One of the more difficult parts of my trip to Russia last year was the language barrier. Aside from having to navigate a whole new alphabet, it was difficult at times to find anyone that understood English. I frequently found myself pointing and gesturing or making use of a ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Savvy Traveler
The pocket translator goes mobile
One of the more difficult parts of my trip to Russia last year was the language barrier. Aside from having to navigate a whole new alphabet, it was difficult at times to find anyone that understood English. I frequently found myself pointing and gesturing or making use of a ...Your new travel stereo system
Music is absolutely essential to me when I travel. I find it hard to leave my house, let alone the country, without my trusty iPod and headphones in hand. Listening through headphones suits me just fine for those long plane rides, bus trips and other solitary moments. But ...Credit card fees: Purchases overseas will cost you; know how much before you travel
I'm sitting right now at the spanking new airport in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, having just finished a simple breakfast and a cup of coffee for which I paid with credit card. Credit cards are growing more accepted in an increasing number of countries around the ...Fuel surcharges: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity cruise lines to give refund to passengers
Did you book a cruise on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity before Nov. 16? If so, you're getting some money back. On a day that saw more news of soaring oil prices, the two major cruise lines voluntarily settled with passengers and agreed to refund $21 million in fuel surcharges, ...Tired of removing your laptop at airport security? TSA is looking into solutions
Are you sick of having to take your laptop out of its case every time you pass through airport security? Apparently, the Transportation Security Administration is sick of it, too -- or at least tired of how this ritual is slowing down screening lines. The TSA is busy ...EasyJet busted for misleading advertising
Frequent travelers of Europe's budget airlines have known for years that the industry relies, to a certain extent, on misleading, if not outright false, advertising. Usually this has to do with their pricing. Log onto any of the big European budget carriers -- easyJet, ...JFK drops off list of most-delayed U.S. airports
John F. Kennedy International Airport has long been a joke in terms of on time departures and arrivals. But there are signs that JFK might be getting better. The Associated Press is reporting that JFK is finally off the list of the country's 50 most-delayed airports, while ...New 'Zip Lane' debuts at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California
The Transportation Security Administration is making a big fuss over its new Zip Lane screening line, which made its national debut yesterday in a trial run at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California. Now, I'm one of those who never considered Bob Hope that funny. But this ...Spring Break scams: Ohio's AG is on the case
It's spring break, you've arrived, and the "resort welcome" that was to meet your group at the airport is nowhere to be found. Hoofing it to your digs, the hotel's front desk has "lost" your reservation. It finally materializes. Sorry, your package isn't really ...Budget travel: Arthur Frommer (who else?) chimes in on 2008
As the mighty greenback slides ever farther down the global monetary toilet, what traveler out there isn't thinking about how to stretch his or her money more on the road this year? Travel guru (I cannot decide whether to preface that with 'universally acknowledged' or ...Beijing 2008 Olympics tickets: Watch out for sketchy online offers
Quick quiz: Click on this site for Beijing Olympics tickets. Now, click on this ticket site. What's the difference? The first is official, the second is not. They look pretty much the same, right? That's the point, and that is what's scary. The second link is clearly some ...Telecommuting from the road: the art of combining work and travel
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I can't imagine a better work situation than telecommuting from abroad.
This used to be simply impossible but today with the advent of technology and the internet, this is wholly doable and is actually far easier to pull off than ever imagined.
Thankfully, the fine folks ...Savvy Traveler: How to Spot Fake Wasabi
Wasabi (aka the lump of green stuff that comes with sushi) is not horseradish. Wasabi is a plant that grows primarily in Japan but now also in the Pacific Northwest of the US. It is difficult to grow and can cost up to $100/lb. You see where I'm going with this...
In order ...Rent Baby Gear on Your Next Trip for Easier Packing
We traveled with my son from India to Thailand when he was three months old. This wasn't his first trip, but it was his first international one. Along with us came his car seat carrier, baby stroller, baby sling, and diaper bag. He slept with us, so that took care of the ...Greetings from Crete: Driving a Fiat Like It's a Ferrari
Coming back to the hotel last night, we passed by a major traffic accident: a head-on collision involving several small cars. One was flipped over and crushed, and at least one other was completely destroyed. All in all, we counted six involved cars.
I've found that there ...Savvy Traveler: Eurozone vs. European Union
People who come to Eastern Europe (or East Central Europe--as those who like to remove themselves from any association with Russia--call Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic now) often wonder why even if they are in the EU, they can't use euros here. Nothing is ever easy ...Savvy Traveler: Let Czechoslovakia Die, Please
It has been 14 painful years for me since Czechoslovakia broke up in what they called a "Velvet Divorce". Not so velvet for me.
Since January 1, 1993, I have been trying to patiently teach everyone outside the country to learn to love the sound of "Czech Republic" and ...Savvy Traveler: Never Point Your Feet at People
...that would be in Southeast Asia. According to Schott's Almanac 2007, here is some elementary etiquette when traveling to that part of the world:
Dress modestly, especially when visiting holy sites or important buildings (My take on it: Nope, those shorts with "Juicy" ...Savvy Traveler: Arab vs Muslim
It is a little frightening how many people use the terms "Arab" and "Muslim" interchangeably. Shows how much we know about that region of the world even after years of being intimately involved with the Middle East. One often hears that people say "Arabs" when referring to ...
