Ask MetaFilter questions in the travel & transportation category

Mac Frequent flier software?

dougiedd — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:08:52 -0800

Mac friendly frequent flier mile tracking software? Is it available.

Which is better, $250, 20% off, or 10,000 miles?

gilgamix — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:18:22 -0800

My girlfriend and I had a really bad flight and United's customer appreciation website gives us three choices: $250 dollars off a domestic flight (50 states, PR, Virgin Islands), 20% off an international flight (I'm assuming at full published rate) or 10,000 miles. What should we do?

Should I rent a car in Chicago/Evanston?

Flakypastry — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:38:30 -0800

Flying into Chicago with my daughter to check out colleges. Should I rent a car? I'm flying into Chicago (Midway) on a Thursday evening to check out University of Chicago and Northwestern. We're staying in downtown Chicago for two nights; visiting U of C on Friday, Northwestern on Saturday, and flying back home on Saturday evening.

I'm not concerned about getting to U of C on Friday; what concerns me is getting to Evanston on Saturday morning, and then getting back to the airport. I want my daughter to be able to see the area around Northwestern, so is it best if we rent a car? Or are the logistics of getting in/out of the city too much of a hassle in a rental to justify that choice?

Any insight from Chicago-area residents (or former students) would be appreciated!

How can I move to San Francisco with my wife without ruining my life?

christopherbdnk — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:47:00 -0800

I'll be in San Francisco for a week, how should I plan for moving there four months later and should I move elsewhere? My wife and I are both 22 and we'll be in San Francisco for around a week in October. A few days of my time will be occupied with work, so I expect to have maybe four solid days of experiencing the city, deciding if I want to move there, and looking at possible apartments.

I looked at a few of the other questions asked which were similar to this, but it seemed like the specifics are different and the answers should be as well.

I'm from the Northeast and my wife is from South Carolina. For her, a city like Boston/Cambridge (where I was most recently living) is fantastic and so much better than where she has been living (Columbia). For me, I've lived there for the last four years and a lot about it is a bit too conservative for me. I'm pretty sure I won't have the same problem with San Francisco, and there are things I like about Boston, that it's a big city with a pretty small feel, relatively safe (my friends don't mind walking home at night), and a lot of exciting and youthful things to do.

I've loved what the intellectual community of Cambridge offers, between MIT and Harvard the weekly programming for the city is just amazing. I'd really miss this if there wasn't anything to replace it.

In short, this is what we're looking for:

Costs: 1br/studio for < $1400
Area: Active, young, diverse, weird, but not, uh, too "Burning Man." A place that's intellectual and challenging like Cambridge but also thriving and young like Allston or Greenpoint, maybe without the gentrification.

I'm most familiar with Boston and New York City, so, here are a few questions:

* If I want to live in the equivalent of Jamaica Plain, Allston, Harvard Sq. or Greenpoint, where should I look in San Francisco?
* Does it make sense to look in Berkeley? Where?
* Are there any good vegan restaurants to check out?
* I hear it's just a bit hilly, is it easy enough to ride a bicycle around?
* What else should I know? Are there good San Francisco apartment utilities other than craigslist?
* Should I live elsewhere? Austin? New York? Seattle? Portland? A job is not a problem, we're both established and only need to live in the US (sorry Montreal, Lausanne).

This will be the first place we've ever lived together without one of us moving in with the other. It's always an option for us to just move back to Boston until September so that we have more time to look for the best place to live. In September, also, a friend of ours will be moving in with us as well and we'll need to locate a 2 BR. Since I've attended college in the last four years I've lived in 13 different apartments/houses, so I'm really, really eager to live in one spot for a few years and actually feel like I'm at home. I hope that will be SF.

Late September weekend at the beach

billtron — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:31:55 -0800

My wife's birthday is coming up and I would like suggestions for a decent weekend lodging/activities, September 19-21, in eastern Long Island, preferably near the beach. We will not have a car, so bus or train accessibility is important.

