u/Leading_Hedgehog_170

Like many people, I have off of work that week and would like to take a family vacation. How crowded will Madrid be during Holy Week? What about day trips to Toledo and Segovia? (By comparison, I have read that Seville is absolutely packed during Holy Week.)

I know that Spaniards also have off during Holy Week and will be taking vacations. At the same time, I’m concerned that many major tourist sites, such as museums and palaces, will be closed during the week. I expect that everything will be closed on Easter Sunday, but what about Palm Sunday and Good Friday?

Thanks.

Like many people, I have off of work that week and would like to take a family vacation. How crowded will Madrid be during Holy Week? What about day trips to Toledo and Segovia? (By comparison, I have read that Seville is absolutely packed during Holy Week.)

I know that Spaniards also have off during Holy Week and will be taking vacations. At the same time, I’m concerned that many major tourist sites, such as museums and palaces, will be closed during the week. I expect that everything will be closed on Easter Sunday, but what about Palm Sunday and Good Friday?

Thanks.

I’m looking for suggestions for a spring break trip with teens. There are a number of factors to consider:
— Duration: The kids get one week. We can leave on Saturday, or possibly Friday after school, and return on the Sunday or Monday 9 days later. So it’s not worth spending several days to get to/from the destination. (This rules out India, for example.)
— Convenience of travel: Airports near us are Pittsburgh, Columbus, or Cleveland. So direct options are limited, and in most cases, we have to change in ATL, DFW, ORD, IAD, or EWR. That’s fine, but it just takes more time. It also means that we’re closer to the East Coast and Atlantic areas.
— Timing, weather: Mid- to late March. So winter will not be over in some destinations. And other destinations, it will be a transitional time where we don’t get the beauty of snow or the warmth of spring. Instead, we get cold and rainy. 50s are fine. 30s and low 40s are not. (This makes Iceland or Scandinavian countries unappealing.)
— Timing, schedule: This year, the kids’ break happens to be Holy Week. On the one hand, we’re concerned about sights and infrastructure being closed since it is a holiday. On the other hand, we don’t want to go someplace packed with religious celebrants. (For example, our first choice was Andalusia and second choice was Cartagena, but then I read about the crowds that throng Seville and Cartagena for the celebrations, including the processions. I understand the argument that it would fascinating to observe, but we don’t want this to be the focal point of the vacation, especially as it’s not really of interest to us.)
— Activities: Cultural, such as museums, palaces, other historical sites, ornately landscape gardens, gastronomy, etc. Some hiking is fine, but not a week-long trekking vacation in the Andes. Some beach is okay, but not a beach vacation in the Bahamas. We’re not skiers, so no late-season skiing in Taos, Vail, or even Zermatt.
— New destinations: Obviously, you won’t know every place we’ve been, but for vacations in the past years, we have done London, Paris, Dublin, Rome, Athens, Yucatan, LA/Anaheim, SD, SF, Orlando, Charleston and Savannah, and Texas.

Thank you for your suggestions.

I’ve read stories on the Internet about incredibly long lines for people going through EES/passport control in Frankfurt after their transatlantic flight, but before connecting to their onward flight within the Schengen area.

Question: If Frankfurt is your final destination and you are headed to Frankfurt baggage claim, do you have to go through the same EES/passport control station as passengers transferring to intra-Europe flights? Or is there a different control station with differing lines?

I’ve read horror stories on the Internet about extremely long lines for people going through EES/passport control in Frankfurt after their transatlantic flight, but before connecting to their onward flight within the Schengen area.

Question: If Frankfurt is your final destination and you intend on retrieving your bags at Frankfurt baggage claim before going on to local ground transportation, do you have to go through the same EES/passport control station as passengers transferring to intra-Europe flights?

After arriving on a flight from the United States at 9:00 in the morning, I was supposed to take a train from Frankfurt to Leipzig, leaving at 11:45. Keep in mind that I have to go through the EES control, which might go smoothly or which might be a complete disaster that takes hours.

I figured that 2 hours 45 minutes would be enough time. However, I just got an email from Deutsche Bahn telling me that my train has been canceled and they are putting me on another train at 11:00. They did not give me any option to rebook.

When airlines cancel flights and involuntarily reschedule you, they give you the option of rejecting their selection and choosing your own flight or simply getting a refund. DB didn’t seem to offer that. Am I missing something? What are my options?

Do you have any recommendations for a rolltop backpack that does not have PU (or TPU)? I’ve had bad experiences with PU-lined bags before. My Eagle Creek bags have delaminated badly. My Patagonia bag took on a terrible smell. I’m hoping that this bag’s functionality will last longer than those bags’ did.

I’d prefer a bag with a water bottle pocket. For this bag, I don’t need a laptop pocket. Obviously, it should have very good water resistance, but it doesn’t have to be watertight. I’m not taking it on a boat.

A lot of people on the internet laud the Stubble & Co. Roll Top, but I wasn’t sure about the material. Might it peel?
Freitag has been on my radar, but their bags don’t age well.
I seen very positive reviews of the Ospreys. But, to be honest, I think the Transporter is ugly. The Arcane isn’t bad. Is it PU-free?

