travel thread

[steve dave]

For a beach vacation: Hawaii or somewhere in Mexico or central America? pros/cons of each?

have been to mexico and hawaii multiple times each and will probably not go back to mexico. have not been to central america. hawaii has better water, surf & snorkling where I have gone. I've only been to cancun, cabo and the gulf coast of mexico south of padre though so I'm sure it has better options than what I saw. mexico will be cheaper apples to apples.

[Mr Bread]

Hawaii and it's not even close in this poster's opinion.  I can't fathom why someone not on spring break would want to vacation in Mexico when there are so many better options. 

[Dr Rick Daris]

Hawaii and it's not even close in this poster's opinion.  I can't fathom why someone not on spring break would want to vacation in Mexico when there are so many better options.

cancun area is cheap and easy to get to/out of so i can see why people would want to do it. but westcoastrus is already on the west coast, so i'd hawaii it if i were him.

[Mr Bread]

Hawaii and it's not even close in this poster's opinion.  I can't fathom why someone not on spring break would want to vacation in Mexico when there are so many better options.

cancun area is cheap and easy to get to/out of so i can see why people would want to do it. but westcoastrus is already on the west coast, so i'd hawaii it if i were him.

I went to Cancun on spring break and it was okay for getting black out drunk with other random college party people, but I would have hated it as an adult.  Same for Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta.  Remove my youngness and the crazy partying oppies with other like-minded and like-aged individuals and eff no.  I don't care how cheap it is Rusty, don't you do it. 

[steve dave]

Rus, let me plan your entire trip! I will make it essentially free! 

[Dr Rick Daris]

Hawaii and it's not even close in this poster's opinion.  I can't fathom why someone not on spring break would want to vacation in Mexico when there are so many better options.

cancun area is cheap and easy to get to/out of so i can see why people would want to do it. but westcoastrus is already on the west coast, so i'd hawaii it if i were him.

I went to Cancun on spring break and it was okay for getting black out drunk with other random college party people, but I would have hated it as an adult.  Same for Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta.  Remove my youngness and the crazy partying oppies with other like-minded and like-aged individuals and eff no.  I don't care how cheap it is Rusty, don't you do it.

yeah. i don't think i'd really like cancun as an adult during the middle of spring break either. ii can understand why adults would sometimes go there instead of hawaii though. i mean eff it. why even go to hawaii when the maldives are just sitting there. right, bread?

[Dr Rick Daris]

Rus, let me plan your entire trip! I will make it essentially free! 

yes. westcoastrus should do this. heck, i'm going to do this in a couple of years.

[Mikeyis4dcats]

Hawaii and it's not even close in this poster's opinion.  I can't fathom why someone not on spring break would want to vacation in Mexico when there are so many better options.

cancun area is cheap and easy to get to/out of so i can see why people would want to do it. but westcoastrus is already on the west coast, so i'd hawaii it if i were him.

I went to Cancun on spring break and it was okay for getting black out drunk with other random college party people, but I would have hated it as an adult.  Same for Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta.  Remove my youngness and the crazy partying oppies with other like-minded and like-aged individuals and eff no.  I don't care how cheap it is Rusty, don't you do it.

PVR is far from a college-get-drunk destination.  Sure, spring breakers go, but the vast majority are laid back older people and a lot of ex-pats.    I'd never go back to Playa Del Carmen having been there once (and certainly would never go to Cancun).    PVR doesn't have the clear water or white sand beaches of the Carribbean side, but it has a lot more to offer in the terms of culture and other experiences.   And many of the smaller coastal towns can be a lot of fun too, depending on what you are into.

Have never been to Hawaii, so can't speak to that.

[michigancat]

Rus, let me plan your entire trip! I will make it essentially free! 

OK, we're thinking next April.

[steve dave]

Rus, let me plan your entire trip! I will make it essentially free! 

OK, we're thinking next April.

how many points/miles do you have? is it 2 or 4 people? what is your comfort level for applying for new cards? how many nights are you thinking? specific island or can I choose? PM if needed.

[Emo EMAW]

Bahamas >> Mexico IMO

[michigancat]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

[steve dave]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

[Mikeyis4dcats]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

make sure you take advantage of that MHK-PHX flight!

[EllToPay]

SD, can you plan my wife and I are taking next year to Italy and Greece in May/June? Only CC's I have right now are Chase Visa (Southwest) and AMEX (Starwood). What do I need to do on points/flights/etc...?

T-Y,
ETP

[steve dave]

SD, can you plan my wife and I are taking next year to Italy and Greece in May/June? Only CC's I have right now are Chase Visa (Southwest) and AMEX (Starwood). What do I need to do on points/flights/etc...?

