Eyeflare Travel Articles and Tips

New York Restaurant Week 2009

Jack — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

It's that time of year again, when New York restaurants do their absolute best to bring in new customers with discounted menus. Yep, it's Restaurant Week. As has been the case for the last few years, it's not just a single week, but two and a half weeks.

Between July 12 and 31, 2009, a long list of famous restaurants are offering lunch menus for a palatable $24 and dinners for $35. Saturdays aren't happening though, and some places don't do Sundays either. So date night is Monday through Friday for the rest of July. For a list of participating restaurants, check the site.

What you get for your money is an appetizer, main meal, and dessert at each venue. Drinks, taxes, and tips aren't included. While some critics slam Restaurant Week for serving up subpar fare for cheap punters, that's not really true. The meals may not always reach the lofty standards of the venue's a la carte offerings, but they're certainly high quality overall. And at these prices, who can expect absolute perfection?

Try these venues for lunch during Restaurant Week

10 Downing Food & Wine: Less than a year old, this place has a beautiful interior, great light, and big windows facing Sixth Avenue. The West Village location makes it perfect for a shopping break.
Bar Boulud: At his wine bar near Lincoln Center, Daniel Boulud serves wonderful charcuterie.
A Voce: This lush Italian near Madison Square Park is fab.
Esca: In Hell's Kitchen, this Italian seafood place does a great job and is so serene during lunch.

Top dinner spots during Restaurant Week

Anthos: The chef here does elegant modern Greek.
Apiary: Worth checking out for the new chef, hip East Village location.
Elettaria: Its talented, experimental chef weaves Indian flavors into interesting food combos.
The Harrison: This Tribeca spot is helmed by one of the best female chefs in the city and serves duck-fat fries.

Other places for Restaurant Week outside New York

Restaurant Week may have originated in the Big Apple, but its success has been copied in a number of other American cities. Check out these locations and dates for more cheap eating:

Charlotte, NC: Dinner for $30, July 10 - 19.
Atlanta: Dinner for $25, July 27 - August 9.
Hoboken and Jersey City, NJ: Pricing not yet announced. July 27 - August 7.
Baltimore: Lunch $20.09, dinner $30.09, August 7- 16.
Boston: Lunch $20.09, dinner for $33.09, August 9 - 21 (Saturday, August 15 not included).
St. Louis: Dinner $25, August 11 - 16.
San Diego: Dinner $20, $30, or $40, depending on restaurant, September 13 - 18.
Phoenix and Tuscon: Dinner $29, September 19 - 26.
Nantucket: Dinner from $25 to $45, September 28 - October 4.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/new-york-restaurant-week-2009/

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getaroom.com, new booking site from the founders of hotels.com

Jack — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Internet veterans Bob Diener and David Litman have launched new hotel rooms booking site www.getaroom.com which promises some outstanding savings on room rates. These are the guys that founded Hotels.com back in the day. For their new venture, they're claiming that rates will be 50% lower than most, and at times even lower, meaning the rates would be the world's cheapest hotel room rates!

Even better, pricing and the property you'll be staying at are completely transparent (take that, PriceLine!). So when booking the traveler will have peace of mind and knowing that if a pool is necessary, a pool they'll get.

There are three ways to save with getaroom.com:

Everyday low rates for savings of 50 percent off regular rates
Unpublished rates offering discounts for an additional 10 percent to 50 percent in savings
Daily deals enable travelers to save yet another 10 percent to 40 percent off their hotel rooms compared to internet rates offered by other websites

Getaroom offers hotel rooms in only the most popular destinations and the properties that offer the best values. This means travelers can avoid the clutter and confusion of most other sites. There's even a U.S.-based call center if the online customer service isn't enough for the traveler.

Getaroom currently offers accommodations only in nine U.S. cities: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Boston, Orlando, Miami, San Diego, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York City and Washington, D.C. More cities should be added soon, we'd hope.

Have you used getaroom.com yet? If so, what's your opinion?

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/getaroom-com-new-booking-site-founders-hotels-com/

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JetAmerica - will it ever fly?

Jack — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

JetAmerica is the budget airline that doesn't seem to take to the air. Based in Clearwater, FL, the airline aims to serve mid-sized U.S. cities that the legacy carriers aren't providing a comprehensive flight schedule for. Originally, flights were to begin on 13 July 2009, serving cities such as Newark, Melbourne, Toledo, and Lansing, among others.

