* a warm and fuzzy response from Ryanair

Dear ,

Following your recent correspondence to us regarding booking confirmation number VCMGTA

In accordance with Ryanair’s General Conditions of Carriage all monies paid are non refundable, therefore we are not in a position to process a refund of the fee paid on booking confirmation number VCMGTA.

Please accept our apologies.

Yours sincerely,

Ryanair Customer Services <info@care.ryanair.com>

***

see related post …

* request to Ryanair for reimbursement of costs from missed flight in Perpignan on July 8

***

LMW COMMENT …

Did anyone expect any more? That they even answered is more than expected.

* Aéroport Perpignan Rivesaltes responds

related post … * email to Aéroport Perpignan Rivesaltes regarding reimbursement for missed flight in Perpignan on July 8, 2009

******

August 6, 2009 response from Aéroport Perpignan Rivesaltes

Dear Lew WEINSTEIN

• Information that I communicated to you was correct
• It is the morning of July 8 which we learned cancellation from the shuttle because of the arrival of the Tour de France in the centre town
• All the roads towards the station of train and of bus were blocked
• We are really sorry and understand you but this situation is independent of our will
• The nuisances which you have undergoes cannot be charged to us. While hoping to cordially re-examine you on our destination

Bests regard, Marc FIANCETTE, ResponsableQualité Formation Développement, CCIPPO, Aéroport Perpignan Rivesaltes

******

August 6, 2009 LMW answer

MARC … Thank you for your response. The circumstances were unfortunate and expensive, but I agree, given when you learned of the situation, that you are not to blame … LEW

* request to Ryanair for reimbursement of costs from missed flight in Perpignan on July 8

.

* buy CASE CLOSED

for more information about CASE CLOSED

and the actual anthrax case, click …

http://caseclosedbylewweinstein.wordpress.com/

******

July 28, 2009, RYANAIR Customer Service Department

My wife and I were scheduled to fly from Perpignan to Stansted on Flight 937 on July 8, 2009 (Booking Date Thu, Apr 02, 2009; Reservation Number VCMGTA). We missed the flight and had to take a taxi to Girona to catch the 10:00 pm flight from Girona to Stansted.

Between charges made by Ryanair (100 euros each for re-booking and 40 euros each for airport check-in) and for the taxi (300 euros), this change of flights cost us 580 euros.

The reason we missed the Perpignan flight was that the shuttle bus (Navette) from the Perpignan Gare to the Perpignan airport was not functioning on July 8 due to the Tour de France coming into Perpignan that day. We had taken a train to Perpignan and were awaiting the 3:45 pm shuttle bus which never came. When we realized the bus was not coming, we tried to take a taxi, but there were no taxis available. By the time we reached the airport, the flight had closed (although the airplane was still there).

Why is this your problem?

Ryanair was aware that the shuttle bus was not running on July 8. You even posted a notice to your web site to that effect. But you did not take the next appropriate and reasonable step of sending an email to passengers who were leaving Perpignan on July 8. Had you sent such an email, we would not have missed the flight and would not have incurred 580 euros of additional cost.

I am writing to request that you reimburse the additional Ryanair fees (280 euros) and the taxi cost (300 euros) that would not have been incurred but for your failure to notify me of crucial travel information which was in your possession.

Please advise how you choose to handle this matter. Reimbursement can be made by credit card or by check.  Thank you for your consideration.

Yours very truly,

Lewis M. Weinstein

* buy CASE CLOSED

for more information about CASE CLOSED

and the actual anthrax case, click …

http://caseclosedbylewweinstein.wordpress.com/

* email to Aéroport Perpignan Rivesaltes regarding reimbursement for missed flight in Perpignan on July 8, 2009

July 24, 2009

Perpignan Gare

to MARC FIANCETTE

I would like you to know that the information you provided in your email below was incorrect. I would also like to make you aware of the consequences of your error. And finally, I would like to request compensation to reimburse me for the consequences of your error.

I inquired of you by email regarding Navette service from the Perpignan train station to the Perpignan airport on July 8, 2009. Here is what you wrote back to me by email on July 6, 2009 …

“There are shuttles buses at every arrival in front of the terminal.

You buy tickets at the driver.

For the 08th july the departure from the railway station is at 15h45 French local time.

Bests regard. Marc FIANCETTE”

Relying on your information, we arrived by train in Perpignan at 1:20 pm on July 8. The bus was to leave at 3:45 pm so we had plenty of time. We took a walk; we had something to eat. At 3:35, we stood at the Navette bus stop.

But the bus never came.

