Our cross-Ontario train trip with Via Rail I spy gorgeous views of Lake Ontario coming back from Toronto on Via Rail. The expression "the wrong side of the tracks" surely wasn't coined in Canada. The sun is slowly setting as I make my way from Montreal to Toronto on Via Rail, bathing the track-side backyards in a rosy glow. I catch glimpses of everyday life, with flashes of swimming pools, swing sets, huge trees that must be hundreds of years old, and all kinds of gardens - big and small, wild and prim, wild tangles of tomatoes and obedient stalks of Swiss chard. Between it all are tantalizing glimpses of Lake Ontario, looking like the Atlantic Ocean, an endless swath of blue. I spot an elderly man expertly reclining in an old-fashioned rocking chair that seems older than he is. He delivers a cheerful wave. He's content. Clearly train watching is a hobby of his, maybe even a calling. It's evident there's nothing he'd rather do than watch the world and the trains roll by. This is a Canada that many people might imagine no longer exists, but it does, and it thrives, thanks to Via Rail.
There is nothing like the bonus free legroom that comes with the exit row. Look at all the amazing space we got for free! Exit Row Seats With nearly as much leg room as first class, the row of seats corresponding with the wing exits in economy are always a great value. Depending on the configuration of the airline, you might find that the exit row not only offers extensive legroom, but it might also only have 2 seats in the row compared to the standard 3. If you deeply desire the window seat but still like to move around and stretch your legs, this is the row for you! Meet one of our travel value all stars! No matter where you go, what you do, or why you travel, these features, attractions, or amenities will always offer you tremendous value; an excellent experience for your limited time and money.
Airports, travel, and delays go hand-in-hand. Here's how top travel bloggers pass the time.  Stuck in Maui? Try to get outside! For better or for worse, being stuck in an airport is an inevitable part of most vacations. Whether you have arrived several hours early for an important international flight, have a lot of time to kill between connections, or – worst of all – are stuck because of a delay, chances are you’ll lose anywhere from a few hours to a few days of your vacation staring at an arrival board, eating stale pretzels, and tapping your toes.
Here are some suggestions from top travel bloggers on how to make the most of that wasted time and get the best value for your vacation time. Is your carry-on luggage about to be checked? Here's how to protect your bags, even if you think they're within airline carry-on regulations. Updated for 2021!  How many people really read the regulations for carry-on lugguage? In my last post, I discussed the search for a carry on bag that worked. Finding the perfect travel bag is easier said than done! But once you have the ideal bag, you still have to do all that you can to keep it safe. This time, I am offering the following 10 tips for carry-on luggage so that you can make sure your trip is a successful one.
1.) Know the carry-on rules for every airline of your trip and read them carefully. Many allow a carry-on bag AND a personal item (like laptop case, purse, camera bag). But some allow only one bag. And some are more strict about having your laptop case just filled with a computer and accessories, not magazines and shampoo. (Here's a comprehensive list of the major airlines to get you started.) Would you be ready to have your carry-on bag weighed and measured at the airport?  How does your carrry-on bag measure up? A probable disaster...Do you think you're an organized and prepared traveler? Consider the following scenario and imagine how you would fare.
It's late at night and you’re in Belgium. In just a few hours, you'll be flying to Bangkok via Istanbul, where you’ll have a 12 hour layover to go enjoy the city. You'll be in Bangkok for just under 24 hours before hoping on a cheap regional flight to Myanmar, where you'll be spending the week, travelling to 3 different cities via train and ferry. It's adventurous, it's a bit crazy, and it's the kind of thing a lot of people are doing these days – making the most of a short amount of travel time, grasping every opportunity to enjoy a city. (And we happened to follow this exact itinerary!) How we maximized our status miles to book the world's cheapest round-the-world flights. (Updated 2022!)  Soon we'll be seeing more of this! My husband and I are about to undertake an incredible journey. We've cashed in every frequent flyer point we've ever had and spent 80,000 points each to purchase tickets to Australia. Except we don't really have tickets JUST to Australia - we have tickets around the world. And while we spent 80,000 points, we really got 200,000 plus points worth of tickets. Confused? So were we - at first.
I travel with paper maps - and I know I'm not alone!  The best roadtrips start with a map! After months of backpacking in my university days using tiny maps torn from the pages of Lonely Planet and Let's Go, I remember when websites like MapQuest and MapBlast were the new, hot thing. It seemed incredible that I could just type in an address and get directions for where I wanted to go. And it made travelling seem so easy! No staring at incomprehensible map squiggles – I just had to tell the driver to turn left on Main St. in 2km.
Updated for 2022! Rules, Regulations, and Travel: Everything you need to know about mastering travel toiletry 3-1-1 kits.
My travel toiletry 3-1-1 kit sits on top of my regular toiletry kit.
 Example image from Amazon.com
I've been thinking a lot lately about the role of travel toiletry 3-1-1 toiletry kits – you know, the small, see-through kits we all must present to the airport security staff to prove we have limited liquids. They're a key component of travel toiletry kits (or travel dopp kits or travel shaving bags, depending on your preferred vocabulary!)
So much has been made of travel toiletry 3-1-1 kit restrictions and regulations that many travelers believe it poses a huge problem. Some people will even pay to check their luggage because they cannot fit all their liquid toiletries in the regulation size bag. And if the delays at security are any indication, there are many people who still don’t understand the regulations or are trying to get around them. But if you pack smart, and choose the right products, a 3-1-1 kit will never be a hindrance. Let me try to convince you! Our car rental tips and tricks will help you save money on your next trip.  Our car rental tips and tricks led us to this sweet rental! Having spent so many of my traveling years relying on public transit and my own two feet, the idea of renting a car still seems a bit counter-intuitive. Surely it would be cheaper to buy a weekly transit pass for the city I’m visiting?
A bad experience renting a car for a weekend in university seems to back me up. I grabbed a car from the first agency at the airport, was promptly scared into taking extra insurance, and wasn’t well-informed about the max miles for the weekend (yep, not everyone is unlimited). Combined with a Sunday evening return when NO gas stations were open, my final bill for 48 hours for the car was nearly $350. And all this so I wouldn’t have to take a taxi for a big grocery order and so I could show a visiting friend the countryside! That experience burned me, and served as confirmation of my mother’s fears that car rental agencies were shady swindlers to be avoided at all costs. Since then, I've learned a few car rental tips and tricks to help me save money and make the most of my travel experience. |
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