The Best Travel Apps

The Best Travel Apps

As the travel industry continues to grow, there a robust influx of travel apps. And, that kind of clutter is what makes it quite difficult for most people to distinguish the best from the rest. As a result, we end up with very many useless travel apps on our devices. The following are some of the best travel apps to install. 

AirHelp 

From time to time, most people go through the pain of delayed and canceled flights. Sometimes, you might even be barred from boarding a flight due to overbooking. In such cases, both the US and EU laws require that passengers are compensated. But, the process is often too complicated and most people end up without compensation. With AirHelp, you can now easily do all that in just a few minutes. All you need is to enter your flight information and a short description of the issue then, the company will handle the rest. If the claim is successful, you receive 75% of the payout as well as a referral bonus for any recommendations to the company. It works on both iOS and Android. 

Skyscanner 

This is a must-have travel app for finding cheap flights. The app conducts a widespread search on millions of flights from more than 1,200 sources and provides the best available alternatives. You can opt to search for flights based on the easiest or cheapest routes. Besides, the app allows you to see the cheapest months or days to fly to the intended destination. It will also send notifications of any price changes.  

Airbnb 

Airbnb is for renting individual rooms, apartments, or couches from local communities in various destinations across the globe. Most travelers not only prefer the app because it allows them to save money on the road but, staying with locals still offers the social element of hostels. Besides, it provides a more effective and legitimate way to interact with your host. 

The travel app world is constantly changing and, there are many other great travel apps out there that you can still use to make traveling less-hectic such as Couchsurfing, HotelTonight, Hostelworld, LoungeBuddy, and Detour. 

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Ways to Stay Healthy When Traveling

Ways to Stay Healthy When Traveling

Maintaining a wellness and health routine is not easy for most people when traveling. Travel stresses, lack of adequate quality sleep, and long hours at the airport are taxing on the mental health and immune systems of most people. Nevertheless, you can still stay healthy when traveling. Here are tips to help stay healthy when traveling. 

Plan for Meals 

Research for local dining options when traveling, especially if you are on a diet. To maintain a diet or healthy eating while away, find out more about the meals you can get when traveling. For instance, you can search for vegetarian and vegan restaurants before you travel to any destination. You can also read reviews that other travelers have written to find out more about the meals you can find at your travel destination. Also, research when local farmers’ markets open and the kind of food products you can find there. This is particularly important if you intend to make your meals while away. 

Carry Healthy Snacks 

You may not have great options when it comes to snacks at different terminals. So, to ensure that exhaustion and desperation don’t make you turn to any fast food restaurant available, pack your snacks when traveling. You can have healthy snacks likes like collagen powders, seeds, nuts, and protein bars in your carry-on. Healthy protein snacks are the best option because they will keep you feeling more satiated. 

Stay Hydrated 

You are bound to be dehydrated, especially when flying. To stay hydrated, drink at least 8 water ounces every hour. You can drink more water if you consume alcohol. In addition to making you feel better, staying hydrated will lower your chances of falling sick because the body will fight off airborne germs with ease. 

Walk More 

Carry comfortable shoes when traveling to enable you to walk more often. Walking enables you to see your destination more and it’s a form of exercise. You burn calories whenever you walk. You also exercise your muscles and improve blood circulation. Essentially, walking is the easiest workout you can do when traveling. 

Follow these tips and you will stay healthy when traveling to any place. 

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Ways to Travel while in College

Ways to Travel while in College

Many college students desire to travel to see the world, understand the world more, and experience new cultures. However, most college students don’t travel more often. The most common excuse college students give for not traveling is the lack of adequate funds. But, students can travel despite being poor. Here are some of the ways to travel while in college. 

Save Money

If you make travel a priority, you can save enough funds to cater to your travel needs. Think about the money that you spend on computers, phones, and clothes. Some of these things are not that necessary yet to buy them. If you reduce your expenditure on such things, you can save money and spend it on travel. 

Study Abroad 

If the main reason you want to travel is to experience different cultures and meet new people, consider studying abroad. Some colleges provide credits that count towards a degree. You can even join an international university for your degree studies. If your student loan can cover the costs of travel and tuition, you can use it for these purposes. You can also check with a local college to see if it provides study abroad programs. This can give you a great opportunity to travel and study abroad. 

