Find the Right Map for the Way You Travel

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Lisa

One of the things I do before a trip to a new city is to print out a map of the city center. Like on paper. The old fashioned way.

You’re lovely, Dublin.

Google can help you find a good “tourist map of [city name]“, or if you have a travel guide with a good map you can photocopy that. For London I actually did this with a map of the Underground, so I knew which stops to use for where I wanted to go.

The map will probably already have the big landmarks called out on it, so I get out a red pen and mark these other things on it:

The place where I’m staying
The nearest subway station/bus stop to where I’m staying
Places to get really good hot chocolate (I always Google “best hot chocolate in [city name]” before a trip.)
Outdoor markets that look interesting
Food places that friends have recommended
Nerd places, like Forbidden Planet in London

Then I put this map in my day pack or purse and keep it with me at all times. If I have a free afternoon I might plot a course that takes me to these places, or if I’m headed to a big attraction I can easily see what’s nearby that I also want to check out.

I usually also carry around a small guide book and sometimes download free travel apps, because I like to have options. But the bonus of my paper map method is that if my phone dies or I’ve lost my tour guide or I’ve forgotten the name of the sixth hostel I’ve stayed at in two weeks, all I have to do is pull out the map and sort out where I am.

But what if you have very specific map needs? Like you need to know where all the best food trucks are? Well Mashable has a list of 19 Fascinating Maps. Some are fantasy (what would a high-speed rail system across the United States look like?), but others are super useful.

There’s Tetsudo Now, a real-time map of Tokyo’s public transit that can help you figure out when your train will arrive. Instahood maps people’s Instagram photos so that you can see what’s going on in the area around you. And then there’s the updated map of the London Underground that’s geographically accurate, so you can get a real idea of how far apart stations are.

Have a look at all the maps on Mashable.

The Inca Trail, By the Numbers

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Lisa

How long is the Inca Trail? And how high? And how hot? And how many people walk it every day?

If these are the kinds of questions you have, or fun facts you collect, then have a look at this infographic that Attit Patel from G Adventures put together. (See the full version.)

Does being able to visualize the trek make it seem more attainable? Or just more daunting? I did it two years ago and highly recommend it, and if someone as mildly fit as me can do it, then you absolutely can.

Just take the Inca Trail step by step.

See? It doesn’t look so bad, does it? Of course, going *up* is another story…

Travel Like Every Day is Earth Day

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Lisa

Happy Earth Day! It’s a lovely day where I am, and not just because I made these delicious cupcakes:

Earth is delicious.

(You can steal the same recipe I did, from Bird on a Cake.)

It’s nice that we have this one special day to really think about our impact on the Earth, but it would be better if we thought about it every day, and that’s especially true when travelling. Wherever you’re headed is someone’s hometown, and showing respect for the people and land you encounter is just the cool thing to do.

So what, exactly, can you do to help? Here are some places to start:

Pick up after yourself. Leave the beaches, mountains, trails and sidewalks you walk upon the way you found them, or even a little better. (I have been known to pick up garbage and carry it around with me until I could find a can to put it in.)
Recycle the way locals do. Not every place you go will have recycling programs, and I still remember the horror I felt at watching a friend of mine in Florida throw all her newspapers and cans into the garbage, because her city didn’t bother with recycling. I almost packed them in my suitcase to take home to my own recycling bins. But if there is a way to recycle, do it.
Be a choosy buyer so you don’t have to recycle as much. Minimize the number of plastic bags you use, or carry a reusable shopping bag with you when go to get groceries for dinner at the hostel. Bring a reusable water bottle whenever you can and shun plastic bottles.
Plan a trip that helps people. This is a bigger thing you can do, if volunteer work is your kind of fun. Me to We trips work with the Free the Children foundation to build schools, create sources for clean water and help with environmental conservation in Kenya, Nicaragua, India and Ecuador. Your Travel CUTS guru can tell you more.
Visit National Geographic’s Earth Day hub for photos and videos of our beautiful planet, as well as information about how Earth Day has evolved and some of the crazy stunts people have pulled on past Earth Days (undersea cleaning party anyone?).

But first, make those cupcakes.

I Effing Love Boston

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Lisa

That’s right. I don’t just like Boston. I freaking adore it. I want to wrap my arms around the whole city and give it a hug – from the Charles River to the South End, the North End to Allston/Brighton, and maybe even parts of Chestnut Hill. Maybe.

