Travel Tips: Tickets (Transportation)

As college students like me, we always need to figure out the most reasonable and affordable tickets for everything when we travel. However, everything is difficult, and everything costs very much.

What's kinds of tickets we need take? This is not simple, but at least, I can categorize for transportation, accommodation, and others. Now I introduce some ways of these.

Today, I introduce some tricks when people take their tickets for their destinations.

(All these information depends on the countries and companies. Please ask once for your transportation companies at first when you travel. Also, the sightseeing department of your destinations support your travel, too.)


Flights

Now many people use flights when they travel. Many people make their reservations more than two months before because airline companies provide some early-bird discounts. Also, these people always check some discount sites such as "Orbitz," "TripAdviser," and "Priceline." Some airline companies guarantee their sales price. If their reservation prices are more than the prices that travelers find, they pay back.

Mysteriously, some busy people don't care where the destinations are. They wait for the last minutes tickets if their purposes are just for vacations. These discount tickets possibly show up in a few days before the flights fly because airline companies tries to fill all seats.

Railways & Buses

If you are the international travelers, major national transportation companies such as Amtrak, and Greyhound in your destinations should have their special discounts for the international travelers. These are mostly for the long distance travels, but the prices are reasonable. If you have time in your destinations, and want to enjoy the atmosphere of your destinations, this is also one alternative. (If your destinations are insecure, transportation companies may ask about your travel insurances. If you don't have, they forcibly add this as an option.)

If you walk around the specific areas, you can choose "One Day Pass" instead of each one way/round trip tickets. If you need to ride bases/trains a lot for a day, this is very reasonable. If your destinations are not far from your places, local buses are one of the ways to be affordable.

Bicycles

If you stay some weeks, or months for the purpose of learning, bicycles may be a good idea to keep in touch with your towns. You can feel the atmosphere of the towns and find your favorite locations as soon. However, you can freely go everywhere like a bird. You need to understand where the downtown is, and where the dangerous zones.


If you are a student traveler, you may take advantage of ISIC Card, Hosteling International Membership Card, and Student Advantage. They are with special discounts for museums, sightseeing locations, and accommodations in the world.

To rent a car is also good. You can move all over your destinations. However, please don't forget to sign for your insurances when you rent cars. These cars are usually new or very clean. Sometimes, they are the targets of lobbers. Also, usually the rules of the transportation in your destination is difficult to understand for travelers. If you are not familiar with the destinations, I don't recommend to rent cars.

"Fly Away" (1998)

By Lenny Kravitz

Well, well. I'm not on the vacation, but I'm a little busy for everything everyday. I have classes, and also I have my jobs. How's my feeling now? I want to fly away..!


(Currently, I'm a little busy for my classes and jobs. I can't update much. Also, I'm thinking to take advantage of a different way for this "Travel Monkey." When all are good, I'll inform for everyone.)

Travel Tips: Cross Platform Tools

Now there are a lot of alternatives when they go to stores. One of the main reasons when people select their new phones is what they can do on them. This means the time of OSes is mostly over because popular apps are mostly on these OSes: iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.

Here are popular apps that we can use not only for our travel, but for our lives without minding about OSes.

1. Evernote

"Evernote" is one of the most useful notetaking apps. On your phone, you can directly take photos and audio with your notes, and keep them on your phone and cloud. You can keep your itineraries on it. You can add the photos of tickets and documents, clip websites, note the important information, and manage your tasks with the reminder. (Other Alternative: Microsoft OneNote with Office Lens)


2. Kindle App

Everyone wants to read books on board. You may read travel magazines, or your favorite books. Naturally, you can buy books at the airport stores, but you may keep it all the way of your travel. Amazon provides Kindle App for smartphones as a cross-platformed reading tool. If you accidentally replace your phone just before your travel from Android to iPhone or Windows Phone, you can keep reading the same books on your new phone. (Other Alternative: Kobo Books)


3. Skype

Skype is one of the communication apps. You can call and text. Even you are not in your country, you can call to your family and friends over WiFi on your smartphone. Now you can use this with your Facebook account, so this should be more useful than before. Between Skype users, you can call and text for free. (If you call to a land line or mobile phone, you need to pay for a charge. However, it's absolutely less than using a phone card. (Other Alternatives: WhatsApp, Google Voice, Viver, etc.)


Years ago, I wrote about useful services for travel. Recently, some of them were shut down. One of them was "Springpad." Many people have used Springpad for their bookmarks and reminder on their smartphones. This was a big loss for people.

Now I picked these three items because they are relatively stable. Trust me, at least you can use for some years in the future.

(Without these, as your information tools, Tunein (Radio), Spotify(Music), and Feedly (Feed Reader/News/Magazines) are good for travel. You can use over WiFi if you don't have a phone line. Streaming music and radio on your phones may cost you a lot. Please make sure about the limitation of data on your phone plan.)