Go on Short-Term Mission Trips 

You can talk to other students if you belong to the same religious organization or church to organize short-term mission trips. These can help you travel to different places across the world. What makes this way to travel while in college great is the fact that you go as a group. You also do something great because it’s a mission trip. This can make your trip more memorable. 

Volunteer Abroad 

No matter what your major is in your study, there are several volunteer opportunities to consider across the world. Some of these opportunities include teaching, caring for the children, protecting the environment, consulting, and building. You just need to choose the volunteer opportunity that suits you. Most providers of volunteer opportunities cover travel and accommodation expenses. Thus, you won’t spend a lot of money to travel to volunteer. 

In addition to these ways to travel while in college, you can find an internship abroad. You can also go sailing as a crew in a boat. That way, you won’t spend your money yet you’ll travel to different places. 

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Why Use a Travel Agent When You Can Book Online?

Why Use a Travel Agent When You Can Book Online?

According to some people, there is no need hiring a travel agent when they can personally do the bookings for hotels and flights online. However, travel agents not only book hotels and buy flight tickets for travelers. In fact, there are very many reasons why it is recommended that travelers should engage travel agents when planning trips. The following are the key reasons why you should still use a travel agent even if you can book online. 

Professional Travel Advice 

While online bookings may seem like a quick fix to most travelers, there is a lot involved in the process that average travelers may not really understand. For instance, there are unique requirements for booking flights, hotels and even park visits online that you may not be well conversant with. Professional travel agents have the best knowledge and experience in the industry that enables them to provide practical solutions to different kinds of travelers. 

Not all online booking platforms are legitimate and, it is very easy to get played if you do not know where to look. A professional travel agent will also guide you on the websites to consider and, those to keep away from. 

Cost-Savings 

On your own, finding budget travel options can be a huge challenge. You could flip through thousands of pages and still fail to get the best deals. Through their contacts and experience, a professional travel agent can easily provide you with the best deals for saving money on flights, accommodations and activities. Besides, they can also offer tips for saving money when travelling without interfering with the experience. 

There is nothing bad about booking flights and hotels online. However, it could be very tedious and costly without proper guidance. That is why you should make it a habit of using professional agents each time that you are planning an itinerary. 

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How to Become a Good Travel Agent

How to Become a Good Travel Agent

A good travel agent does more than just help their clients see the best travel destinations in the world. They also see the world too. And in most places, you just need a high school diploma to become a travel agent. However, a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field will give you advantage over your competitors. Background in customer service or sales will also be helpful. Here are steps to follow when you decide to become a travel agent.

Decide on the Type of a Travel Agent to Become

There are different types of travel agents and deciding on the route to take is very important. Essentially, you should decide on the area to specialize in. This will also enable you to decide what to familiarize with. What’s more, it will enable you to decide on the destinations and cultures to familiarize with.

So, do you want to be a travel agent for travelers that are thrifty with vacations? It’s crucial to understand travel budgeting and how to get the best travel deals. Whether you want to be a corporate or leisure travel agent will also play a role. Leisure travel agents are associated with vacation packages for families, groups and individuals. On the other hand, corporate travel agents focus business travels and arrange for employees travels to work conferences.

Education

A college degree or certificate might be enough to become a travel agent. However, educational choices are optional and beneficial. There is not bachelor’s program that is designed specifically for travel agents. However, there are programs that shows that a person understands the crucial aspects of the work of a travel agent. Some of the best degree programs and majors for travel agents include travel, business, tourism, and business administration.

Determine Your Work Environment and Acquire Experience

Do you want to start your travel agency or work for a travel agency? If you have a business degree, you will easily be inclined to run your own business. However, you can start by working within an agency before starting yours. This will equip you with relevant experience to run an agency smoothly.

In addition, it’s important to be good with people in order to be a good travel agent. Focus on ensuring that your clients enjoy the best travel experiences to get repeat business.

