australians first trip to us
Jan 26th, 2009, 07:47 PM
#81
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Before making your final decision as to how to structure your trip, you might want to check with your own government to see if there are any travel advisories concerning Mexico's safety for Australians. Then you can make up your own mind.
Whatever you decide to do, have a wonderful trip!
SF, yes, 9 weeks was wonderful. I practice law part time out of my house in addition to having a tour guide license in Washington, DC. I sort of go back and forth from one job to the other. Because I work for myself, I was able to take off 9 weeks. It didn't start out that way. I wanted two home exchanges in Australia. I really had in mind Sydney, Melbourne or Cairns. I didn't get any of those. I got a home exchange in Kawana Waters first (Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane). Then one came from Brisbane itself and I took it. With home exchanges, you pretty much take what you can get because ideal locations almost never happen.
Fortunately, before I bought my tickets, a home exchange in NZ plopped itself in my lap and I accepted it. I also got a second offer from NZ (in the Auckland area) but 3 exchanges was enough. Had I gotten the Auckland swap first, I would have preferred it to Northland--where I ended up (in Kamo just north of Whangerai). It ended up just fine because I saw things I would not have seen had I been centered in Auckland. I spent a total of 18 nights in hotels on the trip. The rest of the time I was in the home exchange location. 8 nights in hotels occurred in Fiji and Sydney before getting to the first home exchange in Kawana Waters. 3 nights were spent out tooling around from Kawana Waters (Fraser Island 2 nights and Toowoomba one night).
7 nights in NZ were spent in hotels because I was in the Northwest corner of the North Island and it was hard to do day trips from there without either stressing myself out or just doing more driving than I wanted. Since the cars were traded, I drive very conservatively. The last thing you want is a fender bender in someone else's car. I started my trip in NZ with a drive down to Rotorura and returned via Waitomo Caves. Then I did another overnight to Cape Reinga. At the end I had 2 nights in Auckland before leaving the car off in a prearranged location and flying home.
Without the home exchanges I would never have been able to do the trip financially. I generally do a home exchange (JUST ONE!) every summer somewhere. Next summer it is 3 weeks in Finland. Each one is different and it is the most interesting way I know (not to mention inexpensive!) to take a holiday. I have done 37 home exchanges since 1990 and Finland will be #38. I hope to keep doing it for as long as I am healthy enough to continue. It is a bit of adventure even just seeing where the next one will be. I generally accept the first "interesting" offer. I have already spoken with two people about the summer of 2010 (not Australia or NZ).
I would love to return to Australia and NZ someday because there was so much that I missed. If I return to Australia, I would want to go to the Great Barrier Reef. If I were to return to NZ I would want to go to the South Island (although I certainly did not see everything on the North Island).
I have done many home exchanges in the US and Canada as well as to destinations overseas.
Whatever you decide to do, have a wonderful trip!
SF, yes, 9 weeks was wonderful. I practice law part time out of my house in addition to having a tour guide license in Washington, DC. I sort of go back and forth from one job to the other. Because I work for myself, I was able to take off 9 weeks. It didn't start out that way. I wanted two home exchanges in Australia. I really had in mind Sydney, Melbourne or Cairns. I didn't get any of those. I got a home exchange in Kawana Waters first (Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane). Then one came from Brisbane itself and I took it. With home exchanges, you pretty much take what you can get because ideal locations almost never happen.
Fortunately, before I bought my tickets, a home exchange in NZ plopped itself in my lap and I accepted it. I also got a second offer from NZ (in the Auckland area) but 3 exchanges was enough. Had I gotten the Auckland swap first, I would have preferred it to Northland--where I ended up (in Kamo just north of Whangerai). It ended up just fine because I saw things I would not have seen had I been centered in Auckland. I spent a total of 18 nights in hotels on the trip. The rest of the time I was in the home exchange location. 8 nights in hotels occurred in Fiji and Sydney before getting to the first home exchange in Kawana Waters. 3 nights were spent out tooling around from Kawana Waters (Fraser Island 2 nights and Toowoomba one night).