T-Y,
ETP

Switch it to May/June 2015 and I will

[mocat]

SD, can you plan my wife and I are taking next year to Italy and Greece in May/June? Only CC's I have right now are Chase Visa (Southwest) and AMEX (Starwood). What do I need to do on points/flights/etc...?

T-Y,
ETP

Switch it to May/June 2015 and I will

steve dave giveth and steve dave maketh you delay until next year

[michigancat]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

we were kind of thinking Kauai. Would award booking at the Hyatt be difficult? How soon would it need to be booked?

Right now flights from OAK are under $600 on Hawaii Air, which isn't half bad. United still has saver awards available if I travel on a Monday.

[steve dave]

I have basically no miles right now, but United is easiest for me to build up w/ lots of travel. Have really only done one SW card, a Delta card, and a United Explorer card so I'm pretty wide open. Was planning on doing Sapphire next but can be swayed.

4 people

go to kauai. stay at the grand hyatt kauai. you and the wife each get the hyatt card sometime this year and that gets you 4 nights there. you can use UR points for additional nights at 22k a night from there. with no points right now you are going to have a tough time getting free flights in that timeframe. best bet would be to find cheap airfare for 4 or find award space on a flight for 1 or 2 people and pay for the remainder. award space is tough as crap to get to hawaii anyway and it has been open for next April for a few months now so your availability may already be spotty.

we were kind of thinking Kauai. Would award booking at the Hyatt be difficult? How soon would it need to be booked?

Right now flights from OAK are under $600 on Hawaii Air, which isn't half bad. United still has saver awards available if I travel on a Monday.

No, you will normally be able to book the Hyatt on points a few months out unless there is some huge convention there or something. That's a pretty good price for the flight.

[michigancat]

Also, I can see that 22k UR points for a night at the Hyatt is probably worth more than 40k on flights at those prices.

[Mr Bread]

Hawaii and it's not even close in this poster's opinion.  I can't fathom why someone not on spring break would want to vacation in Mexico when there are so many better options.

cancun area is cheap and easy to get to/out of so i can see why people would want to do it. but westcoastrus is already on the west coast, so i'd hawaii it if i were him.

I went to Cancun on spring break and it was okay for getting black out drunk with other random college party people, but I would have hated it as an adult.  Same for Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta.  Remove my youngness and the crazy partying oppies with other like-minded and like-aged individuals and eff no.  I don't care how cheap it is Rusty, don't you do it.

PVR is far from a college-get-drunk destination.  Sure, spring breakers go, but the vast majority are laid back older people and a lot of ex-pats.    I'd never go back to Playa Del Carmen having been there once (and certainly would never go to Cancun).    PVR doesn't have the clear water or white sand beaches of the Carribbean side, but it has a lot more to offer in the terms of culture and other experiences.   And many of the smaller coastal towns can be a lot of fun too, depending on what you are into.

Have never been to Hawaii, so can't speak to that.

It wasn't that far from it when I was there.  Me now would be bored out of my mind and put out the entire time as a result. 

[Mr Bread]

Hawaii and it's not even close in this poster's opinion.  I can't fathom why someone not on spring break would want to vacation in Mexico when there are so many better options.

cancun area is cheap and easy to get to/out of so i can see why people would want to do it. but westcoastrus is already on the west coast, so i'd hawaii it if i were him.

I went to Cancun on spring break and it was okay for getting black out drunk with other random college party people, but I would have hated it as an adult.  Same for Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta.  Remove my youngness and the crazy partying oppies with other like-minded and like-aged individuals and eff no.  I don't care how cheap it is Rusty, don't you do it.

yeah. i don't think i'd really like cancun as an adult during the middle of spring break either. ii can understand why adults would sometimes go there instead of hawaii though. i mean eff it. why even go to hawaii when the maldives are just sitting there. right, bread?

Cancun as an adult would be shitty whenever you go unless you enjoy having a terrible time at a subpar locale.  The maldives look awful.  Too small and low.  Might as well take a vacation on a pontoon boat in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  Maybe you'd like to suggest Beirut, great beaches I hear and crazy cheap. 

[steve dave]

Also, I can see that 22k UR points for a night at the Hyatt is probably worth more than 40k on flights at those prices.

yep

[EllToPay]

SD, can you plan my wife and I are taking next year to Italy and Greece in May/June? Only CC's I have right now are Chase Visa (Southwest) and AMEX (Starwood). What do I need to do on points/flights/etc...?

T-Y,
ETP

Switch it to May/June 2015 and I will

OK -- give me a minute.

[EllToPay]

SD, can you plan my wife and I are taking next year to Italy and Greece in May/June? Only CC's I have right now are Chase Visa (Southwest) and AMEX (Starwood). What do I need to do on points/flights/etc...?

T-Y,
ETP

Switch it to May/June 2015 and I will

OK -- give me a minute.

ok - i switched it. plz advise.