Food expenses are a major budget consideration when planning your vacation, and while you can’t eliminate the expense, there are lots of things you can do to keep it as low as possible.  Here are some ideas to keep in mind:
Book accommodations that have a kitchen.  Whether it’s staying at a condo, an extended-stay property, or maybe just a room with a coffee maker and refrigerator, these will all presents ways to help you save on food expenses.  With a full kitchen you can stock up on supplies so that you’re not dining out for every meal, while still keeping …read more

Being stuck at an airport is never any fun, whether it’s long ground time between flights, or a flight cancellation and serious delay.  Wandering an airport can be fun. . . for the first couple of hours, at least.  But when you’ve checked out every last gift shop, book store, restaurant or bar, and what have you, it’s easy to become bored to tears.
So what are you going to do?  Well, at LAX, if you have enough time to get away, you can leave the hustle and bustle of the airport and head to the beach!

he Ocean Express trolley service …read more

I frequently get asked questions about locating the best fares, how much tickets cost, and related fare questions.  When it comes to these type of questions, I’m in the same boat as everyone else.  I have to price out the best fares that I can find, balance that against the cost of a standby pass (and the attendant risks of not getting on a flight), and make the best decision that I can.
Today’s questions comes from Joan, who asks:
Q.  How much would a flight to Italy be?  Before I go ahead, is there any pointers you might have?  Please …read more

Hotels and resorts are trying to drum up a little business anyway that they can.  From special promotions to free nights, from fruit baskets in the room to dinner credits, from room upgrades to concierge activities.  They want you to have a good time, of course, but they also want you to spend a little money.
I’m generally a fan of these approaches, being of the mind that travel can offer something for everyone.  I’m just a little concerned with what time of day some of these offers are made.
On a recent trip, I found myself awake rather early.  Since …read more

AAA has released a new FREE iPhone app, allowing members to easily locate establishments that offer a AAA discounts.
No more toting around your guide book, all you have to do is download via iTunes are from the App Store on your phone or iTouch, and 160,000 discount locations are literally at your fingertips.
So let’s give it a test drive!
I downloaded the App to my iPhone, and figured I’d check out to see what discounts were available in my home area.  Oh dear – first pass shows no discounts close to home.  But – I’m given the option to expand …read more

When looking for travel information you’ll want to take advantage of all the FREE resources that are available.  A good starting point is the tourism office of the country, state, or city that you’re planning to visit.
The tourism office will be full of information about places to stay, cultural events, special packages, maps, restaurants, history, and odds and ends of local color.  If you’re researching an international destination, you’ll find information about visa requirements, language, and currency information.
Tourism offices offer tons of information on their website, and most will be happy to mail you out information as well.  Keep …read more

Scoring an upgrade at a hotel can be done, and often it is more about being polite and gracious rather than about an Andrew Jackson crossing the palms of the front desk clerk.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when looking for that FREE hotel room upgrade:

Manners are everything.  You’ll find a front desk clerk will be more likely to pass on an upgrade if you are polite, gracious, and engage in a bit of small talk.  A polite good afternoon, how are you will go a long way to starting the conversation off on the right …read more

One of my favorite ways to research my travel destinations, as well as have a little enjoyment all year long, is a magazine subscription.
There are some great general travel magazines that I get every month, and additionally, if I know that I will be traveling to one particularly destination, I also like to subscribe to that city’s regional magazine.  It’s an easy way to get current information about what’s going on, new restaurant openings (that you won’t find in a guide book), current events, festivals, etc.  For a relatively small investment, you can learn a lot. 
And the small …read more

Travel can be expensive, and it takes creativity to find a way to have it fit into an already stretched budget.
Thanks to a program sponsored by the Spanish Government and the Vaughan Systems, there may be an affordable and fun way for you to visit the Spanish countryside.

The program is looking for volunteer English language teachers to live and teach in Spain for two months.  You’ll work as a teaching assistant helping pre-schoolers and early elementary school kids (ages 3-8) learn English using a curriculum quite similar to what is used in primary education here in the U.S.  Classrooms …read more

At the Jumbo Hostel, you can check in for an overnight “flight” without ever having to worry about your fear of flying.
People may be used to seeing 747’s on the runways, but this is one plane that is neither landing nor taking off.  Instead, it’s a unique destination hostel, which opened just a few days ago, and is permanently anchored at the entrance to Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport.
It is a REAL 747!  And now it’s also a REAL hostel!
There are 25 rooms and 85 beds onboard onboard in different room categories.  All rooms have flat screen televisions, including a flight …read more