Techland’s Doug Aamoth selects the apps you’ll rely on to make that dinner, day trip, road trip cruise, or month-long vacation even better. The sheer number of weather apps is intimidating, but the Weather Channel has its own, you know, TV channel. And while the Weather Channel app may be well known because of its cable parent, it’s a good one to keep at the  [ Read More ]

You’re going abroad, and you’ll be changing money.  What is the best way to do that?  The short answer is to use the ATM.  REALLY!  Almost anywhere in the world now, you’ll find ATMs.  Almost. Try to check ahead before you go to know whether to take cash, traveler’s checks, ATM or credit cards.  Traveler’s checks aren’t used all that much anymore, but they’re a good backup in case something  [ Read More ]

If the delayed flight is because of weather… well, you’re all pretty much at the mercy of the weather including the airline.  These situations are out of their control.  They will try to get you on your way as best they can, but you won’t be compensated for these types of delays.   If your delayed flight is due to a problem that is in their control, the airline may  [ Read More ]

Choosing your destination…. that’s the very first step in trip planning.  It’s obvious, and it may seem simple, but let’s take a look at the things you need to think about as you do your trip planning and make your decision.  Some of these things will be running in the background of your head when you’re choosing your destination, but just so you don’t make any mistakes, let’s list some  [ Read More ]

Who needs a passport when traveling abroad?  The short answer is if you’re going to travel internationally, you do.  But of course, nothing is ever quite that simple.  We’ve covered that it’s a travel document issued by your home country that allows you to leave and return.  Citizens of all countries need one to travel out of their country and into another, but there are exceptions.  For instance, citizens in  [ Read More ]

Start shopping early if you’re booking a flight for any holidays…. or a wedding or a cruise.  There have been capacity cuts on all the airlines these last couple of years, so there will be fewer seats for those holiday flights. If you’re going on an impromptu trip, you can look and book at the last minute, but if you HAVE to be there for Christmas or Mother’s Day or  [ Read More ]

What is a passport? Bear with me as I start at the beginning of planning for an international trip.  If you’re a citizen of the world where they are commonplace, you’ll be wondering “Who doesn’t know THAT?”  Well, many Americans for one thing. The United States is a large, diverse country.  People can and do live their entire lives without leaving its borders.  There’s plenty to see and do here.   [ Read More ]

You have to deal with that foreign language if you’ve decided to travel abroad.  This is true no matter what your native language is.  It’s handy to know English.  English is widely spoken around the world.  When someone from Greece or Poland meets someone from Italy or Germany, they speak English. Since English seems to be the lingua franca around the world, we’ll look at it from that perspective.  If  [ Read More ]