7 Things You Should Never Touch On A Plane

Oh. Lord.
I am getting ready to go to the airport to fly to Miami to pick up my travelers for the all new Corinna B's World Glam Italia II Tour.

It's kinda stressy running around doing last minute packing, readying the house for house sitters and child minders, fielding about a million texts and phone calls, and in the middle of it all finding your bag is too heavy, and your child needs more cash, and the child minder has a new list of foods they can't eat.....

So I decided to take a few minutes and look at some of my favorite blogs. I went to MyDomaine.com  and found this gem about germs on planes. Eeeewwwww!

FYI, I Lysol the hell out of the plane before I even sit down. Arm rests, seat backs, tray tables - you name it. I seriously don't want to get sick en route. Another frequent traveler tip - never use the seat pocket infront of you. People blow their noses and stick the kleenex in there, and those things never get cleaned.

Anyway, check out this post  from MyDomaine.com, and stock up on Lysol before your next flight.

Please Don't Touch These 7 Things on a Plane

Forget about snakes. What about germs on a plane? While we all love to travel, the actual flying part of the trip isn't always a pleasant experience. Personal space doesn't exist either, so that means enduring your fellow passengers' dubious hygiene habits, coughs, and colds. But according to Huffington Post, it's what you don't see that can really make you sick. There are some pretty lethal germs that live on planes, including E. coli, which can cause severe diarrhea, and MRSA bacteria, which are resistant to many antibiotics. And these harmful bugs can survive for days. So here are a few things you definitely shouldn't touch on a plane. 

1. The Armrests
2. The Tray Tables
3. The Inside Door Handle of the Restroom
4. The Flush Button on the Toilet
5. The Lavatory Faucet Handles
6. The Blankets
7. The Toilet Seat

To read why you shouldn't touch these seven things, visit Huffington Post.

13 Things To Do Before You Travel Overseas

There are so many things to do before you take off on a big trip, beyond packing your best bikini and decanting your skin care products into 3 fluid ounce containers.
Here is a list of 13 things you need to take care of before you head to the airport:

If you plan on posting your trip on social media, make sure you have house sitters living in your home while you are away. 

Photocopy Your Passport
Have a couple of copies of the photo page of your passport packed in different parts of your luggage. This expedites the process should you either lose your passport or if it gets stolen. It doesn't hurt to also have your passport number stored in an email or somewhere you consider safe online, but don't rely solely on anything being stored on your devices or anywhere that needs internet access to retrieve, because there will be plenty of times when you have zero access to the internet super-highway.

Stop Your Mail
Go to the post office and fill out the form to have your mail delivery stopped until you return, even if you have house sitters staying in your home.

Get Your Paper Collected.
Arrange for someone to collect your newspaper while you are away. If you have house sitters staying in your home make sure they are clear on picking up the newspaper from your driveway - you don't want to advertise your absence to potential thieves. And you can't assume your house sitter will think to do it.

Call Your Bank.
Your bank needs to know a couple of weeks in advance that you are leaving the country and planning on using your cards. Generally they want to know departure and arrival dates and which countries you will be visiting. If you don't clear it with them ahead of time they will most likely refuse or shut down your cards when you try to charge them or withdraw cash overseas. 
Getting them re-instated and regaining access to your money can take days.
Should your flight get re-routed to another country and you need to use a card to get food/accommodation etc call the number on the back of the card first and tell them what has happened prior to using the card.

Call Your Cell Phone Provider.
Make sure you are set up on your cell provider's international plan before you leave the country. Have them mail or email you the terms of the contract so that you have everything in writing, and recheck the details. Going over your minutes, texts or data can cost you thousands of dollars. 
While you are at it make sure you know how to turn off your roaming data. 

Check Visas
Some countries require you to have an entry visa. If you don't have one you can be turned away at the airport and refused access to your departing flight. Usually these are now done electronically and the process is simple. Make sure you check ahead to see if you do require a visa for any of the countries you are planning on visiting.

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Charge Your Electronics And Pack Your Chargers In Your Carry-on
Make sure everything is fully charged before you leave home. Check anything that requires batteries, and pack spares, and always make sure you have your chargers and international chargers in your carry-on luggage. Things happen, your flight gets rerouted or delayed, and you need to be able to access your devices.
I also recommend traveling with a fully charged battery charger. i use the Anker 2nd Gen Astro E5, as it has the ability to fully charge a completely dead iPhone and iPad, more than once.