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Best Places to Travel with Kids

The reason for bringing kids a long when traveling is to enable them release the stress of everyday life and learn new things. As a result, Jimmy G. from Techy Ninjas once mentioned on his blog that it is always important to choose a destination (like Costa Rica, his favorite) with attractions and activities that will interest and challenge them while also giving you the chance to have fun. In case you need inspiration for a kid friendly vacation, below are some of the best places to travel with kids.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson Hole boasts a world class ski resort and the Grand Teton National Park. Here, there are so many outdoor activities that you will indeed be spoilt for choices. You can travel on a tube at the Snow King Resort, raft at the Snake River, visit the magical ice castle, enjoy ice skating at the Toton Village or just watch the animals at the park. The activities are recommended for kids aged six to sixteen years old.

Dinosaur Valley State Park

Ideal for kids aged five to eleven years old; this tiny state park in Texas features some of the world’s best preserved dinosaur tracks. Apart from just walks in the huge dinosaur footprints in the Paluxy River, you can also enjoy a covered wagon tour, biking along the trails, fishing and visiting museums in the Texas Dinosaur Capital, Glen Rose. You can camp at the park or book accommodation at the nearby suites.

Glacier National Park

The Glacier National Park features one of America’s few remaining glaciers. Here, there are lots of sights, sounds and activities to keep the kids happy and active. You can go hiking at The Going-to-the-Sun Road. The Glacier Park red bus tours drives kids around to see wildlife from a safe distance. You can also rent canoes, kayaks or take boat rides to the glacial lakes. At the adjacent dog friendly Paws up Resort, you can also get helicopter tours of the glacier.

Apart from the places listed above, there are several other interesting kid-friendly destinations that you should also check out including Riviera Maya, Millennium Park, Miami Beach, The Mile High City, Disney World, The Black Hills, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and The Space Coast. Nevertheless, choosing the best places to travel with kids requires that you perfectly understand your kids’ interests and abilities.

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Things to Avoid when Traveling

Things to Avoid when Traveling

Many people that write about traveling talk about the things to do when you travel. Majority of them focus on things to do and see. One night while traveling, I met the owner of this nightclub I went to visit in southwest Texas called Garden Bistro Bar, (check out the website) and he shared with me some pretty good tips that are obvious to most hardcore travelers, but to those beginners that have no clue, these tips will help out in the future. Here are some of the things that you should avoid when you travel to make your travel experience better.

Here are some of the things that you shouldn’t do whenever you travel:

Eating Near a Major Attraction

Avoid eating near a major attraction when you travel. That’s because food at the establishments that are near major attraction sites is expensive. In fact, you will most likely buy it at a double price. Additionally, since the restaurant managers at such places know that they will most likely have people that won’t come back they don’t bother about maintaining consistent quality. They just want to make money from customers that come once.

Exchanging Money at the Airport

This will get you the worst rate ever if you do this. Instead, use a credit card or ATM. ATM or credit card will get you exchange rates that are close to interbank rates. Unless you don’t have an option, never exchange money at the airport.

Bringing Traveler’s Checks

These are checks that banks issue for pre-determined value to enable their bearers to get cash by exchanging them in any part of the world. This was the best means that travelers used to access money before credit cards and ATM became accepted in most parts of the world. However, they are currently useless because only few banks accept them. They offer little protection in case they are stolen or lost.

Using Bank Cards that Have a Fee

Instead of giving banks your money, use it to travel. Get a credit card from a bank that does not charge fees for foreign tractions to avoid surcharges like ATM fees. There are many banks that offer such credit cards. You just need to do your research before you travel to find them.

Skipping Travel Insurance

This may seem like an added expense. However, traveling is largely an adventure to the unknown. You don’t know what will happen when you travel. Travel insurance offers you protection whenever you travel. It takes care of nonmedical and medical emergencies. To ensure your safety and a seamless travel experience, get travel insurance.

Taking Taxis

Doing this will kill your travel budget. Taxis are usually overpriced. Therefore, skip them whenever you travel. Only use taxis when splitting fare, probably with the locals or when you want to get somewhere and it is super late. Instead of taxis, go for public transportation.

To make your travel experience better, avoid these things whenever you travel.

 

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