I'm quite pleased that some found the brevity of my 'phrasing' amusing. Perhaps a top and slacks might have been more precise. In any case, thanks for the info. If a number of people show up to dinner wearing skirts or dresses, my wife might feel underdressed in dusty safari clothes. (;-)
Sea lord, I hope you didn't think I wasn't being helpful. Covering up at night in pants of any description is also a good thing because of the mosquitoes, some lodges you eat outside, or rather under a roof but no sides. The pants and long sleeves reduce that nasty Deet you have to put on.
Sea lord, I hope you didn't think I wasn't being helpful. Covering up at night in pants of any description is also a good thing because of the mosquitoes, some lodges you eat outside, or rather under a roof but no sides. The pants and long sleeves reduce that nasty Deet you have to put on.
Not at all. I have found all of your posts to be helpful and very informative. Thanks.
Sea lord, I hope you didn't think I wasn't being helpful. Covering up at night in pants of any description is also a good thing because of the mosquitoes, some lodges you eat outside, or rather under a roof but no sides. The pants and long sleeves reduce that nasty Deet you have to put on.
Speaking of lodges ... I noticed on their website that the Four Seasons Serengeti is normally 'all-inclusive'. Is that true for our group or did Tauck contract for something else?
Not sure what you mean since you will be getting all your meals there anyway, perhaps you mean, is alcohol included? Call Tauck to find out or wait for your Tour director to tell you. Either way I would have no more than a couple of glasses of wine since you will. E up very early every day of your tour. Maybe we will see you at the Duluti before our tours begin, we arrive two days early for the other tour starting on the 5th.
We will be arriving a day early, so we will be hanging out at the Duluti all day on the fourth. My wife is easy to spot ... a petite little blonde. I would be the big guy with her. Our profile picture is here, but I think it is too small to be useful.
Had Four Seasons taken over the Balila before your last trip? I noticed on line that they completed some sort of renovation last year (2013).
Not sure what you mean since you will be getting all your meals there anyway, perhaps you mean, is alcohol included? Call Tauck to find out or wait for your Tour director to tell you. Either way I would have no more than a couple of glasses of wine since you will. E up very early every day of your tour. Maybe we will see you at the Duluti before our tours begin, we arrive two days early for the other tour starting on the 5th.
Well, I was curious about that, but more curious about whether we would be free to choose any of the available dining venues, or does Taulk have something else arranged for our group? I think I had already assumed that this was not a trip where we would be dancing the night away.
Just got back from this tour and can't stop reading about it!! It was fabulous and the group leader was fabulous too. I am planning another safari for next year, as it was that good. What an eye opener to learn about the people. I took too many clothes, as you usually find your favorites and then have them laundered, usually at the Serena Hotels, as they are less expensive. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask. I went on the Classic Safari to Kenya and Tanzania. Lots of laughs and a great bunch of people.
Susan
Does anyone know how strict Tauck is in regards to their luggage guidelines? They push really hard to request only one piece of checked luggage, but never really say you cannot bring 2 checked bags plus your carry-on.
Well, I was curious about that, but more curious about whether we would be free to choose any of the available dining venues, or does Taulk have something else arranged for our group? I think I had already assumed that this was not a trip where we would be dancing the night away.
Tauck usually does the dine a la carte option for most of the tours, unless there is a special group dinner that night, like the welcome and farewell dinner. So you can usually dine at a time convenient to you, on your own or with other people you have 'jelled' with on the trip, or dine with different people each night. The tour director usually helps make the reservations for you at the more popular or busy places by calling ahead on the way, it works really well!
We will be arriving a day early, so we will be hanging out at the Duluti all day on the fourth. My wife is easy to spot ... a petite little blonde. I would be the big guy with her. Our profile picture is here, but I think it is too small to be useful.
Had Four Seasons taken over the Balila before your last trip? I noticed on line that they completed some sort of renovation last year (2013).
