Taking off Travel blog

Today I’m interviewing Jenn Miller, one of the co-authors (the other is Keri Wellman) of ‘Bottles to Backpacks:  The Gypsy Mama’s Guide to Real Travel with Kids’.

Jenn, give us a snapshot of your background in writing and travel?

I was born into a nomadic family and have traveled my whole life. I’ve had the great benefit of being a child on the road as well as a parent on the road which has given me the confidence to know that this path will be great for my kids in the long run, because it was great for my brother and I. Four years ago we sold our house and most of our stuff and hit the road on bicycles, cycling from London, England to Tunisia and back over a year. That was the beginning of what’s become an open ended world tour with our kids.

I have to write to breathe, that I get paid for it is just a bonus! For the past ten years I’ve been writing for the home education market and when we started traveling it was natural to branch out into some travel writing as well. I write a lot for the online travel market, and a couple of paper magazines for the home education crowd. I was privileged to contribute the “Family Travel” chapter to an Indie Guidebook on traveling Europe, and have participated in a couple of print compilations over the years. Bottles to Backpacks: The Gypsy Mama’s Guide To REAL Travel With Kids is my first attempt at an e-book and it’s been great fun to collaborate with my writing partner and gypsy friend Keri Wellman on the project.

I get a lot of joy out of encouraging people to dream big dreams and make them happen. I consider myself very lucky to have lived the life I’ve lived and showing other families that it’s possible to combine big time travel with outside the box education and create an epic adventure for a childhood is the best possible use of my writing that I can think of.

What’s your elevator pitch?

This book answers the big question that we’re daily asked as we travel the world with our kids: “HOW do you do it?!”  From new babies through a teenager’s first solo trip, we’ll give you the tools and the confidence to take the plunge and explore the great big world, with your kids!

Now, in more detail, what’s the book about and why did you write it? Read more »

A couple years back, I was taking a lot of business trips to attend conferences and exhibitions. As I arrived at the hotel check-in desk with what I thought was a modest sized suitcase, I glanced across at the people next to me and saw that some of them had managed to pack for a four day trip with a carry-on. One guy was just carrying a suit-bag – that was it! It was obvious that I was missing a trick. Here’s how some of them did it.

1. Accept that you need less than you think you do. Unless it’s summer, if you’re a guy,  it won’t kill you to wear the same suit for three days and just take a couple of spare shirts. That won’t work for the ladies, but try two mix and match outfits to give you four combos. Pair that with no more than 2 pairs of shoes and, for the guys, two ties, and you’re all set.

2. Make clothes do double duty. If you’re a PJs kind of person, and you also like to hit the hotel gym in the morning, then let your workout wear double as sleepwear. Shorts and a T-shirt are very versatile. If you get the light ones with wicking, you can rinse them in the shower and they’ll be dry by nightfall, so one set will be enough.

3. Leave lotions at home. For the ladies especially, lotions and potions can take up a lot of room, but how many of those do you really need? This is the time to pack your most versatile makeup and body lotion. Even better, leave the lotion at home and pick up a travel size when you arrive if there’s none at the hotel. Unless you have sensitive skin, you can survive for a couple of days.

4. Change your laptop. There’s no point in downsizing your luggage needs if you still have to lug a behemoth of a laptop around with you. Switch to a netbook or, even better, a tablet, which is light, ultra-portable and has apps, games and an e-reader as well as all your business stuff. After years of traveling with a huge Dell laptop, I found the netbook a nice change and I currently have my eye on an Android-based tablet (Samsung Galaxy, perhaps?) when next I upgrade.

These four changes will make a big difference to the weight you have to carry around when you travel. What tips would you add?

More on this: Achieving Minimalism in Business Travel.

(Image: herbrm)

Rain is a factor in many accidents every year. The important thing to remember is that many of these accidents are also preventable. It’s important to understand how rain can affect your driving in order to prevent accidents from happening. We’ve put together five tips to help you drive safer in the rain, so that you make it to your destination safe and sound. And don’t forget to bring your umbrella!

1) Plan for a longer trip

If the roads are wet and visibility is bad then you should allow for a longer drive. Not only should you avoid speeding but you should probably drive slower than the speed limit if it is wet. Obviously you will have to be the judge of road conditions but you should still plan on adding some extra time onto your trip in case the roads are hazardous or visibility is bad.

2) Avoid cruise control

If you start hydroplaning, and your cruise control is set, the car might actually accelerate out of the puddle. You need to be on top of your driving game when it’s raining so save the cruise control for a sunny day when you’re heading out on the highway, not when you’re driving on rainy streets with poor visibility and slippery roads.

3) Be particularly careful if rain follows a long dry stretch

When the roads are dry, engine oil, grease, and other fluids will build up on the surface of the road. In the first few hours after a rainfall this will cause the road to become very slick. If you don’t need to head anywhere right away then postpone your trip. You if you need to be somewhere right away then be cautious and take your time.

4) Don’t tailgate

You shouldn’t be tailgating even if the weather is sunny and dry. It’s dangerous and causes thousands of accidents each year. But driving too close behind a vehicle is that much more dangerous when it is wet. It takes a lot longer to stop when the road surface is wet so give the person in front of you extra space. If you rear end someone in your car then you will likely be blamed for the accident so avoid tailgating and save yourself and other people on the road a lot of grief and suffering.

5) Get rid of those old wipers before it rains

The best time to replace your wipers is before it starts raining – that way you’re not out on the road late at night in the rain with very limited visibility. Wipers are one of the cheapest safety devices on your car so replace them often. If you’re prone to forgetting such things you should consider buying 2 or 3 sets of wipers next time you’re at a hardware or automotive store. You’re going to use them eventually so you might as well have them on hand. Make sure you properly defog you car before you leave your driveway because this will also affect your visibility on the road. Your wipers might be brand new but the car may still have a layer of moisture on the windshield, which limits your visibility of pedestrians and other vehicles.

