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It happened again last week: In Washington, DC for a wedding, I took a cab from the Mall to my hotel and the driver took what I thought was a suspiciously long route that led to a suspiciously high fare. I didn’t say anything, but you don’t have to put yourself in this position. Most major cities regulate taxi rates, many of which are posted on the web. You can also take advantage of fare calculator sites to give you an idea of how much it costs to go from Point A to Point B. (more…)

Night time shot of the Las Vegas Strip. Flickr

Las Vegas nights are almost always busy. You grab dinner at a top restaurant or a favorite buffet, catch a Cirque du Soleil show in the evening, head to the clubs afterwards and then stay up all night playing the slots. This activity may encourage you to sleep in but you’ll still have afternoons free to fill up however you please. In between seeing the animals at different casino hotels and watching the free shows that play every hour at some spots, you are going to want to make sure that you fit in some shopping. (more…)

Carneros Vineyards in California. Flickr

Years ago, vacations were planned around national monuments, natural wonders, Uncle Joe’s farm or Grandma’s house. Now planning a vacation for family or friends can cover all kinds of bases. There are eco-vacations, that explore the rain forests and attempt to combat global warming; there are “volunteer vacations” that may involve working with Habitat for Humanity, there are spa getaways that indulge the body and mind….and there are wine tours! The opportunity to experience the sights, sounds, scents and of course taste of wine! (more…)

credit: Steve Beger Photography (Beger.com Productions)

The Bahamas offer a fun, close-to-home, warm-weather destination, ideal for an affordable, easily accessible getaway. Your Bahamian adventure can be a look at island history, a shopping extravaganza, and a fisherman’s dream. The Bahamas, a collection of over 700 islands and cays, are located east of Florida and north of the Caribbean Sea. Though not technically part of the Caribbean Islands, the Bahamas often get grouped together with them because of their similarity in weather, culture, and topography. Notable past and present Bahamas residents include actor and writer Sir Sidney Poitier, singer/songwriter Lenny Kravitz, and supermodel Shakara Ledard. (more…)

When visiting some countries a US passport won’t be enough for entry. Instead, you’ll also have to apply for a visa. In most cases, you can obtain a visa by writing to the country’s embassy or consular offices here in the United States. Consult the US State Department’s website for information on travel to different countries. Some countries require visitors to have a return ticket home before they’ll allow you entry. Some charge an entrance or exit fee. Some countries allow visitors to obtain a visa at the airport while others will arrest travelers attempting to enter without a visa.
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As of January 1, 2007 all US citizens were required to have a passport when leaving the United States, ending a precedent of only need a birth certificate.

To get a passport, you need to apply in person at one of the more than 9,000 passport acceptance facilities in the United States. Bring your completed passport application, two photographs of yourself, a certified birth certificate or previous US passport, and a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license.

A certified birth certificate has a raised or embossed seal, the registrar’s signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office, which must be within one year of your birth. In lieu of a certified birth certificate, you may submit a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth if you were born abroad; a Naturalization Certificate; or a Certificate of Citizenship.

The photos accompanying your application must meet the following requirements:

• 2×2 inches in size
• Identical
• Taken within the past 6 months, showing current appearance
• Color
• Full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background
• Taken in normal street attire

It costs $100 to get a new passport: a $75 application fee and a $25 execution fee. If you need your passport sooner than the now 12 weeks the State Department is saying the process takes, you can pay a $60 fee to have it expedited.

If you need a passport within two weeks or less, you must apply in person at a Passport Agency. You must make an appointment, call 1-877-487-2778 to make one. Note: You cannot get an appointment with a passport agency unless you are leaving within two weeks of your phone call to the agency. When you arrive for your appointment have with you a copy of your paid for itinerary from your travel agent or a copy of your e-ticket.

Starting this fall, the State Department will begin issuing Passport cards to be used as identification by US citizens traveling by land or sea between the US and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda. If you travel by air, you will still need a regular passport.

The department has not yet started making the cards, which are part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a law that will require citizens traveling to Canada and Mexico to carry passports for reentry into the US. The wallet-sized cards will feature a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip.

