I love credit cards so much! v6.0 - 2023 & 2024 (see first page for add'l details)

[reliev]

It was a WorldTrips policy bought via insure... my... trip. for $24.10. 4 day trip, medical only, 2 peeps should be fairly inexpensive. I haven't looked into the annual plans. But I am often planning/paying for multiple family members, including my older kids and mom who don't live in my household, plus their significant others. Not sure how those annual plans work with those weird family dynamics.

Our Italy adventure with 7 fam members (again, variety of household/non-household and non immediate fam) was only $141. My guess is that I don't spend the $500-800 annually you all mentioned. But it is a minor hassle to buy the insurance each trip and I've been procrastinating really badly lately (like the day before).

Tell me if you think I'm off base and should look into it!

yeah, the quote I got was like 480 or 500 if I up the delay to 4k max.. Do I need to pull the trigger or not? but it's per household. I have a lot of trips coming up including I rebooked France with the fam (on points ofc). So Im just thinking 500/trips = cheaper. I haven't really bought insurance since the pandemic was trailing down only for cruises, but this would cover that also. I did get 6 big delays/cancelations of my 24 flights last year. So that's why im debating it until there is a government law or something they are going to offer for all these booked airline staff. I don't know if I want to remember what card I used for the 2x 500$ max might be just easier to get the insurance with medical coverage, this is my thought at least. I think I could benefit from this insurance but im still not 100%

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

@LilSweetPeaPhoto Just saw a deal alert on Delta fares for 9k to Boston. Hopefully your dates fall in there?

 

[reliev]

@LilSweetPeaPhoto Just saw a deal alert on Delta fares for 9k to Boston. Hopefully your dates fall in there?

i laugh because i just saw the same email

 

[CyndiLouWho]

TIP about the Cabo airport: As always, remember it’s a shark tank inside, everyone trying to sell you a timeshare and misrepresenting themselves as airport workers, your transport company, etc, so don’t talk to anyone and just exit to the outside, even if they ask you what exit you’re looking for and tell you you’re going the wrong way. Sigh.

This here puts me off ever traveling there. Misrepresenting as airport workers and telling you you're going the wrong way. Too much stress for me.

Trip Insurance. I always buy trip medical insurance and did this for our travel party of 2 ($24 total). $100,000 secondary medical insurance pp, $0 deductible and $1M med evac, + more coverage. My husband and niece were once hospitalized in Mexico and during our hospital stay we met many American and Canadian families without insurance coverage who were facing bills in the tens of thousands of dollars. Over the years, I’ve filed 4 claims with various travel insurance companies and it is ALWAYS a hassle, but I’ve always been glad to have the coverage. Cost= $24

That's an amazing price. I can never find anything that cheap but I'm older so probably why. We had insurance for our first WDW trip and filed a claim when my dad was terminally ill. Definitely worth it.
ETA I did find a comparable policy (same?) for our CR trip for $70. Thanks

 

[NewbieMom]

This here puts me off ever traveling there. Misrepresenting as airport workers and telling you you're going the wrong way. Too much stress for me.

Yes! Just about to comment that this freaks me out, especially traveling with my kids! I have a hard enough time keeping an eye on them in US airports. I don't want a stranger luring them away in a foreign airport.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

We went to Kinkaku-ji and did take a bus plus had to walk part of the way there. I’m gonna be honest and say I would not go back there again. It was a total tourist trap and not really that impressive. It was SO crowded and so many school groups but it could’ve been the time of year that we went (late may). I know we went to a couple other temples around there and had to walk to get to them. Google maps helped with that but it was a lot of walking

Thanks for your opinion. I vaguely remembered you reviewing it in your trip report, so I just went back to re-read your entire thing.

 

[NewbieMom]

Ah maybe? possibly? I redeemed my credit in October 2022, so I have to check if it's calendar or user year.

It is user anniversary year. My AF just posted.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Yes! Just about to comment that this freaks me out, especially traveling with my kids! I have a hard enough time keeping an eye on them in US airports. I don't want a stranger luring them away in a foreign airport.

I only have 1 kid but keeping track of him and DH is enough. Lol. I am in charge of everything travel related and DH/DS pay no attention to details despite me telling them ahead what the plan is. So I'm trying to coordinate everything and always a bit stressed, like when we got to LHR and our pre-arranged driver no showed. DH and DS badgering me with a million questions while I tried to figure out/fix it did not help.

 

[wanderlust7]

Did anyone use luggage lockers or luggage delivery services at all? Thinking about doing that in Kyoto to make our life a little easier. When we get there the first morning it'll be early and we can't check in to hotel yet, so I could have the bags sent. Also, the day we leave we're checking out and going to Nara in the morning before heading back to Tokyo, so we'll try to use lockers that day to leave our bags at Kyoto station and retrieve them on the way back.