Separate Your Prescriptions
If you are on any prescription medication make sure you split your supply in half and carry one set on board with you and pack the other into your checked luggage. Should your luggage go missing with all your prescription medicines your trip could be ruined.

Make Copies Of Your Credit Cards And The International Help Numbers
If your cards get stolen you need to be able to call the international help line, and you need to have the credit card numbers. Don't rely on your credit card company to 
A) be staffed by helpful, intelligent people
B) have people whose accents you can understand answering the phones
C) have the ability to find your card number based on your name and social security number.

Empty Your Wallet.
Only take exactly what you need, no surplus cards, cash, or other items.

Pack Snacks And Reading Material
Don't blow the budget on overpriced salty, sugary junk foods at the airport (fabulous, guaranteed recipe for jet-lag and swollen legs), or on overpriced magazines and books. Do a little front end planning instead.

Leave Very Clear, Written Directions And Rules For House Sitters.
Don't assume common sense will prevail.
And don't assume verbal rules will be followed.
Unplug computers, put important papers in a safety deposit box at the bank.

Put Clean Sheets On Your Bed.
Invariably you will arrive home from your international trip exhausted. There is something so wonderful about slipping between fresh, clean sheets when you crawl into bed.

As always, if you have anything to add to the list please hit me up in the comment section below!

6 Things You Should Never Pack In Your Carry On

I have a very dear friend who is embarking on her first international trip in a few weeks, and is planning on only taking a carry-on bag.
This gives me borderline anxiety!
I could never survive a multi week trip with just a carry-on.
Not in a million years.

Anyway, for those of you flying anywhere this summer, or ever, here are things you should never pack in your carry on bag.

1. Smelly Foods or Snacks.
There are two reasons for this, the first being that your entire bag and everything in it will take on that smell, and depending on the food in question you may have a hard time getting rid of that smell.
Secondly no one else on the plane wants to smell it.
That goes for eating smelly food in flight as well! Be considerate of your fellow travelers because we really are stuck with that smell, in a confined space, for a long time.

2. Stinky Clothes.
Same as above - none of us want to deal with that stench! If you are traveling with stinky clothes (or shoes) and can't check the bag they are in, at least put them in ziplock bags or travel laundry bags such as Flight 001 Go Clean Laundry Bags.

3. Weapons.
As stupid as it sounds, people do it all the time. Just stand in line at a busy airport and watch what people send through X-Ray.
This also includes gag gifts and other items shaped like weapons.



4. Fluids Over 3.4 Ounces
You probably already know this, but sometimes you can still make mistakes. Be careful that you don't accidentally throw in a bottle of perfume at the last minute, or a bottle of anything expensive.
Another thing to consider is your Duty Free shopping. One of my friends recently bought Duty Free wine when flying back from New Zealand, but it was taken from her at LAX when she went to change planes. If you buy  Duty Free perfume, put it in your checked luggage when you go through customs before re-checking your bag. Don't try and take it on board your domestic flight with you.

5. Meats, Cheeses or Chocolate.
Grabbing a last minute wheel of Brie or a Calcio Cavallo at the airport, pre flight? Do't pack it in your carry on luggage. Some airport xray machines can't tell the difference between these foods and plastic explosive - they have the same density on xray.
If you are bringing them back, know you may get  searched at TSA.

6. Battery Operated Items.
If you are traveling with battery operated items, make sure you remove the batteries, or tape the on/off switch in the "off" position. They can turn on when bouncing around inside your carry on and cause you problems at TSA.
Also know that the TSA agent who is watching your bag go thru 
x-ray can see the shape of everything in your bag, and if you are packing naughty battery operated items in your carry on they probably will open your bag. In front of everyone in line. (and if I'm in that line I will die laughing!!)

8 Random Things You Should Pack When You Travel

We all remember the usual things to pack when we travel - sunscreen, flipflops, a spare sweater. But what about the random things? From wardrobe malfunctions to luggage malfunctions to unexpected (and lengthy) airport layovers, check out these 8 items you would wish you had thought to bring with you.

