You have booked your vacation, packed your bags and you are all set to drive to the airport and take off. Not exactly, have you thought about parking at the airport? Why should I care about parking, I just drive there and park? Again, not exactly. Making the right decision on parking can make the beginning of your journey a lot more enjoyable and can save you money that you can use on the rest of the trip.
Your decision on what to do about parking depends on a few factors. The length of your trip and what time of day are you leaving.
You can park in long term parking at the airport and that is a good option. However, with that you may need to drive around searching for a parking space. After that you better remember where you parked and then you will usually need to wait for a shuttle to take you to your terminal.
Parking offsite is an option I like to use. The parking is close to the airport but offsite. The cost will range by vendor but in most cases will be less than airport parking. The reason I like this option is that it is worry free. You can reserve a spot ahead of time or just drive up. They will give you a validation ticket and there will be a shuttle waiting to take you to your terminal. They park the car for you and in some cases you have the option of indoor or outdoor parking. When you return you call the number on the validation ticket and tell them which terminal to pick you up. They will pick you up and take you back to your car which will be already waiting for you. You pay at that time and leave.One more thing; if you desire, and the parking vendor offers it, you can have the oil changed in your car or have it washed and detailed while you are on vacation. Shop around for the best price and options.
Park and Stay is another option I have used often. Park and Stay is offered by hotels in the vicinity of an airport. The hotels offer a special rate that includes the room rate and parking for the length of your trip. If your flight is leaving early in the morning this is a very good option. You pay the special rate that in some cases is close to the rate of parking alone at the airport, stay the night and leave your car at the hotel. There are hotel shuttles, shared by multiple hotels, that will take you to the airport and pick you up on your return.If you have an early flight that means you can sleep in and not have to worry about getting to your flight on time. If your flight is leaving later in the day you will need to weight the difference costs between Park and Stay, or parking on site or off site. When your vacation is two weeks or more the Park and Stay may be the cheaper option.
A third option is renting a car one way for the beginning and another car one way to get you home. I live in Sacramento and if I am flying out of San Francisco it may be cheaper to rent a car one way to SFO and take the rental car shuttle to my terminal depending on the length of my trip. I then rent another one way car to get back to Sacramento.
These are just a few options to get you thinking about parking options and making your vacation more enjoyable.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Walt Disney World Hotel Overview
Okay, I’m so happy to be writing this post! My favorite part of planning is researching and selecting a Disney World hotel. In fact, I’m almost as excited about visiting the hotel as I am to be at the parks. As you will see in this post, the Disney hotels aren’t simply places to sleep at night. They are sprawling resorts, each with their own expansive theme.
For example, if you want to stay at a luxury, tropical resort, then the Polynesian Resort might be for you:
If you would prefer something more modern and futuristic, then check out the Comtemporary Resort:
Or if you're traveling with kids and want to be reminded of your favorite Disney movies, the Art of Animation Resort is themed after Finding Nemo, the Little Mermaid, Cars, and the Lion King.
- You can stay off-property (outside of Disney World) in a non-Disney owned or operated hotel or timeshare
- You can stay on-property (within Disney World) in either:
- a non-Disney owned or operated hotel OR
- a Disney hotel
Other things to consider when selecting your hotel:
- Your budget
- How much time are you planning to spend at your hotel
- Food Options
- How much do you want to be immersed in Disney? (If you think Disney theming 24x7 is overwhelming, an off-property hotel might be better for you).
- (pro) Price – You can typically get accommodations at a lower price
- (pro) Location to other Orlando Attractions – If you’re planning on spending a good amount of time at other attractions (i.e., Universal Studios), off-property hotels will be more centrally located
- (con) Location to Disney World – If you’re planning on spending the majority of your time at Disney World, off-property hotels are farther away. (It will be more time consuming if you plan to go back to your hotel for afternoon rests).
- (con) Transportation – Not all off-property hotels offer free shuttle service to the parks and even if they do, the shuttle service may be very slow. If you’re staying off-property I would recommend renting a car, which adds to the cost of your trip. In addition, you must pay for parking at the theme parks if you’re staying off-property.
Although these hotels are not owned / operated by Disney, they are the only non-Disney resorts that offer many of the Disney Resort benefits. These are also located (in my opinion) in the best location at Disney World and have a great pool! Be sure to add these to your list of potential hotels to consider on your next trip.
