Photobomb your own photos with a funny character – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

Let’s face it: How many souvenir t-shirts can somebody have? Most people take generic souvenir photos, as well! Think outside the “souvenir box,” and make your photos unique! How? Bring along something “unexpected” to place in the photographs — a beloved childhood character perhaps, or maybe a small stuffed animal that represents the location you’re in — and purposely photobomb your own pictures.

You can have great fun with this. Get creative, and you’ll make lots of funny memories — and probably entertain a lot of other tourists as well!

Try it sometime: WE had great fun with this idea!

Befriend the book swap – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

Instead of carrying enough books to last the length of your trip, seek out a hostel, bed-and-breakfast, or local cafe’s book swap. Sometimes they’re listed among a facility’s amenities in guidebooks. Other times, only asking — or (better yet) exploring — finds one!

Using book swaps keeps your luggage light, an imperative with new airline luggage weight restrictions. Also, perhaps, you’ll get turned on to a new genre of literature (as I did in Bolivia).

The Kindle holds no candle to discovering a love for short stories! Furthermore, a paperback is much less vulnerable to the elements… and to “sticky fingers!”

Play the roadside attraction game – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

We live in Alaska, but half our family lives in Montana, so visiting means one long road trip. To keep ourselves entertained, we play a road-side attraction game. Here’s how it works:

  1. plan each day’s drive to allow for at least one long break;
  2. assign each member of the family a day during which they get to pick the roadside attraction we stop at during the break;
  3. at the end of the trip the family member that chose the best attraction, as voted on by everybody, get’s a prize!

This is a fun way to explore your surroundings and play a game at the same time.

Long time in port? Rent a Car! – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

When you’re in a port for an extended period of time, rent a car.

When you have a car of your own, you can not only see the port of call at your own pace, but you can experience the local culture as well.

Additionally, this a less expensive way for everyone in your party to be together. Even the smallest island in the Caribbean has a rental car agency. If you can’t find an car rental agency on the Internet, contact the port of call’s Chamber of Commerce.

Bring a tire repair kit – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

A nighttime flat tire miles from the nearest town might make a good story later, but in the middle of a road trip, it spells stress. Be prepared with everything you need to fix a flat.

Auto supply retailers carry kits with patches, plugs, adhesive and a file to roughen the tire rubber to help the patch adhere. Bring along two cans of a flat-repair product to fill the tire.

In case of a flat: examine the tire and patch any injury. Use your trip-saving flat-repair can to inflate and seal the tire so you can drive to a safer location to change it.

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