Other suggestions? Thanks.

At a restaurant in Rome EUR, I saw people eat their pizzas with a fork and knife, starting with the middle, and continuing until there was an unbroken ring of crust and nothing else left. ⭕️

Is this a known way to eat pizza in Italy or Rome? Or was this just a very strange habit by these people?

I’m passing through Zürich next week and want to buy some German-language books, but I was surprised at the cost. For example: one book that I want to buy costs 24 EUR (28 USD) at the bookstore in the Frankfurt airport. Amazon is currently selling the same book for 15.33 EUR (18 USD), and Orell Füssli is selling the book for 36.90 CHF (47.25 USD).

I would prefer to buy books from a bricks-and-mortar store, especially an independent bookstore, but the Swiss price seems to be more than 2.5x the Amazon price and approximately 1.75x the Buchpreisbindung price in Germany.

Any suggestions?

My son, 5’2” (157 cm) with average build, needs a new school backpack. It should be roomy enough to handle books, notebooks, and tech accessories. It will need a laptop sleeve. BUT it should not be too big for his size.

Currently, he has a Fjällräven Skule 20 L, but that has not worked out well for him. He thinks it’s too large (though I have my doubts and think the size may be just fine). But the bag has not held up well. The bottom has lots of small holes. It simply has not held up to the abuse that a middle school boy gives his bag. He needs something tougher.

What do you recommend for his size and his needs?

Timbuk2 offers the Tuck Laptop Backpack in two versions: a standard edition and a limited edition for $70 more.

According to the website, the only difference between them is: “a trolley sleeve for smooth stacking and colorways designed to match our FreeStyle luggage collection.”

I was surprised that $70 gets you only a luggage sleeve and the choice of a few more colors. So I wrote to customer service. They replied: “The $70 difference is not only based on color. The Standard Edition is made from 100% recycled nylon and polyester, while the Limited Edition uses Cordura fabric and includes additional features such as a luggage pass-through (trolley sleeve), hidden back panel stash pocket, full dove-lined interior, front zippered pockets, split panel design, and color-matched thread.”

That’s a much bigger difference than what is stated on the website (and explains some of the price difference).

Does anyone have hands-on experience with these models and can comment on the materials and features? Is the recycled nylon and polyester good? Is the cordura the same as on the classic Timbuk2 messenger bag?

I want to buy a backpack to carry to work, but I don’t want anything too large since 1) I commute on a crowded streetcar or subway, and 2) I’m 5’6”. So 20L or under would be best.

Here’s my daily carry:

- 16-inch MacBook Pro laptop

- recharger block and cable

- 750 ml water bottle

- small packed lunch

- sweater (It’s often cold in the office.)

- two pens and a small notebook

- cellphone

Aesthetically, I don’t want something that looks like it’s carried by a middle schooler (think Jansport), something that looks extremely techy, or something that looks like I just came off the Appalachian Trail (NF Borealis).

I’ve been considering the Bellroy Via Workpack (18L) which would just handle my load. Also the Aer Go Pack 2 (20L, but currently sold out), the Timbuk2 Authority Laptop Backpack Deluxe (20L, gets good reviews), Topo Commuter Backpack (25L, possibly too big), and the Evergoods Civil Panel Loader (16L, expensive, and is 6 inches deep).

The Cotopaxi Tasra 16L and Bellroy Tokyo Totepack Compact only handle 13-inch laptops. The Topo Light Pack is only rated up to 15-inch laptops.

I want to see if there’s anything else out there in my desired size. Thanks for your help.

What are your thoughts on the Aer Travel 3 Small (28 liter)?

I'm looking for a travel backpack that I can bring onboard a plane and stow under the seat in front of me.  It should be big enough to accommodate a laptop, cables, a book, toiletries, a few days' worth of clothes, and maybe a change of shoes. (Yes, it will be really full, but I should be doable.)

I have ready have a Fjällräven Räven 28, and I have traveled all over the world with it, but the Räven 28 does not stand up on its own, which really bothers me.  (In fact, the design makes it fall over all the time.)  It does not attach to a wheeling suitcase.  And there's no hip belt connection.  The Aer Travel 3 Small looks promising.  The Aer Travel Pack 3 and Travel Pack 4 at 35 liters are too big.  And the Aer City Pro is great, but at 24 liters, it's probably too small.

Aer Travel 3 Small: 19" (48 cm) long X 13" (33 cm) wide X 7.5" (19 cm) deep

Thoughts? Thanks.

I know that just having a bachelor’s degree isn’t always enough to make OCS, especially if that degree is not STEM. So what are the chances for someone with this profile?:

Ivy League BA in history; 3.8 GPA; can speak French, Spanish, and German decently; not good at math; no engineering classes; currently doing a master’s degree in history education, but decided not to go to the teacher route.

Also, if I do go OCS, is SWO my only option? Any chance for PAO, FAO, or intel?