Mondays at 2 p.m., The Washington Post’s travel writers and editors discuss your travel stories, questions, gripes and more at live.washingtonpost.com. Here are some edited excerpts from a recent discussion:
Q: My husband and I are going to London in July with a few friends for a week. It's my first time traveling outside the United States, and I'm more excited than I can explain. So… what should I see/do/eat? We might rent a car (to see Stonehenge/Bath) but for the most part plan on relying on the tube. (For what it's worth, we're staying near Whitechapel.)
A: If you're a first-time visitor to London, you may want to stay in the city for the entire week rather than renting a car to travel elsewhere. Can't even begin to tell you what to see and do, as the list is exhaustive. There's the British Museum, the National Gallery, Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms, Westminster Abbey, Tate Modern — you get the idea. I'd start by getting a good guide book and by looking at London's official tourism website.
- Carol Sottili
Q: My family of four is traveling to Germany in July. We'll need to rent a car. Anything I need to be aware of before just booking this on Travelocity? For example, insurance. What do they require?
A: Auto Europe (www.autoeurope.com) does a good job of describing car rental requirements in Germany. I'd price with them before booking through Travelocity. Check with your credit card regarding whether it will provide CDW coverage before purchasing.
- C.S.
Q: I am going to be visiting Houston and Dallas in the next couple of months. Do you have any suggestions on what to do? I plan to hit Delaney Plaza in Dallas. How much time should I allow?
A: I visited Dallas last year when I scored a ridiculously cheap flight there. You might want to check out a honky tonk or Western joint. The Dallas tourism office has a list of recommendations.
For Dealey Plaza and the Sixth Floor Museum, give yourself at least 90 minutes. Also go early, because lines start to form later in the morning.
- Andrea Sachs
Q: My husband had a ticket to Kilimanjaro International on KLM with a change in Amsterdam. On the morning of the flight he received an email that the first leg of the flight would be leaving late due to lack of crew. Since he would miss his connection in Amsterdam, we called KLM. After hours on the phone with various supervisors they had only three "solutions": Take a flight that would get him there 48 hours later (eight hours after his expedition left), accept a refund or get on a flight that left in 45 minutes. That would have worked if they had called instead of emailed so he got the information in a timely manner. He finally took the refund and booked flights on Turkish for 2 1/2 times the original price. My question is twofold, does he have anymore recourse with KLM? And when you book online is there a way to request longer layovers?
A: That's not an ideal solution. You should reach out to a customer service contacts at KLM. Technically, the airline can change its schedule any time for any reason. But based on what you're telling me, I think it could have done better. You can always call the airline and ask for a longer stopover, but the reservation systems will normally book you on the next available flight unless you can manually override it.
- Christopher Elliott
Q: I'm headed to Italy in a few weeks - mainly Rome and Florence - and while I know that I'm going to be spending a lot of time enjoying the art and architecture, I was wondering if those cities have any alternative kinds of museums that could be interesting? Maybe something about science or medical history or … well, just a change of pace. (With English signage, since my Italian is non-existent.)
A: Atlas Obscura is a great source for under-the-selfie-stick attractions.
You might also check out the Museo delle Anime dei Defunti, the Criminal Museum, the Catacombs, the Pasta Museum and/or the Purgatory Museum in Rome. In Florence, consider La Specola/the Museum of Zoology and Natural History, Boboli Gardens and the Stibbert Museum.
(Note: Not sure if these places have English translations; check their websites or the tourism office for more info.)
- A.S.
Q: We are family of five with older teens and we are looking to spend a week in the Caribbean before the week of Christmas (a little vacation to gird ourselves for family vacation, if you will). A friend recommended Turks and Caicos to us. We are looking for hotel or condo, and it doesn't need to be too fancy or expensive. Any recommendations if T&C is too expensive?
A: Turks and Caicos is not a cheap destination because airfare is typically high. I'd look at the Bahamas and Cancun first. Easier and cheaper flights, plus lots of less expensive hotels and all-inclusives.
- C.S.
Q: Next April I will celebrate my 50th birthday and 25th wedding anniversary. I think that taking a vacation with my husband and 12-year-old son would be the perfect way to celebrate. I am happy sitting on a beautiful beach with a book and a cold drink. They like to hike, bike, fish, swim, water sports and stay fairly active on vacations.
Cruises are not an option. (I saw the original “Poseidon Adventure” at the drive in and never recovered!) Do you have any recommendations for places I should investigate? I want this trip to be memorable and fun and relaxing for all. Budget is a concern, but a splurge for that special destination isn’t out of the question. Must haves are a nice beach and pool area, maybe a resort with kids club, plenty of things to do other than the beach and pool.
A: Central America has destinations that could fit the bill. Look at Costa Rica and Belize. Both offer nice beaches, but they also have other attractions.
- C.S.
Q: I bought nonrefundable tickets on KLM to Amsterdam and back to D.C. a few weeks ago for an August trip. I have since noticed lower fares for the same flight on KLM's website. Is it possible to ask for a refund of the difference?
A: It's worth asking. KLM's fare guarantee only applies to tickets found on the same day, so the answer will probably be "no."
- C.E.
