Photo by emilio labrador

Over the last few months I have heard from several people who have had special situations requiring some degree of assistance at airports. One involved an elderly parent traveling alone and not being able to walk from one gate to another while changing planes, the next was having two young children traveling unaccompanied by an adult and the other was having a person coming into the states from another country who was unable to speak English. All different scenarios, but each presented a specific need for special assistance. These are but a few examples that I have heard about myself and I am sure there are many more situations where people have some disability or need for some kind of help to make their journey easier, safer and less fearful.

When you are making your reservations and if you are dealing with a traveler who has some limitation or disability, ask for special services. They can send a  transport or wheelchair and quickly escort you through the terminal to the next gate, and they can help you arrange for an escort pass so you can go through security to the gate with those small children or loved ones on both ends of the trip.  Just knowing that help is available can give your traveler more freedom to take those trips and give you some peace of mind.

On an earlier post I had mentioned about traveling with one of those special money belts that can be worn around your waist under your clothing to keep your cash, credit cards, etc. safe from those who would like to take it from you. When you travel alone you may be more conspicuous as a target so I would remind you to take that precaution.

Recently, in just surfing, I came upon another similar idea for you ladies, or really anyone, who has access to a pair of old pantyhose. If you do not have a place to purchase the zippered money belt that I spoke of, another alternative would be to use the leg of a pair of panty hose. You could just place the money and cards in it and then tie it around your waist.

If you are also carrying a little purse, I would leave a little cash there to pay for tips, cab fares, and little odds and ends you may want to purchase en-route with out exposing to anyone about your little secret stash.

                                                                                  Photo by xraven1

When I was growing up taking lots of family vacations just wasn’t part of my family’s budget plan. My parents worked very hard all their lives raising my brother and me and we had everything we needed, but we just didn’t have a lot of wants – like vacations. And that was alright.

In later years, once we kids were out on our own and dad finally was able to retire, they were fortunate enough in their golden years to travel a little bit. My parents were always social and had a network of family and friends living around them and fortunately their vacations took on the form of group trips organized by our church with these family and friends – on the bus. This was perfect for them. They never had the worry of mapping trips, driving on unfamiliar roads, figuring out how to book hotels, planes or any of that. They just signed up and away they went. And they had wonderful times, visited many and varied places and collected lasting memories. I am so happy that they were able to do that. I had terrific parents and they sure deserved a little fun and excitement together in their lives.

That got me to thinking – about buses.

Just about this time, I came upon an article written by Peter Greenberg while paging through a recent issue of AARP Magazine touting the advantages of bus travel in the here and now. Whether you are going to join a group on a planned tour like my parents did or just using the bus as a means of transportation on your way to your own planned trip, going by bus may just have an attractive appeal.

In general, you buy your ticket, hop on while your bags are stowed, with no extra baggage fees I might add, and take your place in a roomy, leather reclining seat. Sometimes, I used to catch a bus home on breaks in my college days, when I didn’t have my own car, and found it actually quite pleasant. The bus made regular stops where we could stretch, grab a bite to eat and while on board, get to see a lot of just beautiful scenery along the highways and through those quiet little towns. I loved it.

Maybe if you are in a hurry, this might not be the ideal choice. Yet, if you figure in driving to the airport, parking in a satellite lot, catching the little van to the terminal and then going though all the lines before waiting to board, that all adds up too. But face it, we are all so much in a hurry to do everything that just the idea of slowing things down and enjoying the trip sounds real good to me. Even better, some of the intercity buses, like Greyhound or Peter Pan and others, looking to compete with trains and planes, are adding such amenities as wireless access, cell phone reception, drop down videos screens and even attendants who will serve you a snack or beverage. Pretty cool, huh!! Another advantage is that the fares are really very reasonable. Only down side that I can see is that for now at least, the bus still does not serve every route and you might not find service to the place you need to go. But if you can make your connections, be prepared to save big.  Greenberg said that a typical round trip from New York to Boston, for example, might cost $225 on American Airlines, $124 on Amtrak and drum roll please, $42 on Greyhound.

If you are curious about looking into bus travel, there are a few sites where you can plug in your route and get a comparison of various bus companies and fares, some with package deals as well.

BusJunction.com

GoToBus.com

                                                                         Photo by IvyLodge

Since I just did a post on a B&B, I think I will stick with this theme this week.

For the longest time one of my own dreams was to have my own Bed and Breakfast. I imagined all of these different scenarios of where it would be, what it would look like and who would do all of the various tasks associated with it – the decorating of it, the paperwork of it, the cleaning and the cooking, even having a little organic garden of veggies and herbs. In my minds eye it was really fun and things ran seemingly flawlessly. I realized with having that dream that owning a bed and breakfast was a really personal extension of what I would consider my home that I would be opening to invite guests to share with me.

