As the chaotic summer travel season gets underway, it’s more important than ever to pack efficiently and make sure you’ve got everything you need. This is our list of essential travel items, those things we always make sure we have with us when we go. Many of these items also make great gifts. Take a look, and let us know what you think!
Continue reading » “The Best Travel Gadgets”Category: Travel Tips
Essential Travel Apps
There’s literally thousands of travel related apps out there and we thought we’d share some of our favorites that we go to time and again that help with planning and during travel. If you have a favorite we should know about and missed please let us know via comments. In no particular order….
Continue reading » “Essential Travel Apps”Travel-Based Holiday Presents
The holidays are coming up, meaning there’s a good chance you’re looking for the perfect gift for someone or to add to your own wish list. Why not make it travel-themed?
Continue reading » “Travel-Based Holiday Presents”How to Score the Perfect Lodging on Vacation
We don’t know about you, but we’ve stayed in a lot of different places while traveling. And by that we mean A LOT. We have also stayed in everything from 4 star luxury resorts to hostels with 24 beds in a room to pitching tents and camping. While some of the most “interesting” make great stories years later, we’re hopeful we can help you avoid some of our pitfalls.
Continue reading » “How to Score the Perfect Lodging on Vacation”Trains in Europe
The European train system is generally fantastic and makes it convenient and easy to get around. Certainly for travel between big cities it is the best way to go – it removes the travel time it takes getting to the airport and going through security. Even on trains such as the Eurostar through the Chunnel where there is security, it takes you from city center to city center and security is less onerous than when flying. Be aware that trains are not always the cheapest way to go and European discount airlines may be much better deals – especially for longer flights. However the benefits of trains are they are more comfortable (you can get up an walk around), you get to enjoy the scenery, they’re better for the environment, and can save you a hotel room (if you take a night train).
Continue reading » “Trains in Europe”Museum Survival – in 10 Steps
OK we’ll admit it – we really do love museums. We understand that they are not for everyone – but we really think they should be. Museums are designed to store many of the greatest achievements of humankind, and we think, approached properly, are an essential part of experiencing the world and the wonders of travel. But it is easy to get bored or overwhelmed. Especially in large museums you need a strategy and a game plan. The Louvre, for example is so large that if you spent just one minute on every piece of art in the museum it would take you 64 days to get through it. The Met boasts more than 600,000 square feet with 2 million pieces of art. How do you avoid massive sensory overload and actually enjoy your museum experience?
Continue reading » “Museum Survival – in 10 Steps”Driving Overseas
Many people we have talked to have expressed trepidation about renting a car and driving in a foreign country and while there are certainly places where you should NOT drive (India and Vietnam come to mind) in much of the world it is the best way to get around. Honestly, it’s not too scary with a few simple tips. Driving is a great way for groups to get around and is the best way to visit smaller towns and villages in most countries – even in countries with great public transportation.
Continue reading » “Driving Overseas”Passport Control and Airport Security Lines – How to Make it Easier
The last thing you want to face after a 14 hour flight from overseas is a huge line at passport control, where you have to stand in line with 100 other bleary-eyed passengers. Likewise, running late for a flight and approaching a giant security line can be a nightmare. Fortunately there are some great ways to sail through these obstacles.
Continue reading » “Passport Control and Airport Security Lines – How to Make it Easier”Better Carbon Travel: in Honor of #climatestrike
In honor of national #climatestrike day and because we are huge proponents of the environment, sustainable living, and sustainable travel we thought we should talk about your options. Here’s the deal: we love travel, as do you if you’re looking at our site. That being said, travel can be bad for the environment and we should all acknowledge that. So if you love traveling and you believe in the importance of experiencing new cultures, expanding your world view, and love seeing places different from your own, what can you do? Of course, one option is to eschew traveling and refuse to fly; however, that’s easier if you live in a place like Europe where trains are abundant and territory is smaller. Many of us do not live in Europe and are limited in our vacation time. Can we still care about the environment and fly? We would argue yes. You do have options in travel and you can choose to minimize your CO2 emissions as well as you can.
Continue reading » “Better Carbon Travel: in Honor of #climatestrike”