However, the launch date has now been put back to 14 August, and given that they've only got one jet so far, actual flights look uncertain. JetAmerica cited problems securing landing and takeoff slots at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. It's refunding about $500,000 in credit card purchases by more than 6,400 customers.

While flights might be scarce even after 14 August, JetAmerica's pricing takes a hint from Skybus and looks quite attractive: Prices will start at $9 a seat and top out at $199. The $9 price will apply to the first nine to 19 seats on each plane. Passengers will pay $20 to check a bag and $10 for seat assignments. Food, drinks and in-flight TV will also come at a cost. Overall, JetAmerica is offering fares 50 to 70 percent less than other carriers flying similar but indirect routes.

JetAmerica website here.

Let's hope the airline does after all take flight, Southwest and Frontier could use a bit more competition!

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/jetamerica-will-it-ever-fly/

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Eating out in France just got cheaper

Jack — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

French restaurants have been beleaugured by chains selling take away food and sandwiches for some time, as eating out became very expensive in France. But France just lowered the restaurant sales tax from a high 19.6% to a much more reasonable 5.5% and the customers are filling up the previously empty seats quickly.

The lower sales tax means meaningfully cheaper food: For example, a €9.90 main dish could now be down to just €8.80. A Big Mac dropped by 50c and basic coffees are now down to just €1. No, I don't consider a Big Mac French food, or even food, but most people can use that as a comparison. Restaurants all over Paris are currently displaying signs advertising lower prices because of the tax decrease.

And for tourists to France, the lower prices means they can stay longer and come more often. That can only be good news.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/eating-out-france-just-got-cheaper/

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Statue of Liberty crown re-opens today 4th July

Jack — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Shut since the Sept. 11 terror attacks in 2001, the crown of America's most known symbol of freedom opens for visitors again today. Don't go chasing for tickets today though, as they were released on 13 June and all were snapped up right away.

National Park Service officials had barred the public from visiting the crown out of concerns that it would be difficult to evacuate in case of an emergency because access is by a narrow 168-step double-helix spiral staircase.

Addressing the safety concerns, there's been a new PA system added to the statue's crown and visitors will be limited to just 280 per day in groups of 10. Each group gets 20 minutes to climb up, have a look around, and get back down all those steps. That means you'll have to book tickets well in advance or get quite lucky.

However, visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty should be on your itinerary during a trip to New York City if you have the time. If you want just a look at it, there's a great view of the south Manhattan skyline and the statue from the Staten Island Ferry, which is free to ride.

And you'll have to hurry up, as only 50,000 visitors will be allowed in the next two years, after which the crown will close again. This time to carry out renovations though. When the project is done, about 100,000 visitors a year should be able to get to the crown, officials said.

Here's a video of a tour of the Statue of Liberty including the crown area which was closed at the time:

The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States by France in June of 1885 in recognition of the friendship of the two nation's forged during the American Revolution. France was an important friend and ally to the American colonists in their war for independence from Britain. Lady Liberty was assembled and then dedicated on Oct. 28, 1886.

The official Statue of Liberty website: www.nps.gov/stli/
Book tickets for the statue & crown at: www.statuecruises.com

Photo by Brian Auer

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/statue-liberty-crown-re-opens-today-4th-july/

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Utah can finally say "Bottoms up!"

Jack — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Residents and visitors to Utah who are fond of a drink or two just got some good news: There's no longer a need to be a member of a 'private club' to have a drink in a Utah bar.

For about 40 years, the Mormon view of alcohol - that is, don't have any... - has dominated the alcohol regulations in the state, meaning anyone who was thirsty for anything more than lemonade would have to:

Find a private membership bar
Fill out an application
Pay a fee

Now, in reality that was a lot less taxing than it sounds, as you could just turn up, the bartender would ask if you were a member, and if not sign you up on the spot. Meaning your first drink would cost you about $16 instead of $4 for the bottle. Every venue required a separate membership, so tourists didn't do much bar hopping!

As Utah is a big tourist destination, and trying to be even more so with some of the world's best ski areas, this is great news for the state's tourism industry. It'll also be a welcome change during the Sundance film festival that takes place every January.

