Travel Log - Advice Archives

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Computing Biz Traveler Buying Guide

I have a great
selection of
machines for you

Bill Machrone at PC Magazine comes back from the future (the article is dated 11-16-04) to advise us on gear to take on the road. This lengthy guide covers at length notebooks, PDAs and smart phones, printers and projectors, accessories you shouldn't forget, and more. Did I mention the article is long? In fact it's not that long but making it seem so helps PC Mag bombard you with about 9.47 ads per word. Hey, they gotta pay those hefty time travel bills, but if you're cheap here's the print version with just one blinking ad.

Olivier Travers | November 5, 2004 | Advice | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Look Smart, Buy Cheap

Look at me.
I'm reading The Economist.

CNN lists ways to achieve the best travel deal. I didn't know you could "achieve deals," but CNN has professional editors and I learnt English as a second language, so who am I to criticize?

Among other things, you are advised to buy cheap tickets on overcrowded flights but to look the part for a business upgrade. That, a fresh breath, fluent use of polysyllabic language and not ostentatiously staring at the check-in personnel's sexual parts will get you a long way to an upgrade. Notice how I myself obviously fully qualify. Thanks CNN for the precious insight.

Olivier Travers | October 29, 2004 | Advice | Permanent link | Comments (6)

Amtrak Requires Reservations for All Trips to NY Around Republican Convention

Amtrak issued an alert today:

Amtrak will require customers to make reservations for nearly all of its trains that serve New York City during the week of the Republican National Convention next month, and the railroad will take other safety and security-related measures during the convention.

Amtrak will not change its current, published schedule of trains operating in and out of New York during the convention. However, most of those unreserved Amtrak trains serving New York City that currently require only a ticket for passage will require reservations for all route segments within the Washington-Boston Northeast Corridor, including the Upstate New York Empire Service, during the convention.

Rick Bruner | July 26, 2004 | Advice, News | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Pre-Paid Travel Cards May Not Be Worth It

CBS MarketWatch reports a new trend in plastic and it's called the pre-paid travel card. For a fee, you can load it up with an amount of money you think you will need on your trip. One of the big benefits is that the card is not linked to your bank account so if the card is stolen, the thief will not be able to access your bank account. But do travelers really need another piece of plastic to carry? With charge cards like MasterCard and VISA promising to cover any charge made to your card that you did not authorize combined with the $8 to $15 upfront costs and "reloading" fees for the traveler card, they may not be the best deal. However, if you are trying to control your child's spending while they are traveling then these cards may be the savior you are searching for.

Steve Hall | July 24, 2004 | Advice | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Travel Association Offers Summer Travel Safety Tips

The Travel Industry Association of America has issued a press release predicting that this summer will be the busiest travel season since September 2001 and offering a list of suggestions to make travel safer for everyone. These tips include:

• Keep phone numbers handy for your travel agent, airline, hotel, rental car company, and so on
  
  
• Know your flight number and make printouts of e-tickets in advance
  
  
• Don't carry cash. Depend on travelers checks, credit cards or debit cards. Don't throw away ATM receipts in public
  
  
• Limit the amount of personal information you carry on your person to the bare minimum. For example, leave your Social Security card at home (identity theft being the concern here)
  
  
• Know where you're going. Lost tourists are vulerable to muggings
  
  
• Drive well rested and sober

Rick Bruner | June 18, 2004 | Advice | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Ear Pain Tough on Some Business Travelers

Many have experienced the difficulty with equalizing ear pressure when in-flight. For some, a simple nose squeeze, a swallow or chewing gum does the trick. For others, it's more difficult. So difficult that some business travelers have had to give up air travel. New York Lenox Hospital Nasal and Sinus Specialist Dr. Jordan Josephson says that need not be the case.

Josephson says many doctors don't look at the real cause of the problem, which he says is sinus-related. "A lot of people need to look for someone who understands sinus and ear physiology," he said.

"I've had patients who were treated by doctor after doctor for ear problems, but no one ever addressed their sinus problems," he added. Diagnosis may call for a CAT scan followed by proper medication and even in some cases, surgery. So don't give up lightly if you have ear pain. Insist your doctor explore all avenues.

Steve Hall | June 17, 2004 | Advice | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Travel to Saudi Arabia Ill Advised Following Attacks

Following the weekend attacks in which 22 foreign nationals were killed, the UK's Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travlel to Saudi Arabia. A 25-hour standoff was ended yesterday when Saudi security forces stormed the residential compound for western nationals in Al Khobar.

Steve Hall | May 31, 2004 | Advice | Permanent link | Comments (0)

How to Bribe a Maître d' at an Expensive NYC Restaurant

Found this article in a back issue of Gourmet magazine, writer Bruce Feiler advises how to slip a maître d' a $50 at an expensive NYC restaurant to skp a 45-minute wait. Seems like an easy solutoin, if you can afford it, and keep a straight face.

Rick Bruner | April 10, 2004 | Advice | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Travel Advice for Single Parents

The Seattle Times has a great advice piece for single parents looking to plan vacations with kids. It points out that having to negotiate all aspects of travel as the only adult can be stressful, not to mention that many single-parent households are budget conscious and many "family" vacation packages require two adult fares in order to qualify for child discounts. Some words of wisdom the piece recommends:

• Travel with another adult (e.g., a family friend) if possible

• Stay in hotels with kitchenettes for economy sake

• Don't get overly ambitious in your travel plans. Slow it down, and stay at each destination at least 2-3 nights to keep grounded

Rick Bruner | March 24, 2004 | Advice, Travel Ideas | Permanent link | Comments (0)

Low-Carb Travel

Struggling to keep to your diet during travel is a chronic problem for dieters and those with special food requirements. According to this USA Today article, however, it's getting easier to stick to the popular trend of low-carb diets, at least, with many hotels and even some airlines adopting protien-friendly menus, including Sheraton, Hyatt, Wyndham and Sofitel hotel chains and airlines including Northwest, America West and United's Ted. Hmmm, soy flour....

Rick Bruner | March 16, 2004 | Advice | Permanent link | Comments (0)