When we did this tour about 2007, Tauck did not use the Four Seasons/Balila or the William Holden place. Tauck 'tweek' their trips depending on customer feedback and other factors, for example when there was severe drought at Amboseli and lots of dead animals lying around, I believe they suspended that part of the tour for a couple of years.
Does anyone know how strict Tauck is in regards to their luggage guidelines? They push really hard to request only one piece of checked luggage, but never really say you cannot bring 2 checked bags plus your carry-on.
Thanks, Gary
Gary, it is absolutely possible to use one bag for this tour and anyway, you will only be allowed to take your provided duffel on part of the tour, so anything you cannot fit in that will not travel with you for that part of the tour. I have taken enough Tauck tours to know I can pack everything I need in one reasonable size bag.
There are other things to consider, that actually impact the rest of he group if only even one or two people break this guidance----when we move from one hotel to another, we are usually asked to have our bags ready one hour before we are due to leave. Sometimes that is very early in the morning. I assume that if everyone had two bags, it would mean Tauck will have to pay more people to do that in one hour, OR have us get our bags ready two hours before we leave---and I am not prepared to do that for anyone who cannot organize themselves to only require one bag. I can do this most times without even resorting to doing laundry along the way. This tour is the trip of a lifetime not a fashion parade and actually, Africa is one of hose places where hotel laundry is very reasonably priced.
Gary, it is absolutely possible to use one bag for this tour and anyway, you will only be allowed to take your provided duffel on part of the tour, so anything you cannot fit in that will not travel with you for that part of the tour. I have taken enough Tauck tours to know I can pack everything I need in one reasonable size bag.
There are other things to consider, that actually impact the rest of he group if only even one or two people break this guidance----when we move from one hotel to another, we are usually asked to have our bags ready one hour before we are due to leave. Sometimes that is very early in the morning. I assume that if everyone had two bags, it would mean Tauck will have to pay more people to do that in one hour, OR have us get our bags ready two hours before we leave---and I am not prepared to do that for anyone who cannot organize themselves to only require one bag. I can do this most times without even resorting to doing laundry along the way. This tour is the trip of a lifetime not a fashion parade and actually, Africa is one of hose places where hotel laundry is very reasonably priced.
Ok ... since we are on the subject. We happen to have the Eagle Creek medium duffels that Tauck issues, and have travelled with them to the Galapagos three times. They happen to be exactly maximum carry on size. We have only fifty minutes to connect in Amsterdam, so that is exactly what we plan on doing with them. We normally check one small roll-aboard with the liquids ... Or should we check a full size bag that would hold a duffel or it's contents so we can repack to one bag each, and a back pack each? I don't know if that is clear, but the choice is: (a) showing up with two medium duffels and a roll-aboard. Or (b) one duffel, and one full size suitcase with a duffel inside. In either case we would be well under the weight limit.
Ok ... since we are on the subject. We happen to have the Eagle Creek medium duffels that Tauck issues, and have travelled with them to the Galapagos three times. They happen to be exactly maximum carry on size. We have only fifty minutes to connect in Amsterdam, so that is exactly what we plan on doing with them. We normally check one small roll-aboard with the liquids ... Or should we check a full size bag that would hold a duffel or it's contents so we can repack to one bag each, and a back pack each? I don't know if that is clear, but the choice is: (a) showing up with two medium duffels and a roll-aboard. Or (b) one duffel, and one full size suitcase with a duffel inside. In either case we would be well under the weight limit.
One month to go. Going to get our last shots and pick up our shot records today.i
British ... Is it possible for you to comment on my luggage question above? I'm interested in your opinion.
Is anyone else on Delta Flight 9349/KLM Flight 567 AMS-JRO on July 4th?
We have a close connection from SFO, so I hope we are on time ... the
other choice was to go through Nairobi. We did not want to do that if it
could be avoided.
British ... Is it possible for you to comment on my luggage question above? I'm interested in your opinion.[/quote]
Yikes, yes confused!