This follows on the relaxation of laws regarding homebrewed beer. Homebrewing was legalized back in March 2009.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/utah-can-finally-say-bottoms-up/

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Pride London 2009

Jack — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

This weekend is London's Pride 2009, adding to the LGBT festivities in London which now include 3 events: Pride London, Soho Pride, and Brighton Pride. OK, Brighton isn't technically in London, but it still counts.

This year, the Pride parade kicks off at 1pm Saturday 4 July at Baker Street, meanders down Oxford Street, and finishes in Trafalgar Square. Here there will be entertainers and speakers from 3pm under the theme 'Come Out And Play'. Soho will of course be alive with all the gay venues having their own entertainment programs for the weekend and there'll be special parties all over London.

For an alternative gay event, there's Gay Shame which this year takes place in the O2 arena. This is a bit less commercial event, and the whole thing is going Girly this year.

Whatever your orientation, if you're in London this weekend, there's a party on.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/pride-london-2009/

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New York train photo fan arrested

Jack — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Following on another photographer being arrested for taking photos of New York City trains, Robert Taylor, an employee of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) was arrested by police. He was also ordered to delete his photos, which is wholly unlawful in U.S. law, and detained for several hours. Needless to say, he was later released without charges.

Mr. Taylor is now suing the City of New York for $2 million in compensation and punitive damages. More about this case over at New York Daily News.

This follows an ugly trend of police officers overstepping their authority around amateur and professional photographers both in America and the United Kingdom. Recently in England, a new law made it potentially illegal to photograph police officers in public spaces and an architecture fan was harassed to delete his photos of Vauxhall Tube station in London.

There are so many stories flying around about this that I'm really worried about the future impact for tourists who also happen to be photography buffs. Are we now going to be able to pursue our passion without always looking over our shoulders? It would be sad indeed if we had to check for police before snapping a photo of anything more interesting than an old boring statue...

What are your thoughts about being hassled by police when going about your legal business taking photos?

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/new-york-train-photo-fan-arrested/

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Great reads #23

Jack — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Time to share some of my recent travel article finds in another roundup. Here's what I've been reading and liking really a lot lately:

Starting out with Robert Reid. Nothing like a travel stalwart in sharing 44 little travel rules. Some are bonkers, some useful, some absolutely hilarious.

Jessica Spiegel spends a paltry 7 hours in Venice, and it's still worth it. Great photos as well.

Another really fresh post with photos, this time from Istanbul. Go and check out the views.

PracticalHacks has some of the best travel gear reviews I've ever seen. Very in depth.

Yummy recipe for potato hash, picadillo de papas, from Marina K Villatoro. Central American food at some of its tastiest.

Some tips for all the solo female travelers out there. Dealing with unwanted attention is unfortunately an everyday thing for many women travelers, and Katie shares some very useful tips for this summer and any other trips.

Finally, eTurboNews shows up with some 'clever' ways of really irritating your flight attendant on your next flight. At least they can't throw you off until you land...

Got any more great travel posts? Share them in the comments below!

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/great-reads-23/

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Fireworks for a real 4th July Independence Day 2009

Jack — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

With President Obama in the Oval Office and the previously very frosty foreign relations, and America's standing in the world, thawing up, it's time to celebrate for real this 4th of July! Celebrating Independence Day means fireworks and lots of them. Here are my best choices for a huge display:

Chicago

Oddly, Chicago's official fireworks display takes place on 3 July over Michigan Lake by Grant Park. However, it's one killer fireworks show and worth attending. On the 4th, you'll be able to find plenty more shows like the one at Navy Pier. During the weekend, Taste of Chicago is also taking place, so you can really enjoy the city and its beaches to its fullest.

Los Angeles

At the L.A. Coliseum, there's a fireworks display being put on for free just after sunset. It's really kid friendly as well, so would be a nice end to a Saturday with the kids in Santa Monica. For some entertainment, you can also visit the Mr. and Mrs. Muscle Beach competition in Venice Beach on 4th July, when they crown the man and woman with the bulgiest muscles on the beach.

New York

There's a massive fireworks display over New York's Hudson River on every Independence Day. This year the mood promises to be more exuberant than ever. For the best views of the fireworks look at the Macy's site.

San Francisco

If you're already enjoying a trip to San Francisco with its quirky neighborhoods, iconic bridges, and vast waterfronts, take in the 4th of July fireworks that take place over the Bay at Pier 39 from 1pm to 9.30pm. There's also live music during the event and one of the sponsors is an ice cream company, just in case.

