the passport offices).
Proactive vs. reactive
But, of course, that’s months down the road. Why worry about that now? To this I ask, “Why not?” Why not just look at the numbers and figure out a solution? Instead, I fear, our less-than-efficient U.S. government will wait until the next crisis and react. Prove me wrong. Please.
Vienna or Vancouver, no matter
Now, I realize, I’m writing about Western Europe travel, and the WHTI really deals with travel to places such as Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. But the passport issue is a global travel issue for Americans. After all, you’ll need a passport if you’re heading to Marseille, too, and you’ll be stuck in that same line as the guy going to Mazatlan.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Getting a passport in the U.S. is becoming a stressful, frustrating experience for travelers with countless numbers having to cancel trips because their passport didn’t arrive in time. Following the passing of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, Americans now need a passport to return to the U.S. by air from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Next year, unless something changes, Americans will also need a passport to cross the borders by vehicle (and presumably by foot, horse or any other means).
No hindsight necessary
The sad thing is that for anyone who watches the travel industry, this was one of those situations seen miles and months away. And yet, here we are. The delays are only getting worse. Couples are missing their honeymoons for lack of a passport. They can still head to Hawaii or the U.S. Virgin islands, it’s true. But don’t tell that to someone with non-redeemable tickets to the British Virgin Islands.
Passports on sale now!
My advice? Buy a passport. I don’t care if you’re planning to go anywhere or not. Better if you haven’t made any plans because you won’t likely be leaving in the next four months. That’s right: It’s taking months to get a passport. Even an expedited passport, where you pay some extra cash to allegedly have it “expedited,” will take some time.
Do you want to be left behind?
And yes, I am aware of the nearly $100 it costs to purchase a passport, but it’s good for 10 years. For $10 a year, you can give yourself a peace of mind not generally available so inexpensively. Imagine being in San Diego and all your buddies say, “Hey, let’s hit Tijuana!” And you’re the only sad sack without a passport. Do you really want to be stuck in that situation? Besides, every American should leave the country at least once. I mean, the education alone is worth the price of admission.
U.S. out red-tapes France
In an ironic twist of fate, I will be renewing my passport in France, one of the most bureaucratically nightmarish countries in the world. And, according to an American acquaintance, it’s now easier to renew an American passport in France than it is in America. Now that is saying something about getting a passport in the U.S. these days.
Posted by Bridget Lux
According to a recent survey of travelers who booked hotel rooms online, more than half thought their accommodations were too far from city centers, events, amenities and other attractions. The survey was conducted over three months by Staycloser.com. The people behind the survey determined that when booking hotels online, it is difficult to know exactly where the hotel is located.
Personally, I'm convinced hotels do this on purpose. Not long ago, a friend and I spent two months traveling around France, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Time and time again, we found it nearly impossible to determine online where exactly a hotel was located. Anyone who spends any time online knows that does not have to be the case.
As a traveler, what I’d like to see is a site that tells you about the hotels, but also gives a map with major attractions also listed, that would show exactly where a hotel is located. Instead, site after site have descriptions of the hotels that read like this:
Hotel Inconvenient: Located close to the train station, center of town and all major attractions.
In reality, the hotel is located near a secondary train station in the center of a suburb of the town you’re actually going to visit. And the word “close” is much too relative. Sure, it’s “closer” than if I stayed wherever I live, but c’mon.
In my adopted hometown of Nice, for example, I’d never suggest to anyone to stay at the Radisson. The location, however, according to its Web site:
“Ideally located on the famous Promenade des Anglais between the romantic old town and the Arenas Business Park, the Radisson SAS Hotel in Nice is easily accessible by train, plane and car.”
Is it close to the Promenade? Yes. Old Town? It’s about 2 or 3 miles away. Now, if you have a car, maybe that’s not such a huge deal (on the other hand, if you’ve ever tried to park near Nice’s Old Town, well, forget it). But “ideally located”? Not unless all you want to do in Nice is go to a rocky beach. OK, but that’s the company’s Web site, so you expect them to a fudge a bit if they don’t have a great location.
My real problem is with Web sites that offer information on a variety of hotels. For example, on Expedia.com, the Radisson description reads:
"Located on the famous Promenade des Anglais, this seafront hotel overlooks the splendid Mediterranean sea and is set between the airport and city centre." It's what it doesn't say that bothers me.