I always use the luggage delivery service, I think it's one of the best things about traveling in Japan (among many). It's inexpensive, reliable and saves so much schlep! There are new rules for taking large luggage on the shinkansen, so I would definitely send it for those legs.

Our trip was Hilton Tokyo Bay - Kamakura - Andaz Tokyo - Universal - Conrad Osaka. We sent the luggage from TDR to the Andaz and took a carry-on for the 2 nights in Kamakura. Then sent it from the Andaz to Conrad Osaka and took the carry-on for the 2 nights at Universal.

Hilton Tokyo Bay has a separate counter for the luggage delivery and they charge a 500 yen/piece "hotel fee". The woman there tried to tell me how to fill out the form, but I messed it up and asked too many questions, so she gave up and filled it out for me. Every single hotel I've done this at before filled out the form for me. One hotel last trip even called the hotel I was sending it to to tell them it was coming. So extra fee for worst (comparatively) service lol.

I wanted to use a locker at Maihama station after we checked out of the Hilton Tokyo Bay while we went shopping at Ikspiari. But all the big lockers were full except for a few hourly ones that required using an app. We didn't feel like trying to figure that out on the go. The big lockers should fit a carry-on plus 1-2 backpacks. I don't think they would fit checked luggage size.

 

[Haley R]

I always use the luggage delivery service, I think it's one of the best things about traveling in Japan (among many). It's inexpensive, reliable and saves so much schlep! There are new rules for taking large luggage on the shinkansen, so I would definitely send it for those legs.

Our trip was Hilton Tokyo Bay - Kamakura - Andaz Tokyo - Universal - Conrad Osaka. We sent the luggage from TDR to the Andaz and took a carry-on for the 2 nights in Kamakura. Then sent it from the Andaz to Conrad Osaka and took the carry-on for the 2 nights at Universal.

Hilton Tokyo Bay has a separate counter for the luggage delivery and they charge a 500 yen/piece "hotel fee". The woman there tried to tell me how to fill out the form, but I messed it up and asked too many questions, so she gave up and filled it out for me. Every single hotel I've done this at before filled out the form for me. One hotel last trip even called the hotel I was sending it to to tell them it was coming. So extra fee for worst (comparatively) service lol.

I wanted to use a locker at Maihama station after we checked out of the Hilton Tokyo Bay while we went shopping at Ikspiari. But all the big lockers were full except for a few hourly ones that required using an app. We didn't feel like trying to figure that out on the go. The big lockers should fit a carry-on plus 1-2 backpacks. I don't think they would fit checked luggage size.

We used the luggage service also. We shipped bags from Tokyo to Kyoto and then from Kyoto to Hilton Tokyo bay

 

[NewbieMom]

I only have 1 kid but keeping track of him and DH is enough. Lol. I am in charge of everything travel related and DH/DS pay no attention to details despite me telling them ahead what the plan is. So I'm trying to coordinate everything and always a bit stressed, like when we got to LHR and our pre-arranged driver no showed. DH and DS badgering me with a million questions while I tried to figure out/fix it did not help.

LOL, your DH sounds like mine. I do all the planning and when I ask for input, it's always "up to you." Then when an issue comes up, he has tons of questions and "why didn't you book it this way?"

I always say next time you plan everything, but then we would go nowhere.

 

[elgerber]

LOL, your DH sounds like mine. I do all the planning and when I ask for input, it's always "up to you." Then when an issue comes up, he has tons of questions and "why didn't you book it this way?"

I always say next time you plan everything, but then we would go nowhere.

Sounds familiar.

 

[wdwpluto]

Ah maybe? possibly? I redeemed my credit in October 2022, so I have to check if it's calendar or user year.

Oh, it’s user year. Bummer!

 

[LilSweetPeaPhoto]

@LilSweetPeaPhoto Just saw a deal alert on Delta fares for 9k to Boston. Hopefully your dates fall in there?

Sadly NOOOOO! It's 19k for the dates I need. UGH. That's how it works. If I could come back on a Tuesday it would work though.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

I always use the luggage delivery service, I think it's one of the best things about traveling in Japan (among many). It's inexpensive, reliable and saves so much schlep! There are new rules for taking large luggage on the shinkansen, so I would definitely send it for those legs.

Our trip was Hilton Tokyo Bay - Kamakura - Andaz Tokyo - Universal - Conrad Osaka. We sent the luggage from TDR to the Andaz and took a carry-on for the 2 nights in Kamakura. Then sent it from the Andaz to Conrad Osaka and took the carry-on for the 2 nights at Universal.

