IzziD travel

How to choose your seat on an airplane

2008-03-18T00:00:00Z

Where you sit on an airplane can have a great influence on your comfort level during your flight and your jetlag after a long flight. Most non-first class travelers just aim to have a seat next to their companions somewhere on the plane, but knowing which seats are bad and other general features of each region of the airplane can help you have a more comfortable and enjoyable flight.

Travel guidebook options for your next trip

2008-02-04T00:00:00Z

Should you travel with a guidebook? If so, which one?

A review of Amtrak rail travel in the United States

2008-01-13T00:00:00Z

The US rail system, operated by Amtrak, is an underutilized and comfortable means of transportation. Although it lags far behind European rail lines in its modernization and route coverage, you can still reach a lot of destinations pretty cheaply on Amtrak. I prefer Amtrak over the airplane for train trips that are 5 hours or less. With all of the hassles of security and getting to/from the airport, the train can be almost as fast as the airplane for these shorter journeys and much more comfortable. Amtrak travel can vary widely from region to region, so I discuss the four regions I've traveled by train: the Northeast Corridor (Boston-DC), the Pacific Northwest (Seattle-Portland), and the Southeastern Coast (DC-Savannah).

About IzziD travel

2007-07-07T00:00:00Z

IzziD travel provides travel product reviews and travel how tos with an emphasis on budget travel within and between the United States and Europe.

A review of Vueling Airlines

2007-07-07T00:00:00Z

Vueling is the top European low-fare airline in terms of value and service, and it's my favorite low-cost airline in Europe. Vueling is the only European company I know of that allows you to choose your seat at the time you purchase your ticket. They fly new A320 airplanes with leather seats similar to JetBlue. However, as is typical for European domestic flights, Vueling does not offer much leg room. And any sort of food, snack or drink will cost money. Finally, Vueling flies primarily to various European cities between its three hub cities of Barcelona, Madrid, and Paris. If one of those three cities isn't in your destination plans, you probably won't be able to fly Vueling.

A review of JetBlue Airways

2007-07-01T00:00:00Z

JetBlue offers a clear ticket policy, no overbooking, comfortable planes, lots of leg room, a TV for every seat, quality snacks. Unfortunately, they offer few destinations unless you live in either Boston or New York, and their frequent flyer program is not the best. Despite their problems, JetBlue is by far the best value in air travel, and I fly JetBlue whenever possible.

Differences between domestic flights in the US and Europe

2007-06-30T00:00:00Z

Extremely low-fares on European domestic flights are leading many American travelers to abandon their Eurorail passes in favor of plane tickets. If you've never flown on a European domestic flight, things can be a little different from what you've come to expect in America. Here are the differences I've notices while flying around Europe (particularly Southern Europe): 1) expect lower prices; 2) don't expect to choose your seat far in advance; 3) the bus (or train) to airport has a good chance of having no or broken air conditioning; 4) don't expect organization; 5) security might feel a little more lax; 6) europeans push onto the airplane even when they have assigned seats; 7) europeans don't carry on much luggage; 8) seats are usually closer together; 9) european airplanes typically begin and end with elevator music; 10) as soon as the seat belt sign is turned off, all the belts come off; 11) food and water will cost money; and 12) if you fly the country's main airline, there will likely be an enormous number of flights for that airline.

How to find cheap international flights

2007-05-19T00:00:00Z

Transatlantic airfare can vary drastically even amongst people on the same airplane. After years of flying between Boston and Italy, I've developed the following strategies to lessen the load of international airfare on my wallet: 1) travel in the off-season; 2) don't limit your ticket search to orbitz, travelocity, and expedia; 3) if you might change flight dates or cancel your ticket, don't buy the ticket from companies like orbitz, expedia, and travelocity; and 4) fly to your main destination from within Europe.

A review of the PackTowl® - a unique towel for travel and home use

2007-05-12T00:00:00Z

The Good: this is one fast-drying towel, which makes it ideal for backpacking or staying in hostels and budget hotels which don't provide towels. No longer will you have to put a wet towel in your suitcase or backpack. For people that like to use their towel multiple-times at home before washing, this quick-drying feature also lessens the amount of bacteria accumulated on the towel in between washes.

The Bad: the towel wicks water away slower than the standard cotton towel, so it takes some getting used to.