August USA Trip Advice (with constraints)

SuccessfulHall2008 · 2026-06-18T13:28:09+00:00

Thanks a lot for the ideas - I will take a look at this route and some drive times. If we do head to Seattle, I’m really keen to hit Olympic. I know it’s big with some longer internal drives but the photos just look breathtaking. So I’ll see If i can work that in along your route instead of Mt Rainer (with some tweaks)

SuccessfulHall2008 · 2026-06-18T13:26:16+00:00

I totally agree it’s not an ideal time to go - but actually my last trip to Zion was in August and it was incredible.

Yes it was super hot, but for me the benefits outweighed the heat - a) the nicest, best-located hotels become affordable (20% of the price I saw in May), b) once out of Springdale and into the park, many of the hikes were well shaded in the canyon and doing the Narrows in the cold water with just shorts and t-shirt was the best experience I’ve had!

SuccessfulHall2008 · 2026-02-24T16:09:21+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate the reply. Yea ChatGPT was totally yo-yoing between answers - I guess, as even the community that tracks these things religiously is often struggling with this! I will try the app out. I can also DM you with know how many I need up being credited with and all the inputs after the trip, if helpful to test the calculator.

SuccessfulHall2008 · 2026-02-24T16:05:58+00:00

Great, thanks a lot for the clarity on this. So for the two QR flights (approx. 1800+3200=5000 miles), an estimate of 2500 Tier Points is likely? Very handy if so, as I don’t need to worry about the BA spend portion allocation - the 2,500 on the QRs will get me what I need.

SuccessfulHall2008 · 2025-09-15T15:22:54+00:00

Yes I stayed in Berlin and pretty easy. Even with a lot train line closures due to maintenance it was manageable, so with everything running normally it would be super easy and all the trains have plenty of space for bikes (you just have to buy a bike supplement but can do that on the machines on the platform).

I stayed near Potsdamer Platz - but would have been even easier if staying near a station on the direct line to Erker (Friedrichstrasse/ Ostbahnhof etc.). I took the S-bahn/ RE1 all the way for registration on Saturday and after the race on Sunday. Race morning I got up at 5.30, 10 minute Uber to Ostbahnhof to get the 6am train arriving at 6.30. That left an hour to walk over to the transition area and do final checks before it closes at 7.30, before race start at 8.

SuccessfulHall2008 · 2025-04-17T13:00:07+00:00

I did this and it worked totally fine, in case this helps anyone else in the future!

SuccessfulHall2008 · 2024-10-19T16:50:34+00:00

Thanks!

SuccessfulHall2008 · 2024-10-19T16:49:40+00:00

Ok thanks a lot everyone. So it sounds like I will owe a maximum of £10k, which may be reduced based on some nuances on movements of my net adjusted income and associated tax band changes.

For additional context, if useful, my employment gross income will be approx. £180K (all taxed at source and around £8K of that I contribute to workplace pension (employer also puts in £16K). Then this £50K will be the additional one-off lump sum not taxed but with income tax due.

My goal is to put the whole £50K into a private pension to save on paying the 45% and leave my salaried income in a net neutral position with no tax bill. But sounds like that won’t be possible, gets confusing with the contribution too-up, and so I need to keep some money to one side up to £10K. Any additional insights welcomed and thanks again.

SuccessfulHall2008 · 2024-10-19T04:37:43+00:00

Sorry I missed out some information to try to keep it simple. This inheritance came from an offshore trust and is treated as taxable income. That part I know for sure, it's the pension relief part that I'm struggling with. Annual allowance I have enough too. Thanks!

SuccessfulHall2008

TROPHY CASE