Tips

Budget Travel Tips For Your Next European Vacation

In a conversation with my brother last fall, he asked if I had any tips for traveling. That question inspired me to think about ways that one can save money as a budget traveler, especially in Europe. International travel can seem daunting. For many Americans their first trip overseas is to Europe. I hope these tips will encourage them to take that European trip. Last week I wrote about some simple and practical ways to save when finding flights and…

Continue Reading “Budget Travel Tips For Your Next European Vacation”

Simple Budget Travel Tips for Flights and Hotels in Europe

Anyone who has read my blog has probably figured out that our travel style is budget travel. Part of the philosophy is that the less we spend on a trip means a greater possibility of another trip to Europe. So we don’t choose expensive hotels or visit pricey restaurants as we travel. Those are some of the obvious ways to save money. However, there are some other ways to save as well. They may not save as much, but every…

Continue Reading “Simple Budget Travel Tips for Flights and Hotels in Europe”

What’s in an Airport That’s Worth Seeing?

We all know the purpose of an airport is to enter and leave a location by means of an airplane. Thus in many ways airports are very utilitarian structures. However, as airports have become more and more significant parts of our life, they have changed. Airports now seek to be places for comfort, shopping, and perhaps even culture. Here are some of the interesting things I have seen in airports around the world. We all know the basics of an…

Continue Reading “What’s in an Airport That’s Worth Seeing?”

The Fundamental Skill of Map Reading

If you have paid much attention to travel news in the last few months, you know this has been a year for road trips. With world travel still closed, and the close quarters of an airplane making people nervous, folks have stayed closer to home. Road trips to the rescue. However, to successfully navigate that road trip one needs a very important element, a map. Map reading is a skill that has been lost in some ways today. Much like…

Continue Reading “The Fundamental Skill of Map Reading”

The Quest for the Perfect Space Needle Photo (Updated 2024)

People easily recognize photos of some cities around the world because of that iconic structure that everyone knows. Think the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Arch in St. Louis. For Seattle that recognizable structure is the Space Needle. It is a architectural wonder like no other. If you visit Seattle, you have to get a photo of it. The Space Needle was built in 1962 for the Seattle World’s Fair. After the fair it became an important part of…

Continue Reading “The Quest for the Perfect Space Needle Photo (Updated 2024)”

Writing a Helpful Hotel Review

Do you have plans to travel this coming Christmas or New Years? If you do travel and book a hotel through one of the travel websites, you will probably receive an email following your trip asking you to review the hotel or activities. Writing a hotel review can be helpful to other travelers, but writing a review can be a challenge. That is why many reviewers write a one or two sentence review which is not very helpful. However reviews…

Continue Reading “Writing a Helpful Hotel Review”

Not All Toilets Are The Same

Yes, this post is actually about toilets, something most of us don’t find a reason to talk about. However, if you are traveling, toilets can be a big deal. Knowing what to expect can help you when you have to find that toilet. My unexpected encounter in the Taipei airport is an example of what might happen. We had a layover in Taipei for a few hours, and I had to use a toilet. I found a bathroom after wandering…

Continue Reading “Not All Toilets Are The Same”

Your Money Matters

If you live in the United States or Europe, you are probably rich. While you may not consider yourself rich, your income is likely far above that of many people around the world. We refer to ourselves as part of the first world while those in third world countries struggle. So what happens when a first world visitor visits a third world country? Does it matter how you spend your money? First let it be said that your money definitely…

Continue Reading “Your Money Matters”

Finding the Right Hotel

When I was kid, and my family would travel, we would jump into the car and start driving to wherever we were going. If we needed to spend the night somewhere along the way, we would look around for the nearest motel with a vacancy, and that’s where we would stay. No planning was involved, but that’s not the case today. I may spend hours trying to find the perfect hotel for us to stay in when we travel. With…

Continue Reading “Finding the Right Hotel”