Taking off Travel blog

On my recent trip to Cancun, I had two layovers in Miami International Airport – one on each leg. To give a bit of history, I’ve been flying in and out of that airport for a number of years and for a long time I found it a complete nightmare. For a non US citizen, if MIA is your first landfall in the States you have to clear customs and immigration – that can take a while. There have been times when I have barely made my connecting flight – and that was even before the security got beefed up. So I was dreading the hassle of connecting in Miami, and even warned my UK travel agent that I would need at least three and a half hours between connections to be sure of making the onward flight.

Not Just Any Line

So imagine my surprise on my last trip when I managed to get through all the formalities and get to the departure gate for my onward flight in about an hour. Read more »

By the time you read this, I will be on my way to Cancun. No, I won’t be sunning myself on the beaches, though I do plan to make use of the hotel pool. Most of the time I will be working, and it’s so long since I’ve taken a business trip that I created a to do list, which I’ll share with you now.

1. Write a list of things to do and pack

I’m a firm believer in writing lists and although I keep most things online, that hasn’t stopped me from making long lists of the things I have to do. It’s even more important when taking an unusual trip, as it’s so easy to forget something essential. At the start of last week, I decided to get my act together and start collecting the information I would need so I could check it off throughout the week.

Cancun, Mexico

2. Print out your travel confirmation

Most tickets are e-tickets but you will need a reference number to get your boarding pass. In my case, the travel was booked by an office thousands of miles away, so it’s even more important for me to check that it’s all ok. Sometimes airlines have requirements you must meet before you get to the airport; this is a good reminder to check on those. Read more »

Relax and enjoy your business trip with these tips

When traveling for business, it’s all go and it’s no wonder that busy executives sometimes get stressed out. But there’s a lot you can do to reduce the hassle of business travel, and it starts right from the planning stages.

Planning And Booking Your Business Trip

Gone are the days when planning a business trip meant schlepping to travel agencies or spending hours on the phone. You can search for the best route online, and make travel arrangements that are both cost effective and comfortable. And it’s not just the actual flight you can book – you can also pre-book accommodation, offsite airport parking, rental cars and sightseeing trips.

Fly direct if you can, but if you can’t, then leave some flexibility in the schedule. This is good both for missed connections and for your own health. Making your connection a couple hours later than your inward flight will free you from a possible five mile jog across an airport with your luggage. Believe me, I’ve done it and it’s no fun at all. Read more »

I love looking around the travel blogosphere to see what’s new. This week I’ve decided to look on the Alltop travel site, of which the Taking Off Travel Blog is a proud member. Here’s a flavor of what you can find. The Conde Nast Daily Traveler has a post on cheap chic hotels, otherwise known as ‘properties that have grown up in the last few years and are aimed at people traveling on a budget but who don’t want to compromise on style’. Meanwhile, the Intelligent Travel blog from National Geographic is in a festive mood, highlighting some Mardi Gras moments.

I’ve been following the Travel Rants blog on Twitter, and Darren has always got something interesting to say. This week, he’s discussing the treatment of disabled travelers. If you’re in the mood for a rant, then weigh in on the issue of security fees at Rick Seaney’s blog. Read more »

When I first started traveling, we gave very little thought to the effect of travel on the places we visited. That has changed. Along with eco-friendly travel, people are talking about sustainable travel and responsible travel. But what exactly is it, and does it mean we can’t have fun any more? Not at all.

What Is Responsible Travel?

A simple way of looking at responsible travel is that we should be aware of the impact of our travel choices. The ResponsibleTravel.org site describes it this way:

With the opportunity to travel, however, comes a new responsibility to all travelers to ensure that their activities do not upset or destroy the very cultures and environments we choose to visit.

Lonely Planet has a great article on the topic which says it is ‘assessing our impact on the environment and local cultures and economies – and acting to make that impact as positive as possible.’ Read more »