Carefreetrip.com :: Travel Blog

Travel is a fact of life, whether for business or for pleasure. For many business people, frequent travel is a frequent event. Over time, seasoned travelers have been able to come up with ways to simplify being on the road. However, in today’s changing economy, many people are experiencing job and career changes. As a result, the friendly skies are full of those who are new to business travel and finding themselves overwhelmed and exhausted. Here are ten steps to make your travel simpler and less time-consuming.

1. Make a list of all the products you use throughout the course of an average day. (shower gel, deodorant, shampoo, moisturizers, hair spray, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, etc).

2. Take your list with you to the store and purchase one of every product on your list in a trial size. Also buy a small inexpensive hair dryer, a mini shower scrubbie and an extra small comb or brush. At the same time, purchase a travel case large enough to accommodate all these new items.

3. After shopping, put a handful of cottonballs, swabs and safety pins into three separate baggies. Pack your new travel toiletries and your baggies into your travel case and keep it packed this way and stored in your luggage at all times.

4. After you return home from each trip, refill your travel size toiletries then put the newly replenished bag into your suitcase until your next trip. You will never have to pack toiletries for travel, if you always keep this bag packed and ready to go at a moment’s notice.

5. Roll clothing into cylinders when packing. It takes up less space and it will help keep wrinkles down. Also, roll socks and underwear up and stuff them inside your shoes. Not only will it make more space in your luggage, but it helps keep your shoes from getting crushed.

6. Pack clothing that resists wrinkling, such as polyester blends, wool blends, microfibers, silk, and rayon. Avoid packing 100% cotton or linen when possible.

7. To avoid having to bring two pairs of dress shoes, choose one neutral color and build your wardrobe around it. Don’t bring outfits based on both black and brown, because then you’ll need both black and brown shoes and belts.

8. Bring one suit and several pieces to change its look. Men can wear the same suit with varying color shirts and ties. Ladies can create several different outfits from just one skirt, one jacket, a pair of coordinating pants, and a few blouses.

9.Call your hotel ahead of time to ask if they will provide personal items such as an iron, clothing steamer, and hair dryer. If so, you’ll have extra room in your luggage for other things.

10. Carry on your important documents, toiletries, medications, and one change of clothes in case your luggage gets lost. Traveling can be simpler and go smoother if you create an effective system and follow it consistently.

This article was written by Monica Ricci. Monica has been an organizing and productivity specialist since 1999. She offers onsite consulting, as well as motivational seminars and workshops, which teach effective organizing and simplifying and effectiveness strategies for home and work. Contact Monica at www.CatalystOrganizing.com.

There’s no need to trade off the exciting experiences that make a vacation in order to protect the destinations you value. You may find that you’ll be able to enjoy more of the beautiful sceneries, friendly faces and unique activities as a result.

Across all seven continents, from the dazzling city nightlife to secluded villages tucked away in quaint valleys and mountains, there are hundreds of ways you can spend your green vacation. See how changing the way you encounter new places can take your vacation memories beyond the ordinary.

Travel by train instead of plane. Not only will you gain more scenic views along the way, but you’ll also escape the headaches of long security lines and lost luggage. Destinations throughout Europe and Asia, for example, offer superior rail travel that allows you to save money and conveniently explore multiple countries and cities in one trip.

Opt for bus, rail and/or ferry transportation. Save money and gain convenience in getting from place to place. In your travels, you’ll find several city buses built for tourists, which make frequent stops at many popular shopping and dining districts, museums and theaters.

In the recent years, more transportation systems are actively pursuing alternative resources in an effort to preserve the earth. Numerous bus systems fueled by natural gas, hydrogen or biodiesel are rapidly becoming a part of everyday life. Europe recently revealed plans for the very first hybrid high-speed train, which was originally engineered in Japan and claimed to cut emission levels by 50 percent.

Discover new places by foot. Several of the world’s most enchanting sights are set off from main roads, hidden in remote valleys, at the base of a glorious waterfall or in other places only accessible by foot. Take advantage of many unforgettable ways you can capture amazing panoramic views and up-close experiences through hiking, bikingor canoeing to unique attractions.

Consider renting an eco-friendly car. If you need a vehicle for taking day excursions far from your hotel, think about using a car-sharing program like Flexcar or Zipcar, which offers eco-friendly cars with low fees and convenient pick-up and drop-off options. You can also reduce car emissions by renting a hybrid car or the smallest car that can comfortably accommodate you.

It Pays to Be an Educated Consumer
It goes without saying that the best kind of traveler is a prepared one. Just in the past decade, there have been many more travel options made available for responsible tourists, offering bigger ways for individuals to make an impact for the good for the environment.

