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7 common travel myths

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited January 2023 in General Chat
here are 7 common travel myths by peter greenberg

• If you use your cellphone, the plane will crash.
• Cruise ships are all-inclusive.
• If you rent a car with a credit card, you don’t need additional insurance.
• Taking the train in Europe is cheaper than flying.
• Recirculated cabin air on planes will make you sick.
• X-ray machines at airport security checkpoints can erase your computer’s hard drive.
• Your hotel card key can be used to steal your identity.
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    johnny_mac wrote: »
    • Taking the train in Europe is cheaper than flying.

    That depends entirely on where you're going from/to surely.
    johnny_mac wrote: »
    • Recirculated cabin air on planes will make you sick.

    Actually, for some people that can be true. I was on a flight not so long back where there was someone with a serious allergy on board and everyone on the flight was requested not to eat nuts because he could be affected.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    altyfc wrote: »
    I was on a flight not so long back where there was someone with a serious allergy on board and everyone on the flight was requested not to eat nuts because he could be affected.


    then he shouldnt have got on the plane in the first place!!!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    So someone with a nut allergy is never allowed to fly, because some people prefer their right to eat nuts?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Rail travel is cheaper than flying in a hell of a lot of cases.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It depends who you fly with and where you fly to, doesn't it?

    If you go by Ryanair a cup of coffee on the plane costs more than the ticket.

    But I've just seen Paris-Munich by TGV that's EUR69 each way, first class.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Except the liquor, you can certiantly find plenty of all-inclusive cruise ships.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Plus the train is a lot more civilised way of travelling. Also, it will get you from the centre of one place to the centre of another, and not to the airport which may be anything up to 20 miles from the actual city.

    Not sure about the rest of you, but I'd happily pay 20-30% on top for the increased convenience of going from St. Pancras to Gare Du Nord as opposed to Heathrow to CDG. You might save a bit of cash, but you lose about 2 hours either side with getting there, checking in and faffing about.

    Having interrailed around Europe on my gap year, I can heartily say that the Europeans do train travel extremely well. For a start, smoking carriages still exist!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oh and the transfer costs to get from an airport to where you need to be in a city can be bad. Most train stations tend to be next to useful stuff like shops and things.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Not sure about the rest of you, but I'd happily pay 20-30% on top for the increased convenience of going from St. Pancras to Gare Du Nord as opposed to Heathrow to CDG. You might save a bit of cash, but you lose about 2 hours either side with getting there, checking in and faffing about.

    By the time you've paid for the Heathrow Express and train from CDG, you don't save any money. But even then BA and Air France seem to be more expensive than Eurostar, especially if you're a leisure passenger and you can pre-book 12 weeks in advance. Last time I went to Brussels it was £75 return.

    I'd always travel by Eurostar if I could: five minutes from check-in to sitting on the train with a cup of coffee, and that included having my bags thoroughly searched.

    A lot of smoking carriages are going, though. Even the Germans have just banned smoking in enclosed public places, which is amazing.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Many travelers contend that the way cabin air is circulated makes the plane a prime breeding ground for colds and flu viruses. True or False?

    In my experience, the answer is a qualified true, but there is no scientific proof. First, the cabin air: Modern jet planes were designed to bring in air from the outside at high altitude. In theory, the extremely cold air (about 40 to 60 degrees below zero) is then heated by the aircraft engines and circulated into the cabin, purging the old air. But there’s a problem. This procedure costs fuel and fuel costs money, so many airlines simply recirculate the air already onboard the cabin, bringing in a very small amount of new air. So you may well argue correctly that if the person in seat 2B has the flu, you’ll be breathing his air back in 35E. But to date, no definitive scientific studies have proven that allegation. Still, my advice is to hydrate yourself while on the plane, wash your hands often and turn off the air vent over your head.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    that was all slightly random! But kinda intresting.... I've never been on a plane, but I'm going on holiday next week so it's pretty exciting lol x Good to know my phone wont crash the plane, always useful...
    C-A x
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ooh, i love planes.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    edwins wrote: »
    Many travelers contend that the way cabin air is circulated makes the plane a prime breeding ground for colds and flu viruses. True or False?

    In my experience, the answer is a qualified true, but there is no scientific proof. First, the cabin air: Modern jet planes were designed to bring in air from the outside at high altitude. In theory, the extremely cold air (about 40 to 60 degrees below zero) is then heated by the aircraft engines and circulated into the cabin, purging the old air. But there’s a problem. This procedure costs fuel and fuel costs money, so many airlines simply recirculate the air already onboard the cabin, bringing in a very small amount of new air. So you may well argue correctly that if the person in seat 2B has the flu, you’ll be breathing his air back in 35E. But to date, no definitive scientific studies have proven that allegation. Still, my advice is to hydrate yourself while on the plane, wash your hands often and turn off the air vent over your head.


    wow that's a quaint discourse edwin. thanks for sharing that.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I am also getting excited to get on board again... hmmm.. maybe a couple of months more..
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