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Heavy packables to throw out
Travel clothes today are easy, leggings have replaced trousers/ washables have replaced cotton. So why is your suitcase so heavy? Travel doctors tell us that back issues are the number one health problem for traveling women. Moving your heavy case in the hotel room is one reason. So here are some weighty things to leave home.
Shoes: toss heavy shoes and replace with light walking shoes. Merrell is one brand that produces solid but light walkers. Also: Easy Spirit, some Rockports, Keen.…
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How to assess danger in travel
Our group of 19 women returned from Istanbul 3 days ago- see photo at left. The Women’s Travel Group looks at the US, UK and Canadian State Department notices for ongoing news. There had been an incident in Ankara; 1 or 2 women called nervously. What has now happened in Paris is sad and ironic for those who worried about Turkey! We found Istanbul not only safe but so welcoming to us as women and Americans.
After problems, security is tightest combined with the local population being on alert.…
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The 5 Items You Might Forget from Women's Travel Group
Here are the five items we risk forgetting. I just packed for The Women’s Travel Group Istanbul trip, so these important things are fresh in my mind!
Photo of everything important that I removed from my wallet. Always clear out your wallet with cards you will not need. Photograph others like AAA which you might need in a pinch?
An electric plug for the outlets in an airport where yo have a long layover. Say you have 4 hours in Britain and want to recharge your phone, you will need to pack a UK 3 prong square adapter.…
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Can You Travel if You are Overweight?
Since most American women are larger today, the issue of travel and overweight is important. Specifically, can you travel and be comfortable if you are very overweight? Some tips from The Women’s Travel Group:
Here are the Yes’s and No’s:
Can you fit into the seat? United, for instance, will require you to purchase a second seat if they determine you need it. If you buy 2 seats together, you should buy them at the same time. If you do this at check-in, you will pay whatever fare is then available and might have to fly on another flight if 2 adjacent seats are not free.…
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Drinking Dangers when Traveling
Admit it most of us drink alcohol, wine, at least, when we travel. Wine is part of the meal experience and on some trips like Paris for the Holidays we include it. Drinking alcohol when you are traveling, comes with some serious cautions!!!!!
Some Do’s and some dangerous Don’ts.
Do enjoy a drink on the plane if it helps you relax. Secure important items like money, passport, docs, ipad so no one can intrude if you fall asleep. That might mean actually pushing your money container inside your pants and locking up your ipad in your overhead bag. …
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How to Get Better Airplane Seats
This topic is covered everywhere with all kinds of complicated information along with sites promising you will almost sit on the pilot’s lap. How about some simple ways to improve your chances of a better seat from The Women’s Travel Group?
- Join the frequent flier program of the airline you are using, even if you will rarely use it again. You might have to book, then join, the go back to your booking for your seat.
- Know what your PNR is.
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How To Bargain without Embarassment
Women are uncomfortable paying for something that does not have set price. Tips, discretionary donations and bargaining make us squirm. Yet 48% of all Americans tried bargaining in the last 3 years according to Consumer Reports.
A few guidelines on bargaining might help you:
Do not be intimidated by a fancy store or an aggressive salesperson. Know that in some countries bargaining is part of the normal process. Everyone wants to make a sale. In cities like Paris where we go Dec 21-28 2015, ask up front for discounts for tourists and or tax rebates.…
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Who hates Reading Lists?
The Women’s Travel Group usually supplies a list of recommended books plus movies filmed in the area we are visiting. This is not school, so why bother?
Some books like The Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo open up the under belly of a Indian community that the tourist might not notice. Others celebrate a historic Indian Raj romance that brings history to life: Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.
Some are fictionalized versions of real events: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghes, set in Ethiopia, and others are straight history: Charles King’s The Black Sea about Turkey.…
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Craziest Airline Meals
Some years ago, a Women’s Travel Group member ordered a vegetarian meal for her flight. Here is what she got: a snickers bar and an apple! Well the trip was to our favorite spa, Ixtapan Spa, and she joked the entire time about ‘selling her snickers’ bar to us dieters’. Joking aside, how to make the most of lousy airline food is not impossible.
Lets start with what NOT to eat. Airplanes make you gassy so avoid any foods like broccoli,onions,beans, carbonated drinks that already do that effectively.…
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Planning Travel With an Ill relative at Home?
Women sometimes tell us they want to book a trip and sorely need a vacation, but have an ill husband or family member at home. They feel uncomfortable about leaving a needy person but know their own health and fitness matter equally. Travel insurance will protect trip money as long as you take it out within 21 days of your deposit. It will protect $ even if you have an ill relative at the time you purchase it. Cover the full trip cost + pay for the insurance on time then breathe easily.…