If you’re like me and you want to get the full Disney experience, I would recommend staying in a Disney Resort (or the Swan / Dolphin). There are dozens of Disney Resorts, varying from less expensive motel-like to super deluxe resorts. Disney classifies their hotels into the following categories:
- Value – food courts, motel-like
- Moderate – includes full service restaurants and better pools
- Deluxe – best restaurants, great pools and/or beaches, more recreation activities
- Vacation Club Villa’s – located within certain Deluxe hotels and varies from studios to 3 bedrooms. Anyone can book a villa; you do not have to be a part of the vacation club.
The difference between the categories is cost, recreation activities on-site, food options on-site, and overall luxury of the hotel. No matter what category the hotel is in, it has its own unique, expansive theme.
If you want to stay in a deluxe hotel, but want to pay less, (in addition to looking for hotel discounts) check out the Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. These hotels are still classified as deluxe, but are priced cheaper than the other deluxe hotels. I've stayed at Wilderness Lodge and visited Animal Kingdom Lodge and I can tell you these are amazing hotels that don't skimp on luxuries. One cool thing about the Animal Kingdom Lodge is that its located next to an "African Savannas " with actual exotic animals roaming around. If you pay slightly more, you can even get a Savanna room and sit on your balcony and watch giraffes, zebras, gazelles, and ostriches.
- Guaranteed theme park admission (with ticket purchase)
- Access to extra magic hours (depending on the day, certain parks either open 1 hour earlier or stay open 3 hours later for Disney Resort guests)
- Ability to use your room key to charge for purchases throughout Disney World
- Free merchandise delivery to your hotel (we used this all the time so that we didn’t have to carry around our purchases!)
- Unlimited use of Disney World transportation (i.e., buses, monorail, boats, etc...)
- Free parking throughout Disney World
- Free transportation to/from airport
- Priority tee times at golf courses
As an adult, I’ve stayed at the Yacht Club Resort, Wilderness Lodge, and off-property in a time share. On the time share trip, we weren’t even planning to go to Disney World that year. We had gone the prior 2 years and I wasn’t going to even bring up going a third year in a row (for fear of my husband’s wrath ). However, a friend of my husband offered us her time share in Orlando for FREE. We stayed at the Marriott Grande Vista, which is a beautiful hotel about 10 minutes away from Disney World.
Although this was a great hotel that I would recommend, I really didn’t like being off-property. It felt like we were outsiders visiting Disney World each day versus "a guest of Disney". That’s really the only way I can describe it. Even my husband, who isn’t really into Disney, missed staying on-site. The only way I’d ever stay off-site again is if the hotel was free.
In my next post, I’m going to discuss my experiences staying at the Yacht Club Resort and Wilderness Lodge.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Pops’ California Travel Guide, Half Moon Bay
During
our trip to Half Moon Bay I came across two gems I have to share with you.
On
Saturday afternoon we went for a drive up and down the coast. Just south of
Half Moon Bay we came across the Ritz Carleton Resort and decided to go in for
drinks. The Ritz Carleton sits along the Pacific Coast and along the bluffs
overlooking the ocean. The scenery is just amazing. I prefer the rugged
Northern California coastline over the beaches of Southern California. It was
an overcast day but the hotel has many fire pits outside and a lot of people
were sitting outside enjoying drinks and food by the warm fire. Your view is
the waves crashing upon the rocks below. The Ritz Carleton also has a golf
course and you can watch the golfers as they are making their way around the
course. We sat inside the bar area but we were lucky enough to get a seat by
the window. From there I also noticed that it looks like some of the rooms on
the ground floor have a fire pit in their patio area. If you are in the area
make sure you drop by for at least a drink. Better yet, plan ahead and stay at
the Ritz Carleton. Next time I am down there I would like to stay a few nights
and write a report.
Later
in the day we had reservations at a Peruvian restaurant called La Costanera. La
Costanera is located a few miles north of Half Moon Bay and is also less than a
half hour south of San Francisco on Hwy 1. The restaurant is at Montara State
Beach on the bluffs overlooking the ocean. If you haven’t had Peruvian food you
should try it. The food uses a lot of fish, meat and vegetables. The one way to
describe eating at La Costanera is that it is an event. How many times have you
been to a restaurant where you see people at other tables taking pictures of
their food? They are known for their
Cebiche, which is like the Ceviche I am used to in Costa Rica. A Cebiche is
usually a raw fish marinated in fresh lime juice. The acid in the lime juice
cooks the fish. They have several on the menu and we tried two. We also had the
Ensalada Nuovo Andina which was one of the best salads I have ever had. For our
entree I had a pork shoulder and my wife had the mahi mahi. Both were delicious.