Our duffels arrived yesterday! We did not open them because we are assuming they are the same size as we used before and they gave us duffels for India in February, and they look exactly the same. Did your bags arrive yet? Tauck gives good instructions with the bags, maybe better than on the website. I am not going to open them, worried I will not be able to get them back neatly in their carry bags.
If you can check a duffel and you can get all your stuff in then go for it, and then have a roll -on carry- on without oversize liquids, that would be great. The only difficulty is, they do not have wheels and we hate carrying anything without a wheel option these days. It's quite a shock when you leave the arms of a Tauck vacation and you have to struggle with your bags for the first time when you get to your home airport. Having one bag full size bag with a duffel a good compromise too. Clear as mud also.
On our trip back from India in February, we brought back two full size bags back and one duffel. My husband wanted to ditch the extra duffel, but I hated to ditch a nice bag, so we put that in a big suitcase, there was plenty of room and still underweight.
Sure you will be OK for your connecting flight unless it is late, most times the connecting gate is very near where your incoming gate is in Amsterdam. I also think they are more likely to hold a flight for you for a little while otherwise they will be putting you up for a night in Amsterdam at their expense. Just be sure you have an extra day's clothes in your carry-on. But please, not like the extra outfit my husband once packed, we were staying at a really nice Caribbean resort, his bag went missing and he spent the couple of days in really, really color clashing things, and there I was looking all cute with a color nerd at dinner, not that he cared. However, when our bags were searched once, the security guard said my husband's bag was the neatest he had ever seen!
I am getting excited now, not long to go!
British, I know you are mad at me (I am not mad at you, by the way), but you do give very helpful advice almost all of the time. The duffel bag (folded up) still takes up a lot of space in the suitcase. I might have to leave a camera lens behind--OOPS I shouldn't go there should I....sense of humor, please. Will I ruffle any Tauck or airline feathers if I put my backpack INSIDE the duffel bag and carry it on? I may even be able to squeeze one set of extra clothes in there with it. Your thoughts, please!
No not mad at you, I would be a good panelist on the View that's all, then all friends behind the camera.( whoops there we go again)
I think if you are talking about taking the duffel bag on the plane to Tanzania with your lens in it, then if the bag is not full, it should be allowed as a carry-on shouldn't it? As long as it can be squashed into one of those 'bag-sizing' things they sometimes have at the gate, surely there should be no problem. I think maybe you are flying business too so it should allow you maybe two carry on bags of necessary, not sure. I am sure Tauck doesn't care anything about our bags until we put them in their care. Whoops phone call have to fimish
I have no idea what the view is, but I'm sure it will work for you. In my world the view is what I see out of my windows.
I didn't explain it well. I want to put my entire backpack in the duffel bag for the flights to Barcelona, then from Venice to Mt. Kilimanjaro, then from Nairobi to Washington and home. You are right, I am flying business and first so I can actually take an extra bag on, but I don't want to. I just want to put my backpack IN the duffel bag so I don't have to use suitcase space for the folded up duffel bag. Hmm, I hope I did a better job this time, but not sure.
The folded up duffel bag is pretty good size. I figured I can give it double duty and put the backpack (that has all the camera stuff) in it, thus saving space. Since I am packing for two trips, I could use the space in my suitcase. I think clothes would also be lighter than that duffel bag...it's pretty heavy.
Ok, see what you mean, so it might be near the limit in size for a carry on,as far as measurements go. Well the only airport I have flown from in Italy is Rome and they are strict about bags, I've seen those guys at the desk making people take things out of their bags to reduce weight and that type of thing. Wonder how Venice is? Could also depend on who is at the gate, might they take what they consider an over size bag off you that in the US no one would question, it's so frustrating isn't it. That camera equipment definitely needs to stay with you for sure. Nairobi airport is horrible. I guess you could check the airline you are using for bag sizes, but they have a get-out clause because they can change their policy any time. Just in case, be ready to take that backpack out and check the duffel or convince them It can squish down under your seat or in the overhead in business class.
