Indeed. Like Calm Kiwi says, its easier when “abroad” is closer than an 8 or so hour flight; in fact, from the UK, one can be ‘overseas’ within a couple of hours, on the train, rather than a flight. Its one of the things that I do like about Europe – the fact that it is quite so close, and easy to get to for a weekend. It certainly makes my situation a heck of a lot easier; when I was looking for a postdoc, one of the criteria I used was “can I get to London within ~3 hours from there?”; it put most of Europe within my reach.
I wouldn’t. The jet lag and the discomfort of travel makes me pretty sick, so a weekend would totally not be worth it. Speaking as a person for whom “abroad” means minimum 8 hours of fly time.
I’ve done the weekend in London (right after 9/11 when tickets were extremely cheap) while I was contracting and could do a random 3-4 day weekend. I flew on Thursday night instead of Friday, but otherwise it’s a fairly easy trip.
This is from Boston, with direct flights and 6 hour flight times. If I had to change planes or fly for more than 8 hours I probably wouldn’t do it.
My first thought was “no freaking way”. I don’t like flying all that much; I’m a fidgeter, and sitting still for 20 hours just to repeat it again in a couple days sounds like my personal version of hell. Not to mention, it’d take 3 hours to get to Sofia, there aren’t any direct flights from Sofia to the US so I’d have to have a layover somewhere in Western Europe, plus if I went anywhere it’d probably be to see my parents in California…that’s pretty fucking far away.
But if “overseas” includes the Mediterranean…I might fly to say, Egypt, for a weekend. I can’t think that would be a very long flight. But even then, I doubt I’d go, unless it was for a wedding or a funeral. Definitely not for sightseeing.
I usually wouldn’t, but if I did, it would probably be to somewhere like Tokyo or Sydney.
What’s with waking up the old threads lately?
Damned if I know. How do they find 'em? If they do searches for threads to post to, then why? The threads on top of a forum are what people are talking about now, and if there’s something else you want to talk about, it’s easy enough to start a new thread, rather than dig up one from years ago.
But what the hey: since it’s already dug up, no, I wouldn’t fly overseas for the weekend. Too lousy a travel-to-fun ratio. I’ve flown DC-to-L.A. for the equivalent of a long weekend for my grandparents’ funerals, back in the pre-9/11 era, and I wouldn’t do it now for anything besides a major family event.
I remember when I was in my 20s I had a GF in Hartford when I was in DC, and I’d drive up there for the weekend, about a 7 hour drive. But I was a lot younger, and was in a pretty good mix of love and lust. I wouldn’t do that now.
Google searches are where folks find the old threads. Why some people get uptight about zombie threads eludes me, but hey.
Anyway, I’d not hesitate to pop over to London for the weekend. Now that I’m no longer in NYC, I’d have to consider making it a three day weekend to be worthwhile, but still.
For one thing, there’s no point in responding to earlier posts in a decade-old thread. Kinda takes away the back-and-forth.
Anyhow, when I opened another of these zombie threads, I figured out part of the answer to zoid’s question: compositejoe has resurrected a bunch of old threads. Including this thread, that’s six in the past two weeks.
Anyway, it’s not breaking any board rules AFAIK, so there’s nothing to report. But just sayin’ he’s a one-man resurrection squad.
Yeah, I should have been more clear - the question was directed at compositejoe rather than general because, like you, I noticed he’s been making a habit of it.
I mind the revival of threads on controversial issues more, since the person being responded to is probably not going to see the response. Threads like this which are just opinion don’t annoy me.
Anyhow, my daughter now works in the airline industry and seen we get standby coach for 10% of the ticket price. It is almost impossible to get a seat in the US but to Europe is easier. Still I live on the Left Coast and it is a bit long for a weekend, from previous experience. When I lived in NJ we did fly to London for Thanksgiving.
When I used to fly for work I did frequent NJ to California two day trips, fly out in the morning, meet, fly back the next morning. But air travel is getting less and less fun.
Well since it’s revived any way…
Three times in college (late 80’s) a friend and I went to London on cheap all last minute deals - like $58 round trip if you left Friday (tomorrow) and came back Sunday.
We didn’t have accommodations of any kind but always managed to find a place to crash.
Replying to the zombie thread to say I wouldn’t do it because I don’t like feeling like one of the walking dead. Now if I lived on the East Coast in a city where I could get a direct flight, that might be a different story.
I’ve flown business trips from L.A. to Europe or Asia on several occasions. It takes me about 2 days to become functional due to jet lag, and that’s after a 12-16 hour airplane trip. No way would I fly overseas just for the weekend, too much pain & hassle for not enough fun.
If they ever invent supersonic air travel which is cheap & affordable though, I’d love to do it.
I did Seattle to Amsterdam around the time this thread was new, just because I needed the miles. My wife and I had the best two days ever.
Benn there done that. Got kids so not gonna happen anytime soon. Plenty of inter Asia trips when I lived in Asia.
Probably not a regular 2-day weekend, but 3 or more days, sure.
A couple years ago, I flew from Philly to London and back for a few days to see Brian Wilson at the Southbank Centre - left directly from school to go to the airport after lecturing Thursday morning, got to Heathrow Friday, Brian Saturday, back to Philly on Sunday, in lecture again Monday morning.
These days I’ll leave school right after Thursday morning lectures to go to London, but now it’s a 15 minute walk to the railway station and then an hour’s train journey to Waterloo Station.
Yes and have done so for a friends birthday party .
I looked into doing this when there a London dopefest.
Since I’m in NYC, it’s actually good. An overnight flight puts me in London in the early AM. Coming back the time difference works in my favor.
There was once such a dopefest a long time ago and it was Thanksgiving weekend here in the states. So I could leave Thursday after T-day dinner with family, get to London on Friday morning. Leave late Sunday afternoon and arrive home on late Sunday afternoon.
Didn’t do it. I really regret it.