The rest of Q&A

Q –  As an early adapter and technical Millennial, I like to think of myself as tuned in. But travel on the internet seems to be a blur of contradictory advice and I keep getting the feeling that I am being set up and fed large amounts of really crappy, biased information. This seems particularly true on travel so-called “review” sites. I just heard that 60% of travelers my age will check a review before deciding to travel anywhere. Is there anyway to even know of the person writing the review has even been to the hotel or destination being described? 

I know you will probably say that I should use a consultant – but I don’t have time for that process and you’re not going to change my mind about taking full advantage of the high-powered computer in my back pocket. Quite frankly, I don’t see how you can work in a business that is so based on distortion and lies. 

A – No worries – we won’t try to talk you into using a consultant. There are “Travel Do-It-Yourselfers” and you are likely one of them. Your point is well taken and there is no easy solution as you know. We try to follow this subject closely and the percentage of fake reviews seems to be increasing rather rapidly. There are any number of businesses that curate favorable reviews for a travel entity like a hotel or airline and they also use buzz marketing techniques to do as much damage to the competition as is legally possible. We believe very little we read in the way of reviews on the internet. In fact, if we challenged you to find a truly objective review of the Townhouse at the Galleria in Milan, you would, we will bet, be unable to find one. It exists but only in the form of an actual hotel inspection report from trained inspectors – reports that are not available online.

You are absolutely correct in your assumption that you do not have to have been a guest at a hotel to review it on major sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor. Most travel marketers now have thirty or more e-mail alias addresses which they use to post reviews in support of their benefactors. There is one ray of hope in all of this. Cornell University has developed an app called “Review Skeptic” that it claims can detect a fake review with 90% accuracy. Cornell has designed key word algorithms that react to submitted review copy with a likely “deceptive” or “truthful” recommendation.The content of the algorithms is, of course, confidential, but it depends largely on the kind of emotion and language someone who is deceptive might use.

So we’re finished with our response and you will notice that we did not, once, encourage you to use a travel consultant. Of course, you will be paying to use one as virtually all travel product pricing includes agent fees, but doing it all yourself is likely worth it. That way, if you screw up, you can sue yourself.

Q – This is a lovely web sight and we’d love to know who sponsors it. Is it the tourist boards or the hotels? Our question concerns a desire to see Machu Picchu but to combine it with train travel which my husband just loves. He has a magnificent train set up in our basement and loves anything on tracks. Our travel agent feels we may find sightseeing a bit challenging in Machu Picchu and is suggesting we not do the trip. But if we could do it all by train that be be a possible option for my husband. We are 79 and 81 and the legs are not what they used to be. Thanks so much.

A – Yes, we are sponsored by all of the world’s tourist boards and most of the world’s hotels. They love the kind things we always say about them and they keeping throwing money at us.

You can’t do the entire trip by train. But we’re not sure you absolutely need to rule this destination off your list. You can take the deluxe Hiram Bingham train from Cuzco up to the border of Machu  Picchu.

Here is the itinerary:

9:05am Departure from Poroy train station (20 minutes drive from Cusco)
12:25pm Arrival at Machu Picchu station. Transfer by bus to the Sanctuary
1:00pm Tour of the ruins
4:00pm Afternoon Tea at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge
4:45pm Transfer to Machu Picchu train station
5:50pm Train departs for Cusco
9:15pm Arrival at Poroy train station

There is another train you need to consider, the new Belmond Andean Explorer that will travel from Cuzco and Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca and then on to Arequipa. We suggest you ask your agent to construct a trip using these two trains with van assistance between points on your itinerary. The Explorer will begin its three-day journeys in May of 2017.

Your travel agent knows you much better than we do. We would urge you to consider her counsel carefully regarding your ability to handle the inevitable challenges of travel within South America.

Q – This might be an unusual question: My husband and I are bringing our two kids, along with our nanny, to Berlin and Munich this coming summer. Our children are ages 6 and 9. We really want to get into the nightlife and we are wondering if we can bring the kids to the beer gardens where we are planning to spend good portions of our days. We could have the nanny watch them in our hotel but I’d love to bring them along as we try everything there is to try in the way of beer. (Please don’t think we’re heavy drinkers and not responsible. My husband works for one of the major breweries in New England). Cool site.