I talked to a couple sitting next to us and they opted for the small plates and
ordered about four of those to share. I would think that would be a great
option so you can have a variety. The food was incredible and the service
matched the food. I never had to pour my own wine and we were well attended without
too much attention. Now for the view. From the restaurant you can see Montara
Beach and the ocean below. It was about 5pm and the waves were very large. This
had to be the prime time for surf as there were many surfers out in the water.
Since it was overcast we didn't see the sunset but on a clear day the sunset
would be awesome.
If
you are in the area of Half Moon Bay or even in San Francisco I would recommend
taking the short drive down to Half Moon Bay and seeing both the Ritz Carleton
and La Costanera. You will not regret it.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Pops' California Travel Guide, Half Moon Bay
This weekend we drove from our home in Gold River over to the coast to spend the weekend in Half Moon Bay. I have driven past it many times and this would be the first time we actually stayed there. It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. One of those times you find a gem that you weren't even looking for. I wanted to go some place where we could relax. I got that and a lot more.
Half Moon Bay is located along the California coast just south of San Francisco and north of Santa Cruz. It is a bedroom community for people working in the bay area but don't think of it as that. Half Moon Bay has a distinct charm that it acquired long before commuters started moving there. We stayed at the Oceano Resort located right across the street from the harbor. Most rooms have a view of the harbor and the Pacific Ocean. The rooms are large and come with a veranda for enjoying the views and a fireplace to enjoy the evenings inside your room. This hotel is in the best location for walking the area and seeing what Half Moon Bay has to offer.
I woke up this morning and went for a walk along the harbor. Talk about relaxing! I found a very nice coffee shop and cafe that is in a small mall connected to the back of the hotel. Across the street and along the harbor are small seafood restaurants and markets where you can purchase the fresh catch. Walking out on the pier I came across fishing boats selling the freshest crab you can get. I also found Jeff Clarks Mavericks Surf Shop who created the Mavericks surfing contest. Tomorrow, before we leave, we will purchase some crab to bring home. Later today we will explore more of the area and then have dinner tonight at a Peruvian restaurant that was highly recommended by a friend of mine. My next post will be about the rest of the trip.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Pops’ Italy Travel Guide, Florence
We
can thank the Medici family for making Florence the center of finance and art
and for being the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Today it is also known
as one of the top fifty fashion capitals in the world. The historic center of
the city is visited by millions each year. Florence is also the capital of
Tuscany.
Florence is known as the "cradle
of the Renaissance" for its monuments, churches and buildings. The
best-known site of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city, Santa Maria del
Fiore, known as The Duomo. The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still
the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world. In 1982, the historic center of
Florence was declared a World
Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
The center of the city is contained in medieval walls that were built in the
14th century to defend the city. At the heart of the city, in Piazza della Signoria, is Bartolomeo Ammanati’s Fountain
of Neptune (1563–1565), which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the end
of a still-functioning Roman aqueduct.
One of the bridges over the river Arno in particular stands out – the
Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), whose most striking feature is the many shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts. The bridge also carries Vasari’s elevated corridor linking
the Uffizi to the Medici residence. Although the original bridge was
constructed by the Etruscans,
the current bridge was rebuilt in the 14th century. It is the only bridge in
the city to have survived World War II intact. It is the first example in
the western world of a bridge built using segmental arches, that is, arches less
than a semicircle, to reduce both span-to-rise ratio and the numbers of pillars.
The
Uffizi is located at the corner of Piazza
della Signoria, a site important for being the center of Florence's
civil life and government for centuries. It is now a museum and one of
the must see attractions in Florence. Many significant
episodes in the history of art and
political changes were staged here, such as:
In 1301, Dante was sent into exile
from here (commemorated by a plaque on one of the walls of the Uffizi).
On 26 April 1478, Jacopo de' Pazzi
and his retainers tried to raise the city against the Medici after the plot
known as The congiura dei
Pazzi , murdering Giuliano di Piero de’ Medici and
wounding his brother Lorenzo. All the members of the plot who could be
apprehended were seized by the Florentines and hanged from the windows of the
palace.
In 1497, it was the location of
the Bonfire of the Vanities instigated
by the Dominican friar and preacher Girolamo
Savonarola.
On 23 May 1498, the same Savonarola
and two followers were hanged and burnt at the stake. (A round plate in the
ground marks the spot where he was hanged)
In 1504, Michelangelo’s David (now replaced
by a replica, since the original was moved in 1873 to the Galleria dell’ Accademia) was
installed in front of the Palazzo della Signoria (also known as Palazzo
Vecchio).
The Piazza della Signoria is the location of a number of statues
by other sculptors such as Donatello,
Giambologna, Ammannati and Cellini, although some have been replaced
with copies to preserve the originals.