Obviously, these sites are more interested in keeping the hotels happy than the travelers. What I need is a journalist-run site that would give realistic descriptions - plus a map - of the hotels. Not some jargon written by the hotel’s marketing department and not something typed up by Joe Backpacker. Is that too much to ask?
Posted by Bridget Lux
I have a confession to make. It’s been more than two months since I’ve traveled anywhere farther than the grocery store. Now, I realize that it’s not much of a confession, but as a travel journalist, well, traveling is generally a big part of my life.
Lately, however, I just haven’t wanted to go anywhere. It’s certainly not because no destinations hold any appeal to me. Certainly not. I’ve been thinking a lot about Spain, specifically Barcelona, Malaga and Madrid. I’ve made plans with a friend to hit Amsterdam for a weekend. I also spoke with some former colleagues about a quick trip to Vienna. Another friend wants to run a marathon in Paris.
But the fact of that matter is that traveling has gotten to be a frustrating, expensive experience. For example, on my last flight to the U.S., I flew from Nice, France to Frankfurt, Germany. The layover in Germany was about five hours and the airport was packed. So packed, in fact, that there wasn’t a place to sit. Eventually, I boarded the plane only to have it be delayed - twice. By the time the plane made it to its destination of Chicago, we were extremely late and I missed my connection to Boise. Because there were no more flights from Chicago to Boise, I ended up spending the night – at my expense, of course.
My next flight was delayed because the pilot was sent on another flight. A few weeks later, I was flying from San Francisco to Boise and the plane was overbooked. My friend was not given a boarding pass and asked to wait to see if someone else would give up their seat. Eventually, someone did give up their seat, and we got home on time, but not until after a lot of stress, phone calls, many visits to the airline’s customer service counter and some yelling.
And those are just the past couple of flights. That doesn’t include the overbooked hotels, crazy hotel curfews or run ins with the law. OK, that’s for another post. And come to think of it, those were kind of fun. Wonder when my friend wants to head to Amsterdam.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Last week, I read a travel article that encouraged tourists to stay in suburbs of major cities such as Paris, Berlin and Vienna. The author said that visitors could save a bundle of cash by becoming a tourist commuter.
Depending on your lifestyle, this could be true. However, there are several other factors to consider. Personally, one of the aspects of new cities I enjoy most is checking out the night life. This becomes infinitely more difficult - or exponentially more expensive - if you are not staying in the actual city.
For example, my friends and I stayed in Asnieres, a suburb of Paris, in an attempt to save money. What we found was a sleepy town, sans nightlife, Internet cafes and interesting restaurants. We took the train to Paris each morning, but had to catch the last train back before midnight or endure a hefty cab fare. Now, if you know anything about nightlife in Europe, things are just getting going at midnight.
Also, the money we spent taking the train to town and back each day could have almost paid for the higher hotel cost in Paris. And really, what were we there for? The experience. By missing out on the nightlife (I consequently, I believe, have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude about Paris. I never really had a good time there, which has a lot to do with how I view a city), my friends and I missed our opportunity to really experience Paris.
We had similar experiences in Dresden, Germany and Prague. In each of those instances, we stayed either in a suburb or on the outskirts of the major town and every time we had issues with transportation. One friend and I were actually fined in Prague for failing to get our tram tickets stamped. Yes, staying in town would have definitely been cheaper for us in the end.
Now, maybe you’re not into the nightlife. You’ve come to Paris or Vienna or Berlin for the amazing museums, the cuisine or other attractions. By staying in the Paris suburb, my friends and I missed out on a number of those things because of the time we spent on our daily commute. You could easily fill every minute of a week in Paris, and taking time to get back and forth each day is a waste of precious time.
So yes, while it is generally more expensive to stay in the major cities rather than their suburbs, the price of the hotel should not be the only determining factor. Think about the cost of transportation, the time it will take from your vacation and the things you will end up skipping because of the need to catch the last train.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Although much has certainly changed over the years, traveling by train throughout Western Europe retains a sense of mystery, romance, intrigue. A friend and I spent 10 weeks in 1998 working our way through 12 countries: Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France England, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg r – and Spain.
Seven years later, another friend and I road the trains through Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and France, but this time, we were marking time. The goal was to pick up my 2000 Isuzu Rodeo so we could drive around the continent. Huge mistake.