"The Man Who Can't Be Moved" (2008)

by The Script

Now the season is changing little by little. The winds are cooling down the hottest summer days. Staying with travel friends is very fun, but as long as people who decided to live there, they need to move forward. After cutting up the moments of your travel days on your memory, now you have your own way of "life."

Travel Tips: Selfie

I read about some people who get every Post Office in the United States for their hobbies. I also read about some people who want to get all the 50 states. What do these people use for the evidences? Some of them collect the stamps at the post offices, and send some postcards there.

However, now we have a new simple way: Taking "Selfie."

Here are Two things: Take Selfies with...

Wherever You Get Favorite Spots
When you are on your travel, you find a lot of interesting, curious, and strange sites. You can take selfies with the view. (In some locations, taking pictures is strictly prohibited. Please keep the rules, and be happy!)

When You Got New Friends
One of the happinesses of travel is meeting new friends. Now people usually have some SNS accounts such as Facebook and Instagram. You can ask your new friends to take some selfies together and keep the selfies with some notes.

Only try these things, your memories becomes more and more obvious. Your happy experiences are not only for the moment, but for your inspirations of your lives. Possibly this gradually change your future lives.

 "#SELFIE" (2014)

by The Chainsmorkers

If your phones are not with the Global Positioning System(GPS), they are able to record not only the dates you take, but your locations on your selfies. I believe you can remember all situations with them. Also, when you map your selfies, the GPS data on your selfies works great!

Travel Tips: Online Photo Service

10 years ago, we used film cameras when we traveled. We needed to keep all the films during our travels. It was useless because we always needed to bring them on board and keep them safe. Now these troublesome things are mostly gone. Everyone can use small SD cards for their smartphones and digital cameras, and store these photos online for the future uses.

Usually, people share photos with the social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter. It's a good way to show their precious moments, but if you want to send actual photos for someone you love, no worry, internationally, you can do it from your destinations with online services.

1. USE DEVELOPPING SERVICES ONLINE
   This is simple. There are a lot of photo developing service providers in the world. In the United States, many drug stores have photo developing services. They also accept your digital photos online. You just sign-in to the sites, upload your photos that you want to gift, and fill the application, all your processes are done.


2. USE SOCIAL NETWORKING SERVICE & STORAGE
   If you use some online photo storage services such as Snapfish, you can also store your photos online, print them, and create some items such as a photo book with your favorite photos. You can send them as a gift to someone you love. With some social networking services, you can order photo print, and send to someone else.

Usually, these internet services internationally work. If your destination is a different country, you can use the service as if you are at home. This is the goodness of the Internet world.

 "Picture of You" (1997)

By Boyzone

It's a good way to keep your precious moments with some photographs. However, it's not enjoyable if you adhere to take photos. Sometimes, "just keep in mind" is the best because it's your precious moment. If you encounter a special moment, your serendipity is on... maybe!

Travel Tips: Speak Up!

"Summer vacation" is very precious for students to find and get into their own world. Especially, for someone who takes a gap year and travels around, it's the term that make sure about the identity. When travelers talk at youth hostels, identities sometimes prevent them with their cultural contexts. What kind of things help to understand each other?

Social Network Service (SNS)
This is very fundamental. Now everyone uses some SNS such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Travel friends join each other, show each culture, and photos. If you have your personal cards for them, your travel friend can join after you leave.

Picture Cards
If you plan to travel, bring a few picture cards that indicate your local cultures. When you talk with others at hostels, you can indicate them with your cultural contexts.

Music Playlist
You can create your music playlists on music services such as Spotify, iTunes, and Youtube. You can talk your favorite music with your new friends. Especially, if you have some playlists in your countries, they may be very exotic for new friends. You can listen on your smartphones too.

Coins
If you have some coins after you exchange money from your countries, you can bring them. They may not useable in your destinations, but you can give them for the friendships for your new friends. Also, the designs on coins indicate the fundamental things of your nations. They must be good when you talk.

Candies
If you can bring a few small candies from your countries, it's a good idea to give and let your friends taste. (Some countries prohibit to bring food in domestic for security reasons. Please check about your destinations.)


Anyway, if you travel for a long time, it's better to keep your package small. The best is to keep all in one backpack. Don't buy expensive and big stuff for this purpose. In many cases, they are just waste.

"Happy" (2014)

by Pharrell Williams

In fact, to get a travel friends are not easy. Your cultural context and common sense make your new friends something wrong. These make them just one time friends. If you can get a permanent friend, you are lucky. It sounds "Happy."

Travel Tips: Technologies #2

I wrote about Smartphone on "Technologies #1."

