General Travel Tips

Should you write your flight number on car rental and hotel bookings?

January 15, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

This summer was full of surprises and this included spending about a month in Austria. Whenever you’re booking a rental car or booking a hotel (near the airport), you have the possibility of writing down your flight number and I’ve always skipped over it thinking that it wasn’t important….

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How to use your smartphone in Europe without incurring roaming charges

January 14, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

As an American living in Europe, I’m a bit too used to the realities of using your smartphone in Europe. If you’re traveling from North America (or elsewhere in the world), you’ll need to do a couple of things to ensure that you can use your phone in Europe. I’ll be walking you through steps for reducing the data that you’re using, buying a SIM card (if needed), and ensuring that your phone can be used with a new SIM card.

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The best 15+ travel games for your phone that work offline

January 10, 2019 by Karen 2 Comments

As someone with limited data, I’m always astounded how few apps work well offline and without data. I’m often toying with a new phone app that I can play while on the road. After far too many apps that I’ve burned through during a long bus ride, I’ve asked my fellow bloggers for their favorite travel game apps for iPhone and Android that work perfectly offline, so even if you’re on a long plane ride, you can still enjoy playing on your phone! I’ve tried to focus this list on thought provoking games for your phone that challenge your mind, rather than games that just keep you busy (as they’re addictive).

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Tipping in the USA: Tipping etiquette in the United States by an American

December 3, 2018 by Karen Leave a Comment

As someone who has worked in the service industry, I believe that tipping in the United States is important. The United States does not have universal high wages. Although your perceptions of the United States may be different, if you’re traveling in the United States, you generally need to tip. Keep reading for tipping etiquette in the United States!

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2 glimpse: The new way to meet locals while traveling

August 31, 2018 by Karen Leave a Comment

One of the hardest things to do is to meet locals while traveling. I write this as someone who has traveled extensively, but not always found someone that I’ve clicked with. I recently tried out a new website called 2 glimpse. I’ll be discussing how I made a friend while traveling using this great alternative to Couchsurfing! This is a review of the 2 glimpse website.

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8 reasons why your hotel maid hates you and how to be a better hotel guest by a hotel maid

June 15, 2018 by Karen Leave a Comment

As someone who has worked has worked in the service industry, I believe that it’s so important to treat the people who work at the restaurants, hotels, and businesses that you visit while traveling well. Today, a friend of mine who worked as a hotel maid (or housekeeper) is here to dish why your hotel maid might hate you—and how to be a better hotel guest. …

Houseguest etiquette 101: How not to be a bad houseguest

May 18, 2018 by Karen 1 Comment

As someone who has lived in Amsterdam, I’ve had my fair share of family and friends visiting. Needless to say, I’ve had some bad houseguests, including one who showed up at my door with no notice only to keep me awake all night on a work night with being noisy. I’m not the only one who has had rude houseguests, so I’ve asked my fellow travel bloggers for their houseguest etiquette 101 with some tips on how not to be a bad houseguest with some generally good houseguest etiquette. …

20 hotel booking hacks to help you save money while booking hotels

May 6, 2018 by Karen 12 Comments

I’ve teamed up with my dad (again) to give you insider tips for how to save money on hotels, no matter it’s a hostel or a 5* hotel. I’m proud to have a father who is a master of hotel booking hacks and although I thought that I knew quite a bit about how to find a cheap hotel, my dad has taught me some fantastic ways to save money when booking hotels. We’ve included 20 hotel booking hacks to save you money on your next vacation or business trip! Both my father and I have traveled extensively within the United States as well as within Europe, so these tips are not only for US-based travelers! …

What to wear in Muslim countries for female travelers by country

December 25, 2017 by Karen 6 Comments

Let’s get this out of the way: not every Muslim country in the world is the same all around the world; what is appropriate to wear in Muslim countries differs by country and this is your guide to as many Muslim majority regions/countries that I could find advice for. Even within one country, what is appropriate clothing in one Muslim country might vary between the city and the countryside. Keep reading on how to dress appropriately for various Muslim countries for female travelers with tips on what to wear in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa by country….

Tips for traveling overseas with a cat & moving abroad with a cat

October 29, 2017 by Karen 1 Comment

If you’re considering moving abroad with your cat, you have a lot of work cut out for you. Moving from the United States to Europe (Netherlands to Belgium to Romania to France) with my cat has been interesting to say the least. If you want to bring your cat with you when you move abroad, there are some important things to consider. That said, if you’re not moving abroad, but only traveling abroad with your cat, there will be some helpful cat travel tips here.

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