More road trip apps for your phone – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

The iPhone and other smart phone applications are making our lives simpler every day. Road trips are no exception. Before leaving on your next road trip, try these apps, all available on the App Store (warning: links open iTunes):

  1. Free WiFi Finder (free) helps you find strong and free WiFi hotspots on the road;
  2. Where To? ($2.99) helps find places of interest like museums and shopping centers and is great for unfamiliar places; the special ‘Surpise Me’ feature helps when you’re indecisive;
  3. Road Trip ($4.99) allows you to keep records of fuel prices, mileage, and travel expenses so you may graph them and export to a CSV file.

Related: Road trip tip: 6 useful iPhone apps for road trips

Load your car the night before – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

How many times have we planned on leaving at 7 in the morning for a road trip only to find that we’re running two hours late before it’s even started?

With the exception of the cooler and (maybe) the kids, everything that’s needed — from luggage to GPS to toll transponder — can all be put into the car the night before.

If you cannot do this because you park your car in the street and not the garage, have everything you need right by the door so you can just grab and go the next morning. Remember: the fun part of the road trip start right after all the work finishes.

Laminate maps and printed directions – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Passengers eat, drink, and frequently move in and out of the car during a road trip. A paper map or set of printed directions easily gets shoved into a seat during a stop, or worse yet, ruined if food or drink is spilled on it. Upon arrival, directions and maps are even more likely to get misplaced or damaged. To keep maps and directions safe during the trip, laminate them.

For around $30, a home laminating machine will seal standard letter size pages. Copy and print stores have the capability to laminate larger maps for a minimal fee. Alternatively, you can use contact paper to cover paper maps.

Pro tip: you can draw your route on a laminated map and easily wipe the mark off, if you change your mind.

Get upgraded to first class for free – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

Work for a company that will only reimburse coach fares? Book a full-fare economy class ticket with a Y booking code.

Commonly referred to as “Y-up” tickets, travelers with a Y booking code may request complimentary upgrade to first class seating. Airlines created the Y booking code to get around tighter corporate travel policies, while still catering to their most lucrative passenger segment.

Keep your keycards – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

Most hotels now use keycards to unlock room doors (instead of keys). Some hotels suggest you return the keycard after your stay, or leave it in your hotel room.

However, you don’t have to do either of these things. Hotel keycards are deactivated as soon as your stay is complete, and you are free to take them if you wish.

Keycards can provide a fun memory of the hotels you’ve stayed in, and you can even show off your growing pile to admiring friends and family members.