Travel Tips
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How to travel and keep organized when flying across the country
I told you a that I flew across the country {from Los Angeles to Atlanta, GA} a few weeks ago to attend a bloggers' conference. Well, I was determined to fly in style and to fly organized! Quite honestly, it required me to be organized. I don't often travel alone on an airplane, but I wanted to be sure to have everything at hand and be able to keep organized while changing planes and carrying it all with me. And then be able to go directly to my conference organized.
Well, I wanted to share with you what products I used and how I liked them. {Not getting paid to tell you my opinions}. I bought a few things that I knew would help me travel better, but could also work for my hubby when he traveled on his many business trips also. Here is what I got:
1. Grid-It
2. Bag Bungee by Travelon
3. Travel Laundry Bag
4. Bobino Cord Wrap
5. Travel space bags
6. Travel outlet
I surprised myself by actually using all these products - some more than others. I packed almost all of these cool gadgets into my new big, red bag! I needed something that could hold both my laptop AND my DSLR camera, but look like a purse so I could take that as carry-on along with my suitcase.
The Reisenthel expandable shopper bag turned out to be affordable {on sale at TCS for $30} and could handle ALL the stuff I needed to put in it for the airplane, including acting as my purse!
As you can see, it was generous inside and it held all kinds of snacks and goodies for me {along with my laptop and camera and magazines} - since there aren't any meals on my two flights out there {L.A. to Denver, Denver to Atlanta}, and literally not a moment to pick up any meals between my 15 minutes I wound up having to {run} walk quickly from one flight to the next connecting flight. Inside, you can see a plate case {protector} that I used to hold my DSLR camera! I had a little game on Instagram and Facebook to see if they could figure out why in the world I was using a plate case in my carry on bag!
So, the gadgets above worked great. I think my favorite and most used gadget was the bag bungee. It was seriously a life saver. My carry-on/purse weighed 30 pounds {yes I weighed it} and being able to sit it on top of my wheeled suitcase made a huge difference. It was filled with many heavy things, but it fit under the seat in front of me on the plane - and I was able to reach in and grab my stuff by feeling for it.
All in all, the gadgets were fun and helped me. Above, you can see my travel outlet - that was just ONE instance I used it. There weren't many outlets in the airport on the way home and I had a FOUR hour layover and had lots of work to do, so it was a blessing to ask a stranger if I could use the outlet and share mine that had three more on it!
Getting my suitcase organized was also a priority. I knew that the conference had several different times I would need to change clothes. So, I figured out {ahead of time} which classes I would take and then what type of outfit for each venue. We had cocktail parties, day-wear, evening get togethers, and more. So, I planned my outfits accordingly - and only took two pairs of flip flops and a pair of wedges so it would all fit. I tried out the space bags using their suggestion of rolling it. I'm not sure if I liked that or not. My clothes were wrinkled when I get there but eventually most of the wrinkles "hung" out. My friend, Brittany, had the space bags and I saw her do them flat {for her pillow especially} and that looked like a better way to go. But, they are great for getting more into your bag.
I opened up my suitcase to find this sweet, little card from my daughter, too! The trip was a success. I didn't have any real problems, praise the Lord! I was flying alone, so I can't complain about having to wait longer than expected.
One other tip, I learned from experience years ago when my luggage got lost - I ALWAYS take my make up with me in my carry-on! Remember the Lay N Go bag I gave away a few weeks ago? Well, I took it with me and it was super easy to put in my red carry-on bag/purse. It worked really well for traveling and I was happy I had it with me!
Oh, and a GREAT travel app I used was Tripcase - it has all kinds of neat stuff. It shows you where to go, whether the plane is on time or late, seating charts of the plane you're taking, where you hotel is, etc. I relied on it quite a bit - I highly recommend it! And, it's FREE!
Happy traveling! Any tips you have that help you pack better or travel organized?
Well, I wanted to share with you what products I used and how I liked them. {Not getting paid to tell you my opinions}. I bought a few things that I knew would help me travel better, but could also work for my hubby when he traveled on his many business trips also. Here is what I got:
1. Grid-It
2. Bag Bungee by Travelon
3. Travel Laundry Bag
4. Bobino Cord Wrap
5. Travel space bags
6. Travel outlet
I surprised myself by actually using all these products - some more than others. I packed almost all of these cool gadgets into my new big, red bag! I needed something that could hold both my laptop AND my DSLR camera, but look like a purse so I could take that as carry-on along with my suitcase.
 |
| Source |
The Reisenthel expandable shopper bag turned out to be affordable {on sale at TCS for $30} and could handle ALL the stuff I needed to put in it for the airplane, including acting as my purse!
