travel tips Archives - Page 3 of 9 - Mom's Guide To Travel

Nov 11 2014

Travel To Greece: The First 4 Travel Lessons That We Learned

It’s been 11 years since I’ve traveled to the Mediterranean. 2003 – that’s when my then-boyfriend-now-husband proposed to me in front of Aphrodite’s Rock on a small beach in Pafos, Cyprus. We vowed to return to the island in 5 years after our first child was born. Little did we know that it would be twice as long and that we’d travel to Greece instead.

Our journey from Baltimore to Greece lasted a little over 14 hours with a longer-than-necessary connection through London, a city I never grow bored with visiting.

LESSON 1: GIVE YOURSELF SOME WIGGLE ROOM – SCHEDULE YOUR TRANSPORTATION TO ARRIVE 30-45 MINUTES AFTER YOUR FLIGHT IS MEANT TO LAND

Once we arrive in Greece and collect our luggage (1.5 hours behind schedule), I begin to panic. The office where I’m to pick up my “welcome” package closes at 8pm. Also, my pre-arranged transportation through Viator has instructions to meet me at 6:30pm. 8:15 is staring me in the face. Within a few minutes I come to realize that the Greeks are my kind of people: not exactly punctual but flexible and welcoming.

The Welcome booth at the airport is just turning off its lights and I make it in time to pick up what I need. My driver is discreetly walking outside the baggage claim area with a small piece of paper that has my name written on it. I approach him only because he doesn’t have a big white cardboard sign like everyone else waiting for passengers.

We’re in business! Package in tow and driver by our side, we’re over our first hurdle in Athens. Off to the apartment we go.

LESSON 2: PRE-ARRANGE YOUR TRANSPORTATION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES WHETHER IT’S A TAXI OR A TRAIN RIDE – KNOW HOW YOU’LL BE GETTING TO YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS

Luckily, we don’t have to deal with a line of hungry faces and beckoning voices, vying for our business. Athens airport is chill and calm. Whenever I visit Mexico, this is not the case and sometimes it can be overwhelming.

Our driver escorts us to a private car, a yellow Mercedes. There should be a law against painting a Benz yellow but the car is beautiful on the inside and the ride is fast. I can’t complain.

As we weave through the highway that leads us from the airport to the city, I look out at the shadows of the surrounding mountains. The sun is beginning to set. I can’t wait for the adventures that this new city will bring. “This is Sparta” runs through my mind.

Like a nerd I watch The Immortals and 300: Rise of an Empire on the airplane. Looking out, I daydream about Greek mythology, wondering about the gods and the battles that dotted the landscape.

Driving into the city it becomes clear that the Athenians stay up late, even on a Sunday night. Our Flipkey apartment is located near Syntagma Square, a central area in Athens. I planned it that way. It’s one of the reasons why I prefer renting apartments over hotels: more options for where I can sleep at night.

Our driver has no problem finding our block on Akadimias street. He lets us out and bids us farewell.

LESSON 3: GET CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS FOR APARTMENT DOORBELLS IN UNFAMILIAR LANGUAGES

When we walk up to the building, the names on the bells look more like company names rather than private residents. Confusion and doubt immediately cross my mind. Did I get something wrong? Are there two Akadimias streets? Holy crap! These letters are in Greek! My husband tries to recite the Greek alphabet to decipher. Wow, the owner didn’t give me the Greek spelling of their name! What am I reading?!

All of those thoughts cross my mind. And thus, the second mini adventure begins.

I knew I had planned out everything to a “T” with some wiggle room for flexibility. (My husband isn’t a fan of my rigid “snap snap, let’s get moving” travel itineraries.) I take extra care with the flights, special services, transportation arrangements, excursions, dining ideas, housing, communications, etc. However, even the best laid plans have hiccups. This is the nature of travel. It’s where the best stories are born and lessons are learned.

I search my phone for the apartment owner’s email, scanning the FlipKey description as well to see if there was any mention of the Greek spelling of the name. The owner and I had made arrangements to meet in the apartment but we both missed a small detail: which bell I should ring.

LESSON 4: TEST YOUR COMMUNICATIONS BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

No worries. I have her cell number and decide to give her a call on my global phone. Of course my phone isn’t working! I learn that my payment to top off my sim card never went through. Grrreat, now I have a completely useless phone in my hands.