8 Random Things You Should Pack When You Travel.

A Small Power Strip

A small, lightweight power strip can be a lifesaver when you need to charge multiple devices during airport layovers. Especially the unexpected, multiple hour layovers that sneak up on you at O'Hare.

There is nothing quite like finding your phone battery and laptop/tablet are now in the red and every power socket is already being used.

No one minds if you pull out a mini power strip and co-opt the power socket they are using. 

Stateside a power strip can be really useful in hotel rooms and vacation rentals to power up multiple devices/hairdryer/curling irons etc at once, but be careful in Europe where you can power down an entire apartment by having to many electrical happening at once.
Try the Belkin 3-Outlet Mini Travel Swivel Charger Surge Protector with Dual USB Ports, 5 Charging Outlets Total (1 AMP / 5 Watt)

Duct Tape

Whether you are using it to lift lint or animal hair from your clothes or repairing exploding luggage like MacGuyver, it doesn't hurt to have a small roll of duct tape on hand.

Baby Wipes

Always have travel packs of baby wipes in your carry-on. Whether you are cleaning down the tray table in your airplane seat, cleaning your hands or having to do variations on a mini wash, baby wipes are a life saver.
Try La Fresh Travel Lite Baby Wipes

A Scarf

Scarves are good all rounders. From extra warmth on planes to makeshift pillows scarves are endlessly useful. In many countries you can't enter places of worship (temples, cathedrals, village churches ) with bare shoulders or short skirts. A scarf takes up no room in your day bag and can double up as head cover, shoulder cover, even a makeshift skirt.

If you've accidentally had too much sun, and have sunburnt shoulder or neck, a lightweight scarf can block more burn and save an otherwise ruined day.
Try this Modal Silk Blend Scarf from Nordstrom.com

Tote Bag 

A canvas or cotton tote bag can be incredibly handy to have around. In plenty of countries you will be charged for grocery bags, so you may want to bring your own bag. It can double up as a carry on bag for your return flight if you have over-shopped. It can be a picnic bag, work as a beach bag or even be a chic and useful bag to take to local farmers' markets.
Try this Tom's "One For One" Cotton Blend Tote from Nordtrom.com

Travel Water Bottle

Outside of America there's not a McDonald's on every corner, and disposable plastic water bottles are often frowned upon. Be environmentally friendly with a travel water bottle.

While you are en route to your destination use it to pack breakable items 
Try Mandukas's 25oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Safety Pins

From being an instant fix for wardrobe malfunctions such as broken zippers and popped buttons, to fastening hems; secure pant legs when walking through water (hello aqua alta in Venice!). A safety pin clasping zippers of your day pack together can be a deterrent to pickpockets, and you can even slip a safety pin into the seam of you slip or hem of a skirt or dress that has static cling - the metal has repelling properties.

Wisps

Food in your teeth, or mossy looking teeth are always unattractive. Keep your pertly whites sparkling and fresh while you are on your day trip or when you are stuck in an airport with these breath freshening, disposable toothbrushes that need no water.

8 Tips For Saving Money On Summer Travel

Summer is finally here, and those of you who haven't yet booked your holiday may be feeling overwhelmed at the price of last minute vacation travel or be thinking all the bargains have gone.
I found these 8 tips for saving money on summer travel on 
Airfare Watchdog.com