As you can see, it was generous inside and it held all kinds of snacks and goodies for me {along with my laptop and camera and magazines} - since there aren't any meals on my two flights out there {L.A. to Denver, Denver to Atlanta}, and literally not a moment to pick up any meals between my 15 minutes I wound up having to {run} walk quickly from one flight to the next connecting flight. Inside, you can see a plate case {protector} that I used to hold my DSLR camera! I had a little game on Instagram and Facebook to see if they could figure out why in the world I was using a plate case in my carry on bag!
So, the gadgets above worked great. I think my favorite and most used gadget was the bag bungee. It was seriously a life saver. My carry-on/purse weighed 30 pounds {yes I weighed it} and being able to sit it on top of my wheeled suitcase made a huge difference. It was filled with many heavy things, but it fit under the seat in front of me on the plane - and I was able to reach in and grab my stuff by feeling for it.
All in all, the gadgets were fun and helped me. Above, you can see my travel outlet - that was just ONE instance I used it. There weren't many outlets in the airport on the way home and I had a FOUR hour layover and had lots of work to do, so it was a blessing to ask a stranger if I could use the outlet and share mine that had three more on it!
Getting my suitcase organized was also a priority. I knew that the conference had several different times I would need to change clothes. So, I figured out {ahead of time} which classes I would take and then what type of outfit for each venue. We had cocktail parties, day-wear, evening get togethers, and more. So, I planned my outfits accordingly - and only took two pairs of flip flops and a pair of wedges so it would all fit. I tried out the space bags using their suggestion of rolling it. I'm not sure if I liked that or not. My clothes were wrinkled when I get there but eventually most of the wrinkles "hung" out. My friend, Brittany, had the space bags and I saw her do them flat {for her pillow especially} and that looked like a better way to go. But, they are great for getting more into your bag.
I opened up my suitcase to find this sweet, little card from my daughter, too! The trip was a success. I didn't have any real problems, praise the Lord! I was flying alone, so I can't complain about having to wait longer than expected.
One other tip, I learned from experience years ago when my luggage got lost - I ALWAYS take my make up with me in my carry-on! Remember the Lay N Go bag I gave away a few weeks ago? Well, I took it with me and it was super easy to put in my red carry-on bag/purse. It worked really well for traveling and I was happy I had it with me!
Oh, and a GREAT travel app I used was Tripcase - it has all kinds of neat stuff. It shows you where to go, whether the plane is on time or late, seating charts of the plane you're taking, where you hotel is, etc. I relied on it quite a bit - I highly recommend it! And, it's FREE!
Happy traveling! Any tips you have that help you pack better or travel organized?
Organized Travel Tips
Organized Travel Tips and my favorite traveling gadgets! Lots of good ones, too!
16 Helpful Tips For Traveling The World
Traveling internationally is exciting — and also a little daunting.
1. Charge your phone using the USB port on the side of a hotel TV.
Power adapters are kind of a pain. But many of the flat-screen TVs you’ll find in hotel rooms have USB ports on the side, which can come in handy for charging. You do have to keep the TV on, so it’s probably not great for an overnight charge.
2. But still, bring a power adapter.
cb2.com
Get a universal travel adapter that lets you toggle for use in different regions. (And buy it in advance. They’re always marked up in the airport.)
3. Take a screenshot of walking directions while you have a Wi-Fi connection.
And get where you’re going without wasting precious (and expensive) data.
4. Buy a Wallpaper City Guide.
thevangifts.be
Most guidebooks list dozens and dozens of museums and restaurants and other places to visit, many of which are tourist traps and most of which you won’t have time to make it to anyway. The Wallpaper guides are carefully edited down to a small set of selections you’ll actually like. Also: They’re small to carry and will look pretty on your bookshelf when you get home.
5. Better yet, download the app version.
gotryke.com
Only $2.99, and the app will update with new tips when editors make changes to the guide.
6. This website is also really awesome.
Plain and simple: The places Unlike recommends are cool. I’ve used the app and website in a bunch of different cities, and can pretty much say that if they told me to jump off a bridge, I would consider it. There would probably be a hidden whiskey bar at the bottom or something.