Here we are, in front of our accommodations, in a new and unfamiliar city, on a Sunday night with no one walking down this particular street and no way for me to call our contact. It feels like the tide is turning against me. I take a deep breath and calm my nerves as my husband wanders around a corner. Then I do what any logical person would do: I ring ALL of the doorbells in the apartment building!

I had a plan.

Luckily, one of the bells I ring is correct and the owner’s husband comes downstairs to let us in. He’d been waiting in the apartment for me. I make a mental note for my list of apartment rental tips – I wish I had these “Tips For Renting An Apartment in Greece” before I arrived.

After the initial introduction, he gives us a grand tour of the apartment, leaves us with his contact information and goes home. We rest our minds and bodies for an hour and then head out into the night.

Thank goodness for late-night cities like Athens. We find several places to eat, settling on a spot called Meat, Meat, Meat. Tasty chicken souvlaki, glasses of beer and water along with a side of dense cigarette smoke officially welcome us to the city. Ahhh, the adventure begins. This is Athens!

Have any travel lessons to Greece or any other foreign country that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

Oct 30 2014

Travel Planning Tools, Tips For Families And Individuals

Think about how fortunate we are to be living in this day and age of the internet. Infinite information is available at our fingertips.

But…

Too much information can be overwhelming. And the information is just a tool for accessing it. If we don’t have a strategy for using that tool, we’re lost. Consumed by a sea of noise, distractions, and useless resources.

Essentially, our fortune becomes worthless.

The Double-Edged Sword of Travel Planning

Thousands of travel portals, review sites, blogs, and booking sites litter the internet with information. Today’s traveler doesn’t have to leave her home and head to an agent’s office to gather information about an unknown destination. She can easily pull it up on her phone, begin her research and start planning.

However, travel planning isn’t always easy. It’s a process and it has several stages to it. I tell people all the time, you either love it or you don’t.

To build the type of vacation that you want, you have to be willing to do the research, particularly if you’re traveling somewhere new.

You have the passports and visas to arrange. There’s the transportation to, fro, and within to juggle. There’s the choosing between best accommodations, tours, and activities.

And last but not least, there’s the booking and itinerary planning to seal the deal.

There’s no Walmart for Travel Planning

Luckily, there are sites and tools that can do some of the heavy lifting for you. I’ve found that very few are one-stop answers.

The simplest way to get it done in one shot is to use a travel planner or a concierge service.

You’ll find that what you may spend in financial resources, you recoup in time and peace of mind.

But…

If you’re not ready to give up the reigns just yet, here is a short list of sites and tools to help make your travel planning easier:

Skyscanner – For flights

Airfarewatchdog – For flights and to set up fare tracking

TripAdvisor – For hotels and reviews

FlipKey – For apartment rentals

HomeAway – For vacation rentals

Viator – For local tours

Pinterest – For rravel inspiration boards

Google Maps – To map out visiting multiple points of interest

TripIt.com – Creates a master itinerary of trip with travel plans, maps, directions all in one place

Other Things To Think About

Check out these other posts to help you in your travel planning:

Travel Planning: Are You Asking Yourself The Right Questions?

Top 10 Tips For Getting Away With Great Family Travel Deals

Your Travel Planning Template: Travel Agent or DIY Travel?

The Seven Stages of The Trip Planning Process

If you decide that planning your next family vacation is more than you want to take on, drop me a line. I’d love to work with you. In the meantime, get your FREE download of 59 travel apps and websites that can help you save money and save time trip planning.

Jul 16 2014

Own Jewelry Insurance? Tips For Traveling With Jewelry

Several years ago my husband and I bought a pair of His and Hers Movado watches. We paid several hundred dollars for these watches, making a comfortable home in our fine jewelry collection. I’d researched how to purchase expensive jewelry but never thought about looking up insuring it or tips for traveling with jewelry.

Even still, I was very conscientious about wearing my watch, reserving it only for special evenings out, events, or business meetings. On a long weekend trip to Virginia Beach my husband brought along his Movado, unbeknownst to me. After an evening out, we returned to a spotless hotel room, no watch in sight.

Inconvenience of Theft

We complained to the front desk, spoke with the on-duty manager, filed a police report, and vowed to pursue the matter until the watch was either returned or we received compensation. After days of terse emails, return phone calls, and a few social media threats, my husband was reimbursed for the value of the watch.We achieved our end goal but it took way too much time, hassle and effort.

