Where to Find Travel Maps

Before happening any trip whether you are driving it or going by another other modes of transportation, it is essential to have a variety of travel maps available. The last thing anyone wants to have happen is getting lost on his or her trip. Being lost takes valuable excursion from enjoying yourself if it is a pleasure trip, or removes from working time if the trip is for business.

There are several places to find travel maps, and most of them are easy to come by. The pair most obvious places in first getting travel maps is to go to your local grocery or convenience stores. They might not have a broad variety of maps, but they're a really good source for guidelines that cover all of the US. Another obvious place to go to for obtaining maps, particularly road maps is most any gas station. Anyone who has ever been lost in a strange town knows how important gas stations can be when in desperate need of a guide.

In addition to these places, another good source for obtaining various types of travel maps is by contacting the tourism office environment of your travel destination. They can be contacted through the internet or by phone. In addition to maps, they can likewise send other information regarding their destination. This can be very valuable to people who have never traveled to that specific place before. Retain mind, this source is normally best for people who have ample time to prepare their trip as it could take a short while to receive the requested maps.

Travel agencies can also be very helpful in getting maps. They generally have a wide variety of maps, which might be included in brochures for certain destinations. If they do not have a certain travel map you must, they usually know where to go to get it owing to their large database of contacts.

In addition to the traditional ways of getting maps, another source that has become very popular, are on the internet maps. Using a selection of sites, all one needs to do is type in the beginning point and the end point and a atlas in the same way as driving directions can be printed up. This can be very valuable to anyone who is traveling last minutes and does not have the time to find maps other ways.

If you are intending to rent a car, talk to the renting a car agency. They too can be very helpful in getting travel maps for practically any destination, or general guidelines.

If the trip involves traveling by plane, nearly any gift shop in every airport has some type of travel map available. If you travel often, it might not be a hard idea to acquire several maps of various locations that you are interested in traveling to.

Once arriving at your destination, if you are still are anxious for travel maps, hotels are another place to seek these maps. You can obtain them either by simply asking the front desk for maps they are able to give, or by visiting the gift shop. They'll likewise have brochures obtainable for their destination, which will incorporate small maps of the field.

There are many ways to getting travel maps, and while one source is not better then another, the most educated traveler will say that using two to three sources for obtaining travel maps will broadly speaking be the wisest idea.

A Good Travel Helper - Duffle Bag

Duffle bags are enjoying their popularity nowadays with people going travelling more and more often. Why are they so popular among the travelers? There are reasons.

First, they are easy to take with. Convenience is one of the greatest concerns for the travelers. Anything that comes in handy could enjoy their favor. With two handles in the top and one long shoulder strap, they could be carried by hands or by the shoulder. And in the case of rolling duffle bags, they are even more considerate as they eliminate heavy weight of the cargo and one could just roll it without lifting it. The rolling ones are the favorite travel bag for the ladies.

Second, they are functional. A lot of stuff could be held. Being designed in a cuboid shape (as in most cases), the duffle bags could hold more stuff than the ordinary handbags. Besides, they have many layers, large and small, for people to put in different stuff. This is good for the arrangement of stuff and the travelers could easily find what they want with such a travel bag.

Third, they are stylish. As a travel stuff carrier, the duffle bags designed in different styles. You could find freshly colored ones and dark business looked ones. Their sizes are open for different needs too. Small, medium, large or oversized, they are all available for your personalized choice.

So, if you travel a lot, you should really get yourself a duffle bag. It's very convenient, functional and fashionable. You'll regret not equipping one when you are planning to travel.

Leather Travel Bag

Leather Travel Bag

 

The Benefits of Traveling Business Class on United Airlines

People would want to avoid the hullabaloos of traveling in economic class and they would go for business class for obvious reasons. The executive class airlines ensure comfort and luxury for the travelers at a reasonable price. If the passengers put in a little time to do proper research, it would be easy to book seats in cheap business class flights. But it is essentially important that the passengers should get the services that they pay for. International carriers like United Airlines offer services for making business travel more comfortable.

United Airlines has been constantly expanding services to convert many of the long haul aircraft with new business class seats and services. The seats are the most significant factor that determines the comfort level of a journey. The business class seats in United Airline are lay-flat and they mean it to the word. The seats would recline completely to a full 180 degree for giving the passengers a good sleep. The airline provides the customers with cozy blankets and pillows for encouraging a sound sleep. Moreover there would be a six-way adjustable head rest for the travelers and this would create the whole ambience of a luxury suite room. For avoiding problems of backache, the seats have a four-way lumbar support function available. The meal tray is comparatively large and you can even a keep a laptop computer inside.