7 nights in NZ were spent in hotels because I was in the Northwest corner of the North Island and it was hard to do day trips from there without either stressing myself out or just doing more driving than I wanted. Since the cars were traded, I drive very conservatively. The last thing you want is a fender bender in someone else's car. I started my trip in NZ with a drive down to Rotorura and returned via Waitomo Caves. Then I did another overnight to Cape Reinga. At the end I had 2 nights in Auckland before leaving the car off in a prearranged location and flying home.
Without the home exchanges I would never have been able to do the trip financially. I generally do a home exchange (JUST ONE!) every summer somewhere. Next summer it is 3 weeks in Finland. Each one is different and it is the most interesting way I know (not to mention inexpensive!) to take a holiday. I have done 37 home exchanges since 1990 and Finland will be #38. I hope to keep doing it for as long as I am healthy enough to continue. It is a bit of adventure even just seeing where the next one will be. I generally accept the first "interesting" offer. I have already spoken with two people about the summer of 2010 (not Australia or NZ).
I would love to return to Australia and NZ someday because there was so much that I missed. If I return to Australia, I would want to go to the Great Barrier Reef. If I were to return to NZ I would want to go to the South Island (although I certainly did not see everything on the North Island).
I have done many home exchanges in the US and Canada as well as to destinations overseas.
Jan 26th, 2009, 09:56 PM
#82
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Thanx again everyone
Author: nanabee
Date: 01/26/2009, 09:53 pm
Most of Mexico is wonderful and the people warm and inviting. The only real problem lies on the boarder towns like Juarez, Tijuana, Loredo, etc.
The problem is that the travel distance from southern California into major tourist areas in Mexico is thousands of miles away. It is a long and pricey plane trip. You might want to narrow your trip to Cabo and do mainland Mexico for another trip.
we have decided now to fly into Cabo San Lucas on the Tuesday now cos of the Monday holiday,(spend an extra day in San Diego) hire a car there until around the 29th, then drive on to San Jose Del Cabo and stay there until the 3rd June when we will fly direct to La for the trip home.
We have taken on board everything people have said and feel this is the best way for us to enjoy Mexico.
We can do Apalcupo and Ixtapa next time!!
This way we can relax more, spend less time at airports and spend more on the hotels we will stay at.
The 2 towns we are going to stay at sound exciting and more time there will allow us to explore the beaches and tourist stuff better.
we will drive along the coast within a days distance from our hotels, and bear in mind all the warnings we have received.
thanx again everyone
B and B
Author: nanabee
Date: 01/26/2009, 09:53 pm
Most of Mexico is wonderful and the people warm and inviting. The only real problem lies on the boarder towns like Juarez, Tijuana, Loredo, etc.
The problem is that the travel distance from southern California into major tourist areas in Mexico is thousands of miles away. It is a long and pricey plane trip. You might want to narrow your trip to Cabo and do mainland Mexico for another trip.
we have decided now to fly into Cabo San Lucas on the Tuesday now cos of the Monday holiday,(spend an extra day in San Diego) hire a car there until around the 29th, then drive on to San Jose Del Cabo and stay there until the 3rd June when we will fly direct to La for the trip home.
We have taken on board everything people have said and feel this is the best way for us to enjoy Mexico.
We can do Apalcupo and Ixtapa next time!!
This way we can relax more, spend less time at airports and spend more on the hotels we will stay at.
The 2 towns we are going to stay at sound exciting and more time there will allow us to explore the beaches and tourist stuff better.
we will drive along the coast within a days distance from our hotels, and bear in mind all the warnings we have received.
thanx again everyone
B and B
Jan 26th, 2009, 10:05 PM
#83
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Hi again..
Author: LaurenKahn1
Date: 01/26/2009, 11:47 pm
Before making your final decision as to how to structure your trip, you might want to check with your own government to see if there are any travel advisories concerning Mexico's safety for Australians. Then you can make up your own mind.