Well, that never happened and that dream will just remain a dream. But when I think about the reality of owning and running a successful Bed and Breakfast, I realize what a lot of work it must be for those who do own one. For that reason, I have decided to give some of what I think are things to think about first for the traveler going to a bed and breakfast, and then for us also to remember what could be important to the owners. Each, the guest and the innkeeper, have certain responsibilities to the other.

We would expect good, prompt service that lives up to the advertising to be sure. Bed and Breakfasts are not all the same though. If you are after a gourmet breakfast, be sure that the one you select advertises that. Some just have a continental type breakfast – maybe homemade muffins and jams set out as a serve yourself. Same goes if you are expecting afternoon tea or sherry. Or antiques and fine linens. Make sure you do a little research so that you won’t be disappointed. While most times these days reservations can be made on the internet, I would suggest a call to the innkeeper just to have some personal contact. Just remember that if you do call, the owner would likely be tied up in the morning with breakfast. While you are at it, in discussing your particular needs, you could ask if you need to bring a specific item or if it will be supplied. And you may as well find out what local events or activities are in the area.

Many times the innkeeper may be able to accommodate a special request.I have heard of a bride who  bookied a whole B&B for her family. Or if you have a very small child, an advance call could help you find out if there is an age minimum. If they do allow babies, a call will help them get ready for your visit to make it perfect for you. Most would likely go all out to make your stay memorable.

Which brings us to the other part. Unlike hotels, these are usually privately owned homes. Those antiques you sit on or sleep on and the china you eat your gourmet breakfast on are special to the owners. So in return for allowing us to share them, we have the responsibility being good stewards of their B&B and to treat it and its furnishings gently.

Photo by moon 69

Ever wonder how you are supposed to carry on a purse, a tote with stuff for the flight and your laptop? I used to take my small roll on suitcase and a purse. But now it makes more sense to use a multipurpose approach. In my small backpack, I can tote my laptop, my digital camera, my cell phone, a bottle of water and a snack, a book to read, and a small wallet. Best part is that carrying it on your back is pretty easy when jockeying up and down escalators. I have everything I would need for the flight all in one place.

The rest can go in my roll on which I can just check if I can’t also take it with me on board. Besides the usual packing items, I can pack a very soft and a collapsible tote bag that can double for a purse and shopping bag when I get to my destination.

                                                                                  Photo by Dave McLean

I am in the market for purchasing some airline tickets to a couple of places for this summer. I was just thinking to myself that I wish I could figure the best days to get the best buys on tickets. Quite by accident while going online to follow up on a totally unrelated news report on ABC this morning I found another report on “What is the Best Day to Buy Cheap Airfare”. Now, if that isn’t the universe speaking to me, I don’t know what is.

The column, written by Rick Seaney, a noted expert on air travel, offered some good advice to get a good deal. He confirmed what I already figured out with my searches for good flights. In his opinion – there is a method.

First, don’t be in a huge rush to buy too soon. He noted that four months before is time enough to start looking. He also said that you should shop around a bit to get a good ballpark of going rates among the airlines so that when specials are advertized you will know if it really is a good deal. Usually, there are not many seats at those prices, so don’t delay or they will be gone.

If you can wait, sometimes, as the date gets closer, you could see an airline offer a sale, usually on a Monday. And by mid day on Tuesday the other airlines will follow. So, Seaney says that Tuesday afternoons are the best days to get a good price. Wednesdays and Saturdays are good days for a deal too as people don’t often pick those days to travel.

Other considerations are the time of day. Most do not prefer real early mornings or late at night, so there could be some deals there too if you don’t mind the inconvenience.

If travel dates are flexible he reminds that off season travel or not going the day before or after a holiday would save you too.

Finally, he suggests using a site that will show you monthly calendars with posted fares for each day and you can do that at his site. I went there and put in my travel dates and could see the prices day to day. It was great. I also was able to sign up for email alerts reporting price changes. Take a look. It was a bit of good luck that I was able to find his report just when I was thinking about it for myself and then to be able to share the tips with you.

Photo by pellaea

I am a list person. I make lists to tell me what groceries to buy. I make lists to remind me of any appointments I have each month. I make to do lists for the week and for the day- every day. It is no wonder then that I make lists when I am getting ready to pack a bag – even if it is just for a weekend.

I start with how many days worth of STUFF I need to organize.

I have categories. All together I do clothes, medications and vitamins, cosmetics, snacks and water for on the way, camera, tickets-itinerary-travel book, money, cell phone and charger, hair care items, outer wear – will I take a wrap, a sweater, a coat, rain gear. It all depends on where I am going and the time of year.

First I select clothes which also includes accessories- like jewelry , shoes, slippers, robe and pj’s.