Can I get on the plane with my Casio Pathfinder watch?

The World Famous — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:23:36 -0800

Will they take my watch away at the airport? It is digital Casio Pathfinder with a barometer, thermometer, compass, and altimeter. I'm flying in about 6 hours, and I really don't want to lose my watch, but I want to take it with me.

Trusted collision repair shop in Arlington, VA?

UrbanEconomist — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:33:00 -0800

Arlington, VA filter: My wife had a parking lot mishap when a lamp post jumped out in front of her car; now we need to find a good collision repair place. We drive a 2001 Honda Civic and live nearby to the Pentagon. The car is in fine shape to drive, so we don't mind going out of our way far a good and honest body shop. Thanks very much for your suggestions!

Cheap places to stay in Portland

faunafrailty — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:59:34 -0800

PortlandFilter: I'm looking for inexpensive lodgings (less than $75/night during the week) in Portland, OR, for October. I'll be exploring the city without a car, so close and easy access to public transportation is a must. Bonus question: Know any good dance clubs there? I want to be near enough to downtown that it's not a pain to get there. I don't mind sharing a bathroom if it's clean and not shared by so many people there's a constant line, so hostels and guest houses aren't out of the question. I just want my own room. I don't need a TV or any typical hotel amenities.

Any suggestions? I found some places online but I'm having a hard time figuring out how far they are from things, if they're in cool, safe neighborhoods, etc. Re: neighborhoods - I like interesting stores, crafts, veg-friendly restaurants, fun bars.

Bonus question: Anyone know of any Portland dance clubs that play '80s/indie/electro during the week?

Chicago for an atypical tourist?

fritley — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:42:52 -0800

I'm going to Chicago, Sunday - Wednesday. What geeky/techie things should I not miss while I'm there? I'm going to Chicago with a fellow geek friend for IMTS (machine tool/manufacturing trade show) next week. I'm looking for some fun things to do Monday and Tuesday afternoon/evening. I would like to know about any local electronics junk/surplus shops, machinery junk/surplus, museums that cater to adults and have interesting displays about technology (new or especially old), or anything else of the kind.

Examples of great finds that I've really enjoyed in other cities are Fair Radio (Lima OH), Exploratorium (San Francisco CA), HGR Industrial Surplus (Euclid OH), Boeing Surplus (Wichita KS), Early Television Museum (Hilliard OH), Pavek Museum (St. Louis Park, MN).

Looking for a sturdy bag.

warriorengineer — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:08:25 -0800

I'm looking for a sturdy, high quality, somewhat large bag to put up with some abuse. I hope to be going to Marine Corps Officer Candidates School next summer or fall. It is well know that when a candidate arrives, the things he brings will get thrown and abused by the staff. During "pickup" (when the candidates meet the staff that will be training them for the next 10 weeks) they should expect every single personal item they have brought to be thrown across the parade deck (basically a large parking lot without any painted lines).

I'm looking for a bag that can survive this kind of abuse. A few basic requirements (in decreasing order of importance):

1. NO WHEELS. It can NOT have wheels.
2. Again, very sturdy and rugged.
3. Somewhat rigged (i.e. not loose and flowy).
4. Easy to carry. Shoulder or backpack straps being the bare minimum.
5. Easy to access the contents and re-fill after all of my stuff has been dumped out.

Thanks.

Learning French in North and West Africa

iamck — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:32:26 -0800

I want to learn French in Morocco/Mauritania/Mali - I need suggestions of a place to live... I have a certain sum of money, my job ends in two weeks, and I'm flying to Spain/Morocco. I would like to travel south through Mauritania and into Mali - but I speak no French. Any suggestions along that route - a smallish but not metropolis city, French speaking - where I can hole up for awhile, rent a very basic (read:cheap) room with a French speaking family and learn via immersion? (I speak Portuguese, self taught in said manner).