1. Avoid ‘peak’ summer travel. Summer doesn’t officially end until well after Labor Day. Since school starts earlier and earlier these days, you’ll find that airfares and hotel rates tend to go down for travel after around August 18, when kids go start to return to school. So plan your travels for “off-peak summer” if you can. 
2. Look into low-season destinations. Check out some of the not-as-popular summer destinations that still offer great activities and good weather. Since thousands of tourists won’t be flocking to those locations, prices for hotels, transportation, and everyday activities will be lower. Plus, crowds will be much smaller.
3. Use a flexible search to find better deals. When planning your travel, try to be as flexible as possible with your departure and arrival dates. That way, you can take advantage of flexible travel date airfare searches. If you can flex your travel dates slightly, and don’t need to travel on specific date, you can take advantage of huge savings, sometimes simply by booking a day or two earlier or later. Some of our favorite flexible search tools include those of JetBlue, Southwest, and United for airlines, along with Google Flights and Kayak.
4. For Europe travel, focus first on crossing the Atlantic cheaply. At this point, it’s no secret that the euro is at an historic low, which makes for cheaper travel within Europe. However, some cities may still be pricier than others, so to get the best deal you may have to fly into a nearby airport and then travel city-to-city by plane or train. Check out some of our favorite smaller airlines, such as Norwegian, Condor, and Wow Air, where you’ll find great deals within Europe. While you might have to spend some extra time getting to your actual destination, you’ll save money while touring two cities for less than the price of one. For example, while round-trip fares to Amsterdam may be about $1,500, you could instead fly into Frankfurt for about $799 (which we recently saw on Singapore Airlines from New York). A flight or train ticket from Frankfurt to Amsterdam is only about $100. All of those savings add up!
5. Check out your options with frequent flyer miles. When researching flights, see if it makes sense to cash in reward miles with any of your frequent flyer programs. In certain situations, you might have better luck calling the airline’s reservation center and speaking directly with a booking agent.
6. Do your research before booking an air + hotel travel package. While the package deals for airfare and hotels stays seem promising, sometimes they are significantly overpriced. Before whipping out your credit card and snagging that “great package deal,” search airfare and hotel prices on their own. That way, you’ll get a feel for what the prices are when they are separate and you’ll know if you’re actually saving money by booking a package. For example, British Airlines recently had a package deal for airfare and five nights in Dublin for about $750 per person. When we searched for airfare independently, we found that the flight alone would be more than $900. In this case, the package deal was definitely a no-brainer!
7. Check to see if your credit card offers travel insurance. Many travelers purchase travel insurance without first checking to see if their credit card offers any coverage. The credit card you use on a daily basis might already offer you enough insurance to cover your trip. Our favorites are the Chase Sapphire card, United Explorer card, and some Citibank AAdvantage cards, which all offer superb insurance protection.
8. After you book, check for airfare and hotel price drops. Airfare and hotel prices fluctuate on a daily basis. It’s a total bummer when you’ve paid for a hotel or flight and find out that someone else paid less. If you stay on top of it and check for price drops after you book, however, you might still be able to save some money. You can either get cash or a credit for future travel if you know how the system works. For example, Tingowill give you your money back if the price of your hotel room drops after you book; and Yapta is useful for tracking airfare price drops.                                                                                                                               

How To Choose An External Battery Pack For Your Phone

Whether you are a vacation traveler or a business traveler you have no doubt experienced being in a crowded airport with your phone battery dying and every power socket in sight already snagged by other travelers.

Or maybe you are out seeing the sights, taking photos and videos on your phone, and part way through your day your battery starts to die.

With  smartphones being our source of everything now, from city maps to restaurant guides, cameras to social media uploaders, you really do need a light, portable external battery to throw in your handbag or pocket and take with you.

I've been trying to figure out what I need in an external battery.
2000, 4000 or 13000 mAh? (like I even know what that means???) 1 USB port or 2?
It's all pretty confusing to a non-techie type.

I read a few articles on the subject, and got a little info.
If you just need a battery source for your phone, then look at a 4000 mAh. If you will also be charging up an iPad or tablet look for a 13,000 mAh battery pack.
13,000 can charge an iPad from completely depleted to full.

Things to consider are how speedy your device is, how it holds a charge, and how slim and portable it is.
Based on the article I read on The Wirecutter (The Best USB Battery Pack) I am buying the Anker’s $30 2nd Gen Astro E4 13,000-mAh External Battery. It's very fast, slim enough to slip in your pocket, and can power up both my iPad and my iPhone.

Anker 2nd Gen Astro E4 13000mAh 3A High Capacity Fast Portable Charger  External Battery Power Bank with PowerIQ Technology for iPhone 6 Plus 5S 5C 5 4S, iPad Air 2 Mini 3, Samsung Galaxy S6 S5 S4 Note Tab, Nexus, HTC, Motorola, Nokia, PS Vita, Gopro, more Phones and Tablets and More (Black)

10 Tips To Help You Make Those Tight Airport Connections

Short airport layovers can be fantastic.

If everything goes just right. 

As in if your first flight arrives on time, and if your connecting flight departs from a nearby gate.