Thanks. Nairobi I am not worried about, as much. That is my flight home and since I am in business, or first, I can check two bags there or carry on two bags. Yes, Venice is my primary concern. Getting the bags on through the main counter and then on the plane is only going to happen at home, in Venice, or Nairobi. Since Nairobi is my last flight I can take two bags on. I suppose someone can stop me at the gate, but I have never had, or even seen, that happen. There is always a first time. Like I told AlanS, it takes one tenth of the time to say "I'm sorry" that it takes to ask permission.
I've never had a problem in Italy, even in Rome. My wife had an issue once at Heathrow, but no where else. I'll just pull the Tauck bag out and see how the backpack fits in it when it is full. Only way to do it.
You've probably already checked here, http://www.veniceairport.it/en/,
but I had a quick wander round and couldn't see anything that would prevent your proposal. I think you will get your most useful guidance by interrogating your ticket-issuing airline's site. Maybe every airline you're flying! You should be able to find the exact details for each class of travel or flight segment. Also, a tip I've relied on in the past, is to check the class of the class. By this I mean First can be any number of subcategories, depending on the cost of your fare. If you check your eTicket, you should see something like First A. I've also seen First P. Then there's Business C.
(I don't really know what these codes mean, but your Travel Agent or the issuing airline should be able to tell you. And the TA can also easily find the answer by using their computer system. I want to say Magellan, but I might be just imaging that!)
There are various rules that apply to the fare structures. If you actually read all the boring details that form part of your eTicket … the bits no sane person would choose to read … you might find some useful details. I have saved my bacon, or my carry ons, as recently as last August at JFK by looking plaintively at the checkin bloke and saying something like …. I think my round the world ticket lets me** … Once the bloke got the cue his fingers went tapping madly and he was nodding and smiling. Who knew there were so many rules? I think you should be okay with a first/business fare structure. But check, just for the karma!
Cheers,
Jan
** It helps that I sound funny to an American … no ear for accents! It also helped that time because I was limping and wincing and falling over a walking pole as I tried to push my luggage trolley up to the counter. By the time I arrived home I had the wounded, pathetic, snivelling traveller schtick down pat. And to their credit I actually had US travellers volunteering to help me get my stuff up to the bench at the security check. I was very grateful for the kindness of strangers. If it wasn't below my dignity I'd try that lurk again. But it wouldn't be cricket, either, so that will be a non-starter.
Thanks. Nairobi I am not worried about, as much. That is my flight home and since I am in business, or first, I can check two bags there or carry on two bags. Yes, Venice is my primary concern. Getting the bags on through the main counter and then on the plane is only going to happen at home, in Venice, or Nairobi. Since Nairobi is my last flight I can take two bags on. I suppose someone can stop me at the gate, but I have never had, or even seen, that happen. There is always a first time. Like I told AlanS, it takes one tenth of the time to say "I'm sorry" that it takes to ask permission.
I've never had a problem in Italy, even in Rome. My wife had an issue once at Heathrow, but no where else. I'll just pull the Tauck bag out and see how the backpack fits in it when it is full. Only way to do it.
Thanks, again.
We just received our Tauck duffels so this trip is really coming to life. They are very similar to the Eagle Creek bags that we have used three times in the Galapagos ... except the ones we just received do have the Tauck logo on them. (:-)
My husband has a business trip before our tour, so we will not be packing until just a couple of days before we leave. We are hoping for a decent weekend before our tour so we can hang most of our clothing outside to spray with the permethrin. Not that I think that deters any tsetse flies, but hopefully we will not encounter any this time. On our tour of Kenya and Tanzania last time it was August and we did not see any, I think the experiments they were doing hanging blue sheets up sprayed with insecticide was effective.
I am so excited to be visiting Africa again.
If you are interested in more info about the life of people in Kenya, there are a lot more youtube videos around on Kibera, a huge slum city outside of Nairobi. I have seen documentaries on this before and some of the scenes are horrific but the spirit and enterprise of the people in such extreme poverty is incredible. I have a link to the one I saw this week, but will have to put in in a different post another time, if anyone wants to see it. See if you can ask your tour guide about Kibera on your tour.
