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 Cactusautobus

Most people are aware that drinking water in foreign places can likely cause water-borne illnesses ( you’ve heard of Montezuma’s Revenge?) because you might not have adapted to the water the way that folks local to an area have. So we know not to drink the local water unless you can boil it or have those little pills that would purify the water and to ask for bottled water. But there might be other areas to watch out for that might not be so obvious.

If you can’t drink the water, you probably shouldn’t use it to brush your teeth either. I also wonder about ice cubes. Would there be any risk to having iced drinks? What about fresh fruit and veggies? Would they be washed in local water? Seems like there might be some risk there too. Anyone have any thoughts or information on this?

I figured I would hop on over to CDC to see if I could find out anything more definitive. There is a handy pdf there “A Guide to Drinking Water Treatment and Sanitation for Backcountry and Travel Use”.

                                                                            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.

                                                                          Photo by Bill Mayer

A few weeks ago I did a post discussing accommodation options that could save you a little money while you travel. I want to talk about accommodations again but this time I want to talk about what can be called “Dirty Little Secrets”. This morning in the period of about 30 minutes I heard two reports that made me want to take a shower right away. The first was when I just woke up. There was a news item on the radio about a well known hotel in London that offered bed warmers as a customer service. Human ones. They felt it was a good thing because “people sleep better when the sheets are warm”. Hello!! The bed warmers are supposed to wear one piece pajamas and have their hair covered. But they couldn’t guarantee that they would have had a shower. Call me crazy, I wouldn’t want a stranger warming up my sheets even if they had a shower!

And speaking of sheets that brings me to the second story I heard this morning. It is fairly common knowledge that the cleanliness of hotel rooms comes under question at times – even the GOOD ones. But after I heard a report on GMA this morning, I felt the need to report what I heard. Maybe some of you saw it too. They had a segment that was even worse in the creepy crawly division than the bed warmer. Trip Advisor has a list of the 10 dirtiest hotels. They are listed for you if you visit their site. The show featured a microbiologist going into a few of the hotels with an ATP Meter that picks up bacteria and mold. While they say a meter reading of 300 is considered safe, they were picking up readings of 2040. That and other instruments showed not only mold and bacteria on walls, floors, bathrooms, etc.; they also found rust, water damage on ceiling tiles, bodily fluids on bedspreads, walls, chairs, floors. A real cesspool. And then there are the bed bugs.

Now that I most likely have you all retching, what is a traveler to do? The first thing to do when you get to your room is conduct a room inspection. Do not put your suitcase on the bed. (And when you get home, do not put your suitcase on your own bed.) Put it on the bag holder. Look for stains on the spread. Remove the spread entirely. Who knows when or if these ever are cleaned. Check the linens for stains. Pull up the corners of the sheets and look for bug debris or dander or any little droplets of what could be blood in the crease if the mattress along the seam that would indicate the presence of bed bugs. Then move to the bathroom. Look for rust, water damage or stains in the sink, tub and around the toilet floor. If ANY of these are found at this point, ask to have a different room.

If the room passes all of these tests, here are some more just general things to do. Bring you Clorox wipes and clean off the doorknob and the remote. Give a good healthy disinfectant spray on surfaces in the bathroom. Don’t use the glasses or cups unless they are paper and wrapped. Bring slippers or at least Flip Flops when walking on the carpet or in the bath. They had these little plastic mattress bags that you could bring along but didn’t say where they got them. Anyone know? Precautions like these, while annoying, can help prevent things like the flu, colds, or athletes feet.

I am sure that many hotels go out of their way to keep their rooms clean and safe. But there are always some that might look the other way when it comes to training and monitoring staff. Better to be safe.

If you can think of other things to look for or have any other ideas to protect yourselves from unwanted contaminants, please leave a comment.

Photo courtesy of Bradipo

Tipping for services provided can be tricky, if not confusing, for a traveler. This travel tip is not going to go in to all the many service providers that in the states particularly are accustomed to getting tips, like your favorite hair stylist or mailman. For our purposes, this is just to bring up the idea of tipping while on travel – whether in the US or abroad. Should you or shouldn’t you? And who and how much?

Whether one considers tipping an option or that people expect a tip, there is no arguing that most of the people who are the recipients of tips are the ones who most often rely on what is given for the bulk of their salary.