We learned that, due to the Tour de France, the Navette was not coming to the train station. It did go to another place in Perpignan, but by the time we learned that, it was too late to get there in time.

We tried to take a taxi, but there were no taxis. Perhaps all the taxi drivers were watching the bicycle race. We finally got a private motorist to drive us to the airport, but of course the traffic was awful. We missed our flight.

There were no other flights from Perpignan to Stansted airport in London until 5:25 pm the next day. We had a connection leaving Stansted at 7:00 am the next morning, prepaid and non-refundable. We had a hotel reservation at the Radisson Hotel at the Stansted airport, non-cancellable and non-refundable.

We considered our alternatives and chose the least expensive of the choices available to us. We took a taxi to the Girona airport and booked a 10:00 pm flight from Girona to Stansted. Ryanair charged various re-booking and other penalties, and those costs, together with the taxi, amounted to 580 euros. Any other alternative would have cost more.

Had you not told us incorrectly that the Navette bus would leave the train station at 3:45 pm, we could easily have made it to the airport in time for our flight. At 1:20 when we arrived at the Perpignan train station, many taxis were available and the roads were not yet so congested.

Your failure to properly advise us cost us 580 euros.

It is my opinion that we should be reimbursed for the costs we incurred due to your error, and for which we can provide proper receipts.

Please advise how you wish to handle this matter.

LEWIS M. WEINSTEIN

* a rocky trip from Collioure to Vilnius … “this is the adventure part”

It  started out bad; got much worse; there was a recovery (at great expense), then it was ok, and finally, all it all ended up with a really terrific conclusion.

We had long ago booked Ryanair flights from Perpignan to Stansted (London) and then the next morning from Stansted to Vilnius, overnight at the Radisson in Stansted.

So all we had to do was get from Collioure to the airport in Perpignan.

There were several alternatives, including a taxi from our apartment to the airport (roughly 50 euros). The other choice was to train from Collioure to Perpignan, then take the shuttle bus from the Perpignan train station to the Perpignan airport, which is what our British neighbors in Collioure do all the time. The appropriate shuttle bus was scheduled to leave the train station at 3:45 pm, arriving at the airport roughly 20 minutes later, in plenty of time for a 5:25 pm flight. The latest train to arrive in Perpignan before the shuttle would depart left Collioure at 1:00 pm, arriving in Perpignan at 1:20 pm.

Since the day we were leaving was also the day the Tour de France was arriving in Perpignan, I thought it would be wise to confirm the shuttle bus schedule for that day (July 8). I sent an email to the people who run the shuttle bus and received the following reply …

HI, There are shuttles buses at every arrival in front of the terminal. You buy tickets at the driver. For the 08th july the departure from the railway station is at 15h45 French local time. Bests regard. Marc FIANCETTE, ResponsableQualité Formation Développement, CCIPPO, Aéroport Perpignan Rivesaltes

So we had plenty of time. We walked, with our luggage (there’s no place to check it) about a half mile to the main street in Perpignan, which was the finish line for the Tour de France. We enjoyed the atmosphere, walked back to the train station, had a snack at the café across from the train station and waited for the 3:45 pm shuttle bus.

Which never came!

I inquired inside the train station and was advised that, due to the Tour de France, the shuttle bus was not running from the train station, but only from the bus station, 20 minutes walk away. It was now too late to get to the bus station, except by cab.

But there were no taxis!

No taxis to get to the bus station and no taxis to get to the airport. There are always taxis at the train station; today there were none. Maybe they took off to watch the race.

It is now after 4:00 pm, still plenty of time to get to the airport if we can find a way to get there. A man comes to drop his wife at the train station; she is going to Paris. We ask if he will take us to the airport, and he agrees to try, although the route he knows is blocked off because of the race. Pat and I get in his car; he kisses his wife goodbye, and off we go.

Around and around Perpignan, with blocked streets and confusing directions, the clock ticking away. Finally, we are on the road to the airport. We arrive at the airport at 5:10 pm; the Ryanair plane is still there. But the gate has closed, and we would have to be the premier of France to get them to open it again. We have missed our flight. Peter – that was the Good Samaritan’s name – leaves, we’ve thanked him profusely but barely learned his name, and in the confusion, no way to contact him. Peter, if you’re reading this blog, please get in touch with us.

We try to evaluate our options.

We have paid for the flight we missed, a hotel room at Stansted, and the next morning 7:00 am flight from Stansted to Vilnius. The Ryanair agent, a Mr. Delaporte (who was very helpful and considerate), explains that rebooking both flights for the next day will cost upwards of 600 euros ($840). Plus re-booking the hotel (another $200 or more). If the air seats and the hotel are even available. Plus staying somewhere for almost 24 hours until the flight leaves at 5:25 pm the next day. Total misery!