A quick connection can also be a total nightmare. After having to run through airports in high heels, (more often than I care to admit to), just trying to make my next flight, I have come up with
 some strategies to help you make those tight airport connections, and make sure you don't miss your next flight.

10 Tips To Make Tight Airport Connections

1. The Gate Guru App
As soon as we land I fire up my Gate Guru app and see which gate my connecting flight is departing from, and where in the terminal it is in relation to my arrival gate. Gate Guru updates faster than anything else, and has never steered me wrong.

2. Get an Aisle Seat Up Front
When you know ahead of time that your connection will be tight its well worth the extra few dollars to book an aisle seat at the front of the plane, or as close to the front as you can get. The time it takes for everyone else to disembark when you are at the back of the plane can cost you the minutes you need to make that connection. It can also cost you your sanity...

3. Check In At The Gate
If you can't reserve a seat up front, take the time to check in at the kiosk. If you are polite and friendly and can explain your situation calmly you will often find that the gate crew will move things around for you and get your seat swapped for a forward seat.

4. Talk To Your Flight Attendant
If you can't get your seat changed, try talking to your flight attendant. Sometimes they can either get another passenger to swap with you towards the end of the flight, or if you are lucky they may even keep everyone seated until you deplane.
The key is to always be really pleasant and not get irritated if you are not getting what you want.

5. Observe The 45 Rule
When booking your flights give yourself a minimum of 45 minutes between the connection. I try to have at least an hour. If your first flight arrives late or if there is a delay waiting for a gate to open that 45 minutes can get eaten up quickly.

6. Avoid O'Hare.
I try to never fly through Chicago O'Hare. Basically because I have never, ever had an unfettered connection out of O'Hare. Last year I missed my son's concert at Interlochen, in the middle of summer, due to O'Hare's nonsense. This year I am flying to Detroit and then driving 5 hours rather than having to go anywhere near the dreaded O'Hare. Some airports are just notorious for delays and missed connections, so the best plan is to avoid them.

7. Travel Light.
Ideally you will check your bags through to your final destination, and not have to go to baggage claim and recheck your bags. That just leaves you with you cabin bag (s). The fewer items you have to coordinate and run through the terminal with, the better. The entire exercise gets really stressful when you have extra hats and scarves and coats and bags and water bottles etc to drag around. Think your game out ahead of time, have a cabin bag on wheels and have all the extra pieces packed into it so that you can move quickly and efficiently.
 8. Map The Airport Ahead Of Time
Sometimes your connecting flight is just a few gates away from the flight you are arriving on, othertimes you have to get to an entirely different terminal, maybe on foot or maybe by train. It's helpful to know what you are dealing with when you first book your flight, or at least before you land. The Gate Guru app on your phone has airport maps, so if you have a gate change you can quickly see where you have to go.

9. Pack Food, Use Restroom Before You Land.
The two biggest time vampires on the ground are the lines waiting for the restrooms and the lines waiting for food. Most domestic terminals here in the US have completely craptastic food anyway - high dollar, high fat, high sodium, so you're not missing out on anything if you pack food to bring with you. I try to have fresh fruit and healthy snacks in my bag every time I fly.
If you know you only have a short time to make your connecting flight use the restroom on the plane before you land.

10. Don't Waste Time On The Ground.
Disembark the plane as quickly as possible and then hightail it to your connecting flight's gate. Don't make phone-calls, check email, or update social media etc until you have reached your next gate. In other words don't lollygag. Missing your connection can be really expensive, so get to your gate quickly, then figure the rest out.

Happy travels!

10 Fantastic Bitcoin Travel Tips

I am fascinated with the concept of traveling internationally with bitcoin and with a bitcoin debit card, so I have been researching everything I can find on the subject. 

I downloaded the Xapo.com app on my iPhone (they have an android app too) so now all I need to do is get a trip booked! I will be in Australia at the end of summer, but I want to take a euro-trip before then.