Can I fix my broken car a/c myself?

shinyshiny — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:44:18 -0800

The a/c in my car died about 2 years ago. I'm moving to the desert [SE corner of CA], so now this is a problem. I have no car knowledge, and no money. How can I fix my a/c? 1. How do I find out what's wrong without going to a mechanic [if possible]?
2. Is it worth fixing on a car ['98 Pontiac Grand Prix SE] that hasn't been driven in a year?
3. If I can find out what's wrong, can I fix this myself? Or should I get my fixit brother to do it?

I got the car in 2002 used. Also around 2 years ago, there was a serious over heating problem, leading to a new radiator and new hoses. I don't know if that had anything to do with the a/c dying, since I don't know what they took out or messed with. I also have no idea if not using the a/c in so long damaged it.

I just checked the weather, and its over 105 for the rest of the week. I really don't want to melt, and I move in a few weeks. Help!

Weird Car Electrical Symptoms

jimmyjimjim — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:19:47 -0800

2002 Toyota Camry, 64K miles. No previous symptoms. After a long drive, I stopped two minutes, then tried to restart the car. Nothing. Electric systems got a little screwy: windows wouldn't go down, clock and radio stations reset, automatic shifter stuck, as did key (wouldn't come out of ignition). Strange. But then all that stuff started working again (100% ok), but car still wouldn't start. At this point, I'd get a metallic staccato sound, but no turning over. Jump start worked perfectly, car drove home perfectly (note: it was night at this point, and my headlights were on) EXCEPT when I flicked my brights for a sec. Mayhem ensued...car kept running, but laggy/weird, and speedometer went dead and random dashboard lights went on. After a few minutes, all returned to normal. I got home, parked, shut off car, and tried to restart (headlights off, of course). Nothing. Is this alternator? thanks!!!

La Vie en London

santojulieta — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:05:05 -0800

Help me plan some activities for our honeymoon in London and Edinburgh. So, here are the details:

1. Going to be in London from Oct 15th to Oct 18th, then hopping a short flight to Edinburgh on the 18th and will stay there until the 22nd.

2. I have been to London and Edinburgh myself, but the future Mr. Santojulieta has not.

3. I don't mind a bit of touristy stuff, like the British Museum and Edinburgh Castle (which I personally enjoyed a great deal), but don't want to be stuck with solely touristy stuff.

4. We're very comfortable taking the tube anywhere.

5. We're also looking for things to do that would produce artifacts for us to bring home. (I'm not talking Indiana Jones type artifacts. I'm talking about going somewhere (that's not necessarily a gift shop) that will give me the opportunity to purchase some really awesome stuff to frame and put up on the wall or to display on a shelf.)

So, help me figure out some events to see or places to go. In a previous thread, someone mentioned that they'd gone to a burlesque show, which I think would be bitchin', but I don't know if any are playing (or more importantly, if any are good.) We don't want to be too overloaded with stuff to do, but I do want some good options.

Was I taken for a ride?

Brocktoon — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:54:12 -0800

Did I get ripped off by my mechanic? I have a 1988 BMW 535i sedan, 6 cylinder. Today he replaced the power steering hoses and the antenna. He charged me $344 for parts and $570 in labor. Service includes a hand car wash. Was I ripped off?

What kind of car did you buy for your new teen driver?

sandra194 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:16:12 -0800

Daughter is 16 and got her license a few months ago--she had her permit for a year before that and drove often with us (parents). So now we are looking at used cars for her--preferably under 10K, safe and decent city driving gas mileage. Of course she has her ideas--BMW, Jeep, Infinity, etc. Yeah right.

Can you recommend a car service in Washington DC?

KAS — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:59:13 -0800

Can you recommend a car service in Washington DC? To pick up 4 people and drive them a few miles (within the District), then either wait a couple of hours and take them back or else come back and pick them up at a set time. An actual limo is a little bit much, and I'm not sure that the ubiquitous Town Car will fit four people, so maybe some kind of "luxury" SUV? A Navigator? For a weekday aftern

I'm sending it for a client, so I'd prefer someone you have experience with/someone you know has experience with. If there's a service you know I should avoid, that's great info as well.