(I’m a Boston University girl so I’m fighting my anti-Boston College instincts on that one, but the B.C. crowd has done some nice things for people this week.)

Kenmore Square, Boston. Just blocks away from Fenway Park and the beginning of Boston University’s home on Comm Ave, the place I called home for four years.

I spent my university years in Boston and had the time of my life. And as one writer (a Boston *University* graduate) so passionately put it, you may leave Boston, but Boston never leaves you.

So the last few days I’ve watched the news not just with the sadness and anger that followed 9/11, but also with nostalgia and with the shock of seeing a street that still feels like my backyard being shown over and over again on tv.

I’ve walked down Boylston I don’t even know how many times. I popped in and out of the Copley T station every few days to shop Newbury Street, or on my way to the gorgeous Boston Public Library, or to a free concert on the lawn in front of Trinity Church, or to visit my friend who worked at the Finagle a Bagel there for a semester.

The finish line to the Boston Marathon is something I pointed out to every visitor I had during those years, a landmark as exciting and important as the Make Way for Ducklings statues in the Common or the Old North Church.

Last week I wrote about Roger Ebert’s travel advice, which included this quote: “Obviously, the way you broaden your mind through travel is to stop traveling and stay somewhere.”

If you travel to Boston you’ll get a taste of its awesomeness. But if you stay there it will change you, and put some Bostonian in your blood. You won’t be able to help but fall in love with it.

And I get that you might not want to start planning a trip there right this very moment, but think about it. Hostelling International just opened a lovely new hostel there last year, and they’ve been kindly providing food and accommodation to some of the displaced travelers and runners the last couple of days. So you know there’s somewhere nice you can stay while on a budget.

As for things to do and see, Buzzfeed put together a list of 29 Reasons to Love Boston, and I think that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Go. Love. Learn. Hug.

See Sydney in Vivid Color

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Lisa

How cool is this?

Who even needs to go inside when the outside looks like this?

From May 24 – June 10, 2013, the Sydney Light Festival is going to decorate the city with massive art installations and will feature live music and other events. Visit vividsydney.com to check out some more pretty pictures.

So should you plan a trip just to see some lights? Well it’s certainly not a bad reason to go to Australia, and if you’ve been considering a trip Down Under anyway then you should absolutely plan on catching a few days of this dazzling event.

Once I’ve picked my next travel destination(s) I always do a little hunting around for interesting activities, festivals or events that would make the trip extra special. Because you’d feel pretty silly getting to Munich the day *after* Oktoberfest ends, right?

Yeah, I totally did that.

So maybe seeing the Sydney Opera House lit up like a Vegas casino is just one reason to go, or maybe it’s a reason to start firming up your travel dates and itinerary. It doesn’t really matter, just so long as you’re inspired to start packing a bag.

Talk to a Travel CUTS Guru about putting together your student flights, hostels, Contiki tour, bus pass or whatever else you need to make your journey to Australia complete.

Then just say g’day g’day g’day and you’ll be right.

Moving Abroad? Ask the Right Questions to Find the Right House for You

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Lisa

If you’re going to study abroad, work abroad or just live somewhere new for a while then you might need to find a shared house or apartment. And while apartment hunting at home is a pain, trying to do it in a new city, and maybe in a foreign language, can be even more stressful.

Luckily, this list of tips will make it super easy and pain-free for you.

Even though you may feel pressure to find a house or flat quickly when you arrive in a new place, don’t jump into a situation until you’ve seen at least three or four different places.Book a hostel for at least the first week so you don’t have to worry about packing and moving right away.

Next, when you go to see a place and meet your potential new flatmates be sure to ask all of the right questions.

What questions are those you wonder? Why, they’re written right here. Don’t be offended if some of them seem obvious. Sometimes it’s the most obvious questions that are the easiest to forget. Printing them out and taking them with you won’t hurt either.