If you have already traveled with Xapo.com Bitcoin wallet and or debit card, please tell us about it in the comment section below.

screenshot from my xapo app

Meanwhile check out these Bitcoin Travel Tips, and watch the video below: 

This article is taken in its entirety from letstalkbitcoin.com

Bitcoin Travel Tips:

1. Plan ahead. This one is important. In plenty of cases, you won’t be able to go downstairs to a corner store to grab a snack or a bottle of water – use Coinmap, Cointerest, and Bitcoin Restaurants to find merchants which accept bitcoin or Coin ATM Radar to locate ATM’s that allow exchange into local currency.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask. If someone doesn’t accept bitcoin, it doesn’t mean that you can’t change their mind. The competition in places with plenty of tourists is huge, so business owners will usually do everything to entice you to choose them over their rivals. More often than not, you can use that to your advantage.
3. Approach the community. There are plenty of close-knit Bitcoin communities all over the world. More often than not, the locals will get out of their way to help a fellow Bitcoiner. So if you need advice before setting off to a certain destination or run out of road once you’re already there, be sure to Google for local forums or check out Bitcoin Talk and LocalBitcoins.
4. Capitalize on the savings. Paying with bitcoin directly will pretty much always be cheaper than exchanging it into local currency. Some purchases (such as airline tickets) from specialized websites can even be less expensive than buying them from a traditional provider.
5. Don’t give up. If you can’t find any merchants that accept bitcoin on Coinmap or other similar websites, it doesn’t mean you should skip the place altogether. Sometimes all you have to do is take a walk around the neighborhood and look for the bitcoin sign. For instance, you can use the cryptocurrency in more than 5,000 convenience stores in Taiwan, but they don’t seem to appear anywhere on the available bitcoin maps.
6. Be ready to make exceptions. Unless you made a pledge to spend no fiat currency on your trip, it’s necessary to understand that you probably won’t be able to pay with bitcoin in each and every instance. So if you really want that scarf from the souk in Marrakech, there are no reasons to limit yourself!
7. Get ready to educate. Sometimes, the only difference between a successful bitcoin transaction and you having to go to bed hungry is your ability to introduce all the benefits of bitcoin to a merchant who’s never used it before. You won’t need killer presentation skills for that, since the advantages of accepting bitcoin are listed by BitPay and Coinbase.
8. Check the exchange rate. You don’t need to pay more than you owe, even if you’re paying in bitcoin. Therefore, you should consider both the fluctuating exchange rate and the possibility of a conversion error – it can happen to both you and the merchant.
9. Have a budget in mind. While setting a clear bitcoin budget for your trip might be difficult because of the currency’s volatility, it would still be great to have a ballpark figure in your mind. Overspending is as easy on bitcoin as it is on a fiat currency – if not easier.

11 Credit Card Tips For Traveling Internationally

Are you traveling internationally this year? 

Chances are that if your year does involve trips abroad you are going to be running your money through debit cards and credit cards. After more than 25 years of traveling around the world I have come up with 11 tips for using credit cards and debit cards while traveling internationally.

image via ClarkHoward.com

1. Choose Your Cards Wisely

Before going on a trip you need to research the company that holds your card, and find out their international policies. Many cards have as high as a 4% foreign transaction fee, which means you lose an additional 4 cents on every dollar you spend.

For a list of the best credit cards to travel with, check out this post on NerdWallet.com

2. Take More Than One Card

Travel with more than one card, and keep your cards in separate places. If one card gets lost or stolen you can cancel it and move over to your second card, which means you are never without access to money.

You should also keep your cards' international telephone numbers in a safe place, so that you can make the call as quickly as possible

pickpockets in Paris

3. Use A Debit Card To Pull Cash

The best way to access cash when you travel overseas is via your debit card. Using a debit card will stop you from overspending, but you should only use it to pull out cash. Debit cards are very easy to clone, and if your card is fraudulently used it can take time to get money credited back to your account. Don't use your debit card to make purchases - either purchase with cash or with a credit card.

4. Only Use Bank ATMs And Only Use Them During Bank Hours

Preferably use an ATM that requires you to go inside the bank, as it is much less likely to have a skimmer attached, allowing thieves to clone your card and steal your money.

If the ATM eats your card and you are inside the bank, or using a bank ATM during bank hours it is much easier to have the situation remedied. A few years back a friend of mine had her ATM card eaten by a machine in Paris the night before her tour left for Spain. She had to leave with no money and no card.