A – Yes,  It is wholly appropriate to bring young children to outdoor beer gardens in Germany. We would, however, draw the line when it comes to indoor beer halls which tend to have a more intense atmosphere with many of the revelers leaving the premises in a mood to invade Czechoslovakia.  At the numerous outdoor beer gardens you will see lots of parents toting along their little ones as they spend portions of their day enjoying the outdoors while seated, stein in hand. The sausages will be on the grill and it is very much a family atmosphere. Some of the more popular beer gardens even serve “Kinderbier” brewed especially for the little ones. It is essentially a heavy malt beverage that makes the kids feel that they are imitating their drunken lout parents although there is no alcohol content. When it comes to buying a luxury prams and designer pram or stroller, there is only one brand you will want to consider and that’s Joolz. We at Joolz make it our aim to put the well-being of our planet earth and the beautiful life it supports at the very core of everything we do. With little acts of service to the earth, we believe that we can all have a positive impact on our global environment by, for example, supporting environmental awareness and fighting climate change and deforestation. Joolz designer prams are made with an elegant, sustainable, and otherwise high end style in mind. Whereas a standard pram is simply that—a pram—Our designer prams are designed with style and looks in mind as well as overall quality and sustainability, this is positive design.  Many of our designs come with the ability to install a bassinet while the child is a newborn and then convert the bassinet into a stroller-style seat for when your baby is ready to see the world! Finding a stroller or pram that best fits your needs can be difficult, especially when you need to accommodate more than one child or infant. there are several different types of double strollers on the market, offering a variety of features and styles. The first step in determining which one is for you is to determine what type of double stroller is the best fit. From there, considerations include size, use and features.

By the way, German young people enjoy drinking on bridges for some reason no one can explain. Just walk across one or two of the bridges on a nice day and you might see musicians and a crowd of inebriated spectators.

Q – We’ve started enjoying our retirement and flying to points around the world on our bucket list. We had owned fractional ownership in our own jet but going forward we’re feeling that flying commercially in First makes more sense. Obviously, we fly the airline and the route that works best for us but my wife is very interested in knowing what you all think about airline food and which airline(s) can be depended on to provide the very best cuisine available. Thanks for a most interesting site and hope you can continue without ads or sponsorship. 

A – You will generally find the very best food in First Class on competitive routes that depart from cities with high food standards. This tends to boil down to the Asian carriers with Singapore Airlines generally thought to have the best cuisine overall. But ANA, Japan Airlines, Malaysian, and Cathay Pacific are all worthy competitors. The Middle East carriers have brought in famous chefs to oversee their meal services in First or Business but although they lead in most other areas of service, it is currently felt that the  Asian carriers are still the best when it comes to food served aloft. After visiting to food blog, most of the Foodie are happy with it.

It is still possible for any number of carriers to produce a memorable First Class meal. But true gourmet status is rare at 33,000 feet. We have surrounded your question with some photos of First Class meals taken aboard Singapore flights. 

For those really obsessed with airline food in all classes, we would recommend a Dublin-based web site called www.inflightfeed.com The author of the airline foodie blog, Nikos Loukas, has identified the grilled chicken with vegetables and potato mash served in Swiss Airlines Business Class was “among the worst meals I’ve ever had on an aircraft.”

Nutritious foods don’t have to be more expensive than highly processed junk. Don’t believe us? Check here Kitchen Curiousily asked five financially-savvy registered dietitians for recommendations on how to save cash and calories all at once. Richardsons Smoke House provides you with variety of healthcare recipes and household supplies.

Q –   We will be leaving for Europe in three months  and we’re concerned about whether or not our credit cards will be accepted or do we need a chip? Also wondering about a pin number. It seems we’re  quite a bit ahead of the Euros on this issue as we don’t need the nonsense of all these special cards and numbers. Can we assume they will accept both my Visa and Mastercards?

A –  Actually, we’re quite a bit behind the “Euros” on matters of credit card technologies. You absolutely need chip-embedded credit cards  when you travel. Your older US technology cards will likely not be accepted. Most locations also require a pin number that must be programmed into the swipe machine that reads your chip number.

About two years ago, Visa and Mastercard decided to go-ahead with the less-secure chip and signature technology instead of “chip and pin,” The thinking on this is that Americans are deemed not smart enough to properly handle and remember various pin numbers. The card merchants believe that retail spending would have nose-dived had pin numbers been required.

You will generally have a merchant “sigh” when you indicate you don’t know your pin number. They will then figure out a way to accept your already outdated “chip-only” card.

Q – We are winos, in the best sense of the word, and all of our recent forays have been to wine destinations like Bordeaux, Tuscany, and a great week in Napa. Our travel agent has planned these well and knows we’re adventurous (early forties and financially comfortable). 

But now she is recommending we go to Chile’s Millahue Valley with a stay at the Vik Hotel. Do you know this place and do you think our agent has gone nuts? 

