2022 travel plans

[welshbairn]

7 hours ago, Honest_Man#1 said:

Looking less and less likely this will happen, but checked with insurance and to get money back have to cancel within 28 days of the trip if government are still saying no essential travel. Bit of a nightmare having to try to organise something else to fit into the rest of the trip that we’ve got after Sri Lanka with 4 weeks notice.

Maybe India instead? Few ideas with this firm.. https://www.audleytravel.com/india FCO saying the Sri Lankan airports are safe for transfers so you could maybe keep some of your flights.

[Honest_Man#1]

2 hours ago, doulikefish said:

Mauritius/Maldives or South Africa? 

I'm assuming you have flights going somewhere in that vicinty so plenty of options for those countries maybe a choice 

South Africa is the replacement once we are able to cancel Sri Lanka. It’s 10 days Sri Lanka then 6 Maldives currently so will have to do 3 different 16 hour flights to switch the Sri Lanka section to SA but happy enough to do that tbh.

29 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Maybe India instead? Few ideas with this firm.. https://www.audleytravel.com/india FCO saying the Sri Lankan airports are safe for transfers so you could maybe keep some of your flights.

I’d like to see India at some point but probably not for a honeymoon. It is a good option for getting to the Maldives though tbf.

[Tight minge]

10 minutes ago, Honest_Man#1 said:

South Africa is the replacement once we are able to cancel Sri Lanka. It’s 10 days Sri Lanka then 6 Maldives currently so will have to do 3 different 16 hour flights to switch the Sri Lanka section to SA but happy enough to do that tbh.

I’d like to see India at some point but probably not for a honeymoon. It is a good option for getting to the Maldives though tbf.

Is Sri Lanka off the table for now? There is a lot of disruption, but mostly centred in Colombo. I assume you would be heading to the tourist areas. It may be worth speaking with the hotel/s there to see what they can do for you if your going to be losing money by cancelling and you may end up getting something preferential.
 

I do a lot of business with Sri Lanka and so far there has been no disruption or issues up to today.
 

Of course it’s a big risk. 
 

I’m not sure India is a good place for a honeymoon and it is not a good place to transit through. A lot of fucking about at the airport, always. Was in India last week and in the north the heat is ridiculous: 45c+ and monsoon starting in the south. 
 

If you do look somewhere in India, maybe worth looking and Pondicherry.

[doulikefish]

7 hours ago, Honest_Man#1 said:

South Africa is the replacement once we are able to cancel Sri Lanka. It’s 10 days Sri Lanka then 6 Maldives currently so will have to do 3 different 16 hour flights to switch the Sri Lanka section to SA but happy enough to do that tbh.

I’d like to see India at some point but probably not for a honeymoon. It is a good option for getting to the Maldives though tbf.

South Africa is great you will really enjoy it but a couple of days in Joburg is plenty.Worth going to Sun City for a few aswell ( missus can chill by the pool and you can play the 2 courses there )  and direct flights to Cape Town from there aswell if you want to move around a bit.

[Honest_Man#1]

1 hour ago, doulikefish said:

South Africa is great you will really enjoy it but a couple of days in Joburg is plenty.Worth going to Sun City for a few aswell ( missus can chill by the pool and you can play the 2 courses there )  and direct flights to Cape Town from there aswell if you want to move around a bit.

Yeah plan will be to focus on the Cape Town area mostly. Not sure it’s worth the extra time and cost going up to Joburg.

8 hours ago, Tight John McVeigh is a tit said:

Is Sri Lanka off the table for now? There is a lot of disruption, but mostly centred in Colombo. I assume you would be heading to the tourist areas. It may be worth speaking with the hotel/s there to see what they can do for you if your going to be losing money by cancelling and you may end up getting something preferential.
 

I do a lot of business with Sri Lanka and so far there has been no disruption or issues up to today.
 

Of course it’s a big risk. 
 

I’m not sure India is a good place for a honeymoon and it is not a good place to transit through. A lot of fucking about at the airport, always. Was in India last week and in the north the heat is ridiculous: 45c+ and monsoon starting in the south. 
 

If you do look somewhere in India, maybe worth looking and Pondicherry.

Can only go off what you see on the news but the U.K. Gov has said no non-essential travel and the news is reporting large civil unrest with a couple of deaths so far (this will be centred around Colombo though). It’s more the reports of rolling blackouts, food and fuel shortages etc that would be the issue. Will need to leave it closer to the time anyway and see what it’s looking like.

[doulikefish]

4 minutes ago, Honest_Man#1 said:

Yeah plan will be to focus on the Cape Town area mostly. Not sure it’s worth the extra time and cost going up to Joburg.