Two more weeks. Yeah! Getting very excited to start the adventure.
This thread has gotten a bit quiet, so I thought I would bring it back to the top. Four days and a wake-up as we used to say in the Navy. The clothes are getting piled up in front of the bedroom fireplace, and the Permethrin process was completed yesterday ... like dealing with WMD. Had the dog groomed Friday, so he's ready to go to the doggy resort Thursday morning. The only problem with travelling ... I hate leaving our dog and grand-kids. Some day we may be able to bring the grand-kids, but the dog would probably become lunch on this trip.
So I arrived home yesterday to find a weirdly dressed man under the deck wearing a mask and spray bottle in hand. There were all our clothes strung out on a makeshift laundry line affair ready for the bug spray. Fortunately, the weird guy turned out to be my husband, dressed in old gardening clothes.
I have just finished my packing, any clothes that are beige, khaki, green or brown have been utilized, there is a 'buff' in there and a new Booney hat from Costco that probably will look slightly better than the other hat I have with me, but not much! Please other women out there, don't bring the fancy clothes or I am going to look shabby. I'll leave the jewelry behind, last time I came to Africa the locals wanted to trade me for my Walmart Timex watch bought for the trip, my husband said, no I needed it until the end of the trip. They wanted the T shirt off my back too, but wasn't sure what our traveling companions would say if I got back in the jeep in just my bra.
Sealord, I think we were in Galapagos in 2008, it was in the year of Darwin's 200th anniversary. He has always been one of my heros. I loved it there and would so love to return before I can't safely jump into a panga. Last time my arm caught the ship's Dr in the chin as I was getting into the panga and he teased me for the remainder of the trip, rubbing his chin every time he saw me.
Getting back to Africa, wanted to tell everyone that last time I took the Kenya and Tanzania tour, when we took the internal flights on the dirt runways, the locals set up tables with 'Duty free' that's as good a place as any to do a bit of bartering for local crafts and has a nice story behind whatever you buy. My trip is Tanzania tour this time, less flights.
Ok, I'm still trying not to observe Mr. Perfect Packer, he's still at it, well we have two more days for him to complete the task!
So I arrived home yesterday to find a weirdly dressed man under the deck wearing a mask and spray bottle in hand. There were all our clothes strung out on a makeshift laundry line affair ready for the bug spray. Fortunately, the weird guy turned out to be my husband, dressed in old gardening clothes.
I have just finished my packing, any clothes that are beige, khaki, green or brown have been utilized, there is a 'buff' in there and a new Booney hat from Costco that probably will look slightly better than the other hat I have with me, but not much! Please other women out there, don't bring the fancy clothes or I am going to look shabby. I'll leave the jewelry behind, last time I came to Africa the locals wanted to trade me for my Walmart Timex watch bought for the trip, my husband said, no I needed it until the end of the trip. They wanted the T shirt off my back too, but wasn't sure what our traveling companions would say if I got back in the jeep in just my bra.
Sealord, I think we were in Galapagos in 2008, it was in the year of Darwin's 200th anniversary. He has always been one of my heros. I loved it there and would so love to return before I can't safely jump into a panga. Last time my arm caught the ship's Dr in the chin as I was getting into the panga and he teased me for the remainder of the trip, rubbing his chin every time he saw me.
Getting back to Africa, wanted to tell everyone that last time I took the Kenya and Tanzania tour, when we took the internal flights on the dirt runways, the locals set up tables with 'Duty free' that's as good a place as any to do a bit of bartering for local crafts and has a nice story behind whatever you buy. My trip is Tanzania tour this time, less flights.
Ok, I'm still trying not to observe Mr. Perfect Packer, he's still at it, well we have two more days for him to complete the task!