Use environmentally responsible services. Hundreds of hotels have a linen reuse program, recycling bins for guest use, energy-efficient lighting, low-flow toilets and showers and alternative energy sources. Restaurants, tour operators, car rentals and other travel service providers are also finding new ways to keep up with travelers going green.

You can make a difference by helping save and protect your favorite travel destinations!

According to CNN, some travelers at key airports in New York and Los Angeles may be put through machines that see through clothing and provide a detailed image of a person’s body beginning later this week. Isn’t this a little bit of an invasion of privacy.

It’s the first expansion of the program since the machines were first put to the test in Phoenix, Arizona. The “whole body imaging” machines have sparked complaints from privacy advocates.

Do you like this method of screening? Me, not so much. Read the complete story

The Transportation Security Administration provides these tips when packing your carry-on for travel on your favorite airline.

3-1-1 for carry-ons = 3 ounce bottle or less (by volume) ; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3 oz. container size is a security measure.

Consolidate bottles into one bag and X-ray separately to speed screening.

Be prepared. Each time TSA searches a carry-on it slows down the line. Practicing 3-1-1 will ensure a faster and easier checkpoint experience.

3-1-1 is for short trips. If in doubt, put your liquids in checked luggage.

Declare larger liquids. Medications, baby formula and food, breast milk, and juice are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint.

Come early and be patient. Heavy travel volumes and the enhanced security process may mean longer lines at security checkpoints.

TSA working with our partners. TSA works with airlines and airports to anticipate peak traffic and be ready for the traveling public.

With breathtaking views of Kohala coastline, Waikoloa’s Beach Course is a classic resort track. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., who’s motto “Hard par, easy bogey” was literally carved from the lava flow along the picturesque Anaeho’omalu Bay. White sand bunkers guard the greens and strategically placed water features make this course a challenge for players of every level.

The 18-hole Beach Course at the Waikoloa Beach Resort Golf Course facility in Waikoloa, Hawaii features 6,566 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 70. The course rating is 71.5 and it has a slope rating of 133. The signature hole is the 502-yard, par-5 12th — known throughout the islands as the most spectacular oceanfront par-five in Hawaii. If you are lucky, the sight of humpback whales playing the Pacific can help you ease the pain of this brute. acilities include a golf shop, restaurant, and driving range.

If you like the challenge of playing over and near water, you will love this course. Water comes into play on 5 of the front nine holes, playing over water on four of them. The reward on the back nine is the spectacular ocean view on the 12th hole assuming you have successfully traversed the lava fields. If you hit a ball into the lava fields, you will enjoy a pin-ball like game with your lost ball.

Carefreetrip.com gives the Waikoloa Beach Course out of 5 suitcases.

Business travel takes you away from home and loved ones and can cause all sorts of unexpected issues. Make your travel easier with these time-tested tips written by Marybeth Bond for iVillage that every business women should read.

1. Sleep smart
Dark circles under your eyes aren’t good for business. Many road warriors know that you can only use a certain amount of concealer to cover bags under your eyes to mask jetlag or poor sleep nights in strange hotel rooms. So carry eye masks and earplugs. Wax earplugs are better than the little foam ones. They are often sold as a swimming accessory and work well to mute noise, snoring and annoyingly chatty airline passengers. Invest in a blow-up pillow to sleep soundly on planes. They also prevent your hair from being flattened as you sleep.

2. Carry rations
The airlines are starving us! If your flight is delayed or has mechanical problems, you may spend hours on the runway or circling in the air while your stomach is screaming. Airlines offer little more than the tiny, salty rations of peanuts or pretzels for short flights. Carry a nutritious and filling power bar and an apple in your bag.

3. Wake up right
Hotel alarm clocks and wake-up calls can be unreliable. Pack an inexpensive sports watch with an alarm and a stopwatch. The stopwatch is useful for your workout on the exercise bike in the hotel fitness centre or to time your bubble bath. If you carry a pager, find out if it has an alarm function and learn how to use it.

4. Pack lightly
If you need to be dressed in business attire for a meeting the same day you travel, wear it on the plane. Always assume your luggage may be lost and be prepared. Don’t put yourself in the awkward and expensive position of being dependent upon taxis and tip-hungry porters. Pack the least amount of clothes and shoes you think you can survive on. You can wear the same mix-and-match outfits day after day. Leave room in your bag for the shopping treasures you can’t resist along the way.

5. Take dark clothes
They don’t show stains, wrinkles or dirt, and work for most situations.

6. Cut down on shoes
How many shoes does a business traveller pack? Too many, usually! If the shoe fits, wear it … don’t carry it. Wear the shoes you’ll need for business and pack one pair of trainers for walking, jogging or informal occasions.