Whatever you decide to do, have a wonderful trip!
yes..we will do that...tx to all who have helped us...cant believe we have had so much feedback
SF, yes, 9 weeks was wonderful. I practice law part time out of my house in addition to having a tour guide license in Washington, DC. I sort of go back and forth from one job to the other. Because I work for myself, I was able to take off 9 weeks. It didn't start out that way. I wanted two home exchanges in Australia. I really had in mind Sydney, Melbourne or Cairns. I didn't get any of those. I got a home exchange in Kawana Waters first (Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane). Then one came from Brisbane itself and I took it. With home exchanges, you pretty much take what you can get because ideal locations almost never happen.
Fortunately, before I bought my tickets, a home exchange in NZ plopped itself in my lap and I accepted it. I also got a second offer from NZ (in the Auckland area) but 3 exchanges was enough. Had I gotten the Auckland swap first, I would have preferred it to Northland--where I ended up (in Kamo just north of Whangerai). It ended up just fine because I saw things I would not have seen had I been centered in Auckland. I spent a total of 18 nights in hotels on the trip. The rest of the time I was in the home exchange location. 8 nights in hotels occurred in Fiji and Sydney before getting to the first home exchange in Kawana Waters. 3 nights were spent out tooling around from Kawana Waters (Fraser Island 2 nights and Toowoomba one night).
7 nights in NZ were spent in hotels because I was in the Northwest corner of the North Island and it was hard to do day trips from there without either stressing myself out or just doing more driving than I wanted. Since the cars were traded, I drive very conservatively. The last thing you want is a fender bender in someone else's car. I started my trip in NZ with a drive down to Rotorura and returned via Waitomo Caves. Then I did another overnight to Cape Reinga. At the end I had 2 nights in Auckland before leaving the car off in a prearranged location and flying home.
Without the home exchanges I would never have been able to do the trip financially. I generally do a home exchange (JUST ONE!) every summer somewhere. Next summer it is 3 weeks in Finland. Each one is different and it is the most interesting way I know (not to mention inexpensive!) to take a holiday. I have done 37 home exchanges since 1990 and Finland will be #38. I hope to keep doing it for as long as I am healthy enough to continue. It is a bit of adventure even just seeing where the next one will be. I generally accept the first "interesting" offer. I have already spoken with two people about the summer of 2010 (not Australia or NZ).
I would love to return to Australia and NZ someday because there was so much that I missed. If I return to Australia, I would want to go to the Great Barrier Reef. If I were to return to NZ I would want to go to the South Island (although I certainly did not see everything on the North Island).
I have done many home exchanges in the US and Canada as well as to destinations overseas.
wow!..sounds exciting...
if you come back to Australia, can we suggest that you try to go to 'ordinary' places...a lot of the touristy places are over rated and full of tourists!!...hahaha!...oops..
I mean that in a nice way.
If you want to see the real Australia, it is best to take your time and research it well first.
Places like West Australia are hidden gems and because of distance from the east coast are not even considered.
In Australia you have to be aware that you will travel long distances to get anywhere..
we think nothing of hopping in our cars and driving 200kms for a barbecue!
Most Australians live near the coast, and the interior is another destination that many tourists never get to see.
Unfortunately, in our opinion, you need a lot of time to do a trip here justice.
Travel inside Australia is expensive, but there are ways you can economise.the Au dollr is bad at the moment also which doesnt help.
Always feel free to ask for any advice
cheers
B and B
Author: LaurenKahn1
Date: 01/26/2009, 11:47 pm
Before making your final decision as to how to structure your trip, you might want to check with your own government to see if there are any travel advisories concerning Mexico's safety for Australians. Then you can make up your own mind.
Whatever you decide to do, have a wonderful trip!
yes..we will do that...tx to all who have helped us...cant believe we have had so much feedback
SF, yes, 9 weeks was wonderful. I practice law part time out of my house in addition to having a tour guide license in Washington, DC. I sort of go back and forth from one job to the other. Because I work for myself, I was able to take off 9 weeks. It didn't start out that way. I wanted two home exchanges in Australia. I really had in mind Sydney, Melbourne or Cairns. I didn't get any of those. I got a home exchange in Kawana Waters first (Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane). Then one came from Brisbane itself and I took it. With home exchanges, you pretty much take what you can get because ideal locations almost never happen.