We both learned from that experience, diligently locking up our jewelry when we travel and leaving the more expensive pieces at home. It would be ideal if I left all of my jewelry at home but a girl’s gotta accessorize. My days vary when I’m traveling and I like to be prepared. And I know other women who love their jewelry can relate. Here are some of my personal tips for traveling with jewelry.

Traveling With Jewelry Tips

Leave the really expensive pieces at home. Costume jewelry has come such a long way, why take the risk?
Carry your jewelry in a drawstring or small accessory bag and keep it in your purse or carry-on. I prefer to keep it in my purse because people are always going in and out of the overhead and I don’t want to worry about it should I fall asleep on the plane.
Don’t leave any jewelry exposed in the hotel room no matter how luxurious the property. This sounds like a no-brainer but people assume that just because a hotel is upscale that they’re safe. Don’t make that assumption. I always locate and use the safe immediately. I check it when I get back to my room to make sure everything is still there.
Don’t wear jewelry in questionable locales. Understand that in some places, like Brazil for instance, people will rob the earrings out of your ear. A friend of mine relayed a story to me a few weeks ago about a traveler friend of hers who had her nose ring yanked. Being safe is much more important than being fashionable.
To protect your investment, get insurance on your jewelry from a company like Perfect Circle Jewelry Insurance. Other than leaving your valuables at home, this is the best protection you can get. Perfect Circle Jewelry Insurance, a subsidiary of Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, are established experts in jewelry insurance. A few benefits that I like from Perfect Circle include: worldwide coverage, no deductible is required, and I can take my jewelry to my preferred jeweler should I need to get it fixed.

Jewelry Twitter Party

Want to learn more tips about traveling with jewelry and how you can protect yourself? Join Traveling Moms, myself, and other mom travelers for a Twitter Party on July 21, 2014 from 9-10 pm EST. We’ll be discussing more tips and tricks traveling with jewelry and you’ll have a chance to win a beautiful piece of jewelry for your collection. Grand prize is a pair of Oval Hoop 14k Yellow EcoGold Earrings valued at $1010.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Perfect Circle Jewelry Insurance. Though I wish it never happened, our watch theft experience is true and all opinions expressed within are my own.

Feb 04 2014

5 London Travel Tips From A Local

My London travel tips for Americans article has been so popular that I thought I’d do another one but this time from a local’s perspective.

My friend Colleen Williams, a marketing manager for a college in North London and a travel blogger at www dot adlibtraveller dot com, is originally from Birmingham, UK but relocated to London three years ago. She loves the city life and the ease of travel that living in London affords.

I had some questions about taking the road less traveled, British vocab, London transpo, those cute (but expensive) black cabs and sightseeing. Check out Colleen’s London travel tips and add it to your list of things to know before you go.

Where to go outside London

What are some off the beaten path neighborhoods you’d suggest people visiting and how can they get there?

Rather than venturing to central London, I’ve learnt that some of the most authentic experiences are outside of the centre. I’m thinking Brixton, Richmond, Golders Green, Islington to name a few. These are examples of places where Londoners live and visit daily. I can’t recall the last time I went through Central London and honestly, I actively try to avoid it.

British vocab

What are some vocabulary words that Brits use that differ greatly from us (e.g. I think you all call a truck a lorie (sp?), sneakers? pants? line is cue, right? bathroom?)

I recently meet a friend from the USA as she visited London. We spent some time discussing this very subject, the fact she referred to a sleeveless jacket as a ‘vest’, something we’d call a ‘gilet’ or bodywarmer. Pants in the USA = trousers in the UK. If you go into a store and ask for pants, you’ll be shown to the underwear section!

Transportation in London

What’s the best way to get around the city? And time that you shouldn’t do the Tube (don’t they charge you more during rush hour?) What about the cabs – are there certain ones people shouldn’t take? Do they all only take cash?

When I first moved to London, I spent a huge amount of time using the tube network only. Whilst it’s a great service, especially for longer trips, friends advised that I use the bus or walk. Not only is it healthier but you really do learn more about the route of your journey (plus it can be a good way to fit in some unintended sightseeing).

If you can use the bus or walk then do so (you’ll start to realize how small the city can feel when you walk). If the tube is your preference then avoid peak times. I can’t imagine anything worse to portray Londoners and the daily commute. It becomes a maze of pushing, ill-mannered people and fighting for any available seat. It’s not a pleasant experience and will likely result in a bad start to your day.