7. Shop without guilt
Spend some money on yourself and buy presents and cards for your loved ones’ upcoming birthdays.

8. Communicate with home
It is unproductive to leave messages on answering machines. If you are travelling to a different time zone, you may wake a grumpy loved one in the middle of the night. The easiest and cheapest way to communicate home from most countries is via fax. Sending a fax costs less than a long distance call and you don’t have to deal with time differences. Leave your hotel fax number with friends and family. If you prefer email, set up free email accounts for your kids and send them notes and postcards.

The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains on the shores of beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene in North Idaho. Opening in 1991 to unprecedented reviews and awards, The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course established itself as a premier destination golf course debuting as the #11 resort golf course in the nation, while unveiling an extraordinary #1 ranking in the category of “Beauty and Esthetics” by Golf Digest.

“Coeur d’Alene is what every resort should be. It’s not just upscale, it’s posh. You aren’t just pampered here, you’re spoiled. It’s not just an escape, it’s an experience…” writes Golf Digest.The Coeur d’Alene Resort has been christened “America’s Greatest Golf Experience” based on amenities both seen and unseen, that golfers enjoy at this Northwest Gem.

Designer Scott Miller’s vision was to create a golf course that offered a stimulating round of golf, surrounded by a park-like environment. The result is fairways that play from tee to green on lush carpets of Bent Grass, accented with beds of brilliant red Geraniums, acres of fragrant Junipers and the mountain water challenges of Lake Coeur d’Alene and Fernan Creek. The 6,803 yard, par 71 course is designed around four distinct geographic features: an expansive lakeshore, a forested ridge, gently rolling woodlands and Fernan Creek, a revitalized trout stream. Chip Beck, PGA Tour Player and winner of the 1992 Merrill Lynch Shootout at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, called the Idaho course one of the finest he has ever seen, lauding it as a course playable for families, yet challenging enough to test the pros.

Each hole offers five tees providing each player ability level with a challenging, yet playable golf course. You are transported from The Resort to the golf course via handcrafted mahogany lake shuttles, dubbed The Eagle & The Double Eagle. Once at the golf course, you are greeted at the dock by your group’s personal forecaddie for the day. Each group of players is then accompanied to the pro shop where you will find your clubs cleaned and preloaded on state-of-the-art custom golf carts, complete with all the amenities. Then it’s off to the scenic over-water practice facility to warm-up the golf game and your body with a complimentary sports massage. As you play the golf course, you will soon be enveloped in finely manicured green grass, vibrant red geraniums, and the fresh aroma of North Idaho Pine Trees. The font nine takes you through scenic elevated par 3’s set on a woodland hillside with panoramic vista views of Lake Coeur d’Alene and finishes with a long, yet open 601 yard par 5.

Play continues through the 9-hole turn where your lunch order is taken by your caddy and faxed in to the Floating Green Restaurant. Lunch is delivered in a hand-woven picnic basket as play continues. The next four holes are some of the most breathtaking you will ever play, as the anticipation builds towards the world renowned 14th hole, the worlds only par 3 floating movable island green. Don’t be intimidated by the 15,000 sq. ft. putting surface as it beckons your challenge, quietly floating 150 yards off the lakeshore. Confidence is your key to success. Board the Putter Boat shuttle, and enjoy the short ride over to finish the most unforgettable island golf green in the world. Don’t misread your putt (hint: everything breaks towards the water). Return to the Putter Boat and receive your Certificate of Achievement, complete with your name, date and score to commemorate this historic feat.

Upon completion of your round of golf, you are treated with a custom bag tag engraved with your name as a gift to remind you of one of the best golf experiences you will ever have. Their motto is “at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course every Guest is a Member.”

Carefreetrip.com gives the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course out of five suitcases. Put this course on your “courses I have to play” list today!

Take metal items such as keys, loose change, mobile phones, pagers and personal digital assistants (PDAs) out of your pockets. Put these in your carry-on, or in a plastic bag. This keeps lines moving and your experience more pleasant. Try to avoid wearing anything with metal, clothing, jewelry or other accessories that contain metal such as, heavy jewelry, clothing with metal buttons or snaps, belt buckles or under-wire bras.

Pack your coats and jackets in your baggage when possible. All coats and jackets that you are carrying must go through the X-ray machine for inspection. If you choose to wear an outer coat or jacket to the checkpoint, you will need to either pack it in your carry-on baggage or put it in one of the bins we provide.

You may be additionally screened because of hidden items such as body piercings, which alarmed the metal detector. If you are selected for additional screening, you may ask to remove your body piercing in private as an alternative to a pat-down search.

There must be a typo on my flight itinerary - $60.50 for a flight from Las Vegas to San Francisco. There was no way and the flight was booked on Virgin America. If you ‘re like me, you know little about the airline let alone have never thought about taken a flight with them them. For a $60.50 fare, I was willing to give them a try - best travel decision I have made in a long time!