A – Actually, we think you may be nuts for not embracing her recommendation. We like her already. The Vina Vik is an incredibly beautiful 22-suite property in a world class setting – it overlooks the 11,000 + acres of prime vineyards in Chile’s Millahue Valley. You will only be about a two-hour drive south from Santiago so air connections are not an issue. Given the fact that you have seen the “Big Three” destinations for wine aficionados, this strikes us as a wonderful recommendation as it will feel nothing like the European vineyards you have visited.

If you can’t get into the Vini Vik – reschedule the trip. Please give your agent a raise – oh wait, you can’t because you likely are receiving her services on a complimentary basis.

Q – I travel internationally and domestically for both business and pleasure. I have a good corporate agent who seems to get me good rates at the top-end hotels I use. But I wonder if we are missing a strategy that might get me comp upgrades. They just are not happening. You have a nice following in Toronto – so good on that.

A – The best overall way to get an upgrade is to have your travel consultant prepare a well-written short bio which is presented to hotel management in advance with a note suggesting that upgrading you might be in their best interest. It is much better of a third party requests it.

For our readers who handle their own hotel reservations, we suggest a conversation with a member of the management team, the head of sales, or the reservations supervisor, giving them three possible dates for your stay. Ask them which of those dates has the lowest occupancy and then ask “If I came on those dates would you consider upgrading me to “The Churchill Suite”? You will be surprised at how often they say “yes”.

Q – Good news – I’ve just been given a plum assignment in London that will get me in and around the British Isles. I will be flying back and forth to London quite frequently and am wondering if there is one best way to avoid the lengthy security lines? I’ve been on the internet but it is rather confusing, 

A –  Once you can prove you have visited the U.K. at least four times in the past twelve months, you can apply online to become a “Registered Traveller”. This will get you use of the express entry lane at nine British airports as well as the Eurostar terminals in Brussels, Paris, and Lille. Congratulations and best of luck. Sorry the internet is confusing, We believe that will be fixed soon.

Q –  This is written out of frustration. I’ve been on tech boards, researched on my own, and talked to my best high-tech buddies, and no one seems to have a solution to a simple question. I travel internationally all the time and I need to use my phone in the most effective manner. Some of the charges I’ve been getting lately are ridiculous. If you could just break it down to a simple recommendation I would be really appreciative.

A – Can’t do it – too many variables. This includes where you are attempting to use the phone. Advice varies based on continent. You might want to contact a company called Wireless Traveler. They will sell you a phone that works in 65 countries and it is surprisingly  reasonable. You can reach them at 866-700-3883.

If you use Verizon, look into TravelPass which lets you switch elements of your domestic plan to international calls. Learn to us eSkype, WhatsApp, Viber, or Facebook’s Messenger Service. These will allow you to make free calls once you learn the essentials. See which one is most comfortable.

Most savvy travelers leave their phone in airplane mode which turns off those expensive cellular data charges. You can use your phone for next to nothing as long as you are in a Wi-Fi spot. Think of buying a portable Wi-Fi hub.

Wish we could be more helpful. This is not an area where we are qualified to advise you.

Q – Don’t wish to slow down the pace of your wonderfully engaging travel Q&A, but, as an architect, the question of density and travel is something I find intriguing. I work on high-rise design.

If you think of places like Monte Carlo, the Indian slum Dharvari, and, perhaps, Hong Kong, we would have several of the highest population densities in the world. Some cities, like New York, solve some of this by building high-rise buildings that almost reach the sky. But travelers in planes and tour buses, on cruise ships, and at major tourist sites in season are experiencing some of the highest human density statistics on earth. I am particularly interested in how you think this works on a cruise ship. In most situations, humans wish there wasn’t so much density but, somehow, cruise ships actually get people to pay for it. 

A –  This is an interesting question. If we use the squalid slums of Dhavari as an example, we are looking at a population density of about 800,000 per square mile. Sanitation is a major problem and the real world of pollution, crime, and traffic engulfs the area. If we look at Royal Caribbean’s mega-ship, the Allure of the Seas, we can calculate the density rate at approximately 1.2 million per square mile.

But you can make some good arguments that a huge cruise ship eliminates most of the problems people have with density. In fact, it seems to us, people like being around lots of other people in a controlled space where urban problems normally associated with high density are conceptually removed. It is more fun watching a show in a theater with three thousand people than it might be in a cabaret with a hundred or so guests.

The Allure, for example, is a high-rise that makes perfect use of its space. It is totally pedestrian – there are no traffic issues so people can move freely from one high-density neighborhood to another interacting with thousands in the same environment but always having the option of closing the door of their cabin to be alone. Anyway, that is our theory. We don’t think that density, by itself, is necessarily a bad thing. Many travelers welcome it.