Washington, D.C.

Biggest show of them all? Maybe or maybe not, but the setting certainly is difficult to beat. Chances are you won't spot Obama in the crowd, but there's a concert at the U.S. Capitol followed by an Independence Day fireworks display at the National Mall.

Are you going to be elsewhere for 4th July this year? Share your tips in the comments below.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/fireworks-real-4th-july-independence-day-2009/

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ESTA a success for visa free travel to USA

Jack — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Electronic System of Travel Authorization, or ESTA, has now processed 8 million applications for visa free travel to USA under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) that 35 countries participate in. The VWP means that citizens of those countries (see below) don't need visas to visit the US, leaving people more free to travel and no doubt adds considerably to the US economy.

The ESTA program launched on 1 August 2008 and became mandatory for visa free travel on 12 January 2009. It's free to use and any website which charges a fee for ESTA is running a scam on travelers. So far, there don't seem to be many complaints about the new online process, and it's in fact quite easy to use.

You do need to enter your ESTA information before traveling. But an ESTA approval is valid for two years or until your passport expires, so go ahead and do it now even if you don't have firm travel plans yet. Now, just like with the Visa Waiver Program before, you can only visit the US for pleasure, business, or transit without a visa to the country and stay only up to 90 days. An onward or return travel ticket is also required. There are full requirements here.

The system isn't yet fully automated, so travelers still need to fill out the green I-94W form to take part in VWP. At some point, this will become redundant, removing another hassle when traveling.

For more information on ESTA, visit https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov

After the Visa Waiver program expansion in 2008, there are now 35 countries that are approved for participation in the VWP: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Japan, the Republic of Korea,Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/esta-success-visa-free-travel-usa/

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Budget cuts means California State Parks shutting

Jack — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

California's State Parks are outdoor gyms, nature reserves, leisure parks, class rooms, and even wedding chapels for millions of Americans and tourists each year. But California is broke to the tune of $24 billion and Governor Schwarzenegger is shutting 220 parks to meet the budget shortfall.

The gates will close, the bathrooms will shut, and the Rangers will end up jobless most likely. This means the risk of vandalism increases as does the chance of more wildfires, which are a lot more costly than the expected $70 million savings each year from shutting these parks. On California state beaches, there won't be any more lifeguards. Last year, there were no drownings on beaches with guards. However, drownings are still the main reasons for accidental deaths in California parks, as plenty of beaches already operate without lifeguards.

And the question is also open to what happens to the communities that rely on the state parks for tourism income. California, whether it's the Los Padres National Forest or Big Sur, depends on its nature for much of its tourism. Tourists spend freely, while visiting places such as the Northern California coast. In fact, there are fears that long term, $46 billion worth of tourism will be lost, as will any income that today comes from Hollywood filming in the California State Parks.

The National Park Service, in sharp contrast, has just waived the entry fee for Federal Parks to draw even bigger numbers of visitors. Under the plan, visitors will not have to pay at the 147 of 391 national park sites that usually charge admission prices during the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16, 2009.

I think trying to save a measly $70 million (OK, so it's a big number and would make a real difference in my bank account) by shutting 220 California State Parks is folly. The value each year of just the mountain bikers and bird watchers are likely much higher than this, once you count taxes receveived from entry fees, lodging, restaurants, gas, etc... What are your thoughts? Should these parks shut to help save the budget right now or stay open to help draw in tourists?

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/budget-cuts-means-california-state-parks-shutting/

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Construction begins at Spaceport America - videos

Jack — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Spaceport America, the future New Mexico private space launch site for Virgin Galactic, Rocket Racing, and XCOR Aerospace, broke ground for construction on 19 June 2009. This means space tourism is one step closer, though still far behind schedule as Virgin Galactic had hopes for launching commercial flights during 2009. That, sadly, no longer seems to be the case. Maybe just as well, as I didn't get to save up the $200,000 a ticket is planned to cost.

Executive Director Steve Landeene of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) commented, "The groundbreaking for Spaceport America is the beginning of a historic new chapter in New Mexico's long legacy of space and cutting-edge technology. From the pioneering rocketry work of Robert J. Goddard in New Mexico in 1930, the beginnings of America’s space program in the 1940’s and 50’s to the ongoing NASA programs at White Sands Missile Range and now to Spaceport America, the Gateway to the Future."

