Travel Tips

The Ultimate “Green” Rental Car

Travel Tips
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Interested in reducing the carbon footprint of your travels? One solution: Drive a “Green” rental car. Whose Got A “Green” Fleet? Hertz has a Green Collection which it says made up of “fuel efficient, environmentally-friendly cars that are both easy on the wallet and good for the environment” like the Ford Fusion, “smart fortwo,” the [...]

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Don’t Travel Without Knowing Credit Card Basics

Travel Tips
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Don’t Travel Without Knowing Credit Card Basics (via Credit.com) However, consumers who are planning a vacation should get familiar with the terms and conditions of their credit card accounts so that there are no surprises on their bills when they get back, according to a report from the Arizona Republic. In many cases, a credit [...]

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Travel Tip Tuesday: Keeping Your Bags “Locked” When Flying

Travel Tips

When you travel by air you want to make sure that no one but TSA can open your checked luggage and look through it.  One way to secure your bags—and the one I use— is with a TSA-approved lock. But the award-winning San Francisco Chronicle Travel Editor, Spud Hilton, takes this “low-tech” approach: (This video [...]

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It’s Not “Your Fathers” United Airlines Anymore

Travel Tech
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The United and Continental Airlines merger has just spawned significant changes to the way passengers “interface” electronically with the new, unified carrier. Navigating United’s Home Page United has put together this video to help you find your way around its redesigned Website which went “live” at 1:00 a.m. Central Standard Time on Saturday, March 3rd: [...]

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Graduate from Southwest’s “Boarding School”

Travel Tech

My wife just returned from a trip to Southern California, flying on Southwest Airlines. Before she left home, she “graduated” from Southwest’s “Boarding School” after learning how passengers check-in for and board the airline’s flights. Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Dick Jordan

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Be A “Radio Star” with Rick Steves

Travel Tips

From Tuesday, January 10th through Wednesday, the 18th, European travel guru, Rick Steves, will be recording new shows for his radio program, “Travel With Rick Steves.”  (Click here for details for these recording sessions). You can participate as a “caller” on these shows, or just listen in as they are recorded “live” for later broadcast.

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Holiday Gifts for Travelers

Other Stuff

With less than three weeks left to shop ‘til you drop for holiday gifts, the San Francisco Chronicle has come up with some nifty gift ideas for the travelers on your shopping list. Travel Editor Spud Hilton, contributing travel writers Jill K. Robinson, John Flinn, and Jennifer Blot, and Chronicle “Outdoors” writer Tom Stienstra, pass [...]

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Recovering From “Travel Wallet Injury”

Travel Tips

7 Tips for Getting Compensated After a Travel Problem (via Money Talks)

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Travel Tips: Friendly Flying with Kids Aboard

Travel Tips
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Travel Photo Thursday: Shooting Hawaii’s Sinking Sun

Travel Photo Thursday

Watching the sun set over the Pacific while enjoying a beer, cocktail, or glass of wine is a quintessential Hawaiian travel experience that will prompt you to set down your drink, pick up your camera, and shoot a photographic souvenir of your trip.  But catching Sol just as it begins to sink into the sea [...]

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Bargain “Bunking” on the Road

Travel Tips
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North To Alaska! All Packed and Ready to Go! Not!

Alaska

(On the last four Mondays Tales Told From The Road has run a “Special Report” on Alaska travel. Dick Jordan spent two weeks traveling throughout Southeast Alaska in June of 2008.  Here’s an edited excerpt from the blog he wrote during the trip; look for more installments in the near future). No, we’re not packed. [...]

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Special Report: Alaska On The Wild Side

Alaska

In a three-part series that concluded last Monday, I told you how to travel to and within Alaska, and noted several travel locations that most independent travelers, and even some cruise ship passengers, could easily reach.  Today I took a look at Alaska adventures offered by the Sierra Club Outings program that are a little [...]

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Special Report: Alaska Destination Dreams

Alaska

(In “Finding Alaska” I told you how and when to go; “Alaska Meandering” covered transportation within the 49th State.  Today I offer cover places to visit and things to do during your Alaska vacation). Decisions, Decisions! Alaska’s a big, big place.  Deciding which locations to visit is like shopping in a candy store:  Too many [...]

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Special Report: Alaska Meandering

Destination Updates

(Last Monday Tales Told From The Road’s “Finding Alaska” post covered how to reach the 49th State and when to go there on your dream vacation trip.  Today’s post tells you how to get around once you’ve arrived in Alaska. Next Monday I’ll give you some ideas for places to visit and things to do). [...]

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Getting Weather Forecasts On The Road

App Reviews

What’s the weather going to be today?  How about tomorrow?  And what’s the forecast for the next week or two? Getting the answers to these questions while traveling used to be all about timing:  Either be in your rental car with the radio tuned to a news station or be in your hotel room watching [...]

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Special Report: Finding Alaska

Alaska

A week ago I spent the day in a “speed dating” marathon, meeting with representatives of twenty-two tour and lodging operators, convention and visitor bureaus, and the U.S. National Park Service and Forest Service to get ideas for visiting Alaska next year.  Here’s some tips on when to go to Alaska and how to get [...]

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