Pat asks, “Is there any other way to get to Stansted tonight?”

“Yes,” says Mr. Dellaporte. “There’s a 10:00 pm flight from Girona.”

Girona is more than two hours drive from Perpignan, across the border in Spain. We could rent a car, but the drop-off fee, for a pickup in  France and a drop in Spain, is almost $1,000. Plus the car rental itself.

So we’ll take a taxi. But … there are no taxis at the Girona airport.

I call Nicolas.

Nicolas is the Perpignan taxi driver we have used to go to Girona and to Barcelona, and who we also hired for our friends Cindy and Ron when they came to Collioure last summer. Nicolas answers his mobile at 5:45. “Can you get us to the Girona airport before 8:30 tonight?”

“Yes,” Nicolas says. “I’ll pick you up at the Perpignan airport at 6:15. You’ll make your flight.”

While I’m talking to Nicolas, Mr. Dellaporte is booking the change in flight to allow us to go from Girona to Stansted: 100 euros each for the re-booking, 40 euros each for the fact that we don’t check in on-line (how could we!), total 280 euros ($390).

By the way, we learned from Mr. Dellaporte that Ryanair knew the shuttle bus would not be running from the train station because of the Tour de France, and had posted a notice on their web site to that effect. But they did not take the next step, which would have been to send an email to all passengers leaving from Perpignan on July 8 to advise of the problem.

What do you think are the chances of getting Ryanair to reimburse me for the consequences of their failure to advise me of pertinent travel information?

At 6:25, Nicolas calls. “The traffic is terrible. The Tour is over and everyone is leaving. They’re all going to Girona which is where the next leg begins tomorrow morning. But don’t worry. I know back roads. I’ll be there in seven minutes.”

Seven minutes later, Nicolas arrives. We load the luggage, and off we go. We are now commitrted to the second Ryanair flight and to the taxi ride to Girona, with no guarantee that we’ll make it.

Nicolas takes us through back roads around the mess in Perpignan. We go through the village where he was born. There is some traffic as we approach the highway, and our hearts drop, but Nicolas says not to worry, we are in his hands now and we will make our flight.

And we do.

Usually, we negotiate a fare for a long distance trip with Nicolas. Tonight, however, is on the meter, and the fare increases at 7:00 pm. We arrive in Girona at 8:15 pm, the fare is 300 euros ($420).

We have now spent an extra $810 because Mr. Marc Fiancette told us there would be a shuttle bus at 3:35 pm. Had we known there was not going to be a shuttle, we could have taken a taxi and waited at the Perpignan airport. (There were plenty of taxis at the train station at 1:30.) Of course, had we known there was no shuttle, we could have taken a taxi from Collioure to the airport.

Could have, would have, didn’t.

What are my chances of getting anyone in the French railroad system to even consider reimbursing me for the consequences of Mr. Fiancette’s bad information?

Of course, Ryanair, with the best on-time record in the world, leaves 45 minutes late, all of which we have spent standing in line.

Our room at the Radisson is superb, although we only get 4 hours sleep. The 7:00 am flight leaves on time and arrives on time in Kaunus. Ryanair celebrates the on-time arrival with a flourish of horns.

Now the good part. Our home exchange partner was leaving Kaunus on the same Ryanair plane that brought us. He had arranged for his parents, who brought him and his wife to Kaunus, to wait and drive us back to Vilnius, saving us two more exchanges, more waiting, and who knows what other difficulties.

The parents were a delight. We chatted, learned a few words in Lithuanian, and then they gave us a driving tour of old town Vilnius, which is lovely.

As Pat and I say to each other on days like these, and there aren’t very many of them, “This is the adventure part.” Our life, and our travel which is such a big part of our life, is so wonderful that we can put up with an occasional “adventure.”

But … I’m still deciding how to deal with Mr. Fiancette and Ryanair. I want my $810 back!

* Key West to Collioure – May 2009

Getting there was more of an adventure than we wanted, but it worked out OK in the end.

On Monday morning, we were accompanied down our lane to the taxi by our great Key West neighbors Bill and Lane who helped with the 8 bags we were taking. This includes 4 bags to check (with 100 pounds of book) plus our carry-ons.

Checking in at the new Key West airport was a snap. The expanded facility is clean and functional, if not as “charming” as the old, and there was almost no one in the security line with us. We had loads of time, since I always leave earlier than necessary. This time, we had even more time. The plane coming in to take us to Tampa was late.

First, Continental announced it would be 24 minutes late and that all connections were still safe. That soon changed, and it became obvious that we could not make the connection from Tampa to Newark and then on to Barcelona.