I count out the correct number of changes of clothes I will need. Then I make piles for each day for what I will need to make a complete outfit, starting with undies and all the way to accessories. If I need a special item for a night out, for example, that goes on the list. After I have all the clothes, accessories, including shoes, then I move on to each category and lay out the piles as I go.

When I have all the piles assembled, I go back to the list and check things off to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Finally, it is time to pack. Sigh of relief!! Some may find this tedious, but for folks like me, it is worth it to start out a trip feeling relaxed and prepared.

                                                                        Photo by gourabstock

I guess I have been lucky in that of all the times I have traveled somewhere be it car, train or air, I have never had an incident where I actually needed or even thought about getting traveler’s insurance. When I think of all the things that could have gone wrong, I wonder why it never occurred to me to purchase some.

Recently, I was contemplating taking an overseas and rather expensive trip and one of the things the tour company discussed was the purchasing of protection. That prompted me to think about it more carefully and to do a little research into why it might be a beneficial thing to have.

When planning an expensive trip months in advance there are a number of things that could happen. What if plans change – an accident, illness, weather emergency? What happens then? What if you get to a place and your luggage doesn’t? What if you are in a tropical place and a hurricane hits? What if you are involved in an accident? Does you own medical insurance cover you?

I think that for the majority of times, most travel worry free. Yet, there is that old adage “better to be safe than sorry”.

Anyone out there have an experience where having insurance saved the day? Or, on the other hand, anyone have a sad tale about not having it and wishing you had? I’d like to hear what you think.

                                                                            Photo by Craig Murphy

We are in the middle of winter and the Olympics are going to be in Canada this year – brrrrr. With many people headed up North to watch their favorite winter sports, talking about how to dress to stay warm seems like a good idea.

It is much different to run in and out of a car to a building in the cold than it is to stand out in it for hours at a time. Not just a comfort issue, but a safety one as well.

The one word to best describes how to protect ourselves is LAYERS.

Here are some suggestions of how to dress in the cold to stay warm.

In general, as we go over specific layers, keep the clothing loose to allow for free circulation and to help with the insulation by allowing warm air pockets to be trapped. Don’t neglect any area of the body. Often people do the right thing from the chest up but don’t worry as much as what is worn below the waist. When you think of if, there is more skin area on the lower half of the body overall.

The advantage of layering is obvious. You can add or remove as you go according to conditions. For those like me who live in a tropical climate and do not even own a winter coat, dressing for the cold is going to take some planning

The first layer should be a fabric that will wick perspiration. Cotton is not it. Silk or synthetic thermals will make a great first layer – tops and bottoms.

Next would be a light weight wool shirt and pants. For those who don’t like wool a densely knitted microfiber fleece would be a good option. Gore-Tex, Teflon or a nylon shell pant is another good option. Cotton jeans are not a good choice. They don’t keep out wet and they don’t block wind.

Thirdly, comes a lightweight button down shirt or jacket that can be easily removed.

The outer layer for extreme cold would be a heavier down filled coat that goes down past the hips and preferably with a hood.

The next areas of concern are the head, neck, hands and feet. When it is extremely cold, blood moves away from these areas to protect the vital organs leaving these areas basically unprotected and that would be when fingers and toes could succumb to frostbite.

Hopefully, your coat or a layer under it will have a hood. Top that with a warm hat that can be pulled down and to that add a warm, close knit scarf to wrap around your neck, mouth and nose.

Hands can be difficult. While mittens are best, they often restrict using the fingers. Insulated hand coverings are good. It was recommended to look in a sporting shop for mitts that had one or two fingers like hunters use.

And finally the feet. Think two pairs of socks. The first pair might be a lightweight airwicking choice – again not cotton. The outer one should be wool. If they can go up the calf all the better. Make sure you have plenty of wiggle room for circulation. Top these with water proof, over the calf boots that have a soft, warm lining. Having a thick sole will add more protection to the bottoms of your feet that likely will be tramping around on ice and snow.

If all this fails to keep you warm try doing a couple of minutes of jumping around and then head to the lodge for a warm fire and some hot cocoa.

                                                                                 Photo from here

Many people get caught up in the excitement of going on a trip by going out to the nearest resort boutique and buying a new, fancy wardrobe to travel in style. I do understand how good it makes me feel to don a new outfit or to get a new hairdo, but it really isn’t necessary to get all new finery just because you are going on a trip. Not only will it help to cut unnecessary costs but it will be less worrisome to just wear your comfy favorite clothes, shoes, suitcases, etc. You won’t feel as bad if anything gets lost or ruined and you might even have a little extra left over for a souvenir.

It would be a good bet to leave expensive jewelry at home too. Things could easily get lost or stolen. The same goes for pricey cameras. Unless you are a professional, why drag around an expensive or cumbersome camera, lens, tripod etc, when a little digital will do the job for you. Some people I know just buy some really pretty post cards to remember the places they have been.

The main thing is to relax, and have a fun, worry free vacation.