I've been hovering over tickets to go to the Netherlands in May for the past four days and each time I pick out an itinerary, I give up simply because I'm too lazy to go through the travel process. Flying international sucks. I used to be up for this all the time and enjoy it, but not anymore. - ThreadSky

americanfietser.com • 9 days ago

I've been hovering over tickets to go to the Netherlands in May for the past four days and each time I pick out an itinerary, I give up simply because I'm too lazy to go through the travel process. Flying international sucks. I used to be up for this all the time and enjoy it, but not anymore.

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dirkvdberg68.bsky.social•9 days ago

Why don't you do a coastal line itinerary, and visit Haarlem, Leiden, and Den Haag?

wndrin.bsky.social•9 days ago

Flying internationally is miserable. Trans-Atlantic cruises are way better, but rare and kind of expensive and not as carbon friendly, but they are so much more relaxing. You arrive invigorated.

cyclingcapital.bsky.social•9 days ago

God, airports and flying suck. Only family or a once-in-a-lifetime month-long trip to Asia can ever drag me through that.

cyclingcapital.bsky.social•9 days ago

That being said, I hope you make it all the way here.

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

Yeah, we shall see. I'm doing all I can to motivate myself to just book it, but also I refuse to come there during tourist season. I'm not a fucking tourist in the NL and don't want to be surrounded by those Nutella eatings ass-clowns. 😂

cyclingcapital.bsky.social•9 days ago

Keep away from the Negen Straatjes area and you should be fine. I heard Utrecht is nice and relatively quiet that time of year…

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

I generally hide out and homebase in 's-Hertogenbosch. The intl tourists don't seem to know it even exists.

agnesard.bsky.social•9 days ago

It’s close to my workplace, it’s a nice city. I like Den Bosch (how we call the city) very much. I spent a few hours there yesterday due to train problems.

ronythebikeczar.bsky.social•9 days ago

I feel this. I somehow went from 150 flights in a year to live abroad in two different countries in a year to... Travels internationally once to in a year and hates booking tickets.

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

I sit here looking at the "complete purchase" button while playing over and over in my head the jackasses on planes, in airports, the lines for immigration, nasty food, public bathrooms, sick people coughing and sneezing, uncomfortable seats, inflated costs of everything.

carsten-diekmann.bsky.social•9 days ago

Do you need a visa to visit EU?

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

I'm not sure. Maybe? If so, it's easy.

andreslucero.com•9 days ago

Americans don’t need a visa for short stays up to 90 days.

Eventually you’ll need a travel authorization to enter, but that hasn’t been implemented yet.

therealjohnconnor.bsky.social•9 days ago

There are people who do that professionally. They’re often more affordable than you’d think.
I’ve found that, if you can afford it, paying others to handle things you dread is a life changing experience.

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

What?

therealjohnconnor.bsky.social•9 days ago

Sorry, that might’ve been too vague. Travel agents!

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

It's not the booking process that is a problem. It's physically dragging myself through the travel process. Plus, at almost 2 meters tall, being on an airplane is gravely uncomfortable.

therealjohnconnor.bsky.social•9 days ago

Ahhhhh yeah that makes sense.

sunriseflight.bsky.social•9 days ago

I'm fairly small, but even I feel too big for most commercial economy seats, and if I've got a middle lest an manspreaders, I misplace my excrement. I can only imagine what it's like to go through that while tall or just big.

uptonic.com•9 days ago

Same... But once you're there, it's SO worth it. Headed to Amsterdam in late April!

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

Oh I know, I've been to the NL enough that it changed my life and is responsible for the platform I run today, but still, I now hate the experience of any international travel.

thejoncarpenter.bsky.social•9 days ago

Does Jet lag and being cramped on a plane got you hating it? The jet leg there is terrible for me even when I sleep on the plane. I mostly hate American east coast airports. They are freaking dirty and crowded.

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

My biggest problem is the inability to sleep sitting up. I've never in my life been able to so the entire process is done with zero sleep.

thejoncarpenter.bsky.social•9 days ago

Oh that sucks big time. My wife has the same problem. She hates long car drives over 6 hrs. Can’t sleep, gets antsy and uncomfortable. I am the 5’8” and have been cramped in cars since I was little.

tuzi.iffy.xyz•9 days ago

Ideally you stay awake the entire flight, then awake some more so you go to sleep at 22:00 in the netherlands

Saves you the jetlag

sunriseflight.bsky.social•9 days ago

Do day flights help? I like those, arriving in the evening so you are tired when you arrive and fast track jet lag. Hate the early arrivals.

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

Kinda, yeah. We do day flights back to the US from Brazil regularly and I've noticed it helps a bit.

uptonic.com•9 days ago

Yep, I get it. And sleeping on a cramped plane only gets worse the older we get. I envy how my kids don't finish the flight feeling like all their joints have seized up.

gabrielstravels.bsky.social•9 days ago

I can't tell where you're starting but look at seat61 as there might be another way

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

Lol, the US, which limits the options.

gabrielstravels.bsky.social•9 days ago

Is this any use?

https://www.seat61.com/queen-mary-2-transatlantic.htm
New York-Southampton
SWR Southampton-London Waterloo
eurostar London St Pancras-Amsterdam Centraal
hotels in Southampton and/or London might be needed to make it work

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

Unfortunately no. Time crunch.

xeonstra.bsky.social•9 days ago

If you can work remotely, you can work on the ship. They even have a library onboard (largest on sea I believe).

gabrielstravels.bsky.social•9 days ago

I'd heard that was true but having not made it over the Atlantic yet I haven't tested this.

gabrielstravels.bsky.social•9 days ago

Fair enough

avidiva.bsky.social•9 days ago

You sure you want to fly right now?

jeann3z.bsky.social•9 days ago

Visas now!

amsteffydam.bsky.social•9 days ago

I always just by tickets and wing it. Planners hate traveling with me

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

I never plan much. I just figure out where I want to be as home base and then try to live like a local wherever I'm at.

nickbarnhiser.bsky.social•9 days ago

If you can swing the cost an upgraded seat like first class can be worth it on those longer flights. Global Entry/TSA Pre can also be helpful. Playing the credit card rewards game can bring the cost down. Some credit cards will also pay for the Global Entry fees.

americanfietser.com•9 days ago

Yeah, I do all that stuff and have for years, but despite being a traveler that gets some more of the comfortable privileges, it's still a pain in the ass.

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