Use an expandable file to plan your trip – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

In preparation for a recent trip, we compiled 10 day’s worth of information on accommodations and attractions, maps, directions, and other paperwork.

I purchased a plastic, expandable folder with 10 slots, then labeled each with one day/date of the trip. Into each day’s section went everything we needed: maps, directions, confirmation numbers, hours and costs of museums and attractions, etc.

If we ran into a delay or found ourselves a day ahead of schedule, it was easy to move the pile to a new slot.

Bonus: Receipts and souvenirs readily replace used maps and directions, ready to remember a great trip!

[Photo: Flickr | BLW Photography]

Map and highlighter are essential – Packing tip

by Gadling Staff on

Wherever, however, you go traveling, there are two easy essentials you must pack:

The first is a map of the destination(s) you will be visiting. It’s easy to feel disoriented on solo trips — or even a guided tour!

The second essential item is a highlighter. A map that you can mark with a highlighter allows you to see exactly where in the world you are. Just mark the major cities or towns you’ll be visiting beforehand, and then connect the dots as you travel the local roads.

This is especially helpful in Europe where countries are only the size of American states and distances traveled are much less than you might imagine.

[Photo: Flickr | Adam NFK Smith]

Making multiple stops? Get a map of the airport – Airplane tip

by Gadling Staff on

When your airline trip involves multiple stops, a little research before you leave will reduce frustration during the time you switch from one plane to the next.

Visit the website of the airport you will be changing planes at and print out a map of the terminal. When faced with a short time to get from one concourse to the next you will find a map to be very helpful.

In addition to your investigation of the airport layout, you should also identify shops and restaurants that interest you in the event that your layover time becomes lengthy.

Pro tip: add the Gate Guru app to your smart phone.

[Photo: Flickr | James Cridland]

Kindle tips for travelers

by Meg Nesterov on


The iPad may be the current darling of techie travelers but some of us are waiting for the first generation kinks to be worked out and a decrease in price (or a sudden cash windfall) before taking the plunge. While still a “monotasker” compared to a tablet or laptop computer, Amazon’s Kindle is still a great tool to carry books on the road with a lightweight design and almost limitless capacity to store whatever travel guidebooks, beach reads, or other reading materials you desire. Combined with the easy ability to search within a book for a place name or keyword, a much lower profile than carrying a tourist map, and limited but free web browser, Kindle is a good choice for travelers. Here are a few other ideas beyond ebooks for your next trip:

  1. Google Maps are a fantastic resource when traveling, but lose their usefulness once you are without internet access or unwilling to pay for data roaming. Whether you download individual maps of city neighborhoods or get all fancy with creating your own Google Map of destinations and recommendations, having a “hard copy” on your Kindle is handy when you are offline and want to quickly locate that vintage store in Berlin a friend told you about.
  2. Many free PDF travel guides are available online including In Your Pocket and Arrival Guides. While not as extensive as a guidebook, they provide a few suggestions for where to stay, eat, shop, and what to do in many cities and often cover less-traveled destinations such as Eastern Europe. Lonely Planet has also introduced Pick and Mix chapters for purchase, perfect for when you only need a chapter of a guidebook rather than a whole country book.
  3. Create your own travel guide by saving magazine articles, blog posts, and web pages for your destination with content more recent, relevant and varied than any guidebook. Tote along Gadling’s guide to Paris’ Japanese quarter, The New York Times‘ 36 Hours in Copenhagen, or the Wikitravel page for Mumbai.

How to save documents for your Kindle: most Mac browsers have a Print to PDF feature and PDFs are easily read on the Kindle. PC users can download a program such as PDFCreator to save PDFs. If you have another format including HTML or a Word document (good if you are copying and pasting text), you can email to Amazon and they will convert and send back. Then you can add documents via the USB cord to your Kindle, simply drag and drop into the Kindle documents folder. While many files don’t have the same functionality as ebook format, you can zoom in and often search many of the file types.

While many of these documents can simply be printed, printer access is often scarce on the road and this method saves a lot on paper. Any other travel tips for Kindle? Leave ’em in the comments below.

Hand-drawn directions – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

It’s been said that hand-drawn directions can be a window into the soul of a culture.

When you find yourself not knowing exactly where you’re going, ask a local to draw directions for you. Keep a store of interesting napkins or papers and a pen on hand to take advantage of the opportunity of being lost.

Asking for directions might also lead you to start some great conversations and to gain a deeper insight into the locale you’re visiting. Even if you have an excellent sense of direction, it never hurts to ask for clarification!