I find it interesting after reading these threads how little some people know about
just general vacation style travel.

I had some coworkers at lunch take this little quiz:

Who is Rick Steves?

Which countries in Europe now use Euro?

Do you get cheese on your pizza in Italy?


They got all three wrong.

Any more questions I should try on them?
They are willing.

There is a new quiz question on the main Fodor's page every day. Just don't tell your co-workers about this website

Hi chardonnay,

>Which countries in Europe now use Euro?

That's not a fair question because it requires knowing
a) all of the countries of Europe
b) those which don't use the Euro.

Real quick, do the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden use the Euro?

The cheese on the pizza question could be tricky--in Italy some do, some don't. What would be the correct answer? Yes, and no? Yes, I order pizza styles that have cheese? No, I order pizza styles that don't have cheese?

You are right, they are unfair questions.
I will have to think of better ones, any ideas?
We all work at a movie studio and two of us make well over 100,000 and the others make just below that amount.
One woman only travels to Penn. to visit relatives using all her vacation time.
One went to Hawaii as her only airplane trip and found it boring when she realized that there were no 99 cent stores there.
One goes only to Phoenix and Palm Springs.
One has been to the Carib.

I dont ask the one male because he is well traveled. The one question I did find odd that they didn't know (we are all in Hollywood) is that they did not know Rick Steves.

Any more questions? They all want to be centers of attention, they are just not travelers as you can tell.

Travel and other questions at:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/quizzes-world.html

I have traveled for about 40 years through 30 countries and did not know who Rick Steves was until I came to fodors. He just wasn't relevant to my travel. He hasn't <i>always</i> been around, you know. Once upon a time it was &quot;Europe on $10 a Day&quot; -- now <i>there's</i> a laugh!

For a quiz, the first two questions are certainly fair. There are factual answers to both:

1) The answer could be: &quot;Rick Steves is America's favorite expert on European travel&quot;, as letravelstore.com might answer. Another valid answer would be &quot;Rick Steves is a travel guru&quot; and, expecting this answer, you drill down in your quiz by asking which region of the world does he specialize in (Europe), etc.

2) This is perfectly fair. ira can do the subtraction, a minus b, and make the list of those countries that use the Euro. I can memorize that list and answer without knowing a or b. You have to know several facts, so it is a complicated question, but a valid one.

I don't need to know how many states are in the U.S. AND how many don't have Pacific Ocean coast to answer the following geography question: how many U.S. states have coastlines on the Pacific Ocean? (A=5).

3) My answer to the literal question is valid: &quot;I have never been to Italy&quot;. The question you want to ask needs qualified

Marilyn,

I remember &quot;Europe on FIVE dollars a day&quot;.

Hi Chardonnay

Where do I go to find discount airline fares? (name 2)

How do I find train schedules in Europe? In the US?

How about what countries are in the United Kingdom?

What cities comprise the &quot;grand tour&quot;?

What's the number one travel destination in the US? (not sure I know the answer to this one LOL)

As I see it, Chardonnay, not knowing who Rick Steves is is a big plus.

He is filled with more misinformation than anybody else on tv who is not in politics. He mispronounces names in every language and his attitudes help to reinforce the ugly american stereotype that many of us have tried for years to eliminate. I watch his shows to see places that I haven't been, but cringe every time. IMO Smart Travels is a much better production.

Off soap box now.

I firmly believe that there is a gene that determines whether or not you like to travel. I have it, my sister doesn't. It's their loss that the people you work with don't have this gene; but, they'll never know it's their loss, because not having the gene keeps them from being aware of what they're missing.

In short, Chardonnay, give up on them. They'll never change.

What is London's Big Ben? (It's the clock not the tower the clock is in)

Will your American blow dryer work in Paris?

What's the difference between first class and business class?

Which city is farther north, London or New York?

Why don't you need a passport to go to Guam?

Do you know what seat pitch means?

What planet do you live on?

Isn't Big Ben actually the giant bell inside the tower?

Yep - the bell - not the clock.

Rick Steves? A very rich, successful travel dweeb.

Forget the quiz - chardonnay, are you hiring???

ceb, LOL!
Ira, I was embarrassed to admit I went <i>that</i> far back. How could there ever have been a book with that title? It's incomprehensible now!
mrwunrfl, who knew you had such an analytic and precise cast of mind?

I have in my possession a book my parents used on their first trip in 1965: &quot;Europe on $5 a Day.&quot;

Ellenem, please study it carefully and remind us how it was possible. Today you could easily blow your entire daily allowance on one cup of coffee in Paris.