Eating well while you are flying can be a challenge. Often, you're stuck between eating barely digestible fast food at the airport or a tasteless TV dinner en route. Thank god the airlines have gotten too cheap to serve us this "food" anymore. While, there are a few healthy options in the airport itself, I've developed a few strategies that keep me eating and feeling good while I'm flying.
Our question today for Francesco....Hi Francesco! Italian trains stress me out....I was wondering if you had any advice for taking the train while in Italy. How early do I need to arrive for the train? What's the easiest way to buy a ticket? And what is the whole deal between first and second class? Would appreciate any advice you could give on how Italians take the train.
An Oyster Card? No this is not the secret ticket to an all-you-can-eat buffet, but your ticket onto London's immense transit system. In reality, it is one of the most useful pieces of plastic in London...after your credit card.
The Eclectic Rebel helps you navigate the waters of Japanese customs and culture.
So, you want to get some shopping on while you're abroad....who do you turn to? Your ever trusting guidebook? Hardly. Who needs advice on where to buy the best t-shirt, when we can spot that for ourselves. Save the occasional cool find in Time Out, we've never relied on guidebooks for our retail therapy. Here's where we turn for shopping advice when we're in a new city.
Have you ever found yourself lost in an Italian market? I don't mean physically lost, but overwhelmed by the sights and sounds one finds there. It almost seems like you've stepped into another world.
Michelle's charming account on her blog, Bleeding Espresso, reminds us to slow down and take a lesson from the pros when visiting an Italian market.
The annual festival of Sinulog is held in Cebu City, Philippines. A dance ritual honoring Jesus Christ, or Santo Niño, celebrates the acceptance of Christianity into their culture.
Our question today for Francesco....Hey Francesco! I love soccer....I mean football. Tell me all there is to know about the Italian football! What's the best way for a tourist to catch a game? Thanks, Frank from Boston
Who doesn't love a good holiday? No work, plenty of relaxation, and time to do whatever you want. In the United States, this often mean hitting the road and getting out of town, along with thousands of your closest friends and neighbors. So, if you're planning on taking that quintessential American road trip, I've got a few times for you to avoid so that you can keep from getting caught in another classic American pastime: sitting in traffic.
Some people just know how to travel, but rarely does that person have their own television show. I've always liked Anthony Bourdain, but never really had bothered to tune in and see what he had to say about the art of travel. What little I knew about him I liked... he was the chef at Les Halles forever, wrote some books, became television food personality, and shared my distaste for the Food Network. (I think that rant is one of the top five great things to come out of blogging.) He also holds the title of the only celebrity I've ever seen on the streets of New York....and now my travel idol.
Rome is always described as layers of history...the old with the new. We think they're referring to architecture, but the same can be said for automobile history. Check out this classic Renault.
Our question today for Francesco....When you are craving gelato, how do you know if a place is good? What are your favorite flavors? Do you think a cup or cone is better for enjoying gelato without making a mess? Do you have any other advice for gelato fans?
Is it ghetto or not? Will there be anywhere good to eat nearby? One of the most time consuming parts of picking an area to stay, and consequently what hotel to choose, is figuring out what it has to offer. A helpful tool for researching neighborhoods is Walkscore, a site that calculates the walkability of an area based on how many restaurants, grocery stores, libraries, etc are nearby. While it was intended to be used by home buyers, this site is very helpful for travelers, as well.
For many westerners, the thought of having to haggle back and forth with shopkeepers is as foreign as you can get. After all, we're used to paying a set price without even batting an eyelash. However, If you want to shop in much of the world, you're going to have to do a little bargaining. With a few basic rules and some practice, you'll be able to haggle without breaking a sweat.
It's inevitable that whenever you pack, you'll end up forgetting something. I always end up leaving and feeling like I've left something essential, even if I haven't. We're going to attempt to help keep you from forgetting those little things that can make an impact on your trip, large or small. Today, the subject of our attention is the small, but mighty, pen.
Ok, so forgetting a pen won't keep you clothed when you use your last pair of underwear, find you some place to eat, or make your luggage magically appear. But when you're crammed into a plane and need to fill out that customs form, you'll be glad you have it.
Sometimes I'm looking for an offbeat trip, but often lack a source for inspiration. Discovering a first hand account of a great trip is often all I need to inspire wanderlust. Like Daniel and Audrey of Uncornered Market, trekking through Nepal wasn't at the top of our must see list. But, their account of a recent trek changed their minds as well as my own.
Lately we've been dreaming of the beach, and this photo of children swimming in Brazil captures the essence of summer.
Our question today for Francesco....What do you do for fun on the weekends? What do you do on a typical Friday night?
Let's say that you've just bought tickets to London, you picked out a hotel, and even have a few museums you want to see. It's party time, you're going on a trip!
You've got your major sites figured out, but what will you do with the rest of your time there? You might want to stop in a pub or two, compare fish and chips shops, or simply go shopping. But where should you go? The choices are almost endless. Guidebooks won't have many options, so you're stuck doing it yourself. I'll show you how you can use Google Maps to help you solve this problem.
Smarter Travel: Airline Fees - The Ultimate Guide and a criticism of fee lists by Tripso
