UK/London - First Great Western ticketing

2010-03-16T23:31:10Z

Greetings. Next week on my first visit to the UK (coming from the US), I'll be taking a train from downtown London (near the Tower Hill tube station) to Hungerford.

I'm booking a ticket with First Great Western which leaves out of the Paddington station. When I use their online tool, it indicates the ticket will include a tube ride from near Tower Hill to Paddington, and from there it's the train.

If I book that way, my question is how do I get that ticket for the tube ride? The website says I can pick up my train ticket at a "Self Service Ticket Machine". I assume this will be at the Paddington station.

Should I just book the ticket directly from Paddington to Hungerford and handle the tube ride on my own? Thoughts/advice?

What's the best way to travel to Amsterdam?

2009-09-05T03:20:58Z

I'd like to visit Amsterdam for a period of time greater than 1 month and less than 1 year. What's the best way to do this? I'm open to all sorts of ideas. I don't need fancy housing but it must be safe and clean. Also I like good food but I don't require gourmet.

Please trade cost (air faire, hotels, museum passes etc) amongst other things in your answer. For example maybe I can go for really cheap during month X due to reason Y (of which I'm currently not aware).

http://biztravel.stackexchange.com/faq link is broken

2009-09-13T16:40:16Z

This site link is broken. I came across the link when I tried to up-vote an answer but could not due to rep. The link is a reference to what rep is in the popover.

What's the best way to maximize benefits from Air Canada's Aeroplan rewards program?

2009-09-24T16:44:29Z

For Air Canada's Aeroplan program, I am looking for tips on which credit cards give the best return, how to maximize use of air miles when redeeming them, easiest ways to obtain and keep Elite status, etc.

How do you deal with credit card fraud detection phone calls when overseas?

2010-03-12T15:21:14Z

It's pretty easy to make unusual charges, according to the bank's AI, when you are traveling overseas. When this happens, the bank's computer tries to call you. If you don't answer then you have to wait a few days before your card will work again.

How do I avoid this when traveling overseas without simply going on international roaming?

London Hotel Reccomendation

2009-09-30T17:14:49Z

I'll be spending a Friday and Saturday evening in London and I'm looking for a couple hotel recommendations. I plan on doing the normal tourist activities on Saturday and Sunday. I'll be arriving and departing by train.

Do I need to rent a car in New York City (NYC)?

2009-11-04T08:54:47Z

I'm traveling to NYC for a weekend, and was wondering if I need to rent a car. It's my first time, so I want to hit as many landmarks as possible.

I don't mind subway, but I'm not sure if i want to use it at night (not even sure if it's open).

What should I chose between (subway and cab rides) vs. renting a car.

Thank you.

How long would it take to get from LGA to the middle-west side of manhattan by taxi during lunch hour?

2010-02-11T20:24:11Z

Or more specifically, if my flight arrives at about 11:30, what the soonest I can expect to be at the south-west corner of Central Park?

What to do while in Denver for the Great American Beer Festival

2009-09-05T07:07:35Z

I'll be in Denver for the Great American Beer Festival this year (September 24-26). We are hitting tasting sessions on Thursday and Saturday and the Left Hand Brewing Company Brews Cruise on Wednesday. What other things should we hit while in town Wednesday-Sunday?

Optimal Time to Purchase Airfare to Europe Before Trip?

2010-03-06T16:41:21Z

Farecast.com does not make predictions for international travel. Is there an optimal time to purchase airfare to Europe prior to our trip in order to minimize costs? We will be traveling in August.

Can you get permanent FF elite status?

2009-09-04T19:52:06Z

Some airlines allow you to get "lifetime" status by meeting certain qualifications.

Which airlines have these programs and what are the qualifications?

Which Airline has the lowest oversized baggage fee? (Surfboards)

2009-09-04T19:01:34Z

One several Trips from the East to West coast (PDC etc.)

I have brought along a surfboard or two. Airlines very wildly on their charges for surfboards as luggage. For some reason most domestic carriers will ask "How many surfboards do you have in that bag?"

I am not sure what difference it makes, it should be a volume/weight issue.

What domestic airline charges the best price for oversize baggage, specifically surfboards?

Cheap Travel Ticket from LHR to TRV

2009-10-13T11:54:25Z

where i can get the cheap ticket from LHR to TRV on 8th Jan 2010 to 27th of Jan 2010 ?

What should a geek bring when travelling from the USA to the UK?

2009-10-26T09:55:50Z

This is my first trip to Europe (specifically, to the UK) from the USA.

What should I bring, geek-stuff-wise?

UK power adapter of some kind?
anything else my laptop will need?

How can I avoid my computer getting spied on through government controlled networks in certain countries?

2009-09-20T03:12:07Z

I think one time when I was in a certain country when using Gotomypc.com I was the victim of a redirect from a secure site to a non-secure site and they probably intercepted my login information. So I think these things happen in various ways and I'm wondering how best to avoid it.

Best Business Class

2010-01-05T01:04:00Z

I am flying to the Ukraine from the states and my company will spring for business class. Which airline has the best service?

