BG Vacation Help - Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico?

[Yuri-G]

So I'm thinking I need to get the fuck out of Minnesota for a week and just lay on the beach somewhere.

Right now, I'm considering:
- US Virgin Islands
- Puerto Rico
- South Florida

What I'm looking for:
- Some place relatively cheap. I'm willing to spend a bit of money, but I'd like to keep the whole trip under $1,000. So far, San Juan is a big winner here, with really cheap tickets - the other locations hovered around $550, and San Juan's cheapest tickets were $350 + fees. However, I only looked in major cities with big airports.
- I'll probably end up staying at a hostel and cooking most of my own food. I'm not going for the all-inclusive resort type of thing, unless there's a good one that'll keep flight + stay under $1000 total. I'm ok with camping too if I have to, that might be kinda fun.
- I don't want anything too touristy or crowded. I'd like to be able to find a secluded lagoon or grove and just chill out all day with a book.
- I really want to go hiking/exploring at least one day, so something with a lot of interesting natural features would be great.
- I don't have a passport, so it has to be US or a US Territory.


Any suggestions?

Also, any tips on traveling? I've always heard stuff like if you leave on a Tuesday you can get a cheaper flight, but I never know what's true and what to look for to keep the costs down.

[BerenTebogo]

Go to Haiti.

[Callisto]

Go to Haiti.

Sell your FFXI account to fund it?

[BerenTebogo]

Sell your FFXI account to fund it?

Sell your FFXI account to help the refugees build shitty huts like they had before the earthquake!

[Callisto]

I think that's tax-deductable.

[BerenTebogo]

Use the refund to buy back account.

Philanthropy + profit = ???

[Quixon]

Puerto Rico sucks royal ass. Will never go there again lol.

Any reason why you can't plop down $160ish and just get a rush passport? You can go to Dominican Republic for $850ish All Inclusive (Flight, Airfare, All Drinks, All Food). I've been there twice (Punta Cana) and it was amazing both times.



If you don't want the passport, go to the Florida Keys. Extremely relaxing Atmosphere. I'm sure you can get down there and stay in a decent hotel for under $1000. If you are going by yourself I'm assuming you won't be drinking heavily either... so you won't really be missing the "all inclusiveness" of the out of foreign.

[Yuri-G]

How fast can I get a rush passport? I might do that. Mine expired last fucking month, and I knew it was going to happen, I just thought I had more time. Goddamnit.

Someone mentioned going on a cruise too, and how if you're not drinking, they can turn out to be a good deal. But that might require a passport, depending on where it stops.

And what's wrong with Puerto Rico? Besides Kuya. I'd be heading into San Juan if I went there. I'm only tempted because it's the cheapest option by several hundred dollars.

[Weltall]

I stayed in Puerto Rico for 3 days 2 summers ago before getting on a cruise which left from there.

There are REALLYYYYY awful parts of town, and REALLLLLYYYY nice parts of town. We stayed in a nice hotel with a casino. I had the absolute***, very best mexican/spanish food of my entire life there (been to just about every Carribean country/Mexico/Dominican Rep/Puerto Rico and none else come close). I'll try to figure out the name of the resteraunt but it may take me awhile.

They had like, party margaritas (it was supposed to be enough for a table of 8 which was about the size of a grand platter. My girlfriend at the time and I killed it ourselves. It was pretty sweet, had like those fake icecubes which changed colors, a live band which walked around, killer food, nice atmosphere. I've never really been more impressed by a restaraunt and I go eat out "fancy" every week multiple times.

Are you looking for a huge spring break type atmosphere? If so, don't go to Puerto Rico. Its more of a relaxing place and there is a lot of older people.

Edit - I went to San Juan as well. There is really nothing to do there besdies eat, gamble, and lay out.

Edit 2 - I've been on several cruises. The food is absolutely awful. The first thing you will do when you get off at your destinations is go pay for overpriced food. That being said, I'm going on a cruise March 7-13 next month lolol.

If you want to have fun, and go relatively cheap, go to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. It is the "upper class" Cancun, and it has everything you could want. I can even give you the name of the best hotel in the city, a block from the beach, which is NOT all-inclusive (so it will be cheaper than any of the all-inclusive resorts and is much nicer with 0 kids).

[tyven]

punta cana bro, im going there next month. its where ballers ball. plus there is some country on the other side of the island that got ravaged by a hurricane or some shit. idk

[Takedown3]

i went to BVI in 2008 in october. was dead as fuck but beautiful if u stay on the resort. i felt like i was going to get raped carrying around any amount of cash on me let alone 5k in lawyer fees and my fucking laptop

<- noob tourist wut

stayed in PR at the ritz carlton for 2 nights before i actually left for BVI. i would avoid it for more then 2 nights tho too many people. definitely head for one of the smaller islands.

i have a close friend that is living on st kitts right now and she says its amazing. might be worth considering?

[Weltall]

I'm telling you, just go to Playa Del Carmen over any island. I've been to about 20 of those islands, and they are all lame as hell. The scuba diving and stuff is fun, but you can do that in Mexico too....so yeah.

[Null]

I'd say you are better off Vacationing in Cuba then Puerto Rico.

Go to Hawaii and visit the Lost island. Great tourism going on there at this time.

[Quixon]

Just googled quick.

But check this shit out for expedited passport options:

http://www.travel.state.gov/passport...first_831.html

As far as Puerto Rico sucking. I found the people generally extremely rude, and for me it was really nothing special apart from the places I have already been. There wasn't much to do either, aside from Gambling.


Cruises are fucking awesome if you don't drink a lot. Tons of excursions are usually available, and there are A LOT of activities to do on the boat. You will def need a passport for a cruise though.

[Weltall]

I'm going on a cruise to Mexico in a few weeks (Cozumel, and couple of cities in Mexico) and you no longer need a passport. You must have either a passport OR a valid birth certificate + driver's license.

Note - I called 2x to confirm because I didn't believe one of the girl's we are going with.

@Yuri - Go to Mexico and stay here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...Peninsula.html

[Quixon]

Who did you speak with Welt? The government run website says you still need one for cruises:

AIR TRAVEL

ALL PERSONS traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport book or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States.

LAND AND SEA TRAVEL

ALL PERSONS traveling by land and sea outside of the United States are required to present a passport book/card, or other valid travel documents to enter or re-enter the United States.

The following summarizes information available on the Department of Homeland Security’s website:

* Effective June 1, 2009, all U.S. citizens are now required to present a passport book, passport card, or WHTI-compliant document when entering the United States.
Please Note: Children under age 16 will be able to continue crossing land and sea borders using only a U.S. birth certificate (or other form of U.S. citizenship such as a naturalization certificate.). The original birth certificate or a copy may be used. See the Department of Homeland Security's Ready, Set.. Go! for more information on the changing travel requirements.

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.

Bolded the important part. Here's a direct link to the info:

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/c...bpmc_2223.html

[Jefe]

Cancun is really awesome, last time I checked it wasn't that expensive either (like <1k, depending on your package)... Besides, you can check the pyramids too for a change.

One of my friends is from Quintana Roo (he's in Chicago working for CAT) and that place kicks ass too. His mom cooks some tasty food, man that place was like heaven.

[Weltall]

I know what the law used to be. Call Carvinal cruise lines and ask. You only need a birth cert + license to get in now.

It just changed in 2010.

I believe its now determined by which port your cruise leaves from. Ours leaves from Alabama.

[Colenzo]

Go to Haiti.

omw

[Julian]

Keys are ok, wouldn't recommend general South Florida though.