February 8, 2010
Each Monday through Friday, a Travel Gem of the Day will be posted at SmartWomenTravelers.com. These Travel Gems are tips that will help a traveler travel smarter, safer, handle home issues, be prepared and enjoy their journeys.
Here are last week’s Travel Gems:
Monday Feb. 1 - Don’t be caught without a phone number or address while you’re driving! You can’t find the restaurant where you’re supposed to be meeting your best friend or biggest client, nor do you have their telephone number. Don’t panic. Read more of this article »
Posted by Carol Margolis under Travel |
February 4, 2010
Many of us save our air miles and hotel points for that special international trip or for retirement when we dream of having lots of time (and hopefully money!) to travel. In a perfect world, the day we expire is the day we’re on a trip enjoying the last of our rewards. But chance are, there may be a few miles, or million miles, in your account when you head to your permanent vacation spot in the skies.
So can you will your miles to someone else? Read more of this article »
Posted by Carol Margolis under Current Affairs, Health, Random Thoughts, Relationships |
February 3, 2010
Travel and Twitter combine beautifully! I used Twitter this past weekend to ask my ‘tweeple’ about places to stay and romantic restaurants in Sedona, Arizona. My husband and I are heading there for Valentine’s Day weekend. I received great suggestions for both, made my selections and am ready for the weekend!
I could have first researched for these things on TripAdvisor or other travel review sites, but I decided to first start with Twitter. It only took a few seconds to send a couple of tweets on what I was looking for, and the suggestions started rolling in not only from the Scottsdale Visitor’s Bureau, but from many people who have previously trekked to Sedona. How cool is that? Once I received a few recommendations, I used TripAdvisor to confirm (or not) the suggestions. My research time was cut down to a 10th of the typical time I used to spend reading reviews. I saved time, hopefully selected some great places to stay and dine, and I met a few new friends on Twitter. A triple win!
If you’re looking to follow 50 great Travel Twitterers (I am very honored to be included in this list), head over to http://tweepml.org/50-Travel-Twitterers-You-Should-Follow/. With a ‘Select All’, you will easily be able to follow all 50 in a heartbeat.
Happy Tweeting!
Posted by Carol Margolis under Web/Tech |
February 2, 2010
Last week, Steve Jobs gave a keynote speech introducing Apple’s answer to the tablet computer – the iPad. Watching the announcement online, I was both pleased and disappointed with the new Apple iPad.
The size and weight are wonderful. It is quite easy to travel with a 10″ screen that weighs only about 1.5 lbs. The built-in keyboard and numeric pad seem easy to operate and the battery life of 10 hrs – one month on standby – is extraordinary. I also like the multi-touch, similar to the iPhone, as well as the bright color LED-backlit screen.
Read more of this article »
Posted by Carol Margolis under Web/Tech |
February 1, 2010
Each Monday through Friday, a Travel Gem of the Day will be posted at SmartWomenTravelers.com. These Travel Gems are tips that will help a traveler travel smarter, safer, handle home issues, be prepared and enjoy their journeys.
Here are last week’s Travel Gems:
Monday Jan. 25 - MyFax is on online service that lets you send and receive faxes over email. Best news – they have a free version! It lets you send two faxes a day, up to 10 pages each, without entering a credit card number of setting up an account. Go to myfax.com/free and enter your contact information, and the name and fax number of the person you want to contact. Then upload and send your file. Read more of this article »
Posted by Carol Margolis under Travel |
January 27, 2010
The most-viewed article on SmartWomenTravelers.com is Top 7 Tips for Packing Your Suitcase, but unpacking my suitcase is actually a bigger chore than packing it! This got me thinking about the different ways that people unpack their suitcases.
Upon returning from a trip, my husband immediately (and I mean immediately!) opens up his luggage, gets his dirty clothes into the washer and totally empties out his bag. I, on the other hand, roll the luggage into our bedroom where it sits next to my nightstand for a day …. or two … or more. I hate unpacking! Read more of this article »
Posted by Carol Margolis under Pearls of Travel Fun, Random Thoughts |
January 26, 2010
When it comes to my hotel stays, which are virtually every week, I classify myself as a ‘home-body’. Outside of going to work, attending a conference, or eating a meal, chances are I will be in my room. The hotel that I frequent does have a nice concierge lounge which I have access to, and I really should enjoy their red leather sofas more often. There is also a big lobby, but it is noisy and not conducive to relaxing in a quiet spot to read or get work done. As far as going to the hotel’s bar at night … that’s just not for me unless I’m going with friends. It is generally full of guys (as most hotel bars are) and not a comfortable place for a solo female to hang out on a regular basis … unless, of course, I was to be looking for an evening career … which I’m not.