The passport card costs $45 for first-time applicants. Adults with valid passports issued within the last fifteen years can apply for the card by mail at a cost of $20.

Photo Credit: sxc.hu

Whether you’re talking airport capsule hotels spinning off from a sushi chain or convenient budget hotels spinning off from an airline, the expansion of new chains of hotels across Europe is marching on.

For those familiar with the easyJet airline brand that flies no-frills across Europe, you might also already know the easyHotel brand, which serves a similar market: those who want a simple hotel choice, nothing fancy but conveniently located and with reasonable prices. easyHotel has just opened another hotel in Zurich, Switzerland. With a plan to have 60 hotels across Europe by 2010, we can expect to see more soon, including a new easyHotel at Heathrow Airport sometime in 2008.

Speaking of Heathrow Airport, a new Yotel has just opened up there. After the success of the Yotel Gatwick the chain is trying to expand faster, and their business model, where guests pay by the hour to stay in capsule-style rooms located inside airports, seems to be working. Like an easyHotel, a Yotel is not the high end of comfort, but the convenience is indisputable. And for travelers who have a few spare hours, it’s an ideal place for a rest and refresh. Yotels are also convenient for travelers with early morning departures, as you can stay at the airport the night before without paying a fortune.

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Backpackers need to add another item to their travel list, a Gap Year Card, a prepaid Mastercard designed for backpackers by backpackers that protects you against fraud and theft.

It also works with a large number of international businesses to provide users with travel discounts. Receive between 10 and 15 percent off your ticket prices for Greyhound tickets, hop-on hop-off passes, attraction fees and more.

In addition to those benefits a Gap Year Card offers you a degree of control that other cards do not: You can arrange to have your paychecks directly deposited onto your card; transfer money to your card online from anywhere; or use it to withdraw money from more than a million ATMs worldwide.

There are fees associated with a Gap Year Card, but the fees are similar to those you would incur with a traditional credit card used overseas. Expect to pay for ATM withdrawals and a foreign exchange charge. You’ll also pay a membership service fee, a start-up fee and a small monthly charge. But these charges are relatively small and will be recouped in discounts by the vigilant traveler. From now until the end of the year you can sign up for the card for only £9.95, half the usual purchase price.

Doing business in Vietnam? Consider booking a room at the Sheraton Hanoi hotel, voted “Vietnam’s Leading Business Hotel” in the World Travel Awards for 2007. The hotel was also praised as a good location for holding conventions.

With it location on the shore of West Lake, the hotel offers guests a sense of tranquility unavailable on Hanoi’s busy streets. But it’s only 10 minutes from downtown.

For eating and drinking, there are several restaurants and bars. Members of the Sheraton Club can also have breakfast or a drink and snack in the Club Lounge. There’s a tennis court and a fully-equipped gym where you can unwind. Internet access is provided throughout the hotel - although there is still a charge to use it, unless you’re staying on the Club levels or in a suite. There is a desk and telephone connection in each room of any standard.

As a business traveler, the usual hustle and bustle of Vietnam can be quite exhausting, so finding a good home-away-from-home is vital to a successful trip.

(Photo via flickr cc)

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A recent TripAdvisor poll asked tourists to pick the world’s public transportation system. While I was thinking that the perfectly punctual Japanese railways might be near the top, it turns out that London is the city with the best public transport, at least according to the impressions of thousands of tourists.

London was also voted to have the safest system, the best subway and the best taxis. Personally, I’d also add an award for the cutest double-decker buses, too. The London public transportation system is also the most expensive.

In the United States, the New York public transportation system came in second to London for the best system, and was also runner-up to London as an expensive system. But it does seem clear that tourists at least are prepared to pay higher costs for their transport if it takes them where they want to go.

At the other end of the scale, Los Angeles was voted as having the worst public transportation system. Other awards were for the cleanest system, which was won by Washington DC. Tokyo came in second second to DC for the cleanest public transport.

(Photo via flickr cc)