Travelling Lumsdens

As the end of Feb draws near, I’m realizing a new level of comfort with our daily itinerary. Last week on Joseph Howe Day I revisited earlier planning and made some useful adjustments, juggling attractions enough to place a day trip mid week in the schedule. Thought it might be a great break and an opportunity (somewhat selfishly) to add a special WWI attraction to the voyage! As things look, I have just one item (PSG football match) I’m struggling with, as they have not posted the actual game time listed for our final day in Paris. Once I get that, I think things are in the books! (ps… So glad I waited. The game date was actually switched to a day later the last week in Feb… Putting it outside our travel dates. Glad I didn’t gamble and grab tickets!)

There are items for which I’ll definitely buy tickets upfront. One reason is sheer savings. For example, I picked up 4 Adult online tickets today for boat tours of the Seine. In this case, the tix aren’t that expensive (14€ each). However, in advance I got each for 11€ saving 12€ in total, almost $20 bucks Canadian. Best of all, no risk as the tix aren’t connected with a date and expire in one year. Awesome… Saves money and gives us the option, if in fact it’s pouring rain, of another date. Win, win! Scores…

A second reason is to walk around a line. I will be prepared for mega attractions (ie Louvre, Versailles, Eiffel Tower) armed with advance tickets. My itinerary has us arriving at non-peak hours and with all the necessary credentials in hand. We have a week to work with while in Paris, and hours in a line-up are not a good use of time for the cost of simply being prepared. I emphasize the point here that the trip starts long before leaving home, and the success is tied to the planning and organizing that starting months prior.

Surprisingly, there are a significant number of “no admission” items that we want to do in Paris. Churches like Notre Dame, La Madeleine and Sacre Coeur, for example, are free to visit. Parisian streets are an attraction in themselves, and we plan to traipse Promenade Plantee, Belleville, Montmartre, Mouffetard, the Marais… All at the expense of well soled shoes. Monuments, parks, and “Places et Jardins” abound… Great for a quick snack, healthy walking and people watching!

Last year, in Madrid & Lisbon, tapas bars became a real attraction for us. This trip we continue to move more towards placing “eating” in an adventuresome role, whether it be “on the town” or “from the market”. For example, Janie planned for us an authentic “French Meal” experience using the website VizEat. In essence,  it’s a dating service for meals. It matches host and client for a freshly prepared “at home” meal where visitors can opt to make a reservation with regular Parisians to share a meal at their place of residence. It’s caution to the wind… And sounds like a lot of fun! It was a bit out of our normal eating budget, but not so unimaginable when considered more like an attraction.

January saw us put flights and accommodation to rest. I think we did reasonably well cost wise and, as those layouts were all upfront, I have great idea of what expense we can handle in regards to Paris attractions for our March Break week. This is when my ever growing spreadsheet kicks in! Detail… Detail… Details!

Last week I had the opportunity to visit a Grade 4 class for “Literacy Day”. It’s been a while for me, so I struggled a bit with how to prepare for the group. I decided I’d share some resources in regards to the topic I read and write most about these days… Travel! I took in a batch of Frommer’s guides from cities I’d visited…. New York, Paris, Chicago, Rome, Venice, DC, etc. Then I had the kids pull out the maps, select an attraction, and go to the text and provide three facts about their choice. It worked great and really reiterated my suspicions that, at least for me, having success travelling is all about research!

So, my spreadsheet is loaded with facts and details. I firstly break out the trip into dates, then an itinerary for each day. Then I look at items that will not be available on a specific day (i.e. The Louvre is closed on Mondays) or an event with fixed date (i.e. Football Match). Those rigid items get locked in first. As I research each item, I put times and cost beside it in the spreadsheet. Further, I look at the location in Google maps for other attractions to partner with… No sense in criss-crossing the city when items in a general area can be clumped together. Thus, in this way an itinerary begins to take shape.

