Travel

[charlierc]

21 hours ago, SPW said:

 

I am not really fretting at all, and flts/acc all flexible, but chose this year for a west coast US road trip (one that we originally planned 25 yrs back but ended up travelling around Morocco instead owing to money!).  I'd probably have avoided the US for now under the Trump madness, but this was long planned so currently sticking with it. I certainly regret not going doing some trips while I had the chance - Russia by train was on my retirment list (I am not retired yet but that's probably scuppered for the foreseeable!). 

Tbf, I think the nature of the beast is that you can never guess the future. I know people who had to cancel weddings, holidays and other fun things in 2020 because of covid, so I'm aware there's a real "f**k it, I'm booking this anyway" thing.

 

I really want to go to New York, partly to see John Oliver and Jon Stewart as I've been a fan of their TV shows for years, but I don't feel like the US is a particularly enticing destination at present, which is a true shame. Same in a way with the World Cup in America - I know people who are going but I just don't feel like it's attractive to me. Maybe the 2030 WC in Spain and Portugal will be less off-putting.

 

In fairness, even if America's off-putting and the Middle East is to be avoided, there's still things I can work with. Berlin, Vienna and Rome are on my list of places I want to go to.

[Paul ™]

Currently in Vietnam on a 23 week trip round Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, back end of next month but glad we're not flying back via a GCC country.. though we do have a layover in Turkey.

[philipsteak]

11 hours ago, charlierc said:

Tbf, I think the nature of the beast is that you can never guess the future. I know people who had to cancel weddings, holidays and other fun things in 2020 because of covid, so I'm aware there's a real "f**k it, I'm booking this anyway" thing.

 

I really want to go to New York, partly to see John Oliver and Jon Stewart as I've been a fan of their TV shows for years, but I don't feel like the US is a particularly enticing destination at present, which is a true shame. Same in a way with the World Cup in America - I know people who are going but I just don't feel like it's attractive to me. Maybe the 2030 WC in Spain and Portugal will be less off-putting.

 

In fairness, even if America's off-putting and the Middle East is to be avoided, there's still things I can work with. Berlin, Vienna and Rome are on my list of places I want to go to.

 

I was last in New York in 2011. Can't remember if it was that trip or an earlier one but I tried to see The Daily Show and didn't get in. Like all TV recordings they sent out more tickets than there were seats but you could also just queue on the day and if there were enough no shows you might get in. But we were told we had no chance that day so I went to The Colbert Report which recorded slightly later and was just round the corner and managed to get in. Was a lot of fun but always regret not managing to get in to TDS.

[charlierc]

28 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

 

I was last in New York in 2011. Can't remember if it was that trip or an earlier one but I tried to see The Daily Show and didn't get in. Like all TV recordings they sent out more tickets than there were seats but you could also just queue on the day and if there were enough no shows you might get in. But we were told we had no chance that day so I went to The Colbert Report which recorded slightly later and was just round the corner and managed to get in. Was a lot of fun but always regret not managing to get in to TDS.

I can imagine it's moreso now for Stewart given he only hosts the Monday night episode of the show, and as his is the one that seems to get the highest TV and YouTube watches, that one is very competitive indeed. 

 

I've heard the old Colbert show was good so glad to hear it was a laugh. Maybe that's what he'll go back to from the summer when he's in search of a new project. 

[philipsteak]

13 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I can imagine it's moreso now for Stewart given he only hosts the Monday night episode of the show, and as his is the one that seems to get the highest TV and YouTube watches, that one is very competitive indeed. 

 

I've heard the old Colbert show was good so glad to hear it was a laugh. Maybe that's what he'll go back to from the summer when he's in search of a new project. 

 

It was great. The only slightly annoying thing at times was that he was playing a character of a right wing Fox News type blowhard. Which was great for the monologue section as it just got more and more crazy, but could be frustrating sometimes with the interviews as you just wanted a straight interview. The guest on my show was Patti Smith and TBF he did tone down the character a little as he was clearly a fan and actually wanted to ask her stuff.

 

And yes, tickets for the Monday show for TDS will be VERY hard to get

Edited March 11 by philipsteak

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

On 11/03/2026 at 01:08, Paul ™ said:

Currently in Vietnam on a 23 week trip round Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, back end of next month but glad we're not flying back via a GCC country.. though we do have a layover in Turkey.

 

I am beyond jealous. 

[charlierc]

Well, it's been a few weeks since my last post on this and that Middle East scenario is still going on. Anyone else still umming and ahhing their travel plans because of the possible issues that's causing?

 

Admittedly, I'm guilty of constantly overthinking my travel plans even in less freaky times.

