Sorry if there's another recent thread on this...It's hard to keep up nowadays.

Is there going to be an owners meet in Europe this year? Last I read, Rob S wasn't putting it together. If someone is planning on hosting/organizing an event, where and when? I'd love to come, but I'd need to book the flight early.

Thanks,
Jason Dearing

Could we take a straw poll amongst the UK owners as to wether they want to meet up, hopefully when the weather is a little more inviting.



Where would be the best place to meet up? Having never been to a previous meet, what do you guys get up to?

Sorry, probably phrased the question wrong. Is there anyone who wants to attend a meet in the UK. Didn't mean to leave out all the owners in Europe and the rest of the world. I can assure you I'm not in the least bit xenophobic!

no, but I'd attend one in the southern or eastern US, assuming it doesn't conflict with any really important other events.

john

I'm gonna planning an Italian meeting, as soon as I'll get my empeg...

Obviously, everyone's invited!

What about a meet at an IASCA Event ?

That way we can all say hello, but there will be plenty of ICE related stuff to see and do aswell. Doncaster was good. I went in 2000.

I'm planning a meet in Antartica, anyone in the area wanna come?

I'd be into a meet in Europe. Pretty much anywhere in Europe as long as someone else was able to pay for my trip. I can probably handle paying for accomodations. But if that can be arranged by someone else as well, all the better.

Of course, that's if it doesn't conflict with that meet in Antarctica. Or was that Attica?

Bruno

There's no option for "maybe, but it depends where and when, and whether I'm doing something else at the time."

That's what I'd tick if there was one.

As for a venue, how about the big car-park opposite the Wrestlers in Cambridge? Then we'd be sure to get a few of the Empeg boys.

We'll come to Rob Schofields meet in Amersfoort - he even had some dates set.

Rob - is this confirmed yet?

Rob

Right this Italian meeting will take place anyway, so if ppl agrees of course it would be great to expand it to an Eu meeting. Also, I am considering to come to Amersfoort, even though time is not on my side recently.

Hey, we can do that, too. I don't mind organizing a hotel, meeting place, and a few activities, if y'all don't mind driving to Jacksonville, FL...
It just can't be the same date as the Europe meet.
Jason

Erm, did the dates for the dutch meet get posted ??

\\Kaare

If so, I haven't seen them. That's why I started the thread...

Yup, it's on - the venue is booked and I am getting it all together. Announcements will be sometime soon, but don't hold your breath yet until I have got my job situation sorted out.

It will be a lot of fun, and - co-incidentally - it will be on my birthday, so come to the party!

And here's a serious invitiation to all owners worldwide, but especially those of you in the US - you are all welcome, and you should have a good time. Make the effort - I am trying to persuade one of our favourite contributors to travel from the far side of the planet just to be at this gig: if he can do it - you can too!!!

I am trying to persuade one of our favourite contributors to travel from the far side of the planet just to be at this gig: if he can do it - you can too!!!

I still don't know how he's going to manage to drive that SHO Wagon across the bering straits, but OK...

Nice one! Do you want to try applying a little pressure from your side too?

Don't forget, it would be nice to see you as well, Tony - is there any way at all you could book a 5-day return trip?It's cheaper if you book early....

I would only be able to do it if it were part of a family vacation thing, and I'd have to look at the dates first... There's also the issue that I hate to fly (even before 9/11 I hated to fly)...

Ok, I'll bring my car this time, just so I've got a shot at the prizes!

Paul.

If you agree to invert parts, like I said to you time ago I will handle for your accomodation here in Italy
Just find someone that can handle your trip... and you will be the 'special guest' at our Italian meeting!

Can I have some suggestions for a nice holiday based around this?? I have enough air miles to possibly get me and the missus over there from this side of the pond (Canada).

Thanks!

Oops... Just noticed that an announcement would be posted later regarding the dates.

Sooooooooooo, when is your birthday?? I didn't find it in your profile.

As luck would have it, I already booked a ticket (to Paris arriving 31 May and departing 18 June) for the annual International Crappy Fishing Convention and for a little driving around--explore cheap hotels--eat fatty foods type action. Amersfoort would just be a hop and a skip, wouldn't it? (Can't say I'd bring my Empeg, as Avis isn't known to provide AUX inputs!)

So, when's your birthday?

My emplode is checking my disk integrity... I chould probably hop a plane to Paris, have a few glasses of wine, hop a plane back and still have time to catch a movie before this thing finishes. Uuuugh.

Does anyone have a suggestion on what one of the better ways (sites) is to check airfare prices between European locations?

Bruno

My emplode is checking my disk integrity... I chould probably hop a plane to Paris, have a few glasses of wine, hop a plane back and still have time to catch a movie before this thing finishes. Uuuugh.

No kidding! I this the downside or having 60GB unit now? (Oh, poor me!!)

Does anyone have a suggestion on what one of the better ways (sites) is to check airfare prices between European locations?

