More Ways to Save Money on Vacation

Growing up my family took two vacations per year. My generous grandparents always sponsored one of our trips; otherwise there would have been no way our family of six could have gone very far twice a year. Vacations are a huge expense regardless of the size of your family. Think about it; in addition to the cost of transportation and lodging, you have to factor in the price of meals, snacks, beverages, souvenirs, tips, admission fees to attractions, etc. Luckily there are ways to save on a family trip provided you plan in advance. In my previous blog I listed … Continue reading

The Search for Silent Space at a Hotel

How many times have you cursed the people in the hotel room next to yours for making too much noise while you were trying to catch some zzz’s? Is it too much to ask for a quiet hotel room these days? According to travel experts, hotel stays ruined by raucous neighbors was one of the top complaints travelers had in 2007. So what does it take to be guaranteed a little quiet time? Apparently, a bit of legwork on your part. Travel experts say if you are that serious about finding silent space you should select a hotel in a … Continue reading

Hotel Tips: Preserving Your Health, Back and Wallet

In a previous blog I shared a tip I learned from travel expert Peter Greenberg (the Today show’s travel editor). It had to do with staying healthy at hotels. Greenberg suggests rinsing the bathroom glasses in hot water for at least three minutes in case a housekeeper was short on time and didn’t replace the ones left from the last guest. The tip itself is handy, though it does make you wonder about the types of living conditions travelers expose themselves to during hotel stays. Not that you need to arm yourself with gloves and a face mask to ward … Continue reading

Tips For Women Traveling Alone

In the decade or so after I graduated from college I traveled by myself quite frequently. I have spent countless hours on the road alone and have flown back and forth from the Midwest and Southeast to Hawaii by myself. As a result, I have written a number of blogs on how to stay safe while traveling alone. One area I haven’t touched on is safety, hotel rooms and women traveling solo. In this day and age when there is such an emphasis put on being politically correct, I find female travelers spend more time concentrating on not offending people … Continue reading

Holiday Travel: This Is It!

For the past five weeks I have been sharing travel tips with you in a series called “Holiday Travel.” Well, the countdown we started more than 45 days ago is in its last days. Brace yourself fellow holiday travelers—we may be in for a wild ride. According to travel guru AAA, a record 64.9 million Americans will be hitting the highways, the rails and the sky during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s, crowding the nation’s airports and roadways like never before. AAA says the number may even surpass 65 million depending on the weather. Either way, the projected … Continue reading