[Olshansky]

I don't blame anyone for not wanting to come to America at the moment.  We certainly deserve to feel the impact of the loss of tourism dollars, all things considered.  But just to say it, should anyone want to come to NYC but might be scared, I can assure you that my city is very much business as usual - perhaps even in a better state with Mamdani in charge

[dingbat2]

4 hours ago, Olshansky said:

I don't blame anyone for not wanting to come to America at the moment.  We certainly deserve to feel the impact of the loss of tourism dollars, all things considered.  But just to say it, should anyone want to come to NYC but might be scared, I can assure you that my city is very much business as usual - perhaps even in a better state with Mamdani in charge

I don't think anyone is scared of going to America, I think most people just want to avoid it due to the total lack of respect your leader, and the cronies by his side, including the MAGA goons, have for the rest of the world, and the clusterf**k that he and they have created in the past year, especially the last few weeks. They have treated everyone else with utter contempt and total arrogance, I don't think the rest of the word will forgive the US whilst he is in power, and then for a long time afterwards, due to the inaction the US have shown for a long time, and continue to do so, to stop him wreaking utter havoc on the entire world

[Olshansky]

20 hours ago, dingbat2 said:

I don't think anyone is scared of going to America, I think most people just want to avoid it due to the total lack of respect your leader, and the cronies by his side, including the MAGA goons, have for the rest of the world, and the clusterf**k that he and they have created in the past year, especially the last few weeks. They have treated everyone else with utter contempt and total arrogance, I don't think the rest of the word will forgive the US whilst he is in power, and then for a long time afterwards, due to the inaction the US have shown for a long time, and continue to do so, to stop him wreaking utter havoc on the entire world

 

Without a doubt. I also say that this is, in a lot of ways, the America that it;s always been - just more brazen.  The chickens are coming home to roost, as they say. 

[charlierc]

On 04/04/2026 at 17:31, Olshansky said:

I don't blame anyone for not wanting to come to America at the moment.  We certainly deserve to feel the impact of the loss of tourism dollars, all things considered.  But just to say it, should anyone want to come to NYC but might be scared, I can assure you that my city is very much business as usual - perhaps even in a better state with Mamdani in charge

Tbf I could've seen myself booking a trip to America for the World Cup but FIFA apparently only wants the 1% to come to matches so that was a turn off. New York is a city I'd like to see at some point. Maybe in 2029. I've actually not been on a long haul flight before - longest I've ever done was 2-3 hours. 

 

But I guess my overthinking mind was deliberating more broadly about guessing whether the current situation will calm down in 2/3 months time or guessing what the inflation ramifications are going to be as things look like they're going to get pricier. Although I have no doubt those will simply be a lot that we won't know until it happens. 

 

I admit tbf this is more for other threads than travel. Admittedly I've not been on a grand holiday adventure since the second half of 2024. 

[Olshansky]

7 hours ago, charlierc said:

 

But I guess my overthinking mind was deliberating more broadly about guessing whether the current situation will calm down in 2/3 months time or guessing what the inflation ramifications are going to be as things look like they're going to get pricier. Although I have no doubt those will simply be a lot that we won't know until it happens. 

 

yeah your guess is as good as mine. 

in regards to inflation, i doesnt ever seem to go down. if the hard costs of things go down, rarely do those who control the prices say "let's pass these savings on to the consumer" lol.  greedy bastards. 

One thing is for sure, nothing stays the same.

If you never need a tip for what to do in new york feel free to hit me up anytime 

[charlierc]

On 06/04/2026 at 15:51, Olshansky said:

yeah your guess is as good as mine. 

in regards to inflation, i doesnt ever seem to go down. if the hard costs of things go down, rarely do those who control the prices say "let's pass these savings on to the consumer" lol.  greedy bastards. 

One thing is for sure, nothing stays the same.

If you never need a tip for what to do in new york feel free to hit me up anytime 

I should know tbf. Chocolate, olive oil, meat, butter, certain vegetables - it's all been skyrocketing here since the double whammy of covid and Ukraine.

 

Hell, we all know the discussions here given concert ticket prices since gigs had their post lockdown restart have gone through the f**king roof. Even my local small venue sweatbox has pretty much doubled in price. 

 

That's a kind offer. I'll see if I'm ever in the city. I still feel like I need a few more flights experience before I'm ready to tackle long haul. I actually didn't go on a plane before I was 25, though I remember joking with my friends that I should overcorrect and my first plane ride should be to go to Australia. 

[charlierc]

European airports warn of half-term holiday chaos due to jet fuel shortage | The Independent

 

Maybe I'm just enough of a misery guts to think that the moment I book flights for June,  they end being the ones canned because of this problem. Assuming it spirals in such a way, of course.

[xxialac]

25 minutes ago, charlierc said:

European airports warn of half-term holiday chaos due to jet fuel shortage | The Independent

 

Maybe I'm just enough of a misery guts to think that the moment I book flights for June,  they end being the ones canned because of this problem. Assuming it spirals in such a way, of course.

Definitely get insurance ahead of travel this Summer...

Though still confident 90%+ of flights will go ahead.

[charlierc]

36 minutes ago, xxialac said:

Definitely get insurance ahead of travel this Summer...

Though still confident 90%+ of flights will go ahead.

I usually do that anyway tbf. With any luck the cover taken covers possible shenanigans from this.

 

Tbf I guess there's the formative thing about a kind of relief I didn't have to go through some of the problems with cancellations some people had in 2020 when sh*t went down. Nearest I had was one night at a hotel in Manchester after I'd made initial plans to go there to see The Killers (to sum up, they did move it back a year and give me a partial refund, but wouldn't move it again when The Killers cancelled the '21 tour so I lost the rest of the cash, although as it was less than £50, not the worst).

 

I guess there's also the nature of the beast that because I'm someone that spends too much time in the thinking stage, it doesn't help. Maybe it would've been easier if I'd booked the damn things in January as originally planned and just gone "Ah well, I'm in now". Certainly I'd have got tickets to NOS Alive as I had strongly considered had there not been as much dilly-dallying on my part.