Questions to Ask Potential Flatmates:

1. How much is rent? (Depending on the country, you might see rent listed as a weekly price, not monthly. Ask if a price seems too good to be true.)
2. How often is rent due? Weekly, fortnightly (every two weeks)? What day of the week? (All important information if you have a job that only pays once or twice a month and you need to budget ahead.)
3. How much is the bond/security deposit, and under what conditions do I get it back? (It can be equal to a week’s rent or a month’s, depending on who you rent from.)
4. Are there other bills that I’ll be responsible for? (Phone, gas, water…)
5. Is there Internet access, and do I need to chip in for it?
6. What’s the cockroach/bug situation? (Don’t laugh. Do you want to find out two days after you move in that all food has to be kept in the fridge because the cabinets are infested?)
7. Does anyone here smoke? In the house or just outside?
8. Is it alright if I use your kitchen appliances and cookware?
9. Do you share food?
10. Do you split the cost for items like toilet paper, dish soap, cleaning items?
11. Is there heat/air conditioning?
12. What’s the minimum amount of time you’d like a flatmate to stay? Is there a specific date I need to leave by? (In case a missing flatmate is moving back.)

You may also want to ask about proximity to public transportation, noise, where the nearest grocery shopping is, safety issues in the neighborhood, and anything else that’s important to you feeling comfortable.

Most of all, consider whether or not you can see yourself enjoying getting to know these people. The main advantage to getting a room in a shared house or flat instead of living on your own, is that you can live with some friendly locals. So make sure you pick locals who you can imagine turning into friends.

Time Lords and Ladies: It’s Convention Time in London

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Lisa

If you go, maybe you can hug a Tardis, too.

Well, you’re a little late to go see the new Pope get elected, but there’s still time this year to plan a visit with another very important man: Space Gandalf a.k.a. The Oncoming Storm a.k.a. Sweetie a.k.a. Sir Doctor of Tardis a.k.a. Doctor Who?

It’s the 50th anniversary of the show this year so a special 3-day event is being planned in London. It will be held at the ExCel Convention Center and starts Friday, November 22. If you want to know when tickets go on sale and all the other details, sign up for the Doctor Who newsletter.

Because a trip to London is pretty good, but a trip through all of time and space is even better.

See you there, geeks!

Avoid an International Incident: Call Your Mom

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Lisa

You may have heard about the American backpackers who went missing in Peru last month. They were posting lots of photos on Facebook, tracking their journey step by step, and then all of a sudden, nothing.

Don’t be rude (like these Americans)! Tell people if you’re going off the grid.

No status updates, no photos, no check ins. They were just gone. At least on Facebook.

But that was enough for their friends and family to be concerned, especially since there had been kidnapping warnings issued in Peru. And it’s not like people just stop using Facebook, right? We document everything, everywhere, all the time.

So the families got the Peruvian government involved and they went and hunted down these lost travelers (because if they didn’t that would be bad for tourism and international relations and all that) and sure enough, turns out these two weren’t lost at all. They were just in the jungle, having fun, far away from a wi-fi connection.

Some people are saying the families overreacted, but I think the blame lies with the two who went off the grid without telling anyone. It’s just a good practice to let people know where you’re headed and how long they might go without hearing from you. That way they don’t worry and start an international manhunt, and if something does go horribly wrong then they know when to start worrying and where to send the manhunters.

You want to travel spontaneously? Cool. You don’t want everyone on Facebook in your business? No problem. Phone calls and email work just as well. Let a few key players (mom and dad, roommate, best friend) know when you’re leaving and when you’ll be back, and maybe the first place you’ll be staying, just in case.

Or set up a schedule that you’ll call or email once a week, like every Sunday afternoon, and agree on what should happen if you miss a check in.

Because governments have enough to worry about without having to deal with your freaked out mother, too.

Be Impulsive! Head to Ireland for a Shamrockin’ St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Lisa

It’s only 12 days away but there are still a few spots available for Shamrocker Adventures St. Patrick’s Day tour.

Spending the greenest of drinking days right in Dublin has to be on your must-do travel list, and this is a great way to do it, with someone else taking care of where to stay, where to go and what to do.

shamrocker tour

Call a Travel CUTS guru right now and start packing your bags!

Camp Down Under With G Adventures

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Lisa

This week’s photo that makes me want to pack my bag and run to the airport? This one, from G Adventures:

g-adventures-kakadu

It’s Kakadu National Park in Australia. I was there about five years ago but after seeing this I’m ready to return to the Outback. The whole world just seems bigger there.

G Adventures has a three day Kakadu camping adventure, but there are other backpacker tours that go from Darwin, Alice Springs and down to Adelaide as well. Chat up a Travel CUTS guru to find out what your options are and how many sunsets like this one you can enjoy.

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