If you see any museums
in Florence the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery are a must see.
Besides the statue of David you will see other great works of art such as Botticelli’s
Venus and works of art and science by Leonardo
da Vinci.
We
mostly enjoyed the Uffizi, Accademia, Duomo and walking the streets of the
historic center city. The square outside the Uffizi is a perfect place to rest
and enjoy a drink and something to eat. We were told that the best gelato comes
from Florence. I don’t know if that is true but it sure tasted good.
I
have three important tips to make your trip to Florence more enjoyable.
Purchase your museum tickets well ahead
of time. Just like the Vatican Museum, you can purchase your tickets for a day
and time. Otherwise you may spend hours in line waiting to get in.
If you are driving yourself don’t
even try and drive in the historic center of the city. You need a special
permit to do so and if caught without one the fine is pretty high. We left our
car at the hotel and taxied in.
Florence is in Tuscany; if you like
wine then you will be in heaven. Enjoy the wine and food.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Pops’ California Travel Guide, Heavenly Valley
Well,
Monday was my birthday and I turned 60. I like to go skiing on my birthday and
this year was no different. My goal is to keep skiing until I’m old enough to
ski for free. So far my body is cooperating.
This
year we went to Heavenly Valley at South Lake Tahoe, California that also has a
Nevada side. Heavenly has always meant a lot to me since that is where I
learned to ski 48 years ago. If you want to know what the equipment was like
back then all you need to do is go into most ski lodges and on the wall they
will hang many antique skis and some of them I skied on. On my first day of
lessons I rented my equipment which was wooded skis with cable binding and lace
up boots. Look how things have changed.
Enough
of the past. I think yesterday was the best day for skiing in California this
year. We had a pretty big storm come through over the weekend, which dumped a
load of fresh powder. The storm also had high winds which made skiing over the
weekend sketchy. The storm finished up on Sunday and on Monday the roads were
clear and there was fresh powder. This made a full day of skiing on great
conditions in sunny weather. We arrived before the lifts opened and skied until
just before they closed. After skiing we headed over to the Beacon in Camp
Richardson for Rum Runners and steak tacos. What a way to celebrate a birthday.
Heavenly
is a huge ski area that straddles the California/Nevada border. You can ski in two
states in the same day on one lift ticket. The views are incredible on either
side. On the California side you are looking down on Lake Tahoe and you can see
the entire lake. There are plenty of runs for every type of skier. There are
also terrain parks if you want to try jumps and rails. On the California side the
base lodge is around 6,000 feet and the peak is 10,000 feet. It is about the
highest elevation for a ski area in the Tahoe area. This was important because
the back end of the storm was warmer and the show level was above 7,000 feet.
My
favorite run starts at the top of the Sky Chair which takes you to the 10,000
foot peak. When you get off the chair and head to the left there is a trail
that will take you to the Nevada side. Along the trail you get the best views
of the lake. All of a sudden you wrap around the ridge and there is Nevada.
From that height it feels you are looking down from a plane. You see the valley
below with the patchwork of farms and small towns. Looking east it also feels
like you can see all the way to Utah, what a view! This is where you start
skiing in Nevada. One of my favorite runs is called The Milky Way Bowl. This is
a black diamond run that drops into a trail. At the bottom of The Milky Way
Bowl is Motts Canyon. This is only for expert skiers and there are special
gates that you have to pass to get there with plenty of warning signs. I skied
it once on my 40th birthday and that was enough for me. When they
first opened Motts Canyon you had to ski all the way down into the valley and
take a bus back. Now there is a lift that will get you back.
The
Nevada side is full of runs for every level of skier on a big mountain. If you
come to Heavenly don’t just think about the California side. Ski both sides and
get the entire experience. What a way to celebrate a birthday. Another perfect
day!
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Pops' Scandinavia Travel Guide, Visit Scandinavia Facebook
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| White Cliffs on Mon Island, Denmark. Near where my relatives live. |
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| Northern Lights in Norway |
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| 7 Sisters Waterfalls |
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| More Northern Lights |
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| Geiranger |
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| Jotunheimen |
If these don't make you want to plan a vacation to Scandinavia I don't know what will.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Walt Disney World on a Budget Part 2
Airfare
I almost always book my airfare separate from my hotel and I would recommend this to anyone as well. Even though different travel sites advertise specials for combining the two; we have found our best discounts when booking separately, especially at Disney World. Some of the biggest hotel discounts are room only. For Disney World hotel discounts, please refer to Walt Disney World on a Budget Part 1. One way to find the lowest airfare rate is to search far in advance and then set an alert on the search, which will email you when a lower rate is found. It’s also usually cheaper to fly mid-week (Tuesday or Wednesday).