I worked with the Continental gate agent (Norm Maxson) and he could not have been more helpful. We worked through any available options – there were not many – and ended up re-scheduling the last two legs of our trip for Tuesday instead of Monday. Continental provided both hotel and food vouchers in Tampa. Delayed flights happen, and in this case, Norm and Continental responded beautifully, including re-tagging our luggage to stay in Tampa and not fly on without us to Barcelona.

In Tampa, our room was in the Marriott at the airport. No shuttles, easy in and out.

However, we did have an adventure. Pat and I got CARDED! Should we be flattered or indignant?

We went to dinner at an Italian restaurant in the airport, ordered wine and our meals, and were all set for a pleasant and leisurely experience. Until the waiter re-appeared, saying we needed to show ID. We are both in our late 60s; I think we both look younger than our years, but this was ridiculous!

There was no visible sign stating this policy, nothing on the menu itself. I had ID with me, but Pat didn’t. I asked to see the manager, but he refused to make an exception. I told him I thought that was a bad decision, but he was unmoved.

We went back to our room for Pat’s ID and then went to Friday’s. Same policy, no visible signs, but we were told immediately when we ordered our wine. We were also told it was an airport-wide policy to deal with underage drinking. Stupid! But we were prepared and had our meal. Probably not as good as the Italian restaurant we had first chosen, but I refused to go back there. By the way, the Marriott restaurant in the same Tampa airport has no such carding policy.

The next morning, we watched President Obama nominate Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, then flew to Newark and on to Barcelona. Before leaving, I called Hertz to push our reservation back a day. No problem.

The drive from Barcelona to Collioure was uneventful. I took a 15 minute “rest my eyes” break, not having slept much on the plane, and we arrived before 1:00 pm. It was exciting to return to our home in the south of France for our fourth summer.

Mostly unpacked now. Tomorrow, we’ll do our “setup the apartment shopping.”

For now, we sleep.

* CDW … why is this so difficult?

 

I had made a car rental reservation, for 8 days in Sicily, with Hertz, some time ago, making sure to exclude collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance. The reason for this is that CDW is provided by Citibank, if I pay for the car rental using my MasterCard, but Citibank’s 100% coverage is invalidated if I also purchase CDW (with a deductible) from the car rental company. So buying CDW from Hertz would mean spending more money for less coverage. I made this mistake once before and I am very careful to avoid it again.

Two days before we left, while I was on the web looking for an address for the Trapani airport to plug into our GPS, I saw an ad for car rentals in Trapani by a booking company called ArgusRentals.com, with which I was previously unaware. I clicked on the ad, found a NYC phone number, booked a car rental in Trapani (with Europecar) for roughly 50% of the Hertz price. I was absolutely clear about no CDW, and was assured that CDW was excluded from my contract.

Argus sent email contract confirmations to me, two times, but I did not receive them. I asked them to send it to Pat; she did not get it either. We are having some sort of email problem, involving blocked emails, and have not been able to determine if it is Comcast or Orange.fr which is the culprit. That is a story for another day.

I looked up the Argus reservation on their web site; it was there, but without any details. I called Argus, and they gave me the Europecar confirmation number, without which Europecar will not release the car. I cancelled the Hertz reservation.

Then, nervous about not having a full written confirmation, I asked Argus to send the confirmation to Pat’s daughter; we simultaneously asked Kerry to forward the email to us. That procedure worked fine.

However, when I read the Argus confirmation, it said CDW included. I called and was given totally incorrect information by two Argus agents, who insisted that I didn’t have CDW even though the contract said I did. There is a second level CDW insurance, which covers the deductible, and they were saying that since I didn’t have the ‘super’ CDW insurance, I had no CDW insurance. I got a number for Europecar HQ in Ireland and called them.

(thank you, Skype, for making all these international calls so inexpensive.)

Europecar immediately confirmed that they did not offer car rentals in Trapani without CDW coverage. I would have to cancel the reservation. But, would I be able to get another car from Hertz, or anybody, without CDW. A call to Hertz international reservations resolved the problem. And, my happy ending was enhanced by the fact that the new Hertz reservation was $300 less than the one I had previously cancelled. The original reservation was for an intermediate car, since no compact was available. This time, I was able to book a compact at the lower price. Also, maybe last-minute reservations, if a car is available, are discounted. Something to keep in mind.

Post script. When I picked up our car from Hertz in Trapani, the contract included CDW, although the price did not. ALWAYS READ THE CONTRACT !!!  After a brief discussion, Hertz corrected the contract to exclude CDW. The car is a Ford Fusion 5 door square back, which I think is not a compact.