The first thing you notice is the quality of service. From the ticket agent to the pre-boarding staff to the crew, everyone is friendly and, stay with me, helpful. My check-in was smooth, my questions answered, and they even gave me a free gift on Green Day. Once on the plane, you are introduced to a new look and mood lighting - yes mood lighting. 9 specific settings of light pink and purple lights give the plane a ‘club’ feel. After you sit down you will notice several other features like the leather seats, in coach, the adjustable headrest, which for all of us over six feet tall really appreciate, a 110V power outlet for my electronics, a USB plug, Ethernet plug (for broadband Internet), and Red.

What is Red? Red is the 9-inch touch screen in-flight entertainment system that is available on every seat, on every Virgin America flight. You can watch, listen or talk. Watch satellite television, from Dish Network, music videos, or over 25 pay-per-view movies. Listen to over 3,000 MP3s, you can even create your own play lists, or 20 streaming radio channels. Talk to other travelers by using their in-seat keyboard that allows you to chat with other flyers. You can also use Red to play games, read the latest news, order food (using a cashless ordering system), or shop. By the way, I can’t believe I am going to recommend this, make sure you watch the safety video on Red. It is an animated instructional video that is very clever and this is the first time I actually saw a majority of people paying attention.

This flight was very impressive and very refreshing. Low prices, excellent service, and tons of amenities. The only concern I had was a loud noise during take-off and during our final approach that sounded like a hand-saw cutting wood. I tend to become concerned with odd sounding noises, especially when flying.

Carefreetrip.com gives Virgin America out of 5 suitcases. Thanks for a refreshing change of pace and a great ride!

Remember that bumper sticker “Mean People Suck!”? Well this is even more true for travelers - Mean Travelers Suck! I am sick and tired of sitting next to, standing in line behind, or waiting for travelers who are mean and think they are entitled to something the rest of us aren’t. So listen up! We travelers need an attitude change!

Here is my list of the top offensive travelers and travel situations.

Airport delays. Stop acting like the entire mission of the airlines is to make you late for your business appointment or for the Broadway show you paid $600 a seat for. The airlines want you out of their hair as much as you want to be gone. Stop yelling at someone who usually is trying to do everything they can to help you. Its amazing how much someone is willing to help you if you use kind words like “Hello”, “Please” and even “Thank you”. Irritating the airline workers isn’t going to help you or the rest of us stuck in the same predicament you are. Take a breath, as my wife would say, and get over yourself!

Bluetooth headsets. If you need to use a bluetooth headset, then try to find a quiet place to talk. I don’t want to hear your conversation about how you are the greatest salesperson in the history of mankind, or that your oldest child just got arrested (true story) or that you need to change your travel reservations. For some reason bluetooth headset users like to talk overly loud leaving the rest of us wondering if they are talking to me or if they are just loud and obnoxious. Get away from the rest of us when using these things.

MP3 Players set at 30 dBs. Recently I was on a flight to San Francisco and an older female passenger was assigned the seat next to me. After the captain cleared the passengers to use their electronic devices, my passenger buddy pulled out her iPod and began listening to rap music at 30 dBs. Holy crap lady! Can’t you hear? By the way I have had a long day and rap music is not helping me relax in anyway. People! Control your music. I love loud music as much as the next person, but have a little respect for your fellow travelers.

Airline passengers who do not turn off their electronic devices, put up their tray tables, and/or put your seat back to the upright position. Okay Lenny, this isn’t rocket science. You agreed when you purchased your airline ticket to abide by federal law AND to adhere to the policies of the airlines. I don’t care if your cousins, brothers, friend told you that the plane will not crash if you keep your phone or iPod on. IT’S AIRLINE POLICY! Don’t question it, just do it so we can land without you demonstrating your idiotic behavior. You don’t have to agree with the policy - just DO IT!

Full Gear Backpacks. This one chaps me more than most. Have you ever just got situated with your bags in the overhead bin, already for push back when at the last minute a gent comes on board with a full gear backpack. First, how did the airlines even allow this to pass their “on-board” baggage policy? Second, if you have an extra large baggage be on time! For some reason the back pack owner thinks its okay to shove their “luggage” into an already full overhead bin and then complain that someone else’s bag is to big and bulky. I love the outdoors as much as the next person, but you have to leave your “outside” equipment outside. Try using normal luggage like the rest of us. And a note to airlines, enforce all of your policies not just the one’s you have time or have to.

Bottom line - we can all use my wife’s advice to “take a breath”. Be courteous to others who are in the same, or even worse, situation than you are. Also try to talk like you would to your grandmother not to your ship mate. Much of the current commotion for travelers could be avoided if we all get it through our thick heads that KINDNESS BEGINS WITH ME!