Groceries can be a cultural experience – Dining out tip

by Gadling Staff on

When you arrive in a town in a country that’s not your own, check out the local culture by heading for the grocery store.

You’ll find more new food experiences than you would in a restaurant at half the price — and you can still dine out!

For instance, on a trip to Denmark, we visited a village’s grocery, looked at all the interesting foods, and bought some fabulous cheese, yogurt and smoked fish. We took it to a park and had the best lunch of our trip. (If you plan to do this, don’t forget to throw some plastic cutlery in your suitcase!)

Leave the plane with more bags than you came with – Packing tip

by Kyle Ellison on

With baggage fees constantly climbing, travelers are having to get creative to skirt unwanted costs. One unconventional method involves actually leaving the plane with more carry-on bags than you boarded with.

How is it possible? Simple:

  1. Wear extra clothes while entering the plane (layers of t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, jackets, shorts beneath pants, etc.).
  2. Pack an empty duffel bag in your allowed carry-on.
  3. Once you reach cruising altitude simply shed the extra clothing into the empty bag on a trip to the lavatory.

Peculiar? Undoubtedly. Effective? Highly.

Hotels top target for hackers

by Tom Johansmeyer on

According to online security trade publication DarkReading.com, hackers went after the hotel sector more than any other in 2009. And, they didn’t get caught: it took hotels an average of 156 days to discover a security breach. A study by Trustwave’s SpiderLabs of 218 security breach investigations in 24 countries found that 38 percent hit the hospitality industry, 19 percent for financial services, 14 percent for retailers and 13 percent for food and beverage.

So, why are hackers poking around in hotel systems? Credit cards!

Hackers are looking for payment information that they can steal and use elsewhere. This information that can be converted to cash quickly, says Trustwave SpiderLabs executive Nicholas Percoco. Other sensitive information wasn’t nearly as popular, with the likes of financial, authentication and healthcare information good for only 1 percent of what was stolen.

Buy a cookbook – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

Part of the fun of travel is eating new foods. But why restrict yourself to only eating these fabulous dishes while on vacation? If you’re impressed with the food during a trip, buy a local cookbook and a few area-specific ingredients.

When you get home, recreate your favorite dishes there. If you’re feeling like a party, invite your neighbors over and feed them, too. When they’re devouring your delicious meal, they may even be interested in hearing about your fantastic experience.

Check-in 24 hours in advance, to get better seats – Airline tip

by Gadling Staff on

Have you ever made an airline reservation and been told the only available seats are those in the middle? What you probably weren’t told is that airlines hold a number of prime seats for last-minute bookings to elite customers. When those seats aren’t sold, they’re released about 24 hours prior to departure.

To take advantage of this, visit your airline’s website and look for the “check-in” link. There you will see what (newly released) seats are available, and you can change yours if necessary.

If that doesn’t work, use the check-in kiosk when you get to the airport. It offers the same option.