Here's a video of the ground breaking ceremony at Spaceport America:

Virgin Galactic President Will Whitehorn was excited to be at the groundbreaking for Spaceport America. “The groundbreaking is an enormous milestone for Virgin Galactic which is investing over $300 million in developing a new space launch system which will operate at Spaceport America after it opens. Today's event clearly signals the birth of a new commercial age in space and is a proud moment for the vision and foresight of both the people and government of the state of New Mexico.”

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group launched Virgin Galactic in 2004 with the objective of developing commercial space vehicles that would transform the safety, cost and environmental impact associated with manned space travel. As the spaceport's anchor tenant, Virgin Galactic has been actively developing the technology to make low cost commercial space access a reality in conjunction with Burt Rutan and Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Composites, the company developing WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo for commercial spaceflight.

The groundbreaking on 19 June starts off the construction of the cutting edge space tourism facility. Spaceport America's terminal hangar facility will be built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system. Extensive use of sustainable and clean energy technology throughout the design will ensure that the spaceport will set the standard for environmentally sound design for similar structures in the future. From earth-tubes that will pre-condition the air to reduce HVAC costs by 50-70% to solar thermal panels on the roof for hot water to the embedded in-floor loop system, Spaceport America is both unique and iconic in terms of visual and environmental design. Here's some construction video:

This means a private space terminal is now closer to reality than ever, and maybe we'll see those private space flights take off within the next few years. I'm looking forward to further news about this with interest, and would dearly love to be on one of the flights.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/construction-begins-spaceport-america-videos/

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Stupid airplane toilet trick - video

Jack — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

This is a seriously silly video. Mark Malkoff, from Mark on Airtran, tries out what happens when you put one end of a toilet roll into an airplane wc, rolls the rest of the roll down the aisle, and press flush... Well, check out the video for the results:

Oh, and Mark's whole site is about the 30 days he's spending living on an AirTran. Of course, Mark's a professional comedian and he's been hired by AirTran to do a social media stunt to publicize the airline, but... It's still really funny. Go check it out.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/stupid-airplane-toilet-trick-video/

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How not to eco-travel in 10 easy points

Jack — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Responsible Travel just published a list of 10 points from a reader poll about the worst things that tourists do. These 10 are so easy to avoid, and make you look like a complete idiot to the locals. Here they are:

"Littering - especially plastic bags."
"Purchasing illegal souvenirs or food produce."
"Wasting water in destinations which face shortages e.g. Spain."
"Leaving lights on."
"Leaving air conditioning on in hotel rooms when you're not in them."
"Purchasing mineral water in plastic water bottles when the hotel provides drinkable water for re-fills."
"Standing on coral reefs. It takes approx. one hundred years for one inch of coral to grow. By killing it you affect the whole eco system."
"Disturbing wild animals by getting as close as possible for a better picture."
"Throwing cigarette butts on the ground."
"Failing to take advantage of recycling facilities where offered."

If you've done any of these, shame on you!

Now, since eyeflare.com's readers actually eco-travel, check out some eco-travel resources for travelers, or my cheap and simple green travel tips.

While you're planning, here are 4 green getaways and 4 more. Once back home, please share your eco-travel tips in the comments!

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/how-not-eco-travel-10-easy-points/

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TripAdvisor now warns their reviews may be faked

Jack — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

This was long overdue, but TripAdvisor now puts warnings on some pages where they believe the reviews may be unduly influenced by someone associated with the hotel. It's been a prett well known secret that 'user generated' reviews on TripAdvisor have often been put there by the hoteliers or someone on their staff. After all, it makes sense for the hotels to make sure there are positive reviews about the hotel in question.

Here's what TripAdvisor says in its message:

TripAdvisor has reasonable cause to believe that either this property or individuals associated with the property may have attempted to manipulate our popularity index by interfering with the unbiased nature of our reviews. Please take this into consideration when researching your travel plans.

There's a screenshot of the warning message above. And here's what it looks like on the site.

This was eloquently, and fiercely, highlighted by the Beat of Hawaii blog and it was picked up by Arthur Frommer too.

When I did a quick search, Google had found 142 instances of these warning messages on TripAdvisor, but there are undoubtedly many more. As said, why would a hotel not put up fake reviews? I've always been very careful about the reviews, and have come across one or two dives that had decent or even really good reviews available. There's nothing like a recent personal reference, certainly compared to the minefield of searching online.

