Tips on Budget Travel This Week on Get Packin'

Russell Hannon on vacation.
(Probably got there really cheaply)

If the cost of travel is keeping you from seeing the world, our guest this week on Get Packin' has some money-saving travel tips.  Russell Hannon (@Russellhannon) is a self-described ultra-economical travel expert and the author of "Stop Dreaming, Start Traveling".  From things to do in preparation for travel to money-savers at your destination, Russell will share some of his best suggestions when he joins us this Saturday afternoon at 4:00 on Freedom 95 (95.9 FM & 950 AM and streaming at freedom95.us).

No, not even The Rock makes
a fanny pack cool.

Our Top Ten list this week is How to Spot an American Abroad.  Spoiler Alert: fanny packs are involved.  You might as well wear an American flag t-shirt and a 'Make America Great Again' hat. Tune in to hear the other nine.  Long lines at TSA checkpoints at U.S. airports are making headlines. We'll have the latest.  And once you get through those lines, which airline has the best frequent flier program?  You'll want to know the answer.

Royal Caribbean is about to launch the world's largest cruise ship, the Harmony of the Seas.  This thing is HUGE!  We'll give you the dimensions and what you'll find on-board.  Finally, a Memphis-based flight attendant has been indicted for stealing from her workplace.  But wait til you hear exactly what she stole.  All that and more this week on Get Packin' on Freedom 95.

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This Week on 'Get Packin'

In more than 30 years of broadcasting, this Saturday's edition of Get Packin' may be the first time we've had the phrase "Full Pig Experience" used in an on-air interview.  It comes courtesy of Mark Newman, Executive Director of Visit Indiana, during a discussion of Fair Oaks Farms, just one of the great places to visit around the state of Indiana.  Mark will explain that and touch on many other Indiana highlights on our show this Saturday afternoon at 4:00 on Freedom 95 (95.9 FM & 950 AM in Indianapolis and streaming worldwide at www.freedom95.us).  Did you know "landlocked" Indiana boasts one of the best beaches in America? Mark gives us the lowdown on that, too.

Full Pig Experience.  Mmmmm, experience.

This summer is expected to have the lowest airfares in more than five years.  We'll have the Top Ten best airfare deals to destinations around the world.  To haggle or not to haggle? That is the question. Or what about giving to panhandlers?  These are just a couple of common moral dilemmas we face as tourists to foreign lands.  We'll have advice on what to do when confronted with these potentially uncomfortable situations.

DON'T BE UNCOMFORTABLE IN A RENTAL CAR. CLICK HERE TO READ WHY SIZE MATTERS IN EUROPEAN RENTAL CARS.

You'll be surprised to find out how the TSA made more than $765,000 last year.  You may have contributed to their windfall.  And speaking of falling, a tourist in Lisbon, Portugal climbed a building facade in an attempt to take a selfie with a 126-year-old statue.  Spoiler alert!  It didn't end well.  All that and more on this week's edition of Get Packin'. Tune in Saturday afternoon at 4:00 on Freedom 95.

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When it Comes to Rental Cars, Size Matters

What might have been.  (That's NOT us.)

As told by John.

When people who have never been outside the U.S. ask me where they should go as an introduction to international travel, I always suggest England.  The common language, familiarity with British history and highly recognizable landmarks like Big Ben, the Tower Bridge and the queen's ever-present purse make it fairly easy to acclimate to their culture.  Then they ask about the driving.  Yes, that whole driving-on-the-other-side-of-the-road thing does take some getting used to.  But you also have to be careful what kind of rental car you're getting.

My first time to Europe was a trip with Ann to France and England in 1996 for our first anniversary.  After a few days in Paris - sans auto - we made our way to London.  First stop: the car rental counter at Heathrow Airport.  Like the good travelers we are, we had already made our rental car reservation well in advance.  But in an effort to save a few pence, and since it was just the two of us, we reserved a compact car.  We approached the rental agent - a good-natured young Brit - and handed him our reservation.  Without a word, he gave us the once-over; looking at our two oversize suitcases, two carry-ons and my substantial six-foot three-inch frame.  Moving his gaze back to the reservation and spotting the word "compact", a wry smile came across his face.  Still looking at the paper, and with a chuckle in his Monty Python-esque voice, he said, "Oh, one of THOSE."

     CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT ANOTHER RENTAL CAR MISADVENTURE

Much the way clothing sizes vary from country to country, a "compact" car in the U.K. isn't what you know as a "compact" car in America.  If you attached a telescoping handle to the front bumper of a British compact, it would make a perfectly suitable carry-on and fit quite nicely in the overhead compartment.  The rental agent immediately realized there was no way I was going to fit into the four-cylinder Samsonite, much less all our luggage, and was nice enough to give us an upgrade.

Our first vehicular tragedy averted, it was time to tackle the left-side driving... with a manual transmission!  Oh great.  Not only do I have to sit on the right side of the car, drive on the left side of the road and navigate the crowded, narrow, unfamiliar streets of London, but I have to do it with the gear shift in my left hand.  Sheesh!  Why didn't they just give me a paper cut and pour lemon juice in it?  OK, it wasn't that bad.  Ultimately, we got the hang of it and soon were enjoying the freedom of being able to travel around southern England at our own pace.  That's probably the best part of having your own transportation; not being beholden to train schedules, not having to tip a cabbie, not having to walk to the nearest public transit station.  Just get in the car and go.

And go we did.  Across the nearly-deserted country roads of the Salisbury plain where Stonehenge appeared on the horizon like a rocky mirage.  To Anne Hathaway's house (that's Shakespeare's squeeze, not the Hollywood actress) in the town of Stratford-Upon-Avon where William may have found inspiration for his love stories. And to Dover on the southeast coast, where we stumbled upon the unexpected gem of Dover Castle, on our way to view the magnificent white cliffs.  You never know what you'll find when you're able to get yourself off the beaten path driving through a new land.  Just don't get yourself stuck with "one of THOSE."

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US State Department Talks to "Get Packin'"

When the U.S. State Department issues a 'Travel Warning' or a 'Travel Advisory' or a 'Uh, uh, uh. Don't go there!', what exactly does it mean?  We get to the bottom of it when Rachel Crawford, Citizen Services Officer with the State Dept. joins us for Get Packin' this Saturday at 4:00 p.m. on Freedom 95 (95.9 FM and 950 AM or streaming worldwide at freedom95.us).  She'll help us navigate the often confusing and sometimes vague warnings issued for international travel.

What are the happiest countries on earth?  We have the results of a recent in this week's Top Ten. Spoiler alert:  America didn't make the top ten.  The good news, we didn't make the bottom ten, either.  We'll have that list, as well.

Our travel tip this week is to make you aware of some common scams that you might fall victim to. The "Chatty Cathy" scam?  The "Friendship Bracelet" rouse?  The old "Switcheroo"?  You need to know the details and what to look out for.

May marks the beginning of the Alaska cruise and travel season, so we'll have more info about travel to Alaska as our Hot Destination.  Airline profits were WAY up last year, so what does that mean for you?  We'll tell you.  All that and more on Get Packin' this Saturday afternoon at 4:00.

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Our "Hot" Destination Will Leave You Glowing

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred 30 years ago this week.  Days after the accident, the 50,000 residents of the nearby town of Pripyat were evacuated, never to return.  But three decades later it's tourists that populate what's known as the Exclusion Zone, a 30-kilometer radius of contaminated land around the power plant.  Is it safe to visit?  What is there to see?  We'll answer those questions and more this week in the "Hot Destination" segment of Get Packin', Saturday afternoon at 4:00 on Freedom 95 (95.9 FM and 950 AM in Indianapolis or streaming worldwide at www.freedom95.us)

There's plenty to see and do in Indianapolis this Spring and Summer.  We'll get a rundown of all the fun stuff from Lisa Wallace of Visit Indy, including miniature golf at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  Speaking of museums, the home of the late artist Prince is set to become a museum.  We'll have details on that and who's leading the effort.  The world's oldest message in a bottle has been found. We'll tell you what the message was and who sent it.

Quite possibly his first salad.  Ever.

And one London restaurant is taking the idea of a "natural" dining experience to the extreme.  Maybe we should call it an au naturel experience.  The Bunyadi is said to be the first naked restaurant in the British capital, where diners will have the opportunity to have dinner while wearing nothing at all. ("Do you have reservations?  Yes, but we're eating here, anyway."  Ba da BING!)

TRAVEL FOOD: CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE BEST DESSERT EVER.  (We kept our clothes on!)