Fortunately, before I bought my tickets, a home exchange in NZ plopped itself in my lap and I accepted it. I also got a second offer from NZ (in the Auckland area) but 3 exchanges was enough. Had I gotten the Auckland swap first, I would have preferred it to Northland--where I ended up (in Kamo just north of Whangerai). It ended up just fine because I saw things I would not have seen had I been centered in Auckland. I spent a total of 18 nights in hotels on the trip. The rest of the time I was in the home exchange location. 8 nights in hotels occurred in Fiji and Sydney before getting to the first home exchange in Kawana Waters. 3 nights were spent out tooling around from Kawana Waters (Fraser Island 2 nights and Toowoomba one night).
7 nights in NZ were spent in hotels because I was in the Northwest corner of the North Island and it was hard to do day trips from there without either stressing myself out or just doing more driving than I wanted. Since the cars were traded, I drive very conservatively. The last thing you want is a fender bender in someone else's car. I started my trip in NZ with a drive down to Rotorura and returned via Waitomo Caves. Then I did another overnight to Cape Reinga. At the end I had 2 nights in Auckland before leaving the car off in a prearranged location and flying home.
Without the home exchanges I would never have been able to do the trip financially. I generally do a home exchange (JUST ONE!) every summer somewhere. Next summer it is 3 weeks in Finland. Each one is different and it is the most interesting way I know (not to mention inexpensive!) to take a holiday. I have done 37 home exchanges since 1990 and Finland will be #38. I hope to keep doing it for as long as I am healthy enough to continue. It is a bit of adventure even just seeing where the next one will be. I generally accept the first "interesting" offer. I have already spoken with two people about the summer of 2010 (not Australia or NZ).
I would love to return to Australia and NZ someday because there was so much that I missed. If I return to Australia, I would want to go to the Great Barrier Reef. If I were to return to NZ I would want to go to the South Island (although I certainly did not see everything on the North Island).
I have done many home exchanges in the US and Canada as well as to destinations overseas.
wow!..sounds exciting...
if you come back to Australia, can we suggest that you try to go to 'ordinary' places...a lot of the touristy places are over rated and full of tourists!!...hahaha!...oops..
I mean that in a nice way.
If you want to see the real Australia, it is best to take your time and research it well first.
Places like West Australia are hidden gems and because of distance from the east coast are not even considered.
In Australia you have to be aware that you will travel long distances to get anywhere..
we think nothing of hopping in our cars and driving 200kms for a barbecue!
Most Australians live near the coast, and the interior is another destination that many tourists never get to see.
Unfortunately, in our opinion, you need a lot of time to do a trip here justice.
Travel inside Australia is expensive, but there are ways you can economise.the Au dollr is bad at the moment also which doesnt help.
Always feel free to ask for any advice
cheers
B and B
Jan 27th, 2009, 12:07 PM
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Perfect!
Have a great trip and report back..
Eat lots of fish tacos and drink the Pacifico beer and snorkel at Lover's Beach next to the tip of Cabo..surf zippers and just have a great time!
Cheers..
Have a great trip and report back..
Eat lots of fish tacos and drink the Pacifico beer and snorkel at Lover's Beach next to the tip of Cabo..surf zippers and just have a great time!
Cheers..
Jan 30th, 2009, 01:22 PM
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I did do a lot of research on the area I intended to cover before I went. To keep the already enormous cost down, I concentrated on my home exchange locations. I had certain things I wanted to see and I saw those and then some. The problem is the vast distances.