So far, they have guides for Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Ibiza, Istanbul, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Paris, San Francisco, São Paulo, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Vienna, and Warsaw.
7. If you’re traveling to multiple cities, book on the region’s budget airlines.
Bloomberg / Getty
Kayak and SkyScanner are great search engines to compare rates.
8. But! If you have a big bag, or multiple bags, beware.
Bloomberg / Getty Images
It’s wonderful that you can find a flight from Dublin to Copenhagen for less than 50 bucks. It is less wonderful when you get to the airport and realize you’re going to be charged hundreds of dollars for the pleasure of checking your luggage. On RyanAir, checking a 20 kilo bag (about 44 lbs., which is not even that heavy) at the airport can cost up to €140 ($185) during “high season.” Checking a second piece of luggage can cost even more. And any excess past that costs €20 per kilo.
9. You can, thankfully, avoid some of these extra fees by paying for them online in advance.
Bloomberg / Getty Images
The baggage fees go down to the slightly more reasonable (though still kind of outrageous!) €20–50 range if you pay online in advance.
Moral of the story: Travel with a carry-on.
10. Figure out what the tipping customs are in the country you’re visiting.
LovingApartments.com / Via dailyinfographic.com
11. Get an international data plan — they aren’t that expensive.
spiketv.tumblr.com
If you use roaming data without a prepaid plan, you will return to a huge bill. Most carriers let you buy 100 MB or so of data for use on your trip, which is enough to check your email a few times a day and maybe post an Instagram or two.
AT&T charges $30 for 120 MB (a good bet for a trip that’s less than 10 days) or $60 for 300 MB (ideal for longer trips), which you can use over the period of a month.
Verizon’s structure is slightly different — they let you pay $25 for every 100 MB.
12. Keep track of how much data you’re using.
Shutterstock
The 100 MB or so is enough data for light usage, but it’s not a ton. On an iPhone, you can track how much data you’re using by going to Settings > General > Usage > Cellular Usage. Just before you leave, hit “Reset Statistics” so you can start tracking your usage. Android has a few apps for the purpose.
13. But make sure to cancel the plan when you’re back home.
Brian Snyder / Reuters
When you add the international data plan, it gets tacked on as a recurring monthly feature to your phone bill. So unless you’re traveling overseas the next month, get it removed from your bill when you’re back home to avoid getting charged that $25 or $30 every month.
14. Estimate how much local currency you’ll need, and take out that amount from an ATM upon arrival.
Bloomberg / Getty Images
You’ll probably have to pay some fee for getting local currency — it sucks, I know. Many banks will charge around $5 per withdrawal (and they’ll possibly also charge you 1–3% of the amount you take out). But try to avoid racking up those $5 withdrawal charges by cutting down on the number of trips to the ATM.
By the way, getting local currency at an ATM usually carries a lower transaction feethan exchanging your cash at an airport or hotel.
15. Also: Check with your bank before you leave.
Chuck Burton / AP
Bank of America, for example, is part of the “Global ATM Alliance,” which allows you to avoid those $5 withdrawal fees at ATMs from participating overseas banks, including Barclays, BNP Paribas, and Deutsche Bank.
And in general, it’s a good idea to tell your bank and credit card company that you’ll be traveling overseas so that they don’t get suspicious and freeze your cards.
16. Finally, if you’re a student, or generally young, don’t keep it to yourself.
giphy.com
In the U.S., you’re pretty much resigned to paying full fare once your student ID expires, but internationally, discounts are more widely available to anyone under 25 or 26. Sometimes special rates apply only to citizens of the country you’re in, but it is always worth asking. Hot tip: Passes on Eurail (the train system that goes all over Europe) are 35% off for anyone under 25.
If you’re a student in any capacity, you should know by now to always, always invoke the student discount. It won’t last forever!
City Guide – Things to Do in New York City
Are you looking for travel tips on things to do in New York City?
As part of our city guides series, we interviewed Kate Voyage from30traveler who has visited New York City 10 times since 2003, and since 2007 has been spending July and August there each year.
Kate shares with us her insider tips on the best things to see and do in New York City including where to eat, sleep, drink, shop and explore.
Why visit New York City?
It’s got energy and personality like no other city. All the attractions (food, theater, art, parks) are world class.
