Super Useful Travel Posts

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It’s been a while since I did a round-up of links. I guess I just haven’t found too many interesting things to share that were fun and not depressing, like the travel alert from the U.S. government to international travelers. This week was big for travel things I found amusing, interesting and useful. I hope you find something in here for you as well, or share a link you found lately, too. Happy Friday! Enjoy.

It turns out that unhappy United Airlines customers have been tweeting @unitedairlines for months. Too bad their Twitter handle is @United. The owner of the parody account decided to answer all those angry tweets with tweets of their own. Pretty hilarious if you ask me, though it’s possible that the travelers didn’t think so until they realized they were tweeting to the wrong address. The Daily Telegraph shows you some of their favorites.

Photo credit: David Bussel

Would you like to find a hidden message in your hotel room? With a little sleuthing, and if David Bussel had been there, you could. Since 2006, he has been leaving (mostly) hidden messages on his travels in random places in hotel rooms, like behind pictures, the underside of drawers and the back of mirrors. Check out all his fun graffiti on his Tumblr.

Are you a diver? If I was, I would love to find awesome hidden and abandoned stuff, like the Nymphas Show Bar, an underwater strip club off the coast of Eliat, Israel. No one knows why it’s been abandoned, but the interior is totally pristine, like it’s just waiting for its clientele and staff to show up. What a cool thing to find on a dive, no?

Photo credit: Lysippos

Ever wondered what it would be like to be able to walk through a wave? You can do it in the Swiss Alps. The Rhone Glacier has a walk-through tunnel that feels like a wave about to crash. Who wouldn’t travel there just to experience this amazing work of nature?

This photo of Friet Museum is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Sometimes museums are just super-boring. Well, not these five! Not only are these great options for the girl traveler going through a break-up, but they are fun for anyone looking for something different. I love a unique attraction and what’s more unique than a museum dedicated to French fries or gelato?

via http://topicstock.pantip.com/

There are so many awesome vacation destinations; however, there are some that are just downright unsafe. Do your research before you go and, if one of these destinations are on your list of places to visit, you might want to rethink plans of going there, because this is 15 travel destinations that could kill you. I’m not saying they will, just passing along the information in case you were really excited to go to Somalia or Burundi. Wait, is anyone?

Photo credit: Hotel Chatter and IHG 

Isn’t it cool to stay in a hotel that has something different than other hotels? Even Hotels is opening two new hotels in 2014 that offer exercise equipment in the rooms! If you’re like me, I always say I’ll make it to the gym, but even though it’s like 40 feet to the elevator and up two floors, I never make it there. I might if it were three feet from my bed though. How about you?

August 20^th is Flight Attendant Celebration Day! San Francisco Airport has a celebration planned. If you can’t make it there, then you can check out the online museum that chronicles the history of the flight attendant uniform by a flight attendant and airline-admirer.

And if those two things aren’t enough to make you feel like you have done something to celebrate the people who clean up after us, tell us the safety procedures and bring us drinks, then check out this rad flight attendant on Southwest that made everyone’s flight a little better by rapping his instructions. How come nothing exciting ever happened when I flew on Southwest?

And since you’re smiling, I’ll close with five new travel scams that you’ll want to be on the look-out for. Who would have known that you may lose your entire bank account one and two dollars at a time? Another way to save yourself from getting your credit card information stolen is by using an RFID-blocking wallet or just card sleeves that have the same technology. Travelon has a large selection of wallets and bags with RFID-blocking card slots.

I hope you have a great Friday and are planning a trip someplace amazing!

Use Daily Deals to Get Vacation Steals

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Okay, you guys! It’s time to save some money. It’s right around that time when I am near my vacation and using daily deals to save tons on my trip. Since I’m traveling to some of the most expensive destinations this fall, it’s more important than ever for me to save wherever I can, so we can fit the trip into our budget. It’s probably the same for you. I feel like if I find a daily deal for things I was going to do anyway, then it’s double-awesome. Sometimes I find deals for things I didn’t know existed or for fun restaurants, which shapes a new unique vacation for me.

I have found and purchased deals from Groupon UK and KGBDeals UK so far for my trip to take a bus tour around London (and convinced my Eric’s cousin to buy one for her and her boyfriend when they come spend the weekend with us from Scotland), a scavenger hunt through the Underground, a dining card and afternoon teas. Why would I not use these savings to make my travels better where I can?