But since you really can't trust guidebooks (since they're usually out of date) or newspapers (I should write a piece on press trips), the review sites are the best source for independent hotel information that's available.

What do you think? Do you trust online reviews? If so, why? Hit the comments!

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/tripadvisor-now-warns-reviews-may-be-faked/

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9 airport rip offs to avoid this summer

Jack — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Traveling is expensive enough as it is, but some airports are making the pain worse by ripping off the travelers passing through. As the recession bites, airport operators are coming up with ever more ~~ingenious~~ diabolical ways of squeezing more money off travelers. Here are 9 of the most awful:

Transport to the airport

Trains or buses specifically labelled "airport services" or "shuttles" can be hideously overpriced. I've many times ended up paying more for the bus to Stansted each way than for the entire Ryanair flight. Yikes!

So before buying that overpriced airport bus service, see if there are alternatives such as standard bus routes. For example, while the Heathrow Express to London's Heathrow Airport will cost you �32 return, an all day Tube travelcard including all of the Tube system will only run you �7.50 for off peak. A single is �4 at any time. It does take a little longer, but of course you can hop on at any station as well, rather than only Paddington. Where you'd need to get to anyway, probably on the Tube. There are also plenty of bus routes. You should be able to find alternatives like this in almost every city.

Airport parking

Speaking of spending more money than your air fare, parking is a remarkably easy way to make sure that happens. A week's parking can cost you over �200 at some of the UK's biggest airports, or $210 at LAX (mind, this is priority parking), $126 at Kansas City International, Sydney charges $126, and so on. Airport parking is very expensive everywhere.

Rather than park at the official lots, why not do a quick search online to see if there are alternatives nearby. There are other commercial car parks that even put on a shuttle bus service while charging much less than half in most major cities. You can even find private individuals advertising an extra parking space in front of their house, which they'll rent out for a few dollars a day.

Airport check-in fees

Some airlines will charge you extra money to check in at the airport, or even make it nigh impossible. Yes, I'm talking about Ryanair. But they're not alone, and you should make sure you won't be charged extra just for turning up to your flight!

The fix for this is to check-in online before you turn up to the airport, which most airlines will now allow you to do.

Excess baggage charges

Take care with how much you pack, especially when flying budget airlines. The weight allowances are skimpy at best, and usually they're quick to charge you extra. Some airports are also quite well known to seemingly fiddle their scales, so your 13kg bag at the hotel just turned into a 17kg bag at the airport, so costing you excess. This also goes for domestic flying in the US, as most domestic airlines are now charging at least $25 for the first checked bag.

The solution is to learn how to pack lightly. You can, if you're clever, pack in enough for a week's trip in just a carry-on bag. Also, if there are more than 1 person traveling, go ahead and pack your stuff in a single checked suitcase if you can and save on the cost.

Clear plastic bags

That little plastic quart size bag that you need for carry-on liquids could end up costing you extra at some airports. Some English airports and others in Europe, like Munich, have begun to charge for them. You don't want to spend a Euro for a little zip loc bag! This wheeze will likely become widespread soon.

Do remember to bring a few zip loc bags when heading to the airport. They're useful to get through TSA screening, as well as putting your soggy bar of soap in on the way home. Or even when putting together a packed lunch for the park during your vacation!

Duty Free

The Duty Free / Tax Free signs in the airport shops often work like a siren's call for guilt free shopping. Without taxes, it must be much cheaper, or so it is implied. Most of the time, that's not true, and you can find better deals elsewhere.

Most likely, you're better off financially by shopping around online or using the sales to find bargains. For example, while you can get a discount off the RRP on CKOne perfume at the airport, it's still cheaper every single day at Wal-Mart. And you won't have to carry the bottle to Paris and back during your vacation.

Airport food and drink

Bored and faced with a long wait, it's tempting to shovel in some extra food to make the time pass by. That is, until you see the prices being charged at the airport concessions. Even at the same places you'll find outside the airport, the prices are often higher.

My solution is to have a solid meal before heading to the airport, and bring a snack or two with me. That helps. And if you really do have to eat, shop around. Any travelers in UK airports should head to Boots though, as the prices are the same as elsewhere both for food and drinks.

Cash and foreign currency

Bureaux de Exchange in airports will charge you higher rates than your own bank, or a specialist outside of the airport. Also, airport ATMs are likely to charge you a fee as well, adding to your vacation money pains.