As I drive this too-large car, through the narrow, twisting streets of Taormina, with crazy Italian drivers and motor scooters constantly passing me on the right, noticing that most of the other cars have dents large and small, I am very happy I was persistent enough, and fortunate enough, to retain my 100% Citibank CDW coverage.

 

* trains and web schedules … not always equal

We are taking the 14:45 (2:45pm) train back to Collioure. I had purchased tickets for a later train but we’re ready to go earlier.

As the train is pulling in, Pat notices that the train board does not include Collioure. But I looked up this train on the web, on a search for ‘Perpignan to Collioure,’ and it had a departure time (14:45) and a Collioure arrival time (15:10), so up we go. 

As the train approaches Argeles-sur-mer, the stop before Collioure, and begins to slow down, I look for a conductor to confirm, just to be sure, that this train does actually stop in Collioure. But no conductor is nearby, and the train pulls out. It’s only 3 minutes from Argeles to Collioure, but in that interval, the conductor appears and informs us that the train does not stop again until it reaches Cerbere, the last stop in France, and not a place you want to linger.

We enter the tunnel before Collioure, there’s a brief flash of light, and we’re in the tunnel after Collioure.  We remember the Kingston Trio’s immortal song about the MTA in Boston, where you need(ed) an exit fee, and the poor man “would never return.” 

More to the point, I explain to the conductor that the web had stated a Collioure stop, and she, a lovely young lady with excellent English (“my boy friend is British”), writes a note on our ticket to her colleague in Cerbere that we should be allowed to return to Collioure without additional charge. In Cerbere, the colleague agrees and the return train is due to leave in 20 minutes.  

TIP:  The lesson is you cannot trust the web schedules completely. Always check in the station. 

This happened to me once before, when I was at the station trying to buy a ticket on a train which did not stop in Collioure. I thought that was my mistake, but now I think it probably wasn’t. I’m going to try to figure out if there is a way to read the web schedules that will reveal this kind of error.

* if you’re taking a train to Paris, book early

When I returned the car in Perpignan (from our Nice trip), the train back to Collioure was 25 minutes late. This is very unusual, but later I learn the reason.

We had planned to leave for Paris on the 6:04 am train Monday morning, but the ticket clerk says the local train from Collioure to Perpignan (where we connect with the Paris train) probably won’t be running. We can hope the train runs, arrange a taxi to Perpignan, or take the Sunday night overnight train which is direct from Collioure to Paris.

I choose the overnight, but in seats rather than the sleeper, which we used last year and which is awful, and we get an earlier transfer to Rouen, so we’ll end up with more time on Monday to see the D-Day sights.

I use our Senior Carte to get the discounts, but learn that I should have booked the tickets sooner. The way it works is like airline miles, with a 50% discount for a limited number of tickets and a 25% discount after the 50% tickets are gone. I get a mix of 50% and 25% discounts, and the cost of the round trip for two people is 279 euros.

* let down by Budget Car Rental in Rouen

On our way to Normandy, we train and taxi to the Budget location which is not at the station. We resolve to favor, from now on, car rental companies which are at the station. For this and other reasons, we’re beginning to re-think my choice of Budget as our car rental company.

The next hour provides much more reason to do so.

Our car is waiting for us. While doing the paperwork, I repeat that we are declining the collision insurance (covering damages to our rental car) since this coverage is provided by our Citibank MasterCard. I then say, offhandedly, that I understand the liability insurance (covering damage to other property and persons) is automatically included in French car rentals, which I have been told by Budget US when making the reservation.

The local Budget manager says this is not true, and if we want 3rd party liability insurance, it will cost 25 euros per day, 100 euros total for the 4 day rental. I protest, and ask him to call Budget in the US to resolve the question. Instead, he calls a friend of his who speaks better English, and after several interchanges between the friend, the manager, and me, he reluctantly agrees to call Budget’s main French office in Paris.

I explain the issue to the English speaking person, who says she thinks I am correct, but will check with her supervisor to be sure. She leaves me on hold so long I think we’re cut off, and I ask the local manager to call again.

Instead he calls the friend.

As you can imagine, this has taken a long time – we’ve now been waiting for 30 minutes with all these phone calls, and everyone is getting aggravated. Finally, the manager again calls Budget in Paris, and remarkably, I speak to the same woman, who tells me I’m correct, that 3rd party liability insurance is included in all French car rentals without separate charge.

So it’s now clear that the local Budget manager was trying to charge me 100 euros ($140.00) for something he knew, or should have known, I did not need.

OK, now to the car, which upon inspection, is filthy.