Thanks ... it's a great relief to learn you were not in the Galapagos last year. I cannot even begin to explain why that might be ... but thanks anyway. We have done the Xpedition with Celebrity three times, and that is probably 'it' unless I do it by myself. They have new rules that only allow the ships to visit the major sites once every two weeks, so unless you go 'back to back' you cannot see the whole shebang in one trip. It is still a great trip, but like most things there are changes. So we did the 'whole shebang' twice, and the mini-shebang once.
We are deep in the packing process, DW has the dining room table, and I have the hearth in front of the bedroom fireplace. We plan on travelling with the Tauck duffels plus one rollaboard size bag for the liquids. Tauck said that would be OK so long as we are within their weight limit ... we won't even be close. I'm actually using my Galapagos packing list minus the snorkeling gear. And we have enough memory cards for our cameras to take roughly twenty thousand pictures ... that should be enough. (;-)
Comments
Not at all. I have found all of your posts to be helpful and very informative. Thanks.
Speaking of lodges ... I noticed on their website that the Four Seasons Serengeti is normally 'all-inclusive'. Is that true for our group or did Tauck contract for something else?
Had Four Seasons taken over the Balila before your last trip? I noticed on line that they completed some sort of renovation last year (2013).
Well, I was curious about that, but more curious about whether we would be free to choose any of the available dining venues, or does Taulk have something else arranged for our group? I think I had already assumed that this was not a trip where we would be dancing the night away.
Does anyone know how strict Tauck is in regards to their luggage guidelines? They push really hard to request only one piece of checked luggage, but never really say you cannot bring 2 checked bags plus your carry-on.
Thanks, Gary
Tauck usually does the dine a la carte option for most of the tours, unless there is a special group dinner that night, like the welcome and farewell dinner. So you can usually dine at a time convenient to you, on your own or with other people you have 'jelled' with on the trip, or dine with different people each night. The tour director usually helps make the reservations for you at the more popular or busy places by calling ahead on the way, it works really well!
When we did this tour about 2007, Tauck did not use the Four Seasons/Balila or the William Holden place. Tauck 'tweek' their trips depending on customer feedback and other factors, for example when there was severe drought at Amboseli and lots of dead animals lying around, I believe they suspended that part of the tour for a couple of years.
Gary, it is absolutely possible to use one bag for this tour and anyway, you will only be allowed to take your provided duffel on part of the tour, so anything you cannot fit in that will not travel with you for that part of the tour. I have taken enough Tauck tours to know I can pack everything I need in one reasonable size bag.
There are other things to consider, that actually impact the rest of he group if only even one or two people break this guidance----when we move from one hotel to another, we are usually asked to have our bags ready one hour before we are due to leave. Sometimes that is very early in the morning. I assume that if everyone had two bags, it would mean Tauck will have to pay more people to do that in one hour, OR have us get our bags ready two hours before we leave---and I am not prepared to do that for anyone who cannot organize themselves to only require one bag. I can do this most times without even resorting to doing laundry along the way. This tour is the trip of a lifetime not a fashion parade and actually, Africa is one of hose places where hotel laundry is very reasonably priced.
Ok ... since we are on the subject. We happen to have the Eagle Creek medium duffels that Tauck issues, and have travelled with them to the Galapagos three times. They happen to be exactly maximum carry on size. We have only fifty minutes to connect in Amsterdam, so that is exactly what we plan on doing with them. We normally check one small roll-aboard with the liquids ... Or should we check a full size bag that would hold a duffel or it's contents so we can repack to one bag each, and a back pack each? I don't know if that is clear, but the choice is: (a) showing up with two medium duffels and a roll-aboard. Or (b) one duffel, and one full size suitcase with a duffel inside. In either case we would be well under the weight limit.
Gayle and Bob
One month to go. Going to get our last shots and pick up our shot records today.i
British ... Is it possible for you to comment on my luggage question above? I'm interested in your opinion.
We have a close connection from SFO, so I hope we are on time ... the
other choice was to go through Nairobi. We did not want to do that if it
could be avoided.
British ... Is it possible for you to comment on my luggage question above? I'm interested in your opinion.[/quote]
Yikes, yes confused!