If you’re preferring to use a taxi, then try to have cash ready. Black cabs will cost much more than a pre-booked transfer. Pre-booking also gives you the chance to confirm the price before your journey and have the money ready. Black cabs have now started to accept credit/debit card payments, however there is a nominal fee added for this service.

Money-saving tips

Eating in London can be expensive. How can you save money on food?

To save money in London, don’t be afraid to venture out of the centre. A meal on Oxford Street won’t deliver the same value as a local eatery in Camden or even better, a food market like Borough Market if you want to try a selection of foods at reasonable prices.

Would you suggest something like the London pass or another discount type of card to save money on attractions?

To make the most of visiting London attractions, I would opt for money-saving alternatives to the mainstream. I’ve tried a walking tour in London with London Walks where a guide showed me around accompanied by around 10 other people. We navigated the streets and learnt more than I would have done on a bus tour. If you’re comfortable to try a bus tour but prefer not to use a company, this guide offers a brilliant way to recreate your own tour at the cost of a day ticket on the London travel network.

Your turn! Are you heading to London? What questions do you have? Leave a comment below and we’ll hook you up with answers as best we can!

Head to Visit Britain site to purchase your Visitor Oyster Card before you go and save money on the Tube and other public transportation in London.

This post contains affiliate links.

Oct 08 2013

Fall Family Travel: Two Common Reasons Why Families Don’t Travel More

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year to travel with the family. It usually consists of day trips and weekend getaways. Every now and again we’ll do something lengthier when the kids have days off from school. However, A lot of families don’t think that they can travel once school is in session for two main reasons: time and money.

No Time To Travel

Let me make a couple of disclaimers before I go further. Both of our kids are school-aged, I don’t homeschool, and we’re not rich. I often hear from families that they don’t have time to travel once school begins. I understand. School commitments are crazy. Every week there’s a fundraiser, or your child has band practice, or a recital, or your child may be involved in sports, which comes with its own set of commitments.

The best way to approach travel in the Fall is to think in terms of your month-to-month schedules and responsibilities. You won’t be traveling every weekend, just choose one where the load is low. Carve out at least two days every month to get some family RnR, take a breather, and avoid the burnout so many of us feel by the holidays.

Strategy:

Games and performances tend to be on Saturdays. Can you leave for your family getaway that evening? Maybe you can just do a day trip on Sunday. Pick a destination that is two hours away, North, West, East or South, and discover something new. Sign up for Groupon Getaways or some other last minute travel site or better yet look at your child’s schedule ahead of time and plan.

Don’t Have The Money

The other day I had a conversation with one of my son’s nurses that went a little something like this:

Nurse: I wish I could travel more with my kids.

Me: Why don’t you? You don’t have the time because of the job?

Nurse: No it’s not the job actually my schedule here is pretty flexible.

Me: Oh okay then what is it? Too stressful?

Nurse: It’s the money. I have three kids. It’s expensive.

Me: Right. Yes, it can be expensive but how are you defining travel? Where are you traveling to?

Nurse: Well yeah. Well we went to Disney last year and that was…

Me: That was Disney. It’s going to be expensive.

Nurse: Right.

Strategy

Me: You have to define travel for yourself. You can travel anywhere with your family. There are plenty of places that aren’t expensive. Here in the mid-Atlantic there are so many places that you can go. We’re in an awesome location.

Nurse: Yeah, I guess you’re right. I didn’t think about it like that.

Me: Yeah, most people don’t. They think the family travel means that they have to go to some sexy destination. Everybody can’t afford London, Hawaii, or Paris. Or Disney for that matter.

Nurse: You know what, you’re right. Well my kids love great Wolf Lodge. We go there all the time. My daughter wants to go again for her birthday in January.

Me: Okay. There are a bunch of other resorts you can go to too. Which Great Wolf Lodge?

Nurse: Williamsburg.

Me: Okay. Well, if they like Great Wolf Lodges, why not check out the one in the Pocono Mountains? There’s also one in Texas. Oh, well never mind – you’d have to fly. But there’s a few that you can drive to or just go to another resort in the Pocono Mountains. Does she like to snowboard?

Nurse: Ooh, that sounds great. She would love that.

Me: Yep! It doesn’t have to cost you a whole lot.

There so many things to discover in our own backyards. Because we live close by we overlook them or take them for granted. However, they’re there and we don’t need to spend a lot of money to enjoy them. So! Where’s your backyard? Tell me what’s in it so that I can come for a visit. 🙂