All that time on the phone, the manager did not see fit to make sure the car was cleaned. We wait another 15 minutes while the attendant cleans the inside of the car. By then, we say enough and decline the exterior cleaning.

When we return the car four days later, our charge sheet includes the CDW insurance we had specifically and explicitly declined, and some other charges. I’m furious. The desk clerk calls someone (the manager?) and the charges are removed. I get copies of both charge sheets so I can later document my complaint letter to Budget. We also decide to cancel all remaining Budget reservations (Ireland, Italy, Key West, etc, etc, and do business with another car rental company.

US Air sent our luggage where?

 

We’re flying from Key West to Philadelphia, the prime reason being the graduation from grad school of Pat’s son. Of course, the clothes for the ceremony, as well as the weekend of busy events with all six of our children before we leave for France next week for over 5 months, are all in our one suitcase.

We check in and the ticket agent places a luggage tag on the suitcase.

Prompted long ago by something Pat read and told me about, I ask, “Does that tag say Philadelphia?”

“Yes,” answers the agent without looking, as another US Air person grabs the bag and starts to put it on the conveyor belt.

“Don’t take that bag,” I say, loudly enough to attract the attention of everyone in the general area. This irritates him, but I could care less. “Show me the bag,” I add.

He turns it so I can see.

“What does BDL stand for?” I ask, reading the destination on the luggage ticket.

“Hartford, Connecticut.”

I turn, furious, to the ticket agent. “Did I ask you what the ticket said? Did you say Philadelphia?”

She changes the ticket (she had switched luggage tags with the agent standing next to her) but never apologizes. When she’s done, I insist on seeing the suitcase again.

The point is not that she made a mistake. Mistakes happen.

The point is that travelers must check every single time to avoid the impact of losing your bags, for a few hours, a few days, or forever.

Do the airline personnel get irritated when you do that? Sure. Do I care? Not one whit.

great Euro low-cost air search site

This site accesses all of the low cost airlines. Enter departure airport, get all destination airports from there. Choose a destination, get a booking page.

 http://www.flylc.com/directall-en.asp

Adventures in Low-Cost Travel – New York Times – 4/22/07

 A great article for those travelling in Europe. Find it at

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/travel/22journeys.html?ref=travel

changing rental cars in Mexico

                        

I reserved our car in Ajijic, Mexico, with Budget car rental, rather than one of the local operators, specifically because I felt more comfortable being able to talk to someone if there was a problem or a question. But it didn’t work out the way I had hoped.

The original car rental was from March 14 to March 24, 10 days. Then we decided to go to Puerto Vallarta for two days. I could park the car at the Guadalajara airport (~ $50.00 USD) or return the car and get a new rental upon our return to Guadalajara.

I called Budget’s international reservations number in the US (using Skype) to find out how much I would save, if anything, by splitting the rental into two, for 5 days and 3 days, rather than the original 10 days.

Unfortunately, Budget could not give me the answer. “We can’t get into your open contract.” Very frustrating. The Budget person was polite and apologetic, but not helpful.

“You’ll have to call the Budget counter at the Guadalajara airport,” she concluded.

“They speak Spanish, and I don’t,” I said.

“I’m very sorry,” she said.

I tried to call the Budget counter at the airport but I didn’t get through, so I don’t know if I would have found an English-speaking agent, but I doubt it. In any case, I had to solve the problem myself.

First, I reserved a car for the 3 days after our return from Puerto Vallarta. Now I knew that price. NOTE: You can always cancel a car reservation without penalty.

Then I entered dates for a 5 day rental, to learn what the charge would be, although I did not actually make that rental reservation. Adding the two rentals together, there was a savings of another $50.00. No parking, less car rental, $100.00 savings.

When I returned the car to Budget prior to our flight to Puerto Vallarta, the charge was exactly what the web site had calculated for a 5 day rental. We picked up the new car (which turned out to be the same car), upon our return.

Now, why couldn’t Budget, on the phone, have done the same calculations I did on their web site?

This small incident points out how important the internet is to the way we travel. You plan in advance, but you can also modify your arrangements as your plans change.

Guadalajara airport

This is a small and welcoming place. Upon first arrival, we go to the designated luggage carousel and wait. Soon a representative arrives, asks us where we came from, and tells us that the luggage has been switched to another carousel. A little thing, but nice, done with a caring and professional attitude, appreciated. Good first impression.

The airport has a Starbucks, a small English book section, the usual array of duty free shops, and comfortable seating. It is like many second tier airports in Europe, which are so very preferable to the inhospitable, inefficient places most major airports have become.