My smartphone is included these:

• Laptop
• Camera
• Camcorder
• Travel Guidebook
• Maps
• Travel Clock
• Music Player/Headphones
• Radio
• Reading Books
• Cell Phone
• Pen Light
• Journal
• Dictionary

Now I rearrange these alternatives like this:

[Smartphone Features]

• Laptop
• Camera
• Camcorder
• Travel Clock
• Music Player
• Radio
• Cellphone

[With Apps]

• Travel Guidebook
• Maps
• Reading Books
• Pen Light
• Journal
• Dictionary

Smartphone features provide the minimum things for your travels. Now what you should think is about the apps to solve your purposes.



For Travel Guidebook/Reading Books/Magazines

• iBooks
• Google Play
• Kindle 

Personally, I recommend Kindle because it's multiple-platformed. If you need to change your phone from Android to Windows Phone, you can still read books on the same way on your Windows Phone.


For Maps

• Maps (Apple)
• Google Maps
• Bing Maps
• Here Maps

If you always have the Internet connections, I recommend Google Maps for the information quality. You can also use these on your phone browser. You don't need to download apps if you don't want. (If you use a Nokia, "Here Maps" may be helpful for your offline use. Before you travel, you can download the whole map for your destinations. Even you don't have the Internet connection, you can use the maps.)


For Journal

• Evernote
• OneNote
• Springpad

Many people keep their travel journals. Some of them keep on their blogs, and some are on their SNS such as Facebook and Twitter. However, personally, if you want to note your thoughts, they are useless because your friends can see your private things. Then you can use above the apps. They can sync to your online storage with photos, videos, audio and documents. They are not only for your journals, but also your notebooks. (Evernote has a monthly limit for the usage. If it's exceeded, you need to pay for it. If you need to keep your notes with a lot of imaging materials, I recommend OneNote on OneDrive with your Microsoft Account.)



For Pen Light/Dictionary

There are no application to suggest. There are a lot of Flash Light apps on stores, and also you should use a useful translator/dictionary for your purposes. 


For Others

Naturally, you have your favorite apps for your lives such as for Facebook, Twitter, Phone Call, and Messaging. You can use them for your purposes.

---

If you don't want to use these apps, still your smartphone has the browser. If you have the Internet connections, you can do a lot of things you want.

Travel Tips: Technologies #1

Usually, people try the minimum belongings when they travel. In fact, I was not good at selecting stuff for my travel. If I just needed to get the next town for 3 days weekend, I took all daily things at once. This means, I needed a suitcase, or a big backpack for the 3 days.

When I saw a backpacker in LA, he just had a small backpack for his weeks of travel. This was a surprise for me. I asked some questions for him. His suggestion was "Make sure your motivations and purposes."

There were some questions for myself:

I have my purposes and motivations. Should I...

• bring a big guide book instead of the travel apps?
• go with my camera instead of my old big camera?
• bring my pajamas? In the hotel room, nobody sees.
• my journals? I can write things on my tablet.
• need a shampoo and soap? The hotel usually have.

In my old days, I usually was with these things for 2 nights 3 days:

• Cash/Card
• Cloth
• Pajamas
• T-shirts
• Tanktops
• Briefs
• Socks
• Bath Towel
• Towels
• Snacks (Disposable)
• Water (Disposable)
• Laptop
• Camera
• Camcorder
• Travel Guidebook
• Maps
• Travel Clock
• Music Player/Headphones
• Radio
• Reading Books
• Laptop
• Cell Phone
• Shampoo/Soap
• Teeth brash/paste
• Nivea Cream
• Hair Cream
• First Aid Kit
• Pen Light
• Pens
• Journal
• Planner
• Student Card/ID
• Dictionary
• Umbrella 
• Others

After I follow his suggestion:

• Cash/Card
• Cloth
• Pajamas
• T-shirts
• Tanktops
• Briefs
• Socks
• Bath Towel
• Towels
• Snacks (Disposable)
• Water (Disposable)
• Laptop
• Camera
• Camcorder
• Travel Guidebook
• Maps
• Travel Clock
• Music Player/Headphones
• Radio
• Reading Books
• Cell Phone --> Smartphone
• Shampoo/Soap
• Teeth brash/paste
• Nivea Cream
• Hair Cream
• First Aid Kit
• Pen Light
• Pens
• Journal
• Planner
• Student Card/ID
• Dictionary
• Umbrella 
• Others

In fact, there is a magic. I could rearrange something into the same one. It's called "Smartphone."

My smartphone is included these:

• Laptop
• Camera
• Camcorder
• Travel Guidebook
• Maps
• Travel Clock
• Music Player/Headphones
• Radio
• Reading Books
• Cell Phone
• Pen Light
• Journal
• Dictionary

Naturally, people need to keep some important things on their planners for their safety travel. However, these changes are very big for ease of travel. My backpack has become from a big one to a very compact one. When I travel now, I use only one very small backpack.