The trick is to withdraw money from the ATM outside of the airport, and not use a moneychanger at all. Your normal ATM card will work just fine almost everywhere in the world, as long as you let your bank know where you're going and make sure you have a 4 digit PIN number.

Internet access

Logging on to the WiFi at the airport can easily cost you $30 for a couple of hours web surfing. While a few airports actually have free WiFi (yippee!), most charge about as much as your home connection costs in a month.

Just don't do it. Look up the travel information you need before going, and bring a book to read.

I hope these tips will help you travel more cheaply this summer, and next, and next... Do you have any other tips to avoid airport rip offs? Please hit the comments.

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/airport-rip-offs-avoid-this-summer/

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7 must-sees in Amsterdam

Jack — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Amsterdam is a very compact city, but offers a world class range of things to do. There are cultural and outdoor attractions plenty, but often it's the unique experiences that lure tourists to the city: The coffeeshops and the Red Light District of Amsterdam. Here are the 7 things I believe you absolutely have to see and do on your first visit to Amsterdam.

1 - Visit a coffeeshop

Might as well get this out of the way. While tobacco smoking is now outlawed in public places in Holland and Amsterdam, marijuana is still allowed. And the coffeeshop is the place to have some. But you don't have to inhale to enjoy the Amsterdam coffeeshops, as they also serve actual coffee, beer, soda, snacks, and so on. Most even have a proper menu and you can have a meal. Outdoor patios are common too in Amsterdam cafes, so you don't have to sit among the smoke.

2 - Do some shopping

From high end clothing to antiquing, Amsterdam has something for every shopper. The main shopping areas in Amsterdam are “Nine little streets”, Kalversrtaat, Leidsestraat, Dam Square Area, Utrechtsestraat, De Jordaan, and Albert Cuypstraat. There are hundreds of small independent shops here, and you can find plenty of Amsterdam deals.

3 - Take a canal boat tour

Amsterdam is famous for its canals and the best way to see them is from a canal boat. Trust me, the view from the water is quite different from walking along the sidewalks (or even being on a bike). Most tours take about an hour, and squeeze in most of central Amsterdam in that time. If you're with a loved one, time the canal boat tour to sunset or take one at night, it's very romantic.

4 - Indulge your artistic side

There are nearly too many museums to count in Amsterdam. But the most important ones are: The Rijksmuseum, the Stedelijk Museum for modern art, the Van Gogh museum, and Joods Historisch Museum. More unusual museums are the Erotic Museum and the Hash Marijuana & Hemp Museum. More Amsterdam museums are listed here.

5 - See the Red Light District

Amsterdam's Red Light District is quite safe, even at night, as there's plenty of police around at all times. While you could of course indulge in what the window ladies have to offer, most visitors are content with taking in the atmosphere of decadence and maybe watching a live show at one of the many clubs. That is, if they're quite daring! Just remember that it's a bad idea to take pictures of the prostitutes in the windows, you risk getting more than your camera broken. And the police are likely to take the girl's side rather than yours.

6 - Try the beer

Dutch beer is both strong and very fresh. Amsterdam is Heineken's home town, and you can visit the gigantic brewery if you wish. But there are hundreds of smaller brewers in Holland, and you can try all their wares in Amsterdam cafes. Whether you like stouts or fruit beers, you'll come away finding some new favorite beer.

7 - Visit Vondelpark

Vondelpark, Amsterdam's most popular and well known park, is a local favorite. Take a walk under the trees, picnic, or go for a run. Possibly the most restful time you'll have on your visit and a great way to recharge the batteries after exploring the other options on this list.

So, those are my 7 top tips for an Amsterdam visit. What are yours?

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/must-sees-amsterdam/

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The clever Spider Holster for your digital camera

Jack — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:00:00 +0000

One of the more clever camera accessories I've seen recently is the soon-to-be-launched Spider Holster from photographer Shai Eynav. Basically, instead of wearing your camera on a strap hanging from your neck, you attach a slide-in hook to your belt (see the picture on the left) and to your camera's tripod socket. This lets you hang the camera off your hip / belt instead of it pulling your neck towards the ground all day.

Much more comfortable I'm sure. If you've tried carrying a heavy pro-DSLR from your neck, you'll really appreciate not doing that anymore.

