Infographic: Is it Britain or the UK?

Do you get confused when people refer to the United Kingdom, Britain and London? They aren't all the same thing, though London is part of both Britain and the UK. There are different flags and Ireland is two different countries, one of which isn't in the UK and one is? Huh? Well, if you wonder why I don't just say I'm headed to Europe when I'm going to London and Paris, it's because England is not part of Europe. In fact, I'll have to learn two exchange rates, because the first part of my trip uses Great Britain Pounds (GBP = £) and the other part uses Euros (€). If you're planning a trip to the UK or Europe, you might want to brush up on the exchange rates before you go - don't exchange your money ahead of time though, because you'll end up paying more than you should. Actually, one of the best places to change dollars to pounds or euros is the post office at your destination. More ways to save after this informative graphic!

Traveling to London? It can be crazy expensive, but not when you plan ahead and find cheap and free activities to do in between those more expensive ones. Here are my tips for saving in London and Lonely Planet offers this free Kindle book on free museums and other experiences in Britain (so more than just London). You don't need a Kindle to read it, just the app on your phone, tablet or computer. Get up-to-the-minute information by downloading some fancy and useful apps for your trip.

Take a trip to Ireland and save big time in Dublin, though it's not part of the UK, it's still an amazing destination and can be really budget-friendly. Or make your way to Scotland and spend wee amounts of money with these tips for traveling Edinburgh on the cheap.

Want to live it up in France? Well, there are ways to make that inexpensive too, or at least more affordable. Want to know how? See my tips on Paris for (frugal) lovers.

And now you know the difference between British Isles, Great Britain and the United Kingdom! Have you been to any countries in the UK? Or will you be planning one soon?

Staying In Shape On the Road

When you're out and about flitting from tourist attraction to subway station to lunch, it's hard to keep on track with your diet and exercise regimen. Even though you're out walking all day, and it may seem like you're getting a lot of exercise in, you're also probably eating a lot of high-calorie and fatty foods that pretty much negate all the good you're doing with the walking, hiking and stair-climbing. I hate to exercise, but I like to walk. Too bad I forget that most of the year and only remember it when I'm back on vacation and slightly out of shape. Okay, mostly out of shape. I try to keep focused at home though and have been doing weights and fun things like boxing, sprints with the dog (because neither of us is going to run more than a block at a time) and jump rope. 

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So, when I go on vacation and have long days, I feel like I've already done my body good and then go out and eat something followed by chocolate cake or sticky toffee pudding. If my pants still fit by the time the trip is over, I consider that a triumph, but I know I could do more. A lot more. Here are just some of the ways you can easily exercise on your trips that you can either do while getting ready or add into your routine throughout the day. Maybe get up 20 minutes early and hit up the hotel gym or swimming pool before you take your shower in the morning and get ready to leave for the day. The best part about most of these suggestions is that they are totally free and don't require you to pack anything extra in your bag that's probably already too full. (Take some stuff out!)

Easy exercises for your hotel room:

• Push-ups - Get some variety going by using a chair for semi-traditional ones like the ones below (you don't need a yoga mat. You can just push the chair up against the wall or door) or for a harder workout, try it this way.

• Chair crunches - I love the fact that if you have a chair, you pretty much have a low-impact gym. Sit on the edge and pull legs up or do the bicycle or other ab exercises like these. 
• Work your triceps - These also use a chair, though you can use anything flat and sturdy. At home, I use my coffee table, but you can also use a park bench. 
• Planks - Work your core!
• Squats - Work your butt. You can do these outside, too, but people might give you funny looks.
• Lunges - Work your legs. These look pretty weird in public, too.
• Calf raises - Do these anywhere, like brushing your teeth, watching the news or waiting in line to get into the Louvre.
• Yoga - if you have room to stretch out and are a regular yoga practitioner, then find a spot on the floor and have at it. 
• Pilates - See above. If you can do any of your moves without equipment, this is the time to bust those out.
• Jumping jacks are good if you are on the ground floor. If you aren't, maybe take these outside.
• Arm curls - You can do these just about everywhere. Buy a couple of water bottles and use them as make-shift weights. If these aren't doing the trick and you don't have anything heavier around that could work, check out these traveling dumbbells called AquaBells that you fill with water for your workouts. 
  
• Resist! Pack a resistance band (or set) in your carry-on and do more strenuous workouts in the time you have available. There are also these fancy loop bands you can use to strengthen your legs/thighs 

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Ways to use what the hotel or resort has on-hand to get a workout:

• Hotel gym - If your lodging has a gym, it probably won't be very extensive, but there's bound to be a stair-stepper or elliptical in there for you to jump on. 
• No gym? Use the stairs. Walk or run up the stairs to your room and you'll start to feel the burn. Generally, the stairwell is pretty private, so you also won't be disturbing others if you are up early or late doing this.
• Go for a swim - If you're lucky and traveling in the warmer months, you can totally do laps outside. If not so lucky, your lodging might be used to it and have one of those fancy indoor pools.
• Go for a run - Not close to a park or afraid to go out running in unfamiliar terrain? Strap on your running shoes and do laps around the hotel. Chances are they are surrounded by a parking lot and/or sidewalks that make it easy to get your strides in.

