Six Travel Tips for the Holiday Season

It’s that time again!

No, I am not referring to the time of year for exciting family get-togethers and never-ending food. (Though it’s that time, too.) I am referring to that stressful time of year when anxiety takes over as you watch your bank account after shopping expenses and holiday travel costs have taken their toll.

Fortunately for all of us, it doesn’t have to be this way. Thanks to Harper’s Bazaar, we can all learn the best traveling tricks to help out our wallets.

These six travel hacks will be sure to save you money this holiday season:

  1. Book your trip 30 days out (or less). Hotels and airlines usually offer better prices closer to the dates in an effort to fill unsold rooms and seats. If you book too far ahead of time, you may overpay.
  2. Travel during the week. Plane tickets tend to be cheaper since many opt to travel on weekends.
  3. Book hotels and flights on Tuesday. Tuesday is reportedly the day to snag the lowest prices.
  4. Plan a city getaway for the holidays. Holidays are a slow time for bigger cities since many people are leaving. This could mean cheaper hotel rooms for you!
  5. Try out the unconventional tourist attractions. Exploring the smaller, less-crowded areas of cities could help you to save on your trip. Get to know the locals and their favorite hangs around the city!
  6. Book a Sunday night during your trip. While Friday and Saturday nights tend to be the busiest hotel nights for travelers, Sunday nights usually offer more availability and lower-priced rooms.

Simply follow these guidelines to travel smarter this year without having to dig too deep into your pockets. Holidays are meant to be a relaxing time spent with family and friends. Don’t let the cost of traveling bring down your holiday cheer!

How to be a Health-Conscious Traveler

If you’re hoping to give into your wanderlust anytime soon, don’t let your immune system cancel your plans!

Traveling can take a toll on our physical health – millions of foreign germs are lurking on every public surface you come in contact with during your travels. These pesky nuisances are trying to sabotage your long-awaited week in the mountains.

Show your immune system who is boss, and be proactive in your quest for a healthy, relaxing (and much deserved) vacation.

Condé Nast Traveler shares a variety of valuable tips on how to stay healthy during the entirety of your next getaway. Here are just a few ways to make it through airports or train stations in good health:

  • Sanitize your hands. Generously sanitize your entire hand after touching ANYTHING that other people come into contact with.
  • Keep your distance – preferably 6 feet – from sick people. Contagious droplets can travel up to six feet when a diseased person exhales, and they can find their way into your respiratory system.
  • Be extremely cautious in public bathrooms. Try to avoid touching any of the surfaces directly, and do not set down your personal belongings. Wash your hands for a full 15 seconds, and use a drying towel to open the door as you leave.
  • Bring water with you onto a plane. Through random samplings, it has been found that some on-board water has contained fecal bacteria (yuck!). Stay safe, and bring your own bottle of water.

Which Cities are Friendliest?

NYC Skyline

As you may have noticed, the media doesn’t always portray New York City as one of the friendliest cities. Almost every New York-based movie or film features the “surly” New Yorker or the businessman or woman who doesn’t seem to have much regard for anyone else.

However, being from the Big Apple, I’d beg to differ. While there are a few impolite people in every crowd, I’ve encountered thousands of friendly citizens from New York!

Being a lover of all things travel, I researched which cities have reputations for being the friendliest in America. As it turns out, the Huffington Post asked readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine the same question. Based off the answers from about 77,000 readers, here are the top five most welcoming cities in America:

  1. Park City, Utah. Coming in at #1, Park City is known for its authentic people, 400 miles of wooded trails for hiking and the annual Sundance Film Festival.
  2. Savannah, Georgia. Savannah has plenty of friendly faces! The city is also known for its history and abundant nightlife.
  3. Charleston, South Carolina. This city is full of Southern hospitality, rich history and well preserved architecture.
  4. Nashville, Tennessee. Music City is known for its Southern charm and big-city feel. They’re also the only city in the United States with a life-size reproduction of the Greek Parthenon!
  5. Austin, Texas. In addition to the friendly citizens, Austin is also home to legendary live music, a burgeoning restaurant scene and unique culture.

These cities welcome visitors with open arms, but that doesn’t mean other cities can’t also! Maybe we’ll see New York City on next year’s list of America’s friendliest.

Some Vacation APPreciation

Travel

 

If you’re an avid traveler like me, you know how tedious it can be figuring logistics. Stressing too much over where you’re staying, how you’re getting there, and what to do can put a damper on the entire experience.

However, U.S. News Travel recently came out with a list of the top ten best travel apps, so I put them to the test! Here are my top three favorite apps for making the most out of your summer vacation:

  1. Like your very own travel agent, TripIt helps you plan every detail of your trip—from car rental to lodging to restaurants. You can also forward the email confirmations of your rental car, flight, or hotel to plans[at]tripit.com and let TripIt construct your itinerary for you!
  2. When I’m in a new city, of course I want to see all of the major landmarks. However, when I need to get away from the tourist scene, I turn to Goby. Goby pinpoints the local hot spots around you, including restaurants, recreational activities, and shopping. This app also comes in handy when looking for events. I constantly discover concerts, plays and festivals just around the corner.
  3. With this app, you can share your experience with others…the old-fashioned way! Postagram lets you bring the postcard tradition to the digital age by sending personalized photos from your trip to your friends and family back home. The best part: these personalized cards are only $0.99. Who says snail mail is obsolete?

Wherever your travels take you this summer, be sure to include these apps to make the most of your leisure time!

How to Eat Well While Traveling

Boing 747 London - Bangkok

Holding to a diet while traveling can be difficult, especially if you’re flying.

Southwest Airlines has those ever-popular dry roasted peanuts, followed by the mini pretzels which help your ears to pop. Delta has to-die-for Biscoff cookies and American Airlines has snack packs, filled with cookies, snack cakes and chips.

And while everyone deserves a cheat every now and then, these cheat snacks can go a long way.

Recently, I found an article which has helped me to reduce my cravings and expand my options while I’m traveling to and from La Guardia.

Even if you are headed to a different time zone, it’s best to keep your usual meal schedule for the day based on your point of origin. So if you leave at 9 a.m. on a two-hour flight, and the time zone you enter is an hour ahead of where you were, keep in the back of your mind to eat like it’s still 11:00 a.m. and try not to eat like it’s noon. Grab a bottle of water, perhaps, and wait until the designated meal time you usually set aside at home.

If your trip is overnight, you can eat according to the time zone change the next day. This will keep your internal clock in sync, instead of throwing everything out of whack. When you wake up, continue to eat on a schedule according to the time zone you’re in.

It’s true that alcohol and caffeine can dehydrate the body, but not many know that flying has the same effect. Grab a bottle or two before boarding the plane and take frequent sips through the flight. In addition, hydrating foods, such as fruits and vegetables, combined with fiber and protein are perfect sources of nutrition.