Q: It’s hard for me to sleep on planes, but I have a red-eye flight coming back from Los Angeles to Washington next month and was interested in any tips people might have to help sleep on the plane. Drinking alcohol is not an option for me. Any ideas?
A: Comfortable clothes, pillow, eye mask, deep breathing/meditation/yoga, positive attitude and an upgrade – not necessarily in that order. And definitely, do not drink. It’s the worst thing you can do.
– Christopher Elliott
Q: We will have a 3.5-hour layover in Montreal in May. Is it reasonable to assume that we will be able to leave the airport for a quick two-hour tour of the city? Are there any airport/security/visa restrictions that will prevent this venture? Any recommendations on what to see would be greatly appreciated.
A: I would not leave the airport with only a 3.5 hour stopover. Unless you meant to say 35 hours, in which case, I’d go for it. If you’re a U.S. citizen, you can leave without any restrictions that I’m aware of.
– Christopher Elliott
Q: Our family has found a great rental home in a beach community that we’ve rented in before. While the house was previously on VRBO and HomeAway, the owner told us that they are “in the middle of switching” to another agency but that we could send a rental deposit of just $100 to hold a home for high season. I’ve done some checking and the owners (an elderly couple) live near the rental property and pay property taxes on time for both houses. Other than my internet sleuthing, is there any way that we can ensure this isn’t a scam? The final payment is due when we check in so I am not worried about losing out on a ton of cash, just making sure that this isn’t a “too good to be true” deal where we’d find ourselves out of vacation plans.
A: I have an entire chapter on vacation rentals (and vacation rental scams) in my latest book. One of the first things I advise is to do business with a reputable agency and to never, ever wire money. That said, I don’t think you need to worry too much. Holding a rental for $100 seems reasonable, and that alone would reassure me. The professional scammers demand full payment by wire up front. You can check online reviews of the rental to see what other guests have said, but I suspect you’ll find they were pleased with the property. If you’ve done your due diligence to make sure the property exists, I think you’ll be fine.
– Christopher Elliott
Q: Is there an authority in charge of regulating the scales that weigh luggage at airports? I traveled from Baltimore to El Paso. On the way out, my bag weighed in at 48 pounds at BWI. At the El Paso airport for the return trip, their scales measured it at 39 pounds. The contents of my bag didn’t change at all over the course of the trip. I wore the same shoes and outfit on both flights. If anything, my bag should have been a bit heavier on the way home because I packed a jacket on the return trip that I had been wearing on the outbound trip. (Of course I did use up some shampoo, toothpaste, etc. on the trip, but surely not 9 pounds worth!) Usually when I’m traveling the contents of my luggage change (buying souvenirs, dropping off presents, etc.) so this is the first time I’ve ever accidentally conducted this experiment of having the exact same bag weighed at two separate airports. So now I’m wondering what’s up. Since we’re charged for overweight bags, who is making sure that the scales are accurate and consistent from one airport/airline to another?
A: This is a fascinating issue. Each airport station calibrates its own scales in accordance with regulations defined by individual states. But since airlines started charging for the first checked bag, there have been numerous reports of scales that were less than honest.
– Christopher Elliott
Q: Are there small ships, like Viking, which sail to and from U.S. ports through the Panama canal with various stops along the way? Princess does have such a cruise but that is a many, many storied ship. Not to my liking.
A: Take a look at Tauck, Linblad, Panama Marine Adventures and Windstar.
– Carol Sottili
Q: Mayan ruins are on my bucket list. I had thought about just visiting the resort area and taking the day trip, but I’ve been leaning toward a cruise that hits the area and taking an excursion from that. Pros/cons of either?
A: Not sure which Mayan ruins you want to visit. I’m guessing you’re interested in Chichen Itza rather than Tulum. It’s a two-hour-plus drive from Cancun. Tulum is about a half hour closer to Cancun proper. I wouldn’t choose cruise over hotel based on wanting to do this as a day trip. Pick the type of vacation you’d prefer first. If you stay on land, you can get a taxi early in the morning to the ruins rather than go on a bus tour. It will cost a bit more, but you’ll get there way earlier than the masses and before the heat of the day, and it’s a far more enjoyable experience. You may also be able to do this from a cruise ship, although that would depend on docking times.
– Carol Sottili
Q: Any recommendations for good in-park lodging in Yellowstone, and fun activities in the park for a family with an 11-year-old and 9-year-old? Going to be there three to four days, then heading to another park.
A: We stayed at Roosevelt Lodge, but if I had to do it over again, I’d stay at Old Faithful Inn or Mammoth Hotel.
– Carol Sottili
