Taking off Travel blog

So you’ve finally scheduled that trip to the foreign country you promised yourself you’d visit years ago. You updated your passport, mapped out your routes and destinations, booked your flights to other nearby cities, and think you’re done. Relaxing by the computer, you’re browsing sites suggesting what you should pack for your trip for reassurance, and you see something about ‘plug adapters’ and ‘travel converters’ and investigate.

Unfortunately, googling ‘what is a travel adapter’ is like Goldilocks trying out the three chairs, except even the third one isn’t right. This, my friends, could be considered a travel nightmare. Don’t worry, with this guide you’ll figure out exactly which travel plug adapter you need in about two minutes. Then you can go back to dreaming about what a fabulous vacation you’re about to enjoy!

Travel Plug Adapters

Different countries outside of the USA use different shaped outlets. So as you’d guess, your laptop plug won’t fit into Italy or England’s plugs. To fix this, you’d need an Italy plug adapter that fits into Italy’s outlets, and then has openings on the other side made for American plugs.

Grounded adapters are for three-prong plugs typically on metal-cased electronics for added shock protection. Ungrounded adapters are for your standard two prong plugs.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that some countries like India use two different outlet shapes. Instead of bringing two adapters, a universal travel adapter that works in over 150 countries might be a safer bet.

Travel Voltage Converters

Here’s where people can get lost because thinking about travel voltage converters means learning about electricity. But don’t worry, it’s simple!

All you need to know is the United States and Canada power electronics with 110volts of electricity, while some countries use 220volts. A converter switches the voltage from 110volts to 220volts so your electronic device doesn’t short out or explode from too much electricity at one time.

Oh, and some converters have “high” and “low” settings because as you would guess, some appliances use more electricity than others. For example, your hair dryer should use the “high” setting, and an electric shaver should use a “low” setting. Again, the easiest solution is an auto-switching voltage converter that figures it out for you.

Other Life-Saving Tips:

-Don’t leave your electronics plugged in for too long. Sometimes they can overheat.

-Some devices like your laptop and iPod are “dual voltage,” which means they work for both 110volts and 220volts of electricity and do not require a converter.

When he finished studying abroad in Rome of 2008, Nate Schrader uses his experiences to help troubled travelers by writing for TravelProducts.com. He also enjoys road tripping to see friends and trail running in his free time.

(Image: Keith Williamson)

Sapphire Beach, St Thomas, USVI

At the start of the year, I always like to indulge myself by thinking of places I might visit. There are a number of places on my list. Some of them are places I’ve been to before, but where there’s still lots to see; others are completely new. Here’s my list as it stands now, along with my reasons for wanting to visit each place.

US Travel

Of course, I love traveling in the US and have a number of favorite destinations. I really like the Fort Lauderdale/Dania Beach area and have taken vacations there two years in a row. I’m tempted to take advantage of the airport parking in Fort Lauderdale and fly there direct this year rather than going via Miami.

Last year, I visited Kennedy Space Center, the local Science Museum and Butterfly World and other places of interest, while the year before I had thrills on the Dania Beach Hurricane and got close to some fearsome crocs. I still feel that there’s lots more to explore in the area and I might take in a couple of days in Orlando as well. Also in the US, I might stop off at Newark Airport, parking my behind on my sister’s sofa in New Jersey. I think I’ll wait for the weather to improve, though. Read more »

Look after your health when you travel with these top tips.

Looking after your health when traveling is mostly a matter of common sense. You are the best person to know what your needs are, so be proactive about making sure they are met, rather than putting your health at risk. International travel can be a breeze with a bit of forward planning.

Essential Medications

Make a list of all your essential medications – brand names, generic names, dosage and so on. This will help to remind you of what you need to take with you and will also be useful if anything is lost. No doctor is going to just hand you your heart pills unless you can be specific about what you need. Keep the contact details for your doctor with that list. Read more »

Americans can sometimes be loud, boorish, and extroverted. We’re the class clowns of the world. But we’re also the biggest tippers. We know that clowns are laughing on the outside, but crying on the inside, right? According to Michael Lynn, associate professor of market and consumer behavior at the Center for Hospitality at Cornell University, countries with more “extroverted” and “neurotic” people gave tips to the greatest number of services and also tipped the largest amounts – with the U.S. topping both categories. Read more »