Take a Road Trip
No matter how high gas gets, it’s still cheaper to drive. Driving your own car to your destination does take longer but will save you a lot of cash. Cutting out airline tickets, and rental cars can save thousands of dollars not to mention giving you the freedom to stay where you want and travel on your timetable not the airline’s.
Gas
Don’t just fill up your car and plan on refilling when you get close to empty. Stopping more frequently can save money by finding the best prices and taking advantage of them. Use internet sites like GasBuddy.com to seek out the best bargains on your route. A steady foot on the gas will give the best gas mileage, so avoid heavy acceleration.
Remember to not exceed posted speed limits, which vary from state to state, by more than 10%. Most police and highway patrol will give you that leeway to account for speedometer discrepancies. A speeding ticket can really put a damper on your expenses.
Food
Aside from gas and lodging this will be your biggest expense, especially if you have a car full of kids. Before leaving on your trip, pack as much food as you can depending on the length of your trip. Stopping for fast food is the most expensive and unhealthy meal possible. I don’t use freezer packs, I freeze a lot of small plastic bottles of water which I use to keep perishables fresh, as well, these frozen bottles in a cooler bag, defrost slowly so there is always some cold water on the drive.If properly frozen, a dozen or so small bottles of water in a good insulated cooler will stay frozen for 2 days. Bring along packets of your family’s favorite powdered drink, like Kool Aid or sugar free no calorie Crystal Lite. These are easily poured into the bottles of water and slake your kids desire for pop. Fresh veggies like carrots and celery replace the need for snack stops. Tofu based dips keep well in cooler bags.
Bread, peanut butter, bagged snacks and even canned goods like tuna ( don’t forget the can opener ) are very easy to prep and keep well in a cooler. Deli meats on the other hand are high in salt and can go bad easily. For trips lasting more than 1 day I don’t recommend deli meats, the salt only serves to retain water causing more bathroom stops along the way.
For every dollar in food you pack yourself, you save 3 dollars on junk you would buy on the road. You would be surprised how much money and time you can save by bringing along healthy food.
Hotels / Motels
Lodging can be the most expensive part of the trip if not researched properly. Thanks to the internet, you can plan where you want to stay and reserve ahead of time. Reserving your room ahead of time, even as far as a few months, can save you money. Most major hotel chains offer promotion codes, they don’t tell you that on their web sites, you have to search the web for these codes. Promo codes can save you a fair amount of money so take the time to search the coupon sites.
I like to pick hotels with locations not more than a mile off my route, but not right on the highway. That way I can get a good night sleep without the drone of traffic disturbing me. If you have experience with a specific chain of hotels, don’t take for granted that they are all alike. You might have had a great stay in one location, but have a horrible stay in another.
I have found, over time, that all hotels are pretty much the same. The rooms are never as clean as you would like. The beds, pillows and especially the blankets and bedspreads are filthy so I don’t let that factor into my choice. To alleviate the stress of sketchy bedding, allergens and bedbugs, I pack a few travel sheets, that way I know my family are sleeping on clean sheets with no contact with the hotel bedding.
Don’t be swayed by the ” free breakfast ” claims, most of the food at these freebies is laden with fat and sugar, the eggs aren’t real and the coffee is usually bad. Choose the healthier items like bread, peanut butter and fruit.
Travel Gadgets
Anything that will save you money and time, and lessen stress levels is a good thing.
Cell phones allow you to communicate with hotels and other members of your group and, if you have a data package, can give you the flexibility to change reservations, and hunt for the best gas and restaurant prices.
Media players. Storing movies and music keeps the kids entertained and your music at hand.
Sound generators and Travelsheets take the edge off of staying at motels or hotels with lower price points.
Refrigerated or Insulated coolers. These are a must for food preservation cutting down on restaurants and junk food.
GPS units. A no brainer for road trips, these handy gadgets give directions and traffic conditions as well as local info for lodgings and food.
With proper planning, packing your own food, choosing an inexpensive hotel and using a few money saving items, your road trip can be easy, healthy, safe, and, save you a whole lot of cash, happy trails.
Africa is more than just an exotic travel destination. Its a world apart and one of the most unique and special travel experiences you will ever have. The continent has so much to offer and with the rich and diverse natural beauty you are bound to end up in some rural parts that is not always as safe as what you may be used to in a first world country. There are a lot of things you need to be careful of when traveling to Africa and although there is no need to be paranoid, being cautious is very important to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.
Here are 3 things that you must pay particular attention to.
1. Medical Precautions
Before you travel to any part of Africa you need to check which pills you need to drink before you leave. Malaria is a very real and present danger all through the continent and if you are traveling to certain parts you are required to finish certain courses of prescription pills well in advance of your travel. This is crucial to keep you safe from the treat of diseases that can be life threatening.