All that and more on this week's (clothing optional) Get Packin'. We hope you'll join us.

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This Week on Get Packin'

Brussels.  Paris.  Istanbul.  Not long ago these names conjured images of classic European architecture, iconic tourist attractions, unique cuisine, and centuries-old culture.  Bucket-list destinations all.  But now when those names are invoked, tragically, the first images that come to mind are an airport in ruin, blood on the floor of a nightclub, or tourists running for their lives.  Thus is the world of travel in the age of terrorism.  That is one of the topics we'll discuss this Saturday, April 9 at 4:00pm on Get Packin', our weekly travel radio show heard in the Indianapolis area on Freedom 95 (95.9 FM and 950 AM or streaming worldwide on www.freedom95.us).

The Brussels Airport reopened on April 3rd with limited service.  We'll have more details on that, as well as the frustratingly vague travel warning issued by the U.S. State Department for all of Europe. And we'll chat with George Hobica (@airfarewatchdog) of Airfare Watchdog about what this all means for travelers.

Click here to read about our latest Excellent Adventure to Europe

Make America Stay at My Hotels Again

On a sunnier note - literally - this week's Hot Destinations are the cities of the world that see the most sunshine year-round.  Number one on the list is right here in America.  If you're tech-savvy, you'll be interested to find out which airline is now making it possible to get your boarding pass via Facebook Messenger.  And finally, what effect is Donald Trump's presidential campaign having on his hotel business?  You might be surprised by the answer.

All those stories and more this week on Get Packin' with Ann & John.

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What's the English Word for...?

The following is an excerpt from our forthcoming travel book, "While We're in the Neighborhood"

by John

One Semester of high school Spanish does not prepare you for driving through Spain.  "Si", "No", "Gracias" and "Donde esta el bano?" is pretty much the extent of my bilingualism.  So as we got ready for a 2002 driving trip that would take us from Barcelona to the French Riviera, we thought it would be a good idea to get one of those electronic translators.  Select your 'language from' and 'language to', type in the word or phrase and, Voila!  You have your instant translation.  (By the way, what's the English word for "Voila"?)

The translator works just fine when you're strolling through a tourist attraction or sitting in a restaurant, when you have time to casually type in the word you're looking for.  But when you're cruising down the Spanish version of an Interstate at 70 m.p.h. with highway signs flying by, well... not so much.

We arrived in Barcelona by train from Madrid and picked up our rental car.  After a couple of days driving our way around the coastal city with few problems, we set out on our journey along the Mediterranean toward Nice, France.  Shortly into the drive, we were able to discern from the signs (even without the aid of our translation gadget) that we were going to have a choice of two roads that would get us to the same destination.  What we couldn't figure out was one additional word on the signs: peaje.  That was our choice.  To peaje or not to peaje.

I was at the wheel while Ann was gamely trying to find the translator and set the proper 'from' and 'to' languages.  The exit was fast approaching.

"What's peaje mean?" I pleaded.

"I don't know," she said.  "I'm not there yet."

But the exit was, and a decision had to be made.  I guided the car toward the sign that said peaje. There was no turning back now.  We were headed for the Spain/France border via peaje, whatever that meant.

Just then Ann shouted, "Toll!  It means toll!"

Merde!  That's not Spanish, but it was appropriate under the circumstances.


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"How Far Away Have You Traveled?"

by John

Our path around the world starting in Indy. 14 airports in 14 days.

That's the question we got from our waitress at dinner the other night when the subject of travel came up and we indicated that we had traveled rather extensively.  I don't think we've ever had that particular question. We always get "What's your favorite place?" or "Have you ever been to________?"  (Italy and probably, respectively).  But the way this question was phrased was a new one.  "How far...?"  My initial response was, "As far as we could, because once we had gone so far, we were on your way home."

I was thinking of the classic riddle:
How far can you walk into the woods?  The answer: Half way. After that you're walking out of the woods.

That was the case on a trip back in 2010 that took us around the world (see the accompanying flight path nearby).  Ann wrote about it in a previous Excellent Adventure post.  Now, even though we can officially say we joined the Circumnavigator's Club, I suppose we didn't technically go as far away as physically possible on the planet.  That would be the exact opposite side of the globe from Indianapolis; a point somewhere in

The farthest away spot.  Flight 370?  Maybe.  Ann & John?  No.

the southern Indian ocean.  Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 might have made it there, but not us.  Yet.

