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When NOT to take a trip
We all know that traveling around major holidays like Thanksgiving is only for the desperate and the clinically insane, but these aren't the only times of the year that are best avoided. Travel tipster Chris Elliott recently offered advice on other times to keep your butt planted firmly at home, in his article "Stay home! 4 days when you shouldn't travel."
He writes that, with the US presidential elections well underway, you should steer clear of both parties' conventions-- the Republicans in Minneapolis from Sept. 1-4, and the Dems in Denver from Aug. 25-28. During these times, getting around a city and finding a decent restaurant will be a major logistical nightmare, Elliott writes.
Also be careful to not visit a place in which Mother Nature "is in one of her moods." Elliott writes that "late summer and early fall is the peak of storm season. Mark those as blackout dates if you're considering a trip to Florida, Louisiana, the Caribbean, or anywhere along the Atlantic coast of the United States, for that matter."
Of course, if your travel dates aren't very flexible, hell, go anyway. How many people can say they experienced a tropical storm on their vacation?
Check out Elliott's full article for more tips.
If you've gotta fly, might as well do it in style, right? Check out the Singapore Airlines' Airbus A380 below.
Gallery: Singapore Airlines' Airbus A380
Filed under: Festivals and Events, Transportation, Budget Travel
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
patsille Jan 31st 2008 6:50AM
i went thru tropical storm on my cruise (deaf freedom) recently on oct. 28 to nov.4, 2008. smile.
Kent Jan 31st 2008 8:12AM
Travel on the morning of Mother's Day, if Mom will let you. My wife and I left for our honeymoon that morning, and the plane was 2/3s empty. O'Hare was a ghost town.
ericsmusclecars Jan 31st 2008 8:11AM
nice thought...spending all that money just to have a freak tropical storm...wipe you off the map.
http://www.ericsmusclecars.com
myty Jan 31st 2008 9:45AM
my birthday is february 17th why is it a bad day to travel?????? i wnat answers
Becka BC Jan 31st 2008 9:55AM
I remember two days before Katrina there was a guy and his wife being interviewed in the French Quarter and they said they were not leaving because hurricanes in Louisiana were fun. And, two days later, all hell broke loose. Why anyone would choose to travel to the gulf coast knowing a major hurricane could hit is beyond me.
J Dicks Jan 31st 2008 10:12AM
The republican convention is in St. Paul, NOT Minneapolis!!!!!!!
KB Feb 3rd 2008 3:18PM
THANK YOU!!!! Of course, many of these same folks regurgitated that 35W (where the bridge collapsed) was the main connection between St Paul and Minneapolis *VBG* Like Miss Teen said, must be a lack of maps. I think it's more likely a lack of brains.
Pam Jan 31st 2008 10:32AM
DUH! It is Minneapolis-St. Paul and the original statement is very true.
KB Feb 3rd 2008 3:21PM
WRONG. The airport may be Minneapolis-St Paul, however, the convention is being held in DOWNTOWN ST PAUL!!!! Look at a map!!!!
LoreeA Feb 2nd 2008 2:58PM
See, this is stupid advice. The BEST time to visit Northwest Florida is from September - October. Water is still warm, crowds are gone, yes, hurricanes happen, but there is usually plenty of notice to leave (like a week)!! May is also good!
Gramma Jo Jan 31st 2008 10:57AM
Kent, great idea I'm a mother I think I'll fly away. The kids can wish me Bon Voyage. The other times I'll use my self propelled vac. Seroiusly ... Great suggestion.
Another Day when the airport is a ghost town is Thanksgiving. We celebrate it on that weekend due to schedules. We feel anytime with those you love is a reason to be thankful.
Ivin Feb 5th 2008 3:12PM
My wife and I traveled to the Philippines in November, 06. Very big mistake. Two Typhoons, back to back, no power, so no ATM's, cell phones or e-mail in her home town for days, and to top it all off, after escaping the bad weather and returning to Manila, they had a failed coup attempt on the government which shut everything down in Manila for three days. Also lets add a mall explosion across the street from our hotel, and a senator killed by a car bomb outside of a government office. Needless to say we left two weeks early and paid about $700.00 to change airline tickets.
Amy Jan 31st 2008 12:43PM
Another reason to try not to fly on Feb 17 in Florida. A major trade show ends the previous day, and about 90,000 people will be trying to get home on the 17th!
ann kirshner Jan 31st 2008 12:46PM
i was in jamaica august 07 during hurricane dean. was very cool. of course there was not too much damage otherwise it would not have been cool
Marty Jan 31st 2008 12:46PM
Ok folks. Hurricanes move slowly. Plenty of time to leave if you are smart enough to heed the warnings. Now, if you are one of the looters living in New Orleans you want to stick around to loot essentials like Nike shoes and Big Screen TV's. Visit Louisiana. Stay away from New Orleans. It's a cesspool.
Londong Jan 31st 2008 12:54PM
Travel dunk. Screw the democrats. Have fun. Take a hike dummy
Mom of Special Needs kids too Jan 31st 2008 12:56PM
I've been in a tornado in Omaha. I had to go there for my brother's wedding. Fortunately, thre wasn't much damage in Omaha, but it was a whole lot more frightening than the earthquakes we're subject to in Calif.
I also was in the middle of a hurricane, in a place that hadn't had one in 300 years-so who knew? I would not volunteer to go thru that again-there was no electricity, and thus no open restaurants, stores, entertainment, etc. The only transportation out of the city was via buses. There was a long wait to get on a bus, and it took hours to get to London, where services were not as affected.
Natural disasters are not fun to be in when you can be in your own home, with stores of food. They are much, much worse when you are in a strange place.
GIVERSandRECEIVERS Jan 31st 2008 7:36PM
An awesome new site where people are coming together to help one another.
http://www.giversandreceivers.com
Doug Feb 1st 2008 2:14PM
I was in a hurricane in Jamaica two years ago...we had to all leave the hotel and go to a school basement....it was absolutely an experience that I shall never forget....sleeping on a basemant floor, 95 degrees, little food or water, while paying (Sandals) 120.00 bucks a night !!!!
Miles Brock Feb 3rd 2008 2:17PM
St Paul is NOT Minneapolis just as there is no town called Tampa Bay, they're Tampa-St Petersburg and are two very different cities just as St Paul and Minneapolis are.