Hilton Tokyo Bay has a separate counter for the luggage delivery and they charge a 500 yen/piece "hotel fee". The woman there tried to tell me how to fill out the form, but I messed it up and asked too many questions, so she gave up and filled it out for me. Every single hotel I've done this at before filled out the form for me. One hotel last trip even called the hotel I was sending it to to tell them it was coming. So extra fee for worst (comparatively) service lol.

I wanted to use a locker at Maihama station after we checked out of the Hilton Tokyo Bay while we went shopping at Ikspiari. But all the big lockers were full except for a few hourly ones that required using an app. We didn't feel like trying to figure that out on the go. The big lockers should fit a carry-on plus 1-2 backpacks. I don't think they would fit checked luggage size.

We used the luggage service also. We shipped bags from Tokyo to Kyoto and then from Kyoto to Hilton Tokyo bay

Honestly, this sounds like the cost is more than justified because schlepping luggage around on trains is not fun, this I know from experience from many other US cities We do only plan to take carryon luggage each plus backpacks, so that we never have big bags to deal with, and if we need to use the lockers then we shouldn’t have issues fitting bags.

After reading @Haley R trip report again (for the 3rd time now, lol) I’m beginning to wonder if we too will get shrine/temple burnout. I counted them up, between all cities we’re doing 12-13 total on our itinerary. Too much?

 

[Haley R]

Honestly, this sounds like the cost is more than justified because schlepping luggage around on trains is not fun, this I know from experience from many other US cities We do only plan to take carryon luggage each plus backpacks, so that we never have big bags to deal with, and if we need to use the lockers then we shouldn’t have issues fitting bags.

After reading @Haley R trip report again (for the 3rd time now, lol) I’m beginning to wonder if we too will get shrine/temple burnout. I counted them up, between all cities we’re doing 12-13 total on our itinerary. Too much?

I think it depends on which temples you go to. We felt like they did get a little repetitive though. I had more fun walking through gardens than looking at temples. Are you going to fushimi inari?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

LOL, your DH sounds like mine. I do all the planning and when I ask for input, it's always "up to you." Then when an issue comes up, he has tons of questions and "why didn't you book it this way?"

I always say next time you plan everything, but then we would go nowhere.

Sounds familiar.

Yeah I think there's usually one planner and one non planner in each family. My sister has 2 non planners in her family, so they rarely go on vacation anywhere significant. Their idea of vaca is a 1 or 2 day night stay after dropping a kid at camp.

 

[afan]

After reading @Haley R trip report again (for the 3rd time now, lol) I’m beginning to wonder if we too will get shrine/temple burnout. I counted them up, between all cities we’re doing 12-13 total on our itinerary. Too much

That seems like way too many. I'm probably going to cut down the number I go to and try for the more unique ones, like with all the cats. It'll depend on where they are with the other stuff I want to do too. And then if I happen on any not on my list and have time also good. I'll try to keep it to 4 or less in Tokyo for must do and split them between Shinto and buhdism so they aren't all the same. And then one or two in Osaka and maybe one in hiroshima. I'm only doing a day trip there and not stopping at that place that's always suggested along the way. @Haley R went I remember the pic of the Tori gate in the water. If I was to stop it would be himejei castle but I think I could only do it there and I don't want to do that since it's not the focus.

 

[Haley R]

Yeah I think there's usually one planner and one non planner in each family. My sister has 2 non planners in her family, so they rarely go on vacation anywhere significant. Their idea of vaca is a 1 or 2 day night stay after dropping a kid at camp.

I think we must be in the minority because dh and I both plan for our trips. We watch videos together on YouTube to figure out what we want to do and usually do plane tickets and stuff together

 

[Haley R]

That seems like way too many. I'm probably going to cut down the number I go to and try for the more unique ones, like with all the cats. It'll depend on where they are with the other stuff I want to do too. And then if I happen on any not on my list and have time also good. I'll try to keep it to 4 or less in Tokyo for must do and split them between Shinto and buhdism so they aren't all the same. And then one or two in Osaka and maybe one in hiroshima. I'm only doing a day trip there and not stopping at that place that's always suggested along the way. @Haley R went I remember the pic of the Tori gate in the water. If I was to stop it would be himejei castle but I think I could only do it there and I don't want to do that since it's not the focus.

Miyajima was pretty awesome. The floating tori gate was cool but we also liked hiking up the stairs to the top temple there. I think it was called Daisho temple. They had a ton of little Buddha statues. I would go back there before I would do Hiroshima again