Weekend Word to the Wise (Lodging)

This weekend's word to the wise is related to my recent blog post about local hotels vs. chain hotels.

Even though I advocate booking local hotels during your travels, whether domestic or international, there is a great way to incorporate your chain hotels into your travels.

On my last trip to Europe, I initially flew to Madrid to spend several days with family and then flew to Rome for a couple of weeks. I had rented a room in downtown Rome but had to be out of there the day before my flight back to Madrid and my final flight from Madrid, back home to the U.S.

I did a little research and found that the points I could accumulate on my Hilton Rewards program would be quite a bit more with an international hotel, so I made the decision to stay at a Hilton by the airports in Rome and in Madrid. My logic was that since my both flights out were very early and I was using public transportation, a chain hotel would work better for me than booking a room in the city and waking up super early to catch a cab or take a train to the airport.

The positives of using a chain hotel for me were as follows:

1. I would be staying in very comfortable rooms with free wi-fi access.
2. I would have a nice restaurant, a spa & indoor swimming pool within very easy reach.
   
3. I would be close to the airport and could utilize the hotel's free shuttle to the airport instead of taking a train or subway in from the city. I would be dropped off directly in front of my terminal.
4. I could take the day to relax, read, swim, eat and generally, rest up before my flights' and the impending jet-lag.
5. I would be accumulating extra reward points.

It might not sound like much but I think it's the perfect combination of lodging when traveling, especially when flying.

Yes, you will probably be giving up that last day of potential sight-seeing or souvenir shopping, but for me, the time to rest and relax before having to deal with airports and overcrowded flights is worth the trade.

Believe it or not, my room in Madrid was only $100.00 and the room, as well as the hotel, were wonderful! In Rome, my room was about $110.00 but the hotel spa and pool more than made up for the extra expense. I spent both days swimming, munching, reading, internet surfing, photo organizing and blogging. Those days also ended up being the coldest of my visit so I was more than happy to stay inbound, warm & cozy. I also saved the money I would have used for a taxi or train ride to the airport.

Review your budget and check out the rates before you leave for your trip. If you're flying, that last day of your travels could be the perfect day to get some rest and prepare yourself for the hectic pace of traveling set before you. I prefer to book these types of stays in advance. It is possible that the exchange rate for international destinations will change but I prefer the peace of mind knowing that my room is reserved and ready for me when I arrive. If you prefer not to do your own research or booking, or you don't have time to do the research yourself, contact a travel planner/travel agent (LIKE ME!) to do it for you.

In my humble opinion, this is the best way to incorporate local hotels with chain hotels in your travels.

Foodie Break #2 or How to Travel Without Really Traveling

I've got the travel bug again and that shouldn't be new to anyone who knows me. I seem to get the itch a few months after my last big trip has ended.

But, if you're anything like me, you're not rich and leaving your job to travel for a few weeks isn't always possible so what options do we really have? We could do some nice, little, extended weekend trips in or around where we live (like I did a couple of weeks ago) or we could find some kind of substitute for the actual travel. This blog sort of helps me to do that.

The other thing we can do is eat!

Yes, you heard me, we can EAT! If you can find an authentic, ethnic restaurant in your city that reminds you of that little trattoria down the street from your B&B in Italy, or maybe a pub around the corner from your job that kind of looks like the place you ate at while you were in London, go there and EAT!

Enjoy the food, pretend you're in London or Italy. If you're lucky, the owners might actually be from there and if you're extra lucky, maybe they'll be serving some of the original recipes from their country. Don't go to Olive Garden and pretend it's Italy because they don't even come close! Don't head to Long John Silver's and put vinegar on your fries and pretend it's the same as the fish and chips you bought in London because malt vinegar does not make it British fish and chips! Go as authentic as you can and immerse yourself in the cuisine, the ambiance, and the food. Don't just plow through it all. Examine the decor, sniff the air, and talk to waitstaff or the owner. Find out what prompted them to open this restaurant. Take your time and eat like an Italian or Spaniard or whatever culture you're enjoying. Eat several courses and enjoy each one with some wine. You don't do this all the time so indulge yourself a little!

