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Post by bromptonaut on Jan 16, 2017 16:01:47 GMT
Neither Mrs B or I have ever travelled outside Europe.
She has need/opportunity to attend an academic conference in San Antonio (Texas) over a weekend in late April. We're thinking of extending stay to 10 or so days and making a holiday of it.
Immediate thought was to fly to Houston (Singapore Airlines had good fares from Manchester) and spend a bit of time either before or after exploring the city/surroundings. Particular interest in Johnson Space Centre which I guess is worth a day or so. Likely to hire a car, any other ‘must see’ suggestions for area.
Drive Houston to San Antonio seems to be around 4hrs. Worth it for experience or better to take a flight? .
Another option would be to go via NYC and take in the sights/tourist stuff thereabouts before (or after) taking a connection to SA.
Bearing in mind we’re complete newbies to US I’d welcome comments, suggestions and warnings of bear traps.
As she’s not going solely as a tourist are visas likely to be more complicated?
For info, I’ve x/posted on C4P too.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jan 16, 2017 16:09:39 GMT
BA now flies a 787 route to Austin, which is a far nicer introduction to Texas than Houston would be - although the Johnson Space Center is worth the trip and is - or was in 1991 - free to get into. Austin is about a 90-minute drive to San Antonio and would easily keep you amused for a week.
Houston is viable as an overnight trip from Austin - that's how I did it. You could start early and stop for breakfast in La Grange, where they got a lot of nice girls. Have fun.
No visa worries provided you have your ESTA, aren't going for more than 90 days and won't be taking up employment while you're there. (Being sent there by your employer here doesn't count; that's my situation and it's fine. )
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 16:12:09 GMT
What sort of holidays do you like?
NYC is a city. An iconic city, but a city nonetheless. I used to live there so I can give you details if you wish. But the short answer is that IMO its worth 2 / 3 days. If you go there it'd then be a flight down to San Antonio.
Houston is a big city, and also somewhere I've worked. I don't like the place and its too damned hot. The is the Space Center, but not much else. Thought the restaurants are pretty good.
An out of the box suggestion would be to fly to San Fran, rent a car and drive to San Antonio. That is a great drive, loads of stuff to see. San Francisco itself is, IMO, THE must see city for newbies. To San Antonio its a bit less than 2,000 miles. You'd be able to take a wobbly route through Death Valley, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Alberqueue and loads more.
~There are literally hundreds of cheap and acceptable places to stay along the route. You'd have a great time and you'd really get to know some stuff.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jan 16, 2017 16:15:02 GMT
Oh wow, yes! Or even drive the PCH to LA and take the train from there along the Mexican border to San Antonio. We did that in the other direction and it's tremendous fun.
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Post by Humph on Jan 16, 2017 16:31:14 GMT
I'm sure you'd have a great time Bromp. Well worth staying on. Not to be mean spirited, but I've just had a mental picture of a rented Berlingoesque vehicle full of middle aged Rohan clad Brits pootling down the Pacific Coast Highway at the head of a frustrated queue of Mustang convertibles...
😬
Yeah, don't forget to apply for your ESTAs
Have fun !
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Post by Hofmeister on Jan 16, 2017 18:04:31 GMT
What sort of holidays do you like? NYC is a city. An iconic city, but a city nonetheless. I used to live there so I can give you details if you wish. But the short answer is that IMO its worth 2 / 3 days. If you go there it'd then be a flight down to San Antonio. Houston is a big city, and also somewhere I've worked. I don't like the place and its too damned hot. The is the Space Center, but not much else. Thought the restaurants are pretty good. An out of the box suggestion would be to fly to San Fran, rent a car and drive to San Antonio. That is a great drive, loads of stuff to see. San Francisco itself is, IMO, THE must see city for newbies. To San Antonio its a bit less than 2,000 miles. You'd be able to take a wobbly route through Death Valley, Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Alberqueue and loads more. ~There are literally hundreds of cheap and acceptable places to stay along the route. You'd have a great time and you'd really get to know some stuff. Fly in to San Fran, personally I would drive from San Fran to San Antonio as per Ottos idea, but I think its too far for a US newbie virgin to plan and drive (3 to 4 days) so fly from SFA. Or Fly in to New Orleans, spend some time there and then drive to San Antone. New York is a destination on its own, to be mixed with Viagra Falls at another time. The US is a big country, really bigger than you can ever appreciate till you start to seriously plan getting around the place. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 18:07:45 GMT
Meh, I've done a couple of contracts in New Orleans. Its ok, but I wouldn't go out of my way to be there.
I think Bromp has done quite a lot of European driving, and seems to take a mostly considered approach to stuff. I think he'd be just fine driving a distance in the US, provided it interested him, of course.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 18:10:10 GMT
Though it is most certainly 3 - 4 days. More like 5 - 7 if you want to really enjoy all the different stuff on the way and not feel rushed. And there is *lots* to enjoy.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 18:47:57 GMT
>>As she’s not going solely as a tourist are visas likely to be more complicated?