In Sydney, I ended up there when the Pope was there. Strange as it may seem, all that hoopla did not really affect my trip (and I could not adjust the dates due to the dates of the home exchanges). I also went to the opera and a concert at the Opera House--which were top of my list as a "culture vulture". The opera ticket was purchased in advance and I got lucky with the concert ticket once there. I did see the usual tourist sites, of course. In my home exchange homes, I sort of lived in the neighborhood and even interacted with some of my neighbors. I even got to be a regular at a restaurant in Kawana Waters. The charm of exchanges is that you do get off the beaten path. I did see some theater in Brisbane and other entertainment. I did find Brisbane to be a very nice city (despite its "cow town" reputation, it is much more cosmopolitan). I even saw the Australian Outback Spectacular on the Gold Coast and toured Fraser Island in a bus (I had no thought of traveling on those "roads" myself in my borrowed car). I saw a lot of wonderful scenery, but it all looked the same after awhile. I think the koalas and kangaroos are overly hyped as well. The first time you see marsupials, it is interesting, but one zoo--no matter where--is enough.
I did a lot of reading of Australian history before leaving. Part of the vacation is always the planning which--for me at least--involves a lot of background reading. If I am going to a country where I do not speak the language (and sometimes I did get that feeling in Australia!), I usually do some language study to learn something as well. I have a couple of Finnish CD's and Pimsleur's Swedish (Pimsleur does not have Finnish but does have a short course in Swedish; Swedish is the second language in Finland) that I will do before my trip next summer to Finland.
The problem with Perth is its isolation--which is probably why it is interesting as well. It is just not a place that I would consider for a first trip to Australia, although I would certainly consider an offer there if one arrived in email now that I have been to Australia once. Next time I will do a trip to the Reef either on the way to my swap or on the way home though. Ayers Rock would have to wait for a third trip--should I be so lucky as to have one.
Good luck with your vacation plans. Some people on Fodors are just silly with their "advice".
In Sydney, I ended up there when the Pope was there. Strange as it may seem, all that hoopla did not really affect my trip (and I could not adjust the dates due to the dates of the home exchanges). I also went to the opera and a concert at the Opera House--which were top of my list as a "culture vulture". The opera ticket was purchased in advance and I got lucky with the concert ticket once there. I did see the usual tourist sites, of course. In my home exchange homes, I sort of lived in the neighborhood and even interacted with some of my neighbors. I even got to be a regular at a restaurant in Kawana Waters. The charm of exchanges is that you do get off the beaten path. I did see some theater in Brisbane and other entertainment. I did find Brisbane to be a very nice city (despite its "cow town" reputation, it is much more cosmopolitan). I even saw the Australian Outback Spectacular on the Gold Coast and toured Fraser Island in a bus (I had no thought of traveling on those "roads" myself in my borrowed car). I saw a lot of wonderful scenery, but it all looked the same after awhile. I think the koalas and kangaroos are overly hyped as well. The first time you see marsupials, it is interesting, but one zoo--no matter where--is enough.
I did a lot of reading of Australian history before leaving. Part of the vacation is always the planning which--for me at least--involves a lot of background reading. If I am going to a country where I do not speak the language (and sometimes I did get that feeling in Australia!), I usually do some language study to learn something as well. I have a couple of Finnish CD's and Pimsleur's Swedish (Pimsleur does not have Finnish but does have a short course in Swedish; Swedish is the second language in Finland) that I will do before my trip next summer to Finland.
The problem with Perth is its isolation--which is probably why it is interesting as well. It is just not a place that I would consider for a first trip to Australia, although I would certainly consider an offer there if one arrived in email now that I have been to Australia once. Next time I will do a trip to the Reef either on the way to my swap or on the way home though. Ayers Rock would have to wait for a third trip--should I be so lucky as to have one.
Good luck with your vacation plans. Some people on Fodors are just silly with their "advice".
Jan 30th, 2009, 08:10 PM
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DEFATs travel advisory for Mexico
* We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico because of the high level of violent crime.
* Pay close attention to your security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
* The Mexican Government has deployed large numbers of military personnel and federal police to the cities of Acapulco, Monterrey, Culiacan, Morelia, and Tijuana and other cities bordering the United States in an effort to curb a significant increase in drug-related gang violence. Although this violence is not normally targeted at foreigners, foreign residents and tourists have been among the victims.
