Taking off Travel blog

Today I’d like to share with you one of my all time favorite online planning tools. It’s called Workflowy – and it works just as well for planning travel as for any other use. Workflowy starts from the premise that almost everything you do starts with a list, so when you first login to Workflowy, what you get is a blank page where you can make bulleted lists. Type and hit enter and you have a list item. Keep repeating till you run out of things to list. So far, so good, but there are lots of listing tools, so what gives Workflowy the edge? Several things, and I’ll illustrate by sharing how I set up my account.

Planning a Trip to Europe

As well as projects, goals, blog ideas, thoughts and links, I started a list item for my planned trip to Europe. I wanted one place to collect all the stuff I needed to think about. Once I’d created the main heading, I double clicked on the bullet point to create a new page with that list item as the main heading. On that page, I created a number of sub-items for the issues I wanted to look at, such as the countries I wanted to include, the accommodation to investigate, and some possible sightseeing targets in each country. Then I could add sub-items for each item. For example, under things to see in Spain, I could add Barcelona (yes, I do mean the whole city!), the Sagrada Familia, etc.

Workflowy Features

Workflowy has drag and drop, which means I can easily reorder items if I need to. I can also add notes to each list item, which is useful for more detail or to keep track of links related to a particular task I want to carry out. Every time I complete a task, a line goes through it, and I can choose to keep completed items hidden or visible. I can delete items that are no longer relevant, and I can also export the entire list (or a portion of it) and share lists with people, which could be useful if more than one person is involved in trip planning.

I find Workflowy an excellent tool for all sorts of uses. You can do a brain dump when you are initially thinking about a trip, then refine your thoughts by adding other considerations as sub-items and changing the order of items to reflect their importance. Workflowy also has search and tagging. And there’s one more good thing about Workflowy – it’s got a restful user interface. It looks like a page with a list and it never gets overwhelming because you can keep main list items collapsed and only expand when you want to see the sub-items.

Have you ever tried Workflowy as a travel planning tool? What do you think of it?

Planning a trip? Don’t forget to use our Happy12 coupon and save on off airport parking.

In many parts of the world, there’s an increase in the numbers of holiday makers becoming victims of crime. As a result many people are becoming more and more security conscious when heading off on their holidays.

There are a number of preventive measures you can take to help reduce the chances of becoming a victim of crime while on holiday. This article will cover the most common and most effective methods of protecting yourself and your possessions whilst away on holiday.

Keep Yourself Secure on Holiday

If you want to give yourself a fighting chance against kidnappers, murderers, muggers and rapists, learn some form of self-defense. This may seem a little over the top, and you probably think this type of thing won’t happen to you, but it’s still a very real risk that should not be overlooked. Don’t go wandering off alone at night, especially if you’re in a quiet location that doesn’t have a busy nightlife. If you insist on going out for a midnight wander either take someone with you, or at the very least, let someone know exactly where you are going and what time they should expect you back and make sure you carry a fully charged mobile phone with you.

Self Defence Lesson Image Credit

If you’re out drinking and getting quite tipsy, especially if you’re alone at night and your accommodation is more than a few minutes away, get a taxi. A drunken person is a much easier target for a mugger than a sober person, especially if you are female. If you insist on making your own way back then stick to the main streets, where there are other people around; don’t risk taking a short cut through back streets. Do not attempt to walk back to your accommodation if you are drunk as a skunk, struggling to stay on your feet or cannot remember the way.

Cocktail Image Credit

Keep Your Possessions Secure on Holiday

When out and about, keeping your wallet or purse secure is very important. Professional pick pockets are very good at what they do. No matter how vigilant you are, they can still grab your wallet or purse if it isn’t stashed away securely. The best place to keep your wallet or purse is in an inside pocket on your jacket. This can be made even more secure if you keep that jacket zipped up.

Pick Pocketing Image Credit

If you think your wallet will be fine in your back pocket just because it fits nice and snug and you are convinced you would be able to feel if someone takes it, you’re wrong. Don’t under-estimate a professional pick pocket; they can, and will get it, regardless of how secure it feels. If possible, carry two wallets or purses with you; put the majority of your money and cards in one and a small amount of cash and some old, expired cards in the other. In the worst case scenario where you could be approached, threatened or even attacked and asked to hand over your money, give them your extra wallet or purse with the expired cards and small amount of cash in.

If your holiday accommodation is a cottage or villa then make sure you keep it secure, just as you would your own house. Be sure to lock doors and windows when you go out, especially at night. If you are out on an all-night bender consider leaving the TV and a light on with the curtains drawn to deter a potential burglar.

