Peter Greenberg Solo Travelers Live Chat Transcript 5-4-2010

Comment From Tim from ME:

Have you ever traveled the death road in Bolivia?

Peter Greenberg:

actually, there is more than one death road in bolivia. in fact there's a death road in peru, one in colombia and a really bad one in paraguay

Comment From Betsy Boswell:

I have insomnia which keeps me from traveling as much as I would like. Do you have any recommendations for how I can travel and get good sleep?

Peter Greenberg:

there are a number of hotels with sleep programs, but i don't necessarily buy that they work. instead, i'm a big fan of not eating after 8pm, and the best advice -- a hot bath right before bedtime. and off to sleep you go, wherever you are!

Comment From Maria:

I know you've been asked quite a few cruising questions, but are there any family friendly European cruises you would suggest?

Peter Greenberg:

love the summer cruises in scandinavia, especially the hurtigruten in norway. really special, and great for families

Comment From Becky:

I'm a widower 60 years of age who just returned from 3 1/2 weeks in NZ and Australia. I had a wonderful time, but am still frustrated that I had to pay double occupancy for all hotel rooms. Are there any strides being made in the travel world to help those of us who are traveling as a single? I traveled with my cuz and her husband, and they paid only a $4,000 more as a couple than I did as a single!

Peter Greenberg:

yes...we are dealing right now with an almost worldwide buyers market for travel. hotels have overbuilt and there's an excess in capacity. as a result, all you need to do is ask about them waiving double occupancy and many hotels will do it, because some revenue for them is better than none. i promise you the tide is changing (thankfully) for solo travelers

Comment From JD:

My wife and I would like to tour the US in an RV, but we're on a budget. How do we get a good deal on an RV? Where are some good stops?

Peter Greenberg:

rv rentals are great, and believe it or not, an economically viable alternative to airlines and hotels. even if fuel prices spike, the good news is that you're not being hit by high airline fares, checked baggage fees, high hotel rates, and you're not eating out every night. the trade off is more than worth it, with one important caveat....you actually need to LIKE the person you're in the rv with!

Comment From R J Maxwell:

I often fly from Newark to LAX to visit my grandchildren. I prefer Continental because they're one of the few airlines that still give complimentary food and entertainment. Now that they've merged with United, do you think these will go the way of the dodo?

Peter Greenberg:

not yet...at the very least , the earliest this meger could be operational will be december....and continental's newark to lax flights will remain....

Comment From Bill Kinsey:

I know you spend time in Thailand. I'm thinking of planning a trip there. Do you have any suggestions on how to get the most out of two weeks over there?

Peter Greenberg:

yes....use bangkok as your hub for two or three days. then head south to phuket for three or four days, then up north to chiang mai or chiang rai up near the border with myanmar...then return to bangkok for two days of r&r and o pick up all the stuff you bought (it's still a great bargain)

Peter Greenberg:

hey everyone...great chatting with all of you. what a surprise, i am actually racing to the airport (again) to do my own impersonation of up in the air...see you on the aarp website, and of course, on CBS news..and let's chat again soon. cheers, peter

AARP Travel Team:

Thanks for joining us today for the Live Chat. We had a lot of fun answering your questions and reading your comments. We couldn't answer every single question submitted, but for more advice, tips, stories, and discounts please stayed tuned to the AARP Travel page: http://www.aarp.org/travel/