Quite the opposite. Going as part of her work will make the authorities much more comfortable with her. Also, going there for business meetings/seminars is a recognised and welcomed activity and quite different to going for productive work, which is another matter.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jan 16, 2017 19:27:23 GMT
Terminator???
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Post by Hofmeister on Jan 16, 2017 19:36:18 GMT
>>As she’s not going solely as a tourist are visas likely to be more complicated? Quite the opposite. Going as part of her work will make the authorities much more comfortable with her. Also, going there for business meetings/seminars is a recognised and welcomed activity and quite different to going for productive work, which is another matter. there is no way that commie brompy will get a visa now that Donut is in charge. Unless he claims his name is Vladimir on his ESTA |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2017 22:49:26 GMT
Houston is very very humid. Built on a swamp. Not that interesting. However loads of exciting stuff within a couple of hours flight including Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. Use Vegas as a jump off point for Grand Canyon (North Rim is best) Zion and Bryce Canyons, Meteor Crater, Hoover Dam. You can do all that in ten days and more as well.
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Post by bromptonaut on Apr 11, 2017 19:34:47 GMT
Time to bring this thread up to date.
We're definitely going!!!!
Fly out on Saturday coming to Houston with following overnight pre booked near airport at hotel with courtesy bus. Avoids driving while outside says mid afternoon and head says pushing midnight.
Pick up car (Nissan Verso Note or similar) and drive to Austin for two nights. Then three days in 'hill country' touring seeing sights including LBJ ranch.
Five nights in San Antonio while Mrs B and her Professor do their academic stuff. Part of that is behind scenes at San Antonio zoo for which I'm hoping I can grab an affiliate's ticket.
Last three nights round and about Houston to do Space Centre and possibly Galveston or some other bit of gulf coast.
Return overnight 29/30 April.
Got ESTA, got dollars sorted out plug adapters (everything we want to take is multi voltage). Bound to have forgotten something but that's part of the experience.
I've x/posted this on C4P so no need to repeat help given there but would welcome any comments from those on furlough from t'other place.
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Post by Hofmeister on Apr 11, 2017 20:34:32 GMT
Time to bring this thread up to date. We're definitely going!!!! After a longish flight, when you are not feeling your best, you will need to summon up your good natured patience to get through US immigration. It can be a long trying process, US immigration agents work very hard at being obstructive and officious. You might get a long wait, and you'll need to answer question on why you are going, where you are going, names of hotels you are using, how much money you have, and when you are leaving. Sometimes they are happy to let you and the wife be jointly interviewed, sometimes not. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2017 21:23:39 GMT
Not wishing you to teach you to suck eggs......
Carry wipes. Baby wipes. Enormously useful for freshening up before you get off the plane.
There will be a queue at immigration which will take time. How much time depends on where the flight that landed before you came from. There will be bathrooms between the plane and immigration which will be considerably less busy, and cleaner, than those actually in the immigration hall.
Carry NO fresh fruit. All too easy to get off the plane not having eaten all the food you were given on the plane and munching on some of it.
Be pleasant to immigration, security and customs. They get a lot of abuse. A bit of courtesy can stand you in good stead. Being pleased to visit their country, and excited about it, pleases them.
I know you travel quite a bit, but you might be intimidated by an American airport once you get out of customs. Remember, there are NO prizes for doing anything quickly. Do not make decisions quickly, do not get panicked.
If you feel like it, then stop for a coffee just outside customs. 30 minutes getting yourself sorted and accustomed can be a very good idea. You can stop for a coffee and one of you can wander off and research where the bus / hotel / taxi / whatever point is and then you are able to wander relaxed.
Make sure your suitcases are ones you can carry (drag) a distance. No reason to suppose you will have to, but useful to be able to if you need to.
Customer services people are very helpful. Do not hesitate to ask.
Make sure you get on the correct courtesy bus. Don't be all British about it, ask outright "We are going to the Bloggs hotel, Airport branch. Is this the right bus?" Ask the driver, not the man helping load the luggage.
If you can have dollar bills it will help. If someone carries your luggage, whoever takes your bags to your room, etc. etc. It matters little other than for courtesy if you will see them only once, but it will pay itself back for those you are likely to deal with more than once - doormen, barmen, etc. etc.
When you check into the hotel make sure you get exactly the room you want.
When you go to pick up your rental car, again ask anything that is unclear to you. Its always worth asking for a "good" car. With a British accent and a polite attitude it is amazing how often things work out.
Check very carefully what insurance you must have / need to have / might have etc. etc. for the Rental Car. They will try to sell you more and they can be daunting. Be sure of your position.
As for driving, you know how 4-way stops work? Move off in the order you arrived at the junction - essentially in turn. In Texas a rolling stop is not an actual stop. And you must actually stop at stop signs. You can turn right on red unless it specifically tells you that you cannot.
If stopped by the police DO NOT get out of the car. Switch the engine off and keep your hands on the steering wheel. Until he gets to you. Do not reach for documentation unless asked to.
More if/when I think of anything...............
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