I haven’t fully mastered the timing, but I think there is a moment along the way when you see a more “set” plan take hold, a firmed itinerary and comfort of pre-purchase of attraction tickets becomes a possibility. Although I know I could almost always purchase a ticket while “on the ground” in Paris, experience tells me that Lumsdens + Ticket Line-up = Wasted Vacation Time. Lines can be nasty in Paris. We saw that while frequenting the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre in 2008.  As I finish assembling what we’d like to see/do in Paris (for just Janie and I this is easy… little trickier with the kids) I’ll begin grabbing some date specific tickets.

Airfare purchased… Check! Now… Where to stay becomes new lead concern. What an adventure!

Janie and I both worked hard in early January trying to land beds for our gang in March. On the heels of March Break 2015 in Madrid/Portugal we had a new appreciation in how accommodations can really be an attraction during time on the road so we chose to invest some time in our selection. Discussions started with a few key elements… Ample beds, location near transit, and getting online! Seemed easy enough… Standard with most hotel offerings, right?

However, after running a potential budget spreadsheet the Euros quickly began to ring up! We weren’t planning on the “low budget” excursion, but aren’t interested in a new mortgage either. At this point Janie went to work on VRBO and encountered an amazing number of options for apartment rentals in Paris. We spent several days surfing and studying maps… All reminiscent of an episode of HGTV. The site was easy to navigate offering hundreds of accommodation options while providing a great budget solution allowing “eat at home” potential.

This was new for us. Our first Paris stay was at a low budget, no frills (location/location/location) room near D’Orsay.  We loved it… But definitely not family friendly! Janie and I set to work on a budgeted amount (as the sky is the limit in Paris) and pulled together a short list of potential locations. We searched by Arrondisement and selected parameters such as non-smoking, internet included, and fully equipped kitchen while dog earring sites near outdoor markets, metro/RER, and walking distance to attractions.

We selected, after reaching out with several e-mails to renters, in the 6th Arrondisement. The cost, amenities and location fit our needs and we think it’ll work out excellently. Unlike a hotel stay, we’ve had multiple emails with the rental agency and have pre-arranged things like arrival time and payment. We recommend reading through the options carefully, as well as requesting a “total cost” via email to ensure all fees are included in the price you are viewing. Charges went on “the card” upfront and a damage deposit is also necessary. If you’ve got a gut feeling the trip could fall through, I’m guessing trying to get refunded would be difficult.  However, I do like upfront payment and having the expenses covered by the time you actually land!  The whole process felt a lot more like a lease than a stay at the Hampton!

So, over Christmas vacation I had time on my hands and was pondering some new year travel dreams. I could feel the footsteps of March Break running up from behind so I decided on a little trip research.  I had designs on warmth, comfort and learning… As by mid-March old man winter begins to tire on the soul. However, concerns about the exchange on the Canadian Dollar were pressing against the entire idea. March Break is fixed, so I knew the dates we had to play with and the lack of “wiggle room”.

Noodling through the all inclusives, I checked out the packages for Mexico, Cuba, DR and Jamaica. Nothing grabbed my attention to the point of purchase, although I did ponder a Hard Rock in the Maya Riviera that I thought the kids might really enjoy. However, I really wanted a pick with an “educational” component that challenged our little family a bit more!

Soooo… Attention turned to airfares. With a group of 4 adults, this would mostly likely formulate 1/2 the cost of any trip. While running a few combinations out of Moncton International (I often do this as NB has a different break than NS and choice and cost are sometimes impacted positively) I stumbled into some very reasonable tix to Paris. If we chucked in some points we had the makings of a solid airfare deal across the pond.

Paris had been in the media since a terrorist attack in November of 2015. The images, politics, and voices of the city and France reverberated with us in our daily news and in online content. Rick Steeves says a great way to combat that type of terrorism is to visit… Hard not to agree. Janie and I had been to Paris for three days in 2008 and have always held the city as one of our most memorable. Beyond that… What a perfect opportunity for our kids to use the French Immersion instruction they had participated in throughout their years in school.

Thus … the stars seemed to align and we purchased return tickets. With the wheels in motion, I’m going to try and chronicle our planning through to the actual trip as an exercise in process! Want to keep track of all my mistakes I guess… Stay tuned!

