Be a smarter traveler! With these travel tips, you’ll be able to save money, navigate like a pro, and use your time wisely. I’ve got information on the best gear, packing lists, and more resources right here.
Confession: Before this year, I never purchased travel insurance. It’s not that I’m particularly careful while traveling; in fact, I revel in trying adventure activities, eating street food, and seeking remote destinations. I just expected to handle things as they came up, and for the 7 years or so that I’ve been traveling independently, it’s worked. Now that I’m […]
I only recently tried Airbnb, despite knowing about the website for years. If you’re unfamiliar with the premise, Airbnb creates a marketplace for individuals to open their homes to travelers. Lodging options range from a room in someone’s home, an entire property for individual use, or unique stays like a bed in a treehouse. Airbnb touts
Back in 2004, I traveled with my boyfriend for the first time. It set a wonderful precedent of spending time together without life’s distractions as well as exploring new places and tackling new challenges as a couple. Nine and a half years later, we’re married and still traveling together. Our most recent trip — to
If you looked at the hotel stays I’ve completed and/or reserved, you’d swear I’m scatterbrained. I jump from hostels to campsites to upscale mountain resorts and trendy chain hotels. Sure, there are times when I just want a basic room and anywhere will do so I look for a simple property at a low price. However, every once in
One of the things I absolutely don’t like after a flight is going to the luggage carousel to look for my luggage. I try to minimize my frustration of trying to find my suitcase by getting a less popular color. There are so many black, red and navy blue suitcases that after a while they
How to Find Your Luggage at the Airport – Easily! Read More »
Last year, I wrote about Cancelon, a website that allows users to list nonrefundable hotel reservations they aren’t able to use in hopes that someone else is willing to take over that reservation (typically at a discount). I’ve flipped through it a few times since I first wrote the overview and I still haven’t used
Roomer: Sell Nonrefundable Hotel Reservations or Buy at Discount Read More »
For most of my travels, my health preparations are nothing more than absent-mindedly throwing a first aid kit into my suitcase. I take standard precautions to keep myself healthy, such as washing my hands, avoiding insect bites, and being careful about what water I drink. Basic care is adequate for travel throughout most of the
First Steps in Taking Care of Your Travel Health Read More »
More often than not, my suitcase is packed with t-shirts and other casual clothes. I’m the person who wears her convertible Northface pants at home just as much as while traveling. Let’s just say that fashion isn’t one of my interests. While I can’t afford — whether in time or money — to stay on
This fall, I’ve got a lot of regional travel planned. There are a number of reasons for this, including the fact that it’s busy season at work until mid-November and hard to get any time off. I’m not one to sit at home, so in the meantime, I’ll be chipping away at my “east coast
One of the ways I have changed the most as a traveler in the past year or two is that I have been looking for more social experiences. Meeting locals to share experiences and learn about what the culture is really like gives things a very different spin from simply seeing the sights. Generally speaking,