 

Internal flights are much cheapness and google mango airlines

[Tight minge]

3 hours ago, Honest_Man#1 said:

Yeah plan will be to focus on the Cape Town area mostly. Not sure it’s worth the extra time and cost going up to Joburg.

Can only go off what you see on the news but the U.K. Gov has said no non-essential travel and the news is reporting large civil unrest with a couple of deaths so far (this will be centred around Colombo though). It’s more the reports of rolling blackouts, food and fuel shortages etc that would be the issue. Will need to leave it closer to the time anyway and see what it’s looking like.

Very true, if you can’t cancel easily, hopefully your insurance can kick in. 

I would always take the governments travel advice with a pinch of salt. 
 

In saying that, just by waiting things may get cancelled anyway by your travel company.

A shame if you miss it, great people and great food.
 

 

[Granny Danger]

Thinking of going to Valencia for a few days next month, anyone been there?  Tips/advice welcome.

[welshbairn]

18 hours ago, Granny Danger said:

Thinking of going to Valencia for a few days next month, anyone been there?  Tips/advice welcome.

Just a bit to avoid, the dock area. It's not an atmospheric fishing port, it's more like an industrial estate by the sea. Someone else will recommend the good bits like the old town, wasn't there for long enough to see much. 

[BigDoddyKane]

Anyone been through Schipol recently , is 2 hours arriving at airport enough time to get through?

I would have thought so but heard theres delays at that airport sometimes but no sure if its certain days or times

Edited May 29, 2022 by BigDoddyKane

[welshbairn]

11 minutes ago, BigDoddyKane said:

Anyone been through Schipol recently , is 2 hours arriving at airport enough time to get through?

I would have thought so but heard theres delays at that airport sometimes but no sure if its certain days or times

2 hours would have been plenty last time I was there but that was a few months ago, they're recommending 3 hours for an Aberdeen flight this afternoon, due to staff shortages and May holidays. You can check the advice for your flight on the link below. 

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/holiday

[doulikefish]

16 minutes ago, BigDoddyKane said:

Anyone been through Schipol recently , is 2 hours arriving at airport enough time to get through?

I would have thought so but heard theres delays at that airport sometimes but no sure if its certain days or times

That's plenty (went through 2 weeks ago)

 

[welshbairn]

3 minutes ago, doulikefish said:

That's plenty (went through 2 weeks ago)

 

It's gone a bit mad since then.

https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/travel/klm-suspends-flights-amsterdam-schiphol-b2089011.html

[doulikefish]

38 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

It's gone a bit mad since then.

https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/travel/klm-suspends-flights-amsterdam-schiphol-b2089011.html

Aaah the joys I'll find out next Sunday

[BigDoddyKane]

51 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

2 hours would have been plenty last time I was there but that was a few months ago, they're recommending 3 hours for an Aberdeen flight this afternoon, due to staff shortages and May holidays. You can check the advice for your flight on the link below. 

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/holiday

Thats a handy site

[The Naitch]

That's the USA ditching testing requirements for entering the country. One less thing to worry about when I go in October.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/white-house-end-covid-19-test-requirement-international-air-travelers-rcna32948

[Highland Capital]

Anyone ever travelled from Riga to Lithuania?  I'm quite fancying going to Latvia at the minute but I haven't been to Lithuania before either but rather annoyingly the only flights between Lithuania and Scotland are from Kaunas and I've heard Vilnius is much nicer.

[welshbairn]

On 11/06/2022 at 16:43, Highland Capital said:

Anyone ever travelled from Riga to Lithuania?  I'm quite fancying going to Latvia at the minute but I haven't been to Lithuania before either but rather annoyingly the only flights between Lithuania and Scotland are from Kaunas and I've heard Vilnius is much nicer.

Been to both but not between the two. Vilnius is much more pleasant than Riga and Kaunas is worse than Riga. I flew to Kaunas and got a lift from a local to Vilnius for a tenner or so, it's about 100km. There must be public transport available.

P.S. Ryan Air do Vilnius to Gdansk and Wizz Air do Gdansk to Aberdeen and Edinburgh, both usually cheap. If the flights don't match up Gdansk is well worth a stopover if you haven't been before.

 

P.P.S. It was pishing down when I was in Riga and beautiful weather when in Vilnius, so maybe I'm a bit biased.

Edited June 14, 2022 by welshbairn

[The Golden God]

Going to Ireland for a wedding in July, booked a flight to Belfast with Aer Lingus, anyone know what they’d be like for taking a suit? Would I need to fold it up and stick it in my hand luggage or just carry it on?

[VillaKnollBoy]

2 hours ago, The Golden God said:

Going to Ireland for a wedding in July, booked a flight to Belfast with Aer Lingus, anyone know what they’d be like for taking a suit? Would I need to fold it up and stick it in my hand luggage or just carry it on?

Wear it on the flight!