The next important service is the in-flight entertainment options. There are endless options available for the air passengers. The entertainment system consists of a 15 inch screen placed at just the right distance. The screen gives perfect picture quality for the viewers in all possible lighting conditions. Passengers are given noise reducing headsets and have excellent qualities giving super music and voice reproduction. If the travelers need to recharge their iPods, then there are iPod ports with 110 volt power points available on board. In addition, there is USD connection too.

The airline food has been constantly under criticism for many years. But United Airlines have designed a novel and healthy menu. For long haul flights, the meals are extremely important. If the food is not satisfying, then the whole journey would be spoiled. United Airline offers local and international cuisine for business class passengers. Adding to this, the wine list is also interesting which greatly satisfies the customers.

If you are taking a long flight, you would surely want to get good sleep and good food. Moreover you don't want to experience stress during the journey. Lighting plays an important role in giving a stress free journey. In long haul flights, the cabin lights would be generally dimmed. But the flight would have two major lighting sources which would be sufficient enough to give lighting. The overhead light is fixed but the light behind the seat is flexible. This would help in getting enough light whenever needed.

The airline would also give extra privilege to the business class passengers while boarding and deplaning. They are given priority at check in positions too. Some other perks include luxurious lounge facility at airports with shower rooms, nap rooms etc.

Travel Tips Every Traveler Should Know

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Portland, Oregon for business. Not unusual for me as most of my work involves traveling somewhere. As I checked into the hotel, a woman was standing at the front desk yelling at the Front Desk Manager. I tried to ignore the situation but she was quite loud and it was impossible not to hear what her issue was. It seems that when she checked into the hotel, they asked her for a credit card to cover her incidentals (phone, mini bar, etc.).

She handed them her debit card. A while later, when she went to purchase something using her debit card and there was not enough money in her account. You see, when you check into a hotel and give them your plastic, they immediately put a hold of $100-$150 for each day of your stay. Within a few days of your check-out, they remove that hold. As I stood there I thought to myself, doesn't everyone know that? Apparently not.

I realized that as a frequent traveler I take many things for granted. Here then is a list of travel tips that I have found helpful in my many years of traveling. I hope you find them useful.

o When you make your airline reservation, be sure you know your destination (one of my clients ended up in Portland, Maine).

o Reserve your seat in advance. Go on the airline website and look at what is open. Then go to one of my favorite travel websites, Seatguru.com. You choose your airline and the type of airplane listed on your ticket and it will show a seating chart of your plane and rate each seat for positives and negatives.

o Check to see if your flight is on time. You can use the airline's website or telephone number but I find Flighttracker.com by Orbitz to be the most up to date and user friendly. You can also download it on your PDA. (Note: Southwest Airlines does not report in to this site).

o Be sure that you carry some small bills with you. Tipping and traveling go hand-in-hand. And, if you're traveling internationally carry small bills, as when you exchange your money or pay for something using US Dollars, you will most often receive your change in the local currency. Also, if you're in a place bargaining for a price, it is difficult to say that you have no more money if you're paying with $100 bill and asking for change.

o If you drive yourself to the airport, write down your parking information. Upon your return, you will be glad you did.

o If you check your bags with a skycap, be nice. They decide where your bag is going.

o Before you check your luggage, be sure your name is on all bags. And putting a business card or piece of paper with your name and contact information inside is always a good idea.

o Once your bag is checked, be sure to look at your claim ticket to make sure the routing listed is the same as your itinerary. It is supposed to be foolproof, but one must take on quite a bit of personal responsibility when traveling. Also, be sure to remove old baggage tags from your luggage.

o If you are traveling internationally, make a copy of your passport and carry it in a different location than the original. If your passport is lost or stolen, this can expedite the process of obtaining a new one.

o Be kind to your fellow travelers and wear easy on/off shoes when traveling. You will have to remove them to go through security and, trust me, if you're struggling with your shoes there are people behind  you rolling their eyes.

o Carry-on and liquids - you should know this by now. If not, go to tsa.gov.

o When boarding the plane, count the seats between yours and the emergency exit. I know what you're thinking; if we go down, there will be enough holes in this plane to get out of. Do it anyway. And make note of your hotel's emergency exits also.

o When you check into a hotel, use a credit card for incidental charges. DO NOT use a debit card. If you don't have a credit card, ask about a cash deposit.

o Now that you have your hotel room key, do not put it anywhere near other magnetic keys, credit cards, name badges with magnets or cell phones. Yes, that's right, cell phones. Or you will find yourself knowing the front desk staff quite well.

o Don't depend solely on hotel wake-up calls. Use an alarm clock or cell phone as a back-up.

o Respect your neighbors and close your door, don't let it slam.

o Check your hotel room safe prior to check-out. And don't forget your cell phone and computer chargers. On a related note, if you arrive at your destination without your cell phone charger, call the hotel lost and found. They generally have dozens left by previous guests that they will be happy to lend you.

These are some of my favorite travel tips. What are yours?