Cook with the coffee pot – Hotel tip

by Gadling Staff on

The hardest part about hotel life, isn’t the bed, or bathroom, it’s food. What a lot of people don’t know is that you can do some quick home-styled cooking with the appliances you have available. The most important of these is the coffee pot!

The coffee pot’s heat comes from a warming plate, which is what the pot rests on. If you fill the pot with water and let it heat up, you can make anything from ramen to spaghetti.

Pro tip: just using the plate you can cook bacon, and even heat up some pop tarts in the morning for the kids.

Collect beer coasters – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

When most visitors to Europe think of art they imagine oil-on-canvas masterpieces hanging in distinguished museums. But beer companies adorn their coasters with colorful symbols and European scenes. Collecting them is not only fun, it doesn’t cost anything. When you leave the bar, just grab the circular print of the hearty fraulein holding onto the beer stein and pop it in your pocket.

The multitude of local brews allows you to collect a myriad of regal symbols and pastoral scenes. These remembrances of beers past can mark your trek through local London pubs and Berlin beer gardens.

Manage your gratuities carefully – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

Any cruise virgin should be told BEFORE going on a cruise that many cruise lines automatically slap you with gratuity charges.

Different cruise lines have their own “tipping guidelines” that they use to charge you. Most charge on a per person/per day basis. With all of the people that expect to be tipped, this can get really pricey — especially for large families.

Cruisers should know that a quick trip to the Purser’s Desk can have those gratuities removed from your bill, and you’ll be free to tip deserving persons accordingly.

Bring a collapsible cooler for easy dining out – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

An investment of a few dollars saves countless travel bucks!

A collapsible fabric cooler takes basically no room in your luggage, since it flattens when packed. Easy-to-carry coolers have shoulder straps, and some may even double as backpacks. Many coolers store wine upright; half of the top flips up to accommodate the taller bottle. Expensive snack items and beverages bite into travel funds, but one trip to the hotel ice machine and one stop at the local convenience store add up to extra cash. These coolers can turn an ordinary picnic lunch into a wonderful travel memory.

Bonus: you can use it as a dirty clothes hamper at the end of your trip!

Take a “surprise yourself” road trip – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Want to take a road trip to no where in particular that’s different and exciting for the adventurer in you? Here’s how to organize a “surprise yourself” road trip.

  1. Decide on the number of miles you will drive farthest.
  2. Collect two small bags and some post-it notes.
  3. On some of the post-it notes, write one direction on each note (i.e., north, south, east, west) and place notes in one of the bags.
  4. On some other post-it notes, write one length of journey for each note (i.e., 5 miles; 10 miles; 18 miles) and place notes in the other bag.
  5. Draw a post-it note for the first driving direction.
  6. Draw a post-it note for the first length of journey.
  7. Drive.
  8. When you reach the terminus of this leg, draw another direction and length of journey, and at the first safe road, turn in that direction and drive for the number of miles indicated.
  9. Continue on your journey to the outer radius.
  10. Explore. Don’t forget your camera, and perhaps a small packed snack.

Remember to enjoy the places, people, scenery and adventures along the way.