* You should avoid all large public gatherings, protests and demonstrations as they may turn violent.
* The hurricane season is June to November when landslides, mudslides and flooding may occur. In the event of a hurricane, monitor local media reports and follow the instructions of local emergency officials. Information on hurricanes or other severe weather conditions can be obtained from U.S. National Hurricane Center and Tropical Prediction Center. See the Natural Disasters, Severe Weather and Climate section for detailed advice.
* Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:
o organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
o register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an emergency
o subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.
* We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico because of the high level of violent crime.
* Pay close attention to your security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
* The Mexican Government has deployed large numbers of military personnel and federal police to the cities of Acapulco, Monterrey, Culiacan, Morelia, and Tijuana and other cities bordering the United States in an effort to curb a significant increase in drug-related gang violence. Although this violence is not normally targeted at foreigners, foreign residents and tourists have been among the victims.
* You should avoid all large public gatherings, protests and demonstrations as they may turn violent.
* The hurricane season is June to November when landslides, mudslides and flooding may occur. In the event of a hurricane, monitor local media reports and follow the instructions of local emergency officials. Information on hurricanes or other severe weather conditions can be obtained from U.S. National Hurricane Center and Tropical Prediction Center. See the Natural Disasters, Severe Weather and Climate section for detailed advice.
* Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:
o organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
o register your travel and contact details, so we can contact you in an emergency
o subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.
Mar 10th, 2009, 07:33 PM
#90
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Thanks again everyone...we have now set our itinerary..
Just back from 3 glorious weeks in Bali (business and pleasure!) and have set the final details..
We fly into LA on May 19 thru Honolulu, and are staying at the Wiltshire Grand??? Hotel for 2 nights, renting a car at the airport.
We then drive to Las Vegas for 2 nights on the 21st, and will drive out to the Grand Canyon and spend some hard earned money at the casinos!
Staying at Planet Hollywood and then drive back to San Diego for 3 nights till the 26th...bearing in mind the wise comments about the Memorial Day weekend posted on here!!
We stay at Days Hotel In San Diego...leave the car at the airport here.
We fly from San Diego on the 26th to Los Cabos, hire a car at the airport and stay 8 nights at Best Western Real Posada...then fly back to LA on the 3rd to connect to a flight to Sydney, Australia.
We realise that it is going to be full on, but us Australians have plenty of time to rest when we are dead!
We are used to rushing all over the place, but hope that Los Cabos will give us some time to relax and maybe surf a little.
Thanks again for all your help..any comments on the itinerary would be appreciated, altho we have paid now!!
cheers
Bruce and Barb
Just back from 3 glorious weeks in Bali (business and pleasure!) and have set the final details..
We fly into LA on May 19 thru Honolulu, and are staying at the Wiltshire Grand??? Hotel for 2 nights, renting a car at the airport.
We then drive to Las Vegas for 2 nights on the 21st, and will drive out to the Grand Canyon and spend some hard earned money at the casinos!
Staying at Planet Hollywood and then drive back to San Diego for 3 nights till the 26th...bearing in mind the wise comments about the Memorial Day weekend posted on here!!
We stay at Days Hotel In San Diego...leave the car at the airport here.
We fly from San Diego on the 26th to Los Cabos, hire a car at the airport and stay 8 nights at Best Western Real Posada...then fly back to LA on the 3rd to connect to a flight to Sydney, Australia.
We realise that it is going to be full on, but us Australians have plenty of time to rest when we are dead!
We are used to rushing all over the place, but hope that Los Cabos will give us some time to relax and maybe surf a little.
Thanks again for all your help..any comments on the itinerary would be appreciated, altho we have paid now!!
cheers
Bruce and Barb
Mar 11th, 2009, 05:59 PM
#92
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Thanks Michelle,
we are getting pretty excited about it now..we have a trip to Bali on business (and some fun!!) on April 26th..get home on the 15th May..head off to the US on the 17th...have to be home by June 5th as our containers we put together in April wil be ready for sale...so we are a little time restrained...but after Bali on 213 trips, something different is pretty exciting.