Every November (probably a lot to do with both Janie and I just finishing our first school based reporting periods) we start visiting sites and looking for attractions for Christmas Break.  It’s generally a two week span that we can use to carve some time away with the family.  Most often it resembles a road trip to the US for a few nights to explore a city, do some shopping, catch a pro-game and a museum or two.

Our sinking dollar has to be considered, but so does the chance to get away and be distracted! And what says distraction like a quick trip to the lights and glitter of “New York”! We are peeking at events and researching accommodations… Hopefully Mother Nature cooperates and we can assemble the puzzle for a few days away prior to Christmas.  Never a shortage of things to do in “le grand pomme” but we may want to go to Pinterest to explore the many “10 things to do for Free in NYC”. We’ll post the trip if we manage to pull it off!  Cheers…

Organization…

Excel is my travel friend… the host for all the research I do! Every one of my trips has a corresponding spreadsheet file that has a clearly outlined itinerary, budget sheet, confirmation numbers for travel tickets, specific attractions and accommodations. Itineraries include, in a chronological day by day fashion, any costs, hours of operation, plan for commute, links to websites for quick reference and any special notes that should be retained. I take a print copy as well as a PDF on the iPad! I carry it each day and continually refer to the contents.

Research

I would suggest that coming up with a place to visit is the easy part… Especially today, with the proliferation of internet sites, social media influence and guidebooks. Making the trip leap to reality beyond the pages and websites, however, is the bigger challenge.

The way I research may not be isolated to one idea. In fact, I would most likely be collecting data for one or several potential destination plans at once, bookmarking tidbits online, grabbing a video/guide book with focused on the ground information, or even reviewing travel tweets from those that have gone before. Eventually, one trip takes hold, but I maintain multiple research files that I can go back to. Our last trip to Spain/Portugal was 5 years in the making.

I benefit greatly from seeing a route and taking time to understand a basic physical look. Yes… my first research “stop” is to find a detailed map! When I plan, I think in travel loops. Maps help me do this quickly. It could be a small, one day circuit in a city or a broad circle afforded by an open jawed set of arrival and departure flights. We value travel time, so revisiting a space or backtracking is a real pet peeve of mine.  These loops support best use of time and resources.

Admittedly, I’m quite linear in my travel planning process. Winging it never seems to go so well. To me, being unprepared, lost or spending hours in a line up while in Rome, Paris or New York City is a waste of our vacation time. No better example was ever presented than our visit to the Vatican Museum in Rome. We literally walked past a sheer km of line and entered ahead of schedule because we pre-purchased tix for an extra pair of Euro! Can you imagine being in Rome and spending hours of your time stopped in a queue?  Not me… do some research and find your way through! In fact, I probably over plan. It’s a solid backup for us when we travel. Essentially a built in, ready made option should something be unavailable or if a day gets done much more quickly than expected.

What is it that I research? Everything from the weather to grocery stores. However, the focal points are easy to sum up. The big items include cost/dates/hours of operation for the following; transportation, accommodation, attraction.

• Transport includes the to and fro (be it car, plane, train, ferry, etc) and commuting during visit. Tickets, times, transfers, tips are all worth keeping. Having a superior handle on transportation is essential… It allows one to maximize time at attractions / sightseeing and make all necessary connections. Guessing and hurrying cause mistakes.
• Accommodation planning is equally important. For example, while in Europe we rarely drive (actually never). Thus, lodging must be central to public transit. We rely heavily on Internet, so wifi access is a must. And, if at all possible, we look for included breakfast.  When with the kids, we add “pool” and “parking” to that mix. Expedia and other online agencies are great for research, but I rarely book through them, preferring personal contact with the chosen accommodation.
• Attractions are all about the detail. Location, hours, cost, promotions (discount cards/passes), tour details and information… The more you know upfront, the more relaxing the visit. I like to purchase as many of the attraction items as possible prior to visit. It often avoids queues, supports planning and lessens cash flow issues.