When we return several days later for our trip to Puerto Vallarta, the airport is bustling at 7:00 am, so unlike the Miami terminal where we began our trip at a similar hour.

a small absurdity on the train to Dublin

                 

Sometimes little things happen which are so absurd they leave you absolutely dumbfounded, and whenever you recall the incident later, you can’t help but shake your head and smile. One of these episodes happens on the train from Cork to Dublin.

We’re in the latter stages of a long day … up early, train to Cork, walk around town, bus to the seaside village of Kinsale, then reverse the process. It’s been a nice day, but we’re tired and I’m thirsty. There was a vending machine at the station, but then we got in line to board the train and it was too late.

I perk up when I see a railroad employee pushing a small food cart down the aisle of the train. My thirst will soon be quenched.

“Do you have anything cold to drink?” I ask.

“No,” he says, without looking up or stopping.

I guess he’s at the end of a long day, too. Anyway, I give up on the idea of a cold drink. Just then, however, another passenger comes walking down the aisle carrying two cold beers. “Pardon me,” I ask, “do they have cold sodas wherever you bought those beers?”

“Yes, they do. There’s a counter in the next car.”

I look around for the guy with the cart, but he’s in the next car, and besides, what would I say to him anyway?

I get up and get my soda.

driving too fast on the wrong side of the road

                             

I don’t drive much at all any more, since we have no car. In fact, one of our important criteria in choosing to live in Key West and Collioure is that we don’t need a car in either place.

However, some of our retirement travel does require driving. Including a trip from Galway to Westport.

Unless you want to pay much more for an automatic drive, when you drive in Europe you’re going to be driving stick. Actually, this is fun for me, a throwback to “really driving.”

Pat, who never learned to shift gears, can’t share the driving, but we don’t take long trips anyway, so that doesn’t hinder us much. Maybe some day I’ll try to teach her, since it would be useful for her to know in case of an emergency.

In Ireland (and later in Australia), the stick is on the “wrong” side, so I’m shifting gears left handed. While also driving on the left side of the road. Fortunately, the pedals are the same as in America.

Every initial driving instinct is wrong, and I have to think constantly. It’s not relaxing in the least.

The hardest part for me is judging the space on the left side of the car. It’s even more frightening for the person sitting over there, since on the narrow Irish roads, there’s very little margin for error.

Pat has a tight stomach the entire way, urging me repeatedly to move away from the left edge of the road which is frequently a stone wall. But I can’t move, since there are only inches between the right side of the car and the center line of the two lane roads.

On top of that, Irish road signs share that “uncertain” characteristic of Irish oral directions, so there’s frequent uncertainty as to which road to take and when to turn.

Five minutes into our 2 ½ hour drive to Westport, we agree that we should have taken the train from Dublin to Westport and rented a car there, but it’s too late for that now. We have to tough it out.

Another problem is speed. Irish drivers go way too fast for the roads, often passing on narrow two lane roads, and a head-on collision frequently seems imminent. I’m tempted to look up accident statistics on the web, but I’m afraid it would be too terrifying.

I’m actually thrilled when I get behind a large, slow-moving truck or farm vehicle. Now I can drive more slowly and it’s not my fault.

We do get to Westport, and back, without incident. Except for the damage to our nerves and digestive systems.

Ryanair to Dublin

Ryanair was Europe’s original low fare airline and is still Europe’s largest low fare carrier. This year, Ryanair says it will carry over 35 million passengers on 346 low fare routes across 22 European countries, utilizing 15 European bases and a fleet of over 100 Boeing 737-800 aircraft. They claim a team of 3,500 people, comprising over 25 different nationalities.

We get in line to check in, although it’s still 30 minutes before they’re scheduled to open the line. I bring a tray from the café and have my dinner standing in line. 

The weight limit is 15 kilos each. We packed and weighed carefully. My bag is 15 kilos, Pat’s is 15.5. There’s no charge for the extra half kilo, and they never weigh our carryons. Other passengers have significant carryon, which must be more than 10 kilos allowed. Nobody bothers them, a lesson for next time.

The flight leaves and arrives on time. The plane is clean and comfortable. Food and drink are available for purchase.

* train to Girona

Our Ryanair flight to Dublin leaves from Girona in Spain. To get to the Girona airport, we train from Collioure to Port Bou, just across the Spanish border, then from Port Bou to Girona, and then by shuttle bus from the train station to the airport. It’s not the easiest of trips, especially with (too much) luggage.

The train from Collioure to Port Bou is a few minutes late, which is unusual. French trains are usually precisely on time. The delay had to do with a defective air conditioner. Unfortunately, they didn’t get it fixed, and it’s over 90 degrees outside, with no circulation inside. The good news is that it’s only a 20 minute ride to Port Bou.