It will be fun to compare the two countries...and can hardly wait.
cheers
Bruce and Barb
we are getting pretty excited about it now..we have a trip to Bali on business (and some fun!!) on April 26th..get home on the 15th May..head off to the US on the 17th...have to be home by June 5th as our containers we put together in April wil be ready for sale...so we are a little time restrained...but after Bali on 213 trips, something different is pretty exciting.
It will be fun to compare the two countries...and can hardly wait.
cheers
Bruce and Barb
May 13th, 2009, 02:35 PM
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Hi everyone..
well....its almost time.
We have literally just walked in the door after our trip to Bali on business and pleasure..three weeks of very hot and humid weather and now looking forward to the next part of our adventure, the trip to the US and Mexico.
Of course the minute we arrived in Bali we heard about the swine flu....grrr..we had already paid for all travel and accommodation so no point worrying really....we are off and will worry about that later..
A bus can run you over anywhere in the world if you worry about everything.We will just be sensible and take normal precautions.
Thanks to everyone for their great helpful comments.
We have allowed to stay a few days extra in Mexico if we love it like we are sure we will.
The car rental thing is our only worry at the moment.
Whether to arrange it at airports or look around.
We have heard it is better in LA to pay the $50 to get transport to our hotel and then look around for an older car to drive round LA, onto Las Vegas and back to San Diego where we fly out to Los Cabos.
We spoke to an Australian couple in Bali who have just come back from mexico and they said they had to pay $3000 for car rental in Mexico as they could only rent a new car and insurance killed them.
We are happy to rent an older car and dont want the hassles over insurance etc.
Any suggestions?
cheers and thanks once again
Bruce and Barb
well....its almost time.
We have literally just walked in the door after our trip to Bali on business and pleasure..three weeks of very hot and humid weather and now looking forward to the next part of our adventure, the trip to the US and Mexico.
Of course the minute we arrived in Bali we heard about the swine flu....grrr..we had already paid for all travel and accommodation so no point worrying really....we are off and will worry about that later..
A bus can run you over anywhere in the world if you worry about everything.We will just be sensible and take normal precautions.
Thanks to everyone for their great helpful comments.
We have allowed to stay a few days extra in Mexico if we love it like we are sure we will.
The car rental thing is our only worry at the moment.
Whether to arrange it at airports or look around.
We have heard it is better in LA to pay the $50 to get transport to our hotel and then look around for an older car to drive round LA, onto Las Vegas and back to San Diego where we fly out to Los Cabos.
We spoke to an Australian couple in Bali who have just come back from mexico and they said they had to pay $3000 for car rental in Mexico as they could only rent a new car and insurance killed them.
We are happy to rent an older car and dont want the hassles over insurance etc.
Any suggestions?
cheers and thanks once again
Bruce and Barb
May 13th, 2009, 04:10 PM
#96
Dear Bruce & Barb: Well, we are not heading down to Cabo. The swine flu is pretty much over and no cases reported in Baja. We just have to save $$$, and the airfare just did not get cheap enough for us to go now.
Check on tripadvisor for car rental info. We rented from a guy named Dominic. No hassle, but we had to pay in cash. I am not sure he is still in business. Tripadvisor people would know. Here is his info:
Dominic - car rental Los Cabos
From US - 949-338-8075
Cell in Mex - 044-624-110-72-44
e-mail - [email protected]
Please report back on your trip!!
MY
Check on tripadvisor for car rental info. We rented from a guy named Dominic. No hassle, but we had to pay in cash. I am not sure he is still in business. Tripadvisor people would know. Here is his info:
Dominic - car rental Los Cabos
From US - 949-338-8075
Cell in Mex - 044-624-110-72-44
e-mail - [email protected]
Please report back on your trip!!
MY
May 13th, 2009, 04:51 PM
#97