It is an intriguing question, nonetheless.  So we'll ask you.  How far away have you traveled?

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A Day in Petra

Ann likes to say, “I’ve never met a ruin I didn’t love.”  That’s why we often plan our trips around seeing world-renowned archeological sites, like Pompeii, the Parthenon, and the Pyramids.  (What the… do all the great ruins start with ‘P’?)  Well, add another one to the list: Petra, Jordan.  Petra is the city carved from the mountains in an area of southern Jordan called Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses).  It’s most recognizable structure is the Treasury, made famous in the scene near the end of Indiana Jones and the LastCrusade.  You may have seen it and assumed it was a Hollywood back lot.  No, it’s the real deal… and then some.  Petra isn’t just The Treasury.  It’s a vast complex of caves, tombs, stairs, and temples, all carved into the pink sandstone in the 3^rd century BC by the people known as Nabataeans.
 Ann first visited Petra some 40 years ago on a trip with her family, so it was way past time for a return visit for her and my first.  Our trek to Petra was part of a G Adventures tour of Jordan and we spent a full day hiking more than 17 miles up and down the treacherous stairways, through the narrow passages, and in and out of the ancient tombs.  What follows are some of the visual highlights of our breathtaking (literally and figuratively) experience.

The narrow canyon that leads to The Treasury
and the rest of Petra.

Ann & John in front of the iconic Treasury.

A 2-hour hike up 650 steps and across some
treacherous plateaus got us this rare view of
The Treasury from above.

This is an amphitheater - like the rest of Petra - that
was carved out of the existing rock.

These are known as the Royal Tombs.

A closer look at one of the Royal Tombs, this one
called the Silk Tomb.  It takes its name from the
colorful ribbons of ancient stone that are said
to look like silk fabric.

Perhaps the most impressive structure at Petra, The Monastery.  For scale, note the people standing in front.
You can also see by the outcropping of stone on the right side of the picture how deeply this building was
carved into the mountain.

A Perpsective on Snow

"In December it was pretty.  Now it's just a cold bucket of suck.  #winter"

                 (l)Yellowstone.                (r)Cold bucket of suck (aka, our driveway)

That was a Tweet from our friend Greg Cooper on January 20th that pretty much sums up this winter in Indiana.  The first gentle snowflakes of the holiday season gave way to January's Polar Vortex and all it entailed: endless school and business closings, road closings, sub-zero temperatures, etc.  And just when we're about to get to temps above freezing that might actually start to melt the permafrost that's been on our driveway for weeks, there's talk of another Snowmageddon on the way.  Wonderful.

Ann & John at the Grand Tetons

Earlier this month we decided to escape the snow and cold of Indiana and visit... the snow and cold of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  The big difference between the snow and cold of Indy and that of Jackson Hole is that it was by choice.  Oh, that, and the beauty and grandeur of the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.  That's a little different, too.

You see, whether you enjoy snow or dread it is a matter of perspective.  Shoveling snow: bad.  Playing in snow: good.  And when you're in Jackson Hole there are any number of ways to play in the snow.  Skiing.  Snowboarding.  Tubing.  Something for every skill level and adrenaline junky.  We chose to snowmobile through Yellowstone National Park.  Old Faithful Snowmobile Tours was our guide on the full-day tour of this beautiful national treasure that took us through the scenic, snow-covered forest,

past the numerous waterfalls and cascades,

around the steaming pools of Yellowstone's many geyser basins,

across the Continental Divide

John, Ann and Ann's son Zack (front)

and finally to Old Faithful herself.

Wow, this thing really blows

During our stay, we also fit in some snow tubing (we don't ski), a drive through the Tetons and a side trip to Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival.

Zack, Ann & John stargazing at Sundance

Under the right circumstances (Jackson Hole), snow is either the direct source of the fun or simply a nice accent.  Under the wrong circumstances (Indiana), it's a cold bucket of suck.

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Ann & John from Antarctica

Here we are, about halfway through a 16-night cruise aboard the Azamara Quest.  The whole journey took us from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Montevideo, Uruguay, the Falkland Islands, the Antarctic Peninsula, back and forth across the treacherous Drake Passage, Ushuaia, Argentina, Puerto Madryn, Argentina and finally back to Buenos Aires.  This video is as we sail near Antarctica.

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