The original plan was that, since there were actually going to be three of us with a tremendous amount of luggage, we would ship my Rodeo to Germany (yes, from the Western U.S.), and drive to our destination: Italy. Now, at this point, everyone pretty much wants to know how much it cost to ship an SUV from Idaho to Germany: $2,000.
But this blog is not about my vehicle, it’s about taking the trains, and, in this instance, hindsight is certainly 20/20. Other than a little detour that took us to Bad Schandau, Germany for a few hours rather than on to our original destination of Prague, our train trips were peaceful and uneventful. And, of course, that little snafu was a result of our impatience, not an error by the railways. Through our train rides, we saw a ton of the countrywide, met interesting people, had time to read, listen to music and write in our journals.
I wish the same could be said for our travels in the Rodeo. The word "police" – in several different languages – comes to mind. For now, let’s just say that if your choice is between taking the trains around Western Europe and driving yourself: Opt for the trains. Trust me.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Finding advertised deals on flights is about as tough as shooting fish in a barrel. Actually finding those fares, as opposed to just the ads for them, however, is a different story. Michael O’Leary, the chief executive officer of budget airline Ryanair managed to get his ridiculously low fares -- as little as $12 for a trans-Atlantic flight -- splattered all over mainstream media.
Now, if Ryanair actually does offer $12 fares as more than a gimmick, I will be ecstatic – and shocked. For all of us out there looking for cheap flights, this is the kind of news we look forward to. But the cynicist in me says it just isn’t going to pan out. Oh, sure, Ryanair will probably offer a flight or two at the low rate (plus a boatload of taxes, fees and other requirements and it’ll probably be offered every other Leap day or something), but as the saying goes, If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.
The recently signed “open skies” deal between the U.S. and Europe will open up routes that were previously restricted, and could realistically make lowered fares a possibility, but $12? C’mon. What are they going to do, charge us a thousand bucks to use the toilet? $500 for a Dixie cup of water?
At any rate, literally, O’Leary said Ryanair is considering serving U.S. cities such as New York, San Francisco and Dallas from its bases in London, Frankfurt and Dublin. Unfortunately, he also said that service would start in about three or four years. Better late than never, I suppose.
But Ryanair isn’t the only airline making big statements about low fares. Zoom Airlines has also announced that it is planning to launch a flight between New York and London with fares starting at around $250. Not to be outdone, Virgin is considering jumping into the low-fare trans-Atlantic airline market. Southwest and JetBlue are also said to be interested, although no announcements have been made by those airlines.
Now, the last time I checked, the lowest flights I could find for a flight between France and the Western United States in the summer was around $1,200. Seems to me there’s a lot of wiggle room between $1,200 and $12. I was pretty happy this past winter when I managed to get a $750 ticket. So, if the airlines could manage to get the airfares between the U.S. and Europe consistently down below $1,000 a ticket, that would be a huge step forward. Oh, and they can charge all they want for beer, pop, even food. It’s not like I’m taking the flight for the plastic-wrapped chicken cordon bleu.
Posted by Bridget Lux
While I realize the hotel industry is a multi-billion dollar sector, I must admit that I’ve never really been all that excited by hotels themselves. Sure, staying at a hotel is kind of fun, and I used to work at a hotel bar, which I loved. But in general, I always felt the hotel was a peripheral aspect to a trip, not a highlight. But that may be because my hotel experiences have been limited to chains with all the character of a cardboard box.
Then, I came across a story in USA Today about a hotel in the South of France, very close to where I live, that features four tree houses complete with the amenities of a luxury hotel room: bathtub, TV and even an Internet connection. Hey, I’m an online journalist. An Internet connection is a necessity in my life.
Anyway, I suddenly felt myself day dreaming about a trip to the tree houses. Maybe it’s because I had a lovely tree house as a kid and my fond memories are clouding my judgement. Plus, Saint Paul de Vence, where the tree houses are located, is nice, too. Anyway, it got me thinking about other types of unique hotels.
Every year, I read those stories about the ice hotels in Sweden and Iceland and other frozen places, but I must say they don’t seem remotely attractive to me. They just seem cold. Oh, I might pop into one sometime, have a nice glass of ice water (while wearing my long johns and a wool sweater or two) and take a photo. But I have no intention of actually staying it one. A big highlight of staying in a hotel is being warm, and it just doesn’t seem possible, despite what they say, that I will actually be warm sleeping on a bed made of ice.