Since the camera holster is so small, this is a really good product for travelers or events photographers. It fits in a carry-on bag together with your other stuff, or keeps your camera bag from overflowing - or being overweight!

Here's what Shai says about the new product:

Get your DSLR from hip to hands in a flash and change the way you carry your camera and take photos with the Spider Camera Holster.

Convenient: The holster sits at you body's center which gives you instant access to your camera when you need it, and a great place to keep it when you don't.

Durable: Pocket-sized and solid, the holster can take bumps and travels like a pro.

Beautiful: With the Spider you'll have one less strap or bag to take with you, just a nice metallic shine.

It Feels Good: No back, shoulder and neck stress - the holster and camera rest on your hip and leg complementing your body movements. Carrying your pro camera has never been more comfortable.

Your Gear? No Problem:The Spider Holster puts your camera's weight at your body's center of gravity, so it's a very comfortable place to carry your camera, even for several hours on end with a heavy lens and flash attached. Part stainless steel, part solid aluminum cast the Spider is extremely durable and designed specifically for active shooting situations with more than one camera.

Rest Assured: The Spider's unique locking mechanism lets you choose:

Lower Position - a quick-release lock that latches automatically when the camera is placed in the holster. The lock keeps your camera firmly in place but gives the camera freedom of movement, so it rides on your hip, even with heavy glass. Release the lock with a touch of a finger.

Upper Position - for free camera motion to get your DSLR from hip to hands in a flash

Here's the video Shai produced to show off the product:

Unless this turns out to be quite expensive, I'm buying a Spider Camera Holster. How about you, do you think this new product is a good idea?

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/clever-spider-holster-your-digital-camera/

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What to do before you’re ‘walked’ from your hotel

Jack — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Recently, not only have hotels begun to overbook more rooms when they can, they've also begun to short change some travelers when too many guests show up and they run out of rooms. Before, when a hotel was overly full, the guest would be re-booked to a comparable hotel at no charge, and given free transportation there. This is usually referred to as 'walking' the guest.

However, as money's running short, the comparable part of the unwanted hotel change is often overlooked and the guest is moved to a less desirable hotel.

Here are 5 tips on making sure you're not swindled out of what you've paid for:

1. Refuse the alternative room

Just say no if the alternative offered isn't as good or better than what you booked. Or, if you simply don't want to change hotels. Just remember to be polite while standing your ground and try to work with the hotel staff. If all rooms at your standard are booked out, suggest getting an upgrade to a suite. And if everything's really booked out, ask for a free meal or two in addition to the replacement room.

2. Know what's really going on

Often, a hotel will have other rooms available, but they're booked by guests seen as more profitable than you. Those are frequent guests (those with loyalty cards), corporate guests, and other VIPs such as those booking directly with the hotel. So ask the question: "Do you have any rooms still waiting for other travelers."

If a member of staff admits they do, use that as leverage to secure a better hotel as your alternative unless you can get them to free up one of those rooms.

3. Use your frequent guest status

If you actually are one of the frequent guests mentioned above, now might be a good time to mention your status as one of their VIPs. After all, a hotel doesn't want to walk a guest that's likely to come back time and again.

4. Have a sense of humor

Maybe it doesn't seem very useful, but keeping your sense of humor in a fraught situation can defuse it quickly and secure a good compromise. Remember that the hotel staff doesn't like walking you either (unless you've already proven to be a pain in the ass, that is) and could use a laugh too. If nothing else, it makes the experience more bearable.

5. Just be nice

We all like to be nice to those who are nice to us. So being friendly and pleasant can be your best ally in avoiding an involuntary hotel room downgrade. In fact, just being nice to the hotel staff will often trump frequent guest status or other 'VIP' criteria. After all, if you treat the staff as if they're the VIPs here, a rare occurence, they'll want to return the favor.

So, those are my 5 tips for making sure you're not getting the short end of the stick when your hotel might walk you. Do you have any experience of being moved to another hotel after overbooking? If so, how did you feel about the experience?

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/what-to-do-before-youre-walked-from-your-hotel/

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7 must-sees in Amsterdam

1 - Visit a coffeeshop

2 - Do some shopping

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5 - See the Red Light District

6 - Try the beer

7 - Visit Vondelpark

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What to do before you’re ‘walked’ from your hotel

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2. Know what's really going on

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4. Have a sense of humor

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