Eric loves afternoon tea...maybe not as much as the lady with the hat.

Let’s talk about my favorite daily deal site: Groupon. I’ve used it at home and away and saved tons of money. For those of you who don’t know what Groupon is, it’s a pretty simple concept: Each day there is a new deal put up from a local company - and often more than one. They can be a salon, tour company, restaurant, yoga studio, shop or any number of other things. They will offer one rockin’ deal for Groupon customers. The discount is always AT LEAST 50% off. They will have a minimum number that need to be purchased for the deal to be valid, which means if you “buy” and they don’t reach the number they need, then your card won’t be charged for your order. If they do reach their desired number of purchases, then everyone who buys that day will get the awesomely discounted whatever they are offering. Groupon means “group coupon”, so that explains why they need more than just one person to take the deal in order for it to help both you and company offering the deal. Companies get their name out to customers, customers try them out and everyone wins!

Check out that boat, that we can see from our boat!

One of the cool things about Groupon – among many – is that it’s not just for the U.S. Nope, it’s available for the U.S. Canada and 40 other countries around the world including Colombia, Uraguay and Singapore. Pretty much anywhere you go, you can purchase Groupons to save you big time on your trip. If I want to do a bike tour in Mexico or get a manicure in Greece, I can do it, providing those things come up as discounts before I go. This is why I’m watching it daily until my trip.

Groupon has teamed up with Expedia to bring you fantastic(er) deals on travel! With amazing discounts on luxury hotels and accommodations, you can’t afford NOT to travel well while still on a budget. The rates may not be slashed to 90% off, but they will be great and you’ll drool over their gorgeous photos and long to go everywhere all at once.

Betty White and I are the same height! (Not sure what's up with that ugly tree though.)

So, how do you sign up for Groupon? It’s easy and free! In fact, you can use your Facebook account to sign in if you want. Use either your home location or your next vacation destination as the one you wish to get deals for and then look for them in your email. I’m getting updates for London, Paris and Vancouver, but can click through to look at my local area as well, and I can change my preferred destination anytime I want. I also have the Groupon app on my phone, so I can get the deals on-the-go and also save paper by bringing up the deal on my phone to use at the merchant, restaurant or attraction.

Do you know what’s even cooler? You can get 3% cash back on all your Groupon purchases by using Ebates, too, to make your savings even larger. If you aren't familiar with Ebates, you can read my post on it here. Why NOT save as much as possible on everything you do if you can? Who else uses Groupon or is excited to sign up  for it? Or do you have another favorite daily deal site? 

Save By the Pound in London

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In honor of my trip to London, I have chosen to give you some of my best tips for saving in the city: When choosing a vacation destination, we often decide where to go based on what there is to do there. Those things may be different for different people. Some may go for the food, the museums or theme parks. Still others will go where the shopping is. While London has some of the world’s best shopping, it also is one of the most expensive travel destinations. To offset your spending at the boutiques and shops on High Street, it is important to find other ways of saving on your trip. Luckily, even though there are plenty of ways to go broke in the city, there are even more ways to stay on budget.

Photo credit: Melinda Capener

When to go

As with almost all destinations, the time to avoid is summer. Airfare and hotel rates can be almost twice as much as at other times, leaving you less money to spend on shoes and things you actually need, like food. Summertime is also super crowded. There’s nothing worse than running out of money halfway through your trip and also having to push your way through throngs of tourists everywhere you go.

Plan your trip to London in the fall or winter to save a ton on airfare and even accommodations. Hours for attractions and shops will be shorter than in the summer, but without having to brave the hordes of vacationers, you’ll be able to see and do more in a shorter amount of time. This lets you have a relaxing sightseeing experience.

Where to stay

No one will ever say it’s cheap to stay in London. In fact, you can pretty much expect to pay double what you pay most other places. You can save a bundle by renting an apartment or staying in an apart-hotel. These options give you kitchen facilities which can help stretch your dollars – or euros or pounds – by allowing you to eat some meals in your room. Unless you want to dine at fast food establishments most of your meals, food costs are going to add up quickly. Even if you only pop up to the store and bring back breakfast staples, that’s going to save you quite a chunk. You can purchase food for a week of breakfasts for less than the price of one sit-down morning meal for two.