Rental Car
One simple way to save money is deciding if you need a rental car. If you plan to stay at Disney World your entire trip, you do not need to rent a car. Disney has awesome transportation, including buses, boats, and the monorail.
We have never had any problems with Disney transportation. I personally love the boat rides!
However, during busier times of the year, the transportation may get packed and you might have to wait for a second bus. The busiest route we've found is from Downtown Disney back to the hotel. In addition to the transportation within Disney World, Disney even has free bus service from the airport to your hotel called Magical Express. When your vacation is over, Magical Express also picks you up at your hotel and takes you back to the airport.
I would recommend getting a rental car if you are staying off-property or if you are planning on going to places outside of Disney World. We got a rental car on our last trip because we stayed off property and we wanted to spend a few days at Universal Studios. Another thing to consider is if you’re traveling with your kids. It might be easier going to/from the parks if you have a car since you won’t need to wait for the bus; however I personally still think renting a car is a waste of money if you’re staying in Disney World.
Food
When booking a "Magic Your Way" vacation package, one of the options you can add is the Disney Dining Plan. There are a variety of different dining plans you can add, from the basic plan to premium plans with more food. The basic dining plan includes the following each day:
In previous years, Disney has offered free Disney Dining plans with the purchase of a Magic Your Way package at certain times each year. Since this offer must be used with a vacation package, you will NOT be able to combine free dining with a "room-only" discount. However, if the dining discount is offered during your trip, I would compare the cost breakdown of each. Sometimes there are no hotel discounts available for your travel time or the discounts are small (5-10%); it might make more sense to go with free dining (if it’s being offered).
In addition to everything I've listed above, I want to provide you with 2 GREAT resources for checking out discounts:
In my next post, I’m going to discuss Disney World accommodations, including looking at the various types of Disney Hotels and the pros and cons of staying on or off property.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Pops’ Travel Guide, Tips for Planning Travel
If
you want to make the most out of your upcoming vacation then the most important
part is planning. This is even more important when you are going somewhere for
the first time, especially for international travel. The planning you do before
you leave can make the difference between a once in a lifetime experience and a
disaster. The following are my tips for planning the best vacation ever.
Talk
to someone you know that has been there. If you know of someone that has been
there before they may already know your likes and dislikes and will be able to give
you suggestions on where to stay, what to see and where to eat. You’ll also get
what went right and just as important what went wrong.
Talk
to a travel agent. They will help you plan your vacation. Keep in mind that you
will have to help them also. They will need to know your likes and dislikes,
health issues, what do you want to get out of the trip, etc. So do your
planning before you talk to the travel agent.
Read
Trip Advisor or a similar site for reviews on the place you are going. You can
find reviews of hotels, restaurants and sites in the area. One caveat though is
to be able to weed out the overly positive and negative reports and take the
reviews with a grain of salt. Some negative reports may not be warranted and
some positive reports may have been planted by the supplier.
Watch
the weather online. There are many sites that you can bookmark that will give
you long range forecasts of the weather. This will help you prepare for
anything from a storm to a heat wave.
Subscribe
to newsletters for the place you are going. These are free to sign up.
Newsletters like “Visit Denmark” or “China Like Never Before” will give you advance
notice of events happening during your stay.
Also,
you can start reading online local news like “The China Daily” (China) or “New
Straight Times” (Singapore, Asia, SE Asia), “Copenhagen News” (Copenhagen) to
get local news and events.
There
are many government websites that will give you valuable information on
passports, visas, immunizations, safety, and what to do if you need embassy
help. These sites include the State Department, CIA, and CDC.
Mobile applications like “Seat Guru” and “Flight Path” for your flight; and “Travel in Chinese” and “Currency Converter” for when you get there are also valuable resources.
Finally,
I have used expat sites to gain valuable information on the place you are
visiting. Expats are foreigners living in another country. They usually create
a site where they can share information for current and future expats.
Information is usually like places to eat, where to shop, and upcoming events.
You will also read about some of the bad things that can happen to you. Some of those are taxi stories, currency
issues, and restaurant reviews. You can probably read where to cash in
travelers checks, what restaurants are their favorites, what festivals or
events are coming up and how to get around. These expats are a community and
they like to look out for each other. For an example look at http://www.deltabridges.com/ .
As
you can see there are a lot of resources at your disposal to help you plan your
trip. I would highly recommend that you take advantage of as many of these as
possible.
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