5. Find Out Your Bank's Fee Schedule Before You Leave 

Banks' fee schedules vary widely, so you need to find out ahead of time what your bank charges. My bank has a ridiculous list of fees for international transactions, so I use my credit union ATM cards instead. You may find it worthwhile opening an account at another financil instituition just for foreign travel.

6. Withdraw The Maximum

There are fees charged each time you make an ATM withdrawal. One for out of network transactions, one for using your card overseas, and one from the bank whose ATM you are using. You can lessen the hit you are taking by withdrawing the maximum - take out $500 once every 5 days instead of withdrawing $100 every day.

7. Don't Use A Debit Card That Is Linked To Your Main Accounts.

Most of us have payments that withdraw via ACH from our bank accounts. Accidentally withdrawing too much money, or even worse having your debit card cloned or stolen can leave you with a series of bank fines for mortgage payment not going through, car payments not processing etc. Instead have debit cards that don't link to your main accounts but are solely linked to travel accounts.

8. Don't Keep All Your Cash In One Account

Again, if your debit card gets cloned or stolen you want to have your money split across two accounts. This way you minimize the damage and also make sure that you have access to money

9. Tell Your Bank Where You Are Going (and bring back up cards)

Your bank needs to be notified that you are traveling overseas, and they will generally want to know exactly which countries you are traveling to, and within which days. Most of the time this works well, but sometimes they get it wrong. Again, I have had friends who's cards have been suspended by their bank at home, even though they notified the bank that they were traveling. Have a backup card in case this happens, and make sure you have an international number to call your bank on if thre is a problem.

10. Spend Like A Local

Some merchants will give you the option of charging items in your home currency rather than in theirs, which is also known as "dynamic currency conversion". This is always a more expensive choice.

You will invariably get a better exchange rate through your bank or credit card company than you will through local merchants. You will still pay the same transaction fees at home regardless of whether the purchase was made in local currency or your home currency

11. Be Vigilant.

Just because you are on vacation, don't let your guard down when it comes to fraud. In fact you should be more alert.

Don't access online banking from public wifi - you'd be amazed at how many people do! If you need to check balances in your accounts use your bank's telephone banking instead.

Don't leave the ATM without your receipt and your card. Some ATMs hold your card until the transaction is complete.

Don't keep all of your cards together - split them up amongst different bags.

Don't bring everything that is in your wallet at home - take a separate travel wallet that only has the cards and information that you need. If you do lose your wallet you want to limit the information that thieves can access about you.

10 Things I Have Learned From Traveling

Venturing out into the big wide world this summer?

Maybe you are traveling to another country, or maybe you are just exploring your own. In my travels around the world I have discovered many interesting truths, and today I am sharing with you

10 Things I Have Learned From Traveling.

All in white, boat day in Portofino last year

1.) Don't Rely On The Internet.

We all have smartphones and iPads, laptops and other media devices, and most of us store travel information on them. Always, always have a hard copy of your itinerary and flight and rental car details, as well as your hotel information.

Devices freeze, lose power, can't make internet connections, or maybe there is no internet available where you are. You never know what's going to happen, so travel smart and have a papercopy of everything you may need.

2. Arrive With Local Currency

Wherever you are going, make sure you have cash in pocket.

Plenty of places don't accept credit cards, and sometimes ATM machines don't work or aren't available.

I like to have at least the equivalent of $100 in local currency, in small denominations.

(When I leave a country, if I think I may come back I will keep my change and some paper money)

Balat, Turkey

3. Learn The Lingo

Simply learning how to say "hello", "goodbye", "please" and "thank you" in the language of the country you are in goes a really long way. 

4. Always Have A Plan B

Things go wrong. Museums/roads/tourist sites etc get closed. The weather doesn't play ball. Life happens.

If you always have a backup plan, the day is not lost.

More often than not Plan A not working, or you getting horribly lost, leads to something far more fun and exciting anyway. Some of my most fantastic travel discoveries and experiences have happened because Plan A failed. And it doesn't hurt in life to stay mentally flexible.

5. The Road Less Traveled Can Make All The Difference

I love getting away from the tourist traps. There are treasures to be found along the road less traveled.

Lipari, Aeolian Islands, Sicily

6. Some Of The Best Things You Will See Won't Be In The Guide Books.

This works with #4 and #5. Simply wandering around a little and keeping your eyes open can lead to amazing experiences. 