In Port Bou, we buy our tickets to Girona. Buying tickets separately seems to be much less expensive than purchasing the through ticket in Collioure. I don’t know why.There’s a wait in Port Bou but the station has a relatively nice café.

A young lady offers to share her table. She’s a musician who plays viola for the BBC Orchestra, on her way to Girona to mentor a young people’s orchestra giving a concert next week. The train to Girona is also without air conditioning, but the conversation is good and the hour goes quickly, except for another 20 minute delay at some dusty stop with no station.

At the Girona train station, we catch the (air conditioned) shuttle bus to the airport.

low cost airlines

Since the inception of low cost airlines, many destinations in Europe are now less expensive by air than by train.

We’ve flown Ryanair to Dublin, booking our tickets on the web (http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/). Sometimes, if the flight is not full, they will offer tickets for a one euro, or even a penny. You still have to pay the taxes, which might be 25 euros, but still, what a bargain.

The flights are a delight. If there’s any kind of question, however, contacting Ryanair by phone is very difficult.

The other issue is luggage. I think the low cost airlines may make more money on overweight luggage charges than they do on the tickets. So be careful. Weigh everything, and give yourself a slight margin for error. I will say they have given us a one kilo grace without extra charge.

There are other budget airlines. We flew Wizzair (http://wizzair.com/) to Budapest and it was excellent. Although the startling pink and purple planes were even more distracting than the unusual name.

We’ve never flown Easyjet (http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/index.asp) but have heard good things.

From Collioure, flights on low cost airlines are available from Perpignan and Carcassonne in France, and from Girona in Spain. Some destinations have daily flights, some less frequent, but you can reach almost anyplace in Europe.

organization of the train

When you have a reserved seat on a train, you have to find the right car, and do so quickly, because the train doesn’t stay in the station very long. If you board the wrong car, you will have a difficult passage through narrow aisles with all your luggage. This is not fun.

Our friend Karl pointed out to us that most stations have an electronic signboard which lists the exact sequence of cars in the next train and gives a platform location for each car.

So easy when you know.

don’t take the sleeper

We’ve enjoyed sleeper trains with a private compartment in other European countries. We bought first class tickets on the sleeper train from Collioure to Paris, expecting similar privacy, but instead we were in a four berth compartment. When we entered, there were people on the lower two berths, plus a dog in a cage.

The dog was never a problem.

always ask twice

We’re in Paris, with a ticket on the 11:24 am train to Collioure. It’s only 7:00 am and there’s an 8:24 am train.

“Can we exchange?”

“Certainly, monsieur, but only first class is available. It will cost another 125 euros.”

We decide to take a walk instead. About twenty minutes later, Pat suggests asking a different ticket agent the same question.

Lo and behold, we get a different answer. Second class tickets are available. The price difference, reflecting a rush hour train, is only 29 euros. We buy the tickets at 8:10 and easily make the train.

Our seats are close but not together. The second ticket agent took the time to search for two singles. The first agent couldn’t be bothered.

We’re in France, where the consumer is never king, and service is not our job. Always polite, always with a smile, but never going that extra step.

Well, almost never. The second guy did.

the train goes everywhere

The train, located less than 100 yards from our apartment, is a major amenity for us, as well as a necessity. Trains in France, and throughout much of Europe, are clean, comfortable, and on time.

Travel by trains has become much more affordable for us since we purchased our Carte Senior. For 53 euros per year (each), we are entitled to 50% off all tickets if available. If the senior allotment has been used up, then we get 25% off. We made back our investment on our first round trip to Paris.

Unfortunately for visitors, you have to be a resident of France to get the senior discount. Even without it, trains are often cheaper and always easier than driving.

TIP: Ticket early. Many reserved trains will fill up. If you can, book way in advance. You can always get a refund, or exchange tickets (if available), if your plans change.

LEW

packing for 5 months abroad

What can possibly be interesting about packing?

Well, consider that we’re going to be away for five months, and need to think through everything we’ll need, while balancing our needs against ever-changing airline luggage restrictions.

We’ve received many different answers from American Airlines to the same questions about luggage. We finally decide who and what to believe and write down the particulars in case someone else decides differently when we actually check in.

We have scales, in pounds in Key West and kilos in Collioure. Put something in, take something out. Will the airline’s scale give the same result as ours?

We’re trying to anticipate the weather in all of the places we’ll be, including Australia in what will be spring for them in October. Our plan is to leave much of what we take this year in Collioure so we won’t have to take it again next year.

LEW