Locking Door Image Credit

This guest post on Staying Secure On Holiday was written on behalf of Hotel Club; helping you find beautiful hotels in Penang.

I’m not much into making new year’s resolutions. In the past, like many people, I’ve made them and then abandoned the ones that didn’t work for me. A few years ago, I had an epiphany: when I’m ready to change something, I will, at any time of year when it seems right to do so, so there’s no need to pick an artificial date in the year to make that change.

But when it comes to travel, there are several things I aspire to, and I’m going to share some of them with you. These aren’t resolutions, but aspirations. They represent the things I want to do on every trip I make, no matter the length of the trip or the destination. Here they are:

1. Get out of the compound. In my experience, you miss a lot when you stick only to the area around your accommodation, especially if that accommodation is of the luxury or all-inclusive kind. Don’t get me wrong; I love staying in hotels or apartments, but it’s always wise to explore. One of the ways I’ve done that over the years is to hop on a bus and ride to the end of the line. You never know what you will find. Once, I was on a train along the Costa del Sol, when I spotted a beach where there were no deck chairs and no tourists. That became my favorite haunt for the rest of the trip.

2. Take a detour. We all make travel plans but it’s good to be prepared to throw these out if an opportunity presents itself. Read more »

Don't forget your passport!

It often seems that travel isn’t as much fun as it used to be. I know I’ve ranted about that a couple of times before. But sometimes I wonder whether a change of attitude would make trips feel more pleasant. Here are some tips on making every trip terrific – enjoying the things that work well and fixing the things that don’t.

1. Make sure you have the correct travel documents. I’ve stood in an airline check-in queue before while someone argued that they should be allowed to travel even thought they didn’t have a passport or the correct paperwork. And it’s not just about having the passport, but about having one that’s valid for the right amount of time. Check it now and fix it before you go anywhere.

2. If you have booked a vacation in a sunny place, it’s going to be hot, so presumably you expect it. Why bother to complain about the heat? It won’t change and you will just feel worse. If it happens to rain, complaining won’t help – find something else to do instead. Who knows? You might even have fun!

3.  Keep your valuable items secured and avoid deals that look too good to be true. Use hotel safes to store important papers and other items and don’t flash your stuff around. That’s a good way to avoid being mugged or taken advantage of – two things that can take the shine off your vacation.

4. Get a phrase book or translation program. When you visit other countries, not everyone will speak English. And why should they? It’s their country. Lack of English is not a good reason to complain. Instead, look up what you want to say and use their language. Most people appreciate the effort and will go out of their way to help you.

5. Act immediately if something goes wrong so that it can be fixed. There’s no point in complaining to your friends and relatives in quiet corners (or noisy ones). Speak to the people who can solve your problem, get it fixed and enjoy the rest of your vacation.

(Image: pkingDesign)

Did you know that we publish articles via EzineArticles? Here, in reverse order, are our top articles this year.

7. Thanksgiving Travel and Airport Parking Tips

Are you one of the millions of people who will travel over the Thanksgiving holiday this year? Along with a big dose of patience, you’ll need these travel tips to make sure you get to your destination without any difficulty.

6.Travel Trends by Gender

Travel trends have changed a lot over the last century and part of those changes includes how men and women travel. Once upon a time, women were quite adventurous to travel alone and rarely did so. But what about today? How have travel trends changed among the genders?

5. Unusual and Creepy Reasons for Flight Delays

Chances are you’ve been stuck on an airplane before, waiting for takeoff. More than likely the cause was a mechanical failure – but not necessarily. Here are four unusual reasons commercial airline flights have been delayed.

4. Tips for Healthy Airline Travel

If you travel out of town on business for more than a week each month, chances are your health is suffering because of it. Be proactive and plan to eat right and exercise while you’re on the road. Even the frequent flier can stay healthy!

3. How Air Travel Has Changed in Recent Decades

Technology and global events have shaped airline travel in the last several decades. Take a stroll through memory lane and read about the major changes in the airline industry from 1980 forward.

2. College Bowl Game 2011 Travel Tips

Are you making plans to attend your favorite college bowl this year? This overview of the most popular matchups will help you make your travel plans.

1.  The 6 C’s of 2011 Travel Trends

More people are expected to make business and leisure trips in 2011. What’s changed this year over last? The top trends are described as the 6 Cs: Cruising, Corporate Travel, the Caribbean, Countries, Celebrations, and Cost.