Things to do in New York City
I love big glitzy Broadway shows. Go to at least one during your trip. To get an idea of what’s on and popular vs. not popular, check out theBroadway grosses and look at the percentage of seats sold and average ticket price.
Unless a show is selling out, you can easily Google for discount codes. Using online discount codes will save time and usually give you better seats compared with using the discount TKTS booth that’s in Times Square. You can typically use the discount code at the box office to save online booking fees.
Biking around Central Park and over the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan are other must-dos.
Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting is at the MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art). You can get in free from 4.30-8pm on Fridays.
Other major museums include the Metropolitan Museum of Art “the Met” (admission is by suggested donation, you do not have to pay the full amount), the Museum of Natural History, and the Guggenheim. I personally like the Frick.
You’ll have fun just walking around. There’s no need to pack in “attractions.”
Best neighbourhoods to explore?
I spend most time in the theater district and the east villageneighborhood. For the east village, go to Union Square at the intersection of Broadway and 14th St. The theater district is Broadway from 42nd St to around 52nd St. The main entrance to Central Park is at 59th St.
From Union square, you can take the 14th street bus West over to the Highline, a former elevated train track that has been turned into an urban park in the sky. It’s concrete with some plants rather than the grass you’d expect of a park, but it’s still nice.
A great walk is just up or down the length of Broadway. Each 20 numbered blocks is around 1 mile, so 14th St to 44th St (30 blocks) is 1.5 miles. Note that this doesn’t apply to the avenues, only the streets.
Neighborhoods south of 23th street tend to be the cooler neighborhoods (except that the financial district at the bottom tip of Manhattan isn’t very cool). Great ‘hoods include:
- Village/West Village
- Soho
- Chelsea
- the East Village
- the Lower East Side
- and Tribeca.
I would skip Little Italy or Chinatown (unless you’re going to Chinatown to eat).
For Brooklyn, you can take the L train to hipster central Williamsburg or take a stroll around Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, or Park Slope if you’re keen to venture beyond Manhattan. These are nice places to stroll to see Brooklyn, which has it’s own unique character separate from Manhattan.
Where to eat in New York City?
Yelp.com is great for NYC food recommendations.
If you want to know which restaurants are currently the trendiest, try NY Mag’s Grub St blog. Grub St also tends to have good information about the possibility of getting reservations. Some super trendy places have no reservations policies and the wait can be up to 3 hours.
For cheap eats, my favorite is Taim falafel bar in the West Village. They also have a new falafel truck. Their falafel is consistently on NYC’s best lists. It lives up to the hype, and it’s vegan.
Another street food favorite is the dosa vendor in Washington Square Park (lunchtimes).
For coffee, I like drinking Stumptown cold brew in the lobby of the Ace Hotel (on 29th St, near Broadway). This hotel lobby has seating and is a great place to have a quiet meeting.
Joe in the West Village is also a popular coffee option. It’s close to Taim falafel.
If you’re in the mood for gelato after (or before) walking around Central Park, there is a branch of Grom Gelato, near the Columbus Circle 59th st entrance.
“For restaurants, you have hundreds of options. You’re in the restaurant capital of the world”.
Pok Pok NY is new and hot for Thai.
Michael White’s Marea is consistently recommended for Italian.
All the way up the scale, you can go fine dining at Per Se, Daniel, Jean George, and Le Bernardin.
Think of all your favorite judges from Top Chef, Google their restaurants, and then check previously mentioned Grub St for hints on getting reservations.
If you want to be cooler, you can try Brooklyn hotspot Franny’s.
Chowhound Manhattan is another excellent way of doing foodie trip research, and you can even view menus in advance on Menupages.
NYC restaurants are known for often being very crowded and discouraging lingering with design elements like backless seats. Do some research before taking your parents to trendy restaurants.
You can’t visit without eating ______ ?
- Bagels – I like Murray’s Bagels in Greenwich Village, on 6th Ave between 12th and 13th. It’s just West of Union Square.
- A close second, pizza! NY’s best pizza is a hotly debated. Di Fara in Brooklyn is very popular and serves slices. Slices in NYC are as big as your head. Be warned!
- For Vegan Pizza options, try Cafe Viva on 2nd Avenue between 11th and 12th St.
Where to drink in New York City?
New York Magazine have a big feature on where to drink on each night of the week in NYC.
The lobby lounge at the Mandarin Oriental serves cocktails and has anamazing view of Central Park.