7. Ask The Locals

Ask the locals where they go out to eat. The food will be more authentic, the price will be much better, and the experience will be amazing.

Unless I am maniacally starving or thirsty I don't go to restaurants near the main tourist sites. The food is never as good, and the prices tend to be ridiculously inflated.

8. Don't Try To See Too Much.

Slow the pace down, take time to relax and enjoy the place you have come to. You don't really get to experience a town or its people if you are running around madly photographing everything and then racing on to the next place. 

You just can't beat taking your morning coffee or an early evening prosecco and antipasti in the piazza, chatting with the locals or just watching the world go by.

9. Talk To The Locals

Ask them about local things to see. Some of my best travel experiences have been when locals have plotted out my day and told me wonderful places to go. 

10. Always Take a bottle of eater, a light snack and a light sweater or jacket. Weather changes, sometimes it's hard to find water, or there's nowhere around to eat anything. It doesn't hurt to be prepared.. :)

Travel Tips ~ My Favorite Travel Apps

It's hard to even imagine travel without a smartphone. 

In my iPhone Travel App folder I have a bunch of fabulous apps that make maneuvering my way around the country and around the world so much more efficient, and vastly easier.

Here are my favorites!

Seat Guru 

This one has seating plans for more than 750 types of airplanes, and they are color coded red, green and yellow to help you make your seat choice.
Red is for a "poor seat". This indicates the seat has multiple things going wrong - too little legroom, seat width diminished, doesn't recline, no window view, next to a toilet or by the galley etc.
Yellow is for  "Be Aware". This typically means there is one of the above going on.
Green is for a good seat. 
Another great feature is that travelers can post comments, so you can access even more info before you choose your seat, or, you can post your own review.

Gate Guru 

This one lets me know which gate my plane is leaving from, or which gate someone is arriving at. 
It's especially helpful when you have a connecting flight, letting you know which gate you need to get to before your inbound flight gets to the jetway. Often flights get delayed, making the best planned layover or connection super tight. Gate Guru takes some of the stress out of that.

My TSA
You already know by now (hopefully!) not to try and board a flight with a gun or a knife in your carry on luggage, but what about jars of fresh jam from a local market, or local honey? With My TSA you can ask if an item is acceptable or not, and have the option of packing it into your main suitcase rather than your carry on.
It also has rules and guidelines for those traveling with medical needs. 

Sleep Pillow 

This one is for Apple products only. There are tons of white noise apps out there to help you drown out the sounds of airplane engines, the buzz of an aircraft, the noise of people sitting around you. This one is special because the sounds are so authentic, and it gives you multiple options. Rather than just a rain option you an choose rain on a tent, rain on a car (with windshield wipers!), rain on leaves etc. There are wonderful nature sounds options, a variety of beach/ocean sounds, there are even 4 different options for fans blowing the air around! 
Not only can you get very specific with the sounds you want, but you can layer sounds to create mixes too, for example start relaxing with rain on leaves, then have train in the distance, followed by maybe some soft waves at the ocean, and then close it out with some soft wind chimes.
You can also set a timer on this app, and an alarm.

Flight Aware

This one is great both for travelers and for when you are picking someone up at the airport. You enter the flight details and can see up to the minute departure and arrival status. It's also fantastic when you have connecting flights and need to see if the next flight is arriving on time or is delayed.

Hotel Tonight 

Sometimes things go wrong, or maybe they've gone right, and you need a hotel room, tonight. ( I recently found my connecting flight was cancelled due to bad weather in Houston, and faced spending the night in the airport. This was a great way to find a hotel nearby, now.)
However it transpires, if you need a last minute overnight, Hotel Tonight finds you hotel rooms available where you are, and helps you to book them from your phone or tablet.

iTranslate  

Another apple product, this lets you translate to and from 80+ different languages. Not only does it have a typing feature, but also a microphone option - either you can speak to it in your own language, or the person you are having trouble understanding can speak to your phone and it will translate for you.

Converter 

I not only check international exchange rates every day with this app, but also any other conversion I need to make into metric.
Need to know how kilometers per hour convert to miles per hour? How to put weight into metrics, change celcius into fahrenheit or vice versa? This app is brilliant, incredibly easy to use, and invaluable when traveling abroad.