Canuck Cow-Town Quarters & Cuisine.

weapons-grade pandemonium — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:47:07 -0800

Tips on Calgary accommodation and restaurants? I will be attending an event in SW Calgary (Glenmore reservoir area) and would appreciated your latest tips on accommodation and restaurants. A cosy rather than fancy hotel, or a kid-friendly B&B would be nice. I love unpretentious upscale food, and and am willing to chase down any exciting new bistro or buzzing breakfast place in the city.

There's m-----f-----' Willamette Valley Pinot Noir on the m-----f-----' plane!

Ignatius J. Reilly — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:33:31 -0800

Can I take an unopened bottle of wine in my carry-on luggage? I am flying on American Airlines from O'Hare to LaGuardia this weekend, and I would like to bring a nice bottle of wine to show my gratitude to friends who will be putting me up in NY. My carry-on luggage is the legal size.

Please note: I do not consider checking baggage to be an option that is preferable to simply leaving the wine at home.

Futhermore, I am not concerned with logistical difficulties, only with whether or not the airline is going to yoink my booze.

Mendocino Jenner sleeps

timeistight — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:54:13 -0800

Can we find a night's lodging late September in Mendocino, Jenner or anywhere in between for $150 or less?

Seems like a good idea?

6:1 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:50:07 -0800

Is LoJack really worth it? We've been quoted $695 (after taking $100 off) for our new vehicle. Does anyone out there have any first hand experience? Thanks.

Traveling to Cape Cod, Bay of Fundy & PEI

14580 — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:46:46 -0800

We're going to make a road trip in a couple of weeks from upstate NY to Cape Cod, and then up to the Bay of Fundy and Prince Edward Island. Any advice would be welcomed, but we could particularly use some advice about the BOF. We need to know what are the best attractions and towns to visit, the best places to see the tides and other scenic views, and if you have any recommendations for restaurants and places to stay. We are planning on staying in moderately priced lodgings ($90-$140/night); and we tend to like simple but good food, served in friendly, interesting and moderately priced restaurants.

Fun things to see on the way to Lassen?

kendrak — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:15:12 -0800

Roadtrip filter: Driving from SF Bay Area to Lassen this weekend for camping. What are some cool things to see along the way? We'll be driving up to Lassen Saturday and coming home Monday. We plan on leaving early in the morning Saturday and leaving late morning Monday. I think we're set on things to do at Lassen, but I was wondering if anybody had suggestions of things to see along the way. Monuments, weird roadside attractions (like the Thing or the Trees of Mystery), neat small towns, or just cool stuff would be appreciated. We will probably take I-5 most of the way, though I sort of want to take 99/89 one way.

Thanks!

Chicago!

brynna — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:44:15 -0800

What can I do to make one perfect night in Chicago? Alright, I've searched through previous posts, but am looking for something very definitive. After my last post, I decided to travel to Chicago! I'll be there by myself from Sept 7th, with my SO joining me on the 9th; we're both flying back to CA on the 10th.

What can we do with that one night together that would be a classic, authentic Chicago experience OR what can we do to make it a really great night in a city we've both never been to?

How do I get around Thailand and Laos?

slopepheasant — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:14:14 -0800

I am wondering if I could get some advice with specific transportation and itinerary information for a first-time trip to Thailand and Laos this December. My girlfriend and I are going for about 2 weeks over Xmas and New Years. We are flying in and out of Bangkok. I would like to visit my friend in Vientiane and would also like to spend a few days somewhere on an Island relaxing. Regarding the island, I would prefer something at least a little authentic rather than a place that feels super-touristy.

Currently, we are thinking a day or two to start in Bangkok, 4 days or so in Koh Chang (the one closer to Cambodia, as I believe there are two) and a few days in Vientiane and back to Bangkok. Any ideas and specifics for how to get between them as well as any suggestions for changes to the plan and/or the order of travel would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!