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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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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The Shower Cap Travel Tip

Oh, YOU'RE the one.

Does anyone use shower caps anymore?  For those that do, the free shower cap amenity in hotel rooms (along with the cotton ball and four Q-tips) must be like manna from Heaven.  But for the rest of us, the otherwise useless shower cap is actually even better.  So before you toss it aside with the three-inch emery board and makeup-removing swab, let's take a look at at least two travel tips for the humble - and FREE - shower cap.

1 pair size-12 sneakers.
1 shower cap.

For years, we've collected our hotel room shower caps and used them to wrap our shoes for packing. This keeps the dirty bottom of your shoes away from your clean clothes in the suitcase.  If you really want to splurge, you can use one shower cap per shoe.  But generally, one standard cap will cover the pair.

Cover your fudge.  (That's not a euphemism)

A more recent use we discovered for the shower cap was as a food covering.  The elastic band holds the cap snugly in place around the food bowl or pan, and you don't have to fight with an unruly roll of plastic wrap (is there any other kind?).   Granted, we're probably not the first to use a shower cap like this.  In fact, you can buy colorful versions of essentially the same thing at the grocery store in the Saran Wrap aisle.  But why pay for them when you have access to at least one per day per hotel stay?

Oh, and one more travel tip in relation to the shower cap: while you can reuse a shower cap over and over to wrap your shoes or cover your food, do not use the same cap to cover your food that you used to wrap your shoes.  And vice versa.

We welcome your inventive uses for hotel room shower caps or any other general travel tips.  And we invite you to Like our Facebook Page.

Giving the Gift of Travel

Some of our favorite and most memorable Christmas presents in the Cinnamon family over the years have been trips.  John gave me a fabulous journey to China one year that stands out as one of my all-time favorite Christmas gifts.  And as our boys were growing up, we often took family vacations at Christmas time too.  Sometimes it was a few days before, but often it was a nice week or so after Christmas.  It gave us a chance to visit new places together as a family.  Traveling can definitely be a family bonding time.  It also is a great learning tool as it can make history come alive and make geography very personal.    

Since there will be a lot of traveling and trip-giving this holiday season, we thought it might be a good time to offer a list of some of our hard-learned travel and packing tips.  First on packing:

·        Place small items inside shoes to save space and protect breakables

·        Use free shower caps from hotels to cover shoes in suitcase

·        Take an extra collapsible carry-on bag in your suitcase to  bring home souvenirs

·        Put distinctive or colorful luggage tags on your suitcases for quicker identification

·        Don’t buy expensive luggage!  Besides the fact that it gets tossed around and beat up by baggage handlers, experts say that thieves often target more expensive luggage to steal or rummage through, assuming there might be more valuables inside.

If you are planning an international trip, here are some things to remember:

·        Check passport expiration date – many countries require as much as 6 months remaining on your passport at the time of your visit.

·        Check to see if you need visas or permits for the countries you are visiting.

·        Check with your mobile phone carrier for overseas charges as these can be very expensive and even turning your phone on can ring up charges.

·        Walk around and drink plenty of water on long flights.  Wear compression socks.

·        Dress NOT to stand out! There are places in the world where it is not appropriate to wear revealing clothing and it is an insult to their culture if you do.  You may be inviting unwelcome attention by doing so.  With the high level of tension in some parts of the world, it is often better not to advertise that you are American either.  Blending in is best.

Here’s hoping that you have a wonderful holiday season and that you find a great trip stuffed in your stocking this year!

Ann