Photo credit: Melinda Capener

Getting where you want to go

Although London is totally walkable, you may not want to hike miles and miles every day. Fortunately for you the public transit system is awesome. Purchase a travelcard from Oyster for multiple travel days. It will save you money, because you can ride unlimited on the Underground, the bus and trains on the days it is valid. The more you ride, the more you save.

Avoid cabs as much as possible. Those little black cabs may be adorable, but the fares won’t be. You could spend the same amount on one ride across town as you would for several days of public transit. This small change in the way you travel could be the difference between going home with another awesome fashion find or returning your purchases in order to eat more than bags of crisps (potato chips) for the last few days of your trip.

Budget shopping

London has a variety of open-air markets, which can be great for finding bargains or just browsing. Two of the most popular, where shopaholics may still find a deal, are Camden Lock Market and Portobello Road Market. Open 7 days a week, Camden Lock Market is always bustling and is really diverse. Buy a rare book and have your palm read in the same trip. Maybe the reader can tell you if you’ll find that perfect souvenir to take home! In the two miles of Portobello Road Market, you’ll find everything from antique treasures to fruits and vegetables. The market may look very familiar to those who saw the movie Notting Hill. You can grab a bite to eat while scouring the stalls for a vintage dress.

Photo credit: Melinda Capener

Do more for less

In between shopping, you will probably want to see the city. There’s so much to do in London and no matter how long your trip, you will never be able to see it all. Want to see as much as possible and not have to pay it off on your credit cards for years to come? Here are some ways to squeeze in as much as you can with the time and budget you have:

• Get a London Pass – This is literally your ticket to the city. You pay one price and this little card can get you into over 60 attractions in the London area. It allows you go straight to the head of the line and, since you’ve already paid, you don’t have to keep looking over your budget to see if you can afford to do something else on your trip. If it’s on the list, you’re covered. While not “cheap”, the London Pass is affordable and especially useful if you are spending a week or more in the city. You probably won’t visit all the attractions covered, but if you did you could save over $800. Even if you just visit half, you’re getting a significant savings on your trip.
• Go for a walk – London Walks has a variety of walking tours you can take any day of the week. Tours usually last for one to two hours and cost less than $20 per person. You never have to make a reservation. You just show up at the tour’s starting location, pay your money to the guide and enjoy a stroll around London, learning about the city’s history on themed tours, such as Jack the Ripper, Harry Potter, the Beatles, pubs, Westminster Abbey and more. This is perfect if you aren’t sure if your feet will cooperate with you for more walking and also a really affordable way to see the city. 
• Look for the freebies – Like most of the world, London wants your money, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do that won’t cost you anything. You can spend a whole day, or two, saving your money and visiting sites like Hyde Park, browsing vender booths at any of the many street markets, taking in the sights way above the city in OXO Tower, watching the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, marveling at works of art in Tate Modern or learning the history of the city through exhibits at the London Museum. The list goes on and on. Mix some free activities in with your other activities and your budget will stretch much further. 
• Save on the West End – London has a ton of theater experiences that shouldn’t be missed. Two tickets can cost a small fortune, but travelers using Broadway Box will find amazing discount codes for almost any show that they are interested in seeing. Besides the considerable theater price cuts, dinner and show deals are also included. In some cases, dinner turns out to be free with the package purchase. 
• Make dining reservations in advance – Sign up for TopTable.com and search participating London restaurants that allow you to make online reservations through the program. The great thing about TopTable is that they often offer 50% off discounts at certain dining venues. You can find many other deals, too, including my favorite – the special prix fixe menus for TopTable users at many restaurants. The more reservations you complete, the more points you get. When you accumulate enough points, you can trade them in for a dining certificate. Even if you don’t earn enough on your trip, you will still save a bundle by booking your dining at the restaurants that take part in the program.

Photo credit: Melinda Capener

It’s possible to visit London on a budget and still have an incredible trip. You won’t feel like you missed out on all the best the city has to offer, especially if you’re able to buy a few nice things for yourself in the process. Remember to pack light and bring an extra bag that you can fold up in your carry-on to take home all your fabulous finds. Packing fewer clothes can save you baggage fees and let you skip the baggage carousel to get right off the plane and on to your trip. Also, some of the best souvenirs are memories and photos, which are virtually free and take up no luggage space!

Thanks to my friend Melinda for letting me use her great photos from her year of living in London.