The engine behind most of the carrier specific res sites is the same -- ITN. I still type in www.itn.com even though it is now owned by Amex and branded as Amex. Choose the "flights" option immediately. the quickie booking option doesn't provide enough detail. I always use this to eyeball flights before going to our corporate travel site (which also use the same ITN engine) to finalize bookings (because, among other reasons, you can use ITN anonymously so there's no chance of getting stuck with an accidental booking if you hit the wrong button!)

ITN doesn't cover everything. You may get lower last-minute pricing from a consolidator site (maybe somebody else can recommend some of those like "Last-Minute Travel" or whatever). Also, it's worth playing around with ITN -- try odd routes and times -- as sometimes a fare will pop up that is lower than what initially gets spat out by the "AI".

Some of the carriers are trying to avoid dumping seats to discounters by doing it themselves. I'm a United frequent flyer and they send me e-mails with "E-fare" offers -- typically last-minute, non-upgradable seats with serious date/route constraints. Below I've attached a sample from January 9th for "Atlantic" destinations (lots of empty seats from Newark, looks like!).

I'm pretty sure you need to have a United (or Air Canada...) FF number to get those notices, but that's easy to do. Not sure how many carriers are doing it, as I've been 90% on UA for the past 5 years. Even with the notices, you still have to jump through the hoops to figure out which few dates and routes qualify and they are typically not any help unless you are ready to fly the following week.

Hope that helps,

[EDIT: Ah, you said "between" European locations. If that is truly the case, I think that there are certainly low-cost carriers that won't show up in ITN (the way Southwest is not listed on ITN for intra-US travel). I'm thinking of outfits like Ryan Air. You probably would want to check Ryan Air and maybe some others directly. I leave it to Europeans to steer you straight! I'll leave the rest of the post alone, lest it help any other folks trying to get to Amersfoort!]


Atlantic destinations:

Atlanta (ATL) Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) $259.00
Boston (BOS) London, England (LHR) $195.00
Chicago (ORD) Brussels, Belgium (BRU) $298.00
Chicago (ORD) Dusseldorf, Germany (DUS) $290.00
Chicago (ORD) Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) $290.00
Chicago (ORD) London, England (LHR) $245.00
Chicago (ORD) Paris, France (CDG) $298.00
Denver (DEN) Munich, Germany (MUC) $310.00
Los Angeles (LAX) Amsterdam, Holland (AMS) $338.00
Los Angeles (LAX) Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) $345.00

Los Angeles (LAX) London, England (LHR) $305.00
Los Angeles (LAX) Paris, France (CDG) $338.00
Miami (MIA) Paris, France (CDG) $318.00
New York City (JFK) London, England (LHR) $175.00
Newark (EWR) London, England (LHR) $175.00
San Francisco (SFO) Dusseldorf, Germany (DUS) $345.00

There's also the issue that I hate to fly

Why, that's precisely why Bob created Bourbon!

Were those round trip or one way prices? If it's round trip, I might even think about heading over there this year...

Were those round trip or one way prices? If it's round trip, I might even think about heading over there this year...

Those *are* round-trip, and yes some of them are pretty amazing. However, those were just fares they e-mailed Jan 9th probably for travel between Jan 13th and 20th or something -- and only if you'll accept separate middle seats and are willing to change planes in Fargo, stuff like that. Not any use if you actually want to plan in advance, and very volatile, but a possible great deal for discretionary travel when you're sitting on the fence. If they are busier come May/June, you probably won't see last-minute "E-fares" fares like that, but you never know.

For grins I just plugged in my May 30-June18 dates for a ticket to Amsterdam and lowest fares came back at ~$1,000 from Seattle and ~$700 from Newark. It seems like it's always a crap shoot -- whether to wait in hopes of a lower fare (essentially hoping that the airlines are underbooked and get desperate)

(Can't say I'd bring my Empeg, as Avis isn't known to provide AUX inputs!)

No... but a cassette adapter, a cigarette lighter adapter, and a rubber pad to put the empeg onto on the dashboard will work very well -- I drove from Connecticut to Alaska that way.

tanstaafl.

but a cassette adapter, a cigarette lighter adapter,...

I actually have 2 of the cassette adapters and have used them on driving vacations (with a Discman). They always seemed a little trebley, but did the job. One thing I've seen is that some of these rentals are coming through with CD players - the Seat Toledo I had last year had a CD, making cassette adapters a no-go. Suppose I could cut into the harness somehow (and bring a small amp!!) Plus, there's that whole vigilance thing -- protecting my Empeg while traveling in strange lands!

A side note for you, most classical Doug. I have to say how liberating it is to have a 60GB unit. I've been ripping (and listening to for the first time in a while) stuff that I never conceived of moving onto the Empeg. I was listening to some Sibelius today off the Empeg (192 VBR) plugged into my home system, and it sounded fantastic. Time to rip more!

Rob, when is your birthday??

Well, if it helps - the empeg owner's meet it that last wekeend of your trip, on the 14/15/16th of June. Wanna come along then?