What is the cheapest and safest way to bring money abroad

2010-01-04T12:21:32Z

I am travelling from North America to Asia and staying there for at least a few months. I do not have any friends or relatives there. I have a small amount of foreign currency that I got from an exchange office.

What would be a good way to transfer money to myself. I plan to open a bank account there. So far, I've found the following options. I'd like to keep costs as low as possible. I have relatives/friends in North America.

Bank wire (fee: ~15$, exchange rate: ?)
Traveler's Cheque (?)
Western Union (fee: very high, exchange rate: ?)
Bring large amount of cash (unsafe)
Other options?

Can I rely on Kayak for good pricing?

2009-09-19T15:03:21Z

I've been using Kayak for all my searching in the last few years, and I guess I get reasonable prices. But has anything else sprung up that's better for determining the cheapest flight out there?

What seat should I pick?

2009-09-04T22:04:01Z

When selecting a seat for an upcoming flight, what seat should I pick?

Things to do/see in Seattle, WA

2009-09-19T01:36:15Z

What are some popular locations to visit, and sites to see in the Seattle area? (One per answer)

What's a good, inexpensive hotel in New York City?

2009-09-04T18:11:16Z

Looking for a good, inexpensive hotel in New York City, centrally located, with clean rooms.

IcelandAir Reviews

2009-09-22T23:09:09Z

It looks like I'll be flying on IcelandAir in a couple of weeks and was looking for feedback on them as an Airline.

Seattle to Manchester, UK

Post Trip Review
I've recently completed a trip from Seattle to Manchester and had some major issues to start the trip. Apparently the wing was about to fall off the plane (maybe just a slat, but nothing wrong with a little dramatization) so we were delayed about 5 hours in Seattle. The delay caused us to miss our connecting flight to Manchester from Iceland, but the IcelandAir staff did a fantastic job in trying to reroute all of the passengers. I was traveling with a few other folks from work and we were all put on a flight to London which kept us on the ground in Iceland for about 4 hours. Since the flight to London was later in the day, we were put up in a hotel in London and booked on a 6AM flight to Manchester.

The return trip was just fine.

Overall, the staff on the ground in Seattle was fantastic. This was the first time they've had a flight delayed in Seattle since the route began back in June and they did an amazing job in giving timely updates on the delay, getting folks dinner vouchers, and overall treated folks very fair. The connections out of Iceland are limited, so once you experience a delay in your travels, you may end up having to jump through all kinds of hoops to get to where you need to go. BUT, I would highly recommend traveling with them. They are a low cost carrier and do not have complimentary drinks or food, but then again when they charge hundreds less for similar flights, can you really claim their competitors are giving you complimentary drinks and food?

Favourite accommodation reservation site for Europe

2009-09-20T16:48:47Z

What is the best accommodation reservation site for Europe (in terms of cost and reliability)?

My favourite hotel reservation site is hrs.com. I have good experience with them.

Things to do/see in San Antonio, TX

2009-09-28T02:24:27Z

What are some fun places to visit, and interesting sites to see in the San Antonio area? Obscure bars, clubs, or shops are welcome in addition to the more traditional tourist attractions; I'd like to get my money's worth.

Do terrorists never fly business class?

2009-09-13T05:58:35Z

If you're in business or first class, you can wine and dine with real glassware and even cutlery (or at least on some airlines).

With the security checkpoints having you discard any sharp objects and knives, isn't it pointless to then allow passengers onboard who are then given plush access to knives? Or if they smash their glasses, a stabbing tool to threaten people with?

So on that, is it because terrorists don't fly beyond economy and coach that the airlines can get away with serving meals with real utensils?

How is the public transportation in Boston?

2009-09-04T22:29:32Z

Traveling to Boston (for a conference on October 7th) and was wondering if I should rent a car or if there is a nice rail system. I can get an idea by looking at Google Maps but haven't had time to scout it out yet. Suggestions?

What do I need to be able to use my North American cell phone in Europe?

2009-10-01T00:58:02Z

If I want to be able to use my North American cell phone in Europe, what do I do? I've heard you can just buy a SIM card locally, but I'm not that familiar with the technology, or where you'd go about getting one while in the EU (Germany in this case). How much will it cost? What do I do about receiving calls, or making long distance calls?

Most economic lounge membership?

2009-09-04T20:59:57Z

What is the best way to get access to airline lounges?

it seems there are a few options:

Direct lounge membership
Membership through a credit card (like American Express Platinum)
Memberships that allow a certain number of entries a year to certain lounges

Is it worth it to drive a few hours to save money on air fare from a low cost airline?

2009-09-04T21:13:25Z

I live about 25 minutes from a small regional airport and 3-4 hours from several larger hubs. Only major carriers fly from the nearby airport to the destinations that I care about. Typical fares from lower cost airlines run a few hundred dollars less, but involve more stops. Is it worth it to drive and fly or should I bite the bullet and pay the higher fees.

What are the best business travel websites?

2009-09-11T11:14:40Z

Other than this one, what websites should I be using if I'm a frequent traveller?

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