2. Personal Security
In Africa, local police and security is not at all what it is elsewhere in the world. There is a lot of issues with tourists being targeted for petty crimes and sometimes even more serious attacks. In most cities you will be fine, but when you go off the beaten track into more rural areas you need to pay particular attention to never walk alone – especially in deserted areas. Always check with your local embassy on the current political climate of any region you are traveling to and make sure that you avoid areas where there is conflict.
3. Insurance
When it comes to security at airports and hotels, then you’d be surprised at some of the stories. At certain airports and in certain countries airport personal routinely raid passenger’s luggage and help themselves to whatever they feel like. Its really important that you have adequate insurance – especially for stuff like cameras, laptops and other valuables. Its also good practice to keep your travel documents on you at all times and try and carry as little cash on you as possible. Keep valuable jewelery at home as it will only attract pick pockets.
Read more about Kenya vacations at http://kenyavacationsite.com.
You’re off to Italy on a cooking school tour you’ve been dreaming of for years, perhaps in the magnificent Barolo wine country in Piedmont in northwest Italy or on the east coast in Sicily with views of the Mediterranean and snow capped Mount Etna.
You want to enjoy your sensual experiences to the maximum: the beauty, the countryside, food, cooking lessons, wine tastings, sightseeing excursions and visits with local people.
Here are some tips on getting all the joy possible out of your Italian cooking school tour, gleaned from my 12 years of experience creating and leading cooking tours in Italy.
1. Many cooking school tour members tell me, “I’ve eaten too much! There’s too much food. I’m a food lover so how can I discipline myself when everything is SO delicious.”
Find out what is on your lunch or dinner menu so you can pace yourself. That way you avoid eating a lot of one course only to find three more courses are coming and you don’t have room for all the wonderful food.
Most Italian meals for special occasions (all cooking school tour meals are special occasions) have five courses: one to five appetizers, pasta or rice plate, meat or fish plate, vegetable side dish and dessert, so pacing yourself makes a big difference in your enjoyment of your food experiences.
A good Italian cooking school tour guide will list all the dishes on the menu to the group before a meal. If she doesn’t, ask her to do so.
Sample a little bit of everything so you experience as many flavours and dishes as possible. That’s one reason you go on a cooking school tour, isn’t it?
Trying a bit of everything will also avoid offending your hospitable cooking teachers or chefs. Then you can smile and say, “It was absolutely wonderful, but I just don’t have the space.” I’m on the petite side, so this line makes perfect sense to my Italian hosts.
2. Some cooking school tour participants say, “The cooking classes were hands-on but I didn’t get enough time to cook hands-on during the lesson. The chef did too much of the cooking in the class.”
If you want to participate more hands-on in the class, get beside the chef and jump right in. If you hang back, waiting to get asked to do something, you may wait awhile and go away feeling disappointed you didn’t get a real hands-on class.
Some tour guides and chefs notice who is shy and hanging back in the kitchen and encourage them to “step up to the plate”, but others don’t. You have to be assertive and volunteer.
3. Some cooking school students wonder, “Will I gain weight during my cooking tour with the vast quantities of irresistible food?”
One woman told me she lost 10 pounds during her cooking lesson trip in Italy. No fried chicken or hamburgers, just healthy, natural, less fatty foods. Italians eat less junk food and more fresh, local foods than many North Americans. She drank water and no pop. She did much more walking than she ever does at home.
If you can find time on your Italian cooking school tour to go for walks or hikes, you’ll go home weighing the same or less, and feel much more energetic while on your cooking tour.
Better still, choose cooking school tours that include some good walks perhaps along paths in the Tuscan or Piedmont wine country or along coasts in Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast or Sicily.
4. Communicate in a direct, friendly way with your tour guide about what you want.
Once you’re in Italy in the middle of experiencing your cooking school tour, you may want to change the tour itinerary slightly. For example, you discover many tempting leather shops in a Tuscan hill town and want to spend more time shopping and forego your spa treatments on the itinerary.
Ask your tour guide how you can change activities. Most tour guides try to be as flexible as possible. After all, their job is making sure you enjoy yourself!
If there’s anything you’re not enjoying on your tour, take your tour guide aside, give constructive, friendly feedback and work together to make changes. Don’t be like some people who say nothing about their disappointments until they fill out the tour evaluation form at the end of the tour when it’s too late to help them.
If you’re enjoying an activity tremendously, ask your guide how you can do more of it. “I loved that boat ride! Is there any way we can do more boat rides?” Tour guides love seeing you happy and will do all they can to delight you.
In conclusion, if you pace yourself at the table, try a small amount of everything, assert yourself in the kitchen, enjoy the healthy cuisine, get some exercise and communicate well with your tour guide, your Italian cooking school tour will give you all you dreamed of and more.
Pregnant women are understandably concerned about theirs, and their unborn baby safety when travelling, and maybe not least when flying during pregnancy.