I recently attended a conference at the Hotel InterContinental in Atlanta’s Buckhead area. What I discovered was the perfect lobby area that I could see myself becoming a fixture in if this was a hotel I frequently stayed at. There were plenty of sofas and chairs in a very warm, comfortable area. It was away from the main hotel desk and bar area, so peacefulness reigned. And what got me excited the most was that every table next to a sofa or chair had power outlets – several of them! I never would have thought that power outlets would get me so excited, but when I spend the vast majority of my life on my laptop, power outlets become a necessity. Finally, this was an area where I could sink into the nice cozy sofa, have a cup of tea or glass of wine, and get some serious work or socializing done online.
Unfortunately I was only at the Hotel InterContinental for a six-hour conference, so the sinking into the sofa with a glass of wine was only a nice dream in my head. But that is what I would love to find in the hotels where I stay. I’ll keep dreaming …
Posted by Carol Margolis under Hotel Living |
January 25, 2010
Each Monday through Friday, a Travel Gem of the Day will be posted at SmartWomenTravelers.com. These Travel Gems are tips that will help a traveler travel smarter, safer, handle home issues, be prepared and enjoy their journeys.
Here are last week’s Travel Gems:
Monday Jan. 18 - Free Passport Reminder Service: ItsEasy.com offers a free passport renewal reminder, which can help travelers avoid showing up at the airport or border with an expired or soon to expire passport. Register on their website and receive a renewal reminder via email nine months prior to your passport expiration date. This service is especially useful for families with children, since kids’ passports expire every five years (as opposed to 10 years for adults).They also provide expedited passport processing. Read more of this article »
Posted by Carol Margolis under Travel |
January 21, 2010
With the recent new round of increases for checked luggage fees, I return to a question asked by flight attendants: Why not charge for carry-on bags instead of checked bags?
I have no doubt the airlines would love to also charge for carry-ons rather than one versus the other. Nevertheless, the checked bag fee has been a huge revenue source for the legacy airlines so it will unlikely go anywhere anytime soon.
From the flight attendant’s side, here is the problem: More people than ever are bringing carry-ons aboard the plane. Many passengers max out with two and it is common they want to put both of them in the overhead compartments. Despite pleas that they put smaller bags under the seat, few passengers listen to this part.
Moreover, many of the carry-on bags are oversized, sometimes well beyond the 22″ limit which means going into the bins sideways. At some point, there is simply not enough room to accommodate everything. Usually the last people to board are out of luck and need to have their bags checked. This just adds to the boarding time and the attendant’s headaches as they try to get under way.
Under the present system, passengers still see this as a win. Even if their bag needs to be checked due to no overhead space, there is usually no fee. All they have to do is get to the gate with their oversize bags and they can get their bags checked for free. Read more of this article »
Posted by Carol Margolis under Travel |
January 20, 2010
Each Monday through Friday, a Travel Gem of the Day will be posted at SmartWomenTravelers.com. These Travel Gems are tips that will help a traveler travel smarter, safer, handle home issues, be prepared and enjoy their journeys.
Topics include:
If you would like a favorite travel tip of yours to be included in the Travel Gem of the Day, email your tip, name and website to travelgem@smartwomentravelers.com.
Here are last week’s Travel Gems:
Monday Jan. 11 – Organize your closet by type of clothes (pants, jackets, tops), then by color. This makes for very easy selection of clothes for packing.
I can pack for a 4-5 day business trip in a matter of a few minutes because of this organization and color-coordination. Another minute or so to pick out jewelry or scarves, throw in my work-out clothes and I’m packed!
Tuesday Jan. 12 – Avoid wearing mascara while traveling. Even snoozing on short flights, I always seem to find mascara under my eyes. Instead, put it one once you arrive at your destination. The same goes for eye shadows. I love bareVitamins Prime Time Eyelid Primer available at Sephoa. This primer holds eye shadow in place all day with no creases. When I do not have the primer with me, I skip the eye shadow until after my flight.
Wednesday Jan. 13 – When wearing bracelets/bangles through security, walk through the sensor with hands clasped in front of you, not at your side near the sensors. Less time in removing the bangles, and less chance that they’d walk away in someone else’s bag.
Thursday Jan. 14 - Use twist-ties or a round keychain to secure your luggage zippers. The TSA-approved locks work also, but they are expensive and often go astray when baggage personnel do not put the lock back on.
I have used the TSA-approved locks on my luggage and have always had them come up missing after checking my bag in my home airport of Orlando. Now I use simple twist-ties (and carry a few extras with me) to secure the zippers from opening up while in transit. And just where do these missing locks go to the same place as missing socks?
Friday Jan. 15 – Use a small video camera to capture snippets of something fun in the city you’re visiting or say hello to your kids from a historic or interesting place…maybe even from your hotel room as you tell them you love them. Email the video to the at-home spouse or your caregiver to show the kids, or post them on a family website.
Posted by Carol Margolis under Travel |