But a tree house? Now that sounds cool. Hotels built into the rock of a cliff are also an interesting idea. Granted, I would plan to go in the dead of summer so I’d be sure not to be cold. Then, there’s the perennially popular hotels in former convents, monasteries, churches, etc. Not being a remotely religious person, I feel a tad guilty (yes, I grew up Catholic) that I actually want to stay in one of these properties, but for whatever reason, I do.
All around the world, there are unique and interesting hotels to check out. So, maybe the next time rather than choosing a destination and then searching for a hotel, I’ll find a unique hotel and make it my destination.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Ah, viva la France. Once again, the Western European country has been named the top tourist destination in the world in terms of foreign traveler visits. About 78 million people made it to France, which is pretty amazing considering only 60 million people actually live in France.
This is one of those stories that I think is very interesting ... or could be. There were numerous stories on the Web which stated that France drew the most visitors ... but try finding a story that mentioned the number two spot (I finally did, it’s Spain), or number three (nope, couldn’t find that one ... I think it may have been the U.S.).
The point is, obviously the Tourism Ministry in France sent out a press release saying they were No. 1 and then that was it.
A few of the stories also mentioned that the Languedoc-Roussilon region was popular, but nothing about why. Seriously, would it have been that difficult to tell us what all those tourists were doing in that region? I mean, this isn’t the Cote d’Azur where the sun seekers flock or the French Alps where winter enthusiasts dream of vacationing. It certainly isn’t Paris or even Lourdes. So, what is the draw to the Languedoc-Roussilion region?
OK, I realize I’m a travel writer and editor and I probably read way too much into these things, but these are outlets like CNN, Reuters and USA Today. I guess I just expected a little more.
Now, as a person who has chosen to spend a significant amount of time in France, I completely understand the draw. France doesn’t just have tourist sites: Almost everything in France is a tourist attraction. There is literally layer upon layer of history and I’m continually finding interesting spots that don’t even make it into the “guide books” simply because there are too many other attractions.
I suppose my ability to spend a lot of time in France is a blessing. Maybe I’ll take a trip to the Languedoc-Roussilon region to figure out what the draw is there, and I'll be happy to tell you all about it.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Starting in April, Air France will be offering free language lessons on its Boeing 777-300 planes. Forget those bad movies or trying to sleep on a trans-Atlantic flight, now you can learn a little French or Dutch or German ... or 20 other languages.
That’s right, the list of languages available through the pairing of Europe’s largest airliner and Berlitz World Traveller also includes English, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, Cantonese, Portuguese, Greek, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Thai, Hindi, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Tamil, Turkish, Danish, Malay and Tagalog.
I can’t say I really know where Tagalog originates (Africa?), but it sounds exciting. Imagine, hopping a flight to Frankfurt and getting a little German to try out when you get there.
According to a press release from Air France, the system, which is conducted through the individual screens on the seatbacks, features a teacher, complete with tests and games as well as pronunciation exercises. And yes, grades will be awarded at the end of each lesson.
The program is available on 17 planes and destinations in the U.S. and Asia. Language lessons are also available on other airlines, according to the press release, but I couldn’t find any information online about which airlines offer them. Anyone out there know? Has anyone taken advantage of the service, and if so, what did you think?
I’ve mentioned before in an article about learning a foreign language, that becoming fluent is a little more challenging than most people can reasonably do in preparation for a trip overseas. However, I do think that learning a few words – hello, goodbye, help, toilet, beer – is a great idea. If I had a choice between a flight that offered language lessons and one that didn’t, I’d choose the former.
Now, if only Air France flew a Boeing 777-300 which offered language lessons from Nice, France to Boise, Idaho, I’d be set.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Is it just me or does it seem like more and more airlines are adding flights between the U.S. and Europe?
In October, I mentioned that both Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines were adding flights between the two continents. Read about those flights here.
Last week, I reported on the specific flights Northwest was adding between Detroit and Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, Germany. Details on those flights here.
This week, I learned the LTU International Airways, a Germany-based airline, is launching regularly scheduled flights between Dusseldorf and Los Angels and Las Vegas in May. The best part of this news is the price: Roundtrip economy fares will start at $348 for the Vegas-Dusseldorf route and $388 for LA-Dusseldorf.
