Q — We are going to be in Istanbul for eight days this Fall, visiting friends and spendings several days on our own exploring. One of the things we are wondering about is whether or not it is recommended to cross over the Bosphorus for the day? Is it safe? A — It is a wonderful idea for one or two days. There was historical animosity that lasted for centuries between the European and Asian sides of this important river.
But now, with prices skyrocketing in metropolitan Istanbul, many artists and university graduates prefer to live on the Asian side in Kadikoy. The short ferry ride is fun and on arrival you will be seeing an area that has been compared to Brooklyn vs. You will find colorful streets, markets, and lots of coffee bars. Really worth strolling without the tourist crunch sometimes evident in the big city just across the sea. Q — We hear a great deal about this subject and, were we to believe the ads, online travel agencies are each given their own, private airfares on every worldwide flight.
Of course this is not true. Fares can change on a minute-by-minute basis as they are not created by humans. So your purchase habits at Walmart or on Amazon can help determine the airfare you will quoted by an online source. Q — Greatly enjoying this site — even if it is not written by a Canadian. We are anticipating our first European River Cruise next year.
Not my concern. As much of it as I can get. So, given that, which month has the warmest temperatures in Budapest, Prague, and Vienna? A — You will want to do the Danube on July when you should average 7. That compares to 4. But it strikes us that your smartest move might be to simply move to Los Angeles where you can enjoy 8. The fact is that saving mileage award points is not at all like investing in a money market fund — your points are actually losing value the longer you fail to use them.
It was 86, points on it will now cost you over , points. Just last year on United, you could use points to fly to Paris CDG using 60, points — that flight is now hovering close to , points. This is all deliberate. It is an easy way for the airlines to enhance profits by increasing the cost to use miles on any popular route. If you were investing cash in an interest bearing account we would recommend sticking with your plan.