Practical Travel Tips For Flying Moms To Be
Flying as such is not harmful for you or your baby, so if your pregnancy has no complications there is no reason why you cannot fly safely when pregnant. Most experts though advice against frequent flying, i.e. not to fly more than 200 hours during the whole pregnancy.
The best time for flying when pregnant tends to be when you are between 14 to 28 weeks pregnant.
It is perfectly safe for you to travel before 14 weeks but many women feel not up to travelling during the first trimester. They might feel to exhausted, suffer from nausea, or just not feel comfortable with travelling during this sensitive stage in any pregnancy.
If you have had an uncomplicated pregnancy and are carrying only one baby then you could safely fly up to 36 weeks of pregnancy. However, many airlines do not carry pregnant women during their last trimester. Some airlines do not carry women over 28 weeks pregnant, while others might carry women up to 32 weeks (they might though insist on a letter from your doctor to allow you to fly). This is why you should always check your airline rules about pregnancy prior to making your booking.
Flying when pregnant slightly increases your chances of getting DVT (deep vein thrombosis) especially if you are on a long haul flight. You can reduce the risk by drinking plenty of water during your flight and move regularly about the airplane. Flexing your feet up and down on regular basis will also help your blood circulation during the flight.
You should always wear flight socks when flying as they reduce swelling (also good on long car journeys). For maximum protection, put the socks on before you get out of bed in the morning and keep them on all day.
There are many totally unfounded concerns about flying when pregnant. Luggage scanners and metal detectors for example are perfectly safe for flying moms to be. However, if you have any concern about yours, or your baby safety during your flight, do not hesitate to talk the crewmembers about them.
Practical Travel Tips For Travelling Moms To Be
Always check with your doctor prior to making any travel arrangement and never travel if your doctor advices against it.
Vaccinations and malaria tablets are not recommended during pregnancy so you are advised to stay away from areas that both, or either, is required. If you really must travel to infected areas, do contact your doctor as soon as possible to make the necessary precautions.
Always check what healthcare facilities are available at your travel destination, just in case if you would require urgent medical attention. For same reason you should bring along copy of your medical records, and do not forget to check if your travel insurance cover you adequately during your pregnancy.
Pregnant women should of course avoid all extreme sports like skiing, horseback riding, diving and other water sports.
Wear higher factor of sunscreen than you normally use, as your skin is more sensitive during pregnancy than at other times in your life. For same reason, avoid staying in the sun for too long, and especially during midday when the sunrays are strongest.
You should avoid mosquito repellents that contain DEET, there are available good natural alternatives like citronella oil. You should also use mosquito net and wear long sleeves and legs during the twilight hours.
It is important to take good care of what you eat and drink when pregnant and that applies when you are travelling as well. Be aware that many medicines used for treating stomach upsets are not suitable during pregnancy.
You should always opt for bottled water if in any doubt if tap water is safe to drink, and make sure the seal is not broken. If you do get ill, make sure you keep hydrated and seek immediately medical assistance.
You cannot count on your fellow passenger to know about your condition, especially early on in your pregnancy. So do not hesitate to ask for help if you are travelling alone, e.g. with your luggage.
San Francisco is my favorite city hugging the west coast. It is also one of the most expensive especially for hotels. Lucky for the frugal traveler, many of the sights are free.
Note: When I first went to San Francisco (driving up from L.A.), I was very surprised by the decrease in temperature. Check the weather before arriving.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square cover about 6 blocks along the waterfront. This tourist destination offers great views of the famous Alcatraz, souvenir shopping, seafood vendor and street performers. Some of the local “residents” include pelicans and sea lions. The souvenir to take back for chocolate loving Moms? Ghirardelli chocolate. This is where it all started.
Cable Cars
While at Ghirardelli Square, grab a few photos at the Cable Car Turnaround (the end of one of the lines). The cable cars, calling San Francisco’s living monument, are a good break for the weary.
Note: There are no transfers with cable cars. Each ride requires a new ticket.
Chinatown
The Chinatown in San Francisco is second in size in the U.S. only to New York City. It is great place to get cheap supplies and an inexpensive meal.
Lombard Street
Known as the crookedest street, Lombard is another one of those photo opps tourists love. Walking down is free.
The Golden Gate Bridge
Another famous and picturesque walk is across The Golden Gate Bridge. On a clear day, the views are fantastic (and will work off all that great Chinese food you’ll be eating). This suspension bridge is a little less than 9,000 feet long so plan your round trip accordingly.
Cable Car Museum
Love the cable cars? Then visit the Cable Car Museum on Mason Street. Admission is free and the museum deck overlooks the huge engines and winding wheels that pull the cables. Great photos can be taken in the vintage cable cars.
A city of different cultures, bordered by the sea, San Francisco has a perfect mixture of historic attractions and modern sights. Many of them free.