JOIN ME FOR A FABULOUS AROUND THE WORLD ADVENTURE

I leave in exactly three months on my final around the world adventure.  Actually, I'm considering a world cruise beginning in January of 2017 as my absolutely last such odyssey.

At the end of April I summarized the upcoming Fall journey.  For anyone contemplating joining me on at least part of the journey, you still have some time to adjust your schedule.  There are no visas necessary, but you will need to get your Japan Railway Pass before you arrive there.  Get the Green Car level.

I have made some adjustments.  Basically, I deleted London and Paris to simplify things.  Also, too, according to these graphs, Paris and London are the most expensive cities  (if you can't read the print, click on it):

Bangkok is the cheapest, while Budapest and Dubai are also bargains.

Taking heavy baggage on trains around Europe can be painful.  Worse, there is a tendency in France and Italy for the workers to suddenly strike.  These last only a day, or so, but your hotel reservations become major issues.

Anyway, here is now my Star Alliance itinerary, with stays mostly at Starwood properties, for I am a platinum member and a lot of amenities are free for me.  I will be flying business class, which is half the cost of first class and double that of coach.  Actually, there are so few international first class opportunities these days that it's not worth the cost of $10K more than business class.  Here is the schedule:

September 16   Depart Honolulu on UA879

                  17   Arrive Tokyo (Tokyo Westin)

                  18   Arrange Japan Rail Pass details, etc.

                  19   Tokyo to Kanazawa on Kagayaki 503
                            (newest Shinkansen line)
                         Nagano to Matsumoto on Hakutaka 558
                            Visit Pearl's Gold Koi at Matsumoto Castle

                         Matsumoto to Shinjuku on Super Azusa 22

                       
                  20   Tokyo to Shin Aomori on Hayabusa 5
                         Shin Aomori to Hakodate on Super Hakucho
                         Hakodate to Sapporo on Hokuto 9
                         (JR Tower Hotel Nikko)
                   21   Hokkaido tour

                   22  Sapporo to Tokyo startng with Hokuto  4  
                         (Tokyo Westin)

                   23   Tokyo to Kyoto in late morning
                          (Suiran--first Starwood ryokan)

                   24   Kyoto to Miyazaki early in the morning
                          (Sheraton Grand Ocean Resort--Miyazaki beef, 
                           the only wagyu sold in the U.S. from Japan)

                 25   Miyazaki to Yokohama in early morning
                         (Yokohama Bay Sheraton)

                  26   Yokohama to Tokyo in late morning
                          (Ritz Carleton--that's my breakfast below when I
                           last stayed there, with Mount Fuji in background)

                  27   (Tokyo Westin)

                  28   Tokyo Narita to Seoul Incheon on OZ101
                         (Sheraton Seoul D Cube City-- a true next
                           generation hotel)

                  29
                  30

October       1   Seoul Incheon to Hong Kong on OZ723
                         (Sheraton)

                    2   View from the Sheraton above

                    3   Hong Kong to Singapore on SQ863
                         (Sheraton Towers)

                    4   Once stayed at the Marina Bay Sands
                         I am at the edge of the infinity pool at the top
                    5

                    6   Singapore to Bangkok on TG404
                         (Sheraton Sukhamvit)

                    7  Above, rooftop dining, Banyan Tree, once a Starwood
                    8

                   9   Bangkok to Dubai on TG517
                        (Sheraton Dubai Creek)
                 10   (Burj Al Arab?)

                 11   (Sheraton Jumeirah Beach)

                 12   Dubai to Istanbul on TK763
                        (Sheraton near airport below)

                 13   Blue Mosque above
                 14

                 15   Istanbul to Venice
                        (St Regis Venice San Clemente Palace)

                 16   Venice to Milan on Trenitalia
                        (Four Points Sheraton)

                 17   World Expo:  Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life!
                 18   World Expo

                 19   Milan to Venice
                        (Westin Europa)

                 20  Westin Europa is right here at the water's edge
                 21   (St. Regis Venice San Clemente Palace)

                 22   Venice to  Frankfurt on LH327
                         (Sheraton Frankfurt Airport)

                 23  Sheraton is a two minute walk from some gates

                 24   Frankfurt to Budapest on LH1338
                        Tauck River Tour on the ms Swiss Jewel

                 25   Budapest
                 26   Vienna
                 27   Vienna
                 28   Danube River
                 29   Passau
                 30   Regensburg
                 31   Nurnberg
November  1   Bamberg
                   2   Wurzburg/Rothenburg
                   3   Maine River
                   4   Rudesheim
                   5   Cologne
                   6   Amsterdam
                   7   (Sheraton Amsterdam Airport)

                   8  The Sheraton is that white building at Schiphol Airport

                   9   Amsterdam to Newark Liberty on UA71
                        (Sheraton Lincoln Harbor)

                 10  The Sheraton is across the Hudson River from New York City
                 11   You take a ship into the city

                 12   Newark Liberty to Chicago O'Hare on UA224
                        (Sheraton Chicago O'Hare)

                 13

                 14   Chicago to Las Vegas on UA519
                        (Dan Takahashi)

                 15
                 16

                 17   Las Vegas to San Francisco
                        (Westin SFO Airport)

                 18   The Westin is located up there somewhere
                 19

                 20   San Francisco to Honolulu on UA300

If I happen to be passing by your city, let me know.  Perhaps we can have lunch or something.

-
Looks like Hurricane Carlos at 75 MPH has shifted his track to only skirt Puerto Vallarta and head for the Gulf of California.

-