There is no need to limit your drinking to night time, New Yorkers are also very fond of drinking with brunch. Try the spiked coffee with brunch atSons of Essex.
To drink for free you can go to an art show opening. Try The Skint to find info. They’re often quite fun. You can just walk in, chat to people, and have a few drinks.
Best places for a night on the town?
- A Broadway show.
- Bryant Park is open very late at night for ice skating in winter.
- An alternative way to spend an evening is to do the free monthly 10pm bike ride around Central Park, or one of Times Up’s other moonlight rides.
There are of course tons of clubs and bars. Try Motor City Bar if you like Dive Bars, or the previously mentioned Ace Hotel for something more lux.
Where to stay in New York City?
I get sublets using Craiglist or through friends. If you’re looking for a sublet and have any NYC-based friends, just ask them to do a Facebook blast on your behalf. Rent is so high in NYC that NYers are often keen to sublet.
If I have any days before my sublet starts, I stay at the Hosteling International located at 103rd and Amsterdam (dorms only). It’s a really nice hostel.
At the risk of this sounding like an ad for the Ace Hotel (it’s not), it’s agreat mid range hotel option for people who want to keep it classy. Their rooms start around $229, which is cheap for New York, and include free wifi.
For a splurge (and possibly to tick an item off your bucket list), the uber famous Waldorf Astoria has surprisingly good rates. They start around $369 a night, but there are also some good packages around.
Markets and Shopping Districts?
The Union Square farmers market is amazing in summer. It’s on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Fridays are the best.
For people from outside the US, the chain stores that I think are worth checking out are: The Gap, H&M, and JCrew. There is a JCrew in the Time Warner Center right next to the 59th St entrance to Central Park.
There’s also an awesome Wholefoods supermarket in the Time Warner Center, with seating and even a microwave. Perfect for lunch or supplies for a picnic in Central Park (and for a clean toilet near Central Park!).
There are multiple branches of The Gap and H&M.
The Century 21 Discount store near the World Trade Center is good(ish) for designer labels at discount prices. Prices are probably better at designer discount stores in other states (such as Ross Dress for Less, which isn’t in NYC but is in places like LA and Vegas).
My most fashionable friends like Soho, which is where you’ll find boutiquey shops.
Events and Festivals in New York?
I’ve been in NYC for Gay Pride, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and 4th of July.
The 4th of July Fireworks are cool but the public viewing areas are claustrophobically crowded. I’d be more inclined to avoid major events and festivals than seek them out.
As a visitor, it’s a pain to work around attractions being closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Getting Around New York City?
The subway is incredible. I love it. You can buy a 7 day pass ($29) or a 30 day pass ($104).
Unlike other cities there are no zone restrictions. For the same fare, you can use any subway including to Brooklyn and Queens. A subway pass is also valid for the buses.
With the exception of “crosstown” buses that travel east/west rather than north/south, I don’t generally recommend the buses though. You’ll just end up stuck in traffic. Google maps will give you subway directions if you click on the public transport symbol.
There’s a reason why Sarah Jessica Parker has such toned legs (apart from wearing heels all the time)! NYC is an amazing walking city. A combination of walking and the subway is best.
WiFi in New York City?
You can use wifi at Starbucks and they’re everywhere.
If you want to do work for the day, go to famous reading room at the main branch of the New York Public Library at 5th Avenue and 42nd St. There are plenty of desks, each with a power point.
Best time of year to visit New York?
Most people say Fall. I like summer because there are so many free events taking place. Only go in summer if you like the heat. Temperatures in the 90s F/30s C are common. The weather is bleak in winter.
Favourite side trip?
Don’t leave. There’s too much to do. These days I spend more time in Brooklyn than in Manhattan, so I would say Brooklyn as a side trip if you only think of NYC as Manhattan.
Getting there?
You can easily fly into any of three airports. Kenndedy/JFK, La Guardia (LGA), and Newark (EWR). Transport links from all three are good.
There are also cheap buses from Boston, Washington DC, and Philadelphia. Mega Bus is a good choice.
Best “insiders tip?”
Find free events using sites The Skint. This will get you off the tourist trail if you wish to do that.
I love New York because ______ ?
of New Yorkers. They’re generally friendly and helpful. There is a sense of anything is possible, people having self-confidence, and people living life their own way.
Especially in Brooklyn, there’s also an amazing sense of highly concentrated creativity. New York is inspiring and energizing.
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