If this is an area of concern for you, then it is best to know what is the norm in the country you are heading to. Just do your research before you go. You might be surprised at the difference in customs from one country to the next. There are many tipping places on the web where amounts are suggested for various services – be it the cleaning staff in your hotel or the person who serves your food and I will list a few links for you at the end. The thing to remember is that this person is providing a service. If, for example, you do not like your room or the meal is not as tasty as you wished, it is not the maid or the waitress who is to blame. You tip for the quality of service you receive. (The one thing about room service that I will mention is that if you are going to tip and are staying multiple nights, it is to your advantage to tip daily, leaving it before you head out in the morning. This will go a long way in placing you in good hands during your stay.)

When you leave a tip, you should know whether or not leaving US money is convenient. Many times folks will prefer getting tips in their local currency which is most likely available at the airport when you arrive. This has to do with the inconvenience or loss of value when the recipients would be faced with changing it to their currency.

Please visit these places for specific tipping information.

http://www.magellans.com/store/article/367

http://www.itipping.com/

http://www.findalink.net/

Do you have any travel experience or advice on tipping from places you have visited to share ? Please leave a comment!

                                                                    Photo by Christine Lebrasseur

It is WINTER. Tax time is on the horizon. You just blew your budget on the holidays………….. Sounds like you could use a getaway. Uh-oh. Dilemma! Just can’t afford a little luxurious getaway right now – or can you????

Ever hear the old commercial about “ Calgon, take me away”? Well, maybe some of you over a certain age may have.

Let’s expand on that idea and plan a getaway all on your own for yourself – at home.

Now if I were going to have that day where I could indulge just myself to chase away those winter blues, what would I do? I am going to dream a little bit to come up MY perfect stay-at-home-getaway. For those who don’t know me well, I am a true budget keeper. I rarely splurge on myself just for the fun of it. So this evening will have to be outside my box without any guilt. A tall order. But I am willing to go there for the cause. Ha ha And, if I want to rationalize it is still a more economical deal that going somewhere else. Right!

So what would I need to feel pampered? This has to be the one time where I decide only to please myself. It would have to incorporate all the things that I enjoy:

√ ambiance

√ comfort

√ entertainment (music, reading and a good chic flick),

√ food and drink

To set the stage, I would have to buy some white lilies just because I love the way they smell. Then I would light up my scented candles (I like vanilla), turn on Andrea Bocelli’s, Romanza, and step into a warm bath in my soaking tub fragranced with oils and full of bubbles. (I really like my tub! It was one of the things on my must have list when I bought my house.) In my best flute I would have my first glass of Moscato d’Asti. I know it is not the most expensive bubbly, but it is the one I like. Who says I need a 5 star hotel anyway!!

After the bath, I would put on my toasty blue fleece pj’s ( I did say comfort ) and move to the living room. Tonight, I don’t eat at the table. I eat in the living room and calories don’t count- just for tonight.

                                                                                 Photo by Bubbletea 1

Rather than a meal, I would like lots and lots of little bites. Tapas and more bubbly. Yep, all of it -a little bit of this and some of that. It is after all going to be a long evening of movie watching. And for dessert a mini lava cake- rich, gooey, and CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!!! Best of all, I don’t cook any of it. All take out.

Now if you could see my living room, I have these sofas that you kind of sink into. Not only that, push a button and the bottom comes up so you can put your feet up, and not only that but push back just a little and you are nearly reclining. Now I am ready to watch a movie. For this evening I pick Mama Mia, fun, happy, beautiful scenery, love Abba…ahhhh perfect. And just in case I need a double feature, My Life in Ruins. (Hmmm, I am noticing undertones of travel in my choices. Gosh, I would love to go to Greece). Just love those romantic stories with a happy ending, don’t you?? And after the movie, food and bubbly, I think it is time to settle in for the night. Armed with a good book, my preference is historical romance like A Breath of Snow and Ashes, filled with adventure, time travel and a strong heroine or maybe something fanciful like Bella Tuscany, and snuggled in my bed with my down comforter pulled up to my chin, warm, cozy, sated by good food, comforted by the perfume of flowers and candles, and totally relaxed from my own little home getaway, I’ll just read until I fall asleep.

We all deserve a little relaxation and fun in our lives. It’s not always about going somewhere to have a good time and to rejuvenate our spirits. I sure would like to hear what you would dream up for your little getaway-at-home. Not just the ladies, but you gentlemen out there, too. And if you are a couple, wouldn’t it be fun for us to hear what you could come up with to beat those winter blues at home.