To learn more about safe driving visit http://www.completeinsurance.ca (a website about cars and car insurance). (Image: jon_a_ross)

Traveling has become significantly more difficult over the past decade—regardless of the continent or the season, there are just more people traveling and it is always crowded. Everything from the excessive screening at airports to getting bumped off due to overbooking, all threaten to taken the fun out flying. It’s even more difficult for a business traveler who has to do it frequently. However, it is possible to make travel enjoyable, by following some simple rules that will help to minimize potential problems and make your trip stress-free, if not enjoyable.

Book Smartly

Whether it is rental cars, hotels or airlines, be smart about the bookings. Travel is not about getting the lowest prices—for a business traveler it is about avoiding cancelled flights and uncomfortable, inconveniently located hotels. Consider an airport hotel if your stay is short; a taxi to the airport is usually one of your biggest expenses, and also you won’t have to worry about rushing to make your flight.

If a very cheap hotel is located in an out-of-the-way location from which transport will be difficult or a greater expense, then it is not cheap. Precious time which can be better utilized in meetings or used for rest is wasted in transit, while the transport bill skyrockets. Likewise, an airline is not “cheap” if its flights have long layovers or delays, because time is wasted and you won’t arrive at your destination fresh and ready to participate in business meetings.

There is a wealth of information available online, and business travelers should use it to their advantage. Always check an airline’s on-time and lost luggage performance before booking. Also, look up the fare history on the intended route so that it can be determined if you are really getting a good price. Book flights that allow you to reserve seats, and ensure that seat early by getting a printout of the boarding pass; this is the best way to avoid getting bumped off or arriving without your checked-in baggage.

The Airport Experience

Check-in lines are always long and airport security is meticulous. So arrive early, a minimum of three hours before boarding time for international flights and two for local. Airport security officers will not be rushed just because the last call for one’s flight has been made, in fact if you’re in too big of a hurry they are going to pay you closer attention. Anticipate delays and schedule meetings with sufficient cushion time so you don’t become stressed out unnecessarily. Plan to have your before-flight meal at the airport instead of several cocktails, which will add to your jet lag and use up some of your extra time.

Once you’ve found an airline that you feel comfortable with, stay loyal. There is nothing better in travel than the perks that come with an elite status gained through frequent flyer programs. The same is true for hotel and car rental loyalty programs. Be sure to use these incentives to your advantage when traveling frequently. One weekend worth of flying to Asia can earn one a year of upgrades, speedy security lines and priority standby status.

On average, one passenger on each flight arrives at their destination without their luggage. So hold on to everything of value or those items that you can’t manage without. This includes medicine, jewelry, documents or that suit that will be needed for your early morning meeting. Make sure the luggage is clearly identified and drop a business card inside as well.

If you must travel for work, then why not enjoy it as much as possible? After your business is done, explore your destination—be open to different cultures and cuisine, and visit the local markets. Save a day to see a museum and learn about the local history. Create a diary or even a travel blog to share with others; remember travel is an option not everyone is blessed with.

Author Samantha Hathaway is a financial consultant and always traveling between the U.S. and Europe. She is also a blogger and content contributor to payday loans, a site with information about and access to pay advances.

Following on from my last post on Brit-speak, here are some more helpful phrases.

1 Zebra crossing – so named because of its black and white stripes, but better known as a crosswalk here in the US.

2. Whinge – to whine or complain, usually about things seen as trivial by someone else. If someone calls you a whinger it is not a good thing.

3. Welly – as in give it some welly. A good old Brit expression that’s the equivalent of elbow grease here in the US.

4. Trainers – you might think that this is a word for people who coach other people, but no, it’s Brit-speak for sneakers. And if you’re talking about tennis shoes, then the Brits say plimsolls.

5. Subway – this is a walkway that runs under a road, not to be confused either with the sandwich chain or a mode of transport (in London, what Americans call the subway is known as the Tube (or the Underground).

6. Sarky – Brit-speak for sarcastic where Americans would say snarky.

7. Rubber – this isn’t what you think, but what Americans call an eraser. Misuse of the term can lead to confusion, obviously.

8. Recce – in this case the same word reconnoitre/reconnaissance (both of French origin) have produced two diferent abbreviations on each side of the pond. In America, we’d say recon.

9. The off-licence is where you’d go to buy an alcoholic drink. Known affectionately as the offie, we’d call it a liquor store.

10. Their motorway is our freeway.

11. Want that ice-cream with a few sprinkles? You’ll have to ask for hundreds and thousands in the UK.

12. Our billboard is their hoarding.

13. Fortnight – this means two weeks, whereas we just take it one week at a time.

14. Even on the phone there are major differences. That tone you hear when you can’t get through is called the engaged tone in the UK, where we would say busy signal.

15. Got a personal bank account in the UK? you will probably call it a current account, the equivalent of the US checking (or check) account.

16. Our cop is their bobby, and the cops in general are sometimes called the Old Bill.

17. A ballpoint pen is a biro in the UK, after the last name of the inventor.

18. If you’re watching TV (or telly), then chances are you’ll take a look at the BBC, also known as the Beeb or Auntie.

19. The presenters there will use an autocue and not a teleprompter.

20. Is your boss a great guy? You’d call him a top bloke in the UK.

Check out an even longer list of uncommon British expressions here.

Other resources:

• British Language and Customs
• BBC America’s British American dictionary
• and, for the true word nerds out there, differences in American and British grammar. Image: Taikun2007)

Get a $25 Restaurant.com voucher when you book 4 days or more of parking at selected facilities. Details in this post.