Our duffels arrived yesterday! We did not open them because we are assuming they are the same size as we used before and they gave us duffels for India in February, and they look exactly the same. Did your bags arrive yet? Tauck gives good instructions with the bags, maybe better than on the website. I am not going to open them, worried I will not be able to get them back neatly in their carry bags.
If you can check a duffel and you can get all your stuff in then go for it, and then have a roll -on carry- on without oversize liquids, that would be great. The only difficulty is, they do not have wheels and we hate carrying anything without a wheel option these days. It's quite a shock when you leave the arms of a Tauck vacation and you have to struggle with your bags for the first time when you get to your home airport. Having one bag full size bag with a duffel a good compromise too. Clear as mud also.
On our trip back from India in February, we brought back two full size bags back and one duffel. My husband wanted to ditch the extra duffel, but I hated to ditch a nice bag, so we put that in a big suitcase, there was plenty of room and still underweight.
Sure you will be OK for your connecting flight unless it is late, most times the connecting gate is very near where your incoming gate is in Amsterdam. I also think they are more likely to hold a flight for you for a little while otherwise they will be putting you up for a night in Amsterdam at their expense. Just be sure you have an extra day's clothes in your carry-on. But please, not like the extra outfit my husband once packed, we were staying at a really nice Caribbean resort, his bag went missing and he spent the couple of days in really, really color clashing things, and there I was looking all cute with a color nerd at dinner, not that he cared. However, when our bags were searched once, the security guard said my husband's bag was the neatest he had ever seen!
I am getting excited now, not long to go!
I think if you are talking about taking the duffel bag on the plane to Tanzania with your lens in it, then if the bag is not full, it should be allowed as a carry-on shouldn't it? As long as it can be squashed into one of those 'bag-sizing' things they sometimes have at the gate, surely there should be no problem. I think maybe you are flying business too so it should allow you maybe two carry on bags of necessary, not sure. I am sure Tauck doesn't care anything about our bags until we put them in their care. Whoops phone call have to fimish
I didn't explain it well. I want to put my entire backpack in the duffel bag for the flights to Barcelona, then from Venice to Mt. Kilimanjaro, then from Nairobi to Washington and home. You are right, I am flying business and first so I can actually take an extra bag on, but I don't want to. I just want to put my backpack IN the duffel bag so I don't have to use suitcase space for the folded up duffel bag. Hmm, I hope I did a better job this time, but not sure.
The folded up duffel bag is pretty good size. I figured I can give it double duty and put the backpack (that has all the camera stuff) in it, thus saving space. Since I am packing for two trips, I could use the space in my suitcase. I think clothes would also be lighter than that duffel bag...it's pretty heavy.
OK, thanks.
I've never had a problem in Italy, even in Rome. My wife had an issue once at Heathrow, but no where else. I'll just pull the Tauck bag out and see how the backpack fits in it when it is full. Only way to do it.
Thanks, again.
http://www.veniceairport.it/en/,
but I had a quick wander round and couldn't see anything that would prevent your proposal. I think you will get your most useful guidance by interrogating your ticket-issuing airline's site. Maybe every airline you're flying! You should be able to find the exact details for each class of travel or flight segment. Also, a tip I've relied on in the past, is to check the class of the class. By this I mean First can be any number of subcategories, depending on the cost of your fare. If you check your eTicket, you should see something like First A. I've also seen First P. Then there's Business C.
(I don't really know what these codes mean, but your Travel Agent or the issuing airline should be able to tell you. And the TA can also easily find the answer by using their computer system. I want to say Magellan, but I might be just imaging that!)
There are various rules that apply to the fare structures. If you actually read all the boring details that form part of your eTicket … the bits no sane person would choose to read … you might find some useful details. I have saved my bacon, or my carry ons, as recently as last August at JFK by looking plaintively at the checkin bloke and saying something like …. I think my round the world ticket lets me** … Once the bloke got the cue his fingers went tapping madly and he was nodding and smiling. Who knew there were so many rules? I think you should be okay with a first/business fare structure. But check, just for the karma!