I have the good fortune of living in a city with some nice alternatives for food, restaurants, and eating.We're also fortunate enough to have several cooking schools as well. We have The Culinary Institute of America-San Antonio which hosts a regular cooking school as well as classes for the cooking enthusiast and we have Central Market Cooking School which brings in some great chefs from all over the world for demonstrations and tastings. We also have smaller, private schools that teach private lessons for all age ranges.

I mention the cooking schools, Central Market in particular, because In my next post, I'm going to write a bit about how I was able to leave San Antonio and visit Tuscany for a few hours and show you how to get away, even if it's just for an evening, and either recapture a recent trip or whet your appetite for the one to come.

Weekend Word to the Wise (Rest & Relaxation)

Sometimes when we travel, we are in such a hurry to make our arrangements, we do a quick search, find what we think we're looking for and go. It's not uncommon. We're busy people and just squeezing in a few days away is a task in itself. Some of us have children, some of us have pets, weekends are busy and filled with all the things we can't manage to get done during the week. So when we finally make the decision to get away somewhere for a few days, we find the quickest solution and go with it.

But what if we were able to stop, take a breath, and take a minute to think about what our needs might be when we're traveling. Sometimes a hotel is our best option, but what if we could find something for the same price or less that helps us feel more "at home" than a standard hotel room?

I recently took a couple of days off work and my partner and I went to Port Aransas, Texas to spend some time on the beach. I found some very decently priced hotels very close to the beach but none of them accepted pets. (Our dogs don't like kennels and we don't blame them.) I did a search for cabins & bungalows and found some cottages two blocks from the beach. The price range for these cabins in the off season ranged from $69-$120 a night. We chose the medium sized cabin for $89 a night. Our cabin had a queen-sized bed, a small living area, a full kitchen and bathroom. The complex was clean and well lit at night. There were barbecue pits and picnic tables outside for guest use. Pets were welcome with no extra fees. And we were easy blocks to the beach.

Directly across the street from where we stayed was a chain hotel offering a standard room for $99 a night. They accepted pets also but with an extra $10 a night fee and did offer complimentary continental breakfast.

So, for less than the price of a standard room, we found a nice, homey place to spend a few days with our dogs in a cabin that was one of first beach cabins to be built in Port Aransas.

I suppose my whole point is that sometimes in the middle of our hectic attempts to make time for some well deserved rest & relaxation, it's good to take a deep breath, count to 10 and rethink your options. You might find you have more of them than you thought you did!

Weekend Word to the Wise (Packing)

This is a new addition to my blog. Every weekend, I'm going to put out some of the favorite tips I've either personally tried, or read about, in reference to travelling, packing, planning, and maybe even cooking (if it's related to my favorite type of food: Italian!)

Today's tips are related to packing:

• Instead of packing a wash cloth or pouf, I take a package of facial cleansing cloths (like Dove's or Olay's). These are great because I can take them into my shower with me, wash my face with them, then soap them up to use as a wash cloth. When I'm finished, the used cloth goes into the trash! No waiting for it to dry, no re-packing, and it lightens my suitcase as the trip progresses!

• Pack all of your electronic or tech gear into one easily identifiable cube or bag for easy retrieval (like this one from Eagle Creek). I am an admitted tech geek. I like, no wait, I NEED, to travel with all my electronic gear. I pack my iTouch, my cell phone, my Nintendo DS, my Mac, my speaker (which I will demo in the near future), and all kinds of other gear, not to mention the transformer and adapters. On my first trip to Italy, my carry-on got pulled out for further inspection because the transformer looked suspicious. I had stuff everywhere and hadn't really employed any specific packing technique. Even though I was nowhere close to flight time, it made me nervous because in Italy, they pulled everything out and checked all of it. If I had all my e-gear in one easy to find bag, they probably would have taken that bag out, scanned it, and I would have been on my way.

I hope these two tips help you as you start to think about that big trip and how you plan on packing for it.