Daily Burn App

If you're like me and need some inspiration to get going and stay on track, then check out Red Tricycle's post for 10 apps for busy parents for healthy eating and quick exercising. I figure busy parents are pretty similar to travelers, except they probably get less sleep. I just downloaded and started using MyFitnessPal. We'll see how that goes.

You can also jump on your laptop and look for exercise vids on YouTube (like I did for you above). There are tons out there to choose from. If you have favorites, bookmark them for when you are traveling and don't have time to waste searching. Maybe one of those with a big guy yelling at you to power through, so you don't give up in 5 minutes and declare walking to breakfast good enough. If you want some tips on eating healthy on vacation, check out my post on vegetarian dining, which will show you how to incorporate veggies into your diet.

What are your tips for staying in shape while traveling? Do you have a favorite exercise to do that can be done anywhere?

Super Useful Travel Links

Are you freaking out that it’s already November? Have you booked your travel yet for the holidays? Whether you’re visiting family and friends or going on a real vacation, the sooner the better. This is something that I wrote about in my last newsletter – you can read it here and also sign up for future issues here – and I know a lot of people struggle with. I’m not going to talk about where to go and what to do on your trips, because that’s not what this series is about, but we are going to talk about some new things happening in the travel world that could make your holidays (and all your other trips) better and/or cheaper.

Would you book a flight to an unknown destination if you could get a great deal? The folks at FlyRoulette think you will and will give you enough notice to pack your carry-on with the right items and will even give you a rockin’ deal on a hotel. This is not the type of travel for everyone, but budget travelers with a sense of adventure may find this to be the new way to see the world.

Shorter lines at the airport might just be around the corner. Does it feel like sometimes security takes  F O R E V E R  to get through? Let me tell you, I once came back to Portland through Miami and because we were flying internationally, we had to leave security, get our luggage and wait in line to go back through security and we must have been in that line for a good hour. Worst set-up ever. It didn’t help that every single person who worked at the airport (with the exception of two awesome ones – TSA agent who checks your ID against your real-life face and customs agent who stamped my passport) was the grumpiest person who ever walked the earth. I will never fly through that airport again if I can help it, even if lines get massively shorter. The USTA is fighting for this reality. Dare we dream?

Speaking of awful airports – *cough* LAX *cough* – some are just better at things than others…like actually getting you somewhere on time. I guess not every airport prides itself on having flights that leave when they say they will or having a layout that is conducive to getting to your next gate. If you have to get from Gate A1 to Gate D45 (God, help you) for a connecting flight, you should not have to rent a Vespa to get you there in a reasonable amount of time. Check out the gate-to-gate convenience and on-time records of the best and worst connecting airports as reported by eTurbo News.

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Getting around in a new city can be hard, even if you’ve studied the map so much that it’s embedded in your brain. Just because you know where Main Street and 234th Avenue meet doesn’t mean you know how to get there or navigate public transportation efficiently. Gitana Stark has 9 tips to get you around that make you say “Duh! Why didn’t I think of that?”

I love gadgets! Not that I need more for traveling, but that doesn’t mean I won’t buy any anyway. Real Simple has compiled a list of 10 things that will not only make your travel easier, but also more fun! Who doesn’t want to get excited just by planning a trip?

This is free!

Have I mentioned how much I love Lonely Planet? I do. I really, really do. Not only do they cater to travelers who don’t have an unlimited travel budget – looking at you, Frommers – and are fun to read, but they are crazy-informative. Hardly a trip goes planned that I don’t hit up their website (or books. I still buy those!) for suggestions on what to do, where to eat, how to act at my chosen destination. If you start to hyperventilate before the planning is over, then they have some tips for you on how to deal with travel anxiety.

Let's do this!

Apparently, I’m not the only one who wishes a plane was more like a bus. Not in the stinky weirdos sitting next to you, trying to smell your hair kind of way, but the multiple door boarding kind of way. Why must we lowly coach passengers have to march through the first-class cabin getting sour looks from those fancy people who pay thousands of dollars to have some extra legroom? Obviously, they don’t like us doing it either, especially when we accidentally whack them in the shoulder with our carry-on and send their free champagne into their lap. Yep, that was an accident. Anyway, back to what I was saying about planes being like buses. Alaska is trying the two-door boarding technique. If it works out, then probably it will do it on all their flights and maybe more airlines will do it too. But, what about paying for priority boarding? Would you do that? FareCompare also shows us some other options as well as why traditional boarding sucks for everyone.

Like me, most of you are stuck riding coach. It can’t be helped for the budget-traveler, unless you amass billions of frequent flyer miles and get that coveted business class or first class seat. I feel as if this somehow ever happened to me, I would be ruined for coach travel for life and be sad every time I stepped aboard a plane from that point on. It’s better for me to not know what I’m missing. So, for those of us that never get upgraded and aren’t willing to pay gazillions of dollars to get a free hot towel and meal served with real metal utensils – I can just pack my own – then check out Skift’s post on airlines with the most “extra legroom” seats and how much it’ll cost you to snag one.

So, what do you think? Is this making your holiday travel look more promising? If you’ve found a great travel link in your perusing of the interwebz this week, please feel free to share it in the comments so we can all be enlightened! Until next time, or as the French say: Jusqu’à la prochaine fois! {I’m guessing.}