Cheers,
Jan
** It helps that I sound funny to an American … no ear for accents! It also helped that time because I was limping and wincing and falling over a walking pole as I tried to push my luggage trolley up to the counter. By the time I arrived home I had the wounded, pathetic, snivelling traveller schtick down pat. And to their credit I actually had US travellers volunteering to help me get my stuff up to the bench at the security check. I was very grateful for the kindness of strangers. If it wasn't below my dignity I'd try that lurk again. But it wouldn't be cricket, either, so that will be a non-starter.
We just received our Tauck duffels so this trip is really coming to life. They are very similar to the Eagle Creek bags that we have used three times in the Galapagos ... except the ones we just received do have the Tauck logo on them. (:-)
I am so excited to be visiting Africa again.
If you are interested in more info about the life of people in Kenya, there are a lot more youtube videos around on Kibera, a huge slum city outside of Nairobi. I have seen documentaries on this before and some of the scenes are horrific but the spirit and enterprise of the people in such extreme poverty is incredible. I have a link to the one I saw this week, but will have to put in in a different post another time, if anyone wants to see it. See if you can ask your tour guide about Kibera on your tour.
-Tim
This thread has gotten a bit quiet, so I thought I would bring it back to the top. Four days and a wake-up as we used to say in the Navy. The clothes are getting piled up in front of the bedroom fireplace, and the Permethrin process was completed yesterday ... like dealing with WMD. Had the dog groomed Friday, so he's ready to go to the doggy resort Thursday morning. The only problem with travelling ... I hate leaving our dog and grand-kids. Some day we may be able to bring the grand-kids, but the dog would probably become lunch on this trip.
I have just finished my packing, any clothes that are beige, khaki, green or brown have been utilized, there is a 'buff' in there and a new Booney hat from Costco that probably will look slightly better than the other hat I have with me, but not much! Please other women out there, don't bring the fancy clothes or I am going to look shabby. I'll leave the jewelry behind, last time I came to Africa the locals wanted to trade me for my Walmart Timex watch bought for the trip, my husband said, no I needed it until the end of the trip. They wanted the T shirt off my back too, but wasn't sure what our traveling companions would say if I got back in the jeep in just my bra.
Sealord, I think we were in Galapagos in 2008, it was in the year of Darwin's 200th anniversary. He has always been one of my heros. I loved it there and would so love to return before I can't safely jump into a panga. Last time my arm caught the ship's Dr in the chin as I was getting into the panga and he teased me for the remainder of the trip, rubbing his chin every time he saw me.
Getting back to Africa, wanted to tell everyone that last time I took the Kenya and Tanzania tour, when we took the internal flights on the dirt runways, the locals set up tables with 'Duty free' that's as good a place as any to do a bit of bartering for local crafts and has a nice story behind whatever you buy. My trip is Tanzania tour this time, less flights.
Ok, I'm still trying not to observe Mr. Perfect Packer, he's still at it, well we have two more days for him to complete the task!
Thanks ... it's a great relief to learn you were not in the Galapagos last year. I cannot even begin to explain why that might be ... but thanks anyway. We have done the Xpedition with Celebrity three times, and that is probably 'it' unless I do it by myself. They have new rules that only allow the ships to visit the major sites once every two weeks, so unless you go 'back to back' you cannot see the whole shebang in one trip. It is still a great trip, but like most things there are changes. So we did the 'whole shebang' twice, and the mini-shebang once.
We are deep in the packing process, DW has the dining room table, and I have the hearth in front of the bedroom fireplace. We plan on travelling with the Tauck duffels plus one rollaboard size bag for the liquids. Tauck said that would be OK so long as we are within their weight limit ... we won't even be close. I'm actually using my Galapagos packing list minus the snorkeling gear. And we have enough memory cards for our cameras to take roughly twenty thousand pictures ... that should be enough. (;-)