Tag: Travel

Posted on by

Is Your Airport Listed?

I just read an article relating to the 50 busiest airports in the US. These are based on numbers related to on-time arrival data from the U.S. Department of Transportation from 2008 to 2017.

Most of the delays occurred in summer, with last summer having some of the highest increases.

Here are the findings:

Newark Liberty International (New Jersey) was worst for summer delays with an on-time arrival rate of just 67 percent, according to the report. The others in the bottom 10, with an on-time arrival rate ranging from 68 to about 75 percent, are LaGuardia (New York), San Francisco International, John F. Kennedy International (New York), Logan International (Boston), O’Hare International (Chicago), Miami International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Raleigh-Durham (North Carolina) and Philadelphia International.

The airports with the best on-time arrivals, ranging from 80 to 88 percent, were Honolulu International (Hawaii), Salt Lake City International (Utah), John Wayne Airport (Orange County, Calif.), Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Portland International (Oregon), Minneapolis-St. Paul International, San Jose International (California) and McCarran International (Las Vegas).

Do you regularly use any of those airports? Or, will you be flying into them this summer?

What can you do? These may help…especially if you have choices on flying.

Check the weather. Is severe weather forecast? How about fog or anything else that may delay the arrival?

Try for an early morning flight before delays start to affect the entire day.

Don’t forget to check security regulations if you have questions.

 

 

Posted on by

New TSA Screening Regs

 

Did you know, starting June 30, foreign airports will be examining your carry-on bags more carefully? Why? Powder.

A new TSA regulation will ask that travelers headed to the U.S. from another country remove powdered substances from their bags to be carefully checked, as agents currently do with liquids, and be prepared to either discard the powder or check their bag.

The reason, of course, is the fear of improvised explosive devices, which can sometimes involve powdery substances.

To avoid extra scrutiny, anyone traveling with more than 12 ounces of powder, which could include makeup, baby-related products, food, and other substances, should put the powder in a checked bag.

Posted on by

You Weigh How Much?

Walking towards the check-in counter at Paris’ DE Gaulle airport last month, I noticed a man kneeling on the floor frantically taking things out of his extra-large suitcase.

Upon looking closer, he was transferring some of those things to another bag and he was tossing other things in a pile. Listening to him mumble to himself, he was cursing the airline for telling him his bag weighed too much.

Apparently, he didn’t think to check the airline’s weight limit for checked luggage.

Do you?

Did you know airlines don’t all have the same guidelines for weight? It’s best to check with the airline you’ll be flying on to find out how much your bags can weigh. If you weigh your bags at home, you may think your scale is accurate. But, that doesn’t count. It’s the airline’s scale where your bags will be weighed that is important.

Or, you could make sure your bag weighs less than the limit…just in case.

If you want to compare airlines, use this site https://www.skyscanner.com/tips-and-inspiration/airline-baggage-sizes-fees-carry-checked-luggage for a quick reference.

Then double check the airline.

Don’t be that man on the floor throwing his shoes and jeans into a pile.

 

Posted on by

Do You Use Packing Cubes?

Do you use packing cubes?

I learned about these from a travel professional. They seem to be handy and I figured they would just keep my suitcase organized.

But, they do so much more than that. The ones I have from Eagle Creek are lightweight, breathable, AND are also compression bags. This means I roll up my clothes, place similar items in one bag, zip it shut, and then zip the compression zipper. Voila. The bag just became smaller. Amazingly smaller.

That’s a good thing. I travel for two weeks in just a carry-on.

On a recent two-week trip to France I used four of these in my luggage. I was amazed at how much room they saved. Since I take carry-on luggage anyway, I’m always looking for ways to get more room out of my bag.

Or, fit more things in it.

These work beautifully. I’ll never travel again without these cubes from Eagle Creek.

And, Eagle Creek did not pay me to say this. I just love them that much.

Posted on by

Go To Church

Another tip I learned from Angel Castellanos…

Want to beat the lines when you’re in Rome, Florence, Sienna, Pairs, or any other city where there is a famous church or cathedral? You could buy tickets ahead of time, you could get them online, or you could beat all the crowds.

How?

Find out when their daily mass or their church service is and go to church. You’ll have a true experience of that church, without a bunch of tourists.

You’ll get the local flavor, you’ll probably be able to sit where you want, and no noisy tourists to deal with.

 

Posted on by

Can You Fold a Map?

Do you travel with a paper map? Or, do you use only electronic maps on your phone or GPS in the car?

I’m old school and I like a paper map. I don’t need to take one that is the size of the table. A small one will do.

This year we were on a high-speed train in France. Wi-fi was available. Traveling at high speeds didn’t allow my phone to catch up. My paper map gave me an idea of where we were and how much longer before we pulled into the station.

Other times, it gives me a perspective I might not have with the car GPS or my phone.

Posted on by

Dirty Laundry…What To Do?

You’re gone for two or three weeks.

What do you use for a dirty laundry bag when traveling? I have a dedicated dirty laundry bag. In it, I have a dryer sheet. This helps keep any smells at bay.

Do you keep your suitcase smelling good by separating your dirty laundry? You should.

One trick I learned from another travel professional is to put dirty laundry in a breathable bag. Then, put that bag in a dedicated packing cube. Now it’s separate from the rest and won’t make your suitcase smell.

What do you do?

Posted on by

Carousels of Provence

So many French towns and villages have a carousel somewhere in the town square or close to it. Even Paris has six.

We encountered these colorful, smile-generating merry-go-rounds in several cities in Provence.

I had never given any thought to how and why they became a popular ride. Apparently, they came about due to tragedy. In 1559 King Henri II, Catherine de Medici’s husband, died in a jousting accident. That prompted the carousel to be used as a safer alternative to practicing jousting with other knights. Knights could practice spearing suspended rings with their lances, all while going around in circles on the carousel. No more practicing on real people.

Today, they are a great source of amusement for kids of all ages.

We noticed many of them in the French towns and villages had Jules Verne’s hot air balloons, space ships, and other travel items. Some were even named the Jules Verne carousel.

Did you know the carousels in America and mainland Europe travel counterclockwise, while in England they rotate clockwise? Also, traditionally the horses are mounted from the left side. Most warriors were right handed and kept their swords on their left side.

Have fun exploring and finding new ones…especially in France. They’re guaranteed to put a smile on your face as you watch kids go round and round.

 

Posted on by

High-Speed Trains…Ready or Not, They Leave

Just an FYI…

When the high-speed trains in France say they leave the station four minutes after they arrive. They mean it.

Doesn’t matter if you are on or not.

Doesn’t matter if all your traveling companions are on or not.

Three of the four of us were on the train. One was not. He was standing on the platform as the trail pulled out.

We had all the luggage.

He had his ticket and his passport.

Luckily, there was a second train traveling to Paris from Avignon. He made it onto that train.

Posted on by

Don’t Lose Your Identity

Do you worry about identity theft when traveling? Here are a few suggestions which might ease your mind.

I make two copies of everything I am taking…credit cards, passport, ID, everything. I leave one copy at home. I give the copies of my info to my husband to pack securely away and I take his copies. These do not get put in checked luggage, however.

I also travel with two credit cards or less and my husband uses two different credit cards.

I have extra passport photos along when traveling out of the US.

Typically, we do not use the hotel safe. We both have safe spots where we carry our info.

My purse and wallet are RFID protected. This radio-frequency identification protects my sensitive information from being stolen by someone using a specific device and just walking by.

My luggage tags do not have a bunch of personal info on them. I use an email and a cell phone number. No home address.

What do you do?