The Los Angeles route will take place five days a week, excluding Tuesdays and Saturdays. The Vegas route will be twice a week: Mondays and Thursdays.
LTU also has new service beginning this spring from Dusseldorf to Lefkas, Greece; Seville, Spain and Edmonton, Canada. LTU currently flies to about 75 destinations including Fort Myers, Miami, New York City, Toronto and Vancouver.
Additionally, Spanish airline Iberia is adding service from Boston to Madrid, and Flyglobespan, a Scottish discount carrier, recently unveiled twice-a-week flights to Ireland starting May 30. Flyglobespan earlier announced plans for service between Boston and Glasgow, Scotland starting in May.
In other airline news: Wolfgang Mayrhuber, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, says that airline consolidation throughout Europe could be on the table if the U.S. and the EU can’t work out a strategy for liberalizing air traffic between the two continents. According to his interview in the Financial Times, Mayrhuber says that the U.S. government’s regulations that ban foreign airlines from owning more than 25 percent of a U.S. carrier “would only hinder trans-Atlantic joint ventures and increase the probability for European consolidation.”
While a few experts think airline consolidation could actually help consumers, most say the lessening competition will be felt in sub-par customer service, inflated prices and fewer flight options.
Posted by Bridget Lux
Living in France is wonderful in so many ways – architecture, art, culture, meeting people from around the world – but there’s one aspect I haven’t embraced: smoking. Starting Feb. 1, smoking is banned in public places throughout France. I’m sure several of my cigarette-lovin’ French friends are going to have something to say about the ban, but all I have to say is “Yippee!”
Now, currently, this ban includes schools, workplaces (I can’t even imagine working in an office where people are allowed to smoke), hospitals (are you kidding?), airports and a few other “closed and covered” places. Next year, the ban will extend to restaurants and cafes, and take it from someone who lives in France, this will change things. Apparently, I’d gotten used to all the smoke floating in the air, but when an American friend came and visited, I thought she was going to ban us from going out because of all the smoke.
For the French, however, smoking seemed to be not only a right, but almost an obligation. One of the first French phrases I learned was “je ne fume pas,” meaning “I don’t smoke.”
In a front-page article giving tribute to the cigarette in Le Monde newspaper, writer Philippe Delerm offered his view on the ban. “A world is collapsing,” Delerm writes. “Those were good times. But nobody thought about the collateral damage.”
An estimated 15 million of the 60+ million people living in France smoke. France sees about 66,000 smoking-related deaths each year. About 175,000 agents have been engaged to enforce the ban through fines. Smokers will get an $88 fine, while employers who turn a blind eye will be fined $174.
Several other European countries, including Belgium, Britain, Ireland, Italy and Spain, have already banned smoking in public places.
All I can say is that it’s a breath of fresh air for us non-smokers.
Posted by Bridget Lux
According to forecasts by the U.S. government, 16 million Americans will be getting passports in 2007, partly in response to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initative. That’s a record, up from a little over 12 million in 2006. The new rules require Americans to have a passport to reenter the country from Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean.
About 2/3 of Americans currently do not hold a passport, which, theoretically at least, provides a hurdle for those who want to travel abroad to destinations such as Western Europe. So, conversely, does that mean that all those Americans who are finally attaining a passport might decide to really utilize it and make the leap across the pond? Perhaps. Surprisingly, I haven’t seen any marketing from foreign countries targeting those with newly issued passports.
Any day, I expect to read a story with a headline like: “Got your passport? Amsterdam luring Americans with deals.” Maybe I should check out an American post office or other spot for getting passports. Maybe the advertisements are found there.
Also, at roughly $100 a pop, I can see how, especially for say a family, laying out several hundred dollars to head to Paris might be enough of an obstacle in itself to opt for a more budget friendly destination, such as Hawaii or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
At any rate, its good to hear about all those Americans getting new passports because it means they could start traveling farther away from home. Along with many officials in the travel and tourism world, I think traveling to places a little out of one’s comfort zone is good on many levels. It’s educational for the traveler and generally good for destinations’ economies. And, at the risk of sounding completely cheesy, I think it’s probably our one hope for moving toward world peace.