Planning USA Trip

duchy

Don't think of Dublin as a stop along the way - treat it as part of your holiday and go the day before - that way no stress abnout flight delays - and yes two hours is definitely NOT long enough !

I've done the Dublin route flightly different - with a flight that left Dublin at 7pm and the connecting transatlantic flight left London the next morning

Other places that tend to have good fares are Scandinavian countries - which might appeal to you more for a one day stop. I've just booked for Chicago for £250 return from Gothenburg - Ryan air flights to get me there are £20 return - Yes it's a longer flight but arguably a more interesting stopover on your travels.

(I can't believe someone thought the most important bit of travel advice was "Make sure you have a pen" )

Bodders11

I had considered travelling the evening before for that reason so your comment has only added value to that argument. Thank you. Might even get to see some of Dublin. Where do you conduct your flight searches? I'm primarily using Sky Scanner. I seem to find a cheaper/better option every time I look at the moment.

I hadn't considered the baggage charges foolishly. Silly me. I'll add them on.

ERICS_MUM

If you would consider a coach trip I can recommend Cosmos or Archers Tours. You can usually buy just the tour, no need to get the flights through them.

PeacefulWaters

blindman wrote: »

IMHO JOHn259 "recommendations" should be take with a pinch of salt as motel 6 are flee holes and he always refers to You tube vids taken by someone else;)
Not sure he's been anywhere

I've always found his route suggestions pretty spot on to be fair. I don't really care who took the video he links to either.

Motel6? My USA driving trips have avoided them. They don't look great and rarely include breakfast. But if you're seeking budget accommodation and can cross reference a decent set of reviews on TripAdvisor ...

If I'm staying one night on the road I've been happy with Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Days Inn and Super 8.

More than one night and Homewood Suites, Comfort Suites and Towneplace Suites have usually provided a little more than the basics without challenging the credit card too much.

Murphy_The_Cat

Bodders11 wrote: »

. Thank you. Might even get to see some of Dublin. Where do you conduct your flight searches? I'm primarily using Sky Scanner.

My preference is google flights, which for a trip like you're looking at is a much more flexible and effective tool.

One thing to be aware of with google flights is that at the end of your search, you'll be presented with various options to buy from by clicking on -- unless you want to go down a third party travel agent route, be sure to click on the airline, rather than (say) edreams.

Also, if you are looking for a flight that originates in Dublin, check the country that the website opens up in/currency of the purchase.
e.g if you click on the link and its the Irish website for American Airlines and you're quoted in euro's, you'll be looking at a additional foreign currency charge on your credit card for your purchase, unless you have something like Halifax Clarity/Santander Zero.

Finally, I've repeatedly found that google flights will offer me flight options/prices that I can't replicate by going to the airlines search engines directly, which has saved me £££££'s over the years.

Crispy_Ambulance

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

My preference is google flights, which for a trip like you're looking at is a much more flexible and effective tool.

One thing to be aware of with google flights is that at the end of your search, you'll be presented with various options to buy from by clicking on -- unless you want to go down a third party travel agent route, be sure to click on the airline, rather than (say) edreams.

Also, if you are looking for a flight that originates in Dublin, check the country that the website opens up in/currency of the purchase.
e.g if you click on the link and its the Irish website for American Airlines and you're quoted in euro's, you'll be looking at a additional foreign currency charge on your credit card for your purchase, unless you have something like Halifax Clarity/Santander Zero.

Finally, I've repeatedly found that google flights will offer me flight options/prices that I can't replicate by going to the airlines search engines directly, which has saved me £££££'s over the years.

I can second the recommendation Google Flights. I don't think Skyscanner always have live prices and they can link through to some fairly dodgy brokers. Alternatively, I've never had a problem with Expedia or Ebookers.

We are flying to the US from Dublin but also going the night before. There is a Premier Inn at Swords (bus from the airport, couple of Euros) which we got for 30 Euros. I wouldn't book a positioning flight with only a few hours cushion. Might as well make a night of it and go the day before.

Have a great trip!

*~Zephyr~*

I know its fashionable to plan and book flights on t'internet these days, but I've done a few multi-stop trips to the USA and both times, the traditional travel agent beat any price I could get online.

This trip:
London - Chicago - Memphis - Tulsa - Vegas- LA - San Francisco - New York - London

Cheapest price for all those flights online was just under £1,500, but my local Co-op travel got the whole thing down to £790.

Apparently, this is because when you buy a transatlantic flight, the carrier will offer you some internal connections for free - but this doesn't happen when you book online, only if you book directly with the Airline. We flew American Airlines.

You might get the same result contacting AA directly yourself. If not, it's definitely worth speaking to a Travel Agent

Bodders11

Thanks for the recommendation Crispy Ambulance.


That is very interesting, Zephyr. I hadn't considered that. I will attempt to contact them directly and/or speak with my local Co-op Travel, although I wasn't aware they offered flights only.

Murphy_The_Cat

Bodders11 wrote: »

That is very interesting, Zephyr. I hadn't considered that. I will attempt to contact them directly and/or speak with my local Co-op Travel, although I wasn't aware they offered flights only.

good luck with the TA. I'd suggest that you set aside a LONG time and go to them in person. My experience of TA's is the complete opposite of zephyrs.
May I respectfully suggest that you get used to google flights and its myriad options, before going to the TA.
If the Premier Inn at Swords doesn't work for you, have a look at Trivago and hotels.com (via quidco). As a final belts and braces, look at family & friends from IHG group.
(IHG F&F works very well for me, as my sprogs stay and scoff for nowt - it may not be as effective for a single traveller).

Enjoy the planning

p.s if it looks like your going down the American Airlines route, don't forget to enrol with AAAdvantage beforehand.

Bodders11

I had a quick play with Google Flights this evening and actually felt like Sky Scanner was easier to navigate, but both produced the same or similar results. I think I'm almost there with my flights starting on 14th September with a trip to Dublin the day before I go to Vegas nice and early in the morning.

The harder part starts now with accommodation. I am definitely booking Vegas and New York hotels before I go and I'm sure the New York prices will be extremely expensive!